Non-Coalition Coalition that’s Definitely NOT a Coalition…

[Ron in Regina]

Canadian public health authorities didn’t have to let the Wuhan Institute of Virology infiltrate and co-opt our country’s highest-security biolab. The warning signs had been there for years, and no one to our knowledge was holding a gun to the heads of the rubber-stampers who authorized a security-threat-flagged scientist’s shipment of live Ebola back to the motherland.

That’s part of why the latest report from the House of Commons committee on China, released Tuesday (conveniently, on the day of the American presidential election), is such a puzzling read.

Though a lot of the information contained within has previously trickled into public knowledge, through reporting, committee hearings and released records, the Commons committee’s synthesis shows how Canadian authorities reacted with the haste of a slug — and continue to leave gaping holes in the security of research that can literally be weaponized against human health.

The report sets out a comedy of errors that preceded the 2019 expulsion of scientists Dr. Xiangguo Qiu and Keding Cheng, both Canadian citizens from China working at the Winnipeg National Microbiology Lab, who were ousted for “administrative” reasons. Rest at below link…

Jamie Sarkonak: Canada still hasn't learned from Winnipeg-Wuhan lab incident — National Post

New Commons report wisely recommends blacklisting the Wuhan Institute of Virology and its researchers from receiving Canadian funding

apple.news

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland thinks China could be the tie that binds the new Trump White House and the Liberal government.

Despite harsh words from President-elect Donald Trump’s closest allies toward Canada and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in particular, Freeland says she remains undeterred in wanting to find common ground with the incoming U.S. administration, etc…

Speaking after a Canada-U.S. cabinet committee meeting on Wednesday, she said the best way to collaborate with Trump 2.0 is to look for “win-win outcomes.”

“I think the position on China is one area of clearly shared views and shared approach between Canada and the United States,” she said, adding it was one of the subjects that Trump and Trudeau touched on during their conversation the day after the U.S. election.

Freeland says she is convinced that her government is in a better position than it was during Trump’s first mandate — pointing to the Canada-U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement negotiated by Trump and former trade representative Robert Lighthizer.

“That agreement means that Canada is on a better and stronger footing vis-à-vis the U.S. than we were with the first Trump administration,” she said.

Freeland has been spearheading the government’s efforts on Canada-U.S. relations since Trump’s win 10 days ago. She has met with leaders in the steel, automotive, energy and artificial intelligence sectors, and will be meeting with leaders in the nuclear sector Friday.

Freeland confident Liberal government is 'very aligned' with Trump team on China — National Post

Freeland says she is convinced that her government is in a better position than it was during Trump’s first mandate — pointing to the Canada-U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement

apple.news

(Some of Trump’s top aides and close allies are no fans of Trudeau and his Liberal government and are openly hoping for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to replace him )


Trump’s next national security adviser, Mike Waltz, has long criticized Trudeau’s stance on China and said in no uncertain terms Trudeau has to go.

In May, Waltz cheered on Poilievre on X, saying he is “going to send Trudeau packing in 2025 (finally) and start digging Canada out of the progressive mess it’s in.”

Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy, called Canada “increasingly authoritarian and despotic” and called the prime minister “far-left Trudeau.”

And Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has become one of Trump’s closest allies, wrote on X, which he owns, that the prime minister “will be gone in the upcoming election.”

Maybe there’s a messaging issue?

 

[Ron in Regina]

In June, the Conservatives successfully tabled a motion ordering the production of thousands of government documents with the intention of turning them over to the RCMP, but when numerous key documents were either heavily redacted or missing altogether, House Speaker Greg Fergus ruled a violation of parliamentary privilege had taken place, triggering the current standoff.

The Conservatives have pledged to gridlock all debate until the Liberals hand over unredacted documents related to misspending on a green-tech fund. This is now November 2024. Hasn’t happened yet.

Singh, who now still, like the last few years, holds the power to trigger the next election, says his party is ready for a campaign whenever the times comes???

That hasn’t happened yet either, so parliament still sits at a stand still.

Singh: Why would I help topple the corrupt bastard government I helped create?
As he wipes Justin's seed from his lips.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland called the Tories irresponsible and accused them of playing partisan games by continuing the filibuster that has ground government business to a halt for nearly two months, as opposed to the Liberals releasing the UN-redacted documents like requested back in June, 2023…

Attempts by the Conservatives to get the government to explain why the Trudeau Liberals continue to block access to thousands of documents related to the “green slush fund” scandal were roundly ignored during question period.

Oh well…then the stalemate is the status quo & the current legislation mustn’t be as important as hiding the documents ordered released then? About right?

