Vladimir Putin - Russia's New Tsar

Whispering in the Wind (WITW 40) August 13, 2014

Military activity in the eastern Ukraine and the Gaza Strip has dominated the international news lately with many observers concluding that the carnage and turmoil is being engineered by two very forceful “outside” personalities – Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation and Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel.  To add further confusion to an already chaotic world where there are many military hotspots, President Barack Obama of the United States directed US airstrikes last week on Iraq, to deal with Islamic extremists and provide humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people.  So we have three political leaders, who in their own way are trying to offer their own type of stability to an unstable, uncontrolled set of circumstances.  These leaders (and there are others) have taken it upon themselves to act in their nation’s interest and independently take action against another independent nation – with their actions being guided by personal motivation, visions of grandeur and a fixed mindset.  What is amazing in international disputes, there is no group or leader strong enough to stop the arbitrary, indiscriminate actions of destruction and domination.   

Vladimir Putin – Russia’s New Tsar

A lot has been written about Vladimir Putin’s personality and his vision for the Russian peoples.  For some Russians, Mr. Putin is thought to be a “muzhik” (a Russian peasant) while others have labeled him a “mench” (a man of integrity and honor).  To put it in more contemporary, western terms, Vladimir Putin is viewed in his homeland as a “dude,” a “manly man” and if the polls are correct, his persona has captured the imagination of the vast majority of interested Russians.  Mr. Putin’s introduction of anti-gay laws last year successfully argued that Russia must retain its traditional family values stance – the law gained the unanimous support of Russia’s Duma and presumably a majority of the Russian peoples.  The “success” of the 2014 Sochi Olympics further bolstered Mr. Putin’s image amongst Russians.  The annexation of Ukraine’s “autonomous” Crimea region through military occupation and a questionable referendum allowed the Putin strategy of successful annexation, without a shot being fired.  Many Russians feel that the glory days of the Mother Russia are again possible under the guidance of a strong leader like Vladimir Putin.  As to the amassing of Russian military forces along the eastern Ukrainian boarders, the engineered Russian conflict in the eastern provinces of the Ukraine and the downing of MH17 Malaysian Airline flight killing 298 people are viewed as mere blips in Mr. Putin’s strategy – President Putin’s strategy remains intact and moving forward.  As to the response by the western nations on the matter of Russia’s incursions in the Ukraine, the west’s sanctions portfolio isn’t working and could actually work to the detriment of a number of western countries.  Canada’s strong support of the regime in the Ukraine and the recent additions to its sanctions list against Russian nationals has brought a response from the Russian government – a one year ban on Canadian food exports to Russia.  Also, Mr. Putin recently signed a 30 year gas delivery contract worth $400 billion with China. That single contract has caused Canada considerable concern in its resource development strategy and for Europe it means higher gas prices.  As to the big question, is there a western strategy that can contain events and Mr. Putin?  Canada did have a reputation as a moderate mediator (the Person Way) but that opportunity has been taken away with Mr. Harper’s major change in foreign policy – very unfortunate for Canada and limits the west’s options.  The Russian Bear has again reared its head and the west had best arm itself to the teeth.

A Very Troubled World

Whispering in the Wind (WITW 39) August 6, 2014

Writing “Whispering in the Wind” has been a rewarding experience for me personally and for those that have offered feedback to the column; a good number have encouraged me to continue the column and continue offering “informed” opinion.  That’s not to say I have not been criticized for offering opinions that are counter to other points of view.  A year or so ago I was labelled a “racist” for criticizing some aboriginal chiefs and their excesses.  More recently I was labelled a “communist” by a good friend for not watching the “right” newscasts.  While there is some merit to any criticism, I defend myself by saying:  it is very difficult to sort out fact from fiction in today’s media frenzy – where scripted propaganda rules much of the media reports in daily newscasts.  For me I rely on “informed” opinions and take a good deal of the daily news reports with a grain of salt.

Two international news stories have overtaken a number of other major international news stories that haven’t been resolved and the reporting are laced with propaganda:

The Eastern Ukraine

The downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 three weeks ago in the eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 passengers and crew, is rife with charges and counter charges as to responsibility and accountability – it has become a propaganda war where experts in the west have concluded that Russian supplied weaponry to Russian operatives in the eastern Ukraine and it was they who shot down MH17.  In Moscow the story is different, it is claimed that Ukrainian operatives shot down what was thought to be a Putin plane flying over the eastern Ukraine – I can’t believe anybody in the west is buying the Russian version, but it is apparently going over well in Russia.  The big question: will responsibility ever be assigned through any international justice system and will those held responsible ever be held accountable? Not likely, so the civil war in the eastern Ukraine will continue with no resolution in sight.

