Run Up to Election 2019
- Thread starter Fishbone Jones
- Start date
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Remius said:
I think Jarnhamar's point is that, regardless, the Liberals will play the racism card on Scheer. Doesn't matter what he does.
- Reaction score
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And it will work, no matter what the truth or facts are. The other approach will be “Andrew Scheer is Stephen Harper”.
Harper may have been inelastic, but he was a pragmatist and a realist, and yes, cruel to the Liberal party. This frigging Shakespeare play we have right now is much worse, but too many people want to fawn over the actors and not the plot.
I’m tired of politics and governance as we have come to know and witness how these things are practised in Canada. They truly suck, but I also don’t see a better alternative.
Maybe direct democracy on major issues where people vote not just on political party platforms but on critical issues themselves. Actually and truly give people a voice rather than just an opportunity to choose who to vote for, to control by constraining or enabling the activities, agendas and directions of the body politic including the judiciary. But that would be turning the tables on power.
Harper may have been inelastic, but he was a pragmatist and a realist, and yes, cruel to the Liberal party. This frigging Shakespeare play we have right now is much worse, but too many people want to fawn over the actors and not the plot.
I’m tired of politics and governance as we have come to know and witness how these things are practised in Canada. They truly suck, but I also don’t see a better alternative.
Maybe direct democracy on major issues where people vote not just on political party platforms but on critical issues themselves. Actually and truly give people a voice rather than just an opportunity to choose who to vote for, to control by constraining or enabling the activities, agendas and directions of the body politic including the judiciary. But that would be turning the tables on power.
FJAG
Army.ca Legend
- Reaction score
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Cloud Cover said:
The basic problem is that I trust the people less than the politicians. People have very little to lose by being intransigent a**holes while politicians have to keep a little bit of decency visible in order to be re-elected. Call me a cynic if you will but I blame the electorate.
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Well, you’re right of course and that’s a common concern, and an even bigger concern is too many people would rather somebody else make decisions, while reserving to themselves the right to complain and revolt against every and anything that might make a little sense. UNtario is a good example where government has tried to be all things to all people, that hasn’t worked out very well.
- Reaction score
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Cloud Cover said:
Communism never will.
- Reaction score
- 1,528
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https://www.taxpayer.com/news-releases/the-trudeau-government-has-announced--4.2-billion-in-spending-since-snc-lavalin-scandal-broke
THE TRUDEAU GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED $4.2 BILLION IN SPENDING SINCE SNC-LAVALIN SCANDAL BROKE - 8 Apr 19
OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation today released a list of all spending announcements made by the Trudeau government over the last two months which may have been missed during the ongoing SNC-Lavalin scandal.
“With so much attention understandably focused on SNC-Lavalin, many people may have missed most or all of these 267 spending announcements,” said CTF Federal Director Aaron Wudrick. “We believe spending taxpayer dollars deserves proper scrutiny, and in that spirit we’re pleased to provide this list.”
The largest spending announcement made since Feb. 7 is $1 billion in “innovation” funding for southern Ontario on Feb. 27, while the smallest was $8,000 to fund upgrades for a maple sugar camp in New Brunswick on Mar. 29. Other highlights include:
$72 million for “clean technology” in Alberta (Mar.14)
$30 million for an “intellectual property collective” (Feb. 13)
$4.2 million to help develop “innovative” fruit (Mar.11)
$595,000 on a boating safety mobile app (Mar. 14)
$376,000 for a ‘Cheese Expertise Centre’ (Apr. 3)
Wudrick noted that with the federal government currently running a deficit of $19.8 billion rather than balancing the budget as promised, all 267 announcements are effectively being funded with borrowed money that will be added to the growing federal debt.
“With an average of four spending announcements per day being missed in the wake of SNC-Lavalin, taxpayers should take note: the Trudeau government continues to borrow and spend even though you may not be hearing much about it,” said Wudrick.
To see a complete list of the Trudeau government’s spending announcements since Feb. 7, please click http://www.taxpayer.com/media/CostofSncScandal.pdf
THE TRUDEAU GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED $4.2 BILLION IN SPENDING SINCE SNC-LAVALIN SCANDAL BROKE - 8 Apr 19
OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation today released a list of all spending announcements made by the Trudeau government over the last two months which may have been missed during the ongoing SNC-Lavalin scandal.
“With so much attention understandably focused on SNC-Lavalin, many people may have missed most or all of these 267 spending announcements,” said CTF Federal Director Aaron Wudrick. “We believe spending taxpayer dollars deserves proper scrutiny, and in that spirit we’re pleased to provide this list.”
The largest spending announcement made since Feb. 7 is $1 billion in “innovation” funding for southern Ontario on Feb. 27, while the smallest was $8,000 to fund upgrades for a maple sugar camp in New Brunswick on Mar. 29. Other highlights include:
$72 million for “clean technology” in Alberta (Mar.14)
$30 million for an “intellectual property collective” (Feb. 13)
$4.2 million to help develop “innovative” fruit (Mar.11)
$595,000 on a boating safety mobile app (Mar. 14)
$376,000 for a ‘Cheese Expertise Centre’ (Apr. 3)
Wudrick noted that with the federal government currently running a deficit of $19.8 billion rather than balancing the budget as promised, all 267 announcements are effectively being funded with borrowed money that will be added to the growing federal debt.
