Canadians struggle to defend seal hunt in Europe
U.S. tells Canadians not to worry about fingerprinting
OTTAWA: IMMIGRATION CHANGES DETAILED
The federal government has offered more details about its proposed changes
to immigration law. The stated purpose of the changes is to allow faster
processing of applications of certain categories of would-be newcomers, such
as doctors or skilled workers. A senior immigration official explained on
Wednesday that prospective immigrants who are not in high-priority
categories may have to reapply year after year, with no guarantee of ever
being accepted. Applications of those in preferred categories will be
processed first and the immigration department will stop processing
applications once the quotas for the various categories are met. Immigration
Minister Diane Finley says that although some applicants will wait much
longer, the country will get the newcomers it most needs much faster. New
Democratic Party Member of Parliament Olivia Chow reacted by saying: "It's a
lottery, and arbitrary and unpredictable."
OTTAWA: GOVT. SURVIVES CONFIDENCE VOTE OVER IMMIGRATION
In related news, the Conservative Party government has survived another
confidence vote in the House of Commons. The score was 201-68, the Liberals
voting against a motion brought by the New Democratic Party and the Bloc
Québécois voting with the NDP. The latter party presented its motion on the
implementation of the budget because of the proposed changes to immigration
law. The Liberals have denounced the legislation but for the time being
don't want to bring down the minority government and provoke a national
election.
VIENNA: SEAL HUNT A TOUGH SELL TO EU
A Canadian delegation has completed its visit to five EU countries in a
effort to argue against a ban on seal products but at least one of the
visiting Canadian acknowledges that it will be difficult to avoid such a
measure. Kathy Dunderdale, Newfoundland and Labrador's minister of natural
resources, has told the Canadian Press that animal rights groups have
campaigned persuasively in Europe and that "there's a groundswell of
opposition throughout Europe to the seal hunt." Mrs. Dunderdale says the
Canadians tried to impress on their hosts how devastating a ban would be for
remote communities in Newfoundland, which has 6,000 people employed in the
industry, as well as for the country's northern populations which rely on
seal hunting. In addition to Canada, a ban on seal products would affect
other countries which have a hunt, such as the UK, Estonia, Norway, Sweden
and Finland. The European Commission is awaiting a second report on seal
hunts before making a recommendation to the European Parliament, probably
this summer.
OTTAWA: CANADIANS TOLD NOT TO WORRY ABOUT FINGERPRINTING
The chief of the U.S. homeland security department, Michael Chertoff, says
that Canadians would be wrong to worry about international sharing of
biometric information like fingerprints, a prospect that concerns privacy
advocates. Mr. Chertoff says fingerprints resemble footprints in that
neither is "particularly private...," adding that it's important that
terrorists or criminals cannot evade security measures by exploiting
differences in Canadian and American practices. Mr. Chertoff was in the
capital on Wednesday to discuss border questions with Public Safety Minister
Stockwell Day. Starting in June 2009, only a passport or some other secure
document will be accept by U.S. customs as identification.
TORONTO: PROTESTERS DEMONSTRATE NEAR CHINESE CONSULATE
About 125 protesters demonstrated near the Chinese consulate on Wednesday, a
demonstration that coincided with the arrival of the Olympic torch in San
Francisco. The demonstrators urged a boycott of the Summer Olympic Games in
Beijing in August to protest against China's treatment of Tibet and also
demanded that the torch not proceed before the opening through Tibet for
fear of provoking more bloodshed. A spokesman for the Tibetan Joint Action
Committee warned that if the torch is carried through Tibet and to Mount
Everest, "Tibetans are going to rise again," and the Chinese government will
have an excuse again to use force. A month ago, anti-government protests
broke out in Tibet in which dozens were killed or arrested.
OTTAWA: HIGH COURT JUSTICE DEPARTS
One of the nine justices of Canada's Supreme Court is taking early
retirement. Michel Bastarache served on the nation's highest court for more
than a decade. He gave no reason for stepping down. Mr. Bastarache is 61.
Supreme Court justices may serve until age 75. His successor will have to
undergo parliamentary hearings for prospective Supreme Court judges under a
procedure that Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced in 2006.
