CanPol Megathread: Big Changus

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PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

HookShot posted:

Definitely. As someone who has done skeleton before, it is one of the greatest feelings on the planet. I imagine that even on a sled that would have been a lot slower than 100kph it still would be awesome.

EvilJoven posted:

This is the reason why we have stuff like attractive nuisance laws. It's basically society's way of accepting that sometimes we as a species can't help ourselves and do stupid poo poo.

In fact, it's now coming out that this is far from the first time something like this has happened!

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/calgary/calgary-bobsled-accident-canada-olympic-park-1.3437391

If winsport knew this was a recurring issue, could it be argued that they did not take reasonable steps to mitigate the dangers?

# ? Feb 7, 2016 16:03

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# ? May 29, 2024 02:39

Ron Paul Atreides: Apr 19, 2012; Uyghurs situation in Xinjiang? Just a police action, do not fret. Not ongoing genocide like in EVIL Canada.

I am definitely not a tankie.

A big factor in Alberta's woes and us not giving a poo poo is that this kind of downturn was something that was constantly raised as a reason for higher royalties during the PC days. if they had put away a nest egg they would have been far more able to weather this, not to mention in a much better position to bargain with other provinces for pipeline access (not being totally negligent with enviro regs would help too). Whine and bitch all you want Albertans, the time to fix this was years ago when progressives were telling you to be like Norway and you ignored it, figuring the good times would never end.

Now you aren't particularly unique in thinking this way, a lot of places do. But acting like suddenly approving a new pipeline will fix all your woes is just grasping at anything you can to avoid acknowledging the lack of foresight the PCs demonstrated.

# ? Feb 7, 2016 16:23

Seat Safety Switch: May 27, 2008; MY RELIGION IS THE SMALL BLOCK V8 AND COMMANDMENTS ONE THROUGH TEN ARE NEVER LIFT.; Pillbug

My parents came here in '81, just prior to the last big oil crash, and while the experience turned them into lifelong Conservative voters who hate the Trudeau legacy in general, it did make them relatively paranoid savers.

It has been a pretty interesting experience growing up in Alberta and getting to hear the lessons from my parents in one ear while seeing the absolutely ridiculous blowout personal and corporate spending in another. I don't think my parents were always right about how to create wealth, but they definitely impressed their lessons about maintaining it.

I do particularly love it when drunken Newfies formerly in entry-level positions driving brand new Rams tell me at parties who's responsible for "our" problems. :allears:

Please go home.

# ? Feb 7, 2016 17:42

Furnaceface: Oct 21, 2004

Im actually a little offended. Us Ontarians were being smug pompous assholes during high times then following it up with the "blame everyone but ourselves" routine during the bad times way before Alberta made it cool. :colbert:

# ? Feb 7, 2016 23:17

jsoh: Mar 24, 2007; O Muhammad, I seek your intercession with my Lord for the return of my eyesight

Alberta has been locked in this cycle of jackass>baby>jackass for like thirty years.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 01:08

DariusLikewise: Oct 4, 2008; You wore that on Halloween?

infernal machines posted:

He is from Toronto.

Went to school in Calgary, did IT for imperial oil in Alberta. Entered politics in Alberta. Dad was an accountant for Imperial in Calgary.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 02:08

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

DariusLikewise posted:

Went to school in Calgary, did IT for imperial oil in Alberta. Entered politics in Alberta. Dad was an accountant for Imperial in Calgary.

Doesn't matter, he's still not a true Albertan.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 02:13

Baronjutter: Dec 31, 2007; "Tiny Trains"

"Albertan" is an attitude, not a place of birth. The oil boom was like a beacon, attracting Albertans from as far away as Newfoundland.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 02:15

Rime: Nov 2, 2011; by Games Forum

E: wrong thread JFC. :cripes:

# ? Feb 8, 2016 03:03

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Baronjutter posted:

"Albertan" is an attitude, not a place of birth. The oil boom was like a beacon, attracting Albertans from as far away as Newfoundland.

