Politics in 2016

[ModlrMike]

Colin, I have to disagree with you a little. Regulation creep is not a function of democracy, rather it is the antithesis of democracy. To my mind, regulation creep is where administrative bodies bring in ever more regulations and guidelines that have not been passed by the legislative organ of the state (ie: the EPA in the US). The result being that unelected bureaucrats ultimately decide what the people can and can not do (or say).

As to the rest of your observations... those I agree with.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

It may not have been the “intended result”, but it is the real result and a function of dealing with humans, emotions and immediate interests for the moment.

 

[The Bread Guy]

It may not have been the “intended result”, but it is the real result and a function of dealing with humans, emotions and immediate interests for the moment.

Some of that is also fed by the equation:  People see problem + ask government for solution = government acting =/= problem being solved

Meanwhile, as much as I'd like to cut some slack to the new-ish guy, I'll take "Better uses of the PM's time" for $400 ...

Itinerary for the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, for Thursday, May 5, 2016:

Ottawa

11:00 a.m. The Prime Minister will meet with Alex Trebek.

Centre Block, Office of the Prime Minister
Parliament Hill
Ottawa, Ontario

Notes for media:

    Photo opportunity only ...

???

 

[Journeyman]

Parliament to debate gender-neutral national anthem .

..... his private members' bill, which would amend a line in O Canada from "in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command."

"By the way, Mr. Speaker, it is 2016" .....

              :facepalm:

There's always a silver lining; while it's costing taxpayers $$ to have these ass-clowns (of all Parties) diddling with bread and circuses, they're not screwing up the country with any significant legislation.

 

[PuckChaser]

Don't worry, the media is already demonizing the Conservatives for forcing the bill to have only one hour of debate and delayed it to the fall, while the Liberals got a free ride for limiting debate on assisted suicide. Good to see what's more important in society.

 

[Altair]

Seems the some of the CPC membership  might be taking a shot at the previous prime minister

At the 2013 party confab in Calgary, it would have been difficult to find a card-carrying Conservatives publicly willing to back a proposal to put Stephen Harper’s leadership to a confidence vote, let alone suggest that his tenure should have a built-in expiration date.

But that’s exactly what delegates may find themselves discussing when they converge on Vancouver later this month for the first national convention since Harper and his government went down to defeat in the last federal election, according to a draft list of constitutional resolutions obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.

Two British Columbia riding associations have put forward resolutions that would, if adopted, make the Conservatives the first major federal party to impose term limits on its leader, who would be permitted to serve “for no more than eight continuous years after being appointed Prime Minister.”

Meanwhile, two other riding associations – also B.C.-based – want more frequent leadership review votes, which are currently triggered only when the party fails to form government following an election, according to the 17-page spreadsheet, which must be posted to the convention website no later than May 17.

The next leader could also see his or her powers curtailed considerably from those enjoyed by their predecessor. Two ridings – Kitchener-Conestoga and Portage Lisgar – are backing a resolution to put the national council – whose members are elected by party members – in charge of “governance, management and control of party activities” between conventions.

Kitchener-Conestoga Conservatives would also strip the leader of the authority to nominate the executive director, who would instead be appointed by national council, which would also have to approve his or her removal – a change that appears to have been directly inspired by the former leader’s decision to give the job to his former communications director.

“When Dimitri Soudas was elected Executive Director, there was a meeting of National Council called at 24 Sussex, there was no notification of this meeting and no agenda given out before hand,” the rationale notes.

“We all know how wonderful an Executive Director Dimitri Soudas turned out to be … The leaders’ pick for Executive Director was an absolute disaster!”

Another resolution targets the party’s less than successful attempt to update its central database by proposing an information technology oversight committee.

“Existing oversight of the National Membership System is inadequate and closer scrutiny needs to be in place to ensure that money … is not misspent,” it notes.

“(Seven) to $9 million was wasted on C-Vote (the intended replacement) with no oversight by National Council. Setting up an IT oversight would have prevented the needless waste of Party’s money.”

