Canada General Discussion

[RogueBeaver]

Aping our Aussie friends, talk about anything related to Canadian politics here.

I'll start us off with Chantal Hebert's "People to Watch", some MacKay marriage gossip, and Wells' speculation on Harper's major policy initiatives for this year.

http://www.thestar.com/article/1110563--hebert-thirteen-to-watch-in-2012

http://www.ngnews.ca/News/Local/2012-01-05/article-2855946/MacKay-shares-wedding-story/1

http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/01/06/harpers-sleepy-majority/

[Hatman]

I was just going to create this,

Harper to appoint 7 new Senators including Ottawa police chief Vern White and "Senator Elect" Betty Unger: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/01/06/pol-new-senators.html

[Hatman]

I guess Chief White couldn't take the pressure of running the show here, what with all the accusations of police brutality last year and investigations of racism on the force.

It's interesting, I thought the police wouldn't want to get into politics, at least not as Tories, since they usually are in favour of the gun registry. But, with White and former OPP chief Julian Fantino.... I am reminded of our last police chief (Brian Ford) who also ran for politics; he was a Liberal though. Something about this city must give the police political connections... gross.

[RogueBeaver]

Two Quebec Tories will be appointed to the Senate, plus Marc Bellemare.

http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/canada/339656/l-ex-ministre-bellemare-serait-pressenti-comme-senateur

http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/canada/339734/deux-conservateurs-du-quebec-sont-nommes-au-senat-canadien

[Kuu ülevaade olulisematest]

Glad to see that commitment to Senate reform in action.

[RogueBeaver]

The bill will be passed fairly shortly. Personally I like the Senate the way it is...

[Teddy (IDS Legislator)]

Bill? What bill?

[Foucaulf]

Lots of questions for the new year. How will the relationship between McGuinty and Harper play out? Which year will Flaherty now predict that he'll balance the budget? Will Redford actually solve Alberta's fiscal maelstrom? Will the Conservatives formulate a coherent foreign policy?

For now, here's an article on Canada's stubborn unemployment rate and the attrition of consumer confidence. Perhaps Flaherty's blame-pinning on Europe has backfired?

[RogueBeaver]

McGuinty-Harper: Frenemies as usual.

Foreign policy: What's incoherent about it?

AB: She's a Red Tory who loves spending auctions. That budget mess won't be sorted out till Wildrose wipes the Progressives off the electoral map.

[Hatman]

Personally I like the Senate the way it is...

Figures. "Commitment" to Senate reform is the one of the few things I like about the Tories. 

Glad to see that commitment to Senate reform in action.

To be fair, *one* of the appointees was actually elected to the Senate... 6 years ago

[Kuu ülevaade olulisematest]

An elected Senate with an equal number of members from each province would be even less democratic than the current setup, since it would combine undemocratic apportionment with a sense of legitimacy that would allow it to threaten the democratic house. The NDP has the right idea with regard to the Senate.

[RogueBeaver]

One elected, one appointed. That's my position. On this issue and fixed election dates I side with the Reds, not my own Blues.

Power shifting westwards.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1111715--hebert-power-shifting-from-central-canada-to-the-west

Harper proposes a veterans' jobs scheme.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-canadienne/201201/06/01-4483579-stephen-harper-propose-un-programme-pour-trouver-des-emplois-aux-veterans.php

[Hatman]

One elected, one appointed. That's my position. On this issue and fixed election dates I side with the Reds, not my own Blues.

Why do you hate democracy?

An elected Senate with an equal number of members from each province would be even less democratic than the current setup, since it would combine undemocratic apportionment with a sense of legitimacy that would allow it to threaten the democratic house. The NDP has the right idea with regard to the Senate.

While it wouldn't be less democratic, I wouldn't support PEI getting the same number of Senators as Ontario... that's insane! I would have 100 senators, with 10 regions with 10 Senators each elected by proportional representation.

Western Canada would get 30 Senators, Central Canada would get 60 and Atlantic Canada would get 10.

[Kuu ülevaade olulisematest]

Fixed election dates are silly, I agree.

An elected Senate with an equal number of members from each province would be even less democratic than the current setup, since it would combine undemocratic apportionment with a sense of legitimacy that would allow it to threaten the democratic house. The NDP has the right idea with regard to the Senate.

While it wouldn't be less democratic, I wouldn't support PEI getting the same number of Senators as Ontario... that's insane! I would have 100 senators, with 10 regions with 10 Senators each elected by proportional representation.

Western Canada would get 30 Senators, Central Canada would get 60 and Atlantic Canada would get 10.

I wouldn't hate that, but it's unnecessary. The system works fine now with a powerless upper house. Why not just get rid of the upper house altogether?

[Teddy (IDS Legislator)]

[Hatman]

Fixed election dates are silly, I agree.

What??? The current system is easily abused, as Premiers/PMs wait for the best time to run for re-election (although it can backfire...)

An elected Senate with an equal number of members from each province would be even less democratic than the current setup, since it would combine undemocratic apportionment with a sense of legitimacy that would allow it to threaten the democratic house. The NDP has the right idea with regard to the Senate.

While it wouldn't be less democratic, I wouldn't support PEI getting the same number of Senators as Ontario... that's insane! I would have 100 senators, with 10 regions with 10 Senators each elected by proportional representation.

Western Canada would get 30 Senators, Central Canada would get 60 and Atlantic Canada would get 10.

I wouldn't hate that, but it's unnecessary. The system works fine now with a powerless upper house. Why not just get rid of the upper house altogether?

You sound very much like a New Democrat   This is one of my big disagreements with the party. We should be willing to compromise with the Tories on this one. At least it's better than Liberal patronage land.

[Holmes]

McGuinty-Harper: Frenemies as usual.

The relationship between them will surely benefit Ontarians greatly.

[RogueBeaver]

It won't be the premiers. Either the new NDP leader and/or Bob Rae.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1112279--tim-harper-who-can-slow-stephen-harper-in-2012

[RogueBeaver]

Government eyes creation of native education system. I like this idea.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/john-ibbitson/tories-eye-creation-of-formal-native-education-system/article2295443/

[Hatman]

What a shame that this wont happen:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/01/would-harper-or-putin-win-a-summit-series-rematch.html

[Hatman]

Today is the nomination day for the NDP in Toronto-Danforth for the upcoming by-election.

[RogueBeaver]

Today is the nomination day for the NDP in Toronto-Danforth for the upcoming by-election.

Wonder why the PM is waiting so long to call it...

[Senator MaxQue]

Because he will obviously lose it.

[RogueBeaver]

Because he will obviously lose it.

So why not call it if we're going to nearly lose our deposit anyways? The best we Tories could hope for is boosting the Liberal AMAP.

[RogueBeaver]

Craig Scott gets the nod.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/craig-scott-gets-ndp-nod-to-run-in-by-election-in-laytons-old-riding/article2296681/