# Canadian Politics 2022-2023 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 10, 2022, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633 "2022-04-10T22:49:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/221 "2022-12-08T00:06:39Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > This board has better informed me about stringent gun laws in Canada and convinced me many of the expensive government attempts at registering guns would not make much difference to crime rates in part because penalties are already harsh and guns are apparently easily imported. Does anyone believe the new government attempt to restrict more guns will be more effective, or has other merits, or is it more about appearances? I think the primary effect of this is going to be to further fracture Canada as western provinces push back harder against this stuff. I do not see Albertans handing over their shotguns and hunting rifles. A handgun ban might have worked because so few people actually have handguns, but lots of people have affected rifles and shotguns, and they aren’t going to give them up, IMO. Get ready for mass civil disobedience, or a big showdown between the federal government and the provinces. The other effect it’s going to have is to strengthen politicians like Danielle Smith, whose ‘Alberta Sovereignty’ Act’ is going to get a lot more support. The NDP are leading the Conservatives by 4 poits or so with an election coming in a few months. This bill is a gift to Conservatives if it passes. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/222 "2022-12-08T15:27:32Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > What do people think about “strong mayors” and other attempts to build more housing? Will they work, or weaken democracy without quite doing enough? How should development be combined with having reasonable infrastructure? Like a lot of things Doug Ford has done, the fundamental idea (make it easier to build more houses) is good, but the means by which he’s trying to achieve that purpose are ham-handed and poorly thought out. Allowing mayors to overrule democratically elected councils with less than a majority of council votes pretty much makes the election of councilors pointless. Why not just eliminate the council entirely, and allow mayors to rule as kings? An actual solution to our housing problems will be complicated and difficult, two things that Doug Ford just doesn’t do, unless he’s forced. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/223 "2022-12-08T16:30:16Z")
If the goal is to build 1.5M houses, 50,000 on the Greenbelt is a small percentage of that. It’s gone once you build on it. Is it sacrosanct? No. But it should be done soberly, if at all. That said, development needs to happen in ways that work. There has to be a way to keep needed parks, schools, infrastructure and so forth commensurate with growth. I don’t know enough about it to say what percentage is fair to allocate between tax base and development charges. The charges seem high in some cases. But the reason Ford is in power is because he was better than the alternatives. I like him. Are city councils the primary reason housing isn’t being built? Carrots work better than sticks and most people like them. I think this policy has room for improvement. Better to persuade with good ideas than marginalize with strong arms. It’s not a question with easy answers, and inflation makes it harder still. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2023, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/224 "2023-02-18T17:29:35Z")
Well it’s 2023 now but here’s the final report on the use of the Emergencies Act. > **[Final Report](https://publicorderemergencycommission.ca/final-report/)** > > On April 25, 2022, the Government of Canada established the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC) to inquire into the circumstances that led to the declaration of emergency that was in place from February 14-23, 2022, and the measures taken for... ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2023, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/225 "2023-03-02T01:11:23Z")
It seems that over 40% of Conservative voters think the last election was “stolen”. Should we be alarmed at this level of lack in faith of our election system? I’m, personally, a person who strongly believes that our system has major flaws ingrained in it (lack of Proportional Representation ensures wacky party compositions out of line with the voting public). However, to think that our elections have been stolen through the interference of a foreign country (China) sounds outrageous. There is a reason why the Tories didn’t win despite receiving more total votes then the Liberals. That’s because of the ‘rounding errors’ in our FPTP system. A lot of Tory votes are (simply put) wasted in safe Tory ridings. Getting 70% of the total popular vote in nowhere’s-ville Alberta is impressive but such a large voter share doesn’t help the Conservatives any more if they only took that seat by getting 34% of voters in that riding. Just one of the reasons why any PR is better than FPTP. Every vote counts. No matter what east/west timezone you are in, or if your party is under/over represented in your riding (your party will probably need to reach a minimum % threshold nationally though). > ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2023, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/226 "2023-03-02T01:16:54Z")
It seems to me that the buried lede here is that wide swaths of Canadians of all parties feel the Chinese interference was a big deal. I mean, even 7% of NDP and 6% of liberals think the election was stolen - that they won. I had no idea there was this much reaction to the Chinese influence story. ---
**Author:** ![TheTooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/919ad9/32.png) [@TheTooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheTooth)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2023, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/227 "2023-03-02T01:27:06Z")
I’ve been too busy watching conservatives fete the lovely and talented holocaust denier and convoy groupie Christine Anderson to notice. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2023, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/228 "2023-03-02T01:31:13Z")
Poilievre was an early convoy supporter too. He was able to leverage that outrage to oust O’Toole. Such is politics. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2023, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/229 "2023-03-02T02:06:18Z")
