GT: Federal Election

[Looch City]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Here's a fun conservative elected in Alberta. Disgusting part is he's a somewhat distant relative:

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/poli...river-westlock


He's got all kinds of dumb beliefs (his while extended family does). Homosexuality should be punishable, vaccines are a conspiracy to make people sick, pap smears are simply perverted doctors excuses to look at vaginas (seriously), etc

That face. I would like to punch that face. A thousand times.

[Looch City]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

And finally to the Liberals in power. I am happy it is a majority. First, and most importantly, it means the NDP don't hold the balance of power. Second, it reduces uncertainty and that's good for the markets. Sure, I might not have preferred their platform but at least I know what it is and what to expect. And third, they're not really that different from the conservatives at the end of the day. The two might campaign to their respective sides of centre, but they both govern to the middle. I have no irrational fears of them running this country into the ground and no fears of their actions skewering Alberta or our oil & gas industry.

It was a fun ride filled with lots of great debates with everyone in here. Thanks to everyone who partook.

Are you sure you're a true conservative?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Rubecube, you're still a pinko commie though...but one of the good ones and I will continue to rely on your football picks to win my office pool.

Haha, be careful. I tend to hit a rough patch around this time of year because I get distracted with midterms and papers.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

As for the Trudeau, I'm happy to have fresh energy infused into our government. Sure, he's not the most sophisticated on global politics but I have faith in the Liberal party executives providing good guidance behind the scenes. And I have faith in Trudeau being able to somewhat repair the fractured relationships between our country's provinces.

Trudeau's campaign was one of the best I've ever seen from a federal candidate, they made almost no mistakes and countered everything the conservatives threw at them. That shows to me that he has some very intelligent people on his team. And the fact that he was pushing the Liberal brand instead of his own (unlike Harper and Muclair) leads me to believe that he's going to govern by committee, which I think would be the best outcome possible

[rubecube]

I do feel a little bad for Mulcair. He's a great parliamentarian but campaigning is just not in his wheelhouse. The dude just looked awkward and uncomfortable the entire time.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I do feel a little bad for Mulcair. He's a great parliamentarian but campaigning is just not in his wheelhouse. The dude just looked awkward and uncomfortable the entire time.

The NDP version of Dion?

[GGG]

The conservatives kinda screwed muclair. By making the liberals the target he took out Muclair without spending a dime. Harper picked the alternative he was going to run against.

[pepper24]

My only comment on this is another 'Candidate of Change'. These changes just mean more taxes. Nenshi has brought in higher property taxes, Notley has brought in higher provincial taxes and now Trudeau will bring in higher federal taxes. All 3 levels of government working against us.

They are all probably good people and decent politicians but change to me and most of us has just meant giving back more of our hard earned dollars.

I would like to see all levels of government look at cutting spending rather than increasing taxes. We have a major spending problem that no level of government wants to address. I am getting really sick of this.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by pepper24

My only comment on this is another 'Candidate of Change'. These changes just mean more taxes. Nenshi has brought in higher property taxes, Notley has brought in higher provincial taxes and now Trudeau will bring in higher federal taxes. All 3 levels of government working against us.

They are all probably good people and decent politicians but change to me and most of us has just meant giving back more of our hard earned dollars.

I would like to see all levels of government look at cutting spending rather than increasing taxes. We have a major spending problem that no level of government wants to address. I am getting really sick of this.

If 10 years of Harper and the Conservatives weren't able to give us proper services AND find enough cuts to balance the budget, don't you think that maybe it isn't a spending problem, and that running a country with proper services is expensive and requires tax revenue to keep it all going?

I always here this refrain that we have a spending problem, but the provincial Cons and Feds have never been able to make cuts to prove there is all that much waste. People just don't want to admit things cost money, and if we want nice things, we have to pay for them.

[zamler]

Fuzz is a spendy politicians dream.

[Fuzz]

Because I'm realistic? If a government that was hell bent on reducing the size of government couldn't make it work, what makes people think anyone else can? We had 10 years of trying, and we have nothing to show for it.

[pepper24]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

If 10 years of Harper and the Conservatives weren't able to give us proper services AND find enough cuts to balance the budget, don't you think that maybe it isn't a spending problem, and that running a country with proper services is expensive and requires tax revenue to keep it all going?

I always here this refrain that we have a spending problem, but the provincial Cons and Feds have never been able to make cuts to prove there is all that much waste. People just don't want to admit things cost money, and if we want nice things, we have to pay for them.

It is an issue from the old provincial and federal governments carried into the new governments with have no intention of changing.

Most you can definitely blame on the past governments but now it's up to the new governments to correct this immediately especially since they have campaigned on change. This change would be better with decreased spending rather than increasing taxes.

