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There are a couple of problems with this reply. The biggest problem is that you missed some important facts - both the NDP and Liberal parties have seats in Alb

by hluska 5y ago

There are a couple of problems with this reply. The biggest problem is that you missed some important facts - both the NDP and Liberal parties have seats in Alberta. However, you also dipped a toe into populist arguments. I don’t know your background but Canadians all know about the Liberal/NDP breakthrough in Alberta, so I don’t believe that you’re Canadian. So, next obvious question is why are you talking politics if you don’t even know the most extreme basics?? For example, that silly little thing you said about how Canada tends to favour (you spelled it favor) concentrating political and economic power along the cities of the St. Lawrence is genuinely laughable. Yes, Rebel News says that. But no, it’s really not true. For one, provinces have an unbelievable amount of control. When provinces blame the federal government, it’s to deflect off their own governments’ profound failures. But second, I’m a Western Canadian, always have been and likely always will be. If you’re going to talk about the west like you know it, at least have enough respect to tell the truth. We had a western Prime Minister. Guess what he did?? He fucked the West with the worst economic recovery plan in the entire G8 after the 2008 economic crash. And in 2011, he introduced Bill C-20, which gave Alberta and BC six more seats each, Ontario FIFTEEN more seats and Québec got two. That’s not only a westerner, but that’s THE WESTERNER that Kenney, Moe et all still go to for walking orders. We can’t suddenly claim western alienation because the price of oil dropped especially when a westerner wrote policy that increased it. Perhaps, they have more seats because they have significantly more people? I honestly don’t think you’re Canadian. If you are, please allocate at least 120 hours to studying the basics of citizenship.

pixelgeek 5y ago
Without proportional representation this is always going to be an issue. No party in this country can win an election without winning in Ontario and so that is where the focus of the elections are. Until that system changes then it doesn't matter who is in power or where they came from. Ontario has too much concentrated population.
- hluska 5y ago
  Hahaha - funny coincidence but I used to be really passionate about ProRep, to the point I even annoyed political science majors. I’ve noticed Canadian democracy has an interesting trait and at this point, I don’t know whether it’s a bug or a feature. Our political parties are in favour of ProRep when they’re in opposition, but the second they’re in power, ProRep is one of those really bad swears they just can’t repeat. This is utterly baffling…
  - pixelgeek 5y ago
    Not really. They can't use their usual playbook in most proportional representation systems. Especially the Liberals. They survive by frightening Ontario progressives into voting for them. If those people knew that they could vote, NDP or Green and have those votes count then the Liberals would ne in a significant amount of trouble. As would the Conservatives. If social conservatives could move their votes to a social conservative party they mostly would I suspect
throw0101a 5y ago
> And in 2011, he introduced Bill C-20, which gave Alberta and BC six more seats each, Ontario FIFTEEN more seats and Québec got two. Based on the census. If each citizen's vote is to be counted equally, there's ideally some proportionality to each riding. Of course in reality there's quite a real spread (26K to 132K): * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_of_Canadian_federal_ridings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_of_Canadian_federal... Given that Ontario has three times the population of Alberta, is it any wonder that there are more MPs? * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_and_territories_of_C...
Zigurd 5y ago
I believe he is Canadian, but it also sounds like the US pattern of "We deserve over-representation because look at all this land, or we farm the food, or whatever" is being echoed in Canada.
- SketchySeaBeast 5y ago
  And THAT is a big problem in Alberta - a lot of the more conservative base has come to identify heavily with a lot of American conservative ideals, up to and including throwing American or Confederate flags on their stuff and parroting the same ideology in the form of bumper stickers. There's even a movement to secede and petition to join the United States. It's very bizarre.
- jgon 5y ago
  Alberta is heavily under-represented in our federal government, so I don't know what you think it sounds like, but you're dead wrong. Alberta has 34 seats in parliament with 4.067 million people for an average of 119k people per federal seat. Maritime provinces like Newfoundland have 7 federal seats with a population of 519k, for an average of 74k people per seat. If you look at our Senate, the representation is even more disproportionate. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, with a combined population of 1.8 million people have 24 seats in the Senate, while Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and BC, defined as "The West" and with a population of 11 million receive 24 seats as well. So no, no one is saying "We deserve over-representation because look at our land", people are saying "we are under-represented in the Senate at a 10-1 ratio, and by almost 2-1 in parliament, and still under-represented even if you remove the maritime provinces from the equation". Your statement is empty stereotyping of the most tired variety.
  - 908B64B197 5y ago
    > New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, with a combined population of 1.8 million people have 24 seats in the Senate, while Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and BC, defined as "The West" and with a population of 11 million receive 24 seats as well. Isn't it a fixed number of senators per state/provinces? Wyoming has the same number of senate seats as California for instance.
djkivi 5y ago
Here is an article from Maclean's discussing Canada's post-2008 recession economic performance: https://www.macleans.ca/economy/business/stephen-harper-and-mark-carney-good-or-just-lucky/ https://www.macleans.ca/economy/business/stephen-harper-and-... I think your view of Stephen Harper's performance is not quite correct.
- hluska 5y ago
  Maclean’s has demonstrated that it’s the official news magazine of the Canadian Conservative party. They’re not a source.

