Right now I am casual donor to the LPC. I get these regular extortion calls to see if I want to donate more. Recently I have been telling them that I need to see a fight and a plan. What is the plan? Telling people Poilievre is scary? Is that the best the LPC got?
Set some bold goals. Don’t be afraid to wander into provincial jurisdiction (you are getting blamed for it anyway). Acknowledge some of the mistakes or less ideal decisions. Explain the options and present an ambitious, but sound way forward.
The interaction with the rude steelworker in Sudbury is a good example. He was complaining to Trudeau that he could not find a family doctor. He is not alone in Ontario and it is a gross failure of the Ontario government. Nevertheless, Trudeau was being blamed for this.
I would love to see a challenge by the federal government to the provinces demanding that in 5 years from now no more than 5% of the population can be without a family doctor.
You can fight provincial battles without legislating outside of your jurisdiction. One of the most powerful things the federal government could be doing is simply publicly holding provincial governments to account when they fail to uphold their own responsibilities
Ryan, the problem is that the feds - in particular the goddammed LPC - simply tell the provinces what they must do - e.g. Canada Health Act, just for one f'r instance - and beat the provinces over the head if they do things differently.
Using the example of Health Care, an intelligent federal government (the LPC has never qualified for that moniker) would have said, "Universal health care is a public good; provinces find ways that work for your own populations, i.e. go forth and be creative; we will surrender tax points because health care is a public good and you do the work."
Instead the feds want every province to meet the federal model and "fine" them, i.e. withhold money, if they don't. Oh, unless the province name starts with a "Q" in which case they can be creative with no consequences.
My point is, why should the federal government publicly hold the provinces to account when it is not the feds business according to the constitution?
Put differently, the LPC governments think that following the constitution is for other people and not for the federal government.
Because part of the implicit checks and balances of our system of clearly defined responsibilities is that when the federal government is not meeting their responsibilities the provincial governments can be our spokesperson, and vice versa.
Trudeau should be out there making the case that Alberta is struggling with population because of things like having the lowest per-capital education spending in the country.
We elect people at various levels to represents our interests. That doesn’t constrain them to legislation. In many ways, softer forms of leadership are both more important and effective
The Face Painter should ABSOLUTELY keep his nose out of our provincial education spending. We, here in Alberta, are already having those loud conversations with our provincial government and if they don't sufficiently respond it is up to us to replace them.
But, in no circumstance is it the business of the Face Painter to get in that discussion.
Remember, provincial governments are equal to the federal governments; each have their own responsibilities under the constitution.
Yes, but as Ken writes, that means that the federal government has a big role in health care. Indeed, through fiscal federalism, i.e. transfer payments that are subject to conditions, the federal government does tell the provincial governments what they can and cannot do. As a result, it is fair game to blame the federal government when things go wrong.
I don’t think there’s anything that suggests they want to change this. If the Garneau revelations are true then it’s hard to see them listening to outside criticism, even in the face of polls that are getting worse by the day. After this election the Liberals might be on life support for a loooong time, and it’ll take another talented/charismatic leader like Trudeau was in 2013 to revive them
I dunno, Evan. I think that the Liberals have just given up. They are ragging the puck and playing out the clock. Heck, they haven't even replaced Mr. Broadhurst, the national campaign director, who resigned over two months ago. Why bother?
It seems to me that, instead of despairing over the present situation, your efforts would be better spent thinking about rebuilding the Liberal party. If they start early, they may not be out of power for as long as you fear. But if they do nothing but coast, their outlook is dire indeed.
After navigating Trump and the pandemic very well, the Libs would appear to be totally burnt out. Oddly, they didn't replace staff with new energy or ideas.
And the PMO severely under-uses the team of talented ministers, e.g., Anand, Wilkinson, Gould, Fraser, etc. Why can't we hear them speak, like all the time??
Is it possible the Libs have a grand master plan to prorogue, dazzle with a leadership race, and shock PP with a last minute target he's not prepared to handle?
The only way this last year of inaction makes any sense... is setting up an ambush.
My personal take is most Liberals want to go down in flames this election because they feel it is the only way to purge the party of all the Trudeau loyalists and they have delusions of grandeur that their preferred candidate will rise up from the ashes to take command of Canada's Natural Governing Party (TM) and they will secure their place in that power structure and instantly take government as Canada tires of a Pierre Poilivre government. This of course means they are also totally oblivious to the fact that a third place Liberal party may never rise up to be Canadian's natural centrist/progressive choice and if the NDP gets their act together and replaces Singh with someone who emulates the progressive, pragmatic, prairie populist style of Notley, Nenshi or Kinew the Liberals may be well and totally fucked. Essentially everyone is living in fantasy land, whether as a Trudeau loyalist or those dreaming of replacing him. Your analysis that the CPC will benefit from late term Liberal policies and easily win back to back terms is also spot on.
If it was about anything other than Trudeau,s damaged psyche, he could have said it’s time for a female leader and PM, and bowed out taking a principled stand salvaging him and his family legacy. But nope.
Right now I am casual donor to the LPC. I get these regular extortion calls to see if I want to donate more. Recently I have been telling them that I need to see a fight and a plan. What is the plan? Telling people Poilievre is scary? Is that the best the LPC got?
