New Canadian Politics Thread

[LeafGm]

Not rubbing it in, I hadn't heard.

Is he as batshit as Rob?

In terms of policy, intellect and competence, Doug is basically Rob Ford minus the substance abuse problems (as far as we know).

However, where Rob Ford was a loveable buffoon who connected with people, and genuinely seemed to enjoy helping people and serving the community to a degree (taking constituent phone calls personally, coaching youth football teams, etc), Doug's a greasy, sociopathic shark cut more from the same cloth as Trump, IMO.

 

[Habsy]

World gone mad.

 

[LeafGm]

On the upside, I'm not sure it's a sign that Ontario has developed a taste for populism.

It was just the perfect storm of circumstances. A deeply unpopular, 15-year incumbent government that was going to get decimated at the polls no matter what. The only other serious alternative was a party way too far over to the left than most people are comfortable with, led by an uninspiring, twice (now thrice) failed leader, and with the baggage of a previous spectacularly unpopular NDP government in the 90's.

And then you have a PC leader who gets unexpectedly bounced from his job mere months before the election, allowing Ford to swoop in, steal the PC leadership with only 50+1% of the membership's vote, and then head directly into an election where to most of the Province outside of Toronto, he was an unknown, right-of-center blank slate with a decent business pedigree.

And Ford did a great job of keeping it that way, by running a bland campaign that was devoid of as much detail as possible, and that almost completely excluded the media.

 

[Altair]

On the upside, I'm not sure it's a sign that Ontario has developed a taste for populism.

It was just the perfect storm of circumstances. A deeply unpopular, 15-year incumbent government that was going to get decimated at the polls no matter what. The only other serious alternative was a party way too far over to the left than most people are comfortable with, led by an uninspiring, twice (now thrice) failed leader, and with the baggage of a previous spectacularly unpopular NDP government in the 90's.

And then you have a PC leader who gets unexpectedly bounced from his job mere months before the election, allowing Ford to swoop in, steal the PC leadership with only 50+1% of the membership's vote, and then head directly into an election where to most of the Province outside of Toronto, he was an unknown, right-of-center blank slate with a decent business pedigree.

And Ford did a great job of keeping it that way, by running a bland campaign that was devoid of as much detail as possible, and that almost completely excluded the media.

Ontario, on a whole, knew the deal with the devil they were getting with Ford. Just one debate and they would know. No concrete plan on how to do, pay, or plan for anything he was saying, no platform, his entire campaign was the liberals suck, and the NDP are worst.

Ontario may not have developed a taste for populism, but they knew they were electing a populist, and whatever happens now, the people of ontario deserve whatever comes with Ford running the province.

 

[anne25]

I guess the Harris government didn't leave much to **** but this guy is going to screw what's left of the good of this city. Just sit back and watch what he does with the remaininng burnt corpse that gets overrun by commuters who live in Harris' low density, public transportation-free suburbs.

One advantage Ford has that Harris didn't is,that for now, not having to deal with a federal government making major cuts to transferes to the provinces in order to get their own deficit under control. Marten get credit for getting the Feds finances in order but it came with a cost.

 

[BeLeafer]

One advantage Ford has that Harris didn't is,that for now, not having to deal with a federal government making major cuts to transferes to the provinces in order to get their own deficit under control. Marten get credit for getting the Feds finances in order but it came with a cost.

There's no question that Harris/Eves were passing on (only too happily) the burden of the health and social transfer cuts that Martin brought in. The latter was the main perpetator in the destruction of Ontario's/Canada's safety net.

That doesn't, however, excuse or explain the highly irresponsible deregulation of land use or the forced (and anti-democratic) amalgamation of Toronto and other cities.

 

[Hoss]

Not rubbing it in, I hadn't heard.

Is he as batshit as Rob?

If Rob Ford was John Belushi.... Doug is Jim.

but seriously, he was the bully hash dealer in highschool and that's where his education stopped.

 

[Altair]

http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/cohen-against-trump-canada-never-had-a-chance

Good news?

Three things are striking here. The first is the solidarity across politics. When Jason Kenney, John Baird and Doug Ford are “standing shoulder to shoulder” with you, you’re doing something right. (Only Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, who supported Brexit, has dissented. Picking a fight with Trudeau on trade is lunacy for him. Politically, Scheer is Simon and Garfunkel’s elephant: kindly but dumb.)

The truth is that economic nationalism sells and so does standing up to the Americans. If nothing else, we’ll defend our dignity in the face of a president who is fonder of Kim Jong-un than of Justin.

The second is that Trump has handed Trudeau next year’s election. The prime minister now has a cause and a constituency casting him as Captain Canada against the Americans, much as his father was against the separatists.

The third is our options are limited. We can impose measured sanctions, dollar-for-dollar, and hope Trump will not retaliate further. If he does, he will send our economy into recession.

 

[MindzEye]

Sort of

It's good that the majority of our political leaders are willing to set aside partisan bullshit and show solidarity as Canadians first. It's good that Andrew Scheer is being exposed for the idiot he is this close to a federal election.

It's bad that we're in this position at all though. Remove this trade flap and I think Trudea would have picked up momentum anyway with what appears to be a successful legalization of MJ on the way (an event that the world seems to be stopping and watching).

So yeah, if you're a Liberal supporter, Trudeau being in conflict with a guy that 62% of canadians think is a "liar", and 74% consider "arrogant" is a huge win. The only place Trump is well liked at all is ****ing Alberta and the venn diagram of people who weren't voting Trudeau, and have positive opinions of Trump were already a near perfect circle, so **** it.

 

[zeke]

Doesn't take too much to see a trade war shifting the ground against Trudeau, unfortunately.

