CANADIAN DAILY DIGEST December 17, 2017

The DAILY DIGEST: INFORMATION and OPINION
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>NATIONAL NEWSWATCH<<<<<<<< http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/

�Perhaps more information was necessary,� Chagger concedes after small business tax backlash

�I have to earn the respect of Canadians�: Singh on NDP�s byelection losses
        Bill Morneau voted Canadian Press 2017 business newsmaker of the year
�I don�t have a firm line on balanced budgets�: Jagmeet Singh
        Meet the Scheers: Andrew and Jill on faith, politics and parenting

Conservatives will push positive message in 2018, counter Liberal �arrogance�: Bergen
        Rising pessimism has Mexico exploring world of post-NAFTA possibilities
Beverley McLachlin on her controversies, activism, Supreme Court legacy
        Cheers and jeers for 2017: Star columnists weigh in on underrated and overrated politicians and political plays

Change to CPP death benefit panned as insufficient to cover funeral costs
        �Seven months is a long time�: Chagger says of MP harassment claim process
Trudeau and his ministers seem to miss the Senate�s old rubber stamp
        Provincial NDP looks to make Quebec comeback as leadership race draws to a close
Murder-suicide now being investigated in death of Toronto billionaire Barry Sherman and wife
United Conservative leader�s byelection win sets showdown with Alberta premier

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>LOONIE POLITICS<<<<<<<<<<<<<< http://looniepolitics.com/
Provinces surrender to Trudeau on marijuana - J.J. McCullough, Loonie Politics
        Who in Trudeau�s cabinet is destined for the high jump in 2018? - Mark Bonokoski, Toronto Sun
Making a spectacle of the pot bill - Dale Smith, Loonie Politics
        For Trudeau, Alberta�s oil emissions deserve scrutiny and restriction, but not Bombardier�s- Colin Craig, Financial Post
Court denies WestJet�s bid to toss harassment lawsuit filed by former worker- CTV News
        Uber engaged in spying on rivals to acquire �trade secrets,� ex-employee says- Mike Isaac - The New York Times, Toronto Star
Barry Sherman: A ruthless fighter who helped revolutionize Canada�s drug industry- Paul Waldie, The Globe and Mail
        Bell says CRTC promise of free phone unlocking doesn�t apply to everyone- Sophia Harris, CBC News

TOUTES LES NOUVELLES PUBLIES DEPUIS 24 HEURES http://fr.canoe.ca/infos/aujourdhui/

Trump assure qu'il n'a pas l'intention de limoger le procureur sp�cialPlus
        10 000$ et un copieux d�nerPlus
Isra�l: un projet de loi pr�nant la peine capitale pour les � terroristes �Plus
        Toujours la stupeur dans un quartier de Ch�teauguayPlus
Deux roquettes tir�es depuis Gaza vers Isra�lPlus
        Bonjour R�sidences un outil pour les ain�s et leur famillePlus
La carcasse d'un chevreuil abandonn� contre une boite aux lettresPlus
        Financement d'entreprises de technologies propres: le Fonds Ecofuel avec 30 millions $ � g�rer est officiellement lanc�Plus
Jagmeet Singh minimise les mauvais r�sultats du NPD lors des �lections partiellesPlus
        Attentat d�jou� en Russie: Poutine remercie Trump pour l'aide am�ricainePlus

Air Canada inaugure sa premi�re liaison directe vers l'Am�rique du Sud depuis Montr�alPlus
        Un Airbus dessine un sapin de No�l dans le cielPlus
Le Pentagone reconna�t l'existence d'un programme d'�tude des ovnisPlus
        R�gate de p�res No�l sur le Grand canal de VenisePlus
Enqu�te russe: l'�quipe Trump d�nonce des irr�gularit�sPlus
        La capsule Dragon de SpaceX arrive � l'ISSPlus
Pollution: T�h�ran suffoque, la circulation automobile en causePlus

