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Trudeau Popularity - or not (various polling, etc.)

Like I said, I would change how they are picked. Imagine Prince Harry and Megan Markel or maybe some obscure duchess/baroness languishing in some obscure castle in England. We don’t need that. I am all for recognizing our British roots. But we don’t need to go back to us depending on them for a representative of the head of state.

Vincent Masse, Vanier, Michener etc. All good. Recent picks though have been based on political choices and identity politics.

Just remove the selection process from the politicians and figure out a better nomination process.
Describe a system that won’t be gamed for partisan advantage.

I’m listening.
 
Describe a system that won’t be gamed for partisan advantage.

I’m listening.
It certainly should not be one that names a tertiary British Royal with zero links to Canada.

It will never happen so I’m not worried.
 
Trudeau called a snap election to conceal his corruption. He didn't have the foresight to consider the ramifications down the line. Too bad. Why should gang members who are bobblehead seals, who assisted with the quagmire Canada is in get rewarded? F--k them.

Isn't this enough? I just wish VAC would administer.


Members with less than 6 years of pensionable service are entitled to a withdrawal allowance, equal to a return of their contributions to the Members of Parliament Pension Plan, plus interest.

Severance Allowance - be a Member after the dissolution of Parliament and are not entitled to a pension under the Members of Parliament Pension Plan.

Members who are transitioning from parliamentary life after the election have access to an allocated amount of $15,000 to help them re-establish themselves
 
Trudeau called a snap election to conceal his corruption. He didn't have the foresight to consider the ramifications down the line. Too bad. Why should gang members who are bobblehead seals, who assisted with the quagmire Canada is in get rewarded?

In fairness to Trudeau, he has openly admitted he doesn’t ’do math.’ ;)

The irony is he couldn’t have picked a more ludicrously badly planned election date back in 2021…literally one single day too early! 😆
 
This seems relevant here

Completely relevant and I think we are going to see a big political shift in the next 5-10 years.

The situation seems remarkably similar to what led to the rise of Fascism in Italy and elsewhere: runaway spending, high taxes, budget deficits, debts, inflation and unemployment.

The question will be, what will be the response?
Dude, there are multiple levels of "aware"... Being academically "aware" of something is not the same as the visceral "aware" that happens when it actually hits home for you.

E.g. By the age of 6 most kids are "aware" of death, but you're not really "aware" of it until someone close does.

Being 19 and aware that home ownership is out of reach is academic. Being 35-40 and realizing you'll never own a home, and can't afford to have a family is a very different beast.

Also, I'm not saying there will be an uprising, I am saying there will be a reckoning. That may take the shape of government policies that punish home owners, and those seen as "too rich". Civil unrest can be peaceful protest, like bouncy castles and hot tubs.

Edit: I love the smugness that assumes  you have the real read of the country, and everybody who disagrees is basing it on social media echo chambers. Have you considered that some of us actually touch grass and regularly talk to people who aren't upper middle class, retired government employees?

Personally, I think there is a massive lack of ambition in this Country and vision. Especially amongst people my age and younger.

"Being 35-40 and realizing you'll never own a home, and can't afford to have a family is a very different beast"

My answer to that is: Well, not with an attitude like that you won't!

I know for a fact that wealth, home ownership, etc are all achievable. I know it's achievable because I've done it all myself and consider myself to be a self-made man. That being said, there is no such thing as a free lunch. In this World, if you want something, you need to take it for yourself.

Now what do I think the future will look like? Probably more authoritarian, corporatist and we will probably see a rebirth of hyper-nationalism which will look remarkably similar to Fascism in certain respects.


This will all be driven by my generation. The ones who lived through 9/11, the 2008 Financial Crisis, The GWOT, COVID-19.

New leadership will emerge from this cohort.
 
Personally, I think there is a massive lack of ambition in this Country and vision. Especially amongst people my age and younger.

"Being 35-40 and realizing you'll never own a home, and can't afford to have a family is a very different beast"

My answer to that is: Well, not with an attitude like that you won't!

I know for a fact that wealth, home ownership, etc are all achievable. I know it's achievable because I've done it all myself and consider myself to be a self-made man. That being said, there is no such thing as a free lunch. In this World, if you want something, you need to take it for yourself.

Now what do I think the future will look like? Probably more authoritarian, corporatist and we will probably see a rebirth of hyper-nationalism which will look remarkably similar to Fascism in certain respects.


This will all be driven by my generation. The ones who lived through 9/11, the 2008 Financial Crisis, The GWOT, COVID-19.

New leadership will emerge from this cohort.
Peter Zeihan has a good line about this. To paraphrase:

Gen Z and A are extremely hard-working and innovative.

…virtually.
 
Completely relevant and I think we are going to see a big political shift in the next 5-10 years.

