Canadian Politics II: The Polite War

[Demonblade]

Do you expect anything else? This government is going to do anything it can to try and divert any attention away from this whole Senate/PMO thing. It's a tad reactionary of Trudeau to say that he would pay the money back, and all of the money back if need be. What he should do is simply dismiss this as yet another Harper take-down job, and send it right back to Harper and the mess that he's currently in. This guy is a lightweight, and if Harper keeps on making Trudeau react to his moves, enough people may sour on the populist with the pretty haircut in the next election. Trouble for Harper is that those votes are not likely to head his way next time, unless something really bad about Mulclair comes out between now and a little over a year from now.

[Aemon Stark]

Mulcair's a pretty known quantity. He's been in politics for almost 20 years.

[Fragile Bird]

Mulcair is really only well known in Quebec, not the rest of the country. I don't think he has been able to raise his profile a lot, he doesn't get the attention Jack Layton did.

[snake]

Even trade negotiations are top secret these days in Canada. As is pointed out in the article, it is understandable that the negotiations are secret but I think the public should be aware of just what it is they are negotiating.

Is it going to be that eventually everything government does is secret?? lol

[Demonblade]

This whole flood thing in Calgary is truly bizarre. I mean, oil-rich Calgary, which just happens to be the PM's hometown, has been afflicted with a freak, uncommon weather system which has created some devastating floods, forcing thousands from their homes. Apparently the first to get flooded out were the higher-end homes by the rivers, and now I read that as many as 75,000 have to flee their homes.

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...high-water.html

At least 75,000 Calgarians have been forced out of their homes and large areas of the city's downtown core were set to be evacuated Thursday afternoon as Albertans faced more rain on Friday.

Four people may have died as a result of the flooding in High River, Alta., according to RCMP.

It's too bad that those poor folks died, because otherwise, this is a case of schadenfreude if there ever was one. I just read today that my home province has recently admitted that they will not be able to reach Kyoto standards wrt emissions. Not that it really matters, because Canada has bowed out of it anyway. With all this violent, unpredictable weather we're getting these days all over the world because of global climate change, it seems fitting that such an ardent reminder of the repercussions of global climate change happens to hit the epicentre of those who fought most against even acknowledging its existence, let alone doing anything about it.

[Sis Who Swears]

Hmmm.

You really think the average Albertan deserves this? I know that *I* personally have little to no control over what my gov't does.

Yes, the oil and gas industry is huge here, but it's not like it's not wanted and needed throughout the world. Maybe everyone else should stop needing it first? If there's no one to buy it, we will have to move on... ha.

Yes, I agree global warming is a scary problem, one that keeps me awake at nights.

Yes, there are huge environmental concerns going on but really, this is pretty harsh. The people suffering here do not deserve this attitude.

Bad timing dude.

[Demonblade]

No, they don't deserve this, and I agree that it is a pretty callous thing to say, particularly as this is presently happening. But I come from a place where we were intentionally and callously flooded out in order to make way for not one, but three dams, and two more if MB Hydro gets its way. We have both provincial and federal government departments here complicit with consulting companies in manipulating First Nations Chiefs and their Councillors to agree to these monster projects, all the while not listening to the people who live there and use the land. My apologies for the callousness of pointing it out so soon, but it was the first thing that I thought of.

[Sis Who Swears]

I totally get that, and the incongruity was not lost on me either. Shit needs to change. Maybe this will open some eyes.

However, thanks for clarifying, I have friends and family directly affected by this and I'm a little edgy and defensive. :)

[Monday]

It's scary. Half my neighborhood is evacuated and my power is out. The damage in Alberta is staggering. Insurance doesn't cover this shit. I'm far enough up on a ridge that my house will almost certainly be ok and to the best of my knowledge none of the Calgary borders live in the hardest hit neighborhoods, not the ones who go to the BWB meets, anyhow, afaik.

I wouldn't doubt that this was climate change related, but try to suppress the schadenfreude for a day or two. You know, until the people with cancer can return their hospice and everyone who is stranded gets rescued. Stuff like that.

Anyhow on a positive note, I am blown away at the fantastic job the police, city reps, emergency response people, and pretty much EVERYONE is doing. There are more volunteers than they know what to do with. People are falling over themselves trying to help and offering up spare rooms and food. The information is out so quickly. The Calgary Police, the city, and mayor Nenshi's social media presence on this has been amazing. We always know just what is going on in real time. This happened so fast, out of nowhere it seemed, but it had the potential to be much much worse in terms of lost lives if not for the efficiency and quick communication.