“With an average of four spending announcements per day being missed in the wake of SNC-Lavalin, taxpayers should take note: the Trudeau government continues to borrow and spend even though you may not be hearing much about it,” said Wudrick.
To see a complete list of the Trudeau government’s spending announcements since Feb. 7, please click http://www.taxpayer.com/media/CostofSncScandal.pdf
- Reaction score
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FJAG said:The basic problem is that I trust the people less than the politicians. People have very little to lose by being intransigent a**holes while politicians have to keep a little bit of decency visible in order to be re-elected. Call me a cynic if you will but I blame the electorate.
Not to mention the fact that social media and the unfettered access to unqualified information means that the mass of proles could, and would, easily be swayed by disinformation.
I like the idea that with technology, we could all have a government sponsored and encrypted "app" on our phone that lets us vote at anytime, anywhere, on some important issue. But those same phones are going to be flooded with disinformation from both sides of the argument, and I do not trust the average person to do any real research to suss out the truth.
- Reaction score
- 8,483
- Points
- 1,160
FJAG said:The basic problem is that I trust the people less than the politicians. People have very little to lose by being intransigent a**holes while politicians have to keep a little bit of decency visible in order to be re-elected. Call me a cynic if you will but I blame the electorate.
Well, if you don't like the electorate, because they are not experts, what do you recommend when the electorate don't like politicians when they demonstrate incompetence? Are the electorate right to seek out a single expert? Not my preference.
I'd rather the public elect socialist baristas and turf them out if they feel they are not up to the task. And, explicitly, I would not elect anyone, to any position, who proclaims themselves an expert in anything.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/08/uk-more-willing-embrace-authoritarianism-warn-hansard-audit-political-engagement
Burke has his limits. He needs to ensure that he maintains contact with the people he asks to represent.
More bafflement. Part of me cannot imagine how this government cannot forecast potential problems/embarassments in advance and avoid them, but it's not like a pattern didn't begin to form quite some time ago:
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/trudeau-visit-gurdwara-government-removes-140204148.html
Trudeau walks in Vaisakhi parade after government removes reference to Sikh extremism
The Canadian Press April 13, 2019
<snip>
His morning speech came just hours after the federal government agreed to remove a reference to Sikh extremism from a report on terrorism.
The language was changed late Friday to remove any mention of religion, instead discussing the threat posed by "extremists who support violent means to establish an independent state within India."
The 2018 Public Report on the Terrorism Threat to Canada drew the ire of the Sikh community when it was released in December.
For the first time, the report listed Sikh extremism as one of the top five extremist threats in Canada.
Although the objections were largely about the inclusion of Sikhs at all, because of the report's lack of evidence to back it up, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said he would at least ask for a review of the language the report used.
He said entire religions should never be equated with terrorism.
<snip>
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/lilley-trudeau-plays-politics-with-terrorism
LILLEY: Trudeau plays politics with terrorism
Brian Lilley Published: April 14, 2019
For Justin Trudeau, the problems of terrorism and extremism in Canada appear to be nothing more than partisan political issues.
I don't make that claim lightly, nor do I make it without some kind of proof. In fact, I make this claim based on Trudeau's actions of the last week.
Trudeau spent most of last week trying to link his Conservative opponents to white supremacist extremism. It's a ploy he's been using since the heinous shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, last month.
Meanwhile, he pushed through a removal of any reference to Sikh extremism from an intelligence report just before he visited one of the largest Sikh temples in Canada on Saturday.
What else should we make of this?
<snip>
Yet, there was Trudeau on Friday night linking Scheer to white nationalists in a speech to supporters in Mississauga. He tried to link Scheer, a man I've known for 15 years and without a racists bone in his body, to Ontario Premier Doug Ford and then link them both to racism.
Ford won seats across the Toronto area with huge support among the city's many diverse communities. Many of his top staffers, long serving staffers, are visible minorities.
But to Trudeau, linking these two men to white nationalism, white supremacy, without proof is fine because it helps him politically.
Then there is the removal of Sikh extremism from the 2018 Public Report on the Terrorism Threat to Canada, issued by Public Safety Canada, after consultation with the various intelligence agencies of the federal government.
Originally it listed in order, Shia extremism, Right-Wing extremism, Sikh extremism, Sunni extremism, and Canadian extremist travellers.
Now the reference to Sikh extremists is gone and is replaced by, "Extremists who Support Violent Means to Establish an Independent State Within India."
On the website of Public Safety Canada is a statement about the removal of Sikh extremism, which says, "The Government's communication of threats must be clear, concise, and cannot be perceived as maligning any groups."
Funny that.
Shia Muslims are a group representing as many as 200 million Muslims around the world.
Sunni Muslims are another group and they representing more than 1 billion people.
So much for that statement.
Did I mention that the change was made just before Trudeau visited a major Sikh temple?
Here's another oddity to deal with.
When Trudeau's minister for foreign affairs appeared before a Senate committee, she emphasized the importance of calling out violent groups by naming them.
"I absolutely believe we need to name that threat, we need to be aware of it, and we need to work hard to find ways to protect our societies and our people from it," Chrystia Freeland said.
So let's get this straight, we need to be scared of white supremacy and name it, yet when it comes to the group responsible for the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history, the Air India bombing, we should drop any reference to that group over political pressure?