As a person who was actually born and mostly raised in Alberta, those bastards can gently caress right off and take their jacked-up dick-compensation machines with them.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 03:06

Baronjutter: Dec 31, 2007; "Tiny Trains"

PT6A posted:

As a person who was actually born and mostly raised in Alberta, those bastards can gently caress right off and take their jacked-up dick-compensation machines with them.

I know we argue with you often in this thread, disagree a lot, but I think we are all united in 100% believing your Albertan status. It is unquestionable.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 04:09

Hexigrammus: May 22, 2006; Cheech Wizard stories are clean, wholesome, reflective truths that go great with the marijuana munchies and a blow job.

DariusLikewise posted:

Went to school in Calgary, did IT for imperial oil in Alberta. Entered politics in Alberta. Dad was an accountant for Imperial in Calgary.

drat. I was hoping for a twofer and we could dump on both Toronto and Alberta at the same time.

Ah well, back to the Ford brothers.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 04:33

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Hexigrammus posted:

drat. I was hoping for a twofer and we could dump on both Toronto and Alberta at the same time.

No, you totally can! He's the worst bits of Toronto and transplant-Albertan all jammed together in an awful poo poo sandwich. Just like Prentice and Redford, he managed to take an almost unassailable political advantage and flush it straight down the goddamn toilet because he's a loving idiot.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 04:38

Furnaceface: Oct 21, 2004

PT6A posted:

No, you totally can! He's the worst bits of Toronto and transplant-Albertan all jammed together in an awful poo poo sandwich. Just like Prentice and Redford, he managed to take an almost unassailable political advantage and flush it straight down the goddamn toilet because he's a loving idiot.

You forgot Stockwell Day.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 07:38

Do it ironically: Jul 13, 2010; by Pragmatica

Albertan is a made up thing Easterners believe to make them feel good about themselves then love to completely ignore how ontario and quebec vote conservative

# ? Feb 8, 2016 07:50

HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

My favourite thing about driving in Alberta is when people literally stop and look and laugh at my Prius.

Apparently it's a bit of a novelty over there.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 08:07

B33rChiller: Aug 18, 2011

HookShot posted:

My favourite thing about driving in Alberta is when people literally stop and look and laugh at my Prius.

Apparently it's a bit of a novelty over there.

Haha! I had a bit of the same with a Subaru in the Cold Lake area this past fall. As my shithead brother said "Well, it might be a pussy car, but at least it's a stick shift."

# ? Feb 8, 2016 08:54

Baronjutter: Dec 31, 2007; "Tiny Trains"

My friend moved to Alberta and drove her Fit there. When she'd park in rural places people would come out and look and laugh. Would be the only actual car in row after row of heavy pickups, let alone hatch back.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 09:01

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

I call bullshit. Maybe in rural areas (but I'd argue that's equally an issue in other provinces), but there's lots of cars in Calgary. Many city vehicles and taxis are Priuses and we have car2go smart cars everywhere. Literally no one has ever laughed at me for driving a car, ever.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 15:15

Seat Safety Switch: May 27, 2008; MY RELIGION IS THE SMALL BLOCK V8 AND COMMANDMENTS ONE THROUGH TEN ARE NEVER LIFT.; Pillbug

Hell, I drive a Miata in Calgary.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 15:34

Wistful of Dollars: Aug 25, 2009

There are lots of small cars in rural areas. Admittedly, they tend to be old, piece of poo poo domestics, but they're there.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 16:22

Weird BIAS: Jul 5, 2007; so... guess that's it, huh? just... don't say i didn't warn you.

I know people that laugh at smart cars in Innisfail/Red Deer Alberta. That's about the worst I've heard.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 17:00

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Laughing at smart cars is cool and good because they're unreasonably expensive, of limited utility, and their transmissions are affronts to God. The only advantage they have is being very short, but their dominance is keeping competitors in that limited market out of North America.

I doubly laugh at anyone who actually buys one in Calgary because why wouldn't you just use car2go?

