DOCSLIB.ORG

WT/TPR/M/314 19 August 2015 (15-4200) Page

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
WT/TPR/M/314 19 August 2015 (15-4200) Page WT/TPR/M/314 19 August 2015 (15-4200) Page: 1/53 Trade Policy Review Body 15 and 17 June 2015 TRADE POLICY REVIEW CANADA MINUTES OF THE MEETING Chairperson: H.E. Mr Atanas Atanassov Paparizov CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON ....................................................... 2 2 OPENING STATEMENT BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF CANADA (HONOURABLE MR CAMERON MACKAY) ................................................................................................... 4 3 STATEMENT BY THE DISCUSSANT ................................................................................ 8 4 STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS ........................................................................................ 12 5 REPLIES BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF CANADA AND ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ......... 47 6 CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON ......................................................... 52 Note: Advance written questions and additional questions by WTO Members, and the replies provided by Canada are reproduced in document WT/TPR/M/314/Add.1 and will be available online at http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/tp_rep_e.htm. WT/TPR/M/314 • Canada - 2 - 1 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON 1.1. The tenth Trade Policy Review of Canada was held on 15 and 17 June 2015. The Chairperson H.E. Mr Atanas Atanassov Paparizov (Bulgaria) welcomed the delegation of Canada headed by Honourable Mr Cameron Mackay, Director General, Trade Negotiations, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development; the rest of the delegation, including H.E. Ambassador Jonathan T. Fried, Permanent Representative of Canada to the WTO; other colleagues from the Mission in Geneva; and the discussant, H.E. Ambassador Remigi Winzap (Switzerland). 1.2. The Chairperson recalled the purpose of the Trade Policy Reviews and the main elements of the procedures for the meeting. The report by Canada was contained in document WT/TPR/G/314 and that of the WTO Secretariat in WT/TPR/S/314. 1.3. Canada adopted the alternative time-frame for its TPR. The following delegations submitted questions one week before the meeting and had been transmitted to the delegation of Canada: Singapore; Malaysia; Switzerland; Australia; Chinese Taipei; Brazil; Peru; Mexico; Hong Kong, China; United States; New Zealand; EU; China; Norway; Japan; Argentina; and El Salvador. The following delegations submitted written questions after the deadline and had also been transmitted to the delegation of Canada: Guatemala; Chile; Colombia; the Russian Federation; Ukraine; Dominican Republic; India; Republic of Korea; Trinidad and Tobago; Ecuador; Turkey; Indonesia; and Thailand. 1.4. The Canadian economy had recovered well from the financial crisis with GDP growth averaging 2.4% annually but had been impacted by weaker export growth and investment during the period 2011-14. While long-relying on its natural resource wealth, the Canadian economy was diversified with manufacturing and services also contributing significantly. The energy and minerals sector had declined the most in the post-crisis period, but had gradually rebounded and had shown strong growth since 2013. 1.5. In terms of trade, Canada's merchandise imports and exports had grown steadily during the review period, with import growth rates of 15% on average, twice as high as export growth rates, of 7% per year. During 2011-13, exports had been relatively flat due to weak global trade and in particular, weak energy prices, but had rebounded in 2014. Canadian merchandise export trade was heavily reliant on one sector, energy products, and one market, the United States. Despite efforts to diversify trade, Canadian imports and exports had concentrated further during the review period with its major market which had contributed to a larger percentage of both import and export trade. Although having a very service-oriented economy, Canada's services' trade remained relatively small, about one-fifth the size of its merchandise trade. 1.6. Canada had a relatively open foreign investment policy. Both inward and outward FDI had exhibited growth during the period, but inward FDI flows had been modest and had fallen in 2014. Canada had taken steps to reverse this trend and facilitate FDI in a number of ways during the period by concluding a number of bilateral investment agreements, removing some telecom investment restrictions, and promoting its funding programmes to attract investors. 1.7. During the period under review, Canada had moved ahead with its unilateral trade liberalization initiatives. The elimination of tariffs on a broad range of manufacturing inputs and capital goods was undoubtedly the highlight of these initiatives. The Chairperson was convinced that Members would not fail to encourage Canada to sustain these efforts. 