Canadian Politics

Election 2019

October 22, 2019

First of all, we should thank Doug Ford for showing Ontarians what a Conservative win looks like. They could hide Doug Ford during the election campaign but but they could not hide the devastating effects of his conservative agenda.

Minority Government for the Liberals. What does it mean?

It means that the Liberals will have to be more open to demands of other parties. But which parties? The House of Commons has 338 seats. 170 votes are required to pass any legislation. With 155 seats going to the Liberals and 24 to the NDP the total is 179. So, basically the NDP will have a very strong influence on anything that happens in the House. The Block Québecois surged to 32 seats up from 10. But the Liberals will not be dependent on the Block since they have majority with the NDP.

Another interesting outcome from last night's results is that the combined Liberal and Block vote will prevent a ressurection of the SNC-Lavelin fiasco.

In August Doug Ford said that he’ll reconsider the carbon tax challenge if federal Conservatives lose the election. Well, they lost. And a major factor in their loss was a bad plan for Climate Action. So will Ford drop his ridiculous campaign against the Carbon Tax?

A final word. With the loss of Ralph Goodale in Saskatchewan and the three Liberal MPs in Alberta, Randy Boissonault, Hent Hehr and Amsrjeet Sohi, these western provinces will have no representation in the House of Commons. This poses a serious problem for Justin Trudeau. It will take some creative thinking to address this challenge. The only non-Conservative vote in Alberta went to the NDP's Heather McPherson. Perhaps...

October 21, 2019

It's Voting Day - Get out and VOTE! Of course I would rather see you vote ABC (Anything but Conservative). But heh, it's a free country. You can vote anyway you choose. It's your Choice. It's your prerogative. BUT it's also your Responsibility. Do you realize how many people around the world are dying, literally dying to vote? So VOTE!

October 19 - 20, 2019

Why would you vote for the Liberals?

Let's see what the Liberals have accomplished under the leadership of Justin Trudeau. The following is a list, by no means exhaustive, of accomplishments of the Federal Liberal Government.

Climate Action:

Justin Trudeau's most controversial action has been the imposition of the carbon tax of $20 per ton of carbon, rising $10 per ton each year to $50 per ton in 2022.

Virtually all economists and scientists agree that carbon taxes are the most efficient and effective way to curb climate change, with the least adverse effects on the economy.

When the Liberals came to power all provinces except Saskatchewan, agreed to a Canada-wide price on carbon pollution. Each province was given the flexibility to devise their own policies as long as they covered the same sources at the same carbon price. If any province failed to do this Ottawa would impose a back-stop carbon tax.

In 2018 all provinces were on board except Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick.  Consequently the federal back-stop carbon tax kicked in. Incidentally, Ontario was on board with its Cap and Trade until Doug Ford took office and canceled it. After the recent Alberta election which saw the United Conservative Party take power, Alberta's new Premier, Jason Kenny, canceled the provincial carbon tax put in place by the previous NDP government. So, Alberta will soon be subject to the federal back-stop carbon tax.

It should be noted that all monies collected by the federal tax is returned directly to the people of each province and that 80% of the population will receive more money than the tax will cost them.

The Liberal Government has committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, following most European nations.

Legalization of marijuana:

For those who oppose legalization of marijuana, I have one question: Would you prefer marijuana to be sold by street gangs or have it controlled by the government. Prohibition, which banned the manufacture, transportation and sale of intoxicating liquors was instigated in the US in the 1920s. This strongly encouraged the rise of criminal activity in the United States. Al Capone was the most well known member of the Mafia who fought for control of the liquor trade. Sound familiar? Just as gangs now fight over control of the drug trade.

A second point I would like to address: Andrew Scheer and the Conservative Party recently put out an ad and Mr. Scheer is putting voice to it, saying that Justin Trudeau will legalize all drugs just as he has legalized marijuana. This is patently false, one of the many bold-face lies Andrew Scheer is telling.

Poverty Reduction:

From the National Post: Quoting Jean-Yves Duclos, the minister of families, children and social development, "Between 2015, the year before the Liberals introduced their Canada Child Benefit, and 2017, the first full year Canadians received it, the country saw “approximately 825,000 fewer people living in poverty."

The Canada Child Benefit helped almost 300,000 Canadian children escape poverty.

With the Guaranteed Income Supplement top-up is improving the financial security of almost 900,000 seniors.

In 2018 the Advisory Council on the implementation of National Pharmacare headed by Dr. Eric Hoskins was formed as a first step toward a universal pharmacare program.

A big step toward reducing poverty is providing child care. The Government is investing $7.5 billion over 11 years, beginning in 2017–2018, in more high-quality, affordable child care spaces across the country through the Early Learning and Child Care Framework. All bilateral agreements have been signed with provinces and territories. This actually creates child care spaces. The Conservative approach is to provide tax credits for child care. This does nothing to solve the problem of a lack of child care resources.

Trade:

Canada is a trading nation and depends on exports.

