Gather round, kiddos. Time for a cautionary tale.
One day I got home from my Big City newspaper editor’s job and Dorothy told me a strange guy had rolled up the farm driveway that day in a battered old Mercedes and knocked on the porch door. (Yep, it was an actual farm. Hay. Crops. Manure. Split-rail fences. Strange furry creatures in pastures. The whole nine years.)
Turns out he was selling memberships for the Progressive Conservative Party because our place now sat in a newly-created federal riding. There was a contested nomination meeting coming up in a month. He’d heard we were Cons and wanted support.
“Well,” she said to me, coyly. “This might be your moment.”
So I entered the race, attracted enough supporters to flood the arena that meeting night and won the vote. A few months later I won the election. Weeks later I was sitting in caucus, Room 216 of the Centre Block, awed, sucking in the gilt trim, the plaster swirls on the ceiling, the green marble fireplace mantle and Brian Mulroney standing in front of me.
He was a smooth guy, bridging the incredible diversity of a massive majority in Parliament. (There were so many Conservative MPs that, as a newbie, I had to sit on the opposite side of the chamber. I’m not happy about that, I said to Dorothy. And she gave it to me, hard. “There are no bad seats in the House of Commons.”) Caucus included Quebec separatists (like Lucien Bouchard), fierce westerners, lefty Toronto and Lower Mainland reformers, economic realists like Mike Wilson, most of Atlantic Canada, Red Tories like Joe Clark and a mess of centrist small-c conservatives. At the end of four years, after Free Trade, the GST, deficit-fighting and national unity crises, Mulroney retired. The first woman prime minister emerged. There was an election.
In 1988, when I first ran, the PCs won 169 seats. In 1993, they lost 167. Me included. Turns out my suburban-rural riding posed a nice example of what happened across Canada. The PCs fractured, spawning the hard-right Reform Party, so in my hood the conservative vote was split. The Liberal guy won. So did his boss, Jean Chretien. And for the next ten years there was Grit rule in the land.
(Personally, not a bad thing. My career flourished. Then I lost my mind again and was elected in 2006, only to learn ‘progressive’ was now long forgotten word in the merged Reform-Conservative party.)
Well, here’s the point. Those us who are fiscally conservative, yet socially moderate, lost the center ground when Preston Manning hijacked conservativism, and morphed into Stephen Harper. Chretien moved in and for the last three elections Justin Trudeau has done the same – Hoovering up the middle electoral ground as an increasingly urban, young and diverse Canada moves away from socons.
The result is a dangerous one. Now Canada has over $2 trillion in federal debt, an annual deficit which would have been unimaginable five years ago, record amounts of social spending, a top tax rate of 54% – about to go higher – the most inflation in decades, houses people can’t afford and a prime minister who seems to worry more about pronouns than the economy.
Pitted against this force is the Conservative party which today punted its leader because, in the last election, he wanted to be more centrist. It’s ironic that the Truck People went to Ottawa to screw over Justin Trudeau, and ended up helping decapitate the only group in their camp. The convoy symbolizes the minority, right-wing, grassroots movement and its blaring presence on Wellington Street was the backdrop for the demise of Erin O’Toole. He refused to pander to the lowest common denominator of Toryism. For that he was tossed.
What now?
Another leadership campaign, and the likely emergence of a rightist. After all, that’s why O’Toole is gone. Too soft. Too compromising for the radicals. And yet too radical for moderate voters – now the majority. The truckers, cowboys, anti-mandaters, freedom fighters and hawks in caucus and riding associations admire what Trump did and seek a version for Canada. And all this – the Con crisis, the convoy and the cacophony surrounding Parliament Hill – is music to the ears of the Liberals in power. As the Conservatives drift right, there are more voters left with no option but theirs.
Politics is mathematics. Principles are worth having, but they don’t get you elected. In reality most voters today have embraced vaccines, want some kind of climate strategy, fret about real estate prices and worry about their own financial futures. They want nothing to do with abortion, protecting gun owners or tolerating a bunch of yahoos in semis shutting borders or blocking city ambulances.
In the last seven days we’ve taken a far stride down a slippery path. The suicide of a great national party moves us a little closer to the cliff. How much more spending, debt, deficits and inflation can we sustain?
Power lies not in the left or the right, but the middle.
I still recall that day in Room 216-N when Mulroney dealt with the strident anti-abortion faction of his caucus as they demanded a free vote and new restrictions. “You will,” he said, slowly, deliberately, imperiously, “put water in your wine.”
They did. It was a Canadian moment.
267 comments ↓
Seems like the Cons platform is to pander to the fringes, remain perennial losers, and therefore, irrelevant on the Federal stage. Bravo, you incompetent nincompoops! (Back to ad hominems, and it feels so good)…
I kinda liked OToole, until he put his hat in with the anti-vax/anti-mask cowards.
I dread to think who’ll come next.
The stool has been kicked out from under O’Toole.
Next player step up to the Conservative Dunk Tank…
M47BC
“rolled up farm driveway”
rolled up THE farm driveway
I think I just got the impression that Garth has more in common with liberals than current conservatives?
I thought one was supposed to get more conservative in your old age?
Politics is mathematics. Principles are worth having, but they don’t get you elected.
————–
This quote should be carved in big letters right in the Nepean sandstone that lines the outer walls of the Parliament building.
Erin O’Toole must feel like a huge weight is off his back. He looks 20-years younger since losing the vote.
Garth
Yes there’s very few people I despise…actually 2, the lawyer I just fired (for padding his time) and T2.
I’m embarrassed for our country about having him as a leader.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwrYpGeiJP4
A shout out to my handful of fans.
And then there’s…
#35 Ponzius Pilatus on 02.01.22 at 4:56 pm, #160 Faron on 02.01.22 at 8:37 pm et al.
But those Americans are free to move up here and be all safe-like aren’t they.
That’s right Come up to Kanada. Be extra safe and enjoy curfews, capacity limits with long lines outside in the frigid weather; no smiles; isolation; desperate & scared eyes poking above multiple face coverings; daily/weekly forced testing of adults and children alike; no singing, no dancing; no gyms, no bars or nightclubs. No popcorn allowed in movie theatres. Government permission slip is required to sit down and drink a coffee inside. Schoolchildren forced into bizare routines and seperation, no fun allowed, no school events.
No seating at live sports events; all cultural and social events cancelled. 24/7 CBC propaganda. And more
Why they should be beating down the door to ‘be safe, stay safe’.
I can’t understand how these jingoistic simpletons just do not value their health, so! We are paragons of physical, and mental health up here you know!! Our Government Keeps Us Safe®
—
— We are at a very dangerous juncture in this godforsaken country. I have heard. From the ranking member of a fringe political party who is all over this stuff.
For years the so called Conservative leaders were weak, ineffective, even effete. Why.
Today, the ‘Right’ is being whipped into frenzied protests.
So what might be next? Introduction of a hard right populist leader, to get elected, and install an even worse system here. See: early 1930s. Everything old is new again.
Couple of days ago 3 Federal Reserve spokes people said that interest rates mostly likely wont be raised for another 6 months.
Once 6 months go by, another excuse will come up not to raise them
Even though I hope and pray that the conservatives choose a socially moderate fiscally conservative leader, I don’t think it will happen. Until they do I will continue to hold my nose and vote liberal.
Bye Mr O’Toole, hopefully Trudeau’s next.
The Tories need to get rid of that Reform Act that allows them to knife each other in the back. Need some party discipline to keep the backbenchers and troublemakers quiet.
No dissent allowed. Nobody in the Liberal party benches opens their mouth, and that’s why we have Mr. Socks/Blackface/Feminist/WeCharityLoving/DebtCrazy/EnviroLooney Trudeau and those he keeps close to him “firmly in power”.
@1 : Dave
Where did you get that from? Who said that?
Unrest and turmoil. Deception. Fiscal imprudence. Painful pandering.
It is indeed a fine time for dual citizenship. No US citizen has ever trusted their government; hence the checks and balances sadly missing here.
Garth, Canada needs you. You would make a great Prime minister
Honor of a life time he said.
https://twitter.com/erinotoole/status/1488980291108900864
I feel like I’m living in a BANANA republic. I personally was happy to shut down my one business that paid a few $100k in taxes plus GST PST WCB ect ect.
Why work to give over 50% of it away to a government that has no accountability?
Garth: “The truckers, cowboys, anti-mandaters, freedom fighters and hawks in caucus and riding associations admire what Trump did and seek a version for Canada.”
I’m sort of OK with anyone admiring what Trump accomplished but I draw the line when they express admiration or try and emulate the how of what he did.
It is the how that has him in trouble. Import that into Canada? Some willingly can’t or won’t see it but it is happening, last election to current convoy crisis.
It is amusing to me that the RCMP are using a law passed by Harper’s Conservatives to roust the Alberta border blockers. Pass into law what you hope to prevent lawful protest against you, come to find it can also be used against fringe elements of your own party.
The GOP is finding that same thing now…wait, what, we can’t filibuster supreme court nominations, why? Trump passed a law that is why.
Garth….
Isn’t Dorothy nudging you to take a break and travel where it’s warm? Time to relax your mind and smell the roses.
Trust me… it will reinvigorate your system, and Dorothy will be all smiles.
Its your turn Garth up to the plate.
O’Toole was the alternative to Peter McKay. He ran to the right of McKay then after winning moved to the center. I was always ok with McKay or O’Toole. But I was not Okay with the bait and switch O’Toole presented after his victory. I went from being a supporter to being just neutral on him.
O’Toole was too clever, he played the game well but did not display the integrity and gravitas required of a new leader.
Also the Opposition with the exception of Pierre Poilievre, seems far too quiet, there Is a lot going on but all we see is Liberal Party speaking points delivered by our biased Liberal aligned MSM.
So old Flip-flop O’Toole is going to ride off into the sunset. Good riddance. He was the tool of the unprincipled lobbyists who control the PC party. It’s time to install a real conservative leader who will stand by his principles. Let’s reject the idea that PC party has to a copy or version of the Liberals in order to win. There’s a strong desire in this country for real conservative leadership !!
Prêt-à-porter.
He Tweeted this seconds after the vote to remove O’Toole.
https://twitter.com/JohnWilliamson_/status/1488934198849286158
Early bird gets the worm?
I beg to differ Garth. ELECTIONS are mathematics…..POLITICS is not mathematics, it is theater.
Time for a true Conservative, someone who doesn’t bow before the state fed leftist medias nor before the climate hysteria non sense and really wants to reform this sinking ship on a country!
A right equivalent of NDP is better than another Liberal party.
And Go truckers!
“politicians are like diapers, they should be changed often, for the same reason”
Interesting problem when you run our of diapers, the load gets heavy.
Sentiment like that poison a society. Grow up. – Garth
I think Garth is TurnerNation to rile up the rank and file. LOL!
I think you are wrong Garth. If Pierre gets in, he will win, he does represent the center, and also the right. There isn’t a cause normal people can’t rally behind him on. Careful support for the truckers…I know you don’t look around you much, but FB is abuzz with regular families, mothers, fathers, who support the truckers and whom are organizing more grassroots protests locally. I think you should get away from MSM to see what’s really happening. The comments here are in no way representative of what is happening (most people here are old and wealthy – and scared), nor on CBC or globe as these are as carefully curated as the “reality” they share in their stories.
Regular folk want normal, and anyone who promises to give them at, will win. Trudeau has been a disaster. More than a majority of people know that. Anyone slightly more right than Otoole will win easily. Keep in mind that most families have had a house full of omicron over the holidays and don’t fear the bug anymore. You can add that into your calculation. They want schools, sports, and stores wide open without restrictions – but again, what do I know! Just called it from the start.
The real story continues to get buried by MSM who just use Liberal talking points, over and over and over again. Often times, they don’t even use a new article, just change two paragraphs of propaganda and call it “updated.” Too lazy to go for a walk….or can’t because they get heckled back home — I wonder why?
Garth you are still missing the point. The MSM and the Dems said the same thing about Trump. According to them he was marginal and irrelevant, right up until he won the election. Don’t undermine the silent minority. They put up with a lot of incompetence from their government over the last two years and it looks like the average Joe is ready to say “enough is enough”…
The truckers have a lot more support than the media will have you believe and Cons like Pierre Poilievre are smart to support them.
Let the Conservative in-fighting begin. I’ll grab the popcorn!
Well, I hope you are wrong, but fear that you may not be.
I personally thought the truckers were fun and maybe the convoy was just a good way to let the anti-vax crowd blow off some steam. Maybe end the man-dates too because I think they are a little late. Something that may have made sense a year ago but doesn’t now. But if it ends up damaging the conservative party then it will turn out to be a very harmful thing after all.
I guess you never know how these things are going to go. But I guess if Jan. 6th should have taught us anything it is that it only takes a few hundred people to ruin a perfectly good protest.
(Disclaimer: Vaxxed, and I don’t have a flag on a hockey stick on my truck.)
