Canadian Politics

Indeed, keeping lines of communication open is generally a good idea, especially when dealing with hostile powers that you haven't written off yet. Not having official relations with say, North Korea or Taliban era Afghanistan is one thing, but the West is better off working with Iran.

Plus, closing our embassy had all the impact of a wet willy on the Iranian government.

Sometimes it's a security thing, embassies aren't always safe (that's a big part of why a lot of embassies in Syria got pulled out), plus communication is always there, either via back channels (often the Swiss) or simply having your guy at the UN corner their guy at the UN.

The embassy wasn't closed due to security issues, though, it was closed to make a political statement. Which is unfortunate.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/topstories/nestle-outbids-small-ontario-community-for-well/ar-BBwvbt3?li=AAgh0dA

How is this okay? How is this allowed? The federal government should tell Nestle to go fuck itself and block the sale.

Money, I presume.

The government does have certain rights in this sort of thing, Community planning and zoning and whatnot.

Water is a commodity. If it is more expensive there, then it is more expensive there.

This is probably a provincial and/or municipal issue, little the Feds can do here. Land use and development is out of their hands unless its on federally owned Crown land (or related to one of their procurement projects).

edited 30th Sep '16 1:54:10 PM by Rationalinsanity

So tomorow begins the Parti Québécois' voting for a new leader after PKP left.

They are in a bad state, With independence at a thankfully all time low (75% to 80% against), having lost the last election with some of their worst results in history to the obviously corrupt Liberals simply by having the Liberals point out that the PQ's entire raison d'être is to do independance, the PQ sort of had to reconsider its very purpose to exist.

And they didn't. First they Elected Quebecor's CEO hoping he'd revitalize interest in the independance option (He didn't), and he left the leadership after 18 months due to a nasty divorce, leading to this new 4 way leadership race, where the medias have been poking endless fun at how little interest the race has generated in the public sphere.

Quebec politics is depressing right now. We got the Liberals, who are corrupt and lacking in ethics, but the only party firmly on the No side of independance, and thus the default option of anyone who doesn't want to hear about it, The PQ has been the leader of the interdependence movement for 40+ years. CAQ is the former ADQ. Neutral on the independence circuit, but also lacking in vision and talent, and also very much too right wing for many. Québec Solidaire has done an amazing showing with their 3 M Ps willing to ask the hard questions and hound the government, and standing up for what they believe. but they are also extremely left wing and pro independence. And I don't think they understand how a budget works.... Lastly there's Option National which has no chance to go anywhere ever since its own founder left it. also, pro independence.

So we're basically stuck with corrupt Liberals forever, with the occasional stint of minority PQ government. :/

edited 4th Oct '16 9:15:08 AM by CobraPrime

Quebec politics are basically screwed for a few more generations, assuming that the Sovereign movement becomes irrelevant enough for there to be multiple federalist parties without splitting the vote. Or the province ever moves away from first past the post, but that sounds unlikely.

Good news is a genealogical study by Mc Gill University and University of Quebec showed that baring some major change, the option is doomed. Generation Y and younger voters are less interested in the option, and interest gets lower the younger you get. So maybe we'll move away from that debate.

If the majority of the population is fully aware that separation is going nowhere, then maybe the reason there does not seem to be enough support for two federalist parties is that the one is widely seen to be incredibly corrupt.

For the record, the quick overview of four PQ candidates for leaders. Basically none of them have had very different programs outside of their stance on how to handle the independence cause. Which has made of a dull race. Also remember that the PQ is notoriously prone to infighting.

Alexandre Cloutier: MP for Lac St-Jeam, 39, former minister under the Marois government. Refused to give a position or strategy for the PQ to achieve his goal. His stance is "I'll study the question and in 6 months tell you if we will promise during the elections to hold a referendum or not" which people have accused of maintaining the ambiguity that cost the PQ the last election (where they couldn't deny or affirm the liberal's accusations), as well as trying to get votes from both sides by refusing to say if he'll pick a sign. Currently ahead in the polls.

