Liberal Minority Government 2021 - ????

[Altair]

I can't wait to see how they plan to pay for this without raising taxes.

I'm not sure you would be saying this if the military was getting a lot more funding.

Or maybe I'm wrong, and if the CAF found itself with 2 percent of GDP in funding you would be asking how they plan to pay for it without raising taxes.

 

[Altair]

The dental objective probably won't cost very much (in the big picture). It would be means-tested, and I doubt it is as severely means-tested as it could be. I haven't seen anything yet on what expected cost of a pharma plan would be, and what it would or would not include. Regardless, if the "new taxes" are aimed at employers (basically, conscript whatever is being paid into private/extended plans), they can effectively tax employees (compensation) but in a way which is hidden to most people who don't conceive of their compensation as one thing.

One writer pointed out that junior partners in these arrangements usually get badly whacked in the following election. There's nothing in the package big enough for that price, and most of it is not actually nailed down, if the "agreement" is read closely. Mostly it looks like the LPC rolled the NDP into 3 years of confidence and a risky future without the LPC risking anything that will raise voters' ire, and without giving up any control over the driver's seat.

There are timelines actually

Dental care for children under 12 this year, under 18 next year, means tested year after that.

 

[Navy_Pete]

I find this part frustrating, as there is actually a lot in common in the various platforms. People that always disagree with you are pretty easy to ignore, but if you are working with someone with the normal give and take, when you hit a line in the sand it's a lot more impactful.

The Liberals did the same thing under Harper, and the CPC is really leaning into it now, but it's just massively unproductive and seems pretty childish. Parliament is basically a dysfunctional workplace full of high school drama.

A good idea is a good idea; and something that could improve people's health and potentially save governments money in health care spending by addressing something early should be an easy sell regardless of your political affiliation. We spend an awful lot on treating the end results of health issues so would be good to try and put something in place to help with preventative health and making sure people have the medication they need.

The rhetoric coming out of the CPC on this one is pretty ridiculous, as they are framing normal cooperation in functional democracies as a power grab (while conveniently ignoring the PC-Reform merge that happened via backdoor deals). PP wanting to get a vote of non-confidence is a total pipe dream, and he needs a much bigger soapbox if he's going to try grandstanding as a wee man.

Kind of wish we could do a 'Great Reset' of the political parties and start with a clean slate (as well as a smaller number of MPs).

 

[Brad Sallows]

It's a good idea, and it will still have consequences.

We have a wonderful entitlement to publicly-funded health insurance, but somehow it's difficult for many people to access a regular family physician.

Pet ownership increased with the onset of the COVID pandemic, and it became harder to access a vet.

Public dental insurance will increase the number of people booking time with dentists. Has anyone looked into how much additional demand is anticipated, and how much excess supply is available? A shortfall doesn't turn the good idea into a bad idea, but it does suggest more thought go into planning to meet a demand increase right now.

 

[Halifax Tar]

I'm not sure you would be saying this if the military was getting a lot more funding.

Or maybe I'm wrong, and if the CAF found itself with 2 percent of GDP in funding you would be asking how they plan to pay for it without raising taxes.

Absolutely I would! I am not for blind government spending for anyone or any cause.

I despise paying taxes, it feels like robbery. Even though I know its necessary it should be controlled.

I have also argued against further spending on us until we sort our proverbial crap out.

 

[Remius]

I look at pharma and dental at a macro level and how it will benefit long term. Dental and drugs should be part of our overall health system. It’s the sort of thing that will help take pressure off of our current health care system in a preventative way.

I’m not opposed to it.

 

[Halifax Tar]

I look at pharma and dental at a macro level and how it will benefit long term. Dental and drugs should be part of our overall health system. It’s the sort of thing that will help take pressure off of our current health care system in a preventative way.

I’m not opposed to it.

Pas de problem, figure out how to do it without levying more taxes. Start making cuts.

 

[Remius]

Pas de problem, figure out how to do it without levying more taxes. Start making cuts.

That’s the catch. What cuts do you make and how do you do it without pissing off the party that is keeping you in power?

An HST hike of 1%?

Reduce other social programs to compensate for it?

 

[Jarnhamar]

Yep, right out of their platform;

Right. What I mean is it wouldn't be the first time Trudeau promised something big and failed.

NDP probably shouldn't celebrate just yet.

He can kick a can down the road something fierce.

