Canadian News

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Tobias was a regular on CBC's Singalong Jubilee from 1966 to 1968. He released ten albums and 19 singles – five of those singles were top-30 hits in Canada – and he wrote the Bells' Stay Awhile, which went to number one in Canada and #7 in the U.S. in 1971. Tobias recorded his own version of Stay Awhile for his 1972 debut album, Dream #2.

Your Saint John

YourSaintJohn.ca is the go‑to source for live radio, events, local news, lifestyle, culture, and contests.

www.country94.ca

Never heard of him.

 

[Channel98]

Were you not listening to 1050 CHUM in February 1973? Tobias reached #13 with I Just Want To Make Music.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Were you not listening to 1050 CHUM in February 1973? Tobias reached #13 with I Just Want To Make Music.

View attachment 9970

1. I didn't start listening to music til 1978.
2. AM 1050 signal did not reach Saskatchewan.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate!

 

[HecticArt]

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Enjoy some nice canned beaver and poutine!

 

[JHDK]

I know we're not supposed talk about politics and I'll try not to say anything more but this doesn't count as real politics. You all know what I'm saying...It's like talking about your little sister who is a big deal in the middle school student council. Yeah it's technically politics but I mean come on.

Anyway, I really dig this Canadian dude Pierre Poilievre.

I don't know anything about Canadian politics besides Trudeau and this guy. I couldn't tell you any other of their prime ministers except for Trudeau's Dad and I only learned about the dad after the son came to power... But this guy is super fun. Not sure what he's all about besides hating some carbon tax that apparently Canada has or is about to have, but he's so much fun to watch.

Just check out YouTube shorts of this guy talking in whatever their version of the Capitol building is. He and Trudeau go at it face to face in front of all the other senators or representatives or whatever they're called and they do it over and over again. Trudeau always goes first then Pierre gets to respond. Trudeau is normally passionate and can sometimes be heated. Pierre clearly wants to be the next prime minister and so he usually calmly but very condescendingly pokes Trudeau with his responses. And all of this back and forth is their normal process I guess and it takes place out in the open in their Senate chamber. Apparently that's how politics works over there and it's super fun to watch!

It's mostly just enjoyable dramatic entertainment to an average American who really has no interest in the politics of fake French people and Eskimos who spend all their free time at Tim Hortons talking about if the Senators were offsides against the Jets in last night's game.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Canadian Politics 101 -- without getting political

PP is the leader of the Her Majesties Loyal Opposition. His job is to oppose the government. Trudeau (I spell his name in a more derogatory manner but won't do hit here) is the Prime Minister. In the last election (2021) his party, the Liberals, won the most seats so he forms the government. PP is the leader of the Conservatives. His party holds the second most seats so he is the opposition. The Liberals do not have 50%+1 of the seats in the House of Commons (roughly equivalent to your congress) so he must rely on at least one other party to support him (he is said to have a minority government). If he puts a bill on the floor which is deemed a confidence bill (like a budget) and does not get 50%+1 support, the government falls.

A Member of Parliament (MP) is elected by winning the most votes in a riding. A riding represents around 75K voters. MPs belong to political parties. The leader of the party can become PM or the opposition leader if they have the required number of seats.

Currently if an election were held today and today's polls hold, it would be a bloodbath. Trudeau's Liberals would likely be pretty much wiped out with the Conservatives enjoying a huge majority. If the government does not fall earlier, we must have an election on 2025/10/20 (the max term is now 4 years).

The Senate is a chamber of sober second thought. It is supposed to be a place where seasoned politicians can send a bill back to the House of Commons if it feels it is needed to be changed. In reality it is just a bunch of political hacks that go up there to get fat and nap and rubber stamp bills. Senators are appointed by the sitting Prime Minister.

The head of our government is officially the King of England. He is represented by the Governor General whose role is primarily ceremonial. Interesting tidbit, my uncle (technically my first cousin once removed but he was always my uncle to me) was one of the previous Governor Generals. The GG is appointed by the sitting Prime Minister and usually serves a 5 year term.

The system is based heavily on the British system.

 

[JHDK]

That was an informative post IdRather.

Everything in that post besides me enjoying Trudeau and Pierre go at it was more or less a joke with the sole purpose of busting your balls.

I'm more aware of how the Canadian government works than I said in that post but not that much more. I would say I probably have a 4th graders knowledge of it.

Such as how would an election be called before the end of the term?

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

That was an informative post IdRather.

Everything in that post besides me enjoying Trudeau and Pierre go at it was more or less a joke with the sole purpose of busting your balls.

I'm more aware of how the Canadian government works than I said in that post but not that much more. I would say I probably have a 4th graders knowledge of it.

Such as how would an election be called before the end of the term?

The power to call an election is a duty of the GG. It usually happens in one of the following scenarios:
1. The government does not pass a confidence motion. In this case the PM will go to the GG and the GG will usually call a general election. The GG has an option of asking one of the other parties to try to form a government. He/she would do this usually if there had been a recent election.
(An interesting aside, after the election the GG will go to the previous PM and ask if they can form the government. If the person has lost and does not have 50% of the seats, then he/she would say no and the GG would then ask the leader of the party with the most votes.)
2. The 4 year term is reached. The GG will then call for a general election on the specified date.
3. The PM can go to the GG and ask that an election be called. He/she can also ask the GG to perogue parliment. This suspends the session. A new session is scheduled and the PM must immediately table a confidence motion. This usually happens if the PM wants to buy time or solidify aliances if a minority parliament.

