capricorn
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Posts posted by capricorn
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3 minutes ago, bcsapper said:
Agreed. No way should the taxpayer be on the hook for, uh.. hooks.
Well then, make it a claw, not a hook.
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1 hour ago, Centerpiece said:
One of my concerns is whether the DDs will end up providing "the good stuff" - more potency. Do you think government will get into a spiraling potency game with illegal pot? That wouldn't look good. But that's why I think we haven't seen the end of the Black Market. That darn law of unintended (but totally foreseeable) consequences.
When pot becomes legal in October, users will feel better about buying their stuff from a local drug dealer So why buy from a government supplier? Of course, price will be a determining factor.
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Quebec invests $50M to offer breakfast at schools in low-income areas
I'm all for such initiatives that benefit kids. But isn't it remarkable that a have-not province is able to afford such programs. By all signs, Quebec is doing very well financially, yet they'll continue to reap billions annually from the federal treasury. I'm not so sure Alberta could afford this at the moment due to their economic woes, caused by those who won't let Alberta get their oil to market.
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Ottawa has quietly renewed the equalization formula to keep it in its current form to 2024, but the move seems to have caught those looking for changes to the sometimes contentious federal program off-guard.
Provinces such as Saskatchewan and Alberta – “have” provinces under equalization still suffering lingering economic effects as a result of a sharp downturn in oil and gas sector activity – said this week they are looking for modifications to the program.
But federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s office said a five-year renewal of the program, mostly in-line with the formula that exists today, will come into force in April, 2019, after the Budget Implementation Act received royal assent on Thursday. His office said Ottawa’s intention to renew the program was clearly communicated to the provinces.
--The news could ratchet up tensions at a finance ministers meeting convened to discuss trade and global competiveness issues in Ottawa on Tuesday. But Dan Lauzon, a spokesman for Mr. Morneau, said federal officials have stayed in close contact with provincial counterparts.
“The process of renewal began long ago, and provinces and territories were consulted and kept informed every step of the way. It was on the agenda and discussed at the political level at the finance ministers meeting in December,” Mr. Lauzon said. He added there was mention of the renewal in the February federal budget, in letters to provincial finance ministers, and specifics were laid out in the Budget Implementation Act.
However, the renewal seems to have caught some western provinces unawares. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announced his province’s new proposal for equalization this week, and said he wanted it discussed at the summer meeting of premiers next month in Saint Andrews, N.B.
In an interview on Wednesday, the Saskatchewan Premier did not know that Ottawa already had definitively decided the fate of the program for the 2019-2024 period.
“That would be news to me. It’s my understanding that the time for a decision for the five-year review is 2019,” he said when informed that Mr. Morneau’s office had said the equalization formula will remain as it is to 2024.
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This year, Quebec will receive the lion’s share of equalization payments, at $11.7 billion. The “have” provinces that receive no equalization payments are British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador.
con't...
Not surprising, Jason Kenney, leader of the United Party of Alberta, is livid. Can't blame him seeing Quebec blocked the energy east project, inflicting economic pain in Alberta. What's amazing is that Quebec, a supposed have-not province, has had balanced budgets for the last number of years and offers a whack of social programs to its citizens. No wonder, since the have provinces are subsidizing those goodies.
Did the Liberals losing the recent by-election in Quebec factor in Trudeau's decision to ensure that Quebec continue to reap those billions in equalization. Trudeau knows his name is mud in the West so he must look to Quebec for reelection in 2019.
Quebec is laughing all the way to the bank. No wonder federalism is taking a hold in La Belle Province. They know they've got a good thing going.
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An interesting article on the health effects of smoking pot and the ongoing research on the matter.
QuoteMany people are able to consume cannabis safely, but some individuals do experience health effects, and doctors say it's impossible to predict how any one individual will react to the drug.
One possible risk not often associated with marijuana in the public's perception of the drug but that has been flagged by public health experts is dependence — defined as the need for repeated doses of the drug to feel good or to avoid feeling bad.
Vanessa Markov, 33, of Toronto knows about that risk firsthand. She started smoking marijuana at age 15. At first, it was a couple of times a week during or after school with peers. By the time she graduated from high school, she was lighting up every day.
"I lived a relatively functional life: I had good jobs, and I did well," Markov said. "But the secret life I had was when I went home, I would just smoke pot the entire time."
