Queen's Park Politics

[vid]

Originally Posted by wave46

Well, um, yeah. It's Doug Ford. What did you expect? A nuanced view of all the regions of Ontario in his mind? It's such a niggling thing to complain about to me, especially given his track record so far.

That's an excellent point. Anyone who approaches Doug Ford with the expectation that he knows or understands much of anything is only setting themselves up for disappointment.

[Dengler Avenue]

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...the-truth.html

Meanwhile, I’ve reached the weekly limit of free articles from The Star.

[vid]

No one wants the buck to stop at their desk. Every level of government is trying to completely absolve themselves of any responsibilities, and that is the reason nothing substantive is ever done.

Until that changes, and it will have to be forced to change, the problems we face will continue.

[Dengler Avenue]

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star...xCu65KJGmNw9yA

What now, folks?

[CityTech]

Fear mongering from the Star. Remember that the Canada Health Act prevents provinces from moving in that direction.

[Dengler Avenue]

If Ford’s already used the notwithstanding clause once, what’s preventing him from using it once again...?

[CityTech]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

If Ford’s already used the notwithstanding clause once, what’s preventing him from using it once again...?

Not applicable. The notwithstanding clause allows a province's government to override parts of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Canada Health Act does not use any of the Charter.

Technically, the federal government has no authority over health. How the Canada Health Act is enforced is through money; provinces have to abide by the requirements in the Canada Health Act in order to receive Canada Health Transfer payments from the federal government, which cover about 20% of the cost of running the health care system. So there's nothing legally stopping Ontario from violating the federal rules, but it would mean losing out on 20% of the system's funding.

(Incidentally, the notwithstanding clause also does not apply to any of the constitutional sections about federal vs. provincial authority. So the notwithstanding clause could not be used to get out of the federal government's carbon tax policy, for example).

[Dengler Avenue]

https://www.blogto.com/city/2019/01/...CYZca5hOWsjelU

That moment when cutting tuition by 10% comes with a price...
(Also the free grant to students from low-income family is gone...)

[Hawrylyshyn]

As a university student that uses OSAP: this is bullshit.

A 10% cut on tuition and being forced to take a loan I don't want that will start gaining interest the second I graduate is significantly less helpful to me in paying for an education than receiving the larger grant only money. More Conservative bs..

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by CityTech

(Incidentally, the notwithstanding clause also does not apply to any of the constitutional sections about federal vs. provincial authority. So the notwithstanding clause could not be used to get out of the federal government's carbon tax policy, for example).

If it is constitutional.

[CityTech]

Originally Posted by acottawa

If it is constitutional.

It almost certainly is. The Saskatchewan-Ontario lawsuit has basically zero chance of succeeding, it's just political show.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by CityTech

It almost certainly is. The Saskatchewan-Ontario lawsuit has basically zero chance of succeeding, it's just political show.

You certainly have more confidence that most constitutional experts.

[vid]

Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn

As a university student that uses OSAP: this is bullshit.

A 10% cut on tuition and being forced to take a loan I don't want that will start gaining interest the second I graduate is significantly less helpful to me in paying for an education than receiving the larger grant only money. More Conservative bs..

Tell me, what are the chances you'll vote PC in the next election?

That's how much Doug Ford cares about people like you.

[Loco101]

It's Doug Ford. Don't expect wonderful things for education or pretty much anything else.

[CityTech]

Originally Posted by acottawa

You certainly have more confidence that most constitutional experts.

The National Post:

Critics have said Ontario’s court challenge will be costly and has little chance of success. The Tory election platform budgeted $30-million for a carbon tax court challenge.

Allan Hutchinson, a constitutional law expert and professor at York University’s Osgoode Hall law school, said the federal government has the upper hand in this case.

“The general view of the legal community is that this has not really got any legs,” he said. “The Supreme Court has spoken about these matters before.”

Hutchinson said the courts have ruled that in some situations a national policy is needed to ensure a single province doesn’t opt out of a federal law and render it ineffective. That is what the federal government will likely be able to successfully argue with its climate change plan, he said.

(https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pm...ral-carbon-tax)

The Globe and Mail

Critics of Mr. Ford’s court challenge contend that it is a costly move that will have little chance of success. Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative government sought a legal opinion on federal carbon pricing, which concluded that Ottawa very likely has the constitutional authority to impose a carbon tax.