# ? Feb 8, 2016 17:09

MA-Horus: Dec 3, 2006; I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am.

Laughing at smart cars in the land of the lifted pick-up truck

Alberta.txt

# ? Feb 8, 2016 17:28

Brannock: Feb 9, 2006; by exmarx; Fallen Rib

Liberals gonna lib

quote:

Canada to cease ISIS airstrikes by Feb. 22, Justin Trudeau says

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will cease all coalition airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) no later than Feb. 22, while it beefs up its military efforts, including the number of special forces deployed to train Iraqi forces on the ground.

"It is important to understand that while airstrike operations can be very useful to achieve short-term military and territorial gains, they do not on their own achieve long-term stability for local communities," Trudeau said during an announcement in Ottawa on Monday, where he was accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister St�phane Dion, National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and the Minister of International Development Marie-Claude Bibeau.

"Canadians learned this lesson first-hand during a very difficult decade in Afghanistan, where our Forces became expert military trainers renowned around the world."

Trudeau said Canada will triple the number of Canadian Forces members helping train local ground troops to fight ISIS, and increase by 230 the number of troops deployed as part of Joint Task Force-Iraq.

Some 69 special forces are currently there training Kurdish fighters along with approximately 600 Canadian Armed Forces members.

Trudeau's announcement comes as Sajjan prepares to leave for Brussels, where he will meet with NATO defence ministers on Feb. 10-11. It also comes as Members of Parliament are in their ridings for the week, with the House of Commons adjourned until Feb.16.

Trudeau said the government will put the new policy to a debate in Parliament when the House of Commons resumes next week.

The previous Conservative government committed Canada to the coalition airstrikes until March, but the new Liberal government was elected on a pledge to pull Canada's six CF-18 fighter jets out of the bombing mission.

Trudeau has said Canada will continue to play a meaningful role in the fight against ISIS, indicating he would increase the number of Canadian Forces members helping train local ground troops to fight ISIS while beefing up humanitarian and international development efforts.

Officials from the Department of National Defence and from Global Affairs Canada will give reporters a technical briefing following Trudeau's announcement.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 17:28

PT6A: Jan 5, 2006; Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

MA-Horus posted:

Laughing at smart cars in the land of the lifted pick-up truck

Alberta.txt

I laugh at ridiculous bro-trucks too. Smart cars are just sucky and bad -- equally true in Calgary as anywhere else. Something like the Toyota Aygo would be way better and also way cheaper.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 17:32

Risky Bisquick: Jan 18, 2008; PLEASE LET ME WRITE YOUR VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT SO I CAN FURTHER DEMONSTRATE THE CALAMITY THAT IS OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM.; Buglord

Smart cars are deathtraps, more so when everyone that can potentially hit you is driving a vehicle that is 2-3x the gross weight.

quote:

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/politics/navy-defence-ships-purchase-france-mistral-1.3435803?cmp=rss

Top general and defence bureaucrat were at odds over whether to buy French warships

Top bureaucrat warned resources were 'stretched' and purchase would affect shipbuilding plan

Canada's defence department advised the former minister of defence not to buy two French Mistral-class amphibious vessels because of how their cost might affect the multibillion-dollar national shipbuilding strategy � even though the ships would have provided a new and needed capability for the Canadian Navy.

Despite this advice from the top defence bureaucrat, the defence minister was told the exact opposite six weeks later by Canada's top general, documents obtained through the Access to Information Act reveal.

In a 2015 briefing note, deputy defence minister John Forster advised then Conservative defence minister Jason Kenney and then chief of defence staff Gen. Tom Lawson to avoid buying the ships because of "stretched resources."

Ottawa's backroom bid for French helicopter ships sidelined by election
Canada's $39B shipbuilding strategy in need of repair, ministers told
"While this opportunity purchase seems to represent a means to quickly acquire a substantial augmentation to the CAF capabilities, the impact on our already stretched resources would have direct and deleterious consequences on our capital investment program," the briefing note said.