The situation seems remarkably similar to what led to the rise of Fascism in Italy and elsewhere: runaway spending, high taxes, budget deficits, debts, inflation and unemployment.

The question will be, what will be the response?


Personally, I think there is a massive lack of ambition in this Country and vision. Especially amongst people my age and younger.

"Being 35-40 and realizing you'll never own a home, and can't afford to have a family is a very different beast"

My answer to that is: Well, not with an attitude like that you won't!

I know for a fact that wealth, home ownership, etc are all achievable. I know it's achievable because I've done it all myself and consider myself to be a self-made man. That being said, there is no such thing as a free lunch. In this World, if you want something, you need to take it for yourself.

Now what do I think the future will look like? Probably more authoritarian, corporatist and we will probably see a rebirth of hyper-nationalism which will look remarkably similar to Fascism in certain respects.


This will all be driven by my generation. The ones who lived through 9/11, the 2008 Financial Crisis, The GWOT, COVID-19.

New leadership will emerge from this cohort.

You're quite right, of course.

In my work I'm fortunate enough to engage on a regular basis with people in the workforce who are under the age of 40, or so. I see nothing of this alleged 'youth despair' that is being touted by others, likely to fit their own political agenda.
 

As per the above article, probably most of the people I know are either very slightly left of centre or very slightly right of centre. Yet it’s been years since either party has occupied a truly centrist position. Somehow both parties, with the help of strong lobbyists, have allowed the extremes to hijack many of the important platforms and to re-position far away from centre. The LPC is definitely tired, too smug and too corrupt to continue representing the interests of Canadians. Trudeau is a joke…a bad joke at that. But Poilievre is all over the place and I trust him even less than fancy socks Justin. At least Justin tells you he’s going to screw you and then proceeds to do it with gusto.

The lack of what I call a responsible, viable political position for either party is proving to be a sad time for Canada and Canadians. I yearn for the days when people like Louis St. Laurent and Brian Mulroney (neither of them perfect) were leading the country or people like Robert Stanfield were in responsible positions as leaders of the opposition. Until a party can successfully address the hopes, fears and interests of the vast majority of Canadians we’ll continue to be screwed.

Were you there when Mulroney was being called Lyin' Bryan? I can't think of a politician in my lifetime, Canadian, US or Brit that hasn't been regularly beaten up. That is what politics are. There are no saints and there have never been any saints.

Thatcher, Reagan, Kennedy, Wilson, Clinton, Blair, Trudeau Sr, Pearson, Stanfield, Harper.....all of them were hounded.

The problem is that people are people, including the people we elect. None any better than the rest of us.

I said before that Adam Smith's aphorism about Butchers, Bakers and Brewers applies equally to politicians.

'It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages. '

We need to understand that we can't trust in their benevolence but we can trust in their self interest. We buy the services of the politician just like we buy the services of butchers, brewers and bakers. And if we don't like the services they provide then just as we go to find a different butcher, brewer or baker then we go to find a different politician. And if we don't like that one we will look for another.

If you are looking for heroes you will be disappointed.
 
Like I said, I would change how they are picked. Imagine Prince Harry and Megan Markel or maybe some obscure duchess/baroness languishing in some obscure castle in England. We don’t need that. I am all for recognizing our British roots. But we don’t need to go back to us depending on them for a representative of the head of state.

Vincent Masse, Vanier, Michener etc. All good. Recent picks though have been based on political choices and identity politics.

Just remove the selection process from the politicians and figure out a better nomination process.

The advantage of the Monarchy in Britain is that they are Britons and the selection criterion is fixed. There is no politicking involved. The Brits get what they get and adjust accordingly. They rely on their institutions to keep things in line. The only problem is that in both Britain and Canada the Prime Minister has become Presidential so while all the rules are written to control a powerless King the PM is free to do as they can. And in Canada the situation is worse than in the UK vis a vis Cameron-May-Johnson-Truss-Sunak since 2016 with time for one more before the next election vs Trudeau.
 
I agree it's important to keep the GG Canadian...and also non-political. I say we just appoint the winner of Big Brother Canada as GG annually. No fear of undue political interference from them as chances are none of them will even know who the PM is.
 
I think Canada should select the longest serving and oldest Cpl/S1 in the CAF to be the GG. The term would be 5 years, and they would be set for life on completion.
 
Nah. Just rattle the bones and draw SINs. One year of sitting on a chair, wearing fancy clothes and cutting ribbons. They don't even have to say anything. Just carry the Crown.
 
Talking about the GG is a waste of time. The GG has zero impact on anything in Canada and is nothing more than a show piece.

Because we have allowed it to become as such.

The separation of the Head of State and the Head of Government exists to limit the ability of one to run roughshod over the other.

Otherwise you get the Mussolini's of the world thinking they have full reign to shape the country as they see fit because they were elected (at some point) and the other was merely there as a figurehead.