Justin Trudeau came to power promising "sunny ways." Now he warns darkly that his opponents are racist and that violence lurks around every conservative corner while turning a blind eye to a history of violence committed in this country.
Turns out his sunny ways were as fake as his feminism.
https://globalnews.ca/news/5165976/sikh-extremism-report-trudeau-india/
April 14, 2019 12:39 pm
Sikh Indian minister slams Trudeau Liberals over 'knee-jerk' changes to terrorism report
By Rahul Kalvapalle Global News
The leader of India's Sikh-majority Punjab state has slammed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party after the federal government removed direct references to Sikh extremism in a recent terrorism threat report.
Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, whose meeting with Trudeau was one the flashpoints of the prime minister's troubled trip to India last year, called the move "a threat to Indian and global security" in a statement issued by his office on Saturday.
Singh suggested that Trudeau was kowtowing to Sikh voters ahead of October's federal election, slamming the Liberals for what he called a "knee-jerk decision that was clearly aimed at protecting its political interests in an election year."
<snip>
He said the Trudeau government's removal of references to Sikh extremism from its report amounted to "de facto promotion of extremism."
"It is obvious that Trudeau had played safe in view of the upcoming elections in Canada, giving in to pressure within his country," Singh said, adding that the move was likely to damage Canada's relations with India.
"Trudeau is playing with fire with his decision to assuage inflamed domestic passions through this ill-considered move," he said. "The world cannot afford to fan extremism in any form, which is what the Trudeau government was effectively doing with such ill-thought moves."
<snip>
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/trudeau-visit-gurdwara-government-removes-140204148.html
Trudeau walks in Vaisakhi parade after government removes reference to Sikh extremism
The Canadian Press April 13, 2019
<snip>
His morning speech came just hours after the federal government agreed to remove a reference to Sikh extremism from a report on terrorism.
The language was changed late Friday to remove any mention of religion, instead discussing the threat posed by "extremists who support violent means to establish an independent state within India."
The 2018 Public Report on the Terrorism Threat to Canada drew the ire of the Sikh community when it was released in December.
For the first time, the report listed Sikh extremism as one of the top five extremist threats in Canada.
Although the objections were largely about the inclusion of Sikhs at all, because of the report's lack of evidence to back it up, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said he would at least ask for a review of the language the report used.
He said entire religions should never be equated with terrorism.
<snip>
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/lilley-trudeau-plays-politics-with-terrorism
LILLEY: Trudeau plays politics with terrorism
Brian Lilley Published: April 14, 2019
For Justin Trudeau, the problems of terrorism and extremism in Canada appear to be nothing more than partisan political issues.
I don't make that claim lightly, nor do I make it without some kind of proof. In fact, I make this claim based on Trudeau's actions of the last week.
Trudeau spent most of last week trying to link his Conservative opponents to white supremacist extremism. It's a ploy he's been using since the heinous shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, last month.
Meanwhile, he pushed through a removal of any reference to Sikh extremism from an intelligence report just before he visited one of the largest Sikh temples in Canada on Saturday.
What else should we make of this?
<snip>
Yet, there was Trudeau on Friday night linking Scheer to white nationalists in a speech to supporters in Mississauga. He tried to link Scheer, a man I've known for 15 years and without a racists bone in his body, to Ontario Premier Doug Ford and then link them both to racism.
Ford won seats across the Toronto area with huge support among the city's many diverse communities. Many of his top staffers, long serving staffers, are visible minorities.
But to Trudeau, linking these two men to white nationalism, white supremacy, without proof is fine because it helps him politically.
Then there is the removal of Sikh extremism from the 2018 Public Report on the Terrorism Threat to Canada, issued by Public Safety Canada, after consultation with the various intelligence agencies of the federal government.
Originally it listed in order, Shia extremism, Right-Wing extremism, Sikh extremism, Sunni extremism, and Canadian extremist travellers.
Now the reference to Sikh extremists is gone and is replaced by, "Extremists who Support Violent Means to Establish an Independent State Within India."
On the website of Public Safety Canada is a statement about the removal of Sikh extremism, which says, "The Government's communication of threats must be clear, concise, and cannot be perceived as maligning any groups."
Funny that.
Shia Muslims are a group representing as many as 200 million Muslims around the world.
Sunni Muslims are another group and they representing more than 1 billion people.
So much for that statement.
Did I mention that the change was made just before Trudeau visited a major Sikh temple?
Here's another oddity to deal with.
When Trudeau's minister for foreign affairs appeared before a Senate committee, she emphasized the importance of calling out violent groups by naming them.
"I absolutely believe we need to name that threat, we need to be aware of it, and we need to work hard to find ways to protect our societies and our people from it," Chrystia Freeland said.
So let's get this straight, we need to be scared of white supremacy and name it, yet when it comes to the group responsible for the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history, the Air India bombing, we should drop any reference to that group over political pressure?
Justin Trudeau came to power promising "sunny ways." Now he warns darkly that his opponents are racist and that violence lurks around every conservative corner while turning a blind eye to a history of violence committed in this country.
Turns out his sunny ways were as fake as his feminism.
https://globalnews.ca/news/5165976/sikh-extremism-report-trudeau-india/
April 14, 2019 12:39 pm
Sikh Indian minister slams Trudeau Liberals over 'knee-jerk' changes to terrorism report
By Rahul Kalvapalle Global News
The leader of India's Sikh-majority Punjab state has slammed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party after the federal government removed direct references to Sikh extremism in a recent terrorism threat report.
Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, whose meeting with Trudeau was one the flashpoints of the prime minister's troubled trip to India last year, called the move "a threat to Indian and global security" in a statement issued by his office on Saturday.
Singh suggested that Trudeau was kowtowing to Sikh voters ahead of October's federal election, slamming the Liberals for what he called a "knee-jerk decision that was clearly aimed at protecting its political interests in an election year."
<snip>
He said the Trudeau government's removal of references to Sikh extremism from its report amounted to "de facto promotion of extremism."
"It is obvious that Trudeau had played safe in view of the upcoming elections in Canada, giving in to pressure within his country," Singh said, adding that the move was likely to damage Canada's relations with India.
"Trudeau is playing with fire with his decision to assuage inflamed domestic passions through this ill-considered move," he said. "The world cannot afford to fan extremism in any form, which is what the Trudeau government was effectively doing with such ill-thought moves."
<snip>
And a collection of other Liberal electoral problems...
Apparently, nothing has been learned from the previous Liberal government's "Soldiers in our streets. With guns" fear tactics, or Hillary's "basket of deplorables" moment.
Then there's growing economy, deficit, pipeline, foreign policy, taxation (carbon dioxide and other), military funding, illegal border crossings, and poorer prospects for the young problems, past Khadr payments and holidays (unethical and cringey-costumed), continuing Vice-Admiral Norman and Lavscam affairs, and Jane Philpott may deny them her seat.
And the latest poll shows the continuing effects of all of this:
https://torontosun.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-liberals-are-treating-racism-like-an-electoral-prop-thats-wrong
EDITORIAL: Liberals are treating racism like an electoral prop - that's wrong
Postmedia News Published: April 12, 2019
It looks like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may have found some inspiration in the Jussie Smollett case and has himself decided to cry racism as a PR ploy.
"White supremacy has no place in Canada," Trudeau posted to social media the other day. We'd certainly agree with that statement. But Trudeau didn't leave it at that.
"It's time for all parties, including Andrew Scheer's Conservative Party, to stand together in denouncing hatred in all its forms," Trudeau continued.
It's part of a larger drive-by smear, an attempt to imply in the lead up to the election that Scheer is somehow supportive of or in allegiance with white supremacists. It's a completely groundless accusation, which is why they're so vague in making it. But their goal is to clearly plant the seed.
<snip>
This all came after the Liberals pounced upon comments made by Conservative Senator Leo Housakos who was pressing Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to be more specific in her suggestion that Canada was somehow a cesspool of white supremacy that places us in grave danger.
Because Housakos was reluctant to believe that our streets have been overrun with violent white supremacists and that Canadians are somehow weak-willed enough to fall prey en masse to such an awful ideology, the Liberals are trying to shamelessly twist it into something it's not. It's pretty weak sauce.
<snip>
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/mackay-of-stormy-days-come-better-ways
MACKAY: Of stormy days come better ways
Peter MacKay Published: April 13, 2019
<snip>
Yet the corrosive forces at play go back far longer than the current scandal that has rocked this Government over its term in office. Our Canada under this Prime Minister is undeniably poorer, less prosperous, less secure, less influential. Faced with increasingly challenging, complex and volatile times, reputationally we are losing our privileged position in the world.
There is a clear need for focus and discipline regarding economy, foreign relations, national security and the environment. Consumed with the inner machinations of political mismanagement, ill-delivered 'priorities' of cannabis legalization, over-lorded carbon tax, sanctimonious scolding of our own population, this government irreparably harms our esteemed pedigree.
<snip>
Feminist, Environmentalist, Indigenous: under him "Canada is back."
Instead? Massive deficits electoral reform un-promised, trade negotiations bungled, immigration policy at sea, pipeline projects cancelled and nationalized, foreign investment drying up, sexual interference queried, humiliating foreign visits ridiculed, vacations in conflict of interest and fundraising likewise, payouts to terrorists voluntary, too many missteps and worse to count.
Now the present scandal spilling into penal arguably spurious prosecution of a respected 35-year RCN veteran, the politicization of the "objective" neutral public service through Wernick clearly confounded as to his role, interference with selection of the judiciary, neglect of military veterans, escalation of taxes on working people, shoddy roll-out of marijuana ironically increasing black market penetration, declining productivity and competitiveness; in effect a general malaise, a country adrift.
<snip>
https://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/op-ed/comment-friend-or-faux-four-years-of-failed-foreign-policy-1.23789024
Comment: Friend or faux? Four years of failed foreign policy
Times Colonist April 14, 2019 12:55 AM
David Carment, Brandon Jamieson, Fatimah Elfeitori and Emily Robertson
When it comes to foreign policy, members of the Trudeau government are very good at explaining what they think Canadians want. Less clear is if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is the right leader to navigate a new world of uncertainty.
This is a key finding from our annual Foreign Policy Report Card evaluating the government's performance in key areas. Heading into an election, the Liberals received the lowest grade ever, scoring a C+ overall and in crucial areas, such as diplomacy, a C-.
We find that that Trudeau's foreign policy is driven largely by domestic pandering with little thought to long-term strategic objectives. A foreign policy designed in dribs and drabs, never planned too far in advance, never looking too far into the future.
