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ns id eh al to n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, J an ua ry 1 8, 20 18 | o> OPINION - EDITORIAL - Take me to your robot Artificial intelligence hasn't replaced all of North America's jobs yet, but that doesn't mean businesses aren't trying to accelerate the process as the workplace undergoes a transformation as significant as the Indus­ trial Revolution. Last year McDonald's Canada added self-service ki­ osks for people hungry for its Big Macs. Tim Hortons, Burger King and Starbucks have introduced apps that allow customers to order and pay in advance on their smartphones thereby bypassing lines. Or how about the Australian company Fastbrick Robotics that has created Hadrian X, which can lay 1,000 standard bricks in an hour. In a recent report, the World Economic Forum predicted that robotic automation will result in the net loss of more than five million jobs across 15 developed nations by 2020. Even the simple theatre experience allows and some­ times even forces customers to buy their own tickets to see a film eliminating the need for people. And Amazon, after purchasing Whole Foods, last year opened a check-out free grocery store in Seattle. Businesses have always attempted to cut costs to save a buck. It seems, though, that companies are becoming more direct at reducing, even eliminating, their labour costs so they don't have to deal with human issues. Don't be fooled by companies - think Tim Hortons - that may promote themselves as "making a true differ­ ence" for individuals and communities, boasting of help­ ing local community initiatives. It comes with the caveat they are always searching for a way to reduce nagging labour expenses. Raising the minimum wage is the right thing to do in a society where a large number of minimum wage earn­ ers don't earn enough to support their families and have to use the food bank to feed their children. Yet by in­ creasing the cost of labour, companies are that much more inclined to reduce employees. A report by the Mowat Centre found that 42 per cent Canada's labour force is at risk of being impacted by automation over the next 10 to 20 years. Another report from the Brookfield Institute for Innovation in 2016 found retail sales clerks and cashiers are among the top five jobs at risk from automation. Raising the minimum wage in the face of companies desperate to cut costs while good public policy unfortu­ nately will only accelerate the introduction of technolo­ gy into the workforce. Governments and companies need to collaborate to develop a skilled workforce. Hav­ ing a job program and a policy to implement it to meet the needs of society is the proper way for companies and government to work together for the betterment of its citizens. ABOUT US The Oakville Beaver, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. oe O °o m etro landm edia • Connected to your community" The Oakville Beaver is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the newspaper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca nnc Apcna In ii deHalton.com ^ editor@oakvillebeaver.com E facebook.com/OakvilleBeav Q @OakvilleBeaver Having a place to call home T h e N a t i o n a l H o u s i n g S t r a t e g y is l o n g o v e r d u e , s a y s O l i v e r Oakville - With this win­ ter's unseasonably cold temperatures, I'm sure many of us were thankful to have a warm and secure home. Having decent hous­ ing is a basic human re­ quirement that every Ca­ nadian should enjoy. Yet, due to the high cost of hous­ ing in communities such as Oakville, too many Canadi­ ans face real issues finding affordable housing. A staggering 1.7 million families in Canada don't have a home and meets their basic needs. Inade- J0HN OLIVER Column quate housing impacts our ability to raise a family, hold a steady job and plan for the future. This issue is felt by many in Oakville, including young adults looking to move out on their own, young families and seniors on limited in­ comes. To improve the housing situation in Oak­ ville and for all Canadians, the federal government re­ cently announced the Na­ tional Housing Strategy (NHS). I believe that the NHS establishes a new era for housing in Canada, and I'm pleased to share the de­ tails. The NHS is the first fed­ eral housing strategy for Canada and is long over­ due. The strategy is a 10- year, $40-billion plan that aims to cut chronic home­ lessness by 50 per cent, in­ vest in constructing 100,000 affordable homes and meet the housing needs of more than half a million fami­ lies. The NHS will cover needs across the housing spectrum, from shelters and community housing at one end, to market rentals and home ownership at the other. The NHS will have a meaningful impact in Oak­ ville by alleviating some of the stress on those who are working hard to join the middle class. By investing in affordable and commu­ nity housing, introducing a Canada Housing Benefit to offset the high cost of rent and exploring programs to support home ownership, this federal strategy is an innovative, comprehensive plan for improving the housing outlook for mil­ lions of Canadians. I'm please that through this strategy, the federal government is bringing to­ gether the public, private and nonprofit sectors to en­ sure more Canadians have a place to call home. More on the NHS is available at placetocallhome.ca. - Jo h n O liver is the m em ­ ber o f P arliam en t fo r O ak­ ville. Contact h im a t john.oliver@ parl.gc.ca or v is it johnoliver.m p. CONTACT US WHO WE ARE Oakville Beaver 2-5046 Mainway Burlington, ON L7L 5Z1 Phone: 289-293-0617 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Digital/Flyer/Retail: 289-293-0624 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 200 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail kmossman@metroland.com or call 905-631-6095. A c c r d d i t e FDSAWAccredited VP and Group Publisher Neil Oliver Regional General Manager Kelly Montague kmontague@metroland.com | 289-293-0614 Managing Editor Angela Blackburn ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com | 289-293-0617 Circulation Manager Kim Mossman kmossman@metroland.com | 905-631-6095 Director Advertising Daniel Baird dbaird@metroland.com 289-293-0624 http://www.mediacouncil.ca mailto:editor@oakvillebeaver.com mailto:john.oliver@parl.gc.ca mailto:kmossman@metroland.com mailto:kmontague@metroland.com mailto:ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com mailto:kmossman@metroland.com mailto:dbaird@metroland.com OPINION - EDITORIAL - Take me to your robot ABOUT US °o metrolandmedia deHalton.com CONTACT US WHO WE ARE