OTTAWA: NEWCOMERS HAVE MORE TROUBLE FINDING JOBS
A study by Statistics Canada says new immigrants to the country are having a
tougher time than in previous years to find steady work. The government
agency says those who have recently arrived in Canada typically go through
an adjustment period, including periods of unemployment and working at
part-time or temporary jobs before finding a permanent job, with the
accompanying dramatic fluctuations in salary. The study shows that
fluctuations in earnings of new immigrants were more pronounced between l998
and 2000 than between l980 and l982. It was also found that younger
immigrants, who previously had an easier time finding steady work, are
starting to encounter the same difficulties as their older counterparts. By
the late 1990s, earnings instability for immigrants in their 20s was similar
to levels seen among those in their 30s and 40s. The birthplace of
immigrants, who are increasingly arriving from China, Southern Asia and
Latin America, seems to have had a stronger impact on earnings inequality
than other factors considered in the study.
OTTAWA: IMF FORECASTS YEAR OF SLUMP
The International Monetary Fund has predicted that Canada will see slow
growth this year. It forecasts growth of just over one per cent. The IMF
says that growth will stall as a result of economic weakness in Canada's
biggest trading partner, the United States, as well as in the rest of the
world.
TORONTO: ONTARIO TRIES TO SPEED UP HUMAN RIGHTS LITIGATION
Canada's most-populous province, Ontario, is improving the agency that
handles human rights cases. The Human Rights Tribunal will receive an
additional $14 million to create new facilities and a new management system.
It's hoped that as a result human rights complaints can be resolved more
quickly. It takes as long as five years for complaints to be resolved under
the existing system.
UNDATED: MORE CHILDREN SURVIVE CANCER
The Canadian Cancer Society has released a report on survival rates of
children with cancer. It says more children are surviving the disease than
in the past because of advances in treatment. For all childhood cancers
combined, 82 per cent of Canadian children who are diagnosed are living at
least five years, up 11 per cent over the last 15 years. But the Canadian
Cancer Society says that doesn't mean the battle is over for all survivors
because about two-thirds experience future health issues, called late
effects, either as a result of the cancer or the treatment.
UNITED STATES
The authorities in San Francisco sought to avoid trouble with huge crowds
which had gathered on the occasion of the procession of the Olympic torch by
cutting the 10-kilometre path by half and by rerouting it. Thousands had
gathered, including protesters against China's role in Tibet and the
country's human rights record, at the waterfront site planned for the
closing ceremony. Hundreds of pro-China supporters and pro-Tibet protesters
shouted at each other and blew whistles. In Washington, U.S. President
George W. Bush urged China to open up a dialogue with the Dalai Lama, who
will spend five days in Seattle starting on Friday.
ZAMBIA
President Levy Mwanawasa has called for an emergency meeting on Saturday of
the Southern African Development Community to discuss solutions to the
political crisis in Zimbabwe, one of the grouping's members. Mr. Mwanawasa's
information minister says he doesn't know if Zimbabwe's President Robert
Mugabe, will attend. Meanwhile, the leader of the Movement for Democratic
Change, Morgan Tsangvirai, has started a trip around the region Wednesday,
arriving in Botswana. Mr. Tsanvgirai says he won the presidential vote on
March 29 outright and accuses Mr. Mugabe of delaying the announcement of the
results to orchestrate a runoff ballot and of procrastinating to give his
supporters time to intimidate voters.
VENEZUELA
The government of President Hugo Chavez has announced the nationalization of
Ternium Sidor, the country's biggest steelmaker. Last week, the government
resumed its nationalization drive with the announced takeover of the cement
industry. Vice-president Ramon Carrizalez says Ternium's Argentine parent
firm will be compensated and can remain as a minority partner. Mr. Chavez
first threatened to take over the company last year, during the
nationalizations of oil projects and telecom firms. Ternium's huge complex
500 kilometres southwest of Caracas has been troubled by months of short
strikes in a labour dispute.
HAITI
President René Préval made a television address to urge rioters to end a
week of violent protest over high food prices, noting that violence won't
solve the problem. On Tuesday, rioters paralysed Port-au-Prince and tried to
break into the presidential palace. At least five people have been killed
since the protests started a week ago. The cost of rice in Haiti has doubled
in the past six months, and energy costs have soared because of high world
oil prices. Mr. Préval told his compatriots that the government cannot
afford to lift taxes on imported food because it needs the revenue for
road-building and other projects. The president says that the government
prefers to subsidize fertilizer and national food production.
UNITED NATIONS
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the "terrorist" attack by
Palestinian militants in which commandos burst over the border and killed
two civilians working at an oil terminal that supplies Gaza. The raid came
after and Israeli soldiers and a Palestinian gunman died in fighting. Seven
Palestinians altogether were left dead. Islamic Jihad and two smaller groups
took responsibility but the Israeli government said Hamas is ultimately
responsible.
