Canadian Politics

[max power]

http://www.cjob.com/2015/11/03/is-justin-trudeaus-gender-equal-cabinet-real-change/

 

LOL, oh Justin.  Just the kind of silly, wimpy, and useless "change" we expected from you.

[The Unknown Poster]

http://www.cjob.com/2015/11/03/is-justin-trudeaus-gender-equal-cabinet-real-change/

 

LOL, oh Justin.  Just the kind of silly, wimpy, and useless "change" we expected from you.

Im all for women in power.  But hopfully this isnt change for change sake.  The proof will be in the pudding though.

[Noeller]

Like the link states, picking a cabinet has never been about "Best Person Available", so if that's the case, why not make a positive statement with it? If we can find competent female MPs to take half the positions, I'm all for it.

[Rich]

Experience debate aside, I'm all for equality.   50 of the 184 (or 27%) seats that the liberals won are woman.

[Mark F]

lol....yeah why can't justin get somebody, like this person

 

"Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq says it was a bad idea to read the newspaper during question period, appearing insensitive to her constituents while opposition parties questioned the government about exorbitant food prices in the North."

[kelownabomberfan]

This from another political site that I follow:

 

Why stop at gender? How about age? 20-something year olds make up X% of the population, so they should make up X% of cabinet. Aboriginals make up 5% of population, so they should represent 5% of cabinet. Muslims make up 3%, Jews 1%, so let's represent them accordingly as well. JWs make up 2% of the population, so they need to be represented as well. Yes, they don't believe in voting or serving in government, but equality trumps religious convictions.

What about lawyers, they make up 1% of the population, so let's stop giving them 15% of the cabinet positions. 1% of the population is homeless, so there should be at least one homeless person in cabinet for every lawyer. 10% of Canadians are virgins (largely concentrated on web forums and in politics), so they need to be represented at cabinet. 5% of the population is made up of criminals, so government needs to reduce the number of criminals in cabinet down to 5%. 50% of the population is made up of complete @#$@ morons, so we need that segment represented in cabinet as well.

 

[Fatty Liver]

This is progress.  

 

Return of long-form census a win for science, rationality.

 

 

According to The Toronto Star, Liberal party sources have confirmed that one of the first things the new Justin Trudeau-led federal government will do after being sworn in Wednesday is reinstate the mandatory long-form census.

 

Doing so quickly would mean Statistics Canada could use the long-form questionnaire next spring as part of its 2016 census efforts, thankfully dumping the vastly inferior yet more expensive National Household Survey.

 

The NHS, a bit of ideological idiocy that undermined fact-based decision-making in government, business, health and many other sectors, especially in smaller communities where reliable 2011 data was simply not available, was foisted on the nation by the Tories in 2011.

 

Business leaders, health care professionals, economists, lawyers, educators, provincial and municipal government officials, along with many other groups, decried the former Conservative government’s bizarre 2010 decision to axe the long-form census.

The federal auditor general noted that using the voluntary National Household Survey (NHS) in 2011 led to StatsCan being unable to provide reliable data for 25 per cent of communities across Canada.

 

To top it off, the Conservatives, who argued they were better stewards of taxpayers’ money, spent $22 million more on distributing the NHS than it would have cost to simply keep the long-form census.

 

But enough of reasons for why killing the long-form census was a regressive move, a decision defended only by wilfully blind, diehard Harper Conservative backers.

 

In my experience, it’s a waste of time trying to explain to that group why, based on statistical science, voluntary surveys produce inferior, unreliable data compared to a mandatory questionnaire. (Yes, even with the inevitable small percentage of people who purposefully lie when they fill them out).

 

Though the threat of jail time was also often held out as a terrible injustice, it never seems to matter to Harper supporters that, in fact, no one had ever been jailed for refusing to fill out the census.

 

In any case, I imagine there were quite a few people who had voted Conservative in past elections who parted ways with Harper’s party on Oct. 19 over their anti-science, in fact at times anti-rationality, track record — and I’m talking about more than just the census.

