5846 replies to this topic

[jonny]

The Trump tarrifs are a disaster for America. American steel producers and steel fabricators jacked up prices overnight. Construction will slow down. No new mills will open. The economy will suffer.

Why don't we call tariffs what they really are? They're consumption taxes. A tax clouded under the shroud of national security.

[LJ]

It has been suggested that since Mr. Trump likes coal so much we put a huge tariff on all the coal coming out of the states and transitting to Roberts bank coal port. That would certainly get his attention. Unfortunately he would likely invade and take over the coal port, if not more, for national security.

[Mike K.]

The tariffs hopefully wake up Canadians to the realities of a GLOBAL marketplace and cement why we need to export our oil to Asia, why we need to refine our own oil (and not rely so heavily on the US to ship back refined products) and why we need to stop pretending we can compete in certain industries (like the C Series that taxpayers kept bailing out until Bombardier sold it to Europe).

The US doesn’t need our exports, but they take them because we heavily discount them or subsidize them in ways that American producers can’t, and ironically the lower our dollar is the likelier we are to secure that American business.

The realities of our trade are an embarrassment and hopefully Ottawa uses these tariffs to have an about face in lieu of the silly “we won’t be pushed around” nonsense.

[Wayne]

Said it before that with Freeland (and JT), Canada would be over matched in the NAFTA talks.

 

The governments Peter Pan approach has failed,"the situation is not helped by Lighthizer’s apparent enmity for Freeland that ironically stems from the much-touted Canadian charm offensive".

 

https://nationalpost...s#comments-area

[AndrewReeve]

Maxime Bernier just left the Conservative Party: http://www.maximeber...party_of_canada

 

He is saying he will be forming a new right-wing party ahead of the Fall sitting of the House of Commons. Given the fact that he placed 2nd in the CPC Leadership and still has a huge following, this new party could easily take off and split the right vote in 2019.

[Mike K.]

Oh brother...

[RFS]

Maxime Bernier just left the Conservative Party: http://www.maximeber...party_of_canada

 

He is saying he will be forming a new right-wing party ahead of the Fall sitting of the House of Commons. Given the fact that he placed 2nd in the CPC Leadership and still has a huge following, this new party could easily take off and split the right vote in 2019.

 

Yep, I'm watching the live stream.  I bet he can do OK, I could see him getting 50-60 seats out east and could have a bargaining chip for propping up minority conservative government.  I'm gonna join.  This is the most exciting development in Canadian politics in years

[Wayne]

RFS, on 23 Aug 2018 - 10:22 AM, said:

Yep, I'm watching the live stream.  I bet he can do OK, I could see him getting 50-60 seats out east and could have a bargaining chip for propping up minority conservative government.  I'm gonna join.  This is the most exciting development in Canadian politics in years

 

This will split the Conservative vote.  In the end, it means another term for JT and his clown show.

[spanky123]

This will split the Conservative vote.  In the end, it means another term for JT and his clown show.

 

I doubt that. The one thing you can count of politicians doing is looking out for their own self interest at the expense of everything else. Why would anyone join him if they felt that it meant risking losing their seat with a divided vote?

[Mike K.]

Scheer is unelectable but gosh golly, why couldn’t the party brass have done something about this rather than have Bernier split the party?

[RFS]

It might split the vote but it won't be a big deal.  The conservatives don't win many seats east of Ontario anyway.  The best case scenario is Maxime's party is a new conservative option for Quebec and the Maritimes and he can use his seats to influence policy with a conservative government.  I'd be surprised if they even ran candidates out in BC/Alberta/sask

[Jackerbie]

It might split the vote but it won't be a big deal.  The conservatives don't win many seats east of Ontario anyway.  The best case scenario is Maxime's party is a new conservative option for Quebec and the Maritimes and he can use his seats to influence policy with a conservative government.  I'd be surprised if they even ran candidates out in BC/Alberta/sask

 

The rumour swirling is that the new party will be a reboot of the existing Libertarian Party of Canada. The existing party will quietly disappear and be folded into whatever Bernier starts. That would certainly help in having candidates on the ground and ready to go across Canada.