 

[JHDK]

Okay I got one and I'm going to sound real stupid if these people aren't kids but they look like kids. And yet again I find it more entertaining to ask DRC then figure it out with Google or Gemini.

Who are those kids that sit directly in front and below of the speaker? Because Trudeau and Pierre address the speaker before they talk so the camera cuts to him and it seems like he has teenagers sitting in front and below his fancy green seat that's on what appears to be a giant pedestal above everyone else. What is that all about? I mean if they're interns or whatever why do they have such a prominent seat? It's weird.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Okay I got one and I'm going to sound real stupid if these people aren't kids but they look like kids. And yet again I find it more entertaining to ask DRC then figure it out with Google or Gemini.

Who are those kids that sit directly in front and below of the speaker? Because Trudeau and Pierre address the speaker before they talk so the camera cuts to him and it seems like he has teenagers sitting in front and below his fancy green seat that's on what appears to be a giant pedestal above everyone else. What is that all about? I mean if they're interns or whatever why do they have such a prominent seat? It's weird.

I think they are officially called pages. I honestly have no idea what they do. They are likely the most mature people in that room however. When the speaker stands, everybody is supposed to shut up. The Speaker then decides who has the floor. I am told the behaviour in the house would not usually be tolerated by most kindergarten classes. The only way to see most of that is to be in the visitor gallery as the camera will only show who has the floor. The most interesting time is a period called question period which is supposed to be a time when the opposition parties can ask questions of the government which they are supposed to answer. I would hazard a guess that most of the clips you have seen is from this session.

Another aside, the camera will be showing the leader and it looks like the house is full. It is not. The MPs will shuffle to fill the empty seats behind the camera. Unless there is a vote, a lot of these guys are lazy assholes and are MIA. A good chunk of the time the PM is also not there. Sometimes he is on official business, other times he is just MIA.

 

[JHDK]

They are likely the most mature people in that room

Hahahahahah. You're probably right about that. Just think about how stupid we all were when we were teenagers. And and even a stupid teens we were betterl mannered than our current day politicians.

behaviour

Boo!!! I know I'm asking you about how the Canadian government functions and I definitely appreciate your answers but I can't see behavior spelled with a u and not comment on how that's just wrong and an affront to every North American English speaker. You're North American bro. Stop pretending you're British and then tell all those other people to stop pretending they're French.

most interesting time is a period called question period which is supposed to be a time when the opposition parties can ask questions of the government which they are supposed to answer. I would hazard a guess that most of the clips you have seen is from this session.

That's 100% right that's what I'm looking at when I watch those YouTube shorts. It's always Trudeau first and then Pierre second and the disdain they have for each other each other is so thick it's almost visible in the room. That's what makes it so entertaining.

Currently if an election were held today and today's polls hold, it would be a bloodbath.

I went scuba diving one time with my uncle and it was so fun to have the power to breathe underwater but after 9 minutes this tiny fish started biting my leg and wouldn't stop. I didn't care at first, it was a tiny fish clearly inferior to my status. But it kept biting and wouldn't give up. It seemed to get bigger with every bite. Eventually I realized the fish was going to beat me and make me stop scuba diving. I still wanted to scuba dive and I would never tell my uncle or anyone otherwise...but I knew my time was over. The annoying fish bested me.

I don't know why I would bring up such a random story from my past.

FYI, that is a true story. I exaggerated a bit to make my stupid point but that fucking fish was annoying as fuck. That was about 25 years ago and I still think about it. That fish really did get the better of me.

 

[sadchild]

my uncle (technically my first cousin once removed but he was always my uncle to me) was one of the previous Governor Generals

WOW!

Did he have the power to pardon people in your family of things like gun and tax evasion convictions? Not that a politician would ever do such a thing. Asking for a friend.

He/she can also ask the GG to perogue parliment

I looked up the definitely of perogue. It either means 'boat' or 'dugout'. What am I missing?

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

WOW!

Did he have the power to pardon people in your family of things like gun and tax evasion convictions? Not that a politician would ever do such a thing. Asking for a friend.

I looked up the definitely of perogue. It either means 'boat' or 'dugout'. What am I missing?

First question, no. Largely ceremonial position. A side question: can a president pardon himself? Asking for another friend.

Second, you are relying on my spelling.

The Parliamentary Cycle - Prorogation and Dissolution

 

[scotchandcigar]

I looked up the definitely of perogue. It either means 'boat' or 'dugout'. What am I missing?

I thought it was a Polish dumpling.

 

[HecticArt]

Great....now I want perogies!

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

First question, no. Largely ceremonial position. A side question: can a president pardon himself? Asking for another friend.

Second, you are relying on my spelling.

The Parliamentary Cycle - Prorogation and Dissolution

BTW, if you want the advanced course in the whys and whatnots of Canadian Parliamentary procedure (a subject no doubt of intense fascination and excitement) the link above is a very good source. I do not have a good source for perogies.

 

[Aaron]

In college I took a Poli Sci class that studied the government systems of the UK, France, and Spain. Reading about Canada’s system, brings back memories of that class, similar to Britain.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

In college I took a Poli Sci class that studied the government systems of the UK, France, and Spain. Reading about Canada’s system, brings back memories of that class, similar to Britain.

Yes, we are still a British Commonwealth. We didn't get our panties in a knot about some tea in the 1700s. I don't think there were enough of us here then to actually drink tea.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Yes, we are still a British Commonwealth. We didn't get our panties in a knot about some tea in the 1700s. I don't think there were enough of us here then to actually drink tea.

The older I get, the more I think the British got it right.