1.8. Agriculture remained a key sector of the Canadian economy, owing in particular to its contribution to national wealth and employment. The sector was also highly important for the rest of the world because Canada was among the major players in international trade in agricultural products. Renewal of the Growing Forward Framework Agreement was most certainly one of the key developments in recent years. A number of measures pertaining to the sector were nonetheless questioned by several Members. These related in particular to the fairly high level of tariff protection; the current supply management system for dairy products; and the preferential treatment said to be given at sub-federal level to certain products such as wines, beer and spirits of local origin. WT/TPR/M/314 • Canada - 3 - 1.9. As regards sanitary and phytosanitary measures, Members did not fail to note the process to reform the food regulatory system, in which Canada had already been engaged for some years. Some Members expressed concerns regarding the new import licensing requirements. This meeting might be a good opportunity for Canada not only to clarify this aspect of the reform but also to expand on its main lines of action and prospects. 1.10. Judging from the number of advance questions received, other areas of great interest to Members included Canada's intellectual property regime in which new legislation and regulations had been of significant interest as well as clarifications on how certain provisions would be implemented and monitored or enforced. Another area related to contingency measures whereby a number of questions had been raised on the procedural aspects of investigations, the significant increase in investigations, and how specific provisions were implemented in practice. 1.11. The Chairperson was sure that these topics and themes, and many more, would be touched upon in greater detail at their deliberations on the first and second day of the meeting. 1.12. The Chairperson closed his introductory remarks by wishing Canada a very successful tenth Trade Policy Review. He looked forward to its active engagement in this TPR. 1.13. He also noted that a podcast would be made of the meeting which could be accessed on the Members' website. WT/TPR/M/314 • Canada - 4 - 2 OPENING STATEMENT BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF CANADA (HONOURABLE MR CAMERON MACKAY) 2.1. I am very happy to represent my country at this tenth WTO review of Canada's trade policy, and thank each one of you for your willingness to take part in this important process. 2.2. Special thanks go to Ambassador Paparizov for agreeing to chair today's meeting. I am especially happy that Ambassador Winzap will do us the honour of serving as the discussant. 2.3. I also thank the WTO Secretariat team for preparing such a detailed and comprehensive Secretariat report. 2.4. As one of the initial architects of the TPR process, we are deeply convinced that it enables all WTO Members to benefit from a transparent, predictable and rules-based international trading system. 2.5. As both the Secretariat and Government reports point out, since our 2011 review, Canada's economy has capitalized on strong economic fundamentals, and prudent fiscal policy to recover successfully from the global financial crisis. 2.6. The Canadian Government's annual "Economic Action Plan" consistently focuses on balancing the budget, supporting jobs and growth, developing resources responsibly and supporting families and communities. 2.7. To support the private sector's creation of jobs and prosperity, we have lowered taxes on businesses, encouraged regulatory efficiency through harmonization efforts, and cut administrative red tape – especially for small businesses. 2.8. And the stability of Canada's financial sector continues to receive international recognition. For the seventh consecutive year, the World Economic Forum has declared Canada's banking system to be the soundest in the world. 2.9. The results are clear. 2.10. Forbes and Bloomberg have both rated Canada as the best place in the G20 for business. Canada has also recently been ranked by the Economic Intelligence Unit as the best place for doing business among the G7 and G20 countries over the next five years. 2.11. Canada maintains the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, and is expected to be among the top G7 performers through 2017 with respect to economic growth. 2.12. Of course, growth only matters if it benefits people, including through job creation. 2.13. On that front, Canada's economy was the first among G7 nations to recoup the employment losses recorded during the global recession. 2.14. Nearly 1.3 million net new jobs have been created since July 2009; almost 86% of those have been full-time jobs. 2.15. WTO Members know that trade and investment play a key role in Canada's economic success. 2.16. Trade is equivalent to more than 60% of our GDP, over 40,000 Canadian companies export internationally, and one in five Canadian jobs are directly or indirectly related to trade. 2.17. In that light, Canada knows well the importance of trade and investment as the twin engines for economic growth. And we know the dangers of protectionism. 2.18. So we work closely with Canadian businesses to help shape trade and investment policies that help them prosper. WT/TPR/M/314 • Canada - 5 - 2.19. Clearly, the private sector is leading tremendous change in the global economy.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Canadian Dollar and the Dutch and Canadian Diseases
