Canada
column for Sunday, Oct. 28/12
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THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By
Jim Fox
Canada’s dollar has dropped to just above parity with the U.S. currency
after the country’s central bank said plans to raise interest rates are now
“less imminent.”
Bank of Canada, Mark Carney made the comment while cautioning that
lagging global demand and high household debts are concerns to the country’s
economic outlook.
The bank kept its trendsetting interest rate at 1 percent and
expectations are it might not be increased for at least another year.
"Because
of global headwinds, there is a need to provide very stimulative monetary
policy," Carney said.
“The
case for adjustment of interest rates has become less imminent . . . but over
time, rates are more likely to go up than not,” he added.
The dollar is at a two-month low, down about two cents, and was also
shaken by the Canadian government’s decision to block an oil-field takeover bid
as being not in the national interests.
Petronas,
Malaysia’s government-run energy company, was rebuffed in
its $5.2-billion proposed deal to take over Progress Energy Resources Corp. a
Calgary-based natural gas business.
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Canada’s Conservative government will test its popularity next month in by-elections
in three provinces to fill vacancies in the House of Commons.
Prime
Minister Stephen Harper said the votes will be held Nov. 26 in Victoria,
Calgary Center and Durham (east of Toronto).
The Victoria election resulted from the
resignation of New Democrat Denise Savoie in August for health reasons while
long-time Conservative politician Lee Richardson left to work for Alberta
Premier Alison Redford in Calgary.
Durham
was previously represented by Conservative Bev Oda who retired after being
ousted from her Cabinet position over an inquiry into her spending while on
government trips.
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News
in brief:
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The U.S. might soon place armed border guards in Canada at the busy Peace
Bridge crossing between Fort Erie, Ontario and Buffalo, N.Y. It is one of the
options in a preliminary agreement to pre-inspect commercial vehicles before
they cross the bridge and speed the flow of traffic and improve security. A
second unnamed international crossing is also being considered for the 18-month
pilot project.
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Ontario’s Legislature will remain out of business for at least three more
months until the Liberal party selects its new leader. Premier Dalton McGuinty
abruptly announced his resignation on Oct. 15 and in doing so prorogued, or
suspended, the Legislature until his successor is named. The minority
government will hold a leadership convention on the weekend of Jan. 25-27.
McGuinty also said he will not be a candidate for the federal leader of the
party.
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Facts and figures:
Canada’s dollar was worth $1.0016 in U.S. funds on Friday while the U.S.
currency returned 99.83 cents Canadian before bank exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is steady at 1 percent while the
prime-lending rate is 3 percent.
Stock
markets are lower, with the Toronto exchange index at 12,301 points and the TSX
Venture index at 1,298 points on Friday.
Lotto 6-49: (Oct. 24) 9, 10, 11, 24, 34 and 42; bonus 5. (Oct. 20) 13,
14, 21, 24, 32 and 35; bonus 18. Lotto Max: (Oct. 19) 1, 2, 3, 15, 22, 37 and
41; bonus 6.
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Regional briefs:
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The funeral was held Friday for Lincoln Alexander of Hamilton, Ontario, a
former Conservative member of Canada’s Parliament for four terms and Ontario’s
lieutenant-governor. Called a pioneer in racial equality, Alexander, whose
family moved to Canada from Jamaica, was the first black man to become a Member
of Parliament and a representative of Queen Elizabeth II. He was 90.
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A new contract ratified by 32,000 British Columbia nurses will allow the
reduction of heavy workloads and aid patient care. It provides for the hiring
of 2,125 more nurses and the calling in of staff to replace those off sick or
on vacation. They also received a wage increase of three percent effective next
April 1.
- An
unnamed Toronto couple has bought one of the 11 remaining bottles of
Glenfiddich’s Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve scotch. The 55-year-old scotch was
auctioned in Toronto for $52,000 to aid WoundedWarriors.ca. It was produced to
recognize the granddaughter of distillery founder William Grant.
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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