As has become traditional, there are also several proposals to change the way the party selects its leader, including one with support from several ridings that would switch from the current system of weighted values to one that gives every member one vote.

The Lac-Saint-Louis riding association would go even further, and allow delegates to elect the party president directly, instead of leaving it to national council to pick a candidate from among its members.

Not all ridings are eager to boost the power of rank-and-file members, however.

Ottawa-West Nepean wants to water down the existing language to make it clear that, while the party policy declaration should “form the basis for policy alternatives for governing Canada while the party is in opposition,” it should simply be a “source” when it comes time to prepare the election platform, and provide “guidance … when the party is in power.”

As for the rumoured push to loosen the leadership rules to allow interim chief Rona Ambrose to vie for the permanent gig if she chooses to do so, at the moment, there’s no such resolution listed.

The proposal could still be brought forward during the preliminary workshop session, provided it has the support of the party’s national council, and could even be added to the agenda for the plenary itself if its backers can garner the signatures of delegates representing at least 100 ridings.

Under convention protocol, only those resolutions that make it through the initial breakout session on Friday are eligible to be put to a vote at the plenary – and depending on how many pass, delegates may be asked to vote on up to five resolutions “which, in their view, should be considered as priority for listing on the agenda of plenary.”

Delegates could also find themselves at the centre of a debate over the party’s official stance on abortion and assisted suicide, thanks to a proposal from Calgary Nose Hill to add a reference to their “belief in the value and dignity of all human life” to the list of principles.

In the section laying out the rational behind the resolution, its supporters argue that such a statement “is the foundation of the Canadian Story and points to the true motivation of Canadian conservatives.”

They also point out that the Conservatives “would be the only national party to state this as one of its core principles.”

 

[RedcapCrusader]

Parliament to debate gender-neutral national anthem .

              :facepalm:

There's always a silver lining; while it's costing taxpayers $$ to have these ass-clowns (of all Parties) diddling with bread and circuses, they're not screwing up the country with any significant legislation.

If you're going to try to change the anthem, at least be grammatically correct....  :-X :boke:

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The Civilian version of "Button and Bows"

 

[PuckChaser]

The Civilian version of "Button and Bows"

Bread and circuses. Or Pot and Anthems.

 

[George Wallace]

OK?  ???  WTF workload?  She has two nannies on the Public dole to take care of her kids.  She does not fill any Public office.  Any outside activities she partakes in is supposedly "Voluntary".  So?  WTF is she asking for?

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act.

PMO looking at ways to ease Sophie Grégoire Trudeau’s workload
DANIEL LEBLANC
OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail
Published Wednesday, May 11, 2016 7:26PM EDT
Last updated Wednesday, May 11, 2016 7:27PM EDT

The Prime Minister’s Office is exploring various options – including hiring a second staffer – after Sophie Grégoire Trudeau publicly complained she is struggling to deal with the workload that comes with her duties, federal officials told The Globe and Mail.

Speaking in Quebec City earlier this week, Ms. Grégoire Trudeau bluntly said she and her current assistant can’t manage the number of demands that come from being a high-profile, bilingual and much sought-after speaker. Various groups and charitable organizations regularly invite Ms. Grégoire Trudeau to promote their causes, but the constant requests are proving impossible to address under current circumstances, she said.

“I’d like to be everywhere, but I can’t,” Ms. Grégoire Trudeau said in an interview with daily newspaper Le Soleil. “I have three children at home and a husband who is Prime Minister. I need help. I need a team to help me serve people.

She added that with one staffer, she cannot respond to everyone who contacts her. “We want to modernize the system that allows us to serve the people, because people want us to modernize it.”

The PMO told The Globe and Mail that it is aware of the growing needs of Ms. Grégoire Trudeau and is looking at ways to assist her and her sole staffer, Natalie St-Denis.

To this point, PMO officials informally provide additional assistance, such as accompanying Ms. Grégoire Trudeau to events when Ms. St-Denis can’t attend.