    Volume 6•Issue 30•October 2013 THE CANADIAN DOLLAR AND THE DUTCH AND CANADIAN DISEASES* Serge Coulombe† Department of Economics, University of Ottawa SUMMARY With the spectacular rise of the dollar, along with rising natural-resource prices during the first decade of the 21st century, Canadians heard a great deal about Dutch disease. Many politicians and pundits blamed the phenomenon — in which a country’s currency, inflated by rising commodity prices, renders manufacturing exports increasingly uncompetitive — for rising unemployment in the Canadian manufacturing industry. But a close look at what happened during that period reveals that the Dutch disease mechanism was only part of the story. The other part, and quantitatively the most important, is an affliction of an altogether different providence: Canadian disease. Canadian disease is the economic trouble that can be caused by Canada’s extraordinarily heavy reliance on the United States as a trading partner. As a consequence, a sudden depreciation of the U.S, dollar will deteriorate the competitiveness of Canadian manufacturing exporters. Such a phenomenon was at work during the “Great Appreciation” of the Canadian dollar between 2002 and 2008 — the largest such appreciation on record in this country. The depreciation of the U.S. dollar is a phenomenon that is independent of the resource boom and the resulting consequences on the Canadian economy cannot be endorsed to a Dutch disease. Almost 2/3 of the employment losses that are exchange rate related in the trade-exposed manufacturers in Canada during the 2002–2008 period could be attributed to the Canadian disease. The Canadian dollar is partly driven by commodity prices, and the appreciation of the Canadian dollar exerts a negative impact on manufacturing industries that are exposed to international competition.
    [Show full text]
  • THE ECONOMY of CANADA in the NINETEENTH CENTURY Marvin Mcinnis
    2 THE ECONOMY OF CANADA IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY marvin mcinnis FOUNDATIONS OF THE NINETEENTH- CENTURY CANADIAN ECONOMY For the economy of Canada it can be said that the nineteenth century came to an end in the mid-1890s. There is wide agreement among observers that a fundamental break occurred at about that time and that in the years thereafter Canadian economic development, industrialization, population growth, and territorial expansion quickened markedly. This has led economic historians to put a special emphasis on the particularly rapid economic expansion that occurred in the years after about 1896. That emphasis has been deceptive and has generated a perception that little of consequence was happening before 1896. W. W. Rostow was only reflecting a reasonable reading of what had been written about Canadian economic history when he declared the “take-off” in Canada to have occurred in the years between 1896 and 1913. That was undoubtedly a period of rapid growth and great transformation in the Canadian economy and is best considered as part of the twentieth-century experience. The break is usually thought to have occurred in the mid-1890s, but the most indicative data concerning the end of this period are drawn from the 1891 decennial census. By the time of the next census in 1901, major changes had begun to occur. It fits the available evidence best, then, to think of an early 1890s end to the nineteenth century. Some guidance to our reconsideration of Canadian economic devel- opment prior to the big discontinuity of the 1890s may be given by a brief review of what had been accomplished by the early years of that decade.
    [Show full text]
  • Canada's Location in the World System: Reworking
    CANADA’S LOCATION IN THE WORLD SYSTEM: REWORKING THE DEBATE IN CANADIAN POLITICAL ECONOMY by WILLIAM BURGESS BA (Hon.), Queens University, 1978 MA (Plan.), University of British Columbia, 1995 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES Department of Geography We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA January 2002 © William Burgess, 2002 Abstract Canada is more accurately described as an independent imperialist country than a relatively dependent or foreign-dominated country. This conclusion is reached by examining recent empirical evidence on the extent of inward and outward foreign investment, ownership links between large financial corporations and large industrial corporations, and the size and composition of manufacturing production and trade.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction
    1 Introduction Peter Hakim and Robert E. Litan When it came into force on January 1, 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) joined the eco- nomic futures of Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Clearly both Canada and Mexico—given their geography and markets—had been integrating with the United States well before NAFTA took effect. Indeed, the United States and Canada had signed a bilateral free trade accord six years earlier. But, with NAFTA in place, the pace of inte- gration accelerated, and systematic rules governing trade and investment along with dispute resolution mechanisms were established, and the governments assumed an active role in guiding, promoting, and managing economic rela- tions among the three countries. Moreover, the three coun- tries are increasingly viewed as a single economic entity, one with a gross domestic product (GDP) of some $10 tril- 1 2 Introduction lion, or 15 percent larger than the fifteen-country European Union (EU). What then lies ahead for North America? As it stands, NAFTA takes a narrow view of integration, focusing almost exclusively on trade and investment matters, steering clear of any new institutional, social, or development arrange- ments. NAFTA barely addresses such vital issues as immi- gration policy and labor markets, the energy sector, envi- ronmental protection, and law enforcement. Moreover, despite their trilateral relationship, the three governments of North America largely conduct business within the frame- work of two bilateral relationships, that is, between Canada and the United States and between Mexico and the United States. The governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States now must confront the question of whether NAFTA is enough.
