, 03.19.2023 09:58 AM

KINSELLACAST 253: China, corruption, conflicts with Lilley, Kheiriddin, Belanger! Plus: Michah P. Hinson, Son Volt, Lisa O’Neill, Sinead O’Connor

60 Comments

  1. Curious V says:

    Well, pp slumped in the polls, and he has problems in Quebec and vote rich Ontario. He isn’t likeable, he takes things like this issue with election interference to an extreme that might work with his base, but turns off moderates. His style, his delivery, and his extreme content looks like the stuff from his leadership campaign, when he attacked Charest, but not the stuff of a prime minister. Too partisan, and too much fiction in his attacks. He’s mean, seems cruel, and he’s extreme – also, he hasn’t done enough to distance himself from fascists in his party – they’re all still in his caucus.

    • Curious V,

      Well, I’ll say this for you. When you went into communications, you chose the right thing. You have it down pat. It’s just that your script is a little… how should I put it? Ah yes, overblown, hyperbolic, stereotypical and simplistic. Reminds me of the desperation of the Martin campaign in ’06. But alas, you have to work with what you’ve got and when it isn’t strong enough to make a rock-solid case, you have no other choice but to go off the deep end. Nice try, though.

      • Curious V says:

        I don’t do communications – I’m just a regular smuck

      • Curious V says:

        Really, just a smuck. I had cancer a few years back and through the treatment, recovery and then covid – my world fell apart. I survived, with flying colors, going from 6 months of chemo (stage 4 cancer) to recovery. From barely being able to walk to running 5 k 5 days a week, but I couldn’t recover in my career after cancer. I do this for fun, nobody knows I do it – I always loved talking politics with people from every persuasion, so this is an outlet for me while I try to navigate a myself to steadier shores.

        • Sean says:

          Good for you. That’s an awesome recovery story.

          And I’ll share: I know from personal experience that running regularly can change your life / makes all the difference mentally and physically.

          • Martin Dixon says:

            Sure did mine. Personally and professionally. Unfortunately I didn’t discover I had a bit of ability until I used it to lose weight when I was 24. Weighed 205 pounds in Feb of 1982. 5′ 7″ tall so that would have ended badly. Ran the Toronto marathon that fall in 2:45:59. Then ran the NYCM in Oct of 1983. 2:25:41. Won the Moosehead Brewery award for top Canuck. Made almost all my professional connections by running out of the Y in Brantford. Historically in Brantford, you did that by hanging at out the old all men’s Brantford Club and doing lots of drinking. .

        • Curious V,

          So sorry to hear about your health issues. You have great courage and a tenacity to advance in life despite all obstacles. I must say I admire that very much. All the best with your recovery.

          • Curious V says:

            I appreciate your critiques – it’s fun. Don’t hold back, I’ve basically recovered – just a bit of brain damage and some joint pain.

          • Curious V says:

            I should be honest, I do have a background in communications. I did a post-graduate diploma in Public Relations about 20 years ago – aside from a couple internships I, I’ve never worked in communications. I ended up working in corporate sales, most recently selling employee benefit plans. I did the llqp to sell disability, life, and health insurance. I had a falling out with an employer, and ended up leaving the company. I wanted to do something simple, just top clear my head (I was mistreated), so I worked as a laborer in construction, just for a change – before I could start again as a territory manager, having secured a new job, I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. So, rather than start anew, I had to give it up to do six months of chemo, and then recover – after cancer recovery, and 3 additional surgeries, the pandemic hit. I recovered, running 5-10 km a day, finishing it off with a set of 150 push ups and some weights, but I couldn’t recover in a career. My skills went stale, as time passed, and my contacts all dried up. Cancer is a lot more than battling the disease – if you are lucky enough to survive, there is so much health discrimination to deal with, and a lot of people shy away from you when you’ve been sick – I took care of myself while I did chemo, walking to get groceries, taking the bus to chemo, I moved myself after 4 months of treatment, carrying 100 lb bins (2 truck loads) I had the strength and determination to survive the unthinkable, but I couldn’t find an employer willing to take me on after cancer. Canada, it’s a country rich with discrimination – I’d like to see a political party do something to help people back to their careers, but that never happens.

      • Curious V says:

        Really, just a smuck. I had cancer a few years back and through the treatment, recovery and then covid – my world fell apart. I survived, with flying colors, going from 6 months of chemo (stage 4 cancer) to recovery. From barely being able to walk to running 5 k 5 days a week, but I couldn’t recover in my career after cancer. I do this for fun, nobody knows I do it – I always loved talking politics with people from every persuasion, so this is an outlet for me while I try to navigate myself to steadier shores.

