George Soros And The Canadian Agenda Exposed

dollybud · TRENTON, ONT

Trump to tackle NAFTA on Day 1:

Petebil · ONTARIO

Here's another thread that will get deleted.

teejay99 · BELLE RIVER, ONT

We can't control what the U.S. will do but we can urge our own government big shots to try to make deals with other markets with regard to livestock and wood among other things . The deep thinkers are paid to do this , so get at it .

Molten · CAMBOURNE, ONT

Petebil wrote:
Here's another thread that will get deleted.

Ha, ha. Generally true when politics are involved. biggrin

DJD · SCARBOROUGH, ONT

maybe just maybe our out of control hydro deal will get it's evil snake like head chopped off by super cheep mass excessive hydro power the americans might be able to produce by "putting all the coal miners back to work"

51 Styline · NIAGARA FALLS, ONT

I can remember when we,first signed our free trade deal with the US. A lot of , a huge lot, our business went south and the US called us whiners and get over it. When they signed NAFTA I remember saying watch how they whine when their jobs go to Mexico and guess what theyre still whining. Get over it .

Bob T · BRANTFORD, ONT

Prior to nafta if you wanted to sell in Canada you had to manufacture in Canada or pay duties on imported goods. That's why all those American companies were here, not because the liked us but because they wanted to sell to us. There was also the Auto Pact which allowed auto production to flow back and forth duty free on a dollar for dollar basis. The introduction of nafta by conservative prime minister brian mulroney eliminated these rules and the american companies headed back home but further greed had them then head to mexico and china. I my opinion mulroney should have been charged with treason. Canadian workers then were forced to lower wages and benefits to keep what jobs remained and be competitive [ with low wage countries like mexico] and things like pensions became a bad word. I hope we go back to the pre nafta days but I doubt our gov't will be forcefull enough to demand it. trump will want it all for america.

-- Edited by Bob T on Thursday 17th of November 2016 08:18:31 PM

51 Styline · NIAGARA FALLS, ONT

Ah yes . Brian Baloney Nafta, HST. He was just full of great ideas.
Prior to nafta if you wanted to sell in Canada you had to manufacture in Canada or pay duties on imported goods. That's why all those American companies were here, not because the liked us but because they wanted to sell to us. There was also the Auto Pact which allowed auto production to flow back and forth duty free on a dollar for dollar basis. The introduction of nafta by conservative prime minister brian mulroney eliminated these rules and the american companies headed back home but further greed had them then head to mexico and china. I my opinion mulroney should have been charged with treason. Canadian workers then were forced to lower wages and benefits to keep what jobs remained and be competitive [ with low wage countries like mexico] and things like pensions became a bad word. I hope we go back to the pre nafta days but I doubt our gov't will be forcefull enough to demand it. trump will want it all for america.

-- Edited by Bob T on Thursday 17th of November 2016 08:18:31 PM

Ground Pounder · Senior Member

www.youtube.com/watch

Canada to join with UN, GEORGE SOROS to export private refugee sponsorship
Minister John McCallum says

Canada is forming a partnership with the United Nations and billionaire GEORGE SOROS to help other countries implement their own version of Canada's private refugee sponsorship program.

Immigration Minister John McCallum told Rosemary Barton, host of CBC News Network's Power & Politics, he knows of about 13 countries that are potentially interested in Canada's model for private refugee sponsorship, adding he has already had talks with the United Kingdom.

McCallum said the program would be announced at the UN on Tuesday, but a news release issued by Citizenship and Immigration Monday outlined the initiative's three main priorities:

Expanding the use of private sponsorship as a pathway for refugees.
Encouraging the expansion of resettlement by building the capacity among states, civil society groups and private citizens to launch private sponsorship programs.
Mobilizing citizens to directly support refugees and encourage "a broader political debate that is supportive of refugee protection."

The release said the initiative will start by creating training modules for private sponsorship based on an analysis of the Canadian model and will offer countries "tailored advice" on how to adapt and implement the programs.

The joint initiative between the government of Canada, the UN High Commission on Refugees and Soros's Open Society Foundations will have a kick-off meeting in Ottawa in December, the release said.

McCallum said Canada's decades of experience with private sponsorship, going back to the resettlement of Vietnamese refugees in the 1970s, puts it in a position to help other countries.

"I think we can offer practical advice to those countries who are interested in going this route, and I do believe, based on our own experience, that it will be a successful thing to do, and I'm grateful to the UN and GEORGE SOROS for co-sponsoring this initiative with us," he told Barton.

McCallum said GEORGE SOROS would contribute funding to the project.

VID IN PAGE: www.cbc.ca/news/politics/private-refugee...p-soros-un-1.3769639

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

WHO PAYS?
JOBS? There is nothing but PART TIME out there. JOBS?

What would you do, with billions, at the age of 86?
Buy an island, feel the sunshine, listen to the wake of the ocean come in? Sounds reasonable, No?
But this sack of **** just can't keep to himself; infecting the the world with his ideas.

