Comment: THE WHEEL IS TURNING

Ottawa has only one obsession on any issue: “What will the base think?” 

Queen’s Park has an overriding concern on most issues: “What will the unions think?”  

 Guess what?

When it comes to foreign workers, both the “base” and the “unions” are now on the same page.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is singing the same song as the Labourer’s International Union.

Have look at the CFIB’s report on foreign workers. It’s at: http://www.cfib-fcei.ca/cfib-documents/rr3341.pdf

So where do we go from here?

The answer is outlined in the December 5, 2014 edition of the Corriere Canadese.

In a word, it’s up to Queen’s Park to represent the provincial interest on foreign trades workers.

Last week, Rocco Galati issued our initial Federal Court action against Ottawa.

Next week, we file the second claim. There will be more coming this winter.

The clock is now ticking on Queen’s Park.

The constitution is clear:

Ontario has the responsibility to represent this province’s local business, trades workers and immigration concerns. There is nothing in the constitution about Minister Chen having to wait for Minister Kenney to dictate terms on anything having to do with business, the trades or immigration.

It should be no brainer. Why would any government choose to ignore the constitution, small business and big trade unions?

If politicians can’t get their act together, then they should simply get out of the way.

No where is it written that politicians should be running this nation’s job sites."

Richard Boraks, Dec 6,2014

Comment:

"Buckle up. Stay tuned.

We will see increasing public interest in the issue of foreign trades workers in Ontario.

Until now, Ontario pulled a Pontius Pilate. Queen’s Park washed its hands of the constitutional responsibility to manage its own internal immigration affairs.

This week, after 147 years, the immigration Pandora’s Box has opened. Pandora’s first victim is Pontius Pilate. On the chopping block are provincial politicians.

No longer can Ontario restrict itself to “consulting” with Ottawa. Queen’s Park will now be on the hook for immigration policies in this province.

With its new Immigration Act, the province has entered the immigration wars. Queens’ Park, not Parliament Hill, will quickly become ground zero in establishing Ontario’s immigration policies.

The politicians will down play the significance of this week’s announcement. They will pretend that they can remain in lock step with Ottawa’s leadership.

Despite their whistling by the electoral graveyard, the immigration wars will hit provincial politics like a tornado alley.

Rest assured. Right from day 1, Ontario politicians will be held responsible for their immigration decisions, or more to the point, lack of decisions.

Ontario’s dithering will assure a new front for the province’s immigration industry.  The lawyers, consultants, lobbyists, employers, workers, families, unions, educators, investors, entrepreneurs, municipalities, ethnic groups and media will be knocking on Queen’s Park’s doors demanding action. The province will panic. Ottawa will not return phone calls.

Litigation in Ontario’s Superior Court will follow. 

Having created the mess, it’s Ottawa’s turn to start washing its hands of immigration policy in Ontario.

Good riddance.

Buckle up. Stay tuned."

Richard Boraks, Nov 28, 2014

 The original purpose of this blog site was to warn employers, their foreign workers and the community that the real intention of Ottawa’s worker immigration program is to:

• Take away the employer’s powers to select his own trades staff, including existing legal workers
• Allow the central government , not employers, to select  Canada’s trades work force
• Create a new federal bureaucracy that will oblige Canadian employers to hire government approved trades workers who have never set foot in Canada
• Create a trades work force based on ethnic preference , not competence
• Effectively , deny employers the right to hire or retain trades workers from Italy , Portugal, Poland or China
• Effectively , create a work force dominated by trades workers from England , Ireland, France and South Asia 

Ottawa is not hiding its intentions.

On April 8, 2014, Minister Alexander issued the below press release confirming all of the above. 

