PM Justin Trudeau's Canada

[old boy]

They're all the same. Poilievre will follow the Harper playbook of dramatic cuts in defence spending (Harper's 2014 defence budget at 0.9% of GDP was the nation's lowest), while increases in government spending elsewhere (see historical spending below), and driving up the debt, especially if Harper-like tax cuts are enacted along with Harper-like spending increases.

I just hope the MCGA crowd are honest enough with themselves to replace their F#CK Trudeau banners, bumper stickers and wifebeaters (see below) with F#CK Poilievre ones.

I'm pretty sure that the Trudeau version of the obscenity comes with black pickup trucks.
I'm seeing them, honestly.

 

[PinkLucy]

I'm pretty sure that the Trudeau version of the obscenity comes with black pickup trucks.
I'm seeing them, honestly.

We have one that drives around our neighbourhood. Then there was my neighbour, who has since moved, who walked around with a F Trudeau sign during Covid. Meek and mild mannered the rest of the time. It was rather odd, to say the least.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Ah yes, forgo working on what is the most urgent issue of our time AND ensuring Western companies can't compete globally on new tech with China. Best move ever!

China's plan is to dump their EVs at below cost to get the jump on the lower cost market so that Western companies will go under or otherwise suffer before they can compete.

 

[picard102]

We have one that drives around our neighbourhood. Then there was my neighbour, who has since moved, who walked around with a F Trudeau sign during Covid. Meek and mild mannered the rest of the time. It was rather odd, to say the least.

This kind of thing attracts the weakest and mildest. Gives them something to feel tough about.

 

[goreckm]

China's plan is to dump their EVs at below cost to get the jump on the lower cost market so that Western companies will go under or otherwise suffer before they can compete.

Yes, but this only works because we (the West), have no answer for this anymore. Our car companies don't know how to make cars (especially EVs) for good prices that people want to drive. Government subsidization in industries happens here as well, it's just the complete collapse of innovation combined with gutting of product development due to insane corporate greedthat is killing us. (see Boeing, where it's obvious). Tariffs are great if the main motivation would be to keep our manufacturing base or things critical to national security. This is not that, and will backfire similarly to the microchip restrictions which were placed on China recently.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Yes, but this only works because we (the West), have no answer for this anymore. Our car companies don't know how to make cars (especially EVs) for good prices that people want to drive. Government subsidization in industries happens here as well, it's just the complete collapse of innovation combined with gutting of product development due to insane corporate greedthat is killing us. (see Boeing, where it's obvious). Tariffs are great if the main motivation would be to keep our manufacturing base or things critical to national security. This is not that, and will backfire similarly to the microchip restrictions which were placed on China recently.

Eventually China is going to build an EV factory in North America to escape the tariffs. They’re trying in the US now, but are facing resistance. But how long can a government refuse jobs and investment?

BYD is waiting for the US election to announce its new North American EV plant

BYD is waiting to see if former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris wins the US election before...

electrek.co

If the US refuses a Chinese EV plant we may see them coming to Trudeau and Canada.

 

[afransen]

Eventually China is going to build an EV factory in North America to escape the tariffs. They’re trying in the US now, but are facing resistance. But how long can a government refuse jobs and investment?

BYD is waiting for the US election to announce its new North American EV plant

BYD is waiting to see if former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris wins the US election before...

electrek.co

If the US refuses a Chinese EV plant we may see them coming to Trudeau and Canada.

The Chinese OEMs will be building plants in Mexico. Mexico is already attractive from a labour cost perspective to production in China for export.

 

[Admiral Beez]

The Chinese OEMs will be building plants in Mexico. Mexico is already attractive from a labour cost perspective to production in China for export.

I assume under the auto pact and new nafta neither Ottawa or Washington can block Chinese EVs made in Mexico.

 

[DSC]

I assume under the auto pact and new nafta neither Ottawa or Washington can block Chinese EVs made in Mexico.

