Unofficial Official Canada Thread

[Juiposa]

Seeing as the British get one, why can't we good ol' Canuckistanis.

This will be a thread for anything Canadian; politics, community actions, controversy, racking on the government and other things you feel would be appropriate to post in here. I need to stress this is not to discuss topics that would fit under another sub forum.

Please follow the guild lines set out in the AUP and be kind and courteous to each other.


As with the British thread, if things seem to be getting out of hand myself or a Mod will lock the thread for a period of time to let tempers cool and let sensibility back in.

With formalities out of the way, discuss!



(Mods, feel free to edit the post as you see fit to eliminate ambiguity, vagueness or make additions. Like you'd need my permission first anywho )

 

[Juiposa]

I'd like to start with this:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/03/28/omar-khadr-transfer-canada.html


It's about damn time I think. How long has Harper been trying to get him out of Gitmo and only now he is succeeding. Hopefully he is finally extradited by May as stated in the article. Whether he's a terrorist or not a terrorist, I do not like seeing a Canadian rot in a place like Gitmo.

 

[Schwartz]

We already have a hockey thread.

 

[Juiposa]

We already have a hockey thread.

Ha...

*Napoleon Dynamite voice* We care about more that hockey up here you know, Jeeeezzz, we do have a government ;D

 

[Schwartz]

Ha...

*Napoleon Dynamite voice* We care about more that hockey up here you know, Jeeeezzz, we do have a government ;D

I hear the prison system is pretty easy up there too. I'll take 2 minutes for assault with a deadly weapon any day!

 

[Juiposa]

I hear the prison system is pretty easy up there too. I'll take 2 minutes for assault with a deadly weapon any day!

Our "life sentence" isn't really life, it's 25 years with no chance of parole. So after 25 you actually get out :/ Some life sentence we have...

 

[Joel]

Our "life sentence" isn't really life, it's 25 years with no chance of parole. So after 25 you actually get out :/ Some life sentence we have...

Often parole is eligible after 14 years.

 

[Juiposa]

Often parole is eligible after 14 years.

Whats the use of still calling it a life sentence then?!

 

[1241Penguin]

Whats the use of still calling it a life sentence then?!

Arguably because of the fact that it's the longest type of sentence possible in Canada.

 

[Baron Blitz Red]

I'd like to start with this:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/03/28/omar-khadr-transfer-canada.html


It's about damn time I think. How long has Harper been trying to get him out of Gitmo and only now he is succeeding. Hopefully he is finally extradited by May as stated in the article. Whether he's a terrorist or not a terrorist, I do not like seeing a Canadian rot in a place like Gitmo.

I would really disagree with his return to Canada. He should have been executed for his crimes, but now, if he does return, he'll more than likely be free. Our criminal system desperately needs an overhaul, and this is just another example of that point.

 

[Chrunch Houston]

Make Canada Wonderful Again!

 

[xyloscissor]

So he's going to try and mimic Trump eh? Well not the language bit, in the U.S. we speak english

There is this thread, I don't know if it should be there or not.

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/the-general-what-in-the-world-is-going-on-in-canada.263554/

 

[Chrunch Houston]

So he's going to try and mimic Trump eh? Well not the language bit, in the U.S. we speak english

There is this thread, I don't know if it should be there or not.

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/the-general-what-in-the-world-is-going-on-in-canada.263554/

I considered both threads, but the title of the other one seemed a little disparaging to Canadians. Much like Trump, I think O'Leary is no joke.

 

[Johnnypenso]

So he's going to try and mimic Trump eh? Well not the language bit, in the U.S. we speak english

There is this thread, I don't know if it should be there or not.

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/the-general-what-in-the-world-is-going-on-in-canada.263554/

O'Leary is definitely his own man and not mimicking anyone. He's very intelligent and outspoken and my guess is most of his focus will be on the broad economic issues.

 

[Eh Team]

O'Leary is definitely his own man and not mimicking anyone. He's very intelligent and outspoken and my guess is most of his focus will be on the broad economic issues.

My only problem with him is much like my problem with Trump, he's going for the biggest "prize" for his first try. Yes we know that he knows how to make money, what else can the guy do? I don't like this idea that people who have made a lot of money and been on TV should be elected to the top job, first go around. I'll admit O'Leary has a much better chance of success at being a decent PM than Trump does as Prez, but I really think this is a bad idea. If he had held an elected governmental position at any point; municipal, provincial, or federal I'd be more or less okay with it but no, he's shown up right out of the gate and gone "Imma run this *****." All I want from any candidate is at least a shred of proof they can do the job, hell I'll settle for 1 term as a ward representative in municipal government.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

I'm not sure if I'd want him steering the ol' ship Canada, but if his election as the Con leader means keeping Leitch far away from the spot, I'm all for it.

