Reply #11: the straight goods

[iverglas]

http://www.straightgoods.ca/ViewLetter.cfm?REF=1373

Social Democratic Parties Social democratic parties since 1914 are left-wing capitalist parties. They generally more represent the working class rather than the big-business and professional classes of the Liberals and Conservatives. Such parties normally adhere to capitalist concepts - but want a greater share of the pie for the working class. This is achieved by increased worker rights and benefits, fairer taxation; social programs which reduces inequality and poverty and through collective bargaining by unionism. (The Bloc Quebecois originally a Conservative separatist party is now a social democratic party led by Gilles Duceppe for Quebec interests.)

New Democratic Party (NDP) The social democratic NDP, has been the party of the working class. Under Jack Layton, the party is shifting from its passive role since the 1970s to more aggressiveness policies to reverse the losses of workers' wages, benefits and conditions under neoliberalism. Today its major policies are to improve public health and education and to stop the privatization of government assets and social programs.. It advocates bank reform - to reduce and eliminate the $40 billion in unnecessary interest rates by borrowing from the Bank of Canada instead of through the private banks. It advocates gradually eliminating the GST <federal value-added tax>; and renegotiating NAFTA particularly Chapter 11 which allows foreign corporations to sue the government if it intervenes even to stop toxic pollution.

Always worth poking around at www.straightgoods.ca - current stories are about the election.

In answer to TrogL's comment, is the Bloc anti-immigration? Not to my knowledge. Quebec sovereignists are constantly seeking more provincial control over immigration (which is a shared federal-provincial jurisdiction). Quebec has always been concerned, with good reason, about non-francophone immigration jeopardizing the ability of the québécois culture/people to survive and develop.

http://canada.metropolis.net/Renewal/academic%20reports/Adelman%20Paper%202.htm

I FRAMING THE ISSUE - CONTEXT

Usually discussion in this area begins with the question of whether two neighbouring countries that are both traditional countries of immigration can work at establishing common security policies without, at the same time, working on common immigration, refugee and migration policies, in the latter area particularly with respect to temporary work permits, student visas, and visitor visas. However, cooperation, coordination and integration in asylum and humanitarian migration policy and practices must be understood within the context of other trends.

<footnote 24> The only real criticism of the report Hands Across the Border, focused on the safe third country provision. Though both the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP supported the report in general, the few recommendations on which they aimed their critical guns dealt with one or two recommendations that those parties thought were too harsh on those trying to enter the Canadian refugee claims system.

The Bloc Quebecois dissented from Hands on the safe third country discussions because, "A safe third country agreement could pull the rug out from under the feet of a number of refugees seeking asylum in Canada or Quebec who had had the misfortune than to pass through the 'wrong' countries on their way here."

Similarly, the New Democratic Party also qualified the 'direct-back' policy (requiring those trying to enter the claims process in Canada to wait in the USA while awaiting clearance) as well as the Report's recommendation for a 'safe third country' agreement with the US. The NDP noted that, "Canada does not take in large numbers of refugees compared to many other countries. We are also an "end-of-the-line" country in the sense that with our geography more refugees come here as a final destination than pass through in search of a safe home. Roughly 60 per cent of refugee claimants come here from the US. There is no clear purpose to the Report's recommendations except to cut back on the number of refugees coming to Canada … by closing the legitimate avenue for refugees to enter, a third safe country agreement with the US would likely raise the number of refugees who will resort to illegal means of entry."