[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Barrister]

That's not what I mean. I'm mostly referring to the fact that 150000 people get the same legislature and administrative infrastructure at the provincial and federal level than a province 50 times bigger.

It's dumb and inefficient in a very british way.

Wait until you realize that the territories have around 30,000 people (making PEI 5x bigger) and they have, say 90% of the same legislative and administrative infrastructure.  The Feds have devolved almost all of their powers in the north to the Territories.  In fact the only powers that are not devolved that I know of are are prosecutions, and territories do not get 100% of resource revenues from Crown land (there  probably are one or two others).

[viper37]

Is there a difference in organization between Nunavut and, say, Yukon?

[Barrister]

Is there a difference in organization between Nunavut and, say, Yukon?

Yes, but fairly small, and mostly because of different local factors.  Yukon is majority white, Nunavut is majority a single native group - inuit, and NWT is majority but mixed first nations groups.

But they're all pretty good at playing the "hey if you give X to one territory, the rest of us deserve it too!" card.

[celedhring]

The Canada federal government blocked the entry of our dear ex-leader Carles Puigdemont for a visit to Quebec (where Catalan separatists have naturally lot of support) and now he's taking them to court.

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1166761/canada-carles-puigdemont-visite-visa-refus-saint-jean-baptiste

[viper37]

He's doing the right thing.  He hasn't done anything wrong in regards to Canadian laws, and its not like he will revive the seperation issue in Quebec.

[viper37]

Kathleen Weil (former Quebec justice minister) was figurehead for illegal contributions to SNC Lavalin

Unfortunately, the text is in French only, the news is fresh... hasn't been picked up yet by other networks.

Though search for her name later on and you'll certainly find something in english about it.

It ain't much on the Federal level, because she had no powers there, but it's bad for the Liberal Party of Canada.  Her husband was an SNC employee, high level management, can't remember his position.

He sold his stocks just before SNC went public with its investigation into some of its... unorthodox trade practices...

Using employees of the company as figureheads to give money to political party is a long tradition in this company...  I've known an engineer who was paid over the years to contribute to both the Liberal Party of Quebec and the Parti Québécois. the scheme is always the same.  Employees get bonus+tax costs and they give a check to the party they're supposed to. 

That's totally illegal according to financing laws of Quebec, as corporations can't give to political parties, directly or indirectly.  Not that they really bother with such details... and unions generally give "free" manpower for electoral signs, phoning the electors, etc, etc to the party of their choice.  Last two federal elections, they helped the NDP.

[PRC]

Here is an English CBC link on the subject: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/snc-lavalin-liberal-donors-list-canada-elections-1.5114537

[crazy canuck]

Looks like SNC was putting on the full court press

[viper37]

Here is an English CBC link on the subject: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/snc-lavalin-liberal-donors-list-canada-elections-1.5114537

thank you

[crazy canuck]

The New Premier of Alberta writes an OP ED piece for the Vancouver Sun which tries to convince BC residents that his actions makes sense.  The problem is whoever drafted his op ed doesn't know that facts.  They tried to link the demand for gasoline in BC to the importance of expanding the pipeline.  Someone should tell the Alberta premier that the pipeline is being expanded to export bitumen to Asian refineries.  That has nothing to do with sending refined fuels to BC.  In addition that pipeline has been in place to provide refineable oil to the refinery in Vancouver.  Again not bitumen. If he wants to talk to the people of BC, he should get his facts straight first.  Here is the quote in question.

The Trans Mountain Pipeline, connecting Alberta's petroleum refineries to B.C.'s Lower Mainland, has been safely operating since 1953 and it remains the way that most B.C. gasoline is delivered. In recent years, industry has proposed a major increase to the capacity of this pipeline system through the Trans Mountain Expansion project, or TMX.

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/op-ed/premier-jason-kenney-we-will-never-be-afraid-to-stand-up-for-alberta

edit: oh and one other thing.  Everyone knows the Alberta legislation would never survive a court challenge.  So who does he think he is kidding?  Well, the answer of course is his internal audience who are likely lapping this stuff up.

[celedhring]

He's doing the right thing.  He hasn't done anything wrong in regards to Canadian laws, and its not like he will revive the seperation issue in Quebec.

Apparently what actually happened is that he was swindled by an online visa broker. Heh.

[Barrister]

There have been some polls come out recently that were very favourable to the Conservatives.

CBC's polling average is now:

Conservatives: 36.9%
Liberals: 29.6%
NDP: 15.7%
Greens 9.2%
BQ 5.0%

Liberals continue to bleed support.  Greens are at an all-time high, and the Bloq is looking set to do better than it did last time.

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

[crazy canuck]

It is going to be interesting to see if the Greens are going to pick up seats currently held by Liberals in BC or whether they will go NDP.  There are very few, if any, seats here the Libs can count as safe.  The Conservative seats will stay that way.  Don't see much chance of them picking up more than what they have now.

Edit: here are the stats from BC.  I am surprised the Liberal support is that high.  I think it is a reflection of how weak the Federal NDP is at the moment.

CON34.7%
LIB25.6%
NDP22.8%
GRN13.8%
PPC2.3%

Further edit: It is good to see the PPC are going nowhere in any region. 

[Barrister]

Yeah, I think the NDP made a mistake in chosing Singh to be their leader.  I mean he seems like a nice enough person, but before being leader he was just an Ontario MPP with zero national profile.  He really hasn't done much to bring the NDP into the forefront.

[Grey Fox]

BQ is doubling the NDP in Quebec, neck in neck with the Conservatives. Libs @ 32%.

This will be a disastrous election for everyone but the separatist cause.