While a comprehensive defence review was conducted in 2017, there was never an equivalent foreign-policy review to recalibrate Canada's national interests in an increasingly complex and changing world. For all the change and uncertainty that have roiled alliances and our allies, Trudeau and Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland have sat comfortably idling on the margins, eulogizing the end of the liberal international order and longing for its return, looking back but never forward.
We've heard rousing speeches in Parliament that evoke memories of the "Golden Age" of Canadian diplomacy. A party extolling its proud tradition of statesmanship, always with a hand in negotiations and conflict resolution. And yet, at every turn, this government has helped undermine and weaken the international order and the principles it stands upon.
Under Freeland's watch, Liberal foreign policy has become conservative, hawkish and short-sighted. A foreign policy no longer committed to multilateralism or diplomacy. A foreign policy largely improvised, ad hoc, and built for domestic consumption with a tinge of subservience to the United States.
<snip>
The Liberals' amateur approach to statecraft has crept into other areas of government policy, as well. Few Canadians would know or appreciate that the Canadian Forces are now at one of the highest operational tempos in decades. Our troops are deployed across the Middle East, West Africa and Eastern Europe on a variety of missions. But none of these interventions serve a broader security policy. When we are engaged, we do so half-heartedly. Where we are needed most, such as in Mali, we abandon our allies in the heat of the fight.
The state of our armed forces remains equally depleted. Despite the Liberals' preference for running deficits, our air force continues to fly planes that first saw action during the senior Trudeau's government. Rather than committing to the investments that are so obviously needed, the procurement issue has been punted down the road, beyond the election.
<snip>
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/for-millennials-in-canada-the-middle-class-dream-slips-a-little-further-away-oecd
For millennials in Canada, the middle class dream slips a little further away: OECD
Just 59 per cent of Canadian millennials were found to have attained middle class status by their 20s, compared to 67 per cent of their boomer parents
Tom Blackwell
April 11, 2019 1:10 PM EDT
With a federal election coming later this year, expect politicians to be talking non-stop about the middle class and its importance to the country.
The problem is, according to a new report, the middle class is shrinking - squeezed by high housing and education costs, displaced by automation and lacking the skills most valued in the digital economy.
And faring particularly badly are millennials, who are less likely to reach middle-income levels in their 20s than their baby-boomer parents, says the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development analysis.
The picture is as bad or slightly worse in Canada as in the average OECD country, said the report, which calls for various government measures to tackle the problems.
<snip>
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/philpott-may-run-again-under-another-party-banner-denies-being-attention-seeking-1.4377894
Philpott may run again under another party banner, denies being 'attention-seeking'
Rachel Aiello Published Sunday, April 14, 2019 7:00AM EDT
OTTAWA - Former Liberal cabinet minister-turned Independent MP Jane Philpott says she's currently seriously exploring a range of options to continue her tenure as a federally elected politician, and is pushing back on accusations made about her intentions and motivations throughout the SNC-Lavalin scandal.
<snip>
Philpott said she has had conversations with both the federal NDP and Green Party, but she could not run for the Conservatives, despite leader Andrew Scheer being one of her and Wilson-Raybould's most vocal supporters over the last two months.
"There are too many policy differences with the Conservatives," she said.
<snip>
http://poll.forumresearch.com/post/2938/federal-april-2019
Gap Between Second-Place Liberals and Leading Conservatives Widens April 14, 2019 @ 6:59 AM
Toronto, April 9th - In a random sampling of public opinion taken by The Forum Poll™ among 1634 Canadian voters, with those decided and leaning, 4 in 10 (42%) say they would support the Conservatives, with a third (29%) saying they would support the Liberals and a tenth (12%) supporting the NDP.
1 in 10 (9%) support the Green Party and few support the BQ (6%), the People’s Party of Canada (2%), or another party (1%).
Respondents most likely to support the Conservatives include males (51%), live in the Prairies (Alberta 67%, Manitoba/Saskatchewan 64%), are between the ages of 45-54 (48%), the least educated (51%) and earn between $80,000 to $100,000 (47%).
Respondents most likely to say they support the Liberals are those who live in Ontario (36%), those aged 35-44 (34%), 55-64 (33%), or 65 and over (35%), females (35%), those earning $20,000 to $40,000 (31%) or $100,000-$250,000 (31%), and those with post-graduate degrees (39%).
If an election were held today, these results suggest the Conservatives would win a majority government of 192 seats. The Liberals would serve as the official opposition with 105 seats. The BQ would secure 23 seats, the NDP 16 seats, and the Green Party with 2 seats.
1 in 3 say Scheer would make the best Prime Minister A third (30%) say Andrew Scheer would make the best Prime Minister regardless of which party they plan to vote for. A quarter (26%) say Justin Trudeau, 1 in 10 (10%) say Elizabeth May and a similar proportion say (7%) Jagmeet Singh would make the best Prime Minister.
1 in 4 (27%) of respondents say they don’t know.
<snip>
"The Conservative lead over the Liberals has widened as the challenges plaguing the government are beginning to take their toll," said Dr. Lorne Bozinoff, President of Forum Research. "With the exception of Elizabeth May, none of the Federal leaders has a positive net favourable score, which suggests people aren’t particularly impressed with most of their options, right now."
Apparently, nothing has been learned from the previous Liberal government's "Soldiers in our streets. With guns" fear tactics, or Hillary's "basket of deplorables" moment.
