2017 Canadian Politics Megathread - Sesquicentennial Edition

[MERIZoC]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/kellie-leitch-video-immigration-screening-1.4006649

Keeps getting better and better

[Great Franconia and Verana]

Kathleen Wynne is in trouble.
Poor Ontario, their political choices are pretty shit right now.

[Union of Despotistan]

Kathleen Wynne is in trouble.
Poor Ontario, their political choices are pretty shit right now.

Kathleen Wynne always was an horrible, destructive and ignorant choice tho, tbh.

Ontario is pretty much doomed indeed when we see that even after all those years, no credible opposition leader rose up.

[Great Franconia and Verana]

Kathleen Wynne is in trouble.
Poor Ontario, their political choices are pretty shit right now.

Kathleen Wynne always was an horrible, destructive and ignorant choice tho, tbh.

Ontario is pretty much doomed indeed when we see that even after all those years, no credible opposition leader rose up.

Its because the PC's are incompetent and the NDP is too confused as to its own policies.

[Major-Tom]

Kathleen Wynne always was an horrible, destructive and ignorant choice tho, tbh.

Ontario is pretty much doomed indeed when we see that even after all those years, no credible opposition leader rose up.

Its because the PC's are incompetent and the NDP is too confused as to its own policies.

I miss Rob Ford.

[Great Franconia and Verana]

Its because the PC's are incompetent and the NDP is too confused as to its own policies.

I miss Rob Ford.

I do not.
The joke in Vancouver is the fact that Toronto's Mayor smoked crack, Montreal's mayor was arrested for corruption, Vancouver Mayor rides a bike to work.

[Major-Tom]

I miss Rob Ford.

I do not.
The joke in Vancouver is the fact that Toronto's Mayor smoked crack, Montreal's mayor was arrested for corruption, Vancouver Mayor rides a bike to work.

I miss his funny antics, not his actual job as Mayor haha. Rob Ford was just a messed up dude, but he wasn't actively malicious.

Vancouver - miss that place. Seemed to me like the whole city is very well run, save for some sketchier areas directly East of downtown. Got food poisoning there and was offered drugs several times.

[Fanosolia]

Kathleen Wynne always was an horrible, destructive and ignorant choice tho, tbh.

Ontario is pretty much doomed indeed when we see that even after all those years, no credible opposition leader rose up.

Its because the PC's are incompetent and the NDP is too confused as to its own policies.

Out of curiosity, the NDP confused about its policies in what way?

[Great Franconia and Verana]

I do not.
The joke in Vancouver is the fact that Toronto's Mayor smoked crack, Montreal's mayor was arrested for corruption, Vancouver Mayor rides a bike to work.

I miss his funny antics, not his actual job as Mayor haha. Rob Ford was just a messed up dude, but he wasn't actively malicious.

Vancouver - miss that place. Seemed to me like the whole city is very well run, save for some sketchier areas directly East of downtown. Got food poisoning there and was offered drugs several times.

I live on the North Shore, so I am separated from all that hijinks!

Its because the PC's are incompetent and the NDP is too confused as to its own policies.

Out of curiosity, the NDP confused about its policies in what way?

The way the NDP almost always is. They want to be electable, which means moving to the center, but that in turn makes them less inspiring to their base. They then move to the left, are in the wilderness for a few years, miss what power is like, then move back to be more electable. Its a cycle seen federally and provincially.

Mulcair went through it in 2015 and his thunder was taken by Trudeau.
Horwath went through it in 2014 and lost to a very unpopular Kathleen Wynne.
Dix bascially threw the election to Clark in 2013 because of his wishy washy-ness.

[Fanosolia]

Out of curiosity, the NDP confused about its policies in what way?

The way the NDP almost always is. They want to be electable, which means moving to the center, but that in turn makes them less inspiring to their base. They then move to the left, are in the wilderness for a few years, miss what power is like, then move back to be more electable. Its a cycle seen federally and provincially.

Mulcair went through it in 2015 and his thunder was taken by Trudeau.
Horwath went through it in 2014 and lost to a very unpopular Kathleen Wynne.
Dix bascially threw the election to Clark in 2013 because of his wishy washy-ness.

Huh, thanks for the info. I think I've only experienced it with Mulcair and the burn that came with it (I voted for the guy). I never knew that it's been like this for awhile.

[MERIZoC]

Kathleen Wynne is in trouble.
Poor Ontario, their political choices are pretty shit right now.

