I hope this comes across as agreeing with what you said.
I have been an active Liberal in Alberta for just over 30 years. My initial reaction to PM Carney was that he was dealing in warmed-over trickle-down economics. I read his book Value(s), and decided that he offered more than that, so I supported him for the leadership and in the campaign. Since the election I have seen nothing from him except the destruction of progress we made during the last 10 years. I hope somebody in the inner sanctum hears your call for communicating the reasons and prospects for what appears to be our constant retreat into Danielle Smithism.
I think the crux is in the last sentence: “before it gets told for us”.
It is indeed time to treat Canadians as adults and explain more what the government is doing, why it is doing that, what other options have been considered and why the option chosen is the best way forward. I suspect that Carney and his team are concerned of coming across as too lecturing and what to avoid branding the PM as “mister know it better”. This might be the reason we have not seen enough of Carney in this fashion.
But we will have an opportunity soon. The negotiations with the US on trade will not result in an agreement. Just like there will not be any meaningful agreements between the US and other countries. Come August 1st, Carney will have an opportunity to explain, in more than just a soundbite that the Americans are not interested in free trade and are willing to tank their own economy to make trade unfree.
Why are you even talking about this while there is a full-scale genocide being carried out in Gaza with the full support of Israel's allies and abettors in Europe and North America - including Canada. As these countries are doing nothing meaningful to restrain the Isreali government, we can only conclude that they have a de facto policy of extermination of Palestinians. While they are dying from forced starvation, gunfire and bombs, we should be talking about nothing else!
In a post by Evan where Israel and Gaza are not mentioned, McDonald decides to add an irrelevant comment about Gaza and the nonsense about genocide. I've seen such comments when someone responds to essays about how to bake an apple pie. Some folk are just batshit crazy Jew hatred insane and can't help themselves. FYI - the war Israel is against Hamas. Not the people of Gaza that Hamas continues to use for their own means. Hamas the terrorist organization.
You are on a sinking ship, Mike. It's glaringly clear now that Israel is the terrorist with all the American money and weapons, and there is nothing anti-Jewish about pointing that out.
Criticizing & opposing Israel's conduct in the Gaza War does not equal "Jew hated". And yes, Israel's war is against Hamas, but that war has & will continue to cause death & suffering for 10's of thousands of Gazan civilians.
Pointing out that there is an ongoing genocide that your own government is complicit in is never irrelevant. Equating fighting genocide with antisemitism is appalling and itself antisemitic.
Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, which became law on June 26, grants the federal cabinet—and effectively the prime minister—the power to override existing laws and regulations for projects deemed in the “national interest.” The bill’s vague language leaves the definition of “national interest” open to broad interpretation, giving the executive branch unprecedented authority to micromanage major projects.
Imagine if Donald Trump or Doug Ford, or 😮 the ever evil PP and the cons ever brought forth such a legislation. But don’t worry - be happy and trust Mark Carney and the Liberals! They have Canadians best interests at heart. 😬
You have a long history with the Liberals, Evan, which makes you very knowledgeable, and I find you both fair and honest, within the preference you've always acknowledged. When I joined the Liberal Party to vote for Mark Carney as leader, and then supported him in the election, I had not voted Liberal since the days of PET. I liked what I saw. I was but one of thousands on the "progressive left" who thought that this time it might be different. Well, it's not. Sorry, but It's really not. Ignoring First Nations in the drafting of Bill C-5; following the Trump government's lead in C-2; leaping to increase military expenditures and further support for NATO, while hardly bothering to acknowledge the dangers of accelerating climate change -- this is far from Liberal Lite. But the primary reason for my total turnaround on Carney is his continuing support for Israel. I admit I had no real reason to think that Carney would be a change from his predecessor on Israel -- I simply hoped that his "values" included ethics and humanity. That his Catholicism meant more than lip service. Well, it doesn't. He plays a good game, but Carney is a hollow man. Just a more competent version of the same old, same old. A bitter disappointment.
Good piece. Chretien always seemed to understand the need to defend what he was doing, and was deceptively deft at articulating it in a robust, common-sensical way. (Harper was less off-the-cuff, but same basic idea). By contrast, Trudeau the Lesser seemed to just hope it would explain itself, with the result that Poilievre was able to demolish support for important policies with simple slogans. ALWAYS defend your policies, even if it doesn’t seem like you have to; quite apart from the obvious political benefits, that should be a baseline level of respect for democratic citizens anyway.
100% agree with you, Evan, that a much better, more detailed communications strategy is needed, and have said this to my local MP a week ago.
I appreciate your insights from inside the Liberal party in Ontario and hope this site can generate some discussions that reach the people who need to hear it.
I hope this comes across as agreeing with what you said.
