I see that the bulls**t is already flying about the entrance fee for the Liberal leadership contest. Under Elections Canada rules, a candidate for leader of a political party can't donate more than $25k to his or her own candidacy. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ The rest of the cost of a leadership candidacy campaign has to be covered by ***donors***, who can't donate more than $1,750/year to *all* leadership contestants. A wealthy candidate can't fund his or her own campaign - donors/supporters have to do it. /3

I don't watch any Canadian news at this point, but cruising past YYC Global and CTV this morning, I couldn't help but notice all the whining about the PM's pending resignation (he'll resign upon selection of a new Liberal leader). /2 #cdnpoli @GlobalCalgary @CTVCalgary #abpoli 2/ The whining: He should have resigned earlier or not right now. What about pending legislation (apparently neither can report that the Conservatives have been filibustering for months)? They also can't mention the three failed Poilievre attempts to defeat the government. /3

There seem to be some mightily confused/stupidly hopeful people on Twitter. They think that if the PM resigns, there is an election. No, not necessarily. The PM would resign as *leader* of the governing party (the Liberals). /2 #cdnpoli 2/ An interim party leader is chosen and the Liberals are still the governing party. Or, the PM can ask the GG to dissolve Parliament, which triggers an election. Why would the PM do that if he does not intend to carry on as leader? /3

For me, the interesting aspect of politics is the evolution of governance. I know far too little about that, really, but I am also evolving. Anyway, before 1940, Canadian governments interrupted sessions by prorogue. Before modern communications.../2 #cdnpoli 2/...MPs had to get back to their constituencies to find out what was going on, consult, etc. With the advent of WWII, it was decided that there ought to be a more responsive way to bring back Parliament in an emergency. Hence, adjournment. /3

There's something exceedingly wrong with an opposition party that doesn't think its opponents can meet and socialize without hordes of stupid protestors. Supporters of the Liberals and NDP do not show up at Conservative events to hassle attendees. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ Whether in yellow vests, flying F*** Trudeau signs, honking their horns, occupying the capital city, etc. the Conservatives and their foreign supporters don't believe in democracy. They want to intimidate their opponents via a mob. It is ridiculous. And weak.

A reminder: PM Harper prorogued four times. In 2007 because, he stated, his government had completed its five post-election priorities and needed a reset. In 2008 to avoid a confidence vote in the House (outrage over removal of right to strike and party funding). /2 #cdnpoli 2/ In 2009 to avoid Afghan detainee debate. In 2013 to avoid exposure to the Senate expense scandal/PMO cover-up of same. PM Trudeau has prorogued once (2020) to undertake a Covid reset - things had changed - but opponents claimed that it was to avoid the WE scandal. /3

What a lot of Conservatives forget is that JWR lost of the confidence of her colleagues because she didn't understand the very basis of our form of government, which is joint cabinet accountability. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ That is, cabinet is supposed to discuss policy in private, no notes are taken but a joint decision is. At that point, cabinet ministers are expected to get behind that joint decision *so that the electorate knows who is accountable*. JWR did not respect that. /3

No wonder I don't watch political talk-shows. I just caught Stephanie Levitz (G&M) incorrectly assert that the PM has the power to just go down the road to Stornaway and knock on the door and name FI names to Mr. Poilievre. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ And that was immediately after she asserted that Mr. Poilievre's Chief of Staff - who supposedly has been briefed - could not tell anyone without the needed security clearance what he knows. Mr. Poilievre doesn't have the security clearance to be read in. /3

"Pollster" Darrel Bricker is bragging about how much $ the Conservatives have to flood the airwaves, social media, leaving (he says) the Liberals and NDP in the dust. Here's the thing. With the Reform and FI infestation going on in the Party, its awful leadership,.../2 #cdnpoli 2/...what's going on at the provincial level (hate, stupidity, and incompetence under Conservative banners), the clownvoy, the Manning Centre, the "Prouds" - the Conservatives are *permanently* out of contention for my vote - unlike the former PCs who were always a consideration.