Leave us alone GEORGE SOROS, we don't give a **** what YOU or ROTHSHIELD want.

-It is not the size of the dog in the fight,
IT IS THE SIZE OF THE FIGHT IN THE DOG!

Listen to your heart; then follow your instincts.

-- Edited by Ground Pounder on Friday 18th of November 2016 08:17:39 AM

Ground Pounder · Senior Member

For those of you who don't know about george

George Soros And The Canadian Agenda Exposed

www.youtube.com/watch

-- Edited by Ground Pounder on Friday 18th of November 2016 08:25:15 AM

Petebil · ONTARIO

Ground Pounder wrote:
For those of you who don't know about george
George Soros And The Canadian Agenda Exposed

www.youtube.com/watch

-- Edited by Ground Pounder on Friday 18th of November 2016 08:25:15 AM

Everyone should already know about this guy unless they've had their heads buried in the sand.

Iwannagofast · ONTARIO

Petebil wrote:
Here's another thread that will get deleted.

Each time I look at this thread the statement above just makes me chuckle -all in a good way.

dollybud · TRENTON, ONT

Thanks Petebil and Ground Pounder for your insight and video. I also thank the moderators for not deleting these posts.

Bob T · BRANTFORD, ONT

Right wing propaganda . And of course they want donations. How is Soros involved in nafta? That is what this thread is about.

Petebil · ONTARIO

Bob T wrote:
Right wing propaganda . And of course they want donations. How is Soros involved in nafta? That is what this thread is about.

Says a Liberal voter.

Bob T · BRANTFORD, ONT

Nope I vote for the middle class. Only time I ever voted liberal was to get rid of mike harris. Never have missed a vote since eligible - municipal, provincial or federal. I just get tired of this political b. s. being allowed on this site. It is supposed to be about hot rods and in case no one has noticed there are very few members left who post.

Petebil · ONTARIO

Bob T wrote:
Nope I vote for the middle class. Only time I ever voted liberal was to get rid of mike harris. Never have missed a vote since eligible - municipal, provincial or federal. I just get tired of this political b. s. being allowed on this site. It is supposed to be about hot rods and in case no one has noticed there are very few members left who post.

I guess we have something in common because I've never missed vote either. As far as political talk here, well, there's nothing else really being talked about anyway and it gives us something to read . I think we all know the real reason why there's only about 20 people posting out of 1500 members. As been said before, if one doesn't want to read about political stuff, don't click the link. Easy peasy !

Whether you like Trump or not, you have to admit something had to be done and hopefully the same thing happens here in Canada. Sure he has flaws, who doesn't, but the left wing media has tried it's hardest at really making Trump look worse than he really is. People need to get informed as to what is really happening out there, and not listen to main stream media. I breathed a sigh of relief when he got elected, because if Clinton got in sure as $hit there would be war within a year. I'm actually shocked he made it in because the Political game is played by some powerful people like Soros and others, and I wouldn't at all be surprised he Trump met some sort of unfortunate accident between now and the time he is sworn in. Time will tell, but if he's fortunate enough to serve out his years as President, he may be one of the best they've ever had.

Take a few minutes and watch the video below and your opinion of Trump might change.

-- Edited by Petebil on Sunday 20th of November 2016 02:06:44 PM

poncho62 · ADMINISTRATOR

I didnt delete this thread because it is something that the whole world is caught up in these days....I like a good debate, political or otherwise. .Actually, I hate to have to delete any threads on here or on the other big forum that I moderate on, but sometimes things just get out of hand and things turn to personal insults and such. That has not happened in this thread so far, so it isnt closed.

poncho62 · ADMINISTRATOR

As for the Trump deal........I think the only reason this guy got elected was that the people of the USA are just about at the end of their rope.....Nowhere else to turn. They are sick of the corruption, mismanagement and political correctness of the present government. Basically, they have had enough.....Its not that Trump is some sort of Saviour, he is about as far from that as you can get.

I dont think its a right or left thing either.....they just want a change from the same old good old boys they have been stuck with for decades.

The other Tuesday night, I had to work next morning, so stopped watching about 10pm....Next morning, got the shock of my life. It was friggin hilarious watching my wife, daughters, sister in law etc going off about how the world was coming to an end.......I just sat there and smiled, didnt say a word......Not that I wanted him to win, but to see who lost was wonderful.......If only, we had pulled the same stunt in Ontario and Canada elections..........too much corruption and bad management here too.....and again, not a right or left thing.......a change of the whole system is needed....Good or bad, I think Trump is a start of something different.

cr55 · DELAWARE

You hit the nail on the head! We want a change. Not in the direction we've been heading but a direction to put us back in manufacturing and other businesses that will put us back in a leadership position. Too many career politicians in office today..we need term limits for all just like we do in the presidential position... Is trump the saviour? Maybe yes..I certainly hope so..I've been around for a few elections and this one was by far the worse...insults... Lies...and which one is the lesser of 2 evils? ..hopefully we'll get thru all the mess we seem to be in!.. Just my opinion!

