5846 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

My #2 wins, with help from my #1.  I'm happy.  My $15 well-spent.

[DavidSchell]

When was the last time the Conservative party had a true francophone leader?  This will be very interesting.

was thinking the same thing.

[nerka]

Me too. I kick myself now for actually thinking that a person that did not speak French could be prime minister.

 

22% of Canadian citizens speak French. That means that 78% of Canadian are unqualified to be Prime Minister.

Canadians didn't like the candidate that couldn't speak English either (Stephane Dion). Seems like you actually need to have a good command of both language to be truly competitive.  Thank goodness that instruction in both languages is so widely available that nearly any motivated Canadian can learn both languages to support their prime ministerial ambitions.

 

Stephen Harper proved that motivated politicians can massively improve their second language skills over a reasonably short period of time.

[nerka]

Conservatives seem to like what Bernier is selling. Whether it appeals to Canadians in 2019 is an open question.

 

My suspicion is that one of the middle of the road candidates would fare better against JT. Or as Michael Chong puts it:

 

"Now, more than ever, it’s time for Conservatives to get serious about the choice they are making on May 27th.

I support Kevin O’Leary’s decision to drop out of the race. The Conservatives can't win with a leader who doesn’t speak French.

He created a lot of excitement and I thank him for his contribution to the race.

But now the choice is clearer than ever.

Conservatives are faced with Maxime Bernier’s plan that will eliminate the federal government from health care - Canadians most cherished social program - and cut government spending by more than one third (in contrast, the Harper government cut spending just under 7 per cent).

We will lose in 2019 if we run on that platform.

On the other hand, there is my plan. A plan that Canadians are responding to. Based on a poll by Nanos and with Kevin O'Leary out of the race, I am the most appealing leader to Canadian voters.

I have a plan to strengthen our economy, protect our environment and introduce democratic reform.

My plan includes some of the biggest income tax cuts in Canadian history - $18 billion a year put back in the pockets of Canadians.

I will address climate change and fund those tax cuts with a conservative plan to price carbon that passes all revenues back to Canadians with deep income tax cuts.

I am the only credible candidate on tax cuts. Maxime Bernier is proposing tax cuts, but he will fund them by cutting government spending by one-third. We have seen Conservatives try this before, most recently in the Ontario provincial election. There the provincial conservatives proposed massive spending cuts and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in an election they should have won.

Canadians will not accept a one-third cut to government programs. We will hand the election to Justin Trudeau’s Liberals if our party opts for Bernier’s plan.

While Bernier wants to eliminate supply management and other candidates are using great energy taking his bait, Canadians are not preoccupied with the price of milk. They are seriously concerned, however, with the price of housing.

I am the only candidate with a plan to lower the cost of housing. I will private CMHC’s mortgage insurance program – an intrusive government program that has the effect of keeping housing prices artificially high.

I will bring in real democratic reform by making parties more open and transparent. I will give power back to the grassroots to make their decisions on who represents them, rather than a cabal of insiders in Ottawa, and I will give power back to individual MPs to represent their constituents and not the party leader.

We will no longer be a closed club. I will make membership in our party free. Google, Facebook and Twitter have proven the power of free membership. We will catch up.

As you make your decision in the coming weeks, remember this. The Conservative Party doesn’t win when we get smaller, we win when we get bigger and appeal to more Canadians, regardless of origin, race, religion, creed or region of the country.

We don’t win if we don’t have a credible plan to address climate change and reduce emissions.

We can only implement the positive, conservative changes that will get our country back on track if we form government.

To form government, we need a credible leader with well thought out policy positions.

I am that leader."

[VicHockeyFan]

Max sent me a letter this morning:

 

VHF, Canada can’t wait.

 

In the next few weeks, we pick the leader to unite behind.

 

We choose who we put up against Justin Trudeau in 2019.

 

My campaign is based on the four key principles that I believe are the foundation of Western civilization.

 

Every single one of my policies is based on these principles.

 

Individual freedom.

 

Personal responsibility.

 

Fairness.

 

Respect.

 

Because of my platform, and because I am unafraid to stand up for Conservative principles, I know that I can defeat Justin Trudeau by winning more seats in every region of the country.

 

[VicHockeyFan]

Look, I know that 35,000 O'Leary supporters are now free to choose other candidates.  But who will they choose, other than Bernier?   And it's a mail-in ballot, it's not like they will just stay away from the polls.

[rjag]

Canadians didn't like the candidate that couldn't speak English either (Stephane Dion). Seems like you actually need to have a good command of both language to be truly competitive.  Thank goodness that instruction in both languages is so widely available that nearly any motivated Canadian can learn both languages to support their prime ministerial ambitions.

 

Stephen Harper proved that motivated politicians can massively improve their second language skills over a reasonably short period of time.