      • Jim R says:

        He’s not totally wrong though. If I vote Conservative (which I probably will), it’s because I’m holding my nose, and it’s in spite of PP, not because of him.

        If Trudeau’s LPC had not been trying to out-NDP the NDP since 2015, it would be a different story, but AFAIAC, the pendulum has gone too far to the left for too long, and it’s time for it to start swinging back.

        Getting back to PP, IMO he comes across as an attack dog, nothing more. I hope in the future he gives me reason to change my opinion, but I’m not expecting it.

        • Martin Dixon says:

          Oh please. I am sure your local guy is waiting for your decision with baited breath(that is how it works by the way). Please keep us posted. Sure, one of PP’s attributes is that he is an attack dog. Personally, it is one of the reasons I like him but unlike many of my conservative friends, whatever leadership shenanigans are going on NEVER has an impact on how I vote locally because, again, that is how it works up here. There are highlight reels of PP attacking Morneau, JT and Carney. All silk stocking socialist Laurentian Elite hypocrites who DESERVE to be attacked(see the recent headlines about JT’s jet, etc). They are gold. No none else will do it. Because he is one of them. Trudeau got voted in even by some posters on these pages when it was clear that all he had going for him was a name and looks. How is that working out? It is obvious PP has a brain and he is saying all the right things.

    • Douglas W says:

      Poll, this past week, with 4,481 participants, had the Conservatives well ahead of the Liberals.

      Doesn’t seem like much of a slump to me.

      • Sean says:

        DW – exactly… the most recent polls have the whiff of a chest pounding, historically significant CPC Majority. PP is actually much better positioned to take it home than Harper was in 2006, Mulroney in 1984. Indeed the likelihood of PP not becoming the next PM is diminishing by the day.

        The only thing that isn’t over in Justinland is the delusional denialism of his staff.

        • Sean,

          Personally, I don’t care about a majority. All I care about is that Pierre breaks the Scheer and O’Toole curse. Orherwise, we lose, great polls or only good polls.

          • Martin Dixon says:

            Ronald, if no majority, who do they work with or do they do what Harper did?

          • Martin,

            I’m becoming somewhat feeble-minded in old age. I remember we were propped up during the two minorities: seems to me it was the Bloc for a while and Michael (Ignatieff) for a while but like I say, it wasn’t exactly last week.

          • At the time I didn’t agree with the double prorogation but hey it’s legal, so we could cultivate a dance partner for a while and then prorogue, if necessary. Of course, the Trudeau Liberals could prorogue tomorrow if they wanted to.

          • Martin Dixon says:

            Ronald-My fear is the NDP and Liberals get 170 seats although that looks unlikely at this point.

    • Martin Dixon says:

      If Charest were the leader now, he would be embroiled in all of this Chinese nonsense too. There were serious people in the party that didn’t like him FOR THAT REASON. Absolutely guaranteed you would be hauling that out now so spare me. It does not matter who the leader is, you would not vote for them and the MSM would find some way to malign that person. The Toronto Daily Star just ran a stalking horse article about a small uptick in support in the death penalty no doubt to set themselves up to haul out the infamous Tory secret agenda the dumbass media has been scaring the public with for years. As far as the fascists in the caucus, name them.

    • Sean says:

      hah! Get real. Every… single… poll… has PP winning if an election were to be held tomorrow.

      • Curious V says:

        The conservatives have overvaluing western support. When you get to central Canada, and the east coast, and BC, it changes – The conservatives have overwhelming support in the west, but not so much in the rest of the country, and that skews the numbers.

        • Martin Dixon says:

          338 show him getting the most seats.

          • Martin,

            If Harper could pull it off twice, we sure as hell can now if we win. And with this economy and inflation, I expect Pierre to pull in more seats than Harper did in his minorities.

        • The Doctor says:

          That’s true. It’s like the fact that the Democrats in the US have to have at least a 7% lead in the national popular vote now to even have a hope of actually winning the White House, owing to the Electoral College.

          Which is why a Trump 2024 Presidency is not something to lightly dismiss.

          • Doc,

            The midterms were a referendum on Trump. Independents seem to have had their fill of Trump then and Biden now. So, God knows how their votes will break. There are more of them than Democrats and more Dems than Republicans. I think Biden’s cushion is still large enough to beat Trump but definitely not DeSantis.