Ground Pounder · Senior Member

World leaders at APEC summit take aim at Trump over trade
[The Canadian Press]
The Canadian PressNovember 19, 2016
World leaders at APEC summit take aim at Trump over trade

LIMA, Peru — Several U.S. allies took aim at Donald Trump's views on global trade, while China's president made an impassioned call against the sort of protectionism favoured by the president-elect at a summit of Asian-Pacific leaders on Saturday

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum is taking place in Peru as world leaders are on edge over Trump's campaign pledges to protect U.S. jobs by backing out of the not-yet-implemented Trans-Pacific Partnership and renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said NAFTA benefits workers and companies on both sides of the border. Still, he expressed concern that the U.S. could be turning its back on a bilateral trade relationship responsible for moving $1 million worth of goods every minute.

"In the face of Trump's positioning, we're now in a stage of favouring dialogue as a way to build a new agenda in our bilateral relationship," Pena Nieto told business leaders. "Mexico, like the entire world, is about to initiate a new stage with the U.S. and in commercial terms we want to give the right value to this strategic relationship between Mexico and the U.S."

New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key spoke more bluntly, saying the "tremendous despair" triggered by Trump's trade views can't be allowed to slow down economic integration by the rest of the world.

"Even if the United States doesn't want to engage in free trade, President Trump needs to know other countries do," said Key.

He said it's still possible to save the 12-nation TPP negotiated by the Obama administration by introducing cosmetic changes making it acceptable to Trump or carving out a less ambitious pact among TPP signatories that leaves out the U.S.

"I personally think that President Trump will be very much like chairman of the corporation Trump is," he said. "He's a flexible business guy. He's going to realize he has a role to play."

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered perhaps the most-forceful defence of free trade, given the size of his economy. In his kickoff speech from Peru he said the best response to rising protectionism would be for APEC's 21 members to negotiate a free trade area encompassing the entire Pacific Rim.

"Closed and inclusive arrangements are not the right choice," Xi said, taking a veiled stab at the TPP, which excludes China and is widely seen as an attempt to reassert U.S. dominance in Asia. "Building a free trade area of the Asia-Pacific is a strategic initiative critical for long-term prosperity."

Xi's remarks came as Chinese state media blasted Trump for "trade-bashing" rhetoric that threatens global economic stability.

"The billionaire-turned-politician needs to prove that derailing the global economy has not been one of the reasons why he ran for U.S. president," official Xinhua news agency said in a commentary piece published Saturday.

President Barack Obama warned against a rush to judgment on Trump, saying at a town hall on the margins of the summit that it's too early to conclude that the new administration will wipe out trade deals and create international problems.

"Don't just assume the worst," he said. "Wait until the administration's in place" before drawing conclusions.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered perhaps the most-forceful defence of free trade..Good on Trump..

Xi's remarks came as Chinese state media blasted Trump for "trade-bashing" rhetoric that threatens global economic stability. Yeah well keep you're garbage made SH-it in you're own corporate county An the crap out of our landfill's..

Manufacturing inferior crap that dont last an ends up in the garbage is unacceptable in today world...Never mind extorting people on the price to purchase then the extortion of paying to get rid of such crap...With the Attitude air quality does not matter...Just look at the smog over in china...

Xi said, taking a veiled stab at the TPP, which excludes China and is widely seen as an attempt to reassert U.S. dominance in Asia. "Building a free trade area of the Asia-Pacific is a strategic initiative critical for long-term prosperity."Prosperity for WHO???? Certainly not the purchaser of your garbage product china..

Funny thing is they build a good quality car..What happened to the rest of the product.

He's going to realize he has a role to play." Folk's this aint some Fu-ck'n movie role or play on stage...there's no games to be played here the only ones getting played are the people who even believe half of this crap in the media...

Always remember to de-con-struct every article you read with an open mind [research it ] an you will see through all this role playing on the people .

New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key spoke more bluntly, saying the "tremendous despair" triggered by Trump's trade views can't be allowed to slow down economic integration by the rest of the world. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa what a joke...

Simply put Good on Trump thus far...

There's another article on defence where Trump calls nato obsolete.....Which is very TRUE.

WAR SOLVES NOTHING..Murder for natural resources should be punished .How to do such without violence is key.

https://ca.yahoo.com/news/defence-experts-politicians-gather-international-113723477.html

-- Edited by Ground Pounder on Monday 21st of November 2016 02:54:19 AM

-- Edited by Ground Pounder on Monday 21st of November 2016 03:14:51 AM

Ground Pounder · Senior Member

Oh an yeah so you all are aware we are building/repairing/restoring/ trucks,cars,heavy eqt on a daily basis..Auction stuff as well as 14}-68-70 dodge chargers /camaro's an such.
Haven't taken any pics in awhile...Will do shortly an post on the thread years gone by for all to see an discuss if they wish...
Tis a shame though that not enough younger folk's have interest in learning how to restore /repair/or just simply fix Mechanical/components ..
Maybe bringing jobs back home will change such..