The following trade agreements have been successfully negotiated by the Liberal Government:

NAFTA or USMCA or CAMUS: The most important trade agreement negotiated by the current government is of course the new NAFTA. This was a hurculean task when considering the position of US President Donald Trump who repeatedly threatened to simply cancel the trade agreement. Although Andrew Scheer denigrates this achievement, it should be remembered that members of his own party, notably Rona Ambrose, the former interim leader of his party, were deeply involved in and greatly contributed to the negotiation process.

TPP: The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a free trade agreement between Canada and 10 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region: Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. This is one of the largest free trading agreements in the world with a combined total GDP of over $13 trillion, 13½% of the worlds GDP. Markets in the Asia-Pacific are among the fastest growing in the world.

CETA: Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. From the fourth quarter of 2017 to the third quarter of 2018 Canada exported $66.0 billion worth of goods and services to the European , a 3.9% increase over the equivalent pre-CETA period.

Infrastructure:

The 2019 Canadian Infrastructure Report Card is a collective effort produced by the following organizations: The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies Canada (ACEC), the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA), the Canadian Public Works Association (CPWA), the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE), the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA), the Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM), and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). The report states the following:

Nearly 40 percent of roads and bridges are in fair, poor or very poor condition, with roughly 80 percent being more than 20 years old.

Between 30 and 35 percent of recreational and cultural facilities are in fair, poor or very poor condition. In some categories (such as pools, libraries and community centres), more than 60 percent are at least 20 years old.

30 percent of water infrastructure (such as watermains and sewers) are in fair, poor or very poor condition.

Infrastructure has been largely ignored by all levels of government of all stripes for decades. Until Justin Trudeau's Liberals took power inh 2015. The primary source of financing for infrastructure has been the Gas Tax Fund transfer, delivering $2 billion to 36,000 municipalities.

The Government of Canada is investing $180 billion over 10 years for infrastructure projects. (Andrew Scheer's Conservatives want to reduce this significantly.) For a comprehensive list of projects click here. Until now, funding has been channeled through provincial governments. Ottawa has approved several infrastructure projects for Ontario and under the previous Ontario Government money was flowing. But since Doug Ford and his Conservative Government took power in Ontario a year ago, no projects have been approved by the province. Doug Ford does not want to partner with the Liberal Government in Ottawa. Trudeau is now talking about bypassing Queens Park to give the money directly to municipalities for to get infrastructure projects moving.

Indigenous Affairs:

Perry Bellegarde, Assembly of First Nations Chief, recently stated that he believes the Liberals have done more for Indigenous communities than any other Canadian government.

From ATPN Nation to Nation: Pitseolak Pfeifer, owner of Inuit Solutions: “I think the momentum he’s (Justin Trudeau) built over the last four years has been very progressive for Indigenous people, in particular, in this country.”

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was brought to you by Justin Trudeau's Liberal Government after years of denial by the Stephen Harper Conservative Government.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party have committed to all 94 Calls to Action of the Commission.

Under Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party the Government of Canada has adopted the United Nations Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples almost a decade after it was adopted by the UN General Assembly.

Boiled Water Advisories: 87 long term drinking water advisories have been lifted since November 2015 when the Liberals came to power. (Long term means that they have been in effect for more than one year.) 56 remain. All long term drinking water advisories on public systems on reserves will be lifted by March 2021. Projects under way or completed as of March 31, 2019 include 434 water and wastewater projects to repair, upgrade or build infrastructure; 62 supporting initiatives such as water operator training; 65  feasibilty studies to determine infrastructure needs.

Much more still needs to be done to bring Indigenous communities up to par with other Canadian communities. However, as Joe Alphonse, tribal chief of the Tsilhqot'in National Government in B.C.'s Interior recently stated, "The Liberals made as much progress as any government could in a single term. ... The first thing you do as you move forward is you acknowledge where you've been. This government has done that."

October 18, 201

Looks like a minority government for Canada.

Let's make one thing perfectly clear. Our Westminster Parliamentary System does not elect a Prime Minister. Members of Parliament from different political parties are elected to seats in the House of Commons. The elected Members then decide who will be Prime Minister. If an election results in a majority of seats for one party, that is if one party obtains more than half of the seats, that Party Leader becomes Prime Minister. The Canadian House of Commons has 338 Members or seats. So a Party must have 170 seats to form a majority government.

But what if no party obtains a majority of the seats. Then it is up to Members of the House of Commons to decide who will be Prime Minister. Even if a party has more seats than any other single party they do not necessarily form government. It depends on ALL Members.

All polling results indicate that the Liberals and Conservatives are neck and neck, but they also indicate that niether will have a majority. Which means that one of these parties will need the support of another party. Conservatives, because of their stance on the Climate Crisis and social issues, will not find support from any other parties so they are trying to convince people that the party who gets the most seats must form the government. WRONG. First of all, the incument Prime Minister has the right to form government. Only if he loses the confidence of the House must he relinquish power. If he has the support of the NDP and/or the Greens, whether it be on an issue to issue basis or a formal coalition or any other arrangement he remains Prime Minister and retains the power to form government.

