RUPERTKBD Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 Came across this story on MSN and it's very disturbing: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/canada-betrays-its-own-citizens-hassan-diabs-case-is-among-its-most-egregious-neil-macdonald/ar-BBNlYVl?li=AAggNb9 Quote I don't know professor Hassan Diab, the Canadian citizen packed off to a French prison in 2014 by Canadian authorities on what French investigative judges ultimately decided were unfounded terrorism accusations. But I do know this: I don't trust my government. I don't trust Canadian police, and I don't trust our prosecutors. Sorry. They are quite capable of traducing me, or any other citizen of this country, in order to please a foreign power. I say this not as a right-wing militia member or conspiracy theorist. I say it as a journalist with 42 years on the job. I have seen what our legal system is capable of doing to an ordinary citizen, and it is frightening. If you don't believe that, well, let's just hope you never have your unshakeable patriotic faith tested. Diab is a Lebanese-born Canadian academic with no public history of anti-Jewish animus who was abruptly arrested a decade ago by the RCMP on behalf of the French, who accused him of a 1980 synagogue bombing in Paris. The evidence was lousy. A senior Canadian judge presiding over the extradition hearing rather presciently described the case as: "weak," "very convoluted," "confusing," with "conclusions that are suspect" and unlikely to lead to a conviction. Nonetheless, the judge said, the law compelled him to extradite. Higher Canadian courts subsequently agreed. Diab eventually spent 38 precious months of his life locked up alongside France's most violent convicted criminals, as one French judge after another criticized the evidence, before finally dropping the case and freeing the professor, who is now back in Ottawa. (One judge, after a visit to Lebanon, concluded Diab wasn't even in France at the time of the bombing. Diab was in fact never formally charged, but held under something called a mise en examen). As Rob (and others) have pointed out, as bad as things are south of the border, we as Canadians, have several things that we need to clean up as well.... I know 2014 is pre-Trudeau, however, this isn't meant as an indictment on any particular government. I'm just saying that as a country, we need to take a long, hard look at our legal system. This should never have happened and as far as I can tell, there's nothing to stop it from happening again. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gurn Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 On 2018-09-12 at 3:53 PM, TheAce said: There would be an extra 10 pages in the Trump thread right now calling for impeachment but when its one of your own ( liberal, leftist ) then its quickly dismissed or ignored. . . Please show where this is being ignored or dismissed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gurn Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 Almost all new governments get a so called "honeymoon" period. Trudeau's government is now past that time. The mistakes will start to pile up and count. For me the first big mistake was reneging on the electoral reform promise. another biggie is the whole pipeline fiasco. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Say what you will about the Liberals, or any party, for that matter....this kind of thing irks me: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/parliamenthill/mp-leona-alleslev-leaves-liberal-caucus-crosses-floor-to-conservatives/ar-BBNtcOp?li=AAggNb9&ocid=sf Quote Ontario MP Leona Alleslev has left the Liberal caucus to sit with the federal Conservatives. Alleslev made the dramatic announcement in the House of Commons Monday, the first sitting of Parliament since June. The MP from Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill MP, first elected in 2015, was then embraced by applauding Tory MPs. Tory Leader Andrew Scheer has announced that Alleslev, a retired captain with the Royal Canadian Air Force and former senior manager in the Department of National Defence, will serve as his shadow cabinet secretary for global security. We all have to follow our conscience Leona, but the fact is, the people who voted you into office did not vote for a Conservative MP... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift-4 Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 (edited) 21 minutes ago, RUPERTKBD said: Say what you will about the Liberals, or any party, for that matter....this kind of thing irks me: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/parliamenthill/mp-leona-alleslev-leaves-liberal-caucus-crosses-floor-to-conservatives/ar-BBNtcOp?li=AAggNb9&ocid=sf We all have to follow our conscience Leona, but the fact is, the people who voted you into office did not vote for a Conservative MP... Not a fan of floor crossers either. I wonder if she will pay in the next election Edit: Maybe she should have just started her own party too Edited September 17, 2018 by Shift-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 14 minutes ago, Shift-4 said: Not a fan of floor crossers either. I wonder if she will pay in the next election Edit: Maybe she should have just started her own party too Personally, I think a changing of party affiliation by a sitting MP should automatically trigger a by-election.