Election 2015

[ModlrMike]

Justin Trudeau... the gift that keeps on giving:

"...benefiting every single family isn't what is fair...


You know that soundbite is going to play during the election.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Justin Trudeau... the gift that keeps on giving:

"...benefiting every single family isn't what is fair...


You know that soundbite is going to play during the election.

But I think this could have been the first sound thing he has said if he had rephrased it slightly as: "... benefiting every single family doesn't make good, fiscal sense ..."

There was a huge debate in the late 1960s about "means testing" (which was the norm until then) versus universality which was the mantra of the left. The point of universality was that "means testing" somehow singled out the poor and stripped away their dignity. The tax system, it was argued, could "claw back" benefits from the rich ... two problems: "means tests" are much, much cheaper than "claw backs" so social programmes are more expensive than they need to be; and, more problematic, some marginal families (just on the wrong edge of the "claw back" income line) overspent and the "benefit" became, in fact, an impediment at tax time.

 

[Kilo_302]

Here are a couple HIGHLY critical articles from tradtionally conservative Canadian papers. The question remains, why the hell is ANYONE voting for the Tories in the next election? What the Globe and Mail piece describes is pure Stalinism.

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/andrew-coyne-a-telling-24-hours-in-stephen-harpers-world

The point is, this was all in the space of 24 hours. If one were to draw up an indictment of this government’s approach to politics and the public purpose, one might mention its wholesale contempt for Parliament, its disdain for the Charter of Rights and the courts’ role in upholding it, its penchant for secrecy, its chronic deceitfulness, its deepening ethical problems, its insistence on taking, at all times, the lowest, crudest path to its ends, its relentless politicization of everything.

But you’d think you would need to look back over its record over several years to find examples. You wouldn’t think to see them all spread before you in the course of a single day.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com//news/politics/omnibus-budget-bill-alters-history-to-clear-rcmp-of-potential-criminal-charges/article24417074/?cmpid=rss1&click=sf_globe

The retroactive changes in the budget bill leave access-to-information experts aghast.

“I find this provision almost Orwellian,” said Fred Vallance-Jones, an associate professor at the University of King’s College in Halifax and an expert in access to information law.

“It seeks to rewrite history, to say that lawful access to records that existed before didn’t actually exist after all, and that if you exercised your quasi-constitutional right of access to those records, well too bad, you’re out of luck.”

 

[ModlrMike]

So you're saying our choices are either Stalanism or Marxism?

 

[GAP]

Andrew Coyne is and always has been a Liberal shill.....

and the other example is some associate professor......you might as well gotten a quote from the associate french fry maker at McDonalds.....

 

[Kilo_302]

Andrew Coyne is and always has been a Liberal shill.....

and the other example is some associate professor......you might as well gotten a quote from the associate french fry maker at McDonalds.....

Right, a Liberal shill that writes for the National Post and has been highly critical of everything the NDP and the Liberals do (with the exception of the NDP coming out against C-51). The ideological committment to a political party you're displaying here is truly inspiring, mainly because it's clear you don't comprehend what the second article is about. I'm confident you're pro-gun rights, in fact I am certain you are. Read the article and try again.

So you're saying our choices are either Stalanism or Marxism?

You must mean Stalinism. I'm not sure what political entity in Canada is Marxist outside of the actual Marxist Party. The NDP has never even been a socialist party, it's a social democratic party. They've always embraced regulated capitalism as the way to go. The Liberal Party's fiscal policy is very similiar to the Tories.

When I say Stalinism, I am referring to the way this government is literally deleting history to suit its agenda. In this case, it's to aid the RCMP in maintaining records of firearms ownership while publicly saying they've scrapped the long gun registry. I would imagine you as well are someone who is opposed to law enforcement in Canada having records of gun ownership. Our current government has ditched the long form census, because too many facts and information get in the way of ideology. This move around Access to Information is yet more evidence of their disdain for democracy and the democratic process. Madness.

 

[Rocky Mountains]

The NDP has never even been a socialist party, it's a social democratic party. They've always embraced regulated capitalism as the way to go.

You might want to read this little ditty and get educated.  You might understand why I call them Bolsheviks.

"We aim to replace the present capitalist system, with its inherent injustice and inhumanity"

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Regina_manifesto

 

[Bird_Gunner45]

Andrew Coyne is and always has been a Liberal shill.....

and the other example is some associate professor......you might as well gotten a quote from the associate french fry maker at McDonalds.....

An Associate professor at the University of King's College, one of the most left wing universities in Canada (800 total enrolment, mostly private school kids from Ontario doing philosophy degrees, etc), at that!

 

[Bird_Gunner45]

Right, a Liberal shill that writes for the National Post and has been highly critical of everything the NDP and the Liberals do (with the exception of the NDP coming out against C-51). The ideological committment to a political party you're displaying here is truly inspiring, mainly because it's clear you don't comprehend what the second article is about. I'm confident you're pro-gun rights, in fact I am certain you are. Read the article and try again.


You must mean Stalinism. I'm not sure what political entity in Canada is Marxist outside of the actual Marxist Party. The NDP has never even been a socialist party, it's a social democratic party. They've always embraced regulated capitalism as the way to go. The Liberal Party's fiscal policy is very similiar to the Tories.

