Canada General Discussion: Trudeau II

[DC Al Fine]

Nova Scotia municipal elections are in a few weeks. They aren't nearly as interesting as last time when the inner of districts shrunk and several incumbents faced off. I'm considering not voting as my councillor and school board rep have been acclaimed and the mayor is polling at 85 percent

[Hatman 🍁]

Never, ever consider not voting.

[DC Al Fine]

Never, ever consider not voting.

Ok Mom, you always know best.

I'll still vote. We have e-voting here, so I really don't have an excuse. And the thought of voting in my pyjamas is appealing

[Hatman 🍁]

I was just doing some reading up on the NS municipals yesterday. Will probably do a thread about it soon. Anything exciting happening across the province? I see that fraudster Dave Wilson is running for a Cape Breton council seat.

[DC Al Fine]

I was just doing some reading up on the NS municipals yesterday. Will probably do a thread about it soon. Anything exciting happening across the province? I see that fraudster Dave Wilson is running for a Cape Breton council seat.

Not too much going on. There's a couple of interesting council races in Halifax. Dave Wilson is running. Oh, here's another eyebrow raiser:

The Town of Amherst mayor's race has among other candidates, former NDP MLA for Cumberland North, Brian Skabar, and a city councilor who is best known for saying "I'm not your n***er" to a constituent while delivering pizzas.

[RogueBeaver]

StatsCan chief abruptly quits, blames Harper for undermining his office's integrity and Justin for not fixing it.

[Simfan34]

Stephen Harper has taken a job at Dentons

I never got the whole, career after politics thing. If I spent a decade as PM, I'd write my memoirs, do a few speeches for extra cash, and spend a lot of time golfing and/or sleeping

Maybe he got a few quotes for a memoir advance and found it wanting.

[RogueBeaver]

McKenna confirms the Harper GHG targets will remain.

Forum-ON: 45/25/23.

[Hash]

Woah,  and the Newfie grits were starting from behind after their landslide victory. I assume some oil induced austerity?

Correct. Oil royalties went from 30% of revenue to 7% and they had some pretty nasty structural issues in their economy as well. Despite drastic austerity, they still have the worst deficit as a % of GDP in the country. Glad I don't live on the Rock right now.

It also doesn't really help that the Nfld Liberals ran on an absurd "we'll make the economy boom again while still rolling back the HST increase and simplifying taxes" platform in 2015, and then proceeded to maintain that HST hike, raise taxes and slash spending in their 2016 budget.

[Hatman 🍁]

McKenna confirms the Harper GHG targets will remain.

Forum-ON: 45/25/23.

If the NDP pivots to the left in the next campaign, they should have no problems coming in 2nd place. Progressives will flock to them when they realize that the Liberals are too unpopular to be able to win again.

Of course, if the NDP runs another populist campaign against the inevitable blue tide, then the Tory landslide is going to be gross.

I know the Liberals have been predicted to lose the last few elections and haven't... but I think this time they are just too toxic.

[RogueBeaver]

More signals Trudeau may punt on electoral reform.

[RogueBeaver]

Socon pressure groups are pissed at Brown for double-crossing them. They can only whine and Brown can let them suck it.

[Hatman 🍁]

The socons are the only thing stopping him from winning a landslide at this point.

[Hatman 🍁]

So, Brown basically won the Tory leadership by exploiting the sensibilities of activist so con group in a campaign that was never really exposed by the media (we all thought Elliott would win, right?); so now that he's the leader he can pivot and moderate himself.

A cynic's very definition of chameleon politician.

I do feel sorry for the socons. They're probably the most manipulated political group in the country. They're desperate to vote for that one pro-life candidate so they can feel good about not supporting a 'pro-murder' candidate.

[RogueBeaver]

They were either delusional or suckers if they thought Brown was gonna do that. You'd think the Harper decade would cure them of delusions. A guy whose political mentors are Mulroney and Charest, who was involved in the living dead PCPC, is not gonna be your champion.

[RogueBeaver]

Brown's statement.

[DC Al Fine]

I do feel sorry for the socons. They're probably the most manipulated political group in the country. They're desperate to vote for that one pro-life candidate so they can feel good about not supporting a 'pro-murder' candidate.

Socons, especially older ones, have an astonishing amount of faith in elected officials. It's really served us poorly.

They were either delusional or suckers if they thought Brown was gonna do that. You'd think the Harper decade would cure them of delusions. A guy whose political mentors are Mulroney and Charest, who was involved in the living dead PCPC, is not gonna be your champion.

Tory leaders take us for granted. Not showing up for them would teach them, but they serve as a useful buffer against the excesses of the social left. It's not like Premiers Howarth or Wynne would do our side much good either. It's a tough line to walk.

[DC Al Fine]

I'm sure I'll write an effortpost on what strategies socons should pursue someday, but for now I'll just note:

1) We need to accept that we are a vocal minority, not a moral majority.
2) Setting up our own cultural institutions has been much more successful than political activism.
3) Political activism isn't totally useless.

Strategy should proceed from those principles. Ultra-orthodox Jews in NYC might be a good model here.

[Pragmatic Conservative]

BC NDP back in the lead in provincial polling

Mainstreet Research  September 20th

BC NDP 38%
BC Liberal 33%
Green 16%
Conservative 14%
Other 1%

http://vancouversun.com/news/politics/b-c-ndp-lead-b-c-liberals-in-new-poll

[RogueBeaver]

20 new senators will be appointed in the next few weeks.

[RogueBeaver]

All PEI schools are being evacuated due to a threat.

[2952-0-0]

Part of me thinks Trudeau/Butts is sincere about wanting electoral reform, in small part so that the so-cons in the CPC will become encouraged to break off and form their own party, and thus destroy the CPC as a united entity. It could depend on ~10% of the national vote and therefore 30ish seats, a very significant representation.

[Boston Bread]

The Conservative Senate majority won't last for long:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/09/21/liberals-are-expected-to-appoint-20-new-senators-within-weeks.html

[DC Al Fine]

Part of me thinks Trudeau/Butts is sincere about wanting electoral reform, in small part so that the so-cons in the CPC will become encouraged to break off and form their own party, and thus destroy the CPC as a united entity. It could depend on ~10% of the national vote and therefore 30ish seats, a very significant representation.

That is the reason I like PR. It would give us a lot more influence within the conservative movement, and give us some more diversity on economics instead of having to toe the Tory fiscal line. Also, the idea of threatening to bring down a government over a pet issue like the Israeli parties can do, is really appealing

[RogueBeaver]

Butts and Telford are partially repaying their moving expenses.