Federal Politics 2015 Thread

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Well, if one wants to toss the Trudites a bone, given inflation, that is about a 14% reduction in effective spending.

True, guessing that most departments have reduced their spending somewhat but that is probably more than the average.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

I've got issues with the PCs, but this isn't one of them.

Trying to reduce and addressing youth marijuana usage, a category in which Canada is a world leader, isn't a bad thing.

There is a good deal of research which suggests that it is not healthy for developing brains. If adults want to do it, whatever, but kids definitely shouldn't be smoking the stuff.

Ads aimed at the parents isn't going to do anything to stop youths from doing it.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Ads aimed at the parents isn't going to do anything to stop youths from doing it.

Unless you think that Canadian parents don't know that drugs are bad for kids?

[Senator Clay Davis]

$7 million on such a crappy ad campaign is the real problem. I mean we all know those ads are ineffective, but at least they can not be totally terrible. The quality of the campaign was worth about $500,000.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

I've got issues with the PCs, but this isn't one of them.

Trying to reduce and addressing youth marijuana usage, a category in which Canada is a world leader, isn't a bad thing.

There is a good deal of research which suggests that it is not healthy for developing brains. If adults want to do it, whatever, but kids definitely shouldn't be smoking the stuff.

There is a good deal of research that suggests prohibition isn't effective in preventing usage either. There is also a lot of information which suggests prohibition is the backbone for criminal enterprises and violent activity. I'd worry more about protecting kids from those things than protecting them from marijuana and ending prohibition would probably go a long way in that respect.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

$7 million on such a crappy ad campaign is the real problem. I mean we all know those ads are ineffective, but at least they can not be totally terrible. The quality of the campaign was worth about $500,000.

99.9% of PSAs are terrible.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

There is a good deal of research that suggests prohibition isn't effect in preventing usage either.

From experience I know this to be true... when I was a kid (teenager) it was significantly harder for me to get my hands on booze then it was to get my hands on weed.

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

There is also a lot of information which suggests prohibition is the backbone for criminal enterprises and violent activity.

Also true. From a fiscal standpoint it's an incredable easy choice between complete recreational prohibition and regulated legalization... in one choice the money is taxable and goes to law-abiding business owners and by extention their employees... in the other it's going to criminals and untaxed.

[Flash Walken]

There's also that little part about it coinciding directly with conservative party attack ads based on the same subject.

"Sexy Justin Trudeau wants to sell your kids pot, but pot is bad, just look at this recent public safety ad from the Canadian Government..."

[Coach]

When, in reality, Trudeau wants to legalize, tax and slap an age restriction on pot which will in turn make it harder for them to get. Dealers don't give a rats ass how old you are. Businesses that can lose big by selling to underagers do care how old you are.

People will find it and kids will do it just like they find and consume alcohol. Might as well make as safe and publicly beneficial as possible.

[Canuck-Hater]

The same goes for the "Canada's economic action plan" ads. I don't get why everybody thinks Harper is so good with the economy? Mind boggling.

[Jacks]

Wasting money on advertising is what bothers me most about this government, especially 10%ers. I actually told my MP to go f himself over the 10%ers that arrive in my mailbox every couple of weeks.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I don't even get what the ads accomplish. I suppose they're implicitly saying "The CPC is responsible for these programs", but the only people who would clearly be able to read through that are politicos, and they generally hate that kind of thing anyways. I can't imagine that money spent gets any kind of return even for the CPC party alone.

[rubecube]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/anti...-say-1.2975233

More than 100 academics are urging the government to drastically alter C-51, the Conservatives' proposed anti-terrorism legislation, arguing it is far too broad and doesn't come with safeguards to protect Canadians' privacy rights.

The group, made up mainly of law professors from across Canada, have signed an open letter arguing the proposed bill has major problems that threaten Canadians' privacy and freedom of speech.

"In light of the sweeping scope and great importance of this bill, we believe that circumventing the ability of MPs to dissect the bill, and their responsibility to convey their concerns to Canadians at large ... is a troubling undermining of our parliamentary democracy's capacity to hold majority governments accountable.

"It is sadly ironic that democratic debate is being curtailed on a bill that vastly expands the scope of covert state activity when that activity will be subject to poor or even non-existent democratic oversight or review."

The letter lays out five primary concerns and a number of secondary concerns, calling the bill "a dangerous piece of legislation."

I honestly haven't read enough about the bill to make an informed decision, but I think that's also precisely why the Conservatives shouldn't be shutting down the debate on the subject. Do any of the Conservative supporters here have any strong rebuttals as to why the debate was shut down? I'm honestly asking out of curiosity because the optics are pretty bad (although on par with what Harper has done in the past), and I am aware that they have conceded to some hearings.

I think this bill could be a big turning point in the election, and it may end up costing Trudeau in the end, because by agreeing to support it, it looks like it could end up sending a bunch of undecided voters on the centre-left back over to NDP. It's going to be really interesting to see the polls in the next few weeks.

[troutman]

B.C. Conservative MP James Lunney tweets against evolution
Member of Parliament advises on Twitter to just 'stop calling evolution fact!'

Also questioned vaccines, climate change

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/b-c-...tion-1.2978984

And he's a chiropractor.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by troutman

B.C. Conservative MP James Lunney tweets against evolution
Member of Parliament advises on Twitter to just 'stop calling evolution fact!'

Also questioned vaccines, climate change

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/b-c-...tion-1.2978984

And he's a chiropractor.

Embarrassing.

[rubecube]

Well this is an unfortunate tweet:

‏@JustinTrudeau
Happy #CommonwealthDay to over 2 billion people in our family of nations! A chance to celebrate the shared history and values that unite us.

[Dan02]

Why is that rube?

[#-3]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Well this is an unfortunate tweet:

‏@JustinTrudeau
Happy #CommonwealthDay to over 2 billion people in our family of nations! A chance to celebrate the shared history and values that unite us.

I don't really see a problem with the Commonwealth as it stands now. Countries outside of the commonwealth waste just as much money rolling out the carpet for the royals when they visit, and we otherwise don't contribute anything to it.

Nothing wrong with having Friends, regardless of how they became friends. We are Canadian after all.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Dan02

Why is that rube?

Originally Posted by #-3

I don't really see a problem with the Commonwealth as it stands now. Countries outside of the commonwealth waste just as much money rolling out the carpet for the royals when they visit, and we otherwise don't contribute anything to it.

Nothing wrong with having Friends, regardless of how they became friends. We are Canadian after all.

Certain segments of the populations in Commonwealth countries might not view the "shared history" as something they'd really like to celebrate. IMO, if you're actually serious about reconciling the harm caused by colonialism, the absolute minimum you could do is stop celebrating it. I realize I'm going to be in the minority on this one, though.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Certain segments of the populations in Commonwealth countries might not view the "shared history" as something they'd really like to celebrate. IMO, if you're actually serious about reconciling the harm caused by colonialism, the absolute minimum you could do is stop celebrating it. I realize I'm going to be in the minority on this one, though.

I don't like JT at all, but have no problem with this tweet.