FINAL POLL: Canadian Federal Election 2015

[Bcasey25raptor]

Loving the Tory and NDP tie on the poll here. Hahahaha

If only we represented your average vote, super liberal majority.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

You exemplify a lot of voters and what Harper has been afraid of all along.

The difference now is that he was afraid it would cost him the government and now he's afraid he could fall to third place. It the Liberals, like yourself and the Greens vote strategically where it is a 2 way race between the Tories and NDP such as in BC and Sask the Tories could lose quite a few seats all going to the NDP.

The NDP has a lot of growth potential in BC and Sask as the Liberal support is very centralized in Greater Vancouver and the rest of the province is strictly an NDP-Tory race. In many areas outside GV, calling the Liberals an also-ran would be generous. The unique thing about BC is the strong support of the Greens who have a stellar record of changing their votes at the last minute to benefit the NDP. That scenario could cost the Tories a lot of seats.

I don't see any possibility of that. Harper either wins a minority or finishes second to the Liberals. For me the interesting implication is how quickly he will resign after either result.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by geotag277

Forget Hitchhiker's theory, the sentiment comes from 400 BC in the days of Plato and Socrates. This has been a fundamental problem with democracies for thousands of years. There is nothing new under the sun.

You just have to take one look at the circus that is our elections to understand very intimately why any stable intelligent human being wouldn't want to touch that world with a ten foot pole. The people that actually WANT to do that job are the least qualified to do it and are most likely there because their career prospects elsewhere were so meagre.

If we want the BEST leaders for ourselves, we have to pick them out of admired characters who are currently in private life, physically FORCE them out of that life and MAKE them do this job.

Otherwise, as George Carlin so eloquently put, garbage in garbage out, these people are the best we can do.

I will say that Trudeau comes across as the most genuine. I've picked on him for the entire election having immature composure and temperament, but that might be because he doesn't fit the profile of career politician in the same way as people like Mulcair and Harper. Having intentions to follow in his father's footsteps instead of the pursuit of power might have something to do with it.

I can see Nenshi one day being PM and I think that would be a great day. He is a solid politician who actually is qualified and knows policies and best procedures. We need people like him to up the quality of political discourse in this nation. I'm excited to see where his career takes him next.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

And so it continues... more fun!

http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/col...-go-kart-track

I smell a human rights complaint in the making.

[Bcasey25raptor]

I think Nenshi could be Canada's Obama.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I don't see any possibility of that. Harper either wins a minority or finishes second to the Liberals. For me the interesting implication is how quickly he will resign after either result.

I see him pulling a Jim Prentice all the way. He's too arrogant to accept defeat.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by geotag277

Forget Hitchhiker's theory, the sentiment comes from 400 BC in the days of Plato and Socrates. This has been a fundamental problem with democracies for thousands of years. There is nothing new under the sun.

You just have to take one look at the circus that is our elections to understand very intimately why any stable intelligent human being wouldn't want to touch that world with a ten foot pole. The people that actually WANT to do that job are the least qualified to do it and are most likely there because their career prospects elsewhere were so meagre.

If we want the BEST leaders for ourselves, we have to pick them out of admired characters who are currently in private life, physically FORCE them out of that life and MAKE them do this job.

Otherwise, as George Carlin so eloquently put, garbage in garbage out, these people are the best we can do.

I will say that Trudeau comes across as the most genuine. I've picked on him for the entire election having immature composure and temperament, but that might be because he doesn't fit the profile of career politician in the same way as people like Mulcair and Harper. Having intentions to follow in his father's footsteps instead of the pursuit of power might have something to do with it.

Sounds a bit like Trudeau's approach to Senate reform!

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Bcasey25raptor

I think Nenshi could be Canada's Obama.

He could be, but is he bilingual????

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Bcasey25raptor

I think Nenshi could be Canada's Obama.

I'd feel as personally invested in his reign as I did for Danny. That'd be a first for me, for a mainland political figure.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by esquire

Based on what I've read, I don't think Gagnier was in an actual conflict position, but the mere fact that he could even be perceived to be in one (and the point that the other parties are hammering home) underscores the fact that what he did was boneheaded.

It's even less than that - his poorly judged e-mail left him and the liberals in a position of perceived future, post-election conflict of interest. That's why I think we all have a right to know if the Conservatives and NDP indeed have lobbyists working on their campaigns, as CBC has alleged.

[geotag277]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Gagnier apparently had all kinds of political experience, but the point would be that as a TransCanada employee, he could put elected Liberal politicians in a possible conflict of interest situation if he subsequently lobbied on behalf of TransCanada or the energy sector. Why? Because the Liberals could be seen as beholden to Gagnier for his help on the election campaign. A stretch, I know, but it shows how far the Liberals (and, I hope, the other parties) go nowadays to ensure that they are seen to be clean.

