Shard

Kind of a sub topic to some comments made on the UK election thread...but it's had me thinking, why are Canadian elections or politics generally boring compared to Britain?

Is it the individuals themselves? Is it good that it's boring, suggesting that the society is well put together and doesn't need much change?

Is it that Canadians themselves are generally less "political" and/or less willing to discuss political topics?

I was surprised to be chatting to a Canadian friend the other day, and raise some political issues and basically be discouraged from entering the topic. In Britain it seems that politics is "on the table," but in Canada, perhaps it's "off the table"?

bats

Canadians like the world to think that they are kind, considerate, peaceable people who welcome refugees and support the less fortunate. Reality is rather different and any discussion would reveal their true feelings

macadian

But revealing their bed rock true feelings just would not be Canadian...and would destroy the myth....the hypocrisy revealed.

BristolUK

The second part, no. Despite the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" attitude prevailing, suggestive of it not being broke when it actually is or never even worked in the first place.

But sometimes there's a sort of strange comfort in the first part.

When you live in the UK and see all those things to be proud of being dismantled it makes you angry.

When you live here and those things either don't exist or take an age to come through (and Canadians don't seem to care about it) there's really little to get angry about so the whole thing is a bit dull.

Plus the political "choice" is between right wing and slightly less right wing.

Where I am puzzled is how Medicare ever got off the ground with such an apathetic nation that never pushes for these things. It's as if they went for it just so they could have one thing to make those down south envious.

When I first met my Canadian wife her jaw was perpetually dropping when I told her about all those things we Brits take for granted - being paid while off sick, very low cost prescriptions or free, the various disability allowances, rent money, free banking, not having to pay for school supplies.....

dbd33

Several things:

We're not involved. The issues which are of importance in Canadian politics, for example, the notwithstanding clause and Provincial transfer payments, either grab one at birth and make an emotional connection or they don't. If you're not from here they don't.

Lack of quality media, lack of trashy media. The Star and the Globe and Mail are too badly written to retain one's interest, "that's not begging the question" one thinks when one might be thinking "invade Iraq? I'd rather not". I don't know if the National Post is still published when last I saw it it was a Black organ. There's no Canadian Kelvin MacKenzie to enrage people by saying, for example, that everyone is Regina is drunk and on the dole.

Lack of issues. Canada has a digging and killing economy with some branch plant activity. Politicians don't control the price of oil, Canadian politicians don't control the price of wood or fish. Ford decides the fate of the Oakville economy in Detroit, not in Oakville. Canadian politicians may fulminate but, in the end, they tag along with what the Americans do.

Lack of characters. People move to Canada in the hope that nothing will happen to them again. They vote for people who seem unlikely to make trouble.

Political conversations in the workplace here are problematic, people don't know about Canada but they do know and very much care about issues at home and those around the world. One would not, for example, dare say that Trump's review of the H1-B policy is a good idea even if it seemed so. There's no possibility of having an unimpassioned discussion so consensus through silence and mediocrity is the rule.

Pulaski

Dare I suggest that there is no pretense or suggestion that Canadian domestic politics is of much interest to the rest of the world. As far as I can tell, the rest of the world pretty much agrees.

Souvy

It seems to be something that people don't talk about. I know nothing about the political views of my neighbours and family (wife and son excepted) although I suspect that they are closet QUIPPERS, mostly because of stupidity and an inability to see beyond the end of their street.

It could become more interesting. Trump seems intent on killing NAFTA. If he takes out the Auto Pact too, Ontario can kiss its ass goodbye.

Ebonhawke

Comedian Jebb Fink (born in the US, moved to Canada), has a bit where he notes that, for a number of Americans, growing up to be President is an aspiration, but that Canadian parents don't encourage their kids to become Prime Minister, because frankly, they hope they can achieve higher than being a Canadian politician.

JamesM

This.

Canadians are inherently boring and therefor it is reflected in their politics.

It's no different to people boring you in the pub or in the workplace here.

Don't rock the boat.