Canadian Politics Thread

[Sapper]

2 hours ago, Elias Pettersson said:

My friend had to close his restaurant. And eventually he declared bankruptcy. He’s never been the same. His life was ruined. But nobody cares about him. He was just a “casualty” of the government lockdowns. Not even a mask or a vaccine could save him.  He’s just a statistic now. 

This is why the cons and anti crowd was and is so infuriating 

I too know a few business owners that the anti mask crowd harmed them 

 

His business depended alot on seniors who were the most vulnerable in 2020 and 2021.

 

When they saw the groups refusing to mask up as directed they just stayed clear. The anti maskers alone were not enough to pay the bills and them driving his customers away did damage

Many British Columbians did and do care and went out of our way to help local business and especially small businesses 

 

To say no body cares is ridiculous... Some do and some don't. I am sorry for any small business owner impacted by covid and supported my tax dollars being used to throw them a lifeline

 

But abandoning all restrictions would have expedited many stores demise as seniors would have stopped going out on mass and the anti crowd isn't large enough to make up the difference at the till 

 

The solution absolutely need everyone doine their part which in today's society seems impossible now 

[aGENT]

11 hours ago, Sapper said:

This is why the cons and anti crowd was and is so infuriating 

I too know a few business owners that the anti mask crowd harmed them 

 

His business depended alot on seniors who were the most vulnerable in 2020 and 2021.

 

When they saw the groups refusing to mask up as directed they just stayed clear. The anti maskers alone were not enough to pay the bills and them driving his customers away did damage

Many British Columbians did and do care and went out of our way to help local business and especially small businesses 

 

To say no body cares is ridiculous... Some do and some don't. I am sorry for any small business owner impacted by covid and supported my tax dollars being used to throw them a lifeline

 

But abandoning all restrictions would have expedited many stores demise as seniors would have stopped going out on mass and the anti crowd isn't large enough to make up the difference at the till 

 

The solution absolutely need everyone doine their part which in today's society seems impossible now 

 

This.

 

Let's not also be so naive as to think that a global freaking pandemic isn't going to have some unfortunate consequences. One small business doesn't outweigh the health and safety of the populace.

 

Let's also not pretend that the government didn't do a lot trying to help both people and businesses through it. The very same "printing of money" that the exact same poster endlessly complains about.

Edited April 10 by aGENT

[Bob Long]

12 hours ago, Smashian Kassian said:

 

Its crazy that this 'once in a lifetime' event took place, some of the things that happened (that had legit consequences) were wrong, yet we've completely moved along & forgotten as if this never happened.

 

 

what do you want? our leadership went with the best information they had at the time, and yes it was imperfect information. Better than the fucking stupid guesses and religious horse shit people were pulling. 

 

[Bob Long]

36 minutes ago, aGENT said:

 

This.

 

Let's not also be so naive as to think that a global freaking pandemic isn't going to have some unfortunate consequences. One small business doesn't outweigh the health and safety of the populace.

 

Let's also not pretend that the government didn't do a lot trying to help both people and businesses through it. The very same "printing of money" that the exact same poster endlessly complains about.

 

I'm so tired of the selfish tropes that get trotted out now. OK fellas you win, Trudeau finally got his chance to be a meanie to you. He waited his whole life just to get "your friend" to close down his restaurant. Jesus. 

 

[Warhippy]

15 hours ago, The Arrogant Worms said:

So you would have had no masks and Covid spreading?  Seems you always have a "friend" who's life was ruined by the Liberals or the NDP.

A dinner party will clear that right up

[aGENT]

1 hour ago, Bob Long said:

 

I'm so tired of the selfish tropes that get trotted out now. OK fellas you win, Trudeau finally got his chance to be a meanie to you. He waited his whole life just to get "your friend" to close down his restaurant. Jesus. 

 

 

One of our favorite restaurants in Duncan got shut down due post pandemic as well. It was staff shortages. They couldn't reliably get staff to open, to make money. Shitty.

 

Again, it was a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. I'm really not sure what people expected to happen there? Business as usual? Fucking daft.

Edited April 10 by aGENT

[Elias Pettersson]

1 hour ago, aGENT said:

 

This.

 

Let's not also be so naive as to think that a global freaking pandemic isn't going to have some unfortunate consequences. One small business doesn't outweigh the health and safety of the populace.

 

Let's also not pretend that the government didn't do a lot trying to help both people and businesses through it. The very same "printing of money" that the exact same poster endlessly complains about.

