42 Replies to “Pollspotting!”

  2. Make sure you pick, yes, she is entitled to say whatever she wants.
    We want to see more foot in more mouth! And Trudeau saying, me too!

  3. I think Julie Payette is more than qualified for her appointment as GG, her achievements are beyond impressive. People do however make errors, it was her first days on the job, and she was trained an engineer, scientist and astronaut, and not as a representative of the Queen.
    One must also understand that she is bilingual, and of French Canadian origin, thus she most likely still (in her mind) translates everything she says. Sometimes what can be very offensive in one language is OK in another. Keeping in mind that in Quebec, speaking out against the church or religion is not serious, and would be much the same as speaking out against potholes on the highways of Saskatchewan.

  4. So, an unqualified Quebecer who fails to understand the basic nuance of the language spoken by 75 % of the citizens of Canada.

  6. Checked the poll earlier. The scant number of responses does not speak well of the newspaper’s online presence. Yes I voted and I was not kind to the space cadet.

  7. Julie Payette, CC CMM COM CQ CD, does have an impressive curriculum vitae. And let’s get real, questioning the existence of a Deity or taking global warming a tad too seriously will not get her fired from her appointment. The position is supposed to be apolitical, and I think the fact that she was an active part of the crew on space shuttle missions will make her a positive influence on our young kids. And kids these days do need role models that have accomplished more than marching in parades after their sex change.
    Even if the Conservatives win the next election, Julie Payette will be there for 5 years, and that term can be extended.
    http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=16943&lan=eng

  8. No, she is not our Head of State. That position is reserved for Her Majesty the Queen and Her Heirs and Successors. The GG is the representative of the Queen, not a replacement for her. The problem with modern GGs (those appointed by Liberal PMs) is that they don’t understand the role they were appointed to and get above their station. Clarkson tried to upstage the Queen, Jean went abroad and proclaimed herself Head of State until she was rebuked by PM Stephen Harper’s office. Modern GGs have been badly advised by Rideau Hall who seem more interested in enhacing their own positions than promoting the benefits of constitutional monarchy. This was changing under Harper, but I fear the worst under PM Popinjay.

  9. She comes with some baggage. Was charged with assault, the charge was later dropped. She also was the driver in a fatal pedestrian car accident. From the Toronto Star the pedestrian’s sister “was angry and suspicious that powerful friends were pulling strings to cool the investigation of her sister’s death.” Payette was cleared in the death of the pedestrian.

  10. She is trained as an engineer, yes. She is trained as an astronaut, yes. She is trained as a scientist, no.
    Is she more than qualified to be a GG? I have no idea. I have no idea what are the requisites for a ceremonial post. Being from the states, I have no idea why there is a need for a ceremonial post, much less why someone in such a post feel she has a right to lecture to her, er, subjects on political topics.
    Others have remarked on how stupid your comments on bilingual people are. I am bilingual, and English is my fourth language/dialect. Does that mean that I am forever forgiven if I insult half of the population, because I need to progress through the language translation barrier? (For what it is worth, I do not. And I seriously doubt that she does.)
    A general remark on the linked article. I wonder why it is linked here at all. It is obviously a from a leftist rag. “Meanwhile, says Philippe Lagassé, an international affairs professor at Carleton University, it is appropriate for her to warn about the dangers of climate change,” as though what this random leftist says makes a difference. For the record, there has been no dangers of climate change demonstrated in the last two decades and counting, despite a steady increase in atmospheric CO2. Hence, it is entirely inappropriate for her to warn of an imaginary danger.
    And secondly, the article takes for granted that having more indigenous people, women, and people with disabilities as professors is “consciousness-raising”. Actually, no. Putting the most qualified people in each position is what is truly consciousness-raising. To prevent that from happening is unconscionable. And that is precisely what will happen if any other consideration than job qualification is used as criterion.

