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2022 CPC Leadership Discussion: Et tu Redeux

If I have it right, he drew his biggest line in the sand. Putting everything he's said about the rail strike together, he was pretty clear.

If the government forced the workers back to work and if it came to a confidence vote, he would pull his support and vote against the government.

The workers were forced back to work. Now we need a party to put it to a confidence vote. Maybe the Block, maybe the Cons or NDP.

Will he do it? Maybe. His pension comes due in Feb 25, I think. So he could pull the pin during the fall sitting and still get his pension.

I believe this is a line he can't back away from without losing union support.

We'll see what he does when Parliament resumes.
Just following up on this- most of us, myself included, were expecting back to work legislation. Turned out that wasn’t necessary under a rarely used administrative power of the minister.

Today, the union filed for judicial review on several points. That’s entirely a judicial process; no legislation is needed. And, I suspect, the courts will ultimately find the exercise of administrative powers reasonable and correct based on the wording of the law, and the massive harm the economy was facing. Hell, did any of us here, despite our frequent differences on many subjects, support both cargo rail networks being permitted to simultaneously shut down? Maybe I missed a post but I think anyone who voiced an opinion expected and wanted some sort of compelled return to work which would pretty much necessarily mean binding arbitration. Anyway, there’s presently nothing that will go to Parliament directly on the rail strikes, so there’s nothing to directly force a confidence vote.

The NDP could pull confidence at any point, although the terms of the supply and confidence agreement include that they’ll work directly and behind closed doors with the LPC to hash anything out before that point, and the LPC commit to governing for the full term. It’s implicitly understood between the parties that NDP must and will make the usual opposition noises on issues they object to. I suspect even the barking over the LPC forcing the train workers back to work was expected and somewhat orchestrated. LPC know the NDP have to make noise on that, but that a double rail shutdown would be utterly unacceptable.

So… I don’t see anything suggesting it’s in anyone’s interests within LPC or NDP for the NDP to exit the agreement. That’s a wishful hope by team Blue who see themselves having already peaked, and want to get an election ASAP while they’re still riding the crest… But we’re fools if we think the Libs don’t know - and haven’t quietly discussed with the NDP - exactly what they can get away with.

It’s just Westminster politics being Westminster politics.
 
Here's the thing though. Very few are going to see it as what you described. In their mind, the government sent them back to work and singh said he wouldn't tolerate it. To most voters that is the meat and potatoes of the incident. They won't parse the minutia of Milnet.
Right but most voters also don’t give a fuck. They aren’t live to the fact that it was actually at safety and scheduling. They’ll see a bunch of people making well into six figures threatening to strike, and will be told (accurately) that the shelves of their grocery stores would get pretty thin pretty fast, and a lot of industry shut down with a rail strike/lockout fouling JIT delivery. They’ll say “no, get the trains running”, and a small portion who pay more attention will add “and arbitrate”. I haven’t seen very much broader organized labour solidarity on this one.
 
Getting more prime ministerial as he goes. Perhaps appreciating that he will do better by smoothing off some of those ‘oppositions’ sharp edges, and be more statesmanlike.
At least when he's scripted, anyway.

If he can consistently do that while speaking extemporaneously, his odds stand to go up even higher than they are now.
 
At least when he's scripted, anyway.

If he can consistently do that while speaking extemporaneously, his odds stand to go up even higher than they are now.
Even unscripted, he’s not nearly as bad as….others…who couldn’t competently explain balancing a monthly cheque book, let alone…how a quantum computer works. 😉
 
Even unscripted, he’s not nearly as bad as….others…who couldn’t competently explain balancing a monthly cheque book, let alone…how a quantum computer works. 😉
For sure - as low a bar as that is to get over these days - but still has to be careful about the harsher "gotcha" stuff.

Some is part of politics, but tooooooooooo much & tooooooo much of a "cheap shot" feel opens him up to "is this how he's generally going to treat anyone who disagrees with him?"

I don't think he's deep down like that, but he also strikes me as someone who likes to zing when one can zing - just a question of keeping the zings measured.
 
Pierre Poilievre's CPC releases a new, one minute long, statement which seeks to mobilize the "blue collar conservatives" who, arguably, elected Ronald Reagan in 🇺🇲 in 1980 and Boris Johnson in 🇬🇧 in 2019.
You folks know my stance on the CPC now, but I’ll admit that was a good video.

As @The Bread Guy says, I want to see if he softens his edges in question period, interviews, etc to match.
 
Lots if folks here have come a long way from practically labelling PP a right wing zealot. Good to see some of you finally coming around.
To be clear, I’m not sold on him yet. One good PR video hasn’t changed the past few years of his actions.

You can go back through the posts and my main issue with him is whether he would keep his “Harper attack dog” ways if/when he formed govt. It’s good that he has started to soften the image, but I want to see him soften his image in QP and other less-scripted venues before I make up my mind.
 
To be clear, I’m not sold on him yet. One good PR video hasn’t changed the past few years of his actions.

You can go back through the posts and my main issue with him is whether he would keep his “Harper attack dog” ways if/when he formed govt. It’s good that he has started to soften the image, but I want to see him soften his image in QP and other less-scripted venues before I make up my mind.
You can be sure Team Red will provoke him at every opportunity.

I, too, was warming up to him, as I stated a few post back, until the "sellout Singh" letter. FFS! I'll give him another change. Lord knows I gave Trudeau enough and have been routinely disappointed and occasionally amused.
 
As @The Bread Guy says, I want to see if he softens his edges in question period, interviews, etc to match.
Not to mention his approach to governing if he gets the baton next time. A lot of people, including PP himself, complain about attacking opponents who may have legit concerns & creating us vs. them dynamics. Potential’s there for any leader to do that, so we’ll see,
I, too, was warming up to him, as I stated a few post back, until the "sellout Singh" letter. FFS! I'll give him another change.
A few such blips here & there can be chalked up to human error. Too many, and too nasty/petty, builds a case for the leopard’s spots being as they are. PP’s doing better, not perfect, but still bears considering.
Lord knows I gave Trudeau enough and have been routinely disappointed and occasionally amused.
You weren’t alone in that, to be sure, based on the current polling numbers.
 
You can be sure Team Red will provoke him at every opportunity.

I, too, was warming up to him, as I stated a few post back, until the "sellout Singh" letter. FFS! I'll give him another change. Lord knows I gave Trudeau enough and have been routinely disappointed and occasionally amused.
Yeah, that remark wasn’t good for someone trying to soften their image.

And I’m sure everyone will provoke him at every opportunity. Especially if the CPC forms govt and another party has the job of being the Official Opposition.
 
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