Canadians should be very, very concerned about how Carney got his majority floor crossers, and about everything to do with the spring quasi-budget* giving us record spending and debt and the laughable do-you-think-we-are-stupid "sovereign wealth fund", but no, the real issue is that Poilievre is criticizing these things and going to an MMA match.
I throw up my hands in hopelessness at our moron voters and the media who feed them. One day there will be a reckoning but I am not sure how many years must pass and how much damage we have to endure before that happens.
(*Note how we moved the actual budget to the fall so nobody would dare to bring down the government and have a Christmas election. Amazing. They covered all bases big and small.)
I agree with the thrust of your position on all this stuff but the reality is PP needs to deal with the moron voters and mediots. When I saw him at the MMA match my very first thought was, they're gonna cite Trump. Of course it's stupid!! But this is the world in which we live and PP's job is to navigate that world and not the fantasy world where 90% of the electorate is smart enough to know that PP is not "like Trump" just because he watches MMA.
And, as self destructive as that was, criticizing Carney's credentials is even worse if for no other reason than that there is plenty to criticize about Carney's performance! Why take the focus off his performance and put it on his, yes, impressive credentials? Talk about an own goal.
Furthermore, it is no response to this to say, the media gives Liberals a pass on worse missteps than this. I mean, obviously they do. But that truth is irrelevant and just reinforces the point above that PP needs to deal with the world as it is! He's like a kid annoyed at his parents because they don't hold his brother to the same standard that they hold him, constantly fails to live up to the standard that has been imposed on him and complains about the double standard. He absolutely has a legitimate point but until he starts adhering to the standard imposed on him his lot in life is unlikely to improve.
Much of Canada may still be infatuated with our Technocratic PM, but that doesn't mean they won't one day wake up wondering how they ended up with a wicked hangover.
Persistent nipping at Carney's heels and messaging to Canadians may not get him anywhere today, but it will sure help in the long run...
Give it a rest already!! The Conservatives are the official opposition, that’s their job to hold the government to account. Given the Liberals shoddy record, questionable financial management, and skill at avoiding accountability - Canadian’s should be terrified if there was no opposition. That said - we could be closer to that reality, (the umm, uhhh, errr new world order, 😏) If Canada’s destiny and fortunes lie solely in the hands of Donald Trump, then what the hell are we a separate country for? We might as well eliminate the federal government, and the provinces could become states.
Well, the reality is a leopard can't change its spots. Polievre excelled as an attack dog in question period, but there is not a statesman like bone in his body.
I’m going back to reading the economic history of Argentina. The parallels with Canada are there for everyone to see. From a resource rich wealthy country to massive inflation which led to hyperinflation and people taking any money out of the country and paying $US cash to buy houses since no bank will finance them.
Argentinian Banks won’t lend because of inflation. In Canada you also have aboriginal claims on land ownership to muddy the waters.
All because the Argentinian government fell into the trap of free everything including education and health care financed by debt.
Canada doesn’t seem to be there yet.
But it certainly not heading in the opposite direction.
Completely wrong. Trump won't be president during the next election.
Poilievre should focus on the truth: trust the Liberals are doing everything to enrich insiders and clients. And not just corruption, although that's a big part: also client groups that regular people aren't. DEI beneficiaries, transgender radicals, NGO workers, should ask be demonized as being on the take.
His goal should be to radicalize and infuriate as much of the country as possible, because as soon as Trump is even close to leaving office, all these people will go to their boomer grandparents and demand they vote Conservative.
Liberal lite has been tried again and again, and can only work with a widely hated Liberal PM like Trudeau. No Conservative can beat Carney in the "most Prime Ministerial Liberal" contest, and the Conservatives should stop trying.
How is it we have another article criticizing Poilievre while the liberals take full control of committees, shut down all accountability and transparency, move to implement UK style censorship laws, have brought back the ability for police to open mail without warrants and all the rest.
Poilievre is a massive distraction that very very few journalists or commentators manage to look past. Poilievre is not in power. His job is opposition. How is he to oppose when all his tools are stripped from him. Be polite, be soft, smile, cooperate…. Sure, that’s always the advice to conservatives. Sit down and shut up
Marcie, I'm going to politely note that telling our valued contributors to shut up is out of line with even the fairly low bar for decorum I'm resigning myself to needing to tolerate here. This is a warning.
