Canadian Politics Thread

[Optimist Prime]

this was a bit fun to see in my socials today.

 

Weird how inflation and interest rates have gone down without anyone axing the tax.
Maybe CONs are just hardcore liars 

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

1 hour ago, Rip The Mesh said:

Not exactly how it works in many cases. That was more 10 years ago. Many young women, 19 - 25, largely from India, are working in the fast food industry and the 

others you mentioned;  How it's been working is, after so long, they could sponsor their husbands into the country. Husbands they've never met.

I believe Canada wants a closer look at this process.

 

 

 

Good for them?  Maybe even give them a golf clap? 

 

I'm not talking about 10 years ago.  In my other post where I produced examples from an online job postings website, there were over 1000 job postings over a couple of weeks old that remained open and presumably unfilled.  This demonstrates that it's clearly not simply a matter of "jobs not available" for local students or youth (whether it be due to TFWs or not).  That's the point I'm making.

[The Arrogant Worms]

3 hours ago, stawns said:

 

I doubt you'd find many Canadians who don't think the medical system is in a state of limbo at the moment.  I think the main difference is you have people on the right blaming it all on JT and the libs (who don't control provincial health care systems) and refuse to look at one of, what I think, the major issues ..........the retirement of the baby boomers.

 

Anyone who pays any attention to demographics saw this coming decades ago, it was inevitable.  We have the largest generation in human history, who held many, many of the public service jobs (healthcare, education etc etc) for decades and now they are all retiring en masse.......however, they are also using that healthcare system more than they ever have as they enter their senior years.

 

So boomer doctors, nurses and admin have left the workforce in high numbers, yet are a bigger draw on those same systems than they ever have before........and with much smaller generations coming behind them, many of whom couldn't afford post secondary education or chose different professions because the boomers held most of the jobs on public service, is there any wonder why there are huge holes in the health systems?

 

I'm not in healthcare, but I can assure you this is the single biggest issue in education 

Are you  teacher?  I keep reading about teacher shortages  but I know one young lady who subbed last year on and off and can't find a full time position this year.

 

Same with teachers she graduated with 2 years ago.

[Elias Pettersson]

12 minutes ago, Optimist Prime said:

this was a bit fun to see in my socials today.

 

Weird how inflation and interest rates have gone down without anyone axing the tax.
Maybe CONs are just hardcore liars 

 

Weird how you seem to think that inflation and interest rates have gone down.  

 

Prime rate in July, 2015 - 2.70%

Prime rate in July, 2024 - 6.70%

 

Where exactly did interest rates go down since Trudeau took office?  Can you explain that? 

 

Inflation rate June, 2015 - 1.0%

Inflation rate June, 2024 - 2.70%

 

Again, please tell me where inflation went down since Trudeau took office?  Who are the ones who are really lying?

[stawns]

49 minutes ago, 4petesake said:

 

I’ve never been a proponent of private health care but you’re dead on here. For profit wouldn’t have missed this revenue stream and would be well on the path to solving something that the provinces should have by now or at least moving in the right direction. Manitoba has initiated a plan to address this with internationally trained nurses to become licensed in that province. Nothing  substantial yet on doctors that I could find.

 

Short term, foreign workers is the only real solution.  Long term, should be free tuition for doctors, nurses and teachers.......lots of poor kids out there who would make great doctors, great nurses and great teachers

[Elias Pettersson]

Welcome to 338Canada

 

I needed to check just to see if anything changed.  Nope.  Cons still polling at 41% and Liberals at 25%.  Doesn't seem like the average person is buying what the Liberal supporters are selling...

[Satchmo]

2 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

Weird how you seem to think that inflation and interest rates have gone down.  

 

Prime rate in July, 2015 - 2.70%

Prime rate in July, 2024 - 6.70%

 

Where exactly did interest rates go down since Trudeau took office?  Can you explain that? 

 

Inflation rate June, 2015 - 1.0%

Inflation rate June, 2024 - 2.70%

 

Again, please tell me where inflation went down since Trudeau took office?  Who are the ones who are really lying?

What has not gone up since 2015 in this country or any other?   I believe OP is talking about recent trends, the kind you are quick to jump on when they go the other way.

[Elias Pettersson]

Just now, Satchmo said:

What has not gone up since 2015 in this country or any other?   I believe OP is talking about recent trends, the kind you are quick to jump on when they go the other way.

 

So you admit there has been rampant inflation since 2015?  Recent trends?  Two interest rate drops of .25% each after rates going up over 4% in less than 2 years is a "trend"?  