This is the guy suggesting Senate seats should be up for sale, right?

 

[Eh Team]

I'm not sure if I'd want him steering the ol' ship Canada, but if his election as the Con leader means keeping Leitch far away from the spot, I'm all for it.

This is the guy suggesting Senate seats should be up for sale, right?

I haven't researched him at all but I know someone who keeps sharing Maxime Bernier campaign stuff on facebook, any idea if he'd be a better alternative to either Leitch or O'Leary?

 

[SlipZtrEm]

I haven't researched him at all but I know someone who keeps sharing Maxime Bernier campaign stuff on facebook, any idea if he'd be a better alternative to either Leitch or O'Leary?

Bernier's the old guard, and he doesn't exactly have a stellar track record. He's got a fair amount of support now, but I wonder how much of that is actually outside of Quebec.

On the other hand, O'Leary's apparent disregard for that part of the country could (and rightly should) bite him.

 

[Eh Team]

This popped up for me earlier tonight, no thanks Kevin, you can go dive into your money like Scrooge McDuck.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/kevin-o-leary-conservative-run-arlene-dickinson-opinion-1.3942349

 

[Johnnypenso]

This popped up for me earlier tonight, no thanks Kevin, you can go dive into your money like Scrooge McDuck.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/kevin-o-leary-conservative-run-arlene-dickinson-opinion-1.3942349

Our current PM worked as a school teacher for a couple of years, started a couple of degrees and quit after a year, drifted around living on Daddy's money for a while, before deciding to get into politics. That didn't seem to bother enough Canadians to matter, nor do I think Arlene's opinion is going to matter much in the long run either.

 

[Eh Team]

Our current PM worked as a school teacher for a couple of years, started a couple of degrees and quit after a year, drifted around living on Daddy's money for a while, before deciding to get into politics. That didn't seem to bother enough Canadians to matter, nor do I think Arlene's opinion is going to matter much in the long run either.

I didn't particularly follow what Justin did before politics but I also wouldn't have supported him just because of what his father did. That and the fact that Michael Ignatieff pretty much broke the liberal party leaving a hole to fill is what probably got him to the leadership. Then in the election campaign Harper said little about what he would do upon re-election, only that Trudeau was "just not ready." I got sick of that on day 1, add on the fact that the NDP had a seriously uninspiring leader in Tom Mulcair and you have a recipe for Trudeau as PM.

As for Arlene's opinion, it may be tinted with a bit of the nature of the show but it does give us a window into what the guy is really like. Would he be a good PM, I really don't think so but he would probably turn out to be a great finance minister if he'd be willing to settle for that.

 

[Chrunch Houston]

I went to Kevin O' Leary's website and it appeared as though he was selling memberships to the Conservative party.

I'm curious as to how you Canadians go about electing a Prime Minister. Could someone please explain the process?

 

[Joel]

I went to Kevin O' Leary's website and it appeared as though he was selling memberships to the Conservative party.

I'm curious as to how you Canadians go about electing a Prime Minister. Could someone please explain the process?

In a federal election you vote for a member of parliament (analogous to congressman) in your area/district (called a "riding"). Whoever wins the riding election wins the seat in parliament. The leader of the party with the most seats (out of 338) becomes the prime minster. Party leaders do have to run in a riding as a member of parliament and win but generally this isn't an issue because they choose ridings where they have a safe lead. So for O'Leary, he's trying to be elected the leader of the Conservative Party (by Conservative Party members), and then in the next election (2019) hopes his Conservative party will win the most seats.

The Prime Minister isn't the official head of state like the President in the US. The Queen still is the de jure head of state while the PM is the de facto head of state. Practically speaking the Queen exerts no power and her representative (called the Governor General) just rubber stamps the will of the PM and parliament.

 

[Johnnypenso]

I went to Kevin O' Leary's website and it appeared as though he was selling memberships to the Conservative party.

I'm curious as to how you Canadians go about electing a Prime Minister. Could someone please explain the process?

To add to that^^, because we three major national parties and one strong regional party in Quebec, it's rare for a single party to get more than 45% of the vote, with most winners in the 38-45% range. Last one I recall getting 50% was Brian Mulroney more than 30 years ago. 3 of our last 5 elections have resulted in minority coalition governments.

 

[Biggles]

There you go:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-electoral-reform-mandate-1.3961736

 

[Eh Team]

There you go:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-electoral-reform-mandate-1.3961736

Well I guess the conservative leadership race is well and truly on. I don't expect Trudeau to make it through to a second term now and the NDP don't appear to have a candidate strong enough to take on the conservatives.