Like I said, he’s only a statistic now. You just admitted it. Unfortunate consequences is a nice way to say someone’s life was ruined. Also, it wasn’t just one small business. It was many many small businesses that were ruined while others have never been the same. 
 

Maybe Trudeau could have done more for small business owners than you claim. You think Trudeau handled everything perfectly?  
 

We will see in the next election how Trudeau fares with small business owners. Rolling out a dental plan that doesn’t even work for alot of people isn’t going to change people’s votes. 

[Warhippy]

The Bank of Canada has held its key interest rate at five per cent for the sixth consecutive time since July, saying it will look for signs of sustained slowing inflation before moving on rate cuts.

The central bank said that inflation is still too high, but noted that core inflation measures — which strip out volatile sectors like food and energy — have trended downward in recent months.

"I realize that what most Canadians want to know is when we will lower our policy interest rate. What do we need to see to be convinced it's time to cut?" Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem said during a press conference following the announcement.

"The short answer is we are seeing what we need to see, but we need to see it for longer to be confident that progress toward price stability will be sustained. The further decline we've seen in core inflation is very recent. We need to be assured this is not just a temporary dip."

Macklem said that a rate cut in June is "within the realm of possibilities."

While inflation cooled to 2.8 per cent in February, with price growth slowing across goods, food, clothing and services, high rent and mortgage interest costs continue to drive up the overall inflation rate.

The bank expects inflation will move closer to its two per cent target this year, and that it will reach it in 2025. The bank also expects solid GDP growth this year and in 2025, due to population growth and increased household spending.

[aGENT]

2 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

Like I said, he’s only a statistic now. You just admitted it. Unfortunate consequences is a nice way to say someone’s life was ruined. Also, it wasn’t just one small business. It was many many small businesses that were ruined while others have never been the same. 
 

Maybe Trudeau could have done more for small business owners than you claim. You think Trudeau handled everything perfectly?  
 

We will see in the next election how Trudeau fares with small business owners. Rolling out a dental plan that doesn’t even work for alot of people isn’t going to change people’s votes. 

 

IT WAS A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. 

[Elias Pettersson]

5 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

A dinner party will clear that right up

I could easily line up a dinner party with people who would be able to run this country alot better than any of our politicians. It wouldn’t even be that hard. I mean I do hang out with people who are much smarter than someone like PP who’s never had a real job, an ex school teacher and Jagmeet Singh. 

[Warhippy]

Fuck this guy.....seriously.  What a turd

 

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is asking MPs to compel Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to sit down with the premiers to discuss the federal carbon tax at a first ministers' meeting.

Poilievre tabled a motion in the House of Commons that demands Trudeau "convene a carbon tax emergency meeting" with Canada's 13 provincial and territorial leaders to address the "ongoing carbon tax crisis and the financial burden it places on Canadians."

It also asks that Trudeau accept "plans for provinces to opt-out of the federal carbon tax to pursue other responsible ideas to lower emissions" — an ongoing request of some premiers who maintain they can fight climate change in their jurisdictions through measures other than a tax.

Trudeau has so far rebuffed calls to meet with the premiers on the issue.

 

Last week, in an interview with CBC Radio's The Current, Trudeau said he met with the premiers in 2016 and a pan-Canadian climate change plan was agreed to then. The plan included a price of carbon designed to drive down the country's emissions.

He repeated that line in question period Tuesday, saying the provinces agreed to go ahead with a carbon pricing regime eight years ago.

The Conservatives countered by pointing out that Trudeau is the only leader from that long-ago meeting still in power.

"Pokémon Go, dabbing, Harambe — that's what was popular in 2016," Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman said.

Edited April 10 by Warhippy

[112]

1 minute ago, aGENT said:

 

One of our favorite restaurants in Duncan got shut down due to the pandemic as well. It was staff shortages. They couldn't reliably get staff to open, to make money. Shitty.

 

Again, it was a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. I'm really not sure what people expected to happen there? Business as usual? Fucking daft.

 

While I agree with you entirely in principle, I think EP is just saying that the benefits and recourse the government implemented fell short of saving his friend's business. Obviously a pandemic is something nobody could have controlled or prevented, but it's unfortunate that not enough was done to save many people's livelihoods. I don't think the appropriate response to someone experiencing such a situation and loss is to puff up what was done in measures to help; if there's one small operation for which the monies available in aid wasn't enough to cover the overhead, then I think it's proper to criticize the pandemic response. Overall I do think the government handled the event well, but obviously it wasn't enough for some people, and it doesn't make sense to deny them that.