 

It always struck me that one of the root meanings of conservatism is being cautious about change. A small “c” conservative is someone who wants solid, rational evidence before accepting the need to disrupt a status quo that seems to work. Someone who wants to carefully weigh what could be lost before plunging ahead.

 

There was nothing small “c” conservative about killing the long-form census.

 

If the reports are true and the Liberals do quickly reinstate the long-form census, it’ll be a welcome signal that rational, science-based decision-making is back in favour in government circles. And, to be fair, I’ll note the NDP have also long called for the reinstatement of the mandatory extended survey.

 

Another thing to watch for will be if, and how fast, the Liberals move on an equally important promise made during the campaign — making Statistics Canada “fully independent,” i.e., operating at arm’s length from government.

 

Again, it should be obvious why it’s vital that the national agency gathering data on a vast range of aspects of Canada, including the economy, unemployment, health and justice conditions, is not perceived as having to “report” to, or follow the dictates of, any particular minister or government.

 

The power of data is strongest when it’s consistent and untainted by perceptions it could be manipulated by the government of the day, regardless of the party is in power.

 

Assuming StatsCan does become an agency of Parliament, that status should provide at least some protection against future governments monkeying around with the census again.

 

Governments yet to be elected could try to take back that independence. But that would require legislation, a step they’d have to take in the open. They’d also have to explain why Canada’s national statistician should revert to reporting to a government minister and not the House of Commons.

 

Paul Schneidereit is an editorial writer and columnis

[Fraser]

This from another political site that I follow:

 

Why stop at gender? How about age? 20-something year olds make up X% of the population, so they should make up X% of cabinet. Aboriginals make up 5% of population, so they should represent 5% of cabinet. Muslims make up 3%, Jews 1%, so let's represent them accordingly as well. JWs make up 2% of the population, so they need to be represented as well. Yes, they don't believe in voting or serving in government, but equality trumps religious convictions.

What about lawyers, they make up 1% of the population, so let's stop giving them 15% of the cabinet positions. 1% of the population is homeless, so there should be at least one homeless person in cabinet for every lawyer. 10% of Canadians are virgins (largely concentrated on web forums and in politics), so they need to be represented at cabinet. 5% of the population is made up of criminals, so government needs to reduce the number of criminals in cabinet down to 5%. 50% of the population is made up of complete @#$@ morons, so we need that segment represented in cabinet as well.

 

 

I’m having trouble with drawing a line between women and homeless people. Are you suggesting that women make inherently bad MPs for some reason and the idea of them being proportionately represented is as silly as that of a homeless person sitting as an MP? Are you suggesting that lawyers don't have unique a set of skills (an intimate knowledge of the law) that doesn't lend well to the creation and management of policy (laws). It seems like that would naturally lead to their profession being overrepresented. Are you suggesting men have some kind of inherent set of traits that should be cause for them to be over represented? I really don't see any logic in this post other than a very poorly done satire trying to suggest that equality is a silly notion.

[tacklewasher]

This is progress.

 

Return of long-form census a win for science, rationality.

 

As long as I don't have to fill out the damn thing again. Took forever and I didn't like some of the questions.

[Fatty Liver]

 

This is progress.

 

Return of long-form census a win for science, rationality.

 

As long as I don't have to fill out the damn thing again. Took forever and I didn't like some of the questions.

 

 

I feel the same way about doing my tax returns.