OTTAWA: MINISTER WANTS MARKET SOLUTIONS TO CREDIT CRISIS
Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says the solution to the current
turmoil in financial markets isn't government regulation but greater
transparency. The minister says that's the upshot of the 65 recommendations
put forward last week by the Financial Stability Forum, which comprises
finance and central bank officials representing the world's leading
economies. Mr. Flaherty will on Friday attend the meeting in Washington of
G7 finance ministers and central bankers. He acknowledges that there will be
pressure for a crackdown on banks and quasi-banks which precipitated a
worldwide credit crisis by engaging in risky investments backed by high-risk
mortgages. But Mr. Flaherty pointed to the Montreal Accord process for
dealing with $32 billion in frozen asset-backed commercial paper in Canada
as an ideal framework for a market solution.
OTTAWA: RADARSAT SALE A TWO-STEP PROCESS
Federal Industry Minister Jim Prentice says the sale of Radarsat to an
American arms-maker is a two-step, the first of which involves himself and
the enforcement of the Investment Canada Act. Mr. Prentice has until April
19 to approve or reject the transaction by which MacDonald, Dettwiler and
Associates of Vancouver, BC, proposes to sell its space division, including
Radarsat and the Canadarm, to Alliant Techsystems for $1.3 billion. Mr.
Prentice says the second step is approval or disapproval by Foreign Minister
Maxime Bernier under the terms of the Remote Sensing Space Systems Act. The
proposed divestment of Radarsat and the robot arm used on the U.S. space
shuttle and the International Space Station was been criticized on grounds
of national security and national sovereignty. The satellite was developed
with an investment of $445 million by the Canadian Space Agency.
MONTREAL: BCE TAKEOVER CLEARS LAST REGULATORY HURDLE
Industry Canada has offered its approval of the acquisition of BCE Inc.,
Bell Canada's parent firm, by a consortium led by Ontario Teachers' Pension
Plan for $52 billion. Teachers' has three American private-equity firms as
partners in the consortium. The department's approval is the last regulatory
requirement for the deal, approval having already come from Quebec Superior
Court and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commissions.
BCE expects the transaction to be concluded by the end of the second
quarter.
OTTAWA: RETAIL ENJOYED GOOD YEAR
Canadian retailers had a strong year last year. Sales increased for all
major commodities. Canadians spent $413 billion on goods and services, an
increase of almost six per cent over the previous year. Almost a third of
retail purchases were related to automobiles. More than half of all
spending was on transportation, food and beverages.
OTTAWA: MODEST SUCCESS SEEN FOR AIRLINES
The Conference Board of Canada forecasts "modest profits" of $150 million
for the country's airline industry this year. The private research group
explain that despite good growth in revenue and lower maintenance costs,
record fuel prices and labour shortages will cut into earnings over the next
five years. However, the researchers predict that fuel prices and labour
costs will abate somewhat starting later in the year.
TORONTO: SATELLITE RADIO FIRM IMPROVES RESULTS
Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., the parent firm of XM Canada,
reports that although it's results are still in the red its situation is
improving. CSR says its revenue in the second quarter that ended Feb. 29 was
$9.2 million, up from $4.9 million a year earlier. The company's loss for
the quarter fell to $17.8 million, down from $27 million. XM Canada's
president and CEO, Michael Moskowitz, says he expects the company to break
even as early as the third quarter of the year.
MARKETS
TSX on Wednesday: 13,750.55 up 23. Canadian dollar: US 98.14 cents, down
0.48 of a cent. Euro: C$1.6125, up 1.96 cents. Light sweet crude:
US$110.87, up $2.37.
HOCKEY
Canada has clinched a berth in the gold-medal game at the women's world
hockey championship. The Canadians beat Finland 4-2 in a round-robin game.
Sarah Vaillancourt led Canada with a pair of goals. The Canadians play the
U.S. in their final round-robin game Thursday.
CURLING
Canada's Kevin Martin eased the frustration
of an upset loss to China by pounding the Czech Republic 6-1 in six
ends Wednesday afternoon at the men's world curling championship.
Martin's team played like it had something to prove after a 6-5
extra-end loss to China in the morning draw.
Weather
British Columbia on Thursday: rain south, cloud north, high 11 Celsius
Vancouver. Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut: sun. Whitehorse 3,
Yellowknife 2, Iqaluit -11. Alberta: rain north, snow south. Saskatchewan,
Manitoba: rain. Edmonton 4, Regina 7, Winnipeg 12. Ontario, Quebec: sun.
Toronto 12, Ottawa 11, Montreal 9. Maritimes: rain. Newfoundland and
Labrador: sun. Fredericton 10, Halifax, Charlottetown, St. John's 8.
