Federal Election Called for Oct 19, 2015

[Looch City]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

Trudeau is growing on me. He first came across as too young and entirely too fake in some of his speeches, but I'm getting over it. A lot of it has to do with the fact I'm being spoon fed attack ads and I'm a little sick of them, so I've decided to pay more attention and make up my own mind.

I'm not a fan of Harper, and even less a fan of C51 or their stance on terrorism and crime. I like their platform on the economy though.

Mulcair is a loon. There's not much that anyone can do that will convince me he is anything other than a career politician (although Trudeau probably fits that bill as well).

It's really going to come down to my local candidate, and how important things like the economy, infrastructure, crime, terrorism and privacy are to me and how they line up with the parties. One thing is for sure though, this is the most involved I have ever been in a federal election.

I feel the same and I actually believe the voter turn out will be pretty high this year.

[White Out 403]

They're all career politicians. Harper the worst.

[Canuck-Hater]

Maybe its just me but it will be interesting to see how many votes the Conservatives will lose to the Liberals. I know lots of people who voted for Harper in the previous two elections, but won't this time around.

[2Stonedbirds]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I don't get the decriminalize crowd. We want the same number of people to be smoking pot but we don't want society to benefit from it?

I used to be for decriminalization, mainly because I didn't want to pay "big money" for legal pot when illegal pot was/is so readily available.

Now, I don't care. When it's BC's largest cash crop, above the timber industry, something has to give. It's obvious legislation is not having the desired effect in terms of combating use, so what the hell. Let's make a few bucks and pump it back into the economy.

My only concern is that, from talking with people, some dudes that grow do it because they simply like growing it. So I don't know how it effects those people but as far as organized crime goes, if you take away the profit then there isn't anything there for them. Much like what happened when prohibition ended back in the day.

Anyways, if it's gonna be legal, and it's gonna be taxed (and we see an increase in price over street value) then it damn well better be good and not some second rate Saskatchewan dirt weed.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by 2Stonedbirds

I used to be for decriminalization, mainly because I didn't want to pay "big money" for legal pot when illegal pot was/is so readily available.

Now, I don't care. When it's BC's largest cash crop, above the timber industry, something has to give. It's obvious legislation is not having the desired effect in terms of combating use, so what the hell. Let's make a few bucks and pump it back into the economy.

My only concern is that, from talking with people, some dudes that grow do it because they simply like growing it. So I don't know how it effects those people but as far as organized crime goes, if you take away the profit then there isn't anything there for them. Much like what happened when prohibition ended back in the day.

Anyways, if it's gonna be legal, and it's gonna be taxed (and we see an increase in price over street value) then it damn well better be good and not some second rate Saskatchewan dirt weed.

I took a tour of the Tweed medicinal marijuana growing operation this spring. They have a huge plant and are only growing in like 10% of it right now to meet the needs for medical demand. I imagine if legal pot comes into effect, they will be able to expand quite easily and fill the market. Plus there are other operations in Canada too.

http://www.tweed.com/

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by 2Stonedbirds

I used to be for decriminalization, mainly because I didn't want to pay "big money" for legal pot when illegal pot was/is so readily available.

Now, I don't care. When it's BC's largest cash crop, above the timber industry, something has to give. It's obvious legislation is not having the desired effect in terms of combating use, so what the hell. Let's make a few bucks and pump it back into the economy.

My only concern is that, from talking with people, some dudes that grow do it because they simply like growing it. So I don't know how it effects those people but as far as organized crime goes, if you take away the profit then there isn't anything there for them. Much like what happened when prohibition ended back in the day.

Anyways, if it's gonna be legal, and it's gonna be taxed (and we see an increase in price over street value) then it damn well better be good and not some second rate Saskatchewan dirt weed.

The other thing is that weed is virtually legal in BC. We have dispensaries all over Victoria and Vancouver, and getting a "medicinal card" is ridiculously easy. I don't smoke the stuff because it gives me anxiety but from what I've heard the dispensaries are cheaper and the product is better than what you can get from your average dealer. Also quite a bit more selection.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by rubecube

The other thing is that weed is virtually legal in BC. We have dispensaries all over Victoria and Vancouver, and getting a "medicinal card" is ridiculously easy. I don't smoke the stuff because it gives me anxiety but from what I've heard the dispensaries are cheaper and the product is better than what you can get from your average dealer. Also quite a bit more selection.

