Carney's Kryptonite: His Net Worth And How He Made His Money.

It doesn't take a genius, or even a mediocre political strategist, to know the obvious: Carney's Achilles' Heel is his carefully concealed net worth and how that wealth was generated. Carney has gone out of his way to keep that private until he has to. If or when he becomes an elected MP. That speaks volumes: it tells you that he intends to divulge only what is legally strictly necessary.

My hunch is that there's gold in them dar hills: the CPC needs to get the Forbes report on Carney's net worth and how he made his money. And then Pierre has to hammer the results home until election night. It also goes without saying that for this strategy to have its maximum effect, Pierre has to be as financially transparent as one would expect Carney to be once his hand is forced in that direction.

This is about the biggest no-brainer in politics. But so far, the CPC has done nothing material to shed light on Carney's finances and why evasion is his preferred modus operandi. As previously stated, it confirms that CPC political strategists are not worth two-shits. And sigh, Byrne is still there. No wonder, so far we've mastered the art of losing.  

Blackburn voit un vide et se lance dans la course à la direction du PLQ.

On vous rappellera que la quasi-totalité des députés du PLQ avaient déjà choisi d'autres candidats, mais en réalité leur soutien pourrait être fongible. On l'a déjà vu une fois dans cette course. Cependant, les anciens ministres, députés et organisateurs, ceux qui étaient présents lorsque le Parti libéral du Québec était au pouvoir, ont encore quelque chose à dire. Beaucoup d'entre eux ont estimé que les autres candidats manquaient d'expérience ou de qualité. C'est sans doute cette réalité qui se cache derrière la récente réflexion de Blackburn. C'est tard dans la course, mais il est enfin dans le coup. 

Auparavant, on avait parlé d'un effet Rodriguez. Reste à savoir si Blackburn a encore le sens politique pour faire des vagues transformatrices en si peu de temps. À suivre.

CUSMA: Pierre Needs To Find Several International Trade Specialists Fast.

It's all about the art of the deal. A CPC government would have to draft proposals that Trump is unlikely to refuse. I don't see international trade or trade law experts on the Conservative benches. 

Pierre wants to save CUSMA (USMCA) and renegotiate it early. Trump wants to kill it by taking unrealistic and unacceptable positions that no self-respecting sovereign country can possibly agree to. As a result, the CPC should already be preparing position papers on all aspects of the trade agreement with specific proposals on possible modifications. We must get ahead of the curve and make Trump an offer that the United States Chamber of Commerce can't and won't refuse. Get the business lobby on board preemptively, and that should box Trump in. Otherwise, it's only a matter of time before CUSMA expires.

Mulroney Endorses Pierre.

Let's call it strategic pre-positioning. How ironic it will be when Mulroney gets to run against her boss. Eventually. Most of the party won't support either one of them, but at least she has the guts to try. The day the leadership becomes vacant, I'll be supporting MacKay. No surprise there. Eventually. 

As Trump Fades As The Number One Issue, The Real Deal Comes To The Fore: Leader Likability.

Here it is in a nutshell: CPC support is huge and growing. That's why the crowds are mostly record crowds in English Canada. LPC support has increased among Liberals, but their crowds vary in size. The NDP is almost on its deathbed with support rapidly dropping. My bet is that they will lose party status and Jagmeet will suddenly find himself unemployed.

But here's the get real moment: Progressive women are abandoning the New Democrats in droves and moving to the Liberals to block the Conservatives, and if that trend holds, which I expect it will, the CPC will not be able to form government. Much of the Canadian left wants nothing to do with us, and that's why we're still losing in this campaign. 

If Canada Has To Die So Be It.

Look, let's cut through all the bullshit. Western Canada is pissed off and unhappy in this federation and they largely want things their way. They want to choose the next government but likely won't get their wish because Canada exists to serve the interests of Ontario. People think that Quebec is happy and well served by federalism but we ain't. Canada is a status quo vehicle and that's the Ontario vision and dream for Canada -- no reform or rocking the boat. In short, perpetuating a situation where Ontario remains the dominant player in this country.

So...if the Carney Liberals win, which they will, then The West needs to go, period. What's the point of them staying? It would be best under such a scenario if they formed their own country because being the 51st state would amount to being a nothing-burger under Trump. Just another number like say Rhode Island. 

Democracy reigns in this country and for at least a decade or more Ontario will continue to call the national tune. As a result, if Western alienation is now at its peak, then shut the fuck up and stop whining about it à la Trump. Put your money where your clout is and finally do something about it. Just go and be done with it.

The CPC Fifth Column.

I'm up at 5:00 A.M. and not because I want to be. I woke from a semi-sound sleep with treachery on the brain. I simply can't believe that any purported supporter of the CPC could quite deliberately do an end run around our leader for the express purpose of guaranteeing that he loses the election. These wolves in sheep's clothing pretend that their mostly anonymous comments in the press are nothing more than constructive criticism aimed at shoring up the CPC campaign before it's too late. My ass. 

We all know what this is about and it's too cute by half -- it's a deliberately orchestrated campaign to sink the party and its leader. 

These people want us to lose and no doubt hoped we would lose from the get-go. They have a party takeover in mind right after the election with an ultimate aim of positioning and installing their guy as the overall favourite for CPC leader.

The leader's political corpse isn't even cold yet but that's of no importance to them. They prefer to strike while the going is good and strike they have.

And to my astonishment, the leader is refusing to do the one thing which ironically could save his political hide in this election. It's time for us to recognize that by his deliberate conduct, the leader has consigned the party to an almost inevitable defeat. In short, he's played right into their hands!

For Conservatives that means forgetting about winning and concentrate the mind going forward on blocking the cabal's future leadership candidate. Every party member must say No to this duplicitous conduct and deliberate undermining of our campaign and leader. Truly constructive criticism in an election is one thing, aimed at improving the party's chances in a campaign. But gas lighting party members and the public solely for the purpose of advancing the objectives of a future leadership candidate is something else altogether. Most people would call it political treason and abject betrayal.

Pierre Won't Pivot...

Nothing quite like playing right into the hands of the Ontario PCs. They've got to be happier than a pig in shit. Once we lose, they will move heaven and earth to replace Pierre as leader with...wait for it, you know who!

Why Are Ford And The Ontario PCs Not Helping Pierre In This Campaign?

Apparently, to ask the question is to answer it. People need to sear that into their memory. And why it's happening now.

For Antonio: In Percentage.

Abrasilver: 73

BTW: 11

Bannerman: 593

Cerro: 158

Empress: 7

EMX: 10

Equinox: 18

Erdene: 52

Forsys: 12

G Mining: 518

Greenheart: 560

Hecla: 48

Integra: 56

Lavras: 74

Mako: 14

Maritime: 41

Metals Energy: 19

Orezone: 25

Osisko Metals: 51

Paladin: 15

Plata Latina: 31

Radisson: 59

Santacruz: 98

Stinger: 125

Thor: 91

Uranium Energy: 30

Vox: 38

West African: 837

...and plenty of losers too!

Here's How The CPC Wins.

As posted on WarrenKinsella.com:

All of the above are legitimate concerns and insightful points, but they’re inside baseball and can’t get serious traction. None of them are what we need to win. In short, Pierre has to attack Trump DIRECTLY far more forcefully and frequently when the next round of American tariffs comes on April 2nd. And far more importantly, to change the leadership dynamic in this race and remove it from Carney, Pierre has to pledge that an incoming CPC government will not only match Trump tariff for tarrif but will do what the Liberals refuse to do: make sure that all our reciprocal tariffs across the board are for double the percentage the American tariffs are. If Trump goes from 25 to 50, then a Conservative government goes from 50 to 100. That’s the only kind of strength that Trump understands and RESPECTS, and it’s the only way to get him to back down and prematurely abandon his tariffs.

I Told Pierre To Pledge To Double The Anti-Trump Tariffs.

So far, he's not listening. He's not much of a political strategist.

Is Abacus On To Something?

They have the Conservatives and Liberals tied at thirty-nine percent. If Abacus is correct, it means support for both parties is soft and fungible. The Liberals have to consolidate their support as the leading party. The Conservatives have more of a challenge: they must prove that they are the only change agent and that we can do a better job of getting Trump to eliminate tariffs against Canada as quickly as possible. Carney's approach is to play nice and achieve nothing of substance in tariff relief. This is where Pierre has an opportunity. He needs to talk tough but also come up with tradeoffs that Canada could agree to that would prompt Trump to remove the current tariffs or forego future ones on automobiles and other goods. Put another way, Pierre has an incredible challenge: to win in this fight, he has to be prepared to make substantive concessions to the Americans without going too far. What price will Canadians pay to get to a world without tariffs? If the CPC can figure that out, we could still win this election. However, making trade concessions will always be a double-edged sword for any party that agrees to Trump's demands. There's a thin line between making some concessions or going too far and coming off as a sell-out.

CPC: How Long Will It Take To Ditch Byrne? The Clock Is Ticking.

CPC support has been dropping ever since the Liberal leadership race got underway. Some will say it's because of Conservative policies, but that's incorrect. Pierre had the same policies when the CPC was twenty to twenty-five points ahead in the polls for almost two years. The same thing can be said about the leader: no one loves Pierre, but he is not despised either. People were willing to live with him as an indirectly elected prime minister. So, what changed?

The Liberals got a new leader who is a political neophyte who comes off as a privileged person who thinks that he and his background should not be accountable to the press or Canadians. Carney doesn't want us to know how rich he is or what all his elite connections did to benefit him personally over the years.

Canadians know nothing about this. They see a shiny new penny in the window and like it. However, Carney's repeated gaffes are starting to show that the Emperor has no retail politics skills or mastery of sound government practices. 

Again, why did the wheels come off the Conservative campaign? Simply put, the strategic depth in the CPC war room isn't up to the job. Byrne never should have headed the war room. Byrne is there by default because no one else wanted the job or to work with her in a campaign. Her war room is responsible for those disastrous red ads that deliberately distorted Carney's features to make him look devil-like. Byrne did nothing to pull those ads. Did she even have a role in conceiving them? And even worse, the leader let them air. Those ads are responsible more than anything else for tanking CPC numbers, and the continued decline in support flowed from there.

