Canada considers "Buying Canadian"

[Surlethe]

Globe & Mail

OTTAWA — Two of Canada's largest unions are urging the federal government to adopt a Buy Canadian policy similar to the proposal that has been criticized in the United States.

At a joint press conference on Tuesday morning, the Canadian Auto Workers and the United Steelworkers said Ottawa should adopt a procurement policy that ensures the majority of public funds are spent on goods and services made in Canada.

“Every year more than $500-billion is spent by governments at all levels in this country and yet, year in and year out, billions and billions are spent on goods and services from other countries when they could have sourced from Canada,” CAW president Ken Lewenza said.

He pointed to buses, subways, streetcars, ferries, ships, aircraft, defence equipment, uniforms, office equipment and steel for bridges and other infrastructure projects that have been bought abroad with Canadian tax dollars. With $12-billion in economic stimulus promised in last month's federal budget, the unions want that money spent in Canada.

“At a time when this country is bleeding manufacturing jobs – a jaw-dropping 101,000 last month alone – why do we keep using our tax dollars to keep supporting jobs in other countries,” he said. “It makes no sense.”

Critics of the Buy American proposal currently being debated in the United States say it would spark a trade war. They point to protectionist measures introduced in the 1930s that are blamed for prolonging the Great Depression.

But Mr. Lewenza said a Buy Canadian policy would now violate trade agreements such as NAFTA nor prompt a trade war.

“These arguments are completely false, raised as a smokescreen by those clinging to the rapidly failing ideology of endless free trade and deregulation – the very ideas that got us in this mess today.”

Ken Newman, the national director of the USW, said his group supports both a Buy Canadian policy and the Buy American policy that's been proposed in the United States.

“We see some added benefit to the Buy American provision,” Mr. Newman said. “This is not about protectionism … [Canadian products are] protected by the trade agreements and by the WTO.”

Mr. Newman called for “bold action” by the Canadian government and urged Prime Minister Stephen Harper to talk about the integration of the North American economy with U.S. President Barack Obama when he visits Ottawa next week.

I can't help but think this is bullshit, right up there with the "Buy American" clause in the stimulus bill. If we're focused on helping the economy to grow, then subsidizing unions with taxpayer dollars is precisely the wrong way to go; in fact, "Buy Nationalistic" is a good way to keep unemployment higher. This is basically a nationalistic version of "fuck you, I'm taking my ball home to play alone."

[aerius]

Message to union dumbasses: Take a 40% wage cut and we'll buy your shit. Otherwise, fuck you.

[Broomstick]

Shitting on unions aside, if you don't support your local businesses one day you'll wake up and find you have none. There is some merit to buying close to home, the trick is not to overdo it, or to do it in a stupid manner.

In other words - buy stuff made by non-union companies.

[aerius]

Shitting on unions aside, if you don't support your local businesses one day you'll wake up and find you have none. There is some merit to buying close to home, the trick is not to overdo it, or to do it in a stupid manner.

Yup, I spread my money around the local businesses when I can, I'm on a first name basis with some of the owners since I shop there so much. I do my part to support good businesses and domestic industry. I just hate the unions over here since almost all of them are leeches and promote incompetance & other crap in their sector.

[Glocksman]

Shitting on unions aside, if you don't support your local businesses one day you'll wake up and find you have none. There is some merit to buying close to home, the trick is not to overdo it, or to do it in a stupid manner.

In other words - buy stuff made by non-union companies.

You can get decent quality union made goods at decent prices.
Obama's favored Hartmarx suits are proof.

My own employer is unionized (TJX Cos) at the distribution center level and yet we're first in our retail category.

IOW, that's not a hard and fast rule by any means.

[Glocksman]

Shitting on unions aside, if you don't support your local businesses one day you'll wake up and find you have none. There is some merit to buying close to home, the trick is not to overdo it, or to do it in a stupid manner.

Yup, I spread my money around the local businesses when I can, I'm on a first name basis with some of the owners since I shop there so much. I do my part to support good businesses and domestic industry. I just hate the unions over here since almost all of them are leeches and promote incompetance & other crap in their sector.

I love you too.

[Next of Kin]

Meh, considering the push for the "Buy Canadian" stance is coming from the autoworkers and steelworkers I'm sure it will fall on deaf ears in the Harper government and go nowhere very fast. Perhaps the thread title should be changed to "Unions wank over "Buying Canadian."

[Ekiqa]

Meh, considering the push for the "Buy Canadian" stance is coming from the autoworkers and steelworkers I'm sure it will fall on deaf ears in the Harper government and go nowhere very fast. Perhaps the thread title should be changed to "Unions wank over "Buying Canadian."

Harper doesn't care for ordinary Canadians. Only those in big business. So nothing will come of this, and more of our jobs will be exported away, including R & D, of which the Harper government recently allowed companies in CHINA to claim R & D tax rebates in Canada.

[Jalinth]

Harper doesn't care for ordinary Canadians. Only those in big business. So nothing will come of this, and more of our jobs will be exported away, including R & D, of which the Harper government recently allowed companies in CHINA to claim R & D tax rebates in Canada.

The credit has always been for R&D done in Canada. So no change here. And you needed to start bitching about 10 years ago when they allowed people to offshore 95% of the value and still get most of the credit.

[Ma Deuce]

Meh, considering the push for the "Buy Canadian" stance is coming from the autoworkers and steelworkers I'm sure it will fall on deaf ears in the Harper government and go nowhere very fast. Perhaps the thread title should be changed to "Unions wank over "Buying Canadian."

Frankly, the only party I could see going for this is the NDP, but of course they're basically the political arm of the Unions.

[Ekiqa]

Harper doesn't care for ordinary Canadians. Only those in big business. So nothing will come of this, and more of our jobs will be exported away, including R & D, of which the Harper government recently allowed companies in CHINA to claim R & D tax rebates in Canada.

The credit has always been for R&D done in Canada. So no change here. And you needed to start bitching about 10 years ago when they allowed people to offshore 95% of the value and still get most of the credit.

The credit has always been for R & D done in Canada, and only money spent in Canada. But now you can get credit for R & D done in China. If you pay some company in China to do your R & D, you can now claim that expense.