Further proof the Conservative party wants to remain a regional party (Alberta and Saskatchewan).
The 3 worst prime minister’s ever:
3 – Justin Trudeau
2 – Brian Mulroney
1 – Pierre Trudeau
No point having an unprincipled and terrible conservative win just for the sake of it. Better to have the Liberals win again and at least it’s clear who is causing the decay.
I am wondering if at some point, Alberta + Sask + Man (don’t know about BC) will try to go their separate way (under the protection of a future newly elected republican administration in the US)
Summer’s in Muskoka & winter’s in Whistler. Ain’t life grand.
The middle is so far left now that the only way out is collapse of the $CDN currency / standard of living.
In 10 years we’ve got from expensive housing to landlord and serf classes but the young are getting older and getting wiser, I’m just not sure if it will be in time.
Nailed it…TD 5 year up .25 today….
The Cons keep pandering to the extreme right and O’Tool was stupid enough to not take a stand against the anti vaccers. Maybe if they elected someone more centrist they would actually displace the current clown running the show.
The issue isn’t that O’Toole is a red tory. The Issue is he campaigned for the leadership as a true blue conservative and then once in charge switched into a red tory for the campaign. It made him seem untrustworthy.
If he campaigned as a fiscal conservative with progressive social views the social conservatives would’ve supported him. But he didn’t and now he’s gone.
Man I wish those Conservatives would get their stuff together and form a cohesive party that could get elected. I am soooo tired of listening to T2 and his weak agendas. The HUGE deficit is just disgusting and embarrassing for a true Canadian to be part of !!!
Andrew Coyne sums it up brilliantly:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-its-not-the-leader-conservative-mps-need-to-kick-out-but-some-of-their/
“There is room for debate over how best to deal with climate change. There is no serious dispute that it is actually happening. Whether vaccine mandates are wise policy is likewise a matter on which reasonable people can differ; whether they are akin to Nazi experiments on Jewish prisoners is not. This is what makes the party’s extremists so toxic to the public: not so much the substance of this or that position, as the generally unhinged quality they exude.”
The Canadian governance system = “Principles are worth having, but they don’t get you elected.”
Why have principals when you can have promises! Very few things about Canada make me proud anymore.
Thanks for the insight today Garth. A worry I have is that far-right gravity will pull the electorate towards itself and then politicians will have to follow as has happened in the US. I hope Canada is well-educated enough to avoid that outcome, but what’s gone done south of the border since ~Newt is not paying off for most Americans.
DELETED
We get what we deserve – so get ready for more of the same
They’ve tried Scheer — and didn’t get far.
They’ve tried O’Toole — embrace a centrist/center-marginalist + deliver the GTA — and didn’t get far.
Get behind things all (c)onservatives can —- lower taxes, smaller government, reduction in spending programs in a humane way, lower perceived cost of living. Leave the fringe to the edges to rabble about.
Lead the country economically — make us competitive again! Work with business leaders to cut red tape, abolish idiotic regulations. Balance GDP with Carbon Taxation. Tame inflation and run the balance sheet off at the BoC! Improve our energy export businesses, reduce electricity prices and improve our export markets. MAKE US COMPETITIVE AGAIN to attract investment.
Sustain growth in something other than HOUSING GDP.
For a minute think about the run-up in receipts this government would have if in a position to actually benefit from the run-up in energy prices that producers are seeing now! Balance climate change targets with GDP and inflation!
They’ve had 2 chances to win that have been squandered. Is it 3rd time’s a charm?
I would rather be in the political minority as a full tilt Social Conservative in Canada for the rest of my miserable life than be in a political majority with the kind of thinking that Erin Otoole espouses.
He is more liberal and flip-floppy than Trudeau and Jagmeet combined.
Better to stand on your feet than be on your knees to the likes of Trudeau and Jagmeet!
Leslyn Lewis is my choice for new leader of the Conservative Party! May God bless her run for the leadership!
Unelectable. – Garth
“Most voters fret about Real Estate prices?”If fret means love that they have gone through the roof than that is true.70% own a home and have experienced a tremendous wealth effect …something the Libs are well aware of and want to keep going.Trudeau will now get his majority back as the Cons really will become fringe,similar to the NDP.
We can now buy FAANG in the form of CDR’s (CIBC)
Does anyone have any knowledge on tax when buying CDR Securities? How much tax would you pay upon selling a CDR, if the CDR was a US company, such as FAANG?
https://www.investorsedge.cibc.com/en/learn/what-is-canadian-depositary-receipt.html#:~:text=The%20initial%20price%20per%20CDR%20will%20be%20approximately%20%2420.
I remember those elections. Especially the shock of 1993 when only grand motherly Elsi Wayne of St. John and Jean Charest were elected in the conservative party
I saw Mulroney about 6 weeks ago in a lengthy interview on CTV. Man he seemed wise. He advised that O’Toole should have punted unvaccinated MPs. He said he made his MPs tow the line on important issues.
I guess it’s far too late to bring back Mulroney. Too bad. I bet Joe Clark is having at least a flicker of imagining himself back in the PMs office. is he still around? Have not heard of him in many years.
As I remember it Joe Clark’s minority government circa 1979 was done in when he put an 18 cent a gallon gasoline tax in the (John Crosbie finance minister) budget. The government fell. Pierre Trudeau shaved his gray beard and came out of retirement and said I won’t raise the tax 18 cents. Once elected he promptly raised it 25 cents. That may or may not be completely accurate but that’s my clear recollection. Lesson: lie to get elected then do what has to be done.
And didn’t Pierre do something similar in 1972 to Robert Stanfield promising no wage and price controls and then bringing them in initially just for 90 days? My memory on that is hazy as I was only 12. Maybe it was the 1974 election.
“The suicide of a great national party” about sums it up.
Sigh…..
What’s a small “c” con to do now??
I thought O’Toole “had a plan”.
Garth Turner for PM?? Please??
“After all, that’s why O’Toole is gone. ”
Nope, he’s gone because he got elected to his job on a conservative message and then pandered to the leftist medias to get elected.
And he lost.
If you’re going to lose at least lose with your own values.
CPC leadership race? C’mon Garth, you know you want to…
#322 Sail Away on 02.02.22 at 3:51 pm
#313 Faron on 02.02.22 at 3:19 pm
Whooee, for a brief second I was worried that you would have a point among your irrelevant whattaboutisms. As Ustabe pointed out, richer/morerer doesn’t cut the ethical mustard and it’s really precious that you think Elon is the “richest man in the world” and that status is validating in more than an extremely narrow way.
There is long history of billion dollar frauds. There are currently five publicly traded trillion dollar corporations. Four of whom have CEOs that, to me, are fine (Saudi Aramco being the exception because I don’t know anything about them). They may play dirty and dodge taxes like crazy and promote anti-competitive behaviours that I don’t like, but whatever.
But, as far as I can tell, Apple has never failed to deliver on an actual promise, Amazon runs and hosts half of the entire internet and never made much ballyhoo about it. Microsoft, Google same deal. They deliver abundant, useful, diverse products with very little blowing of smoke.
Integrity. The difference is integrity. And you don’t understand that and I think that’s really sad no matter how rich it has made you. It’s also wicked risky. GL.
Well, this might be your moment Garth.
So is O’Toole finished like Garth? Can he at least hold an Ambassador role somewhere? What’s next for him?
Garth, I think you should call him, tell him it’ll be ok.
Well not sad to see O’Toole gone. He was as impotent as Scheer was. The only ones who look interesting to me now are Polievre and Leslyn Lewis. But unfortunately the cons have a habit of choosing boring centrist guys who stand for nothing. I think the cons need to go back to the right which is who they really are. I believe if they had a solid leader they could still win..maybe only a minority but they could win.
Garth..sad to see you diss the truckers. They are actually speaking whats on the minds of many Canadians that are too scared to stand up and say it. Are there some lunatics in their movement..absolutely but please dont be fooled by the few yahoos and generalize that to represent all of them.
Another topic: its going to be really fun to watch the Federal reserve raise interest rates this year. My guess is they crash the stock market soon and will use this as yet another excuse to delay or tamper down interest rate hikes. Its simple math Garth..just look at the debt out there..our economies cant deal with even a hike of 1 percent or so without imploding. Nobody believes the Fed or the ECB anymore..they talk and talk and little action on interest rates. And they keep on increasing their balance sheet which is the opposite of tightening.
How many times are they going to cry wolf before nobody believes them? I say they increase rates 2 or 3 times this year and then put them on hold. A good way to know inflation down is also to crash the stock market.
Oh and I have yet to ever hear a financial advisor ever expect the stock market to not go up. Garth is a broken record on that and will never see any stock market decline coming. Just the usual stay the course..markets always recover..balance..bla bla.
I am fiscally conservative. I am very worried about the financial mess the Liberals are making. The last time we got into a fiscal mess Quebec wanted to separate and leave us with the debt.
Out of control spending is dangerous for the nation. However I still voted Liberal in the last election because of the « Conservative » platform on climate change and gun control. I will vote for Progressive Conservatives but not Republicans.
Nah, the answer is quite simple, with Quebec no longer the king makers the leverage has switched to the cities. GTA and Vancouver – both ultra woke and just enough to get the Libs re-elected.
RE: #5 None on 02.02.22 at 3:51 pm
I think I just got the impression that Garth has more in common with liberals than current conservatives?
I thought one was supposed to get more conservative in your old age?
=======================================
The CONs have drifted farther to the right while Garth has stayed basically the same. The rise of the Reform party was the beginning of the end for the PCs.
At the same time the Liberals have drifted a bit more to the left, but all that has resulted is seat losses for the NDP.
When I was younger, I never would have voted for the PCs, but today it would have been a possibility if they were still “Progressive”. But this social far right garbage of the 2022 CONs nixes that idea entirely.
In this case it was not the middle. It was the personality, there was none. The riding representatives who voted in the last leadership convention, are responsible. There were choices and once again they missed the mark. I knew it, everyone new it, except the winner and those who voted for him and now hopefully are more prepared the next time.
Principles are worth having, but they don’t get you elected? We are governed by unprincipled yes people, who are elected by the unprincipled people of Canaduh. Led by an unprincipled fool, who has divided Canadians and plays Mr. Dress up on the world stage. Who would never have been chosen, if his last name wasn’t True-d’oh.
Now in my 50th year, I look back fondly on Mr. Chretien. Although I despised his arrogance, he made tough decisions, balanced budgets and strangled the odd protester. “Pepper?!? For me, I put it on my plate!”. I would welcome a Blue Liberal or Red Tory. I would also add that a weak opposition party – regardless of the party– is bad for democracy. I like to see strong and capable leaders in the two main parties. They keep each other on their toes.
I worry Canada’s trademark civility and compromise has eroded. The “Wokes” vs. the “Trump wanna-bes”. I can’t stand either. We have adopted the worst traits of our neighbours to the south. The only thing that can save this country is to find our way back to a booming economy so people get too pre-occupied to act like idiots.
Chretien is still alive, right? Hell, I’d even vote for Joe Clark at this point….
For any elected politician to be a part of something like the Ottawa event is disturbing. Don’t care if their excuse is handing out coffee and donuts. They’re there for personal profit. Disgusting.
What this country stands for eludes the senses. What’s a voter to do?
No hard feelings Garth, but the implosion of the Boomer Conservative establishment is something that will benefit us all. It’s been a long time coming.
O’Toole was mostly boring and too centrist for them all, unfortunately.
Too accommodating of the extremists for the tory left-wing, and too moderate for the extremists to feel like he represents them.
This is the culmination of decades of conservative BS, that mostly started with that hypocrite idiot Ronald Reagan and his followers. Followed by Bush and his fraudulent war against Iraq, and now a Republican party that hates democracy and wants to undermine voting rights and create a skewed Supreme Court.
This is exactly why the USA is now heading for Civil War as well as subjugation to other rising powers.
There are more Millennials now in the workforce than any other group, and this right wing fracture will assist greatly in helping us shake off the Boomer legacy and move society forward to face the enormous challenges ahead.
‘…fiscally conservative…socially moderate’
I have observed over many years that these two political positions are not really compatible. Maybe the closest to this were the Martin-Chretien years.
And with the water in your wine comment, at least in my opinion, is the reason for what happened to O’Toole. He tried to work both sides rather than just lay down the law with those in his caucus who needed it. I was once going to go into politics but they threw me out of the meeting for giggling every time someone said caucus.
I know that you’re right that we have people here that want the Trump type thing here but why/ How do people not see he’s a conman, a grifter, a liar and fraud. A coward who right now just like always is lying to people in an effort to shield himself from being held accountable for all the crimes and graft he is neck deep in.
Prepare yourself for Prime Minister Freeland.
#323 willworkforpickles on 02.02.22 at 3:55 pm
#285 IHCTD9
“The cost of consumer goods are going to get ridiculously-cheap in the future.”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
This is very true, but only with regard to the most non essentials in the coming inflation/stagflation recession/depression economic malaise. The essentials needed to survive will eventually gravitate upwards…even skyrocket in prices … exactly becoming the deadly opposite.