As of January 1, 2015, Ottawa fully expects that its new worker immigration program:

”PROMISES TO BE A REAL GAME CHANGER FOR CANADIAN IMMIGRATION AND CANADA’S ECONOMY .IT WILL REVOLUTIONIZE THE WAY WE ATTRACT SKILLED IMMIGRANTS, AND GET THEM WORKING HERE FASTER”

Minister Alexander’s makes it appear that that his new program is open for all employers and foreign workers:

“Qualified applicants can expect faster processing times of six months or less when invited to come to Canada in four key economic streams the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program Canada Experience Class and a portion of PNP”

What Minister Alexander did not say was:

• All of the above federal programs demand that the trades worker pass an absurdly difficult language exam geared to Commonwealth applicants

• His government refuses to implement the rules which allow individual employers to hire workers who have failed the language  exam but have proven their “successful economic establishment in Canada”

• His government has abused the “holiday work “ program as a back door to  permanent residency priority to 30,000 Irish , English and French workers

• His government has  entered into trades worker priority processing agreements with two counties … Ireland and England  

• Ottawa’s failed worker training and immigration policies have led to Ontario employer’s ignoring the law and the government  and instead hiring approximately 100,000 Europeans and Chinese who can get the job done but can not get the proper visa papers  because they do not share the Minister’s “ethnic values”.    

Minister Alexander is clear. He wants a Canada in which government:

• Takes little responsibility  for training Canadian trades workers  
• Expects employers to pay heavy taxes and then carry the cost of training workers
• Dictates to employers as to which worker is acceptable and which worker is not acceptable
• Deports workers who have proven themselves successful on the job site
• Gives permanent residency to workers who have never set foot in Canada
• Uses language exams as an excuse to keep out successful, tax paying   employees who do not share the Ministers preferred “ethnic values”
• Challenges the core Canadian value of not giving official preference based on nation of origin
• Encourages a two tier immigration system:  Irish , English and some Commonwealth citizens get residency … Europeans are allowed to work , either legally or illegally, until they are deported

I doubt that many Canadians agree with Ottawa’s above warped view of our country. They will have an opportunity to express themselves in October 2015.

 The problem is that many businesses will not survive the government’s trade’s worker policies until October 2015.

News ReleaseArticle from

Offering "Express Entry" to Qualified Economic Immigrants

Actively Recruiting Talented Newcomers For the Benefit of Canada’s Economy

April 8, 2014 — Ottawa — Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander today announced that Canada’s active recruitment model for economic immigration will officially be called “Express Entry.” Set to launch in January 2015, “Express Entry” is a major step forward in the transformation of Canada’s immigration system into one that is fast, flexible and focused on meeting Canada’s economic and labour needs.

“Express Entry” will allow for greater flexibility and better responsiveness to deal with regional labour shortages, and help fill open jobs for which there are no available Canadian workers. “Express Entry” candidates who receive a valid job offer or nomination under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) will be quickly invited to apply for permanent residency – a key distinction between “Express Entry” and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which is only used to fill temporary labour and skill shortages.

Formerly referred to as “Expression of Interest”, “Express Entry” will be open to skilled immigrants and allow the government to select the best candidates who are most likely to succeed in Canada, rather than those who happen to be first in line. It will also prevent backlogs and allow Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to better coordinate application volume with the annual immigration levels plan.

Qualified applicants can expect faster processing times of six months or less when invited to come to Canada in four key economic streams: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, Canadian Experience Class, and a portion of the PNP.

With “Express Entry,” employers will have a key role in selecting economic immigrants and providing advice to the Government of Canada. To this end, Alexander also announced that over the course of spring 2014, CIC will work with provincial and territorial governments to hold a series of cross-Canada information sessions to provide employers with more information about this exciting new system.

Quick facts

• Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2014 will invest $14 million over two years and $4.7 million per year ongoing to ensuring the successful implementation of Express Entry.
• With Express Entry, Canada will be able to select the best candidates who are most likely to achieve success in Canada, rather than the first person in line.
• The Government of Canada’s new and improved Job Bank will help facilitate matches between Canadian employers and Express Entry candidates.
• Having a valid job offer or provincial/territorial nomination will guarantee Express Entry candidates an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

Quote

“Express Entry promises to be a game-changer for Canadian immigration and Canada’s economy. It will revolutionize the way we attract skilled immigrants, and get them working here faster. Our government is actively engaged with our provincial and territorial partners, and with employers, to make January’s launch of Express Entry a success.”

