Conference kaosws::canada

    I agree.  This note is a very good idea.  It would help a person
    like myself (who is Canadian but does not live in Canada presently)
    to find out what is happening in Canada politically.  Where I live
    now I hear very, very little news about Canada and would appreciate
    any news at all.
    
    Catharine.
    (GO TI-CATS!!!)
    

    This is what I would like to see here, too. 
    I am a German who was studying in Canada for some time. When I saw
    the announcement of this conference I hoped that it would shift
    from discussing Toronto-only topics to more general discussion about
    Canadian issues, which has happened to some extent, yet not enough.
    Let's hear more about that marvellous country, the people and the
    politics !!
    
    Christoph

    See the base note for thoughts on changing this to a
    Canajun_Eh notesfile.  
    
    As for politics,  I don't think anyone gives a hoot.  That is a
    big problem here.  The last provincial election, I didn't even vote.
    
    Interesting things are happening though.
    
    Ontario elects largely Liberal gov't during DECworld.
    
    New Brunswick elects all 58 seats Liberal, after 17 years of
    Conservative reign.  Stats from the Globe and Mail (Canada's National
    Newspaper):
    	500,000 eligible voters
    	62% voted liberal, 28% Conservative, 11% New Democrat Party
    	Previous gov't - 37 Conservative seats, 20 Lib, 1 NDP
    
    	Only once has a single party won all the seats in a Legislature:
    	In 1935 all 30 ridings in Prince Edward Island went Liberal.
    
    	In 1975 in Alberta, Progressive Conservatives took 62% of the
    	votes for 69/75 seats
    	In 1982 Tories (thats the conservatives, Grits are the liberals)
    	took 75/79 seats.

    	Ontarios biggest margin was 1929, with 58.8% of the votes giving
    	90 of 112 seats to the Conservatives.

    
    Not a particularly serious political comment ....
    
    Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced today that a special
    edition of the Canadian $1 loon coin will be minted in Ottawa
    shortly.............
    
    .......there is no truth to the rumour that this loon will be
    equiped with a Canadarm to facilitate its removal from your pocket.
    
    ....back to you Rick for that serious Globe and Mail stuff...
    

    re .3
    Who is the official opposition now in Ontario? When I lived in Canada,
    I had secretly hoped that Bob Rae would replace Ed Bent-out-of-shape
    as leader of the NDP. The man has some marvelous insights on labour
    relations, trade agreements and criminal justice.  I always thought
    he would be the right kind of guy to keep the conservative Liberals
    and the liberal Conservatives honest. (Never really wanted to see
    the NDP in power until I saw how badly the Conservatives could sell
    the country down the river.)            
    
    re.4
    Tell me that this is a joke! I heard that they were going to mint
    a $1.00 coin but.... Has Brian put his name/face on the coin?   
    (Are the inmates running the asylum yet?)
    
    Carol
    

    re .4
    Yes, there is in fact a Canadian $1 coin. One side, the queen, and
    the other, a loon. THIS IS NO JOKE.
    
    re .5
    Bob Rae is the leader of the official opposition in Ontario.
    The Liberals have a huge majority, and it is felt that
    the opposition will be quite busy trying to keep up.
    The Conservatives were basically wiped out. The situation is
    similar to what happened in Prince Edward Island, however
    not quite as extreme. In Prince Edward Island there is NO
    official opposition -- there was a Liberal sweep of all seats
    in the legislature. Richard Hatfield's Conservatives were
    completely tossed out of power and influence.
    
    Free Trade
    
    The big topic of national conversation here remains free trade with
    the United States. The battle lines are being drawn. Energy producing
    provinces (Quebec, Alberta) are firmly in favour of the agreement.
    Ontario, with its large manufacturing base, has some real concerns
    about the agreement. There have been some calls for an election
    over this issue. Should be interesting over the next few months.
    
    

    
    
    RE:.6
    I think that you will find that it is the NEW BRUNSWICK government
    that is 100% liberal, not the PEI. government....
    
    While on the topic on $1.00 coins...I feel that they could have
    found something other than a loon for it, but the poetic justice
    in it is terrific.
    