———-
That’s the wildcard isn’t it? We see it already in housing and costs resulting from government, education etc…
If I had to guess, folks will just move. Today it’s from the 3rd world to the West, in the future it’ll be less defined. Folks will exit high cost countries just like they are exiting from high cost cities and states today. They’ll move to where their education provides the best bang for the buck. Western governments will have no choice but to act to retain their talent, or the entire economy will suffer. By 2050, the USA will likely be the only Western country in the top 5 global economies. Borders are already receding as people chase their dreams. The global standard of living keeps rising, so new options will keep emerging – especially as they attract young entrepreneurs and talent…
The one thing that you can count on in Canadian politics is that inevitably the Tories will circle the wagons and start shooting inward.
I wish the Liberals were fiscally conservative but the Conservative’s O’Toole platform last election wasn’t really much different from JTs anyway.If the Cons elect a more right-wing leader, they may get the 10% of Canadians that are anti-science. That won’t get them elected. However, given that Jason Kenney isn’t popular even in AB, there could emerge a splinter right-wing western party created by the real nutters and further erode Conservative Party votes. The Cons need a strong leader to bring them together.
As to the Ottawa hostage taking of the Wellington Street neighbourhood, did you ever see those videos where the cop asks the person nicely to get off the plane for refusing to wear a mask? All the other passengers are inconvenienced and are not happy. The idiot causing the problems doesn’t seem to realize what is coming next, when they are suddenly getting kicked off the plane by force, sometimes strapped to a chair.
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#3 Flop… on 02.02.22 at 3:49 pm
The stool has been kicked out from under O’Toole.
Next player step up to the Conservative Dunk Tank…
M47BC
******
Doug Ford is on the prowl for the head job.
“I still recall that day in Room 216-N when Mulroney dealt with the strident anti-abortion faction of his caucus as they demanded a free vote and new restrictions. “You will,” he said, slowly, deliberately, imperiously, “put water in your wine.””
Maybe Mulroney was not so bad after all….he saw the bigger picture.
Unprincipled peoplekind of Canada choose to vote for nice hair over substance. For a grown man who insulted our intelligence with his shenanigans. His scandals wash off the liberal ducks’ backsides. No “conservative would get away with it. The liberal cult rules Canaduh.
This is the moment that Pierre Poilievre must take the lead of the Conservative Party. Even his spoken French, which should improve slightly to be excellent, could win a lot of votes in Quebec and tip the balance in favor of the Conservatives. for me, he is the best candidate to oust Justin Trudeau
In reality most voters today have embraced vaccines, want some kind of climate strategy, fret about real estate prices and worry about their own financial futures. They want nothing to do with abortion, protecting gun owners or tolerating a bunch of yahoos in semis shutting borders or blocking city ambulances.
In reality, most Canadians are very much pro-choice when it comes to abortion.
Of course no one wants to be confronted with the matter, but if they are through circumstance, Canadians want women to have abortion available to them if that is their choice.
What most Canadians want nothing to do with is anti-abortion activists!
As stated. – Garth
Wow, tough times in the metaverse.
Facebook lost 1/4 of its “value” on bad earnings and bad guidance in its ER. Eek. Lets see how strong NASDAQ’s legs are tomorrow.
you hit the nail on the head with this one Garth.
Conservatives are their own worst enemy these days.
Hopefully they don’t stray too far into the backwater looking for yet another leader.
Peter MacKay anyone?
Paging Kevin O’Leary!
Is Kevin O’Leary here? Please report to the Conservative Leadership race and don’t bail this time.
Think of the entertainment value… ‘course he’d be unelectable but that’s apparently a plus in this party.
@#77 T-Man on 02.02.22 at 5:22 pm
Unprincipled peoplekind of Canada choose to vote for nice hair over substance. For a grown man who insulted our intelligence with his shenanigans. His scandals wash off the liberal ducks’ backsides. No “conservative would get away with it.
The liberal cult rules Canaduh.
–
yes, for 70 of the last 100 years.
#60 David McDonald
Fiscally Conservative is synonymous with Socially Conservative.
Voting liberal will keep you under the thumb of a soft totalitarian government run by the likes of Trudeau and Jagmeet for many more years.
Good luck with that. BTW I hope you are out of debt.
Is it a cat or a dog on this picture? Hard to tell.
@#69 can’t think of a silly name right now on 02.02.22 at 5:14 pm
I know that you’re right that we have people here that want the Trump type thing here but why/ How do people not see he’s a conman, a grifter, a liar and fraud.
–
some folks just want to see the world burn.
Hey maybe they need to return the BIG flag
https://www.dorchesterreview.ca/blogs/news/in-kamloops-not-one-body-has-been-found
Nothing new here. Knifing each other in the back seems to be the Tory way. Dalton -> Dief, Stevens -> Stanfield, Brian -> Joe, Harper -> McKay. I was a Red Tory for years. Today I become apolitical, no longer giving a rat’s patootie. B&D and living quietly among the masses.
P.P. for Con Leader.
Also, potential immigrants see this and might not bother, why go to the USA but with more snow?
I knew this was coming, with the PPC clowns etc.
If you’re going to pay taxes for plebs at least Europe has culture and good food.
Be faithful in the little things. If each human does that we will be fine.
#37 IHCTD9
“By 2050, the USA will likely be the only Western country in the top 5 global economies.”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
I’m not quite as optimistic for the future of the USA that far away. That future or non future will become much
clearer looking forward late in this decade.
This is the issue of the day, there in no middle ground.
Your either part of the problem (right) or part of the solution (left) and if you don’t agree with the system, regardless of how clearly incompetent it’s actions are, then you are part of the problem.
I’m just gonna say it, I will never (Carlin) vote again
(I know, no one cares) unless something drastically changes, cause since the system seized the opportunities (“never waste a good crisis” R.E.) presented by C-19, I’m realizing that the West is in a rapid downward spiral with seemingly no ability (nobody willing?) to pull back on the stick…
When I was young Conservative stood for boring things like fiscal prudence, rule of law & generally non-exciting policy. Somehow over the decades Conservative was hijacked by gun toting, hell raising, wild eyed loonies who scream that those who don’t believe as they do will ‘perish in a lake of fire’. A couple of those types (2 actual UCP MLA’s) joined the ‘Freedom Protest’ & took part in the blockade at Coutts as well as the truck convoy to Ottawa. Which likely explains why the current UCP leader isn’t doing much if anything to rein in those protesting – kind of difficult to ignore your caucus members taking part, though he sure is doing his best to do just that.
So yes, JT & crew have ‘won’ the vote by default. Sense & sensibility have departed the party that used to be a byword for it. Heaven help those in search of a party they can believe in.
I’m running for the leadership!
You have seen my brilliance here, so just imagine what I can do the party and the country!
#43 Faron on 02.02.22 at 4:48 pm
#322 Sail Away on 02.02.22 at 3:51 pm
Re: Elon Musk
There is long history of billion dollar frauds.
——–
Fraudulent? Like winning the NASA contract and shuttling the world’s astronauts to the International Space Station? Like winning the NASA contract for the next moon expedition? Like starting the first commercially-viable space internet? Like producing far and away the most (930,000 last year) and best-known electric vehicles in the world? Like creating the largest EV recharging network in the world?
Full self driving is quite fantastic and being Beta tested on about 60,000 vehicles currently. When your statements have proven far wrong, I expect you’ll prefer to titter and giggle at any accidents that any Tesla ever encounters, vaunted empathy be damned.
It’s a great big world out here and Elon is perhaps the greatest innovator we’ll see in our lifetime. He has enough yelping minions on his heels already. Let go and yield to admiration… Oh, and he’ll make you rich.
I doubt that O’Toole would have beat Trudeau or Chrystia in the next election.
And I also doubt that the Conservatives will elect a leader who will.
When they realize the voters on the right aren’t worth having and target the general population socially, they will do far better. But I am doubtful they see the light.
….“I don’t think there’s any desire in the party for a drawn out process,” Strahl said, noting he thinks vaccine mandates will play “a critical role” in the leadership process.
He said he hopes that will happen “before the fall.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/8588503/erin-otoole-ousted-in-caucus-revolt/
************
That’s why I’ve told “Awake up conservative party”. No chance!
“Vaccine mandates” , really? Is it main problem in Canada when 90% was vaccinated and already forgot about this!
May be main problems are skyrocketed housing price, skyrocketed rent , unemployment, skyrocketed gasoline and food price?
AND… they going to play leadership game/race until fall?
1 week need for strong political party in any country in the world. 1 week may be 2 only!
Part of the reason for a leadership review for O’Toole is said to be his acquiesence to Bill 96 and the suppression of minority rights in Quebec. I for one am glad Conservative MPs are tuning into the crisis to our country that Bill 96 constitutes.
Time to stick up for Quebec Anglos! We are all Canadian.
And let’s not forget how O’Toole promised Legault in the last federal election that he would acquiesce Federal tax returns in Quebec – while allowing the CRA tax processing center in Jonquiere and Montreal to remain in place. What an abrogation of federal sovereignty. Pathetic!
#12 Midnight’s on 02.02.22 at 4:00 pm
Bye Mr O’Toole, hopefully Trudeau’s next.
————————————————-
That would be good for all of us. What’s a crazy start to February. Get the popcorn, more to come.
Will this be Justin’s War Measures Act moment ? (Think back on the Pierre moment)
Bought a jug of milk last week for $4.65. Today I paid $5.39 for the same milk at the same store. That is a 16% increase in one week. For milk. Government math tells me that is a 5% increase. Maybe i need to sharpen my pencil. Maybe i need a new pencil. Maybe i need to get a government pencil. Maybe i need a new government.
34 James on 02.02.22 at 4:20 pm
The 3 worst prime minister’s ever:
3 – Justin Trudeau
2 – Brian Mulroney
1 – Pierre Trudeau
————————
I would rate Mulroney as the last prime minister that actually demonstrated leadership. He brought in two controversial and unpopular items – the GST and the Free Trade Agreement. Both hurt the Cons immensely but benefited Canada enormously.
Contrast this with the criminally duplicitous Chritien who promised to get rid of the GST and FTA. Sure, he got rid of the GST and FTA by replacing them with…..the GST and the FTA. Neither were even slightly altered. Liberal duplicity at its pinnacle.
(Yep, it was an actual farm. Hay. Crops. Manure. Split-rail fences. Strange furry creatures in pastures. The whole nine years.)-GT
The whole nine yards??
Whatever floats your goat, right Cici?
Why don’t we do a comment section overview of what we think, critically speaking and if Garth will allow and orchestrate … how we think and feel Garth would do running for the vacant conservative-ship.
Age 70 is the new 40 (or 50) He’s only getting started.
In the shrewd words of the late Roberts Stansfield: ” a Campaign platform is like a train platform, when the train pulls out, you don’t take the platform with you!”.
The conservative grassroots is setting us up for another couple decades of uncontested Liberal rule.
Back in the 1970/80s the Libs viewed themselves as Canada’s “natural ruling party” – Or in plainspeak “of course Canada should be ruled over by a bunch of paternalistic, centralist elitists”.
As I was listening to CBC NW today, Rosie mentioned the Ottawa police have found that the millions noted in the Go Fund Me Trucker Account have been donated by Americans…no wonder Tucker of FQX had Ottawa in his diatribe.
Ugh….just get your booster, guess what it is free…dom!!!
All CBC NW kept talking about is the hundreds of thousands dollars Peter MacKay still owes from his leadership debt. Who will be brave enough to go into that kind of debt to be dropped as leader of the Conservatives if one loses a single federal election. Happened twice in recent history.
I think most moderate Conservative voters liked Erin but to win an election, at this time, we need someone who will speak clearly, take a stand and focus the issues.
Pierre Poilievre is the standout amongst the potential candidates. Let’s hope he does throw his hat in the ring and give Canada a viable alternative to JT.
‘The PCs fractured, spawning the hard-right Reform Party’ —GT +++
Is it worth examining why the fracture occurred? Here is what the Canadian Encyclopedia says about the Reform Party:
“The Reform Party’s platform included traditional Prairie populist favourites such as free trade and direct democracy (referendums, grassroots initiatives and the power to recall elected politicians). It also included contemporary proposals such as the creation of a Triple-E (equal, elected and effective) Senate. Its major preoccupations, however, were decentralizing and reducing the size, scope and cost of the federal government —primarily through cuts to social welfare and cultural programs (including bilingualism and multiculturalism). The Reform Party was also firmly opposed to Québec’s demands for special status within Confederation.”
At one point in time they formed the official opposition and held 60 seats. Say what you want about Preston Manning, but he didn’t pull that rabbit out of a hat all on his own. The guy doesn’t radiate charisma, but he is intelligent and well spoken. It’s also true that the Reform Party exited stage left some time ago, but the national conservative presence remains ‘fractured’.