Chris Alexander, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister

Interview Richard Boraks for Newspaper ABC ( Portuguese/English)

Comment:

"1. Over the years, immigration lobbies were focused on getting government to accept the community’s interest with a specific issue. For example, the 1975 “Returnado” campaign was about 3,000 white Africans. The 1980 Azorean campaign was about the humanitarian consequences of 3,000 families from an earthquake zone. The 1990 campaign was about 7,000 Toronto construction workers. The 2006 campaign was about bringing back the deported families.

The 2014 campaign is more difficult. It is not about the problems of specific group of immigrants. It is about the terrible behavior of two governments.

The federal government is now like an old colonial master engaging in ethnic cleansing. It wants to remove tens of thousands of Portuguese, Italian, Polish and other European workers in order to make room for Irish and English Commonwealth citizens.

The Ontario government is like Pontius Pilot. It wants to wash its hands of Ottawa punishing tens of thousands of Ontario businesses relying on Portuguese, Italian , Polish and other non English  workers .No other province would tolerate such a direct attack on its economy and citizens.

As a lawyer, I am very concerned that government has abandoned the rule of law in favour of an ethnic priority list. 

There is nothing in the law which allows Stephen Harper to establish an “ethnic priority” list.

Kathleen Wynne and Charles Sousa refuse to use their legal authority to challenge Harper’s “ethnic priority” list.

I became involved in this campaign simply because I do not want my community and my family to be subjected to government tolerating the “ethnic’ prejudices that I experienced as a boy in Toronto.

2. As a lawyer, I would rather spend my time advising clients about the rules.

From time to time, clients require that their collective positions be put before government. Lawyers are trained to accept that clients may require an advocate.

I was fortunate to go to Osgoode Hall Law School. Our professors encouraged us to advocate with respect of the law and authority. To this day I am a loyal subject of my both my Queen and my God. We were also instructed that loyalty means that we must submit to the law, not to the personal biases of leadership.

 Questioning abuse of power is a challenge to be met, not a risk to be avoided.

Fortunately, Canada is a unique country. We can peacefully challenge authority without fear of consequence.

3. The purpose of the March 23, 2014 meeting was to educate and lobby. There was also an effort to clearly lay out the options for workers and bosses.

            The options faced by all legal workers and visitors are:

1. Hide and work illegally
2. Get into the system and apply for extensions, LMO’s work permits and landed immigrant status
3. Sit back and wait and see what happens

The options faced by companies are:

1. Lose control of your job site if workers are kicked off for immigration reasons
2. Stay in the system and lobby 

The education concentrated on the following:

·         The new , December 2013 rules on LMO’s   

·         The new  difficulties in getting LMOs

·         The new language difficulties in getting work permits and landed status

·         The need to reapply if necessary... never give up 

The lobbying concentrated on telling the Portuguese community:

·         That the community was not alone in this lobby. Joe Volpe was at the meeting and confirmed Italian support. The Polish Truckers association was there also confirming its support

·         That the community has grown in size, wealth and power. In the past, the community relied on the Church, unions and community groups to do its lobbying.

·          In 2014, the community must rely on its politicians to get the message out

·         If Charles Sousa, Ana Bailao , Joe Estaquio and Cristina Martins do not push then why should anyone listen to the community ?

·         Workers and bosses should email and phone Charles Sousa, Ana Bailao , Joe Estaquio and Cristina Martins

·         The message   to the politicians is simple:

                                       WHY DO IRISH AND ENGLISH AND ALBERTA GET PRIORITY   

WHY DO PORTUGESE, ITALIANS AND OTHER EUROPEANS  HAVE TO BE DEPORTED FROM ONTARIO IN ORDER TO MAKE ROOM FOR IRISH , ENGLISH AND ALBERTA

3. The lobbying will continue as long as required. There will be another general meeting when there is something to report to the community.

We will keep the community advised on our blog, workercanadaimmigrtaio.blogspot.ca

In the meantime, we would appreciate members of the community expressing their concerns to their representatives.

4. Three things more difficult with immigration:

a)     Government is fanatical about not approving approve job contracts (LMOs) for work permits in Ontario … even for workers who are already working legally

·         Government is now charging money for advertising jobs and charging $275 for LMOP applications

·         Government is doing everything to stop companies in Toronto  from getting LMO’s for the trades

b)    The Federal  Government will not follow the new Trades law for new immigrants and even consider looking at any construction , food service or mechanical landed immigrant application unless the worker passes the language exam

c)     The government is starting to demand more English language skills for work permits, not just landed immigrant applications. It is possible that there will soon be a language exam required for work permits."