As for the campaign, Byrne must be replaced ASAP by a seasoned operative. Can they convince Teneycke to come over to stabilize a rapidly sinking ship? And will Ford give his blessing? But Teneycke can't do it alone. He will need to bring in an infusion of people.  Without restaffing, this election is already lost. Pierre's strategic abilities aren't up to retooling and rethinking this campaign. He's far too wedded to longstanding party policy and shows no natural inclination towards thinking out of the box. 

In short, drop Byrne now before it's too late. We have one last chance to turn things around. Better make the most of it.

ClunkyTM Leads In Most Polls Since March 15th.

The Liberals keep going up, while ClunkyTM's performance keeps going down. Pierre is doing better and better but we're hardly moving in the polls. Not good.

Angus Reid Is A Disaster For The CPC.

Liberals lead by eight points. Eight points!

So, the Conservative war room is clearly inadequate for the task at hand—winning a majority government. Now, they have two choices: listen to all of us at WarrenKinsella.com or ignore our advice as they've been doing until now. If they keep this up, the LyingAssCarneyLiberalsTM will get a comfortable majority on April 28th, plain and simple.

CR: I'm 1000% With Schumer.

Much of the Democratic Party, especially in the House, are clueless. Pelosi said when she made deals, she always got something in return. Maybe so. She poopooed Schumer and a dozen Democrats and Independents who voted to advance and adopt a CR that had passed the Republican House. Schumer says the Republicans had already signaled that they would not cut a deal while some Democrats claim that's bullshit. Either way, what type of concession could Schumer have got to serve as a fig leaf for voting for the CR? You tell me.

The point being, that a) as Carville put it so well, Democrats have to pick their battles -- and this one ain't it. Why? First off, as in almost all cases, the party that votes against a CR in the Senate gets to wear a government shutdown, no ifs, and's or buts. Schumer knew this only too well going in. 

Remember what happened to Gingrich in the bad old days? And then, b) there's the last Trump shutdown in 2018...well, it's no surprise to anyone. Guess who took the House after that shutdown? In short, the party that didn't cause it, namely, the Democrats.

So, Pelosi and the rest of them are wrong. Dead wrong. If you want to fight a battle in the Senate you do it on a winning issue for Democrats like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, VA benefits, pensions, etc. You don't give Republicans a fucking lifeline by shutting down the government. Schumer got it. A lot of his fellow Democrats, not so much... 

This Prime Minister Is In Over His Head.

By his actions as demonstrated during this past week, our Prime Minister has amply demonstrated that he does not have the royal jelly required to adequately do the job. He is singularly unfit in a way that even Trudeau was incapable of. The man is totally out of his depth and uniquely unqualified for the office he holds. In the fullness of time, that will become apparent to every Canadian. To allow Carney to continue as PM is to put the fate of our country at great risk. The man has no inherent ability to successfully do the job. An election will soon be upon us and it will be imperative that Carney not be returned to office. Way in over his head and simply incapable of navigating that job successfully.

Anand: We're Building A Domestic Resilient Economy.

We're building a domestic resilient economy. Yeah right. They were supposed to start in 2015 but only got around to it ten years later...typical Liberal crap.

Rosie Gets It Wrong Again: On The Carbon Tax.

Poor Rosie, she keeps getting it wrong: Carney did not abolish the carbon tax. He cancelled part of the carbon tax, the one that affects consumers directly on gasoline. The other component, on industrial carbon emissions, remains in place and affects so-called big emitters. I guess nuance and context are not Rosie's strong suit. 

Hillman Is Living In An Alternative Universe.

It's time for Hillman to get candid and realistic: there is NO trust relationship between Canada and the United States. All of that phoney baloney about keeping the same players in place is bullshit. Let me enlighten Carney, his ministers and Hillman - to have a trust relationship, it has to be based on respect and mutual benefit. Trump practices none of that. He has no respect for Canada, our leaders or Canadians. It's about time that Hillman admitted that. Without saying that, she loses all credibility in Canada.

I'm Not A Big Poilièvre Fan But I Want The Liberals Out, So Here I Am.

That's it, in a nutshell.

Polls Still All Over The Place: It's What Kinsella Said That Matters.

Warren distinguishes between traditional land-line polls and internet polls. The latter are far more representative but can be massively distorted in one direction. So, IVR tracking has its advantages and disadvantages. Meanwhile, traditional polling tends to be largely unrepresentative of the masses.

Who knows what's really going on? Innovative Research has the CPC up six, Mainstreet Research has the Liberals ahead by two, and Liaison Strategies has them in the lead by four. 

But once more, Warrren nailed it: none of these polls matter anymore. Only the ones post-Carney as PM will tell the tale all the way to voting day.

CANADA: It Will Be A Coconut Cream Pie Election!

Right now, Carney is the filling and Poilièvre the meringue. Pierre has to turn that around so he can once again be the filling while Carney gets to be the meringue.

A tall order for any politician. Glad my name isn't Pierre.

Who's For Voting For The 15 Million Dollar Man?

Not me!

Will Carney Pull The Plug Tomorrow: Sunday, March 16th?

Nope. He leaves for Europe on Sunday and comes back on Tuesday so my bet is next weekend, not to look too deliberately opportunistic.  

The Next Election: In One Sentence.

If you're Laurier, Pearson, Chrétien and even Mulroney, you win. If you're anyone else, you lose.

Carney Renounces His UK and Irish Passports While Poilièvre Goes With The Harris Strategy.

Carney is in the process of renouncing his British and Irish citizenships. He is doing so now that he serves as prime minister. This is a tricky one: perception seemingly requires that Carney stick only with his Canadian citizenship, but perception isn't everything. After all, Carney's wife is British. So, Carney is playing it safe and removing a possible attack strategy against him. For my part, the loyalty test isn't based on what colour your passport is. It should be based solely on what actions an individual takes. A case in point: look at that traitor south of the border. That guy has been in Putin's pocket since Day One.

Moving on to Poilièvre: he's sticking with the Harris attack strategy - which didn't work. I favoured this strategy and was wrong, so now I know better. Harris called Trump everything but the Antichrist, and she still lost. It's rarely a good idea to be your own attack dog. Potential PMs are supposed to rise above the fray most of the time. Pierre's problem is that he loves being the attack dog and sometimes blows it. He said that Carney thinks Canadians are stupid. You never, EVER, say something like that. Why? If you say that, you're indirectly suggesting that voters who want to re-elect the Liberals for a fourth term are stupid. And that's a top NO-NO when it comes to smart politics. But Pierre just can't clue in. It goes directly from his brain to his mouth without qualification or a political filter. And that's why the CPC will likely lose the next election. 

"Captain Canada" Caves And Gets Nothing In Return.

What a fucking joke: Ford said he was going to impose an export tax on electricity exports to the United States. In other words, he played his strongest card. And then, when Trump did exactly as was expected, a) Ford didn't see it coming and b) had no plan to deal with Trump's threatened fifty percent tariff on steel and aluminum. So, Ford C-A-V-E-D and threw away the only effective card he had in the deck. Someone who actually knows what they're doing would have responded like this: OK, the export tax stays on, and if you double the tariff on steel and aluminum, Ontario will double the export tax. That's how you get an asshole to back down, not by throwing in the towel, asking for a meeting at the White House and getting Lutnick and the other sycophants to play nice with you while promising nothing in the way of American concessions. In short, Ford bluffed, and when it didn't work, simply winged it. 

I've got news for Ford: POS Trump now sees Ford as weak and will make damned sure that no concessions are made to Canada and certainly not to Ontario. They'll meet again next week, and no positive outcomes will come out of that meeting either.

Trump must be laughing: he rolled Ford, just like he made chumps out of Trudeau, LeBlanc and Joly. These people haven't got a clue what they're doing. Put another way, Smith has company at the provincial level. All the Trump tariffs are still there and will remain there, Carney or no Carney, Ford or no Ford. And while you're at it, look up brinksmanship in the dictionary.

Carney Is A Lousy Political Strategist.

What was most obvious going into the leadership race: that the winner of the contest would have to make sure that all wings of the party were well represented in cabinet.

And now we find out that Gould is not in. Can anyone be that stupid? Apparently, Yes. Gould is a rising star in the party and represents the progressive wing, which Carney certainly doesn't. But no matter, she's out! It's political strategy like that that can lose you an election. Just ask Poilièvre.

37.75% Of Liberals Chose The Leader.

What?

The explanation from the party should be interesting, to say the very least. How come so many Liberal members didn't get to vote? How could they have gone with a Canada Post ap?

But 86% is 86%. So, Carney wins hands down.

Liberal Leadership Vote: What A Disaster.

Only 151,000 Liberals have managed to vote as opposed to almost 400,000 party members who were eligible to vote. Not good. The Liberals have really screwed this up. 

There I Said It.

Over at WarrenKinsella.com

I’ve taken my medicine. It helps me to see the true reflection of an individual, you know, a guy who is so totally insecure and inadequate that he has to spend his off-time trying to limit the free speech rights of his fellow Canadians and block their right of expression. A guy who can’t really live up to the job. A third-tier candidate for a first-tier job. At least I will have the quiet satisfaction of watching this know-it-all blow himself right out of the race to occupy the PM’s chair. Maybe you need meds to fix your myriad of self-induced inadequacies. I can pass along my psychiatrist’s phone number since it already shows how much help you need. See you on the election trail!

Will The Liberals Take Off In The Polls Once Carney Has Been Crowned?

Depends very much on Carney's performance. If he does well in the few weeks before he visits the GG, then Yes. But if he does poorly, the Liberal rise in the polls will quickly reverse. So, it's basically wait and see. 

Federal Election: The Ballot Question WON'T Be About Trump.

Simply put, it won't be about Trump or who is better equipped to deal with a deranged lunatic. Conventional wisdom says it will be about Trump, and as per usual, they will be wrong.

The ballot question won't be about who you like. Quite frankly, neither Carney nor Poilièvre are held in any higher esteem than Trudeau is. You can take that one all the way to the bank. No one really likes either one of them. So, the voters will decide who forms the next government based on the lesser of two evils principle: some polls say Carney will win, but most suggest Poilièvre will beat the Liberals.

