Politics in 2017

[The Bread Guy]

Someone here wisely pointed out it's called Question period, not Answer period (or was that Question and Answer period?).  I've seen it a few times and thought it was a complete joke. It reminds me of reality TV where the point is to one-up each other and get cheers from your side.

And I hear that even though government folk write up decent, whazzup answers to possible questions that can come up (when there is a firm answer to be had, anyway) during Oral Questions (the official term), many Ministers aren't willing to go with the DS solution, with many going, as you say, for the political zinger instead.

 

[Rifleman62]

Re: Canadian Army headed to mission in Africa ‘very soon’: top general
« Reply #799 on: March 25, 2017, 10:45:40 »

The last two sentences are the usual Trudeau jiberish.

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/03/25/un-peacekeeping-mission-possible-in-2017-trudeau-says.html

“I’ve been around the Liberal party an awfully long time, as you all know, and I’ve never seen a caucus as strongly united in our approach and our values,” Trudeau said on his way to the meeting, which was in its second day.

“One of the great strengths of the Liberal party is there is always a range of perspectives that allow us to represent the range of perspectives of Canadians,” he said[/color

Here's an example of "the great strengths of the Liberal party is there is always a range of perspectives that allow us to represent the range of perspectives of Canadians”

http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/liberal-party-s-exclusive-deal-with-data-company-benefits-trudeau-friend-1.3346830

Globe and Mail summary. More at link.

It’s a small world: a data analytics company owned by a good friend of Mr. Trudeau is benefiting from a major contract with the Liberal Party of Canada, CTV reports. The company, Data Sciences Inc., is owned by Tom Pitfield, who also chairs Canada 2020, a think tank that hosts events that often feature cabinet ministers. Mr. Pitfield’s wife, Anna Gainey, is the president of the Liberal Party, and two of Data Sciences’ employees sit on the party’s board of directors. Mr. Pitfield and Ms. Gainey joined the Trudeaus during their recent holiday in the Bahamas with the Aga Khan.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

I am certainly not known as a friend of the Liberals, but I think CTV is trying to build an appearance of scandal out of thin air, and you fell for it R62.  :nod:

The political parties in Canada are private organizations and, since the Conservative government of Mr. Harper stopped that nonsense, receive no public funding. As private entities, they are entitled to spend the money they raise whichever way they want without any constraints - except when and where that money is spent for the purpose of an election and the electoral rules come into play.

Therefore, there is absolutely nothing improper as far as the public is concerned with the Liberal party spending its money on hiring friends of their high level personnel. It's up to the Liberal party members to decide if they think it's appropriate behaviour from their leader or not and act accordingly within the party. This is so until there is evidence (not the case here) that somehow, public money is used to pay for the contract or that the contract is used as a sham to funnel public money into the party coffers, as was done during the Sponsorship scandal.

As of now, there is no apparent impropriety, and it is a pure internal matter for the Liberal party.

 

[FSTO]

Yesterday the DND Ombudsman was on CBC's Power and Politics once again expressing his frustration with the way the department conducts their business. One statement that caught my ear was him having to get DM approval for all travel and how that costs extra money. I whole heartily agree with this statement, we already had a working process that the government decided to put another layer of oversight for no good reason. A unit CO is given a budget, its their responsibility to spend it wisely and within the rules already in place. If they screw it up by incompetence or fraud then there is disciplinary methods to correct, there is no need for them to have higher authority to approve actions (and add in time) that are already within their arcs of fire.

 

[Rifleman62]

Didn't fall far or at all. I agree with you Oldgateboatdriver. But it is the way the Liberals operate, either as a private organization or as a government. Friends of ....

Is the LPC etc private or public organization? Membership is open to the public and is not a closed entity like a corporation which is not traded publicly.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

"Private" vs "public" here is not used in the sense of whether the "public" can become members or not, but in the legal sense used from an enterprises point of view: It is not created and or under the controlling interest of any government, wether federal, provincial or municipal (other than with general laws, like everything else).

It is open to the public, but to have a say you must become a member and pay your dues. That doesn't make it "public" anymore than say, the Bank of Montreal. The bank is a private enterprise, not a public/crown corporation, even though, because it is publicly traded, any member of the public can acquire some of its share.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Anyone know how Bombardier is making out after the Liberals gave them millions of dollars?  Probably saved a lot of jobs eh? Maybe even created a bunch of new jobs?

 

[PuckChaser]

Anyone know how Bombardier is making out after the Liberals gave them millions of dollars?  Probably saved a lot of jobs eh? Maybe even created a bunch of new jobs?

The execs each bought a new Rolls Royce: http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2017/03/30/bombardier-execs-get-big-bonuses-amid-massive-layoffs/

 

[Jarnhamar]

Sorry PuckChaser but that has to be Fake News. Bombardier was a struggling Canadian icon, our Liberal government gave them millions of dollars  ($372.5 million?) to bail them out out of financial hardship and secure jobs for Canadians!  I'm going to bet my Celine Dion CDs that the execs  took a pay cut on top of saving all those Canadian jobs, if not creating new ones.  :nod:

 

[jollyjacktar]

No, no, no.  "Alternative Facts", not fake news. :nod:

 

[The Bread Guy]

Anyone know how Bombardier is making out after the Liberals gave them millions of dollars?  Probably saved a lot of jobs eh? Maybe even created a bunch of new jobs?

Better or worse than after getting $350m from Team Blue?  Discuss  ;D

 

[Jarnhamar]

Better or worse than after getting $350m from Team Blue?  Discuss  ;D

The Harper government's announcement of $350-million in loans for Montreal-based Bombardier is an especially sweet commitment for the Conservatives: It may help boost their sagging fortunes in Quebec and doesn't cost them a penny of extra spending.

The loan money to help Bombardier build its new C Series jets was set aside in the 2005 federal budget and announced by the former Liberal government that spring.

Back over to team red  ;D

 

[George Wallace]

"Team Red"......Now is that term more of a Freudian Slip as to how their actually like to treat the Federal Budget, or are we just going to stick with their Party Colour?

>  [  [

 

[Kirkhill]

The people's flag is deepest red,
It shrouded oft our martyred dead,
And ere their limbs grew stiff and cold,
Their hearts' blood dyed its ev'ry fold.

Then raise the scarlet standard high.
Within its shade we'll live and die,
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer,
We'll keep the red flag flying here.

Look 'round, the Frenchman loves its blaze,
The sturdy German chants its praise,
In Moscow's vaults its hymns are sung
Chicago swells the surging throng.

1889....

 

[Jarnhamar]

 

[Scott]

The whole PM Selfie thing got old for me a long time ago, too, but I can find loads of better shit to call him out on. Sadly, for Team Blue, the Rebel trying to become the media wing of the CPC only does damage to the next CPC leader, IMO.

Wait, in the interest of balance:

Oh, the vanity...

 

[mariomike]

Party politics aside, is there ever a bad time for a selfie? Say cheese! 

Rob posing at a streetcar fatality - St Clair Ave. West at Keele St.

Councillor Doug Ford "funeral selfies". Rob is laying in state at City Hall.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/03/29/doug-ford-selfies-rob-ford-funeral_n_9563896.html

 

[Kirkhill]

Hey mariomike!  Where's the edge of the universe?  [

 

[PPCLI Guy]

Yup - self-centred entitled liberals indeed

 

[Jarnhamar]

The whole PM Selfie thing got old for me a long time ago, too, but I can find loads of better shit to call him out on.

Realize it's an easy (and old) joke and I expect a degree of narcissism from all politicians but Trudeau is beyond reason Imo.