Saturday Morning Links

Assorted weekend reading...

- The NDP's foreign investment plan looks to make for a noteworthy statement of the need to better consider the public's interest in trade decisions - and it only helps that it's in an area of particular expertise for Jack Layton:

The NDP Leader – who did his doctoral thesis on foreign investment – argued the Investment Canada review process is too secretive and has failed to ensure incoming direct investment is, in fact, in the interest of Canadian workers.

His motion would make explicit in the Act that the government would approve only foreign investment that brings new capital, creates jobs, transfers new technology into the country and contributes to sustainable development and improves the (lives) of Canadians.

Of course, it'll take support from other parties to actually get the changes made in law. But the principles set out by Layton look to be rather difficult to dispute - making the issue one which has serious potential to focus public attention on the gap between what's seen as good for foreign investors and what's actually best for Canada.

- While the Cons still seem to see themselves as having some hope of turning political party funding into an electoral winner, they're surely undermining their own case in whining about a "responsibility" to use tens of millions of dollars to flood Canadian mailboxes and airwaves with propaganda at public expense.

- No straight-talkin', Tea Party-like campaign would be complete without at least some dose of blatant deception. But I'm still surprised the truth about Rob Ford's campaign has come out this quickly - as any honeymoon he might otherwise have enjoyed as mayor surely has to be limited by the revelations about his campaign.

- Finally, Gerald Caplan is on a roll in his continued criticism of the Cons' attempts to brand themselves as competent economic managers in the face of all available evidence:

Who needs research, evidence, empirical analysis? All are seen as bothersome distractions Stephen Harper's Ottawa. That’s why the scientists who work for government agencies on critical issues of water and air quality, or toy safety, or food safety, or travel safety, are consistently ignored in favour of “research” done by private-sector interests on their own sector.

That’s why the government so blithely spends billions on dubious fighter planes, prisons, summits and the like (and I naively thought Conservatives loathed wasteful governments), goes ahead with billions in corporate tax cuts, and promises to balance the budget. One more Harper re-election, and there goes services and benefits.

Can a government that has forfeited all claims to credibility actually sell itself as the best economic managers for Canada? Can Canadians really be so forgetful, so credulous, so gullible? Is Rob Ford just the beginning?