Before I listen to this episode, which I am looking forward to, I want to make mention of a conversation I had with a late neighbour who had been an officer in the CAF way back in the 60's. We were laughing about Tom Cruise's character in Maverick being able to cope with mach 9 or 10 pressures in a jet. My neighbour said he passed out at 4. I asked him what he was doing flying like that. He explained that they would fly up to the top of the atmosphere, turn upside down, practice releasing the bomb to be carried on the bottom of the jet and go home. After a few more questions, I learned that Canada at that time had nuclear weapons and the capacity to deliver them. I believe Diefenbaker forfeited that.
Nothing against you Norm, but why have you and so many others used coronate when the word that should be used is crown. We're about to crown Carney... and the ceremony to do so is a coronation and something that is coronated is crown shaped. My silly opinion and not the world's biggest worry.
This is exactly what I was afraid of - popcorn brain of our Commentariat class (I am not blaming the Line btw). We’ve moved the conversation away from rebuilding state capacity while the Canadian State presents another example of waning state capacity i.e. High Speed Rail. I have yet to anyone from the media talk about the potential kickbacks that can come from a design contract that’s expensive and takes twice as long as compared to the global average (18-24 months).
So if I understand correctly, $3.9 billion is being spent just to study how to build highspeed rail, which, for now, is estimated at $65+ billion? No real timeline, no real commitment, just six years of consultants and bureaucrats cashing in before admitting it’s not feasible?
Meanwhile, there’s already a Via Rail corridor that could be ripped up and replaced with highspeed rail, but instead of doing that, we’re embarking on a drawn out process that guarantees nothing gets built. For context, the transcontinental railroad was laid at an average pace of 2.25 km per day in the 1800s with 1800s technology, and it crossed mountains and raw wilderness. Give a modern crew 450 days, and this should be done.
This is Exhibit A of why Canada will never be an “asshole nation.” We don’t build. We don’t push through bureaucracy. We don’t tell consultants, activists, or regulators to step aside. Instead, we cling to meaningless victories(like a hockey game that no one in the U.S. watched)while the rest of the world moves forward.
Looking forward to your column for a reality check.
By VIA Rail corridor do you mean the existing routing? If so, ripping up & replacing would be hugely problematic for CN/CP who actually own the rails :-)
My initial western Canada response to Anita Anand making this announcement and calling it a national win had me wondering how this line benefited travel from Calgary to Edmonton. I have no idea with high speed rail, but I was thinking the announcement was a bit of a liberal gaslighting moment.
If they took the $3.9 billion and spent it on free flights from Calgary to Edmonton and Toronto to Montreal to Ottawa you would actually get something useful for your money. Passenger rail in this country is dead. We do not have 1% of the passengers to make it begin to work without being yet another TTC where 35 Million Canadians contribute (subsidize) to make less than 100,000 (cheap ass daily riders) happy.
Another methodology besides the reciprocity modeled by Nova Scotia and Ontario is the "negative list" --a province assumes that the first-aid kit made elsewhere in Canada is sufficient or that a hard-hat made or used elsewhere is sufficient unless there is some specific qualification made about what needs to be made or added. Provisional implementation (a la the CETA) and other European practices could also be relevant.
Until Jen said, « screw those guys, this is a betrayal », I was analyzing, why does this exact attitude of Canada and Europe bother me so much. Yes, there has been unpleasant and destabilizing rhetoric. So what?. And then I realized. Our politicians see us as a DEI hire. They know that they made us dependent, but they want respect for it. They know that we as Canada, bring very little to the table, but that should never be said out loud. We are destabilized because our politicians are flailing around looking completely useless. And we see it. You look at Europe after that Munich conference and it is the same thing. Grown men crying.
Screw that. I love Canadians and will stand beside and with Canadians. Always. But our politicians and civil servants are useless and myopic and having hockey games as a sop to hurt feelings will not change that.
And BTW, booing another country’s anthem? Really? And then letting that goose of a woman change ours bc she felt like it. Can irony even stretch that far?
