[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[crazy canuck]

The Ministry for Canadian Heritage. That is the dream post right there.

Not really.  Although some might see it as a patronage doling position (actually a bit surprised to see BB take that view) it is a rather thankless job because the Minister has to say no a lot more than they get to say yes.  The CBC, for example, is under that portfolio along with all the arts community who always think they should get more funding.  Perhaps with good reason. There probably are a lot of worthy things that go unfunded. Like I said, it is a rather thankless position.

[Josephus]

What does democratic institutions do?

[PRC]

What does democratic institutions do?

Elections Canada?  Maybe looking at the move to proportional representation or something other than first past the poll.

[crazy canuck]

What does democratic institutions do?

My guess is that is going to be the ministry spearheading the electoral reform and perhaps dealing with the senate

[crazy canuck]

The Honourable Catherine McKenna Minister of Environment and Climate Change - this is I think my favourite appointment and my favourite departmental name change.  Its sends the strong message that there is no longer any doubt about what the main task of this ministry will be.

[Jacob]

Our new Defence Minister is a veteran. I don't believe it's that common, is it?

[Valmy]

What does democratic institutions do?

My guess is that is going to be the ministry spearheading the electoral reform and perhaps dealing with the senate

She is the one who will get to say:

"The Canadian Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I've just dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of...whatever it represented...has been swept away."

[crazy canuck]

What does democratic institutions do?

My guess is that is going to be the ministry spearheading the electoral reform and perhaps dealing with the senate

She is the one who will get to say:

"The Canadian Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I've just dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of...whatever it represented...has been swept away."

She is going to have to do a lot of work with the Provinces before they get to do that.  What I had in mind is that, as a technical matter, the Liberals currently have no Liberal members in the Senate.  As a result there is, as a technical matter, no one in the Senate who can introduce legislation for Senate approval.  I am not sure how they are going to work around this problem.  Or the problem that unless the Liberals appoint Senators to a large number of vacant seats iirc the Conservatives have a majority in the Senate.

[Barrister]

What does democratic institutions do?

My guess is that is going to be the ministry spearheading the electoral reform and perhaps dealing with the senate

She is the one who will get to say:

"The Canadian Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I've just dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of...whatever it represented...has been swept away."

The Senate will outlive us all.

[Barrister]

What does democratic institutions do?

My guess is that is going to be the ministry spearheading the electoral reform and perhaps dealing with the senate

This.

Elections Canada reports to Parliament, not to a government minister.

[Barrister]

The Ministry for Canadian Heritage. That is the dream post right there.

Not really.  Although some might see it as a patronage doling position (actually a bit surprised to see BB take that view) it is a rather thankless job because the Minister has to say no a lot more than they get to say yes.  The CBC, for example, is under that portfolio along with all the arts community who always think they should get more funding.  Perhaps with good reason. There probably are a lot of worthy things that go unfunded. Like I said, it is a rather thankless position.

I think however that the CBC / artistic community is much more sympathetic to a Liberal government than a Conservative one.  I mean the media coverage of Trudeau's swearing in has been much more positive to fawning than what I remember in 2006.

As long as the Liberals do follow through on their promises to increase CBC and arts funding I think this portfolio is indeed a fairly cushy one for a Liberal minister.

Much more so than Finance or Environment...

[crazy canuck]

The Ministry for Canadian Heritage. That is the dream post right there.

Not really.  Although some might see it as a patronage doling position (actually a bit surprised to see BB take that view) it is a rather thankless job because the Minister has to say no a lot more than they get to say yes.  The CBC, for example, is under that portfolio along with all the arts community who always think they should get more funding.  Perhaps with good reason. There probably are a lot of worthy things that go unfunded. Like I said, it is a rather thankless position.

I think however that the CBC / artistic community is much more sympathetic to a Liberal government than a Conservative one.  I mean the media coverage of Trudeau's swearing in has been much more positive to fawning than what I remember in 2006.

As long as the Liberals do follow through on their promises to increase CBC and arts funding I think this portfolio is indeed a fairly cushy one for a Liberal minister.

Much more so than Finance or Environment...

Sure, but I think you are conflating two separate things.  The love in we witnessed this morning had more to do with the fact that about 70% of the population wanted Harper out.  It didn't much matter who else was elected, they just wanted him gone.  The Liberals will almost certainly provide more support to the arts and the CBC but they will also likely not live up to the expectations of what that community might want.

[Jacob]

Sure, but I think you are conflating two separate things.  The love in we witnessed this morning had more to do with the fact that about 70% of the population wanted Harper out.  It didn't much matter who else was elected, they just wanted him gone.  The Liberals will almost certainly provide more support to the arts and the CBC but they will also likely not live up to the expectations of what that community might want.

I think CBC fawning over the Liberals - or the NDP had they won - makes plenty of sense given that the CBC was on the verge of liquidating a significant amount of their functional real-estate (studios etc) to survive the latest rounds of cuts from Harper. People tend to have somewhat positive feelings towards the people they perceive as saving their jobs and valuing their contributions.

[dps]

What does democratic institutions do?

My guess is that is going to be the ministry spearheading the electoral reform and perhaps dealing with the senate

She is the one who will get to say:

"The Canadian Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I've just dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of...whatever it represented...has been swept away."

She is going to have to do a lot of work with the Provinces before they get to do that.  What I had in mind is that, as a technical matter, the Liberals currently have no Liberal members in the Senate.  As a result there is, as a technical matter, no one in the Senate who can introduce legislation for Senate approval.  I am not sure how they are going to work around this problem.  Or the problem that unless the Liberals appoint Senators to a large number of vacant seats iirc the Conservatives have a majority in the Senate.

Somebody didn't get a reference.

[crazy canuck]

Sure, but I think you are conflating two separate things.  The love in we witnessed this morning had more to do with the fact that about 70% of the population wanted Harper out.  It didn't much matter who else was elected, they just wanted him gone.  The Liberals will almost certainly provide more support to the arts and the CBC but they will also likely not live up to the expectations of what that community might want.

I think CBC fawning over the Liberals - or the NDP had they won - makes plenty of sense given that the CBC was on the verge of liquidating a significant amount of their functional real-estate (studios etc) to survive the latest rounds of cuts from Harper. People tend to have somewhat positive feelings towards the people they perceive as saving their jobs and valuing their contributions.

That doesn't explain the hundreds of other people that showed up outside 

Also, this is the first time a PM has made the ceremony so publicly accessible.  Nowhere near the pageantry of the American ceremony but certainly more media friendly than in the past.