“If we are the greatest nation the sun ever shone upon, it would seem to be mainly because we have been able to goad our wage-earners to this pitch of frenzy” --Upton Sinclair, The Jungle

The novelist and reformer was born on this day in 1878 in Baltimore, Maryland.

A part-time journalist, he researched meat-packing plants and produced a novel called The Jungle, which portrayed labour abuses and unsanitary practices in the Chicago meat industry and led to legislative change.  

We’re all about revelations on BNN today.

B.C.'s carbon tax

At 11:20 a.m. ET on Commodities, we hear from Marc Lee, economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. He says the benefits of B.C.'s carbon tax have been exaggerated. "Let's cut the crap…The impact of the carbon tax has been overstated by people who love carbon taxes, and it's annoying that the tax has generated so much uncritical praise."  

Lee insists that he himself is “someone who likes carbon taxes. A well-designed carbon tax can be the engine of a green industrial revolution” but  “that’s not what’s happening in B.C. Most of the carbon tax revenues (2/3) have been in support of corporate income tax cuts…”

Unifor and GM reach tentative deal 

However, our Top Line this morning is one of hope: A tentative contract settlement between Unifor and General Motors of Canada that Unifor president Jerry Dias says has eliminated fears that the Oshawa factory will shut down in 2019.

At, 9:15 a.m. we’ll speak with Kristin Dziczek, director of Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She warns that in the long run, it “is really going to be hard” for Canada to keep its automotive jobs.

Australia is set to lose its last auto production when Toyota closes a  plant  next year. “What happened in Australia appears to be happening in Canada, which is you lose a certain mass of automotive industry and then all of a sudden the suppliers decide it’s not worth being there either, and then you lose the others,” Dziczek warns. “We haven’t heard anything about pulling back at all from Honda or Toyota, which are also big manufacturers in Canada, but I wonder about the viability of those plants and their supply chains.”

 

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GET READY FOR YEAR-END WITH BNN ADVISOR

Catherine Murray looks ahead to year-end statements to clients on BNN Advisor with perspective from Darren Coleman of Raymond James, Angelo Mantzios of SunLife, and Rod Tyler of Peak Financial.

Watch the latest BNN Advisor content on BNN.ca:

Countdown to year-end

Striving for balance

The evolution of advising

Are you a financial advisor interested in appearing on BNN? Contact Catherine Murray at bnnadvisor@bellmedia.ca

 

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Anyone who has tried to cook a dinner at home on a rushed weekday night and found out, oh great, that there’s no Garam Masala in the house will appreciate our 12:40 p.m. segment. Chef's Plate, which delivers “chef-inspired meal kits” with all of the ingredients, is cashing in on time-starved consumers. Co-founder Jamie Shea will tell us about plans to go nationwide.

We’re also looking forward to investment strategy suggestions at 2:30 p.m. ET from Thomas Caldwell, CEO of Caldwell Securities, who regularly gives us a sardonic take on the markets.

Finally, we’re sorry to hear that a young French fellow didn’t enjoy his trip to Kiwiland.

Cedric Claude Rene Rault-Verpre admitted destroying road signs in a rage after spending four days unsuccessfully trying to hitchhike out of the South Island tourist spot of Punakaiki.

"Oh he threw an absolute hissy fit. He was lying prone on the road screaming that New Zealanders were -------- and he couldn't wait to get back to Europe," one local business owner said.

"I've been to 80 countries," the Frenchman said. "I've been to the worst parts of the U.S. The worst American is not an ------- like a New Zealander."

Isn’t it great travelling the world and making new friends?

Every morning Commodities host Andrew Bell writes a ‘chase note’ to BNN's editorial staff listing the stories and events that will be in the spotlight that day. Have it delivered to your inbox before the trading day begins by heading to www.bnn.ca/subscribe