"It is therefore recommended that Canada not pursue the option to purchase the Mistral-class hulls at this time."

But just six weeks later the new chief of defence staff, Gen. Jonathan Vance, urged Kenney to reconsider the earlier advice given to him and to buy the two vessels from France.

Year Cda ISIL Ukraine 20151214
Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance encouraged the defence minister to purchase the Mistral-class ships from France. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)
In a letter obtained by CBC News, Vance pointed out that a military report concluded that the versatility and flexibility of the vessels could "directly contribute to the desire for rapid, deployable and far-reaching projection of state interests, which could result in positive influences both domestically and internationally," the document said.

Vance went on to write that the addition of the French vessels "would contribute directly to satisfying current gaps in the area of sea-based force projection across a range of operations."

And he said that additional funding will be needed to acquire this capability, otherwise the existing defence procurement plan would be at risk.

New customers needed

The French vessels were originally built for Russia, but France pulled out of the deal in 2014 because of Russia's support for rebels in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea. France was forced to look for another buyer.

The Mistral-class ships are helicopter carriers that can conduct a wide variety of tasks, from launching raids onshore to providing aid and relief in disaster zones. They have landing pads for six helicopters, can house up to 60 armoured vehicles, accommodate 450 troops and contain a medical facility with a surgery centre and 69 beds.

According to the briefing note, the ships could meet the three roles and six missions outlined in the Canada First Defence Strategy � the military's road map for roles, missions and where it should be investing. The ships would enhance the military's capabilities and increase international training opportunities for the Forces.

But the major problem, Forster argued, was the cost of acquiring the ships and how the two new vessels would fit into the navy's overall procurement strategy.

"Significant efforts are underway across DND/CAF to prioritize capability needs and reduce demands on the budget," the documents read. "In this light, it must be understood that with no identified source of funds to support such a purchase, and with our already stretched funding allocation, DND/CAF would be unable to absorb this pressure without significant impact to the already stressed capital equipment portfolio," it said in the briefing.

The top defence bureaucrat also warned that because the Mistral-class ships were not included in the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy "consideration should be given to how its purchase would impact other ships Canada is currently and forecasted to construct," including the cost of training associated with introducing a new ship, the document said.

Missed opportunity

In the end, the federal election was called, and in September France announced it would be selling the ships to Egypt.

Canadian Global Affairs Institute defence analyst David Perry sees this as a missed opportunity. "I thought acquiring that ship would have given the government a great deal of flexibility."

"I think, unfortunately, there won't be another opportunity as something like this, " he said.

The procurement strategy is worth $39 billion and is seen as the future of the navy. The multibillion-dollar project is supposed to supply the navy with combatant and non-combatant ships, as well as to revitalize Canada's shipbuilding industry. But reports of cost overruns and delayed projects are already plaguing the program.

Perry said he can understand why the procurement strategy is such a sensitive issue, but it shouldn't preclude the navy from acquiring good equipment not included in the program that would be a useful asset to the Forces.

CF brass considered Mistral carriers for our SeaKings to ~~crash~~ land on :laugh:

# ? Feb 8, 2016 17:42

EvilJoven: Mar 18, 2005; NOBODY,IN THE HISTORY OF EVER, HAS ASKED OR CARED WHAT CANADA THINKS. YOU ARE NOT A COUNTRY. YOUR MONEY HAS THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND ON IT. IF YOU DIG AROUND IN YOUR BACKYARD, NATIVE SKELETONS WOULD EXPLODE OUT OF YOUR LAWN LIKE THE END OF POLTERGEIST. CANADA IS SO POLITE, EH?; Fun Shoe

I drove a Fiat 500 from Winnipeg to Dauphin and back. The entire trip was a miserable experience, that thing has no business on Canadian highways.

And then I had to take it on gravel. The most broken shopping cart at the grocery store would have handled better.

gently caress you Fiat 500, I had a backache for days.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 17:45

HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

PT6A posted:

I call bullshit. Maybe in rural areas (but I'd argue that's equally an issue in other provinces), but there's lots of cars in Calgary. Many city vehicles and taxis are Priuses and we have car2go smart cars everywhere. Literally no one has ever laughed at me for driving a car, ever.