She's polling terribly, which would be nice if not for the fact that its the conservatives who are winning. >_>

I miss his funny antics, not his actual job as Mayor haha. Rob Ford was just a messed up dude, but he wasn't actively malicious.

Vancouver - miss that place. Seemed to me like the whole city is very well run, save for some sketchier areas directly East of downtown. Got food poisoning there and was offered drugs several times.

I live on the North Shore

Nice place.

[Great Franconia and Verana]

The way the NDP almost always is. They want to be electable, which means moving to the center, but that in turn makes them less inspiring to their base. They then move to the left, are in the wilderness for a few years, miss what power is like, then move back to be more electable. Its a cycle seen federally and provincially.

Mulcair went through it in 2015 and his thunder was taken by Trudeau.
Horwath went through it in 2014 and lost to a very unpopular Kathleen Wynne.
Dix bascially threw the election to Clark in 2013 because of his wishy washy-ness.

Huh, thanks for the info. I think I've only experienced it with Mulcair and the burn that came with it (I voted for the guy). I never knew that it's been like this for awhile.

Oh yes the NDP has constantly been moving left or right depending on the times, similar to the Liberals.

The difference is that the Liberal base is relatively centrist, especially on economic policy, so it's easier to keep them happy by being socially progressive but fiscally prudent, which is a key to electoral victory in many parts of Canada.
By contrast, the NDP base is much more ideologically driven, and betraying this ideology as Mulcair seemed to do meant devastation for the morale of their base.

[Ainin]

I'm not sure I agree with the attribution of Mulcair's election loss to his centrist campaigning style.

Everyone always forgets that the majority of the NDP's support and representation came from Quebec. The NDP's support only began dropping earnest after the Tories made religious identity a campaign issue. Mulcair's stance on the veil was deeply unpopular in parts of Quebec, which hurt his standing in the national polls. This in turn created a self-perpetuating cycle: "Anyone but Harper" strategic voters saw the NDP in decline and changed their allegiance to Liberals, which caused the NDP to drop further in the polls, which caused more voters to strategically choose the Liberals, etc.

He lost because of Tory identity politics, Quebec's notoriously finicky electorate and widespread strategic voting against Harper.

[MERIZoC]

https://twitter.com/MaximeBernier/status/838898011036090372

jfc

[Major-Tom]

I'm not sure I agree with the attribution of Mulcair's election loss to his centrist campaigning style.

Everyone always forgets that the majority of the NDP's support and representation came from Quebec. The NDP's support only began dropping earnest after the Tories made religious identity a campaign issue. Mulcair's stance on the veil was deeply unpopular in parts of Quebec, which hurt his standing in the national polls. This in turn created a self-perpetuating cycle: "Anyone but Harper" strategic voters saw the NDP in decline and changed their allegiance to Liberals, which caused the NDP to drop further in the polls, which caused more voters to strategically choose the Liberals, etc.

He lost because of Tory identity politics, Quebec's notoriously finicky electorate and widespread strategic voting against Harper.

^^
Basically. Quebec has, in the past, voted in clean sweeps for the Bloc, PCs, Liberals, and NDP, all within the last 30 or so years. Quebecois are weird people, but awesome people anyways.

[Major-Tom]

Also, Bernier and Chong seem like valid choices for the Tories.

[Oneracon]

Also, Bernier and Chong seem like valid choices for the Tories.

Have you been following what Bernier is saying lately? He's light years away from Chong as a sensible leader that could appeal to the wider voters.

---

Also, Niki Ashton has announced her candidacy for NDP leader... bringing the slate up to four just in time for Sunday's first leadership debate. She's running on a left populist message, comparing herself to Bernie Sanders. Her platform includes nationalization of key infrastructure assets (such as the Port of Churchill and the National Airports System), strong environmental regulations, electoral reform, a national pharmacare program, and universal post-secondary education.

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/201 ... p-bid.html

[Union of Despotistan]

https://twitter.com/MaximeBernier/status/838898011036090372

jfc

Damn Bernier is nice.

Each day he seems more and more like the best choice.

I really hopes he wins and then beats terrible Trudeau and his horrendous Liberal party.

[Great Franconia and Verana]

https://twitter.com/MaximeBernier/status/838898011036090372

jfc

Damn Bernier is nice.

Each day he seems more and more like the best choice.

I really hopes he wins and then beats terrible Trudeau and his horrendous Liberal party.