She said she now realizes that heavy use took a toll on her health.
In her 20s, Markov started to have extreme panic attacks and high anxiety. When she went to a doctor seeking treatment for mental health issues, including depression, she initially resisted when the physician suggested she stop smoking pot but finally quit the drug three years ago.
"It's not a solution to your anxiety, your social anxieties, your feelings," she said. "You know it will make you feel better for a short period of time, but you will notice after a while that it's going to start impeding on your ability to actually enjoy your life."
Aggravated anxiety is one of ways that people can react to cannabis, but there is still a lot more research and monitoring that needs to be done to quantify the incidence of this and other physical and mental health concerns among marijuana users compared with the general population.
Doctors are paying particular attention to how it's affecting young people given that their brains are still developing up until the age of 25.
Research has shown that regular cannabis use can re-wire the brain in younger users.
Cannabis affects the brain's frontal cortex, which is responsible for judgment and decision-making.
A position statement from the Canadian Paediatric Society says the area changes rapidly in adolescence and is more vulnerable to damage from THC, the main psychoactive component of the marijuana plant.
"When people (adults) stop using, most of these changes reverse back to normal," said Dr. Romina Mizrahi, head of the Focus on Youth Psychosis Prevention Clinic at the Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
What's not clear is whether that same reversal happens in adolescents.
"What we understand now is that the timing is critical. When people use is the most important thing in how it affects the brain," Mizrahi said.
Cannabis use can disrupt the brain's endocannabinoid system — which fine tunes communication between neurons — so it doesn't work, or work as efficiently, Mizrahi said.
THC and other cannabinoids in the marijuana plant interact with receptors throughout the nervous system to regulate functions such as appetite, memory and sleep.
Scientists are trying to understand the various ways in which cannabis can be damaging, neutral or medicinal and what determines how it will affect a particular user. But their task is complicated by the fact that the marijuana plant contains many components, varies in potency and its effects are influenced by a number of factors, including frequency of use, the complexity of the brain and its interplay with genetics.
Mizrahi said her colleagues and other scientists have observed that cannabis is associated with a dampening or reduction in neurochemical systems, but the immediate, short- and long-term effects of that vary.
"This would explain why people feel less anxious, why people feel less activated — except for a few people who can become psychotic, and we don't know why," she said.
cont'd...
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1 hour ago, BubberMiley said:
The USA may have not been obligated to listen to Trudeau, but Trump sure changed his position quickly after Justin said it was wrong.
This is hilarious. Insinuating that Trudeau is responsible for Trump issuing an Executive Order. Sheesh, the lengths some people will go to ascribe such power to the wimp that is Justin Trudeau.
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Looks like Trump is taking action to stop separating children from illegal migrants. Nothing on the internet news yet. This would be good news all around.
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2 minutes ago, paxrom said:
I think the best alternative is to quickly deport all violators back . I'm talking detained, processed and released back in their home countries. All in the matter of less than 20 days. Obviously there's going to be push back on the ways to implement it(cost, human rights, etc...).
I like where you're coming from. What about the kids? AFAICS that's what all the screaming and foot stomping is about and 20 days spent away from family (or those pretending to be parents), will still be decried as cruel.
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34 minutes ago, Hal 9000 said:
So, what is the alternative?
As long as both sides hit each over the head with this matter, as reflected in this thread, no one will turn their attention in exploring alternatives. In the meantime, problems at the border escalate.
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19 hours ago, Argus said:
I don't think Quebecers are going to go for a party led by a guy in a turban.
Quebecers were under the thumb of the Roman Catholic church for far too long before they rejected living by strict religious rules in every aspect of their life. Singh, with his overt advertising of his faith, is a reminder of being governed (oppressed) by the church.
There will be a byelection in Outremont, Mulcair's riding and Singh is said to be seriously considering running there. Big mistake, according to Chantal Hebert.
QuoteOutremont is a diverse riding but that does not automatically translate into an edge for a visible minority leader such as Singh.
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8 hours ago, scribblet said:
Quite a feat to have won that riding considering Trudeau pork barrelled 60 million into it.
Yeah, Trudeau must have thought a win was in the bag. He miscalculated the level of his popularity in the riding by falling prey to polls that showed an uptick in his favorable numbers following the G7 and exchanges with Trump. In fact, the reason for his positive numbers in the polls was not a reflection of his personal popularity but a vote of approval for the Government of Canada.
