No kidding. You hear Paul Martin campaigning in Atlantic Canada promising improvements in EI?? Every election, never fails, if the Libs need votes out east, they sweeten the pot for the folks on the dole. I'm from N.B., there are tons of people for whom that is there way of life - work summers, get their hours, then take the rest of the year off. Rinse, lather, repeat. I work in the construction industry in T.O., which has a lot of Newfie labourers. These guys know to the minute when they qualify for enough EI benefits to get them through the winter, and will drop their jackhammers and walk off site. Of course the companies play along and pretend they were 'laid off" when in reality there is still plenty of work around. :twisted:[/quote]
Oh piss off. So migrant workers who build your cities, supply your lumber, keep your trains running and work like dogs for nine months of the year are vllified as soon as they go home to see their families. Obviously they should continue to live in work camps. Then maybe some Torontonians might like them!
Most of these workers don't want to be construction workers sparky. They have homes and mortgages back in Newfoundland they need to pay off because they mistakenly believed they could live like the rest of Canada. Most have boats and equipment they are paying off, since the Government obviously believes Portuguese, Russian, French and Spanish fishermen deserve more work then Newfies.
Oh sure, they could work in the mill (closed), the mines (closed), the shipbuilding industry ( bought out so international companies could have less competition), or the Fish Processing Facilities (wait, the chinese work for peanuts, don't they? Closed). But..wait. It looks like Canada has decided that Newfoundlanders are more profitable when they're out of work. Who else is going to do the shit jobs for cheap? Who else is going to fill the ranks of our military?
Tell you what. Give Newfoundland what she wants. Let us re-negotiate the horribly lopsided Liberal orchestrated cash cow upper Churchill deal with Quebec. Let us keep the profits of our oil platforms instead of sending them to Ottawa, to be converted into pared down "equalization" payents. Let us chase out the foreign supertrawlers and reinstate a Newfoundland fishery that employs actual Newfoundlanders! An inshore fishery that realizes catching adult fish is a better plan than trawling spawning grounds. Then you can keep you bloody handouts.
No we don't need any more parties.