FOREIGN AFFAIRS & GENERAL INFO

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Stay up to date on Russia - read RussiaFeed<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>LOONIE WORLD<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< http://looniepolitics.com/
Trump plugs book from former campaign aides - Julia Manchester, The Hill
        Did FBI Use Dossier to Get Warrant Against Trump Campaign? - Andy McCarthy, National Review
Releasing Texts From the FBI Probe Was a Breach of Privacy - Eli Lake, Bloomberg
        After a year of slowly unfolding Russia news, America�s views on the issue have barely changed - Philip Bump, Washington Post
How Republicans Closed the Deal on Tax Cuts - Russell Berman, The Atlantic
        Key features of the Republicans� final tax bill - Benjy Sarlin, NBC News
New Evidence of a Politically Tainted Clinton Investigation - Peter Hasson, The Daily Caller
        Dow 24000 and the Trump Boom - Maria Bartiromo, Wall Street Journal
First gay marriages take place in Australia- AFP, The Times Of India
        ANC: Zuma pleads for unity as party picks new leader- BBC News

Peru�s Pedro Pablo Kuczynski faces impeachment vote- Al Jazeera
        Kurz to be chancellor, Austrian nationalists to lead key ministries in coalition deal- France 24
David Cameron to lead �750m UK-China investment initiative- Nicola Slawson and agency, The Guardian

>>>>>>>>>>>>>THE LEBANON DAILY STAR<<<<<<<< http://www.dailystar.com

UN to vote Monday on call for US Jerusalem decision to be withdrawn
        South Africa's ruling ANC party to vote for new leader
US tip-off helped Russia halt terrorist attack: Kremlin
        Iran tells France's Macron not to 'blindly follow' Trump
Brexit will not be derailed, says UK's May ahead of crunch cabinet meetings
        Heavy air pollution shuts schools in Iran

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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sign Of The Times <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
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From: "John Feldsted" <jfeldsted@shaw.ca>
Subject: CPP Death Benefits

Hi Joe:

I wrote a piece on the above, but do not plan to release it as a mail list piece until sometime in January.

This is a preview you can publish if you wish:
        (Thanks John)
Change to CPP death benefit insufficient to cover funeral costs
The attitude of our collective governments is appalling. Providing an adequate sum ($5-6,000 per person) to cover basic funeral costs for those with limited means is a humane approach consistent with government pledges to ensure that the most vulnerable people in our society are provided for.
Criteria should be simple � those who qualify for Old Age Security get a top-up under OAS. That does not affect CPP payments or premium rates. The OAS plan is funded from federal general revenues.
Ability for the surviving spouse, family or estate executor to direct payment of the CPP death benefit and OAS supplement (where eligible) to a licensed funeral service provider without an income tax claw-back seems a rational and reasonable approach. Less bureaucracy costs less and results in reduced anxiety for already stressed survivors.
The missed opportunity for our finance ministers to act humanely and intelligently is not lost on those of us who already consider our governments to be money-grubbing parasites oblivious to the needs of the people who elected them. They are, as usual, talking up a storm but we see less and less evidence of their walking the walk to serve constituents as a priority.
https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2017/12/16/change-to-cpp-death-benefit-panned-as-insufficient-to-cover-funeral-costs-3/#.WjVfZFWnGUk

John Feldsted.
===================================
From: Larry Kazdan
To: Toronto Star <lettertoed@thestar.ca>
Subject:Re:  It's time to take another look at our tax system, Star Editorial Board, Dec. 15, 2017
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2017/12/15/its-time-to-take-another-look-at-our-tax-system.html

Low corporate taxation exacerbates inequality as the Star editorial asserts, but error arises in the claim that the federal government has "less to spend on programs and services that help the many and particularly the most vulnerable". The federal government always has such fiscal capacity because it owns a central bank which issues a fiat currency.  A Library of Parliament research report categorically states, "By recording new and equal amounts on the asset and liability sides of its balance sheet, the Bank of Canada creates money through a few keystrokes. The federal government can spend the newly created bank deposits in the Canadian economy if it wishes."   It is important to note that an important practical precondition is slack in the economy, because otherwise inordinate government spending would lead to rising prices.

However, Canada currently has low inflation and unused resources including 1.2 million people actively seeking work.  Now is the time when our government should stimulate the economy by increased expenditures on infrastructure renewal and direct job creation.  Regardless of whether corporate taxes are increased or decreased, the federal government need not delay when spending on full employment and programs of social justice.

Larry Kazdan

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