Trudeau: “Canada isn’t doing well right now because it’s Albertans who control...

[Slava]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Highly doubtful.

But the NEP (or whatever thinly veiled title he will give it)...and i dont know if you lived through it or not, but i did and will NEVER forget what it did to my friends and family....is as likely to be part of a Trudeau platform as anything else considering his disdain for the people of this province.

So, before I respond I just want to clarify. Your saying that Alberta was raped with the NEP and that was the sole cause of the issues here in the early 1980's? I would hate to get into (yet another) review of this lovely topic without the need to.

You never know when we might end up working together. We're not as far apart politically as you might think! I've voted for all three major parties, so its not like that couldn't happen again.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

It was lead story on CBC yesterday (left leaning)

CBC is left leaning when it comes to global news and domestically when the Liberals are in power, but when it comes to domestic news when the Conservatives are in power, they usually tread carefully. They know they rely on the government to keep them in business and they typically go easy on whoever is in power. If something is reported elsewhere, they are kind of obligated to run a story on it too, otherwise they look way too biased.

[Resolute 14]

Wow, Clay, you are a true, died-in-the-wool Liberal, aren't you? Instead of addressing the comments head on, you have engaged in numerous fallacies to try and deflect the topic away from Trudeau's opinions that entrench the classic east-vs-west divisive politics of your party.

BTW, it is cute that you actually think the only reason the Liberals and NDP don't merge is because they don't want to, and not the fact that the two parties are as ideologically opposed as the NDP and Conservatives are.

[Rathji]

I certainly have a huge anti-Liberal bias, and I would likely staple my scrotum to the table if I ever had the urge to vote for them, but I am not really up in arms over these comments.

How is Trudeau blaming all the woes of Canada on Alberta any different than Albertans blaming the economic issues of the 80's solely on the NEP?

In reality, it isn't that much different.

[blankall]

The NEP was a violation of the constitution. The fact they would hold out Trudeau's idiot son in front of us is enough of a slap in the face. Quite frankly, 2010 is not that long ago. Justin Trudeau was already in office and should have known a lot better.

I can see the appeal of running this guy in a few ridings in Eastern Canada to drum up some support in Quebec and Ontario. If they ever have him of the leader of the liberal party, it would send a massive message to the Albertans that they simply are not needing in Canada other than free the resources and labour they provide to rest of Canada. What a clown.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Wow, Clay, you are a true, died-in-the-wool Liberal, aren't you? Instead of addressing the comments head on, you have engaged in numerous fallacies to try and deflect the topic away from Trudeau's opinions that entrench the classic east-vs-west divisive politics of your party.

BTW, it is cute that you actually think the only reason the Liberals and NDP don't merge is because they don't want to, and not the fact that the two parties are as ideologically opposed as the NDP and Conservatives are.

Haha or maybe I just realize there's nothing to this crap? Moronic statements? You betcha. And CPC members are guilty too of also making moronic statements (including Harper, as posted in this very thread)....what is there really to talk about? Who's the bigger moron? (Hint: Its all politicians who are morons). All politicians are self-serving hacks. I don't differentiate based on party.

My party? I wouldn't vote for Trudeau if you put a gun to my head. He's not even remotely qualified to run a city, let alone the country. Its just I HATE when supporters, one side or the other, act somehow like they're better than everyone else when their party is as guilty of most of the same crap tactics they accuse the opposition of engaging in, but somehow can say its ok for one, not for the others. Newsflash: It sucks when any of them do it, and since they all do it...why even have these threads other than to get the outrage you already have towards the party you are against out of your system? Its so insanely pointless I don't even know why it comes up ever, other than the media runs in cycles and needs a new set of headlines for a few days.

[Slava]

WEll, since the point seems to be lost on posters here, let me reiterate. Trudeau isn't the leader of the party. Its not different than any other CPC backbencher making some comments that people get up in arms about. Could he win? Sure. Its hardly a foregone conclusion though. In fact I know more people working for Hall-Findlay than I do for Trudeau, for whatever thats worth.

Aside from that though, who cares? He barely said anything here that Albertans wouldn't say about the east. I have put up quotes that Harper made that were basically the exact same thing about electing PMs from Quebec, so why does it suddenly matter if these two echo the same sentiments from opposite sides of the country?

