Canadian politics thread

[Hondaracer]

My sister was a nurse had 18 months virtually full pay, another 6 at reduced, had child care bridge a gap to kindergarten, and now they have afterschool care at elementary?

This was in the last 4-5 years for 2 different kids. She like many other healthcare professionals got out of it because of the shit show it was turning into and got into teaching but her Matt leave was ridiculous compared to most sectors. So I wouldn’t say a nurse is really the bar for that argument

[westopher]

Well my wife is a nurse and didn't have that, so that's not the standard.

[VRYALT3R3D]

Originally Posted by westopher

Yes, but will $100 more a month get you there? At the cost of what, healthcare? Public education? Environmental protection? Name anything that taxes pay for, and what are you willing to lose? Because it isn't just gonna have Kevin o Leary pop in and find all the spending deficiencies and allow the good stuff to stay.

I mean, the Liberals just did a temporary GST/HST break and gave $250 checks out....

[Hondaracer]

How did we end up that a “regular” person is paying $1200 a month for child care?

Immigration? Inflation?

Like.. kinda just feels like the same shit I’ve echoed on other topics where we’ve let things get virtually destroyed through lack of investment, legislation, oversight

Now we just cut cheques to fix it?

[westopher]

BCNU contract is 17 weeks of top up to 87% of wage. The rest is standard maternity leave as EI (about 2k/month)
Families that make UP TO 111000 a year get the BC child care benefit, so that equates to nothing if you have a full time nurse and someone that works at McDonald's one day a week. There is nothing specific about that to nurses.
We are able to claim up to $8000 dollars on our taxes, out of the 15000 a year we pay for child care, which gets us about 1.25 months of childcare paid for in a tax refund.

[westopher]

Originally Posted by VRYALT3R3D

I mean, the Liberals just did a temporary GST/HST break and gave $250 checks out....

Which was
A) stupid
B) didn't get distributed to anyone in the income ranges I mentioned.

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by VRYALT3R3D

So far Carney has been sitting on his hands and did nothing to address the looming tariffs that are about to hit April 2nd. It will have a devastating effect for a lot of sectors in our economy. I have yet to hear any plan on him except asking the US to play nice lmfao. As if Trump cares about that.

This doesn't sound like much of a plan...

Carney was asked what Canada’s strategy should be ahead of the next round of tariffs set for April 2, which will be on top of 25 per cent tariffs imposed earlier in March and additional 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum two weeks ago.

“What you do is you prepare for the worst. And that’s part of what we have done in the last weeks. We have made substantial changes to unemployment insurance [sic] program to support Canadian workers,” he said.

https://globalnews.ca/news/11096806/...carney-canada/

You seem to really enjoy cherry picking the news (and also ignoring discussions here which point out your hypocrisy and unfounded opinions)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/car...ting-1.7489368

Carney aims to have 'free trade by Canada Day' between provinces and territories

"We intend from a federal level to have free trade by Canada Day," he said, noting that the plan would be directed at easing transportation, energy, critical minerals and digital connectivity restrictions across the country.

The announcement comes after his meeting with premiers at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa on Friday, with some calling for trade barriers within the country to be swiftly removed in order to make Canada's economy more resilient.

"The agreement is to turn what has been a concept into a reality that will diversify and strengthen our economy… We are committing to removing all federal exemptions under the Canada free-trade agreement," Carney said.

New measures announced:

Temporarily waiving the one-week employment insurance waiting period.
Temporarily allowing businesses to defer corporate income-tax payments and GST and HST remittances.
Deploying a new financing facility (the Large Enterprise Economic and National Security Facility).
Implementing a "one window" approval process to speed up major projects.
Doubling the Indigenous Loan Guarantee to $10 billion, unlocking access to capital for First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
Providing more funding for regional development agencies.
Removing any mobility restrictions for federally regulated professions.

Carney said removing barriers to the free movement of workers, goods and services would increase the size of Canada's economy by $250 billion — equivalent to more than $6,000 for every Canadian.

He's also been clear that he's more focused on internal barriers than external barriers and that he'll talk to Trump when Trump drops the annexation talk (and treats Canada with respect) (he has softened that language lately though).

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

Do you actually think these huge benefit plans would either A) reduce the cost of their group benefits or B) ultimately pass those savings back onto the plan holder?

I find it kind of hard to believe providers like Sunlife etc. would just be like oh yea, ok our claims are less expensive now so we will provide savings back to these companies where it likely doesn’t make much of a difference what they pay. Especially employers that have hundreds if not thousands of employees?

And if so, what would the timeline be for something like that to happen? It certainly wouldn’t be overnight. It would likely take years of consistent costs to realize any savings to the plan holder no?

