It's a feature of the parliamentary form of government (UK, Canada, Australia and others).
During each sitting day at approximately 2:15 p.m. (11:15 a.m. on Friday), the 45-minute Question Period begins. At this time, the Speaker recognizes the Leader of the Opposition, or the lead questioner for the Official Opposition, who then asks a question. This lead question is usually followed by others, called “supplementary questions”, which in most cases seek clarification of the answer to the initial question or attempt to obtain further information.
Throughout the remainder of Question Period, other Members representing the parties in opposition to the Government continue the questioning. In accordance with an agreed-upon rotation, one or more other of these Members may also be entitled to ask supplementary questions.
Basically, members grandstand and try to make members of the government (almost exclusively the Prime Minister or Cabinet members - who have to be elected members of parliament) look like idiots.
Losing official party status means that they can't ask questions. Which means that they don't get media coverage and are doomed to appear irrelevant. Say there's a scandal involving the party in power. The good footage is always of members of the opposition acting aggrieved during question period. No questions means that no one sees your "outrage."
Parties do come back from losing official status. But it can take a while or in the case of the federal Progressive Conservative party who went from 156 seats and a majority to 2 seats in 1993, it involved the party basically being absorbed by another party before rebranding and coming back into power 13 years later.
It's a feature of the parliamentary form of government (UK, Canada, Australia and others).
During each sitting day at approximately 2:15 p.m. (11:15 a.m. on Friday), the 45-minute Question Period begins. At this time, the Speaker recognizes the Leader of the Opposition, or the lead questioner for the Official Opposition, who then asks a question. This lead question is usually followed by others, called “supplementary questions”, which in most cases seek clarification of the answer to the initial question or attempt to obtain further information.
Throughout the remainder of Question Period, other Members representing the parties in opposition to the Government continue the questioning. In accordance with an agreed-upon rotation, one or more other of these Members may also be entitled to ask supplementary questions.
Basically, members grandstand and try to make members of the government (almost exclusively the Prime Minister or Cabinet members - who have to be elected members of parliament) look like idiots.
It can be entertaining.
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2018 10:53 am
by Nonlinear FC
(Yeah, I know.. It's almost as fun as the British Parliament... I just wanted to stir up the festering rivalry between Blue's Clues and Paw Patrol to see how Pruitt would react.
I was.. disappointed.)
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2018 11:01 am
by Pruitt
Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Mon Apr 30, 2018 10:53 am
(Yeah, I know.. It's almost as fun as the British Parliament... I just wanted to stir up the festering rivalry between Blue's Clues and Paw Patrol to see how Pruitt would react.
I was.. disappointed.)
The creator of "Blues Clues" didn't hire me for her follow up show. Therefore Blue can get distemper for all I care.
Latest episode is one of what will be many about the Ontario Election
Pretty good podcast. Although it really sounded like they were trying to convince themselves when they were talking about the PCs losing.
Funny story - on the weekend, young volunteers for our local PC candidate (40-ish storefront lawyer from RUSSIA!!!!) convinced my wife to put up an election sign. A few hours later, she heard Ford on the radio and had me take the sign down. (she may still vote PC, but when Doug Ford speaks, part of the rational brain vomits).
Wednesday morning - two fresh signs (we live on a corner lot). I pulled them out.
Yesterday, young volunteers came by asking for our support. Told them most likely to get at least one vote from the house. Want a sign - I refused, saying that while I may vote for the party, I couldn't stand their leader. One volunteer said "Yeah, I get that."
The mayor of Calgary has slammed the B.C. premier, the mayor of Vancouver and a former U.S. vice-president over opposition to Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion — and he's not mincing words.
"It's very clear that Mr. [John] Horgan, who I think is one of the worst politicians that we have seen in Canada in decades, appeals to populism in a way that is not based on fact," Naheed Nenshi said Friday.
Nenshi was responding to a tweet by Al Gore, former U.S. vice-president and climate change activist, criticizing the expansion and showing solidarity with Horgan and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.
"Last I checked, Mr. Gore has no regulatory authority in Canada, nor, obviously from that tweet, any actual knowledge of the situation. So it's a shame that someone like that would comment on something they obviously don't understand," Nenshi said.