I posted this the other day to Facebook: “The Fascist Convoy is not pro-freedom. They are pro-freedom for the “right” people. It isn’t a coincidence that the convoy have met with that extreme far-right German politician (as some CPoC members did too but that’s a whole other issue). It isn’t a coincidence that the convoy has been protesting drag shows. It isn’t a coincidence that Nazi flags fly at convoy events. It isn’t a coincidence that multiple holocaust deniers have spoken at convoy events. It isn’t a coincidence that the convoy says hateful bigoted and racist things. It isn’t a coincidence that on any issue you can think of the convoy view aligns with the far-right. The convoy is about far-right white Christian nationalism. That’s what they want. They’re evil and must be opposed to the greatest degree that we can muster.” As these truths are becoming more obvious to anybody, I really _REALLY_ hope supporting the convoy bites PP in the butt. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2023, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/230 "2023-03-02T02:20:45Z")
> [@BeepKillBeep](#): > > As these truths are becoming more obvious to anybody, I really _REALLY_ hope supporting the convoy bites PP in the butt. Well put. And the whole “stolen election” bullshit is just evidence that many folks on the right in Canada are just happy to be Trumpists, even in the absence of a Trump. “Argle Bargle Stolen Election” is going to be their rallying cry for a generation. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2023, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/231 "2023-03-02T03:19:02Z")
I am not convinced this is credible, or that most people believe the election was stolen - indeed papers reporting this story have not claimed this. But I would like to see an independent investigation of what happened. It is also needed to register and maintain a public list of foreign lobbyists and donors, as other countries do. The excuse “this is national security” is hard to evaluate and not sufficient reason to avoid an independent investigation on this important issue. Further measures need to be taken to ensure the legitimacy of future elections. I think this article is credible. > **[Opinion: CSIS is worried about China interfering in our elections, even if...](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-csis-is-worried-about-china-interfering-in-our-elections-even-if-the/)** > > Perhaps the most outrageous part of these revelations has been the Prime Minister’s response to them ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2023, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/232 "2023-03-02T20:10:16Z")
“Stolen” is terrible phrasing given this looks more like systematic influence operations aimed at candidates and their staff/staffing choices. > **[Canadian intelligence warned PM Trudeau that China covertly funded 2019...](https://globalnews.ca/news/9253386/canadian-intelligence-warned-pm-trudeau-that-china-covertly-funded-2019-election-candidates-sources/)** > > Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was warned that China has allegedly been targeting Canada with a vast campaign of foreign interference, according to Global News sources. “The briefings did not identify the 2019 candidates. But the alleged election interference network included members from both the **Liberal and Conservative** parties, according to sources with knowledge of the briefs.” - bolding is mine “The 2022 briefs said that some, but not all, members of the alleged network are witting affiliates of the Chinese Communist Party. The intelligence did not conclude whether CSIS believes the network successfully influenced the October 2019 election results, sources say.” Which I think is a key part. This is not necessarily invited election influence from Canadian officials but opportunistic influencing by the CCP on them. The Liberals deserve to be dragged out on stage and made to explain how this happened, when did they know, and why they did so little to stop it. But if we’re honest I can’t remember any Canadian government coming down hard on interference in Canadian lives by governments from diaspora’s old homes. I’ll be happy if something concrete and persistent comes from this. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/233 "2023-03-03T00:15:53Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > It is also needed to register and maintain a public list of foreign lobbyists and donors, as other countries do. Foreign lobbyists are already subject to the federal lobbyist act, if their actions meet the statutory triggers. There is no need for a donor’s list, because only Canadian citizens and permanent residents can donate in federal election campaigns. If it can be shown that Chinese nationals who are not citizens or permanent residents have been funnelling money to Canadian parties, prosecutions are in order. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/234 "2023-03-03T03:57:09Z")
A quick 2 minute CBC summary about Chinese interference popped up on my youtube today. [Canada election interference connected to B.C. ridings - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFIpRGRuQH4&ab_channel=CBCVancouver) ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/235 "2023-03-03T14:46:39Z")
An article in today’s _Star_ suggests CSIS thinks a registry of foreign agents would allow better tracking of interference in institutions and elections. The legal bases and actual efficacy would be beyond my knowledge. Is there need? Probably. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/236 "2023-03-03T15:52:57Z")
It certainly seems better than not having a registry of foreign agents. I’m kind of surprised we don’t have one. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/237 "2023-03-03T20:59:10Z")
It might be hard to prosecute foreigners. Having a list does not guarantee manipulators will use it. CSIS itself is likely right, but have lacked enough transparency and truth by times that one accepts their views, but under consideration. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/238 "2023-03-03T21:17:30Z")
Another strong column. We don’t need a public inquiry into “foreign interference”, but we do need to address domestic complicity with same. > **[Opinion: We don’t need a public inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian...](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-we-dont-need-a-public-inquiry-into-foreign-interference-in-canadian/)** > > But what we do need is an independent inquiry into whether China had Canadian help in its alleged efforts to influence our elections ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/239 "2023-03-03T22:12:25Z")
That seems exactly right. I think all elections suffer from some amount of foreign interference. What’s disturbing is whether Canadians knowingly took advantage of it, or discovered it and didn’t report it for partisan reasons. That said, China has way too much influence in Canada. Not just in elections, but in real estate, business, education and government. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633/240 "2023-03-03T22:25:53Z")
Agreed. China is not a friendly nation, and we shouldn’t be treating them as such. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-politics-2022-2023/962633.md?page=13)