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift-4 Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 36 minutes ago, RUPERTKBD said: Personally, I think a changing of party affiliation by a sitting MP should automatically trigger a by-election.... Exactly. I could live with sitting as an independent. But not changing parties. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gurn Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 54 minutes ago, RUPERTKBD said: Personally, I think a changing of party affiliation by a sitting MP should automatically trigger a by-election.... This guy thinks it is ok to walk across the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Strome Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 (edited) 9 hours ago, RUPERTKBD said: Say what you will about the Liberals, or any party, for that matter....this kind of thing irks me: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/parliamenthill/mp-leona-alleslev-leaves-liberal-caucus-crosses-floor-to-conservatives/ar-BBNtcOp?li=AAggNb9&ocid=sf We all have to follow our conscience Leona, but the fact is, the people who voted you into office did not vote for a Conservative MP... Absolutely hate floor crossing. Both parties complain about It but they welcome the floor crosser with open arms. Hypocrites, all of them. What's the strangest about this though is it's kinda unusual to leave the government and join the opposition. 8 hours ago, Shift-4 said: Not a fan of floor crossers either. I wonder if she will pay in the next election Edit: Maybe she should have just started her own party too I doubt she pays in the next election although she should. The provincial riding in the area overwhelmingly voted PC and she didn't win by much in 2015. 8 hours ago, RUPERTKBD said: Personally, I think a changing of party affiliation by a sitting MP should automatically trigger a by-election.... Totally agree. That being said it's also a waste of money. Maybe they should sit as an independent until the next general election. Edited September 18, 2018 by Ryan Strome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingofsurrey Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 19 minutes ago, Ryan Strome said: I doubt she pays in the next election although she should. The provincial riding in the area overwhelmingly voted PC and she didn't win by much in 2015. Maybe she is just playing politics and setting herself up to win the next election in the riding.... now as PC. Politicians in Canada have zero credibility and just seem to be in for the money/perks/pension 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Strome Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 56 minutes ago, kingofsurrey said: Maybe she is just playing politics and setting herself up to win the next election in the riding.... now as PC. Politicians in Canada have zero credibility and just seem to be in for the money/perks/pension That's exactly what she is doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_Zepp Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 On 9/16/2018 at 11:23 AM, gurn said: Almost all new governments get a so called "honeymoon" period. Trudeau's government is now past that time. The mistakes will start to pile up and count. For me the first big mistake was reneging on the electoral reform promise. another biggie is the whole pipeline fiasco. Been hearing more and more stuff here in press and chats in Europe about this. Seems others starting to report on it there too. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/kelly-mcparland-has-the-world-grown-tired-of-canadas-super-prime-minister Kelly McParland: Has the world grown tired of Canada's super prime minister? Trudeau’s image is a major concern for the government. The Liberals won in 2015 mainly on the strength of his popularity, which in turn drew greatly on his looks and likability What happened when Justin Trudeau was heckled in Quebec4:27 Kelly McParland September 24, 2018 11:22 AM EDT Andrew Coyne: Debate over immigration in Canada veers onto dangerous ground Failure to launch: Inside Julie Payette's turbulent first year as Governor General Cdn officials keeping diplomatic talks with Saudi going, but no resolution yet Bloomberg News, reporting Friday on Ottawa’s efforts to resolve its dispute with Saudi Arabia, noted in passing: “The spat is the latest sign of global weariness with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has a habit of virtue-signalling abroad.” It was a notable remark, mentioned without supporting evidence, as if everyone already knew that Canada’s prime minister was a bit of a scold. Could it be true? The same prime minister who burst onto the international stage just three years ago with his rock-star good looks, gaggles of giggling selfie-seekers and fawning, cover-of-the-Rolling Stone magazine treatment? RELATED STORIES: Trump drains oxygen from Trudeau foreign policy with PM, Freeland bound for UN UN pays tribute to Nelson Mandela; follow Madiba's example, Trudeau urges Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hosts Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez in Montreal Just 36 months later, it appears, he’s become something of an annoyance. “Why can’t he be our President?” has become “Will you please stop nagging?” According to Bloomberg, the effort to smooth relations with the Saudis could take place at the United Nations this week, with Canada suggesting talks between respective foreign ministers. For Canada, that would be Chrystia Freeland, as if she doesn’t have enough on her hands with the prolonged, ever-contentious negotiations on NAFTA, which, we’re told, may now extend into October to avoid Ottawa doing a deal affecting the dairy industry until after the Quebec election. