June 29, 2006: Various

Three firms vie to build pipeline to B.C.'s north coast June 29, 06 VanSun
www.canada.com/theprovince/story.html?id=47a69427-72fc-4fa6-a8ce-528ff44d18e9&k=1898

Enbridge Gateway Pipelines Inc. has taken an early lead in the race -- if it can be called that -- to build a pipeline from Alberta's oil sands to B.C.'s north coast.

I believe I predicted that long ago. Check the political connections.



Israeli forces arrest Hamas ministers June 29, 06
www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=e47953ab-0046-4bbf-ac0a-dcd3709e3012

Israeli troops rounded up dozens of ministers and legislators from the Palestinians' ruling Hamas party on Thursday, while pressing a military campaign in Gaza meant to win the release of an Israeli soldier held by Hamas gunmen.

Let 'passport' work: A national securities regulator has proven unacceptable. Let's get on with the alternative, favoured by all except Ontario Jeffrey MacIntosh, Financial Post, June 29, 2006
www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=b36e97fc-4720-43f6-869a-5e673ad992dc


Terence Corcoran: Teachers fleecing taxpayers again -- pensions and "taxpayers ... pay monopoly-union wages to avoid strikes" FinPost, June 29, 06
www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=9c5da805-9ade-4ca5-8038-0f74b4443de7

[....] Nortel employees looking to their pension years learned this week that their defined benefit pension plans are about to be defined out of existence. In their place the company will set up defined contribution plans, part of a global corporate trend. Faced with falling returns on investments, flawed actuarial assumptions and bad laws, companies have no choice but to get out of the pension model that shaped corporate pensions for much of the last 50 years.

No such retrenchment looms at public pension operations. The same crises that plague private pensions -- brought on by the same wonky assumptions, unfavourable laws and mounting deficits -- is ripping through government-run plans. The big difference is that while private sector plans such as Nortel's must face funding realities, governments and their unions are looking at limitless supplies of taxpayer cash to bail them out. [....]

CanWest gives notice it may withdraw from Canadian Press CanWet, June 29, 06
www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=4a43ed6e-1e13-410e-90bd-fa38e9a174a5

[....] Canadian Press bylaws require one-year notice of withdrawals. Mr. Anderson underscored that CanWest's action was only a notice of intent. [....]

According to something I read (G&M?), CP was set up by an act of Parliament in 1917 for newspapers to share articles, photos, etc. but taxpayers do not pay into it. Varying reasons have been advanced for the CanWest news, one item being that the business feels it could use that money otherwise and sell its own content.



Warren Kinsella: The jury is out on satellite radio NatPost, June 29, 06

[....] One smart Bay Street media analyst anonymously wonders if it is all a lot of satellite noise signifying nothing. Says he: "I think sat radio will fill a market niche, but only that. It's a linear programming service. Great fit for the salesperson who has long drives every day, but after that, put me in with skeptics. Once you get an iPod, how can this compare?"

On balance, though, the Bay Streeter gives XM's American bosses the edge: "XM is the better company -- superior technology, stronger management." [....]