 

[MindzEye]

Doesn't take too much to see a trade war shifting the ground against Trudeau, unfortunately.

No, but that a made for TV villain is pretty clearly on the other side of this will blunt that imo. If the current US President was more of the nameless/faceless variety, it would hit Trudeau pretty ****ing hard.

 

[UWHabs]

No, but that a made for TV villain is pretty clearly on the other side of this will blunt that imo. If the current US President was more of the nameless/faceless variety, it would hit Trudeau pretty ****ing hard.

Yep, seeing Trudeau stand up to Trump only helps his image. Of course, if this standoff escalates to a full scale war and the economy starts taking a hit, that sucks. The biggest question about this is how do we de-escalate, what message do we have to feed to Trump so that he thinks he wins the war and back down.

 

[zeke]

I read something today about apparently Trump possibly taking that "sunset clause" out in his last meeting with Justin, which is why he freaked out about the press conference.

That's the kind of thing that can be spun against Justin pretty quick if things go sourer.

 

[MindzEye]

Yep, seeing Trudeau stand up to Trump only helps his image. Of course, if this standoff escalates to a full scale war and the economy starts taking a hit, that sucks. The biggest question about this is how do we de-escalate, what message do we have to feed to Trump so that he thinks he wins the war and back down.

 

[MindzEye]

I read something today about apparently Trump possibly taking that "sunset clause" out in his last meeting with Justin, which is why he freaked out about the press conference.

That's the kind of thing that can be spun against Justin pretty quick if things go sourer.

It also sounds like TrumpCo damage control/spin. It removes emphasis from the ridiculous Steel/Aluminum tariffs and places it back on Nafta, which is exactly what team Trump wants. Remember that TrumpCo wants removal of the dispute mechanism, which is equally as ridiculous a position as the sunset clause is. Drawing attention to the removal of the sunset clause is exactly what you would do if you wanted to put the pressure on your negotiating partner. See, look at me being a reasonable guy and getting rid of the sunset clause, but this Justin guy won't meet me in the middle by getting rid of the dispute mechanism, SAD#.

 

[worm]

Yep, seeing Trudeau stand up to Trump only helps his image. Of course, if this standoff escalates to a full scale war and the economy starts taking a hit, that sucks. The biggest question about this is how do we de-escalate, what message do we have to feed to Trump so that he thinks he wins the war and back down.

Bring in Rodman.

 

[CH1]

Andrew Scheer kicks Bernier out of shadow cabinet for speaking out in favour of free market.

Goddamn, the milk board is powerful.

 

[CH1]

@acoyne
All I want is a fiscally responsible, sensibly free-market, tolerantly conservative party, staffed by adults and led by people with a bit of judgement.
But apparently that’s too much to ask.

 

[MindzEye]

We are not immune

http://pressprogress.ca/ezra-levant...n-russia-filming-pro-putin-propaganda-videos/

Nothing to see here, folks – everything’s totally 100% normal.

After all, what’s out of the ordinary about what Rebel Media’s Katie Hopkins is currently doing in Russia filming videos praising Vladimir Putin?

In one recent video shot on the streets of St. Petersburg, the far-right Rebel Media personality tells viewers Putin is an ally of the global far-right, pointing out Kremlin rubles have helped finance the rise of far-right parties across Europe.

“I do wonder about this idea of Putin being our enemy,” Hopkins says, noting that he “supported Marine LePen with loans and he supported Viktor Orban in Hungary.”

“Perhaps Putin is not the monster we’ve made him out to be.”

Let's also remember that Ezra was begging and pleading for money recently because he's lost over 300 advertisers over the last 18 months, and I can't see this: https://globalnews.ca/news/4045136/rebel-media-retirement-savings-fund-ezra-levant/

TORONTO – Ezra Levant‘s Rebel Media has teamed up with a wealth management firm to launch a retirement saving fund geared toward Canadians who want to invest in the highly controversial and conservative online news site.

The Wells Plus 6ix Rebel Freedom Fund is run by Alberta-based Wells Asset Management.

The firm says the RRSP eligible income fund is directed at investors who “desire modest, regular, steady income,” and is advertised as having a four per cent target rate of return.

as having been particularly successful.

So in the end of it, he'll whore himself out to the Kremlin to keep the lights on.

 

[MindzEye]

We are not immune

http://pressprogress.ca/ezra-levant...n-russia-filming-pro-putin-propaganda-videos/

Nothing to see here, folks – everything’s totally 100% normal.

After all, what’s out of the ordinary about what Rebel Media’s Katie Hopkins is currently doing in Russia filming videos praising Vladimir Putin?

In one recent video shot on the streets of St. Petersburg, the far-right Rebel Media personality tells viewers Putin is an ally of the global far-right, pointing out Kremlin rubles have helped finance the rise of far-right parties across Europe.

“I do wonder about this idea of Putin being our enemy,” Hopkins says, noting that he “supported Marine LePen with loans and he supported Viktor Orban in Hungary.”

“Perhaps Putin is not the monster we’ve made him out to be.”

Let's also remember that Ezra was begging and pleading for money recently because he's lost over 300 advertisers over the last 18 months, and I can't see this: https://globalnews.ca/news/4045136/rebel-media-retirement-savings-fund-ezra-levant/

TORONTO – Ezra Levant‘s Rebel Media has teamed up with a wealth management firm to launch a retirement saving fund geared toward Canadians who want to invest in the highly controversial and conservative online news site.

The Wells Plus 6ix Rebel Freedom Fund is run by Alberta-based Wells Asset Management.

The firm says the RRSP eligible income fund is directed at investors who “desire modest, regular, steady income,” and is advertised as having a four per cent target rate of return.

as having been particularly successful.

So in the end of it, he'll whore himself out to the Kremlin to keep the lights on.