Maybe, but the Mexicans are well aware that the USMCA is up for re-approval by December 2025 and the rules are not quite as simple as you appear to think. This from Wiki:

Automobiles​

Automobile rules of origin (ROO) requirements mandate that a certain portion of an automobile's value must come from within the governed region. In NAFTA, the required portion was 62.5 percent. The USMCA increases this requirement by 12.5 percentage points, to 75 percent of the automobile's value. The initial proposal from the Trump administration was an increase to 85 percent and an added stipulation that 50 percent of the automotive content be made by United States auto manufacturers.[37] While the deal's text did not include the more demanding version of this provision, there is concern that the increased domestic sourcing, aimed at promoting U.S. employment, will come with higher input costs and disruptions to existing supply chains.[50]

 

[lenaitch]

Maybe, but the Mexicans are well aware that the USMCA is up for re-approval by December 2025 and the rules are not quite as simple as you appear to think. This from Wiki:

Automobiles​

Automobile rules of origin (ROO) requirements mandate that a certain portion of an automobile's value must come from within the governed region. In NAFTA, the required portion was 62.5 percent. The USMCA increases this requirement by 12.5 percentage points, to 75 percent of the automobile's value. The initial proposal from the Trump administration was an increase to 85 percent and an added stipulation that 50 percent of the automotive content be made by United States auto manufacturers.[37] While the deal's text did not include the more demanding version of this provision, there is concern that the increased domestic sourcing, aimed at promoting U.S. employment, will come with higher input costs and disruptions to existing supply chains.[50]

This. You won't be seeing a plant in Mexico simply assembling a pile of parts shipped in from China.

 

[Admiral Beez]

This. You won't be seeing a plant in Mexico simply assembling a pile of parts shipped in from China.

No, true. But we may see BYD or another PRC brand open up a factory in North America, using government funds to acquire or startup component manufacturing locally in compliance with free trade. When Ronald Reagan blocked Japanese motorcycles over 750cc from the US market, the Japan bike brands opened US factories using locally made components to circumvent the tariffs.

China already owns huge swaths of the Canadian economy, all acquired with government funds (often masked as private investment - but under communism there is no such thing), such as when Trudeau allowed PRC acquisition of our lithium resources, https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/chinese-takeover-lithium-1.6322715

China to continue Canadian mining investments despite scrutiny

China will continue to invest in Canada's critical mineral industry despite pushback from the Trudeau administration.

www.mining-technology.com

In this light, China building EVs in North America with North American sourced components is feasible. And they’ll still be able to do it on the cheap, because the initial investment and operating dollars will come from Beijing.

 

[AlbertC]

Lululemon allowed to bypass rules around hiring of temporary foreign workers: report​

Athleisure giant Lululemon has been allowed to hire temporary foreign workers for the expansion of its headquarters in British Columbia without seeking local labour first, according to a report.

The company said it would move its headquarters out of Vancouver, and Canada, if it was not be allowed to bypass the rule requiring employers to advertise job posts to Canadians before they are allowed to hire temporary foreign workers, according to the Business Intelligence for B.C. (BIV), citing a report from the Investigative Journalism Foundation (IJF).

Last year, the employer reached an agreement with the federal and provincial governments to do this and to have the expansion of Lululemon’s headquarters as a special investment project (SIP).

“One of the key considerations of the final decision to green light our expansion [in Vancouver] will be whether we receive the necessary immigration approvals so that we have the talent to guide our global growth,” said Lululemon in internal documents, according to the IJF.

The IJF requested the documents under freedom of information laws and this led to B.C.’s Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner asking Lululemon to provide the IJF with the redacted records, noted BIV.

Lululemon allowed to bypass rules around hiring of temporary foreign workers: report

Company cites need for 'necessary immigration approvals… to guide our global growth'

www.hrreporter.com

 

[PL1]

Lululemon allowed to bypass rules around hiring of temporary foreign workers: report​

I hate this so much.

 

[T3G]

Why don't these spineless pricks ever call these companies' bluffs? Go ahead, let them pull out. Lululemon is not delivering some highly technical stuff that no one else in the country is capable of making.

 

[Towered]

Can we add the TTC to the list of TFW exploiters?