The Dominion - Hillary Lindsay

A Harbour For War?

Tim McSorley — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:12:49 +0000

The defence industry grows in Halifax

HALIFAX-In April, Lockheed Martin announced it would be growing its operations in Halifax, creating 100 new jobs over the next five years. The announcement was hailed by Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald as "further proof of Nova Scotia's reputation as a destination of choice for the world's best companies."

Lockheed is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers, reporting sales of $42.7 billion last year. The province, through Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI), is supporting its expansion with a $1.8 million payroll rebate.

"It's frightening when you have a company doing as well as Lockheed and they're getting tax breaks," says Heidi Verheul, a member of the Halifax Peace Coalition (HPC), an organization speaking out against Lockheed's expansion and payroll rebate. "We should be investing in more sustainable industries," she adds.

NSBI is not in the business of sustainability, however, but of increasing economic activity in the province. And industries like defence and aerospace contribute $1.5 billion to the provincial economy each year and provide jobs with $70,000 annual salaries, says Sarah Levy of NSBI. "You can't argue with numbers like that."

But Verheul says it's unethical for the province to support companies like Lockheed. "This is a company that earned over $3 billion in profit last year from war. It should not be getting government handouts. Its Hellfire missiles are used to kill people in the Middle East."

HPC member Tamara Lorincz adds that it's the choices and policies of the provincial and federal government that help make weapons manufacturing more profitable.

A year ago, the Harper government unveiled the Canada First Defence Strategy, which commits to raising defence funding from $18 billion in 2008-09 to over $30 billion in 2027-28. In total, the government plans to invest close to $490 billion in defence over a 20 year period.

The move is an obvious boon for weapons manufacturers who will profit from large contracts with the Canadian military. In November, a Lockheed Martin-led team was awarded a $2 billion contract for the installation, integration and long-term in-service support of a new combat system for 12 of the Canadian Navy's frigates, or warships.

When announcing the new jobs in Nova Scotia, Tom Digan, president of Lockheed Martin Canada, stated that "an expansion in Halifax simply makes sense."

Nova Scotia is home to approximately 40 per cent of all Canadian military assets. Operating in Halifax provides a "proximity to clients," says Levy, an advantage that NSBI highlights on its website.

Indeed, one of Lockheed Martin's offices in Halifax is inside the Canadian Forces base. The company has a 25 year ongoing relationship with the Canadian Navy, says Levy - a relationship Lockheed refers to as a "25 year legacy."

Lorincz does not support the Canadian military having such cozy relations with Lockheed. She points out that Norway's government pension fund divested itself of its shares in Lockheed because the company's activities as a weapons manufacturer are considered in breach of its ethical guidelines. Lorincz adds that no socially responsible investment (SRI) fund will invest in weapons manufacturers either.

"If it's not ethical for Norway, if it's not ethical for SRI, why are we doing this?" she asks.

Lockheed isn't the only weapons manufacturer to see the advantage of locating in Halifax. L-3 Electronic Systems, General Dynamics and Xwave also have offices in the city.

"We're not opposed to the workers," says Verheul. "People need to feed their families. We want to see more sustainable industries supported."

"Jobs to make combat systems are not the kind of jobs that we need," echoes Kaleigh Trace, a Dalhousie University student and a member of the Student
Coalition Against War (SCAW). In February, SCAW protested Lockheed's presence at a Dalhousie career fair. "The government should be supporting companies involved in the green economy and investing more in education, not supporting a weapons industry," she says.

While the Canadian and provincial government invest in weapons and defence, Lorincz points out that the "real enemies" are going unnoticed. "We're facing real threats like climate change," she says, but the same year the federal government spend $18 billion on defence, $1.5 billion was spend on environment.

"When we ask Canadians what their priorities are, they say health and the environment," says Lorincz. She points to a 2005 poll done by the Centre of Research and Information that found the top three program priorities for Canadians are protecting the environment (78 per cent), spending more on health care (74 per cent) and spending more on education and training (73 per cent). She would like to see the federal and provincial government shift their priorities accordingly. "Let's get people working on solar and renewable energy."

Hillary is an organizer with the Halifax Media Co-op and Managing Editor at The Dominion.

Dominion Radio #8

Stuart Neatby — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:04:35 +0000

Subhead:

The Cancer industry, Canada's legacy in Indonesia, and fighting Irving in court

Cover Image:

radio_logo1_2(2).jpg

MP3:

http://www.dominionpaper.ca/files/dominion/audio/Dominion Radio 8.mp3

Body:

Dominion Radio broadcasts grassroots news from across the country, focusing on stories and voices silenced by the mainstream media.

