The national interest

The Globe and Mail points out that it may not be long before Alberta's oil sands get taken over:

“I believe there will be a disappearance of the publicly traded companies, once the SEC comes out with its rulings,” he said in a conference call yesterday. “I believe Big Oil is going to want to go in and buy these companies.”

He said companies with existing oil sands operations are certain to be snapped up, even though their market values have grown as the price of crude has soared and interest in the sector has intensified. “The wealth of the oil companies have also grown by leaps and bounds,” Mr. Coxe noted.

There are a couple of different strands of this story which merit attention.

First, if there is a sudden move toward such wide-scale foreign ownership in a lucrative and now domestically-owned industry, will that be reason enough for the Liberals to start taking seriously the review process under the Investment Canada Act? And if not (which seems most likely), can the NDP duly highlight that lack of response?

Second, it's no great secret that the U.S.' large oil producers have just received massive payoffs through the new American energy bill - which could be all the more significant if it position the U.S. companies better as compared to Canadian ones, leading to a faster takeover. If that happens, should Canada be looking to file trade complaints? And if none of the current trade agreements seem to cover the issue, should we be looking to change that?

So far, we have only questions rather than answers. But stay tuned.

Lest there be any doubt...

...the federal budget deal will be entirely affordable given the government's current finances:

The federal government recorded a surplus of $3.1 billion in the first two months of the fiscal year.

In April, Ottawa took in $2.2 billion more than it spent and added another $900 million to the coffers in May, the Finance Department reported Friday.

The April-May figure was well up from the same period last year when the surplus was $1.8 billion.

And thankfully, as a result of the NDP's deal some of that added money will be put to much better use than it would have been otherwise.

Let the games begin

Some of the events have already started, but the Canada Summer Games officially begin at 5 PM today. Pick an event, check when it's on and go have some fun.

Devils Lake Agreement

It took far too long, but Canada and the U.S. have mostly agreed on how to handle Devils Lake:

The agreement provides for new rock and gravel filters at the start of the new drainage system as well as extensive monitoring of the water in the basin to be sure that pollution levels are not rising and that species from the lake do not get into the other water systems and crowd out existing fish.

North Dakota says its system of pumps, pipes and canals will stabilize Devils Lake at current levels, channeling excess water to the Sheyenne River, and on to the Red River and then over the Canadian border.

From the sounds of it, this has worked out pretty well for all parties concerned. The big issue now is to make sure that the agreed monitoring (and consequent change if necessary) takes place as planned.

Bringing people together

A new housing project in Vancouver plans to integrate multiple classes:

Two hundred units of non-market housing will shelter low income people who may be plagued by mental illness and addictions. They will live alongside 350 units of market housing made up of lofts and condominiums.

On the street level, non-profit community organizations will be given spaces to knit the neighbourhood together.

But some people now in the area are skeptical:

"People don't want to move into this neighbourhood to learn about the people down here," said Muggs Sigurgeirson, vice president of the Carnegie Centre Association, a community centre and meeting place for homeless people and drug users.

"They want a good housing deal. And then they want to protect their investment and want their property value to go up, so they fight to push homeless people out."

There may be some reason for concern, but there should also be a counterweight in that the upper-class people buying into the project will presumably be ones who are more receptive to living closer to poverty.

Of course, that fact may dampen the positive effect as well - rather than creating much intermingling between people who otherwise would not plan to live near each other, the project will merely provide a gathering point for people who don't see class as too much of an issue, as well as offering some opportunities for neighbourhood development. That's progress for sure, but it's a long way from raising sufficient awareness of poverty issues.

Bad Credit = Bad Idea

Judging from the lack of recent talk on the subject, we're apparently avoiding wide-scale problems linked to consumer debt so far. But a word of warning: the UK hasn't been so lucky:

Department of Trade and Industry figures showed a 37% jump in the number of people becoming insolvent in the second quarter of the year. The three-month total of 15,394 is the highest quarterly figure since records began in 1960.

The low interest rates of recent years pushed Britain's total personal debt levels above the £1 trillion level for the first time last year. The recent slowdown in the economy and last year's interest rate rises are being blamed for pushing some people over the edge.