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shows off his costume as Clark Kent, alter ego of comic book superhero Superman, as he walks through the House of Commons, in Ottawa on Tuesday, October 31, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Freeland helped precipitate the Riyadh problem with one of Canada’s patented finger-waving statements, chastising it for a substandard human rights record. This is such a commonplace practice with Ottawa that Freeland was caught off guard when the Saudis, now under the direction of Mohammad bin Salman — at 33 their own ambitious young princeling — took serious offence. The blowback, including a freeze on investments and a lecture for the Liberals on their impudence, was enough to rattle diplomats and inspire the effort to quietly settle the affair. Canadians love it when the rest of the world takes notice of us, especially if it’s with a tinge of envy. But it doesn’t go over so well when the attention is less positive, and Trudeau has racked up an unimpressive record of fumbles that has evidently begun to outweigh the admiration of the selfie crowd. Embarrassments in China, Vietnam, India; grandstanding in New York and Paris; the ill-received treatment of Donald Trump at a Group of Seven summit, after which the thin-skinned president tweeted about Canada’s “meek and mild” PM being “very dishonest & weak.” Not that Trump doesn’t richly deserve any opposition he gets, but Trudeau has noticeably let Freeland bear most of the U.S. flak of late. With an election just a year away, Trudeau’s image is a major concern for the government. The Liberals won in 2015 mainly on the strength of his popularity, which in turn drew greatly on his looks and likability. His personal standing with voters thus becomes even more crucial as Liberals head into the 2019 campaign with a domestic agenda tattered by serious holes — no reconciliation headway, no electoral revamp, no pipeline, no balanced budget — and a record on the international front with little to brag about. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau poses for a selfie with a woman at a Canada Day barbecue in Dawson City, Yukon, on Sunday, July 1, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck The question is whether a government that sees itself as a beacon for proper behaviour can contain itself when it comes to the urge to display its elevated values. While arrangements were being discussed with the Saudis, one of Trudeau’s most enthusiastic proselytizers was in Halifax presiding over the launch of yet another project with major feel-good potential. “We’re going to eliminate unnecessary single-use plastics throughout government operations,” announced Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, adding that the purge would include “straws, cutlery, packaging, cups, bottles.” So visiting diplomats, making the rounds of departmental offices in the capital, can be safe in knowing there will be no plastic forks or knives on the table, and water will presumably be straight from the tap. When Trudeau informed worthies at an earlier UN gathering, “We’re Canadian, and we’re here to help,” perhaps this is what he had in mind, a government under which only proper tableware will be tolerated. While U.S. airports advise travellers to keep their handguns out of the security zone, Canada’s may soon feature signs depicting a paper straw inside a red circle, with a line through it. Please remove your shoes and belts before passing through the scanner, and hand any coffee cups to the fierce-looking guard with the taser. One wonders whether the plastic-free directive will apply to refugee claimants as they hurry illegally across the border into Quebec, or whether possession of plastic will be another issue for officials to consider when deciding whether to grant asylum. Justin Trudeau cautions Canadians to be wary about toking before they travel What happened when Justin Trudeau was heckled in Quebec Chris Selley: Before Justin Trudeau cries ‘intolerance,’ he needs to look in the mirror There is no question that the proliferation of plastic waste is a scourge that the world would do well to get rid of. Canada has been pushing an “oceans plastics charter,” which five of the G7 countries politely signed on to in June (Japan and the U.S. being the significant others), and which McKenna continued to promote in Halifax. In truth, the Liberals may be on to something here, given the eagerness with which globe-cleansing initiatives are seized on by Twitteraties and large crowds of social media environmental evangelicals. The Liberals may hope a sudden boost in followers on the official Twitter feed will help to revive Trudeau’s reputation. But on a more serious level, the Trudeau people seem oddly disconnected. While major issues go unresolved, the government beats on, boats against the current, with an agenda of Metis self-government and National Reconciliation Day, an anti-straw crusade and a lengthening list of apologies. They seem even to have muddled the selection of their can’t-miss astronaut governor general. Trudeau has the winter and spring to show he can wear big-boy pants with his colourful socks. No