Set some bold goals. Don’t be afraid to wander into provincial jurisdiction (you are getting blamed for it anyway). Acknowledge some of the mistakes or less ideal decisions. Explain the options and present an ambitious, but sound way forward.
Maybe it will not be enough. But at least try.
Yes, be goddammed afraid of intruding on provincial jurisdiction!
The interaction with the rude steelworker in Sudbury is a good example. He was complaining to Trudeau that he could not find a family doctor. He is not alone in Ontario and it is a gross failure of the Ontario government. Nevertheless, Trudeau was being blamed for this.
I would love to see a challenge by the federal government to the provinces demanding that in 5 years from now no more than 5% of the population can be without a family doctor.
You can fight provincial battles without legislating outside of your jurisdiction. One of the most powerful things the federal government could be doing is simply publicly holding provincial governments to account when they fail to uphold their own responsibilities
Ryan, the problem is that the feds - in particular the goddammed LPC - simply tell the provinces what they must do - e.g. Canada Health Act, just for one f'r instance - and beat the provinces over the head if they do things differently.
Using the example of Health Care, an intelligent federal government (the LPC has never qualified for that moniker) would have said, "Universal health care is a public good; provinces find ways that work for your own populations, i.e. go forth and be creative; we will surrender tax points because health care is a public good and you do the work."
Instead the feds want every province to meet the federal model and "fine" them, i.e. withhold money, if they don't. Oh, unless the province name starts with a "Q" in which case they can be creative with no consequences.
My point is, why should the federal government publicly hold the provinces to account when it is not the feds business according to the constitution?
Put differently, the LPC governments think that following the constitution is for other people and not for the federal government.
Because part of the implicit checks and balances of our system of clearly defined responsibilities is that when the federal government is not meeting their responsibilities the provincial governments can be our spokesperson, and vice versa.
Trudeau should be out there making the case that Alberta is struggling with population because of things like having the lowest per-capital education spending in the country.
We elect people at various levels to represents our interests. That doesn’t constrain them to legislation. In many ways, softer forms of leadership are both more important and effective
The Face Painter should ABSOLUTELY keep his nose out of our provincial education spending. We, here in Alberta, are already having those loud conversations with our provincial government and if they don't sufficiently respond it is up to us to replace them.
But, in no circumstance is it the business of the Face Painter to get in that discussion.
Remember, provincial governments are equal to the federal governments; each have their own responsibilities under the constitution.
Yes, but as Ken writes, that means that the federal government has a big role in health care. Indeed, through fiscal federalism, i.e. transfer payments that are subject to conditions, the federal government does tell the provincial governments what they can and cannot do. As a result, it is fair game to blame the federal government when things go wrong.
"Fiscal federalism" is nothing more than someone saying, "I'm richer than you are so you must live your life the way that I say."
Phooey!
I don’t think there’s anything that suggests they want to change this. If the Garneau revelations are true then it’s hard to see them listening to outside criticism, even in the face of polls that are getting worse by the day. After this election the Liberals might be on life support for a loooong time, and it’ll take another talented/charismatic leader like Trudeau was in 2013 to revive them
I dunno, Evan. I think that the Liberals have just given up. They are ragging the puck and playing out the clock. Heck, they haven't even replaced Mr. Broadhurst, the national campaign director, who resigned over two months ago. Why bother?
It seems to me that, instead of despairing over the present situation, your efforts would be better spent thinking about rebuilding the Liberal party. If they start early, they may not be out of power for as long as you fear. But if they do nothing but coast, their outlook is dire indeed.
After navigating Trump and the pandemic very well, the Libs would appear to be totally burnt out. Oddly, they didn't replace staff with new energy or ideas.
And the PMO severely under-uses the team of talented ministers, e.g., Anand, Wilkinson, Gould, Fraser, etc. Why can't we hear them speak, like all the time??
Is it possible the Libs have a grand master plan to prorogue, dazzle with a leadership race, and shock PP with a last minute target he's not prepared to handle?
The only way this last year of inaction makes any sense... is setting up an ambush.
My personal take is most Liberals want to go down in flames this election because they feel it is the only way to purge the party of all the Trudeau loyalists and they have delusions of grandeur that their preferred candidate will rise up from the ashes to take command of Canada's Natural Governing Party (TM) and they will secure their place in that power structure and instantly take government as Canada tires of a Pierre Poilivre government. This of course means they are also totally oblivious to the fact that a third place Liberal party may never rise up to be Canadian's natural centrist/progressive choice and if the NDP gets their act together and replaces Singh with someone who emulates the progressive, pragmatic, prairie populist style of Notley, Nenshi or Kinew the Liberals may be well and totally fucked. Essentially everyone is living in fantasy land, whether as a Trudeau loyalist or those dreaming of replacing him. Your analysis that the CPC will benefit from late term Liberal policies and easily win back to back terms is also spot on.
If it was about anything other than Trudeau,s damaged psyche, he could have said it’s time for a female leader and PM, and bowed out taking a principled stand salvaging him and his family legacy. But nope.