  11. You’re kidding, right?
    Let me try and understand what you are saying. Just because somebody has some intellectual gifting and is now in one of the highest places of privilege in our land that now entitles her to talk down to her fellow citizens of whom she has sucked taxes from to make a living?
    Julie Payette, in this instance, reminds me greatly of a person who goes for a nice brisk walk to catch some fresh air and do the body some good. When she returns and enters the room, there is a rank foulness which fills the air. The stench of dog crap deeply embedded in her shoe has the equivalence of the arrogance which follows her whenever she she speaks.
    She has now entered the world of being a condescending, Liberal, entitled, Laurentian Elitist.
    Hardly the dignity required to be the Queen’s representative.

  12. Here were the three response choices for that poll:
    “I think she could have been more diplomatic about it.”
    “Yes, she shouldn’t express an opinion at all.”
    “No, she’s entitled to say whatever she wants.”
    None of them really hit the mark for me so I did not respond. I’m sure many others had the same problem.

  13. I sense a bit of a pile on here against Payette. She is new and she made a mistake. Let us see how she learns from this incident. I am willing to give her a second chance– but no third chance. Maybe she will improve.

  14. If you’re from the States as you (Anonymous) claim you are, you should spell the word States with a capital ”S”. I’m Canadian and I know that. The Chicago Manual of Style (utilized by most American journalists) will tell you why.
    http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/CapitalizationTitles/faq0001.html
    And if you are an American, you may want to look in your own backyard at some of your President’s gaffes before criticizing our GG.
    The best I’ve seen yet is a world leader that goes on global internet, radio, TV etc. following the mass murder of 26 innocent people in a Texas church, and says that ”this isn’t a guns situation.” So how did they die?? Why did a mental case like Devin Kelly have a gun??
    https://youtu.be/79iE3wtTIkw
    Given the choice between Lise Payette and Donald Trump, I’ll take Mme Payette any day.
    And I’ll bet she’ll never poke fun at physically disabled news reporters.

  16. Oh wow, Payette gets a pass from you for insulting half of Canada because she was using her second language, but I don’t get one for ignoring to capitalize the s in States? FWIW, I never say that when talking to fellow Americans, and I didn’t think Canadians capitalized it.
    What my President said was not a gaffe. It was exactly right. It is just the same as what happened in New York was not a truck situation. Laws will not stop criminals from obtaining guns, but will stop law abiding citizens. Without someone with a gun to face down the murderer, the situation may have been a lot worse. And what Payette said was not a gaffe. It was a pronouncement from Her Majesty to her subjects equating religion and global warming skepticism with astrology. (Yes, I said Her Majesty, not Her Majesty’s representative, because that was how she spoke.)
    Specifically, Devin Kelly was able to buy a gun because the Army screwed up and didn’t forward information on him to responsible background check agencies. The system was in place, it just wasn’t followed.
    Well, it seems fair. You choose Payette to be your GG (is that pronounced like the movie title?) and I choose Trump to be my President. I don’t remember the specific incident you refer to, but I am sure that really is far down on the list of things that President Trump has to deal with, that has great consequences for the Republic. Luckily things like that are the only ones that your GG has to deal with.

  17. Why did a mental case like Devin Kelly have a gun??
    Current news is that he shouldn’t have; with a domestic assault conviction charge on his record he should not have been able to buy a gun, but apparently his record was not entered into the NICS database. Efficient government bureaucracy at work.
    Not that it really matters. It’s just not that hard to get your hands on an illegal gun, on this side of the border or theirs.
    I’ll bet she’ll never poke fun at physically disabled news reporters.
    Trump didn’t either. That particular smear has been so thoroughly debunked that you’re just being willfully mendacious.
    Who let the ****ing trolls in?

  18. Re:Trump never ridiculed reporter. Interesting to note that when I tried to copy the link to the story, the blog administrator cut me off.
    This was all over the world, my kids saw it in Australia.
    One of dozens of reports.
    https://youtu.be/9hEQKqFgfAg

  20. “I sense a bit of a pile on here against Payette.”
    Good, we read Alinsky. Carry on piling.

