[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[crazy canuck]

as does every province in Canada.

I dont think so.  Quebec has some fairly unique arrangments that would not be a priority for other provinces.

different, is not "not having". Quebec has a unique spin on any of those departments, obviously, but all provinces deal with those things. Most to a much lesser degree...

No, I didnt say different.  I said unique - as in other Provinces dont have it.  Just one example is the unique accord the Federal government has with Quebec regarding immigration.  I dont think any other Province has that.  There are other examples but that is one I could think of off the top of my head.

[Jacob]

No, I didnt say different.  I said unique - as in other Provinces dont have it.  Just one example is the unique accord the Federal government has with Quebec regarding immigration.  I dont think any other Province has that.  There are other examples but that is one I could think of off the top of my head.

Provinces still deal with immigration, through the Provincial Nominee Program, for example. So in this particular example, Buddha is right... the provinces still deal with the area, even if it is to a much lesser degree.

[Monoriu]

So wait...you can run for a seat in area you don't live?

I mean i know the system is abused here, but by golly you at least have to have a residence in area you are trying to represent.

Don't see any problem with that.  As long as the info is public, the voters can decide whether they want someone who lives in their area to represent them.  No need for the state to decide.  If they elect the person, it means they are ok with it.

[Josephus]

I remember during the debate when Layton turned to Iggy and asked him how come he was hardly ever in Parliament that that could have been a killer blow. Iggy seemed stunned that Layton brought up his attendance.
There is a good article in The Star today about that. Not so much Layton's question but Iggy's poor response to that question and what he should have said instead.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/987422--what-really-sunk-michael-ignatieff-and-the-liberals

The article is long and goes on to talk about Iggy's whole attitude during the debate, I'm only pasting the first bit here

On Tuesday, April 12, the evening of the English-language leaders' debate, a couple of NDP strategists were so jazzed they could barely contain themselves. But they couldn't say a word.

Instead, campaign director Brad Lavigne and Karl Bélanger, Jack Layton's senior press secretary, stayed silent in what was comically called the NDP "spin room" — an old storage closet in Ottawa's Government Conference Centre, draped for privacy and containing a single screen TV with a direct feed to the debate onstage.

They could be overheard by their nearby counterparts in the other parties and so had to be satisfied with significant looks and nods. As campaign director Lavigne recalls: "At that moment we knew our guy had just scored a home run."

The home run was what political junkies call the "pivot." You get lobbed the big question and you pull off a pivot, smashing it right back in your opponent's face and taking the game. Or you flop around like a dead fish.

"Why do you have the worst attendance record in the House of Commons?" Layton challenged Michael Ignatieff, adding the Liberal leader missed 70 per cent of the votes. Layton threw in that Canadians who don't show up for work don't expect to get promoted.

Oddly, Ignatieff was smiling as he launched into his answer. He began talking about his "respect for the institution of Parliament" before his voice rose to angry indignation: "So don't give me lessons on respect for democracy."

Veteran Toronto MP Jim Karygiannis groaned along with Liberals across the country. Apparently, Ignatieff didn't understand the pivot. Karygiannis (Scarborough-Agincourt), who easily spends more time in his riding than in Parliament, was practically screaming answers at the TV screen: "Look, you're a professional pol, Jack. You stay in Ottawa. I'm out working hard and talking to real Canadians, listening to them and working with them. That's ... what I'm doing."

[Neil]

Well, Michael Moore has endorsed the 'Stop Harper' Senate page, so I guess that Canadian political culture is about to drive off a cliff.  Stupid Americans, with their MoveOn bullshit have riled up the Canadian left to the point that anytime that they didn't win an election, they feel like they have a duty to overthrow Western civilization.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

Harper's HNIC visit with "Strombo"  and his earrings (dude it's 2010, not 1998) was the most plain spoken and seemingly from the heart I've seen him speak. Hockey! the one thing all Canadians share.

edit: of course Strombo makes everyone look cooler by comparison.

[HVC]

I really, really, REALLY dislike "strombo". Really. Though harper was good and uncardboard-y.

[Grey Fox]

I like Strombo, I like earings.

Altho, I dont watch him often. I still miss him when ever I used to see the Punk show on MuchMusic.

[HVC]

He's a weird mixture of pretentious, emo, and hipster that just rubs me the wrong way.

[Neil]

I like Strombo, I like earings.

On a guy?  I don't.

When I see earrings or those stupid-ass plugs, I assume that the guy is a homo.

[Grey Fox]

but I'm not gay.

[Neil]

but I'm not gay.

Are you earringed, or plugged?

[Grey Fox]

but I'm not gay.

Are you earringed, or plugged?

plugged. No 2 inches for me tho.

[garbon]

FWIW, I haven't seen that many gays with plugs.

[Neil]

but I'm not gay.

Are you earringed, or plugged?

plugged. No 2 inches for me tho.

Well, that's unfortunate.