Then there's growing economy, deficit, pipeline, foreign policy, taxation (carbon dioxide and other), military funding, illegal border crossings, and poorer prospects for the young problems, past Khadr payments and holidays (unethical and cringey-costumed), continuing Vice-Admiral Norman and Lavscam affairs, and Jane Philpott may deny them her seat.
And the latest poll shows the continuing effects of all of this:
https://torontosun.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-liberals-are-treating-racism-like-an-electoral-prop-thats-wrong
EDITORIAL: Liberals are treating racism like an electoral prop - that's wrong
Postmedia News Published: April 12, 2019
It looks like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may have found some inspiration in the Jussie Smollett case and has himself decided to cry racism as a PR ploy.
"White supremacy has no place in Canada," Trudeau posted to social media the other day. We'd certainly agree with that statement. But Trudeau didn't leave it at that.
"It's time for all parties, including Andrew Scheer's Conservative Party, to stand together in denouncing hatred in all its forms," Trudeau continued.
It's part of a larger drive-by smear, an attempt to imply in the lead up to the election that Scheer is somehow supportive of or in allegiance with white supremacists. It's a completely groundless accusation, which is why they're so vague in making it. But their goal is to clearly plant the seed.
<snip>
This all came after the Liberals pounced upon comments made by Conservative Senator Leo Housakos who was pressing Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to be more specific in her suggestion that Canada was somehow a cesspool of white supremacy that places us in grave danger.
Because Housakos was reluctant to believe that our streets have been overrun with violent white supremacists and that Canadians are somehow weak-willed enough to fall prey en masse to such an awful ideology, the Liberals are trying to shamelessly twist it into something it's not. It's pretty weak sauce.
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https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/mackay-of-stormy-days-come-better-ways
MACKAY: Of stormy days come better ways
Peter MacKay Published: April 13, 2019
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Yet the corrosive forces at play go back far longer than the current scandal that has rocked this Government over its term in office. Our Canada under this Prime Minister is undeniably poorer, less prosperous, less secure, less influential. Faced with increasingly challenging, complex and volatile times, reputationally we are losing our privileged position in the world.
There is a clear need for focus and discipline regarding economy, foreign relations, national security and the environment. Consumed with the inner machinations of political mismanagement, ill-delivered 'priorities' of cannabis legalization, over-lorded carbon tax, sanctimonious scolding of our own population, this government irreparably harms our esteemed pedigree.
<snip>
Feminist, Environmentalist, Indigenous: under him "Canada is back."
Instead? Massive deficits electoral reform un-promised, trade negotiations bungled, immigration policy at sea, pipeline projects cancelled and nationalized, foreign investment drying up, sexual interference queried, humiliating foreign visits ridiculed, vacations in conflict of interest and fundraising likewise, payouts to terrorists voluntary, too many missteps and worse to count.
Now the present scandal spilling into penal arguably spurious prosecution of a respected 35-year RCN veteran, the politicization of the "objective" neutral public service through Wernick clearly confounded as to his role, interference with selection of the judiciary, neglect of military veterans, escalation of taxes on working people, shoddy roll-out of marijuana ironically increasing black market penetration, declining productivity and competitiveness; in effect a general malaise, a country adrift.
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https://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/op-ed/comment-friend-or-faux-four-years-of-failed-foreign-policy-1.23789024
Comment: Friend or faux? Four years of failed foreign policy
Times Colonist April 14, 2019 12:55 AM
David Carment, Brandon Jamieson, Fatimah Elfeitori and Emily Robertson
When it comes to foreign policy, members of the Trudeau government are very good at explaining what they think Canadians want. Less clear is if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is the right leader to navigate a new world of uncertainty.
This is a key finding from our annual Foreign Policy Report Card evaluating the government's performance in key areas. Heading into an election, the Liberals received the lowest grade ever, scoring a C+ overall and in crucial areas, such as diplomacy, a C-.
We find that that Trudeau's foreign policy is driven largely by domestic pandering with little thought to long-term strategic objectives. A foreign policy designed in dribs and drabs, never planned too far in advance, never looking too far into the future.
While a comprehensive defence review was conducted in 2017, there was never an equivalent foreign-policy review to recalibrate Canada's national interests in an increasingly complex and changing world. For all the change and uncertainty that have roiled alliances and our allies, Trudeau and Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland have sat comfortably idling on the margins, eulogizing the end of the liberal international order and longing for its return, looking back but never forward.
We've heard rousing speeches in Parliament that evoke memories of the "Golden Age" of Canadian diplomacy. A party extolling its proud tradition of statesmanship, always with a hand in negotiations and conflict resolution. And yet, at every turn, this government has helped undermine and weaken the international order and the principles it stands upon.
Under Freeland's watch, Liberal foreign policy has become conservative, hawkish and short-sighted. A foreign policy no longer committed to multilateralism or diplomacy. A foreign policy largely improvised, ad hoc, and built for domestic consumption with a tinge of subservience to the United States.
<snip>
The Liberals' amateur approach to statecraft has crept into other areas of government policy, as well. Few Canadians would know or appreciate that the Canadian Forces are now at one of the highest operational tempos in decades. Our troops are deployed across the Middle East, West Africa and Eastern Europe on a variety of missions. But none of these interventions serve a broader security policy. When we are engaged, we do so half-heartedly. Where we are needed most, such as in Mali, we abandon our allies in the heat of the fight.
