Liberal Minority Government 2021 - 2025

[brihard]

Integrity, trust, and honesty.

He was one of 14 members of a board of a corporation with over $900 Billion dollars USD in assets under management.

The same company that appears to have dodged billions of dollars in taxes.

Whether he (potentially) acted alone or in lockstep with other big wigs, Canadians deserve to know any dirty laundry before an election.

When you say they dodged taxes, do you mean that in the sense that they broke the law? Or just they they acted legally within a system that does include various tax minimization strategies? As the board of a public company they do have a fiduciary duty to the corporation and the shareholders, which includes to take the steps available to maximize shareholder value. Lawfully reducing tax liabilities through various financial strategies would be part and parcel of that. Many of us are shareholders in companies either directly, through various funds we hold, or through pension funds. That expectation isn’t something that should surprise any of us.

Now, if they acted illegally, that’s another matter of course. I feel like I would have heard of that allegation though.

 

[IKnowNothing]

Yes.

Do you trust the current government when it comes to their integrity on ethics?

I don't trust anyone that I don't know when it comes to their integrity and ethics, especially those that have sought (and been successful) in achieving power.

But- that's why we have legislated guardrails in place, and non-partisan bodies to enforce them. I can't claim to be an expert in the act but even Pierre Poilievre's actual/ technical calls for reform are marginal rather than fundamental. Reduce the disclosure period to 30 days, and subject leadership candidates to the act. Both seem reasonable to me.

 

[IKnowNothing]

When you say they dodged taxes, do you mean that in the sense that they broke the law? Or just they they acted legally within a system that does include various tax minimization strategies? As the board of a public company they do have a fiduciary duty to the corporation and the shareholders, which includes to take the steps available to maximize shareholder value. Lawfully reducing tax liabilities through various financial strategies would be part and parcel of that. Many of us are shareholders in companies either directly, through various funds we hold, or through pension funds. That expectation isn’t something that should surprise any of us.

Now, if they acted illegally, that’s another matter of course. I feel like I would have heard of that allegation though.

It's the latter, but is being misrepresented to be the former.

Is Canada’s Largest Alternative Asset Manager Dodging Global Taxes? — Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research

 

[lenaitch]

How is making the media pay for their own transport translate to the CPC not being transparent?

It is my understanding the media paid their own way. Granted, not including them might allow for a smaller plane or bus but I doubt it.

 

[lenaitch]

Like trudeau, he sounds competent when his speeches are scripted for him. Not so much if he has to speak off the cuff. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has his own square paper water bottle thingies moment. Same as questions to him. He said he won't talk to reporters or people asking questions on the street, only at predetermined press briefings. And then he can be brusk and demeaning if asked something he's not prepared for, doesn’t like or cuts to close to stuff he doesn’t want Canadians to know. He is not transparent and agreeable when he restricts which news outlets are allowed into his briefings, like Rebel or True North. Whether you like them or not, they are bonafide and registered journalistic outlets and deserve to be there for their supporters. And right now, he's playing nice to get elected. I can’t imagine if he wins and has free reign and is unaccountable.

so . . . you're still on the fence about him?

Canadian media will spin that as Carney being the best person to deal with Trump. If Trump had said he liked Pierre, media would spin that as meaning Carney was the best person to deal with Trump.

So, all Canadian media is suspect, or jut the ones you don't like?

 

[CBH99]

Perhaps he is playing four-dimensional chess? Reverse psychology, sort of.

That's what I'm thinking too...

As far as I know, he hasn't met PP. He also hasn't met Carney.

Later in that same interview, he goes on to say how dealing with Trudeau was painful & how chronically dishonest and snobby the LPC was to deal with...

I can't imagine he'll have much more luck with the guy who was advising the LPC during the previous talks.





Does Trump's endorsement of Carney end up helping or hurting him? Should be fun to see how this pans out

 

[Remius]

That's what I'm thinking too...

As far as I know, he hasn't met PP. He also hasn't met Carney.

Later in that same interview, he goes on to say how dealing with Trudeau was painful & how chronically dishonest and snobby the LPC was to deal with...

I can't imagine he'll have much more luck with the guy who was advising the LPC during the previous talks.





Does Trump's endorsement of Carney end up helping or hurting him? Should be fun to see how this pans out

Was there an actual endorsement?

 

[Jarnhamar]

But- that's why we have legislated guardrails in place, and non-partisan bodies to enforce them.

That's fair, holding people accountable is important.

Voting Liberal means you're voting for a party that shuts down the Parliament to avoid answering to hundreds of millions of tax dollars being improperly contracted out, including 186 separate instances of ethical violations.

 

[Jarnhamar]

When you say they dodged taxes, do you mean that in the sense that they broke the law? Or just they they acted legally within a system that does include various tax minimization strategies?

Definitely the latter, possibly the former. From my very amateur reading it looks like there are a lot of shadowy grey areas.

