Canadian government to fall

[KrazyHorse]

a) Ontario (not Canada as a whole) has seen a huge increase in dropout rates due to some stupid decisions on the part of provincial legislators (repeated changes in curriculum and even in the number of years in high school)

b) Dropout rates are notoriously difficult to calculate and compare across jurisdictions due to the completely nonstandardised ways in which they are calculated.

[KrazyHorse]

That 30% figure is the worst possible way to frame it. More significant is the number of adults age 24 who have not yet completed high school or an equivalency test. This would be significantly lower.

[Kuciwalker]

That wouldn't reflect the recent ****-ups you mentioned, though, that could have a serious effect if I understand you correctly.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
That wouldn't reflect the recent ****-ups you mentioned, though, that could have a serious effect if I understand you correctly.

That wouldn't yet, no

The key is that the "headline" dropout rate in Ontario has increased from 22% to 30% in the past 5 years.

It's a real question whether the kids scared out of school by the changes are getting delayed diplomas at a higher, lower or equal rate to those who dropped out for other reasons.

We'll know that in the next couple of years.

[Flubber]

Wow that licence thing was wild
and that makes 500-- Canpol threads continue their tradition of hitting the limite

[Tingkai]

Tax cuts, get your tax cuts here.

Typical election ploy, but how are the Tories going to pay for the cuts?

Will they cut more government services? Put the government budget back in the red like Bush did in the States? Or reduce the amount of money being used to pay off the national debt?

Reducing the GST is fine, if the country can afford it, but all these other various tax cuts just creates a more complex tax system. If they're going to do cuts then just do it across the board.

[notyoueither]

No. They have a 12 billion dollar surplus, and an ever expanding economy to play with.

Fear not in returing a few of our dollars to us. They are ours, afterall, and aren't being borrowed. They also don't seem to be needed other than to stuff pockets or create multibillion dollar databases.

BTW, today's policy was to buy transprort for the Armed Forces and to reconstruct an airborne rapid reaction capability.

[notyoueither]

However, a flat tax with exemption for minimal income would be a better bet, I agree.

[Asher]

here ya go, continue boys: http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showt...hreadid=145550

[Tingkai]

The forces definitely need transport aircraft, but the Liberals plan to buy new Hercs. The cost benefits for C-5 type aircraft might not be efficient, particularly if Canada only buys three of them. Better to buy stretch versions of the Hercs. Not sure exactly what type of aircraft the Conservatives are thinking about.

I would have liked to have seen something using smarter financing, like leasing aircraft rather than buying them.

The airborne "battalion" idea is rather pointless. The Vandoos, PPCLI and 1 RCR are all airborne capable soa dedicated airborne unit wouldn't add much to the Forces capabilities.