HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1987-10-07, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1987.
Another Meech Lake?
For those who don’t like the deal Canadians got in the
constitutional amendments worked out in the famous Meech
Lake Accord, the similarities with last weekend’s free trade
agreement with the United States are ominous.
For one thing, there was the apparent hopelessness of the
situation, according to Mulroney government officials
themselves, as late as Saturday afternoon. That signal that
there was little hope of success wasalsoputoutby Prime
Minister Mulroney’s staff in the days and weeks leading up to
Meech Lake meeting with the Premiers.
Then there was the momentary euphoria when the deal that
couldn’t be done was announced. Even critics of the free trade
agreement like Toronto Star columnists talked about the
“brilliant victory’’ for Mulroney tactics. Yet by Monday
morning bouts were already starting to arise about just what
had been signed. Like Meech Lake there were disagreements
about just what the pact means. The Canadian government
claims one thing, the American government another.
Nextitbegins that the “binding dispute-solving tribunal” is
not the victory Mr. Mulroney made it seem. The tribunal will
onlybeableto impose rulings under the laws of the state
making the ruling. In other words, when the Americans crack
down on this or that Canada import, it will be judged under
American law.
There are other problems that weren’t at first glance
obvious. The Prime Minister and every Conservative
government representative from Agriculture Minister John
Wise down to local M.P.s, assured farmers that not only
marketing boards, but the tarriffs and other border controls
that support them, would be kept intact. There is doubt that
those protections are there in this agreement and even though
marketing boards themselves were protected, they may have
little meaning if the border is opened up to cheap American
eggs, chicken and dairy products.
There is one difference between this and Meech Lake: this
time there will be a real, effective opposition. Liberal leader
John Turner and New Democratic leader Ed Broadbent came
out swinging on Monday, and as the weeks go by will likely
expose more and more weaknesses of the agreement. Still they
have little real chance of blocking thfe deal if it does prove as bad
as Meech Lake.
The only person with a real chance of blocking the deal is
Ontario Premier David Peterson. So far he’s been cautious,
awaiting details. It remains to be seen if he will have the nerve
(some would say guts) to be the guy to pull the plug on the deal if
it doesn ’ t live up to federal promises and to the six conditions he
himself laid down in the election campaign.
We can only hope the glowing optimism surrounding the
deal proves accurate and the pitfalls aren’t there because the
opposition may be louder this time, but one senses there’s no
more chance of stopping this deal, given the huge majority of
the federal government, than there was in stopping Meech
Lake.
It's a rich country
One of the concessions that free traders were likely happy to
give to the U. S. in Free Trade negotiations was the desire of the
Americans to have complete access of investment to all areas of
Canadian life.
They were likely glad to yield to that demand because, first,
most believe in unfettered flow of investment from one country
to another and secondly, they have accepted the myth that
Canada needs foreign investment if it is to grow. There just isn’t
enough money in Canada, the old belief goes, for us to pay for all
the development we need.
It must come as a shock to Canadians then to see how many
Canadians are on the list of the world’s richest people. Forbes
and Fortune, twoU.S. business magazines, recently published
their list of the top 10 richest people in the world. Forbes had
two Canadians on the list, Fortune, three. Appearing on both
lists were Ken Thompson, with $5.5 billion, the Reichmann
brothers with $5 billion. Forbes somehow missed out on the guy
who nearly owns New Brunswick, K.C. Irving with a fortune
estimated at $6 billion. These fortunes rank higher than any
Americans on the lists.
Besides the individual fortunates there is the enormous
bankroll of large pension funds these days. Because regulation
says these funds must be invested in Canada, fund managers
have become part of a wild buying spree which sees more and
more companies being swallowed up every day. It has got to the
point where some analysts say it’s time to let these companies
invest our pension funds outside Canada because there is too
much money chasing two few companies driving up costs
without contributing anything to the country’s growth.
Let’s face it, there is not too little money to invest in Canadian
businesses. If there is a shortage of anything it is imagination.
And there is a surplus of greed. Mr. Irving, for instance, made
his fortunate in Canada but is happy to live in a tax haven now
where he doesn’t have to pay any income tax on his vast fortune.
If Canadian tycoons had the kind of imagination Americans
have, if they had the kind of patriotism American businessmen
have, then we wouldn’t need so much foreign investment.
Instead our big businessmen would rather make money
shuffling paper around instead of starting new companies or
inventing new products. Our graduates of business schools
would rather take safe jobs managing a branch plant than take
risks starting their own company.
It’s not money that’s short in Canada, it’s imagination,
ambition and will power.
Mabel’s Grill
There are people who will tell you
that the important decisions in town
are made down at the town hall.
People in the know, however know
that the real debates, the real
wisdom reside down at Mabel s
Grill where the greatest minds in
the town \if not in the country]
gather for morning coffee break,
otherwise known as the Round
Table Debating and Filibustering
Society. Since not just everyone can
partake of these deliberations we
will report iheactivities from lime to
time.
MONDAY: Well, Billie Bean said
this morning, it’s nice to see
there’s no discrimination in favour
of the famous in Canadian cus
toms. He was talking about the
two-hour search Ben Johnson got
when he came back to Canada after
his visit to Europe and Asia when
he set a new world record.
One thing about Canada, Billie
said, is that they always keep you
humble. You may have had an
audiencewith the Pope and had
yourpictureonthefrontpage of
every newspaper in Europe but in
Canada, Customs treats you just
like any other potential criminal.
TUESDAY: Hank Stokes was
mentioning the article in the
newspaper where a study showed
that people who earn more than
$100,000 a year live longer and are
healthier than people collecting
welfare. It all evens out, though.
Hank figures, because even if poor
people don’t live as long, it will
seem longer.
WEDNESDAY: Tim O’Grady was
saying this morning that it will be
interesting to see what the latest
rounds of strikes in everything
from the post office to the Seaway
to teachers in Toronto will do to the
public mood.
People got so fed up with all the
strikes a few years ago that they
wentalong with the swing to the
“right” he said. Then they got the
right wingers in government and
weren’t so sure they liked it so they
started leaning to the left, even to
the NDP. Now with the strikes they
may just swing the pendulum back
to the right again. The pendulum’s
swinging sofast these days you just
might get whiplash watching it, he
said.
THURSDAY: Ward Black was
saying this morning that if he goes
south for a winter vacation in
Floridathisyear he may have to
revise his normal wardrobe. “I
mean I used to just slop around in
some old shorts and a loud
Hawaiian shirt but that probably
won’t do anymore. Howwouldasix
gun on your hip look with shorts, ’ ’
he wondered.
Hank agreed that from the
sounds of things now that they’ve
passed new laws down in Florida,
you’re just not going to be well
dressed unless you’re packing a
fire arm.
J ulia Flint said that one thing for
sure, if she goes south this winter
she won’t be known as a pushy
Canadian. Anybody gets into an
argument with her, she figures on
giving up quick. Tim said maybe
the Americans could have got what
they wanted out of the free trade
talks quicker if they’d taken Simon
Reismandown to Florida instead of
Washington.
FRIDAY: Julia said she thinks they
should investigate to see if there’s
a “black hole” between here and
the West. Every morning after
she’s finished doing her exercises
in front of the TV, she flips over and
Continued on page 17
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