The question gets asked often: How can Africa be so poor when it receives so much aid? The answer is simple. The world economic system sucks more out of the continent than it puts in. And tax evasion by Canadian firms plays a significant role in this impoverishment. The May report, Honest Accounts 2017: How... Continue Reading →
Ugly Canadian face now belongs to Trudeau
The "Ugly Canadian" is on the march, but now with a much prettier face at the helm. Across the planet, Canadian mining companies are in conflict with local communities and usually have the Trudeau government's support. A slew of disputes have arisen at Canadian run mines in recent weeks: Last week in northern central Mexico,... Continue Reading →
Canada’s neoliberal policies enable exploitation in Zambia
While few Canadians could find Zambia on a map, the Great White North has significant influence over the southern African nation. A big beneficiary of internationally sponsored neoliberal reforms, a Vancouver firm is the largest foreign investor in the landlocked country of 16 million. First Quantum Minerals (FQM) has been embroiled in various ecological, labour... Continue Reading →
Toronto Star leaves readers ignorant of Canada’s real role in Africa
The media’s foreign affairs motto often seems to be ignorance is bliss. The Toronto Star, for instance, has devoted significant attention to the Trudeau government’s plan to dispatch 600 soldiers to Africa, but it has largely ignored the most relevant information. In a recent installment of its “Should Canada go to Africa?” series the Star quoted former Royal Military College board member... Continue Reading →
Real ‘aid’ means ending exploitation of Africa
What is wrong here? While Canadian companies exploit African resources for their own benefit this country’s charities call on us to join Africa “hope” walks. Last week Toronto-based Lundin Mining hired the Bank of Montreal to help it decide what to do with its stake in the massive Tenke Fungurume copper-cobalt mine in Eastern Congo (Kinshasa). Unfortunately,... Continue Reading →
Mining the leaders’ debate
The Liberal, NDP and Conservative leaders are set to debate Canada's role in the world at an event put on by Munk Debates, an organization named after and financed by a wealthy businessman who made his fortune in mining. It will be interesting, therefore, to see if mining as a topic is given much, if... Continue Reading →
Corporate profits the point of Harper’s Africa policy
Despite rhetoric about providing aid to the poorest, the Harper Conservatives have worked assiduously to ensure that Canadian corporations profit from Africa’s vast mineral resources, rather than the continent’s people. Even widespread criticism of their operations has failed to dampen the Conservatives’ support for Canada’s many mining interests in Africa. Canadian mining companies have been... Continue Reading →
Good for business, bad for Africans
Sometimes what is good for business can be bad for people. Most Canadians understand this and cherish their right to protest “bad deals” and to elect new governments willing to reverse so-called “business-friendly” policies. This is called democracy. So what do we call it when Ottawa signs a deal with an unelected regime that would... Continue Reading →
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