Like Father, Like Son
Justine and the Lieberals are convinced that Albertans are stupid. They’ve convinced themselves that Alberta can forever be treated as a welfare province, dependent on Daddy Ottawa-bucks to keep them afloat:
On top of killing Northern Gateway, Kenney also points out that Trudeau’s government “also killed the Energy East pipeline, further land-locking Alberta’s resources.”
By having nowhere to go, Alberta’s oil is selling at a huge discount compared with the benchmark West Texas Intermediate — and actually fell to a devastating $11 per barrel last month. Premier Rachel Notley announced that starting in January oil output will be curtailed, which immediately helped raise Alberta oil prices, but the differential is still huge, costing the Canadian economy about $80 million every day.
In other words, the differential, caused by a lack of pipelines (which is a federal responsibility) will cost $1.6 billion in just 20 days. Put that in your government’s cancelled pipes, Minister Sohi.
More Pavilions At Folkfest
In the past two years, populist governments have been elected (or populist parties have been given bigger roles in coalition governments) in Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Poland, Hungary and elsewhere. This has been because, unlike mainline parties, the populists have been willing to admit immigration is an issue.
[…]
[M]ost mainline conservatives won’t take up immigration for fear of being branded racists by mainline liberals and the “progressive” media, and for fear of missing out on the votes of enlarging ethnic communities.
That means voters who are worried about losing their jobs or having their cultures submerged by immigration have no traditional political outlet for their concerns. Disgruntled voters, then, fill the resulting leadership vacuum with anti-immigrant populists who overestimate the dangers in much the same way the mainliners underestimate them.
When the voters don’t like your policies, get new voters.
The Libranos
Liberal MP Raj Grewal publicly questioned senior officials in the RCMP and other law-enforcement agencies about the way they investigate money laundering earlier this year, at the same time as the Mounties were probing his multimillion-dollar gambling activities and sought to determine the origin of the funds, records and sources say.
Mr. Grewal announced his retirement last week from the House of Commons, citing unspecified personal and medical issues. The Prime Minister’s Office said the next day that Mr. Grewal was leaving to deal with a gambling problem and significant personal debts. As of Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Grewal was still officially an MP and his exact resignation date remained unknown.
"He regularly took part in the finance committee’s review of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act. He was also involved in early discussions about the committee’s draft report" https://t.co/qFhpG8dWl8
— Norman Spector (@nspector4) November 28, 2018
Stasi Canada
Navdeep Bains, the Trudeau cabinet minister responsible for Statistics Canada, said he first learned of the federal agency’s controversial plan to harvest the financial transaction data of potentially millions of Canadians as a result of media reports and not, as the law requires, in a written notification from the country’s chief statistician.
Art Of The Fail
h/t Ontario John, who puts it well;
Meanwhile here in Sunny Ways Canada, another economic success story for Groper. After billions of taxpayer dollars have been poured into Bombardier, the company has announced five thousand people will be layed off in Ontario and Quebec.
Galt Pipelines, Inc.
The CEO of Calgary-based Encana Corp. is at no risk of losing his Texas accent.
With the $5.5 billion purchase of Texas-based Newfield Exploration Co., Doug Suttles says he envisions a “headquarterless” company. That transformation may have actually begun in March when he moved house to Denver.
Related: Enbridge Suspends Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan
I don’t want my country back.
I want a new one.
It’s Good To Be Queen
h/t nold
Family Feud
Frank Stronach, the 86-year-old Canadian business titan who is renowned within the Thoroughbred industry as a breeder and owner of racehorses and for building North America’s largest conglomerate of racetracks, filed a bombshell lawsuit in a Toronto court Oct. 1 alleging that the daughter he appointed to run his empire, Belinda Stronach, has mismanaged the family’s chief assets and trust funds while forcing her father out of control of the fortune he created. […]
The 73-page lawsuit, which TDN obtained from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, lists 39 demands for relief that Frank Stronach is seeking via court trial, including the removal of Belinda Stronach and Ossip from all corporate officer and trustee positions related to the Stronach empire.
Oh, Shiny Prime Minister!
Justin Trudeau abandoned the option of being advised by a panel of vice-regal experts who had been convened to vet previous governors and lieutenant generals, in order to fast-track a female, multi-lingual, francophone former astronaut. As with most of his appointments, she appeared to have been sent by central casting to fill the position. She was “too spectacular to say no to,” in the words of one person involved in the process (such as it was).