dualquadpete · BLACKSTOCK, ONT

I switched over to Vintage from Lant's [ won't re hash problems with electrical fire in Avanti] Vintage ads on the HST to your appraisal whereas Hagarty doesn't , so you've lost 13% ( in Ont.) right off the top if total loss!!! Vintage also covers spare parts you may have for car up to I believe $7600!! My Poncho Torpedo back was over $500 with Lant's for modified vehicle at $25,000 value, ( my figure for Ins.) car was appr. at 22.900 for Vintage, premium is just over $320!!!! I don't find their restrictions any diff. than Lant's, BUT better coverage for lower rates even if Appraisal is need & your nuts not to have one, as Ins. co. can say 'prove it's worth what you said it was" to support 19A clause

Petebil · ONTARIO

dualquadpete wrote:
I switched over to Vintage from Lant's [ won't re hash problems with electrical fire in Avanti] Vintage ads on the HST to your appraisal whereas Hagarty doesn't , so you've lost 13% ( in Ont.) right off the top if total loss!!! Vintage also covers spare parts you may have for car up to I believe $7600!! My Poncho Torpedo back was over $500 with Lant's for modified vehicle at $25,000 value, ( my figure for Ins.) car was appr. at 22.900 for Vintage, premium is just over $320!!!! I don't find their restrictions any diff. than Lant's, BUT better coverage for lower rates even if Appraisal is need & your nuts not to have one, as Ins. co. can say 'prove it's worth what you said it was" to support 19A clause

I think I read something similar to this on another thread.

Ground Pounder · Senior Member

Petebil wrote:
dualquadpete wrote:
I switched over to Vintage from Lant's [ won't re hash problems with electrical fire in Avanti] Vintage ads on the HST to your appraisal whereas Hagarty doesn't , so you've lost 13% ( in Ont.) right off the top if total loss!!! Vintage also covers spare parts you may have for car up to I believe $7600!! My Poncho Torpedo back was over $500 with Lant's for modified vehicle at $25,000 value, ( my figure for Ins.) car was appr. at 22.900 for Vintage, premium is just over $320!!!! I don't find their restrictions any diff. than Lant's, BUT better coverage for lower rates even if Appraisal is need & your nuts not to have one, as Ins. co. can say 'prove it's worth what you said it was" to support 19A clause
I think I read something similar to this on another thread.

What Will Trump Mean for the Canadian Auto Industry?

by Paul Williams - November 14, 2016

image: http://www.autotrader.ca/newsfeatures/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/44-FCA-Brampton-Assembly-Plant-620x413.jpg

As some of you may have heard, the United States has a new president. Donald Trump will soon take the wheel in Washington, and as is usual, we in Canada will be along for the ride. The question on everyone’s mind, though, is “Can the man drive?”

For those interested in cars in particular and the automobile sector in general, there are areas of real concern regarding this new presidency that may directly impact Canadian consumers and those working in the auto industry here.

More Related Articles

Fresh off our own federal election that had its own impact on the automotive industry, Canadians can understandably be concerned by what our biggest trading partner might do next.

First of all, Mr. Trump has vowed to “tear up NAFTA,” the North American Free Trade Agreement, a prospect that sounds ominous to many, especially because according to a report prepared for the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2012, 85 percent of vehicles and 90 percent of auto parts built in Canada are destined for the United States.

Also, it’s almost certain that fuel efficiency targets under the US Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards will be adjusted downwards, along with emissions targets, which may also reverberate into Canada. As a consequence, for example, it may mean the relevance, development and availability of electric vehicles (EVs) will move to the back burner. Certainly our country’s Green Plan will be affected.

Let’s start with NAFTA. Signed in 1994, this accord between Canada, the US and Mexico extended the pre-existing Canada–US Free Trade Agreement. NAFTA was designed to eliminate barriers to trade and investment between the three countries, virtually eliminating tariffs on goods and services between them. It also liberalized trade in agriculture and textiles and implemented labour and environmental safeguards. According to Council on Foreign Relations, a key idea was to integrate Mexico “into the higher wage economies of the US and Canada,” with the expected result that such integration would also discourage illegal immigration from Mexico. In other words, if you could make a better living in Mexico, there would be less reason to leave.

Assessments of NAFTA’s success have been mixed since the agreement was put into place, but the general consensus is that Canada did well across several sectors, Mexico benefitted but not as much as expected (hourly wage rates in Mexican plants still average five to six dollars), and the US benefitted modestly. However, critics in the US suggest that NAFTA is to blame for huge job losses in the manufacturing sector, especially automotive. Not coincidentally, the states where manufacturing job losses predominantly occurred, the so-called rust belt of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana – all voted for a Trump government.

image: http://www.autotrader.ca/newsfeatures/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/00-CC-Volkswagen-Beetle-620x413.jpg

Certainly it is easy to see that Mexico has generated hundreds of thousands of jobs in their auto sector since joining NAFTA, while the US has lost some 350,000 jobs in that sector since 1994. Did one directly cause the other? Those who lost their jobs in the US would say yes.

