Canadian Politics Thread

[kilgore]

in all honesty I kind of wish a federal party would offer what Kamala Harris is offering in her platform.  I wish Eby would offer similar policies.

50,000 tax credit to start a small business

6,000 for new children

25,000 down payment assistance for first time home buyers.

 

The last one would help, at least in a small way, to combat real estate flipping vulture capitalists.

[The Arrogant Worms]

 

[kilgore]

 

 

I totally agree. 

Moving to a non First Past the Post system was one of the main reasons I voted for them, over my traditional NDP candidate that year. Because then, after that, I could vote NDP again, or Green even, and be assured my vote would be represented.

 

We have to stop this polarized, dictatorship of majority governments swinging wildly back and forth.  I don't care if I hear criticism of places like Germany where some say there are too many parties in the mix then, and you have to negotiate out the ying yang just to get anything done.  Even if bills take longer to pass, they will at least reflect much more the diversity of opinion across the country.

[Boudrias]

16 minutes ago, kilgore said:

 

 

I totally agree. 

Moving to a non First Past the Post system was one of the main reasons I voted for them, over my traditional NDP candidate that year. Because then, after that, I could vote NDP again, or Green even, and be assured my vote would be represented.

 

We have to stop this polarized, dictatorship of majority governments swinging wildly back and forth.  I don't care if I hear criticism of places like Germany where some say there are too many parties in the mix then, and you have to negotiate out the ying yang just to get anything done.  Even if bills take longer to pass, they will at least reflect much more the diversity of opinion across the country.

How about the leverage that First Past the Post gives tiny slices of the population who can exert pressure on governments who need them to stay in power. Look at Israel. A coalition of factions. IMHO the existing system is the best. Get elected do your best and if you are not doing a good enough job you get voted out. In BC the vote will be a close choice between the NDP and the BC Cons. I don't want the Greens to have a overweighted influence on policy.  

[Warhippy]

5 hours ago, Ricky Ravioli said:

What people do in their own home is none of your business. 

Really pay attention to this.  Like REALLY when the next government takes over provincially and federally.  Like REALLY pay attention 

[Bure_Pavel]

32 minutes ago, kilgore said:

 

 

I totally agree. 

Moving to a non First Past the Post system was one of the main reasons I voted for them, over my traditional NDP candidate that year. Because then, after that, I could vote NDP again, or Green even, and be assured my vote would be represented.

 

We have to stop this polarized, dictatorship of majority governments swinging wildly back and forth.  I don't care if I hear criticism of places like Germany where some say there are too many parties in the mix then, and you have to negotiate out the ying yang just to get anything done.  Even if bills take longer to pass, they will at least reflect much more the diversity of opinion across the country.

Nothing would ever get done, the government is already painfully inefficient. Would rather a majority for either side than a minority. The Ying and Yang has been effective in North American politics, both sides need each other. The priorities are pretty different on both sides so it can serve as a reset. Sometimes the country is in need of social spending/programs and some times it needs business/economy growth.       

Edited October 9 by Bure_Pavel

[kilgore]

2 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

How about the leverage that First Past the Post gives tiny slices of the population who can exert pressure on governments who need them to stay in power. Look at Israel. A coalition of factions. IMHO the existing system is the best. Get elected do your best and if you are not doing a good enough job you get voted out. In BC the vote will be a close choice between the NDP and the BC Cons. I don't want the Greens to have a overweighted influence on policy.  

 

I don't know the particular details of the Israeli situation, but if its a PR style system, then the ruling government is still a coalition that represents the majority of the voting public right?  If some of those fringe parties see their popularity drop after backing Bibi this time, they may change their positions or Israelis who disagreed with their cooperation with Bibi will not vote for them next time. 

 

I think its mostly a fear of the unknown as to why many are leary of it.  When the federal NDP has a say in a minority government, good things get done.   Medicare is an old and obvious example.  And perhaps from a conservative side, they also can curb overly wasteful spending by more left leaning minorty admins. Bottom line, any final legislation much more greatly represents a compromise that best suits the majority of Canadians.  Much more destablizing I'd think to swing from one extreme conservative admin to a liberal one and then back again etc. Many times scrapping all the time and work, and tax funded financing, of the previous government program and starting their own ideology driven program from scratch.