Campbell, also the former chief coroner of BC, says he's confused about the Conservative government's continued opposition to the use of marijuana in a medical capacity.

"Government has lost it on this one. the supreme court says this is medicine … and at the same time the minister continues to rant. It's bizarre.

"I think she's a good minister just not an especially a good health minister."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...ions-1.3129204

This article is from 2012:

The Stop the Violence coalition released a letter Thursday from Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan and six others to B.C. Premier Christy Clark, NDP leader Adrian Dix and Conservative leader John Cummins.

“Given the ongoing gang activity, widespread availability of marijuana and high costs associated with enforcement, leaders at all levels of government must take responsibility for marijuana policy,” the letter said. “We are asking you as provincial leaders to take a new approach to marijuana regulation.”

Several municipal councils in B.C. have passed motions supporting the decriminalization of marijuana.

Robertson said Thursday that a motion to endorse the Stop the Violence BC campaign will be on the agenda of Vancouver city council next week.

“This is not a partisan issue,” Robertson said in a news release. “Widespread access to marijuana for our youth, grow-ops that provide funds for organized crime, and significant costs to taxpayers for enforcement are all compelling reasons to re-examine our failed approach to prohibition.”

‘Huge profits for organized crime and widespread gang violence in our cities are the result of this failed policy’
Corrigan said the detrimental effects of marijuana prohibition are visible across B.C.’s Lower Mainland on a daily basis.

“Huge profits for organized crime and widespread gang violence in our cities are the result of this failed policy. We put our citizens and communities at risk by not taking action now,” he said.

North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto also signed the letter, saying: “We stand together as B.C. mayors because we think our communities will be safer and our children better protected from criminal elements if we overturn marijuana prohibition and implement policies that strictly regulate the adult use of cannabis.”

The others who signed the letter are Vernon Mayor Robert Sawatzky, Armstrong Mayor Chris Pieper, Metchosin Mayor John Ranns, Enderby Mayor Howie Cyr and Lake Country Mayor James Baker.

The mayors’ letter comes after four former B.C. attorneys general — including former B.C. premier and federal health minister Ujjal Dosanjh — called for marijuana decriminalization in February. Former Vancouver mayors Larry Campbell, Mike Harcourt, Sam Sullivan and Philip Owen made a similar call for pot decriminalization late last year.

http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/tag...te-and-tax-pot

3 Years later, the city of Vancouver was forced to act:

The City of Vancouver has approved a two-tier licensing system to curb the explosion of illegal medical marijuana dispen- saries, defying warnings from the federal government by becoming the first jurisdiction in Canada to regulate storefront pot sales.

Councillors voted on Wednesday to introduce a new business licensing system for compassion clubs and dispensaries, whose numbers have ballooned to about 100 across the city, up from a handful just several years ago. The vote followed extensive public hearings, in which most speakers generally supported regulation, and stern letters from federal cabinet ministers urging council to abandon its plan.

The provincial Health Minister and the head of the local health authority have voiced their support for the rules, and Victoria’s mayor says her staff are already studying Vancouver’s new bylaw and will report back to council in September about imposing similar regulations on the 19 dispensaries in that city.

Before they voted, Mayor Gregor Robertson and all six councillors from his governing Vision Vancouver party lambasted the federal Conservative government as being “tone deaf” on the issue of dispensaries and for creating a licensed medical marijuana system they say is difficult for many patients to access.

(For more on Vancouver’s dispensaries, read The Globe’s in-depth explainer: Vancouver’s pot shops: Everything you need to know about marijuana dispensaries)

Councillor Geoff Meggs said Vancouver’s regulations send federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose a clear message to “wake up.”

“You are completely out of touch with the realities on the ground,” Mr. Meggs said of the minister. “The policies that you’re advocating are backwards and destructive and they’ve driven us to take the steps that are necessary here today.”

Ms. Ambrose said in an e-mailed statement she was “deeply disappointed” by the vote, which she said would make it easier for kids to obtain and smoke marijuana.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle25093608/

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson has rejected a warning from the federal Health Minister to scrap a proposal to regulate marijuana dispensaries.

The proposal would create a new class of business licence for the operations while imposing hefty fees and restricting where they can be located.

“The city’s approach right now is a common-sense one to deal with regulating the proliferation – we have over 80 of these dispensaries and they exist because of the federal landscape and the actions taken or not taken by the federal government,” Mr. Robertson told reporters on Friday after a regional mayors’ meeting in Burnaby, B.C.