So if Jen was speaking about our politicians, yes, screw them, this IS a betrayal. Regarding Trump, yeah sure, but he owes us NOTHING. He is not our president. We are
Canadians and the sooner we recognize that the better. So, we used to know what we stood for. Peace, order and good government. So? How are we doing with this? And btw, do we still stand for these things?
"I love Canadians and will stand beside and with Canadians. Always. But our politicians and civil servants are useless and myopic and having hockey games as a sop to hurt feelings will not change that." Testify! And we could add a few more adjectives to useless and myopic!
Also, I am glad you acknowledged the antics of Chantel Kreviazuk. Her changing the lyrics was disgraceful. And one knock-off effect of her doing so is that it has seemingly distracted from the fact that (even setting that aside) it was a truly abominable performance by her – especially when contrasted with the terrific rendition of the Star Spangled Banner that immediately followed. So, while we are all still basking in Thursday night’s victory on the ice, I propose a fun cross-over event: is Chantel Kreviazuk now more properly considered to be the Chrystia Freeland or the Melanie Joly of female Canadian pop singers? Let’s dig in!
She sounded completely vacuous bordering on impaired; I think that’s more typical of Joly than Freeland although this definitely describes both of them at times. Her changing the lyrics in a totally cringe and mis-guided attempt to relate to the people (that blows up and serves only to distract from an otherwise abysmal performance) just screams Freeland. She is pretty good looking which is obviously Joly. Adding it all up, she strikes me as being slightly more Joly than Freeland. But YMMV as the kids say.
Some of us remember Carney, while the governor of BOC, chastising industry for "hoarding" profits instead of spending them on what he deemed they should be spending them on, I think technology improvements. Todays I can understand why the industry did not want to misspend their profits into an investment environment increasingly strangled by red tape, and ignored Carney's barking. What I know about Carney today, including his fixation on "climate change fight" and related leftist "projects", and his assumption that he should be automatically accepted as PM - I will say he has them mentality that is the equivalent of a medieval Holy Inquisition fanatic. I do not want that snooty f......r anywhere near political power.
My issue with Carney was when he artificially lowered interest rates and kept them artificially low, encouraging Canadians to borrow beyond their means and spawning our housing crisis. Called it at the time, but nobody listens me 🤣
I am still trying to figure out what Carney means by a 'shadow carbon tax' as opposed to the carbon tax we have now. My best guess is he will be hiding the carbon tax in the 'shadows' of my already incomprehensible energy bill.
He means nothing good. From the information that seeps out it looks like he plans to use all kinds of creative accounting trickstery, something he is very familiar with, to create a pretty house of cards of Canada's finances that in reality will be even more shabby that what we the Trudeauist Liebranos inflicted on us already.
There used to be a time (before Covid) when Media in this country used to be News makers. Nowadays they’ve become News Forwarders - take whatever Liberals (in other words Govts - including provincial govts) have to say at face value and run with it. There’s no introspection, no more in depth analysis, no more good investigative journalism, MSM is really not even bothered with crime anymore, there is no scrutiny anymore. This is what happens when the govt pays for your salary, you implicitly become a Govt lackey.
The media in Canada are part of a distinct social class, and they defend the interests of their social class first and foremost. Once you realize this, it all makes sense.
I’m 65,BD 1959. Tail end of the Boomers. My 30 year old son thanked me for instilling in him a strong work ethic. I moved to AB in 1979. Tail end of a big boom here and we all saw dark clouds forming with the NEP. 3 more recessions and 3 booms later I retired. It was hard dealing with the younger generations as their foreman. If they weren’t staring at their phones,they were complaining about hurt feelings. “Im just here to get the job done,put food on my table and not hold your hand. Safety rules are here so I don’t have to call your family!” How someone is raised and where, does influence their thinking,attitudes and behaviours. I’ve been talked down to,dismissed and sneered at because I worked in the trades. I own my newly buil homet,2 new vehicles free and clear. 2 quads,2sleds,2 Harleys,a boat,a tractor ect. All ours,the wife and I worked long and hard. Full pensions,private companies. Took holidays with 3 kids in tow,camping,driving,flying across Canada. Weddings,Anniversaries! Our grown up kids don’t sit at the dinner table staring at their phones. We actually talk,smile and shout
What caught my attention was Jen saying that she could see Carney as a good/okay leader. I am pretty sure that this is a generational thing, but once someone lies, they have lost all value for me. Carney came out of the gate lying and has continued to do so, sometimes outright, and other times more obfuscating than outright lying.