 

Not sure it was the language barrier with Dion, I think it was more about his limp wristed personality. Chretien transcended the language barrier and appealed to lots of folks because of his street-fighter personality. People want a leader that surrounds themselves with a strong team. JT hasnt done a bad job so far but he's been on an extended honeymoon. The Trump effect means this sh!t just got serious and he has to show he can manage it. Interesting times we live in. 

[johnk]

what a terrific analysis, you must be a great thinker

Indeed, I am. Have a nice day.

[jonny]

Honestly, I’m comfortable with Bernier, O’Toole, Scheer and Chong. In fact, that’s probably how my ballot will read.

 

The exciting thing about Trump is it may force us to change how the Feds govern. Things such as liberalizing trade with Europe and Asia, ending supply management, rewriting our crazy tax code and ending the embarrassment that is the current state of the Canadian armed forces would be very good things.

[VicHockeyFan]

Now us new Conservatives are getting e-mails from all the candidates.  I guess the new lists was shared.

[lanforod]

I'm sure the emails will drop off a lot in a month. Shrug. Can always unsubscribe from them. I've been filing them away for now, getting maybe 4 or 5 a day.

Got my ballots today.

[Wayne]

Greg, on 05 Nov 2015 - 11:15 PM, said:

 

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...ister-1.3304931

 

Seems good enough to me:

 

 - Sajjan is a combat veteran. He served one tour in Bosnia and was deployed three times to Afghanistan. 

 

 - "He was the best single Canadian intelligence asset in theatre, and his hard work, personal bravery, and dogged determination undoubtedly saved a multitude of coalition lives," said Brig.-Gen. David Fraser 

 

Remind me again what military experience Robert Nicholson and Jason Kenney had?

 

http://news.national...peration-medusa

 

Badass? Not now and not by real soldiers.

[jonny]

Voted 1. Bernier and 2. Chong

 

They are the only two guys who have enough new ideas and enough personality to grow the party and take on Trudeau in 2019. I did put Scheer and O'Toole as 3 & 4, but they are basically lukewarm reheated Harper leftovers.

 

If somebody other than Bernier and Chong wins, the party will be confined to that 30ish percent of the vote that votes Conservative no matter what. Here's hoping that doesn't happen.

[jonny]

http://news.national...peration-medusa

 

Badass? Not now and not by real soldiers.

 

Yeah, this whole Sajjan story is just bizarre, isn't it? Why would somebody make such a bold, easily disprovable lie more than once???

[AllseeingEye]

The galling part is that Sajjan did *not* make a 'mistake' - he willfully lied. There is a difference - and a big one; truly he dishonored those senior officers and other resources who actually planned Operation Medusa, not to mention the other brave men and woman who put their lives on the line to carry it out ....

[spanky123]

Yeah, this whole Sajjan story is just bizarre, isn't it? Why would somebody make such a bold, easily disprovable lie more than once???

 

Because he is a scumbag politician who thinks that his poop doesn't smell anymore. 

[jonny]

The galling part is that Sajjan did *not* make a 'mistake' - he willfully lied. There is a difference - and a big one; truly he dishonored those senior officers and other resources who actually planned Operation Medusa, not to mention the other brave men and woman who put their lives on the line to carry it out ....

The lie itself was just silly too. A Reserves Major planned a major offensive operation? Wouldn't that be a full time general or something?

[spanky123]

The lie itself was just silly too. A Reserves Major planned a major offensive operation? Wouldn't that be a full time general or something?

 

I think that he was a l colonel and his role in Afghanistan was as an interpreter and liaison with villagers as he spoke the language. I agree that he would hardly be the type to be planning anything let alone a major battle.

[AllseeingEye]

Technically as a I recall Sajjan rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and yeah was primarily considered an asset due to his language and interpretive skills; lets not forget though he also has his share of guts - he was deployed overseas four times including once to Bosnia, which was a real s*** show of an awful bloody conflict. He's no limp-wristed chicken that's for sure; OTOH its very hard to comprehend why he would publicly make such blatantly stupid statements - lies, in effect - taking the credit for something so easily fact-checked.

 

As to who draws up a plan like Medusa that depends on which armed service is involved and from which nation, as the process can and does differ from one national force to another.

 

Generally it would be detailed and initially architected by the combatant commanding officer, presumably with input from a variety of military and perhaps other intelligence resources, in response to actual or potential situations for which military operations may be required. The Americans call them OPLAN's, not sure what the CAF calls them.

 

Among the few published US OPLAN's is OPLAN 5027, the war-plan for a US-ROK response to an external attack on South Korea:

 

http://www.globalsec.../oplan-5027.htm

[Wayne]

spanky123, on 06 May 2017 - 1:22 PM, said:

I think that he was a l colonel and his role in Afghanistan was as an interpreter and liaison with villagers as he spoke the language. I agree that he would hardly be the type to be planning anything let alone a major battle.

He was a Major in 2006.  Work as a Intelligence Officer/Liaison Officer.

 

A saying in the Infantry goes "take the hint go Int". More or less for Officer that cant lead.