[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[viper37]

@Viper

Does he lead a party that denies or minimizes the need to deal with climate change?

No, he just talks about how important it is than sits around on his ass, not doing anything for 4 years and implementing an insufficient carbon tax, promising it to be revenue neutral while giving very few details on how he will spend that money.  Even in the current campaign, I have seen nothing of the sort, except a vague promise to return money to taxpayers.  But how will that proceed, actually?  Will I get a check in the mail?  Will I see an increase of government grants to all kind of dubious projects and not measuring any of its effects on our GHG emissions?

At least, with the Conservatives, I know where they stand: 200% for oil&gaz.  Which is sad, really.  He promised to cut govt grants to big corporations, but then specifically excluded oil&gaz companies.  He then backtracked a little, saying only they would be "evaluated toward their benefits".  But we all know the conclusion has already been reached

As for the other parties, the Green lack the finer points on how they will do things in Canada.  Saying something and doing it are very different.  The NDP leader his hostile toward Quebec and wishes to centralize further power to the Federal govt, so that won't be an option, and I'm not even talking about their silly economic platform.

[Oexmelin]

This appeared on my Twitter feed.

It's taken from R v Stephan, with some raising the possibility that the judge became biased because of, basically, the expert's foreign background:

"Dr. Adeagbo's evidence was replete with technical medical jargon. His vocabulary wasextensive. His ability to articulate his thoughts in an understandable fashion was severelycompromised by: his garbled enunciation; his failure to use appropriate endings for plurals and past tenses; his failure to use the appropriate definite and indefinite articles; his repeatedemphasis of the wrong syllables; dropping his Hs; mispronouncing his vowels; and the speed ofhis responses. In addition, his answers were not always responsive and he would on occasion embark upon a mission to educate the parties and the Court"

https://albertacourts.ca/docs/default-source/qb/r-v-stephan-2019-abqb-715---reasons-for-decision.pdf?sfvrsn=aafdb280_2

[Barrister]

This appeared on my Twitter feed.

It's taken from R v Stephan, with some raising the possibility that the judge became biased because of, basically, the expert's foreign background:

"Dr. Adeagbo's evidence was replete with technical medical jargon. His vocabulary wasextensive. His ability to articulate his thoughts in an understandable fashion was severelycompromised by: his garbled enunciation; his failure to use appropriate endings for plurals and past tenses; his failure to use the appropriate definite and indefinite articles; his repeatedemphasis of the wrong syllables; dropping his Hs; mispronouncing his vowels; and the speed ofhis responses. In addition, his answers were not always responsive and he would on occasion embark upon a mission to educate the parties and the Court"

https://albertacourts.ca/docs/default-source/qb/r-v-stephan-2019-abqb-715---reasons-for-decision.pdf?sfvrsn=aafdb280_2

OMG, the Justice relied on Dr. Sauvigeau

[Oexmelin]

That reaction seems to bring grist to the mill of "OMG, the judge is racist!"

[PRC]

That whole affair continues to be such a clusterfuck. 

[Barrister]

That reaction seems to bring grist to the mill of "OMG, the judge is racist!"

No comment there, although I think Justice Clackson is well regarded.  She used to be the chief medical examiner for Alberta, until she was fired.  She sued the government for millions.  I had her on a case - it was bad.  If we ever meet up in person ask me about it - it was probably the most frustrating case of my career.

Now she apparently is working as a consultant for the defence.


That Stephan case has been a train wreck from day one though.  I feel for Doug Taylor the prosecutor though - not only would that be hell to prosecute, but he's an old acquaintance going way back to undergrad at U of Manitoba in the mid 90s.

[PRC]

No comment there, although I think Justice Clackson is well regarded.  She used to be the chief medical examiner for Alberta, until she was fired.  She sued the government for millions.  I had her on a case - it was bad.  If we ever meet up in person ask me about it - it was probably the most frustrating case of my career.

Now she apparently is working as a consultant for the defence.


That Stephan case has been a train wreck from day one though.  I feel for Doug Taylor the prosecutor though - not only would that be hell to prosecute, but he's an old acquaintance going way back to undergrad at U of Manitoba in the mid 90s.

RE: Justice Clackson... you're probably much more familiar with it, but I recalled the name and googled it.  I remembered reading the articles at the time... he was involved in a sexual abuse trial where his decision for acquittal came out as quite insensitive.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/terry-clackson-appeal-1.4091641

The Crown argues that Court of Queen's Bench Justice Terry Clackson relied on "myths and stereotypes" to assess the now 18-year-old girl's evidence and made "a stereotypical assumption as to how a victim of sexual abuse ought to respond to her abuser."  Clackson said he had doubt about the allegations made by the girl.

[Barrister]

Trudeau paddles up to a podium to announce new plan to preserve 25% of Canada's land by 2025 (which is a bad idea by the way, but not my point).

Could a cheap stunt like that be his Stockwell Day on a jetski moment?

[Valmy]

25%? I mean Canada is mostly undeveloped right?

[Barrister]

25%? I mean Canada is mostly undeveloped right?

Yeah - the large majority of Canada's land mass is boreal forest which is undeveloped - way more than 25%.

The problem with declaring that much in parks and protected areas is if someone then goes out and finds enormous mineral deposists, or whatever, in that protected area you're forever forbidden from developing it.

As it is now we have a vast area that is while theoretically open for development, in reality the huge majority of it never will be.

[Admiral Yi]

The photo op would have been better if he was banging his wife in the canoe then paddled up chugging a Molson.

Spell check doesn't like Molson. 

[Oexmelin]

Trudeau paddles up to a podium to announce new plan to preserve 25% of Canada's land by 2025 (which is a bad idea by the way, but not my point).

Could a cheap stunt like that be his Stockwell Day on a jetski moment?

It's also clearly a reference to:

[PRC]

Stockwell Day was also a fundamentalist religious zealot who gave the impression that his idea of ultimate fun was drinking chocolate milk... part of why his attempt at looking hip and cool on a jet ski was such a farce.  That doesn't play with Trudeau rolling up in a canoe.

[viper37]

The problem with declaring that much in parks and protected areas is if someone then goes out and finds enormous mineral deposists, or whatever, in that protected area you're forever forbidden from developing it.

Not "forever".  It can be reversed by a government, IIRC. There would be a political costs, though.

Also, if that 25% "land" includes lakes and other bodies of water, it's easily achievable.

[Oexmelin]

Interesting argument in Le Devoir this weekend that the recent judgment of the UK Supreme Court May very well have repercussions in Canada, should a PM attempt to prorogue the Parliament as Harper did in 2008.

It was the first thing I thought about when Johnson requested the prorogation, and was surprised it didn't bring back memories of Harper in the Canadian media. Or perhaps not just haven't seen them?