Bernier is third only to Leitch and O'Leary as options the Liberals would WANT to face. Each one is by far outside the mainstream of Canadian politics, and would get nailed for it.
It will be extremely hard to beat Trudeau in 2019, there is little precedent for Majority governments to be tossed after just one term without a massive fuck up. However, the candidates best positioned to try and win are Lisa Raitt, Andrew Scheer, or Erin O'Toole.

Chong is too much of a Red Tory to really fire up the Conservative base.
Bernier's ideas on healthcare and the role of government would be fodder for the Liberals ad machine.
Leitch is just a faux-populist trying, but failing miserably, to be Donald Trump in a skirt.
O'Leary is an opportunist with no goals except making money.
And the rest are too insignificant to mention.

Also, could you enlighten us on why you think Trudeau and his Liberals are so "horrendous?"

[Union of Despotistan]

Damn Bernier is nice.

Each day he seems more and more like the best choice.

I really hopes he wins and then beats terrible Trudeau and his horrendous Liberal party.

Bernier is third only to Leitch and O'Leary as options the Liberals would WANT to face. Each one is by far outside the mainstream of Canadian politics, and would get nailed for it.
It will be extremely hard to beat Trudeau in 2019, there is little precedent for Majority governments to be tossed after just one term without a massive fuck up. However, the candidates best positioned to try and win are Lisa Raitt, Andrew Scheer, or Erin O'Toole.

Chong is too much of a Red Tory to really fire up the Conservative base.
Bernier's ideas on healthcare and the role of government would be fodder for the Liberals ad machine.
Leitch is just a faux-populist trying, but failing miserably, to be Donald Trump in a skirt.
O'Leary is an opportunist with no goals except making money.
And the rest are too insignificant to mention.

Also, could you enlighten us on why you think Trudeau and his Liberals are so "horrendous?"

I do not think Bernier is unelectable at all. To the contrary.
Bernier, O'Leary and Raitt are 3 candidates who could beat Trudeau. But I cant stand O'Leary.
I hope so much he wont win.

I just bought my first conservative party membership after I didnt renew a few years back just to vote Bernier to help him against O'Leary.
O'Leary would doom us all. Worst; he's so close to the liberals in ideology that Trudeau might actually beat him in an easier way that everyone else thinks.

[Great Franconia and Verana]

Bernier is third only to Leitch and O'Leary as options the Liberals would WANT to face. Each one is by far outside the mainstream of Canadian politics, and would get nailed for it.
It will be extremely hard to beat Trudeau in 2019, there is little precedent for Majority governments to be tossed after just one term without a massive fuck up. However, the candidates best positioned to try and win are Lisa Raitt, Andrew Scheer, or Erin O'Toole.

Chong is too much of a Red Tory to really fire up the Conservative base.
Bernier's ideas on healthcare and the role of government would be fodder for the Liberals ad machine.
Leitch is just a faux-populist trying, but failing miserably, to be Donald Trump in a skirt.
O'Leary is an opportunist with no goals except making money.
And the rest are too insignificant to mention.

Also, could you enlighten us on why you think Trudeau and his Liberals are so "horrendous?"

I do not think Bernier is unelectable at all. To the contrary.
Bernier, O'Leary and Raitt are 3 candidates who could beat Trudeau. But I cant stand O'Leary.
I hope so much he wont win.

I just bought my first conservative party membership after I didnt renew a few years back just to vote Bernier to help him against O'Leary.
O'Leary would doom us all. Worst; he's so close to the liberals in ideology that Trudeau might actually beat him in an easier way that everyone else thinks.

Bernier's libertarian views are popular down south in the States, but most Canadians believe that the Government does have a large role to play in peoples lives. Bernier essentially wants two-tiered healthcare, and remember what even the whiff of such a policy did to Stockwell Day in 2000?

Saying O'Leary is a liberal is too generous.
O'Leary does not have a set political ideology except for his reverence of money. He has said he will not even take a seat in the Commons until 2019, and might spend most of his time in America on business and Shark Tank. That makes Michael Ignatieff look like a red and white patriot by comparison.

However, I did notice that you failed to explain why you disdain Liberals and Trudeau so much.

[Great Franconia and Verana]

Also, Bernier and Chong seem like valid choices for the Tories.

Have you been following what Bernier is saying lately? He's light years away from Chong as a sensible leader that could appeal to the wider voters.

---

Also, Niki Ashton has announced her candidacy for NDP leader... bringing the slate up to four just in time for Sunday's first leadership debate. She's running on a left populist message, comparing herself to Bernie Sanders. Her platform includes nationalization of key infrastructure assets (such as the Port of Churchill and the National Airports System), strong environmental regulations, electoral reform, a national pharmacare program, and universal post-secondary education.