 

Also, you do realize that the reason rates are going down is because the economy is slowing down right?  It's because people can't afford to buy a home, pay their rent or even go to McDonald's right?

[Ricky Ravioli]

Government officers told to skip fraud prevention steps when vetting temporary foreign worker applications, Star investigation finds

 

Measures to fast-track applications resulted in fewer checks to prevent fraud, a source tells the Star. The government counters it is “taking concrete steps” address fraud in the program.

 

As the Trudeau government promises to crack down on a temporary foreign worker program it admits has been abused, a Star investigation has revealed the government is fast-tracking applications by directing processing officers to skip crucial steps designed to prevent fraud. 

Beginning in January 2022, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) directed staff to apply “streamlining measures” when evaluating the legitimacy of applications by employers who want to hire temporary foreign workers.

According to internal ESDC documents obtained by the Star and interviews with a current ESDC employee, routine checks meant to ensure the system is not abused by unscrupulous employers have been suspended in an effort to process applications faster.

 

Those checks include contacting employers to confirm they actually applied to hire a worker, verifying that lawyers and consultants applying on behalf of employers are in good standing with their regulator, and clarifying the overtime, vacation and benefits promised to the worker.

 

“This really shows a complete contradiction between the public-facing government policies and how the program is actually run,” said Catherine Connelly, a professor at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business who has been studying the temporary foreign workers program for more than a decade who examined the internal ESDC documents.

 

https://www.thestar.com/business/government-officers-told-to-skip-fraud-prevention-steps-when-vetting-temporary-foreign-worker-applications-star/article_a506b556-5a75-11ef-80c0-0f9e5d2241d2.html

Edited August 27 by Ricky Ravioli

[Satchmo]

Just now, Elias Pettersson said:

 

So you admit there has been rampant inflation since 2015?  Recent trends?  Two interest rate drops of .25% each after rates going up over 4% in less than 2 years is a "trend"?  

 

Also, you do realize that the reason rates are going down is because the economy is slowing down right?  It's because people can't afford to buy a home, pay their rent or even go to McDonald's right?

I admit there has been inflation for my entire life.  If my parents were still here they could say the same.    Rampant comes and goes.

 

Down is down no matter how you choose to describe it.  OP is not lying.  

[stawns]

14 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

Welcome to 338Canada

 

I needed to check just to see if anything changed.  Nope.  Cons still polling at 41% and Liberals at 25%.  Doesn't seem like the average person is buying what the Liberal supporters are selling...

 

Were a year away from an election, polls mean absolutely nothing

[Elias Pettersson]

3 minutes ago, Satchmo said:

I admit there has been inflation for my entire life.  If my parents were still here they could say the same.    Rampant comes and goes.

 

Down is down no matter how you choose to describe it.  OP is not lying.  

 

There is a reason a guy like PP can win the election in a landslide.  As the saying goes, "it's the economy, stupid".  A phrase invented during the Bill Clinton years...

[Elias Pettersson]

10 minutes ago, Satchmo said:

I admit there has been inflation for my entire life.  If my parents were still here they could say the same.    Rampant comes and goes.

 

Down is down no matter how you choose to describe it.  OP is not lying.  

 

Nobody ever said there was never inflation.  However, when a family can't even go to McDonald's anymore because it is too expensive, you know things are out of control.  When generation z has no hope of ever owning a home in their lifetimes, you know things are out of control.  When people can't even afford to pay rent on a one-bedroom condo, you know things are out of control.

 

The worst part about all of this is it doesn't seem like anybody has the answers on how to fix this mess.  Nobody.  

[Satchmo]

2 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

There is a reason a guy like PP can win the election in a landslide.  As the saying goes, "it's the economy, stupid".  A phrase invented during the Bill Clinton years...

I know the phrase.   I also know when to leave a conversation when it falls to the point of just saying PP is going to win so I must be right. 

[Elias Pettersson]

Just now, Satchmo said:

I know the phrase.   I also know when to leave a conversation when it falls to the point of just saying PP is going to win so I must be right. 

 

I know you know Trudeau has no shot.  Why doesn't he just do the right thing and resign?  Even Joe read the tea leaves...

[4petesake]

16 minutes ago, stawns said:

 

Short term, foreign workers is the only real solution.  Long term, should be free tuition for doctors, nurses and teachers.......lots of poor kids out there who would make great doctors, great nurses and great teachers

 

Foreign workers (also meaning Canadians who studied abroad) need to have far more access to Canadian medical residency positions which requires Provincial governments to loosen the purse strings and stop restricting the number of residency spots, as well as stop biases that favour Canadian med school students when awarding those residencies. 115 residencies mostly in family medicine went unfilled last year because Canadian med school students were uninterested in family practice.

