Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 28, 1989, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press february 1989 Page 7 focus maj rims adjusting to free Trade by Edward Katie Macmillan and Robert York special to the free press in recent scarcely a re port has appeared on Plant corporate or general restructuring without some speculation about the part played by free Trade in the although most principals attribute a negligible role to free people Are left with the impression that the problem of employment adjustment to free Trade will be Large and that government action is necessary to accommodate this is somewhat ironic in Light of indications that free Trade will Cre ate More jobs than it will destroy and that its implementation begins at a time when National unemployment rates Are lower than at any time since the Federal government has argued so far that special help for victims of free Trade is unnecessary and that All unemployed work ers should be accommodated by the labor Market programs now in this approach would hold More Appeal if existing programs unemployment insurance i and the Canadian jobs strategy were capable of Foster ing positive adjustment and employment they Are in focusing attention on the adjustment misplaced though some of this scrutiny might free Trade pro Vides an important Opportunity to examine How Well existing pro Grams Are coping with employ ment one such the de grandpre commission established by the Federal is due to make its recommendations on the form and substance of adjust ment assistance this the most difficult question with which the de grandpre commis Sion must Deal is whether workers who lose their jobs because of the free Trade Deal should be treated differently from workers who lose their jobs for other in defence of its position that no additional programs Are the government Points to predictions that free Trade will not add significantly to ongoing adjust ment pressures in the the economic Council of Canada has estimated that an average of jobs will be lost through permanent layoffs and new jobs will be created As a result of free Trade each year Between 1989 and 1998 a net gain of jobs by or per cent More than would have occurred without the these statistics Pale in comparison with the Evi Dence that Over five million canadians change jobs every Trade pressures the Council estimates that free Trade will account for less than two per cent of the permanent Job loss occurring in any Trade pressures in any Only one cause of employment in recent Canadian producers have had to adapt to the rapid globalization of to the increasing Pace of technological de to shifts in relative growth abroad and to movements in Exchange the six cent appreciation in the Canadian Dollar relative to its counterpart that occurred Between january and octo approximated the removal of an eight per cent Tariff for firms exporting to the United states or competing against this currency change took place in nine whereas Tariff removal under the agreement will take up to ten Small As the adjustment costs Are anticipated to the Federal government will continue to be called on to provide assistance to affected firms and unlike jobs lost through technological change or Exchange rate a Precia such dislocation As occurs because of free Trade can be traced directly to a policy decision of the Federal government a decision taken after a fractious National there is certain to be intense political pressure on the government to demonstrate some Grace in Victory by allocating a portion of the gains from free Trade to those Hurt by there is a second argument for helping losers from liberalized if permanent mechanisms to ease Trad related adjustment Are in governments will not feel As obliged to provide and hoc programs for affected industries in addition to being expend can delay the inevitable rationalization any special programs for Trade related adjustment would have to be carefully designed and monitored to ensure that they smooth the adjustment process and encourage a More equitable sharing of the benefits of free the aim of government assistance should be to create a More Mobile and adaptable labor dislocated workers should get some help not should be the recipients of and the programs should not labor Market programs already in Only workers whose Job loss is demonstrably related to free Trade should Quali with eligibility contingent on such strict criteria As that the affected individual was employed in an Industry or firm in which Trade barriers have been lowered through the agreements provi Sions and that the reduction of these Trade barriers is demonstrably the main cause of Dis Loca it is critically Howe that Trad related adjustment assistance not deflect attention away from badly needed Reform of Canadas labor Market the Macdonald the forget commission and others have pointed to disincentives embodied in the i system for sex those that encourage dependence and impede labor a major Reform of existing pro Grams would ensure that All Dis placed not Only the Small minority Hurt by free could Benefit from Bette designed adjustment Reform Initia Tives should focus on upgrading skills and encouraging mobility in the labor with particular emphasis on older workers and individuals in Remote communities who often find it More difficult to adjust to Job another priority is to Transfer Many of the income support functions of the i system to other programs better equipped to deliver this Type of recapturing the True insurance character of i will minimize dependence on the program and will free up resources that can be used to help individuals or regions fac ing special Canada needs a proactive labor Market strategy if it is to meet the competitive challenges of the this will require More than a Fin tuning of existing economic grounds while Short term Assis Tance for workers demonstrably Hurt by free Trade can be defended on political and economic it should not be viewed As an alternative to meaningful reforms to existing programs such Asun employment the Feder Al government should quickly re solve How it plans to Deal with Trade by so it can Speed the rationalization of Industry in response to free Trade and ease the Burden on individuals Edward Carmichael is vice president and Katie Macmillan and Robert York Are policy analysts at the Howe they Are coauthors of Ottawa next Agenda policy review and Tower challenges Senate opponents by Dan Balz Washington Post Washington during his fight to be named Secretary of John Tower has been called a woman Izer and a common Sun Day he became a the embattled former acknowledging that my character and reputation have been damaged As much As they can be by the Stream of allegations that have flowed out of an Fri investigation into his personal and professional broke a silence of More than two months and went on television for one grand Roll of the Dice to save his Tower offered his accusers the political equivalent of a consent de he denied any wrongdoing i am not an alcoholic nor have i Ever been dependent on he said but he promised not to do it any a Challenge in his pledge was wrapped in a Challenge to his former col leagues in the Senate give me the Pentagon Job and i give up the he called it a Small thing to do to allay doubts and fears about allegations that he continues to have a drinking but it was As bold and dramatic a gesture As any applicant has had to make to serve in the idea of giving a hostage to ones critics seems a new twist for a politician under even Richard fighting to save his nomination As vice presi Dent in vowed to keep his dog sundays spectacle was political theatre at its most played out Over two hours of extraordinary first