[Bob Long]

6 minutes ago, aGENT said:

 

One of our favorite restaurants in Duncan got shut down due post pandemic as well. It was staff shortages. They couldn't reliably get staff to open, to make money. Shitty.

 

Again, it was a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. I'm really not sure what people expected to happen there? Business as usual? Fucking daft.

 

these people wouldn't follow the most basic guidelines during the pandemic, and now they won't stfu about the consequences of it. 

 

Oh but they had "better ideas" or something something Jesus. 

 

[Bob Long]

1 minute ago, 112 said:

 

While I agree with you entirely in principle, I think EP is just saying that the benefits and recourse the government implemented fell short of saving his friend's business. Obviously a pandemic is something nobody could have controlled or prevented, but it's unfortunate that not enough was done to save many people's livelihoods. I don't think the appropriate response to someone experiencing such a situation and loss is to puff up what was done in measures to help; if there's one small operation for which the monies available in aid wasn't enough to cover the overhead, then I think it's proper to criticize the pandemic response. Overall I do think the government handled the event well, but obviously it wasn't enough for some people, and it doesn't make sense to deny them that.

 

the pot of money wasn't infinite. And most restaurants did survive. 

 

[aGENT]

3 minutes ago, 112 said:

 

While I agree with you entirely in principle, I think EP is just saying that the benefits and recourse the government implemented fell short of saving his friend's business. Obviously a pandemic is something nobody could have controlled or prevented, but it's unfortunate that not enough was done to save many people's livelihoods. I don't think the appropriate response to someone experiencing such a situation and loss is to puff up what was done in measures to help; if there's one small operation for which the monies available in aid wasn't enough to cover the overhead, then I think it's proper to criticize the pandemic response. Overall I do think the government handled the event well, but obviously it wasn't enough for some people, and it doesn't make sense to deny them that.

 

1 minute ago, Bob Long said:

 

the pot of money wasn't infinite. And most restaurants did survive. 

 

 

Perfection, the enemy of good.

[112]

2 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

 

the pot of money wasn't infinite. And most restaurants did survive. 

 

 

Just now, aGENT said:

 

 

Perfection, the enemy of good.

I get what you're saying, and yes: money is a finite resource. But EP's friend's situation seems quite bleak. "He's just a statistic now" isn't wrong when the benefits are long past and the guy is without the business he owned before the crisis. Some businesses needed more support than they received; and, counter to that, some businesses received more support than they needed. The funds could have been doled out in a way that was considerate of different needs--but clearly the idea was to get the benefits set up quickly, so a lot of the intricacies which could have better served the business climate weren't included or fleshed out.

[Warhippy]

RE:  Pandemic and small business issues

 

So first off, I am a small business owner.  I shut my studio down.  Cost me almost everything.  Government offered me money I didn't take it.  Every single business in Canada not a giant corporation got hammered.  But, and there's a but people are missing major truths.

 

An ALL party committee agreed to spending, all 4 major parties.  So all 4 major parties dictated who got what and how it was spent.  All 4 parties agreed on a pay back plan.  it was the Conservatives that championed the pay back agreements and then shit on the NDP/Libs for not extending them.  It was the Cons who shit on every dollar spent while not letting people know how the money was decided.  

 

Corporations were left open, but there's only 4 major grocers who own the infrastructure for shipping and delivery of produce and food in Canada.  They effectively killed the ability of small grocers, restaraunts to make money if they stayed open in Canada.  Same with gas, telecoms etc.  All of it is owned by 5 or less companies who own the production, the means of distribution and the rights to sale.  So every small business is getting fucked by these larger companies on a day to day, so you're gd rights they're getting fucked harder in a situation where they can decide to be the only players in town.

 

BUsinesses cannot afford to pay back these covid loans and that sucks.  Honestly; this was a hard decision.  The cons are shitting on the government because of this but refuse to remind people that it was an all party system that kept everything afloat and that they had to be dragged to the table kicking and screaming JUST to ensure that ople got anything at all after the initial spendin was dealt.  Meaning they would have been ok watching hundreds of thousands of small business owners go bankrupt.  People losing their homes and people being unable to feed their kids.

