Harper Conservatives — Good for Texas

Republish this everywhere; okay?

From The Toronto Star:  http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/570638

The Canadian Auto Workers is criticizing the federal government for awarding a $254 million contract to a U.S. company to build trucks for the Canadian Forces at its plant in Texas while it is laying off workers at its plant in Chatham.

“Somebody has to explain to us why Canadian workers can’t build military trucks for the Canadian military,” said senior CAW executive Bob Chernecki, referring to a defence department contract to Illinois-based Navistar International Corp. to build 1,300 medium-duty trucks for the Canadian Forces.

…

Asked yesterday why the contract couldn’t have stipulated the trucks be built in Canada, a spokesperson for
Defense Minister Peter MacKay referred the Toronto Star to the public works department.

“The workers in these facilities absolutely deserve the support of their government as we go through these very difficult and challenging times in our country,” said Lewenza’s letter.

“It seems the federal government has lost sight that in 2003 they invested in the Chatham facility, by
agreeing to provide over $30 million of assistance to Navistar to maintain these important jobs in the community and Ontario,” he told MacKay.

In 2003, the Ontario government gave $35 million to Navistar to avert threatened closing of the Chatham plant.

Chernecki called it “nonsense” for Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to promise to boost the Canadian economy
with infrastructure jobs in the Jan. 27 budget, while another department “is putting taxpayer dollars into the U.S. economy.”

A regional benefits clause requires Navistar to match the $254 million contract with equal investment in  Canada.

My response:

Dear Pres. Obama,

Just caught the news that the Harper Tories are handing out cash from our taxes to your citizens, sweet deal.  Tell you what;  apply this “bailout” towards any unresolved debt I have left behind in the USA as I feel strongly that my 10000 dollar tax bill for 2008 will easily cover anything I have left behind.  Use the remainder for your kids, I think they may need more school clothes  or something.

Hugs and Kisses,

Kevin.

Seriously; could the Harper Government be any more transparently pro-USA?  Its no wonder that the Harper Government is rolling towards Bush Levels of approval (35% right now) .

Why not just outsource the bureaucracy to some overseas form while you’re at it Stephen?