    [Show full text]
  • Canada's Policy Towards Communist China, 1949-1971
    Lakehead University Knowledge Commons,http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca Electronic Theses and Dissertations Electronic Theses and Dissertations from 2009 2014-01-22 Canada's policy towards Communist China, 1949-1971 Holomego, Kyle http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/494 Downloaded from Lakehead University, KnowledgeCommons CANADA’S POLICY TOWARDS COMMUNIST CHINA, 1949-1971 by Kyle Holomego A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Department of History Lakehead University December 2012 1 Abstract The decision of the Canadian government in 1970 to recognize the People’s Republic of China, which controlled Mainland China, as the official government of China, as opposed to the Republic of China, which only controlled Taiwan, was the end result of a process lasting more than two decades. In that time frame, Canada’s China policy would undergo many different shifts. A close examination shows that these shifts were closely linked to the shifting attitudes of successive Canadian leaders. Four different prime ministers would serve in office during Canada’s recognition process, and the inauguration of each prime minister signaled a shift in Canada’s China policy. The issue of recognizing the People’s Republic of China was intertwined with several other issues that were important to Canada. Among these were the economic potential of China, Canada’s need for collective agreements to ensure its security, the desire of the United States to influence Canadian policy, and the desire of Canadian officials to demonstrate the independence of Canadian policy. Of the four prime ministers, three – Louis St.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of the Canadian Property Boom
    A Study of the Canadian Property Boom By Shirley Xueer Zhou BCom. Accounting, University of Toronto, 2014 M.B.A. Tsinghua University, 2020 SUBMITTED TO THE MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MANAGEMENT STUDIES AT THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY JUNE 2020 © 2020 Shirley Xueer Zhou All Rights Reserved. The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created. Signature of Author_________________________________________________________________________ MIT Sloan School of Management Certified by_______________________________________________________________________________ Roberto Rigobon Society of Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Thesis Supervisor Accepted by________________________________________________________________________________ Jacob Cohen Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate & Master’s program MIT Sloan School of Management 1 A Study of the Canadian Property Boom By Shirley Xueer Zhou Submitted to the MIT Sloan School of Management on May 8, 2020, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Management Studies ABSTRACT Canadian real estate has experienced unprecedented rapid growth since the early 2000s. People are buying homes out of concern and hope that prices may continue to rise. The immediate consequence of this trend is the changes in affordability for Canadian households. Increasing number of individuals have had to shoulder debt burdens that exceed their capacity to pay as a result of the price inflation. This has generated significant risk for the financial system and the strength of the economy. The vulnerabilities due to the housing market performance may undermine economic fundamentals and weaken the economy’s ability to withstand disruptions.