Yes, have you tried pricing out your own plan vs what is being paid on a company plan? Have you looked at the drug comps? The difference between brand name and 3rd party makers? Yes it does make a difference

We are more acutely aware of the prices now as well because my wife recently started a contracting gig and we were looking atinsurnace cosrts

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

How did we end up that a “regular” person is paying $1200 a month for child care?

Immigration? Inflation?

Like.. kinda just feels like the same shit I’ve echoed on other topics where we’ve let things get virtually destroyed through lack of investment, legislation, oversight

Now we just cut cheques to fix it?

While there is definitely far too much red tape around opening up new daycares (and locating them) it wouldn't change the underlying base cost of how much child care costs.

Teacher/Kid ratios are 1:6 for kids under 3 and 1:8 from 3-5, add in rent and operational costs and you can back of napkin work out how much child care needs to be for it to breakeven.

$1200 * 6 kids = $7200 and the average daycare worker makes about $4k/m (it's definitely not a way to make much money and it's not an easy job). My daycare's unsubsidised rate was nearly $2k/mo.

[VRYALT3R3D]

Originally Posted by supafamous

He's also been clear that he's more focused on internal barriers than external barriers and that he'll talk to Trump when Trump drops the annexation talk (and treats Canada with respect) (he has softened that language lately though).

You have no idea what you are talking about, as usual.

How do these measures help out the steel, automotive manufacturing or other industries severely effected in Canada? I am pretty sure every single business in Canada would rather not have a tariff of 25% applied to the FOB. Most businesses cannot just absorb these tariffs, they will either pass it completely on or partially because its beyond their margin. This will cause significant inflationary pressure in an economy essentially in a recession due to the lackadaisical Liberal government.

This just shows how out of touch Carney is and how soft he is. Waiting until Canada Day is completely unacceptable. I wouldn't be surprised if Trump raised the tariffs further. The only thing that works would be to negatively effect Trump's approval ratings, the only thing he truly cares about.

[Manic!]

trump as also said he will not talk about tariffs until the election is over.

[VRYALT3R3D]

Originally Posted by Manic!

trump as also said he will not talk about tariffs until the election is over.

Did he actually say this? Link?

Maybe if we keep our elbows up, all this will go away?

[Traum]

Originally Posted by VRYALT3R3D

I mean, the Liberals just did a temporary GST/HST break and gave $250 checks out....

Dude, were you even paying attention in Dec (2024)?

Freeland literally had a fallout with Turd over the $250 cheque, triggering everything we have seen in Canadian politics in the past 3-and-a-half months. And the legislation wasn't passed.

The GST holiday we got. I probably saved $50 from eating out and getting takeouts.

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

All parties just pretty much abandoned the environment in their latest platform.

I am sad that climate change initiatives are no longer receiving much attention because if we don't shift away from fossil fuels, the extreme weather and their devastating effects are only going to get worse.

But we need to do this on a global scale. Arguments can be made for or against whether Canada, or much of the western world, for that matter, should be leading by example. But what doesn't change is the World needs to shift away from fossil fuels

[SkinnyPupp]

Originally Posted by Traum

Dude, were you even paying attention in Dec (2024)?

Freeland literally had a fallout with Turd over the $250 cheque, triggering everything we have seen in Canadian politics in the past 3-and-a-half months. And the legislation wasn't passed.

The GST holiday we got. I probably saved $50 from eating out and getting takeouts.


I am sad that climate change initiatives are no longer receiving much attention because if we don't shift away from fossil fuels, the extreme weather and their devastating effects are only going to get worse.

But we need to do this on a global scale. Arguments can be made for or against whether Canada, or much of the western world, for that matter, should be leading by example. But what doesn't change is the World needs to shift away from fossil fuels

Unfortunately there's no going back when it comes to the environment. It is not "spinning out of control" it is already past that. It has spun out of control, and is only going to get worse from now on.

So like, what is the point I guess is the argument. The 2070's and beyond got fucked by the 1970's to now, so I guess let's make the next 50 years a big party.

[Hondaracer]

Outside of fires and occasional floods things like that which aren’t “so bad” Canada and much of North America likely wont be affected to any degree that isn’t just a passing issue.

The problem becomes when large swathes of places like India, Africa, South America, become uninhabitable due to heat or large scale disasters. Again it won’t affect us directly but it’s just going to be another thing the global community will dump money into to no avail.

When places that a billion people live are hitting 50+ degrees for long periods, get ready for the real Indian invasion. Climate refugees.

