New Canadian Politics Thread

[Wayward DP]

Doug Ford's reign as Premier in Ontario is proceeding about how you'd expect.

• Is caught on tape during the campaign promising developers to open the Greenbelt up for development. In the face of a public outcry, he then reverses course and promises they'll protect it. And then when in government, he's now set to pass a law that'd gut the environmental protections that are stopping development. It's also come out that the biggest donor to the pro-Ford advocacy group "Ontario Proud" (who advertised a shit-ton leading up to and during the election) is Mattamy Homes. Hmmm....
  
  
• Without consulting with the city or any public announcement, the Ontario government has also sold a prime piece of Toronto's waterfront to a Ford family friend for a cut-rate price.
  
  
• Almost immediately after taking office, he orchestrated the firing of Hydro One's CEO & board of directors, ostensibly because the CEO was making $6M a year, and Ford was looking to "save the taxpayers money". That move led to Washington State citing Ford's "political interference" in the company's affairs when cancelling a Hydro One deal to take over an energy company named Avista. As a result, Ontario taxpayers will be on the hook for around $185M in "break fees" for the cancellation of the deal.
  
  
• With the Ontario Provincial Police in need of a new commissioner, Ford decided he'd step into the process to have another close Ford family friend, Ron Taverner, appointed to the position. The only problem? Taverner was grossly underqualified for the job based on his rank, which was two levels below the minimum requirement. The solution? Ford had the qualifications for the job lowered to the point where Taverner would be eligible for the position. The OPP's interim commissioner has now asked the Province's ombudsman to investigate "questions of political interference" in Taverner's appointment.
  
  
• My favourite ridiculous Ford news so far though, came out yesterday:

and if I'm being honest, Ford has probably exceeded my expectations thus far! guess I set the bar too low...

 

[worm]

Heh. I am entirely unsurprised that Doug & Rob were both idiot fake-tough guy bullies as kids. It definitely carried over to their adult lives as well.

As for Ford being PM...honestly, these days I wouldn't rule out any possibility.

But hopefully he'll be such an obviously corrupt, incompetent dunce as a Premier that he'll poison the well for any future federal political aspirations he might hold.

And in general, it's really rare for Provincial Premiers to successfully make the jump to Federal leadership, probably because it's tough for the entire country to get behind someone who's so identifiable with one province. Honestly, I can't even remember the last time a former Premier even became a Federal party leader, let alone the PM.

in canada all i can think of is tommy douglas (became federal party leader)

and in the states it is the opposite

governors have a much better shot at becoming president than federal politicians (kennedy and obama are the exceptions there)

 

[Altair]

So taking control from the crown for the ability to have the right to self govern and make their own decisions with the land is wrong?

Now that depends. I'm looking at a place like kahnawake. Located about 20 minutes from downtown Montreal. Similar areas are overun by urban sprawl, local communities overun by young families wanting to escape to the suburbs. So what happens if you allow everyone on the reserve to sell to whoever they want to? Developers are going to go in, buy the houses and land at dirt cheap prices because let's face it, the value is in the land only as the houses are substandard and are going to be torn down. After 20 to 30 years, kahnawake will be overtaken by native Canadians or foreign home buyers. Once less first nations community in Canada. Multiply this by the amount of first nations communities across the country and its nothing less than cultural assimilation.

Have you ever tried to start a business within a rez?

no, but isn't that should be a issue for the local band council to take care of, the feds shouldn't have a part to play there.

I have ...
I had to open my first shop off the rez.
I rented a house to another person and the red tape I had to go through was rediculous.

the alternative is worse

Go through the sale of rez land and tell me that the idea of the crown over seeing all transactions isnt a joke

the alternative is still worse.

So the land would go dirt cheap? Have you been on some of these reserves and seen the spectacular views? The only reason the land goes so cheap is because we are unable to sell it due to the fact that the only persons that can purchase this land are other natives from the same band. Or else you can sell the dwelling and only lease the land.

some have spectacular views. Most, IMHO, do not.

So ya, the government should relinquish the laws and agreements they have on this land.
Self determination involves the right to do with our property what we want, even if what we want is a mistake.

first nations cannot afford any more mistakes. And what you're advocating for would be the death kneel of many first nations commuties across the country. Destitute isolated first nations communities across the country would remain that way, and those in prime locations will be subject to urban sprawl in a manner which will lead to them being overun and swallowed up by nearby cities.

