[Bruce_the_vii]

I got a letter from the federal NDP critic on immigration, Dan Davies, where he implies an acknowledgement of a connection between immigration the awful unemployment we have. Normally the NDP consider this economic blasphemy, consider that immigrants push the economy and they are "workers". That's rather a major step for them as a platform could be constructed around a tight labour market for the next 10 to 15 years. It's just a sentence in a letter, but the guy got his head screwed on forward.

[Bruce_the_vii]

the opportunity is rather rich in the main three cities of canada. there controlling immigration could raise the minimum wage $2 dollars, lower unemployment and get 6% more people in the labour force. the NDP could skirt around the CPC to the right, of all things, and blow a hole in the voting patterns.

[andyt]

Immigrants themselves are pissed at the immigration system. Sure, they're glad they got in, and they want to get grandpa and granny in, but they can see how they're being screwed by continually bringing in people who will scrabble for the lowest dollar. So basically it's a matter of "close the door behind me." And unlike us white breads, they have no problem in saying that.

It's funny how the NDP, supposedly run by the unions, supports massive immigration that just lowers wages and brings in people who have no sense of sticking together in a union, are just scrabbling for themselves. But then the unions are infected with that same pc crap the NDP is - it's racist to be against massive immigration and for doing what's best for Canada. Many guilty white people see immigration as a form of foreign aid, where they think we are making it better for the countries we are taking immigrants from. The thing is we bleed off the better and brighter ones, and what ever room the exodus of immigrants from that country makes is filled in no time as the women just pop some more kids.

[Bruce_the_vii]

Yeah, basically. It amazes that the left wing is pro-immigrant rather than proworker. If the NDP can straighten that out they add some fire power to their platform, especially as Harper is out to lunch on jobs.

[andyt]

Bruce_the_vii wrote:

Yeah, basically. It amazes that the left wing is pro-immigrant rather than proworker. If the NDP can straighten that out they add some fire power to their platform, especially as Harper is out to lunch on jobs.

Never happen. They're eyeing those immigrant seats as much as Harper, and nobody has found a way to talk about this without the immigrant industry demonizing them as racist. And the NDP is far more scared of that than the CPC. This is one area where I give the CPC credit for at least trying to make a few changes. If they can keep the nut bar rightwing stuff to a minimum, I may wind up voting for them at some point.

[Bruce_the_vii]

No, people have figured out that immigration suppresses wages, causes unemployment and generally can cause you economy to skew downward. And the people are talking about it. It's subtle but on the street there's comments about how this is the situation. They've reduced immigration in the rest of the world and it's time we got around to it here in Canada. Some better arguments, numbers and articulation will be assistants you can call on. You're talking about how people are doing economically, and it's powered keg. Immigrants themselves are part of that powder.

[Bruce_the_vii]

I thought this thread would get some juices flowing. A centrist NDP leader with a plan for jobs to go around the right of the CPC could upset the apple cart politically. Jobs are solid politically currency and over the next 10 years there's an issue with immigration and soft labour markets. Maybe it takes something more than an economic plan.