    [Show full text]
  • A Black Perspective on Canada's Third Sector: Case Studies On
    1 A Black Perspective on Canada’s Third Sector: Case Studies on Women Leaders in the Social Economy Dr. Caroline Shenaz Hossein Associate Professor of Business & Society in the Department of Social Science at York University1 Business Address: York University, 4700 Keele Street, Ross South Rm 763 Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Email: [email protected] Abstract While many Black Canadian women are innovators in the third sector, the contributions of Black people to the social economy go largely unnoticed in the academic literature. The social economy is not only a place of refuge for African- Canadians, it also provides a way for racially marginalized communities to co-opt resources. In fact, racialized Canadians are driven to be active in the third sector by the systemic bias and racism in the Canadian economy and society. To understand the place of the social economy among racialized people, we must recognize that Black and racialized people are not merely on the receiving end of 1 I would like to thank the women in this paper for the time they took out of their busy lives to speak to me about the inspiring work they do every day. I dedicate this paper to Ekua Walcott, a Black community activist, who devoted her life to community development among African-Canadians. A number of other community experts also talked to me about the Canadian social economy and I have protected them without revealing their names for a number of reasons. My colleagues at York University such as Miriam Smith, Annie Bunting, Carl James and Michele Johnson have been very supportive of my work.
    [Show full text]
  • Natural Resources, the Terms of Trade, and Real Income Growth in Canada: 1870 to 2010 by John R
    Catalogue no. 11F0027M — No. 07 ISSN 1703-0404 ISBN 978-1-100--2 Research Paper Economic Analysis (EA) Research Paper Series Natural Resources, the Terms of Trade, and Real Income Growth in Canada: 1870 to 2010 by John R. Baldwin and Ryan Macdonald Economic Analysis Division 18-F, R.H. Coats Building, 100 Tunney’s Pasture Driveway Telephone: 1-800-263-1136 Natural Resources, the Terms of Trade, and Real Income Growth in Canada: 1870 to 2010 by John R. Baldwin and Ryan Macdonald 11F0027M No. 079 ISSN 1703-0404 ISBN 978-1-100-20493-2 Economic Analysis Division 18-F, R.H. Coats Building, 100 Tunney’s Pasture Driveway Statistics Canada, Ottawa K1A 0T6 How to obtain more information: National inquiries line: 1-800-263-1136 E-Mail inquiries: [email protected] April 2012 The authors would like to thank Frank Lewis, Ian Keay and Herb Emery for their comments. Authors’ names are listed alphabetically. Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada © Minister of Industry, 2012 All rights reserved. Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/reference/copyright-droit-auteur-eng.htm). La version française de cette publication est disponible (no 11F0027M au catalogue, no 079). Note of appreciation Canada owes the success of its statistical system to a long-standing partnership between Statistics Canada, the citizens of Canada, its businesses, governments and other institutions. Accurate and timely statistical information could not be produced without their continued cooperation and goodwill. Standards of service to the public Statistics Canada is committed to serving its clients in a prompt, reliable and courteous manner.
    [Show full text]
  • World Economic Situation and Prospects 2008
    World Economic Situation and Prospects 2008 asdf United Nations New York, 2008 Th is report is a joint product of the Department of Economic and Social Aff airs (DESA), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the fi ve United Nations regional commissions (Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacifi c (ESCAP), and Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)). It provides an overview of recent global economic performance and short-term prospects for the world economy and of some key global economic policy and development issues. One of its purposes is to serve as a point of reference for discussions on economic, social and related issues taking place in various United Nations entities in 2008. For further information, please contact: In New York In Geneva Mr. Sha Zukang Mr. Supachai Panitchpakdi Under-Secretary-General Secretary-General Department of Economic United Nations Conference on and Social Aff airs Trade and Development Room DC2-2320 Palais des Nations, Room E-9050 United Nations, New York 10017, U.S.A. 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Phone: (212) 963-5958 Phone: (41) (22) 917-5806/5634 Fax: (212) 963-1010 Fax: (41) (22) 917-0465 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] iii Executive Summary The global outlook The world economy facing uncertain times After several years of robust growth, the world economy is now facing some serious chal- lenges in sustaining its brisk pace. Th e end of the housing bubble in the United States of America, as well as the unfolding credit crisis, the decline of the United States dollar vis- à-vis other major currencies, the persistence of large global imbalances and high oil prices will all threaten the sustainability of global economic growth in the coming years.
