Canada Election 2021

[Valmy]

I am a Quebec nationalist and federal politics are relevant to me.

I am glad you recognize that

[crazy canuck]

He is not going to be able to apply law 101 to federal undertakings within Quebec without passing legislation in Parliament.  And he will not be able to do that without invoking the notwithstanding clause.  Both because of the contents of 101 but also because of its specific geographical application. The Quebec press should ask him about the details of how the Conservatives plan to do that. 

This moves me even further away from considering voting for them.

[Barrister]

This moves me even further away from considering voting for them.

CC I Love you man, but you were never, ever going to vote Conservative.

[Sheilbh]

Probably.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the same happen to Harper? Didn't he call an early election, believing he had the numbers on his side, only to lose to Trudeau?
Politicians never learn.

One of my few absolutely firm beliefs is that most people really don't like politics and resent being made to think or talk about it or vote outside of a normal electoral cycle and will generally punish whoever makes them do it through a snap election (especially if it's just to "increase their mandate" or strengthen their majority).

[crazy canuck]

This moves me even further away from considering voting for them.

CC I Love you man, but you were never, ever going to vote Conservative.

Not true.  Before their convention I was giving them serious thought.  What really turned me off was the rejection of the resolution affirming that human caused global warming is real - a truism but one the party could not bring itself to accept.  The only thing that would have fixed that was a policy in their platform that addressed it in a serious way.  The platform is something that would have been great - 20 years ago.  But is now not near ambitious enough. 

Proposing to twist federal law in knots to create a special application of language laws is just one more nail in the coffin.  I have no difficulty with a province legislating within its constitutional jurisdiction.  The Feds have no constitutional jurisdiction to create special regional federal laws.  It is political pandering pure and simple.

This may be the first time I vote NDP Federally.  It seems to me the only valid option left. 

[crazy canuck]

Probably.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the same happen to Harper? Didn't he call an early election, believing he had the numbers on his side, only to lose to Trudeau?
Politicians never learn.

One of my few absolutely firm beliefs is that most people really don't like politics and resent being made to think or talk about it or vote outside of a normal electoral cycle and will generally punish whoever makes them do it through a snap election (especially if it's just to "increase their mandate" or strengthen their majority).

To be fair to the Liberals, the strategy worked well for the provincial NDP party in BC during our last election.  The problem for the Liberals is that they are not nearly as popular as the BC NDP.

[Sheilbh]

To be fair to the Liberals, the strategy worked well for the provincial NDP party in BC during our last election.  The problem for the Liberals is that they are not nearly as popular as the BC NDP.

Yeah it can work for sure - also I think if there's a hung parliament. But generally I just always think of Brenda from Bristol at the start of this clip who summed up the country's reaction to the 2017 snap election:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6-IQAdFU3w

[Barrister]

This moves me even further away from considering voting for them.

CC I Love you man, but you were never, ever going to vote Conservative.

Not true.  Before their convention I was giving them serious thought.  What really turned me off was the rejection of the resolution affirming that human caused global warming is real - a truism but one the party could not bring itself to accept.  The only thing that would have fixed that was a policy in their platform that addressed it in a serious way.  The platform is something that would have been great - 20 years ago.  But is now not near ambitious enough. 

Proposing to twist federal law in knots to create a special application of language laws is just one more nail in the coffin.  I have no difficulty with a province legislating within its constitutional jurisdiction.  The Feds have no constitutional jurisdiction to create special regional federal laws.  It is political pandering pure and simple.

This may be the first time I vote NDP Federally.  It seems to me the only valid option left.

That's like me saying I would consider voting Green if they endorsed fiscal responsibility and nuclear power.

I mean it's true - I would - but that's never going to happen.

[crazy canuck]

That's like me saying I would consider voting Green if they endorsed fiscal responsibility and nuclear power.

I mean it's true - I would - but that's never going to happen.

See that is why I don't believe O'Toole when he says the Conservatives will take climate change seriously. Ain't never going to happen.  As you say.

[crazy canuck]

To be fair to the Liberals, the strategy worked well for the provincial NDP party in BC during our last election.  The problem for the Liberals is that they are not nearly as popular as the BC NDP.

Yeah it can work for sure - also I think if there's a hung parliament. But generally I just always think of Brenda from Bristol at the start of this clip who summed up the country's reaction to the 2017 snap election:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6-IQAdFU3w

I think she expressed the view of a lot of Canadians atm.

[Jacob]

Has CC voted Conservative in the past?

Has Beeb voted Green in the past?

I think that informs the level of credibility of any statement that the were seriously considering voting for either party in the future.

[Barrister]

Has CC voted Conservative in the past?

Has Beeb voted Green in the past?

I think that informs the level of credibility of any statement that the were seriously considering voting for either party in the future.

We've been over this before - I'm VERY open to voting for different parties.  In the past I've voted for the Conservatives, the Progressive Conservatives, the United Conservatives, Reform, Canadian Alliance, Wildrose, Yukon Party and once even the Libertarian Party!

With respect to the Greens... I think I mentioned this in the past, but my brother was moderately involved in the Green Party pre-Elizabeth May.  He made a reasonably compelling argument - that they were fiscally pretty conservative with a middle of the road stance on social issues but of course a strong emphasis on the environment.  The reason I didn't follow him there was at that time (mid 2000s) they were a fringe party getting low single digits in elections (and no MPs) and thus seemed very much like a wasted vote.

Under Elizabeth May the Greens went hard left.  I mean I guess I can't argue with them - they're far more successful now then they were 15 years ago - but they're no longer a party I would ever seriously consider.  My brother agrees and long ago left the party.


As for CC - having talked politics with him for 18 years now I believe he has gone through quite an evolution in his political views.  Again this is not a criticism of him, but the fact that he maybe once long ago voted for the Conservatives or PCs or Socreds or whomever doesn't necessarily shine much light on his voting intentions in 2021.

[Barrister]

CBC's poll tracker (which aggregates different poll results) has the Liberals at 32.8% versus the Conservatives at 32.2% (NDP at 19.9%).  That's a significant drop by the Liberals (and corresponding gain by the Conservatives).

https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/poll-tracker/canada/

That though of course is an aggregate of multiple polls, some taken weeks ago.  The most recent poll (by Mainstreet / iPolitics) has the Conservatives at 37% and the Liberals at 31%.  This may well just be a rogue poll - but it is in line with recent trends. 

[Jacob]

CBC's poll tracker (which aggregates different poll results) has the Liberals at 32.8% versus the Conservatives at 32.2% (NDP at 19.9%).  That's a significant drop by the Liberals (and corresponding gain by the Conservatives).

https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/poll-tracker/canada/

That though of course is an aggregate of multiple polls, some taken weeks ago.  The most recent poll (by Mainstreet / iPolitics) has the Conservatives at 37% and the Liberals at 31%.  This may well just be a rogue poll - but it is in line with recent trends. 

Yeah, plenty of reason for O'Toole and his supporters to be optimistic. I guess maybe we won't get inexpensive daycare after all.

[Barrister]

Yeah, plenty of reason for O'Toole and his supporters to be optimistic. I guess maybe we won't get inexpensive daycare after all.

Child care is one of the issues I feel most strongly that the Conservatives are on the right track.

The Liberal $10 / day daycare plan is great - IF you want to have you kids in daycare, and IF you manage to get one of the spots (the roll out will take years and years).

The Conservative plan though benefits all parents with tax credits that cover up to 75% of child care costs for low-income families.