Richard Boraks, March 31,2014

News Corriere Canadese

LMO'S Italian need not apply

Comment:
"Headline: “Without an LMO she can’t become a citizen”

This article is a about the high end “Gelato Simply Italian “ice cream stores in downtown Toronto which was refused an LMO for an existing , tax paying employee who is already working in Toronto  .

The owner of the business was told by a government officer that the officer was refusing the LMO application because the officer did not want the foreign worker to have the one year Canadian work experience required to apply for landed immigrant status.

The article reinforces that concern that the government is discriminating against workers and immigrants from certain countries, including Italy."

Richard Boraks March, 4 2014

Job training + LMO'S

#1

Canada Job Grant notably different from take it or leave it offer

CBC – Sat, 1 Mar, 2014 8:19 AM EST

An agreement in principle over the Canada Job Grant was made possible because Ottawa's final offer was notably different from the take it or leave it grant sprung on the provinces during last year's federal budget, says one of the ministers who spent the last few months negotiating face to face with Employment Minister Jason Kenney. 

"The government's final offer is significantly different from the unilateral announcement the government made without consultation in last year's federal budget," Shirley Bond, B.C.'s minister of jobs, tourism, and skills, told CBC News in an interview Friday afternoon.

While concerns over the grant remain, the provinces feel with the exception of Quebec, they have come far enough in their negotiations that each provincial government can now finalize the details of the program on a one on one basis with Kenney. ​

"There's a pretty strong consensus that there has been enough movement that this is the time now to move to the bilateral discussions," said Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne on Friday.​

Kenney used a speech he gave to an audience gathered at the Manning Networking Conference in Ottawa on Friday to confirm there was an agreement with all provinces and territories except Quebec, as CBC News reported yesterday.

"I am pleased to announce that we have arrived at an agreement in principle with 12 provincial governments and territories on their delivery of the Canada Job Grant," Kenney said.

Kenney welcomed the news saying "I believe this is good news for unemployed Canadians, it's good news for taxpayers who will get better bang for their buck, it's good news for the economy because we'll increase the private sector investment in skills development."

The provinces fought hard to negotiate changes to Ottawa's plan to "minimize the losses" of a program they did not want in the first place.

Kenney sealed the deal by making several concessions, which he took to cabinet for approval.

The Canada Job Grant will be phased in incrementally over four years, allowing provinces to allocate a greater proportion of the Labour Market Agreements for existing programs to train vulnerable workers.

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said, "10 per cent of the existing LMA will now be shifted towards the job grant. So in the first year, provinces will have to find 10 per cent to look after the programs that serve vulnerable people."

The provinces will have to find an additional 10 per cent in each of the first four years, up to 40 per cent. "That's the challenge," Selinger said during a joint news conference with Wynne on Friday. 

However, the provinces will have the choice to take those funds from the Labour Market Agreements, the Labour Market Development Agreements, or a source of their own choosing.

It was also revealed today that Kenney has agreed to let the provinces review the program two years after its implementation, a request the provinces made in their final counter offer dated Jan.28 which was obtained by Radio-Canada.

"There will be a review of the Canada Job Grant by December 2015," Selinger said on Friday. This will allow the provinces to make changes as necessary in order to ensure the grant is meeting the needs of those looking for jobs and the employers who are paying to train them.

Kenney also removed the cost-matching requirement for the provinces, leaving Ottawa to fund up to $10,000 of each individual grant with employers kicking in up to $5,000.

And even there, Kenney gave small businesses with 50 employees or less greater flexibility by allowing them to put up only 15 per cent of the cost of the grant with "cash or in-kind contributions."

Provinces will also have until July 1 to implement the grant, an extra three months to get the program up-and-running from the original proposal.​

As the provinces start working to finalize the renewal of bilateral Labour Market Agreements which are set to expire on March 31, several concerns with the Canada Job Grant remain.