One of those two polling trends is wrong. Stay tuned!

 

Is The NATO-European Security Trade-Off Dead?

As in all things Trump, he's all over the place on NATO and American commitments to the organization. The original trade-off was a massive American financial contribution in exchange for a common European defence, which would dissuade Russia from moving aggressively against individual countries that fell under the NATO umbrella. In short, European collective security on the American dime. 

Trump's second coming has changed this: he's mused previously about withdrawing from NATO or suggesting that, essentially in its current form, NATO is already dead. Then he moved on to member country defence budgets: first suggesting that each state would have to reach the two percent defence spending ceiling but more recently arguing that each country should pay at least five percent of its GDP on military spending. Most NATO nations aren't close to spending two percent, so imagine what would happen to their domestic economies if five percent suddenly became the order of the day. I get that the United States is tired of paying the freight, and who can blame them? 

Then there's the matter of Ukraine and, more particularly, the view of Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy's argument is essentially two-fold: Young Ukrainians are dying in spades defending their country so that NATO's young people won't have to. The other point is that Ukraine serves as a buffer between NATO and Russia. Were Ukraine to be overrun by Russian forces, that would immediately put Eastern Europe in the crosshairs. It's no secret that Putin's grand ambition is to reconstitute the integrity of the former Soviet Union. If Ukraine falls under Russian control, which country will be next on Putin's list of territorial ambitions?

Zelenskyy has even offered to step down as president if NATO membership were on the table. But Trump doesn't want Ukraine in NATO. Whitaker, Trump's nominee for NATO representative, says Trump's commitment to NATO remains ironclad. We'll see. One suspects that once Whitaker is confirmed, the bullying sessions will immediately commence in Brussels. 

Trump is pushing for a ceasefire and has said previously that he wants to negotiate a deal directly with Russia, extraordinarily enough, without Ukraine's participation. Meanwhile, the United States and Ukraine will meet in Saudi Arabia to iron out the terms of a possible ceasefire proposal. 

The Europeans, for their part, are preparing their own peace deal, which they intend to submit to the United States. It calls for boots on the ground and planes in the air if Ukraine and Russia reach a ceasefire agreement. NATO peacekeepers, instead of independent peacekeepers. That likely would not sit well with Putin, so the European-Canadian plan is probably already a non-starter.

Finally, in light of growing European tensions, the EU and von der Leyen have proposed spending billions to rearm Europe. This new trend is reassuring or menacing, depending on your point of view. Where will Trump come down on this? It's anyone's guess.

 

Smith Endorses Poilièvre.

Smith. In short, a surprise to no one. Now, what will Ford do? Will he speak now or watch the polls instead. To be continued. 

Ekos: Liberal Lead.

LPC: 41

CPC: 36

NDP: 13

GP: 3

BQ: 5

PPC: 1

Are The Polls To Be Trusted: They're All Over The Place.

Hopefully, we're not in another Harris moment: I like Léger and Nanos.

Léger:

CPC: 43

LPC: 30

NDP:13

GP: 4

BQ: 6

PPC: 2

Nanos:

CPC: 37

LPC: 34

NDP: 15

GP: 4

BQ: 8

PPC: 2

A Not At All Sharpie Using A Sharpie.

Pretty much sums it up nicely!

Who The Fuck Is Aged Fifty-Five And BETTER???????????????????????????

Bizarre.

If Trump Wants War With Russia All He Has To Do Is Leave NATO.

That will do it in a New York minute. Putin will start by invading Eastern Europe and, if there is no significant NATO opposition, will move on to Western Europe. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, BibiBrainTM Trump. 

USMCA-CUSMA: Make No Mistake About What Trump's Grand Plan Really Is.

Trump wants to kill USMCA, period. That's it in a nutshell, and he's using everything else as cover to accomplish this.

Fentanyl: Rosie Drops The Ball Again.

Rosie was interviewing O'Gorman from CBSA and not a question about what the RCMP and CBSA are doing to close the illegal fentanyl labs that are operating in Vancouver and Toronto...

UPDATE:

The precursors used to produce fentanyl, namely, phenethyl bromide, propionyl chloride and sodium borohydride are illegally imported into Canada and then combined at the illegal fentanyl labs. CBSA is charged with stopping those imports.  

Ipsos: YIKES!

The leaderless liberals are now ahead of the CPC:

LPC: 38

CPC: 36

NDP: 12

GP: 4

PPC: 3

BQ: 6

It's not looking good.

That Little Weak Man Wants An Apology From Zelenskyy.

What a joke. The raving lunatic's ego has been bruised. Poor baby. Trump has got such low self-esteem, not to mention self-awareness that boo hoo hoo, he needs an apology to feel good.

I've got news for Trump: You won't be getting it anytime soon. So, don't hold your breath because you'll likely go from orange to mango!

Ukraine: Wants Security Guarantees But Already Has Them Thanks To Starmer.

This is all the proof needed that the UK expects WWIII in the short to medium term. Starmer went to Khiv and signed security guarantees last January. So you know what that means: remember the German invasion of Poland in 1939. The Poles had previously signed security guarantees with the UK and France, so when Chamberlain declared war, both countries were, by default, automatically right in it. 

In the final analysis, it doesn't particularly matter if Trump provides security guarantees in exchange for the rare mineral deal because if Russia pushes across NATO borders or tries to overrun Ukraine, the UK will be smack in the middle of it -- that will bring in the rest of NATO and then Trump will be between a rock and a hard place.

As a result, Trump's fun starts as soon as Putin gets going. All those Russian troops mobilized on the Polish and Baltic states' borders aren't there just for show. Put another way, when Putin shows you who he is...  If Putin moves in Eastern Europe, it'll be fireworks and certainly not in a good way.

CPC Anti-Carney Ad Misses The Mark.

Pierre is focused on the wrong target to attack Carney effectively. The CPC went with their stupid carbon tax approach—you know, the tax that every single leadership candidate says is going the way of the Dodo bird. And to add insult to injury, they ran it with that atrocious red colour, which more than effectively negates any positive effects the ad would otherwise have had.

As usual, they are clueless, so I'll have to tell them how it's done: You portray Carney as the Sun King and keep in the shot a luxurious location with champagne, organic gourmet chocolates, strawberries, oysters, etc. You make sure that the ad is in vivid, vibrant, 5K-8K colour. And that's just ad one. For the second ad, you use Carney's serial appearances at the WEF in Davos. And so it goes, ad after ad.

The Ford Balloon Partially Deflates.

So much for ninety-plus seats. LOL. Well, at least I got the direction right: all of Ford's BS and he's no better than right back where he started with a likely seventy-nine seats. Too fucking funny! 

I thought he would get a minority or worse -- but the PCs have managed to save their ass. So much for Ford as Captain Canada. He can't even credibly become Captain Ontario...

In short, PC GOTV didn't do it for them. 

French Debate: The Liberals Are Still The Greatest Liars In Politics.

According to them, Pierre is Trump's son.

Trump's War On DEI Hiring.

Once again, Trump proves he's an idiot: Trump is not only against DEI hiring but he's also going out of his way to fire women and minorities. This dipshit is presuming that all non-white male hiring is not merit-based. Trump is well on its way to sending the United States straight down the road to hell. At least The Anti-Christ and other assorted demons will be thoroughly pleased...can't wait for the midterms. 

Canada: What Is Happening In The Polls?

Éric from The Writ has done more excellent work over at his place. His big takeaway is that the Conservatives have a one-in-four chance of not forming a majority government. Given the CPC's consistent two-year lead, this is highly significant. It confirms that the start of the erosion of CPC support is underway. The good news is that we're still at 42% but one region of the country has now shifted to the Liberal camp, namely Atlantic Canada. 

Éric puts it so well when he writes the following:

"Much of the change in the Liberals’ fortunes has taken place in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. At the moment of Trudeau’s resignation, the Liberal seat-ceiling in Ontario was 19 seats. It’s now 50. It went from 22 to 32 seats in Quebec and seven to 20 in Atlantic Canada, where the Liberals are now projected to win more seats than the Conservatives. The region that was looking like a Liberal wasteland now has a lot of Liberal-leaning and toss-up seats in the projections."

The obvious question is why is this happening? There could be two reasons for this: Carney is seen as a shiny new toy with a limited association with the Trudeau government. Under this scenario, he gets a pass for his past involvement with the Justin Liberals. In short, people aren't moving to the Liberals because of Carney's personality, incredible charisma or political ability -- Carney has all the personality and political sophistication of a pet rock. But people are moving his way nonetheless. For part of the electorate, especially former NDP voters, Carney is the only change incarnation they're willing to vote for. That means trouble for the CPC.

Next, comes the other side of the coin scenario that no fellow Conservative wants to discuss: what is Pierre saying or doing wrong that is responsible at least partly for our drop in the polls? Take his position on the carbon tax: he's still hammering that one home when no Liberal leadership candidate is still committed to it... that shows Poilièvre's lack of political sophistication and ongoing stubbornness. We aren't even in an election yet and the country is moving politically but Pierre is still fighting the last war. Not good. So...the question Pierre has to ask himself, if self-introspection is indeed still possible, is what have I done to erode our support in recent weeks? Put another way, the obvious answer is that whatever he has been doing for the past seven weeks has eroded voter confidence in the CPC message and its leader. That is a testimony to the party strategists' limited ability, to put it charitably. Poilièvre needs to see the expanding writing on the wall and counter it effectively. If Pierre can't rapidly do that, the Liberals will likely regain the lead in Ontario and Quebec. And if that happens, it will be all over for the CPC. If the new prevailing political trend is not effectively countered, Pierre will be known as the guy who blew a twenty-five-point lead in an election. That would mean resigning as leader. I said a while ago that Poilièvre would make or break the next campaign. It's all up to him. In the end, he'll be solely responsible for the result. Like Harper was in 2015. Not Carney, not Trudeau, not anyone else.  

Who Is This Person Who Is Trying To Suppress Free Speech On WarrenKinsella.com?