I have noticed that the world has changed to where lying is not a big deal anymore. I certainly am the last person who wants to go back to the good old days – my good old days meant no electricity, no running water and going outside in an Alberta winter to use the outhouse. There were no dinosaurs in my era and I was able to live without them. So, change is constant and best lived with, without fighting it.
My votes depend on honesty as my first personality meter. An interesting poll would be to ask the question on what would make each generation vote or not vote someone into power.
On Carney, this time Jen is simply very very wrong. I do not see him as a good/OK political leader under any circumstances. He has a very visible track record that is mostly destructive for heavens sake. His intuition for what is really important in these times is non-existent. Like you and for the same reasons I see Carnage Carney as a megashyster. He will bring nothing good and I hope he crashes out.
Ken and Matt both stated Carney would of been okay in the 80's and 90's....why would they want to have cursed us who lived through those times with Carney...people are falling for his CV, including it appears Jen and Matt.... Carney is a shyster, even Jen stated his border adjustment tax as folly. Carney's wife is a social justice warrior and works with Butt's in advising clients on investing in energy transition... One would be naive to think his wife would not have influence on him... As Carrie Johnson had with Boris
I suspect you and I are of similar generations, Carole. My question follows yours: What would make each generation vote? In 1958 (Kingston Trio/Tom Dooley/#1) the voter turnout was 79%. Last federal election (2021)...62%
That is another good question. At the moment, I suspect that voter turn out is so low because so many people have tuned out. Tom Dooley - that is a song I haven't heard for a long, long time.
7th generation Canadian here. This latest one is the first to have not one serving in the military. Why? Well, no reason to. The only claim to a shared national identity that has any merit to protect and defend is 'Not American'. Or some bizarre interest in fighting fires, working in long term care homes, or passing sand bags. How very stirring.
Over the recent holidays, I engaged the latest family generation (and by far the smallest) about what this idea of patriotism means and if it matters to them? The consensus for those under the age of 35 was that this meant we Canadians like red and white but, unlike Americans, draw the line at adding blue. In other words, completely clueless. They were already Americans - economically, culturally, technologically, and even socially - in all but name. The more successful ones already worked for large US firms globally. So, a difference really without a meaningful distinction. But enough to create a facsimile of (a very shallow) patriotism caused by (as always and only in response to) America. That's the depth of patriotism from which we are to draw motivation for unity to wage the current fight against the US which, to me, is simply insufficient to (re)build an independent nation. I would dearly love to be wrong.
Our economic lifeblood is north south and not east west. This is the brute fact. Can we as Canadians stay united and shoulder the costs and burdens to undergo this radical transformation under the banner of 'patriotism' necessary to survive as a united political entity without some province deciding to end confederation in the name of self preservation for its constituents? All it takes is one - and for compelling local reasons - and the east-west dream is over.
This east-west nation building - the definition of what 'not American' means - has been systemically undermined, discredited, and dismantled by every national and provincial institution elected and self appointed (actions, policies, and laws now conveniently put aside by those same folk who profited from doing so) in order for the chattering classes to call forth some kind of national 'patriotism' and insist all of us must now suffer very real and lasting economic hardships to make this dream real again, AND demand everyone must not just defend the country on this Don Quixote plan but build it anew. Get the bank card ready.
