Parliament will be back in
session next week and I hope Canadian politics will be back in Canada, after
a summer spent on foreign affairs. Most Canadians, these days, know much
more about the problems and the future of Lebanon, Israel or Afghanistan and
less than do about the future of our Canadian economy, Medicare and
immigration.
It’s always
positive that Canada takes
an interest in global events, but this interest shouldn’t be either an
excuse to take a leave of absence from domestic affairs, or, worse, a
gimmick to gain support from certain ethnocultural communities.
Up until a few
months ago, we were being told that Medicare was on the verge of collapsing,
but, as far as I can tell by looking at wait time lists and crowded
emergency rooms, the situation hasn’t changed yet. That means we were either
fooled back then or are being fooled now.
Yes, the Canadian
economy is booming, but many changes are taking place. Jobs are being
redefined and are dangerously shifting from one sector to another. The most
troubling news is coming from the manufacturing sector.
Companies are
going through deep changes, jobs are being killed, new jobs are being
created and others are taking off from Canada and landing in nations where
salaries are cheaper. Workers are confused and young generations are scared.
Yes, the world changes, and the economy does as well.
But we can’t leave
this process in the hands of multinationals that have been able to escape
the control of federal governments without any global accountability.
An example? The
jungle in the energy sector. The price of gas is illogical and is dictated
by the profits of multinationals. It changes by 10 to 15 cents by the hour
and from gas stations to gas station. It’s the law of offer and demand, they
say.
And what about
medicine? National governments are only regulating which drug can be sold in
the country, but the multinationals are the ones to decide how big their
profits will be.
So is health also
regulated by the law of offer and demand? And there’s more. What about
immigration? Saying that we have a major chaos in this sector is an
understatement. We know we need more people than we have but, at the same
time, we already have more people than we know.
Thousands have
been waiting at our doors for years without receiving any answers.
Meanwhile, in Canada, thousands and thousands of people are unaccounted for.
Our judicial system allows everybody to be in Canada, but we have a
political system that doesn’t know what to do with them and an economic
sector that exploits them. It is an environment that rewards the shrewd and
crafty individuals and penalizes the honest.
This huge number
of people, whom, according to our official institutions don’t exist, are
exploited by unscrupulous “consultants,” and are underpaid and overworked.
At the same time, they are clogging our social system and resorting to using
fake identities to get health care, education for their children and social
assistance for their families. Believe me, they are not the problem, they
are the victims of the indolence of our politicians.
So, I hope that
next week, when politicians are back to the Hill, they’ll address those
issues, directly related to the wellbeing of present and future Canadians.
Being interested
in international politics is important, as long as it is not just a gimmick
to deflect the attention of citizens from domestic problems.