In short, someone other than the host of the website is trying to block Canadians from expressing their views on this website. If you go over there, you will see the names of ordinary Canadians with a + between their first and last names. What is that you may wonder? It's the mark of an enemies list so that supporters of one party can clearly identify people they consider traitors. 

In addition, if you post a comment below one particular individual's comments, your ability to post further comments is immediately compromised. This person is a nutcase and that's why he or she is continually trying to block other Canadians from posting information that this person does not like. Make no mistake about this -- it isn't a party or its operatives who are doing this, it's one person, period. So far, over months, I have been blocked three times and am currently blocked from posting comments.

Finally, I'm putting the following in capital letters so that people can be crystal clear on this: Warren Kinsella HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THESE ATTEMPTS AT CURTAILING CANADIANS' RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH. No one associated with Kinsella, nor associated with his website is involved either. So, it's up to each and every one of you to draw your own conclusions as to who is serially responsible for these disruptions in Canadians' right to free speech.

UPDATED: As of Sunday, February 23rd, I have regained access to Warren's website.

Trump: How Sweet It Is For The Opposition After Only One Month.

From The Intelligencer:

"But by far Trump’s greatest vulnerability is over his management of an economy where renewed signs of inflation are evident, and where his policies, once implemented, could make conditions worse. Already, his job-approval ratings on managing the economy are slipping a bit, as a February 19 Reuters-Ipsos poll indicated:

[T]he share of Americans who think the economy is on the wrong track rose to 53% in the latest poll from 43% in the January 24–26 poll. Public approval of Trump’s economic stewardship fell to 39% from 43% in the prior poll …

Trump’s rating for the economy is well below the 53% he had in Reuters/Ipsos polling conducted in February 2017, the first full month of his first term as U.S. president.

And a mid-February Gallup survey found 54 percent of Americans disapproving Trump’s handling of the economy and 53 percent disapproving his handling of foreign trade. More ominous for Trump if the sentiment persists is that negative feelings about current economic conditions are as prominent as they were when they helped lift Trump to the presidency. The WaPo-Ipsos poll noted above found that 73 percent of Americans consider the economy “not so good” or “poor,” with that percentage rising to 76 percent with respect to gasoline and energy prices and 92 percent with respect to food prices."

Thank you, President Buchanan!

Ukraine's Critical Minerals: How It Will Screw Russia.

TheExtortionistTM is playing for keeps. Basically, if Zelenskyy doesn't say Uncle, dipshit Trump will cut off funding. So, Zelenskyy will have to cave.

But here's the fun part of minerals in exchange for aid: imagine if Putin somehow manages to start overrunning Ukraine then what type of a box will Trump be in? In short, Trump would have to defend Ukraine not to lose those minerals, which at that point would be American assets. Putin must be livid. Trump, by some strange twist of fate, is doing unintentionally more to fuck the Russians than all the aid provided since the invasion. Got to love the law of unintended consequences.

You NEVER, EVER, Fuck With The Deep State.

He's serially fucking with The Deep State. It won't end well for him...

Nanos & Léger.

Nanos now has the CPC lead at seven points, while Léger has it at eight points. Will that hold going forward?

Nsauga Ontario Local News Unscientific Poll.

 If Carney is leader:

47.6% (11851) = vote Liberal;

45.5% (11319) = vote Conservative;

4.3% (1064) = vote NDP;

2.7% (665) = vote Green.

KingLoserTM Betrays Ukraine.

KingLoserTM betrays Ukraine and proves for all to see that he's still in Putin's pocket. Next Trump will betray NATO and then Putin will invade Poland and The Baltics. So...no more war in Ukraine but WWIII on the horizon. Great, going moron!

Marc Bélanger has bad memories of Pablo Rodriguez in the Liberal Party of Canada.

According to Bélanger, Pablo is only a half-hearted Quebec nationalist. Recognizing the Quebec nation was not one of Rodriguez's priorities in Ottawa. You're going to make me lose face because I told the people in the [LPC] caucus not to worry that I had you under control. 

Yes, we all know that Rodriguez is a great controller. We've seen plenty of evidence of that in politics and elsewhere. 

Moreover, Bélanger doesn't understand how a federally elected official from Quebec can accept Mary Simon's appointment as Governor General. In fact, Pablo seemingly had no problem with Trudeau's decision. Bélanger says this position disqualifies him from running for the QLP leadership.

Pablo is a Quebec nationalist who doesn't like to make waves. He is one of those who have natural reservations when it comes to Quebec nationalism. 

Marc Bélanger garde un mauvais souvenir de Pablo Rodriguez au sein du Parti libéral du Canada.

Selon Bélanger, Pablo n'est qu'un nationaliste québécois en demi-teinte : la reconnaissance de la nation québécoise ne faisait pas partie des priorités de Rodriguez à Ottawa. Tu vas me faire perdre la face, parce que j'ai dit aux gens du caucus [du PLC] de ne pas s'inquiéter, que je te maîtrisais. 

Oui, nous savons tous que Rodriguez est un grand contrôleur. Nous en avons eu de nombreuses preuves en politique et ailleurs. 

De plus, Bélanger ne comprend pas comment un élu fédéral québécois peut accepter la nomination de Mary Simon au poste de gouverneur général. Pourtant, Pablo semble n'avoir eu aucun problème avec la décision de Trudeau. Selon Bélanger, cette position le disqualifie pour se présenter à la direction du PLQ.

Pablo est un nationaliste québécois qui n'aime pas faire de vagues. Il est de ceux qui ont une réserve naturelle envers le nationalisme québécois.

National Security: Trump Proves He's A Reckless Imbecile.

I'll say one thing for Trump: this took a lot of chutzpah though the President is likely to regret it. OPM is offering buyouts to career civil servants and that offer even extends to national security agencies. Offers have already gone out to CIA personnel. Trump wants to put his stamp on governmental agencies. Translation: stack them with his people and then control them. 

Trump can choose his guy for CIA or any of the other agencies but this thing won't be taken lying down. National security will suffer because career officers and analysts have precious expertise that cannot easily be replaced or replicated. In short, America will be far less safe if these buyouts go ahead in the area of national security and counter-terrorism.

In short, not a decision that a thinking president would make. Ultimately, Trump will suffer the consequences, likely in more ways than one. The clock is already ticking on Ukraine, NATO and other assorted top-drawer national security issues. This decision definitely won't help matters one bit. 

Tariffs And Retaliatory Tariffs.

To win against Trump, you have to out-tough the bully. And that WON'T happen with dollar-for-dollar reciprocal tariffs. For every tariff that Trump puts in place, you must bring in double the percentage of reciprocal tariffs. If you do that, it will impose the maximum hurt possible on the American economy and that will inevitably lead to tariffs and reciprocal tariffs being of as short duration as possible. Otherwise, Trump wins with his tariffs staying on for far longer than would have been the case.

For Those Of You Who Are Wondering Why Today?...

Basically, I decided to put my ego in check for the greater good. 

Take A Stand! Buy Harper's Flags of Canada.

Stephen Harper: The raucous birth of our great flag 

I have also been in love with flags since I was little. Good on Harper.

Believe Putin's Threats.

 NATO warship targeted in 'Russian sabotage attack' as WW3 fears explode

CPC: CANADA FIRST Rally.

In short, Pierre hit it out of the park. If the rest of his speeches are like this one, Carney won't have much of a chance in the election. I just loved the CARNEY-Trudeau Liberals. Great piece of political strategy. We should use that moniker all the way to the election. Never, ever, let up! He artfully put Carney on the defensive on the carbon tax. He made the case effectively on natural gas exports, pipelines, inter-provincial trade barriers, illegal immigrants, border, fentanyl, defence and protection of the Arctic. So, I have no complaints.

If nothing else, this speech proved without a doubt that we have no hidden agenda. It's A Common Sense Canada-First Agenda. 

Canada will meet that moment.

You Know The CPC Is In Trouble...

when it takes yours truly to scream at them to finally start attacking Carney. What would have happened if I had said nothing? 

Did you see Miller at the CPC rally? Fair game but his message was totally refuted by that insane loser with a sign. Those Liberals, what they won't do to reclaim their supposed divine right to continue in office.

CPC: Finally Taking On Carney!

It's about time.

Thank You To My Readers.

I feel very grateful and humble for your support. I really appreciate that you are willing to come here and read my stuff. I will try to keep it interesting.

Poilièvre's Arctic Policy.

I support this with one caveat: if we're going to have an operational base in the North, it goes without saying that the base must be occupied by special forces, to say the very least. Were the Russians to threaten our sovereignty, it would take elite troops to at least hold the line and hopefully repel them with American assistance.

Léger: CPC Only Up By Three.

God help us if Carney goes for a quick election. 

Pablo: QLP leadership: a referendum would ‘please’ Trump.

Pablo maintains that a referendum in the Parti Québécois' first term would please the idiot in the White House. According to Rodriguez, such a referendum would create insecurity, instability and division within Quebec society. The pan-Canadian approach to relations with the United States would be no more.

I don't think that these divisions would make Trump happy. In English Canada, we've seen our fellow citizens strengthen the ties that bind them. But in Quebec, for the most part, the solidarity that exists is clearly of a Quebec character.

Anglophones here and elsewhere will, for the most part, unite to save Canada from the threat posed by the Trump Administration. In Quebec, it's a different story: faced with Trump's blackmail and intimidating rhetoric, many Quebecers recognize the next logical step, and that's what the Parti Québécois is counting on.

Unfortunately, Trump is here for another four years. Our society is evolving, maturing and strengthening its collective spirit. Logic leads us to reflect on our political structures, both in Quebec and elsewhere. We shall see whether the PQ forms the next government and if that will be to its advantage, but in the meantime, Quebec society is growing and flourishing. This trend is not advantageous to Quebec federalists or the government in Ottawa. Trump is unwittingly encouraging Quebec nationalism by his actions and words. It remains to be seen whether the PQ will finally be able to realize its dream and build the society envisioned by Lévesque, Parizeau, Bouchard and many others. 

Pablo : Course du PLQ : un référendum ferait « plaisir » à Trump.