came Sam the Stern and proper chair Man of the armed services commit whose decision to oppose towers nomination led the commit tee to an llto9 part line recommendation that Tower be next came Dapper in his pinstriped suit with a Streak of White handkerchief in his breast on abcs this week with David Tower admitted almost cheerfully that he once had a drinking but when asked whether there was a Point at which he dealt with he gave a response that shed Light on the lifestyle he has been known to gave up spirits 12 years i gave up he i used to be a pretty Good scotch and i gave i Haven tasted scotch in 12 after i had Only had perhaps an occasional occasionally a Little Vodka with smoked Salmon and caviar or some thing like but that was just i really essentially have been a wine and my Only consumption is wine at i dont drink wine unless in Tower came armed with state his pledge of abstinence was prepared in and he also had a letter from his doctor to he that his body showed no signs of alcohol he shuffled them in his Lap at the Start of his anxious to bait the Hook that might bring in the wavering democrats and republicans who will determine his Fate on the Senate floor this but if he was con trite about his the Tough texan showed flashes of Fei Stiness As what about womanizing he was in a single he perhaps not directly to the i do Date Moderator Sam Donaldson pressed Only to be interrupted by but Womanizer is a Broad what is your definition of the term i dont Donaldson re Tower turned to the Only female member of the Cokie Roberts of National Public do you have a definition of the term she i think most women know it when they see Tower non but you still cant define moments Tower had a re Joinder for Roberts that took the discussion Well inside of washing tons political defending himself against charges from Nunn and others that he May have improperly used knowledge gained As an arms negotiator to help his defence Industry Tower sharply denied the allegations and then claimed that the he had received from that work in the past two years was Small change by Washington not exorbitant that not an exorbitant Tower i if you asked your brother if that an exorbitant amount for experienced consultants in this i think he would Tell you that it is certainly not that indeed it might be rather Roberts brother is Thomas Hale Boggs a partner in the Law firm of Boggs blow and one of the highest paid lawyer lobbyists in the confrontation on the airwaves sunday morning was a taste of whats coming this As pres ident Bush returns from China to begin his personal lobbying and the Senate opens its debate on the fit Ness of its former but towers Gamble sunday was a reminder of what a Friend pointed out weeks asked whether Tower would the Friend youve got to watch the television miniseries lonesome Dove to see what texans will hell fight it to the last Tower takes our major concern is that the government is now so desperate for Revenue were having wide open casinos i regret that the minister wont commit to Public hearings on the matter because the important thing is to listen to those groups not just open your door and close your by establishing this we Are Demon Strating an unequivocal commitment to meet the Challenge of the health care needs in Manitoba Well into the creating a special health fund is a Desper ate government grasping at straws to con Vince people they Are actually going to do those comments could Well have been made in regard to the tory governments announcement about a permanent year round with its net revenues to be dedicated to the funding of special health they were the initial criticism about the Lack of Public hearings was uttered in by the opposition Leader Gary when the nip government decided to Experiment with extended hours for Casino the following comments were made in when former health minister Wilson Parasiuk was introducing a Bill which created a health services development Trust fund and Bonnie Mitchelson was offering the official tory it is amazing How views can change when a party moves from opposition to who was so upset about the potential increase in crime and negative Impact on families because Casino operations had been extended to five Days a week for 90 now Heads a government which is planning a year round sinday week current culture minister who different from other Side of the House under the dome Arlene Billinkoff had regarded the earlier fund As one More example of the nip administrations efforts to create a perception of doing something when it was Only demonstrating an inability to get priorities has joined health minister Don Orchard in lauding this tory fund As a vehicle which would help the government improve health care Eugene Kostyra said much the same thing during his budget address last year when he unveiled a Startup for the investing resources in order to improve services and get better value for health care dollars was one More example of the Way his government had chosen to meet the health care he less than two weeks the fund hit the dirt when the government was six weeks later the government had but the problems had health care continued to face financial casinos had image with the latest the tories Hope to Cope with both located at the fort Garry the first permanent Canadian gambling House will incorporate the current 90day Casino at the convention Centre and 125 Days of casinos conducted outside of in con Trast to the glitzy Las vegas this Casino will be designed to offer an inviting image in the classic european style and while maintaining the highest standards of Security and said offering traditional games such As Rou Baccarat and Black along with Slot and requiring adherence to a dress the to be operated by the Manitoba lotteries should have an improved which she hoped would attract both local gamblers and it was expected to produce about million a year which would be directed to a special fund set up by the department of like the nip the fund would be used for specific such As projects related to innovative disease prevention and alternative health care ser it will give us flexibility to work with institutions and organizations to develop new and innovative while Taining the Quality of care and containing service delivery said flip was the initial reaction to the announcement from the Liberal and nip while Sharon Carstairs was Gary doer was recalling Hilmons dismay in 1987 about the Lack of hearings in regard to extended lottery Carstairs was appalled by his shift in no hearings were scheduled and no apparent Consolation for Rural groups which would lose the right to hold their own she also had qualms about in creased especially when the government did not seem to be anticipating too much what was the projected million compared to the almost billion allocated for health this year this approach was setting a very danger Ous Carstairs despite the better ambience in the fort Garry she did not believe it would eliminate the eco nomic and Legal problems associated with a number of Church officials expressed similar noting that gambling hurts those least Able to afford but the government is in the gambling business and no government is willing to give up the millions which Are Mitchelson doer agreed As he talked about the lost if this fund had been implemented when the nip first proposed there would already be an extra million for health he pointed while he did not believe the tories had any ideas of their he was glad they had changed their More the tories had changed their seats in the demonstrating once More How Power can alter a politicians doonesbury Joannes that me w oms Rihl Harar i that whim by Garry Trudeau to its that Zonker might that he might to Kew of our full ;