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Timothy Huyer Profile picture
Timothy Huyer
@tim4hire
Absolutely no content, regardless whether original or retweeted, represents the views of any person or panda. Caveat lector. He/him. Also on bluesky.
5 subscribers
Feb 12 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
I’m not about to predict how the next election will go, or even which party deserves to win it. But I disagree with the claim that a LPC win would mean that “democracy’s self-correcting mechanism is malfunctioning.” I’d say the evidence is otherwise.

1/ How the current government has handled a number of files certainly contributed to it becoming very unpopular, to the point that it might have been facing an incredibly humiliating defeat had an election happened at that point.

2/
Feb 10 • 22 tweets • 4 min read
(🧵) I would expect government correspondence, especially when it is being made public, would be carefully checked for errors. Alas, a significant number of those were not caught in this letter.

To wit:

1/ The style of address for Mr. Trudeau is:

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P.

Addressing him as "Honourable" is a major violation of protocol.

2/
Jan 29 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
Canada is far from perfect. But it seems to me that we have a punditocracy that is eager to sanewash President Trump by making it seem like he has legitimate grievances with Canada, that if only we did (or did not do) X, we would not be in his crosshairs.

This is very wrong.

1/ President Trump's pronouncements are, to put it mildly, batshit. His grievances are devoid of reality. Addressing his grievances is like playing whack-a-mole; if we can close one, he will jump to another equally imaginary complaint.

2/
Jan 6 • 38 tweets • 6 min read
(🧵) For no particular reason, a basic primer on "supply" or how the government is able to spend money.

1/ It is a constitutional requirement that Parliament approves all government spending. Moreover, bills authorizing spending (or imposing any tax) *must* originate in the House of Commons (other bills can start in the Senate; regardless, both Houses must approve).

2/
Jan 2 • 26 tweets • 5 min read
(🧵) I know we had long ago entered the unhinged era, but the #FoodProcessor has outdone himself with his latest tweets. Even without delving deeply, one can spot multiple major errors in his statements.

To whit:

1/ First, there is the claim that “the academic hard-left … has consistently attempted to silence dissenting voices”. Which is ironic given that the #FoodProcessor continues to have a podcast, is published as an OpEd writer and remains at Dalhousie University.

2/ Screenshot of a portion of a tweet by @foodprofessor that begins with “The academic hard-left (including you Jim)…”
Dec 14, 2024 • 12 tweets • 3 min read
A couple of comments in response to this OpEd. First, if the USA imposes tariffs and Canada decides retaliatory action is the best way to get the White House to back down, you want actions that hurt Americans but do as little harm to Canadians as possible.

1/ An export tax, unlike a tariff, does not increase costs for Canadians. So, in that respect, it already has an advantage.

Of course, it can mean that export demand for the taxed good will decrease, which is, obviously, bad for the producers of that good.

2/
Oct 12, 2024 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
Counterpoint: caucus revolts are an important feature of our Westminster system between elections. When a party leader will not or cannot maintain public support, then the caucus will seek change.

1/ They do this because they fear they, or the party overall, will lose seats in the next election with the status quo. It’s because they are accountable to voters, not because they are selfish. In a democracy, the MP’s loyalty to the leader yields to the views of voters.

2/
Sep 24, 2024 • 27 tweets • 5 min read
(🧵)Obviously, until the actual amendments are introduced, we won't be able to see how the Government intends to implement what the Premier is promising in her video. But a few things can be noted as items to watch.

1/ First, the Premier speaks about enshrining the right to make one's own medical choices "without fear of *undue* pressure or interference by government."

People were not involuntarily vaccinated against COVID-19.

2/
Jul 27, 2024 • 21 tweets • 4 min read
An issue with vertically integrated monopoly electricity utilities is that they can prevent or limit access to cheaper generation options, including renewables. Deregulated markets can address that problem.

1/ With a deregulated market, any electricity generator that satisfies licensing requirements can deliver power to the transmission grid on the same terms and conditions as all other generators. Unlike Saint John Power, you don’t need to build a separate transmission line.

2/
Jul 17, 2024 • 12 tweets • 2 min read
Many things impact price levels (and hence CPI). But it is important to differentiate between the things that cause discrete changes and the things that affect the ongoing rate of change in the price levels.

1/
 #cdnecon An increase or decrease in an excise tax or charge, such as the fuel tax, the GST/HST rate or the carbon price, result in an increase or decrease to the price level. The effect may happen over a period of time, but it isn’t a continuous effect.

2/
Apr 1, 2024 • 15 tweets • 3 min read
On federal-provincial jurisdiction and the spending power (🧵).