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Wed May 16, 2018 6:28 am
by Pruitt
This is Canadian political comedy gold.
Backstory - big issue in Ontario is the brutal mismanagement of our hydro resources. Long story short, electricity rates have skyrocketed here over the past decade. No need to give all the details, but it's ridiculous, and gives the ie to the argument that the Liberals (who've been in power for 15 years) know how to run anything.
So, Rob Ford's brother has made hydro his issue. "Fat cats," "Gravy train," all the Ford nation cliches are back. And he's not wrong... but his dime store populism is just so slimy and obvious.
Robocalls went out on the weekend - a rally outside Hydro's annual meeting to show these fat cats that Ontarians have had enough of their high salaries when our rates have tripled over the past decade. (I got one of these calls).
Turnout? Maybe 2 dozen reporters and 2 dozen dreg protestors waving suspiciously well made signs. That's funny enough. But at around 4:40 in the video, Ford and his crack team do a "Spinal Tap." And the Ford fan at 5:20 is priceless.
“I know Justin. He doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing. This guy is an empty trust-fund millionaire who has the political depth of a finger bowl,” he is quoted as saying.
“He can’t read a briefing note longer than a cocktail napkin, OK.”
Bad choices. Wynne is super left but now is saying the NDP are radicals. NDP just wants to piss money away. Typical take from the rich and give to the poor causing nobody to work. And Ford is just slimy. He's trying to be Trump but doesn't have the one liners. But he is still going to win.
I have a buddy who's a big shot accountant who thinks Morneau is Satan. He might be right.
There you go. 4.5 billion to build an already approved pipeline.
Kinder Morgan had estimated the cost of building the expansion would be $7.4 billion, but Morneau insisted that the project will not have a fiscal impact, or "hit."
What is Kathleen Wynne doing? First her opening salvo in last week's debate and today she's conceded defeat 5 days before the election.
Is she really trying to send Liberal voters to the NDP? Liberal candidates must be pissed.
She should be campaigning hard to force a minority government.
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2018 2:11 pm
by Pruitt
degenerasian wrote: ↑Sat Jun 02, 2018 11:03 am
What is Kathleen Wynne doing? First her opening salvo in last week's debate and today she's conceded defeat 5 days before the election.
Is she really trying to send Liberal voters to the NDP? Liberal candidates must be pissed.
She should be campaigning hard to force a minority government.
They steal NDP ideas before the campaign starts, change campaign strategy mid campaign ("sorry, not sorry" - brilliant idea) still see support plummet, so why not try this?
They are facing an obliteration of historic scale, although I don't see how telling people to vote Liberal so they can hold the balance of power will convince anyone.
Personally, I am praying for a minority government.
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2018 3:32 pm
by degenerasian
This screams of Liberal arrogance. Win or go home. They are already saying they will not be part of a coalition government with the NDP.
Why say anything? Polls mean nothing, people change their mind in the voting booth, especially when the other leaders are Ford and Horvath.
They should keep running strong and get as much as possible with a good message. Look at BC. The Greens have THREE seats and hold the balance of power.
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2018 6:13 pm
by Pruitt
degenerasian wrote: ↑Sat Jun 02, 2018 3:32 pm
This screams of Liberal arrogance. Win or go home. They are already saying they will not be part of a coalition government with the NDP.
Why say anything? Polls mean nothing, people change their mind in the voting booth, especially when the other leaders are Ford and Horvath.
They should keep running strong and get as much as possible with a good message. Look at BC. The Greens have THREE seats and hold the balance of power.
It is remarkably grim here for the Liberals as evidenced by the fact that a party that 4 months ago had to dump their leader in a sexual harassment scandal, and it was then revealed that the entire party had run corrupt nominations in many ridings - including a directly tied bribe to Patrick Brown while the party did NOTHING! They then run a leadership race where the person with the most votes loses to a much-loathed slimeball best known as Rob Ford's enabler-in-chief... and they are still winning!
Or are they? The next premier may be a milquetoast woman who says nothing of value and who has been left in the dust in two other campaigns against unpopular leaders.