Who is to blame? The gun-toting, anti abortion, rural rednecks out west? Every article or analysis refers to ‘the base’ and the ‘delicate balance’, yet most of the news today indicates it was the mixed messaging and fence sitting that did O’Toole in.
So kick the bums out. Bring out your manifesto and if they don’t like it tell them to hit the road. But that won’t really improve the odds either, will it?
Is it possible that we really need electoral reform in this country? Western alienation isn’t something new nor is it strictly tied to events like the National Energy Policy of the 1980’s.
This link provides some good insight into ‘conflict and unity’ in Canada overall.
https://centre.irpp.org/research-studies/the-persistence-of-western-alienation/
And who are they going to get to take over? Peter MacKay is qualified, but was barely enthusiastic and stumbled out of the gate last time. Same old, same old. Pierre P doesn’t want the job, nor does Rona Ambrose. Frankly, just forget any westerner including Michele Rempel.
PC needs someone new, someone dynamic, someone razer sharp to capture the public attention. Strong business sense, ability to speak french and above average communication skills would go a long way. Think Francois Le Gault. Someone genuine.
Lol, sounds a lot like the Jaguar, except for the french bit and having roots in Alberta back to 1883. Full disclosure: I hate guns, am pro-choice, pro-immigration, pro diversity and pretty much see religion as responsible for most of the trouble in the world. I’m a hawk on fiscal responsibility and support law and order.
Here is a link to the last election map. A western vote counts for ??
https://electionsanddemocracy.ca/geography-elections-0/map-official-results-42nd-general-election
#75 DON on 02.02.22 at 5:19 pm
#3 Flop… on 02.02.22 at 3:49 pm
The stool has been kicked out from under O’Toole.
Next player step up to the Conservative Dunk Tank…
M47BC
******
Doug Ford is on the prowl for the head job.
///////////////////////////
No way I see that happening.
Scheer and O’Toole didn’t do the greatest job, but they were so boring all they did is seep a little bit of vanilla essence into the Conservative Dunk Tank.
Doug Ford would make that big of a mess that all 4 sides would fall off the dunk tank, and there would be no water for the next guy or gal to surf on due to the slime explosion.
Cannonball…
M47BC
On to more important news. Yesterday, my B&D portfolio came back in the black at 0.08%. And today, it ended the day at 0.61% YTD. Such a prodigal portfolio. Amazing! Incredible! Delicious!
Back to your regular broadcasting…
…and some dude lost his leadership job in a loser political party today…
Apologies to #37…I meant #71
Rona Ambrose.
Hard to believe O’Toole and Trudeau the same age
#7 The real Kip (Ret) on 02.02.22 at 3:52 pm
Erin O’Toole must feel like a huge weight is off his back. He looks 20-years younger since losing the vote.
#97 X
Hey X, a fiscally and socially conservative future is what is needed to fix the ills of Canada’s ridiculous brand of wokeness.
What you are endorsing is a soft totalitarian future.
Good luck with that.
BANNED
Bravo Garth. These columns provide perspective and are why we come here (I will forgive the first half of paragraph ten).
O’Toole was a dud from the get go.
The charisma of a turnip.
His public speaking style was even worse.
Worse Conservative leader since….Scheer?????
I’m not sure if Pierre Poilievre is electable for PM but it would be awesome watching him hammer Trudeau or Freeland in an election debate.
I’d be sitting in front of the tv with popcorn.
anon. donors?
Blair Dunker, the police board’s chief administrative officer, says costs of the protest have already totalled more than $3 million and counting.
For context, she says Canada 150 celebrations cost $1.44 million and an average Canada Day costs around $620,000.
Well in the western world it’s pretty tough being a political ‘conservative’ of varying degrees when things are always drifting left.
Canada as a whole is very lefty to begin with, major cities vote Libs regardless if their candidate kicked their dog. Cons who don’t offer any sort of relatable opposition and seem to not differ from the default Libs. We already have the PPC for the classic libertarian crowd.
Toss in the crappy electoral system, and here’s how T2 will be PM for a long time.
M. Poilievre could possibly be a decent shot but I seriously doubt the tiny minority who actually cares about debt, accountability and not being a freeloader is not enough to move the numbers.
#69 Grey Dog
As I was listening to CBC NW today, Rosie mentioned the Ottawa police have found that the millions noted in the Go Fund Me Trucker Account have been donated by Americans…no wonder Tucker of FQX had Ottawa in his diatribe.
Ugh….just get your booster, guess what it is free…dom!!!
All CBC NW kept talking about is the hundreds of thousands dollars Peter MacKay still owes from his leadership debt. Who will be brave enough to go into that kind of debt to be dropped as leader of the Conservatives if one loses a single federal election. Happened twice in recent history.
OMG someone listens to the Corona Broadcasting Corporation (aka Liberal Party propaganda machine)?
O’Toole was a weak, feckless flip-flopper. Adios.
Now here is someone with the nuts to send Trudeau packing:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8bGVNPw9R8o
#96 Sail Away on 02.02.22 at 5:57 pm
Enron did actual, important things too. And then it went to zero. Because it was a fraud.
Theranos did actual tests and had actual scientists working on actual tests, but was found to be criminally fraudulent. You would be wise to learn that not all frauds are completely unproductive. You would be wise to read the signs and act accordingly.
I mean, I get it. I used to think Teslas were cool. I’ve watched the footage of a Space-x rocket landing. It’s pretty rad in a pimply, adolescent teen kind of way (even if NASA was landing and re-using rockets in the 1960s). But then I grew to realize that actual professionals in at least Tesla’s field, independent of his competition, think his ideas are horrible. I grew up.
Justin Trudeau was promoted as party leader cuz he had inherited his father’s genes. Nobody mentioned that he also inherited his mother’d genes :
Margaret Trudeau reflects on time in psychiatric hospital, life at 24 Sussex in new show
https://globalnews.ca/news/5916018/margaret-trudeau-certain-woman-of-an-age/
I didn’t mind O’Toole on a personal level so much but in the same breath, he was poorly advised and likely either too easily influenced or lacked critical leader instincts to recognize it as such.
Any leader of a Federal party with a legitimate chance of being the leader of Canada has to have a strong idea of what will fly socially, economically and politically. O’Toole didn’t have that strong idea. If he did, he wouldn’t have chosen or followed the advisers and the advice he was given.
O’Toole’s campaign was littered with conflicting positions. He said different things in different provinces regarding the same policies. His message wasn’t unified in key areas and tilted way too often (once is too often) towards reassuring a western right wing vote that was never in question.
O’Toole’s big mistake was to not campaign from the center as Garth accurately states. O’Toole was too pro American, too pro west and too wimpy when it came to contrasting economics (how could you give the Libs a pass on fiscal policy? Why $341 billion dollar deficit or whatever it was didn’t pass through your lips every 500 words or so is beyond me).
Being pro American is a Canadian turnoff that reeks of surrendering sovereignty and needed leadership through forging a distinct Canadian identity our planet yearns for. One might be able to talk in this way within the corporate side, but you can’t take that message to mainstream Canada.
It should be obvious by now that the U.S. doesn’t always know what’s best for itself or the world. After all, it was Churchill who is famous for having said, “You can count on Americans to do the right thing after they have exhausted every other option”.
Canada’s role geopolitically is in steering the U.S. back on course by being that voice of reason when the U.S. has lost it’s way. This is one of the many roles Canada needs to play globally and O’Toole didn’t have that message. His message was simply to follow America’s lead. You can, but only to a point.
Being pro west is also a big eastern turnoff. East/west division stoked up with media and social media may have worked in solidifying strong Conservative support in western Canada, but there was never a need to pander to it during or before an election. This was terrible advising and shortsightedness by O’Toole to give into it.
To win, Conservatives need to be a national, not a regional party and his seats reflect? A regional party. Whoever advised O’Toole’s election campaign should find a different line of work.
O’Toole had plenty of opportunities to attack Trudeau economically from pandemic gross overspending to past scandals and poor choices. The best way to do it though is to offer a better plan and to do that, he needed to agree with Liberal policies that work and punish Liberal policies that don’t as it’s rarely if ever, black and white. He had wonderful opportunities and got stuck in the weeds. An example of this is being pro energy (pro west) without doing a realistic think on climate change (pro national).
To win federally, you can’t be regional but national. Anything O’Toole did that campaigned on a pro regional basis hurt him nationally and as a consequence, O’ Toole got a voter concentrated regional result and lost because of it.
Once again, bad advice and bad instincts. You have to know what works socially, economically and politically as a leader never mind as an adviser and O’Toole didn’t pass the test.
Like I say, didn’t mind O’Toole personally but we need someone with better instincts and I’m not alone. Like Garth says, its the centrist position that wins nationally. It can’t be adopted in the 9th inning or it comes across as a politician who is willing to say anything to get elected which is exactly how O’Toole came across late in the game. I can only hope the next leader in waiting has those needed instincts and then some as we’ll need such a leader in the future to come.
Do it Garth! You are smart enough to sell the ‘free radicals’ on you over J.T.
Parlez-vous francais?
Apparently there will be at least two counter protests this weekend in Ottawa. Canadians are getting fed up with the occupiers.
The Garth’s political proclamations aren’t worth much more than mine or anybody elses. But liked his tip on condos in the fall of 20. And if I hadn’t paid some advisor 1% to handle my “safe money “it would have been eaten up during panic attacks. That sweet condo in Calgary looking like a winner now all the big R/E equity from TO & Van looking for a home. Never dreamt the Van one could go up 30% either. Crazy.
Maybe the lil potato will rule forever by controlling secret transmitters that emit cognitive dissonance into all of his subjects. I can’t stand him, but he keeps making me richer. His woke fans love him, but he keeps making them poorer. Crazy.
Garth,
What do you think of Patrick Brown running? He seems to be a moderate, is in the GTA where votes need to be won.
#123 Faron on 02.02.22 at 6:59 pm
I personally would not go on record trumpeting that any company or person in good standing is a fraud. It’s petty and malicious behaviour reflecting poorly on the trumpeter, and if that petty and malicious person actually has influence, criminally defamatory.
But… unimportant loose cannons gotta do their thing, I guess.
Here’s hoping a reasonable person like Michael Chong wins. But realistically, this likely signals a move further to the right – and further from electability.
Canada is screaming for centrist, pragmatic, and economically literate alternative to Trudeau. And the Conservatives appear on the brink of doing their best not to give us one.
Well, it’s likely too late to solve the major problems anyways. They’ll just keep pumping the inflation lever and hope the debt gets inflated away and 25% of the population doesn’t become homeless in the process due to skyrocketing rents/mortgage payments and declining real wages in the process. Trudeau has no idea what he’s doing on economic policy, and I’ve come to believe that the Tiffster is not much better (despite having the better credentials).
Welcome to the Pierre Poilievre era. Next Prime Minister of Canada.
Leslyn Lewis is my choice for new leader of the Conservative Party! May God bless her run for the leadership!
Unelectable. – Garth
Garth what is your reasoning for her being unelectable?
I still don’t get why so many people hate Trump. He was a pretty successful president; US did well under his presidency.
He was a bit blunt, but mostly correct in his assessment. Biden criticised him only to end up maintaining most of his decisions because they simply made sense.
The biggest thing Biden didn’t do was to open up the border and that led to 100s of thousand of illegals entering US during COVID. Go figure.
Power lies not in the left or the right, but the middle.
The middle has moved left. It doesn’t feel good.
Maybe now would be the time to form a new Canadian political party to unify the fiscally conservative and centrist majority? Leaving the fringe on the sidelines?
The Libs presently have it way too easy and need some serious competition.
Yep, it is quelle mess at the moment. I just wish there was a pragmatic centrist like Chretien/Martin at the helm. As the conservatives go to the right and effectively impale themselves, there is no need for T2 to go to the middle. The liberals under somebody like Chretein are a party I would vote for. At the moment, it is none of the above.
@#120 mike from mtl on 02.02.22 at 6:53 pm
Toss in the crappy electoral system, and here’s how T2 will be PM for a long time.
–
I remember when JT first got elected and was going to change the electoral system. folks in here were crying foul claiming changing the system would keep the libs in power forever lol. So which is it?
#96 Sail Away on 02.02.22 at 5:57 pm
#43 Faron on 02.02.22 at 4:48 pm
I expect you’ll prefer to titter and giggle at any accidents that any Tesla ever encounters, vaunted empathy be damned.
—
You would then be wrong and it shows you have no clue who I am or how I think but that you hypocritically enjoy tossing out your own assumptions.
The whole point in highlighting Elon’s fraud is because he causes actual harm. Physical, deadly harm on the road, in his factories, in the last year to any share holders who bought at the top and most importantly by overshadowing the people who are actually brilliant and actually doing brilliant work to make society better rather than simply enriching themselves.
TechnoTrump is right-on as a descriptor. I feel sorry for you that you think he (a business person) has innovated… anything really.
