Canada General Discussion

[RogueBeaver]

Fully agreed with you.

Ugh. Just ugh.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Mastro%2Blashes%2Bagainst%2BElections%2BCanada%2Bmedia%2Bover%2Bexpense%2Ballegations/6884206/story.html

[Hatman]

lol the Tories are full of a bunch of terrible MPs. Of course, they keep getting re-elected. When the NDP has a bad MP, the voters shove them under the bus. One reason I think Ryan Cleary is toast.

[RogueBeaver]

The problem is that Harper doesn't like appointing new people. He'll shuffle existing ministers around but with the exceptions of Bernier and Chong all the attrition was through voluntary or involuntary retirement. I'm sure Cannon and Verner would still be in Cabinet had they won. Flaherty probably goes for one last term, Fantino will be 73 and might retire, Toews might get his judgeship.

IMO:

MacKay: Move laterally. He had become a creature of his department even pre-procurement FUBARing and like Bernier, too easily seduced by the shinies in anything remotely international. Maybe House Leader, he'd sure as hell be better than Van Loan.

Fantino: Backbench, abolish that useless post held by Sevigny (another star turned uber-dud).

Alexander: In Oda's job. Ideally in MOD but that would never happen.

Ablonczy: She's been with Harper forever and never promoted. Dunno why.

Ambrose/Finley/Leitch/Raitt: Earned Green Cards but no vacancies.

Rajotte: Too many Albertans, though ideally he'd replace Clement or Paradis.

Bernier: Out of the penalty box, somewhere domestic.


Dark horse: Ryan Leef, Yukon. Maybe a vacant PS post to start?

IMO Del Maestro and Poilievre are our Rat Pack... more like Brat Pack.

[BlueDog Bimble]

The problem is that Harper doesn't like appointing new people. He'll shuffle existing ministers around but with the exceptions of Bernier and Chong all the attrition was through voluntary or involuntary retirement. I'm sure Cannon and Verner would still be in Cabinet had they won. Flaherty probably goes for one last term, Fantino will be 73 and might retire, Toews might get his judgeship.

IMO:

MacKay: Move laterally. He had become a creature of his department even pre-procurement FUBARing and like Bernier, too easily seduced by the shinies in anything remotely international. Maybe House Leader, he'd sure as hell be better than Van Loan.

Fantino: Backbench, abolish that useless post held by Sevigny (another star turned uber-dud).

Alexander: In Oda's job. Ideally in MOD but that would never happen.

Ablonczy: She's been with Harper forever and never promoted. Dunno why.

Ambrose/Finley/Leitch/Raitt: Earned Green Cards but no vacancies.

Rajotte: Too many Albertans, though ideally he'd replace Clement or Paradis.

Bernier: Out of the penalty box, somewhere domestic.


Dark horse: Ryan Leef, Yukon. Maybe a vacant PS post to start?

IMO Del Maestro and Poilievre are our Rat Pack... more like Brat Pack.

I like Clement.

I know little about Canadian Politics. One question, is the Liberal Party socially and fiscally liberal, or is it one of those "liberal" parties which aren't really fiscally right wing, like they would have been at the start of the 20th century.

In Alberta, the Party is more fiscally Liberal than nationally. Thats why I voted for the Albertan Liberals in the Province, and the Conservatives nationally.

[Senator MaxQue]

Well, links between most provincial Liberal parties and the federal one were severed years ago, too.

[BlueDog Bimble]

Well, links between most provincial Liberal parties and the federal one were severed years ago, too.

I never actually knew that. Was that due to the NEP?

[Senator MaxQue]

Well, links between most provincial Liberal parties and the federal one were severed years ago, too.

I never actually knew that. Was that due to the NEP?

Only the 4 Atlantic ones are still linked. As the Alberta breaked out in 1976, probably because NEP. Quebec was in 1964, probably due to the Quebec then-raising nationalism.

[BlueDog Bimble]

Well, links between most provincial Liberal parties and the federal one were severed years ago, too.

I never actually knew that. Was that due to the NEP?

Only the 4 Atlantic ones are still linked. As the Alberta breaked out in 1976, probably because NEP. Quebec was in 1964, probably due to the Quebec then-raising nationalism.

Interesting.

[Hatman]

Im not too sure I understand. The Alberta Liberals are to the left of most provincial Liberal parties, and probably to the left of the national one as well. Why would you vote for them if you're a federal Tory? Especially when you have a Red Tory like Redford to vote for?

[RogueBeaver]

Alberta Grits had been mostly dead since the '20s, why would the NEP have anything to do with their links being severed?