I don't think my deep scepticism is out of place nor casts me and my family as an unpatriotic villains if we think joining the US - which we've already done in all but name - is the only reasonable path forward because it's going to happen anyway. I could be wrong but, if so, what am I missing here?
I don't believe that Canada will continue to function as a country in the near future. Our constitution does not include an 'equal opportunity clause' for each province. Our federal government, to stay in power, has to court Quebec and the eastern provinces. The west, if Canada is to exist, will continue to be the wedge issue.
Now is the time to politely break up this country. Winning one hockey game just isn't enough.
But, damn, that was a great hockey game - says an Edmonton Oiler fan from the WHA era.
Nature always finds a way, and the lines the tie North America flow north-south. That doesn't mean Canada needs to fall apart, but socially, economically, etc. the connections have always been and will continue to be north-south. Even the mountains go north-south in North America.
As a thought exercise, but one I highly doubt would ever be contemplated by Canadian polite society, what would Canada look like if Quebec voted yes in 1995? Was Canada begging Quebec to vote no in hindsight a mistake? I don't know.
Didn't Michael Ignatieff descend to the Liberal crown in much the same way that Carney seems to be doing with the European connections and wealth etc? I hope the Libs have the same result with Mark....
We've already spent billions over the decades on HST studies. The route is essentially chosen although getting in and out of Toronto and Montreal needs to be imposed on Metrolinx and CN under the threat of a significant increase in regulatory oversight. We're way past talking about it. Grading, grade separation, and bridge building could start this spring. All it takes is leadership.
VIA is toast. The "super new" equipment they bought from Siemens has an availability rate of around 50% instead of 95% where it should be. Whether it's the equipment, or VIA's inability to maintain it is still a question. VIA's management is beyond incompetent, as yet another Toronto Windsor train ran out of fuel this week and had to be rescued by CN. I won't be shocked if Pierre kills it once and for all and tells the provinces they can provide whatever services they want. The Canadian can be taken up by Rockt Mountain railtours as a tourist experience if they so desire.
But an HST would be far faster door-to-door in the triangle than flying. And we would have done something. Trudeau announcing it is a confirmation of what a selfish douchebag he really is. A lame duck dumping a $50+ billion project on his follower after he has quit is beyond selfish and pathetic.
While credit is due to Nova Scotia for their proposed reciprocal recognition legislation, let us not forget that it was Alberta that first took serious steps in recent years to harmonize regulation with other Canadian jurisdictions. The Governments of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan came together in April 2010 to create the New West Partnership. Manitoba joined the New West Partnership in November 2016. For more information: http://www.newwestpartnershiptrade.ca/ . And, beyond that, the government of Alberta unilaterally dropped half of its exemptions from the Canada Free Trade Agreement in 2019 (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/kenney-free-trade-exceptions-1.5207600) . So, I think Alberta should also be getting some "Line Credit" !
Before I listen to this episode, which I am looking forward to, I want to make mention of a conversation I had with a late neighbour who had been an officer in the CAF way back in the 60's. We were laughing about Tom Cruise's character in Maverick being able to cope with mach 9 or 10 pressures in a jet. My neighbour said he passed out at 4. I asked him what he was doing flying like that. He explained that they would fly up to the top of the atmosphere, turn upside down, practice releasing the bomb to be carried on the bottom of the jet and go home. After a few more questions, I learned that Canada at that time had nuclear weapons and the capacity to deliver them. I believe Diefenbaker forfeited that.
Unilateral nuclear disarmament by Canada was done by Trudeau 1 in the late 60s/early 70s.
Because of course it was. His hippy boomer base would have demanded nothing less.
We are such an unserious country. We're about to coronate Carney and go down a path to a 49 cent dollar. But yay we won a hockey game. 🙃
Nothing against you Norm, but why have you and so many others used coronate when the word that should be used is crown. We're about to crown Carney... and the ceremony to do so is a coronation and something that is coronated is crown shaped. My silly opinion and not the world's biggest worry.
Proper language is important. Noted. Thanks!