[Traum]

I agree that there is no going back when it comes to the environment -- we are well past that point. But I'd argue that there is still a tremendous amount of merit in fighting against climate change because there is a massive difference between a world where the average temperature above pre-industrial levels is:

* 1.5ºC
* 2.0ºC
* 3.7ºC <-- which is the somewhat current worst case estimate that I've read about

But alas, nobody is paying much attention to this right now because everything about the current world is already fxxked up enough, with dire and immediate consequences...

[donk.]

No one, globally, or in canada, gives a rats ass about climate action, global warming, or any earth destruction etc...

If anything, us, canadians, and any "1st world" country support it more than anyone.

Something break? Throw it out.
Trash off temu looks cool? Lets buy it.
Sale on scamazon, even though you have no use for it? Click.
Our homes are massive, with highest quality materials and highest finishes (globally wise).
We want the nicest, newest, fanciest stuff.

What does all the above mean? We consume on an insane level.

Consuming comes with a cost, that cost is all the countries from start to finish mining, producing, manufacturing, shipping, selling.

Fossil fuels are a start.....but they will NEVER go away, your sp500 retirement counts on it.
Next time your buying a ring for your wedding, someone is probably dumping mercury in a river to extract the gold.
You like steak? You also like forests being cut down.
New clothing? Take a look at whats involved in a tanker crossing an ocean.
Buying a new build? Il tell you a "secret", there is no such thing as 0 waste construction lol.....

There aint no solution to climate change, us humans are the biggest virus to the planet. I wonder if its even possible to actually reverse the damage we have caused, or if an ice age will take care of it for us eventually.

I also wonder if the green party ever got elected, what they would actually do.

If you truly belive in climate action, you need to go live off the land, cut off from all modern benefits.

[Traum]

I'd say hurricanes and floods are already happening frequent enough in certain parts of the US that it is putting strains on state governments.

The bigger problem is climate change-induced disasters that affect food security. It's one thing for BC to lose all of its stone fruits for a growing season, but it becomes a bigger issue for Florida if they lose their orange crops for multiple seasons before things can grow back. And then there are varying degrees of grain crop losses in the Prairies due to drought / extreme heat, and floods. This kind of news has been gradually becoming more common in the last few years, and they will only get worse as the world heats up some more.

And I am specifically only bringing up N.American climate issues. As you are saying, the problem could very quickly get out of hand when large swathes of warmer places become uninhabitable.

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

Outside of fires and occasional floods things like that which aren’t “so bad” Canada and much of North America likely wont be affected to any degree that isn’t just a passing issue.

The problem becomes when large swathes of places like India, Africa, South America, become uninhabitable due to heat or large scale disasters. Again it won’t affect us directly but it’s just going to be another thing the global community will dump money into to no avail.

When places that a billion people live are hitting 50+ degrees for long periods, get ready for the real Indian invasion. Climate refugees.

[Traum]

This climate change stuff is getting too depressing. I'm gonna stop talking about it, and go back to bashing Trump instead. (And maybe PeePee and Danielle Smith too.)

[SkinnyPupp]

Originally Posted by Traum

This climate change stuff is getting too depressing. I'm gonna stop talking about it, and go back to bashing Trump instead. (And maybe PeePee and Danielle Smith too.)

I came to this conclusion a while ago. I used to doom about it here and there, but there's literally nothing I can do so I just try not to even think about it anymore. Or at least I try to avoid it as much as possible.

I felt it was worth mentioning here though, since it looks like we're just giving up. Might as well

If I lived in a forest fire area, I'd get the fuck out asap. That kind of zone will be uninhabitable in our lifetimes, and worth nothing.

[unit]

as george carlin said, "the planet is fine, the people are fucked".
a million years from now long after we're extinct earth will still be spinning, life in one form or another will be abundant. even if we go 5 degrees warmer, it won't make earth uninhabitable for all species like mars. even if it does, who cares about the extreme distant future.

[westopher]

It's not that distant though that like 1/3rd of the population on the planet will probably die from climate disasters or the results of that. We are talking about a dystopian wasteland where people are starving to death in numbers we can't comprehend. If it doesn't happen in our lifetime, at the pace we are going it's pretty fucking likely it will happen in our kids lifetimes. It's really only taken like 150 years to do this damage, and with the population increase compared to when it started, the damage we are causing is exponentially growing.
I can understand why someone without kids wouldn't really care, but someone with, should, because it's going to affect them drastically.

[unit]

i do care, im just saying that the earth itself isnt fucked, we are.

[westopher]

Oh totally. Earth is the body and we are the cancer, but it's gonna decide when it's a big enough problem to get rid of it.

[whitev70r]

Regretfully, evolution will prevail ... people will die and suffer, earth will win. It's regrettable that the people who are the worst polluters (most responsible) are not the ones on the receiving end of natural selection.