October 16, 2019

Only five days left until Election Day. Ready to vote? ABC - Anything But Conservative, and that includes the new conservative People's Party of Canada.

Andrew Scheer says Justin Trudeau is not as advertised.

Andrew Scheer has been saying for years that he was an insurance broker before entering politics. Actually he worked as a clerk in an insurance offer - a gofer, go for coffee, etc. He only ever finished one of four courses required to become a broker. Andrew Scheer - NOT AS ADVERTISED.

Andrew Scheer told everyone that he was a graduate of Regina University, presumably to reinforce his association with western Canada. Actually, Andrew Scheer graduated from The University of Ottawa. Andrew Scheer - NOT AS ADVERTISED.

Andrew Scheer has dual citizenship. Canadian and American. He never told anyone because, he says, nobody asked him. He even registered for the draft and filed American tax returns. Andrew Scheer - NOT AS ADVERTISED.

Andrew Scheer stated in the English Debate that Justin Trudeau is a liar and has reiterared that in a Conservative ad which says that Justin Trudeau is a compulsive liar.

Last week a story was circullating on social media that the Globe and Mail was about to break a story where Justin Trudeau was fired from his last teaching job at Grey Academy in Vancouver BC because he had an affaire with the mother of one of the students. Snopes.com as well as several newspapers fully investigated this rumor and found it to be completely baseless. However Andrew Scheer and the Conservative Party put out a press release which asked "Why did Justin Trudeau leave his teaching job at West Grey Academy?" ANDREW SCHEER IS A LIAR.

Andrew Scheer and the Conservatives tweeted that Justin is moving a pedophile child killer from the UK to Canada. The British government said that that was complete nonsense. ANDREW SCHEER IS A LIAR.

Last week Andrew Scheer and the Conservative Party took out an ad on Facebook stating that Justin Trudeau plans to legalize hard drugs just like he legalized marijuana. They took out the ad in English and Chinese. Absolutely no truth to this. ANDREW SCHEER IS A LIAR.

And then Andrew Scheer and the Conservative Party said on line that the Liberals are going to tax the sale of your home by 50%. It shows a document for proof. Only thing is, they altered the document. ANDREW SCHEER IS A LIAR.

Now who is the compulsive liar? ANDREW SCHEER IS A COMPULSIVE LIAR. Just like his idol's idol. Yes Donald Trump is Doug Ford's idol and Doug Ford is Andrew Scheer's idol. Or shall I say mentor?

October 9

Watched the Debate Monday night?, Especially you millennials, and did you learn how Andrew Scheer and Maxime Bernier would gut Carbon Pricing along with your future and that of your children?

A general consensus is that the Debate Monday night was not a great success. The format was not condusive to serious debate. Candidates were given too short periods of time to really debate, only to throw out a couple of talking points.

Andrew Scheer was the first to talk and he immediately attacked Justin Trudeau in the most animated and nasty way we have seen him so far.

Trudeau held his own. The incumbent is, in these situations, the most vulnerable and has the most to loose. He lost nothing, but at the same time gained little.

Jasmeet Sing seemed in good form and probably gained more than any of the party leaders. I just hope he does not split the progressive vote enough to have the Conservatives come up the middle and win.

Elizabeth May had some good moments as the champion of the fight against the Climate Crisis but probably did not do good enough to pull ahead of the NDP to get perhaps the balance of power in the next sitting of the Commons.

As for Maxime Bernier of the People Party of Canada and Yves-François Blanchet of the Block Québecois, I am inclined to believe those who say they had no business being there. They took valuable time away from the other candidates. Maxime Bernier represents a fringe party. I would rather have seen the  Rhinoceros Party as the fringe party. And Blanchet represents only one province out of ten provinces and three territories.

October 6, 2019

Only two weeks left before election day! All three progressive parties are calling for net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Canadians are finally starting to take the existential threat of Gloal Warming seriously. Andrew Sheer and the Conservatives would cancel the Carbon Tax immediately, just as Ford canceled the Ontario Cap and Trade. Maxime Bernier and the Peoples Party of Canada do not believe that global warming is caused in any way by man and they will do absolutely nothing! Conservatives are a long way from believing that the Climate Emergency is an existential problem. As Greta Thunberg stated recently, in the US and Canada Climate Change is treated as something that you believe in or not believe in while in Sweden (and Europe in general) it is a fact.

September 23, 2019

When I was child, I was part of a school play or perhaps more accurately a sketch. It was a depiction of the philosophical poem Blind Men and the Elephant by John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887). In it six blind men meet an elephant. Each has his own description of the animal depending on what part of the animal's body they happen to touch. I remember we had one black student in the group. The rest of us were white, which did not go too well with the setting of the poem. So we all blackened our faces, hands and anything else that was showing which was quite a bit because we were all wearing loincloths. We were not racists. Each of us sees Justin Trudeau's blackface experiences in the light of our own experiences. Here is the poem. It may very well explain the interpretations each has made of these revelations.