Re: Trudeau pitches foreign investment while feds in the dark on energy, Jan. 23

Trudeau pitches foreign investment while feds in the dark on energy, Jan. 23

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants “to attract more foreign investment to Canada,” according to this article.

Before again jumping on this bandwagon, the Prime Minister, politicians, commentators and economists should know that the available capital in Canada is over $1 trillion. We don’t need “foreign investment.”

Secondly, when so-called “foreign investment” comes into Canada, we have to immediately shoulder the forever burden of sending out dividends to the foreign investors.

In the relatively near future, commodity and oil prices will increase and Canadian investment will again come forward.

To help the economy right now, we must reduce imports of manufactured goods. The immediate benefit would be a reduced burden of sending Canadian wealth out to foreign countries.

And we would increase Canadian manufacturing, using our own existing Canadian technical knowledge and abilities.

Edward J. Farkas, Toronto

Much attention has been paid to Justin Trudeau’s trip to Davos to meet influential global elites and investors last week. The idea that our leading government officials will aim to showcase Canada, or pitch “the Canadian opportunity” at the Forum speaks to the level of economic difficulties facing Canada today, including debt levels, the falling dollar, rising inequality, crisis in the energy and manufacturing sectors, etc.

This shows that, unlike in previous years, Canada, and indeed its Western “developed economy” counterparts, are no longer seen to be immune from economic instability and the political risks that accompany it.

Let’s see if Trudeau’s charm will work on global investors as well.

Julian Campisi, Toronto

Columnists are carping, but they don’t understand that at this moment in time, Justin Trudeau is the best salesman Canada could ever have. It is important to recognize the value of good salesmanship.

Judy Steed, Toronto

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