  21. “I have no idea what are the requisites for a ceremonial post. Being from the states, I have no idea why there is a need for a ceremonial post”
    Shut up A-hole.
    GG is NOT a ceremonial post. Are the people who make up your U.S. Electoral College filling a “ceremonial position”? They literally decided who would become POTUS, …Trump or Clinton.
    The GG decided to keep Stephen Harper’s regime in government in 2008 instead of allowing a Liberal/NDP/Bloc coalition to cease power. That may fit the meaning of ceremonial to you, but it goes far ‘beyond’ the definition of ceremony in my book.(dictionary)
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_federal_election,_2008#Potential_fall_of_government
    *just curious, Sask watch, what exactly is beyond impressive.
    Incredulity perhaps?

  22. “Julie Payette, CC CMM COM CQ CD, does have an impressive curriculum vitae.”
    Julie Payette, Liberal hack.
    That pretty well erases all those fancy letters.

  23. Astronauts working for NASA also learn how to speak Russian. Language barriers can be deadly in space. Julie Payette was CAPCOM for more hours than any other astronaut, ever. That person is the mission controller responsible for capsule communication. One would think that precision in language would be essential for that job. However it’s one gaffe. C’mon now.

  24. Payette wasn’t showing her smarts when she came out with her finger pointing lecture. A smart person would settle in and learn the ins and outs of the job before popping off. It’s a bad start, let’s give her a chance to find her way, I’m sure she has learned something from the backlash.

  25. Come on. The post of GG is largely ceremonial. The comparison with the Electoral College is inappropriate, since the GG does not decide who is Prime Minister. He/she is occasionally instrumental in a decision to dissolve Parliament, but that is rare and usually subject to advisors who typically defer to a Prime Minister. Most of the time, the GG performs ceremonial functions.

  26. The appropriate comparison is Trudeau and Trump. Given a choice, I’d take Trump any day. I understand that Trump’s personality is seen as abrasive by some (eg.Canadian snowflakes). I like the way he is not rehearsed and says what he thinks. Although Trump is criticized relentlessly (yesterday it was fish food),he is turning out to be a very interesting President.

  27. Anyone who thinks Payette said anything other than what she meant to say is kidding themselves. She is a believer in Scientism. The religion of science. She honestly believes that science is infallible and that those who do not agree with her personally held truth belongs in the stone age at best. She is completely blinded by her faith and feels completely free to expound on it because she was an astronaut. That her religion has more holes in it than a Hillary Clinton excuse for wrong doing is hidden from her. She is a true believer. She is one of those who look at Kate’s famous “settled science” postings and say “I told you science will always tell you the truth” Ignoring the fact that for years science had it wrong and likely this new ‘truth’ will be shown to be wrong in the future.

  28. Agree with Joe, she meant exactly what she said (in English). French is her first language, no doubt, but she graduated first from McGill and later from U of T and worked in the astronaut program, where English would be very prominent. Plus the GG has an extensive staff at hand to write speeches, translate, research whatever is required; not as if she scribbled down some ideas on a pad at breakfast and delivered it. Bilingual capabilities would be one of the prime reasons for appointing her, plenty of others, even women astronauts have very impressive achievements; so difficulty in second language cannot be used as an excuse.
    The position of GG is largely ceremonial, until it isn’t and sound judgment is required in choosing a PM. We saw this in 1926 and recently in 2009 and in Australia the GG dismissed a PM fairly recently.

  30. The ceremonial post of GG is usually filled by a Canadian of accomplishment with a gift of the gab able to relate to all Canadians from across this huge dominion. In one of Payette’s first speeches out of gate she manages to insult a large swatch of those citizens and the answer some provide for her here is ‘but Trump’.
    There seems to be quite a bit of that happening in Canada today. Any questions about any shortcomings of our current government and its leadership are answered with ‘but Trump”.

