CanPol: May(?) 2011 Election. Vote today!

[Asher]

Don't be such a tool. This effect can never be as large as exports in the manufacturing industry. And even if it were - it can be compensated with oil money.

I don't think you understand the Canadian economy at all.

The "manufacturing industry" isn't as large as you seem to think it is anymore. Further, much of the "manufacturing industry" is supporting the energy industry.

[Fake Boris]

The more the Bloc talks, the more convinced I am Quebec deserves zero transfer payments. Their fiscal mismanagement should be their problem, not mine.

1) What do you know about fiscal mismanagement in Quebec?
2) Ultimately, it seems like we all agree - Gilles Duceppe, and you, and I, believe that Quebec should get zero transfer payments.

[Asher]

1) What do you know about fiscal mismanagement in Quebec?

I know that they've got ridiculous numbers of social spending, ridiculous policies that discourage non-Francophone businesses from operating in the province, ridiculous numbers of federal government payments, ridiculous taxes...

2) Ultimately, it seems like we all agree - Gilles Duceppe, and you, and I, believe that Quebec should get zero transfer payments.

Duceppe may not want "transfer payments", but he sure does have a habit of demanding money.

[Fake Boris]

I don't think you understand the Canadian economy at all.

The "manufacturing industry" isn't as large as you seem to think it is anymore. Further, much of the "manufacturing industry" is supporting the energy industry.

Not in Quebec.

Again, it's been a long time since I read about that, but I'm fairly certain that the correct phrasing, now that I think of it more, is that "of all Canadian provinces, Quebec depends the most on export of goods and services to the US".

[Asher]

Not in Quebec.

Again, it's been a long time since I read about that, but I'm fairly certain that the correct phrasing, now that I think of it more, is that "of all Canadian provinces, Quebec depends the most on export of goods and services to the US".

What a delightfully vacuous and non-specific statement.

[Fake Boris]

I know that they've got ridiculous numbers of social spending, ridiculous policies that discourage non-Francophone businesses from operating in the province, ridiculous numbers of federal government payments, ridiculous taxes...


Duceppe may not want "transfer payments", but he sure does have a habit of demanding money.

Bla bla bla...We don't get anything more than our share of equalization, which is based on a formula. We actually tend to get less from non equalization money - especially when the separatists hold office in Quebec. Do you understand why?

[Fake Boris]

The "manufacturing industry" isn't as large as you seem to think it is anymore.

Own goal.

[KrazyHorse]

A contract is a contract, but that contract was hilariously one-sided and clearly exploited ignorance/stupidity on behalf of the agent negotiating the contract for NFLD.

Is Good Faith not a prerequisite for a valid contract?

You wouldn't enforce a contract made by a 4-year old child, why enforce one made by a Newf?

WTF is "good faith" supposed to have to do with it? Remember that this contract was signed well before the oil crises of the 70s

[Asher]

Bla bla bla...We don't get anything more than our share of equalization, which is based on a formula.

An arbitrary formula which has been tailored for certain purposes...

We actually tend to get less from non equalization money - especially when the separatists hold office in Quebec. Do you understand why?

Pissing people off?

[Asher]

WTF is "good faith" supposed to have to do with it? Remember that this contract was signed well before the oil crises of the 70s

It's someone clearly taking advantage of another who doesn't know WTF he's doing. And he's using other people's money to do it.

The price not only didn't include inflationary measures, it decreases the price over the term of the contract. It's staggering how stupid they were. I have a hard time believing Quebec was behaving in good faith when taking advantage of the idiot representing the government.

It's not unlike selling a car to a mentally disabled man who can't drive.

[Asher]

Own goal.

WTF?

WTF does the diminishing impact of manufacturing have to do with anything? Any idiot could tell you with globalization increasing the industry was doomed from the start. Can you please precisely state your point? This is getting tedious.

[Fake Boris]

An arbitrary formula which has been tailored for certain purposes...

We've had this discussion before. Alberta was have-not when equalization was introduced.

The last modification of the system was conducted under Harper's government - he deducted some energy royalties from revenue calculations.

[Fake Boris]

WTF?

WTF does the diminishing impact of manufacturing have to do with anything? Any idiot could tell you with globalization increasing the industry was doomed from the start. Can you please precisely state your point? This is getting tedious.

Yeah, so a 70¢ USD loonie would have had the same effect than parity on Quebec's manufacturing sector?

[Fake Boris]

On a related note, you might be aware that talks in the EU to impose tariffs on carbon (i.e., allowing too much carbon = unfair subsidy) are increasingly serious.

Yet another bit of help from Alberta to Quebec.

In the meanwhile, Harper's foreign policy has been either
1) coffee at Tim Horton's
2) lobbying to buy time against carbon tariffs (which are inevitable anyway, at least from the EU, given their lack of fossil fuels).

[Asher]

We've had this discussion before. Alberta was have-not when equalization was introduced.

Yes, this is an incredibly important point. For a few years in the late 1950s, Alberta received a negligible amount of transfer payments when the population was something like 400,000. The total was a tiny fraction of Quebec receives in any given year. And Quebec has received payment how many times since then?

Further, the formula used in the late 50s is nothing like it is today.

The last modification of the system was conducted under Harper's government - he deducted some energy royalties from revenue calculations.

What is your point? There's no ****ing reason Quebec deserves $8B a year. How destitute is that province? There's no reason to be at all.