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Good strategy. Incremental steps in order not to throw too many of his critics into a panic.
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A tweet from Steve Paiken of TVO,s Agenda..
Quotethe order has gone out to all deputy ministers at queen's park: hiring freeze is on, cancel all paper-based newspaper/magazine subscriptions, new restrictions on out-of-province travel, no food at taxpayers' expense approved for in-house meetings. #onpoli
Many are now locking their doors and crawling under the bed.
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55 minutes ago, bush_cheney2004 said:
The usual comparisons to America will not rescue Canada's economy from Canadian policies.
Trump is not responsible for the Canadian economy....that's Trudeau's job, and he is failing miserably.
So true. The US has enough on its plate without having to worry about soothing the Canadian psyche.
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14 minutes ago, Signals.Cpl said:
Do you think that if Canada made unilateral concessions right now and did exactly as he wants it would make one shred of difference?
We cannot know the outcome of any potential move until it's put on the table for analysis. As for the rest of your observations, each side must weigh any and all impact on their own industries before agreeing to demands or negotiating a compromise.
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On 6/13/2018 at 6:10 AM, H10 said:
Well it really depends on how smart Ford is. If Ford is smart,he will realize that by allowing the libs to lose party status could cause all the left wing voters to coalesce behind the NDP, basically making it impossible for most of his mps to exist as they got elected off of a split vote.
That is so deep, I could not decipher what you mean.
QuoteSo Ford will need to use both his brain cells.
Cute. Working an insult against Ford in a nonsensical post.
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19 hours ago, Signals.Cpl said:
Examining is one thing, but changing our own internal policies to suit a president who will just create another "fact" and create another version of "truth" doesn't make sense.
Who says it's to suit a president? We have trade deals with many countries and we need to put our best foot forward by taking account of changing situations and conditions on the global stage.
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There is a federal byelection in Chicoutimi, Québec tomorrow. The Conservative candidate, Richard Martel, is ahead in the polls.Leading up to the vote, Trudeau and his Liberals spread federal cash around in the riding hoping for a Liberal win.
QuotePolitics being politics, however, and with Quebec being Quebec, this byelection was not without its overt pork-barreling.
It is no coincidence, after all, that Trudeau set the date for Monday’s byelection three days after he pledged $60 million in taxpayers’ money to go towards a new $558-million prototype aluminum smelting project in the area, purportedly the first carbon-free smelter the world has ever seen.
This was followed, of course, by a queue of Liberal cabinet ministers and MPs heading into the riding to dish out millions of dollars in interest-free loans to less-corporate businesses in the region.
Quebec politics as usual, as they say.
If you can’t beat them, buy them.
We've seen this movie before.
There are many dairy farmers in the riding. Perhaps this has something to do with Scheer booting Bernier from the front bench to assure those farmers supply management is protected by the Conservative party.
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35 minutes ago, Signals.Cpl said:
Why should Canada change their policies then?
This trade impasse with the US should not preclude us from examining and if need be, amending our policies regarding trade. A prime example is supply management. And to those who would say such reflections would make us look weak in the eyes of foreign trade negotiators, I say our recent trade moves have not been exactly stellar.
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1 minute ago, Argus said:
I was pulling more for O'toole, but what exactly is your issue with Scheer? Up until now the Tories had been well in the lead in the polls. And he's done a good job of fending off the typical media/left wing portrayal of the conservatives as big bad, mean, evil cruel, racist, nasty people.
I voted for Christine Elliott, Max Bernier and O'toole, in that order. IMO, the reason Scheer smoothed out the edges of the image of the Conservatives is that he appears too willing to please everyone. Could this be a result of his role as Speaker was to arbitrate between the different parties in the House? Without a strong front bench, he'd be lost. Oh, and just wait for the next election campaign. The Conservatives will once again be vilified as the party that will ruin all that is good about Canada.
I also think he was too quick to back Trudeau in defending supply management. My view of supply management is that it is an impediment to free trade and borders on socialism. In the case of dairy it's disgraceful that Canadians should have to pay more for products because of domestic dairy quotas. All political parties want to continue this game of kowtowing to farmers for their own self interest, i.e. votes.