 

Why do you use the term "overweighted influence"?   That is antithetic to the very concept of more proportional representation.  And much more describes FPTP.  Like Goldilocks......the Greens would get just the right amount of weight.  I agreed with most of the policies that they pushed Horgan into implementing when they held a balance of power. But they didn't dictate. ie. Horgan still went ahead with Site C.

[aGENT]

2 hours ago, Bure_Pavel said:

Nothing would ever get done, the government is already painfully inefficient. Would rather a majority for either side than a minority. The Ying and Yang has been effective in North American politics, both sides need each other. The priorities are pretty different on both sides so it can serve as a reset. Sometimes the country is in need of social spending/programs and some times it needs business/economy growth.       

 

That's laughingly oversimplified (and not particularly accurate).

Edited October 10 by aGENT

[King Heffy]

7 hours ago, the destroyer of worlds said:

Yet, that won't be enough.  Because reasons.  Because "they" think that justice was heavy handed for the FREEDUMB Convoy protestors.  Here's the thing.  There were FREEDUMB Convoy protests here in PG.  The police didn't arrest anyone.  WHY you might ask??  They were protesting in the CN Centre parking lot.  They were not blocking traffic.  They were not vandalizing anything.  They were not disturbing the peace 24/7.  They didn't hang around after an order to vacate was issued (one wasn't issued to the CN Centre crowd)  A stark contrast to the ones who were.  The ones obstructing traffic to boarder crossings.  The ones vandalizing the tomb of the unknown soldier.  The ones disturbing the peace 24/7 in Ottawa.  

 

Show us a "Death to Canada" doofus that did any of the other things that the FREEDUMBers were doing, and prosecute them as well.

There's also a lot of people who thought they let the Klown Kar Konvoy off way too easily.  Tear gas would have helped avoid letting those morons escalate to the point they were allowed to.

[King Heffy]

1 hour ago, aGENT said:

 

That's laughingly oversimplified (and not particularly accurate).

Someone needs to open up a high school textbook that explains that many of the benefits we take for granted today, like universal healthcare, were the result of minority governments.

[Ricky Ravioli]

4 hours ago, Warhippy said:

Really pay attention to this.  Like REALLY when the next government takes over provincially and federally.  Like REALLY pay attention 

The fear mongering is strong with this post...

[King Heffy]

1 minute ago, Ricky Ravioli said:

The fear mongering is strong with this post...

Poilivre's voting record speaks for itself.  This isn't the voting record of someone capable of acting like a civilized human being.

Edited October 10 by King Heffy

[Warhippy]

3 hours ago, Ricky Ravioli said:

The fear mongering is strong with this post...

Is it though?

 

Guessing you haven't been paying attention then eh

[bishopshodan]

I have said it before, no wonder PP want an early election....the sky may not be completely falling...

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-07/former-bank-of-canada-official-sees-jumbo-rate-cut-in-october

[nuckin_futz]

Didn't know where else to put this. That's a steep penalty ...

 

TD Bank to pay $3 billion, face asset cap to resolve US money-laundering probe

TORONTO/NEW YORK (Reuters) -TD Bank became the largest bank in U.S. history to plead guilty to violating a federal law aimed at preventing money laundering, and agreed to pay over $3 billion in penalties to resolve the charges, government authorities said on Thursday.

 

The plea deal, which includes a rare imposition of an asset cap and other business limitations, arises from multiple government investigations into what authorities described as pervasive issues.

 

TD Bank shares fell almost 5% on Thursday afternoon.

 

For years, TD ignored red flags from high-risk customers and created a "convenient" environment for bad actors to exploit, the government said.

In one example, authorities said, TD Bank facilitated over $400 million in transactions to launder funds on behalf of people selling fentanyl and other deadly drugs.

 

TD is Canada's second biggest bank and the 10th largest in the U.S.