CSD is right about the PLQ- before 1964 the provincial party was a division of the federal one. Hence the name "Federation Liberal du Quebec", or FLQ (another reason why the name was probably changed). Given what happened between the parties during WWII the only surprise was how long the divorce took.

[BlueDog Bimble]

Im not too sure I understand. The Alberta Liberals are to the left of most provincial Liberal parties, and probably to the left of the national one as well. Why would you vote for them if you're a federal Tory? Especially when you have a Red Tory like Redford to vote for?

I'm mainly talking about back in the early 2000's when they were more fiscally conservative. I voted for them because I thought the Tories had been in too long, and also I thought Ralph Klein was an idiot. I voted PC in 2008, but switched to the Wildrose Party, as I thought it was time for change in government, and the PC's hadn't balanced the budget. My voting record's kind of dodgy,

2001: Liberal
2004: Liberal
2008: PC
2012: Wildrose

[Hatman]

oic. I thought you were stipulating that you voted Liberal this year. Indeed the Alberta Liberals used to be quite right wing, especially in the 1990s.

[RogueBeaver]

Harper says the big shuffle will come next summer along with prorogation.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/stephen-harper-says-no-cabinet-shuffle-prorogation-until-mid-term-161459825.html

[asexual trans victimologist]

prorogation.

Wow, it's almost like Stephen Harper doesn't enjoy having to work with a Parliament or something! Either that or, does prorogation work differently, politically speaking, with a majority government?

[Kuu ülevaade olulisematest]

Of course, the Saskatchewan Liberal Party has been taken over by libertarians now. Lot of weird things go on in minor provincial parties.

[Senator MaxQue]

prorogation.

Wow, it's almost like Stephen Harper doesn't enjoy having to work with a Parliament or something! Either that or, does prorogation work differently, politically speaking, with a majority government?

Well, prorogation happens a couple times during Parliament. It allows to do a new Throne Speech and allows parties to switch members around committees, change the committees chairs...

[RogueBeaver]

Yep. This one sounds like it'll be during the summer, plus it makes a lot of sense. Second half of the Parliament and a newish Cabinet.

[asexual trans victimologist]

Oh, okay. So when Harper prorogued Parliament before I think it was the 2008 election, that was controversial because of the specifics of that circumstance? Forgive me; I didn't really start following Canadian politics until sometime in 2010.

[RogueBeaver]

Oh, okay. So when Harper prorogued Parliament before I think it was the 2008 election, that was controversial because of the specifics of that circumstance? Forgive me; I didn't really start following Canadian politics until sometime in 2010.

There were two: one was in December 2008 during the coalition crisis. The other was December 2009 to March 2010, holidays and Olympics.

[Senator MaxQue]

Oh, okay. So when Harper prorogued Parliament before I think it was the 2008 election, that was controversial because of the specifics of that circumstance? Forgive me; I didn't really start following Canadian politics until sometime in 2010.

There were two: one was in December 2008 during the coalition crisis. The other was December 2009 to March 2010, holidays and Olympics.

Those were controversial, because the first one was done to make the coalition deal crash and the second was to mute opposition during early 2010.
Now, it is not controversial, as the Parliament doesn't sit usually in summer either way.

[Holmes]

Newfoundland federal, Environics

NDP 49%
LPC 34%
CPC 17%

Provincial

NDP 38%
PC 35%
Libs 26%



The only thing is that the NDP have huge numbers in northeast Avalon and are pretty much tied in the rest of the province - which is still an improvement, I believe, and has room to grow.

[BlueDog Bumble]

NDP 49%
LPC 34%
CPC 17%

Provincial

NDP 38%
PC 35%
Libs 26%



The only thing is that the NDP have huge numbers in northeast Avalon and are pretty much tied in the rest of the province - which is still an improvement, I believe, and has room to grow.

Why are the Tories so unpopular at a federal level in Newfoundland. I don't get it?

[Holmes]

Well, ok, even if we look passed all the blunders the government has made, Newfoundland's main source of revenue is fishing, which is mostly seasonal work. Cuts to employment insurance is not popular there. And pensions too, lots of olds in the Atlantic.

[BlueDog Bumble]

Well, ok, even if we look passed all the blunders the government has made, Newfoundland's main source of revenue is fishing, which is mostly seasonal work. Cuts to employment insurance is not popular there. And pensions too, lots of olds in the Atlantic.

I get it (although I don't really understand the Atlantic Provinces, being a parochial westerner)

[You kip if you want to...]

Newfoundland federal, Environics

Provincial

NDP 38%
PC 35%
Libs 26%

Didn't the Tories win a landslide here, late last year!?