Canada General Discussion

[Orion0]

40% approval for Ford!?!!?!?!???! Do I live in the same city as these people??

42% think he's been a good influence! Good grief!! Even my family in Northern Ontario talk about the embarrassing stuff he's done and they can't even name another Toronto mayor.

I think it speaks to the fact that while ford has definite shortcomings with regards to being media friendly (friendly in general perhaps?) his political agenda has serious support. The canceling of the personal vehicle tax, coupled with the surplus from 2011 (among other issues) are probably still holding his support at such levels.

On another front, Lethbridge college has a poll of Alberta federal voting intentions over here: http://www.threehundredeight.com/2012/10/detailed-breakdown-of-alberta-federal.html and while it's nothing shocking (cons at 50+% support? You don't say!) It did offer a couple interesting points. What would it take to shift Alberta's politics in a major way? And would the libs and NDP benefit from conceding contests to the other resulting in a more even 2-party like race?

I tend to think that the latter is a great idea for the non-cons. pick a riding or 2 and dont run a candidate, urging support for the other. When I lived in Edmonton it seemed that the ridings that could be picked up (Ed centre, east and strathcona) were contested so heavily by big recognizable names for both the NDP and libs, it resulted in a 3 way split. Take Edmonton centre, add the lib and NDP % from 2011 together (22.4 and 25.4) and its almost equal to con support at 48%. Any traction there or are agreements like that too controversial to work?

[Orion0]

Yep.

Maclean's Power Rankings.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/11/27/25-most-important-people-in-ottawa/

More cronyism in Alberta.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Politics/ID/2310345475/

Max: The rules should still be changed. Up-or-down votes on blocks of amendments in cases like this.

Power rankings quite interesting indeed. Kenney probably the heir apparent if Harper loses/steps down even if the article suggests he's merely the power broker for any credible successor.

Nothing new in alberta. Say what you will about the wildrose, but they are using their time & political capital wisely to expose the rampant corruption in this dynasty. If the wildrose can perform a little image makeover in the coming years, the NDP can increase their vote share in Edmonton, and the liberals in Calgary (which are all very doable) Redford will be the last of the dynasty. Could turn into an anything but pc election. The growing distaste for the current admin is a force to be reckoned with, and the only thing keeping the PCs looking to be in good shape is the perceived lack of credible options. The Liberals and leftists who banded together to support the pc gov can't be counted on to do the same in the future, and the wildrose-pc split of the right will only continue to grow as more (and oh Lordy are there more) instances of gross misuse and abuse of the system come to light.

[Orion0]

Yeah, Kenney's the heir apparent. If the Reds are smart they run Moore instead of MacKay.

Alberta: There needs to be a tipping point, and so far that hasn't arrived. The national media has also been rather, to be polite, easy on her.

The media loves her, she's the epitomy of an eastern-Canada elitist, a mcguinty in lipstick if you will, with all her platitudes of cooperation and a national energy strategy. People of all political stripes are peeved at the growing list of indiscretions coming to light, from young voters duped into voting pc to prevent wildrose, to older voters betrayed by Redfords indiscriminate spending (the return to debt is a giant issue, and if not addressed by the pcs it will haunt them in coming elections, Albertans are proud of the sacrifices made to pay off the debt under Klein). I'd make the argument that the tipping point is fast approaching on the ground here, but it remains that the wildrose is still in growing pains, and the NDP is largely confined to Edmonton, and the liberals Calgary. the reasons to vote against pc are many, but the alternative options are not as attractive as they need to be to win.

I agree Moore is better than mackay, but I think the reds days of power are still a long ways out.

[Orion0]

Maybe Ambrose or Aglukkaq.

Ambrose is an intellectual lightweight and generally disliked even here in Alberta, but who knows..
Aglukkaq would be a welcome candidate in my opinion, with experience and gravitas.

[Orion0]

I'm confused about the Toronto mayor, Rob Ford.  More specifically, I'm confused by the judges ruling that, on the one hand, his alleged misconduct merits his removal from office, but on the other, the judge's opinion that he would be eligible to run for the office in a special election after that took place.  What's the point of saying someone has disqualified himself to serve in office and then allowing him to run for the same office again immediately after getting kicked out?  Can someone help me here?  Thanks.

It's a witch hunt, plain and simple. Ford's opponents have thrown everything at him, hoping for something to stick. They tried election fraud, driving violations, past arrests, and compromised city appointments, all in vain. In this case it's over $3000 give or take that he collected for a football charity. He had a lack of forethought and used official letterhead, and the seal of the city when sending letters asking for donations (for charity, if I might add again). I think anyone looking objectively can see that it was not with malicious or criminal intent that he acted, but quite simply a minor technicality under the letter of the law. There really is nothing contained in the current case that would bar him from office that other allegations should have already proven, but did not.

[Orion0]

Debacle in Alberta continues: speaker prohibits further questions regarding Redfords conflict of interest. Opposition walks out of the legislature in protest. NP article here: http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/12/03/albertas-speaker-shuts-down-opposition-questions-on-redford-conflict-of-interest-controversy/