Canada General Discussion

[Hatman 🍁]

Im really upset about the Sask robocalls. Tories want US style redistricting?

IIRC the rurban seats were an NDP idea. Tories are just taking advantage of it now that they have the advantage.

True, it was an NDP idea. However, it's still wrong. But, the province is more polarized now than ever, so it's time to stop these rurban seats.

[DC Al Fine]

Im really upset about the Sask robocalls. Tories want US style redistricting?

IIRC the rurban seats were an NDP idea. Tories are just taking advantage of it now that they have the advantage.

True, it was an NDP idea. However, it's still wrong. But, the province is more polarized now than ever, so it's time to stop these rurban seats.

I'm surprised they don't pull a California and set up super safe urban NDP & rural Tory seats. A few of rurban seats are marginal, and it'd be a way for the Tories to cut their potential losses.

[Hatman 🍁]

Im really upset about the Sask robocalls. Tories want US style redistricting?

IIRC the rurban seats were an NDP idea. Tories are just taking advantage of it now that they have the advantage.

True, it was an NDP idea. However, it's still wrong. But, the province is more polarized now than ever, so it's time to stop these rurban seats.

I'm surprised they don't pull a California and set up super safe urban NDP & rural Tory seats. A few of rurban seats are marginal, and it'd be a way for the Tories to cut their potential losses.

My next blog post will be my proposal that that would create 2 super safe NDP seats (one in Saskatoon and one in Regina) + 2 or 3 rurban riding surrounding them (which would be safe Tory seats, except for Wascana).

[RogueBeaver]

Breaking news: Brazeau is expelled from the Tory caucus and currently in a Gatineau jail after reports of domestic violence at his home. Good riddance.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/02/07/pol-brazeau-kicked-out-caucus.html

La Presse is making a BFD about Marois' botched BBC interview and her lack of English proficiency more generally.

http://www.lapresse.ca/debats/chroniques/lysiane-gagnon/201302/06/01-4619023-interpretes-demandes.php

[RogueBeaver]

Ottawa Citizen reporting he hasn't been interviewed or charged yet.

[RogueBeaver]

LeBreton confirms that he's been expelled for that precise reason.

[RogueBeaver]

Bob Rae is retiring this summer.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/02/07/john-ivison-bob-rae-will-retire-this-summer/

New Forum poll.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/02/08/liberals-under-justin-trudeau-could-clinch-a-majority-new-poll-shows/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[RogueBeaver]

New Leger QC poll: comfortable PQ majority, the CAQ keeps on sinking.

http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/370534/le-gouvernement-marois-s-installe-confortablement

[MaxQue]

Really surprised.

[RogueBeaver]

Marois blasts the PLQ contenders with both barrels. Meanwhile Couillard and Bachand keep clawing each other's eyes out. Then they wonder why they're PNG among Francophones.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Pauline+Marois+says+Quebec+Liberal+leadership+race+snake+swallowing+contest/7943536/story.html

Max: Yeah, the PLQ is a clown car these days.

[RogueBeaver]

Wynne reshuffles her Cabinet.

http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2013/02/10/wynne_makes_charles_sousa_finance_minister_in_cabinet_shuffle.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Better appointments and this too shall pass.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/02/10/john-ivison-upper-chamber-is-changing-regardless-of-harpers-senate-reforms/

More bureaucracy? Here's a better idea: replace MacKay with Ambrose.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/02/10/michael-den-tandt-harper-government-considers-new-procurement-agency-to-manage-military-purchases/

[RogueBeaver]

Wynne cabinet sworn in: 27 ministers, 25 backbenchers. The more things change, etc. Deb Matthews as Deep/Health, Glen Murray at Transport, Bob Chiarelli at Energy... meet the new team, same as the old team.

[RogueBeaver]

Excellent feature on the PLQ.

http://www.lactualite.com/print/politique/le-plq-peut-il-rebondir

Ivison: Cabinet shuffle and Permanent Campaign this summer, prorogation & Throne Speech in the fall.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/02/13/john-ivison-stephen-harper-gets-set-to-switch-back-into-constant-campaign-mode-this-summer/

[Hatman 🍁]

A former NB Liberal cabinet minister defected to the NDP yesterday. He was not a sitting MLA though.

[RogueBeaver]

John Duncan was fired for writing an inappropriate court letter. Moore is acting minister, hopefully Rickford is the permanent replacement.

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/aboriginal-affairs-minister-john-duncan-resigns-over-inappropriate-letter/article8733905/?service=mobile

Pupatello mulls punching a federal ticket.

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/02/15/pupatello-snowshoes-and-eye-on-ottawa/

[RogueBeaver]

Parizeau interview.

http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2013/02/15/on-fait-des-colloques-on-consulte-mais-on-ne-decide-pas

Ontario unions worried about Dipper overreach.

http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2013/02/14/labour_leaders_fear_ndpliberal_rivalry_may_spell_tory_triumph_cohn.html

[MaxQue]

Oh, Harper has a new strategy to silence opposition.
Closing down offices in towns where the opposition to him is too vocal, as he just did in Tracadie-Sheila.

[RogueBeaver]

What sort of offices? HRSD?

[MaxQue]

What sort of offices? HRSD?

Service Canada.

[RogueBeaver]

Brison sounds the Maritime alarm. Part of the problem is the political knife follows the fiscal knife, so naturally... ugh.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/scott-brisons-plan-to-avoid-a-greek-tragedy-in-maritimes/article8797076/

[DC Al Fine]

Brison sounds the Maritime alarm. Part of the problem is the political knife follows the fiscal knife, so naturally... ugh.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/scott-brisons-plan-to-avoid-a-greek-tragedy-in-maritimes/article8797076/

Brison's right about the fiscal issues the Maritimes faces, but his solutions will do next to nothing. An Atlantic Liquor Commission won't exactly trim $1b off the provincial debts.

[RogueBeaver]

To do that will require a sharp scalpel now, eventually a machete.

[RogueBeaver]

This PLQ race is getting quite nasty: Bachand's daughter can't vote for her father and the Moreau camp tried challenging the credentials of Bachandiste Andree Bourassa. Plus it emerged yesterday that Bachand was a PQ donor until 2002, a year before he first ran for the PLQ. No wonder he gets so outrageously outraged when people question his federalist cred. Also been hearing rumours that this race might be closer than it appears for Couillard, considering the caucus is so badly split endorsements-wise.

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-quebecoise/201302/19/01-4623192-ca-joue-dur-dans-les-assemblees-du-plq.php

[RogueBeaver]

Ontario Dippers will support the Throne Speech as expected. Sid Ryan & Co. also want the NDP to keep the Rorange alliance going.

[MaxQue]

This PLQ race is getting quite nasty: Bachand's daughter can't vote for her father and the Moreau camp tried challenging the credentials of Bachandiste Andree Bourassa. Plus it emerged yesterday that Bachand was a PQ donor until 2002, a year before he first ran for the PLQ. No wonder he gets so outrageously outraged when people question his federalist cred. Also been hearing rumours that this race might be closer than it appears for Couillard, considering the caucus is so badly split endorsements-wise.

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-quebecoise/201302/19/01-4623192-ca-joue-dur-dans-les-assemblees-du-plq.php

Bachand first ran in 2005 Outremont by-election, to replace Yves Séguin, no?