    On free trade....
    
    It would be nice to have a free trade agreement, they really do
    work.  However I fear that the agreement that the Conservatives
    have made is going to be the worse thing they have done while in
    power. Now thats BAD......

    Please expand on your perceptions of the free trade agreement. Here
    in the US, many congressmen from the Northern States are warning
    that the free trade agreement would further eradicate the US' ability
    to compete with the subsidized products from Canada. Additionally,
    many feel that free trade would greatly benefit Canada by providing a larger
    market for their goods than US companies could get. The current
    state of the dollar would also work against the US in that its goods
    would end up being prohibitively more expensive in both countries.
    
    Carol
    

    Free Trade:
    
    Interesting observations which you present:
    
    1. An agreement will impede the US ability to compete with Canadian
       subsidized goods.
    2. The agreement will benefit Canada more so than the US.
    3. Exchange rates are in Canada's favour.
    
    It would appear that subsidies, like anything else, are in the eye
    of the beholder. US grain subsidies are causing MAJOR problems for
    Canadian grain producers. Actually the US needs competition if it
    wishes to continue to be a world leader.
    
    There is no question that Canada has much more at stake in such
    an agreement. I'm not sure that "benefits" have been clearly
    established by both parties. What is clear is that this agreement
    will serve as a model for future international negotiations.
    The international press has judged this agreement much differently
    than US congressmen. Mexico has said that it would NOT sign an
    agreement which binds it to the US economy as tightly as the
    Canada/US agreement. Israel has made similar statements.
    
    The arguement that exchange rates will unfairly favour Canada is
    a false one. What exchange rates illustrate is that the world
    currently judges Canadian dollars to be worth $.7 US -- you only
    get what you pay for.
    
    The issues covered by the free trade negotiations (as I recall)
    were:
    1. Raw Materials
    2. Energy
    3. Automobiles and Manufacturing
    4. Agriculture (?)
    5. Financial Institutions
    6. Culture
    
    The debate in Canada continues on perceived "unneeded compromises"
    in most of these areas. The debate is becoming polarized -- the
    energy producers vs the manufacturers. Energy producers see
    a large market. Manufacturers see a loss of jobs. There has been
    discussion that free trade will be a major issue in the next
    election.
    
    Interesting, eh ?
    

    Thanks for the perspective. Seeing as I am the Financial Industry
    Consultant for the US Sales team, (they haven't deemed it necessary
    to acquire others of my persuasion), I'd be very interested in the
    Financial Industry comments.  I understand the benefits to US firms
    in the Canadian financial community but where is the advantage to
    Canadian Banks.
    
    Also please give me some idea on the cultural exchange. Somehow
    I can't really imagine a greater American influence being tolerated
    in Canada! (Would they make you watch the FOX network??)
    
    Carol
    

    re. .10
    	The advantage to Canadian Banks is having free access to the
    American market. The Canadian banking system is very different than
    its American counterpart, our banks are for the most part quite
    large and have a broad "national" base. I think that free trade
    on the fanancial end of things will be very positive for Canadian
    banks.
    	As far as culture goes, I don't see what everybody is so worried
    about. Free trade isn't going to turn us into Americans or a 51st
    state, Canadians have more integrity than that! I certainly do not
    gage Canadian culture by what I see on cable t.v., there's more
    culture in yogurt than there is on the tube. If anything, I see
    free trade as an oportunity for us to influence them. I think Canadians
    are selling themselves short if they think they can't compete with
    the Americans. The leaders of the opposition parties don't seem
    to think Canadians have the ability to do anything better than the
    Americans, I think we can! We can make them our 11th province, or
    perhaps just a territory would suffice. ( The Southern Territories)
    Ya... I like it!
    

 re .11
    
    Currently, all foreign banks have much freer access to the retail
    market than US banks. First of all they can set up a US affiliate
    (Like Natwest or Sumitomo) and enter into states which previously
    forbid outof state banks to establish branches.  Also they are under
    less reserve requirements than domestic banks.
    
