Canada General Discussion

[RogueBeaver]

Which aren't Liberal, as posited in The Big Shift.

Here's an article on how Quebec abolished its LegCo: guaranteeing the 24 their salary for life. Due to life tenure you had many dinosaurs in there in '68, including some from the Taschereau era. And some younger dinosaurs, like Asselin, who was the UN's chief organizer for many years.

[RogueBeaver]

This monthly Hill Times Tory leadership piece that includes people who'll never run is getting old.

[RogueBeaver]

Laureen Harper interview.

Also, Supreme Court Senate case starts tomorrow. Here's an excellent primer.

[RogueBeaver]

DC: Yeah. Any list for the next round that goes beyond Kenney/Moore/Bernier/Prentice, perhaps MacKay, is trash IMO.

Foucaulf: I doubt said progressive youth would have much time for it either.

Here's an excellent HuffPo article on Trudeau and the youth vote. One big weakness: he neglects to mention that the youngest voters would probably be Dipper for ideological reasons. That's been my experience anyways. Brokered, Chretienite centre-leftism is not exactly their cup of tea.

I mostly agree with Coyne here.

[RogueBeaver]

Council passed a near-unanimous motion asking Ford to take a leave, which he refused.

Also, PLQ, as awful as the charter is let's stay away from Godwinning.

Good news: 3.7 billion surplus in 2015. Plus the usual gift-giving.

[RogueBeaver]

Ouch, ouch. If entirely true.

[RogueBeaver]

Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP Barry Devolin (C-ON) will retire in 2015.

[RogueBeaver]

Tory's people held a high-profile strategy session yesterday, though Tory himself says he wasn't involved. Grits and Tories are onboard, including PC strategists and Liberal ministers.

[RogueBeaver]

Ford has been stripped of most of his powers by Council. Wynne said yesterday that she would hypothetically move only if a) Council makes a specific request b) all-party consent in the Legislature. B isn't happening, obviously.

[RogueBeaver]

We Quebecers have some pretty interesting scandals in our past and present, but they mostly involve money and/or organized crime.

[RogueBeaver]

Andrew Leslie may run in Orleans or the new west Ottawa riding. Baird is leaning towards the central Nepean one, Poilievre the reconfigured Nepean-Carleton.

[RogueBeaver]

Mulcair compares Canada/Quebec to UK/Scotland, says he'll stand by Sherbrooke and "wipe the floor" with Trudeau on that question. He wants Grits to name their clarity and %, which no Grit has ever mentioned. Naturally certain Very Serious Journalists are being verbally puritanical as usual. Though I don't think anyone doubts Mulcair would kick Trudeau's ass in a debate more free-flowing than the current leaders' setup, just as Harper and his top lieutenants do in QP.

[RogueBeaver]

Dunno why Ivison spent a whole column restating the obvious Lib/NDP ideological incompatibility, but to each their own.

[RogueBeaver]

PLQ is embracing Bouchard-Taylor, banning religious symbols for authority figures, despite an intraparty divide. They're doing this because their position doesn't have the requisite public support.

[RogueBeaver]

Anyone read the declassified Cabinet documents on abortion? Nothing really surprising that Epp and MacDougall led their respective factions, though anything now would probably get shot down by the Supremes on Charter grounds, IIRC McLachlin has hinted as much.

[RogueBeaver]

Maclean's Parliamentarians of the Year Awards ceremony was held tonight. Stoffer is POTY, Alexander Rising Star, Baird Best Orator, Cuzner Most Collegial, Kenney Most Knowledgeable, Hsu Best Represent Constituents, May Hardest-Working, and Milliken gets Lifetime Achievement.

Unsurprisingly, the Globe still dislikes Sherbrooke.

[RogueBeaver]

Here you go.

[RogueBeaver]

ClusterDuff just blew up in a major way. Nigel Wright could be charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust. One potentially devastating line: that Harper knew in "broad terms only" that he (Wright) was personally assisting him when attempting to repay his expenses. But the RCMP doesn't believe Harper was personally involved in the cheque.

http://blogs.canoe.ca/davidakin/politics/boom-we-are-good-to-go-from-the-pm/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/read-the-rcmps-documents-on-nigel-wrights-cheque-to-duffy/article15523497/?from=15522531#dashboard/follows/

[RogueBeaver]

In less depressing news, Hastman is running in Edmonton St. Albert. Great news, hopefully he climbs the ranks quickly.

[RogueBeaver]

Forgot to mention this yesterday, but Ivison absurdly implied in a Kenney column that his vocal pro-lfie stance could doom his chances of being PM. The Gallery and social liberalism...  sigh.

[RogueBeaver]

I know, but he's one of the best and knows far better.

[RogueBeaver]

He will be fine. That was a 62% Tory riding in 2011. Rathgeber bows out is my guess. He won't want to suffer a Guergis fate.

[RogueBeaver]

Who is Hastman?

Ryan Hastman, the Tory candidate against Linda Duncan in Edmonton-Strathcona 2 years ago.

[RogueBeaver]

1) Fond memories from last time 2) good and talented guy with an economic background.

[RogueBeaver]

Most important people: 1) Harper 2) Nenshi 3) UNIFOR president Jerry Dias 4) CPP CEO Mark Wiseman 5) Charbonneau 6) Novak 7) Weston SFI Superintendent Julie Watson 9) Trudeau 10) Blackberry CEO Mark Lazaris.