[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[crazy canuck]

There appears to be evidence that the claim, it has never leaked, is not accurate

https://www.oilandwaterdontmix.org/problem#:~:text=Line%205%20has%20spilled%2033,along%20its%20length%20since%201968.&text=All%20the%20work%20we%20do,spill%20in%20the%20Great%20Lakes.

[crazy canuck]

Are there right wing conspiracy theory nuts in the Conservative caucus?  Looks like there is at least one

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-tory-mp-cheryl-gallant-accused-of-peddling-deranged-conspiracy/

In the video, Gallant talks about how Liberals used to have more common sense but have now become a bunch of "radicals."

"They want all illicit drugs to be legal. They want anything goes in every aspect of life. They want to normalize sexual activity with children," she says.

Gallant also asserts that "cultural Marxists" have "taken over every university administration" and are silencing free speech on campuses.

It's all part of a broader agenda, she says.

"The elites call it the great reset or build back better or green new deal. The names change but the goal remains the same: more power for the powerful and less freedom for everyone else."

The idea of a "great reset" was first floated by the widely respected World Economic Forum in calling for post-pandemic policies to reduce societal inequalities.

But it has since become code for conspiracy theorists who see it as a plot by global elites to replace capitalism with a new socialist world order. Some go so far as to assert that the elites deliberately unleashed COVID-19 in order to achieve world domination.

In the video, Gallant goes on to complain that "the liberal media have been bought and paid for" by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and are now backing Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault – whom she dubs the "censor in chief" – in his plans to make Google and Facebook pay for news content they disseminate on their platforms.

She says that will lead the tech giants to shut down their services in Canada, as Facebook has done in Australia. And she suggests that it is all part of Trudeau's plan to silence critics before plunging the country into an election.

"Why do you think Trudeau would want Canadians to be unable to search or share news right as he's planning a snap election?" she says.

[Valmy]

If the Liberals are radical what does he think of the NDP?

[crazy canuck]

If the Liberals are radical what does he think of the NDP?

Well she essentially called the Liberals a bunch of pedophiles.  Not sure what she is saying about the NDP and Greens. She was talking to group of students and the Queens University Conservative club when she said this.  One of the students who was present recorded the video.  So this wasn't getting caught out in a private conversation. She was putting this out as a public position.

[Grey Fox]

Why are the Conservative now afraid of any and all changes? They use to be about slowing things down but still "bettering" our society. Now, all they seem to want is to line the pockets of the oil industry.

[crazy canuck]

Why are the Conservative now afraid of any and all changes? They use to be about slowing things down but still "bettering" our society. Now, all they seem to want is to line the pockets of the oil industry.

I don't think it is that so much as they are heavily influenced by the right wing nonsense coming from our Southern neighbours.   

[Jacob]

I don't think it is that so much as they are heavily influenced by the right wing nonsense coming from our Southern neighbours.

Any indication that the Conservative Party is going to take any action on this?

[crazy canuck]

I don't think it is that so much as they are heavily influenced by the right wing nonsense coming from our Southern neighbours.

Any indication that the Conservative Party is going to take any action on this?

According to the article no.   He is probably hoping this will all blow over.  It has got to be very frustrating for him.  The polling is very bad for the Liberals on the Covid issue; but so long as this revelation of character stuff keeps coming out, he really has to be careful about triggering an election.  He will probably have to go full Harper and muzzle everyone so they only say stupid things in private.

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole, who has been attempting to put a more moderate face on his party, says the Liberals are trying to distract from their failure to deliver COVID-19 vaccines.

"Canadians have other priorities and so do I," he said in a brief statement late Friday.

[crazy canuck]

The fact that the Conservatives in Alberta have been historically poor economic managers has been known for a while now.  But a recent report demonstrates just how bad it has been and just how out of date Conservative economic policies really are.

From a left leaning think tank you ask - nope, the Business Council of Alberta.

The following was noted in Mason's article in the Globe

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-mirage-of-albertas-fiscal-situation-has-been-exposed/

it became the norm for Albertans to receive $1,000 more from public spending on goods and services than they paid into the system in the form of taxes and other fees, a gap filled by royalty revenue.

In other words Conservatives stuck to their low tax (and no sales tax) ideological policies by gambling that the short fall would always be made up by oil royalties.  Imagine if they had governed wisely, taxed the province at levels the other provinces did and had all of that Royalty revenue to fund investment or at the very least serve as a emergency fund for when the royalties run dry.

Another significant thing is that the Business Council is calling for the introduction of a harmonized sales tax.  Because anyone who can do math knows it is well past time to stop the fantasy thinking that Alberta can do without tax revenue.  The other is for the province to take control of the carbon tax.  Both those sane policy decisions are of course things the Conservatives reject because it does not fit within their very limited ideological framework of what government should do.

Lastly, and here is the real zinger, Alberta has been getting increasingly greater amounts of Federal equalization payments

"Since 2009/10, per capita federal transfer payments to the Alberta government have increased by 20 per cent, about double the average growth rate in the other nine provinces," the report states.

As Mason said, "Oh the things you won't hear from Mr. Kenney."

Instead we are very likely to see Alberta cut spending and bash Ottawa for Alberta's self inflicted injury.

[Jacob]

Another cause for Kenney's tripling down on the oil industry, I suppose.

I'm fine with "low taxes, low government services, encourage capitalist growth to cover any gaps" as a philosophy. I mean, I don' support it and I don't believe it provides the best outcomes but it's a legitimate political choice. But if you espouse those views, claim you're following them while getting gobs of Federal cash while not acknowledging it that's another ball of wax.

Though to be fair, the rate of increase of Federal transfers per capita is one thing. The absolute amount of Federal transfer per capita is another. Like, if the doubled rate of increase is based on them getting $X per capita while the national average is $5X per capita that's much less noteworthy than if they're getting $2X vs a national average of $X.

And to be fair part 2, if they're getting extra transfers to facilitate a transition away from being so heavily dependent on oil, that's cool too - though it'd be good if they acknowledged it if that's the case.

[Grey Fox]

@BB Season of Champions is here! Who's your women favourite?

Quebec's rink has won a game, now 2, for the first time since 2018.

[Barrister]

@BB Season of Champions is here! Who's your women favourite?

Quebec's rink has won a game, now 2, for the first time since 2018.

Team Yukon of course.

[crazy canuck]

Apparently Edmonton had its very own tiki torch rally.  Kenney has condemned White Nationalism.

Edmonton?  What is going on in your home town BB?

[Josephus]

Apparently Edmonton had its very own tiki torch rally.  Kenney has condemned White Nationalism.

Edmonton?  What is going on in your home town BB?

It's Alberta. Canada's redneck province.

[Barrister]

Alberta opens up to allow anyone over the age of 75 to book an appointment for the vaccine.  Inevitably of course the website is down however.