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I understand the impulse; and to be clear, the columnist here shoots past the reasonable by a fair margin, more than once..........

However....... I agree with @kEiThZ here.

Just because, in this case, the messenger is problematic and the volume turned up a bit high.........doesn't mean the underlying issue doesn't have traction with a lot of voters.

Clearly the column is infused with some measure of partisan vitriol and is immoderate.......

But the loud, obnoxious voice speaks for a larger group, and one that isn't just white nationalists or capital-C conservative dilettantes.

Its people alarmed to see conflicts from back home, or their parents home migrating to Canada, and doing so at the scale of armed violence at times.

Its also people of all backgrounds getting an allergic reaction to their school board cancelling Halloween celebrations because its also Diwali, because many of the South Asian kids like Halloween too.

There is a need to be a bit more conscious of identity politics run amok and curb the worst excesses, before a plurality of voters lose their minds over this stuff and vote in some nut case who will swing the pendulum the other direction, way too far.
Oh, I'll read it because I like to keep my finger on the pulse as it were. But they have been beating this drum for years, warranted or not.
 
Its also people of all backgrounds getting an allergic reaction to their school board cancelling Halloween celebrations because its also Diwali, because many of the South Asian kids like Halloween too.
I never heard about anyone canceling Halloween. But I did see a bunch of Diwalloween postings on Facebook from friends of mine enjoying the two being on the same day this year.
 
Some parts of these pieces smack of being mad at "the other", i.e. non-UK immigrants. Cantin-Nantel's statement "Our political leaders must reinstate the notion that immigrants leave behind ideas that conflict with Canadian values when they move to our great country" ignores things like the annual Orange Order March.

Yes, I'd prefer immigrants leave old world issues there.

(My parents came to Canada from very different parts of Europe, so I'm familiar with people sometimes clawing onto the past)
 
I understand the impulse; and to be clear, the columnist here shoots past the reasonable by a fair margin, more than once..........

However....... I agree with @kEiThZ here.

Just because, in this case, the messenger is problematic and the volume turned up a bit high.........doesn't mean the underlying issue doesn't have traction with a lot of voters.

Clearly the column is infused with some measure of partisan vitriol and is immoderate.......

But the loud, obnoxious voice speaks for a larger group, and one that isn't just white nationalists or capital-C conservative dilettantes.

Its people alarmed to see conflicts from back home, or their parents home migrating to Canada, and doing so at the scale of armed violence at times.

Its also people of all backgrounds getting an allergic reaction to their school board cancelling Halloween celebrations because its also Diwali, because many of the South Asian kids like Halloween too.

There is a need to be a bit more conscious of identity politics run amok and curb the worst excesses, before a plurality of voters lose their minds over this stuff and vote in some nut case who will swing the pendulum the other direction, way too far.
Exactly, ignore at one's peril- for instance, no one was expecting our much-admired immigration system to basically become dysfunctional under Trudeau's watch, but here we are.
 
Some parts of these pieces smack of being mad at "the other", i.e. non-UK immigrants. Cantin-Nantel's statement "Our political leaders must reinstate the notion that immigrants leave behind ideas that conflict with Canadian values when they move to our great country" ignores things like the annual Orange Order March.

I will say.........my mother was French Catholic and her family came to Toronto shortly after WWII. The Orange Order and its anti-Catholic/Anti-French views were far more of an issue then, than now.

Yes, I'd prefer immigrants leave old world issues there.

I think the key is where they escalate into violence/property damage or threats of same.

Whether that's violence at a Temple in Brampton or shooting up a South Asian cinema in Scarborough.

The issue isn't unto itself that people's traditions or beliefs vary, nor even that they may come from disparate communities that historically don't get along.......its when those now here actively take up a real fight, with others also here, to the detriment of both, and the rest of us.
 
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Oh, I'll read it because I like to keep my finger on the pulse as it were. But they have been beating this drum for years, warranted or not.
Yeah they said all the same ignorant shit when it was the:
  • Greeks
  • Portuguese
  • Polish
  • Hungarian
  • German
  • Italian
  • Jewish
  • Ukrainian
Basically anyone not from England.
 
I'm gonna try to be as moderate as possible here.

Right wing rags playing into anti-immigration sentiment? Quelle Surprise.

Its people alarmed to see conflicts from back home, or their parents home migrating to Canada, and doing so at the scale of armed violence at times.
I think the key is where they escalate into violence/property damage or threats of same.

Whether that's violence at a Temple in Brampton or shooting up a South Asian cinema in Scarborough.

