Canadian Politics - Proroguing? Again?

[crazy canuck]

fuck corporate handouts.

Try that line with the workers in Ontario who still have a job because Canada participated in the GM bail out.  Also, try that line with the forrestry workers here (currently unemployed) who wish they got the same kind of aid for their industry.

[Grallon]

... Separation / constitutional reform is still a live issue.  Global warming / CO2 is a huge issue.  Defeicits are back, and so is the question of how to deal with them (together with how to deal with the global economic slowdown).  Healthcare is once again rising as an issue as we have run out of money.  Criminal justice issues are always fun.  Senate reform.  Democratic reform.

The shame is that no party is really running on any very interesting ideas.  Dion tried that, it backfired, and no one has wanted to try since.

The last time the federal state had large deficits (the 90s) they shoveled it into lap of the member states; I wonder if the same tactic will be used this time around.  Especially considering that Harper foolishly reduced the GST for electoral purposes.




G.

[Grey Fox]

I want to talk about the useless war we are engaged in. We could use those resources to strengthen our position in the artic & atleast build 1 freaking icebreaker that can go upthere in the winter.

2011 can't come soon enough.

[crazy canuck]

... Separation / constitutional reform is still a live issue.  Global warming / CO2 is a huge issue.  Defeicits are back, and so is the question of how to deal with them (together with how to deal with the global economic slowdown).  Healthcare is once again rising as an issue as we have run out of money.  Criminal justice issues are always fun.  Senate reform.  Democratic reform.

The shame is that no party is really running on any very interesting ideas.  Dion tried that, it backfired, and no one has wanted to try since.

The last time the federal state had large deficits (the 90s) they shoveled it into lap of the Provinces; I wonder if the same tactic will be used this time around.  Especially considering that Harper foolishly reduced the GST for electoral purposes.




G.

Small change 

To your point, I doubt it.  The deficit is not structural like it was last time - so we are told.

[crazy canuck]

I want to talk about the useless war we are engaged in. We could use those resources to strengthen our position in the artic & atleast build 1 freaking icebreaker that can go upthere in the winter.

2011 can't come soon enough.

Again something on which you would probably get very little disagreement. 

[Grey Fox]

I'm sure around here, I'd get tons of it tho.

The bloq is probably against it & the Libs too?

What's the position of the Libs on that? Do they have one?

[crazy canuck]

What's the position of the Libs on that? Do they have one?

The Liberals have a position on something?

[Josephus]

I want to talk about the useless war we are engaged in. We could use those resources to strengthen our position in the artic & atleast build 1 freaking icebreaker that can go upthere in the winter.

2011 can't come soon enough.

Again something on which you would probably get very little disagreement.

What happens in 2011?

[Grey Fox]

Our forces are suppose to leave Afghanistan.

[Josephus]

Our forces are suppose to leave Afghanistan.

Right. Thank God for that.

[Barrister]

Why do you hate our troops GF?

[Drakken]

Why do you hate our troops GF?

Because Quebecers hate Amerikkka and their Evil Satan stooges.

[crazy canuck]

Why do you hate our troops GF?

Where do you see hate for our troops?

[Barrister]

Why do you hate our troops GF?

Where do you see hate for our troops?

Well he isn't supporting the mission, so clearly he hates our troops and Canada itself.

[Fate]

I agree those are all issues, but by and large those are all issues we mainly agree on.  The disagreement is on the small details which, unless you are a huge policy wonk in that particular area is boring.

Take deficits.  Pretty much everyone agrees that deficits in Canada are bad but that in hard times we have to endure them.  The disagreement lies in whether more or less money should be spent on project A or project B.  Boring.

Take Global Warming.  Most people agree that we should limit CO2 emmissions.  The big disagreement is how, how much and whether it makes any sense to do it if the Big polluters are not.  Granted this is a bit more interesting but given the wide consensus that something should be done it is not like the fundamental debates we have had in the past.

Deficits: not everyone agrees we need to live with them right now.  Deficits were the issue that almost brought us the coalition.  Harper's first plan was to 'keep our powder dry', not run a big deficit, and wait for the global recession to run its course (since this wasn't a "made in Canada" recession).  I still think that first instinct was right.  The opposition disagreed, (and eventually got there way) as the fiscal update then introduced a ton of stimulus spending (which I think was wrong).

Global warming.  Huge disagreements over how to limit CO2 (carbon tax?  cap and trade?  incentives for green technology), and over how much to cut (see the whole Copenhagen debacle).  PLus people debating whether we need to limit atmospheric CO2 at all.

The issues you have identified are debated on the fringe of the right wing and I dont find them exciting.  Just crazy.  The people debating whether there should be any CO2 reduction are crackpots.  The issue is whether doing anything makes any sense if the Chinese, Indians and Americans dont also do it.

Those issues are debated by the fringe right wing in Canada? It's the core of America's right.