That is the right of those who should own the right of self government.

with the amount of bands and a national chief of the Assembly of First Nations I don't know how you can make this claim. Name any other minority that has a parallel governing structure such as this that has the amount of political clout as Perry Bellegarde

You sound like you want to give it all but yet still babysit us.
It is all about what is on it for me ......

babysit? No. I want first nations to be on a level playing field as other Canadians, and right now that's not the case. Poverty, substance abuse, mental health,education, housing, clean goddamn water, these are all places where first nations are at a clear disadvantage compared to other Canadians. If you make it a free for all, first nations are going to get destroyed.

Have you ever been to a band meeting? Where decisions are made and voted on ...... we can't even agree to disagree many times and the distrust of band counsels and each other is comical.

so citizens who vote in these bands should do something. Self determination right? Solve it at a local level. Not all bands are disfunctional.

So ya, speaking as the son and grandson and great grandson of the native heritage, I can say you dont give up something for nothing and to ask for and give a pipeline after adamentally opposing it for your own special interests, is nothing more than good business. But in business there are costs ..... so what is in it for everyone else?

a pipeline for giving up everything else is akin to asking for the right to work and giving up your house for the privilege. Highway robbery.

 

[Altair]

Looking like its time to issue a travel advisory for China, at least until their arrest a Canadian every other day thing is over

 

[LeafGm]

Looking like its time to issue a travel advisory for China, at least until their arrest a Canadian every other day thing is over

If you're either a high-ranking Canadian businessman or a Canadian with any past or present ties to the Canadian government...I don't know what the hell you're still doing in China.

As soon as that Huawei executive was arrested, any of those people should have taken it as their immediate cue to go home for an early Christmas vacation.

 

[Wayward DP]

did they arrest someone in addition to Kovrig that I don't know about yet?

 

[zeke]

Nice of Trump to declare the arrested CFO a bargaining chip for trade negotiations.

That should turn out well.

 

[Wayward DP]

Nice of Trump to declare the arrested CFO a bargaining chip for trade negotiations.

That should turn out well.

arrested CFO in frickin Canadian custody. trying to make a mockery of two judiciaries at once.

and I answered my own question from above, another Canadian is missing in China. said to be an associate of Kovrig too.

 

[Altair]

arrested CFO in frickin Canadian custody. trying to make a mockery of two judiciaries at once.

and I answered my own question from above, another Canadian is missing in China. said to be an associate of Kovrig too.

And on the top of it all, when China starts to arrest Canadians the Americans, **** all of our allies have been silent as a mouse.

Canada has to go this alone simply on the behalf of the Americans, there is zero gain here for Canada. I would let her go tomorrow, it's not worth it for Canada to try to enforce American sanctions on Iran.

But, if we are to go it alone, talk to CSIS, how many Chinese residents in BC are here for questionable reasons and start throwing them in jail under the security of information act.

 

[zeke]

Mike Crawley @CBCQueensPark
BREAKING: Interim OPP commissioner Brad Blair wants an Ontario court to order the ombudsman to investigate the appointment of Premier Doug Ford`s family friend Ron Taverner as new OPP commissioner.

 

[UWHabs]

And on the top of it all, when China starts to arrest Canadians the Americans, **** all of our allies have been silent as a mouse.

Canada has to go this alone simply on the behalf of the Americans, there is zero gain here for Canada. I would let her go tomorrow, it's not worth it for Canada to try to enforce American sanctions on Iran.

But, if we are to go it alone, talk to CSIS, how many Chinese residents in BC are here for questionable reasons and start throwing them in jail under the security of information act.

It's definitely one of those overly shitty situations, caught between competing forces.

I don't know the legalities, but I'm not even sure if we can legally even release her. But on the flipside, if the US doesn't step up and support us, then I don't want to be punished for the shit that they want to impose on Huawei. I certainly don't want to go to war with China (or compete on the "who can throw more people from the other side in jail" competition) for something that's not even our policy. But if the US can't step up and support us in this, then definitely I wouldn't be upset if she somehow managed to slip the bail conditions and go home.