One of the credit-card companies hardest hit by the wave of bankruptcies is responding by cutting credit limits and refusing more applications. That's one way to cut down on future debt, but perhaps not a positive step. The flexibility to spend is a clear plus if exercised wisely; the problem now is a bubble has deflates enough to expose a lot of unwise choices.

The bigger issue is ultimately one of consumer responsibility. Those now enjoying Saskatchewan's jobs boom, and even more importantly those not yet benefitting from the progress, should remember that payment deferred isn't payment avoided.

Sheer brilliance

Plutonium Page at Kos points out a true work of art. My personal favourite:

I became aware that my spectacles were not sitting quite correctly on my nose. Using my hand I moved them slightly, thereby making them feel more comfortable. This adjustment completed I continued with my activities.

It's the weekend. Go wild and read it all.

The need for vigilance

The Tyee points out the all-too present difficulties in trying to shop progressively:

Lots of us try to shop green. We buy unbleached paper towels and recycled products, some with more than 5 percent post-consumer content. Commend McDonald's for banning Styrofoam, and shun them for lying about beef fat in the fries. Save our paychecks because we suffer from Prius envy. Wouldn't be caught dead at Wal-Mart because, well, it's Wal-Mart. But a green consumer is still a consumer, and the evil marketing geniuses who run the world know this. They prey on our longings: love your mother, do well by doing good, live simply that others may simply live ... They put symbols of renewal on plastic packaging. They market products with terms the FDA has yet to define. They overcharge, because they know eco-chumps pay more, eagerly, if it helps us feel a reverent connection with all things.

There's probably a role here for truth in labelling as well. But as long as that's not entirely present, when voting with one's consumer dollars, be careful about seemingly friendlier products where the "natural" or "green" label is little more than a waste of ink.

On high opinions of one's self

There's little doubt that politics are playing a role in Marc Emery's arrest.

But can we also all agree that this is going a bit too far?

"If I thought my death or my lifetime imprisonment even at great suffering would bring about the liberation of hundreds, thousands and millions of people around the world who are oppressed, I am looking forward to that," Marc Emery said in an interview...

He said the people he admires most - Gandhi, father of India's independence, anti-apartheid leader Mandela and King, the revered U.S. civil rights leader - spent time in prison for their beliefs.

Frank Roncarelli, I'll grant as an analogue. But there's a difference between fighting for equal rights for a group discriminated against from birth for no reason, as Gandhi, Mandela and King all did, and fighting for all people to be able to do something of their choice, as is the case for both Roncarelli and Emery.

Which isn't to say that Emery's cause lacks justice...just that he might be able to win support from a greater proportion of Canadians if (like Gandhi, Mandela and King) his humility matched his devotion to his cause.

Exploring eBay

A friendly public service announcement: for those who have been in the market for a well-maintained, second-hand icebreaker, here's your chance.

Must-read

The Globe's web comment discusses how the CNOOC/Unocal saga puts to rest any claims that true globalization is happening:

Globalization is not global. Instead, relatively equal participation in a globalized economic system is limited to a select few countries, and in a select few areas. Interdependence in economic affairs can only really be found in two regions - North America and Europe, with Japan added for good measure. Anyone not in that group may gain access from time to time, but on terms set by the club's members (for example, the matter of agricultural subsidies and the Doha Round of the World Trade Organization)...

On same day that CNOOC's bid for Unocal ended, Kinder Morgan Inc. (a U.S. energy company) agreed to purchase Terasen Inc. (formerly BC Gas, an important Canadian company with development interests in Alberta's oil sands) for $3.1-billion, with little fanfare on either side of the border or in either national capital. China isn't allowed to play the game that way. Very few others would be allowed to either.

Go read.

On fairness and balance

You'd think the Leader-Post would at least pretend to try to show both sides of an issue. As all too often, you'd be wrong.

I noted earlier the plan released today by Saskatchewan's NDP government to deal with substance abuse.

The Leader-Post's front page features two stories on the plan.

One story, left over from this morning, features two paragraphs setting out the rough facts, followed by six paragraphs of Saskatchewan Party quotes, followed by two more paragraphs of facts, followed by six more paragraphs of SP MLA June Draude. Pause for a bullet-point list of Sask Party policy proposals, then finish off with two more paragraphs of Draude.