However, there is a growing sense the current system cannot be sustained, given the personal popularity of Ms. Grégoire Trudeau, who has garnered international attention alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“Madame Grégoire Trudeau continues to receive an extraordinarily high volume of correspondence and invitations. We are continuing to look at new ways to make sure she is supported at official events she is attending and to make sure correspondence from Canadians across the country and invitations are triaged and answered in a timely manner,” said PMO spokesman Olivier Duchesneau.

Still, the Liberals are not looking at replicating the American model, where the White House includes a formal Office of the First Lady, Mr. Duchesneau said.

Mr. Trudeau’s office is treading carefully, given questions about the cost of the services offered to the Trudeau household, including two nannies who sometimes travel with the couple’s children.

The PMO has said Mr. Trudeau is using the same budget for household help as his Conservative predecessor, Stephen Harper. However, Liberal officials said Ms. Grégoire Trudeau receives much more correspondence than Laureen Harper, which explains the potential need for additional administrative help.

A precedent was set by Mila Mulroney, who had an office at the Langevin Block, in front of the Parliament Buildings, and at least three staff working with her at one point.

Ms. Grégoire Trudeau has promoted Canadian designers with her fashion choices at public events, but she is also the voice for a number of causes, including promoting the health and self-esteem of young women.

“It’s hard to choose, because it’s touching when people ask for your help. People really lay out their suffering in some of the letters that I receive. I tell myself: ‘I’ll try to send a message that will reach as many people as possible,’” Ms. Grégoire Trudeau told Le Soleil.

She said she is also fighting against the fact that people often tend to see her solely as Mr. Trudeau’s wife, arguing society needs to evolve and respect the decisions that professional women make for their families. Ms. Grégoire Trudeau is a former television journalist.

Ms. Grégoire Trudeau said her mother, who stopped working as a nurse after she was born, didn’t become less intelligent or interesting because she decided to stay at home.

“There is always a price to pay, but the price shouldn’t be as high,” Ms. Grégoire Trudeau said of finding a balance between work and family.

Ms. Grégoire Trudeau was not available to comment on staffing issues to The Globe on Wednesday.

LINK

 

[George Wallace]

Got to love the internet and instant response:

Memes are already appearing......

Seriously.  Two nannies to take care of her kids.  She fills no Public Office.  Any activities she takes part in, outside accompanying her husband occasionally at State functions, are voluntary.  Sounds like she is an airhead unable to manage her own time.  Why should the nation fund another "assistant" to manage her time?  This begs the question, if the next request that will show up on the horizon in the future, will be for a "Dresser"?  Does the phrase: "Let them eat cake!" come to mind?

 

[The Bread Guy]

OK?  ???  WTF workload?  She has two nannies on the Public dole to take care of her kids.  She does not fill any Public office.  Any outside activities she partakes in is supposedly "Voluntary".  So?  WTF is she asking for?

IF she truly has only one person taking care of scheduling, travel and logistics for a growing load of solo invitations to events across Canada, give her the same number of staffers as Laureen Harper had.  Anybody know how many that was?

Otherwise, she should explain herself more clearly (and maybe Team Red should chip in if it's not for government business, as has been done for some Team Blue services in the past).

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

It's not necessarily that black and white, Milnews.

They could ask to look at Mila Mulroney instead: She had more staff than anyone before her or since, but again, Mila was young, good looking and publicly engaged with her husband in ways that exceeded the engagement or public profile of Laureen harper.

And, this is not truly "political", in the sense that these (God, I am cringing as these words come out of my ... computer) "First Canadian Ladies" are invited to all these good will charity events because they are the spouse of the Prime Minister, not the leader of a given party. And they have to act towards these organizations in a neutral and non political fashion.

It's a difficult balance, but they would not have that work load were they not spouse of the PM, and to that extent that makes it work on behalf of the country.

 

[The Bread Guy]

It's not necessarily that black and white, Milnews.