Matt, unless Marcie edited her comment, I think you are misreading it. My reading: "Sit down and shut up" is her paraphrase of MacDougall's advice to Conservatives (advice she does not agree with), not *her* advice for MacDougall.
"resigning myself to needing to tolerate"...a touch on the clunky and grumpy side of things Matt. Your fundraising success doesn't include a free pass for pissing on customers. You owe Marcie an apology not a warning.
As someone who is very close to being a free-speech absolutist, I will respect Marcie's right to tell dissenters from her view to "sit down and shut up" but I won't actually comply with such an authoritarian order.
Poilievre's job right now is to hold the majority government to account using the tools available to him. As the commentary outlines, whether or not Poilievre can get out of his own way and do this effectively (i.e. stop pissing on himself) is a very open question . By and large, the voting public just ain't buying what he is selling.
Claiming criticism of this nature is PDS is just as incisive an argument as claiming someone is infected with TDS ... it isn't an argument, nor is it a substitute for an argument, it is just an attempt at a slur.
Poilievre would do well to take some of these constructive criticisms to heart; but to date, it appears his intuition and reflexes are not up to the task.
The Poilievre-led opposition is actually pretty effective on a day to day basis. They just don't get any credit for it in our Liberal-friendly national media, where holding Poilievre to account is job number one.
As with PMJT, Carney will be popular until he's not. Carney has made a lot of promises and gambled a lot of taxpayer money for very little return to date. The tough part for the CPC at this point is to be patient and not tear itself to shreds while Carney's extended honeymoon proceeds to its inevitable end.
No snark intended, but the CPC is sinking in the polls, losing MPs to floor crossing, and Carney's personal approval is solid or even improving. On what basis can we deem the CPC's opposition effective?
On a broader note, we are at a point where the next few years have the potential to have the worst economy - high unemployment, high crime, high inflation, etc. And there is nothing our illustrious Prime Minister seems to be willing to do to address the structural issues at hand. And even if he did, it would take several years for it to bear any fruit.
All this to say that very little of any campaign rhetoric - CPC or LPC - is likely to matter when a vast portion of Canadians have no job and can't pay for food. People will simply vote against the incumbent.
And as the article notes, "If Canada is no better off in a few years, Poilievre will be the natural beneficiary".
When you say Canadians are in trance of Carney which Canadians are you referring to? Liberal supporters in the eastern half of Canada who have drunk the kool aid and would vote Liberal regardless of who led them (see Justin Trudeau) because he certainly does not have a country wide level of support.
Not a new insight but yes, absolutely, Pierre is toast. He’s now a laughable caricature of how to lose badly and somehow not understand why. The sooner the CPC dumps him the better for everyone.
For me, PP is a knob. For me the PP is being openly undermined by Jamil Jivani who probably is trying out for the role of leader. For me, PP is represents the absolute worst representative of conservatives in this country.
The CPC consistently project perceived weirdness than by policy for conservative minded voters like me, the problem isn’t “Conservatives are too right-wing on tax policy". It's this:
“Why is there always some MP saying something deranged?”
“Why are they unable to control candidates?”
“Why do these social issues keep reappearing when nobody asked for them?”
Yes, CPC base. I know that it sucks monkey butt that nobody in the GTA, Metro Vancouver, and suburban ridings is ever going to vote for a conservative until the socons are shown the door.
Recurring social-conservative eruptions and attempts to sneak those priorities in through the back door are so @#$#% transparent. For me, the party is hostage to its base and its base doesn't realize that the vast majority of Canadians hate the high school garbage the CPC consistently put out there.
Pierre Poilievre is beholden to the social conservatives. Every leader in the future would face the same dislike of the party because of its garbage they keep putting out rather than showing Canadians why we should like and trust and like PP and the CPC itself.
So I guess a question I would ask socons is: what would have to exist for you to STFU and stop torpedoing the CPC election chances?
Canadians should be very, very concerned about how Carney got his majority floor crossers, and about everything to do with the spring quasi-budget* giving us record spending and debt and the laughable do-you-think-we-are-stupid "sovereign wealth fund", but no, the real issue is that Poilievre is criticizing these things and going to an MMA match.
I throw up my hands in hopelessness at our moron voters and the media who feed them. One day there will be a reckoning but I am not sure how many years must pass and how much damage we have to endure before that happens.
(*Note how we moved the actual budget to the fall so nobody would dare to bring down the government and have a Christmas election. Amazing. They covered all bases big and small.)
The opposition should always push for an election. What's the worst that can happen? A Liberal majority?