So, would “tearing up NAFTA” solve that problem? I asked Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business, for his opinion.

“Trump’s not going to abrogate on NAFTA, but he can use the threat of doing so to get what he wants,” suggests Dr. Lee. “The fact is, it’s not so much Canada that Trump’s going after with NAFTA; it’s Mexico. Mexico has little leverage and really will have no choice but to comply with US demands.”

What form would this take? Lee thinks caps may be placed on the number of vehicles that Mexico and Canada would be able to export to the US. It’s also possible that tariffs may reappear in certain sectors, but the intent is generally to “bring back jobs” to the US. Lee thinks this commitment to “rebalancing” NAFTA will happen within months of Trump’s inauguration, demonstrating to his supporters that he’s addressing the problem as promised.

Canada, by the way, was quick to respond to talk of a NAFTA overhaul, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signalling his government’s willingness to renegotiate the deal, and making an invitation to do so two days after the Trump victory.

“It’s a really smart thing to do,” says Lee. “He could see the train leaving the station and he’s elected to jump on, rather than stand in front. A good move!”

image: http://www.autotrader.ca/newsfeatures/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Pinpoint_MG_7224_HR-e1478009107479-620x414.jpg

That said, regarding the future prospects for Canadian auto workers specifically, Canada has already lost several manufacturing plants and production capacity over the years. Lee points out that collective agreements were recently negotiated that promise new capital investment, and he thinks, therefore, that workers are safe for the life of these agreements (four years).

But after that, he warns, “All bets are off.”

Industry analyst Dr. Anthony Faria, Director of the Office of Automotive and Vehicle Research at the University of Windsor’s Odette School of Business, concurs, emphasizing that the Canadian auto sector has been on shaky ground for years, seeing no growth for two decades.

“Our auto sector has seen a 17-year decline in output with no new plants built and several closing since the early 1990s,” he said in an interview for this article. Despite the recent collective bargaining agreements between Unifor (the union that represents auto workers) and Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler, he points out that, “We’re still in a status-quo situation; we’re seeing no growth in assembly or parts-making jobs in Canada.”

Faria believes that in the current economic climate, Honda and Toyota wouldn’t have chosen to build plants in Canada and that the absence of other manufacturers electing to locate in Canada is telling. Both Faria and Lee explain that this is largely a result of high energy costs, high wages, insufficient government incentives, border delays and more recently, increases in employer CPP contributions and the prospect of a carbon tax. All of these add to costs of operation, and arguably create a disincentive to move to, or remain in Canada. The question is, will Trump’s policies create a further incentive to limit investment in Canada, or even to leave?

“What have we got to offer?” asks Faria. “A quality workforce. We always say that, and it’s true but it’s not enough. The Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga,” Faria points out, “was 70 percent funded by the state of Tennessee. Seventy percent! Not loans, mind you, but paid for outright by the state. Same thing happening in Mexico. In Canada we just don’t get close.”

Echoing Ian Lee, Faria believes Canadian autoworkers are “saved for now” by the latest collective agreement, but will be vulnerable in the future. Even more so, he agreed, with a Trump government in the US.

image: http://www.autotrader.ca/newsfeatures/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/04-JP-2016-Chevrolet-Malibu-Hybrid-620x349.jpg

Which brings us to the US Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) targets that currently require a fleet average of 54.5 miles per (US) gallon by 2025.

According to Lee, “All car manufacturers say they can’t meet these targets,” but the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President Obama has been firm on the number. Consequently, we’ve seen a proliferation of EVs, hybrids, lighter bodies, small engines in large vehicles, and technologies designed to squeeze maximum fuel economy from internal combustion engines in an attempt to comply as 2025 draws closer. Of course, small cars in general contribute significantly to lowering the average fuel economy of a company’s fleet.

But US consumer interest in small, fuel-efficient cars (and cars in general, actually) is declining. The overwhelming demand in the US is for gas-guzzling pickup trucks, large SUVs, CUVs, commercial vans and RVs, which also happily represent high profit centres for their manufacturers. Consequently, small, low-margin cars are typically built in Mexico where labour costs are still a quarter to one-fifth of ours. Indeed, Ford CEO Mark Fields recently and controversially announced that Ford plans to shift all North American small-car production from the US to Mexico. Truly, it is remarkable how many small and mid-size cars are now built in Mexico – including the Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta (and soon Focus), Ford Fusion, Honda Fit, Honda HR-V, Lincoln MKX, Mazda2, Mazda3, Nissan Sentra and Versa, Volkswagen Golf and Jetta – and how quickly the auto sector there has grown. Mexican production will have to slow down eventually, suggests Faria, but it already exceeds Canada’s by half again (3.56 million vehicles versus 2.28 million).