 

[Dotini]

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/...s-distrust-government-poll-suggests-1.3984577

A new Edelman poll shows there's been a precipitous drop off in Canadians' trust of civic institutions. Journalist Susan Delcourt warns Canada is susceptible to the same populist wave that swept U.S. President Trump to power. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Populist anger is moving politics in Canada.

In a recent Edelman poll, only 43 per cent of Canadians say they trust their government — down from 53 per cent a year earlier.

And 80 per cent of Canadians feel the country's elites are out of touch.

The findings in the so-called Trust Barometer survey conducted annually by public relations firm Edelman is the first time in 17 years that Canada has joined the ranks of "distruster" countries in which more than half of citizens say they distrust their civic institutions.

Author and journalist Susan Delacourt says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should be really concerned. This spike in distrust and cynicism is the same sentiment that propelled Donald Trump to the White House, and it is gaining ground here.

 

[Johnnypenso]

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/...s-distrust-government-poll-suggests-1.3984577

A new Edelman poll shows there's been a precipitous drop off in Canadians' trust of civic institutions. Journalist Susan Delcourt warns Canada is susceptible to the same populist wave that swept U.S. President Trump to power. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Populist anger is moving politics in Canada.

In a recent Edelman poll, only 43 per cent of Canadians say they trust their government — down from 53 per cent a year earlier.

And 80 per cent of Canadians feel the country's elites are out of touch.

The findings in the so-called Trust Barometer survey conducted annually by public relations firm Edelman is the first time in 17 years that Canada has joined the ranks of "distruster" countries in which more than half of citizens say they distrust their civic institutions.

Author and journalist Susan Delacourt says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should be really concerned. This spike in distrust and cynicism is the same sentiment that propelled Donald Trump to the White House, and it is gaining ground here.

Trudeau recently reneged on one of his big campaign promises to bring about electoral reform and move towards proportional representation in order to give the smaller parties more of a say governing. The great Stephen Harper steadily reduced our budget deficit every year since the recession, finally getting to surplus in 2015, and Trudeau knew that campaigning on a big deficit wouldn't go over well, so he promised to keep it at no more than $10 Billion. Well hello projected $30 billion deficit.

He's a lying, sneaky 🤬 just like his father. The first election I remember being involved in was the federal election of 1974. His father campaigned against Wage and Price controls while the Conservative Stanfield advocated them. It was a "moral right" of workers and businesses to negotiate their own wages and set their own prices Trudeau had said. Big free market guy he painted himself out to be and Stanfield was the big meanie that didn't want business to raise prices in the face of rising costs, and workers to get raises in the face of rising prices. He even coined a phrase to mock Stanfields policy - "Zap, you're frozen". Riding on the coattails of his promise to not freeze prices and wages, Trudeau took his slim minority and converted it into a majority government - and then promptly introduced wage and price controls.

This new Trudeau is a real chip off the old block. Lie to get in, do what you want, and watch the money flow for 4 years to all the Liberal strongholds, especially Quebec, running up big deficits on the backs of tax paying Canadians. Let's hope we don't forget all the broken promises and aren't blinded by shiny beads thrown our way over the next couple of years, and kick this lightweight to the curb where he belongs. Maybe he can go back to being a schoolteacher to earn a living.

 

[Keef]

I like Canada. I went to Barrie, ON, last summer for the Formula North competition. Everything seems so new, it's strange. I guess everywhere in Canada is growing rapidly? So many things in US cities are so much older. Also, y'all really are super polite. In 2015, I got lost on my way back from Toronto because my phone was busted and a guy at a gas station somewhere west of Hamilton pointed me back toward Buffalo at 2 in the morning. It was a long night. Never met somebody so happy to give a stranger directions at 2 am.

 

[Johnnypenso]

I like Canada. I went to Barrie, ON, last summer for the Formula North competition. Everything seems so new, it's strange. I guess everywhere in Canada is growing rapidly? So many things in US cities are so much older. Also, y'all really are super polite. In 2015, I got lost on my way back from Toronto because my phone was busted and a guy at a gas station somewhere west of Hamilton pointed me back toward Buffalo at 2 in the morning. It was a long night. Never met somebody so happy to give a stranger directions at 2 am.

Barrie is, or was, the fastest growing city in Canada at one point. You sort of lucked out a bit because most of the city is new within the last 20 years or so and it's exploded in population. If you drove up the 400 corridor, almost everything along there is new within the last 20 years as well. In the 80's, it was basically farmland from Highway 7 north and we made that trip dozens and dozens of times. I grew up in Toronto and was born about 30 miles south of Barrie so I'm quite familiar with the area. Barrie is beautiful town, on the water, and the last major town before the wide open north country. Quick access to fishing, skiiing, boating, swimming etc. in pristine lakes and rivers. Hunting, hiking, camping, you name it. Heckuva place really.