Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

[Joel Stainer]

Re: Conservatives in Third: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

Stopping home delivery of mail to those who receive it could very well cost the Conservatives the government. Too bad.

I'm not connected to the political world at all, so you could be totally right in this regards. However, from my perspective mail delivery is a complete and total non-issue and aside from the initial dust-up over it, I've heard pretty much nothing about it from anyone. Is it something that is big with certain demographics? To think that something like that could push an election one way or another is odd to me since in my world of email and texting, mail service is sort of secondary. However, it sounds like it's much more important to other groups of people from what you are saying.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Conservatives in Third: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

Hi Bob,

Stopping home delivery of mail to those who receive it could very well cost the Conservatives the government. Too bad.

There will be a lot of new ridings in the next election. In this riding the incumbent lives in the riding. The riding will be split next election. I've read the incumbent wants to contest this part of the riding where there was a stronger Con vote last election. Problem is, I don't think he lives in the part he wants to represent. This area had a liberal for a long time before the Conservative won so it's not a safe Conservative riding.

I can't picture the NDP winning the next federal election. Their power base of Quebec is getting very few of the new ridings.

In any case, the election is far out from now and polls have a way of changing close to the election.

[Bob Armstrong]

Conservatives in Third: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

Poll suggests Tories and NDP currently in statistical tie: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/...d.html?cmp=rss

I know you don't believe in polls, Gary, but they do often have currency. I knew you'd want to know about this one - will stir your commitment to get that $ 20 saved up in advance!!

Bob A, NDP supporter

Hi Gary:

Is it going to be a Liberal & NDP race for a minority government? Prime Minister Mulcair? Has a nice ring to it.

April 23/14 - New poll shows Conservatives BEHIND Liberals, NDP in voter consideration: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...&click=dlvr.it

Keep your $ 20 Bill aware that this bet might lead to it being adopted by a new family in 2015!

Bob A

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Federal NDP & Quebec: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

That's an opinion article.

If there is one takeaway from the Quebec election it's how fast support can change from one political party to the other. How pocket book considerations can have more effect that politically ideological considerations.

It's my belief the rest of Canada could care less if Quebec separates.

There's quite a spectacle going on in Quebec these days. It goes directly to lack of religious freedom. Harassing a religious minority by going after the children. I think the PQ lost a lot of support over that.

They are chasing one religious sect all over the world to try to force them back. Good advertising for Canada.

[Bob Armstrong]

Federal NDP & Quebec: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

Poll suggests Tories and NDP currently in statistical tie: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/...d.html?cmp=rss

I know you don't believe in polls, Gary, but they do often have currency. I knew you'd want to know about this one - will stir your commitment to get that $ 20 saved up in advance!!

Bob A, NDP supporter

Federal NDP chances rise, with provincial PQ fall in Quebec provincial election:http://www.theglobeandmail.com//news...&click=dlvr.it

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Middle Class - In Need of Help by Political Parties? - Next Federal Gov't?

Something that may be of unusual interest to at least some of the posters in this thread:

Now, there's going to be a byelection in the federal riding of Scarborough-Agincourt.

I'd guess that the Liberals are going to win fairly easily.

[Bob Armstrong]

Middle Class - In Need of Help by Political Parties? - Next Federal Gov't?

Middle Class - In Need of Help by Political Parties? (Income Growth?)

Closer reading of StatsCan report troubling for middle class: http://www.thestar.com/opinion/comme...medium=twitter

Bob A

[Bob Armstrong]

Conservatives on Continuous Downhill Slide - Next Federal Gov't?

;)Conservatives losing ground, grim polling numbers show: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cons...555858?cmp=rss .

Bob A

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

he was probably afraid you would be in the audience to heckle. :)

What, did you warn him about me?

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

he was probably afraid you would be in the audience to heckle. :)

Here's a relatively recent article you might or might not enjoy.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/7-en...dits-1.2526330

[Bob Gillanders]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

David Suzuki didn't make it to the launch of his namesake school in Windsor because…..

he was probably afraid you would be in the audience to heckle. :)

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

More treatment centres would be one thing to help deal with the drug abuse problem. Somewhat similar to the idea behind John School. Could do the same for out-of-control alcohol abuse, say when DUI occurs. The answer is surely not to forever look the other way regarding such 'sins'. As an average citizen, I don't look forward to encountering more often on the street used syringes, used crackpipes or even used condoms, as has already happened a lot in my own city of Ottawa. I don't even really want to chance innocently inhaling the fumes of yet more people's joints, if marijuana is legalized. Is it not complex enough socially that one means of getting artificially 'happy' (alcohol) is legal?

Regarding Mulroney, he may indeed be the worst case of probable corruption historically. The Liberals have been in power a lot more often since Confederation, however, and their known/probable level of corruption historically might be compared somehow with the PCs/Cons' average level historically. It would make for an interesting task for a historian.

Regarding why I would even consider voting NDP, I believe I gave my rationale. Not saying I've finally decided yet whether it's 'sound' IMO. If I'm stuck with the same choices as I was last time in my riding, like I wrote it's going to be a dilemma for me. One thing is clear to me, that I won't vote Liberal. Trudeau is being managed by the same sort of person who influenced the Ontario Liberal's Green Energy policy. Plus there has not been much of a housecleaning of the party since the Sponsorship Scandal (let alone what has happened with their own Senators, corruption-wise).