 

Two units of the bank pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder money and conspiring to fail to file accurate reports or maintain a compliant anti-money laundering program, the Justice Department said.

 

"TD Bank chose profits over compliance in order to keep its costs down," U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a press conference, noting TD was the largest bank to admit to violating the Bank Secrecy Act.

 

The asset cap, imposed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, is a rare step typically reserved for severe cases. It deals a major blow to TD. The bank has sought to expand further in the U.S., which accounts for about a third of its income.

 

"We will make the necessary changes to put the bank on a stronger foundation," incoming CEO Ray Chun told investors on a conference call on Thursday. "This is TD's number-one priority, and my number one priority. Make no mistake, we will meet our commitments to our regulators... we will get the job done."

 

Some critics of the bank thought the plea deal was too lenient. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, said it "lets bad bank executives off the hook for allowing TD Bank to be used as a criminal slush fund."

 

'MOST CONVENIENT BANK'

TD failed to monitor over $18 trillion in customer activity for about a decade, enabling three money laundering networks to transfer illicit funds through accounts at the bank, U.S. authorities said.

 

Bank employees "openly joked" about the lack of compliance on multiple occasions, Garland told reporters. Employees said TD's motto - America's most convenient bank - also made it attractive to criminals, authorities said.

 

TD Bank's issues were known at every level of the bank, authorities said. In some cases, TD did not flag suspicious activity until law enforcement raised attention to it. At times, tellers accepted gift cards as bribes.

 

"TD Bank knew of its compliance failures," said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. "As the light continued blinking red, TD Bank could only see green."

 

FALLOUT

The bank will pay a $1.4 billion fine to the DOJ, a record $1.3 billion to the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, $450 million to the OCC and another $123.5 million to the Federal Reserve.

 

The deal also includes the imposition of independent monitoring for four years and prevents TD from opening a new branch or entering a new market without the OCC's approval.

 

An asset cap is "worst case scenario" for TD, said Cormark Securities analyst Lemar Persaud before the deal was announced. The bank had already set aside $3 billion to cover fines.

 

Persaud drew a parallel with Wells Fargo , whose earnings have been constrained by a $1.95 trillion asset cap since 2018 following a fake accounts scandal. An asset cap would also constrain TD's profits, but to a lesser extent than it did for Wells Fargo, he said.

 

The probe has led to "significant underperformance" of TD's stock and prompted the retirement of its current CEO Bharat Masrani, Persaud said.

Masrani has been at the helm for nearly a decade and previously led its U.S. operations. He will leave next year.

 

The lender first revealed it was responding to inquiries from regulators and law enforcement last year, months after it scrapped a $13 billion purchase of regional lender First Horizon.

 

Investigators have been probing TD's internal controls since agents discovered a Chinese criminal operation bribed employees and brought large bags of cash into branches to launder millions of dollars in fentanyl sales through TD branches in New York and New Jersey, authorities said.

 

TD has spent millions to strengthen its compliance programs, fired dozens of staff at U.S. branches and named Canadian personal banking head Chun as incoming CEO, distancing the new chief from the scandal.

 

As part of the resolution, TD has begun remediation and agreed to continue to cooperate in ongoing investigations into individuals.

 

TD also has clawed back executive compensation, authorities said, nothing the deal marks the first time a company has to look at recovering more funds in the future from employees.

 

The cleanup effort will take years and require a lot of work and investment, Masrani said in a memo to staff seen by Reuters.

 

"This is a difficult chapter in our bank's history," Masrani said in a statement. "These failures took place on my watch as CEO, and I apologize to all our stakeholders."

Edited October 10 by nuckin_futz

[The Arrogant Worms]

Senate passes Liberal, NDP bill to cover diabetes and birth control medication

OTTAWA — The pharmacare bill that was central to a political pact between the Liberals and NDP become law Thursday after the Senate passed the bill without making any changes. The vote was swiftly followed by royal assent Thursday evening.

