[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Barrister]

I think the context evolved. With the decline of the PQ, the BQ is merely a third party now, like the NPD or the Greens.

No, I think the Bloc is different.  As a notionally separatist party they really can not participate in any kind of coalition government.

[Grey Fox]

Some membership of the party has been trying to get away from that & become more a regionalist party.

That wing is now leading the party after the insane separatist wing failed miserably.

[Grey Fox]

https://pressprogress.ca/conservative-candidate-warns-voters-trudeau-might-name-jagmeet-singh-his-foreign-affairs-minister/

Not going to reopen the abortion debate, my eye.

[Barrister]

Some membership of the party has been trying to get away from that & become more a regionalist party.

That wing is now leading the party after the insane separatist wing failed miserably.

Yeah, that prior Conservative government really did a number on abortion rights in Canada, didn't they?

[Rex Francorum]

I think the context evolved. With the decline of the PQ, the BQ is merely a third party now, like the NPD or the Greens.

No, I think the Bloc is different.  As a notionally separatist party they really can not participate in any kind of coalition government.

It may be a tactical approach, but the BQ hardly spoke of the independance. It was more in line with the Legault government demands.

[Barrister]

I think the context evolved. With the decline of the PQ, the BQ is merely a third party now, like the NPD or the Greens.

No, I think the Bloc is different.  As a notionally separatist party they really can not participate in any kind of coalition government.

It may be a tactical approach, but the BQ hardly spoke of the independance. It was more in line with the Legault government demands.

Probably tactical.  Generally speaking, the PQ/BQ have done better the less they talk about independence.

But the hesitation is more on the part of Federalist parties - that it would be unacceptable to their supporters to go into an alliance with a separatist party.  The arms-length inclusion of the BQ in Dion's plan to bring down Harper in 2008-2009 is a large part of why that deal collapsed.

[Barrister]

Trudeau's weird, man.

'You're just jealous of my eyebrows,' Trudeau tells crying baby

BY JOSH K. ELLIOTT  GLOBAL NEWS
Posted October 15, 2019 12:50 pm
Updated October 15, 2019 1:09 pm
Global National: Federal Election 2019: Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau takes aim at southern Ontario
close video


Most politicians kiss babies on the campaign trail. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau asks them about their eyebrows.

Trudeau took an unusual approach to comforting a sobbing infant in New Brunswick on Tuesday when he seemed to fixate on the youngster's lack of ... well, eyebrows.

The interaction occurred shortly after Trudeau posed with the child, the child's mother and a few other people during a campaign stop in the riding of Fundy Royal, N.B. The baby started crying after the photo, prompting Trudeau to try to step in with some baby talk.

"You're just jealous of my eyebrows, aren't you?" he asks the child in a soothing voice while rubbing the infant's shoulder.

"You'll get eyebrows one day, I promise," he says in a video captured by Global News. Trudeau then coos, "I know, I know," before returning to his eyebrow joke.

"You'll get very nice eyebrows one day," he says. He then raises and lowers his own eyebrows several times.

"Yes, just like me," he tells the child.

This whistle stop is in Fundy Royal, which usually votes Conservative. Currently held by Liberal @AlainaLockhart. In a century, it's only gone red for two terms. #elxn43

Trudeau is not the only politician to share a cute moment with a baby on the campaign trail. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer invited a staffer to bring her young child on his campaign tour, while NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh posed with a Conservative politician's newborn in Ontario last month.

The other federal party leaders have not yet commented on Trudeau's eyebrow-raising interaction. It's also not clear if Trudeau is promising eyebrows for every baby — or one pair of eyebrows for this specific baby.

However, one Twitter user was quick to flag it as an unofficial campaign promise.

"Breaking," Twitter user Jake Reid wrote. "Trudeau makes eyebrow election promise to baby."

https://globalnews.ca/news/6034361/justin-trudeau-eyebrows-baby/

[Valmy]

He is indeed a goofball.

[Barrister]

Babytalk to a baby is of course just babytalk.  The weird part of it though is how Trudeau focuses on his own eyebrows.

[Valmy]

Babytalk to a baby is of course just babytalk.  The weird part of it though is how Trudeau focuses on his own eyebrows.

I know. He always has this weird goofy thing going on. He is hilarious.

But, you know, we are in such worse shape over here I never feel like I have the right to make fun of your PM.

[viper37]

I think the context evolved. With the decline of the PQ, the BQ is merely a third party now, like the NPD or the Greens.

It is still only representing regional interests.  So very different from the other parties.

Really?  Your Prime Minister just said that about the Conservatives

[Josephus]

I think the context evolved. With the decline of the PQ, the BQ is merely a third party now, like the NPD or the Greens.

No, I think the Bloc is different.  As a notionally separatist party they really can not participate in any kind of coalition government.

My memory may be wrong, I'm old, but werent' they one of the parties party to the attempted coalition against Harper before he prorogued?

[crazy canuck]

I think the context evolved. With the decline of the PQ, the BQ is merely a third party now, like the NPD or the Greens.

It is still only representing regional interests.  So very different from the other parties.

Really?  Your Prime Minister just said that about the Conservatives

In how many provinces are the BQ running candidates?

I think the context evolved. With the decline of the PQ, the BQ is merely a third party now, like the NPD or the Greens.

No, I think the Bloc is different.  As a notionally separatist party they really can not participate in any kind of coalition government.

My memory may be wrong, I'm old, but werent' they one of the parties party to the attempted coalition against Harper before he prorogued?

The coalition agreement was between the Libs and NDP.  The BQ agreed to lend support on confidence matters but were not part of the proposed coalition.

[Barrister]

I think the context evolved. With the decline of the PQ, the BQ is merely a third party now, like the NPD or the Greens.

No, I think the Bloc is different.  As a notionally separatist party they really can not participate in any kind of coalition government.

My memory may be wrong, I'm old, but werent' they one of the parties party to the attempted coalition against Harper before he prorogued?

Kind of, yes.  Under Dion, the Libs and NDP were going to form a formal coalition.  The BQ weren't part of the coalition, but did sign an agreement promising to support the Liberal-NDP coalition.

The fact that the BQ was part of this deal came under intense criticism and was one of the primary reasons the deal fell apart.

[crazy canuck]

test test test, is this thing on 

Advance poll participation is highest ever.  It will be interesting to see if the polling companies have properly measured voter preferences, especially among younger voters, or whether the larger voter turnout will result in surprise results.