I agree with the thrust of your position on all this stuff but the reality is PP needs to deal with the moron voters and mediots. When I saw him at the MMA match my very first thought was, they're gonna cite Trump. Of course it's stupid!! But this is the world in which we live and PP's job is to navigate that world and not the fantasy world where 90% of the electorate is smart enough to know that PP is not "like Trump" just because he watches MMA.
And, as self destructive as that was, criticizing Carney's credentials is even worse if for no other reason than that there is plenty to criticize about Carney's performance! Why take the focus off his performance and put it on his, yes, impressive credentials? Talk about an own goal.
Furthermore, it is no response to this to say, the media gives Liberals a pass on worse missteps than this. I mean, obviously they do. But that truth is irrelevant and just reinforces the point above that PP needs to deal with the world as it is! He's like a kid annoyed at his parents because they don't hold his brother to the same standard that they hold him, constantly fails to live up to the standard that has been imposed on him and complains about the double standard. He absolutely has a legitimate point but until he starts adhering to the standard imposed on him his lot in life is unlikely to improve.
How about a little of both, Andrew?
Much of Canada may still be infatuated with our Technocratic PM, but that doesn't mean they won't one day wake up wondering how they ended up with a wicked hangover.
Persistent nipping at Carney's heels and messaging to Canadians may not get him anywhere today, but it will sure help in the long run...
Give it a rest already!! The Conservatives are the official opposition, that’s their job to hold the government to account. Given the Liberals shoddy record, questionable financial management, and skill at avoiding accountability - Canadian’s should be terrified if there was no opposition. That said - we could be closer to that reality, (the umm, uhhh, errr new world order, 😏) If Canada’s destiny and fortunes lie solely in the hands of Donald Trump, then what the hell are we a separate country for? We might as well eliminate the federal government, and the provinces could become states.
Well, the reality is a leopard can't change its spots. Polievre excelled as an attack dog in question period, but there is not a statesman like bone in his body.
I’m going back to reading the economic history of Argentina. The parallels with Canada are there for everyone to see. From a resource rich wealthy country to massive inflation which led to hyperinflation and people taking any money out of the country and paying $US cash to buy houses since no bank will finance them.
Argentinian Banks won’t lend because of inflation. In Canada you also have aboriginal claims on land ownership to muddy the waters.
All because the Argentinian government fell into the trap of free everything including education and health care financed by debt.
Canada doesn’t seem to be there yet.
But it certainly not heading in the opposite direction.
amen brother
Endless Poilievre derangement syndrome
Almost as serious an affliction as Trudeau derangement syndrome. Always so sad to see another poor soul succumb to it.
Completely wrong. Trump won't be president during the next election.
Poilievre should focus on the truth: trust the Liberals are doing everything to enrich insiders and clients. And not just corruption, although that's a big part: also client groups that regular people aren't. DEI beneficiaries, transgender radicals, NGO workers, should ask be demonized as being on the take.
His goal should be to radicalize and infuriate as much of the country as possible, because as soon as Trump is even close to leaving office, all these people will go to their boomer grandparents and demand they vote Conservative.
Liberal lite has been tried again and again, and can only work with a widely hated Liberal PM like Trudeau. No Conservative can beat Carney in the "most Prime Ministerial Liberal" contest, and the Conservatives should stop trying.
How is it we have another article criticizing Poilievre while the liberals take full control of committees, shut down all accountability and transparency, move to implement UK style censorship laws, have brought back the ability for police to open mail without warrants and all the rest.
Poilievre is a massive distraction that very very few journalists or commentators manage to look past. Poilievre is not in power. His job is opposition. How is he to oppose when all his tools are stripped from him. Be polite, be soft, smile, cooperate…. Sure, that’s always the advice to conservatives. Sit down and shut up
Marcie, I'm going to politely note that telling our valued contributors to shut up is out of line with even the fairly low bar for decorum I'm resigning myself to needing to tolerate here. This is a warning.
Matt, unless Marcie edited her comment, I think you are misreading it. My reading: "Sit down and shut up" is her paraphrase of MacDougall's advice to Conservatives (advice she does not agree with), not *her* advice for MacDougall.
Possible! That's not my read, but if it's hers, I'll be glad to know it.
Your "read" demonstrates a clear lack of reading comprehension skills. Do better.
I regret to inform everyone that this is as good as it gets.