….Liberal House leader Karina Gould read the speaker’s original ruling on the matter, reiterating the government’s stance that the documents should be turned over to the Procedure and House Affairs Committee rather than the police.

***Lantsnan pointed out that Gould skipped over parts of the Speaker’s remarks where he ruled the Liberals were in contempt of House rules by refusing to release the documents***

Oh well…the Liberals are consistently greasy.

Government spending in limbo as Tories, Liberals continue game of chicken in House — The Canadian Press

Treasury Board President Anita Anand is warning that if the House of Commons

apple.news

Anywho….this fiscal year (2024-25), the Trudeau government will run a projected $39.8 billion budget deficit, its 10th consecutive deficit since taking office in 2015. Turns out the budget doesn’t balance itself.

The (NDP backed) Liberal government also plans to continue its string of deficits up to 2028-29. Due to this reliance on deficits, federal gross debt has nearly doubled from $1.1 trillion in 2015-16 to an expected $2.1 trillion in 2024-25.

Though the Trudeau government fails to acknowledge it, this approach has imposed significant costs on Canadians — particularly younger generations. To reduce those costs, the government must finally get serious about balancing the budget and chipping away at the mountain of debt it’s accumulated.

What does that look like? Hmmmm….

The (NDP backed) Liberal government’s inability or unwillingness to limit spending growth has produced this string of deficits. But by reducing annual program spending (total spending minus debt interest) by 2.3% ($11 billion) over two years, the government could balance the budget in 2026-27…assuming either party has any say whatsoever once Canadians get a chance to voice their opinions on or before October 20th (or 27th???) 2025.

In its upcoming fall economic statement, the Trudeau government should shift gears and establish a plan to balance the budget and lower tax rates for Canadians. Clearly, a change in direction is long overdue.

OPINION: Trudeau government should finally change course after decade of red ink — Toronto Sun

Sometime soon, the Trudeau government will release its 2024 fall economic statement, which provides an update on the government’s budget released earlier this year. Critically, it’s also an opportunity for the government to rethink its approach and shift gears. Here’s how the government can...

apple.news

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

In June, the Conservatives successfully tabled a motion

Oddly, in South Canada, to "table" something means to remove it from consideration, putting it off until another day, or possibly no other day. Exact opposite of what it means here.

"Two great peoples divided by a common language."
--Shaw

 

[Ron in Regina]

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is signalling that his party will not support the government’s proposed sales-tax holiday or $250 cheques for working Canadians, dismissing the first measure as too temporary to have a meaningful impact and criticizing the second as inflationary.

The NDP, meanwhile, on Tuesday made their support for the package conditional on non-working Canadians, including retirees, students and people with disabilities, also receiving the cheques.

With the Bloc Québécois also demanding an expansion in eligibility for the payments to retirees, the minority Liberals appear to be without a partner to pass their spending plan aimed at affordability relief – unless the government agrees to significant changes that could dramatically increase the cost.

Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled the $6.28-billion plan to cut the GST, the federal sales tax, on some items for two months, starting Dec. 14. It would also send all working Canadians $250 cheques in April, as long as they did not earn more than $150,000 in net income last year.

On Tuesday, Mr. Poilievre told reporters on Parliament Hill that the Conservatives will make their final decision on the measures at their Wednesday caucus meeting. But in advance of that, he made a strong case against the policies, which his MPs echoed during question period later in the day.

“Our priority is not to save you 10 cents on a bag of potato chips right before quadrupling the carbon tax on your heat, housing, gas and groceries,” Mr. Poilievre said in reference to the GST holiday, which covers items such as junk food, beer, wine, prepared meals and kids toys.

“What we need is a real, common sense plan to slash bureaucracy and waste in order to bring down taxes, inflation and interest rates.”

On the $250 cheques, he said: “You’re not actually increasing purchasing power by printing money, borrowing cash and sending out cheques.”

LILLEY: Trudeau misses target as his words in NATO speech ring hollow

Trudeau's NATO speech was about as serious as the Taylor Swift friendship bracelet he was sporting.

torontosun.com

He also noted that Mr. Trudeau has previously made the case that such benefit cheques would be inflationary. Asked about those comments last week, the Prime Minister said that circumstances have changed because inflation has cooled.

(Those are polling #’s, not inflation #’s)

On Tuesday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he was making his Monday request that the Liberals expand eligibility for the federal cheques a condition for his party’s support of the spending plan. His office on Monday had said they were not making an ultimatum, but a day later, Mr. Singh upped the ante.

“We will not support what they presented,” he said. “I want to see the cheques fixed, and then we’ll support it.”