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, who was also in Ottawa for the Manning Conference, said he liked the grant but was concerned businesses in his province would not be able to use it.

"We like the principle of employers being involved in training, we like that part of the job grant — we always have. But in our economy, where we have basically full employment… we need basic skills, we need to make sure we are providing training for the vulnerable," Wall said.

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil, who appeared to be offside with his provincial counterparts at the time of Kenney's announcement, said he secured an agreement with Ottawa after speaking directly with Kenney today.

"The province has secured an agreement with the federal government to ensure that Nova Scotia's concerns with the Canada Job Grant are addressed," said a statement issued by McNeil's office. 

"I communicated to Mr. Kenney that the Canada Job Grant must work better for Nova Scotians," McNeil said in the written statement. "The program must be affordable for our small businesses and must protect employment support for our most vulnerable citizens."

Kenney said he would "continue working with provinces and territories on the details in the days to come."

​In their joint news release Friday, the premiers said now that the provinces will move to iron out whatever concerns remain on a bilateral basis with Kenney, they expect those individual agreements to include "a betterment clause."

If a province succeeds in negotiating a better deal with Kenney, such a clause would ensure that the same agreement is made available to other provinces too.

While Quebec is still very much interested in negotiating the renewal of its LMA, it continues to seek an option to opt out with full compensation from the Canada Job Grant.

Quebec Labour Minister Agnès Maltais indicated on Friday that the two sides are in "intense negotiations" and that a deal could come as early as Saturday.

Maltais said Kenney hoped to reach an agreement with Quebec "in the coming days," but that she was prepared to sign on the dotted line "tomorrow."

"Quebec is ready to ready to settle tomorrow morning. If Mr. Kenney wants us to sign a deal tomorrow morning, I'm ready to sign tomorrow morning — because I think we are close enough to a settlement to do so," Maltais told reporters on Friday 

Kenney will travel to Germany next week to study the country’s dual education system which he has touted as a model Canada could learn lessons from.

Source:http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/canada-job-grant-notably-different-leave-offer-021755754.html

#2

Conservatives losing ground, grim polling numbers suggest

Fewer people in Ontario, B.C. identify as Conservatives, Manning Networking Conference poll finds

By Laura Payton, CBC News Posted: Mar 01, 2014 11:27 AM ET Last Updated: Mar 01, 2014 1:48 PM ET

Conservative support is down across much of Canada and the party ranks behind the Liberals and NDP on their perceived ability to handle many issues, a new poll unveiled Friday suggests. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

Conservative support is down across much of Canada and the party ranks behind the Liberals and NDP on their perceived ability to handle many issues, a poll unveiled Friday suggests.

The poll, conducted by Carleton University's André Turcotte, was presented at an annual conference put on by the Manning Centre in Ottawa. Turcotte does a poll every year on the state of conservatism in Canada.

·         Mobile users can follow the liveblog here.

Turcotte said Friday the polling numbers for the Conservatives are heading in "the wrong direction," with the number of those polled who identify as Conservative down dramatically since 2012 in British Columbia — to 20 per cent from 33 per cent — and Ontario — to 25 per cent from 35 per cent. 

The numbers are better elsewhere, rising to 48 from 40 per cent in the prairies and to 16 up from 12 per cent in Quebec. 

Turcotte surveyed 1,000 adult Canadians online Dec. 16 to 18, 2013, including "an over-sample" of 500 self-defined Conservatives. 

'It gets worse'

There was more bad news for the party, Turcotte told the conference delegates and reporters gathered to hear his presentation.

And here's where it gets worse," he said to introduce a series of slides that showed the Conservatives tied with the Liberals or ranking below them on several issues among those polled.

Turcotte took the poll results to rank the parties on a scale of one to 10 on their perceived ability to deal with issues that respondents said were most important to them.

On the question of ability to deal with the economy, the Liberals and Conservatives are essentially tied, Turcotte said.

Both the Liberals and NDP rate ahead of the Conservatives on the separate questions of managing health care and unemployment.

The worst result for the Conservatives comes on how the parties are perceived for their abilities to manage poverty and the environment: the Liberals, NDP and the Green Party all rank ahead of the Conservatives.