A lot of ink is spilled arguing over which level of government is responsible for various initiatives. And to be fair, this can be confusing and something the governments themselves get wrong de temps en temps.

1/ One area where there *is* broad jurisdiction is the (federal) spending power. It boils down to this: the federal government can pretty much spend federal money any way it sees fit, even in areas of exclusive provincial jurisdiction. TL;dr: “My money, my rules.”

2/
Nov 15, 2023 • 17 tweets • 3 min read
Courts already provide for an expedited process to determine whether (interlocutory) injunctions/stays should be granted until the case can be decided on its merits. This would upend that process and completely neuter a government's emergency powers.
#ableg
1/ Courts use a 3-part test for granting an interlocutory stay. The party seeking the injunction must show:
(1) There is a serious issue to be tried;
(2) The person will suffer irreparable harm if the stay isn't granted; and
(3) The balance of convenience favours a stay.

2/
Oct 27, 2023 • 63 tweets • 10 min read
(🧵). In light of the major debate happening in Alberta, I thought I would try to put together a FAQ on a CPP/APP. As always, the answers here do not contain legal advice or personal views.

#ableg #CPP Q1: Can Alberta form an APP?

A: Yes. Section 94A of the Constitution Act, 1867 guarantees this, as Parliament cannot "affect the operation of any law present or future of a provincial legislature in respect of [old age pensions and supplementary benefits]."
May 30, 2023 • 21 tweets • 5 min read
(🧵) Because the one thing tweeps have too much of tdoay, here is my own post-mortem on the #AbElection2023.

TL;dr: The @albertaNDP had a nigh-impossible path to victory. Ms Smith will have a hard time remaining Premier for a full term and the @Alberta_UCP could fragment.

1/21 When @ABDanielleSmith became leader and Premier, I believed she would not have time to turn around the party. In hindsight, the evidence that my call was wrong was readily apparent in the parties' fundraising totals.

2/21
Mar 4, 2023 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
The general basis of Thomas Malthus’s theories was that providing any social assistance to the very poor would be futile, as the recipients would waste the help they received.

1/ Rather than spending money received on bettering their circumstances (education, etc.), Malthus believed recipients would instead buy alcohol. And even if their situation did improve, the recipients would have more children until they once again had too many mouths to feed.

2/
Feb 22, 2023 • 15 tweets • 4 min read
Gentle reminder that Roxham Road is closed. It is not, and has not been for many years, a port of entry. The road does not cross the border, as Google Streetview shows.

1/ Google Streetview of 339 Roxham Road looking south just wher The reason why asylum seekers cross at Roxham Road is *because* it is closed and not a port of entry. If it were a port of entry, they would be turned back/denied entry as a result of the Safe Third Country Agreement, which only applies at land ports of entry.

2/
Jan 2, 2023 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
Official releases from Elections Alberta won’t confirm this for some time. But the numbers indicated below are staggering.

#ableg #abpoli

1/ In 2021, the NDP took in $2,090,744 in donations in Q4, putting its annual total to $6,152,004. It raised $2,322,450 in 2020Q4 and $5,059,538 for the whole year.

The 2022Q4 and annual totals show significant gains.

2/
Nov 30, 2022 • 16 tweets • 3 min read
By unpopular demand, a (🧵) background explainer for what a "Henry VIII clause" is (as this phrase is being bandied about a lot at the moment).
#ableg #abpoli #cdnpolitics

1/16 In our system of government, the legislature (or Parliament, federally) enacts the laws. Formally, His Majesty only makes laws "by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly [of Province]."

2/16
Nov 6, 2022 • 25 tweets • 5 min read
The Saskatchewan First Act is a doozy both in terms of what it purports to do (blatantly unconstitutional) and what it actually does (mostly, generate hot air).

(🧵) #skpoli #cdnpoli #Saskatchewan

1/ Namely, the Act purports to amend the Constitution of Canada, namely the Saskatchewan Act and the Constitution Act, 1867. All well and good, except this can’t be done unilaterally.

2/
Nov 6, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
We depend on your help to ensure our continued existence. Please send cookies to your local panda, and also make sure to support education workers. Nailed it. Although, TBH, 30 seconds after the video ended, I was sick.
Nov 4, 2022 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
This is not about “keeping kids in classrooms.” It’s about imposing a contract that is not fair or equitable.

1/
 #ontedsolidarity #CUPESolidarity #onted #ontpoli There were several options that could have been used to prevent any strike or other labour disruption, all without using the notwithstanding clause. The only problem for the government is that these other options would have most likely resulted in higher wage settlements.

2/