[Sis Who Swears]

Agreed. This has been handled amazingly well. By everyone it seems. For something that came out of the blue I can't believe how organised it the response has been. Thanks for chiming in Monday, and stay safe and dry. :grouphug:

[Monday]

Agreed. This has been handled amazingly well. By everyone it seems. For something that came out of the blue I can't believe how organised it the response has been. Thanks for chiming in Monday, and stay safe and dry. :grouphug:

Will do. Sun is out now :)

[Sis Who Swears]

Yay for sun! :cheers: :smoking:

[Salome the Persian Witch]

Thanks Demonblade.

I've got friends and loved ones who are being evacuated, and who are emergency workers hoping to keep the deaths and medical emergencies down to a minimum. Over 100,000 in Calgary have been evacuated, and we're currently expecting 4 more days of rain.

Glad you feel your schadenfreude. Enjoy it.

(And the damn part of it is - I have an earth based spirituality and recognize there are consequences to a lack of respect. But as my friends and family are losing their homes and hoping to keep their loved ones alive, there are other levels of lack of respect and compassion that are interwoven into that spiritual practice).

[Fragile Bird]

And speaking of the PMO and anything they can do to divert attention from government scandals, I see all the Hill protest over Trudeau and his speaking fees was organized and attended by Conservative interns and staff members: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/25/trudeau-protest-conservative-interns-pmo_n_3492852.html?utm_hp_ref=canada

The Huffington Post Canada’s media requests to other agencies inquiring about the Trudeau protest also made it back to the PMO, which has been badly shaken by a Senate expense scandal that claimed former chief of staff Nigel Wright.

HuffPost has learned the PMO assembled several Conservative party interns and staff to draw up signs mocking Trudeau after being tipped off by Twitter that the Liberal leader planned to announce new measures to increase transparency in the House of Commons outside Parliament near the Centennial Flame. Holding signs quoting Tory attack ads, the young Conservatives stood behind Trudeau’s podium during his televised speech.

Liberal party researchers and journalists identified several participants in the demonstration — among them Maddy Stieva, Carl-Olivier Rouleau, Stav Nitka, Nick Young, James Mitchell and Grant Dingwall. None returned messages requesting comment.

Train 'em right from the start, eh?

I also noticed in several news stories the report that members of the PMO contacted reporters with the speaking fees story and specifically requested to be called "unnamed sources", which is the usual way the Conservatives have leaked dirt on other parties, but this time at least the news stories are revealing the source.

[Demonblade]

Thanks Demonblade.

I've got friends and loved ones who are being evacuated, and who are emergency workers hoping to keep the deaths and medical emergencies down to a minimum. Over 100,000 in Calgary have been evacuated, and we're currently expecting 4 more days of rain.

Glad you feel your schadenfreude. Enjoy it.

(And the damn part of it is - I have an earth based spirituality and recognize there are consequences to a lack of respect. But as my friends and family are losing their homes and hoping to keep their loved ones alive, there are other levels of lack of respect and compassion that are interwoven into that spiritual practice).

My apologies for having a different perspective of things than you. It's nice to have a lived experience such as yours where the government has not done such things to you or your parents and family like forced relocation due to dam construction, or send little six year olds off to residential schools for 10 months out of the year. It's pretty sweet that you have your own sense of spirituality to cling to, particularly when thinking about these terrible consequences that are sure to befall me for pointing something out that you didn't like. :rolleyes: You'll note that I had already apologized for my lack of sensitivity.

But since you brought it up again, yeah I kinda do feel a little schadenfreude. In a roundabout way, Big Oil got bitchslapped by nature last week. In the PM's hometown, no less. I know for a fact that I am not the only person who thought this, but I suppose I'll be the one to bear the consequences for saying it, I suppose. Amirite?

[Shryke]

No, I don't think I've seen anyone else happy that Calgary is flooded. You might be alone on this.

[Demonblade]

Well since you said it, it must be true then. :crying:

[Serious Callers Only]

There are no innocents on climate change. Enjoy the ride (if you're young enough anyway).

[Fragile Bird]

I see Harper's bad month is continuing, with Obama's speech today on environmental policy and the announcement that Keystone won't be approved unless it won't significantly exacerbate greenhouse gas emissions. So after years of Bush where the environment was ignored and Harper cheerfully following his lead, we now have a president who wants to be a world leader on environmental issues. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/25/obama-keystone-xl-emissions_n_3497807.html?utm_hp_ref=canada

I would think that the US could go either way - if they don't want to approve the pipeline, they just explain the oil sands produce a huge amount of green house gases.

[Demonblade]

I kinda saw that as Obama implicitly telling Harper what he needs to do in order for the US to get on board. Basically he is asking for Harper to come up with pretty projections that would, of course, show that emissions would be slim to none, leaving Obama an apparent champion of the environment. It's all about optics, and little else. This pipeline's getting built, no question.