Canadian Politics Thread

[King Heffy]

1 minute ago, RupertKBD said:

 

I get that, but I'm talking specifically about pilot's wages.

So am I.  Their right to strike being taken away has lowered their bargaining power to the point that Air Canada is relying on government intervention instead of bargaining in good faith.  I won't blame the Trudeau government for this until they do the same.

[Ghostsof1915]

On 9/10/2024 at 12:22 PM, Johngould21 said:

I believe this idea has been mentioned before. Many school districts in the lower mainland have a breakfast and lunch program, the money is raised through an organization called Starfish Backpack program. I've donated to the Maple Ridge school district. The only problem is that over the weekend, do these kids get fed?

Isn't there another one I heard called backpack buddies, and it actually gives kids food for the weekend. 

Google backpack buddies. 

[Ghostsof1915]

The fact we have homeless and hungry people in Canada is a damning statistic for a country as wealthy as we are. 

 

[Bob Long]

29 minutes ago, Coconuts said:

 

This is true, but I think at some point they've got to step in, equity has skyrocketed over the past five years as is. Warhippy hit the nail on the head when stating that "unfettered capitalism has been the direct contributor to the rise of housing in Canada and the US.". 

 

Housing costs have risen exponentially since 2019, folks have spoken about this both here and in the BC thread, and because of this many folks don't have a hope of getting into the market. Thing is, folks still need to live somewhere, the amount of dollars it takes to get into the housing market allows the squeeze to be put on folks who have no choice but to rent. I understand why folks would try to capitalize this and squeeze the rental market for all they can, that doesn't mean they should be able to. It's the average Canadian, or lower and medium tier income earners, who increasingly feel the squeeze, like they predominantly due with other rising costs of living. 

 

Perhaps we need more radical approaches that involve things like rent control, limiting how many properties and so on one can own, making renovictions geared towards getting someone out to up the rent tougher to accomplish, several evictions that come shortly after the buying of residential buildings, and so on. At what point do we value the average Canadian not being gouged by costs of living, egregious rental hikes, and sky high housing costs over the "free market"? BC in particular has become an investment playground over the past few decades, when is enough enough? 

 

I understand that some folks view real estate investment as their path to wealth, retirement, and so on, but I take issue with the state of things. Housing is a human right but it seems that it's becoming more and more inaccessible for the average Canadian, this affects every generation and demographic within Canada, and the it's becoming increasingly expensive. These are complicated issues, but greed and the desire for profit underpin it all. I'm not saying housing (not even home ownership) should be free, but things should be done to make it more accessible. 

 

You've said the government should step in and provide more social housing, you've touched on crown land, I don't disagree, but there needs to be more imo. Corporate entities having carte blanche to squeeze Canada's housing and rental markets for all they can is a disgrace. 

 

It ain't just corporate entities though, investors are increasingly eating up the existing stock in general. Investors are the fastest growing share of home buyers, homes and housing should be an affordable and a social right rather than a financial asset for the rich. Don't get me wrong, I get that it's complicated, but things just seem to keep getting worse. 

 

"With new condo construction hitting “record levels,” prospects for first-time homebuyers may be improving, but experts warn competition for those units will be fierce."

"Wealthy investors looking for a second or third property are common customers for those types of homes. Recent trends show more of them are purchasing properties than first-timers." 

 

"The majority of investors are mom-and-pop investors, smaller investors,” said Pasalis. “Investors are the one segment of the home buying market that’s actually growing more so than first time buyers and repeat buyers. And in fact, the share of first-time buyers buying homes is declining. And largely investors are taking up that market share."

 

“As much as a quarter to maybe a third or slightly more of certain markets are being bought up by multiple property purchasers or investors. So (that is) adding another layer of competition to first time buyers that are actually looking to get into the housing market for a place to live.”

 

"According to a recent TD Bank report, investors accounted for around 30 per cent of all houses bought in Canada last year."

 

https://globalnews.ca/news/10394986/are-mom-and-pop-investors-pricing-out-first-time-homebuyers/#:~:text=According to a recent TD,and the wider Canadian economy.

 

 

 

 

 

we put limitations of market activities all the time, the stock market eg., has a lot of rules on trading.

 

Why there isn't a will to cap this clearly predatory rental stuff is a mystery to me. I don't belive it would be an election loser. 

 

[Coconuts]

4 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

 

we put limitations of market activities all the time, the stock market eg., has a lot of rules on trading.

 

Why there isn't a will to cap this clearly predatory rental stuff is a mystery to me. I don't belive it would be an election loser. 

 

 

Well, perhaps there should be more of them, and perhaps they need to be more comprehensive. 

 

I don't think so, I think it'd generally be well received by the average Canadian. The folks who'd be most bent out of shape would be those seeking to extort more and more profit. 