  31. Maybe that would account for the fact that when I grew up in the 1950’s, there were up to 350 people in our Catholic Church on Sundays. Today, average is less than 50. Yet the population of our community is the same.
    And while we’re on the topic of religion, at the shooting in the Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, why didn’t God intervene and strike Kelly with lightning?? I’ll bet Lise Payette could explain that better than you can.
    As for Lise Payette being chosen for GG’ like hello people, the post was vacant, we have a Liberal majority in Ottawa, who do you believe was going to get to chose the GG?? Elizabeth May and The Green Party??
    I think the Liberals made a wise choice by choosing Payette. She’s young, she’s cute, she’s highly educated, she’s traveled around the world, no pun intended, and she can sing and play piano at the Montreal Symphony. And she’ll still be around when Mr. Scheer gets elected.
    Listen to her speech before you got to hate her, and she’ll explain to you what she really knows!!
    https://youtu.be/JwaMONtWHfM

  32. Yup, lise Payette gets a pass from me even if I’m Conservative and I despise Justin Trudeau and the Liberals. Well, most of them. She’s perfect for the role, and she’ll still be there if and when we defeat the Liberals. And in passing, I would not have insulted your President had you not insulted my Governor General.
    The GG is not a member of any political party when in office.
    End of story.
    Enjoy the song!!
    https://youtu.be/d45zJSHHwS8

  33. One more comment. How would Americans appreciate us Canadians ridiculing Buzz Aldrin or Neil Armstrong?? How about John Glenn??

  34. “Most of the time, the GG performs ceremonial functions.”
    Same with the Prime Minister. You don’t really think Zoolander forms or determines policy do you? He is just the LPC’s face brand.

  35. The fleas on the Royal Dog are in a huff over the insensitivities of their appointed overlords? Who do you think you are? Do you not know your station in life?
    How dare you question the insider apparatchiks of the Ruling Class. If the Ruling Class wanted the average Canadians opinion these positions would appear on a ballot somewhere and you could have your say-so then. Currently all executive positions in the Queen’s Government are by appointment only so your opinion will have to wait until the Revolution and a democratic nation takes the place of this Monarchical realm.
    Until that time keep your ignorant an unwanted opinions to yourselves and obey the laws and regulations put forth by the unelected retarded Foreign occupying force…Her Royal and unimpugnable Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

  36. If the comment had to do with something negative said or done by the individual, I would say that is fine. Canadians in general feel quite free to criticize Americans (especially Trump). I am rather surprised that you are so put off by an American criticizing Payette. Her comments really insult half the world. Astronauts are not above criticism and criticism is not limited by National borders. I think you need to get over yourself.

  37. I think that what upset Canadians was her tone. She was downright condescending!
    A speech delivered in the manner she chose does not suffer from language deficiency. She understood only too well exactly what she was saying and the emphasis was hers.
    Adrienne Clarkson trolled for decades in Ottawa for the GG job. I was an open secret. When it came up chretien didn’t bother to give it much thought…like so many things – and gave it to her.
    The same thing happened with Michelle Jean. Paul Martian thought about the appointment for 10 seconds and gave her a call. The joke was he’d just watched her on TV and said, “Why not?” He wasn’t even aware her husband was a separatist. Found out after the fact. Never bothered with due diligence.

  38. Now we mustn’t be too hard on SkW.
    His comments are usually pretty good but for some reason on this thread he took it upon himself to slay an army of straw men and after 9 comments yonder there they lay in ruin, successfully smashed to bits.

  39. And we will just give her a pass on the domestic abuse . Because it’s 2017 ? Or cute? Or female ?

  40. So we shall give this entitled nitwit a pass?
    Her arrogance and ignorance is perfectly tuned, the chosen mode of our parasitic elites.
    After all if you can skate on vehicular homicide and spousal abuse, why not sneer and mock the intelligence and wisdom of those who pay your bills.
    I support this fool being chosen as our new Governor General.
    May as well destroy all the old institutions at once.
    Justin Butts is and will continue to be a boon to the breakup of Canada,which has been pretty much the walking dead since the reign of Pierre The Idiot.
    Just maybe it takes two Truedoughs to convince western Canadians that the first was no fluke.
    This is how Eastern Canada sees you.
    Kleptocracy is a wonderful method of governance, for fools and bandits.

  41. SkW is obviously a Conservative, but unfortunately, of the ‘PROGRESSIVE’ kinds, Has his head firmly positioned where there is a quantifiable shortage of oxygen.

  42. There was nothing objectionable or unusual in the way she worded what she said, so language clearly had nothing to do with it. The problem is that what she said was stupid.

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