What does it say about Canada that the only time we have had a female Prime Minister...

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@dan613 @john please don't assign to Layton, the actions of Stephen Harper. People could have voted for an NDP government and that childcare program Martin proposed would have happened in the first term.

Paul Turnbull 🇨🇦 🇺🇦 🇵🇸

@chris I think the NDP should sponsor here campaign as she’s one the best chances they have.

Dan Neuman 🇨🇦

@chris @john Layton brought down the Martin government.

John Mierau

@dan613 @chris we are demonstrating how complex the personalities and interactions of lib/NDP parties AND THEIR flagbearers... Of whom frankly none at all seem innocent to me

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@Chigaze

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@john @dan613 indeed.

The Sponsorship Scandal brought down the Martin government.

I really REALLY hate it when federal Liberal Party supporters blame other parties for the failings of the Liberal Party (in this case, the Sponsorship Scandal.

Not even Conservative Party supporters do this... instead, they lump the NDP and Liberals in together.

Really what it boils down to is the partisans in both the Conservative and Liberal party hate the idea of the NDP ever gaining power because it means *they* won't have power. Meanwhile, many regular voters move their vote between Conservative and Liberal and NDP... if they didn't, why would we even have campaigns.

But I digress.

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@e_cornelis Hi Ellen!

Essentially Trudeau has announced his intention to resign.

When a leader of a party is going to leave (outside of an election), it is their choice to resign immediately or to launch a leadership race for their successor.

He chose the leadership race.

He also chose to prorogue (suspend) parliament. So there is currently no legislative business happening in the Canadian Parliament at all. The opposition parties are essentially left to their own devices and at this point are kind of shoved aside in the news cycle because they don't have the natural stage of the House of Commons to say their piece.

So as far as what the focus is now for Canadian Politics, it will be the Leadership Race for the Liberal Party of Canada, the successor for Trudeau, and thus the person who will take his job as Prime Minister at least until the next election.

The Liberal Party announced yesterday that the Leadership race will be complete by March 9.

Political pundits then believe there will be an election called soon after. Canadians will likely vote in that election in April or May.

Christopher Griffiths

@chris If she decides to throw her hat in the ring, I may (for the first time ever with any party) get a membership just to support someone else. That’s assuming there’s anyone worth supporting.

Geoff Berner

@chris There's some weird money behind this "what about Christy Clark?" stuff. Her ex-husband is a professional political bagman. She's not popular in BC, and nobody outside BC has ever heard of her. If she's the leader I wouldn't even favor strategic voting, because she'll do everything PP would do. She'd just lie cheerfully about it more before she did it.

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@cjgyt i just listened to her fumble around in an interview with CBC as they questioned her about wherher she had a CPC membership or not and they caught her contradicting herself at which point she blamed the CPC for potentially "fabricating" something.

So this is going to be a BLAST
(interviews airs on the House tomorrow)

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@Geoffberner

Astrobach :breadified:

@Geoffberner @chris when I heard her name dropped I was like "the woman who lost so hard it killed the BC liberals?"

Leroy

@Geoffberner @chris could it be a safety pick for whomever is behind it? In case conservatives don’t get majority, they could form a minority government with someone who is no different.

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@rorystarr @Geoffberner lol!

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@leroy @Geoffberner I honestly think she is going to win because she will be a sacrificial lamb so that the 'real’ future leaders that actually want to govern can run in a leadership race in 2-3 years.

Christopher Griffiths

@chris Let’s hope the leadership cupboard isn’t so bare that this is what they end up with. I’d be happier with an inflatable waiving arm tube thingy in that case. At least that could be entertaining in a debate and it wouldn’t be an unreliable narrator about its own history.

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@cjgyt lol!

Leroy

@chris @Geoffberner that’s unfortunate. I feel even the sacrificial position will signal party direction intentions

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@leroy @Geoffberner the lurch to the right will be significant

Leroy

@chris @Geoffberner I never know if my tendency to hope is a good or bad trait