When I say Stalinism, I am referring to the way this government is literally deleting history to suit its agenda. In this case, it's to aid the RCMP in maintaining records of firearms ownership while publicly saying they've scrapped the long gun registry. I would imagine you as well are someone who is opposed to law enforcement in Canada having records of gun ownership. Our current government has ditched the long form census, because too many facts and information get in the way of ideology. This move around Access to Information is yet more evidence of their disdain for democracy and the democratic process. Madness.

Andrew Coyne wrote an article in MacLeans magazine saying that he was going to vote for the Liberals and Michael Ignatieff during the last election, so I dont think he's been thhhhhhaaaaatttt critical of them, or at least not so much that he wouldn't vote for them.

 

[TheHead]

You might want to read this little ditty and get educated.  You might understand why I call them Bolsheviks.

"We aim to replace the present capitalist system, with its inherent injustice and inhumanity"

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Regina_manifesto

Which they replaced with the Winnipeg Deceleration, which was replaced by the Statement of Principles.   

 

[Rocky Mountains]

Which they replaced with the Winnipeg Deceleration, which was replaced by the Statement of Principles. 

The quote was "The NDP has never even been a socialist party"

Winnipeg Declaration - that's way better:

"Capitalism Basically Immoral

Economic expansion accompanied by widespread suffering and injustice is not desirable social progress. A society motivated by the drive for private gain and special privilege is basically immoral."

http://www.socialisthistory.ca/Docs/CCF/Winnipeg.htm

Statement of Principles - note the S-word - socialist

"...cooperation and mutual responsibility prevail over private gain and competition as the guiding principles of social and economic life. We seek a compassionate and caring society, servicing the needs of all. The New Democratic Party is proud to be part of that great worldwide movement of democratic socialist parties..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statement_of_Principles_%28NDP%29

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Which they replaced with the Winnipeg Deceleration Declaration, which was replaced by the Statement of Principles. 

TFTFY

If Winnipeg was any slower it'd be going backwards.

 

[TheHead]

Thank you,

 

[GAP]

TFTFY

If Winnipeg was any slower it'd be going backwards.

Hey ! Hey!...backwards is a direction.....

 

[CougarKing]

Justin Trudeau... the gift that keeps on giving:

"...benefiting every single family isn't what is fair...


You know that soundbite is going to play during the election.

Wasn't "The budget will balance itself" enough of a sound byte?  ;D

Or does he have to "whip out some (doves) to show how big he is"?  ;D

 

[CougarKing]

To think the polls actually predicted a BC NDP win in the previous provincial election...only to be disappointed. 

And now they're predicting this for the federal NDP in BC?

:

Vancity Buzz

Support is up high in British Columbia for federal NDP: survey
BY
BEHDAD MAHICHI
4:40 PM PDT, WED MAY 13, 2015

An online survey conducted by Vancouver-based polling company Insights West suggests that a federal election were to be held tomorrow, British Columbians would cast more ballots for the New Democratic Party (NDP) over the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party.

The results come just over a week after the NDP’s Rachel Notley won a majority government in neighbouring Alberta, ending the 44-year governance of the Progressive Conservative Party in the province.

The poll was completed by 814 adult British Columbians and shows that 35 per cent would vote for the NDP, 29 per cent would vote for the ruling Conservatives, 25 per cent for the Liberals and 10 per cent for the Green Party.

(...SNIPPED)

 

[Valhrafn]

When I say Stalinism, I am referring to the way this government is literally deleting history to suit its agenda. In this case, it's to aid the RCMP in maintaining records of firearms ownership while publicly saying they've scrapped the long gun registry. I would imagine you as well are someone who is opposed to law enforcement in Canada having records of gun ownership. Our current government has ditched the long form census, because too many facts and information get in the way of ideology. This move around Access to Information is yet more evidence of their disdain for democracy and the democratic process. Madness.

The purges and executions are right around the corner...

 

[Edward Campbell]

Glen McGregor, of the Ottawa Citizen, tweeted an interesting (and unnamed) poll showing a tight (within the margin of error), essentially a tied three way race after: a) the Alberta election; and b) the vote on Bill C-51:

Edited to add:

In it's own story the Ottawa Citizen says: "The poll, conducted from May 6 to 10, appears to be from national polling firm EKOS."


Further edited to add:

David Akin posted a better version of the poll and confirms it is from EKOS:

It looks like the CPC and the Liberals have been in a state of graceful degradation (a way we used to describe a failing radio network) since February 2015 while the NDP have been trending up in the same period. But, the trends are not very steep: only 6% ↓ for the CPC and Liberals and (a much better) 11% ↑ for the NDP.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Ezra Levant is reporting Ms Notley has appointed Mr. Brian Topp as her CoS.  Ezra is claiming he is rabidly against the Sands and Pipelines.  Not good news for the future if true.

It's not good news for the federal NDP either.

Thomas Mulcair, like Jack Layton before him, has been trying to move the NDP into the centre ~ where most Canadians want their government to be ~ and I suspect that he was counting on a centrist Alberta NDP government to help him. If Mr Topp holds true to his reputation he will take a leftward tack ... but, he (Topp) is a seasoned political tactician and he understands Canadian voters' desires very well.

 

[Infanteer]

I think the situation does not bode well for either the Liberals or the NDP as the opposite situation exists as did in Alberta.  In Alberta, the NDP benefited from split voting on the right between the PC and Wildrose.  Federally, the NDP competes with the Liberals on the left.  As ERC pointed out, the Conservative election strategy would do best to promote both the NDP and the Liberals as the best chance to beat them, marginalizing both at the polls.