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

100% agree with this comment. They can't even keep drugs out of prisons.

If they kept drugs out of prisons the prisoners might be able to kick their addictions. There is a huge industry of lawyers, judges, police who all have a vested interest in having a dysfunctional system which continues to function inefficiently and allows all involved to collect significant salaries while accomplishing nothing.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

Vlad, I have great respect for both Al Gore and David Suzuki. I’m sure they both get paid for their speaking engagements (just like everyone else), but that is entirely different from saying they are “in it for the money”.

Both of those individuals are hypocrites and are in it for the money as are most of the people who are warning us about the supposed dangers of climate change. They warn us, the great unwashed of the danger of carbon dioxide emissions and yet they themselves have much more in common with the 1% who emit more carbon dioxide than 100 normal people or perhaps even 1000 normal people. David Suzuki didn't make it to the launch of his namesake school in Windsor because they couldn't afford the $15,000 that he asked as an appearance fee. Suzuki asks children to break their piggy banks and send him the money because Santa, the elves and reindeer are about to drown. In Australia Suzuki took questions from the audience unlike in North America and it became apparent that he didn't know some very basic things about climate change research and even disparaged the data gathered by his normal allies because he didn't know that it came from his buddies. He came off as senile.

Al Gore warns us of rising sea levels and buys a large house on the water (only one of his many houses). He leaves all the lights on in his mansions. He flies private jets at every opportunity as did most of the people who go to all of these climate change conferences. Did any of them consider jet pooling or maybe flying commercial airlines in order to cut down on emissions. Even better they could attend electronically or hold the meetings online like the CFC does. Belatedly Gore made some noises about buying carbon credits what he doesn't mention is that he stands to make billions if he can get the laws he is lobbying for passed. He has already made hundreds of millions from his efforts. Follow the money where it leads you.

Green energy is largely a scheme to funnel money from the public's pockets into the pockets of individuals and companies that are friends of the government and in turn divert a small percentage of our money into the hands of politicians who will then sit on the boards of these companies after they leave politics and make even more money.

They have been effective voices in alerting the public to the dangers of climate change.

They have been effective in manufacturing alleged dangers of climate change regardless of what the science really says. Claiming that sea levels are going to rise precipitously in the relatively short term and then buying beachfront property shows us what Al Gore really believes.

It is because they have been such effective speakers that the climate change denial community has invested so heavily in a smear campaign to nullify their voices. Unfortunately, the smear campaign has been very successful, but history will vindicate them.

I don't believe that history will vindicate them. I believe we are experiencing some natural variations in climate and in fact if the computer models with their cooked inputs and their flawed projections were correct we wouldn't have had this 16 year plateau in average temperatures.

Elizabeth May is a lot closer to power than you think. I’m not saying she’ll be PM, but she was impressive as a debater in the last election.

She was shrill. That is not the same thing as being a good debater. She is a fringe candidate who wastes our time.

After initially being shutout of the leaders debate, public pressure got her a seat at the table. She made some very strong arguments. Your label of “socialist zealot intent on redistributing our wealth” is totally off the mark. Her primary focus (and that of the Green party) is not some far-left economic policy as you suggest, it is the environment. Their focus is “how do we amend what we have to include a responsible environmental policy”.

If that were true the focus would be on pollution and not carbon dioxide a naturally occurring component of our atmosphere. If the green party were really green then I might be more sympathetic to their activities as we all want to live in a cleaner environment.

Many of us concerned with the environment from the moderate-right and the moderate-left have found a home in the Green Party. Instead of listening to the hype, why not visit the Green party website and judge the platform for yourself.

https://www.greenparty.ca/platform2011

The Green Party of Canada is unlikely to form a government anytime soon. But if they can win a few seats, influence in setting policy is a real possibility in a minority government.

They had better do it now because as the true costs of their agenda become manifest (see Ontario) their window is rapidly closing.

[Bob Gillanders]

Re: Canada - Next Federal Gov't?

Al Gore and David Suzuki are in it for the money. Elizabeth May has not given me any indication that she is anything other than a socialist zealot intent on redistributing our wealth. Fortunately she will never ever even sniff power.

Vlad, I have great respect for both Al Gore and David Suzuki. I’m sure they both get paid for their speaking engagements (just like everyone else), but that is entirely different from saying they are “in it for the money”. They have been effective voices in alerting the public to the dangers of climate change. It is because they have been such effective speakers that the climate change denial community has invested so heavily in a smear campaign to nullify their voices. Unfortunately, the smear campaign has been very successful, but history will vindicate them.

Elizabeth May is a lot closer to power than you think. I’m not saying she’ll be PM, but she was impressive as a debater in the last election. After initially being shutout of the leaders debate, public pressure got her a seat at the table. She made some very strong arguments. Your label of “socialist zealot intent on redistributing our wealth” is totally off the mark. Her primary focus (and that of the Green party) is not some far-left economic policy as you suggest, it is the environment. Their focus is “how do we amend what we have to include a responsible environmental policy”. Many of us concerned with the environment from the moderate-right and the moderate-left have found a home in the Green Party. Instead of listening to the hype, why not visit the Green party website and judge the platform for yourself.

https://www.greenparty.ca/platform2011

The Green Party of Canada is unlikely to form a government anytime soon. But if they can win a few seats, influence in setting policy is a real possibility in a minority government.