This is exactly what I was afraid of - popcorn brain of our Commentariat class (I am not blaming the Line btw). We’ve moved the conversation away from rebuilding state capacity while the Canadian State presents another example of waning state capacity i.e. High Speed Rail. I have yet to anyone from the media talk about the potential kickbacks that can come from a design contract that’s expensive and takes twice as long as compared to the global average (18-24 months).
Dude, I'm saving it for the column. JG
So if I understand correctly, $3.9 billion is being spent just to study how to build highspeed rail, which, for now, is estimated at $65+ billion? No real timeline, no real commitment, just six years of consultants and bureaucrats cashing in before admitting it’s not feasible?
Meanwhile, there’s already a Via Rail corridor that could be ripped up and replaced with highspeed rail, but instead of doing that, we’re embarking on a drawn out process that guarantees nothing gets built. For context, the transcontinental railroad was laid at an average pace of 2.25 km per day in the 1800s with 1800s technology, and it crossed mountains and raw wilderness. Give a modern crew 450 days, and this should be done.
This is Exhibit A of why Canada will never be an “asshole nation.” We don’t build. We don’t push through bureaucracy. We don’t tell consultants, activists, or regulators to step aside. Instead, we cling to meaningless victories(like a hockey game that no one in the U.S. watched)while the rest of the world moves forward.
Looking forward to your column for a reality check.
By VIA Rail corridor do you mean the existing routing? If so, ripping up & replacing would be hugely problematic for CN/CP who actually own the rails :-)
and everyone who relies on the rail deliveries in this corridor -- remember the aboriginal/indigenous/firstnations blockade.
An asshole nation would just push aside a First Nations blockade, just sayin'
SNC…..SNC…..SNC…..SNC
My initial western Canada response to Anita Anand making this announcement and calling it a national win had me wondering how this line benefited travel from Calgary to Edmonton. I have no idea with high speed rail, but I was thinking the announcement was a bit of a liberal gaslighting moment.
If they took the $3.9 billion and spent it on free flights from Calgary to Edmonton and Toronto to Montreal to Ottawa you would actually get something useful for your money. Passenger rail in this country is dead. We do not have 1% of the passengers to make it begin to work without being yet another TTC where 35 Million Canadians contribute (subsidize) to make less than 100,000 (cheap ass daily riders) happy.
Another methodology besides the reciprocity modeled by Nova Scotia and Ontario is the "negative list" --a province assumes that the first-aid kit made elsewhere in Canada is sufficient or that a hard-hat made or used elsewhere is sufficient unless there is some specific qualification made about what needs to be made or added. Provisional implementation (a la the CETA) and other European practices could also be relevant.
Until Jen said, « screw those guys, this is a betrayal », I was analyzing, why does this exact attitude of Canada and Europe bother me so much. Yes, there has been unpleasant and destabilizing rhetoric. So what?. And then I realized. Our politicians see us as a DEI hire. They know that they made us dependent, but they want respect for it. They know that we as Canada, bring very little to the table, but that should never be said out loud. We are destabilized because our politicians are flailing around looking completely useless. And we see it. You look at Europe after that Munich conference and it is the same thing. Grown men crying.
Screw that. I love Canadians and will stand beside and with Canadians. Always. But our politicians and civil servants are useless and myopic and having hockey games as a sop to hurt feelings will not change that.
And BTW, booing another country’s anthem? Really? And then letting that goose of a woman change ours bc she felt like it. Can irony even stretch that far?
So if Jen was speaking about our politicians, yes, screw them, this IS a betrayal. Regarding Trump, yeah sure, but he owes us NOTHING. He is not our president. We are
Canadians and the sooner we recognize that the better. So, we used to know what we stood for. Peace, order and good government. So? How are we doing with this? And btw, do we still stand for these things?
Great comment.
I like the American people for the most part. I have met as many extremely obnoxious Canadians while traveling as Americans.
We are not a serious country, booing another country won't make us a serious country; so just stop it.