[bigg jay]

Full Trudeau cabinet announced:

 

The full list of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's new 31-member cabinet, in order of precedene, being sworn in today at Rideau Hall in Ottawa:

• Justin Trudeau - Prime Minister and Youth.
• Ralph Goodale - Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
• Lawrence MacAulay - Agriculture and Agri-Food.
• Stéphane Dion - Foreign Affairs.
• John McCallum - Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees.
• Carolyn Bennett - Indigenous and Northern Affairs.
• Scott Brison - Treasury Board President.
• Dominic Leblanc - Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.
• Navdeep Bains - Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
• Bill Morneau - Finance Minister.
• Jody Wilson-Raybould - Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
• Judy Foote - Public Services and Procurement.
• Chrystia Freeland - International Trade.
• Jane Philpott - Health.
• Jean-Yves Duclos - Families, Children and Social Development.
• Marc Garneau - Transport.
• Marie-Claude Bibeau - International Development and La francophonie.
• James Carr - Natural Resources.
• Mélanie Joly - Heritage.
• Dianne Lebouthillier - National Revenue.
• Kent Hehr - Veterans Affairs, and Associate Minister of National Defence.
• Catherine McKenna - Environment and Climate Change.
• Harjit Sajjan - National Defence.
• MaryAnn Mihychuck - Employment Workforce Development and Labour
• Amarjeet Sohi - Infrastructure and Communities.
• Maryam Monsef - Democratic Institutions.
• Carla Qualtrough - Sport, and Persons with Disabilities.
• Hunter Tootoo - Fisheries and Oceans, and Canadian Coastguard.
• Kirsty Duncan - Science.
• Patricia Hajdu - Status of Women.
• Bardish Chagger - Small Business and Tourism.

[kelownabomberfan]

This is progress.

 

Return of long-form census a win for science, rationality.

As long as I don't have to fill out the damn thing again. Took forever and I didn't like some of the questions.

 

I feel the same way about doing my tax returns.

LOL - me too. I don't think I've ever been asked to do a long-form census.

[kelownabomberfan]

Full Trudeau cabinet announced:

 

The full list of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's new 31-member cabinet, in order of precedene, being sworn in today at Rideau Hall in Ottawa:

• Justin Trudeau - Prime Minister and Youth.
• Ralph Goodale - Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
• Lawrence MacAulay - Agriculture and Agri-Food.
• Stéphane Dion - Foreign Affairs.
• John McCallum - Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees.
• Carolyn Bennett - Indigenous and Northern Affairs.
• Scott Brison - Treasury Board President.
• Dominic Leblanc - Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.
• Navdeep Bains - Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
• Bill Morneau - Finance Minister.
• Jody Wilson-Raybould - Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
• Judy Foote - Public Services and Procurement.
• Chrystia Freeland - International Trade.
• Jane Philpott - Health.
• Jean-Yves Duclos - Families, Children and Social Development.
• Marc Garneau - Transport.
• Marie-Claude Bibeau - International Development and La francophonie.
• James Carr - Natural Resources.
• Mélanie Joly - Heritage.
• Dianne Lebouthillier - National Revenue.
• Kent Hehr - Veterans Affairs, and Associate Minister of National Defence.
• Catherine McKenna - Environment and Climate Change.
• Harjit Sajjan - National Defence.
• MaryAnn Mihychuck - Employment Workforce Development and Labour
• Amarjeet Sohi - Infrastructure and Communities.
• Maryam Monsef - Democratic Institutions.
• Carla Qualtrough - Sport, and Persons with Disabilities.
• Hunter Tootoo - Fisheries and Oceans, and Canadian Coastguard.
• Kirsty Duncan - Science.
• Patricia Hajdu - Status of Women.
• Bardish Chagger - Small Business and Tourism.

So the ministry of Environment has now adopted the same name as other countries, it's now "Environment and Climate Change". Fantastic.

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

So the ministry of Environment has now adopted the same name as other countries, it's now "Environment and Climate Change". Fantastic.

I know, it's pretty weird to see the mention of climate change by the government. ..

Surprised that it wasn't given it's own ministry, given the gravity of it.

Or... were you being sarcastic? Can't tell.

[voodoochylde]

 

So the ministry of Environment has now adopted the same name as other countries, it's now "Environment and Climate Change". Fantastic.

I know, it's pretty weird to see the mention of climate change by the government. ..

Surprised that it wasn't given it's own ministry, given the gravity of it.

Or... were you being sarcastic? Can't tell.