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/201 ... p-bid.html

All the NDP candidates are pretty sup-par imo. No one stands out as able to do what is necessary to bring the Party back out of the wilderness, and turn it into something more than a protest vote.

[Union of Despotistan]

I do not think Bernier is unelectable at all. To the contrary.
Bernier, O'Leary and Raitt are 3 candidates who could beat Trudeau. But I cant stand O'Leary.
I hope so much he wont win.

I just bought my first conservative party membership after I didnt renew a few years back just to vote Bernier to help him against O'Leary.
O'Leary would doom us all. Worst; he's so close to the liberals in ideology that Trudeau might actually beat him in an easier way that everyone else thinks.

Bernier's libertarian views are popular down south in the States, but most Canadians believe that the Government does have a large role to play in peoples lives. Bernier essentially wants two-tiered healthcare, and remember what even the whiff of such a policy did to Stockwell Day in 2000?

Saying O'Leary is a liberal is too generous.
O'Leary does not have a set political ideology except for his reverence of money. He has said he will not even take a seat in the Commons until 2019, and might spend most of his time in America on business and Shark Tank. That makes Michael Ignatieff look like a red and white patriot by comparison.

However, I did notice that you failed to explain why you disdain Liberals and Trudeau so much.

I said it multiples times before. I would never support a political party that supports State multiculturalism, affirmative action and mass migration the way the Liberals do. It actually was one of the main reasons why I stopped my membership of the Conservative party. They became "Liberals light" in those departments and it made me sick. That + their unconditional support of Israel.

Liberals put regulations, taxes (like carbon tax), and deficits everywhere and it hinders the economy.

[Great Franconia and Verana]

Bernier's libertarian views are popular down south in the States, but most Canadians believe that the Government does have a large role to play in peoples lives. Bernier essentially wants two-tiered healthcare, and remember what even the whiff of such a policy did to Stockwell Day in 2000?

Saying O'Leary is a liberal is too generous.
O'Leary does not have a set political ideology except for his reverence of money. He has said he will not even take a seat in the Commons until 2019, and might spend most of his time in America on business and Shark Tank. That makes Michael Ignatieff look like a red and white patriot by comparison.

However, I did notice that you failed to explain why you disdain Liberals and Trudeau so much.

I said it multiples times before. I would never support a political party that supports State multiculturalism, affirmative action and mass migration the way the Liberals do. It actually was one of the main reasons why I stopped my membership of the Conservative party. They became "Liberals light" in those departments and it made me sick. That + their unconditional support of Israel.

Liberals put regulations, taxes (like carbon tax), and deficits everywhere and it hinders the economy.

A) Whats wrong with Multiculturalism? Its been a proud tradition for all Canadian governments since the 60's essentially. Affirmative action? Please explain that one too. Mass Migration? You do realize Canada was literally built by immigrants, like the US, and they actually provide us with plenty of economic benefits? Now if you are talking about Refugee's, I also do not understand why thats such a big issue. We have admitted 40,000 into our country with basically no incidents.

B) We can agree on that. Harper destroyed Canada's natural role as a peaceful arbiter and facilitator in that region due to his fetish over Israel.

C) Sources? Regulation? What examples do you have? How are they going to hurt the economy? BC has had a carbon Tax for years and our economy is one of the strongest in the nation. And if you are really worried about these deficits, Ill remind you how the Tories squandered the Chretien/Martin surpluses, and then failed for years to balance the books for years afterwards. Not to mention, the past year has been a relatively healthy one for the Canadian economy; 200,000 jobs created over the year, and that a majority of Canadians are fine with the continued deficits.

[Major-Tom]

Also, Bernier and Chong seem like valid choices for the Tories.

Have you been following what Bernier is saying lately? He's light years away from Chong as a sensible leader that could appeal to the wider voters.

---

Also, Niki Ashton has announced her candidacy for NDP leader... bringing the slate up to four just in time for Sunday's first leadership debate. She's running on a left populist message, comparing herself to Bernie Sanders. Her platform includes nationalization of key infrastructure assets (such as the Port of Churchill and the National Airports System), strong environmental regulations, electoral reform, a national pharmacare program, and universal post-secondary education.

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/201 ... p-bid.html

I'm not Canadian, I read up on Bernier. He seemed fine to me.

I like Chong better anyways.

Left populist platform? Will appeal to hardliners, but like Corbyn or Sanders, won't appeal to a broader electorate.