Gaza Strip

The propaganda war in the Gaza Strip region (including the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula) has been going on for over 50 years and there is no end in sight.  The latest incursion into the Gaza Strip has apparently been provoked by Israel’s wish to stop rocket attacks from the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip – the Hamas dominated government is considered a terrorist organization by a number of western nations, including Canada – many feel Israel is justified in protecting and defending its territories – other nations in the region feel that Israel is not justified in its dominance in the region and do not recognize Israel as a nation state.  No resolution is in sight, but Egypt has brokered a 72 hour cease-fire – there is still no resolution in sight and the battles and bloodshed continue.  Prime Minister Harper has taken a particularly hard line against the Hamas government and fully and totally supports the Israel government stance which is a major change in foreign policy for Canada – Canada for decades has been a peace broker and up until now has tried to work behind the scenes to broker peace and resolution – oh how things have changed..       

Canadian Politics, Exciting or Ho-hum

Whispering in the Wind (WITW 38) July 30, 2014

Alberta Politics, Like Watching Paint Dry

The Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership race has not generated a lot of attention in the media nor has the race garnered any real interest with the coffee shop gang in Smoky Lake.  For many it’s like watching paint dry on a hot day and to add insult to injury, there is no cold beer in hand.

By all accounts Jim Prentice has been declared the front runner in Alberta’s PC leadership race opposite former deputy premier, Thomas Lukaszuk and former minister of transport, Ric McIver.  Actually Lukaszuk has tried to distinguish himself and there are a few sparks of interest in a few constituencies.  Jim Prentice appears to have a good portion of Alberta’s business community behind him, particularly the elite in Calgary’s oil and gas business.  Many in the resource sector quite rightly feel that Mr. Prentice is most able to deal with the big boys in Ottawa, has ministerial experience in environmental matters and is well respected within the Aboriginal community – three important assets if Alberta is to get its bitumen to critical markets.  Regarding social policy issues, all three candidates seem to be satisfied with the status-quo – although Mr. Prentice did insist that the Minister of Education (our own Jeff Johnson) work more cooperatively with stakeholders, specifically the teacher’s union. As to the candidates and the possibility of visiting the Smoky Lake area, I understand Mr. Lukaszuk will be in the rodeo parade and Jim Prentice will be here at the end of the month at the Senior Citizen’s Drop-In Centre.   As to the vote on who will be Alberta’s next premier, September 6 is the big day.  If there is not a clear cut winner then a second vote will take place on September 20 – remember you have to be an Alberta PC member to vote.  As for Danielle Smith, leader of the Alberta Wildrose Party, she is basking in the sun of success.  Polls indicate that if an election were held tomorrow, her party would receive about 40 percent of committed voters and that’s majority territory.     

Harper Politics, Like Watching a Catastrophe Unfold

Over the past year and a half Canadians have observed one scandal after another, all attributable to the political miscalculations of Steven Harper and his conservative government.  It seems that every month or so a scandal of sorts comes up that requires a defensive political strategy on the part of Steven Harper and his inner circle of handlers.  The list of political miscalculations is long and I have written about most of them but things have gotten out of hand when Mr. Harper’s economic policy mismanagement and related deceptions have run counter to what I have often referred to as NATION BUILDING.  The mismanagement of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) has created a class of companies that are now dependent on the TFWP for its workforce at the expense of Canada’s young people. 

The Ford Motor Company and the Ontario government are both claiming that the Canada–South Korea Free Trade pact signed last March will see a flooding of cars from overseas into Canada – in my view that’s not nation building, Canada needs to maintain a strong manufacturing base in Ontario. 

And the latest deception; the Canada-Europe Trade Agreement (CETA) appears to be in jeopardy?  The Germans appear to be concerned about a foreign-investor clause that would allow a corporate body to take legal action against a government if it is felt that the corporate body is being unfairly treated.  In this case I agree with the German position in that each and every nation-state has the right and obligation to its population to maintain a strong nation and not be subject to the whims and ways of the corporation body.  It is going to be interesting how Steven Harper works his way around this most fundamental issue – globalization versus nation-state building?      

Duffy Finally Going to Trial

Whispering in the Wind (WITW 37) July 23, 2014

The RCMP has concluded its investigation into the Mike Duffy affair and last week charged Mike Duffy with 31 counts of breach of trust, bribery and fraud.  The charges relate to Mr. Duffy’s actions while he functioned as Senator in good standing, province of Prince Edward Island (a four year timeframe).  In a television interview and just after the RCMP charges commented that he welcomed the opportunity to clear his name in a court of law and was confident that the 31 charges would be proven to be unfounded and unwarranted.  Mr. Duffy will formally respond to the charges on September 16, 2014.  In one respect the RCMP charges against the “suspended” Senator brings some resolution to one major element in what has been labeled the Senate Expenses Scandal – a scandal involving numerous administrative issues in the Red Chamber and numerous sitting Senators and their feeling of entitlement.  For Mr. Duffy, it is now up to the judicial process to determine fact from fiction; political intrigue from political conspiracy and yes, the very real possibility of high stakes political cover ups.  For the moment little can be added to the RCMP allegations other than it’s going to take a long time to be assessed, judged and juried.  From my perspective and it is only a gut feeling, I feel that the results of the Mike Duffy trial will have major impacts and consequences on how Canadians will be governed in the future.  Two issues jump out as needing immediate comment:

The 31 Charges Framed by the RCMP

The 31 charges laid by the RCMP are understandably wrapped in legal jargon but in essence it comes down to Mike Duffy being charged with:  One count each of fraud and breach of trust related to his residency expenses (2 counts).  Nine counts of fraud and nine counts of breach of trust for expenses unrelated to Senate business (18 counts).  Four counts of fraud and four counts of breach of trust related to the awarding of consulting contracts (8 counts).  One count each of bribery, fraud on the government and breach of trust related to a $90,000 payment to Mr. Duffy from Mr. Wright.