    [Show full text]
  • (Eds.) the Economy of the North 2008
    112 Statistiske analyser Statistical Analyses Solveig Glomsrød and Iulie Aslaksen (eds.) The Economy of the North 2008 IjWj_ij_iai[djhWbXohIjWj_ij_YiDehmWo Oslo–Kongsvinger Statistiske analyser I denne serien publiseres analyser av statistikk om sosiale, demografiske og økonomiske forhold til en bredere leser- krets. Fremstillingsformen er slik at publikasjonene kan leses også av personer uten spesialkunnskaper om statistikk eller bearbeidingsmetoder. Statistical Analyses In this series, Statistics Norway publishes analyses of social, demographic and economic statistics, aimed at a wider circle of readers. These publications can be read without any special knowledge of statistics and statistical methods. © Statistics Norway, November 2009 When using material from this publication, please give Statistics Norway as your source. Standard symbols in the tables Symbol ISBN 978-82-537-7691-0 Printed version Category not applicable . ISBN 978-82-537-7692-7 Electronic version Data not available .. ISSN 0804-3221 Data not yet available ... Not for publication : Subject 00.00.30 International overviews Nil - 01.02 Resources Less than 0.5 of the unit employed 0 01.03 Climate Less than 0.05 of the unit employed 0.0 09 National economy and external trade Provisional or preliminary figure * Break in the homogeneity of a vertical series — Design/cover: Siri E. Boquist Photo: Scanpix Break in the homogeneity of a horizontal series | Print: Statistics Norway Revised since the previous issue r The Economy of the North 2008 ContentsPreface Preface The objective of The Economy of the North 2008 is to present a comprehensive overview of the economy of the circumpolar Arctic, including the traditional production activities of the indigenous people.
    [Show full text]
  • Potential Effects of Foreign Students on the Foreign Workers Market of Canada and Policy Choice
    ”Foreign students educated in Canada, who choose to stay and become employed in Canada, find it easi- er to take part in the Canadian community than those foreign workers without a Canadian educational experience.” Potential Effects of Foreign Students on the Foreign Workers Market of Canada and Policy Choice. BY DR. HU XUEPING AND ATHER H. AKBARI THE WORKPLACE REVIEW July 2008 03 Canada has been an economically powerful country; moreover, its service industries now employ three out of four Canadians. This partially accounts for the reason that many foreign students and foreign workers are absorbed into Canada. Simply put, most stay in Canada and have not gone back their original country or district, instead choosing to stay in Canada and find a job. These foreign workers become a new source of employees in the Canadian labour market. Foreign students educated in Canada, who choose to stay and become employed in Canada, find it easier to take part in the Canadian community than those foreign workers without a Canadian educational experience. These educated individuals are thus both able to make the transition to a different cultural context more easily and also make considerable contribution based upon their advanced educational standing. So, foreign students employed in Canada can not only increase the total amount of foreign workers, and supplement short- age of workers, but also adjust the foreign workers structure of Canada, with the potential for broad economic implications. Given that foreign students have potential effects on the foreign workers market of Canada, this article focuses upon the structure of foreign students and compare such with the struc- ture of foreign workers.
    [Show full text]
  • Poverty and the Modern Welfare State
    CHAPTER ONE POVERTY AND THE MODERN WELFARE STATE LEARNING OBJECTIVES At the conclusion of this chapter, the reader will: • understand why poverty is a threat to Canadians’ health and quality of life; • have a sense of the meaning of living in poverty in Canada; • be able to place the incidence of poverty in Canada within a public policy perspective; • be able to relate the incidence and eff ects of poverty to various forms of the modern welfare state; • understand various perspectives that account for the incidence of poverty in a wealthy nation such as Canada. INTRODUCTION Canadians have traditionally considered their nation to be among the most humane and caring on the planet. Compared to the public policies of their American neighbour to the south, Canadians view their public policies concerning the provision of health care and social services and other supports to citizens to be responsive, fair, and equitable. These supports to citizens constitute what has come to be known as the modern welfare state. Yet Canada has one of the highest poverty rates for individuals and families among wealthy industrialized nations (Innocenti Research Centre, 2005). In reality, Canada’s approach to public policy in a wide range of spheres—including public policy concerning the prevention of poverty—is quite undeveloped as compared to most European nations (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2005). And poverty is the strongest determinant of health (Raphael, 2001). Poverty is also the strongest determinant of a variety of other indicators of societal well-being, such as literacy levels, crime and safety, social cohesion and community solidarity, as well as general well-being (Judge and Paterson, 2002); these la er indicators are oV en described as measuring the quality of life.
    [Show full text]