The state of our armed forces remains equally depleted. Despite the Liberals' preference for running deficits, our air force continues to fly planes that first saw action during the senior Trudeau's government. Rather than committing to the investments that are so obviously needed, the procurement issue has been punted down the road, beyond the election.
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https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/for-millennials-in-canada-the-middle-class-dream-slips-a-little-further-away-oecd
For millennials in Canada, the middle class dream slips a little further away: OECD
Just 59 per cent of Canadian millennials were found to have attained middle class status by their 20s, compared to 67 per cent of their boomer parents
Tom Blackwell
April 11, 2019 1:10 PM EDT
With a federal election coming later this year, expect politicians to be talking non-stop about the middle class and its importance to the country.
The problem is, according to a new report, the middle class is shrinking - squeezed by high housing and education costs, displaced by automation and lacking the skills most valued in the digital economy.
And faring particularly badly are millennials, who are less likely to reach middle-income levels in their 20s than their baby-boomer parents, says the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development analysis.
The picture is as bad or slightly worse in Canada as in the average OECD country, said the report, which calls for various government measures to tackle the problems.
<snip>
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/philpott-may-run-again-under-another-party-banner-denies-being-attention-seeking-1.4377894
Philpott may run again under another party banner, denies being 'attention-seeking'
Rachel Aiello Published Sunday, April 14, 2019 7:00AM EDT
OTTAWA - Former Liberal cabinet minister-turned Independent MP Jane Philpott says she's currently seriously exploring a range of options to continue her tenure as a federally elected politician, and is pushing back on accusations made about her intentions and motivations throughout the SNC-Lavalin scandal.
<snip>
Philpott said she has had conversations with both the federal NDP and Green Party, but she could not run for the Conservatives, despite leader Andrew Scheer being one of her and Wilson-Raybould's most vocal supporters over the last two months.
"There are too many policy differences with the Conservatives," she said.
<snip>
http://poll.forumresearch.com/post/2938/federal-april-2019
Gap Between Second-Place Liberals and Leading Conservatives Widens April 14, 2019 @ 6:59 AM
Toronto, April 9th - In a random sampling of public opinion taken by The Forum Poll™ among 1634 Canadian voters, with those decided and leaning, 4 in 10 (42%) say they would support the Conservatives, with a third (29%) saying they would support the Liberals and a tenth (12%) supporting the NDP.
1 in 10 (9%) support the Green Party and few support the BQ (6%), the People’s Party of Canada (2%), or another party (1%).
Respondents most likely to support the Conservatives include males (51%), live in the Prairies (Alberta 67%, Manitoba/Saskatchewan 64%), are between the ages of 45-54 (48%), the least educated (51%) and earn between $80,000 to $100,000 (47%).
Respondents most likely to say they support the Liberals are those who live in Ontario (36%), those aged 35-44 (34%), 55-64 (33%), or 65 and over (35%), females (35%), those earning $20,000 to $40,000 (31%) or $100,000-$250,000 (31%), and those with post-graduate degrees (39%).
If an election were held today, these results suggest the Conservatives would win a majority government of 192 seats. The Liberals would serve as the official opposition with 105 seats. The BQ would secure 23 seats, the NDP 16 seats, and the Green Party with 2 seats.
1 in 3 say Scheer would make the best Prime Minister A third (30%) say Andrew Scheer would make the best Prime Minister regardless of which party they plan to vote for. A quarter (26%) say Justin Trudeau, 1 in 10 (10%) say Elizabeth May and a similar proportion say (7%) Jagmeet Singh would make the best Prime Minister.
1 in 4 (27%) of respondents say they don’t know.
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"The Conservative lead over the Liberals has widened as the challenges plaguing the government are beginning to take their toll," said Dr. Lorne Bozinoff, President of Forum Research. "With the exception of Elizabeth May, none of the Federal leaders has a positive net favourable score, which suggests people aren’t particularly impressed with most of their options, right now."
- Reaction score
- 1,528
- Points
- 1,160
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/d ... n-2019.pdf (Full Report at Link)
What Happens to the Federal Deficit if a Recession Occurs in 2019?
Summary Of the March 2019 Report
In its latest fiscal update, the Trudeau government revealed that it intends to continue running sizeable budget deficits for the foreseeable future. There are several risks inherent in the federal government’s current approach to fiscal policy and criticism has frequently revolved around the potential for federal finances to deteriorate rapidly if a recession were to occur.
In the event of a recession, aside from any policy changes the federal government might make, government revenues will decline and program spending will increase, resulting in larger deficits (or reduced surpluses).
To assess how a potential recession would affect Canada’s federal finances, this bulletin uses the latest fiscal sensitivity tables from the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) and historical economic data from the 1991/92 (mild), 2000/01 (moderate), and 2008/09 (severe) recessions or slowdowns. The analysis excludes the effect of any potential discretionary spending.
The bulletin finds that the 2019/20 deficit could increase from its current expected level of $19.6 billion to anywhere between $28.2 billion to $34.4 billion depending on the severity of the next recession. In addition, the five-year accumulated deficit from 2019/20 to 2023/24 could increase from its current budgeted level of $76.8 billion to between $114.6 billion and
$142.3 billion (an increase of between $37.8 billion and $65.5 billion).