[yads]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Thanks to Slava for these from the Calgary Centre Thread..


Outrage? Nope, because he isn't slamming Alberta of course. If we did a poll of true CPC supporters, I would feel very confident in predicting at least 75% of them would like to kick Quebec out of Canada. So its ok for you to hate them, but not the other way around? More examples of politics becoming like sports, your "team" is never in the wrong and you must defend them no matter what.

Originally Posted by Makarov

No question that these were stupid comments by Trudeau. However, these sorts of comments are hardly uncommon. For example, courtesy of Prime Minister Harper:

— “I, too, am one of these angry westerners ... We may love Canada but Canada does not love us ... Let's make (Alberta) strong enough that the rest of the country is afraid to threaten us.” Report Newsmagazine, December 2000.

— “You've got to remember that west of Winnipeg the ridings the Liberals hold are dominated by people who are either recent Asian immigrants or recent migrants from eastern Canada: people who live in ghettoes and who are not integrated into western Canadian society.” Report Newsmagazine, January 2001.

— “As a religion, bilingualism is the god that failed. It has led to no fairness, produces no unity and cost Canadian taxpayers untold millions.” Calgary Sun, May 2001.

Pretty much all of those except the 'ghettoes' comment are taken out of context. Trudeau's video is unedited and shows a good chunk of what he is saying. I'm not on any team and in fact have been a liberal supporter, both federally and provincially, the last 5 years. His initial comments about the words being taken out of context are not satisfactory to me. I'm going to wait to see what he has to say about this, but at the moment I won't be voting for the federal liberals if he is elected leader.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Slava

WEll, since the point seems to be lost on posters here, let me reiterate. Trudeau isn't the leader of the party. Its not different than any other CPC backbencher making some comments that people get up in arms about. Could he win? Sure. Its hardly a foregone conclusion though. In fact I know more people working for Hall-Findlay than I do for Trudeau, for whatever thats worth.

So we should ignore the divisive old-school Liberal beliefs of a major player in the Liberal party, and the man who will inevitably become leader because there is a snowball's chance in hell that someone else might win the leadership instead?

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by blankall

The NEP was a violation of the constitution.

Hardly a foregone conclusion. Although Lougheed threatened to challenge the National Energy Program in the courts, he chose not to, and instead negotiated a (largely unsatisfactory) revised agreement. One might speculate that the advice he was receiving from Department of Justice lawyers was that the NEP would likely survive constitutional scrutiny.

Originally Posted by blankall

The fact they would hold out Trudeau's idiot son in front of us is enough of a slap in the face.
...
... If they ever have him of the leader of the liberal party, it would send a massive message to the Albertans that they simply are not needing in Canada other than free the resources and labour they provide to rest of Canada. What a clown.

Yikes! Hyperbole!

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by yads

Pretty much all of those except the 'ghettoes' comment are taken out of context.

Originally Posted by yads

His initial comments about the words being taken out of context are not satisfactory to me.

Where is that irony emoticon when you need it? Ah, here it is:

[mykalberta]

I dont think this was a gaffe.

I think this will be the lefts new "hidden agenda" war-cry argument to get votes east of Sask which has worked for old man Trudeau and Chrétien in the past. Its an argument thats difficult to combat when economies in those provinces arent doing well.

In order to combat this the Cons need to shift their focus from QC voters to maritme voters who should be able to see the benefits that natural resources can bring and show them that if Ontario and QC can do this to Alberta, that they can also do this to NFL, NB, and NS.

Right now I wouldnt attack either the NDP or Libs directly, 2 strong left parties are good for the Cons at the moment, wait until one takes a marketable lead over the other then go after them. I would be trying to help the greens, a new green voter is not a possible blue voter but they are possible red or orange voters. Maybe try to team up with May to have her input on a new environmental policy so she can champion that to her voters.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Slava

WEll, since the point seems to be lost on posters here, let me reiterate. Trudeau isn't the leader of the party. Its not different than any other CPC backbencher making some comments that people get up in arms about. Could he win? Sure. Its hardly a foregone conclusion though. In fact I know more people working for Hall-Findlay than I do for Trudeau, for whatever thats worth.