by hluska 5y ago

pixelgeek 5y ago

Without proportional representation this is always going to be an issue. No party in this country can win an election without winning in Ontario and so that is where the focus of the elections are. Until that system changes then it doesn't matter who is in power or where they came from. Ontario has too much concentrated population.

hluska 5y ago
Hahaha - funny coincidence but I used to be really passionate about ProRep, to the point I even annoyed political science majors. I’ve noticed Canadian democracy has an interesting trait and at this point, I don’t know whether it’s a bug or a feature. Our political parties are in favour of ProRep when they’re in opposition, but the second they’re in power, ProRep is one of those really bad swears they just can’t repeat. This is utterly baffling…
- pixelgeek 5y ago
  Not really. They can't use their usual playbook in most proportional representation systems. Especially the Liberals. They survive by frightening Ontario progressives into voting for them. If those people knew that they could vote, NDP or Green and have those votes count then the Liberals would ne in a significant amount of trouble. As would the Conservatives. If social conservatives could move their votes to a social conservative party they mostly would I suspect

throw0101a 5y ago

> And in 2011, he introduced Bill C-20, which gave Alberta and BC six more seats each, Ontario FIFTEEN more seats and Québec got two. Based on the census. If each citizen's vote is to be counted equally, there's ideally some proportionality to each riding. Of course in reality there's quite a real spread (26K to 132K): * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_of_Canadian_federal_ridings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_of_Canadian_federal... Given that Ontario has three times the population of Alberta, is it any wonder that there are more MPs? * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_and_territories_of_C...

Zigurd 5y ago

I believe he is Canadian, but it also sounds like the US pattern of "We deserve over-representation because look at all this land, or we farm the food, or whatever" is being echoed in Canada.

SketchySeaBeast 5y ago
And THAT is a big problem in Alberta - a lot of the more conservative base has come to identify heavily with a lot of American conservative ideals, up to and including throwing American or Confederate flags on their stuff and parroting the same ideology in the form of bumper stickers. There's even a movement to secede and petition to join the United States. It's very bizarre.
jgon 5y ago
Alberta is heavily under-represented in our federal government, so I don't know what you think it sounds like, but you're dead wrong. Alberta has 34 seats in parliament with 4.067 million people for an average of 119k people per federal seat. Maritime provinces like Newfoundland have 7 federal seats with a population of 519k, for an average of 74k people per seat. If you look at our Senate, the representation is even more disproportionate. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, with a combined population of 1.8 million people have 24 seats in the Senate, while Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and BC, defined as "The West" and with a population of 11 million receive 24 seats as well. So no, no one is saying "We deserve over-representation because look at our land", people are saying "we are under-represented in the Senate at a 10-1 ratio, and by almost 2-1 in parliament, and still under-represented even if you remove the maritime provinces from the equation". Your statement is empty stereotyping of the most tired variety.
- 908B64B197 5y ago
  > New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, with a combined population of 1.8 million people have 24 seats in the Senate, while Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and BC, defined as "The West" and with a population of 11 million receive 24 seats as well. Isn't it a fixed number of senators per state/provinces? Wyoming has the same number of senate seats as California for instance.

djkivi 5y ago

Here is an article from Maclean's discussing Canada's post-2008 recession economic performance: https://www.macleans.ca/economy/business/stephen-harper-and-mark-carney-good-or-just-lucky/ https://www.macleans.ca/economy/business/stephen-harper-and-... I think your view of Stephen Harper's performance is not quite correct.

hluska 5y ago
Maclean’s has demonstrated that it’s the official news magazine of the Canadian Conservative party. They’re not a source.