 

[Halifax Tar]

That’s the catch. What cuts do you make and how do you do it without pissing off the party that is keeping you in power?

An HST hike of 1%?

Reduce other social programs to compensate for it?

Can we start with foreign aid ?

In 2019 that was 6.6 billion. Good start.

 

[Remius]

Can we start with foreign aid ?

In 2019 that 6.6 billion. Good start.

Maybe. I guess we’ll see what the budget shows in a few weeks.

 

[Altair]

It's a good idea, and it will still have consequences.

We have a wonderful entitlement to publicly-funded health insurance, but somehow it's difficult for many people to access a regular family physician.

Pet ownership increased with the onset of the COVID pandemic, and it became harder to access a vet.

Public dental insurance will increase the number of people booking time with dentists. Has anyone looked into how much additional demand is anticipated, and how much excess supply is available? A shortfall doesn't turn the good idea into a bad idea, but it does suggest more thought go into planning to meet a demand increase right now.

This is why the feds need to make guidelines and the provonces need to make plans. Its useless to simply say its covered but not address capacity.

Same as for legal weed and childcare. Legal weed means nothing without the regulated dispensaries. Universal child care means nothing without childcare spaces.

 

[Altair]

Pas de problem, figure out how to do it without levying more taxes. Start making cuts.

Economy grows, debt is comperatively smaller.

The middle ground.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Pretty good summary of the speech.

John Robson: Liberal-NDP deal is little more than congealed fog with a slimy aftertaste ​

The prime minister put on his usual performance, from smirking empathy to flattering voters and boasting about himself and his colleagues. Then he spewed cliches about “a better future … for the children … and for the rest of the world” (as opposed to what, a better past for the uncles on Mars?) before saying a number of things that manage to be patently untrue as well as vapid, starting with, “Six months ago, Canadians gave Parliament clear marching orders” to, essentially, implement the Liberal platform.

Blah blah blah “strong middle class” blah blah blah “economic growth and climate action” blah blah blah “child care affordability, better health care and continued reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.” To hear it, you’d think Canadians gave his party a majority.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Economy grows, debt is comperatively smaller.

The middle ground.

Canada is almost at 90% Debt to GDP ratio.

And our economy grew by .20 of a percent.

The country will do what it wants but we're in no fiscal position to take on luxury services like dental and pharma without out raising taxes.

I would hate to the gov that has to try and come after these bafoons and clean this up. They will be highly unpopular.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Pretty good summary of the speech.

John Robson: Liberal-NDP deal is little more than congealed fog with a slimy aftertaste​

It don't care about JT... He has a skill for demonstrating idiotic behaviour/weak leadership; and the world knows it. The sad part is we cant come up a guy or gal who can beat him.

 

[Remius]

It don't care about JT... He's an idiot; and the world knows it. The sad part is we cant come up a guy or gal who can beat him.

The CPC have a few. They either don’t want to lead that goat rodeo or the membership won’t choose them.

 

[Halifax Tar]

The CPC have a few. They either don’t want to lead that goat rodeo or the membership won’t choose them.

Right, like I said we can't come up with anyone who can beat him.

It's a bloody disaster and the Cons are to busy with internal strife to see it.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I feel the CPC mafia gets in the way of CPC members voting in who they want.

 

[Altair]

Canada is almost at 90% Debt to GDP ratio.

True, but a lot of other countries have higher, Spain, Italy, France, the UK, USA, Japan.

And our economy grew by .20 of a percent.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-gdp-1.6368400#:~:text=Business-,Canada's%20economy%20was%20growing%20at%206.7%25%20pace%20at%20the%20end,official%20data%20showed%20on%20Tuesday.

"Canada's economy grew 6.7 per cent in the fourth quarter on an annualized basis, beating analyst expectations of 6.5 per cent, while January GDP most likely rose 0.2 per cent after stagnating in December, Statistics Canada data showed."

The country will do what it wants but we're in no fiscal position to take on luxury services like dental and pharma without out raising taxes.

I would hate to the gov that has to try and come after these bafoons and clean this up. They will be highly unpopular.

Stephen Harper spent a boatload of money during the financial crisis of 2008-2009, and getting the economy back on track.

He didn't raise taxes. Neither did Justin Trudeau. I don't know why they are going to start now. We have been hearing this for over a decade, the "Oh, taxes are going to rise due to the debt and deficit". Have yet to see it.