What is confusing about the 31 charge; two thirds (20 of the 31 charges) relate to expense judgements made by Mr. Duffy regarding residency and unrelated business expenses, these expenses should have been rejected, (or at least flagged) by the appropriate administrative body within the Senate that deals with reviewing Senator expenses.  Many, many months ago Mr. Duffy indicated that the expenses he claimed followed the acceptable rules of play in the Senate at the time the expenses were incurred – to apply a new set of rules to his historical expenses is unjustified and unacceptable protocol. In the end I do not think the issue of expenses will become a major factor in any judgement for or against Mr. Duffy – if Mr. Duffy is found guilty of the expense related charges a good number of other Senators will have to be charged as well. 

Regarding the charges of fraud and breach of trust for hiring outside consultants, very little information is known as to the nature of the consultancy work undertaken, so at this point in time no further comment is necessary. 

As to the bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges related to the $90,000 cheque to Mike Duffy from Nigel Wright (then chief of staff to Prime Minister Harper) is, in my view, the king pin issue in the Duffy charges that involves Prime Minister Harper himself and a number of his handlers.  The first question posed by many observers:  Why is Nigel Wright exempt from charges for writing the $90,000 check, while Mr. Duffy is being charged for accepting it?  For the moment legal experts are discussing two different federal laws – Section 119 and 121 of the Criminal Code of Canada which indicates that it is an offence to accept funds for a benefit and the Parliament of Canada Act which makes it an offence to give money to a senator. 

Mr. Duffy has speculated that the trial will begin in the spring of 2015 and he will be able to discount all charges and identify the real circumstances and culprits. 

The Next Federal Election

There was never a doubt in my mind that the next federal election was take place in October, 2015.  Nevertheless, a couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail from a good friend living in eastern Canada where he described a rumor circulating about the possibility of a federal election being called earlier than originally scheduled – largely because of the anticipated rejection of the Keystone pipeline proposal to ship Alberta bitumen to Texas and a general downturn in the Canadian economy.  With Mr. Duffy being as confident as he is to show his innocence, the real circumstances of the scandal and the real culprits – so an earlier, spring  2015 election is in the cards and would be most beneficial for Prime Minister Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada. Who knows?  

Canada's Employment Disaster, a Reality!

Whispering in the Wind (WITW 36) July 16, 2914

Summer is here and it’s hot – ideal for a relaxing golf game or enjoying a leisurely family barbecue – so who in their right mind would want to talk about the various screw-ups in Ottawa?  Well people are talking politics and a good number are furious with Mr. Harper and how he is dealing with the country’s employment development programs

Canada’s Employment Strategy Not Working

The Canadian economy lost close to 10,000 jobs in June over May – and the national unemployment rate rose by a tenth of a percentage point to 7.1 percent – Alberta’s unemployment rate rose three tenths of a point to 4.9 percent.  Saskatchewan is the only province operating at full employment, its unemployment rate at 3.9 percent.  What is particularly disturbing is the country’s youth unemployment rate.  For those seeking work between the ages of 15 and 24, the unemployment rate is over 13 percent nationally (over 17 percent in Ontario and about 8 percent in Alberta).   

Canada’s Current Employment Development Strategy a Disaster

An important element in Prime Minister Harper’s economic development strategy was to meet the immediate investment needs of the resource development sector, specifically in western Canada.  To accommodate the employment needs in the booming resource sector Mr. Harper’s government relaxed the important and necessary restrictive measures attached to the decades old Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP).  After the rules were relaxed by Jason Kenney things have gone downhill to the extent that a good number of businesses are now dependent on the TFWP for their very existence. 

The Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) has become a debacle, creating a problem without an easy solution.  Officially it is estimated that there are 338,000 temporary foreign workers in Canada (as of December, 2013), some have estimated the figure to be closer to 500,000 but who knows, there are no exit controls placed on the workers once their visas expire.  It is also estimated that there are something like 25,000 businesses that are highly reliant on TFWP with over 1,100 businesses having over half their employees classed as temporary foreign workers.

A Final Few Thoughts

Recently Minister Kenney made changes to Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers Program and demanding employers using the TFWP follow the rules.  Unfortunately there has been no discussion on the consequences of the policy as it was (is) being implemented.  From my perspective I would like to make two points.  First the government is clearly establishing a “slave” class of worker and there is no turning back.  Secondly, the longer term consequences of Mr. Harper’s employment initiatives and the likely impact these initiatives will have on Canada’s respected work ethic – particularly amongst Canada’s young people who are now only adjusting to a new reality.