Federal Politics 2015 Thread

[ae118]

Meh, I usually agree with you rube, but there IS important shared history among Commonwealth nations. I'm fine with that tweet.

I'm not fine with the Liberals supporting C-51.

[rubecube]

Like I said, I know I'm in the minority, but try considering that tweet from an aboriginal perspective. It's certainly not an inclusive statement. Luckily for Trudeau, most Canadians only consider aboriginal perspectives as a nuisance so I doubt this hurts him in any significant way.

[nik-]

I'd really prefer if this C-51 would piss off and die. Obviously it's going to pass with flying colours and we're just going to have to eat it. It will never be reversed.

I don't understand why governments continue to compound terrorist victories by enacting these laws.

[Harry Lime]

Conservative government spends 1B$/year on immigrant settlement service. I've thought that the 250 000 new citizens number was always a little arbitrary, and should be numerically linked to something. For all of Harper's bizarre fire and brimstone conservative policy, sometimes he goes full liberal, almost by accident.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/03...ervative-base/

[rubecube]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle23385863/

A nearly three-year ethics investigation has revealed cabinet-level discussions about the connection between public infrastructure projects and winning political support from Jewish voters in the Greater Toronto Area.

Federal Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson released a detailed, 46-page report on Tuesday that concludes the actions of Conservative minister Diane Finley were “improper” and violated the Conflict of Interest Act when she awarded federal money to an infrastructure project backed by a rabbi with close ties to prominent Conservative politicians, including the Prime Minister.

Looks like everyone's favourite former chief of staff had his hands on this one as well.

The report reveals that in 2011, Ms. Finley had a private conversation with Nigel Wright, who was then chief of staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, just outside the cabinet room.

The report said that, according to Mr. Wright, the minister asked him whether the Markham proposal was important. Mr. Wright replied that the Prime Minister had asked him to “sort it out.

But of course Harper knew nothing about it.

Mr. Harper supported Ms. Finley, who is now Minister of Public Works.

“I had no specific knowledge of these applications nor any preference in what was chosen,” he said, adding that Ms. Finley acted “in good faith.”

The Conflict of Interest Act does not include sanctions for breaches.

[temple5]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

Conservative government spends 1B$/year on immigrant settlement service. I've thought that the 250 000 new citizens number was always a little arbitrary, and should be numerically linked to something. For all of Harper's bizarre fire and brimstone conservative policy, sometimes he goes full liberal, almost by accident.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/03...ervative-base/

I read that and instantly thought that number was low. $4K per immigrant seems like a low number especially if they are skilled and likely to add the tax roles soon.

Personally I think its a nothing story, 4K investment in someone who will likely pay more than that in income tax in the first 365 days seems like a great investment.

If it is an issue, then you point to the fact that the government has moved from a "Grandma and Grandpa" immigration policy to a "workers" policy which increases the odds of a return on investment.

[temple5]

Originally Posted by nik-

I'd really prefer if this C-51 would piss off and die. Obviously it's going to pass with flying colours and we're just going to have to eat it. It will never be reversed.

I don't understand why governments continue to compound terrorist victories by enacting these laws.

There is alot of rumor about this bill and its supposed dual purposes.

(The below assumes the Cons win the next election of course)

NP recently had a great article summarizing the below.

This law was written with the express hope that they can use it to envoke the notwithstanding clause when the Supreme court defeats it.

Alot of Conservative circles want the government to envoke it for recent assisted suicide ruling but apparently Harper has nixed that idea because like other issues that the hardcore base want, he knows the election can be lost because of it (and likely because he himself probably agrees with it, although he cant say it).

Also it doesnt hurt that most of the populace probably dont know that the Feds can enact it because it hasnt been used Federally in long time and they are waiting for a bill that will have almost unanimous public support to try to wrangle law making abilities away from the judicial and back to the elected. It probably doesnt hurt that terrorists and crazys being what they are, its not hard to image another incident happening to keep the flames stoked.

Its a slippery slope of course with alot of Facebook style conspiracy theories that will arrise because of it when it happens.

[PsYcNeT]

:laffo:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manito...90095?cmp=fbtl

[Senator Clay Davis]

Neocons will be neocons.

[PsYcNeT]

I agree! Lawrence Toet is a gigantic knob.

[nik-]

honestly ... how ####ing stupid do you have to be to approve that mailer?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by nik-

honestly ... how ####ing stupid do you have to be to approve that mailer?

Gotta play to your base.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by nik-

honestly ... how ####ing stupid do you have to be to approve that mailer?

Originally Posted by rubecube

Gotta play to your base.

Wouldn't do it if it didn't work.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

As expected, this has inspired a meme.

Do you believe the Keystone pipeline is in Canada's best interests?

• Yes! It will create thousands of jobs.
• No! I am an environmental terrorist and should be put in prison.

Will you be voting for Stephen Harper next election?

• Yes, I want Canadians to be safe.
• No, I like ISIS.

Do you believe in mandatory sentencing?

• Yes! Justice is important to me.
• No! I believe that child molesters should be allowed into pre schools at will.

Are you pro-life?

• Yes, save the babies.
• No, I eat babies for breakfast.

[MarchHare]

Someone should ask Lawrence Toet if he has stopped beating his wife.

[rubecube]

http://www.ipolitics.ca/2015/03/13/w...-saudi-arabia/

If Stephen Harper wants to start filling the essentially empty vessel he calls a “values-driven” foreign policy, Sweden showed him a clear path to follow this week.

Stockholm announced it is dumping a 10-year-old defence agreement with Saudi Arabia — worth over half a billion dollars in the last five years to Swedish arms companies — because of the Riyadh government’s despicable record on human rights at home and abroad.

Sweden’s decision, following a similar decision by Germany earlier this year not to sell Leopard tanks to the Saudis, sits uncomfortably beside the Harper government’s determination to fulfil a $10 billion contract to sell Canadian-made armoured cars to the Riyadh regime. That contrast is particularly stark because the Canadian LAV III armoured cars are not going to Saudi Arabia’s army — they’re for the National Guard, which answers only to the king and whose prime job is crushing internal dissent.

It would be interesting to hear how supplying Riyadh with the hardware to trash any drive for civil rights in Saudi Arabia squares with the Harper government’s pompous claim that its foreign policy is driven entirely by respect for moral values and principles. What that means in practical terms has never been spelled out.

Even John Baird — the most articulate of the grey and nameless men who have been Harper’s foreign ministers since he came to power — was unable to explain it when he spoke at the United Nations General Assembly last year. Indeed, his performance was an acutely embarrassing demonstration of the vacuous hubris for which Canada is now best known on the international stage.

[Coach]

Slow clap for Sweden.

[FlamesAddiction]

Income splitting will cut $2.2 billion in taxes, but only benefits fewer than 1 out of 6 families.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/inco...says-1.2997972

That sounds like a lot of money cut out for benefiting a relatively few number of people directly.

[troutman]

Tory MP apologizes for telling women wearing niqab during ceremony: ‘stay the hell where you came from’

http://globalnews.ca/news/1886751/to...you-came-from/

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by troutman

Tory MP apologizes for telling women wearing niqab during ceremony: ‘stay the hell where you came from’

http://globalnews.ca/news/1886751/to...you-came-from/

How many of these comments do we hear before people starting actually associating Tories with racism as Republicans are in the states? It's becoming ever more frequent