In search of Party that is about fiscal responsibility, good governance, with no crazy grievance. How fing hard is that. They better get ready to lose more elections if they embrace the lunatic fringe.
Milk Inflation?
#101 Yukon Elvis on 02.02.22 at 6:04 pm said:
Bought a jug of milk last week for $4.65. Today I paid $5.39 for the same milk at the same store. That is a 16% increase in one week. For milk. Government math tells me that is a 5% increase. Maybe i need to sharpen my pencil. Maybe i need a new pencil. Maybe i need to get a government pencil. Maybe i need a new government.
***********************
Maybe you need to stop misrepresenting the government who has not reported February inflation yet much less claimed milk inflation specifically was 5%.
Maybe you need to learn the difference between the overall CPI and the increase in any one component and especially in any one component in one store.
At least you did not annualize the one week 16% milk inflation to arrive at an annual rate of 832%. A favorite trick of those who seek to exaggerate.
And consider too that you can buy a heavy four litre jug of milk for $5.39 or the equivalent of about 15 minutes of work (after tax) at a typical wage rate of about $30 per hour. Imagine what it takes to produce that jug of milk by feeding and looking after a dairy cow and then transporting it and pasteurizing and homogenizing and bottling it and putting it on the store shelf keeping it refrigerated all the while. Truly our economic system is a marvel and the cost of milk per minute of labour has seldom been cheaper in history (except apparently last week).
I think IHCTD9 might agree with my though here as he has expressed similar thoughts on consumer goods.
Pierre Poilievre as CPC leader? Puh-leeze!
T2 had little relevant experience before becoming an MP and PM, but PP’s only ‘real’ work experience was being Stockwell Day’s fart catcher…
Garth or Rona, for the win…
Canadians are very shallow and will never elect a PM who is balding, or bald. Name one bald person who was elected PM. Erin O’Toole would never have made the grade to PM.
Three years ago our family travelled to New Zealand. Upon entering a cab in Auckland, the driver asked where we were from. When stating Canada, the driver responded, “your Prime Minister has great hair.”
Justin got elected and re-elected not on substance, but on Canadians’ perception of what they are themselves, not bald.
@#122 Raise a Glass
Classic Poilievre to Trudeau regarding the WE Charity
“No one believes you.”
O’Toole catered to the middle, right and far right. He flip-flopped on several key issues as he tried to appeal to everyone but ultimately disconnected himself with the rest at the same time. A confused leader. At least Trump was consistent.
Just my Opinion but most of the Media had it in for him. He didn’t catch a break, and of course dropped the ball a couple of times. I thought his exit speech was a good one, and positive. We need good management, and long term a change to the three levels of Government. I believe Municipal and Provincial can be under one tent. Also we can learn as voters from the Pandemic. Some Government agencies, demonstrated over the last two years, how much we can drive efficiencies, with Zoom, AI, etc. So Cost efficiencies, should be achievable in the Public Sector, as well. There is likely a need to prioritize what services we need, and how much we can afford to pay for them. An example is the Health Care issue, it may be time to allow some Private Health care, to increase our overall capacity.
Back to O’Toole, he was likely quite qualified if given a chance but the Image of an Older Boomer, posture, is not hip enough. It pains, me to say that, but I believe the PCP need some younger blood, and image improvement. Sadly the subjective is more important, today, in the Metaverse. The PCP are seemingly well funded. Cheers Canada!!!
Sadly your right the the days of a progressive conservative are a distant memory and the act of today puts a knife in the Conservative party. Whack jobs left that will never get elected. There will be no more prime ministers like Stevie Harper which is also a good thing. Although i’m a registered member of the liberal party JT and the PMO have taken us far to left for my comfort zone and he to needs replaced.
and let’s not forget, an election is not the time to get involved in serious issues
I doubt MacKay is any less honest then T rump.
That must be good?
The military is going to have to move in and disperse theses truckers. I hope they round them up and throw them in the slammer and impound their rigs. I am ready for a ´just watch me moment. These people want the government overthrown. It will be our Jan 6 moment but unlike the States we will take care of this as necessary. It’s truly unfortunate but this is not freedom when people are unable to work, go to school, shop, or even sleep. This is not Canada. This is an insurrection in the making.
Pierre Poilievre
Garth, I assume this post means you are going to run for the leadership!! Thats good news, because we need you now more than ever!
Please don’t blow this off, and seriously consider it.
#167 Observer on 02.01.22 at 8:48 pm
#91 Sail Away on 02.01.22 at 6:22 pm
The donaters are saying something. Worth listening to decipher what it is.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It would be much more illuminating to know WHO the donaters are.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
As I was saying:
Police aware of significant funding and participation in protest from U.S.
The force is now aware of a significant contingent from the U.S. funding and participating, while police work to thwart those efforts.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/truck-convoy-police-solution-1.6337051
#124 Yukon Elvis on 02.02.22 at 7:00 pm
0 class. Don’t throw people who are brave enough to speak out about mental illness on national television under the bus. Especially those who aren’t in political office.
O’Toole lied about the carbon tax. If I wanted a lying Prime Minister I would vote for Justin Trudeau. This is not about left vs right it is about honest or dishonest.
The idea that Canada can do anything to slow Climate change when we are only 1.6% of the problem is fundamentally dishonest. The world has 26 COP meetings to try to slow this down and has totally failed.
The honest thing to do would be admit Canada is powerless to slow climate change and build our infrastructure to better withstand it.
Peter Polly is not the leader that the Conservative party needs. Peter Polly is Canada’s answer to Ted Cruz in the USA: all bark and no bite.
In my opinion, the Conservatives’ last, best hope for government is Doug Ford, full stop. O’Toole’s problem was never his campaign, or his centrist tendencies – it was his absence of EGO. O’Toole should have taken the helm and run the show from the get-go as a commander, with focus and discipline. Instead, he tried to be everything to everyone, and ended up nothing to nobody.
Doug Ford has that Big Dog mentality: he runs the show, and has the attitude to slap down any dissent. He can govern from a business-first perspective and hold the government to account on issues, not talking points. Centrist enough to win the 905, populist enough to appeal to the anti-establishment types, pragmatic enough not to burn the place down.
What Conservatives want more than anything is a leader who can put Trudeau back on his heels – to wipe the smile off Juneau’s smug face and put him ‘in his place. There’s nobody else in the field who even comes close on that score.
If it’s anyone other than Ford, I fail to see how the party remains relevant.
DELETED
#130 Sail Away on 02.02.22 at 7:31 pm
Wow, get over yourself.
Farmer, trader, MP, businessman, investment adviser … Respect!
My two cents.
Your a great guy Garth almost perfect in lots of ways.
I once would have jumped at voting for you to be PM but it seems our understanding of informed consent aren’t aliened on this issue it seems. So as far as were my vote would go now I honesty would have a very hard time deciding if you ran. a minister if finance or consultant of finance…
You are doing a great job helping people, I’m guess way more than you know, with there money though your blog and all. thank you for striving to help other as you are able.
I thought you once said you won’t run again, but people can change there minds of course. I’m sure you’ll do what ever you want and my two cents doesn’t amount to much any how.
And It is ground hog day today after all LOL.
Speaking about numbers, you know from when you were in politics as an MP that if you received a letter of discontent you could factor a multiple to that letter to estimate the numbers of those that hadn’t written one to you but felt the same. Get enough letters and it’s how you, or any politician, could gauge the temperature of your constituents.
O’Toole would have been de-capitated eventually anyway. This was used as an excuse to speed up the process. After party members seeing the large numbers (factor a multiple again) of Canadians in support of protests, regardless if anyone agrees with them or not, it was pretty clear the party needed to make this move. Nobody welcomed him as leader. He was a mistake like Scheer. Conservatives, provincial or federal, always eat their own. It never ends with them.
re: polls, protests, vaccination levels….the evidence is on the ground. For once, people are united, not divided. And there are many more people fired up than you think. Sorry. I am proud to see such unity in this country regardless of the conditions surrounding why people are united. People have had enough of divisive politics by design and have finally gone back to the old, simple but effective, adage of united we stand, divided we fall. I don’t know anyone that isn’t sick of the divide and conquer strategy.
The tides are indeed turning, not only in the country, but the world. Maybe not to the hard right whatever that is, but definitely away from lunatic virtue signaling politics and politicians and media deception. Nobody trusts government or most major public institutions anymore. I’ve never seen it like this in my lifetime. Nobody trusts anybody really. Sad.
@Sail Away
I now count at least 4 threats you have made to me. Physical and otherwise not to mention numerous jokes about running over cyclists with their car (surprising from someone who works in transportatio)n. I don’t care how veiled those threats have been I suggest you cut it. Other than stating you name here once, I have never threatened you. Wake up!
#103 Penny Henny:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLOyF50wlBU
The more things change….
The more they stay the same…
only a few win, everyone else loses…
Same old.
*your car*. Typos aside, pull your head out and recognize how trivial the arena is in which your feelings have been hurt enough to issue threats.p
We need a leader who expresses the wisdom of ordinary citizens, not of political elites, someone who is able to inspire. Leftist ideology is currently dominating in Canada, the people in our country lost belief in free society. Let’s vote in anyone who dares to oppose it. Pierre Poilievre or Brad Wall.
#118 crowdedelevatorfartz
Agreed. Pierre Poilievre already destroys the opposition on a daily basis in question period and enjoy live on youtube. He is super personable, meeting with his constituents and he is multi-media savy. What we have not seen is his ability to lead and unite the party. Whom ever finally gets the nod will need to elevate the stars in the party and reign in /get rid of the whacko fringe. Sorry Garth but they will need to pull a Harper and take control of the ship.
#136 Cici on 02.02.22 at 7:51 pm
Maybe now would be the time to form a new Canadian political party to unify the fiscally conservative and centrist majority? Leaving the fringe on the sidelines?
The Libs presently have it way too easy and need some serious competition.
===
That’s possible.
Not easily, that’s a catch-22. The new party needs to attract strong candidates and enough sponsors to have a shot at winning enough ridings, and yet it needs to prove it can win in order to attract the candidates and sponsors.
And yet, that has been done in Canada a few times in the past. NDP, the Reform, the Wild Rose in AB, you name it. When all the existing major parties are equally unappealing, an opportunity will present itself.
We are 1.6% so should do nothing?
#155 PeterfromCalgary on 02.02.22 at 9:22 pm
The idea that Canada can do anything to slow Climate change when we are only 1.6% of the problem is fundamentally dishonest.
******************************
Actually the fact that Canada is 1.6% of the problem seems to provide a great excuse for many people to suggest we do nothing.
By the same logic there is no need for any of us to donate to anything personally since our donation will be too small to make a difference?
This 1.6% argument is weak.
Canada and in fact every Canadian needs to do their part. The best way to make that happen is to encourage conservation via a carbon tax. And keep in mind that on a per capita basis Canadians spew more carbon than most.
Or would you prefer mandates like rationing gasoline? Or outlawing internal combustion engines? Some cities are banning natural gas to heat new homes. I’d rather the price incentive of a carbon tax.
O’Toole never should have been against the carbon tax. Most Canadians had already accepted that this was the way of the world by 2020.
#125 Diamond Dog on 02.02.22 at 7:17 pm
********
Nicely put, couldn’t agree more. The Conservatives need a house cleaning in the back room ranks. Trudeau was going into the Election on the ropes and was vulnerable.
I am starting to think we are looking for leaders in the wrong places. Political parties aren’t so democratic in practice.
O’Toole should have joined the Liberals NOT Conservatives.
No need to shift left to win…
Harper proved that in 3 successive elections becoming the second-longest Tory PM in Canadina History (after only John A. Macdonald) . Poilievre is similar to Harper…
GO PIERRE!!!
Preening Pierre Poilievre’s name keeps popping up on here for cp leadership. What exactly does he offer?
https://www.thebeaverton.com/2021/11/study-mps-spend-majority-of-their-time-fantasizing-about-beating-up-pierre-poilievre/
#143 Cow Man on 02.02.22 at 8:13 pm
Canadians are very shallow and will never elect a PM who is balding, or bald. Name one bald person who was elected PM.
Pierre Trudeau
Wilfred Laurier
There’s two off the top of my head…see what I did there?
This is why we can’t have good things….
“Tories Poised for Rightward Turn in Canada After O’Toole Ouster”
Bloomberg headline
Blank stare…as Harper et al travel right into an iceberg.
Have to love Garth’s logic. O’Toole moves the Cs to the centre and loses the election and loses seats compared to the previous election. Then somehow moving to the centre is the answer. Literally the definition of insanity. Keep doing what is not working. If people want Trudeau they will vote for the real thing. Trudeau lite appeals to nobody. The election proved that.
To quote Elon: Truckers rule!
#138 KLNR
I remember when JT first got elected and was going to change the electoral system. folks in here were crying foul claiming changing the system would keep the libs in power forever lol. So which is it?
