Canada General Discussion 1.5: The Countdown Begins

[MaxQue]

Sylvain Gaudreault, PQ MNA for Jonquière and former Transportation and Municipal Affairs minister had been gravely injuried after a fall while biking.

Same thing happened to Péladeau 2 months ago. PQ MNAs should stay far away from cycles.

[MaxQue]

Perhaps one can blame Quebec drivers. They're the one's I fear the most when I'm biking around town (Mostly because they're less familiar with the roads to be fair)

Both crashes aren't involving cars (but bad concrete/public works).

And yes, Quebec drivers are horrible and have no respect for pedestrians/bikes. It's much better elsewhere in North America.

[MaxQue]

Looks like caucus voted on and approved his re-entry at a meeting this week.  For those who don't remember, Allen left caucus last summer after attempting to hire two "prostitutes" (who were actually undercover cops) while on a government trip to Minnesota.

What a waste of taxpayers money.

[MaxQue]

"Je me souviens" (I remember) is very ironic for a province which keep to reelect a very corrupt political party.

[MaxQue]

If the NDP win in Sask, will they change the name of the state in case it looks bias to the Sask Party?

Sask Party leader has approvals in the 60-70, so, NDP winning won't happen.

[MaxQue]

And I suspect than the sponsor, the Ontario Convenience Stores Association, being a business association, leans to the right.

[MaxQue]

And I suspect than the sponsor, the Ontario Convenience Stores Association, being a business association, leans to the right.

Does John Tory have connections with them? Why would they sponsor a poll?

Well, their website is showing right-wing ideas. I suppose they want to back a reasonable right-wing candidate. They were apprently very involved against the proposed Toronto ban of plastic bags (it was withdrew for legal reasons, the city was doubting they had the power to pass it). I suspect they want an ally in the City Hall if the idea pops back again.

[MaxQue]

Why? He wouldn't win but we'd at least have a decent candidate. Only realistic targets are regaining 2011 losses, which I'm not terribly optimistic about ATM.

I think it would hurt Tories in Quebec. French media will probably use that to gang up on them.

[MaxQue]

In perhaps the greatest news in the history of television, the worst person in Canada (Kevin O'Learly) will be quitting the CBC.

Wouldn't that title belong to Don Cherry?

[MaxQue]

A CROP poll for Quebec federal.

Liberals 38, NDP 32, Bloc 13(!), Conservatives 12.

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/politique-canadienne/201408/20/01-4793348-sondage-crop-le-bloc-quebecois-marginalise.php

[MaxQue]

In NS news Penny Boudreau, who strangled her daughter to keep her boyfriend got 20 to life.

Especially heinous crimes call for the noose, but this will do I suppose.

That's a news from 2009.

[MaxQue]

I concur with Hashemite. This is usually not a Liberal area, but Nancy Charest had a sizeable personal vote for some reason. She made news again last month, when the reasons of her death was announced. She had hypothermia while walking outside very drunk at -27C, trying to go back at her home after a party.

[MaxQue]

I am very concerned and upset. I have family in the Army or working on bases. I'm quite worried about them, especially after the St-Jean events earlier this week. I am very disturbed and struggle to keep my temper.

I think than this event will have lasting consequences over the Canadians, sadly.

[MaxQue]

They apparently came within a few meters of Harper and Mulcair (each one was in his caucus room, which are in the same hallway and he was near near that hallway).

[MaxQue]

Harper speech has been postponed again.

Edit: Shooters father was a Libyan rebel who was from an Islamist sect, according to WaPo.

His mother is a federal public servant, of French-Canadian ancestry.

[MaxQue]

Big storm in Manitoba NDP.

On Monday, the Ministers for Municipal Governments and for Finances asked to Greg Sellinger, the Premier and NDP leader to resign, since they think than he will be unable to win reelection. Today, the ministers for Health, Economy (and Jobs) and the Attorney General (and Justice) did the same think.

Today, in a press conference, Sellinger refused to do so.

[MaxQue]

Two news today.

1. Dean Del Mastro, Peterborough, ON MP (Independent, formely Conservative), resigned after being condemned for spending over limits during 2008 elections, for giving more money than legally authorised to his own campaign and for having cooked his books to hide those things.

2. Two Liberal MPs (Scott Andrews, Avalon, NL and Massimo Pacetti, Saint-Léonard--Saint-Michel, QC) are suspended from the party after two female NDP MPs complained about sexual harassment from them.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/dean-del-mastro-guilty-of-breaking-election-laws-resigns-1.2824943
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal-mps-scott-andrews-massimo-pacetti-suspended-from-caucus-amid-harassment-allegations-1.2824396

[MaxQue]

Why no write-ins?  I can understand that in party primaries, but unless it's ludicrously easy to get on the ballot at the last moment, I fail to see why it shouldn't be an option.  Granted, there seldom is a need to count them.

Write-ins pretty much only exist in the USA. But, yes, it's easy to get on the ballot. You have until 19 days before the election to get on the ballot. You must also have 50 or 100 signatures (depends of the population) and a 1000$ deposit (reimbursed if you fill correctly your financial returns and didn't spent more than legally authorized).

[MaxQue]

^ Wish the dynastic culture returned to my province.

Careful what you ask for... the OLP are in a better position to create such a dynasty than the PCs. Wynne took over McGuinty's torch quite smoothly.

Despite the avatar, RogueBeaver is from Québec.

[MaxQue]

Pacetti's constituents feel he's been unfairly treated.

Havign family who lived there, it's not surprising. They probably think than it's a plot against Italo-Canadians, like they did with Gagliano and various Italians in the mafia/collusion/corruption/Charbonneau things.

[MaxQue]

Slightly old story, but too good not to share.

The son of Kings North MLA John Lohr broke into a luxury waterfront home and made his getaway via canoe!

Sadly, he died 4 days ago.

[MaxQue]

The Green Party of Canada has a new deputy leader to replace former hockey player Georges Laraque. A Quebec ecologist, Daniel Green. Quite an appropriate name.

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/politique-canadienne/201412/01/01-4824296-parti-vert-daniel-green-remplace-georges-laraque.php

[MaxQue]

MacKay isn't a moderate at all. He is an extremist, insulting victims of the Polytechnique shooting and their families. I'm quite sensitive on that, during one semester, I was passing right in front of the memorial to go and come back from a course.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/12/02/mulcair-mackay-polytechnique-shooting_n_6258388.html

[MaxQue]

PC betrayed its voters by allowing Wildrose to access any inch of power. If people wanted Danielle Smith in the Canibet, they would have voted for her.

[MaxQue]

The federal budget, planned for February has been postponed to April due to unstable oil prices.

Target closes all its stores in Canada, 17600 people are losing their jobs.

I really think Harper should have gone for an election last year, since October or November, it's a long, long, long list of economical bad news.