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16 minutes ago, Argus said:
They'll want to finish their polling first to see how much Trump has driven up Trudeau's popularity.
The sooner we have an election the better, if only for the Conservative Party to remove Scheer as leader. Scheer is in the wrong party. He should cross over to the Liberals where he truly belongs. End result, Trudeau will win the next election hands down regardless of the trade issue.
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1 hour ago, betsy said:
Oh. He can do that?
Trudeau's majority government can most certainly do that.
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3 hours ago, betsy said:
The timing of this trade war - 18 months before our next Federal election - could it just be a coincidence? If this trade war go on, Canadians will be in great pain around that time.....
Indeed, this appears to be good timing from Trudeau's perspective. From my link above.
Quote“Canadians are polite, we’re reasonable, but we also will not be pushed around,” Trudeau grandstanded as soon as Trump turned his back. It’s a brilliant political strategy. By playing to the Canadian public at Trump’s expense, Trudeau’s popularity has soared. But although Trudeau may be winning in the polls, Canadians are wrong to think Trudeau is winning for them. For Canadians to win, Trump must prevail and the Canadian market must open up.
Trudeau is riding high thanks to anti-Trump sentiments. Could that entice Justin to call a snap summer election?
QuoteWhile Trump was waving an accusing finger in Canada’s direction on Tuesday, warning that his spat with Trudeau would cost Canadians a lot of money, Trudeau was saying little in reply. In the Commons on Tuesday, Trudeau thanked those who are usually his critics for standing in solidarity with the government.
Still, the Prime Minister must be tempted to do something with this rare moment of Canadian unity. When again is he going to find Doug Ford, the soon-to-be Conservative premier of Ontario, and Jason Kenney, the would-be premier of Alberta, on his side?
Instead of adjourning Parliament for the summer in the next couple of weeks, Trudeau could dissolve it completely, heading to Rideau Hall and telling the Governor-General that he needs an entirely new mandate to deal with this crisis in Canada-U.S. relations.
https://ipolitics.ca/2018/06/12/anyone-in-the-mood-for-a-summer-election/
This could be a trial balloon to test election appetite among Canadians.
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13 hours ago, Argus said:
The Trump demands, like a five year sunset clause, and an all-American arbitration system, were clearly stupid, and no foreign government would agree to those.
It appears sunset clauses are included in a number of trade agreements in other countries.
QuoteBut what is so unreasonable about building into trade deals set renewals that require the parties to renegotiate provisions that may have become outdated, particularly since we’ve seen game-changing industries such as social media and shale oil emerge from nowhere? Countries in Europe, Asia and Africa employ sunset clauses of various kinds in their trade deals, often with protections that grandfather investments should an agreement not be renewed (the Netherlands-Poland Bilateral Investment Treaty is just one example). Instead of employing “my way or the highway” tactics, Trudeau could have accepted a sunset clause that grandfathered the protections Canadian industry would need in the event a future U.S. administration decided to walk away from NAFTA.
The remainder of this article is quite instructive.
QuoteA decade ago, Canada had a US$78 billion trade surplus with the U.S. That surplus was more than halved to US$32 billion five years ago and it was halved again to US$17 billion last year. Five years from now, our ever-shrinking surplus with the U.S. may start to become an ever-growing deficit, particularly since the U.S. has blown past us as a producer of energy — our main exports to the U.S. We are not only at risk of losing this financial mainstay, with the U.S. no longer needing us for energy security, we are also at risk of becoming strategically unimportant.
None of that matters much to Trudeau, who faces a tough re-election next year. NAFTA necessarily thus becomes not an economic exercise but a political one. How to retain the dairy quotas needed for the Quebec vote in the face of U.S. pressure? How to reverse his sagging popularity among Canadians on the whole as the economy fades? The answer is a no-brainer: Declare war on Canada’s Public Enemy Number One — Donald J. Trump. For maximum effect, start right after genial discussions at the G7 meetings during which an unsuspecting Trump had even reportedly agreed to drop his request for that five-year sunset clause.
Trudeau is no Captain Canada.
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Justin Trudeau wrecking Federalism
in Federal Politics in Canada
Posted
Re the media. No surprise there. Canadians are so wrapped up in the US media coverage of illegal migrants they're blind to what's going on in their own country.