 

 

According to census data, there's no shortage of doctors in Canada. What we have is a shortage of licensed doctors.

While estimates vary, there may be as many as 13,000 medical doctors in Canada who are not practising because they haven't completed a two-year residency position — a requirement for licensing.

 

Great idea on the free tuition for doctors, nurses and teachers, or for that matter any profession that is under-supplied. Maybe tied to some sort of requirements to serve a term in places that with chronic shortages.

[aGENT]

20 hours ago, Bob Long said:

 

714? That's what we are arguing about? 

 

That's just Tim Hortons in just Ontario. Those numbers start to add up pretty fast when you include other "shitty chains" and all the other provinces.

Edited August 27 by aGENT

[Bob Long]

2 minutes ago, aGENT said:

 

That's just Tim Hortons in just Ontario. Those numbers start to add up pretty fast when you include other "shitty chains" and all the other provinces.

 

Meh, I'm not going to get excited about 1/2 an employee per McDs. 

[Bob Long]

10 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

I know you know Trudeau has no shot.  Why doesn't he just do the right thing and resign?  Even Joe read the tea leaves...

 

I thought you said Joe was pushed out 

 

I do agree tho, Justin has run his race.

 

Interesting thing about the polls is the CPC polls a lot higher than PP himself. That means people don't want Trudeau more than they like PP. There's an opportunity there if the libs can change leaders .

 

I fully expect a CPC majority tho, unless the libs make a change.

[Bob Long]

1 hour ago, 4petesake said:

 

I’ve never been a proponent of private health care but you’re dead on here. For profit wouldn’t have missed this revenue stream and would be well on the path to solving something that the provinces should have by now or at least moving in the right direction. Manitoba has initiated a plan to address this with internationally trained nurses to become licensed in that province. Nothing  substantial yet on doctors that I could find.

 

I'm really not for more private either, but I also think the mismanagement has possibly made it inevitable. That and the notwithstanding clause. 

[aGENT]

40 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

So you admit there has been rampant inflation since 2015?  Recent trends?  Two interest rate drops of .25% each after rates going up over 4% in less than 2 years is a "trend"?  

 

Also, you do realize that the reason rates are going down is because the economy is slowing down right?  It's because people can't afford to buy a home, pay their rent or even go to McDonald's right?

 

You do realize the the Neo Liberal policies that have caused this erosion of a once healthy middle class over the last 40+ years are even more potent under the Cons, right?

[the destroyer of worlds]

I know this probably fits better in the vaccine thread, but we have a candidate gunning to be PM who glad handed with anti-vax morons.  A guy who pushes anti-vaccine mandates positions.  

 

Even mildly supporting the anti-vaxx crowd is why this happens.  Heaven help us if there is another pandemic with anti-vaxx CONs in charge.

 

I know he isn't in charge.  I know this is largely a provincial issue.  I also know what side of the issue PP is on and it is one that will lead to more outbreaks if his anti-vaxx mandate position gets over the line.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/whooping-cough-cases-toronto-public-health-1.7306010

 

Whooping cough cases more than double pre-pandemic average: TPH

99 cases reported in Toronto so far this year compared to pre-pandemic 5-year average of 38, agency says

[Elias Pettersson]

3 minutes ago, aGENT said:

 

You do realize the the Neo Liberal policies that have caused this erosion of a once healthy middle class over the last 40+ years are even more potent under the Cons, right?

 

Last 40 years:

 

Con PM's - Clark, Mulroney, Campbell, Harper - total 20 years

Liberal PM's - Trudeau Sr., Turner, Chretien, Martin, Trudeau Jr. - total 20 years

 

Both parties have been in power around 20 years since 40 years ago.  Both parties have done damage to the middle class.  Neither party is innocent...

[Coconuts]

4 hours ago, stawns said:

 

I doubt you'd find many Canadians who don't think the medical system is in a state of limbo at the moment.  I think the main difference is you have people on the right blaming it all on JT and the libs (who don't control provincial health care systems) and refuse to look at one of, what I think, the major issues ..........the retirement of the baby boomers.

 

Anyone who pays any attention to demographics saw this coming decades ago, it was inevitable.  We have the largest generation in human history, who held many, many of the public service jobs (healthcare, education etc etc) for decades and now they are all retiring en masse.......however, they are also using that healthcare system more than they ever have as they enter their senior years.