"I love Canadians and will stand beside and with Canadians. Always. But our politicians and civil servants are useless and myopic and having hockey games as a sop to hurt feelings will not change that." Testify! And we could add a few more adjectives to useless and myopic!
Also, I am glad you acknowledged the antics of Chantel Kreviazuk. Her changing the lyrics was disgraceful. And one knock-off effect of her doing so is that it has seemingly distracted from the fact that (even setting that aside) it was a truly abominable performance by her – especially when contrasted with the terrific rendition of the Star Spangled Banner that immediately followed. So, while we are all still basking in Thursday night’s victory on the ice, I propose a fun cross-over event: is Chantel Kreviazuk now more properly considered to be the Chrystia Freeland or the Melanie Joly of female Canadian pop singers? Let’s dig in!
She sounded completely vacuous bordering on impaired; I think that’s more typical of Joly than Freeland although this definitely describes both of them at times. Her changing the lyrics in a totally cringe and mis-guided attempt to relate to the people (that blows up and serves only to distract from an otherwise abysmal performance) just screams Freeland. She is pretty good looking which is obviously Joly. Adding it all up, she strikes me as being slightly more Joly than Freeland. But YMMV as the kids say.
I agree, she is very much like foreign affairs Barbie.
Some of us remember Carney, while the governor of BOC, chastising industry for "hoarding" profits instead of spending them on what he deemed they should be spending them on, I think technology improvements. Todays I can understand why the industry did not want to misspend their profits into an investment environment increasingly strangled by red tape, and ignored Carney's barking. What I know about Carney today, including his fixation on "climate change fight" and related leftist "projects", and his assumption that he should be automatically accepted as PM - I will say he has them mentality that is the equivalent of a medieval Holy Inquisition fanatic. I do not want that snooty f......r anywhere near political power.
My issue with Carney was when he artificially lowered interest rates and kept them artificially low, encouraging Canadians to borrow beyond their means and spawning our housing crisis. Called it at the time, but nobody listens me 🤣
"to me" Sheesh
I am still trying to figure out what Carney means by a 'shadow carbon tax' as opposed to the carbon tax we have now. My best guess is he will be hiding the carbon tax in the 'shadows' of my already incomprehensible energy bill.
He means nothing good. From the information that seeps out it looks like he plans to use all kinds of creative accounting trickstery, something he is very familiar with, to create a pretty house of cards of Canada's finances that in reality will be even more shabby that what we the Trudeauist Liebranos inflicted on us already.
you asked about jobs that should invalidate future high political office holders? Governor General
And journalists.
There used to be a time (before Covid) when Media in this country used to be News makers. Nowadays they’ve become News Forwarders - take whatever Liberals (in other words Govts - including provincial govts) have to say at face value and run with it. There’s no introspection, no more in depth analysis, no more good investigative journalism, MSM is really not even bothered with crime anymore, there is no scrutiny anymore. This is what happens when the govt pays for your salary, you implicitly become a Govt lackey.
I was surprised Jen and Matt didn't talk about doubling CBC funding as per St. Onge.
it seems the CBC is definitely part of Team Trudeau/Carney.
Check out the differing tenor of the Rosemary Baron interviews with Freeland and Carney.
Barton Freeland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsq7avT-Nv4&pp=ygUhcm9zZW1hcnkgYmFydG9uIGNocnlzdGlhIGZyZWVsYW5k
Barton Carney https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHl2LSuZEgU&pp=ygUbcm9zZW1hcnkgYmFydG9uIG1hcmsgY2FybmV5)
Funniest video was Peter Mansbridge asking Chantal Hebert (Toronto Star and Rob Russo CBC news) if Mark Carney is getting a free ride.
Remember too how Andrew's Scheer's TWO passports was an issue with the left leaning media. I guess the problem was one too few not one two many :)
The media in Canada are part of a distinct social class, and they defend the interests of their social class first and foremost. Once you realize this, it all makes sense.
OMG, absolutely, but I would argue against your timeline. But so true.