Episode #8:

A discussion with Taylor Gray, Energy Advisor with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick about their efforts to take on Irving's proposed LNG refinery in Saint John, NB.
An interview with journalist and Cape Breton University Professor Garry Leech about the proposed Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
Devra Davis uncovers the sordid history of government, industry, and scientists efforts to obscure the commonly known causes of cancer such as smoking, benzene, and asbestos.
David Webster of the East Timor Alert Network looks back at Canada's role in facilitating the legacy of the late Indonesian President General Suharto, one of the biggest mass murderers of the twentieth century.

Dominion Radio #7

Stuart Neatby — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 18:21:50 +0000

Subhead:

Police Brutality in Canada

Cover Image:

radio_logo1_2(2).jpg

MP3:

http://www.dominionpaper.ca/files/dominion/audio/DominionRadio7_120107mono.mp3

Body:

Dominion Radio broadcasts grassroots news from across the country, focusing on stories and voices silenced by the mainstream media.

Episode #7:

An interview with Thomas Melenfant of the Vancounver-based Anti-Poverty Committee about resisting police violence against the poor in Vancouver.
A discussion with Mantel a resident of Halifax's north end about "community policing" in black neighborhoods.
A recorded excerpt of a discussion with Kim Pate of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Canada about the criminalization of women with mental health issues.
Natercia Coelho, the wife of Gary Freeman, who is facing extradition to the US after what he describes as defending himself against police brutality in Chicago in the 1970's.

Dominion Radio #6

Stuart Neatby — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 18:34:37 +0000

Subhead:

Special Podcast Episode on the Tar Sands

Cover Image:

radio_logo1_2.jpg

MP3:

http://www.dominionpaper.ca/files/dominion/audio/Dominion6 Low.mp3

Body:

Dominion Radio broadcasts grassroots news from across the country, focusing on stories and voices silenced by the mainstream media.

Episode #6:
Our Special Podcast Issue on the Athabasca Tar Sands.

A live conversation with Tim Murphy, who was part of a bike trip organized by the Sierra Youth Coalition, that cycled from the Canada-US border to Fort McKay, an indigenous community just North of Fort McMurray , Alberta. Find out more at tothetarsands.ca
An interview with Clayton Thomas-Mueller of the Indigenous Environmental Network and whose article We Speak For Ourselves appears in the Dominion's Tar Sands issue.
Analysis from Macdonald Stainbsy of oilsandstruth.org and author of Impacting Unimpaired which appears in the Dominion's Tar Sands issue

We apologize for some of the sound quality issues in this podcast, we experienced technical difficulties in the recording of this program

Dominion Radio #5

Stuart Neatby — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 02:55:59 +0000

Subhead:

Special Diet East, LNG colonization, and a NAFTA Superhighway

Cover Image:

radio_logo1_2.jpg

MP3:

http://www.dominionpaper.ca/files/dominion/audio/Dominion5.mp3

Body:

Dominion Radio broadcasts grassroots news from across the country, focusing on stories and voices silenced by the mainstream media.

Episode #5:

An Interview with Richard Vogel, Texas-based correspondent with Monthly Review Magazine, about the Security Prosperity Partnership and the 'NAFTA Supercorridor' planned to extend from Winnipeg to Mexico City.
An excerpt from Praxis Media Production's newest audio documentary Taking it Back about the Halifax Coalition Against Poverty's Special Diet Campaign.
A discussion with David Moses Bridges, traditional artist, educator, community activist, and co-founder of the grassroots Passamaquoddy campaign We Take Care of Our Land, which is currently struggling against efforts to locate a Liquified Natural Gas terminal on Passamaquoddy land near the Fundy Bay of Canada's East Coast.

Dominion Radio #4

Stuart Neatby — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 05:27:42 +0000

Subhead:

Resource Wars in Bolivia, Anti-Poverty Resistance, and Media Democracy

Cover Image:

radio_logo1_2.jpg

MP3:

http://www.dominionpaper.ca/files/dominion/audio/DominionRadio-4.mp3

Body:

Dominion Radio broadcasts grassroots news from across the country, focusing on stories and voices silenced by the mainstream media.

Episode #4:
Aired May 4th, 2007

An interview with Benjamin Dangl, author of The Price of Fire in Bolivia and commentator with Upside Down World. about resource wars in Bolivia.
A conversation with Chris Probert, of Adbusters Magazine about the media carta legal battle.
Finally, in light of recent police attacks against anti-poverty demonstrators outside of a Tory Party fundraiser in downtown Halifax we air a discussion with Keli Belair and Aaron Webber of the Halifax Coalition Against Poverty and Mike DesRoches of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty about anti-poverty resistance in Canada today.