If I were to pay a lot of attention to the messages from the Conservatives, I would be afraid. Very afraid. It seems to be an ongoing theme in any of the prime minister's statements these days. It makes me wonder, why all this talk about fear and by focusing on fear? What is the government ignoring?
Here's something I'm actually worried about: the economy, unemployment -- particularly for young people -- and crappy returns on my investments putting my retirement plans in jeopardy. Notice, there's no niqab on that list. Just saying.
Indeed, it feels like the Conservatives are playing the old game of bait and switch. Divert our attention to national security, the rights of women and that old standby, immigrants, and we won't focus on our fiscal bottom line.
Here are some nightmare-provoking statistics. In January, the International Monetary Fund cut growth projections for Canada to 2.3 per cent, largely as a result of falling oil prices. CIBC released its monthly update last week suggesting the worst is yet to come in the economy, as the price of oil continues to decline. Statistics Canada also announced last week a small uptick in our jobless rate, with an increase of 0.2 percentage points from January. There has been an overall increase in jobs in Canada in the last year, up 0.8 percentage points from February 2014, but the drop in oil and subsequent layoffs in the oilfield and service sector are expected to have an effect on those numbers in the long term.
As we speak, post-secondary students are preparing for final exams and graduation while their employment prospects remain decidedly bleak. The unemployment rate for young people rose to 13.3 per cent in February, up from 12.8 per cent in January. Many will graduate with a staggering level of student loan debt, making the spectre of unemployment even more frightening.
And as I ponder my late-to-the-game retirement portfolio (thanks, grad school), I am once again gobsmacked by how poorly my mutual funds are doing in this economy and how very expensive their associated fees continue to be. Increasingly, companies are turning away from the defined-benefit pension plans, so I, like many other Canadians, am hoping defined contributions, combined with strong market returns, will assist in my retirement. Increasingly, it's looking more and more like freedom 75 for this kid.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives amp up the propaganda fear factory, while handing out tax breaks for a limited percentage of Canadians. Last week in Saskatchewan, the prime minister talked about his government's plans to simplify gun licensing, suggesting many rural folks use guns for self-protection in areas where immediate police protection is unavailable. Seemingly, random acts of violence mean they need to resort to self-help to protect themselves. This, despite the fact incidences of violent crime are down across the country.
At the same time, Harper and his government (supported by the Liberals) have been ramming Bill C-51 -- Canada's security bill -- through both the Senate and the House. The bill gives enhanced powers to CSIS, and some have criticized it as an affront to democracy, privacy and individual and constitutional rights. But the message is clear -- we should support this bill or risk attacks from the Islamic State on Canadian soil.
Add into the mix the decision by the Conservatives to ensure lifers get life, with no hope for parole. In what can only be described as a jab at Canada's parole system, Harper raised concerns those who commit violent crimes are being released unchecked to threaten the safety of ordinary Canadians. Of course, that just flies in the face of the truth. Right now, when a Canadian is sentenced to life, they are on parole forever, having to check in with a parole officer regularly or risk being thrown back in jail. And the rate of reoffending is very low.
All of this fear-mongering seems to be working for the Conservatives, so don't expect it to stop any time soon. The blog threehundredeight.com suggests the Liberals and the Conservatives are now in a dead heat, although neither is in majority territory, with Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's popularity falling compared to Harper's.
More dismally, much of this fear-mongering, particularly the anti-immigrant stance, seems to be resonating with Canadians. An Ekos poll shows opposition to immigration has nearly doubled since 2005. No wonder Conservative MPs such as Larry Miller and John Williamson seem remarkably comfortable making racist remarks with impunity. Miller told a radio station in Ontario Muslim women should "stay the hell where you came from" if they wish to keep their faces covered during the citizenship ceremony. Williamson told delegates at a conference in Ottawa, that it makes no sense to pay "whities" to stay home while companies bring in "brown people" as temporary foreign workers. Both have since apologized, but one worries if an increasing number of Canadians is silently applauding those statements.
For some Canadians -- at least the ones I hang around with -- it's not the monster under our bed that keeps us up late at night, and it's not the immigrant or the Muslim who strikes fear in our heart. It's this unending, deliberately misleading government propaganda we want protection from. That's the true monster.
Original Article
Source: winnipegfreepress.com/
Author: Shannon Sampert
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