The number of marijuana dispensaries in Vancouver has ballooned to more than 80, up from about 20 just a couple of years ago. That rapid expansion has happened without much interference from the city or its police force.

The city has said it had no choice but to regulate dispensaries due to the federal government’s inaction on the issue.

Mr. Robertson’s comments came hours after Health Minister Rona Ambrose, visiting the Lower Mainland, repeated her warning from a letter to the mayor this week urging him to back away from the plan.

Mr. Robertson said access to medical marijuana is “a real issue” for Vancouver, suggesting the proposal would help the city deal with problems such as unauthorized access and proliferation. The plan is to be discussed at a city council meeting next week.

“As a city, we just can’t let these shops be everywhere all over town. And certainly we don’t want them close to schools. We don’t want access for kids to be as easy as it has been. So we’re taking some steps, looking at a public hearing to consider those in the days ahead and we want to be sure, first and foremost, that kids are not getting access as we’ve seen in the past.”

Ms. Ambrose was blunt in her remarks Friday. “I would just say to him, ‘Don’t do it,’” Ms. Ambrose told reporters in a question-and-answer session after a presentation on immunization.

Ms. Ambrose said Vancouver should instead shut down the dispensaries because they are illegal under federal law. Ms. Ambrose drew a distinction between the Vancouver dispensaries and what she described as the strict, regulated regime of the federal system, which was a response to court decisions that said patients must have reliable access to medical marijuana.

“At the end of the day, legitimizing this kind of commercial operation, selling marijuana on the street is normalizing it. I think that’s a bad message for young people. When you normalize something, the message is that it is normal, that it is OK and that it is safe. It is not safe for kids to smoke marijuana.”

Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C.’s provincial health officer, said Vancouver is taking “sensible” measures under the circumstances. He said it is better to have marijuana in a regulated environment even if it is an illegal product, “than to have people skulking around the back streets where cannabis is sold.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle24106383/

[Drak]

Originally Posted by 2Stonedbirds

I used to be for decriminalization, mainly because I didn't want to pay "big money" for legal pot when illegal pot was/is so readily available.

Now, I don't care. When it's BC's largest cash crop, above the timber industry, something has to give. It's obvious legislation is not having the desired effect in terms of combating use, so what the hell. Let's make a few bucks and pump it back into the economy.

My only concern is that, from talking with people, some dudes that grow do it because they simply like growing it. So I don't know how it effects those people but as far as organized crime goes, if you take away the profit then there isn't anything there for them. Much like what happened when prohibition ended back in the day.

Anyways, if it's gonna be legal, and it's gonna be taxed (and we see an increase in price over street value) then it damn well better be good and not some second rate Saskatchewan dirt weed.

Weed has variety. You'll certainly have a choice with what weed you want to purchase, within reason.

[dammage79]

I was thinking about this for the past few days. It's kind of irrelelvant I suppose but the question I have is:

How strong of a government could the NDP form under Jack Leighton if he were still alive in this years election? I honestly belive it'd be a majority government. He had just the right amount of everything folks look for in a PM candidate.

[sworkhard]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I was thinking about this for the past few days. It's kind of irrelelvant I suppose but the question I have is:

How strong of a government could the NDP form under Jack Leighton if he were still alive in this years election? I honestly belive it'd be a majority government. He had just the right amount of everything folks look for in a PM candidate.

I think Jack Layton would do substantially worse Canada wide. One of the reasons the NDP is doing better across Canada this election is that they have moved to the right. I'm not sure that would have happened under Layton.

[Dagger]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I was thinking about this for the past few days. It's kind of irrelelvant I suppose but the question I have is:

How strong of a government could the NDP form under Jack Leighton if he were still alive in this years election? I honestly belive it'd be a majority government. He had just the right amount of everything folks look for in a PM candidate.

Jack Layton would promise you the moon, because he knew he'd never have to deliver it. His legend far exceeds the man.

[2Stonedbirds]

Whenever I think of Layton all that comes to mind is the time he pushed a woman out of the way to get some live face time and appear to be a regular joe on tv during the 2010 mens gold medal game.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by 2Stonedbirds

Whenever I think of Layton all that comes to mind is the time he pushed a woman out of the way to get some live face time and appear to be a regular joe on tv during the 2010 mens gold medal game.