"resigning myself to needing to tolerate"...a touch on the clunky and grumpy side of things Matt. Your fundraising success doesn't include a free pass for pissing on customers. You owe Marcie an apology not a warning.
I don't. I owe everyone clarity on what I'll tolerate and what I won't. I hope it proves useful.
When you're wrong and you make an inaccurate accusation you absolutely owe an apology to the person you wrongly accused.
As someone who is very close to being a free-speech absolutist, I will respect Marcie's right to tell dissenters from her view to "sit down and shut up" but I won't actually comply with such an authoritarian order.
Poilievre's job right now is to hold the majority government to account using the tools available to him. As the commentary outlines, whether or not Poilievre can get out of his own way and do this effectively (i.e. stop pissing on himself) is a very open question . By and large, the voting public just ain't buying what he is selling.
Claiming criticism of this nature is PDS is just as incisive an argument as claiming someone is infected with TDS ... it isn't an argument, nor is it a substitute for an argument, it is just an attempt at a slur.
Poilievre would do well to take some of these constructive criticisms to heart; but to date, it appears his intuition and reflexes are not up to the task.
The tone of your post is very similar to Poilievre , but angrier.
The Poilievre-led opposition is actually pretty effective on a day to day basis. They just don't get any credit for it in our Liberal-friendly national media, where holding Poilievre to account is job number one.
As with PMJT, Carney will be popular until he's not. Carney has made a lot of promises and gambled a lot of taxpayer money for very little return to date. The tough part for the CPC at this point is to be patient and not tear itself to shreds while Carney's extended honeymoon proceeds to its inevitable end.
No snark intended, but the CPC is sinking in the polls, losing MPs to floor crossing, and Carney's personal approval is solid or even improving. On what basis can we deem the CPC's opposition effective?
On a broader note, we are at a point where the next few years have the potential to have the worst economy - high unemployment, high crime, high inflation, etc. And there is nothing our illustrious Prime Minister seems to be willing to do to address the structural issues at hand. And even if he did, it would take several years for it to bear any fruit.
All this to say that very little of any campaign rhetoric - CPC or LPC - is likely to matter when a vast portion of Canadians have no job and can't pay for food. People will simply vote against the incumbent.
And as the article notes, "If Canada is no better off in a few years, Poilievre will be the natural beneficiary".
When you say Canadians are in trance of Carney which Canadians are you referring to? Liberal supporters in the eastern half of Canada who have drunk the kool aid and would vote Liberal regardless of who led them (see Justin Trudeau) because he certainly does not have a country wide level of support.
At least the polls seem to say so.
A simple ask of Pollievre- what have you actually achieved in your 20+ years as an elected legislator. SFA.
Yup that’s reason to keep the Boy Blunder to keep his legacy of nothingness alive.
Time for the CPC to roll back the clock to the AGM and allow an actual free vote. Then we’ll see who leads the Official Opposition!
This post is an indictment, deservedly, of the Canadian electorate.
A helpful and thoughtful comment for Canadian democracy……and yes I am a strong supporter of Prime Minister Carney…
Not a new insight but yes, absolutely, Pierre is toast. He’s now a laughable caricature of how to lose badly and somehow not understand why. The sooner the CPC dumps him the better for everyone.
For me, PP is a knob. For me the PP is being openly undermined by Jamil Jivani who probably is trying out for the role of leader. For me, PP is represents the absolute worst representative of conservatives in this country.
The CPC consistently project perceived weirdness than by policy for conservative minded voters like me, the problem isn’t “Conservatives are too right-wing on tax policy". It's this:
“Why is there always some MP saying something deranged?”
“Why are they unable to control candidates?”
“Why do these social issues keep reappearing when nobody asked for them?”
Yes, CPC base. I know that it sucks monkey butt that nobody in the GTA, Metro Vancouver, and suburban ridings is ever going to vote for a conservative until the socons are shown the door.
Recurring social-conservative eruptions and attempts to sneak those priorities in through the back door are so @#$#% transparent. For me, the party is hostage to its base and its base doesn't realize that the vast majority of Canadians hate the high school garbage the CPC consistently put out there.
Pierre Poilievre is beholden to the social conservatives. Every leader in the future would face the same dislike of the party because of its garbage they keep putting out rather than showing Canadians why we should like and trust and like PP and the CPC itself.
So I guess a question I would ask socons is: what would have to exist for you to STFU and stop torpedoing the CPC election chances?
Seriously. What would have to exist?