Alberta is a lot more than just Calgary dude.

I've driven through rural BC a whole lot of times and never had anyone stop and laugh at my car. It happens virtually every time I'm in Alberta.

Also people in their F-350s on the highway who once I pass them try and pass back because oh no obviously their penis is small because a Prius passed them!!! This also happens a lot more than you would expect. It's more of a "big truck" thing than an "Alberta" thing though.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 18:41

InfiniteZero: Sep 11, 2004; PINK GUITAR FIRE ROBOT; College Slice

EvilJoven posted:

I drove a Fiat 500 from Winnipeg to Dauphin and back. The entire trip was a miserable experience, that thing has no business on Canadian highways.

Fiat 500s are literally called "city cars" though, so getting angry or surprised about this is sort of like being mad at a 10 speed for not handling very well on the trails at Riding Mountain.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 18:52

DariusLikewise: Oct 4, 2008; You wore that on Halloween?

I don't see practical reason to own a truck unless you need one for work regularly. I understand how they are status symbols though, but whatever car I buy next will probably be a small hybrid or electric. If I need a truck to do home renovations or whatever I borrow my dad's, but I could just as easily pay to have poo poo delivered/picked up and it would be the same cost.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 18:58

unlimited shrimp: Aug 30, 2008

Car Chat: I drove a Honda Fit from Toronto to St. John's and back. My only complaint was poor acceleration for passing on hills, and road noise.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 19:00

HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

My husband drove a Smart car from Brisbane to Sydney and got out of a speeding ticket by sheepishly telling the cop "I don't think this car even goes up to 120" and the cop laughing and going "yeah probably not" and letting him go.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 19:15

Nocturtle: Mar 17, 2007

the trump tutelage posted:

Car Chat: I drove a Honda Fit from Toronto to St. John's and back. My only complaint was poor acceleration for passing on hills, and road noise.

The Honda fit has the best external visibility of any compact/sedan I've driven recently. This is helpful when driving on the QEW where tailgating is standard.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 19:25

peter banana: Sep 2, 2008; Feminism is a socialist, anti-family, political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.

Seat Safety Switch posted:

My parents came here in '81, just prior to the last big oil crash, and while the experience turned them into lifelong Conservative voters who hate the Trudeau legacy in general, it did make them relatively paranoid savers.

It has been a pretty interesting experience growing up in Alberta and getting to hear the lessons from my parents in one ear while seeing the absolutely ridiculous blowout personal and corporate spending in another. I don't think my parents were always right about how to create wealth, but they definitely impressed their lessons about maintaining it.

I do particularly love it when drunken Newfies formerly in entry-level positions driving brand new Rams tell me at parties who's responsible for "our" problems. Please go home.

Hey if people in this country hate political family dynasties so much, can we get rid of the family dynasty who are our actual head of state? Thanks.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 19:26

velvet milkman: Feb 13, 2012; by R. Guyovich

Apropos of nothing, I'd like to remind the fine posters of this thread that every one of you should have a free photograph of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh hanging on their wall, courtesy of our fine, responsible government.

By phoning the number listed at the bottom of this page, you can experience the pleasure of speaking with a Service Canada representative who will gladly fulfill your request for free photographs, mailed to your Canadian residence, for free. Be sure to let them know you found out about this service through the Something Awful forums!

# ? Feb 8, 2016 19:30

PoizenJam: Dec 2, 2006; Damn!!!
It's PoizenJam!!!

Nocturtle posted:

The Honda fit has the best external visibility of any compact/sedan I've driven recently. This is helpful when driving on the QEW where tailgating is standard.

You know I always hear people talk poo poo about motorists in Southern Ontario, yet you all actually know how to perform a goddamn zipper method following a lane closure. People actually merge in an orderly fashion and let others in. And you actually let people merge 90% of the time when someone's blinker is on for any other unspecified reason.