I have been an active Liberal in Alberta for just over 30 years. My initial reaction to PM Carney was that he was dealing in warmed-over trickle-down economics. I read his book Value(s), and decided that he offered more than that, so I supported him for the leadership and in the campaign. Since the election I have seen nothing from him except the destruction of progress we made during the last 10 years. I hope somebody in the inner sanctum hears your call for communicating the reasons and prospects for what appears to be our constant retreat into Danielle Smithism.
I think the crux is in the last sentence: “before it gets told for us”.
It is indeed time to treat Canadians as adults and explain more what the government is doing, why it is doing that, what other options have been considered and why the option chosen is the best way forward. I suspect that Carney and his team are concerned of coming across as too lecturing and what to avoid branding the PM as “mister know it better”. This might be the reason we have not seen enough of Carney in this fashion.
But we will have an opportunity soon. The negotiations with the US on trade will not result in an agreement. Just like there will not be any meaningful agreements between the US and other countries. Come August 1st, Carney will have an opportunity to explain, in more than just a soundbite that the Americans are not interested in free trade and are willing to tank their own economy to make trade unfree.
Why are you even talking about this while there is a full-scale genocide being carried out in Gaza with the full support of Israel's allies and abettors in Europe and North America - including Canada. As these countries are doing nothing meaningful to restrain the Isreali government, we can only conclude that they have a de facto policy of extermination of Palestinians. While they are dying from forced starvation, gunfire and bombs, we should be talking about nothing else!
In a post by Evan where Israel and Gaza are not mentioned, McDonald decides to add an irrelevant comment about Gaza and the nonsense about genocide. I've seen such comments when someone responds to essays about how to bake an apple pie. Some folk are just batshit crazy Jew hatred insane and can't help themselves. FYI - the war Israel is against Hamas. Not the people of Gaza that Hamas continues to use for their own means. Hamas the terrorist organization.
You are on a sinking ship, Mike. It's glaringly clear now that Israel is the terrorist with all the American money and weapons, and there is nothing anti-Jewish about pointing that out.
Criticizing & opposing Israel's conduct in the Gaza War does not equal "Jew hated". And yes, Israel's war is against Hamas, but that war has & will continue to cause death & suffering for 10's of thousands of Gazan civilians.
Pointing out that there is an ongoing genocide that your own government is complicit in is never irrelevant. Equating fighting genocide with antisemitism is appalling and itself antisemitic.
Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, which became law on June 26, grants the federal cabinet—and effectively the prime minister—the power to override existing laws and regulations for projects deemed in the “national interest.” The bill’s vague language leaves the definition of “national interest” open to broad interpretation, giving the executive branch unprecedented authority to micromanage major projects.
Imagine if Donald Trump or Doug Ford, or 😮 the ever evil PP and the cons ever brought forth such a legislation. But don’t worry - be happy and trust Mark Carney and the Liberals! They have Canadians best interests at heart. 😬
You have a long history with the Liberals, Evan, which makes you very knowledgeable, and I find you both fair and honest, within the preference you've always acknowledged. When I joined the Liberal Party to vote for Mark Carney as leader, and then supported him in the election, I had not voted Liberal since the days of PET. I liked what I saw. I was but one of thousands on the "progressive left" who thought that this time it might be different. Well, it's not. Sorry, but It's really not. Ignoring First Nations in the drafting of Bill C-5; following the Trump government's lead in C-2; leaping to increase military expenditures and further support for NATO, while hardly bothering to acknowledge the dangers of accelerating climate change -- this is far from Liberal Lite. But the primary reason for my total turnaround on Carney is his continuing support for Israel. I admit I had no real reason to think that Carney would be a change from his predecessor on Israel -- I simply hoped that his "values" included ethics and humanity. That his Catholicism meant more than lip service. Well, it doesn't. He plays a good game, but Carney is a hollow man. Just a more competent version of the same old, same old. A bitter disappointment.
Spot on. Trust is a two-way street.
Good piece. Chretien always seemed to understand the need to defend what he was doing, and was deceptively deft at articulating it in a robust, common-sensical way. (Harper was less off-the-cuff, but same basic idea). By contrast, Trudeau the Lesser seemed to just hope it would explain itself, with the result that Poilievre was able to demolish support for important policies with simple slogans. ALWAYS defend your policies, even if it doesn’t seem like you have to; quite apart from the obvious political benefits, that should be a baseline level of respect for democratic citizens anyway.
100% agree with you, Evan, that a much better, more detailed communications strategy is needed, and have said this to my local MP a week ago.
I appreciate your insights from inside the Liberal party in Ontario and hope this site can generate some discussions that reach the people who need to hear it.
Bang. On.