It may all blow over. Payette may grow accustomed to the public scrutiny. She may adapt to the pomp and ceremony inherent in the position and see out her mandate. The Liberals may appoint someone already involved in the peace and security community as its newest ambassador.
But do not be shocked if it emerges that this most touchy-feely of governments has created an expensive, superfluous position to provide a soft landing for Payette and cover for a blunder of its own making.
They are the party of “comfy fur”.
Oh, Shiny Prime Minister!
Justin’s bad day just got worse.
The floor crossing is a coup for the opposition Tories, who are counting on a breakthrough in suburban Toronto-area ridings like the one held by Alleslev to win the next federal election.
This is the first floor crossing the Liberals have faced since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assumed leadership of the party in 2014.
Alleslev cited her concerns over the government’s handling of the economy, foreign affairs and trading relationships, and what she calls inadequate military spending, as the reasons motivating her to jump from the government benches to the Tories.
“My attempts to raise my concerns with this government were met with silence,” Alleslev said in a speech in the House of Commons announcing her move. “It’s my duty to stand and be counted. Our country is at risk. The government must be challenged openly and publicly.”
The Librano Foundation
t’s a great time to be involved in the Trudeau foundation.
In 2013, the Trudeau foundation recorded no foreign donations.
In 2014, they had $53,000 in foreign donations.
In 2015, they had $428,000 in foreign donations.
And in 2016, they had $535,000 in foreign donations.
h/t raid
#PlasticBarbie
But I repeat myself.
@bigbluegaru — “So, let me get this correct, she is going to fly around the country (ironic) to show us what plastic is?“
Chinada
British Columbia’s dysfunctional regulatory regime for casinos helped fuel a perfect storm for large-scale, transnational money laundering and organized crime networks, a report released Tuesday by Attorney General David Eby says.
“Vancouver is a hub for Chinese-based organized crime,” the report, titled Dirty Money, says, but adds that large quantities of illicit drug money also move through Vancouver casinos related to Mexican drug cartels and others, including Middle East organized crime.
The story’s been simmering for a while, so it’s interesting to see it pick up mainstream traction.
From The Heart, Down.
“According to Vancouver’s Fraser Institute, last year Canadian families earned an extra 3.3% in income, but taxes rose by 3.1%. In other words, for every extra dollar your family earned, governments taxed away 94 cents.”
Galt Pipelines, Inc.
Canada is likely to buy the Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd. Trans Mountain oil pipeline and its controversial expansion project in a bid to ensure it gets built, according to a person familiar with the talks.
Buying the pipeline outright has become increasingly likely and is now the most probable option, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the discussions are private. The deal, a value for which hasn’t been publicly reported, will be announced as soon as Tuesday when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet is due to meet.
Of course they are. Think of the opportunities for graft.
Related.
.@Nenshi just now mentioned in council chambers that the @RockefellerFdn paid for his trip to Europe last week.
The Rockefellers are the same group that has fed hundreds of millions into groups like Tides to stop the @KM_Canada @TransMtn pipeline. #YYCCC #ABPoli #ABLeg— Save Calgary (@SaveCalgary) May 28, 2018
Oh, Shiny Prime Minister!
Thought ponies: The Department of Employment has monitored grant applicants’ Twitter feeds and Facebook posts for comments deemed inappropriate, according to evidence in a Federal Court case. Staff submitted records of social media monitoring in affidavits: “I can’t speak to that.”
Things You’ll Never See On The CBC
WATCH LIVE AS PPL ILLEGALLY CROSS INTO CANADA https://t.co/QYaoHevzqO
— ☩ Faith J Goldy ☩ 🇨🇦 (@FaithGoldy) April 30, 2018
Oh, Shiny Libranos!
Mr Butts,
Again, my letter to you from last year: https://t.co/lnHXE1gPS9
My questions are more relevant than ever since we now know that Tides & its funders explicitly aim to “land-lock” Canadian crude.
Pls clarify your role & why U were paid US$361,642 “severance” @gmbutts
— Vivian Krause (@FairQuestions) April 23, 2018
Chinada
Beijing envoy scolds Ottawa for allowing the Globe & Mail to expose Canadian politicians whose palms get greased with Chinese money; tells Canadians to do what they're told & give up "the excuse of national security.” Liberal official sits there & smiles. https://t.co/E0VAMlWcMr
— Terry Glavin (@TerryGlavin) April 19, 2018
Just shut up and admire them.