Pablo nous dit qu'un référendum dans le premier mandat du Parti québécois ferait plaisir à l'idiot de la Maison Blanche. Selon Rodriguez, un tel référendum créerait de l'insécurité, de l'instabilité et de la division au sein de la population québécoise. L'approche pancanadienne des relations avec les États-Unis serait rompue.

Personnellement, je ne suis pas sûr que les divisions de la société québécoise feraient le bonheur de Trump. Au Canada anglais, nous avons vu nos concitoyens renforcer les liens qui les unissent. Mais au Québec, pour l'essentiel, la solidarité qui se manifeste est clairement de nature strictement québécoise.

Les anglophones d'ici et d'ailleurs vont, pour la plupart, s'unir pour sauver le Canada de la menace que représente l'administration Trump. Au Québec, c'est une autre histoire : face au chantage et aux propos intimidants de Trump, beaucoup de Québécois voient la suite logique, et c'est sur cela que compte le Parti québécois.

Malheureusement, Trump est là pour quatre autres années. Notre société évolue, gagne en maturité et renforce son esprit collectif. La logique nous amène à réfléchir sur nos structures politiques, tant au Québec qu'ailleurs. Nous verrons si le PQ forme le prochain gouvernement et si cela sera à son avantage, mais en attendant, la société québécoise grandit et s'épanouit. Cette tendance n'est pas à l'avantage des fédéralistes québécois ni au gouvernement d'Ottawa. Trump encourage involontairement le nationalisme québécois par ses gestes et commentaires. Il reste à voir si le PQ pourra enfin réaliser le rêve et construire la société de Lévesque, Parizeau, Bouchard et bien d'autres. 

Yup. Your Average American Is A Moron!

Pathetic. What a bunch of losers. Trump is tariffing the whole fucking planet and these blockheads are pleased as punch. Trump's approval number is the highest it has ever been. Incredible how the average American knows nothing about most things. Tariffs lead to increased prices, which will lead to an inflation spike. The dollar's buying power will drop while incomes don't go up. And yet these numbskulls are cheering him on. Just wait until the jobs start to disappear and the economy goes into a tailspin right smack into a recession...but knowing these fools, they'll still be egging Trump on right up until they go bust. Yes, sir or ma'am, you're getting the government you deserve.

CPC: From Protest Vessel To Party Losing Ground.

Welcome to Crunch Time where Pierre's mettle will be sorely tested. He's had a free ride up until now with a two-year consistent polling lead of between twenty and twenty-five points. But the good old days are gone for good now that the Liberals are about to change leader.

The outgoing Prime Minister is also helping them in the polls as he fights TheLunaticTrumpTM. No one ever expected that. So pick your pollster but take all those numbers with a large grain of salt. My focus is on lead shrinkage: IR has us up thirteen while PD has the CPC only ahead by six. If PD is to be believed, we've dropped nineteen points from our base high, or if you prefer, only fourteen points from our recent polling average.

Pierre is another Ford, the type of guy who consistently underpolls his party which isn't good news. Ford foresaw a lead pipe cinch election and yours truly said previously that Ford was full of beans. How will the Liberal afterglow affect Poilièvre once Carney becomes leader? No question that Carney will get a bounce, one that will probably be more pronounced if he can successfully fight Trump. 

So, in the final analysis, the election will only be about which man you want to see in the PM's chair. Carney will get there first. Pierre will either make or break his chances of becoming PM. Right now, we're still in majority government territory. Remains to be seen if we can hold there. Our main problem is that we have no natural dancing partner should it come to forming a minority government. The Liberals have frenemies they can count on when push comes to shove. In our case, having not cultivated constructive alliances, all we can do is yearn for the days when Social Credit was there to possibly bail us out. In this Parliament, the CPC has no-takers now that the Liberals are shopping for a new leader. Not good.

Trump: Always Looking For Someone New To Hate.

Trump signed an Executive order to ban transgender people from competing on women's or girls' sports teams. Like everything Trump, it was a gaslighting production. The Chief Moron was surrounded by young girls as he signed the order. Of course, anyone with a brain already knows that there are no trans athletes on teams that those girls play on since kids of that age are far too young to undergo trans procedures. The Liar In Chief already knows that but promoting hate is always Job One for him. 

Trump proudly demonizes a community that is less than one percent of the population. Fortunately, God is watching and steadily adding Xs to Trump's whiteboard. When Trump dies, may he burn in Hell. How fitting given that Trump continuously does everything he possibly can to get there. 

Trump: The President Of A Lemon-Aid Stand Well On Its Way To Abject Failure.

Trump doing what he does best. Disaster after disaster and it hasn't even been a month yet. 

Somewhere, God and Jesus are broadly smiling. Musk apparently not. Great going, Donald J. Buchanan. 

And I Thought The Trudeau Liberals Were The Ultimate In Political Stupidity...

But wait for it -- the LPC is even more stupid than the Trudeau Liberals are. What kind of party schedules an English-language debate in Montreal?

If you want to make gains in BC, you schedule it either in Vancouver or Victoria. Another typical Liberal decision with no depth. At least Conservatives, the NDP and the Bloc got a good laugh.

Blocking Ron. The New Political Game, Round Two.

Well, they've blocked me again so I can't post comments on my favourite political website, you know, the one run by the best war roomer in Canada.

The problem with this bunch is they expect you to kiss their ass. They're fine with that. But the moment you dare to exercise your free speech rights and criticize the leadership, or take on those Western buffoons who are sadly in office in a certain jurisdiction, then they declare all-out war.

OK. So all-out war it is. But just keep in mind that I don't take prisoners so you guys better be at your tip-top best because I intend to make your political lives memorable, to say the very least. You crossed that red line one time too many. That was your big mistake.

Carney: We Need To Start Knocking Him Down Now.

Pallas Data is a pollster I was not aware of. But they have found this:

CPC: 40

LPC: 34

NDP:12

BQ:  7

GP:   3

PPC: 3

We better not drop below 36-37.

Ford: Will Lose Big. Will It Be A PC Minority Or Will The Liberals Win?

Right now, it looks like a PC minority. But with Ford's longstanding personal unpopularity and his opportunistic and cynical election call, Yes, the Liberals could win in a surprise end result. Watch the polls to get an idea which way the wind is really blowing but don't take polling results like they come from God. 

What Kind Of Idiot Accepts Hockey Tickets From Companies That Your Government Does Business With?

In two words: Danielle Smith.

Carney: The Liberal Elitist's Elitist Speaks On Chinese Attack On Freeland.

Firstly, [...]

Secondly, [...]

Thirdly, [...]

Come on. What kind of out-of-touch politician speaks to everyday Canadians like that? Even Michael never spoke that way. Carney is on a different planet than your average Canadian. The Elitist'sElitistTM has so much to learn about politics. 

Will Trump Sink The Stock Markets On Monday?

I hope so!

Smith: The Mar-a-Lago Trump Gaslighter.

Maybe Smith thinks she's Governor of Alberta. Her gaslighting doesn't cut the mustard. The oil and gas tariffs are only ten percent because if they were at twenty-five, Trump, MAGA, federal and state Republicans would already be done as dinner. Smith has done nothing to forestall or limit Trump tariffs. Her suggestions to the contrary are a visit to FantasyLandTM.

Léger and EKOS Polls.

Are they both wrong, or is only one of them wrong? Léger has the CPC leading by eighteen points while EKOS has them leading by only three points. What? Don't trust any of the polling going forward.

Elon And The Far-Right.

A surprise to no thinking person. You know what they say about birds of a feather.

Rosie Sure Was Tough On Freeland.

It was impressive to watch. Freeland must be livid but not Carney!

Some Morons In Oil & Gas Think It's About Negotiating With Trump...

Wrong, dumbasses. It's only really about Trump wanting to take over Canada and integrate it into the United States. Got it, bibi brains?

So all industries, INCLUDING oil and gas get to suffer together. No exemptions for you guys. We all get to feel the strain and pain together as Canadians. You guys can like it or lump it, but no carve-outs are coming for oil and gas or any other energy sector. Period.

Trump: Disciple of Jacksonian "Democracy".

Jackson's portrait hangs "proudly" in the Oval Office. Trump views himself as a logical extension of so-called Jacksonian Democracy.

This is what Jacksonian Democracy is really all about in Jackson's own words:

[...]"The present policy of the government is but a continuation of the same progressive change by a milder process. The [Indian] tribes which occupied the countries now constituting the eastern states were annihilated or have melted away to make room for the whites. The waves of population and civilization are rolling to the westward, and we now propose to acquire the countries occupied by the red men of the South and West by a fair exchange, and, at the expense of the United States, to send them to a land where their existence may be prolonged and perhaps made perpetual.

Doubtless it will be painful to leave the graves of their fathers; but what do they more than our ancestors did or than our children are now doing? To better their condition in an unknown land our forefathers left all that was dear in earthly objects. Our children by thousands yearly leave the land of their birth to seek new homes in distant regions. Does humanity weep at these painful separations from everything, animate and inanimate, with which the young heart has become entwined? Far from it. It is rather a source of joy that our country affords scope where our young population may range unconstrained in body or in mind, developing the power and faculties of man in their highest perfection.

These remove hundreds and almost thousands of miles at their own expense, purchase the lands they occupy, and support themselves at their new homes from the moment of their arrival. Can it be cruel in this government when, by events which it cannot control, the Indian is made discontented in his ancient home to purchase his lands, to give him a new and extensive territory, to pay the expense of his removal, and support him a year in his new abode? How many thousands of our own people would gladly embrace the opportunity of removing to the West on such conditions! If the offers made to the Indians were extended to them, they would be hailed with gratitude and joy."

For Trump, it's all about Manifest Destiny, where political coercion, pressure and blackmail can be used to force the dissolution of a sovereign neighbour. It's also about American entitlement to Canadian lands with the benefit largely going to the acquirer. 

That's what the Trump Tariffs are really about. Make no mistake about it. It's about Trump's clear desire to acquire Canada by hook or by crook. Trump wants Canadians on bended knee, paying him homage. In Trump's mind, or at least what's left of it, it's a singular privilege bestowed on Canadians -- such a glorious invitation that no right-minded Canadian could refuse, at least from the American perspective.