So, for your software developer, the problem would arise if he subsequently lobbied the party on behalf of a software company. Or at least that's my understanding.

I don't think that's quite right. It seems Gagnier is in the hot seat simply because he was working with the Liberal government and gave TransCanada instructions on how best to deal with a transition in government, including potential senior members/cabinet ministers.

Again, I don't see the problem. There isn't any actionable information involved and no one knows what the next government is going to look like. If it could somehow be construed as "inside information", such as if the Liberals had been elected, Gagnier had been involved in appointing energy ministers (which it doesn't sound like he was), and Gagnier privately announced the news to TransCanada days earlier than the public had legitimate access to (as in, an executive from Enbridge couldn't simply ask the administration these details) - I could see a minor problem.

As it stands, you couldn't make a bigger mountain out of a smaller molehill.

As an aside, it seems like from the details Gagnier only sent the email to very high ranking TransCanada executives. It seems painfully clear that one of those individuals was a rabid Conservative supporter and intentionally leaked the email. If anything, this reflects very badly on TransCanada management, and says much more about an old boys club of Conservative BS in Calgary than it says about an old boys club of Liberal BS in Ottawa. I wonder why media isn't taking that angle.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Bcasey25raptor

I think Nenshi could be Canada's Obama.

He came to the forefront of the mayoral race via social media much like Obama did in 2008. Before he was elected Nenshi was a third place nobody.

[Bcasey25raptor]

Vote tracker is updated. Tories up .7%

http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives...015/index.html

[Wooster]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

He could be, but is he bilingual????

Yes.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

He could be, but is he bilingual????

If Harper can learn to speak french I wouldn't put it past Nenshi.

• Video Link

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

I see him pulling a Jim Prentice all the way. He's too arrogant to accept defeat.

If he doesn't jump, he'll be pushed. The knives are already coming out, I suspect.

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by geotag277

I don't think that's quite right. It seems Gagnier is in the hot seat simply because he was working with the Liberal government and gave TransCanada instructions on how best to deal with a transition in government, including potential senior members/cabinet ministers.

Again, I don't see the problem. There isn't any actionable information involved and no one knows what the next government is going to look like. If it could somehow be construed as "inside information", such as if the Liberals had been elected, Gagnier had been involved in appointing energy ministers (which it doesn't sound like he was), and Gagnier privately announced the news to TransCanada days earlier than the public had legitimate access to (as in, an executive from Enbridge couldn't simply ask the administration these details) - I could see a minor problem.

As it stands, you couldn't make a bigger mountain out of a smaller molehill.

As an aside, it seems like from the details Gagnier only sent the email to very high ranking TransCanada executives. It seems painfully clear that one of those individuals was a rabid Conservative supporter and intentionally leaked the email. If anything, this reflects very badly on TransCanada management, and says much more about an old boys club of Conservative BS in Calgary than it says about an old boys club of Liberal BS in Ottawa. I wonder why media isn't taking that angle.

The only angle the media seems to be playing is relating it to the Sponsorship Scandal. It's really a huge over stretch and a clear manipulation of the facts. I do find it interesting how little Harper is going on the offensive over this though.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by geotag277

I don't think that's quite right. It seems Gagnier is in the hot seat simply because he was working with the Liberal government and gave TransCanada instructions on how best to deal with a transition in government, including potential senior members/cabinet ministers.

Again, I don't see the problem. There isn't any actionable information involved and no one knows what the next government is going to look like. If it could somehow be construed as "inside information", such as if the Liberals had been elected, Gagnier had been involved in appointing energy ministers (which it doesn't sound like he was), and Gagnier privately announced the news to TransCanada days earlier than the public had legitimate access to (as in, an executive from Enbridge couldn't simply ask the administration these details) - I could see a minor problem.

As it stands, you couldn't make a bigger mountain out of a smaller molehill.

As an aside, it seems like from the details Gagnier only sent the email to very high ranking TransCanada executives. It seems painfully clear that one of those individuals was a rabid Conservative supporter and intentionally leaked the email. If anything, this reflects very badly on TransCanada management, and says much more about an old boys club of Conservative BS in Calgary than it says about an old boys club of Liberal BS in Ottawa. I wonder why media isn't taking that angle.

I'd have to re-read the e-mail (these things fade quickly) but I don't think anything in his message related specifically to a future Liberal government, rather than to the next government in general. So pretty anodyne advice and hard to make it out as some kind of Liberal conflict of interest.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I smell a human rights complaint in the making.

Indeed. C'est même le contraire qui serait surprenant.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

If he doesn't jump, he'll be pushed. The knives are already coming out, I suspect.

• Video Link