Haha, I'd completely forgotten about that, but I remember thinking how much of a giant tool he was at the time. Also reminds me of Gordon Campbell and his stupid red mittens during the same games

[2Stonedbirds]

Yeah, like Canadians with more than two brain cells to rub together can't see the embarrassing pandering for what it is. Ugh. Yeah Jack, you just bleed Canadiana, dontcha?

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

But it isn't. I have yet to see Trudeau speak and feel he is "not prepared" or "not ready". I feel in settings where he is ready for the questions, such as debates, he has been the best prepared of the three. I feel off script he is infinitely more personable. That he does not have numbers on the top of his head is fine in my opinion. He doesn't want to lie. He doesn't want to say something off the cuff that is wrong. That's not being "vapid" that's being prudent.

I do agree it's overblown, but sometimes when he opens his mouth, he sticks his foot in it. I know it's (or could be) a quality of being off the cuff and not wanting to lie, but as a head of state, sometimes you need to choose your words better.

My example would be when he said Russia was probably angry over losing the hockey match, when he was talking about the Crimea crisis. I saw him say it live, it wasn't doctored at all, and I though, 'ooooooh...' :/ It's one thing to say to your buddies over a pint or even in your home with your family. Shoot, it's even something you could post on a message board as a joke, but for a head of state to say it, maybe not the best thing.

He's had a few other moments like that. And I know he's trying to be personable, but sometimes you just gotta watch your words.

All that said, the Libs have been pulling me from the NDP lately too. And I do think the deficit plan is a good idea. Spend while the interest rates are low, create some jobs, stimulate the economy. Shoot, Alberta BADLY needs to diversify it's economy, some of that stimulus could do just that. Because if we continue to focus on fossil fuels before everything else, we will be completely boned very soon. I saw something on CBC that said during the nineties recession, we were paying 35% of our dollar (GDP, GNP, I forget how that works) to interest payments for our national debt. Now we pay about 15% So a few deficits won't kill us. It might be the thing we need. Running a country (or a company) is not like running a household. Sometimes debt is important, crucial even. But a lot of voters don't think that way or know that. 'I have to pay all my bills! Blah blah blah! Rabble rabble, etc.'

Legalization also makes complete sense. And could be a part of the equation too. Sure it'll be a very very small part, but every bit counts. We should have done it BEFORE the three areas in the States did, we could have had pot related tourism! Thanks Conservatives! The past Liberals were moving in that direction.

[Smartcar]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Running a country (or a company) is not like running a household. Sometimes debt is important, crucial even. But a lot of voters don't think that way or know that.

That's because if you're running a country and you go into debt to build infrastructure and in the process reduce unemployment, you're not just spending the money, you're saving money (on EI and welfare payments) as well as getting money from income taxes. It's not like a household budget, but that's what voters relate to.

That's what Trudeau meant when he said if you grow the economy the budget will balance itself. The attack ads took the second part out of context.

[Flamenspiel]

^^Yes, fundamental Reaganomics...

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Daradon

I saw something on CBC that said during the nineties recession, we were paying 35% of our dollar (GDP, GNP, I forget how that works) to interest payments for our national debt. Now we pay about 15% So a few deficits won't kill us.

That's fine right now but when does that debt get paid off? 5 years? 10 years? ever?
Interest rates can't stay this low forever.
The Liberals are proposing to add 146.5 billion dollars in new spending over 4 years. That means more taxes and debt to pay for it, you're not going to pay that bill with growth.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Jacks

That's fine right now but when does that debt get paid off? 5 years? 10 years? ever?
Interest rates can't stay this low forever.
The Liberals are proposing to add 146.5 billion dollars in new spending over 4 years. That means more taxes and debt to pay for it, you're not going to pay that bill with growth.

how do you know the 146 billion in spending won't result in a 147 billion in economic growth?

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Smartcar

That's because if you're running a country and you go into debt to build infrastructure and in the process reduce unemployment, you're not just spending the money, you're saving money (on EI and welfare payments) as well as getting money from income taxes. It's not like a household budget, but that's what voters relate to.

That's what Trudeau meant when he said if you grow the economy the budget will balance itself. The attack ads took the second part out of context.

Yes, that one was very much out of context, I've explained the full quote to others as well. But that's par for the course for attack ads. Conservative ads are usually the most 'attacky', but all parties are guilty of it to an extent.

On that note, anyone seen the new NDP ad that spoofs the conservative ad? Harper, time to let him go. I loled.