[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[viper37]

Trudeau is a bag of douche.

I believe I said so, in many more words. 

[crazy canuck]

The Liberal gvt's economic update is another environmental hoodwink. It readily admits that the new measures on corporate equipment investment will increase greenhouse gases emissions.

Forget about the 2020 target reduction. IIRC the 2030 target is -40% of 2015 levels. We're currently at +12,5%.

Trudeau is a bag of douche.

Yeah, we are going in the wrong direction.

[viper37]

2)     A New Refundable Tax Credit to Support News Organizations
This can be the big three papers for sure, plus all sorts of provincial ones.

The new measure will aim to support Canadian news organizations that produce a wide variety of news and information of interest to Canadians. The refundable credit will support labour costs associated with producing original news content and will generally be available to both non-profit and for-profit news organizations. An independent panel will be established from the news and journalism community to define eligibility for this tax credit, as well as provide advice on other measures.

It seems problematic to me.  If "original news content" that deserve money are the same as "original tv content" that deserve money, all a news organization has to do is pick an existing story and spin it differently, add a few words to it, and bingo!  Money is flowing like spice.

Writing a long newspiece about the latest Trump twit, reusing NYT and WP content as filler is not, in my opinion, original content.  But it will be for the panel, as long as Canadian journalist sign the paper. 

There is no more incentive to attrack readers by original stories and convenient format (years of the left telling us how we are destroying our forests has had its effects: people are moving away from paper).

There is nothing about content "stealing" from Facebook, Google and other social medias.

There is nothing to promote diversity of opinion: the moment a select comitee decides who gets the money, the industry will go the same way our movies&tv shows are now: we produce content to please the panel, not because it's orignal, complex, or appealing to the public in any kind.

There is nothing about foreign entities operating in our borders without paying income tax or charging sales tax to consumers.  Say, if you don't want Netflix* to charge for GST&PST, than all digital "tv" subscriptions should be exempt as well.


* I know it's not a news service/magazine, but it's the one company coming to mind right now.

[Josephus]

there's an article in the Toronto Star online just now about how some disgruntled Ontario Conservatives may defect to the Liberals causing Premier Ford to push to raise the threshold for official party status from 7 to 12. But what I found really interesting in the article is this bit:

Ford's office closely monitors Tory members. Sources say they track who applauds in the legislature and watch for MPPs who do not quickly leap to their feet for ovations after the premier or ministers respond to opposition inquiries during question period.

Holy Stalin, batman.

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2018/11/23/ford-fears-disgruntled-tory-mpps-might-defect-to-liberalssource-says.html

[Ancient Demon]

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/andrew-coyne-liberals-600m-aid-package-for-news-media-will-irrevocably-politicize-the-press#comments-area

Until now, politicians have had to suffer journalists' lectures to the effect that taking campaign donations from corporations and other vested interests might influence their judgment, or that their ownership of shares in a company they regulate might place them in a conflict of interest. We will have to shut up about that now, as we will have to shut up about bailouts of other industries, and handouts to interest groups. We will simply have no standing to object to any of it.

[Valmy]

Then who the fuck is going to challenge the politicians on that shit? Youtube content creators?

[crazy canuck]

Then who the fuck is going to challenge the politicians on that shit? Youtube content creators?

Yeah, he seems to be making an argument that supporting newspapers with tax breaks is wrong because it is hard to determine what a newspaper is and therefore the question will become political- while writing for what is obviously a newspaper.

It would be nice if we lived in a world where newspapers were financially strong and did not require tax breaks, but clearly we don't.

[HVC]

Once again the French speakers of Quebec are oppressing the English minority

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/man-says-bus-driver-attacked-him-because-he-couldnt-speak-french/ar-BBQ6zvr?ocid=spartanntp

Ok, not really, I just wanted to piss off Viper with that, plus the thought of a bus driver punching someone made me sort of laugh because i'm a bad person

[Grey Fox]

Damn anglophones & their asperger bs excuses.

[viper37]

Caroline Mulrony has no political future

I agree, she looked extremely weak/ineffective, just like the entire Federal Conservative movement (and Bernier has not spoken a word about this, strangely... or not) on this issue.  It reflects bad on everyone that such an individual had been allowed to climb the ranks of the party.

On the other hand, Amanda Simard would make a fine recruit for the Federal party, and a good way to make amends with French speakers, if the party is serious.

[crazy canuck]

Oex, given your professional area of interest and study I thought this would be of interest to you.  The SCC is hearing a trilogy of cases in which the way will be revisiting the standard of review when Courts review decisions of administrative bodies.  The hearing started today.  If you can, I recommend watching on Thursday when all the intervenors will speak.

The cases involve a fundamental decision regarding the proper oversight role of the Court.

Here is a link to the Amici Curiae factum authored by twoMcgill profs I think you will find interesting

https://www.scc-csc.ca/WebDocuments-DocumentsWeb/37896/FM250_Amici-Curiae_Daniel-Jutras-Audrey-Boctor.pdf

[Oexmelin]

Thanks!

[crazy canuck]

Oex,  I recommend watching the submissions of Barbara  Jackman, the last lawyer to speak today.  A brave submission about the importance of the Rule of Law in the face of questioning of two Justices who lean more to deference.

You can safely skip over the other submissions made today.

[Oexmelin]

I'll watch during the week-end - it's the end of the semester - but looks really interesting (lol).

As an aside, my mother used to work for the company that produced that Amici Curiae factum...

[viper37]

In the Trudeau govt, what's a cabinet shuffle for?