——————————————-
Correct. Justin hasn’t changed the electoral system. He also has yet to get the popular vote after making those promises. Choose whichever system you’d like. In any left paradigm model of government, the Urban population takes advantage of the Rural population.
Justin has seen the light to his own best interest. There will be no reform.
Pierre Poilievre is a stud. Google him on Youtube. Pure genius.
Police in Ottawa see signs that guns have been brought into a truckers’ protest against vaccine mandates that has paralyzed the Canadian capital, the police chief said on Wednesday, adding that calling in the military would pose major risks.
“We have had an indication around firearms coming into this jurisdiction as part of this demonstration as much as a week and a half ago,” Chief Peter Sloly told a briefing.
He said there was evidence of “a significant element from the United States in the funding and organizing” of the protest.
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-02-02/anti-vaccine-protesters-say-they-will-block-ottawa-for-as-long-as-necessary
“It’s ironic that the Truck People went to Ottawa to screw over Justin Trudeau, and ended up helping decapitate the only group in their camp”
That is exactly what I was thinking. O’Toole was the only Leader in Parliament that met with the truckers, and they were the straw that broke his back. How ironic.
#155 PeterfromCalgary
The honest thing to do would be admit Canada is powerless to slow climate change and build our infrastructure to better withstand it.
—–
Absolutely..we are a country of smart, resourceful, technically oriented individuals. Why don’t we invest another 600B on implementing some long lasting and meaningful infrastructure. Lets start by retrofitting hundreds of thousands of 40+ year old homes that are not energy efficient. It will help us get to net zero and create millions of jobs in the process.
– promote passive solar shading by planting trees around homes to reduce temperature in the summer
– new triple glazed argon filled e-windows, passive solar heating systems on south and west facing siding , upgrade attic insulation to R60, reside exterior of homes to R40 to reduce heating costs in the winter.
People will invest in their homes if they are meaningfully subsidized with non-repayable grants to make it happen.
#178 BS on 02.02.22 at 10:57 pm
Pierre Poilievre is a stud. Google him on Youtube. Pure genius
******
Yah, I don’t think so. Let’s look for a leader and stop with the short sighted false idol worship.
#167 Albertaguy in AB on 02.02.22 at 10:07 pm
#118 crowdedelevatorfartz
Agreed. Pierre Poilievre already destroys the opposition on a daily basis in question period and enjoy live on youtube. He is super personable, meeting with his constituents and he is multi-media savy. What we have not seen is his ability to lead and unite the party. Whom ever finally gets the nod will need to elevate the stars in the party and reign in /get rid of the whacko fringe. Sorry Garth but they will need to pull a Harper and take control of the ship.
—————
Judging by the comments here tonight, it appears that he has already done so.
Maybe I’ll fly to Ottawa to see the festivities. Skate the Rideau Canal, eat some Beavertails, provide Terry Fox with a tasteful otter fur hat, break out my US flag and see if I can make the evening news as a ‘foreign influencer’.
Hmmm… considering…
Millennials are pushing 40, got a hunch they could be looking for a fiscally conservative party when they’re looking at Trudeaus massive debt piled on their families. Some of the massive diaspora communities of the Toronto burbs are surprisingly socially conservative and will vote a candidate who swings that way as they have in years past once the beloved Trudeau is put out to pasture.
I know she doesn’t want it, but… Rona Ambrose.
No? … then Kevin O’Leary.
No? … then Poilievre it is.
I like Mulroney. I even met him at one of St. Germains cowboy BBQs out west when I was in my early teens. Maybe you were also there.
We need another PC party.
#170 DON on 02.02.22 at 10:16 pm
Thanks Don. I spoke of course in generalities, but the devil is in the details.
An example of a major obvious campaign blunder was O’ Toole’s public willingness to explore the privatization of healthcare during a campaign. Talk about an unforced error! Again, this pro American politically dumb stance during the middle of an election, it floored me that O’Toole would voice this sentiment during an election campaign and do it so unambiguously.
Politics is mostly about communication. Political leaders are essentially managers of managers of people. You don’t need to be specialized, but you do need to know what needs to be done, have the right goals at heart and know what true success really looks like “before” you pursue it (i.e. have vision). Through it all, leaders have to control the message and, I’m being kind, O’Toole wasn’t very good at that.
O ‘Toole comes out with Trumpian vibe “Canada First” & “follow the U.S. lead” and then comes out with what sure sounded like the Americanization of Canadian healthcare, (why even bring this up) how can this not bleed support nationally? If you want to win nationally as a Federal party in Canada, your leader can’t come across as just another politician running as a Republican governor in a mere U.S. state and that’s exactly what he did. It was his to win and he blew it.
Just on the subject of healthcare, we have tremendous problems in our systems of government. The influences south of the border on Canada cannot be overstated. Our financial burdens to healthcare for example, come from the fact that Canadians AND North Americans overall just aren’t that healthy. (please, someone argue with me, I would be more than glad to explain why) The food supply more than any other reason is to blame, but there are other factors. Let’s explore a few and get to the heart of the problem.
Some recent movies and TV series have come out that describe U.S. government regulation that has come off the rails not for years, but for decades going back to the 60’s, entrenched by laws that mainly leave U.S. corporations to regulate themselves. I’m not just talking about Big oil or Big Tobacco or Big sugar here. Some examples are “Dark Water” (Forever chemicals), “Dopesick” (Oxycontin, Purdue Pharma) or various documentaries concerning the food supply listed for example in the link below:
https://www.culinarynutrition.com/best-food-documentaries-to-watch/
The common thread to environmental disasters like forever chemicals (called forever because they don’t break down in the natural environment and bio accumulate), 40+% high obesity and double digit diabetes rates and man made pollution leading to climate change is corporate self regulation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVcOxZZGrBc
Say what, who cares? World wide sperm counts have dropped by 2/3rds in the global human population. Are we men or are we a mere numb nutted version of what we think we are?
Readers should care. Forever chemicals are found in 99.97% of the human population. It’s everywhere now, especially so at the top of the food chain. Forever chemicals are likely the best kept, worst secret concerning human pollution (next to climate change, still far worse than most think) and poor to non existent government regulation is to blame.
Whether it’s land, air and water pollution, dangerous addictive drugs like Oxycontin flooding the market and the train wreck that’s happening in the food supply, the smoking gun is deregulation, i.e. corporate self regulation. It’s obviously not working and at the heart of it is legalized corruption.
Why is this happening so consistently since WWII, specifically since the 70’s? Legal bribery in politics. Campaign financing laws that allow the obscene levels of lobby influence in U.S. politics.
A quick example of legalized corruption, since I’m from Sask is the NDP criticizing Brad Wall for taking taxpayer dollars ($ 200 & 250k) and contributing this money to Republican politician political campaigns in the U.S. . What was Brad’s response? “It was the cost of access to lobby for Canadian oil” (Keystone).
Until we get corporate, anonymous and private U.S. political campaign contributions out of the U.S. system, (i.e. go to publicly funded elections, a lesson Canadians know well) nothing will change. Large corporations will continue to write their own regulations and examples of continued pollution leading to accelerated climate change, grotesque water/air/land pollution and consumer unfriendly business practices will continue and nothing will change until it all comes to a bad end.
What are the possibilities of the U.S. agreeing to campaign finance election laws changed to ban private and corporate donations in favor of publicly funded election campaigns? A majority congress that would agree to it, fat change of that happening and if publicly funded campaign election laws did in fact pass, it would last until the next party comes along and changes the laws like what we experienced here with Chretien introducing publicly financed election campaigns and Harper reversing the laws back to private funding “because it gave him an edge”.
How would you make it permanent? Amend the constitution. To do that in the U.S. which dictates economic policy for the world, we would need 2/3rds or more support in both the Senate and house of representatives and a presidency that voted to support the change. That’s the only way. The odds of this happening in our lifetimes is a fat chance in hell.
It’s a corrupt system and out of corruption comes nothing good. I’d tell readers to protect their nuts, but there isn’t much outside of “consumer beware” and use something other than non stick pans that one can do. Climate change, chemical pollution, toxic food supply, good luck with that. Unfortunately, we will need to expect more of the same.
Now… if any leader of any party was willing to make this a goal, the goal publicly financed election laws and get rid of the lobby interests in Washington and Ottawa, he or she would have more than my vote, such a leader would have my support for what its worth but know this if you’ve read this far.
Politics isn’t merely about the art of persuasion although it might seem like that’s all it is. Successful politics is also about doing what’s best for the greater good. Garth is absolutely right about what he says during his experiences in politics. Our elected representatives mostly want to do what’s best for the greater good. But unless you know, like really know what that is and how to pull it off, leave it to someone else and if you do know, then follow your passions and serve with honor and if you are too smart, unwilling or unelectable to do that, than someone who can get it done. Like, someone who knows (and practices) the Serenity prayer:
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Just a bit more on forever chemicals. It’s in the water supply:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocQMX0eKReA&t=135s
In the 70’s, Dupont & 3M started testing workers for bio accumulation of chemicals. They knew their chemicals caused cancer since the 50’s and all that and CEO’s come and go, but they wanted to know for their own purposes what their workers were being exposed to. So, Dupont and 3M began to look for clean blood for a control group for a baseline.
What they found is that there was no clean blood. Eventually they found clean blood in army archive stores dating before the Korean war. Weakened immune systems… enlarged livers… spiraling sperm counts… is this why 15% of North American couples “need help” in having a baby? Does this help explain why the U.S. has for example, 20% of confirmed Covid cases with less than 5% of the global population?
Newly minted leaders and politicians aren’t expected to know everything, but they should have some idea of what they are getting into. Btw, these companies are still making forever chemicals, still making the stuff albeit in shorter carbon chains:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W74aeuqsiU
The conservatives need to run a leader that is tall and good looking. And has great hair.
That’s how naive young Canadians judge their leaders.
AMIRITE?
What else matters?
It’s an Instagram-Tik-Tok-Tinder world.
What do you call a Canadian RINO?
CINO?
TINO?
…
Garth?
Angus Reid poll shows 54% of Canadians want an immediate end to mandates and other authoritarian measures.
So who exactly is out of step with the Canadian mainstream?
I have a lot of time for Pierre Poilievre. I think he should be allowed to put his hat in the ring.
I guess gofundme finally realized they are helping fund terrorist activities.
https://globalnews.ca/news/8590302/trucker-convoy-gofundme-stopped/
Cute!
I think you (and most others) have the first step right, but are missing the next ones.
Conservative party will take a turn right. This will turn off moderates and lead to gains for left-wing parties. This is the Step 1.
Step 2, though, is a Liberal party now held less to account and less exposed to organized challenge, will take a comparable turn Left into an equally-bad (just opposite direction) place. Many people can see this starting already.
The resultant hard-left will inevitably tire people out, and they will turn back to the harder-right party. The result will be predictably “not good”.
And so this oscillation to increasing extremes is how it all starts to come apart.
A WISE Liberal wants a STRONG opposition Conservative party, for he knows absent the challenge it brings, his own party will increasingly ossify. And visa versa.
Unfortunately neither today’s Liberals nor Conservatives seem particularly wise.
#28 Brian on 02.02.22 at 4:14 pm
Haha I created the name at the time HarperNation (and LeafsNation, FlamesNation) still held their popularity.
–
– Chaps how’s the hospital capacity coming along? This is not designed to ‘be over soon’ in Kanada.
.Federal government introduces bill to spend up to $2.5B on rapid tests for provinces (cp24.com)
— ATTN Americans. Come up y’all! You will be safe here. Can I interest you in the Permanent Rolling Economic & Social Shutdowns?
.Quebec health rules could be tightened again, depending on next two weeks: health officials (montreal.ctvnews.ca)
—
— All the Former First World Countries are the same way. Waning protection Yo? The salesman never told us that.
.Poland urges seniors to limit contact with others for next “dozen weeks” amid Covid surge (notesfrompoland.com)
.German vaccine commission to recommend fourth COVID-19 shot (reuters.com)
https://www.euractiv.com/section/coronavirus/news/starting-february-covid-certificate-valid-for-nine-months/
‘A new EU-wide rule enters into force on Tuesday (1 February), which will see the EU Digital COVID Certificate for the primary vaccine series be used for cross-border travel for a maximum of 270 days, equal to nine months.
In a Monday (31 January) press release, Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said that this rule “reflects the waning protection of the vaccine, and underlines the importance of getting a booster shot”.
‘
@#157 Yukon
100% agreement.
If the Trudeau name was worthy to anoint him as King.
Then the “Trudeau” antics should also be considered.
@#158 Faron
Physician, heal thyself.
Can we please go back to dog pictures?
@#162 faron.
Is it time to take your ball and go home?
If T2 switched sides and ran and became the next Conservative leader, would he still win the next election?
OK Shawn you’re up! Time to convince China that the new coal generation stations they are building are bad. Maybe we can send some money from Canada’s carbon tax account to appease them?