The issue isn't unto itself that people's traditions or beliefs vary, nor even that they may come from disparate communities that historically don't get along.......its when those now here actively take up a real fight, with others also here, to the detriment of both, and the rest of us.
This right here is why unchecked/illegal mass immigration is BAD (worse than however bad some people think 2016–2020 was for the US), and why more stringent immigration policies MUST be kept in place, and consistently enforced, in all developed countries (thorough background checks, requirement to learn the local language, respecting and accepting local culture/values, etc). If someone comes to another country (no matter their country of origin / culture / belief system) intent on causing violence against the local population, or property damage, there needs to be a very clear message that they are not welcome there, and will be dealt with accordingly.

@picard102 what part of the above do you have a problem with?
 
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Some parts of these pieces smack of being mad at "the other", i.e. non-UK immigrants. Cantin-Nantel's statement "Our political leaders must reinstate the notion that immigrants leave behind ideas that conflict with Canadian values when they move to our great country" ignores things like the annual Orange Order March.

Yes, I'd prefer immigrants leave old world issues there.

(My parents came to Canada from very different parts of Europe, so I'm familiar with people sometimes clawing onto the past)

Tell me where you think the line should be drawn. We have people of Ukrainian heritage who are advocating for Canadian support to Ukraine. We have people of Jewish heritage pushing support and protection of Israel. Very few people really question these and call for these "old world issues" to be left behind. But if you're of Arab or Palestinian heritage, you're issue is "old world" or if you're Sikh or Hindu, that's "old world". Why the double standard? And I say this as someone who is sympathetic to the Ukrainian cause and not very sympathetic to the Khalistani cause. Picking and choosing what cause is considered "old world" and should be excluded is basically a call for Eurocentric policy alone. And that's going to be exceptionally tough to maintain in a world where fewer Europeans are moving to Canada. You can argue there are certain conflicts that shouldn't involve Canada, based on national interest. But arguing this on cultural legacy is a bit of a reach.
 
Let's hear your specific definitions of the terms here.

Cause to my knowledge, Canada doesn't have a huge issue with illegal immigration. We may have a problem with too much of an intake. But most of those are here legally. So yes, let's hear your definitions.
Certainly not in comparison. Although there are obviously no accurate figures, the government estimates range in the area of 350,000-500,000, compared to approximately 12 million in the US. I suspect most 'illegals' have either overstayed or are operating outside of their lawful entry.
 
Let's hear your specific definitions of the terms here.

Cause to my knowledge, Canada doesn't have a huge issue with illegal immigration. We may have a problem with too much of an intake. But "most" of those are here legally. So yes, let's hear your definitions.
I was talking not just Canada, but Western countries in general (don't tell me the US doesn't have a problem with illegal immigration either).

But yes, if immigration doesn't meet the criteria I stated in my previous post, it *should* be illegal.

I was referring to our discussion diverging to complaints about Canada. If we're going back to talking about the US, make that clear.....
Saying "all developed countries" is not clear enough?...
 
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Certainly not in comparison. Although there are obviously no accurate figures, the government estimates range in the area of 350,000-500,000, compared to approximately 12 million in the US. I suspect most 'illegals' have either overstayed or are operating outside of their lawful entry.

I was talking not just Canada, but Western countries in general (don't tell me the US doesn't have a problem with illegal immigration either).

But yes, if immigration doesn't meet the criteria I stated in my previous post, it *should* be illegal.

I was referring to our discussion diverging to complaints about Canada. If we're going back to talking about the US, make that clear.....
 
So,....the Federal NDP are unveiling their first campaign plank for an election............and its a tax cut?


The proposal is to remove HST from a host of 'essentials' ranging from Diapers, to children's clothes aimed at those 15 and under, to internet and cell phone bills.

While at one level, I'm sympathetic to this...........the problem is the HST made sense as a tax because it wasn't 'Swiss Cheese'.

That is to say the holes in it were few and far between, mainly straight-up grocery and residential rent, and most other things were taxed.

This idea makes the tax more like income tax, with loopholes left, right and centre.

On top of that, it will cost the Federal Treasury ~5B per year, when we already have a substantial deficit.

This seems to me a very odd play; and one I have difficulty endorsing.

Above and beyond the obvious, this is a cut that will also benefit many upper-middle and high income Canadians. Not that they would notice, but the Treasury will.

If the problem is not lack of access to good or service, but lack of money, doesn't it make more sense to transfer the money, such as through an enhanced HST Tax Credit?
 
This seems to me a very odd play; and one I have difficulty endorsing.

Not odd at all. Unserious party comes up with unserious proposal. The other parties that have to govern, actually have to think about Trump's demands ($20+ billion more in defence spending) and Trump's threats ($10+ billion in corporate tax cuts).
 

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