  2. Warren,

    If you’re truly lucky in life, there comes a rare time where you can put aside your personal reputation and mystique and focus exclusively on the good of your country. The general consensus in the Canadian intelligence establishment is that under this Prime Minister, this country has quite literally become a provincial satellite of China. This government has crossed the national security red line and someone has to set the matter straight. The fates and destiny have selected David Johnston to do that job. And do that job he will with resolve, integrity and impartiality.

    • Curious V says:

      We aren’t a provincial satellite of China – nobody believes that. This is where PP, in his attacks, goes too far – accusing Trudeau of being a Chinese proxy – that’s laughable Ronald. The worst case scenario is they were too slow to establish a registry for foreign agents, but a proxy of China – that’s where the Conservatives make a mistake in their attacks. They lose credibility because of the veracity of it, like they’re just telling tall tales and everybody sees through them. What’s more credible is accusing the conservatives of being another appendage of the extreme right-wing movement that’s growing around the world – that’s more credible than accusing the liberals of being Chinese Proxies.

      • Curious V,

        Wait for the inquiry fireworks. I expect them to be spectacular. Maybe Xi can fly in to attend the hearings!

      • Martin Dixon says:

        How do you know what anyone believes and how do you know JT is not in China’s pocket? Everyone believed that T was in Putin’s pocket and this is much worse. The difference, of course, is that the USA is a real country with real checks and balances and actually investigated the charges. Thoroughly. So far, we are treating this precisely how a banana republic would. A PM with a majority is basically a dictator. I shake my head that anyone has ever given a guy like JT so much power. I told everyone to calm down after T got elected. I still can’t say that up here. The electorate could very well be dumb enough to vote him in again, as you keep pointing out.

        • Martin,

          He knows he’s long past his best-before date. Why do you think he’s fighting an inquiry tooth and nail? Because he knows that the inquiry will finish this government off but good.

        • Curious V says:

          It plays well to the conservative base, but everyday people don’t believe Trudeau is in China’s pocket. It’s ridiculous. Until recently we wanted to grow trade with China, but China’s siding with Russia, the two Michaels, treatment of Muslims in China, and their lust for Taiwan has soured people to them, like Doc mentioned. Even so, beyond the conservative base, people don’t take accusations about being a Chinese proxy seriously.

          • Martin Dixon says:

            There is your bias again. You display it regularly. Who are these “everyday” people you speak of and I guess conservatives aren’t everyday people. And still waiting for your list of fascist MPs.

        • Curious V says:

          Also, China’s intervention in Hong Kong has blemished their reputation.

          • Curious V says:

            Martin,
            Everyday people are non-partisan. People who alternate between parties and aren’t loyal to any particular brand. They aren’t obsessively ideological, right, or left – they’re just regular folks who don’t pay much attention to politics until it’s time to vote. Not surprisingly, they are usually centrist and pragmatic.

          • Curious V says:

            The fascists in your party are the three who broke bread with a German Nazi. They’re still in caucus, they haven’t been disciplined, and PP deflects bringing up Trudeau’s black face moment, something long forgotten, and forgiven – a response that just plays to the base but doesn’t do anything to quell the concerns of everyday people.

          • Martin Dixon says:

            Dean Allison is not a fascist and it is basically libelous to say that. I don’t know the other two personally but have met, dined and spoken with Dean and one of my best friends is a very good friend of his. He is a tireless community worker, has been reelected for the last 20 years easily and is a successful businessman(something sorely lacking in the Liberal caucus). Hardly a Nazi.

            “Allison has served as president of the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation, as president of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, a director of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and board member of Junior Achievement in Niagara.[2] Allison is also a founding member of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption in Canada and the Belarus’ Children of Chernobyl program that brings children affected by the Chernobyl disaster to Canada.”

            Let me give you a little history lesson since you seem to have described yourself as an everyday person so you likely don’t pay attention to such things(your definition). About a year ago, Andersen spoke at the EU parliament. Here is what she said:

            https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1389770251451738

            Someone sent it along to me and I thought it was reasonably funny and deserved. I shipped it around to a few people and then forgot about it. I never knew who she was or her views until all of this blew up. And I do pay attention. Sorry, but “everyday” people don’t do background checks before they shake people’s hands and if someone asked me if I wanted to meet the person that was the star of that video, I am sure I would have agreed. Was it dumb for Dean not to have looked into her before he met her-sure, because of his position. He is likely more aware of that now than anyone. But people like you are basically insisting on the death penalty for him. Must be nice to be perfect.