That demand was echoed by Liberal MP Chad Collins, who posted on social media on Tuesday that he “cannot support an affordability package that does not include support for seniors [and] people with disabilities.”

Mr. Singh said the government should separate out the two policies to ensure the sales tax holiday can still come into force while more work is done to change the eligibility for the cheques.

In response to the NDP’s demand, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s spokesperson defended the existing policy and urged opposition parties to support it.

“It would be categorically false to say seniors and Canadians with disabilities are excluded from the Working Canadians Rebate,” , Katherine Cuplinskas said in an e-mail statement about the $250 cheques. She noted that many seniors and people with disabilities also work??? By choice?

Some cabinet members, such as Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, acknowledged that the government might have to make concessions to ensure it passes the House of Commons. But Citizens’ Services Minister Terry Beech defended the package as is and said the government has to keep the overall budget in mind?? What budget?

Conservatives signal opposition to GST break, $250 cheques, NDP makes support conditional on more spending — The Globe and Mail

It remains unclear which parties will support the measures, with the Bloc Québécois and NDP advocating for more cheque recipients

apple.news

Before the NDP made their demand a condition of support for the policy, Ms. Freeland declined to say Tuesday whether the government will expand the cheque eligibility.

House Leader Karina Gould said the government is negotiating with the other political parties on the measures but declined to discuss the status of those talks.

 

[Ron in Regina]

…For two months, from December 14 until February 14…& then bounce up the carbon tax on April Fools Day…again.

 

[petros]

View attachment 25855
…For two months, from December 14 until February 14…& then bounce up the carbon tax on April Fools Day…again.

View attachment 25856

Will Trudeau or Crispy admit its oil money being chucked around?

Canada's oil production in 2023 was a record high, with 5.1 million barrels per day (MMb/d) of crude oil produced, a 1.9% increase from 2022. This was the third consecutive year of increased production.

5.8M bbl/pd by spring....

 

[Ron in Regina]

5.8M bbl/pd by spring....

Will that end up with a 25% US Tariff on it?

Much as I’d like $250 of my own money back (in a taxable manner I’m sure) in April, I’d prefer it not to happen & see that go straight to defence funding, which won’t translate directly into consumer inflation & a lower dollar = even less purchasing power.

Trump wants Drugs & Illegal Immigration from Mexico & Canada to not cross into the USA across land borders (?) & wants Mexico & Canada to do something about that? Huh…that sounds…what?

 

[petros]

Will that end up with a 25% US Tariff on it?

Much as I’d like $250 of my own money back (in a taxable manner I’m sure) in April, I’d prefer it not to happen & see that go straight to defence funding, which won’t translate directly into consumer inflation & a lower dollar = even less purchasing power.

Trump wants Drugs & Illegal Immigration from Mexico & Canada to not cross into the USA across land borders (?) & wants Mexico & Canada to do something about that? Huh…that sounds…what?

Nope, it would cost Americans heavily at the gas pumps.

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

The Liberals don't give a shit about seniors because most of them vote conservative.

 

[Ron in Regina]

The Liberals don't give a shit about seniors because most of them vote conservative.

I think most of Canada is going to vote conservative this time around….


After NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said his party was only ready to help pass the two-month Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) portion of the affordability announcement, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tabled legislation Wednesday that solely seeks to enact that measure.

"We are demanding that the Liberal/NDP government put in place a separated GST holiday first, and then fix the cheques to include seniors and people living with disabilities before we support that," NDP/Liberal Leader Jagmeet Singh said before question period.

The Bill, C-78, spans just five pages and seeks to amend the Excise Tax Act "in order to implement a temporary GST/HST holiday," on a slate of items as billed between Dec. 14, and Feb. 15, 2025.

This concession comes after Singh – who was briefed on Trudeau's major affordability announcement before it was made last week– walked back his full support, saying he wasn’t aware (?) that not all seniors, students, and other non-working Canadians wouldn’t be eligible for the "Working Canadians Rebate." (?????)

This move leaves Trudeau's promise of a new one-time benefit payment of $250 for 18.7 million “workers” hanging in the balance as it too, needs legislation to be enacted.
https://apple.news/AiOCzx-_gSViu5YWJQYsa2w
So Trudeau has found his price with the NDP/Liberals to sweep the Green Slush Fund Scandal under the rug.

The NDP have said if the Liberals took this route, they would then be ready to take procedural steps needed to expedite the package through an otherwise-stalled House of Commons.

That could now happen before the end of the week, though many procedural steps stand between now and then, putting all eyes on the House of Commons.