doubt his caucus hopes he hops to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBH1926 Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 Meanwhile in Ontario. https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/09/24/doug-ford-refuses-to-denounce-white-nationalist-he-posed-with-at-bbq_a_23540529/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift-4 Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/trudeaus-luck-1.4836956 Quote OPINION Luck is nearly impossible to beat, and Justin Trudeau's has no end: Neil Macdonald Who could ask for a more politically convenient American president? Or a more convenient Ontario premier? Neil Macdonald · CBC News · Posted: Sep 25, 2018 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 9 hours ago My guess is that Trudeau spent his summer vacation up on the roof of Rideau Cottage with his wife, staring at the night sky, watching the stars align perfectly. (Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press) 2005 comments Because we need a horse race, (and because we are so deeply in love with clichés), news organizations have been pushing the idea that the bloom is off the Trudeau rose, which of course is doubly clever, given that flower's famous place on the lapel of our prime minister's father. The corollary is obvious: that the next election, which is one year away, will be competitive and exciting, and that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might just be a one-term wonder. Well, competitive would be satisfying. Trudeau's treacly moralizing is tiresome, and so is the smilingly vapid message track his ministers unswervingly follow. I've covered Canadian politics off and on since 1979, and I've never seen such centrally co-ordinated emptiness. That said, my guess is that Trudeau spent his summer vacation up on the roof of Rideau Cottage with his wife, staring at the night sky, watching the stars align perfectly. Trudeau's political ascent His luck is almost unbelievable. Born into money, and an unmatchably famous name. Vaulted into serious leadership contention by a few rounds of boxing against a Conservative opponent who looked fearsome, but deflated in the ring on live TV. Then vaulted into power three years ago by a dislikable Conservative prime minister who didn't know when to quit (yes, there was more to it than that; Trudeau did sound fresh and optimistic, but only when set against Stephen Harper's starchy sourness and control-freak secrecy). And the luck has held. That mawkish costume tour of India earlier this year, with the embarrassing namaste photo ops, could have been a killer. Almost certainly, the footage was curated by Conservatives for use in 2019 campaign ads. But then along came U.S President Donald Trump in the spring, with his tariffs and bullying and anti-Canada tweets. What prime minister could ask for a more politically convenient American president? Along came U.S President Donald Trump in the spring, with his tariffs and bullying and anti-Canada tweets, interrupting the bad press about Trudeau's India trip. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) Or, for that matter, a more convenient Ontario premier? Just a year ago, Trudeau was stitched in the public mind to Premier Kathleen Wynne, the deeply despised Ontario Liberal leader. Now, though, Ontario is led by a conservative – a guy who claims to have his own "nation," and who is, let's face it, hard not to compare to Trump. And at the federal level, instead of electing a woman who could have turned Trudeau's identity-politics logic against him in 2019, the Conservatives chose an unprepossessing fellow who wouldn't have been out of place in those all-male, all-white group shots of politicians in the '60s. It would have been interesting to watch someone as sharp and accomplished as Conservative MP Lisa Raitt, for example, lead the party against Trudeau, despite her weak command of French. Or Rona Ambrose. It's a safe bet Trudeau is happier facing Andrew Scheer. The NDP did manage to out-Trudeau the Liberals on diversity, but managed at the same time to pick a somewhat hapless character whose rhetoric is even more vaporous than Trudeau's, who has managed to remain relatively unknown since his election, whose fundraising prowess is weak, and who, as leader, has proven so good at dividing his own party that Liberal strategists talk privately to columnists about the need to let him win the seat he's finally decided to contest in British Columbia. The NDP has yet to position itself as much of a contender in 2019. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press) So, then, what will the 2019 election be about? "I really don't know anymore," says David Herle, a Liberal strategist who ran Wynne's campaign, and who doesn't expect to be on Trudeau's next year. On policy, there's no major difference among the parties. The old conservative sermon about deficit spending goes nowhere with the public nowadays, or even with conservatives, given Republicans' enthusiasm for piling up staggering debt during an economic boom. Promising to combat "birth tourism," as the Tories resolved to do at their convention in August, is hardly going to carry the day. So Scheer, who wiped his own leadership policy platform off the internet after he won, seems mostly to be making the next election about replacing Trudeau. Which is hard to see as a winning message, at least east of Alberta. Arguing that electing Conservatives will