Government budgets have been in the news for all the wrong reasons, as cutbacks and austerity measures seem to be the new reality. Here in Alberta, as we struggle to find a way to deal with shortfalls in revenue predictions from our oil and gas revenues, announced cutbacks in numerous areas may very well hit close to home for many this year and over the next few years.

Ask any schoolchild, and they will tell you Canada is an export-based economy, and much of our wealth is derived from exporting our raw primary resources to manufacturing-based economies that transform those resources into finished products that are then sold back to us and many other economies around the globe.

Given the firestorm Royal Bank of Canada has received this past week, its public relations department may be needing to go into overdrive.
Social media lines were buzzing with outrage when CBC broke reports of Canada’s largest bank bringing in temporary foreign workers to replace veteran employees for outsourcing, in what is being deemed as unfair hiring practices. CBC said the foreign workers are employed by iGate Corp, a multinational outsourcing firm.
Some of the 45 Toronto employees whose jobs are being outsourced have come forward, claiming they were being made to train the people.

Canada’s parliamentary system is far from perfect. Indeed, nearly every form of democratic representation in the world has its flaws and its drawbacks. Most would agree, however, whatever the shortcomings, democracy is still preferable to the alternative.
Last week’s “revolt” of backbencher MPs within the Conservative Party against being muzzled by their own party administration for attempting to voice their own views has been causing a significant stir in Ottawa.