So, think what you will as rational human beings about resolving this dispute but there are no chances of doing so while Trump is in office. Trump will not bend, backtrack, compromise or see reason. Some view an early or eventual renegotiation of CUSMA-USMCA as a possible out. In fact, sadly they're dreaming. If Trump does not get his way, he will simply do away with CUSMA within the next two years without replacement. That's the Trump Master Plan, so Canada and Mexico better be prepared for it. In Trump's mind, he can obviously win now or later -- but either way, the economic ruin of Canada is well on its way. As long as Trump remains in office, he will be an existential threat to Canadian sovereignty.

Pierre For Now Goes Further Than Trudeau.

Trudeau will announce a second round of tariffs in three weeks. Pierre is pushing now for dollar-for-dollar tariffs, including on steel and aluminium. His other points that are part of his Canada-first retaliatory tariffs include: approaching American states that will be up for grabs in the 2026 election cycle, bringing in a tax cut based on tariff revenue, boosting interprovincial trade and removing tariff barriers, injecting funds to strengthen our military, approving natural resource projects and securing the border. 

So far, so good, but he needs to take a clear position on oil and gas, electricity, hydro, nuclear, and other energy projects. Does he support retaliatory tariffs in these sectors? Yes or No? No federal politician can cop out on this one. There cannot be and will not be any special carve-outs in any sector. Pierre already knows the rest of the country won't stand for that. It's in our interest in the CPC to remember which way the national wind is blowing.

Dear Trump Dumbass.

Dear Trump Dumbass,

We would rather not exist period than join a United States run by a fanatical nutcase who belongs in a psychiatric ward rather than the Oval Office. So, go fuck yourself, Trump. It ain't happening, EVER. Get that in your deluded psychologically disturbed what is left of a mind.

Affectionately yours,

Canada and her people.

Canadian Retaliatory Tariffs - Round One.

We need to work in solidarity with every other liberal democracy that Trump has hit with unjustified tariffs. Might will make right as a block and we will kick his sick, sorry orange ass.

English:

List of products from the United States subject to 25 per cent tariffs effective February 4, 2025 - Canada.ca

Français:

Liste des produits en provenance des États-Unis assujettis à des tarifs de 25 % en vigueur dès le 4 février 2025 - Canada.ca

Poor Old CBC Still Clueless: NAFTA No Longer Exists.

It's called CUSMA, bibi brains...

Trump Tariffs: From The Beginning Why Were The PM and Premiers Hopeful?

That asshole said it publicly: the only way Canada would be subject to no tariffs was if it became the 51st state. Where's the wiggle room around that? Nowhere, that's where.

You guys and gals really need to up your game against this POS.

Retaliatory Tariffs: Break That Bastard!

That POS only understands one thing: hits on the American economy. So...bring in DOUBLE the value of Canadian tariffs on everything the Americans do. That's the only language Trump understands. Get to it as  soon as the U.S. tariffs are announced.

MoronTrumpTM About To Spike Inflation With His Tariffs.

He's such a totally useless dipshit. Wonder if the MAGA boot lickers and ass kissers are finally getting it? Yes, the idiot appeared before the WEF. He's also bringing in tariffs against Canada and Mexico and that will send inflation soaring. Translation: American consumers will be hit in the pocketbook. I guess Mr. Trillionaire and Trump's billionaire buddies don't give a shit but the average American will. Ah, can't wait for 2026 and that Democratic landslide in both the House and the Senate. How Sweet It Is, as Gleason would say.

Is Jackass Trump Going To Be Putting Tariffs On Canadian Oil And Gas?

The loser won't put tariffs on our oil and gas if we give in to his blackmail and drop the WCS price to even lower levels. They're already buying our oil and gas at a considerable discount, yet he wants us to lower our price even more. Well, go fuck yourself. Bring in the tariffs, if only so Canadians can see the priceless outcome of Smith stop kissing Trump's ass. That would be worth at least her weight in gold. Like Trudeau, she's definitely a national disgrace.

The youth wing: Pablo starts to use his head.

Pablo wants to increase the Youth Commission's budget: He wants to give them [TRANSLATION] "a permanent presence in the party, either by hiring full-time or part-time staff, depending on the executive's needs."

He also plans on meeting with the executive once a month when he is leader.

Although the executive is neutral, youth wing members support various candidates. At present, Milliard's campaign is clearly in the lead, while Rodriguez is in second place. To win the race, a campaign must win at least a majority of the youth vote.  

L'aile jeunesse : Pablo commence à se servir de sa tête.

Pablo veut augmenter le budget de la Commission jeunesse : Il veut donner « une présence permanente au parti, soit par l'embauche d'une ressource à temps plein ou à temps partiel, selon les besoins à déterminer par l'exécutif ».

Il s'engage en outre à rencontrer l'exécutif une fois par mois lorsqu'il sera le chef.

Bien que l'exécutif soit neutre, les membres de l'aile jeunesse prennent parti pour différents candidats. À l'heure actuelle, la campagne de Milliard est clairement en tête, tandis que Rodriguez occupe la deuxième place. Pour gagner la course, une campagne doit obtenir au moins la majorité des voix des jeunes. 

Pierre Is Rightfully Ignoring The Sanctimonious Know-It-All Conservative YouTubers.

They're so full of themselves. I thought only the Pope was seemingly infalible. But these guys are way out there tearing everyone down and trying to get the leader to bend to their whims. They are so full of shit and arrogant to the tenth degree. Monumental egos that are already way out of control. Well, screw all of you. We're going to win this election despite all these yahoos. Harper made the mistake of listening to that sanctimonious crowd in 2015 and he paid dearly for it. His government was gone. Poilièvre won't make that kind of a fatal mistake. So, get your huge egos in check and shut the fuck up if you can't say something constructive or helpful about our country and future CPC government.

Trump Impeachment 2025: It's Coming Before December.

This imbecile is doing everything he can to favour Musk and shit on his own supporters. Ah, Yes, the smell of impeachment in the air. MAGA will learn their lesson the hard way but will finally break with Trump and demand that the Republican House impeach him. And this time, the Senate will convict and POS will be gone and finally represent the national disgrace that he always has been. Trump, the ultimate loser's loser.

The Fun Part Is Watching Trump Supporters Go Berserk Over Trump At The WEF.

Ha, ha, ha! Trump has rolled and disrespected MAGA once again but they're still with him. What a fucking bunch of morons.

Columbia And Mexico Say Fuck You Trump!

Hilarious. They sent Trump's planes right back to the States. Shows they aren't gutless like Guatemala. All of the world is cheering for Columbia and Mexico. Good going, great move. Keep it moving.

Rosie: Where's Your Reporting That Butts And Telford Are Not Working On Behalf Of Carney?

Rosie, you really dropped the ball on this one. How about a correction? You should start reading Lilley.

Carney: You'll See His Policy By The End Of The Week.

In other words, Carney has no policy and is counting on other people to come up with it. Put another way, Carney has been in the UK for so long, that he personally knows diddly about Canadian policy on anything. That's why there are no press conferences or interviews that would show Carney to be out of his depth. Let's be clear, he's far more rusty than Ignatieff and isn't a quick learner on the job like Michael was.

So, this must frustrate Freeland to no end, who is a policy master. I guess she doesn't know her colleagues very well: for Liberals, power is the only thing. Their choice of leader is certainly not based on what is best for Canada or even the party -- what it's all about for these politicians is who can advance their individual careers the best and in their estimation, that means Carney. What a cynical and self-serving bunch these Carney supporters are. But it ain't all bad, at least they aren't TheCaptainOfCynicismTM. That title and dishonour rests with Doug Ford, to blatantly steal one from Andrew Coyne. 

Milliard On CBC.

It was a nice, solid performance.

Milliard sur CBC.

C'était une belle prestation. Solide.

Lantsman At Carney's Beaches-East York Event.

I certainly will give her A for effort but this isn't the kind of political strategy I would push. Why? Because for a lot of people, it leaves the impression that the CPC is scared of Carney and views him as a serious threat when in reality Carney's candidacy is a last-gasp effort to reverse a consistent polling trend by possibly running an elitist outsider who was more than prepared to be Trudeau's finance minister. I'm nonplussed about Carney. Pierre and caucus should be the same. 

The "Feminist" Party Doesn't Want A Female Leader.

Come on. Is anyone really surprised at the height of Liberal hypocrisy? It was already legendary under Trudeau and is even greater now. Most of cabinet is rallying around Carney while the "new" broom has Butts and Telford on his team. In short, much more of the same behind a relatively shiny object. 

Most Of Trudeau's Cabinet Is Lining Up Behind Carney.

If my name is Pierre, I would be beyond thrilled. This script practically writes itself. It's bad enough for the Liberals that Carney is the elitist's elitist but now at least a plurality of Trudeau's cabinet is actively egging him on. Anand is for Carney. Champagne's endorsement is coming next. Man, oh, man, what a precious gift for the CPC!

Most ministers won't support Freeland because many of them think Freeland kick-started the process that led to Trudeau's demise. They blame Freeland, rather than Trudeau, for continued Liberal unpopularity and chaos. You know what they say in politics: don't shoot the messenger but many Liberals want to do so. That means Freeland is already in trouble and clearly running behind. 

For his part, Carney is intensively working on his French not that it will help him much in Quebec. Even in this province, most people want to see the back of the Liberals. They want change and that means Poilièvre, at least at the national level. Undoubtedly, the CPC will also make gains in Quebec.

What good fortune for Pierre. Running against Carney is like waking up from a pleasant dream.

Will Canada Get Its Act Together?

Trump is not an existential threat to Canada. He only becomes one if we let him. Our job at the federal, provincial and territorial levels is to fight back hard, blow for blow. In short, our job is to make the price of American gas go up as much and as quickly as possible. MAGA needs to be pinched in the pocketbook but good. That's the only way they will turn on Trump and his economic madness.

So...everything has to be on the table: oil, gas, electricity, hydropower along with other energy sources. We have to play hardball and keep ratching up the pressure until that idiot finally says Uncle. Anyone who thinks that an across-the-board tariff isn't in the cards is dreaming. Trump will start with 25% and then raise it from there. 