NDP House Leader Peter Julian told reporters on Wednesday that if the Liberals tabled a bill to their liking, they'd start helping clear a path in the Commons.

"One gate is with orders of the day. The second gate would be setting aside the privilege motion for a day… The third gate would be the second privilege motion. The fourth gate is actually allowing a discussion of the special motion you've seen on the order paper. And then the fifth gate is the actual motion on the special motion itself," Julian said.

Government House Leader Karina Gould has given notice of a motion that once advanced and approved, will allow the bill to be expedited.

Debate on the motion itself could take some time and the Liberals and NDP have already authorized MPs to potentially burn the midnight oil and sit late Wednesday and Thursday to get this done.

The motion would allow just one member from each recognized party and a member of the Green Party to speak for no more than 10 minutes at second reading…in order to bypass Parliament & debate on this spending boondoggle.

There would then be a vote. If Bill C-78 passes that stage, it would swiftly be deemed referred to a committee of the whole, reported without amendment, concurred in at report stage, and deemed read a third time, and passed on to the Senate, etc…

It wasn't just the NDP who wanted changes to the cheques.

Voicing similar concerns, the Bloc Quebecois brought retirees to the Hill today, to pressure the prime minister to change course, after he also snubbed the separatist party's demand for $3 billion to expand Old Age Security payments.

"We are not favourable to a measure that would give $250 cheques to people who have an income as high as $150,000… This money should be spent differently," said Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet on Wednesday.

Well, fit your complaints into that 10 minute window Blanchet, ‘cuz that’s what the Liberal/NDP’ers & the NDP/Liberals are allowing you….

As for the GST element, Blanchet said his caucus did not meet anyone in the last week who agreed with it.

"People, enterprises, citizens, elders, everybody seems to say this is a measure which is basically built on the idea that the Liberal government can try to buy votes," he said…& not for the Bloc Québécois!!

The bill would give people a two-month GST exemption on items like premade food at grocery stores, children's clothes, toys, some alcoholic beverages and other holiday season staples like candy and ice cream and Christmas Trees (both real & artificial!), and other processed foods or restaurant meals.

The Lib’s are only planning on running a deficit of $40 billion this year…so what the Hell, they won’t be answerable soon anyway, like they…..aren’t (?) currently? That’s about $1000 for every man, woman and child in the country…

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

This GST holiday vote-buying scam is not going to my buy vote, but I might buy an extra 24 for the beer fridge.

 

[Ron in Regina]

This GST holiday vote-buying scam is not going to my buy vote, but I might buy an extra 24 for the beer fridge.

Luckily, that’s covered.

 

[pgs]

The Liberals don't give a shit about seniors because most of them vote conservative.

Not really lots of old liberals in old age homes that have faithfully voted liberal and still do . Back in 2015 I asked my mother who she was voting for , she had suffered a stroke and mental facilities were diminished , she said Liberal of course . When asked why the indignant answer was I like their policies . When I further inquired about abortion and marijuana she didn’t know or care that these were actual policies because Liberal .

 

[Ron in Regina]

Inadvertently or otherwise, New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh did Justin Trudeau a favour when he dramatically upped the cost of the prime minister’s Christmas giveaway.

Trudeau’s idea of a festive gift was already a turkey. Far too pricey, disconnected in its concept and all-too-silly in its content, it put the Liberals’ already-restive caucus in the uncomfortable position of defending what many of them must have recognized as a bad idea. By demanding the costly package be expanded to include a broad new range of recipients — thereby hiking the price tag into unexplored territory — Singh handed the government a convenient path for retreat.
The prime minister can now invoke the need for prudence and restraint — notions that obviously slipped his mind in the original iteration — as just cause to cancel the whole plan.

Kelly McParland: Singh hands Trudeau a chance to return the turkey — National Post

GST holiday won't save the Liberals

apple.news

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

Not really lots of old liberals in old age homes that have faithfully voted liberal and still do . Back in 2015 I asked my mother who she was voting for , she had suffered a stroke and mental facilities were diminished , she said Liberal of course . When asked why the indignant answer was I like their policies . When I further inquired about abortion and marijuana she didn’t know or care that these were actual policies because Liberal .

Where's your mom geographically?

 

[Ron in Regina]

Good question!! Anyway, back to the non-coalition coalition that’s definitely not a coalition-type coalition…that Jagmeet both Ripped & Tore up!! He said so, a LOT!!!

The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois will vote against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s planned sales tax holiday, dismissing the policy as a gimmick and prompting a charge of hypocrisy from the minority Liberals.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told reporters Thursday that while he’s in favour of tax cuts, he doesn’t believe the two-month tax break counts as one.