 

This quote in particular stands out to me, “investors are the one segment of the home buying market that’s actually growing more so than first time buyers and repeat buyers. And in fact, the share of first-time buyers buying homes is declining. And largely investors are taking up that market share.". That's a pretty grim statement when you consider the demographics that should largely be making up first-time home buyers, and it speaks to the demographics that are currently buying up existing and incoming housing stock. 

[BabyCakes]

1 hour ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

The fact we have homeless and hungry people in Canada is a damning statistic for a country as wealthy as we are. 

 

I'm not crazy wealthy, but pay a crap ton in taxes and don't really see any great feedback in where that money is going. As someone who is considered mid to regular middle class I get bombarded about funding gaps that need more money, how much more capitol projects are costing, the cost of basic services and how much of a bad person I am cause I got to drive to work and the grocery store to buy food. Not to mention pressures on healthcare.

 

Are we really that wealthy?

 

 

Edited Friday at 10:47 PM by BabyCakes
my mistake

[Optimist Prime]

25 minutes ago, BabyCakes said:

I'm not crazy wealthy, but pay a crap ton in taxes and don't really see any great feedback in where that money is going. As someone who is considered mid to regular middle class I get bombarded about funding gaps that need more money, how much more capitol projects are costing, the cost of basic services and how much of a bad person I am cause I got to drive to work and the grocery store to buy food. Not to mention pressures on healthcare.

 

Are we really that wealthy?

 

 

I guess it depends on your perspective: if you grew up to upper middle class family that had a new 4 or 5 bed 2 or 3 bath house and never missed a meal, while being dropped off at school and picked up after by your mom, then grew up to barely afford rent in your bachelor pad on the 13th floor of a rundown apartment block, then that person would probably think they are not wealthy. 
But outside the top 12 or so nations in the world, having your own locking door to to a bachelor pad on the 13th floor of a rundown apartment building IS that nations definition of upper middle class. 

Off the top of my head i paid 16k (my wife also paid about 14k at the same time) in taxes last spring, I am not rich, I am middle class. I do not want for anything and I feel secure in my home and my belly is full of fully loaded natcho's for lunch with refried beans, a cheese dip, salsa, quac and sour cream. 
I can't complain. I know our taxes help ease the lives of those who don't have as much as we do. 

 

OOooo edit: (i really have to lose the habit of editing my posts) I fully plan to buy an EV when next I am in the market for a new car. I bought a new Kia Soul in 2013 and another new Kia Soul in 2018, selling off the five year old one for 10k towards the brand new one. This next purchase, probably in the next 2 to 3 years, will be a fully electric vehicle. We have invested in upgrading our property and making it energy efficient, with upgraded fuse panel and power supply to a 200 amp service buried at the line so as to keep the sky line nice and clear. Next step, when the time is right at roof replacement, is to put in new roofing tiles that are built in solar power panels and convert our old pump house for the well to a battery house for the panels. Sometime before that new roof it will be new car time. 

 

When its all said and done, we will pay very little for hydro, augment with our own solar power and run completely efficient EV. I wanted a cybertruck but Elon Musk dared every street punk and middle aged lady to try to smash its windows during a display of the cybertruck and so now I can't park one anywhere near my home town. All well, maybe a HUMMER EV,  LMAO!

[bishopshodan]

19 minutes ago, Optimist Prime said:

I guess it depends on your perspective: if you grew up to upper middle class family that had a new 4 or 5 bed 2 or 3 bath house and never missed a meal, while being dropped off at school and picked up after by your mom, then grew up to barely afford rent in your bachelor pad on the 13th floor of a rundown apartment block, then that person would probably think they are not wealthy. 
But outside the top 12 or so nations in the world, having your own locking door to to a bachelor pad on the 13th floor of a rundown apartment building IS that nations definition of upper middle class. 

Off the top of my head i paid 16k (my wife also paid about 14k at the same time) in taxes last spring, I am not rich, I am middle class. I do not want for anything and I feel secure in my home and my belly is full of fully loaded natcho's for lunch with refried beans, a cheese dip, salsa, quac and sour cream. 
I can't complain. I know our taxes help ease the lives of those who don't have as much as we do. 

 

I know this sounds like 'when i was a kid...'

 

But my rise included: immigrant in 1982, 7 of us living in a mobile home, $0.25 per week allowance, two pair of jeans with elastic waist for when I grew...moved out 2 weeks after grad, spent a min on welfare, 5 years living with my wife in a bachelor apt to save for our first place. 

I had the best childhood. Lots of love and friends. My fam went on to be very successful, all four kids kicked ass. 