Our Governor General is a representation of the Crown. The Crown acts in the interests of the Sovereign and their subjects at all times. I can say in good faith that PMJT has not acted in the interests of the Crown for his tenure and ought to be removed. The only mechanism we have constitutionally is through the Reserve Powers. These can and should be executed if the interests of the Crown are in jeopardy. They haven't been because "well we maintain the confidence of the house....(through political games, bribery, and corruption)."

Additionally, when the PM can blink and have the GG removed... that too weakens the office to the realm of "figurehead."

We have the tools to prevent this kind of mismanagement, however, successive PMs (starting with dear old Dad, Pierre) have purposefully made sure there is no possible way for them to be used.
 
Because we have allowed it to become as such.

The separation of the Head of State and the Head of Government exists to limit the ability of one to run roughshod over the other.

Otherwise you get the Mussolini's of the world thinking they have full reign to shape the country as they see fit because they were elected (at some point) and the other was merely there as a figurehead.

Our Governor General is a representation of the Crown. The Crown acts in the interests of the Sovereign and their subjects at all times. I can say in good faith that PMJT has not acted in the interests of the Crown for his tenure and ought to be removed. The only mechanism we have constitutionally is through the Reserve Powers. These can and should be executed if the interests of the Crown are in jeopardy. They haven't been because "well we maintain the confidence of the house....(through political games, bribery, and corruption)."

Additionally, when the PM can blink and have the GG removed... that too weakens the office to the realm of "figurehead."

We have the tools to prevent this kind of mismanagement, however, successive PMs (starting with dear old Dad, Pierre) have purposefully made sure there is no possible way for them to be used.

Maybe it should be appointment made by the King or Queen from the royal family then ?
 
As it so was, until Louis St. Laurent (A Liberal from Quebec) advocated for Canadians to fill the post.. starting with Vincent Massey....

Yup. And I want to believe the intention was good. I would say we have just proven to be incapable of filling the post without it being political patronage and truly subservient to the sitting Gov.
 
Were you there when Mulroney was being called Lyin' Bryan? I can't think of a politician in my lifetime, Canadian, US or Brit that hasn't been regularly beaten up. That is what politics are. There are no saints and there have never been any saints.

Thatcher, Reagan, Kennedy, Wilson, Clinton, Blair, Trudeau Sr, Pearson, Stanfield, Harper.....all of them were hounded.

The problem is that people are people, including the people we elect. None any better than the rest of us.

I said before that Adam Smith's aphorism about Butchers, Bakers and Brewers applies equally to politicians.



We need to understand that we can't trust in their benevolence but we can trust in their self interest. We buy the services of the politician just like we buy the services of butchers, brewers and bakers. And if we don't like the services they provide then just as we go to find a different butcher, brewer or baker then we go to find a different politician. And if we don't like that one we will look for another.

If you are looking for heroes you will be disappointed.
I realize that some people who get into politics do so solely for self-serving reasons and that some give in to “the system” and become corrupt. I never said that Mulroney was perfect…there were many aspects of his actions that I found deplorable. And the same is true of just about every politician I can think of.

I guess perhaps I’m not as jaded as many people I know. As a country we are more divided than ever. I’ve said this before but I think that most of the politicians have something valid to offer. Frankly I can’t stand Doug Ford or, for that matter, Stephen Harper on the conservative side…but to deny everything they’ve done, rather than on balance, is to do them an injustice. And the same applies to both Justin and Singh. I simply feel that the country needs a fresh perspective on things.

I went to university in the U.S. during the turbulent 60s and early 70s and I remember so many wanting to basically destroy “the system”. And, yes, those in the radical left were jaded probably far more than those in the extreme right in Canada. I particularly remember Nixon’s re-election campaign and how divisive it was. Many of those opposed to him carried placards saying “Vote for Nixon in ‘72…why change Dicks in the middle of a screw”. I had friends both right and left of centre. I also remember campus demonstrations in which the ROTC building was severely damaged and the computer centre had a bomb go off injuring a guy I knew. I also knew the sister of one of the four students killed by the National Guard at Kent State…her brother was in fact in the ROTC and was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time (simply trying to get to his next class) when he was shot by accident. And there were many other incidents that convinced me that revolution is seldom the answer to a society’s problems and that extremism seldom improves a society, even one with built-in social injustice.

Over the years in my working career I’ve met and worked alongside various well-known politicians and political advisers…Liberal, Conservative and NDP. Most of them (but not all) were, in my opinion, decent people.

Sorry for my rambling, Kirkhill, but I actually think that getting into politics can, should be and is one of the loftiest of ambitions, even if many of those don’t live up to their own ideals. Am I delusional? Perhaps. If so, I just wish more people could be as delusional as I am.
 
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