 

https://www.timescolonist.com/national-news/senate-passes-liberal-ndp-bill-to-cover-diabetes-and-birth-control-medication-9644552

[bishopshodan]

'holding up the falling sky'

Economy adds 47,000 jobs in September, unemployment rate falls to 6.5 per cent

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/economy-adds-47-000-jobs-in-september-unemployment-rate-falls-to-6-5-per-cent-1.7070738

Edited October 11 by bishopshodan

[Bob Long]

15 hours ago, The Arrogant Worms said:

Senate passes Liberal, NDP bill to cover diabetes and birth control medication

OTTAWA — The pharmacare bill that was central to a political pact between the Liberals and NDP become law Thursday after the Senate passed the bill without making any changes. The vote was swiftly followed by royal assent Thursday evening.

 

https://www.timescolonist.com/national-news/senate-passes-liberal-ndp-bill-to-cover-diabetes-and-birth-control-medication-9644552

 

amazing how little coverage this is getting. I guess it's easier to talk about "broken". 

 

[Sapper]

1 hour ago, Bob Long said:

 

amazing how little coverage this is getting. I guess it's easier to talk about "broken". 

 

PP has also gone silent on it

 

Once the first meds that are free begin to move it will be impossible for any politician to end it without also ending their careers.

 

I can see the plan changing under a con government in relation to supply and distribution process.

 

Years ago I was involved in the pharmacare lobby for the Health coalition and when we spoke with politicians other than the NDP which were on board .... It was oddly the conservatives more so than liberals interested in the details.

 

The cons hadn't found religion and wanted to help people ... They where looking at the statistical data on projected cost savings within the health care system and even bigger the massive savings business could achieve if they didn't have to provide pharmaceutical benefits to employees

 

Imagine major companies knowing that if they set up shop in Canada they may not have to provide any pharmaceutical coverage soon and of course our already free healthcare 

 

Just dental , vision and paramedical coverage needed.  Massive savings for doing business in Canada 

 

I personally know 2 diabetics who will go into retirement here in BC as soon as their meds are free. It's not alot but they expect to save 3k per year total and with the new dental coverage for low income seniors they feel safe retiring now.  It was sad to see them nest 70 years old still working just for benefit coverage 

 

This is a huge boost to Canada's workers and retired ....  

PP's response to the Bloc motion on increasing OAS shows just how out of touch and ill equipment to lead he is

 

PP said a con government would rather make their CPP more powerful by axing the tax and reducing their income tax

 

Reality check for the lifetime politician who feasts at the trough ..... Seniors on CPP gain more on carbon tax rebates then they pay ( almost all ) and if your income is CPP only you wouldn't be paying much if any income tax as your too poor 

 

So killing the seniors rebates and doubling their income tax refund of zero to be double zero .... Is going to make it better than a 10% increase to the OAS?

 

Atleast with dental and the beginning of pharmacare it will actually help many retired .... You see PP has never had a real job so doesn't understand such things as being poor or that tax cuts normally just help the highest earners ..... 

[the destroyer of worlds]

3 minutes ago, Sapper said:

PP has also gone silent on it

 

Once the first meds that are free begin to move it will be impossible for any politician to end it without also ending their careers.

 

I can see the plan changing under a con government in relation to supply and distribution process.

 

Years ago I was involved in the pharmacare lobby for the Health coalition and when we spoke with politicians other than the NDP which were on board .... It was oddly the conservatives more so than liberals interested in the details.

 

The cons hadn't found religion and wanted to help people ... They where looking at the statistical data on projected cost savings within the health care system and even bigger the massive savings business could achieve if they didn't have to provide pharmaceutical benefits to employees

 

Imagine major companies knowing that if they set up shop in Canada they may not have to provide any pharmaceutical coverage soon and of course our already free healthcare 

 

Just dental , vision and paramedical coverage needed.  Massive savings for doing business in Canada 

 

I personally know 2 diabetics who will go into retirement here in BC as soon as their meds are free. It's not alot but they expect to save 3k per year total and with the new dental coverage for low income seniors they feel safe retiring now.  It was sad to see them nest 70 years old still working just for benefit coverage 

 

This is a huge boost to Canada's workers and retired ....  