Suppose it was just Carney helping this mega corporation use legal loopholes and obfuscation to avoid billions in taxes, that's still something Canadians might want to know. Especially when Canadians pay so much taxes ourselves. Then again maybe Carney will teach Canadians some of those tax loopholes for ourselves.

 

[CBH99]

Was there an actual endorsement?

I actually don't know if it's an official endorsement or not...

Trump did clearly say he would rather work with a Liberal on the issues, and he did clearly trash talk PP.

And he said these things to a reporter, so it wasn't backroom talk caught on an open mic. He said what he said, and it was clearly meant for public consumption.

 

[ModlrMike]

Maybe he sees Poliviere as someone who can and will stand up to him. Narcissists don't like strong opponents.

 

[IKnowNothing]

As someone who voted Reform all through the 90’s and 00’s, (PCs were non-existent west of Manitoba after 1993) I’ll just say that Maple MAGA is unrecognizable to me and the current crop has me wondering if I should spoil my ballot or vote for them in spite of them.

Fair.

 

[PrairieFella]

its a pickle all right.
my populism good, your populism bad?
Count me not super excited by walking back the carbon tax even as i see the political advantage of doing so

The most stupid part of the carbon tax from day one was the rebates. I think if it was used to actually fund Green infrastructure, it wouldn't have been so politically toxic. It's easy to talk shit about the carbon tax until it lowers your hydro bill when the new dam it funded comes online. Or when your commute is halved because it funded a cool rapid transit initiative. Or a new national park is funded and built out as part of a conservation project. Or a pipeline for LNG is built for export to help cut global emissions (I know, long shot on that one...). Etc etc.

 

[ModlrMike]

Or maybe don't set up a whole bureaucracy to take money away from me, only to give it back, and accomplish nothing program related in the end.

 

[PrairieFella]

And we Liberals elected THE old, global banker, rich, white guy as our leader.

I tell you the place is going upside down.

At this point if the Liberals came out in support of 2A legislation for Canadians I am convinced the CPC would fight against it.

The worst part of our current political landscape is parties are not willing to concede anything was good. We may see good from the government with our eyes and experience it tangibly or the opposition may make an excellent point but no one is willing to shake hands across the isle anymore. At least publicly.

 

[PrairieFella]

When you say they dodged taxes, do you mean that in the sense that they broke the law? Or just they they acted legally within a system that does include various tax minimization strategies? As the board of a public company they do have a fiduciary duty to the corporation and the shareholders, which includes to take the steps available to maximize shareholder value. Lawfully reducing tax liabilities through various financial strategies would be part and parcel of that. Many of us are shareholders in companies either directly, through various funds we hold, or through pension funds. That expectation isn’t something that should surprise any of us.

Now, if they acted illegally, that’s another matter of course. I feel like I would have heard of that allegation though.

I think Jarnhamar is advocating for closing loopholes and taxing corporations appropriately. I'm game for that.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

That's fair, holding people accountable is important.

Voting Liberal means you're voting for a party that shuts down the Parliament to avoid answering to hundreds of millions of tax dollars being improperly contracted out, including 186 separate instances of ethical violations.

And uses Parliamentary Priviledge to prevent and stymie RCMP investigations into its malfeasance.

 

[Quirky]

The most stupid part of the carbon tax from day one was the rebates.

The carbon tax was never intended to, nor did it ever, lower emissions. It was set up as a wealth distribution scheme. Another political driven program designed to buy votes.

 

[suffolkowner]

The most stupid part of the carbon tax from day one was the rebates. I think if it was used to actually fund Green infrastructure, it wouldn't have been so politically toxic. It's easy to talk shit about the carbon tax until it lowers your hydro bill when the new dam it funded comes online. Or when your commute is halved because it funded a cool rapid transit initiative. Or a new national park is funded and built out as part of a conservation project. Or a pipeline for LNG is built for export to help cut global emissions (I know, long shot on that one...). Etc etc.

I think the rebates were a necessary part of getting the "tax" through. Originally in Ontario the rebates were funding improvements. Insulation, windows, HVAC etc. Doug Ford canceled that thus the federal rebates

 

[Furniture]

The most stupid part of the carbon tax from day one was the rebates. I think if it was used to actually fund Green infrastructure, it wouldn't have been so politically toxic. It's easy to talk shit about the carbon tax until it lowers your hydro bill when the new dam it funded comes online. Or when your commute is halved because it funded a cool rapid transit initiative. Or a new national park is funded and built out as part of a conservation project. Or a pipeline for LNG is built for export to help cut global emissions (I know, long shot on that one...). Etc etc.

If the carbon tax applied by the LPC had done any of those things it might have been more acceptable. All the tax did was virtue signal, and make life more expensive for people.

The real problem with most "green" initiates is simply that they have no tangible benefits for people. Paying more money in Canada, so the Maldives maybe loses a few less centimetres of land over the next 50 years is not a political winner... Paying a bit more so that useful transit gets built, and maybe nuclear generating stations get built in our north? That's a much more palatable situation.