Try driving in Newfoundland where literally nobody has heard of the zipper method or gives a poo poo about letting others merge. Oh, your lane is ending and you want to merge into my lane? gently caress you, buddeh, you picked wrong. It's a cutthroat game of blocking people from entering your lane or alternatively cutting them off to get into the lane. If you have the poo poo luck to end up in a terminating lane in bumper to bumper traffic, you could easily find yourself waiting 5+ minutes just for someone to actually let you in.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 19:42

Ron Paul Atreides: Apr 19, 2012; Uyghurs situation in Xinjiang? Just a police action, do not fret. Not ongoing genocide like in EVIL Canada.

I am definitely not a tankie.

HookShot posted:

My husband drove a Smart car from Brisbane to Sydney and got out of a speeding ticket by sheepishly telling the cop "I don't think this car even goes up to 120" and the cop laughing and going "yeah probably not" and letting him go.

I like your stories

# ? Feb 8, 2016 19:48

peter banana: Sep 2, 2008; Feminism is a socialist, anti-family, political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.

I think the reason that Southern Ontario drivers get labelled as assholes is because we mostly are (I admit in my younger days I drove like an rear end in a top hat) but please know this; our cities make no goddamn sense. There are almost no advance greens or left turn lanes in Toronto. Entire city cores like Hamilton and Oshawa are made up of one way streets. Trying to exit any parking lot and having to take a detour because some idiot put a median in the middle of the road is more common than not. And every road is in terrible shape. I think the poor planning makes us a little crazy and we just take it out on everyone else on the road.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 19:49

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# ? May 29, 2024 02:39

Kafka Esq.: Jan 1, 2005; "If you ever even think about calling me anything but 'The Crab' I will go so fucking crab on your ass you won't even see what crab'd your crab" -The Crab(TM)

quote:

Good Monday morning to you.

We�re starting the week with an announcement: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to release the hotly anticipated details of his government�s new plan to fight the so-called Islamic State this morning. He�s scheduled to hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. to make an �important announcement� alongside Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. In anticipation of the new ISIS mission, experts say there are two key areas where Canada should consider how it can make a difference in the fight against extremists: increasing aid to the countries struggling with Syrian refugees fleeing their civil war and the militant group, and exploring how it might get involved in burgeoning peace talks. Our Amanda Connolly has more.

Meanwhile a new poll suggests most Canadians disagree with the government�s plan to pull CF-18s out of the effort, with half of respondents saying it will harm Canada�s international reputation.

Calling it "grave threat to international peace and security,� Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion released a statement yesterday strongly condemning North Korea for launching a long-range rocket, noting it �directly violates successive United Nations Security Council Resolutions.� Dion went on to say the launch shows �a blatant disregard for (North Korea�s) international obligations.� He added Canada�s voice to those countries calling on Pyongyang to �cease these disruptive and provocative actions and to return to compliance with its international obligations.�

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting in New York in the wake of the launch and vowed to introduce new sanctions in response. Although North Korea insists the launch was to put a satellite into orbit, others believe it was a test of ballistic missile technology.

Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith will also be in New York today, bringing the new Liberal government�s pro-pot points to the United Nations, as part of a UN/Inter-Parliamentary Union conference. The two-day hearing, titled �The World Drug Problem: Taking Stock and Strengthening the Global Response,� will review the progress of parliaments around the world in combating illegal drugs. As our Kyle Duggan reports, hundreds of MPs from around the world are expected to attend the event, and will bear witness to yet another sign of Canada�s altered role on the world stage.

You can�t expect to bring thousands of Syrian refugees to Canada in a short period of time and not have a snag or two along the way. But aside from a few hitches, Immigration Minister John McCallum told The West Block yesterday the process of has gone as smoothly as expected, with the biggest issues arising around housing and security.

Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose was on the East coast this weekend, speaking at the annual general meeting of the Nova Scotia Tories in Halifax. Given that a wave of red washed over Atlantic Canada in October, she acknowledged there�s a lot of work to be done to earn the trust of voters in the region if the Conservatives are to garner any support there. �At the end of the day, Atlantic Canadians need to know that I care about their issues.� That said, her focus as provinces struggle amid plummeting oil prices has been on Alberta, while Newfoundland and Labrador has also been hit on two fronts. Ambrose met with Tory leaders from all four provinces and remarked, �They have such great insight into what�s happening here in Atlantic Canada�� Imagine that. Who knew there was all that Canada on the other side of Ottawa?

Meanwhile Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball told Tom Clark on The West Block that there�s no sugarcoating what his province is facing: it�s hurting and things are getting worse: rock bottom is likely still to come. The low price of oil means that the province is not only losing out on royalty revenues from resources off its own shores, it�s compounded by the many Newfoundlanders who travelled to work in Alberta�s oil patch who�ve now lost their jobs, which means there�s that much less money being pumped into the local economy.

As our Ainslie Cruickshank reports, slumping oil prices are also taking a toll on indigenous communities in Alberta, which have relied on the oil and gas industry to help make up for chronic underfunding by the federal government.

Our editorial: Trudeau is right: Alberta�s economic woes are a national unity issue.

Although changes to the pipeline review process will impact on the timelines for the TransMountain and Energy East projects, British Columbia Premier Christy Clark says it won�t slow down her province�s liquefied natural gas push. That was her takeaway after meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau on Friday.

Here and there:

Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains and Treasury Board president Scott Brison make an announcement in Halifax regarding multiple projects across Nova Scotia in the IT, Cleantech and Fisheries sectors.
Bank of Canada deputy governor Timothy Lane speaks about Monetary Policy and Financial Stability - Using the Right Tools.
Statistics Canada releases building permits for December.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan make an announcement.
Gov. Gen. David Johnston pays tribute to the bravery of security services members who responded to the events on October 22, 2014 on Parliament Hill. He will present 15 decorations for bravery.
Russian ambassador Alexander Darchiev discusses �Modern Russia - Priorities and Challenges� at Carleton University.
In Winnipeg, the federal government is scheduled to hold consultations with survivors, families and loved ones regarding an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.

Heading into tomorrow�s New Hampshire primary, CP�s Alexander Panetta says a working class revolt is threatening America�s political order. Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are out ahead, �to the mortification of a political establishment that has derided both as unelectable.� And that�s not all they have in common.

Meanwhile Hillary Clinton is looking to the sisterhood for support, but it may very well be sitting over in camp Sanders. In her quest to become the first female president, she�s having a hard time convincing women of any age to rally behind her cause. She�s been meeting with the �sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits� for guidance, but matters weren�t helped much over the weekend when Madeleine Albright, the first ever female Secretary of State, told Clinton supporters that "there's a special place in hell" for women who don't help each other. As the Washington Post notes, despite good intentions, Gloria Steinem also did her share of foot shooting. She apologized Sunday for comments she made during a TV appearance Friday that younger women were supporting Sanders because �the boys are with Bernie.�

Unfortunately for Marco Rubio, he had a disastrous time at the Republican debate on Saturday and the 'Marcobot' moniker is sticking.

Here�s the cartoonists� takes on the whole goings on.

After a long career in public life, US Ambassador Gary Doer is calling it a game. As U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar remarked: �Ambassador, you have put a lot of pucks in the net.�

President Barack Obama knows it�s not easy to be � or go � green. Despite that, he�s about to ask the Republican-led Congress to double spending on research and development into clean energy by 2020. But given that �GOP lawmakers scoff at the science behind climate change and dismiss Obama�s pleas for the issue to be dealt with urgently,� the request is unlikely to be fulfilled.

Finally this morning, Bernie Sanders is officially in the big leagues. He landed on Saturday Night Live this weekend and showed he�s not too serious to poke a bit of fun at socialism � or Donald Trump.

Have yourself a grand day.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 19:51

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > CanPol Megathread: Big Changus

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