Well, there goes my spending power. Maybe.

[robkelk]

Chrystia Freeland, the deputy Prime Minister of Canada, was scheduled to present a financial update to the House at 4pm today.

She just resigned from the Cabinet.


Whatever the reason, this sends a signal to His Orangeness (Premier-elect of the 11th Province!</joke>) that his tactics are working...

[Labster]

The first paper was due at the same time as the drop date, eh?

Bad news for Ukraine, probably.

[robkelk]

When I first heard about this, I thought she was falling on her sword for the country, or at least for the party.

I've now read her resignation letter.

She didn't fall. She was pushed.

[Labster]

Not only was she pushed, she was pushed out by Donald Trump.

How Trump divided Trudeau and Freeland

I’m impressed at the loyalty Governor Trudeau is showing. Appeasement will definitely work this time.

[robkelk]

... Governor Trudeau ...

And fuck you too, Labster.

[robkelk]

After a night's reflection... I'm not yet retracting my comment. I clearly marked my similar statement as a joke, and I would expect one of All The Tropes' bureaucrats to follow ATT:1WAY even off the wiki.

[robkelk]

Prime Minister Trudeau cancels year-end media interviews to “reflect”

I hope he reflects on what happens when one tells one's longest-standing political ally that they're being reassigned to a ceremonial post, when going up against someone who would rather be in charge than be right.

Which means I have a decision to make, because there's an election coming up at some point next year... Who do I vote for?

• The man who's shown he's more interested in keeping power than in serving the country?
  
• The man who can only speak in three-word rhymes and refuses to discuss actual issues, which tells me that he's more interested in gaining power than in serving the country?
  
• The man who's led his party through three elections, ending up with fewer caucus members after each election?
  
• The woman who's leading a party that doesn't have a chance of gaining power?
  

Honestly, the only party that's sounding at all statesmanlike throughout all of this is the one that only runs candidates in one province, and it isn't the province that I live in.

[MilkmanConspiracy]

Maybe Gregory Gurvera will run again on an Ottawexit and to build the Ottowall. He also has no chance of winning, but I’m sure his plan to print money and give everyone a "government job" which for somehow he thinks are easy and cushy will work great for the Ottawa Economy.

Jokes aside, I’m not Canadian, and the Canadian talking heads my friends recommend all seem to talk about America way more than Canada, which makes me not trust them much at all, so not only am I low information, I’m going to be hypocritical and give my take despite not being Canadian, albeit someone with weak ties to Canadians via distant family and some travels a while ago (Both of which by no means gives me much qualification, but perhaps is worth more than being completely ignorant.).

Canada could use a unifying leader like Wilfrid Laurier or Lester Pearson, but I don’t see a person of their caliber at an international media level. If there isn’t a leader that is actually that good, and it doesn’t sound like there is, the best thing to do may actually be to find the one who’s most like to win, and care (At least for their own self interest) what their constituents think and act upon it. If there was enough grassroots support, it may motivate them to act as they should, though the cynic in me says it wouldn’t work either due to a lack of public pressure or for any number of other reasons. Ultimately it comes down to the Canadian people to hold their government accountable, which is easier said than done: They’ve certainly done a better job at it then the countries where I have resided, if that’s any consolation.

[MilkmanConspiracy]

For the record in case it wasn’t clear, I’m under no illusion that most government jobs are easy or cushy. (Correct me if I’m wrong in the case of Canada, but I think it’s nearly universal that government employees are overworked and underpaid)

[robkelk]

Canada could use a unifying leader like Wilfrid Laurier or Lester Pearson, but I don’t see a person of their caliber at an international media level.

Agreed 100% in all respects. The problem is that politics has become so toxic that anybody who can make a living doing something else-- anything else -- is doing so. Foreign interference doesn't help, either.

For the record in case it wasn’t clear, I’m under no illusion that most government jobs are easy or cushy. (Correct me if I’m wrong in the case of Canada, but I think it’s nearly universal that government employees are overworked and underpaid)

True in the short- and medium-term, but career Canadian civil servants are one of the very few groups that still get a defined-benefits index-linked pension. It takes four decades to qualify for one nowadays, but that does happen and it goes a long way to balancing out the payment inequity. (Fair disclosure: I am a career Canadian civil servant, with less than a half year to go before retirement. Yeah, I'm that old.)