PP's response to the Bloc motion on increasing OAS shows just how out of touch and ill equipment to lead he is

 

PP said a con government would rather make their CPP more powerful by axing the tax and reducing their income tax

 

Reality check for the lifetime politician who feasts at the trough ..... Seniors on CPP gain more on carbon tax rebates then they pay ( almost all ) and if your income is CPP only you wouldn't be paying much if any income tax as your too poor 

 

So killing the seniors rebates and doubling their income tax refund of zero to be double zero .... Is going to make it better than a 10% increase to the OAS?

 

Atleast with dental and the beginning of pharmacare it will actually help many retired .... You see PP has never had a real job so doesn't understand such things as being poor or that tax cuts normally just help the highest earners ..... 

This is a clear example of a difference between the CONs and the Libs/NDP.  This is a program that will actually help regular people, and the CONs are not for it.  

 

Anyone voting for the CONs is voting against their self interest.  At least those who work a job or are low income.  The wealthy elites vote CON because they will actually serve their interests.  

[Bob Long]

2 hours ago, Sapper said:

PP has also gone silent on it

 

Once the first meds that are free begin to move it will be impossible for any politician to end it without also ending their careers.

 

I can see the plan changing under a con government in relation to supply and distribution process.

 

Years ago I was involved in the pharmacare lobby for the Health coalition and when we spoke with politicians other than the NDP which were on board .... It was oddly the conservatives more so than liberals interested in the details.

 

The cons hadn't found religion and wanted to help people ... They where looking at the statistical data on projected cost savings within the health care system and even bigger the massive savings business could achieve if they didn't have to provide pharmaceutical benefits to employees

 

Imagine major companies knowing that if they set up shop in Canada they may not have to provide any pharmaceutical coverage soon and of course our already free healthcare 

 

Just dental , vision and paramedical coverage needed.  Massive savings for doing business in Canada 

 

I personally know 2 diabetics who will go into retirement here in BC as soon as their meds are free. It's not alot but they expect to save 3k per year total and with the new dental coverage for low income seniors they feel safe retiring now.  It was sad to see them nest 70 years old still working just for benefit coverage 

 

This is a huge boost to Canada's workers and retired ....  

PP's response to the Bloc motion on increasing OAS shows just how out of touch and ill equipment to lead he is

 

PP said a con government would rather make their CPP more powerful by axing the tax and reducing their income tax

 

Reality check for the lifetime politician who feasts at the trough ..... Seniors on CPP gain more on carbon tax rebates then they pay ( almost all ) and if your income is CPP only you wouldn't be paying much if any income tax as your too poor 

 

So killing the seniors rebates and doubling their income tax refund of zero to be double zero .... Is going to make it better than a 10% increase to the OAS?

 

Atleast with dental and the beginning of pharmacare it will actually help many retired .... You see PP has never had a real job so doesn't understand such things as being poor or that tax cuts normally just help the highest earners ..... 

 

he's going to have to do some serious weaselling to get out of his pharma statements, but its probably too late.

 

PP is banking on anger and left side vote splitting. Not sure at the end of the day if enough people won't just hold their nose and vote for Trudeau again once people really start paying attention to the little rage farmer.

 

TBH I don't believe the online polling, there's no way up to 47% of Canadians can like Skippy. But if true, well, don't come whining Brexit style when you don't get what thought you were. 

 

 

[Elias Pettersson]

 

[aGENT]

36 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

 

 

I'm all for replacing him... But honestly, with who?

[Elias Pettersson]

8 minutes ago, aGENT said:

 

 

I'm all for replacing him... But honestly, with who?

 

The Liberals will need to stay away from anyone even indirectly associated with Trudeau.  They need to find their own Patrick Allvin.  Don’t know if that person even exists right now…

[Bob Long]

1 hour ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

The Liberals will need to stay away from anyone even indirectly associated with Trudeau.  They need to find their own Patrick Allvin.  Don’t know if that person even exists right now…

 

National Post suggested Christy Clark 

 

Carney would be best but don't see it now.

 

Id probably go with Joly out of the current crop.