Re: Questions for PM
 

Curious as to the response you received?

Re: Questions for PM
 

Looking at the current debt financing cost for Canada, and it becomes evident that those costs are behind the call from finance ministers for austerity.


"Canadian governments (including local governments) collectively spent an estimated $60.8 billion on interest payments in 2014/15. That works out to 8.1% of their total revenue that year. To further put the amount spent on interest payments in perspective, it is more than what is spent on pension benefits through the Canada and Quebec Pension Plans ($50.9 billion), and approximately equal to Canada’s total public spending on primary and secondary education ($62.2 billion, as of 2012/13, the last year for which we have finalized data)."


For the UK, the current financing costs for its national debt is £43 billion.


This intergenerational debt transfer is behind the justified "can't pay" cry of younger generations-why hospitals, schools and infrastructure are neglected, pensions squeezed, and investment compromised. Someone does have to pay however.


Anybody remember Paul Martin, often described as the best Prime Minister Canada never had? In the late '90s, the Chretien government made a determined effort to curtail spending, and real reductions were made not only in the growth of public spending, but total debt. It was the only time that I can remember when national debt appeared to be taken seriously.


In the UK, George Osborne took a similar course, but he got tossed, and now T. May seems set to open the spigot again with the usual "money is cheap."

Re: Questions for PM
 

There are only five people besides me here this morning. One knew that it was a woman and the position she holds but didn't vote. I don't know if the others are eligible to vote, they don't seem to have done so and they didn't know the name.

Re: Questions for PM
 

A lobotomised person maybe?

Re: Questions for PM
 

Yep.

So I know my place :lol:

Re: Questions for PM
 

:lol:

sorted, then 'truth be known' you would also be a Canadian citizen? ;)

Re: Questions for PM
 

:goodpost:

Neither are a choice id make, but id take Trump over Trudeau if i had to make a choice. Trudeau is too busy singing kumbaya, taking selfies and p*ssing away tax payer money to get anything constructive done.

Re: Questions for PM
 

Blessed are the tax payers for they will inherit the debt.....

Re: Questions for PM
 

Yes a sad fact of life. :(

Re: Questions for PM
 

The implication being that Trump is going to do something constructive; what might that be?

Re: Questions for PM
 

Quite - I think the lower the constructive action, the more important the mood music. Whilst the Liberals haven't accomplished a huge amount in a year (not that governments normally can/do), the general attitude coming out of Ottawa is very positive, relaxed, optimistic. Gods only know what Trump's going to do or try to, but the noises from DC are bombastic, aggressive and unpleasant. He'd need some serious genuine accomplishments to make that worthwhile, and he's very unlikely to get them considering that the few concrete promises he's made are completely at odds with what's likely to be possible in Congress.

Re: Questions for PM
 

Looks like the Ethics police have a few questions of their own for the PM

Ethics watchdog to investigate PM's use of Aga Khan's private helicopter | CTV News

Re: Questions for PM
 

:(
Is there no hope for mankind? I'm off to join womankind, if they'll have me.

He's going to construct that wall.

Re: Questions for PM
 

So on the one hand we have a racist, sexist dodgy businessman who speaks of putting people in prison without trial and on the other hand someone who should have reported a helicopter ride and appears in too many photographs.

Hmmmmm...which one is worse? :confused:

Re: Questions for PM
 

Im not a Trump fan....hes a loose cannon from what ive seen of him so far, we can only hope hes a better president than campaigner.

Much of Trump's campaign was about bringing jobs back into the states, which can only be good, charity begins at home.

Cant really say the same for Trudeau...he hasnt done anything except push up Canadian debt with nothing to benefit Canadian citizens, and increase tax so he has more to fritter away. :(

Re: Questions for PM
 

Perhaps, and that would have Keynesian merit. Also war is good for the economy due to employing a lot of people and reducing the population, he might well achieve that.

Re: Questions for PM
 

No need to wait, announced today

:rofl:

Re: Questions for PM
 

Seems the PM upset some English speakers in Quebec by answering a question in French when the question was asked in English.

Re: Questions for PM
 

He would of upset a whole lot more if he answered in English

Re: Questions for PM
 

Did he or did he just upset some people in Calgary? I would think people attending a meeting announced as being in French would not be shocked to hear French.

Re: Questions for PM
 

I think he cocked up. An article in the Montreal Gazette pointed out that not even Rene Levesque would have done what Trudeau did.

The key point, I believe, is whether Trudeau was there in a political or federal capacity. If it was the latter, people certainly have the right to complain.

Charter of Rights and Freedoms and all that.

Re: Questions for PM
 

It appears he was just being consistent. In one of the earlier sessions in Ontario a question was asked in French and he answered in English. Something about applying the principle of using the majority language for where he was and thus having more people understand his response.

The counter argument would be responding in the language of the question and then the other. But that would double the time for answers and reduce the time on questions. Looks like a no-win situation.

Re: Questions for PM
 

So if he speaks in English he is in trouble and if he speaks in French he is in trouble. Such is the life of a poor Prime Minister.