            And stop with the “your party” nonsense. What party would that be? I too have voted for the Liberals and you have subdivided “my party” into various sub parties. At this point I just want to see JT out and I really don’t give a shit who does that. I just want to get back to the days of people like Chretien where I might disagree with the the odd thing he did but was not embarrassed by him as PM. Is that too much to ask? It certainly seems to be for some people. If it is a binary choice, then the choice is obvious. If you don’t like PP, and if you have an IQ above room temp, then it should be clear that you should stay home or vote green or NDP.

          • Martin Dixon says:

            Curious V, for most people, the definition of a non partisan person is someone that agrees with them. Sorry, but I am sure you are no exception.

      • The Doctor says:

        I think the Liberals have been very slow to the party, though, in terms of waking up to just how malign the CCP can be. And they’ve been behind public opinion instead of being in front of it.

        I think a lot of people didn’t realize just how much damage the Two Michaels case in particular did to significantly damage Chinese soft power in Canada. Plus Hong Kong (owing to our huge Hong Kong diaspora) and the Uyghurs. Take a look at polling on Canadians’ attitudes towards China, and it tells you that story.

        A lot of smart people have been ringing the alarm bells for years (e.g., Dominic Barton, Jonathan Manthorpe) and were more or less ignored. It’s a cliche, but this is a case of chickens finally coming home to roost.

        But I think there’s a big chunk of the old Trudeauist Liberal Party that’s still stuck in this Norman Bethune mindset. It’s a romanticized view of China that is extremely naive in today’s context.

  3. Warren,

    I would come at the perceived conflict of interest this way: yes, absolutely it IS a perceived conflict of interest but look at the bench: so many lawyers named to courts of first instance were rabid partisans when they were called to the bench. And how often do they recuse themselves in cases where they are charged with hearing a case involving both the government that named them and the party they supported that happens to form that government?

  4. Good show. Nice cover of Dylan’s All the Tired Horses. Thuggery, yes, that’s the word for Google and Facebook. They are not at all democratic or pro-democracy. I think they are pro-technocracy.

  5. Peter Williams says:

    Elections Canada to use electronic voting lists and store more information on foreign servers.

    https://twitter.com/hollyanndoan/status/1637780304680083457?

    Xi is pleased!

  6. EsterHazyWasALoser says:

    After listening to your explanation of why Bill C 18 is so necessary Warren, I have come down off the fence and sided with your view.

  7. Peter Williams says:

    Liberals say Katie Telford testifying before a Parliamentary committee would be unprecedented.

    Uhm, she’s already done so twice.

    I don’t know if I should call team Trudeau the Lieberals or the Libranos.

  8. Martin Dixon says:

    Quoting Mulcair from an article on the home page:

    “Liberals will be well served by a titanic leadership battle of ideas between the highly competent but resolutely right-leaning Chrystia Freeland and the exceptional Carney. His lack of experience in politics (and in Trudeau’s Cabinet) may in fact turn out to be major assets as the self-styled “natural governing party” prepares for Trudeau’s succession.”

    That is hilarious! Let’s hope they follow his advice!

    https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/tom-mulcair-a-climate-of-change-for-the-liberals-1.6322061

  9. Martin,

    Mulcair needs to get up to speed: Freeland has already lined up her next gig, in the private sector. As for QE Carney forget it. These types created inflation with their ridiculously loose monetary policy.

    • Curious V says:

      Neither are interested in the Job, so I don’t know where Mulcair gets his info – He was a great opposition leader, but like PP, the attack style doesn’t always translate to votes in an election. Mulcair was a great prosecutor of Harper, but he couldn’t compete with Trudeau’s positive disposition.

  10. Peter Williams says:

    Jagmeet Singh: “These are extremely serious allegations”

    https://mobile.twitter.com/theJagmeetSingh/status/1638660464388210688?

    But Mr Singh will continue to support Trudeau in the HOC and in committees.

    Meanwhile, Mr Singh will huff and puff, tweet and chirp, on social media. Mr Singh is all talk, no action.

  11. Curious V says:

    They’re politicians Martin, so they have to answer for their actions to a higher standard than everyday people. They associated with her because she supported the convoy, a place where she gets all kinds of admirers, and I’m sure they were aware of her background. If you want to support things like the convoy, and associate with neo-fascists, then be prepared to answer for all the ugliness therein.

    • Martin Dixon says:

      Calling him a fascist is libel. Period, full stop. But pretty easy to do when you are faceless nameless poster. Maybe even a bot. Their modus operandi is ugliness. Do carry on.

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