In Canada, we’re losing the Toyota Corolla to Mexico and, not surprisingly, we lost the Acura MDX to the US (Toyota is expanding RAV4 production here, however). And we build no pickup trucks, although Ford currently builds several presumably high-value SUVs in Oakville.

image: http://www.autotrader.ca/newsfeatures/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/00-MB-Fuel-Price-in-the-US-620x413.jpg

But it’s not simply about bringing auto manufacturing jobs back from Mexico (the auto industry doesn’t want to build small cars in the US unless doing so can be made more profitable). It may be more about both expanding and repatriating the production of large, high-profit, in-demand vehicles in a US market unfettered from stringent EPA targets (via a Trump-initiated de-fanging of the EPA). Of course, low fuel prices further remove a potential barrier to ownership of such vehicles.

One could ask whether incentives will remain to continue building such vehicles in Canada at all!

Regarding CAFE, suggests Lee somewhat tongue-in-cheek, “Maybe they’ll stick with the 54.5 MPG target, but maybe the time frame is extended to 2050….”

So it may also go for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards that are slated to become more stringent by 2025, along with the US Clean Power Plan’s targets to 2030. You can bet that these will also be on the table, and by rolling them back one could see that the urgency of developing EVs and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles could therefore recede.

But this is not likely, according to Ian Lee, who points out that global competitors are stepping up development in this area, and the US automakers would want to remain competitive with them. What is likely is that demand for such vehicles will decrease (as it always does when the price of gasoline is low), especially without consumer incentives. Canada produces only the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid in and no other mainstream EVs or hybrids, but provinces do have aggressive programs that encourage the purchase of EVs and PHEVs as part of broader energy programs that may well be operating in isolation if Mr. Trump has his way.

image: http://www.autotrader.ca/newsfeatures/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Capture10-620x349.png

While we get the “revenge” angle of this doc (director Chris Paine also directed 2006’s Who Killed the Electric Car?), the way it looks forward is the bigger take home. Watch as we see the current global stars of the E car game – Musk, Lutz and more – before they were doing their best Steve Jobs impressions on the worldwide stage, and before they were being snarky in the pages of Road & Track magazine.

Certainly if CAFE and Clean Air standards are lowered or delayed, one wonders what happens in Canada, where our standards typically operate in lockstep with the US. If we maintain our environmental goals and fuel consumption requirements, are they going to build more fuel-efficient SUVs especially for us?

As Ian Lee says, the biggest carbon tax of all is the price of gasoline. For those concerned about environmental targets, even that’s not going their way now.

What we may therefore see is our provincial and federal green strategies being rescinded or postponed until they can again coordinate with the US, assuming such programs are revived under a future US government.

Regarding Canada’s auto sector in general, circumstances are developing that may further weaken our ability to survive in the longer term, let alone grow. We’ll see an expansion of production in the US, while Mexico will continue building cars, although exporting them to the US may be constrained. Trump’s policies in this area will clearly favour the US.

Bottom line, folks: Canada better get competitive!

Read more at http://www.autotrader.ca/newsfeatures/20161114/what-will-trump-mean-for-the-canadian-auto-industry/#bQ70XfkeHgIQDmhP.99

Ground Pounder · Senior Member

so it's called free trade huh???
So why is the dollar no where near par??
In fact it's closer to 35 cents on the dollar..
Does not sound like a deal too me!!!
Does not sound like Free trade too me either as there is no equality at all.
Oh wait the government does not pay the difference on the dollar,How ever you the consumer does? .. Wow Extortion an fraud come to mind.
As well now add the alleged HST ,That you're forced to pay at gun point!!! Gun point You say? Yeah try not paying such.Never mind the compounded interest>
Ya dont really own it if they can take it Do Ya??
Same with you're conveyances .
Have you guys/gals ever heard of a claim of right?
Have you ever heard you're grand folk's speak of any claim of right??

Interesting times we're in for sure!! :)

-- Edited by Ground Pounder on Monday 21st of November 2016 01:04:57 PM

Petebil · ONTARIO

Reducing the emission target is a good thing. All this talk about being green is BS and is just another tax we can't afford. I'm not saying we shouldn't be responsible consumers, but things like Drive Clean and other programs are just tools to pry more money out of your wallet. All this talk about electric vehicles is a load of crap too. Sure the car doesn't pollute going down the road, but what about the toxic resources that were needed to make the batteries and then the disposal of them when they are past their useful life. The electricity to charge those batteries also comes at an environmental cost that no one ever talks about especially if the power was generated by coal. Don't even get me going about these solar farms and wind turbines that are costing us billions.
Just because Trump will be president, doesn't mean that he can do whatever he wants because he's just the puppet. Remember the republicans have been in power before, and the whole world didn't crumble.

wuga · PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, ONT

Petebil wrote:
Reducing the emission target is a good thing. All this talk about being green is BS and is just another tax we can't afford. I'm not saying we shouldn't be responsible consumers, but things like Drive Clean and other programs are just tools to pry more money out of your wallet. All this talk about electric vehicles is a load of crap too. Sure the car doesn't pollute going down the road, but what about the toxic resources that were needed to make the batteries and then the disposal of them when they are past their useful life. The electricity to charge those batteries also comes at an environmental cost that no one ever talks about especially if the power was generated by coal. Don't even get me going about these solar farms and wind turbines that are costing us billions.
Just because Trump will be president, doesn't mean that he can do whatever he wants because he's just the puppet. Remember the republicans have been in power before, and the whole world didn't crumble.