 

More so, people keep forgetting and I think it's intentional ignorance more than outright stupidity.  At least I hope; that the lock downs were predominantly provincial meaning that aside from international travel and health spending the feds had little to do with it.  But the idiocy keeps getting the narrative that hair boy did it all and they are still repeating it years later

 

OK the pandemic sucked.  Beyond sucked.  There was over reactions and spending issues.  But by and large aside from the whining minority' everyone has moved on and is struggling to get by.  Using the small business owners who are still struggling as a talking point without actually giving two randy shits about them aside from talking pints is awful behaviour and needs to be checked.  Because using another persons hardships to look smart or make yourself out to be a better person; while lying about the truth of it all is basically the height of douche behaviour

[The Arrogant Worms]

[RupertKBD]

14 hours ago, Kootenay Gold said:

@Alflives Alf you really should check the spelling of moran vs moron. Think moron is the one you meant and not some Irish chieftain.

 

Alf is just riffing on this well used meme:

 

 

It's part of his usual schtick....

[Bob Long]

28 minutes ago, 112 said:

 

I get what you're saying, and yes: money is a finite resource. But EP's friend's situation seems quite bleak. "He's just a statistic now" isn't wrong when the benefits are long past and the guy is without the business he owned before the crisis. Some businesses needed more support than they received; and, counter to that, some businesses received more support than they needed. The funds could have been doled out in a way that was considerate of different needs--but clearly the idea was to get the benefits set up quickly, so a lot of the intricacies which could have better served the business climate weren't included or fleshed out.

 

What is it that his friend deserves beyond what was offered? We're all some kind of statistic that some care about and others don't. Why is his friend deserving of special treatment?

[RupertKBD]

14 hours ago, Smashian Kassian said:

Its crazy that this 'once in a lifetime' event took place, some of the things that happened (that had legit consequences) were wrong, yet we've completely moved along & forgotten as if this never happened.

 

Are you sure it's "once in a lifetime"?

 

I wouldn't bet the mortgage on that.....especially with all the disinformation about the last one being thrown around....

[112]

7 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

 

What is it that his friend deserves beyond what was offered? We're all some kind of statistic that some care about and others don't. Why is his friend deserving of special treatment?

I just think the benefits should have generally been about what's equitable rather than what's equal. Unless EP's friend was making massive mistakes in regards to the funds he received, then what he did receive wasn't enough for him to retain his restaurant. I guess my opinion is that it's not so much about special treatment for him as it is individual, case-by-case treatment at macro--which, however, obviously wasn't plausible when the idea was to get the money out as quickly as possible.

[King Heffy]

10 minutes ago, RupertKBD said:

 

Are you sure it's "once in a lifetime"?

 

I wouldn't bet the mortgage on that.....especially with all the disinformation about the last one being thrown around....

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/canada-measles-outbreak-vaccination-1.7144915

 

There's a group of dumbasses that seem adamant that they want to push us back 70 years regarding health care and human rights.

[RupertKBD]

48 minutes ago, 112 said:

While I agree with you entirely in principle, I think EP is just saying that the benefits and recourse the government implemented fell short of saving his friend's business. Obviously a pandemic is something nobody could have controlled or prevented, but it's unfortunate that not enough was done to save many people's livelihoods. I don't think the appropriate response to someone experiencing such a situation and loss is to puff up what was done in measures to help; if there's one small operation for which the monies available in aid wasn't enough to cover the overhead, then I think it's proper to criticize the pandemic response. Overall I do think the government handled the event well, but obviously it wasn't enough for some people, and it doesn't make sense to deny them that.

 

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

If you pay close enough attention, you'll see that some of the same people complaining about how not enough was done to save their "friend's" business, are the same people who regularly criticize Justin for "Printing money".

 

In the end, they just want a reason to criticize JT.....

[Ghostsof1915]

On 4/5/2024 at 5:34 PM, chris12345 said:

Yea it is a fine line between taxation and encouraging investment for growth and job creation/innovation.

 

I'm no way smart enough to know where the line is.

 

It's also tough when tax revenue is spent on what appears to be wasteful. It might not be but sometimes it sure looks like it.

This is what bothers me. We have audits done every year. Are they not read or publicized? In Norway, Sweden and Finland you are taxed higher than here.

Yet they seem to get a lot of services for their tax dollars. I visited VGH last December. They have this spiffy new security kiosk, and barriers to keep infection from spreading. (Good). The nurse bandaged my toe really well. But I had to wait 2.5 hours to see the doctor. And I was in the hallway in a chair probably from the late 80's early 90's. And a lot of the treatments were done in the hallways. (I guess for the minor stuff, serious patients got a table in one of the 3 ER's.) The chair I was sitting in was broken as was a lot of the furniture. I get there's priorities. But shouldn't health and care have proper facilities and working facilities, furniture, and equipment?