This is a good article from a right leaning institution that puts most of the blame on the provincials PCs. NDP need to act on this.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/10...n_8263912.html

[John Doe]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Here's a fun conservative elected in Alberta. Disgusting part is he's a somewhat distant relative:

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/poli...river-westlock


He's got all kinds of dumb beliefs (his while extended family does). Homosexuality should be punishable, vaccines are a conspiracy to make people sick, pap smears are simply perverted doctors excuses to look at vaginas (seriously), etc

The MP for my riding. He is the only candidate that I met in person. After talking to him he went to last choice on my ballot, and I hadn't even found out about his beliefs then. I said in another thread that he has the potential to be the next Rob Anders. I stand by that.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by pepper24

It is an issue from the old provincial and federal governments carried into the new governments with have no intention of changing.

Most you can definitely blame on the past governments but now it's up to the new governments to correct this immediately especially since they have campaigned on change. This change would be better with decreased spending rather than increasing taxes.

This is a good article from a right leaning institution that puts most of the blame on the provincials PCs. NDP need to act on this.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/10...n_8263912.html

Maybe spending has increased so much becuase previous governments left massive infrastructure deficits?

Why is it all the other provinces need a sales tax to provide services, but Alberta doesn't? With oil revenue practically gone, we are somehow supposed to have enough money coming in from where? Even cutting whatever you think is necessary the math doesn't add up.

[pepper24]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Maybe spending has increased so much becuase previous governments left massive infrastructure deficits?

Why is it all the other provinces need a sales tax to provide services, but Alberta doesn't? With oil revenue practically gone, we are somehow supposed to have enough money coming in from where? Even cutting whatever you think is necessary the math doesn't add up.

If you read the article spending went up nearly 100% over 10 year span (2005-2015 ish). Spending is the problem and unfortunately new governments have to correct past mistakes.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by GGG

And to protect exports we should only tax carbon at the tail pipe. Oil that is exported outside of Canada should have the carbon implications go to who ever burned it. If the Saudi's aren't going to tax the lifecycle emissions of oil burned in the US we shouldn't either.

Any carbon tax should be attached only to the final user of the good.

It depends what you are trying to achieve. If the goal is to reduce hydrocarbon use overall then taxing at the tailpipe could help with that. If the goal is to reduce the emissions produced during the production of fuel then you have to tax the producer.

In my mind you need to tax the producer so they have a direct incentive to improve their specific operation. If you just tax at the tailpipe what incentive does shell or Syncrude have to reduce their emissions?

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by GGG

The conservatives kinda screwed muclair. By making the liberals the target he took out Muclair without spending a dime. Harper picked the alternative he was going to run against.

There are so many small nuances as to what lead to the final result we got. Truthfully, I never thought about it this way, but it seems pretty spot on. With hindsight, we can ask was Harper and his team brilliant with their foresight to focus on Trudeau as the real threat, or was it awful political planning that ended up creating their own worst nightmare as far as a candidate goes.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by pepper24

If you read the article spending went up nearly 100% over 10 year span (2005-2015 ish). Spending is the problem and unfortunately new governments have to correct past mistakes.

I did read the article. They don't mention why spending went up so much. Perhaps it was to make up for the decade of cuts by Ralph. Maybe it had to do with massive growth in the province straining our inadequate infrastructure. Old schools, needing replacement or repair due to neglect. Health care costs increasing due to new technologies and changing demographics.

Saying, hey if we just kept up with inflation, that's all we'd ever need to spend is about what I would expect out of a right wing "think tank" whose analysis is usually constrained to the wading pool depth of the tank.

[troutman]

Braid: Liepert paints woeful picture of campaign quarrels, lack of respect

http://calgaryherald.com/news/politi...ack-of-respect

A lot of MPs and defeated candidates are suddenly talking frankly, although usually off the record. They have years of conditioned silence to shake off — unlike Liepert, who’s probably impossible to muzzle under any conditions.

According to Liepert, the central campaign treated the city’s new candidates almost with contempt, despite the party’s continuing popularity in the city.

The party didn’t want to hear that Harper wasn’t popular, he says.

Liepert feels the campaign went badly off the rails when the Conservatives de-emphasized jobs and the economy to focus on niqabs and cultural snitch lines and even a rally with ex-Toronto mayor Rob Ford.

Some women in Harper’s caucus were furious that Harper consistently attacked two female premiers, Alberta’s Rachel Notley and Ontario’s Kathleen Wynne, and then appeared with an ex-mayor who lied about drug use and made lewd comments to women.

Harper didn’t really communicate with local candidates, Liepert says.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by pepper24

My only comment on this is another 'Candidate of Change'. These changes just mean more taxes. Nenshi has brought in higher property taxes, Notley has brought in higher provincial taxes and now Trudeau will bring in higher federal taxes. All 3 levels of government working against us.

They are all probably good people and decent politicians but change to me and most of us has just meant giving back more of our hard earned dollars.

I would like to see all levels of government look at cutting spending rather than increasing taxes. We have a major spending problem that no level of government wants to address. I am getting really sick of this.

Well I don't make over 200k, so my taxes are actually going down.