Well stated!

Warren

teejay99 · BELLE RIVER, ONT

....except that The Donald ain't a Republican .

Ground Pounder · Senior Member

in U.S. fret over visas, jobs as NAFTA chatter intensifies
[CBC]
CBCNovember 18, 2016

Some Canadians who've been living the California dream in Silicon Valley thanks to a special work visa available under the North American Free Trade Agreement say they're fearful that any changes to the treaty under a new U.S. administration could put their jobs in peril.

With a TN (Treaty NAFTA) visa in hand, thousands of Canadians move freely across the 49th parallel once they've received a job offer from a U.S. agency or company.

Canadians Jennifer Wu, a school social worker in El Cerrito, Calif., and her partner David Chen, who works for Yelp in San Francisco, said they eventually want to return to Canada, but have been enjoying the unique work experience northern California has to offer.

But if president-elect Donald Trump makes good on his promise to "rip up" NAFTA, an agreement he's repeatedly characterized as "a disaster," they're wondering what will happen to their visas — and their jobs.

"It's something we talk about because we have a lot, a lot of Canadian friends on the TN visas as well. So we're all kind of unsure of what's going to happen," said Wu from her home in San Francisco. "Some of our friends have expressed they're a bit worried about what this means to the tech sector here.

"Part of what makes Silicon Valley so attractive is because of the diverse workers they're able to get with the TN visas," said Wu. "I think losing that would really hurt Silicon Valley."

Trade Trump's 1st priority

On Wednesday CNN reported on a leaked memo suggesting the new administration will immediately focus on trade and NAFTA in particular.

"We lose with Canada, big league. Tremendous, tremendous trade deficits with Canada," said Trump during a campaign stop last spring.

"[I will] tell our NAFTA partners that I intend to immediately renegotiate the terms of that agreement to get a better deal for our workers," he promised later.

Those who monitor Canadian trade policy and agreements are waiting to see exactly what that means for this country.

Trump could take axe to NAFTA

"He could take an axe and kill all the provisions of NAFTA, including the TN visa component," said Dane Rowlands, director of the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University. "This all could be gone, but this is not clear. He's backtracked a little bit already."

Rowlands said while Trump has indicated he wants to get more U.S. citizens working, unemployed Americans may not necessarily have the skills U.S. firms are looking for.

Debra Steger, the Hyman Soloway Chair in Business and Trade Law at the University of Ottawa, said she's surprised businesses in the U.S. haven't been more vocal in their support of NAFTA policies that benefit them, such as TN visas.

"There may be a response from business, once [Trump] lays out what his trade policy plans really are," said Steger.

She has advice for the many Canadian engineering and computer science graduates who are currently getting job offers from companies including Microsoft and Google right now.

"Get the TN visa soon and get it for the full three years if it's possible," Steger advised.

Opportunities for Canadian companies

Siva Ananmalay, a Canadian who originally moved to Silicon Valley on a visa to work for Nortel, believes emerging tech companies desperate for talent might start looking to set up shop in Canada, where they could have better access to highly skilled workers from around the world.

"It's much more difficult for people from other countries to work in the tech sector here than it is for Canadians," said Ananmalay from his home in California. "If that changes, I think there's going to be a lot of Canadians, particularly young ones coming out of school, who will take the easier path and just work in a Canadian company."

Ross Mistry, an Canadian who works as a senior director at Microsoft in San Francisco, agreed it's a difficult and lengthy process for skilled worker outside the NAFTA zone — particularly those from India and China — to secure jobs in North America.

Mistry agrees that Canada could potentially profit from changes to NAFTA and its visa provisions.

"Canada can take advantage of the situation, importing solid engineers" said Mistry.

Ground Pounder · Senior Member

Donald Trump to 'withdraw from Trans-Pacific Partnership' on first day in office 1 / 22
The Guardian
www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-to-withdraw-from-trans-pacific-partnership-on-first-day-in-office/ar-AAkB4TP
Nicky Woolf in San Francisco, Justin McCurry in Jakarta and Benjamin Haas in Hong Kong
2 hrs ago

Donald Trump has issued a video outlining his policy plans for his first 100 days in office and vowing to issue a note of intent to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership “from day one”.

In the brief clip posted to YouTube on Monday, the president-elect said that “our transition team is working very smoothly, efficiently, and effectively”, contradicting a wealth of media reports telling of chaos in Trump Tower as Trump struggles to build a team.

He said that he was going to issue a note of intent to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, calling it “a potential disaster for our country”. Instead he said he would “negotiate fair bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back”.

Hours before Trump’s announcement, Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, warned that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would be “meaningless” without US participation.

Speaking to reporters in Buenos Aires on Monday, Abe conceded that other TPP countries had not discussed how to rescue the agreement if Trump carried out his promise to withdraw.