“This isn’t a tax cut. This is an inflationary, two-month temporary tax trick that will drive up the cost of living,” he said.

Despite the Conservatives’ and the Bloc’s opposition to the policy, Bill C-78, dubbed the Tax Break for All Canadians Act, is expected to be passed by the House of Commons on Thursday with the support of the NDP.

The legislation lifts the federal sales tax on some goods from Dec. 14 to Feb. 15 and is expected to cost the treasury $1.6-billion. Included among the items getting the tax relief are Christmas trees, kids diapers, clothing and toys, junk food, beer, wine, and store-bought, catered and restaurant meals.

(Why on Earth are diapers taxed with either a PST or GST or HST in the first place? Anyway….)

The minority government is expected to get the bill passed in just two days because the NDP has agreed to support the legislation and a motion from Government House Leader Karina Gould would allow the bill to be fast-tracked. It will skip the usual practice of a review by a standing committee – such as hearing from witnesses – and will instead only be debated on the floor of the House of Commons.

The Bloc’s finance critic, Gabriel Ste-Marie, told the House on Wednesday that while his party supports the permanent removal of sales tax from things like kids’ diapers, they have “serious reservations” about eliminating the levy “on champagne and fancy restaurants, where only the rich can afford to go.”

Mr. Ste-Marie also cited concerns raised by small business owners about the logistical headaches of twice changing their payment processing systems in a short time period to comply with the changes.

Conservatives, Bloc to vote against GST relief bill — The Globe and Mail

Trudeau government’s bill to lift federal sales tax on some goods for two-month period is expected to pass with support from the NDP

apple.news

The Liberals were initially planning to pass both the sales tax break at the same time as a plan to send $250 cheques to working Canadians making less than $150,000 annually. However, the minority government didn’t get support for the second policy from any other opposition party.

The Bloc and NDP both said they would support the cheques if they were sent to more people, including retirees.

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

God love the NDP. What would we do without them?

 

[Ron in Regina]

God love the NDP. What would we do without them?

Have an election? Maybe even a couple of years ago?

 

[Ron in Regina]

God love the NDP. What would we do without them?

…Anyway, back to the non-coalition coalition that’s definitely not a coalition-type coalition…that Jagmeet both Ripped & Tore up!! He said so, a LOT!!!

…a LOT…The vote on Bill C-78, dubbed the Tax Break for All Canadians Act, passed late Thursday night. The Liberals were (of course) supported by the NDP. The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois, who dismissed the policy as a gimmick, voted against the measure.

The tax break will take place between Dec. 14 and Feb. 15 and is expected to cost $1.6-billion. Items eligible for the tax relief include Christmas trees, kids’ diapers, clothing and toys, junk food, beer, wine, and store-bought, catered and restaurant meals.

The minority government got the bill passed so quickly because the NDP also agreed to support a motion from Government House Leader Karina Gould that allowed the bill to be fast-tracked. It skipped the usual practice of a review by a standing committee – including witness scrutiny – and was instead only briefly debated on the floor of the House of Commons.

The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois, who dismissed the policy as a gimmick, voted against the measure. The Liberals said the Conservative no-vote shows the party is being disingenuous with voters, and said nothing negative against the Bloc ‘cuz Quebec.

On a side note, there’s was a sign of life from Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, who said the measure is “transparently a vote-buying scheme,” but said she was struggling with how to vote because so many Canadians need help.

Liberals, with NDP support, pass two-month GST break for consumers — The Globe and Mail

The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois dismissed the policy as a gimmick and voted against the measure, which is expected to cost $1.6-billion

apple.news

Anywho….this fiscal year (2024-25), the Trudeau government will run a projected $39.8 billion budget deficit, its 10th consecutive deficit since taking office in 2015. Turns out the budget doesn’t balance itself.

“This isn’t a tax cut,” he (Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre) told reporters on Thursday. “This is an inflationary, two-month temporary tax trick that will drive up the cost of living.” Government House leader Karina Gould called Poilievre’s position “really disappointing.”

Poilievre accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of being “desperate” and clinging onto power with a GST/HST break for a few items that will be taken away “right before raising the carbon tax on heat, housing, groceries and gas” on April 1, 2025.

GST holiday to pass in House of Commons despite Conservatives, Bloc voting against — National Post

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said his party will be voting against the bill

apple.news

 

[pgs]

Where's your mom geographically?

Vancouver South . Six feet under . But my point was liberal voters continue to vote liberal in their old age . The same goes for hard core NDP and conservative . Many liberal /NDP switch right as they age and tire of taxes and fiscal issues . IMO