I have never seen anything like it. From 15 years in power to insignificance. It is what this party deserves, but my God! The Tories run a leader who doesn't grease back his hair and breathe through his mouth, they would take 100 of the 135 seats in a walk.
Fuck Kathleen Wynne. The only good thing I'll say about her is that she has proven that Ontarians are decent people. Not once has her sexuality been used against her. But terminal incompetence? Definitely.
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 11:49 am
by degenerasian
MacLeans seems to like Ford as the least-worst option
I have probably voted Liberal federally and provincially in 3/4s of the many elections I have voted in.
I hate Doug Ford and his attempts at creating a low-rent family political dynasty in Toronto. He is a dishonest, ill-prepared bully and just the thought of him makes me vomit in my mouth.
And Macleans is absolutely right. That is how dispiriting this election has been.
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 1:00 pm
by degenerasian
A Liberal candidate in a former Liberal leader's riding strips the Liberal branding and colors off his signs
Before
After
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 1:49 pm
by rass
I follow enough Canadians because of the NHL that Twitter has been pretty inundated with #ontpoli but I still can't (don't want to) make sense of it all, but you guys can't make fun of us for Trump anymore if Ford is elected, right?
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 2:34 pm
by Pruitt
rass wrote: ↑Wed Jun 06, 2018 1:49 pm
I follow enough Canadians because of the NHL that Twitter has been pretty inundated with #ontpoli but I still can't (don't want to) make sense of it all, but you guys can't make fun of us for Trump anymore if Ford is elected, right?
Yes we still can for the following reasons:
1) The incumbent in Ontario has left an ungodly mess.
2) Even if he wins, Ford won't get more than 40% of the vote
3) Ford doesn't play the race card. More of a buffoon than a danger.
4) No real pandering to retrograde elements in the Province.
And most importantly...
5) Canadians will always make fun of other countries.
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 3:36 pm
by Pruitt
So it comes down to a fiscally conservative party headed by a complete moron versus a far left party that nearly doomed Ontario the only other time it held power.
This election has been a forlorn hunt for the needed mixture of integrity and smart policy. The electorate cannot vote for leadership where it does not exist, or for platforms that are wrong for the times.
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 10:42 am
by degenerasian
I think it would be an awesome statement if the voters would deny the party leaders seats in the house.
Vote for whoever you want, but in Horwaths riding vote conservative. In Fords Riding vote NDP and in Wynne's riding vote green.
That way we get a government but the voters could really show their disgust in the whole thing.
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 4:36 pm
by Pruitt
So early this morning I looked at my local candidate's websites. The Liberal guy (who was nice in person) is a real estate agent.
The PC guy runs a small personal injury law firm, the type that lists the settlements he got from representing "people like YOU!"
I even looked at the website of the Green party (baloney).
Just back from voting, sat with the ballot for 90 seconds or so and voted for the friendlier local candidate - the Liberal. Clincher to me was hearing Doug Ford's voice on the radio today and remembering the time during his brother's chaotic regime when he claimed that the vaguely anti-semitic remark he made couldn't have been anti-semitic because his wife is Jewish.
She said in an interview a few days later that she wasn't Jewish. Her grandparents (who Ford claimed were "Russian Orthodox Jews") were Russian Orthodox Christians.
Well, at least I can nod when my friends who voted Conservative gloat, and to my friends who are overreacting all over Facebook, I can say "don;t blame me, I didn't vote for them"
So in an election with three terrible options, at least my very personal version of strategic voting worked.
Fucking "Premier Doug Ford." My dog could have won this race for the Conservatives - why'd they pick such a piece of human garbage.
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:13 pm
by A_B
Pruitt wrote: ↑Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:11 pm
, I can say "don;t blame me, I didn't vote for them"
That doesn’t work.
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:18 pm
by Pruitt
I know. It may help in letting me be self-righteous, but you're right.
All the scenarios in this election were awful.
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:36 pm
by degenerasian
Do they shoot Horvath into the sun?
Couldn't even win the popular vote against a cardboard cutout.
Re: Canadian Politics Thread
Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 4:48 am
by Pruitt
Nah, the NDP did very well considering where they were at the start of the campaign.
Though I honestly believe that next to none of that is because of her - Ford and Wynne are so repellant, that votes had to land somewhere.