They could ask to look at Mila Mulroney instead: She had more staff than anyone before her or since, but again, Mila was young, good looking and publicly engaged with her husband in ways that exceeded the engagement or public profile of Laureen harper.

Maybe that IS a better comparison - good point.

And, this is not truly "political", in the sense that these (God, I am cringing as these words come out of my ... computer) "First Canadian Ladies" are invited to all these good will charity events because they are the spouse of the Prime Minister, not the leader of a given party. And they have to act towards these organizations in a neutral and non political fashion.

Very true - "party political" function =/= "state" function or invite.  I was only offering the party-based solution as one that's been used to deal with "at the very edge of the line" stuff in the past.

P.S. - Also moving this into the Politics thread -- even though it is a WTF? kind of story -- given the "politics" (or not) of the position.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

I was only offering the party-based solution as one that's been used to deal with "at the very edge of the line" stuff in the past.

Well, she is not a Senator, is she?  ;D

 

[The Bread Guy]

Well, she is not a Senator, is she?  ;D

Yet ...  >

 

[Colin Parkinson]

There are a number of pending issues that are going to test the promises made by the Liberals during the election and it is likely they are going to be seen by people that believed the Liberals will be different as failing those tests. I suspect this is going to bleed support from the Liberals come the next election. If the Conservatives don't make a hash of their next "rebirth" and bring in a Conservative message somewhere between Harper and Mulroney then they stand a good chance of winning. 

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

There are a number of pending issues that are going to test the promises made by the Liberals during the election and it is likely they are going to be seen by people that believed the Liberals will be different as failing those tests. I suspect this is going to bleed support from the Liberals come the next election. If the Conservatives don't make a hash of their next "rebirth" and bring in a Conservative message somewhere between Harper and Mulroney then they stand a good chance of winning.

Unless, of course, the Liberals change the system to stack it in their favour. It would not be beyond their arrogance. After all, they just decided that it is democratic to take away the right to vote of members of parliament participating in a parliamentary committee just because they are not part of a "recognized" party under the rules of the Parliament (they are from an official party recognized by the Chief Electoral Officer under the Elections Act).

The Liberals won't stand for having different classes of citizens where terrorism is concerned, but its OK to have two different classes of Members of Parliament: voting and non-voting ones.

 

[George Wallace]

Well, she is not a Senator, is she?  ;D

Yet ...  >

Well.  Following recent trends set South of the border; perhaps she will come back as a "Leader" of the Liberal Party in her move to become PM.  [

 

[Remius]

There are a number of pending issues that are going to test the promises made by the Liberals during the election and it is likely they are going to be seen by people that believed the Liberals will be different as failing those tests. I suspect this is going to bleed support from the Liberals come the next election. If the Conservatives don't make a hash of their next "rebirth" and bring in a Conservative message somewhere between Harper and Mulroney then they stand a good chance of winning.

A little early for making that kind of prediction.  I'd wait until they actually have a leader before making any predictions.  The one thing that Mr. Trudeau and his party have managed to do and do well is change the tone.  And I suspect that that is what most people wanted.  If the Liberals can maintain that tone, regardless of their performance, I doubt they will bleed that much as a result.  Likely they will be forgiven the failure to achieve some promises.  If they legalise marijuana and get the right to die legislation through and a few big ticket items then the rest won't really matter as long as it looks like they got some of it done.. 

The problem the CPC is having or will have is their legitimacy in crying foul over things they themselves did.  Time allocation, lack of consultation etc etc.  The hypocrisy of their critisism is not going unoticed (look at the whole LAV/Saudi Arabia thing).  The Liberals might also suffer with their own hypocrisy as they are doing the same thing they railed against. 

What will matter is if the people who voted Liberal actually care or not.  They might just be happy to see the CPC get what they feel is their just desserts.

Personally I'm starting to see issues with things like time allocation and comitee work that I'm not liking.  I didn't like it when the CPC abused it and I don't like the LPC doing the same.  But I'm one of only a small percentage of Canadians that care about that.