I’m 65,BD 1959. Tail end of the Boomers. My 30 year old son thanked me for instilling in him a strong work ethic. I moved to AB in 1979. Tail end of a big boom here and we all saw dark clouds forming with the NEP. 3 more recessions and 3 booms later I retired. It was hard dealing with the younger generations as their foreman. If they weren’t staring at their phones,they were complaining about hurt feelings. “Im just here to get the job done,put food on my table and not hold your hand. Safety rules are here so I don’t have to call your family!” How someone is raised and where, does influence their thinking,attitudes and behaviours. I’ve been talked down to,dismissed and sneered at because I worked in the trades. I own my newly buil homet,2 new vehicles free and clear. 2 quads,2sleds,2 Harleys,a boat,a tractor ect. All ours,the wife and I worked long and hard. Full pensions,private companies. Took holidays with 3 kids in tow,camping,driving,flying across Canada. Weddings,Anniversaries! Our grown up kids don’t sit at the dinner table staring at their phones. We actually talk,smile and shout
A life well worked and well lived, thank you for sharing. And you did a great job on your kids. I am glad to know other people like you.
People are calling that game Canada’s greatest defeat of a Russian team since 1972… 😏
Interesting podcast.
What caught my attention was Jen saying that she could see Carney as a good/okay leader. I am pretty sure that this is a generational thing, but once someone lies, they have lost all value for me. Carney came out of the gate lying and has continued to do so, sometimes outright, and other times more obfuscating than outright lying.
I have noticed that the world has changed to where lying is not a big deal anymore. I certainly am the last person who wants to go back to the good old days – my good old days meant no electricity, no running water and going outside in an Alberta winter to use the outhouse. There were no dinosaurs in my era and I was able to live without them. So, change is constant and best lived with, without fighting it.
My votes depend on honesty as my first personality meter. An interesting poll would be to ask the question on what would make each generation vote or not vote someone into power.
On Carney, this time Jen is simply very very wrong. I do not see him as a good/OK political leader under any circumstances. He has a very visible track record that is mostly destructive for heavens sake. His intuition for what is really important in these times is non-existent. Like you and for the same reasons I see Carnage Carney as a megashyster. He will bring nothing good and I hope he crashes out.
Ken and Matt both stated Carney would of been okay in the 80's and 90's....why would they want to have cursed us who lived through those times with Carney...people are falling for his CV, including it appears Jen and Matt.... Carney is a shyster, even Jen stated his border adjustment tax as folly. Carney's wife is a social justice warrior and works with Butt's in advising clients on investing in energy transition... One would be naive to think his wife would not have influence on him... As Carrie Johnson had with Boris
I suspect you and I are of similar generations, Carole. My question follows yours: What would make each generation vote? In 1958 (Kingston Trio/Tom Dooley/#1) the voter turnout was 79%. Last federal election (2021)...62%
That is another good question. At the moment, I suspect that voter turn out is so low because so many people have tuned out. Tom Dooley - that is a song I haven't heard for a long, long time.
Grade 11 for me.
7th generation Canadian here. This latest one is the first to have not one serving in the military. Why? Well, no reason to. The only claim to a shared national identity that has any merit to protect and defend is 'Not American'. Or some bizarre interest in fighting fires, working in long term care homes, or passing sand bags. How very stirring.
Over the recent holidays, I engaged the latest family generation (and by far the smallest) about what this idea of patriotism means and if it matters to them? The consensus for those under the age of 35 was that this meant we Canadians like red and white but, unlike Americans, draw the line at adding blue. In other words, completely clueless. They were already Americans - economically, culturally, technologically, and even socially - in all but name. The more successful ones already worked for large US firms globally. So, a difference really without a meaningful distinction. But enough to create a facsimile of (a very shallow) patriotism caused by (as always and only in response to) America. That's the depth of patriotism from which we are to draw motivation for unity to wage the current fight against the US which, to me, is simply insufficient to (re)build an independent nation. I would dearly love to be wrong.