 

I know its harder these days for housing in perticular. But life isnt always easy, you play the cards you are dealt. Some are born like a Ricky Schroder show (80's!), some of us come from a farm in Northern England, poor. But we had a dad that could see the light, saw a country called Canada. We still tell him thankyou on a regular. My sister likes to send pics of her sons, with a thk u dad caption, to my mum, when they are skiing or at the lake or just sitting in her house in the British Properties. She planned that when working on her doctorate, to be a Brit living up there. We like to think dad hears us out there in the whatever that may come after this mortal coil. 

 

Thank you dad. 

[112]

You know your country is in a bad place when Jagmeet Singh is the best option you have for Prime Minister.

[RupertKBD]

1 minute ago, 112 said:

You know your country is in a bad place when Jagmeet Singh is the best option you have for Prime Minister.

 

It's not great, but there are a lot of countries around the world whose citizens would love to have their choice between three options.....

 

China, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar.....

[112]

8 minutes ago, RupertKBD said:

 

It's not great, but there are a lot of countries around the world whose citizens would love to have their choice between three options.....

 

China, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar.....

That's true and fair to mention, although I do think the situation is particularly grim. I dread a Conservative majority even more than what we have currently.

[Ghostsof1915]

1 hour ago, BabyCakes said:

I'm not crazy wealthy, but pay a crap ton in taxes and don't really see any great feedback in where that money is going. As someone who is considered mid to regular middle class I get bombarded about funding gaps that need more money, how much more capitol projects are costing, the cost of basic services and how much of a bad person I am cause I got to drive to work and the grocery store to buy food. Not to mention pressures on healthcare.

 

Are we really that wealthy?

 

 

I think we need to see how nations similar to Canada do it. Because Norway and Sweden pay slightly more taxes than we do, but they seem to get value out of those taxes.

They get not only healthcare, but free education, childcare, their roads are well maintained. In fact even their sidewalks get cleared by the cities of snow and ice in winter. 

We pay a lot in taxes, it just is it being audited and monitored to make sure we're getting value?

[Gurn]

16 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

I think we need to see how nations similar to Canada do it. Because Norway and Sweden pay slightly more taxes than we do, but they seem to get value out of those taxes.

They get not only healthcare, but free education, childcare, their roads are well maintained. In fact even their sidewalks get cleared by the cities of snow and ice in winter. 

We pay a lot in taxes, it just is it being audited and monitored to make sure we're getting value?

Geography is an issue

Canada is the second largest country, with the 39th largest population, and a GDP that comes in at 10th.

Norway is 61st, 116th largest pop, and 30th in GDP

Sweden is 55th  89th largest pop, 23rd largest GDP

[Optimist Prime]

1 hour ago, 112 said:

That's true and fair to mention, although I do think the situation is particularly grim. I dread a Conservative majority even more than what we have currently.

Similarly but with a lean towards the Liberals for me, I dread a CON MAN government much more than the idea that two or three progressive parties work together for Canada. If the Liberals can't have a majority, then working with the NDP is the next best thing for me. I am hopeful that Poilievre will not win a majority for this reason. 

[Bob Long]

34 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

I think we need to see how nations similar to Canada do it. Because Norway and Sweden pay slightly more taxes than we do, but they seem to get value out of those taxes.

They get not only healthcare, but free education, childcare, their roads are well maintained. In fact even their sidewalks get cleared by the cities of snow and ice in winter. 

We pay a lot in taxes, it just is it being audited and monitored to make sure we're getting value?

 

Those countries don't stand in the way of their own development as much as we do.

 

We have to get over our business is bad attitude if we hope you to be able to afford this kind of thing, imo.

 

[Ghostsof1915]

3 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

 

Those countries don't stand in the way of their own development as much as we do.

 

We have to get over our business is bad attitude if we hope you to be able to afford this kind of thing, imo.

 

We don't have a business is bad attitude. We have a I want to get rich quick attitude and screw everyone else. Businesses aren't in it for the long haul. European businesses look at steady and constant profit, but they invest in either expanding, or making their products better. Canada it's more money, more fast, get me out so I can retire rich. 

We need a better attitude by our businesses. And to find a balance between growth, and gouging for profit.

[Bob Long]

42 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

We don't have a business is bad attitude. We have a I want to get rich quick attitude and screw everyone else. Businesses aren't in it for the long haul. European businesses look at steady and constant profit, but they invest in either expanding, or making their products better. Canada it's more money, more fast, get me out so I can retire rich. 

We need a better attitude by our businesses. And to find a balance between growth, and gouging for profit.

 

I've been working with companies trying to develop products for over 20 years now, I've rarely seen that attitude in the r&d or manufacturing industry.

 

I have seen a lot of very negative attitudes towards entrepreneurs trying to build things. The anti business stance in healthcare is ridiculous.

 

Maybe your experience is different.

 

[Chicken.]

1 hour ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

I think we need to see how nations similar to Canada do it. Because Norway and Sweden pay slightly more taxes than we do, but they seem to get value out of those taxes.