Aside from that though, who cares? He barely said anything here that Albertans wouldn't say about the east. I have put up quotes that Harper made that were basically the exact same thing about electing PMs from Quebec, so why does it suddenly matter if these two echo the same sentiments from opposite sides of the country?

Except he's a standing MP and running for the leadership of a federal party so this is hardly irrelevant.

Can you put up the posts of Harper's comments about Quebec MP's so that we can compare content.

Personally I really want junior to win the leadership race, even though he has a boost now because of his fantastic hair and groovy eyes, I think he gets his a$$ handed to him in a federal election.

He won't be able to help himself he's a walking talking stupidity quote machine.

Plus I don't think he's got all that much substance

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

I dont think this was a gaffe.

I think this will be the lefts new "hidden agenda" war-cry argument to get votes east of Sask which has worked for old man Trudeau and Chrétien in the past. Its an argument thats difficult to combat when economies in those provinces arent doing well.

In order to combat this the Cons need to shift their focus from QC voters to maritme voters who should be able to see the benefits that natural resources can bring and show them that if Ontario and QC can do this to Alberta, that they can also do this to NFL, NB, and NS.

Right now I wouldnt attack either the NDP or Libs directly, 2 strong left parties are good for the Cons at the moment, wait until one takes a marketable lead over the other then go after them. I would be trying to help the greens, a new green voter is not a possible blue voter but they are possible red or orange voters. Maybe try to team up with May to have her input on a new environmental policy so she can champion that to her voters.

I don't know, in the previous to the last election when Elizabeth May was in the debate, I think Harper missed an opportunity at a majority when he didn't stand up and push her chair slowly off camera during one of her rants.

[Savvy27]

I met Justin Trudeau a few weeks ago in a Q&A session and was actually more impressed by him than I ever was during TV interviews or clips. However, I do not agree with people who think these comments are no big deal. He didn't say that Canada was in trouble because Conservatives from Alberta were running the government, he said that Albertans were the problem. I'm sort of happy this quote was dug up, because this presents a good opportunity to see how he responds to it and explains himself. I'm sure that every person in this thread will reserve judgement until they have listened to him with an open mind and carefully considered his explanation.

Tranny: I'm not sure why you're bringing up the NEP. He has publicly denounced the program and described it as a poorly designed plan to steal the wealth from one region to benefit every other region in the country.

He's no genius, but he is far from an idiot. The comments he made were foolish and divisive though.

[crazy_eoj]

It's really sad that the Liberals seem to be considering Justin so strongly for leadership. I think the time is soon coming that we need a change in government, and with the rise of the NDP I was really hoping the liberals would be moving back towards the center of the political spectrum like the leadership was under Martin or someone like John Manley.

But with Trudeau they would return to basically an openly communist ideal and veer even further left, likely meaning stronger support for the Conservatives and the inherent problems with a party being in power too long.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by crazy_eoj

an openly communist ideal

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Hardly a foregone conclusion. Although Lougheed threatened to challenge the National Energy Program in the courts, he chose not to, and instead negotiated a (largely unsatisfactory) revised agreement. One might speculate that the advice he was receiving from Department of Justice lawyers was that the NEP would likely survive constitutional scrutiny.

Hardly a foregone conclusion? Really? When Alberta joined Canada it was under the agreement that they would have SOLE ownership of the natural resources within their border. The constitution is pretty thourough on the topic. It explicitely gives provinces control and ownership over all non-renewable resources.

[CaptainCrunch]

Well Trudeau can't run on the ideals of the whole common man, the guy defines being a 1%'er, right down to the Mcleans interview after his wedding about how much he spent on it and how wicked awesome cool he is.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by blankall

Hardly a foregone conclusion? Really? When Alberta joined Canada it was under the agreement that they would have SOLE ownership of the natural resources within their border. The constitution is pretty thourough on the topic. It explicitely gives provinces control and ownership over all non-renewable resources.

Actually, they didn't. When Alberta and Saskatchewan were carved out of the NWT, both provinces got screwed by the federal government on that point. It wasn't until 1929 when John Brownlee finally wrestled control of our resources from the feds. Then, as now, the attitude of Ontario and Quebec was that the west existed to give them wealth.