Pushback is the only language that this chump understands. So, get to it now. 

Who In Their Right Mind Calls A Winter Election?

My gut says this is a monumental blunder on Ford's part. Mandate against Trump, my ass. He's Ontario Premier, not  Prime Minister. 

Are people really going to fall for this bullshit? I don't think so. This is a power grab for the sake of a power grab. Nothing more. Watch Ford, at the very least, lose seats and if the average voter really gets pissed off, watch the Progressive Conservatives end up with a minority. That would be fun to watch. Another sure thing gone wrong. Just like May. The only inevitable in politics is never take voters for idiots or endlessly gullible. Jesus, this thing stinks all the way to Hell and back. 

MAGA: Such Losers With No Class.

The Trump sycophants booed every Democratic president as they arrived at Dipshit's inauguration. You didn't see anything like that when Biden was inaugurated. It's impossible to overestimate how much these morons, bootlickers and ass-kissers are no-class losers. At least they are a perfect reflection of their president. You know what they say, birds of a feather...

Bill 21 Heads To The Supreme Court.

This appeal is more for show than anything else. Legault invoked Section 33 of the Charter so that specific sections of the Charter could not override the law's provisions. Other rights not subject to Section 33 can be adjudicated by the high court.  We all have an opinion on the law: I don't agree with all its provisions, but I imagine that most of them will pass the Section 33 test.

As you will recall, Section 33 was the bitter pill that Trudeau had to swallow to get the Charter. Therefore, expect the Supreme Court to uphold its validity. 

Provinces are sovereign in areas of provincial jurisdiction and this law is no exception to that.  

Freeland Will Scrap Trudeau's Capital-Gains Tax Increase.

Well, what about you, Pierre? The CPC should do the same.

UPDATE: A friend just set me straight on this. Looks like I'm six days late...Poilièvre has already pledged to scrap the Trudeau hike. My apologies.

Poor Ford: Is He The Next Theresa May?

I sure as hell wouldn't call an early election. Right now, Ford has it in the bag, but so did May. Her polling numbers were very good, but then the bottom fell out in the campaign, and May lost seats. Ford looks to be in LaLaLandTM to me. It's a bit too arrogant and presumptuous for my liking. 

You Mean Vivek And Elon Are No Longer Best Buds? Well, I never!

Ah, the MAGA-fun is just getting started. Now for round two: Trump wants TikTok, Musk wants TikTok. Guess who is going to win this round? You got it. Then will come the next earthquake.

Warren Kinsella: Emperor Of Skies.

In short, there are no words to adequately describe a KinsellaSkyTM. A gift from heaven.

It Won't Take Long For Trump To Go Too Far For The American People.

And when he does, sometime in 2025, the American people will demand that the Republican House impeach him for the third time -- and this time, the Senate will convict and Trump will be G-O-N-E! You read it here first.

Trump Tariffs: It's Your Move, Pierre.

I hope Pierre takes the hardest possible line with Trump. He needs to know that Canada's next government really means business. I hope we impose double the tariffs that the Americans do. And in addition to tariffs, add an export tax and other possible surcharges on oil, gas, electricity, hydropower -- whatever the Americans are desperate for. Hit those fuckers where they live and Trudeau better be quick about it. 

The Anti-Christ Has Really Dropped His Guard: It's There For All To See.

So pay fucking attention and expect the absolute worst. We know who's running the show. 

Документальний фільм CBC News Network про Путіна.

Гарпер сказав Путіну забиратися геть з України. Це було сміливо і вражаюче, особливо з огляду на те, хто такий Путін і що він має і може зробити. Захід повинен завжди йти з Путіним нога в ногу, інакше це матиме катастрофічні наслідки для свободи і демократії. Будь-яка слабкість, або сприйнята слабкість, буде фатальною для демократичного світу. Сподіваємося, що Трампа вдасться переконати, щоб він не здав нас остаточно. Якщо він це зробить, це означатиме війну. У цьому немає жодних сумнівів. 

Документальный фильм CBC News Network о Путине.

Харпер сказал Путину убираться из Украины. Это смело и впечатляюще, особенно если учесть, кто такой Путин и что он может и умеет делать. Запад должен всегда идти с Путиным нога в ногу, иначе это приведет к катастрофическим последствиям для свободы и демократии. Любая слабость, или видимая слабость, будет фатальной для демократического мира. Остается надеяться, что Трампа удастся вразумить, чтобы он не продал нас окончательно. Если он это сделает, это будет означать войну. В этом нет сомнений. 

CBC News Network Documentary On Putin.

Harper told Putin to get out of Ukraine. That took guts and was impressive especially given who Putin is and what he has and can do. The West has to always go toe-to-toe with Putin otherwise there will be disastrous consequences for freedom and democracy. Any weakness, or perceived weakness, would be fatal for the democratic world. Hopefully, Trump can be made to see reason so he doesn't ultimately sell us out. If he does, it will mean war. No doubt about it. 

Why Carney Likely Can't Beat Poilièvre.

There are basically three reasons: full disclosure, I was a strong Ignatieff supporter when I was a Liberal Party member. Michael was considered an elitist and foreign based but Carney is in even more trouble. If Ignatieff is an elitist, then Carney is the elitist's elitist. That means trouble for Carney. Then comes his tenure at The Bank of England where Carney, a Canadian citizen, had to put the UK's monetary policy goals and ambitions ahead of those of his own country. And he enthusiastically did! Finally, Carney has no concept of what it really means to be a Canadian and he also showed an extraordinary lack of judgment by going on an American television show. Last time I checked, Jon Stewart isn't a Canadian citizen. What a foolish decision to go on his show just before announcing you're running for the Liberal leadership. Obviously, self-reflection is not a Carney strong suit. 

Trump Will Stall The TikTok Ban.

One guess why. I mean, it's obvious who is going to buy it. Crony corruption at its best. No surprise there.

Joly Backs Carney.

Lucky him. I guess that means you know who also favours Carney.

Freeland's Disaster Is An Opening For Gould.

Freeland's launch was, to put it kindly, a fiasco. Carney's launch had all the enthusiasm and spontaneity of visiting a funeral home. So now, the stars have aligned for Gould. Will she make the most of it or blow her golden opportunity like the others? Gould needs the best war roomers and strategists she can find.

Time will tell. But we will find out soon enough. 

Freeland Is The New Heseltine.

 "I knew that, 'He [or she] who wields the knife never wears the crown.' "

Freeland's Launch: It Started Off Great And Then Canadians Interrupted More Than Once.

I guess crowd vetting isn't TeamFreeland's strong point. What a disaster. They had to remove ten or was it eleven hecklers from the room? ELEVEN! It started off great with the intro by her children. But, what? Why exactly are people afraid of Freeland?

The faces went from happy to deflated in a New York minute. It was like watching a visual slow-motion torture session. It came off as TeamTitanicTM. Can Freeland recover from this fiasco? Maybe, but probably not. My God, it's horrible. What utter chaos. It didn't even meet the standard of properly organizing a lemonade stand...TeamCarney must be roaring with laughter at their good luck.

Ha, ha, ha. Freeland has the gall to claim that Pierre will go to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring. But isn't that exactly what the Liberal Prime Minister just did? And by the way, Chrystia, it's called CUSMA or USMCA, not NAFTA. You're supposed to already know that. The End.

    

Hamas Is Far From Dead.

Wow, these visuals are among the most powerful I have ever seen. All of us thought that the IDF had already basically pounded Hamas into the ground and we were wrong. It's almost incredible to see to what extent Hamas' military wing has been resurrected. Watching the hostages' release where these women were basically walking the gauntlet was incredibly dramatic. Thank God that they are home and more people are on the way.

What immediately comes to mind is part of what Medgar Evers said: [...] "you can't kill an idea." This situation seems hopeless. Ideology rules on both sides...there's no way that peace will come to this region in the next decade and probably longer. 

The Asshole's Inauguration.

Is the inauguration about cold weather, small crowds or is it really about Trump's health as in pulmonary condition?

CBC: The Heat Has Finally Paid Off.

CBC just described Hamas as a terrorist organization and then quickly added that the Canadian government considers Hamas as terrorist. It's about time.

QLP: Young People Will Have The Final Say.

Young Liberals will have the last word. The candidate who wins the majority of those votes will probably become the next leader of the Quebec Liberal Party. For now, Milliard has a clear lead over Rodriguez.

People are saying that Milliard represents the regions while Pablo is a product of La Métropole. There are a lot of young Montreal Liberals. We'll see whether this concentration will be effective at the ballot box. On the other hand, you need support in the regions to form a government. Whoever forges the strongest ties with young people will become the party leader. That's clearer now than it's ever been.

PLQ : Les jeunes auront le mot de la fin.

Les jeunes libéraux auront le dernier mot. Le candidat qui remportera la majorité de ces votes deviendra probablement le prochain chef du Parti libéral du Québec. Pour l'instant, il semble que Milliard ait une nette avance sur Rodriguez.

Les gens disent que Milliard est un gars des régions et que Pablo est une créature de La Métropole. Il y a beaucoup de jeunes libéraux montréalais. Nous verrons si cette concentration sera efficace dans les urnes. D'un autre côté, il faut un soutien dans les régions pour arriver au pouvoir. Celui qui tissera les liens les plus forts avec les jeunes deviendra le chef du parti. C'est plus clair maintenant que jamais.

Gould Gets The Best Of Both Worlds.

Gould is very clever to have taken that walk in the snow in order to run. Nice optics and unconventional. She's thinking out of the box. Under the more likely scenario, Gould gets to be queen-maker: if it becomes a stop Carney or Freeland race, then Gould gets to put the crown on the head of the winner. But the second scenario is also possible: if one of the candidates makes a major mistake in the race, some of their supporters could move to Gould to stop another candidate. That could make Gould the author of a grand compromise which would unexpectedly make her leader. This shows what the next generation can accomplish.

Trump: I Won't Be Watching It.

Not live, not on news clips. Not ever. 

Like I said before, Trump had to be elected so that MAGA can be quickly destoyed in his first year in office. Trump will do that work all by himself. Just watch him.