 

 

He's a denier .. 

[The Unknown Poster]

Denier or realist? Why are those that don't subscribe to

Chicken little syndrome called deniers? Aren't the climate change crazies like Suzuki the deniers? As in denying good sense?

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

Denier or realist? Why are those that don't subscribe to

Science and evidence based decision making, called deniers?

 

FFA

[17to85]

 

 

So the ministry of Environment has now adopted the same name as other countries, it's now "Environment and Climate Change". Fantastic.

I know, it's pretty weird to see the mention of climate change by the government. ..

Surprised that it wasn't given it's own ministry, given the gravity of it.

Or... were you being sarcastic? Can't tell.

 

 

He's a denier .. 

 

denier? How about someone who doesn't think it is the super serious doom and gloom event environuts want it to be? The facts are that most of what the world is doing to combat CO2 emissions is largely useless. Cap and trade scams and carbon taxes don't accomplish anything. Real action though is too costly and no government wants to get into that. Never mind that Canada could stop emitting all CO2 tomorrow and global levels would still continue to rise. We are largely insignificant in the fight against CO2 emissions. 

[kelownabomberfan]

He's a denier ..

LOL - I always say when someone pulls this word out of their arse that they have basically "Godwinned" the discussion and might as well have said that I am on par with Hitler. Such a cop-out to just drop this word into a discussion about man-made climate change, and what the actual effects are on the global climate. My main point was that I am curious how much money people here think we as Canadians should be devoting to "fighting" man-made climate change, considering overall Canada's contribution to the man-made CO2 total (including those horrible "tar sands") is the equivalent of a mouse-fart. Should it be hundreds of millions? Billions? Hundreds of billions? How much is enough to sate the screams of agony from the doom-sayers? When will your guilty consciences be made whole? How much has to be poured down the man-made climate change black hole that will be enough to make all of those other countries that are already wasting billions on this issue accept us into the man-made climate change panicky idiot club? I am just asking the question.

[Noeller]

Regardless of the gravity of the climate change situation, optically it looks good to change the name of the portfolio....

[The Unknown Poster]

Yeah the climate change racket is really out of control and changing the name of the portfolio is pretty eye-roll enducing.  The earth has been hotter than now and frozen solid.  It does what it does.  And Man-made carbon dioxide emissions throughout human history constitute less than 0.00022 percent of the total naturally emitted from the mantle of the earth during geological history.

 

But I digress...

[kelownabomberfan]

Never mind that Canada could stop emitting all CO2 tomorrow and global levels would still continue to rise. We are largely insignificant in the fight against CO2 emission

But wait. On a "per capita" basis Canada is one of the biggest emitters in the world. Never mind the fact that Canada is largely an extremely cold climate, requiring heat for humans to survive, never mind that we are extremely sparsely populated over the second biggest country on earth, and never mind that our overall yearly total CO2 emitted is exceeded by China in a few days/hours. Never mind all of that. On a "per capita" basis we emit more CO2 than Indonesians, and so somehow we have to cut emissions, by freezing in the dark and starving to death, to show just how committed we are, and to soothe all of those guilty consciences out there.

[The Unknown Poster]

@CNN: Russian plane crash: British say bomb may have downed flight https://t.co/YKoq4kRrMwhttps://t.co/QDEJBSLNGv

[kelownabomberfan]

Regardless of the gravity of the climate change situation, optically it looks good to change the name of the portfolio....

well it looks good if we are sending hundreds of people to the Paris Climate party at taxpayer expense, anyway.

[Mark F]

Lol climate change is a scam.

 

Even the chairman of exxon says that climate change is caused by burning fossil fuels.

 

I need a laugh. someone come here and post that he's in on the hoax. Or that you're smarter and better informed than he is.

 

Lol !!!

 

Also, You people that think burning fossil fuels is not a problem should read about the affects of the oceans absorbing  CO2.

 

It's measureable, and there's only one source. here.....

 

https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-acidification