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[adriaticum]

Are you suggesting the HST was actually good for jobs?    

I would like to suggest HST is a fairer and much better tax.

The reason it's fearer is that everyone is paying it, and everyone is paying the same amount.
Unfortunately this is not completely true but that was the idea behind it. Government later started basterdising it to keep some industries happy and in effect made it PST like.

It's better because unlike PST we know what we are paying and we know who is paying it.
PST costs us more in government administration and business administration.
PST is kept in such a cloud of ignorance and confusion that you had to pay "experts" to understand what you are doing.

The way I look at it:
I know the government is ripping me off.
I would rather know how much they are ripping me off so I can fight it.
Rather than not knowing and living in the cloud.

The whole tax system is designed to be complicated and for most people not to understand it.
So the government can take money from under our noses and we don't even know about it.

[skaha]

Are you suggesting the HST was actually good for jobs?    

--There were a few forests companies that actually used the tax break to purchase new equipment as advertised to be the intended purpose.  I think they should be rewarded. As to those that took the money and ran... maybe some kind of claw back is in order.

[Ed]

I have mixed feelings towards the HST tax. But since I build residential housing for a living as well as sell real estate in the Vancouver area, I would have to lean towards going away from the HST. Construction costs + real estate trade was a good 7 percent cheaper with just the GST.

However I do agree that HST makes it so that everybody pays similar taxes on things, there are a lot less tax cuts in grey areas. Sounds to me like a socialist's tax, where as in the USA it's more capitalist since the rich get more tax cuts than the rest.

[Ed]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/national/Federal+government+launches+immigration+plan+attract+more/7676209/story.html

looks like Canada is starting to open more opportunities for immigration in other fields of work.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadian-companies-applaud-foreign-worker-plan/article6146776/

[skaha]

--no problem with immigration as these workers are less likely to be exploited... that is they get jobs with Canadian wages and safety standards.
--lack of skilled apprentices... that sounds familiar didn't BC scrap the government training program and replace it with "industry knows best" program for apprenticeship program.

--I see Domtar Kamloops has to shut down a line due to the expense of upgrading equipment... I guess that tax breaks they requested were not enough... don't be surprised if you see this brought up again in the new year claiming it was because of the removal of HST tax shift... even though they could have purchased the equipment at any time when the HST incentive especially applauded by forest companies was in effect.

[Ed]

--no problem with immigration as these workers are less likely to be exploited... that is they get jobs with Canadian wages and safety standards.
--lack of skilled apprentices... that sounds familiar didn't BC scrap the government training program and replace it with "industry knows best" program for apprenticeship program.

--I see Domtar Kamloops has to shut down a line due to the expense of upgrading equipment... I guess that tax breaks they requested were not enough... don't be surprised if you see this brought up again in the new year claiming it was because of the removal of HST tax shift... even though they could have purchased the equipment at any time when the HST incentive especially applauded by forest companies was in effect.

They will be getting Canadian wages since there will be a minimum wage and the mines are still governed by Canadian law. Only difference is these workers are willing to work for less. Did BC scrap the government training program because too many people were interested and they didn't want to pay for it or was it because there weren't that many people interested to begin with. Mining isn't the best job in the world as it is quite labour intensive and definetley not my top 10 jobs to have in Canada! But to a Chinese miner, working as a miner in Canada must be heaven.

[StillAqua]

Mining isn't the best job in the world as it is quite labour intensive and definetley not my top 10 jobs to have in Canada! But to a Chinese miner, working as a miner in Canada must be heaven.

You think they still use pick axes and shovel rock into trolly cars Ed? Mining is heavily mechanized, and heavy equipment jobs are highly sought after by Canadians.

[Ed]

You think they still use pick axes and shovel rock into trolly cars Ed? Mining is heavily mechanized, and heavy equipment jobs are highly sought after by Canadians.

Actually no,  but compared to white collar work, mining in northern BC is not a preferable choice... I dont know about you but I think I can speak for most Canadians that we enjoy staying with our families.....

[adriaticum]

Yes, this all sounds familiar.
They didn't want to work in the cotton fields so they brought "foreign temporary workers" to fill the demand.
Sounds like a good idea. 

[skaha]

--Did BC scrap the government training program because too many people were interested and they didn't want to pay for it or was it because there weren't that many people interested to begin with.

--It was my recollecting that the program when managed by Government.. that is students were placed into these jobs for training with industry. The coordinator checked to ensure the person actually got on the job training as advertised, in a safe environment and wasn't just being exploited for a training wage... and that they actually became certified.
--Industry convinced government that the coordinators were not a necessary expense and that they could do the training without oversite. Since that time the program has been a great success... well at least according to industry.

[Ed]

Yes, this all sounds familiar.
They didn't want to work in the cotton fields so they brought "foreign temporary workers" to fill the demand.
Sounds like a good idea. 

You are right, it is a great idea! But unlike the cotton field days, these foreign workers might have a little bit better working conditions.

[Ed]

--Did BC scrap the government training program because too many people were interested and they didn't want to pay for it or was it because there weren't that many people interested to begin with.

--It was my recollecting that the program when managed by Government.. that is students were placed into these jobs for training with industry. The coordinator checked to ensure the person actually got on the job training as advertised, in a safe environment and wasn't just being exploited for a training wage... and that they actually became certified.
--Industry convinced government that the coordinators were not a necessary expense and that they could do the training without oversite. Since that time the program has been a great success... well at least according to industry.

That makes sense, only problem i can see from this from a employers point of view is that students who got the training ended up moving on to another field of work therefore wasting resources on coordinators and trainers. I'm not sure what the numbers are, that actually still work in the fields after taking the program.