This bulletin’s estimates for what the deficit might look like when a recession occurs are conservative. The deficit will likely be much higher than these estimates once the federal government enacts policy changes to stimulate the economy. Regardless of the severity of the recession, the risks posed to federal finances are considerable. The federal government needs to alter Canada’s current trajectory by emphasizing deficit reduction in future budgets.
What Happens to the Federal Deficit if a Recession Occurs in 2019?
Summary Of the March 2019 Report
In its latest fiscal update, the Trudeau government revealed that it intends to continue running sizeable budget deficits for the foreseeable future. There are several risks inherent in the federal government’s current approach to fiscal policy and criticism has frequently revolved around the potential for federal finances to deteriorate rapidly if a recession were to occur.
In the event of a recession, aside from any policy changes the federal government might make, government revenues will decline and program spending will increase, resulting in larger deficits (or reduced surpluses).
To assess how a potential recession would affect Canada’s federal finances, this bulletin uses the latest fiscal sensitivity tables from the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) and historical economic data from the 1991/92 (mild), 2000/01 (moderate), and 2008/09 (severe) recessions or slowdowns. The analysis excludes the effect of any potential discretionary spending.
The bulletin finds that the 2019/20 deficit could increase from its current expected level of $19.6 billion to anywhere between $28.2 billion to $34.4 billion depending on the severity of the next recession. In addition, the five-year accumulated deficit from 2019/20 to 2023/24 could increase from its current budgeted level of $76.8 billion to between $114.6 billion and
$142.3 billion (an increase of between $37.8 billion and $65.5 billion).
This bulletin’s estimates for what the deficit might look like when a recession occurs are conservative. The deficit will likely be much higher than these estimates once the federal government enacts policy changes to stimulate the economy. Regardless of the severity of the recession, the risks posed to federal finances are considerable. The federal government needs to alter Canada’s current trajectory by emphasizing deficit reduction in future budgets.
Attachments
- Reaction score
- 3
- Points
- 430
The Fraser Institute is a Canadian public policy think tank and registered charity. It has been described as politically conservative and libertarian.
The Toronto Sun is modeled on British tabloid journalism, even borrowing the name of The Sun newspaper published in London, and sharing some similar features of that paper.
When the Post launched, its editorial stance was conservative. It advocated a "unite-the-right" movement to create a viable alternative to the Liberal government of Jean Chrétien, and supported the Canadian Alliance.
The above quotes are all from Wikipedia.
While I have my own political opinion I see value in following a variety of media opinions.
The Toronto Sun is modeled on British tabloid journalism, even borrowing the name of The Sun newspaper published in London, and sharing some similar features of that paper.
When the Post launched, its editorial stance was conservative. It advocated a "unite-the-right" movement to create a viable alternative to the Liberal government of Jean Chrétien, and supported the Canadian Alliance.
The above quotes are all from Wikipedia.
While I have my own political opinion I see value in following a variety of media opinions.
- Reaction score
- 4,915
- Points
- 1,160
So you're saying the study is biased and that if we hit a recession with our current and projected deficit that we won't have anything to worry about?
Brad Sallows
Army.ca Legend
- Reaction score
- 8,847
- Points
- 1,040
>While I have my own political opinion I see value in following a variety of media opinions.
Ironic that you quoted three times a source that is notorious for its bias on political matters.
Ironic that you quoted three times a source that is notorious for its bias on political matters.
- Reaction score
- 6,352
- Points
- 1,160
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/snc-lavalin-liberal-donors-list-canada-elections-1.5114537
Names of SNC employees, executives behind thousands of dollars in illegal Liberal Party donations revealed
More at link.
Names of SNC employees, executives behind thousands of dollars in illegal Liberal Party donations revealed
More at link.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 10
Looking at the poll for sometime I thought this year would produce a Liberal minority. However I'm beginning to suspect the Conservatives may now win a minority government. Across Canada the Liberals have been falling more and more. Up north they probably will win Yukon and Northwest Territories while Nunavuts seat goes blue. Despite a breakthrough out west by coming first in British Columbia (which hasn't happened since 1968) and Manitoba ( which only happened during a Cretiens years after 1968) the Conservatives will likely win both provinces back and easily so. Ontario the Conservatives will probably win but narrowly. Quebec is going further away from Liberals but they still narrowly lead there. In Atlantic Canada New Brunswick has been Conservative leaning for months whereas Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia seem to still be leaning Liberal but the Greens are actually beginning to eat at their base. Only Newfoundland seems solidly Liberals. Infact as per provinces won the absolute worst case senario for Trudeau would be winning only Newfoundland (if Ignatieff won there fairly well it won't be leaving the Liberals any time soon) Yukon and perhaps PEI
The four "swing " provinces to watch for will totally be British Columbia and New Brunswick (both at this point has large Conservative leads) Manitoba ( probably going blue but it depends how badly Winnipeg voters vote against them) and Ontario which could still gone either way, but the Conservatives still been leading. Perhaps Quebec if it becomes a conservative landslide
The four "swing " provinces to watch for will totally be British Columbia and New Brunswick (both at this point has large Conservative leads) Manitoba ( probably going blue but it depends how badly Winnipeg voters vote against them) and Ontario which could still gone either way, but the Conservatives still been leading. Perhaps Quebec if it becomes a conservative landslide
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