[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[crazy canuck]

Kinda like that pandemic stuff, actually.

The same reasoning could be applied for the pandemic, if a province had decided not to implement any measure to slow the growth, or if the Federal had decided to set the bar higher than the provincial standards.

I do not disagree with the ruling, but I'm not reassured by this decision about Feds encroachment on provincial responsibilities.

It is not just that the provinces failed to implement any measure, there must also be evidence that the province is unable to do so.  COVID is actually a very good example of why the case safeguards provincial powers.  Even of a province decided to go all US Red State and not have any restrictions, that would not prevent other provinces from taking effective measures within their own jurisdictions.

Also, the analysis has nothing to do with the Feds setting a higher standard than a province.  The Court is quite clear that is not a reason for the Feds intruding on provincial jurisdiction.

But in this case, there is a clear scientific consensus that unlimited GHG emissions are harmful. 

I'm more concerned about cases where the evidence is not as clear as in this case, were only climate deniers and other tinfoil hatters would insist everything is fine, like the pandemic.

Maybe I'll have to read that ruling with a clear head later.

I think you are picking up on only one part of the analysis, you need to think about all the parts of the test and each of them needs to be established through evidence.  It is not just a failure to act.

[viper37]

meanwhile, Erin O'Toole has reiterated his promise to formally abolish the carbon tax.  Even if he says he'll have a climate plan, at this point, it sounds too much like Trump's healthcare plan, unfortunately.

[Valmy]

Meanwhile we haven't even been able to get rid of our fossil fuel subsidies yet.

[viper37]

Meanwhile we haven't even been able to get rid of our fossil fuel subsidies yet.

We do have that too, tax credits for exploration mostly, both provincial and federal.  Still, it's something that should be phased out.  Not that it ever will.  The Libs don't want to be labelled as an Eastern party, and the Cons have their base in Alberta.  NDP will rant about it, but ultimately, even if they are elected, they'll face the same dilema as the Libs.

[Jacob]

Well, my car got egged while sitting in the parking lot of the appartment complex we were renting at about a month after we moved to BC.

It was the only car hit, and the only car with Quebec plates.

So there's that.

That sucks

[crazy canuck]

Well, my car got egged while sitting in the parking lot of the appartment complex we were renting at about a month after we moved to BC.

It was the only car hit, and the only car with Quebec plates.

So there's that.

That sucks

That is terrible Zoupa - if it is any consolation, I think it likely the same treatment would be given to any out of Province plate at this point - particularly Alberta since that was a big source of our early infections. 

When circumstances permit, I will give you a proper welcome to the province. 

[Jacob]

O'Toole calls for public inquiry into pandemic response. I'm guessing we're not going to see one. That said, I'm beginning to see a few more signs of fatigue locally, so maybe "those bums messed up the pandemic response" might be a viable line of attack"?

I dunno, does it resonate with any of you?

[Grey Fox]

Hahahahahahahaha, no.

[Barrister]

O'Toole calls for public inquiry into pandemic response. I'm guessing we're not going to see one. That said, I'm beginning to see a few more signs of fatigue locally, so maybe "those bums messed up the pandemic response" might be a viable line of attack"?

I dunno, does it resonate with any of you?

Two thoughts:

1. I've been banging away on the government's pandemic response since last summer at least.  How poorly we've done in securing vaccines.  How we still really haven't closed borders even after all the variants were first discovered - and now we're in a variant-driven third wave.  Oh and lets not forget how they were going to single-source a $900 million government summer jobs program to their buddies at WE charity citing the pandemic as the  reason.

2. No government, anywhere, has really covered themselves in glory on this one.  Well maybe Australia and East Asia, but even then they're not doing well on vaccines.  A public inquiry might be useful to gather recommendations for the next pandemic.  I'm normally skeptical of public inquiries as they are mostly just a slush fund for lawyers, but if it could be done in a science-driven and apolitical fashion it might have some merit.  Unfortunately making a public inquiry a plank in an election platform is not a promising start.

[Barrister]

Y'all rightly mocked the Conservatives for voting down a resolution on climate change at their convention.

But take a look at some of the policies the NDP convention are considering:


-Nationalize major auto companies and shift toward building environmentally sustainable cars.

-Reduce the work week to 32 hours without loss of pay or benefits and outlaw mandatory overtime.

-Establish free public transit within one year of forming government.

-Another calls for the return of Crown lands and the restoration of Indigenous jurisdiction to Indigenous nations, commonly known as "Land Back."

-Others call for the complete or partial defunding, disarming and disbanding of police forces in Canada.

-One resolution in particular calls on the government to freeze military spending, while another proposes "the phasing out of the Canadian Armed Forces."

-A moratorium on evictions, mortgage foreclosures and utility cut-offs due to unemployment.

-Another calls for the NDP to oppose the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism, arguing that it has "been used to attempt to silence those who denounce grave abuses of human rights of the Palestinian people."(Man would that ever come back to bite them if adopted)


https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ndp-2021-convention-resolutions-1.5972881

[Barrister]

BY the way I googled the IHRA definition of anti-semitism.  It goes as follows:

"Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities."

https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definitions-charters/working-definition-antisemitism

In its working examples it specifically says that criticism of the State of Israel is of course permissible and not necessarily anti-semitism.

[Grey Fox]

I wonder what was turned down at the NDP convention, if anything.

We should abolish the RCMP.

[Barrister]

I wonder what was turned down at the NDP convention, if anything.

We should abolish the RCMP.

You know that outside of Ontario and Quebec, the RCMP is the primary police force for much of the country.  Unless if you're proposing a total "abolish the police" position, if you got rid of the RCMP you'd have to invent something new in it's place to take over that role.

Alberta has toyed a few times with forming an Alberta police force to take over from the RCMP, but each time they're faced with the inescapable fact it would be much, much more expensive than just relying on the RCMP.

[viper37]

O'Toole calls for public inquiry into pandemic response. I'm guessing we're not going to see one. That said, I'm beginning to see a few more signs of fatigue locally, so maybe "those bums messed up the pandemic response" might be a viable line of attack"?

I dunno, does it resonate with any of you?

Do you guys even read what I post here?
The Fed gov's response has been abysmall. The OAG thinks that, too.

[viper37]

Alberta has toyed a few times with forming an Alberta police force to take over from the RCMP, but each time they're faced with the inescapable fact it would be much, much more expensive than just relying on the RCMP.

Of course, RCMP is paid for by all Canadians, where as Alberta (or any other province) would need to foot the bill alone for its provincial police force.   But that, and its own Revenue Agency is the first step toward independance