[Wayne]

spanky123, on 23 Aug 2018 - 10:41 AM, said:

I doubt that. The one thing you can count of politicians doing is looking out for their own self interest at the expense of everything else. Why would anyone join him if they felt that it meant risking losing their seat with a divided vote?

 

The Conservative leadership race was split almost 50/50. I hope your right, that many wont follow, but egos are a tough to see beyond of.

[rjag]

its like the repeat of the Reform party....I dont mind and think its good to hit the reset button. The BC Liberals should take note

[RFS]

The Conservative leadership race was split almost 50/50. I hope your right, that many wont follow, but egos are a tough to see beyond of.

What do you mean split 50/50?  In terms of first choices?  I think Scheer was like 7% of people's first choice wheras Bernier was over 40%.  Either was it was a ridiculous and overly complicated way to elect a leader

[RFS]

its like the repeat of the Reform party....I dont mind and think its good to hit the reset button. The BC Liberals should take note

An Eastern Canada version

[Wayne]

RFS, on 23 Aug 2018 - 10:59 AM, said:

What do you mean split 50/50?  In terms of first choices?  I think Scheer was like 7% of people's first choice wheras Bernier was over 40%.  Either was it was a ridiculous and overly complicated way to elect a leader

Round 1 of voting had Scheer at 21% not 7%, Bernier was at 28% not over 40%.

 

My 50/50 split came from the final ballot (round 13), which was Scheer 50.95% and Bernier at 49.05%.

 

True not 50/50 but my point was the party was split down the middle in terms of who they supported.

[tjv]

It has been suggested that since Mr. Trump likes coal so much we put a huge tariff on all the coal coming out of the states and transitting to Roberts bank coal port. That would certainly get his attention. Unfortunately he would likely invade and take over the coal port, if not more, for national security.

You do understand Roberts Bank ships coal, they don't receive it?

 

The US doesn’t need our exports, but they take them because we heavily discount them or subsidize them in ways that American producers can’t, and ironically the lower our dollar is the likelier we are to secure that American business.

So they don't need our lumber?  US housing construction costs are up as a direct result of Canadian lumber tariffs.

 

And the US east coast doesn't need Canadian electricity?  flip the switch for a day and there will be rioting in places like NYC

 

I will agree Canadian business is not that competitive and lazy generally speaking, relying on a low Canadian dollar to make our products cheaper for American importers

[nerka]

This will split the Conservative vote.

It remains to be seen whether this goes anywhere at all. History is full of new (or rebooted old) parties that go nowhere.

 

But if the Bernier party runs candidates in 338 ridings it is bound to hand a few ridings to the Liberals. Last time we had a significant split on the right Chretien won three successive majorities.

[Bob Fugger]

It remains to be seen whether this goes anywhere at all. History is full of new (or rebooted old) parties that go nowhere.

 

But if the Bernier party runs candidates in 338 ridings it is bound to hand a few ridings to the Liberals. Last time we had a significant split on the right Chretien won three successive majorities.

Not sure that he will split any vote outside of Quebec.  And even then, the only reason we're sticking by this Soviet-era holdover of supply management is to not piss of Quebec farmers.  And dismantling supply management, along side white supremacy, are his main party platforms (thus far).

 

Most Conservatives in the ROC associate him with a honeypot scandal involving a woman associated with notorious Quebec biker gangs.  Besides, putting together a full slate, not to mention party and fundraising infrastructure 14 months out from a federal election is pretty much impossible, unless you're riding a wave.  And as much as I have no illusions as to the intolerance of Canadians (we are far less tolerant than we give ourselves credit), I doubt that the "too much diversity" wave will sweep him to seats, let alone the PMO.

 

In the short term, he's done a magnificent favour to the Conservatives and Andrew Scheer.  The spectre of, "What's to be done about Maxime?" now disappears from the party's convention, going on right now in Halifax.