They get not only healthcare, but free education, childcare, their roads are well maintained. In fact even their sidewalks get cleared by the cities of snow and ice in winter. 

We pay a lot in taxes, it just is it being audited and monitored to make sure we're getting value?

Government waste (bureaucratic  bloat) is a yhuge problem in this country. Will the government ever fix itself when nobody smart enough to do so wants to get involved in politics ? Stay tuned. Likely not.

[aGENT]

49 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

We don't have a business is bad attitude. We have a I want to get rich quick attitude and screw everyone else. Businesses aren't in it for the long haul. European businesses look at steady and constant profit, but they invest in either expanding, or making their products better. Canada it's more money, more fast, get me out so I can retire rich. 

We need a better attitude by our businesses. And to find a balance between growth, and gouging for profit.

 

I think part of the problem is being next door to a loud, rich, overbearing neighbour. Any time we get a startup that has some decent success it inevitably gets bought out by some huge American conglomerate that has very little incentive to consider the company's origin, workers, government etc. 

 

Then you have them doing things like convincing Conservatives up here that it was better to have rich Americans ripping them off for Canada's resources than letting Ottawa (AKA your fellow Canadians) do it.

 

Or look at the lumber industry and the Tariff's (never mind rotten Canadiian crooks like Pattisson running companies up here when it's convenient). Lumber workers and the support industries around it are all at the whim of a few rich Canadians and Americans.

 

No idea what you do about that.

[aGENT]

29 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

 

I've been working with companies trying to develop products for over 20 years now, I've rarely seen that attitude in the r&d or manufacturing industry.

 

I have seen a lot of very negative attitudes towards entrepreneurs trying to build things. The anti business stance in healthcare is ridiculous.

 

Maybe your experience is different.

 

 

I'm happy to see business development, R&D etc... But do you honestly not see why there'd be a general distrust of corporations given the profiteering, lobbying, monopolizing etc we see on a daily basis from telecoms to energy to groceries, etc, etc. And then you apply it to healthcare when you see clear examples of business taking advantage of people in health care crisis, particularly in the for profit US?

 

Never mind the problems I noted in my last post, that once any start up has some success, it's almost immediately swallowed up, offshored, and dismantled in any way that would be a long term benefit to Canada/Canadians. 

Edited Saturday at 02:35 AM by aGENT

[Optimist Prime]

4 hours ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

We don't have a business is bad attitude. We have a I want to get rich quick attitude and screw everyone else. Businesses aren't in it for the long haul. European businesses look at steady and constant profit, but they invest in either expanding, or making their products better. Canada it's more money, more fast, get me out so I can retire rich. 

We need a better attitude by our businesses. And to find a balance between growth, and gouging for profit.

Here here! Just to lend to the European style you mentioned. My brother in law got invited to a 'first cousins' meeting in Switzerland where his dad and mom were from before the war. So he went to the family reunion of sorts and met his first cousin who owns a huge robotic arm factory there, most of the top countries in the world for manufacturing buy his products. He built the business from scratch one small expansion at a time over a lifetime. He was a bit older, but not 70 yet. He died of covid and his son took over the business a couple years ago but he built it slow and steady over a lifetime.

 

[nuckin_futz]

 

 

Maybe nothing, maybe something. Stay tuned.

 

The 'in response' in the first tweet is in relation to this ..........

 

 

 

Edited Saturday at 05:47 AM by nuckin_futz

[Optimist Prime]

3 hours ago, aGENT said:

 

I'm happy to see business development, R&D etc... But do you honestly not see why there'd be a general distrust of corporations given the profiteering, lobbying, monopolizing etc we see on a daily basis from telecoms to energy to groceries, etc, etc. And then you apply it to healthcare when you see clear examples of business taking advantage of people in health care crisis, particularly in the for profit US?

 

Never mind the problems I noted in my last post, that once any start up has some success, it's almost immediately swallowed up, offshored, and dismantled in any way that would be a long term benefit to Canada/Canadians. 

I bought shares in the company behind TELSAT this morning and was up a fair bit by end of trading. Is that what spurred this topic? The TELSAT expansion to provide fast cheap high speed satellite internet? Quite the deal this morning was announced. 

MDA Space Ltd.

[Optimist Prime]

7 minutes ago, nuckin_futz said:

 

 

Maybe nothing, maybe something. Stay tuned.

 

The 'in response' in the first tweet in in relation to this ..........

 

 

 

I don't know if Trudeau knows about a Poilievre connection or not, but in federal Liberal circles we have been speculating for many many months now. Nothing to show for the idle gossip though, just pure speculation.

[NewbieCanuckFan]

6 hours ago, bishopshodan said:

Some are born like a Ricky Schroder show (80's!), some of us come from a farm in Northern England, poor. 

Didn't he turn into some kind of a-hole as an adult?