mean "it's time for grown-ups to be in charge again," as Scheer does, will be difficult with Doug Ford in charge at Queen's Park. Further, by Conservative standards, Scheer himself has barely entered adulthood. He's 39, seven years younger than Trudeau, and was in the Speaker's chair rather than in cabinet during Harper's governments, meaning that his expertise is in moderating debate. Liberal weaknesses Still, professionals like Herle are trained to identify weaknesses, and he names two for his party: the carbon tax and white male grievance. "Pricing carbon," as Liberals like to call it, is a signature Trudeau priority; he has promised to impose the policy in any province that refuses to. But taxing carbon has not significantly changed the energy consumption habits Trudeau seeks to dampen. Which makes it just another tax. Ford ran against it (as will United Conservative Party leader Jason Kenney), and is clearly licking his chops in anticipation of taking on Trudeau. "I don't envy Trudeau having that fight in Ontario," says Herle. "The carbon tax will be show time." And, says Herle, Scheer inveighs against "the forces of political correctness" for a reason. During the Ontario election, he says, there were two major leaders' debates. NDP leader Andrea Horwath, he says, won the first one, and Wynne did well in the second. And yet, Herle's polling indicated Ford's popularity rising among male voters immediately after both debates, even in urban areas. "Men," says Herle, "are feeling threatened." And male voters who feel threatened don't welcome constant lectures about diversity for the sake of diversity, especially coming from a well-born white male prime minister. Still, says Herle, Trudeau has Quebec, where "no anglophone-led [national] party has ever beaten a francophone-led party." And let's not forget: Trudeau can probably count on Maxime Bernier's political revolt to split off at least some conservative votes, especially in Bernier's home province, where he enjoys tremendous name recognition. That's called luck. Jean Chretien had it; Paul Martin didn't. Pierre Trudeau did, and so does his son. Like him or not, can't argue with this premise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_Zepp Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 1 hour ago, Rob_Zepp said: I love it when the CPC has to resort to gags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_Zepp Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 3 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said: I love it when the CPC has to resort to gags. Me too as Trudeau's government is making it so easy with slow pitches across the plate. Next it will be the deficit. Canada has sure lost it lustre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Strome Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 5 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said: I love it when the CPC has to resort to gags. Just seen a poll (Toronto star) I think that said if an election were held now it would be a cpc majority. I guess the JT supporters were to stoned to take part in the poll. Just now, Rob_Zepp said: Me too as Trudeau's government is making it so easy with slow pitches across the plate. Next it will be the deficit. Canada has sure lost it lustre. The defecit certainly is a concern. I still think Canada is the greatest Country in the world but I do not like the direction of JT and the Liberals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 1 minute ago, Ryan Strome said: Just seen a poll (Toronto star) I think that said if an election were held now it would be a cpc majority. I guess the JT supporters were to stoned to take part in the poll. The defecit certainly is a concern. I still think Canada is the greatest Country in the world but I do not like the direction of JT and the Liberals. Nanos just did one saying the Libs are beating the CPC by 10 points who knows, its a long time yet. Its funny to watch Ford and his gang scrambling to deal with Trudeau's carbon rebate plan. I guess they forgot the feds can always write a cheque. Apparently they are now sufficiently motivated to come up with a new Ontario plan in a month. Listening to As It Happens last night it was pretty telling that Fords crony didn't really have any responses to the reporter - it starts at 3:45 if you want to hear it: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1351358531765). The sticking to conservative talking points was epic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Strome Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 1 hour ago, Jimmy McGill said: Nanos just did one saying the Libs are beating the CPC by 10 points who knows, its a long time yet. Its funny to watch Ford and his gang scrambling to deal with Trudeau's carbon rebate plan. I guess they forgot the feds can always write a cheque. Apparently they are now sufficiently motivated to come up with a new Ontario plan in a month. Listening to As It Happens last night it was pretty telling that Fords crony didn't really have any responses to the reporter - it starts at 3:45 if you want to hear it: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1351358531765). The sticking to conservative talking points was epic. I think this was in the liberal play book all a long and they will wait for the right timing to cut the cheques. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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