Turcotte also found in the survey that 93 per cent of those polled either somewhat support or strongly support "enhancing the investigative powers of Elections Canada to investigate electoral wrongdoings." The same number somewhat support or strongly support "full disclosure" of how public funds are spent, although what exactly that means isn't defined.

Nearly as many, 92 per cent, somewhat support or strongly support making party leaders more accountable to their caucuses.

Source:http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/conservatives-losing-ground-grim-polling-numbers-suggest-1.2555858

Comment:

"Well …. Jason Kenney finally has his useless, politically generated Jobs Grant program.

And Stephen Harper is paying the price. 

Nobody is under any illusion that the latest Kenney/Harper political toy will generate any skilled Canadian tradespersons.

The plan is based on the illusion that small and medium sized trades employers will actually spend $5,000 in order to scam $10,000 out of government.

The realties are:

• Trades employers don’t need petty cash as an incentive to train workers... they need committed young workers prepared to spend the years required to learn a trade.

• The provinces know that Kenney’s plan is a joke. They went along with the scam because they know that they can kill it in 2016... just after Kenney’s October 2015 election 

As Stephen Harper’s electioneer in chief, Kenney needs justification for his destruction of Ontario’s foreign worker programs. (Please note that Alberta employers continue to thrive on foreign workers)

The problem is that Kenney also knows that most Ontario trades employers can’t find qualified Canadian workers.

Kenney’s amateurish two track strategy in Ontario is to keep the political, “base”  happy by killing LMO’s and foreign worker visa programs and then hope that Ontario business can be kept quiet by his:

• Encouraging more illegal workers in Ontario 
• Throwing  some tax money at employers to allegedly train Canadian workers

The problem with the Kenney/Harper logic is that Ontario employers no longer believe that they are dealing with a conservative government…Kenney, and Harper, are seen as “big government” socialists.

The employers were Stephen Harper’s base. They have deserted Harper.

The evidence is clear:

• Kenney has handed over control of employers’ job sites to the unions. The unions have grabbed control of the illegal workers and are forcing employers to drive up costs.

• Kenney’s brutal 2013 “compliance” enforcement against legitimate Ontario employers of foreign workers has backfired. There is now a feeling that Kenney will probably move against companies hiring both illegal and legal workers.

• While the GTA’s booming trades sector is losing existing legal workers, Alberta gets unlimited foreign workers.

• While Harper/Kenney pretend to be protecting jobs by denying employers the right to select or keep their own workers  , Harper /Kenney  give away, annually , 25,000  work permits to  government selected Irish , British and Frenchmen. Few of these people have any skills. Meanwhile, Kenney has pushed back on the ability of Ontario construction employers to retain even 1,000 of their own legal workers.

• The killing of the LMO and foreign worker programs in Ontario is concurrent with announcement of the January 2015 roll out of the Expression of Interest “(EOI) immigration program. This program will further deny Ontario employers the right to choose their own workers from Europe.  Instead, bureaucrats will select workers on a “sight unseen” basis.  

• The new EOI program will put Ontario employers and unions at the mercy of “recruiters”  from Bangladesh etc who will assure that Harper/Kenney get their wish for English speaking workers   

This past weekend, a leading conservative group, produced polling confirming that the government is up ten points in Alberta and down 10 points in Ontario.

Harper is in trouble in Ontario.

It is doubtful that Harper /Kenney understand the relationship between polling numbers and their mismanagement of Ontario’s trades sector. They just do not seem to realize that the trades in the GTA are what gas/oil represent in Alberta.

Harper and Kenney, as an article of faith, promote the line that their political “base” hates foreign workers. In the face of this logic:

·         the Western part of Canada ,which is overrun by foreign tradesmen, supports Harper

·         Ontario, which is denied foreign tradesmen, has turned on Harper

This all means that Stephen Harper:

• Will lose every one his seats in Toronto (the 416)
• Will lose every one of his seats in Mississauga and Brampton
• Will lose most of his seats in Niagara region , York Region and Durham Region

Ontario’s trades businesses have to outlast Harper/Kenney.

But two years is a long time.

The GTA and its trades sectors will suffer severe losses. "

Richard Boraks, March 2, 2014