Related: Trump cabinet contender accidentally unveils hardline anti-refugee proposals

Abe, a vocal supporter of the 12-nation agreement, appears to have failed in his recent attempts to coax Trump out of his “America first”, protectionism.

The TPP, which excludes China, is thought to have been high on Abe’s agenda when he became the first foreign leader to meet the president-elect in New York last week.

While details of their 90-minute meeting have not been released, Abe would have used the time to try to persuade Trump to go back on his campaign threat to pull the US out of TPP on day one of his presidency.

“The TPP would be meaningless without the United States,” Abe said, after Japan and other TPP countries had discussed the agreement on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Lima at the weekend.

He added that the pact could not be renegotiated. “This would disturb the fundamental balance of benefits,” he said.
Activists shout slogans as they march during an anti-Trump and anti-TPP protest November 14, 2016 in Washington, DC. Activists held a rally and a march 'to protest the Trans-Pacific Partnership and urge President-elect Donald Trump and members of Congress to reject the trade deal.' © Alex Wong/Getty Images Activists shout slogans as they march during an anti-Trump and anti-TPP protest November 14, 2016 in Washington, DC. Activists held a rally and a march 'to protest the Trans-Pacific Partnership and urge President-elect…

Trump’s determination to rip up the agreement will have horrified Abe, particularly after the property billionaire appeared to have softened his stance on other campaign threats, such as downgrading Washington’s security commitment to allies Japan and South Korea.

Abe invested considerable political capital in pushing for TPP, which was signed in 2015 but has yet to be ratified, including overcoming strong opposition from Japan’s influential farming lobby.

Abe, though, suggested he was already bracing himself for US withdrawal from the TPP, whose 12 participating countries cover 40% of the global economy. Last week he told a parliamentary committee that Trump’s threat, if carried out, could bolster moves towards a new regional trade pact that includes China.

“There’s no doubt that there would be a pivot to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) if the TPP doesn’t go forward,” Abe told an upper house committee, according to Kyodo news agency.

“The RCEP doesn’t include the United States, leaving China the economy with the largest gross domestic product,” he added.

The RCEP comprises Japan, China and 12 other Asian countries, plus Australia and New Zealand, and has been under negotiation since 2013.

While China declined to join the TPP, feeling it was designed to isolate it politically and economically, the wider implications of the US going back on a trade deal that took seven years to negotiate is likely to harm China in the long term.

“The US leaving TPP is a problem of America rejecting globalisation,” said Da Wei, an expert on the US at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations. “China is a beneficiary of globalisation and China is not willing to see the tide of globalisation ebb.”

While some Chinese may be happy at what they see as a political failure for the US, ultimately “China disapproves of this, China is anxious about the retreat of globalization,” Da said.

Trump’s wider trade rhetoric could damage US-China relations, with his promotion of “economic nationalism” at the centre of his frequent attacks on the world’s second largest economy, Da added.

Last week an editorial in the Communist party-controlled Global Times warned “Making things difficult for China politically will do him no good,” referring to Trump.

Meanwhile, the Australian government seemed reluctant to give up on the TPP deal entirely. Australia’s prime minister, who has just returned from a 25,000km round-trip to Peru to reinforce support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, stressed the importance of the agreement as a “strategic commitment.”

Mr Turnbull said it was up to Mr Trump and his new Congress to make decisions about what they believed was in their nation’s interest.

“It is very clear that from Australia’s point of view, getting greater access for Australian exports ... to those big markets is manifestly in our interest,” he said.

Steve Ciobo, the trade minister, said the TPP was “a good deal” and Australia wanted to move forward with it. Speaking to the media in Canberra, he said there was still time for the US administration to reconsider its position before the TPP needs to be ratified.

“We need to let the incoming Trump administration have some time, let’s have some patience,” he said.

Ground Pounder · Senior Member

www.youtube.com/watch

Petebil · ONTARIO

teejay99 wrote:
....except that The Donald ain't a Republican .

Some of his views are Liberal, but like I mentioned before, it's not really the puppet that decides things but the people that control it. Regardless, I'm glad he got in so we now have something to chat about and speculate what will happen. If Hillary got in, I wouldn't have time to sit behind this keyboard because i'd be too damn busy building my bunker.

parklane · St THOMAS, ONT

Petebil wrote:
teejay99 wrote:
....except that The Donald ain't a Republican .
Some of his views are Liberal, but like I mentioned before, it's not really the puppet that decides things but the people that control it. Regardless, I'm glad he got in so we now have something to chat about and speculate what will happen. If Hillary got in, I wouldn't have time to sit behind this keyboard because i'd be too damn busy building my bunker.

Amen to that!!

Petebil · ONTARIO

A lot of good info in this video. Please watch.

teejay99 · BELLE RIVER, ONT

Wow , what a whack job this guy is ........sounds like a Dictator Donald surrogate . Get out the fact checkers .

henry · CORNWALL, ONT

I like the rumour he was going to nuke china, they started the economic war..... and now he has the codes !!! NO more rice . I like him.