[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Tamas]

Another medically assisted dying issue:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/paralympian-trying-to-get-wheelchair-ramp-says-veterans-affairs-employee-offered-her-assisted-dying-1.6179325

I think the problem is people seem to be offering it as an alternative to decent social provision. I think it's just very uncomfortable (and sends a horrendous message) if disabled people or people in poverty ask the state for help and are asked if they've considered death as an alternative.

The article says it was supposed to be 4 instances over 3 years of the same single employee suggesting to disabled veterans that they could help them die. It's some asshole who thought they found a polite way to say "why don't you just die" to people requesting them to do their normal job.

As long as bastards like that are actually unable to order assisted dying on patients (and disciplinary action is taken when they are being assholes), its not a good argument to shy away from a societal review of how we approach death, in my opinion.

[Sheilbh]

The article says it was supposed to be 4 instances over 3 years of the same single employee suggesting to disabled veterans that they could help them die. It's some asshole who thought they found a polite way to say "why don't you just die" to people requesting them to do their normal job.

As long as bastards like that are actually unable to order assisted dying on patients (and disciplinary action is taken when they are being assholes), its not a good argument to shy away from a societal review of how we approach death, in my opinion.

There was also the story BBoy posted before - and I posted about it earlier because medical ethicists were waving red flags over how it is being presented to people. And the person giving testimony about their experience was not one of those four confirmed cases from one individual - so obviously they need to keep investigating that.

But I agree in general with a form of assisted dying, but I think it does need to be quite strict and it needs to be incredibly carefully handled how you make people aware of their options without seeming to create pressure or in inappropriate contexts. I wonder if part of this may just be an issue of handling it moving from a purely medical context which is, you know, a profession that's heavily regulated and has incredibly developed ethical procedures into what is basically customer service? It feels like that is one of the firewalls that needs to be in place.

[Barrister]

So the Feds have amended their firearms bill, bill C-21, to somehow be even worse.

They've added a bunch of guns by name which are widely used as hunting guns, in particular by aboriginal hunters.

They also ban any gun that is capable of accepting a magazine with more than 5 rounds, whether or not it is actually loaded with such a magazine.  Uh guys, almost any gun can theoretically accept a larger magazine...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/bill-c21-sporting-guns-1.6673730

[viper37]

Carey Price spoke publicly against the bill, posing with a rifle in hands.

The Minister was quick to denounce disinformation about his bill, saying this gun would not be banned... The thing, it would be, as it is specifically listed by name in the bill.

Making political gains at the expanse of remote areas is a specialty of the Libs and the left in general, but I did not expect an outright lie that could be so easily disproved.

The bill will also forced antique collectors to destroy their pieces, even if non functional. 

[Grey Fox]

Not left, just the libs.

In other news, PP saying the Nazis were socialist has resurfaced.

Choose your poison.

[viper37]

Not left, just the libs.

In other news, PP saying the Nazis were socialist has resurfaced.

Choose your poison.

I'll just go and hang myself.

Anyway, it seems you are right, since the NDP forced the Libs to revise their stance.  Trudeau has announced that he would revise the bill.

[Valmy]

In other news, PP saying the Nazis were socialist has resurfaced.

They weren't anarcho-capitalists. So to some right wing people that means they were socialist.

Now don't get me wrong, the Nazis adopted idiotic ideas from all over the political spectrum including some leftist ones.

[Barrister]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-government-sources-children-s-pain-medication-to-ease-supply-woes-1.6676257

So there's a huge wave of respiratory viruses going around, in particular affecting kids.  Children's hospitals are being overwhelmed.  It's almost impossible to find children's medicine at drug stores.

So Alberta's government goes and signs a contract with a Turkish pharmaceutical manufacturer for millions of children's doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

Sounds good - but the manufacturer has not been approved by Health Canada, and there's no real idea how long it will take to get such approval (or how long it'll take to get the drugs manufactured).

[viper37]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-government-sources-children-s-pain-medication-to-ease-supply-woes-1.6676257

So there's a huge wave of respiratory viruses going around, in particular affecting kids.  Children's hospitals are being overwhelmed.  It's almost impossible to find children's medicine at drug stores.

So Alberta's government goes and signs a contract with a Turkish pharmaceutical manufacturer for millions of children's doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

Sounds good - but the manufacturer has not been approved by Health Canada, and there's no real idea how long it will take to get such approval (or how long it'll take to get the drugs manufactured).

Turkey is known for two things:
- its own shortage of meds
- a hot spot of counterfeit drugs

[Valmy]

So there's a huge wave of respiratory viruses going around, in particular affecting kids.  Children's hospitals are being overwhelmed.  It's almost impossible to find children's medicine at drug stores.

So Alberta's government goes and signs a contract with a Turkish pharmaceutical manufacturer for millions of children's doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

Sounds good - but the manufacturer has not been approved by Health Canada, and there's no real idea how long it will take to get such approval (or how long it'll take to get the drugs manufactured).

Odd. We are having a very similar problem but with bacteria infections, which is a great combo with the annual flu and Covid party.

[Barrister]

Odd. We are having a very similar problem but with bacteria infections, which is a great combo with the annual flu and Covid party.

Which problem - overloaded kids hospitals, or shortage of kids drugs?

[viper37]

Seems Alberta desperately wants to pick a fight with Ottawa

Good, good Alberta.

Change the Constitution or face Alberta independence referendum, says architect of Sovereignty Act

Canada's Constitution is not a legitimate document, and has not safeguarded Alberta's interests within federation, says one of the architects of that province's newly passed Sovereignty Act.

"I want the Constitution to be changed, or we'll have another referendum," said Barry Cooper, referring to independence referendums in Quebec in the 1980s and 1990s.

Cooper is a professor of political science at the University of Calgary and one of the authors of a policy paper called the Free Alberta Strategy, seen as the unofficial blueprint for the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act, also known as the Sovereignty Act.

Speaking to Matt Galloway on The Current, Cooper said that Canada is a federation, but has never acted as such. 

"It's time to change it, to turn it into a federation," he said. 
"If Canada doesn't want to do that, then the only alternative we have — in order to defend our interests — is to make sure that Canada does negotiate. And that means the threat of leaving."

[...]

One comment on this I have read that I do not understant:
All of Alberta is Crown / Treaty land.


The people seem to imply the land is leased by the First Nations to the Federal government, which in turn lets Alberta manage it.  That does not make sense to me.


Anyway.  I'd hate to break it to Albertan independentists, but a landlocked country won't have it any easier to build pipeline through northern BC to export its oil & gas.

[Jacob]

Looks like Trudeau is declining to fight on this.

I also have to laugh a bit at "we have to rewrite the Constitution or else...."

In what way is reopening Constitutional negotiations going to work out well for Alberta? I mean, it might, but it could backfire pretty spectacularly too I think.

[Valmy]

Odd. We are having a very similar problem but with bacteria infections, which is a great combo with the annual flu and Covid party.

Which problem - overloaded kids hospitals, or shortage of kids drugs?

The overloaded kids hospitals part. I don't know about drugs.

[viper37]

Looks like Trudeau is declining to fight on this.

It's just one university professor's comment, so it's a wise move to say nothing for now and let the opposition play out in the province.  There seems to be a great deal of opposition to the idea, anyway, and Smith is not a popular figure.

I also have to laugh a bit at "we have to rewrite the Constitution or else...."
In what way is reopening Constitutional negotiations going to work out well for Alberta? I mean, it might, but it could backfire pretty spectacularly too I think.

Yeah, it might.  The thing is, Alberta is not the only province that wants Constitutional change.  And First Nations want to be included in the talks this time around too.