I agree Canadians should try and conserve energy, but like Garth’s comment about math and politics, same goes for math and greenhouse gas emissions. Per person Canada is high, but the number of people in a country is also a significant variable. 38 million < 1.3 billion.
Also, the fundamental problem with Canada is not the carbon tax, or vaccines, it's that a significant proportion of the population do NOT trust their leaders. Doesn't really matter what level of government you consider, most leaders do not practice what they preach.
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#169 Shawn on 02.02.22 at 10:16 pm
We are 1.6% so should do nothing?
#155 PeterfromCalgary on 02.02.22 at 9:22 pm
The idea that Canada can do anything to slow Climate change when we are only 1.6% of the problem is fundamentally dishonest.
******************************
O’Toole never should have been against the carbon tax. Most Canadians had already accepted that this was the way of the world by 2020.
#179 0bserver
Any Americans found being involved in the protest should be apprehended and immediately extradited to the States
And permanently banned from entering Canada.
Don’t need this crap here.
its amazing how quickly the truckers have become pariahs. maybe they always were.
#184 Sail Away on 02.02.22 at 11:53 pm
Maybe I’ll fly to Ottawa to see the festivities. Skate the Rideau Canal, eat some Beavertails, provide Terry Fox with a tasteful otter fur hat, break out my US flag and see if I can make the evening news as a ‘foreign influencer’.
Hmmm… considering…
——————————
I need some more people with a tow-truck for the counter freedom convoy”.
You can join, but “no honking”.
And the American flag has to be upside down.
The peaceful truckers’ protest is the reason Canada’s Premiers are lifting mandates and restrictions.
It’s surprising how many Canadians are blind to that fact.
Open up the country and never lockdown again.
This morning 50% of all LTC homes in Ontario have outbreaks and 2,200 workers there are sick, creating a desperate situation. I know you want to buy beer without a mask on, but try to grasp the bigger picture. It ain’t over. – Garth
I look forward to Pierre Poilievre, the supposedly “charming” one, faring about as well in the charisma department as Andrew Scheer did.
#203 KLNR on 02.03.22 at 9:04 am
its amazing how quickly the truckers have become pariahs. maybe they always were.
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The working class have always been pariahs for the establishment elites from whom you are taking your cues.
Interesting how despite the CPC drama, the polls still haven’t budged. Support still deadlocked with both large parties around 30% each.
I don’t think the Liberals would want a long-term realignment that sees the working class flocking to the Conservatives while the Libs are left to battle with the NDP and Greens for the effete, wealthy vote. There are far more of the former than the latter.
#162 Faron on 02.02.22 at 9:46 pm
@Sail Away
I now count at least 4 threats you have made to me. Physical and otherwise not to mention numerous jokes about running over cyclists with their car (surprising from someone who works in transportatio)n. I don’t care how veiled those threats have been I suggest you cut it. Other than stating you name here once, I have never threatened you. Wake up!
———
Suggest we sail way offshore to talk it out without distraction. Just the two of us. Bro weekend.
Who cares if the next conservative leader wears a skirt or has pink or green panties under his suit.
What you can’t see is that people ( yahoos are Canadians too ) are done with compromised incompetent politicians and health officials who are in a WEC- WHO induced comma.
I think the trend is that those that want to be governed harder are no match for those of us who are slowly becoming ungovernable.
The tow truck drivers are refusing to help.
The police are standing down.
Trudeau and Butts don’t matter to us anymore no matter what you see on CBC.
Maybe the Military will stand down too.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/03/bank-of-england-hikes-rates-in-first-back-to-back-rise-since-2004.html
Its started as you predicted.
Time to cut a deal with Mad Max
It appears the Ottawa parking enforcement team is stepping up to the plate and handing out over 2000 fines. Unfortunately, trucks only account for 5 percent of the fines, the rest are for law abiding citizens. Who’s in charge of this gong show?
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/protest-or-not-its-business-as-usual-for-ottawas-parking-enforcement
This morning 50% of all LTC homes in Ontario have outbreaks and 2,200 workers there are sick, creating a desperate situation. I know you want to buy beer without a mask on, but try to grasp the bigger picture. It ain’t over. – Garth
Aren’t they triple vaxed?
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/rex-murphy-a-canadian-insurrection-it-is-to-laugh
Rex is right on with his views on the convoy. When did we get to the point where politicians ignore the people they are supposed to be serving? Freedom is gone Garth. Go look up the definition in any dictionary.
This morning 50% of all LTC homes in Ontario have outbreaks and 2,200 workers there are sick, creating a desperate situation. I know you want to buy beer without a mask on, but try to grasp the bigger picture. It ain’t over. – Garth
It is over Garth. The imposing of restrictions that frankly have done little to change anything. People are fed up. The government somehow with an extra 700-800 billion dollars in spending is still not incapable of protecting vulnerable senionrs in LTCH. But they were able to pay countless people to sit on their fanny and do nothing..destroy peoples businesses..increase suicide rates, drug overdose deaths, cancer rates and on and on. But they couldnt come up with a plan to protect the most vulnerable and still to this day..that is the shocking fail of all governments in this country. The mandates were never the solution to this. And imagine what could have been done for the LTCH and the hospitals with a fraction of these hundreds of billions. The real problem is the total mismanagement of our health care system.
So…then you approve of Garth having been ejected in the past, I guess?
==================================
#13 TrudeauPartyDiscipline on 02.02.22 at 4:00 pm
The Tories need to get rid of that Reform Act that allows them to knife each other in the back. Need some party discipline to keep the backbenchers and troublemakers quiet.
No dissent allowed. Nobody in the Liberal party benches opens their mouth, and that’s why we have Mr. Socks/Blackface/Feminist/WeCharityLoving/DebtCrazy/EnviroLooney Trudeau and those he keeps close to him “firmly in power”.
A Johns Hopkins Metastudy of 34 smalller studies suggests lockdowns only reduced COVID deaths by 0.2 per cent, Johns Hopkins study finds
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/johns-hopkins-university-study-covid-19-lockdowns
The government/media narrative is breaking at the seams.
There are no lockdowns in Canada. – Garth
A lot of ink has been spilt on the issue, but the plain and simple truth is that the Conservative party cannot form a majority ever again.
We have a center party, we have a left party, we have the nutbar party, and there is just no market for:
The “ elect us we hate Trudeau Party”
#198 Ray on 02.03.22 at 8:31 am
Can we please go back to dog pictures?
—–
Seems to me that a lot of you folks could use a little more cat in your life.
#213 Brian on 02.03.22 at 10:10 am
This morning 50% of all LTC homes in Ontario have outbreaks and 2,200 workers there are sick, creating a desperate situation. I know you want to buy beer without a mask on, but try to grasp the bigger picture. It ain’t over. – Garth
Aren’t they triple vaxed?
==================
Sadly, weak, older immune systems don’t respond to vaccination to the same degree as younger, fitter ones.
Even the farmers have had enough!
https://driving.ca/auto-news/local-content/plans-underway-for-farm-tractor-convoy-from-alexandria-to-ottawa?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=driving_promo_AO#Echobox=1643898485-3
Lack of Trust is the problem?
#201 Brett in Calgary on 02.03.22 at 8:50 am
OK Shawn you’re up! Time to convince China that the new coal generation stations they are building are bad. Maybe we can send some money from Canada’s carbon tax account to appease them?
I agree Canadians should try and conserve energy, but like Garth’s comment about math and politics, same goes for math and greenhouse gas emissions. Per person Canada is high, but the number of people in a country is also a significant variable. 38 million < 1.3 billion.
Also, the fundamental problem with Canada is not the carbon tax, or vaccines, it's that a significant proportion of the population do NOT trust their leaders.
********************************
I agree 100% the big problem is a lack of trust. It may not be the leaders fault when basically no leader has a great amount of trust. I blame the internet. We now live in a world where people think they are indeed entitled to their own facts. On the internet you can find support for any fact you would like no matter how false. I don't have a solution.
And of course Canada and Canadians should do their part on Carbon reduction no matter what China does. The world has decided that carbon is a problem. China will eventually come around and in the meantime using China as an excuse to do nothing in Canada in extremely lame.
There are no lockdowns in Canada. – Garth
One might argue that we are all still locked down,
just not in the physical sense.
Once a population has been leash trained the leash is no longer necessary.
The corporate Big Tech censors are failing!
https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/the-corporate-big-tech-censors-are/comments
#219 Observer on 02.03.22 at 10:52 am
#213 Brian on 02.03.22 at 10:10 am
This morning 50% of all LTC homes in Ontario have outbreaks and 2,200 workers there are sick, creating a desperate situation. I know you want to buy beer without a mask on, but try to grasp the bigger picture. It ain’t over. – Garth
Aren’t they triple vaxed?
==================
Sadly, weak, older immune systems don’t respond to vaccination to the same degree as younger, fitter ones.
==================
Also keep in mind that the current vaccines were not developed for the Omicron variant (it didn’t exist then), although boosters do provide additional protection through T cell activation. Newer versions of vaccines for Omicron variant are under development.
Meta blows up and I smile. Zuckerburgs a crook and Ive always contended Facebook is the cesspool of the corrupt internet. So many lost fools gravitate to these social media platforms.
Never mind the data mining and the breach of security and information that happens. Identity theft and scams popping up constantly.. I can spot a scam in seconds. You will all be healthy and happier without 90% of this crap.
When you work in tech and build networks its a eye opener. I dont partake in any SM.
Planning on getting a dumb phone. This crap takes over lives. Kids walking around just staring into their phones. Sad.
10:53 am
Even the farmers have had enough!
https://driving.ca/auto-news/local-content/plans-underway-for-farm-tractor-convoy-from-alexandria-to-ottawa?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=driving_promo_AO#Echobox=1643898485-3
———————————-
Ah, yeah the farmers.
Nothing to do in winter.
Let’s drive our dirty, smelly tractors to Ottawa.
Let’s show them how stupid we are.
Does anyone here remember the Rhinoceros Party? They disappeared in 1993. Unless the Conservatives get their act together and become Progressive Conservatives again, they’ll end up like the Rhinoceros Party, a joke and nowhere near serious enough to become the next government.
#216
Garth, Ontario has closed schools more than any jurisdiction on Planet Earth. Do some homework. And what has it done, other than ruin the mental health of children throughout that province.
Kids should never have had to wear masks. Remove them now.
No lockdowns in Canada? That is laughable.
The kids will cope. Better than you, apparently. – Garth
#213 Brian on 02.03.22 at 10:10 am
This morning 50% of all LTC homes in Ontario have outbreaks and 2,200 workers there are sick, creating a desperate situation. I know you want to buy beer without a mask on, but try to grasp the bigger picture. It ain’t over. – Garth
Aren’t they triple vaxed?
==================
Sadly, weak, older immune systems don’t respond to vaccination to the same degree as younger, fitter ones.
Observer how do you explain the 2200 workers off sick?
Just saw a short video today from Feb 2 with a Dr going over a report apparently written by Pfizer obtained via FOIA apparently.
I’m sure people that want to look can find it ‘out there’. And if they don’t, they won’t look I guess.
I hope it’s just more “fake news” like what some other Dr have been saying for a while now.
And I’m still using N95 Mask when out-inside buying food and other needed supplies, other wise staying away from people as much as possible from before mask became a ‘thing’ started, ‘in the before times’.
The new illness in Ontario LTC homes is terrible to hear is happening. Maybe some of the other things other county’s have found to be helpful to some degree can be added here to try and help too.
I recall hearing about a LTC home near Toronto early on, just one floor happened to be taking Ivermecton the kind made for people, for something else and the residents on that floor taking it didn’t catch it.
But I guess that was just by chance too. And it’s by chance it seems to be helping in other countries using it. No need to look up the study papers on that either.
Why can’t you get that low cost off patent drug in Canada even if your dr wants to let you have it, for some reason now.
I guess we can’t be asking that type of question it could be another “unacceptable” view of PMT2.
If the report I just watch turns out to be true Nuremburg 2.0 trail can’t start soon enough.
I hope all the people in LTC homes and staff and everyone for that mater are able to get though this with minimum lose of life.
I’m not clear how Murphy Brown can be the interim Conservative leader.
#229 Brian on 02.03.22 at 11:51 am
#213 Brian on 02.03.22 at 10:10 am
This morning 50% of all LTC homes in Ontario have outbreaks and 2,200 workers there are sick, creating a desperate situation. I know you want to buy beer without a mask on, but try to grasp the bigger picture. It ain’t over. – Garth
Aren’t they triple vaxed?
==================
Sadly, weak, older immune systems don’t respond to vaccination to the same degree as younger, fitter ones.
Observer how do you explain the 2200 workers off sick?
=====================
They are infected with COVID-19, mostly the newer variant Omicron. Vaccination (particularly if boostered) greatly reduces the risk of serious illness.
