CanPol: Thread of the Year Edition

[Ben Kenobi]

People from Prince George want to join Alberta? That's out there. I can't see it ever happening. That triangle of people living in the Peace Country have, or had, a reasonable argument. They are the other side of the Rockies from the rest of BC. They would get better service from the Alberta side of the border, they think.

Prince George joining AB makes about as much sense as Edmonton joining BC.

Most of the folks my age have left to go work in Alberta. This is why there is significant support in PG, and why we have pretty much always felt closer to Alberta then to the folks in the Lower Mainland. We feel we would be doing far better under the Alberta regime, then in BC, since the BC folks pretty much cater to the Lower Mainland and the Island.

As for the argument that the border should reflect the continental divide, I think that's an even stronger argument then there is for PG. The only reason the Peace gets lumped in with BC, is because of the border, the Peace even sticks to mountain time.

[Ben Kenobi]

We have a federal system, with strong provincial powers, because that was the only way to get the original 4 to agree to join together. BC, PEI, then MB, SK, AB, and finally Newfyland 'benefitted' from the original arrangement.

Were we to be constituted like most European countries, the provinces would not really exist in any meaningful way. We'd have a massively powerful central government and then cities.

Yes, I agree wholeheartedly, but if you look at the precise powers alotted to the provincial government, you see things like education, language, religion and many cultural things. The reason being, primarily, to allow Quebec to have control over aspects they considered essential to their culture. This is why I think it makes sense to treat the provinces as different cultures in themselves, because that is the basis for dividing them into provinces in the first place.

[Ben Kenobi]

and IT WASN'T THEM that permitted gay marriage , it was courts that did it province by province until government was forced to deal with the issue.

And did the federal government appeal any of these decisions?

[Ben Kenobi]

The reason being is that Alberta has tons of oil and money and we want some of it.

Nah, no sales tax, and a booming economy sound pretty good to me.

It's Quebec that wants the oil money from federal transfer payments.

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Flubber
Whats going on here? A scant few posts lately ??? has Christmas cheer blunted our desire to rant on and on and on and on about Canadian politics.

It's a pointless exercise.

The sophisticated voters of Ontario shall return our glorious government to power.

It's all over. Sorry Alberta.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Wezil



The sophisticated voters of Ontario shall return our glorious government to power.

I hope thats sarcasm.

I wouldn't blame someone for voting for the Liberals on social policy issues for instance but "glorious government" hardly applies to that bunch of thieves

[embalmer42]

Yes, knowing Wezil, that was sarcasm.

[notyoueither]

Very definitely.

[Odin]

Originally posted by Wezil


It's a pointless exercise.

The sophisticated voters of Ontario shall return our glorious government to power.

It's all over. Sorry Alberta.

Scewing Alberta:

[notyoueither]

That's one really bad cast, dude.

[Max Webster]

Shelly the conservative got in last time and he is pretty much guaranteed to get in this time. Not that will make much of a difference on the national scene

I just cant be bothered to vote. Waste of time.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Max Webster


I just cant be bothered to vote. Waste of time.

I can NEVER accept that. There's too much history in getting me the right and too many people that still don't have it for me to ever not vote.

I don't care if my vote will make a practical difference in my riding or not , I will always vote. Maybe I'm an idealist on this

[Ecthy]

All of what you guys said might be true but what about geopolitics?

When will Quebec separate? Will the rest of Canada join the US?

[Kontiki]

Not in the foreseeable future, if ever and no.

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Flubber


I hope thats sarcasm.

I wouldn't blame someone for voting for the Liberals on social policy issues for instance but "glorious government" hardly applies to that bunch of thieves

I've been waiting all my life (thus far) for "peace, order and good government".

I've given up. Our system is broken and unable to be reformed. At this point I'm hoping for a huge Liberal vote and corresponding disgust out west.

Matter of fact, I think I'll vote for the thieves. After all, if we in Ontario really are educated voters then they must be the right choice.