(quoted via https://classroomedition.ca/ontario-...rbon-tax-plan/)

The words of the Canadian Constitution are unequivocal, and they’re right there in black and white in the division of powers outlined in Section 91 of the Constitution Act 1867, formerly known as the British North America Act. Section 91 (3) assigns to Ottawa “the raising of Money by any Mode or System of Taxation.” End of story.

The technical legal term, then, for Ottawa’s right to levy a carbon tax, whether or not you happen to think it’s a politically sound policy, is “slam-dunk.”

For that reason, despite the wisdom of seeking legal advice, one hopes the good people of Manitoba didn’t have to pay too much for the wise counsel PC Premier Brian Pallister referenced yesterday at the premiers’ conference now under way in New Brunswick. Mr. Pallister noted it to explain his government’s lack of enthusiasm for joining Mr. Moe and Mr. Ford in their legally pointless effort.

The weight of Canadian legal and scholarly opinion agrees that there is federal jurisdiction to impose carbon levies, says Eric Adams, University of Alberta associate professor of law. “There’s no line in the constitution that you point to with the words ‘carbon tax,’ and in some ways this is a new ballgame for the various governments. In part, that small margin of uncertainty is where provincial opponents have been hanging their hats for some time,” Adams says.

Formal legal advice given to the Province of Manitoba:

In response to the questions above, the view of this opinion is that:

1. There is a strong likelihood that the Supreme Court of Canada would uphold the proposed carbon tax/levy. It would probably do so on the basis of the federal government's taxation power. The cap-and-trade feature of the proposed carbon tax/levy would probably be upheld as a necessary add-on to the basic carbon tax/levy. It is entirely possible that the Supreme Court of Canada would also uphold the proposed measure on some other head or heads of federal authority. It unlikely that the Supreme Court of Canada would say that the taxation power is not a basis for federal authority, and that only another head of authority would justify the imposition of the feature.

[Hawrylyshyn]

Originally Posted by vid

Tell me, what are the chances you'll vote PC in the next election?

That's how much Doug Ford cares about people like you.

Same as last election: zero.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by CityTech

The National Post:


(https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pm...ral-carbon-tax)

The Globe and Mail


(quoted via https://classroomedition.ca/ontario-...rbon-tax-plan/)





Formal legal advice given to the Province of Manitoba:

The Manitoba advice and the Ford challenge are on a carbon tax in general. A greater risk to the feds is the Saskatchewan challenge. There is little doubt the federal government has the power to impose a national tax on carbon (or tomatoes or bluejeans). It is far less clear whether the federal government has the power to impose a tax on some provinces and not others. This is a significant change in how the federation works and an enormous shift in power from provincial to federal governments. The Supreme Court has been very reluctant to impose such power transfers (see the national securities regulator reference as a recent example).

[Bcasey25raptor]

Doug ford is destroying Ontario, this piece of shot should never have been given the keys to queens park, how the hell did 41% of ontarians actually vote for this festering obese fuckhead?

How did this happen? How did ontarians fall for the literal fake news bullshit about Wynne? Canadians should be better than this. Ford is literally harming Canada's reputation.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Bcasey25raptor

Doug ford is destroying Ontario, this piece of shot should never have been given the keys to queens park, how the hell did 41% of ontarians actually vote for this festering obese fuckhead?

How did this happen? How did ontarians fall for the literal fake news bullshit about Wynne? Canadians should be better than this. Ford is literally harming Canada's reputation.

I've been asking the same questions myself.

I haven't spoken with anybody in Timmins who is happy with him although I am in Northern Ontario and in a big-time NDP riding.

Ford tries to act like he's so pro-business but he's actually scaring a lot of business away with his behaviour. Plus he's not very intelligent which is really hurting us. I always ask the question, "Would you want to do business with Doug Ford?"

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I've been asking the same questions myself.

I haven't spoken with anybody in Timmins who is happy with him although I am in Northern Ontario and in a big-time NDP riding.

Ford tries to act like he's so pro-business but he's actually scaring a lot of business away with his behaviour. Plus he's not very intelligent which is really hurting us. I always ask the question, "Would you want to do business with Doug Ford?"

If he’s not intelligent, doesn’t it mean that you can con him in business big time?