 

[MindzEye]

Mike Crawley @CBCQueensPark
BREAKING: Interim OPP commissioner Brad Blair wants an Ontario court to order the ombudsman to investigate the appointment of Premier Doug Ford`s family friend Ron Taverner as new OPP commissioner.

I hope that Ford comes to learn that a Premier does not carry the same level of ability for laws to not stick to them that his soul mate in Washington has.

 

[Altair]

1.6 billion in direct aid to Albertas oil and gas sector to help then out in this crisis.

Although if you believe Notley, Alberta is losing out on 80 million dollars a day.

80,000,00 dollars X 365 days in a year= 29,200,000,000.

Well, its a start. Should last Alberta 20 days.

 

[Altair]

1.6 billion in direct aid to Albertas oil and gas sector to help them out in this crisis.

Although if you believe Notley, Alberta is losing out on 80 million dollars a day.

80,000,00 dollars X 365 days in a year= 29,200,000,000.

Well, its a start. Should last Alberta 20 days.

 

[Altair]

http://nationalpost.com/opinion/john-ivison-trudeau-only-half-as-popular-as-he-used-to-be

It was in July 2017 that Justin Trudeau graced the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, accompanied by the headline: “Why Can’t He Be Our President?”

Fast forward 18 months and Canada’s golden boy prime minister has seen his approval rating fall below that of the much-maligned U.S. president, Donald Trump.

Real Clear Politics has a rolling average that gives Trump a negative 9.7 per cent rating (42 per cent of respondents in opinion polls approve of the president; 51.7 per cent disapprove).

According to a new Angus Reid Institute survey, Trudeau’s approval rating is a net negative 23 per cent (just 35 per cent approve; 58 per cent disapprove).

I'm not going to lie, I'm not voting for him, but I generally didn't disapprove of him.

But dear god, does he win a second term with those numbers?

 

[MapleLeafBlueJayBoy]

http://nationalpost.com/opinion/john-ivison-trudeau-only-half-as-popular-as-he-used-to-be

I'm not going to lie, I'm not voting for him, but I generally didn't disapprove of him.

But dear god, does he win a second term with those numbers?

Yes because the others are candidates are no better.

 

[MindzEye]

But dear god, does he win a second term with those numbers?

A minority, but yes.

Have to remember, his approval numbers are way worse in vote sparse Alberta and Sask than they are anywhere else. Dougie isn't making the Conservative brand any more popular in Ontario over the next year either and I still think that when undecideds see Scheer and Trudeau share a stage together, and actually hear the words that come out of Scheers mouth, it's game over. Scheer still benefits from the average Canadian not being able to pick him out of a 2 man lineup.

 

[Altair]

A minority, but yes.

Have to remember, his approval numbers are way worse in vote sparse Alberta and Sask than they are anywhere else. Dougie isn't making the Conservative brand any more popular in Ontario over the next year either and I still think that when undecideds see Scheer and Trudeau share a stage together, and actually hear the words that come out of Scheers mouth, it's game over. Scheer still benefits from the average Canadian not being able to pick him out of a 2 man lineup.

You need to remember, this is Canada.

The voting public doesnt vote people in, they vote governments out.

Also, doing a little digging into his approval by region

Let's got east to west.

Atlantic Canada 44 approve-49 disapprove

Quebec 30 approve-60 disapprove

Ontario 42 approve-52 disapprove

Manitoba 37 approve-57 disapprove

Saskatchewan 20 approve-79 disapprove

Alberta 18 approve-78 disapprove

BC 38 approve- 57 disapprove

While Alberta and Saskatchewan are the worst in terms of approval ratings, across the board he's doing very poorly.

Again, he's doing a worst job than Trump. TRUMP

 

[Altair]

Yes because the others are candidates are no better.

If critical people on a whole decide that a government has outlived their usefulness it matters little who the other guy is. Example, Ontario. The liberals were so hated that the polls said anyone of the PC leadership candidates would win versus wynne.

 

[Altair]

Also, just so we realize, these approval numbers are with a healthy economy and unemployment the lowest it has been in 4 decades.

Should the economy slow down or unemployment start ticking in the other direction, those numbers are not going to improve.