Jean-Francois Lisée: 58, Old time MP for Rosemont, Minister under Marois, long time strategist for the party. Known as an ideas man. He promised no referendum before 2022 knowing the option stands no chance. In his own word he'd want the PQ to show it can form a good government, and also deprive the liberals of the ability to wave the specter of a referendum for a free re-election. However he's also been banking hard of various "identity" issues that have made a lot of people uncomfortable, reminding people of the Marois govermnent charter of value fiasco. He's got a bit of a machiavelian reputation, the man is brilliant, but willing to change his mind on issue to gain votes. That said the man IS brilliant and by the population at large seen as making a better PM than his opponents. He's currently 2nd, right behind Cloutier

Martine Ouellet: 47, MP and Minister for the Marois Government. She's a Single-Issue Wonk about independance ASAP. She's also the only thing that's made the leadership race watchable. accusing the other M Ps and the interim leader of sabotaging her, her opponents of being traitors to the cause, and all around being rather hysteric. It's suspected she might jump ship when she loses. She's far in third, but since the PQ uses a first / second / third choice voting system, her voters are likely to pick the balance of power.

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon: Not an MP. Dead last. Received so little media coverage I know fuck all about him. Dead last in the votes

Speaking of voting, I'm having a hard time getting motivated about voting in the upcoming Halifax municipal election. My councilor (a scumbag for both political reasons, and personal ones which I will not get into) won by Acclamation cause no one bothered to oppose him (no N/A or no choice, he wins), and Mayor Mike Savage (who I support, but his power is limited) is almost certainly going to win. I don't know a damn about the school board elections either.

The only motivation I have to vote (beyond civic duty, I've never not voted in an election) is keeping Savage's dark horse opponent out of office (she's an environmentalist, and I'm worried that is code for anti-development in this situation).

Granted, Election Day is on a Sunday, and the polling center is literally 4 minutes from my house, and I'm not that lazy to justify not going in.

edited 4th Oct '16 10:42:26 AM by Rationalinsanity

Next election, you should run for Council. "I'm not the other guy, vote for me!"

You seem like a politically active person. I say, if you are (un)lucky enough to live in a district where your representive is terrible on all counts, and yet no one opposes him, you should oppose him. Win an easy election.

I'm 25, with no political connections (and few personal ones), and I have ambitions to work in the public service. That means explicit political activity is a bad idea (and probably moving to Ottawa again, permanently). Also, the guy literally lives 60 seconds from my house, so it would be really damn awkward.

I don't have the organizational or social skills to be an elected official, especially at the municipal level.

Brad Wall and Justin Trudeau get into a disagreement over mandated carbon tax

This is really not the time for a carbon tax. Can we wait until after the economy recovers, please? Getting NEP flashbacks here.

I know premier Mc Neil of Nova Scotia also isn't interested, he's worried about it driving up electric rates.

The entire energy/climate change discussion is just a mess, it seems like there isn't a solution where someone doesn't get screwed over big time. And there's no consensus regarding the gradual, transition program the country/the world needs. But doing nothing is even worse.

EDIT: I mean, the Environment Ministers from Sask, NS and NFLD all walked out of that conference. That's a pretty big statement to make.

This might get ugly.

edited 5th Oct '16 11:07:13 AM by Rationalinsanity

Ours should have too, but of course Notley's government is completely incompetent. Can't wait until we're done with her.

Now see, if memory serves nobody has ever proved that carbon taxes harm an economy. And this question has been researched for a while.

Maybe not by themselves, but the oilsands are already in a very bad place. That's why the concern exists.

Hopefully she doesn't end up replaced by the Wildrose. That party scares me.

edited 5th Oct '16 11:22:24 AM by Rationalinsanity

Tony Clement has dropped out of the Conservative leadership race, citing insufficient fundraising. He hasn't endorsed a candidate yet, and plans to focus on his role in the shadow cabinet.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tony-clement-dropping-out-1.3801305

Former Alberta Premier Jim Prentice was killed in a plane crash today.

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/calgary/jim-prentice-plane-crash-killed-1.3804941

Sorry for the quadruple post, but I just felt the need to say that Kellie Leitch needs to be stopped. Any Canadian politician that offers unabashed praise for Donald Trump (particularly in light of his platform, which will hurt Canada if it goes into force) isn't worthy of high office.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-trump-canada-us-relations-1.3843142

edited 9th Nov '16 9:08:11 AM by Rationalinsanity

No argument here.

But, I heard that canada has been recently putting first past the post election up for review. I think that should be our focus, as this election scheme is far from perfect. It is not every day that the opportunity to push a high impact issue like this comes up. This could result in massive improvement to the government if the right proposed alternative wins.