Last normal Friday thoughts.

Another fine example of what an incredible writer Warren is. This headline couldn't be more bang on. I couldn't have come up with this Trump gem in a month of Sundays. My compliments, sir. What a classic.

Pablo est dans une position inconfortable.

Je suis d'accord pour dire que lorsqu'on est ministre, il faut toujours maintenir la solidarité ministérielle. C'est clair. Mais ses détracteurs ont aussi des choses à dire : ils parlent de garderies, d'assurance dentaire, d'assurance-médicaments, d'immigration et d'intervention du gouvernement fédéral dans des domaines de compétence provinciale. Cette situation place Rodriguez dans une position délicate. Comment peut-il légitimement critiquer les positions de son ancien gouvernement ? Il faut même aller plus loin : pour être cohérent, Pablo doit défendre ces positions antérieures dans la course. Il n'y a pas d'autre choix. Cela ne manquera pas de ternir ses références professionnelles en tant que nationaliste québécois. Ce ne sont pas des jours glorieux. Et comme si ce n'était pas assez, il a la malchance d'avoir l'appui ferme d'un ancien ministre qui a donné sa parole à un candidat et qui a ensuite changé d'idée ! Espérons que ceux qui soutiennent la candidature de Rodriguez ne feront pas de même... 

Pablo is in an uncomfortable position.

I agree that when you're a minister, you must always maintain ministerial solidarity. That's clear. But his critics also have something to say: they're talking about child care, dental insurance, pharmacare, immigration and federal government intervention in areas of provincial jurisdiction. This situation puts Rodriguez in an awkward position. How can he legitimately criticize the positions of his former government? We have to go even further: to be consistent, Pablo must defend these previous positions in the race. There is no other choice. This will certainly tarnish his professional credentials as a Quebec nationalist. These are not glorious days. And as if that wasn't bad enough, he has the misfortune to have the firm support of a former minister who gave his word to a candidate and then changed his mind! Let's hope that those who support Rodriguez's candidacy don't do the same... 

Carney Gets In And His French Comes Off Like A Thud.

I don't get these people. It's not like they haven't had fucking YEARS to come up with half-decent French! But they were too damned lazy to work at it. They couldn't have cared less. Carney, Clark. How many others? Carney's French should be a total disqualifier. This is probably the only gift Freeland gets out of the gate. May she make the most of it. 

Pierre: That Guy You See Coming Up Fast In The Rear View Mirror Is Called Ford.

Again, Curious hit the nail on the head. No question, the so-called CaptainCanadaTM is already publicly auditioning for the CPC leadership. Even a blind person can see that. But Ford is nothing if not discreet when we're talking about his future political ambitions -- he makes his waves nicely and with understatement, not to take away or distract from some of Poilièvre's national glow. 

But Man, oh, man, we already know who the next leader is. His name is Doug and it's not a matter of if, but only a question of WHEN. The day Ford runs, I'll be among those backing him. 

Pierre Takes No Position And Feels Little Pain For The Time Being.

Let's start with a minor but important point: I sometimes agree with Curious and I think he is bang on here: there is no way in Hell that the next election will be about the carbon tax. Not a chance so Poilièvre might as well give it a rest. All Canadians are already sick of it anyway as Pierre would no doubt admit in private.

Now, let's tackle both sides of the Poilièvre coin: to begin, until Trump is in office and has enacted tariffs by passing them through Congress, Pierre doesn't have to take a position on that as regards future Canadian tariffs which would come into force in reprisal. Under present circumstances, Pierre doesn't have to choose between Ottawa and Alberta. That's not a choice that he willingly wants to make. That much is crystal clear. Of course, the other side of that coin is the downside: you know how that goes about true leadership taking a position early and coming on strong with a clearly articulated national position that all or most parties would be in favour of. At least on the margins, Poilièvre is already paying a political price for being silent. 

Now let's move this ahead to when American tariffs are actually in effect. As a future prime minister, Pierre will have no choice but to embrace the national consensus and sideline Smith and her positions on energy. If we go the cutoff route, nothing gets carved out or exempted:  we cut off oil and gas, electricity, hydropower and any other energy source we can come up with. Period. The pain must be felt on all fronts and in every applicable jurisdiction. So, Pierre has got to get it now, we're not talking about the NEP here. If he fails TheCanadaTestTM, his party's numbers will suddenly be in jeopardy. 

Pedant: Ready To Fight With Telford?

Pedant,

There are two obstacles to giving the DC job to Harper: first, Trudeau will give Telford the job before the curtain falls on his prime ministership. So...any incoming Poilièvre government will likely have to buy her off to liberate the position. Secondly, Poilièvre knows that to effectively go toe-to-toe with Trump, you must play his game and preferably beat him. That means you give the DC job to Harper BECAUSE of his public commentary, not despite it. And besides, what Harper said is basically milk toast in the end. Only an imbecile would be offended or pissed off by what Harper said. Oh yes, but then we are talking about Trump. LOL.   

Gould? Talk About An Unconventional Candidacy.

Now, this takes guts, especially from a Government House Leader who is not exactly loved by her other party counterparts.

What I'll be waiting for with bated breath will be to see who rounds out her team. Maybe she can win. Stranger things have happened.

QLP: Rodriguez should be disqualified as a leadership candidate.

Following the launch of Rodriguez's candidacy, I expressed the opinion that Pablo had a serious lack of judgement that disqualified him as a candidate.

And now, according to Warren Kinsella's website, THE WAR ROOM, we have learned this:

"Former federal Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who is running for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party, is facing questions about his decision to hold a meeting with an Ottawa lobbyist and friend about one of her clients that received funding from his department."

NDP ethics critic Matthew Green said Rodriguez should not have attended the meeting with Lisa Kirbie, founder and managing director of consultancy Blackbird Strategies, when he was heritage minister, as it created the appearance of a conflict of interest.

The November 2022 meeting on behalf of Ms Kirbie's client, the Kluane First Nation, was declared on Ms Kirbie's lobbying register.... But Mr Green said Mr Rodriguez should have erred on the side of caution and recused himself from the meeting with Ms Kirbie. Ministers should refrain from taking part in official meetings with friends, he said, as they could find themselves in an ethical conflict of interest.

PLQ : Rodriguez devrait être disqualifié en tant que candidat à la direction du parti.

Suite au lancement de la candidature de Rodriguez, j'avais émis l'opinion que Pablo avait un sérieux manque de jugement qui le disqualifiait comme candidat.

Et maintenant, selon le site web de Warren Kinsella, The War Room, nous avons appris ceci :

[TRADUCTION] "L'ancien ministre fédéral du Patrimoine, Pablo Rodriguez, qui brigue la direction du Parti libéral du Québec, est confronté à des questions concernant sa décision de tenir une réunion avec une lobbyiste d'Ottawa qui est son amie au sujet de l'un de ses clients qui a reçu des fonds de son ministère.

Matthew Green, porte-parole du NPD en matière d'éthique, a déclaré que M. Rodriguez n'aurait pas dû assister à la réunion avec Lisa Kirbie, fondatrice et directrice générale de la société de conseil Blackbird Strategies, lorsqu'il était ministre du patrimoine, car cela a créé l'apparence d'un conflit d'intérêts.

La réunion de novembre 2022 au nom du client de Mme Kirbie, la Première nation de Kluane, a été déclarée sur le registre des activités de lobbying par Mme Kirbie.... Mais M. Green a déclaré que M. Rodriguez aurait dû pécher par excès de prudence et se récuser de la réunion avec Mme Kirbie. Les ministres devraient s'abstenir de participer à des réunions officielles avec des amis, a-t-il déclaré, car ils pourraient se trouver en situation de conflit d'intérêts au regard des règles éthiques."

If LeBlanc Is Not Drafted, Liberals Can Forget It In Quebec.

If the Liberals don't draft LeBlanc or another francophone, they can forget holding their own in Quebec. No Liberal leadership run can be considered serious and credible without a candidate from Quebec or New Brunswick.

Bachand takes on Rodriguez.

Wow. Bachand supports Milliard. Let's just say that his comments about Pablo were not very elegant: [TRANSLATION] "Maybe Quebecers need something other than career politicians. They need experienced people - and Charles is experienced - but they also need young people." 

And then there was this: [TRANSLATION] The Quebec Liberal Party in the regions does not exist, it barely exists, it is very weak. Quebecers in the regions are preparing to vote massively for the Bloc or the Conservative Party. Would the Quebec Liberal Party select as leader someone who was the right-hand man of the Government of Canada for 10 years? I don't get it. Pablo Rodriguez is a good man, but this is not the time for him to lead the Quebec Liberal Party.

In my opinion, these comments will harm his candidate's campaign. They say they won't use negative politics and then they do it. It's a lack of class, to say the least. As a result, Bachand's support will hurt Rodriguez less than expected.

It remains to be seen whether other former Charest ministers will follow Bachand's lead. 

Bachand affronte Rodriguez.

Wow. Bachand appuie Milliard. Disons que ses commentaires sur Pablo n'étaient pas très élégants: « Les Québécois ont besoin peut-être d'autre chose que des politiciens dont c'est la carrière. Ils ont besoin de gens expérimentés - et Charles l'est avec son expérience - mais jeunes aussi.  »  

Et puis, il y a eu ceci : Le Parti libéral du Québec en région n'existe pas, il existe très peu, il est très faible. Les Québécois des régions se préparent à voter massivement pour le Bloc ou le Parti conservateur. Est-ce que le Parti libéral du Québec nommerait comme chef quelqu'un qui a été le bras droit du gouvernement du Canada pendant 10 ans ? Je ne comprends pas. Pablo Rodriguez est un homme bon, mais ce n'est pas le bon moment pour le Parti libéral du Québec.

À mon avis, ces propos vont nuire à la campagne de son candidat. On dit qu'on ne veut pas faire de la politique négative et on en fait. C'est un manque de classe, c'est le moins qu'on puisse dire. Par conséquent, le soutien de Bachand nuira moins que prévu à Rodriguez.

Reste à voir si d'autres anciens ministres de Charest suivront l'exemple de Bachand.