Conversation

Ian Welsh
@iwelsh
If SNC Lavalin was unable to bid on federal contracts, someone else would have. Job losses are overstated, they amount to mostly HQ jobs and even many of those would be replaced by hires in the new contractors over time. The work still has to be done.
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Amanda Alvaro
@amandaalvaro
My big takeaway from JWR’s testimony was that on a number of occasions, colleagues/staff implored her to help find a solution to what would be devastating job losses in Canada. I’d be more concerned if my gov’t failed to consider tools to prevent that from happening. #Cdnpoli
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Ian Welsh
@iwelsh
This is a prime example of economic metaphysics: "companies/rich people produce jobs". Which is deranged when dealing with a public contractor.
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Ian Welsh
@iwelsh
If you're concerned about non-Canadian companies getting the bids, disallow foreign companies from bidding. (Probably illegal under the various "trade deals". Woops. But still a government choice which could be made.)
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Cinder
@Triquetrea
Replying to
@iwelsh
Increasingly feel like these trade deals bear more than a passing resemblance to pre-WW1 defensive treaties in Europe. They look "safe", but hold too many mutual contradictions to handle any serious challenge without collapsing into total (trade) war.
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Ian Welsh
@iwelsh
Replying to
@Triquetrea
trade deals, rather than mostly being about trade, have been used to restrict domestic policy in ways that are clearly anti-democratic. That was their point, to try and make certain policies irrevocable.
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