    On the other hand, Canadian Banks have lived in a protective
    environment and would have a tough time competing with the likes
    of a CITICORP or a Sumitomo.  (Citi spends $1 billion annually on
    technology. Their existing technology would force Canadian banks
    to play follow the leader with a foreigner and add no significant
    advantage to the Canadian consumer).  Citibank already is the largest
    foreign bank with at least 40% market share of the Schedule B
    institutions.  Sumitomo owns 35% of Bank of America and 30% of the
    prestigious investment Bank; Goldman Sachs.  The Japanese have vowed
    to stay in this market for the long term and to that end will do
    a deal for 1/16 or 1/ 32 of a point profit.  After only two years,
    Nomura Securities is the largest Governments broker in the US.
    
    I think Canadians should be very wary of any deal that allows
    foreigners to potentially dictate economic policy.  Don't think
    it can't happen.  It has before.
    
    Carol
    (I still don't see an advantage to Canadian Banks)
    
    

re .12
    Here are some facts which may shed some light on the implications
    for the financial industy.  Canada's largest bank, the Royal Bank,
    has just over CDN$100 billion in assets.  This makes it the sixth
    largest bank in North America.  In addition, most Canadian banks
    have large overseas operations which account for 20-30% of their
    income and assets.  Far from being protected, the major Canadian
    banks have been restrained from competing in other financial industries
    within Canada (until recently, when they were allowed to compete
    in the securities industry), and have increasingly moved abroad
    for growth.
    
    Glenn O'Brien

    When I left Canada, back in 1971, We stopped en-route, in Trenton
    Ont. During our stay, they were having their provincial elections,
    and one TV advertisement that I remember was for Bill Davies. I
    have always wanted to know, did he make it ?
    
    Wayne.

    Sure did ... I dunno if it was in '71 but he was Premier in '81!
    He has since retired after his party lost a few years ago ... if
    the party fails ... shoot the leader!
    
    Stuart

When I was at UofT, Bill baby was Minister of Education (an oxymoron) and
he was responsible for making it almost impossible to get a student loan
unless you could prove that:

	1. you lived in a rolled-up newspaper in a septic tank

	2. your parents had to line-up at the soup kitchens for their
	   meals

	3. the barrel you used for clothing was a used one

	4. you had to walk to classes from at least a 20 Km distance

	5. you were deaf, dumb and blind

I don't think the guy realized that those students were future voters...

    
    We only wished we had a rolled up newspaper to live in,we had to
    live in a septic tank with no lid that was never cleaned out and floated
    around on used toilet paper untill it got too wet to support us
    then jump ship to a dry piece.
     

    
    Is this the study of the scattered mind???...I'm well versed with
    this...

    Shame on me!! A Deccie for 13 years and I've just discovered the Canada
    Notes. (Almost as funny as Dave Barry)
     
    Re comments on the Loonies ($1.00 coin): The Mint's original design for
    the coin to replace the dollar bill was the traditional "two indians in
    a canoe". However, our coins are minted in Winnipeg and both master
    dies were 'lost' in transit from Ottawa to Winnipeg. They were shipped
    together via Purolator (Only in Canada, you say, pity!!). In order to
    prevent possible forgery, the Loonie (y?) was designed and has sailed
    on into history.
    
    Re politics: My favourite passion and pastime. I really have only a
    couple of things to say. We never seem to vote FOR a political party to
    get them in because of their policies, but AGAINST the incumbents. This
    showed up in spades on Sept.6th in the Ontario election. The NDP got
    38% of the vote but wound up with a majority of the seats. The
    Liberals, besides being a little out of touch, became a lightning rod
    for the discontent with Mulroney in general, Meech Lake in particular,
    and good old basic Canadian racism (Bill 8 and its reaction in Sault
    Ste Marie, Thunder Bay and 29 other Ontario communities)
     
    To close on a lighter note: What is the definition of a Canadian?
     
    Explaining to the Americans that he's not British and explaining to the
    British that he's not American.
     
    Cheers,
    Stephen
    history.

    TEST

    This troubles me.