I guess I’ll have to be content not paying my fair share of taxes and chopping my COL as long as Trudeau type politicians run the country – which I’d bet will be a long time to come yet. If Canucks want higher house prices, higher inflation, more debt, bigger deficits, utterly broke governments, and all that comes with a Nation that eventually can no longer borrow competitively – they can have it.
But they’ll have to foot the bill themselves…
Saleoway one for you.
Electric cars ain’t the answer to our climate problems folks. Their barely greener than a ICE engines.
Drive through Wancouver and try to charge up on a fast charger as we did Tues. Scarce as hens teeth.
Wait till we get the bill for all this bullshit the governments pumping. They didn’t do any math as they never do.
lol
https://driving.ca/auto-news/entertainment/tesla-owner-blows-up-his-2013-model-s-after-seeing-repair-bill
I liked Otoole but he never had any guts…like most pollies.
Thanks Garth, you are so right on with your post today…what is amazing to me is that any “traditional” conservative doesn’t seem to get it.
Can you imagine how toxic a “leader” like Pierre Polievre would be! A “mini Trump” in all ways.
Quite frankly Preston Manning’s joining of the far right with the centre right just to win an election has now backfired.
The only way out for Canada, and in my opinion, the best way out for the future is to have more parties ..Reform (hard right) Conservative (centre right) Liberal (centre left) NDP ( hard left) and others such as Bloc and Greens.
We need to get used to minority governments because they actually may result in the most accurate reflection of the population and it would force a need for more cooperation and compromise.
Federal politics should be more like municipal politics where you vote someone in because you think they have something to offer not just someone who will hold the party line.
Give me a politician who will listen to all the positions and arguments and make their decision on reason and personal values.
We are so beyond only two choices in Canada either the Conservatives or Liberals in power… the days of big majorities are long gone.
#162 Faron on 02.02.22 at 9:46 pm
@Sail Away
I now count at least 4 threats you have made to me. Physical and otherwise not to mention numerous jokes about running over cyclists with their car (surprising from someone who works in transportatio)n. I don’t care how veiled those threats have been I suggest you cut it. Other than stating you name here once, I have never threatened you. Wake up!
——-
#208 Sail Away on 02.03.22 at 9:38 am
Suggest we sail way offshore to talk it out without distraction. Just the two of us. Bro weekend.
****************************************************************
Makes sense. You can cut the sexual tension between you two with a knife. Go get it out of your system and give the rest of us a break.
What’s troubling and scary Garth – is you do not even have a 0.000000001% inclination in your body/soul that their may be, possibly, a chance, that we have a problem with this ‘vaccine.’
Your (I) Ego has crusted your pineal gland.
I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve asked Garth to let his name stand. He deserves a medal for creating the TFSA.
Brad Wall’s name has been tossed around. He’d better get enrolled in French lessons.
Big Lessons of the 1993 Federal Election
1. We vote almost entirely by party including leader. Individual names on the ballots mean little. Certainly meant little in 1993. (And remember when Quebec elected a pile of NDP MPS a decade or so ago with little regard to who they were).
2. Lies can win. Didn’t Chretien campaign against the GST and free trade (see his Red Book) and then leave those in place? He was crafty. A good leader. A real leader.
#216 – “A Johns Hopkins Metastudy of 34 smalller studies suggests lockdowns only reduced COVID deaths by 0.2 per cent, Johns Hopkins study finds”
Read the study. It was performed by economists (not infectious disease experts, epidemiologists, etc.) and they hand selected the studies to confirm their bias. They actually say specifically in the study that they did not select research that showed that restrictions and mandates were effective.
There’s a reason no country on the planet has followed the recommendations in the Great Barrington Declaration. And jurisdictions with lower vaccination rates and fewer restrictions have significantly higher deaths per capita than Canada. Look at the US. And Sweden (although their vaccination rate is pretty good now). And then look to countries with lower deaths per capita than Canada. Stricter restrictions and “zero Covid” policies.
And pandemics are temporary. Restrictions have transitioned with the various waves, mutations and medical advancements. As one would expect when experts are using data to determine policies.
Canadian public health officials and governments have done a good job threading the needle all things considered. And I for one am grateful.
“After all, that’s why O’Toole is gone. Too soft. Too compromising for the radicals.” — Garth
Yesterday, Erin O’Toole got voted out of the leadership position in the so-called Conservative Party of Canada due to his ongoing “PATTERN OF DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR” to the true blue conservative cause.
As I stated. You carnivores want flesh. – Garth
Spokesman for Canada’s defence minister, following comments from Ottawa police chief Sloly on possible need for military’s help in trucker protest: “The Canadian Armed Forces are not involved in law enforcement in this situation, and there are no plans for such CAF involvement.”
231 Love_The_Cottage on 02.03.22 at 12:14 pm
I’m not clear how Murphy Brown can be the interim Conservative leader
********
Since most Canadians care more about their politians appearance than qualifications why don’t they go with Ben Mulroney.
“In reality most voters today have embraced vaccines, want some kind of climate strategy, fret about real estate prices and worry about their own financial futures. They want nothing to do with abortion, protecting gun owners or tolerating a bunch of yahoos in semis shutting borders”
Unfortunately, that’s the Liberals not the Conservatives these days. I do believe that there is still a majority of Canadians that are socially Liberal and fiscally conservative, although I’m really not so sure about that last part anymore. The only hope that the Cs have is to 1) elect a charismatic leader that can connect with millennials or at least be able to convince the masses that fiscal restraint and accountability is in their best interest and 2) forget about the extreme ideology that you mention above. At least then they can test the hypothesis that Canadians still care about being fiscally responsible. But I’m not holding my breath that they can find anyone that fits the hill or that this version of the Conservative brand would even elect them!
On the kid-glove treatment police are giving the Ottawa and Coutts blockade participants
–Tanya Tagaq
The alt-right is barnstorming Canada (with some US funding) and everyone is asleep at the switch. The political sht-show in the US is far closer to becoming reality in Canada than it was a couple weeks ago. Authoritarian and nationalists tendencies have been on the rise for almost a decade now and there are few signs of that rise slowing. Ugh.
Another big mistake by Erin O’Toole was to oppose the 2021 pandemic election.
An opposition leader should be chomping at the bit to replace the PM at any opportunity.
The message was, I don’t really want to be PM all that badly…
And the other message was that the country was doing okay with Trudeau as PM. The country agreed. Did Trudeau thank him for the implied endorsement?
You’re correct Shawn, almost any point of view (i.e. “fact”) can be linked to on the internet, but then critical thinking about quality of source should come into play.
You are also correct that the (Western) world has decided carbon is the problem, which is too bad, because there is credible evidence that it is not the cause.
Garth’s blog is not the venue for a climate debate, but I have been asking folks on the internet with all their facts to reasonably refute the inverse correlation (i.e. Holocene Conundrum) seen between CO2 and temperature. If rising CO2 levels always produce rising temperatures, then that relationship should hold at all times, but it doesn’t.
Or, the Vostock ice core data which shows temperature rising hundreds of years before CO2 levels follow. Why?
I don’t think we need to lean on China either.
================================
#221 Shawn on 02.03.22 at 10:55 am
Lack of Trust is the problem?
#201 Brett in Calgary on 02.03.22 at 8:50 am
China will eventually come around and in the meantime using China as an excuse to do nothing in Canada in extremely lame.
Chrystia Freeland is a shoe in.
#242 – Spokesman for Canada’s defence minister, following comments from Ottawa police chief Sloly on possible need for military’s help in trucker protest: “The Canadian Armed Forces are not involved in law enforcement in this situation, and there are no plans for such CAF involvement.”
I 100% agree, there’s no reason whatsoever to get the military involved in this. The cops should do their damn jobs. If they need help, get it from other police forces and not the military.
Well,
In my oh so humble opinion, if the next CON leader actually has a set, T2 will be peddling socks and haircuts after the next election.
Thing is, there are so many entitled, wussy wannabees in Canada (most truckers excluded – need to be able to read the voter card) that the risk of offending, on any topic, is very high.
And the cycle of wimpatude continues.
Og
#248 Chrystia Freeland is a shoe in.
That’s what they said about Hillary also!
DELETED
“the only group in their camp”
Wrong, Conservatives were never in the anti-restrictions camp Garth. And why are you ignoring PPC which really is the only group in their camp? Too inconvenient to even acknowledge their existence?
A nothing party with no seats and a law-breaking leader. – Garth
You nailed it, Garth. This “fiscally conservative, socially moderate” voter emailed my Conservative MP’s office last night to ask to be removed from his mailing list. I work in health care and simply can’t support this anti-science/vax party any longer. I don’t even want my Canada Post delivery person to think I support the right-wing ideals the party is espousing.
The GQ P.M. is a financial terrorist .Generations will suffer from his leadership. Real estate ,inflation and high taxes will decimate the middle class and poor. Do you have an escape plan. I feel sad for the young but if they leave Canada there still may have hope. I guess you get what you vote for.
“The convoy symbolizes the minority, right-wing, grassroots movement”
Why would you make such a meaningless statement? What does it even mean “symbolizes the minority”? And what is wrong with grassroots movement when all major political parties have abandoned Canadians who do not agree with the changes imposed on their lives? They only live once, why should they not unite in protest after whole two years?
@#245 Faron.
“Authoritarian and nationalists tendencies have been on the rise for almost a decade now and there are few signs of that rise slowing.”
+++
If that means ” Mr. $500 Billion in 5 years” Debt guy is gone….
I’d hold my nose and elect Bonobo the Clown..
@Brian
You may find this article educational.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/covid-19-transmission-scott-moe-1.6336479
#248 Disorderly Conservatives. on 02.03.22 at 2:54 pm
Chrystia Freeland is a shoe in.
=====================
Sounds like your hoping?
God help us…the financial illiterate leading the blind.
#226 Ponzius Pilatus on 02.03.22 at 11:35 am
10:53 am
Even the farmers have had enough!
———————————-
Ah, yeah the farmers.
Nothing to do in winter.
Let’s drive our dirty, smelly tractors to Ottawa.
Let’s show them how stupid we are.
=====================
Ponz
Ya certainly don’t know squat about those million dollar air conditioned tractor’s.
I don’t support shutting down a city with rigs but how and the hell does a driver do a turn and burn across the boarder and self isolate.
Their not working at Walmart and their pretty much bloody shelf isolating all the time.
Glad they brought your food and booze? No
I grew up in a logging family. Passed 100s of thousands of trucks in the US with my RV. Absolutely never seen one shitty driver anywhere…
I was impressed and humbled at what the trucking industry does for society and how just important it is.
BANNED.
????
You sure it was me.
Certain. So long. – Garth
I think I need to run for PM. I would inject some common sense to many situations in Canada right now (pun very much intended).
Here’s a few off the top of my head:
1. Revamp the tax system: smokers, drinkers, fatties, and all those who tax our health (sick) care system, will have to pay more – in proportion to their ‘unhealth’ index (an app would monitor daily exercise and diet)
2. No mandates
3. No CMHC
4. No Central Bank – let the market dictate interest rates
5. PM can not run for office more than once
6. Politicians at all levels will have to pass an exam on the Bill of Rights and Freedoms. Failing it 3 times would result in a permanent ban from politics.
7. Capital gains inclusion rate will remain at current levels or be reduced further
8. Embrace the principles of a free-market with little or no Government interference.
This is just the start. With these guidelines, Canada will become a vibrant, healthy nation again.
Who’s on board?
#235 DER
Can you imagine how toxic a “leader” like Pierre Polievre would be! A “mini Trump” in all ways.
——————————
The difference: Trump IQ=0.5, Poilievre IQ=180
Last federal election seen a 62% voter turnout. A so-so number, not the lowest (59% in 2008), but pretty close. The highest was 79% in 1958. In not-so distant past, in 1984 and again 1988 it was 75%.
So lets say 25% just don’t give a damn, never will and they are basically non-electorate. This leaves us with 13% that could potentially vote. But they don’t. Because they feel no political party represents them. Obviously they are not a homogenous group, so you might not snare them with just one political promise. But they shouldn’t be ignored.
The way I see it the Cons are not gonna out-Justin T2. Yet there is a demand for a Conservative Party, not just a slightly less frivolously-spending hairless version of the Libs, but an actual fiscally conservative (and maybe a little less obsessed with the gender pronouns too). But can the new Cons energize the missing 13% of voters? Can they figure out that math? I think that’s their only chance.
@Brian
You may find this article educational.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/covid-19-transmission-scott-moe-1.6336479
Observer you have shown your intelligence by using a link to the CBC!
I have to agree with # 8. I have grand kids in high school that a more eloquent than JT.
At first, this guy seemed like a poster boy for the Cons, being ex-military and all. But then, as Conrad Black said, “he’s trying to be more liberal than the Liberals”.
He ran the most unauthentic campaign, basically copying JT’s 2015 run. It was too much bs. You knew if he were elected, the sneakers and sports jacket were coming off, and the blue suit and red tie were going on.
I hear Pearl Jam is comping back to town soon..