Our economic lifeblood is north south and not east west. This is the brute fact. Can we as Canadians stay united and shoulder the costs and burdens to undergo this radical transformation under the banner of 'patriotism' necessary to survive as a united political entity without some province deciding to end confederation in the name of self preservation for its constituents? All it takes is one - and for compelling local reasons - and the east-west dream is over.
This east-west nation building - the definition of what 'not American' means - has been systemically undermined, discredited, and dismantled by every national and provincial institution elected and self appointed (actions, policies, and laws now conveniently put aside by those same folk who profited from doing so) in order for the chattering classes to call forth some kind of national 'patriotism' and insist all of us must now suffer very real and lasting economic hardships to make this dream real again, AND demand everyone must not just defend the country on this Don Quixote plan but build it anew. Get the bank card ready.
I don't think my deep scepticism is out of place nor casts me and my family as an unpatriotic villains if we think joining the US - which we've already done in all but name - is the only reasonable path forward because it's going to happen anyway. I could be wrong but, if so, what am I missing here?
I share your deep scepticism
I don't believe that Canada will continue to function as a country in the near future. Our constitution does not include an 'equal opportunity clause' for each province. Our federal government, to stay in power, has to court Quebec and the eastern provinces. The west, if Canada is to exist, will continue to be the wedge issue.
Now is the time to politely break up this country. Winning one hockey game just isn't enough.
But, damn, that was a great hockey game - says an Edmonton Oiler fan from the WHA era.
Nature always finds a way, and the lines the tie North America flow north-south. That doesn't mean Canada needs to fall apart, but socially, economically, etc. the connections have always been and will continue to be north-south. Even the mountains go north-south in North America.
As a thought exercise, but one I highly doubt would ever be contemplated by Canadian polite society, what would Canada look like if Quebec voted yes in 1995? Was Canada begging Quebec to vote no in hindsight a mistake? I don't know.
Thanks to the man who set up both the tying and winning goals last night, #16 Mitch Marner!
Didn't Michael Ignatieff descend to the Liberal crown in much the same way that Carney seems to be doing with the European connections and wealth etc? I hope the Libs have the same result with Mark....
Remember the “just visiting” conservative ads? They will be dusting them off for the upcoming campaign. 😆
Well, they were absolutely true. Iggy did indeed leave Canada right after losing.
We've already spent billions over the decades on HST studies. The route is essentially chosen although getting in and out of Toronto and Montreal needs to be imposed on Metrolinx and CN under the threat of a significant increase in regulatory oversight. We're way past talking about it. Grading, grade separation, and bridge building could start this spring. All it takes is leadership.
VIA is toast. The "super new" equipment they bought from Siemens has an availability rate of around 50% instead of 95% where it should be. Whether it's the equipment, or VIA's inability to maintain it is still a question. VIA's management is beyond incompetent, as yet another Toronto Windsor train ran out of fuel this week and had to be rescued by CN. I won't be shocked if Pierre kills it once and for all and tells the provinces they can provide whatever services they want. The Canadian can be taken up by Rockt Mountain railtours as a tourist experience if they so desire.
But an HST would be far faster door-to-door in the triangle than flying. And we would have done something. Trudeau announcing it is a confirmation of what a selfish douchebag he really is. A lame duck dumping a $50+ billion project on his follower after he has quit is beyond selfish and pathetic.
While credit is due to Nova Scotia for their proposed reciprocal recognition legislation, let us not forget that it was Alberta that first took serious steps in recent years to harmonize regulation with other Canadian jurisdictions. The Governments of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan came together in April 2010 to create the New West Partnership. Manitoba joined the New West Partnership in November 2016. For more information: http://www.newwestpartnershiptrade.ca/ . And, beyond that, the government of Alberta unilaterally dropped half of its exemptions from the Canada Free Trade Agreement in 2019 (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/kenney-free-trade-exceptions-1.5207600) . So, I think Alberta should also be getting some "Line Credit" !