The questions are pretty good. One thing that they didn’t include is the spectre of people choosing MAID due to deficiencies in the health care system, rather than the medical condition itself. I had to write that one in.

You don’t have to lower the requirements - you just have to make it easier and more affordable to pass local competency exams and get a license.

So sad, yet so delicious.

If I remember correctly, it’s somewhat controversial amongst family farmers who want to leave the farm to their children, so the Cons may think it plays well to their base from that angle.

He handles himself well, but it’s light on policy. The closest he comes is saying something about how Canadians deserve a carbon tax that puts the burden on big companies, and not on the people. This would seem to suggest he would make some changes there.

Maybe, but he didn’t have anything to do with this carbon tax, and his Jon Stewart interview seemed to hint that he feels some changes might be in order there.

Okay then, the next election will happen when the next election is called.

Let me know if I used any words that are too big for you.

I think you’re probably correct - she’s got a lot of baggage simply by virtue of having served in the government.

Nonetheless, I think it would be good for the party to have a serious leadership race with at least a couple of legitimate contenders.

The likely scenario is that, immediately upon Parliament resuming next month, the Liberals will immediately lose a confidence vote, triggering a snap election. The opposition parties have all stated that they will initiate a confidence vote at the earliest opportunity.

In the unlikely event that doesn’t happen, I imagine JT would remain on as PM until the mandatory election this fall. Were he to step down, he would probably appoint a sitting MP as interim PM.

As a fun(?) aside, Canada has had two PMs who served while members of the (unelected) Senate, and MacKenzie King and John Turner both briefly governed without a ministerial seat.

No one is expecting Carney, or anyone else, to serve as an unelected PM.

I think Freeland has a good head on her shoulders, and I hope she enters the race if only to hear her ideas, but Carney has the electoral advantage of having nothing to do with the Trudeau government.

The Fuck Trudeau and pretty boy mantras are going to ring pretty hollow against Carney.

If Carney becomes leader, I expect they’ll pivot to WEF/Illuminati nonsense.

Whether that will work is another matter entirely.

I think the NDP came to a realization that hitching themselves to the Liberal government had outlived its political usefulness, and it might be better to put some distance between them before the next election.

I don’t really pay much attention to the BQ.

Go ahead and post some alternatives if you’re so upset about it.

Beyond that, how about letting people share what they want to share?

it seems to me that both things can be true: the popular economic indicators can be looking good and everyday people can be experiencing greater levels of financial hardship than they or their parents have ever known.

Absolutely - data-based decision making is good, but the data has to be robust enough to fully capture the reality.

Regularly including cost of living measures alongside GDP would be a good start.

There’s no formal coalition agreement, and I don’t see Trudeau scrambling to offer cabinet posts to NDP MPs.

The less formal arrangement they had lasted a pretty long time, all things considered.

But Singh doesn’t owe him anything.

Well, no.

I want a system that’s actually designed to support multiple parties. Westminster ain’t it.

I’m torn on this.

On the one hand, I agree that a PP government is a terrible thing.

On the other hand, it’s hardly the NDP’s job to prop up another political party.

WTF is he thinking?

For better or worse, he’s probably reached the point where he thinks they need to cut all remaining ties to the Liberals, and not be seen as propping them up, formally or otherwise.

Get ready for one of the ugliest campaigns in living memory.

It looks like Trudeau wasn’t asking her to resign - he was looking to shuffle her out of the role and into a different cabinet post. Which isn’t exactly a vote of confidence.

I swear, this story said something about Canada Post agreeing to a 5% intirim raise last night, but that doesn’t seem to be in there any more.

Well, that’s a bombshell.

Yeah, unfortunately basic geography means there’s likely a hard limit on how much diversification is realistic.

We absolutely should do everything we can to reduce our reliance on the US, but options become limited once you remove rail and road from the equation.

Pfft you’re gonna believe some ivory tower elites in…

checks notes

…Alberta?

“I left Mr. Brown’s campaign completely of my own volition,” she said in that statement.

“In no instance was I coerced in any manner, by anyone, at any time. I am an experienced parliamentarian, seasoned communicator, and former cabinet minister who has proven more than capable of developing senior grade positions entirely based on my own read of a situation … to suggest that I’m not is ridiculous.”

This is specifically not a denial that interference was attempted.

And this…well…

“Preventing that division is why I’ve always taken into account the perspectives of many different Canadian interest groups and stakeholders before addressing issues that pertain to diaspora communities,” she said.

I’ve never been on opiods, so I guess that’s not worth discussing, right?

Fair enough - I do think the article makes it clear who the “everyone” is in this case - provincial and federal leadership - but I totally get why you’d bristle at it.

Yeah, the article breezes by it, but Canada’s ridiculous procurement efforts have been well-documented elsewhere.

Yeah, I don’t think we actually disagree with much - I certainly agree with the priorities you listed.

However, I also think that defense is also a priority - one that is becoming increasingly urgent with the general state of the world and the unreliability of our closest ally, and that has been neglected for decades.

And I’m not sure I buy in to the idea that we have to choose amongst those priorities. That kind of rhetoric is used to justify all kinds of cuts.

Shh, the grownups are talking.

Sure, and I agree. Your point?

Unfortunately, I think the need for defense spending is increasingly clear these days, no?

Yeah, it’s nice to hear they can still get things done, if they’re (a) motivated and (b) not being whipped by their leadership.

No doubt assisted by the bloody cut on the throwing hand of Blue Bombers’ starting QB, Zach Callaros, in the 3rd quarter.

No question, though it seemed like the Bombers sort of lost the plot at halftime. Maybe they enjoyed the Jonas Brothers a little too much.

Yeah, in October. That’s nearly a year away.

There’s potentially a lot of time before the next election, and campaigns matter.

Things look bleak, but I don’t think I’d call it a “foregone conclusion.”

This honestly warms my frozen Manitoban heart.

It would be great if we would all show a little more collective pride and promote the places we live as, you know, nice places to visit.

Every place in this country has something to offer.

Except that Trump-style government will have negative knock-on effects on the Canadian status quo, and people will inevitably blame the current administration for that…

That’s because the so-called “fixed election date” leglisation only circumvents the 5-year limit laid out in the consitution. The federal and provincial Crown representatives retain the ability to call a general election - I don’t think that can be changed without an amendment to the constitution, which ain’t gonna happen.

It’s always been smoke and mirrors.