Then there's this one, posted later today, which makes the story the Sask Party's reaction rather than the policy itself. It leads with a paragraph saying that the opposition is disappointed...presents a small amount of the new policy in two paragraphs...then goes to three paragraphs of quotes from SP MLA Ted Merriman before closing by noting a policy still under consideration.

The result: two articles on the most important news story in Saskatchewan today, not one word of NDP input.

Now, there are two possibilities here.

One is that the NDP managed to release a much-anticipated report and consequent policy without a single MLA bothering to say anything about it. (Hint: The NDP's caucus website may have a quote or two.)

The other is that the Leader-Post has once again chosen to pay attention to only one side of Saskatchewan's public policy debate.

Draw conclusions as needed.

UPDATE, Aug. 5: Miraculously enough, today's story was actually on the balanced side. Now was that so hard?

Telus more

According to the Tyee, Telus blocked many more sites than we knew - and the result may be much closer scrutiny over the actions of ISPs in general:

In the past, ISPs such as Telus argued that they served the role of a common carrier, similar to telephone companies, which are not liable for the content of calls made on their telephones.

As neutral carriers, ISPs in the past have blocked sites only after being ordered to do so by a court. But by unilaterally moving to block access to Voices For Change before a court issued an order, Geist said, Telus appears to have taken a step away from that neutral approach...

So far, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has largely taken a hands-off approach to the Internet. But Telus’s action may lead the commission to revisit that decision, Geist said.

(T)here appears to be legal authority for intervention under the Canadian Telecommunications Act, Geist said.

Section 27(2) of the act, for example, prohibits unjust discrimination in the provision of a telecommunication service. Section 36 states that a “Canadian carrier shall not control the content or influence the meaning or purpose of telecommunications carried by it for the public.”

Ottawa is already reviewing a broad range of issues related to telecommunications policy and the Telus issue may well affect the outcome of that review.

For the sake of trying to win a labour battle, Telus has opened it - and all ISPs - up to the argument that they are responsible for the content conveyed. After all, if ISPs reserve the right to block access solely to improve their hand in a labour dispute, why can't access be blocked for any other purpose the CRTC (or any government) sees fit to impose?

Telus' argument is that this was a unique situation, but the only difference appears to be that the sites were blocked purely as pressure in a labour dispute rather than out of any sort of public service. And that's not a difference that works in Telus' favour. It seems plain that Telus has violated at least the second of the above statutory provisions; what's not clear is what action will be taken in response.

As I noted yesterday, the aftermath of the lockout doesn't look good at this point...and it may be all the worse if Telus feels the need to gain more from the lockout to make up for added regulation and liability. But there's much more at stake now than simply the contents of the next CBA.

In fighting dirty in a minor battle, Telus has opened up a war which could fundamentally change the way the Internet is regulated in Canada. We'll see how long it takes the CRTC to fire the first shot in response.

The news from space

If anything will eliminate Bushco's desire to fund NASA, this is it:

Commander Eileen Collins said astronauts on shuttle Discovery had seen widespread environmental destruction on Earth and warned on Thursday that greater care was needed to protect natural resources...

"Sometimes you can see how there is erosion, and you can see how there is deforestation. It's very widespread in some parts of the world," Collins said in a conversation from space with Japanese officials in Tokyo, including Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

One of the fun consequences of the military-industrial complex relying on scientific development: sometimes, those pesky scientists start pointing out the obvious. We can safely bet that this won't be the topic of conversation once Discovery gets back to Earth.

Stocking stuffer

Ujjal Dosanjh may be doing little to nothing as Minister of Health. But full credit to him for giving the NDP an early Christmas present:

In an interview Thursday, Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh welcomed the stay of the court's ruling, but gave no indication that he will take action to prevent the introduction of two-tier care in Quebec during the interval.

Dosanjh declined to offer a view on whether the Supreme Court judgment conflicts with the Canada Health Act, which requires that health care be provided to all on the same terms and conditions...

Asked whether he hoped to preserve the single-tier system, he said: "Our first priority is to strengthen the public health care system and I believe we shouldn't be ideological about these issues," he said...

Mike McBane of the Canadian Health Coalition said he interprets the comment about "rigid ideological positions" as referring to defenders of single-tier health care.

"I would say that's extremely disturbing to hear that coming from the minister of health who up until now has told Canadians he thinks private delivery is not in the public interest," said McBane.