 

So boomer doctors, nurses and admin have left the workforce in high numbers, yet are a bigger draw on those same systems than they ever have before........and with much smaller generations coming behind them, many of whom couldn't afford post secondary education or chose different professions because the boomers held most of the jobs on public service, is there any wonder why there are huge holes in the health systems?

 

I'm not in healthcare, but I can assure you this is the single biggest issue in education 

 

It's affecting all sectors, it's often spoken about in regards to trades as well. Mixed feelings on it because portrayal matters, more sensationalistic takes have it pegged as being a "grey tsunami", but there's some truth to it. It's fascinating, if not a tad depressing, to dig into. Folks tend to utilize healthcare systems more as they age, it's just how things go. The youngest boomers are what.. 60 now? The oldest are almost 80? The demands on current healthcare systems aren't going to diminish. 

 

It goes further than that though, and I've spoken about it before, it's going to be really interesting to see how both Canada and the US address healthcare facets such as nursing homes and long-term care facilities, each of which can be quite expensive on a month to month basis. Covid put a bit of a spotlight on it, but there are staffing issues and quality of care issues associated with these things as well. How provincial and federal government spend in regards to it's older generations going forward is going to be interesting. 

 

Some of it's a numbers game too, as you've said, but another problem is the retention of the young to middle aged staff who are in place, particularly in less populated regions. Attracting staff is it's own bit too. How many Canadian educated doctors head down to the US to earn more money? How do rural and less populated regions attract and retain staff? 

 

One of my good friends works as a psyche nurse down in the lower mainland, she recently told me Northern Health is offering 30k incentives for nurses to move up this way and that she's considering it. Will we see more funding allocated to attract and retain talent in underserved regions? Not just for doctors and nurses, but for other professions like pharmacists as well? 

 

Part of the nuance is also how professionals engage with the concepts of aging and ageism, for example one bit I can across while digging through academic literature for papers earlier this year read "social workers are one of the major professionals serving for older adults. However, social work students often rank gerontology at the bottom of their future professional practice. Studies show that students have negative attitudes about, and perceptions of older adults and aging. Such stereotypes result in social work students considering practice areas other than gerontological social work.", the source was from 2022. This ain't unique to social work, other healthcare students and professions wrestle with these things as well, ongoing education will be necessary to help temper negative views of aging and older adults, and to temper some of the resentment held by younger generations towards older generations. 

 

Now, interventions and education are pieces of how such things are addressed, hence the aging class as part of my bachelors, but the rabbit holes of age, aging, ageism, and how society perceives and treats it's elderly are things society is going to have to wrestle with going forward as well, and not just in regards to professionals and the services they provide. Generally the connotations associated with aging aren't positive. 

 

1 hour ago, stawns said:

 

Short term, foreign workers is the only real solution.  Long term, should be free tuition for doctors, nurses and teachers.......lots of poor kids out there who would make great doctors, great nurses and great teachers

 

Making education more accessible would help, these programs aren't typically just competitive, they're very expensive too. 

 

One thing I'd like to see is a further expansion of loan forgiveness for professionals working in more remote regions. There are programs in place, there should be more of them though.

 

https://studentaidbc.ca/repay/repayment-help/bc-loan-forgiveness-program

 

There's some encouraging movement on this, social workers will be eligible for student loan forgiveness as well, at rates likely comparable to nurses. That's long overdue. 

 

https://www.casw-acts.ca/en/update-canada-student-loan-forgiveness-programme

 

What does that look like?

 

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/education/student-aid/grants-loans/repay/assistance/doctors-nurses/amount.html

 

But it should go beyond loan forgiveness, we should be seeing more in the way of scholarships, grants, and whatnot. 

Edited August 27 by Coconuts

[aGENT]

12 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

Last 40 years:

 

Con PM's - Clark, Mulroney, Campbell, Harper - total 20 years

Liberal PM's - Trudeau Sr., Turner, Chretien, Martin, Trudeau Jr. - total 20 years

 

Both parties have been in power around 20 years since 40 years ago.  Both parties have done damage to the middle class.  Neither party is innocent...

 

That was exactly my point. Though one party has a clear history of pushing Neo Liberal policies even harder than the other. Liberals = moderate erosion, Cons = massive erosion.

 

And yet again, Canadians appear to be on the precipice of ousting the moderately Neo Liberal economic policies for far more heavy handed Conservative Neo Liberal policies to "fix" the (*check notes*) economic problems caused by Neo Liberal economic policies.

 

Maybe it will work this time guys?!...