I hope to remind everyone that freaking out over "polls" is a complete waste of time - and is really playing into the desire of a certain party and its US-owned and sycophantic press to *suppress support* for the governing party and its leader. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ If it were a shoo-in for third and fourth opposition parties, they would be falling all over themselves to defeat the government. Two motions have failed, which signals to me that none wants to see either a) an election, or b) the Conservatives prevail. /3

First it was pollster Darryl Bricker co-authoring a 2013 book contending that the "Laurentian Consensus" was dead and he's still at it. Then pollster Shachi Kurl screwed with our federal election debate. David Coletto plumping for Conservatives on political programs. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ Then a flood of polls pretending to be news on Canada's MSM. And now Angus Reid trying to pin the fire of a deconsecrated Catholic ex-church on our Catholic PM. Have some Canadians finally figured it out? It's been clear for at least a decade. /3

I am appalled by the number of people who have a weak grasp of their own finances. I see people (who aren't reeking of wealth) reject receipts in stores. How do they reconcile their accounts? They hire tax-preparers so have no idea what is going on with their taxes. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ Hence they will claim that they don't receive this or that benefit. Carbon rebate? Nope, I don't get that. And then there's the banks. They exact service charges but don't identify what for. I have to maintain a sizeable balance in my business account to be charges-free. /3

The usual Twitter opinion-offerers are piling on, lemming-like, to say that the Liberals need a new leader. IMHO the Conservatives need yet another one, maybe someone the rabble doesn't boo in leadership debates, or who will debate at all. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ The thing they all miss is that no matter who the Liberals were to choose, that person would be subject to third-party, hedge-fund press, foreign $, GOP (also foreign), and corporate self-interest smearing. Fresh would be de-facted and dehumanized in a NY minute. /3

I feel that, in the presence of revived deification of JWR, that our system of government needs to be explained. Again. Our Westminster system involves joint cabinet accountability. Members of cabinet are meant to jointly explore matters freely and privately and.../2 #cdnpoli 2/ ...come to a decision. Once that decision has been taken, our system requires cabinet members to get behind it. This way, the electorate knows ***who is responsible*** and can thus hold a government to account. /3

Mark Mulroney is spreading misinformation. The NDP is *not* in a coalition. A coalition involves *power sharing*, meaning that MPs from both parties to the coalition would be in cabinet. There are no NDP MPs in cabinet, therefore it's not a coalition. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ There is a supply agreement in place. This is an arrangement whereby one of the opposition parties, in this case the NDP, agrees to support the minority government in exchange for some policy accommodations. /3

As far as I have noticed, the punditry on CNN throws around such terms as "socialism", "Marxism", and "communism" with abandon, without offering any definitions. They have become pejoratives that most couldn't define if they tried. So, here goes.../2 @CNN 2/ Socialism advocates for the public ownership of means of production and/or regulation of same by the community. We do have some regulation of means of production - for environmental reasons, usually - but does anyone think that the Democrats advocate public ownership? /3

I know I've made this point before, but here it is again. Pay attention to tweets where the person or bot says things like "Canadians spoke" or "people are saying" or "people are angry". They weren't elected, nominated, or appointed to speak for Canadians or "people". /2 #cdnpoli 2/ This goes for our lame punditry. Without offering any evidence whatsoever, members will arrogate to speak for Canadians. Even "some say" is designed to avoid accountability. Who are the "some"? Vague commentary like that is designed to mislead. /3

While Pierre Poilievre and his party pretend to be on the side of the non-elites, they vote *for* the privileged. They oppose an increase in the capital gains tax (more in replies on that), which they want people to think applies to the everyday taxpayer. It doesn't. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ They complain Liberal taxing. The latter have raised taxes on luxury cars, airplanes, and boats, *and* on taxpayers earning > $200k/year in *taxable income*. They dropped the 2nd bracket marginal tax rate and made the CCB non-taxable. All breaks helping everyday taxpayers. /3

The business punditry in this country is...well...A pundit claims that declining GDP/capita gives the Bank the opening to cut the "restrictive" 5% overnight rate. Another pundit notes that Canada's productivity GDP/capita is less-than-stellar. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ With Canada's aging population, we absolutely need increases to the labour force - aka, immigration. But, more immigration = less GDP/capita in the short-medium run. They do a great job of contradiction. I think I forgot that more immigration = a tight housing supply.../3

While I'm addressing some incorrect AB opinions, I'll tackle another, which is the mistaken view that Alberta pays for or into equalization. The province does not. Taxpayers do and they pay the same taxes across Canada. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ The sources of equalization funds are *federal* personal and corporate taxes, GST, EI, excise, duties, federal rents, etc. One can go to any provincial balance sheet and see inflows of federal transfers but no outflows to the federal government. /3

Back at the time of the PM's promise to end FPTP, the federal government undertook a survey to see how Canadians might feel. Instead of asking respondents about "alphabet" systems, which most Canadians haven't waded into (PR, STV, etc.).../2 #cdnpoli 2/ ...the survey used solid five-factor design to assess how people feel about consensus-building versus authoritarianism. Of course, this was ridiculed by the RW because they definitely wanted the status quo. The PR fans/NDP were so enamoured of PR (for NDP reasons).../3