A Dosanjh spokesman later tried to take back the gift, saying that the "ideological" comment referred only to advocates of private health care. But Dosanjh has brought the health-care issue back to the front pages, and also made it clear that he and his party don't stand for much when it comes to health care.

I just hope the NDP unwraps this one and starts showing it off in a hurry.

Positive steps

Saskatchewan's government releases its plan to address crystal meth and other drugs:

Premier Lorne Calvert has announced a new three-year plan to prevent and treat substance abuse.

The government says it will spend $10 million a year on the project, and will triple the province's capacity to treat drug-addicted youth.

The money includes a new residential youth drug treatment facility in Prince Albert.

The province also says it will create a new alcohol and drug prevention and education unit within the health department.

The capacity issue was probably the most important one given the current lack of rehabilitation spaces, and it's great to see that being addressed along with added education. Better yet, the NDP hasn't bought the SaskParty claim that extending the scope of mandatory treatment is the only (or any) answer.

There's still a lot of work to be done with respect to youth addictions, but thanks to today's announcement, progress is being made.

Suspended sentence

The CP reports that the Government of Quebec has received a 12-month stay of the Chaoulli health-care decision, based on the new quasi-constitutional norms imposed by it.

For those looking at the actual ruling and wondering about the "partial re-hearing", don't get your hopes up. That reference seems to refer only to the motion for the stay.

And for those following Greg's tracker as to how much time Ujjal Dosanjh has wasted, it's now officially just under one-sixth of the time before the ruling takes effect.

(Edit: second paragraph for clarity.)

Planning the handover

The U.S. may be sending mixed signals about its intention to stay in Iraq, but there's no doubt that it's leaving Afghanistan:

NATO-led international troops will be ready to assume responsibility for security across all of Afghanistan by the end of next year, freeing up thousands of American forces, a top NATO general said Thursday.

There has long been a plan to expand the 10,000-strong NATO force here into Afghanistan's volatile south and east, but the timing for its completion has never been specific. Washington has long sought such a move, hoping to relieve many of its 17,600 front-line troops still here.

It's still questionable whether anything much has been accomplished in Afghanistan; there as in Iraq it's only the occupying troops keeping the country from complete chaos, and even any current stability is only relative.

But because the U.S. had an true international coalition there, it's able to at least call on other states to pick up most of the burden now. Oddly enough, Albania and Estonia haven't been able to do the same in Iraq.

Telus something we don't know

There was a rightful firestorm last week when Telus was found to be blocking access to union websites during their lockout. According to the a Telecommunications Workers Union press release, Telus didn't stop there:

"Telus is now refusing to let locked out employees make changes to their Telus Mobility or wireline accounts. Some of these people are attempting to reduce their monthly expenses during the lockout. Others are moving. Still others want to boycott the company. Regardless of the reason, Telus's refusal to honour their requests is outrageous...
"Telus has actually told some of our people that they cannot cancel their service and that if they refuse to pay for the services they have but want cancelled, they will be taken to a collection agency."

Now, I'm sure Telus thought ahead far enough to have some provisions in the service contracts that allow it to delay processing requests. And even if the action is judged in the proper context of the labour dispute rather than as an individual contract issue, there probably won't be any meaningful chance for enforcement.

As another point of interest, note the rationale for the blocked websites: supposedly Telus was concerned that photos of replacement workers on those sites would lead to violence. The company then went out of its way to parade replacements past a worker picket line and to film them for TV exposure.

Ultimately, Telus holds an awful lot of cards in this one, and seems to be pulling more out of its sleeve at every turn. All the workers have is public pressure. Drop Telus and and the CRTC a line - again, if necessary.

Responsible commentary

Another one to file under obvious comments from surprising sources:

Atlantic Canadians struggling to cope with some of the country's highest gasoline prices should consider compact cars, suggests one of the region's best-known gas retailers.

Dave Collins, a vice president at Wilson Fuels — an independent retailer based in Nova Scotia — said today that the surge of gas prices in Atlantic Canada will only stop when demand for gasoline decreases...

Still, Collins predicts that as demand for gasoline shrinks, prices may once again retreat by 2006.

"We say nothing cures high prices like high prices. The simple reason is that demand changes. We're starting to notice it now, and it will start to bite in the next year and my guess is that prices will slacken off," he said.

We can only hope that the prediction is as accurate as the advice.