, 10.22.2019 07:55 AM

Who lost

Well, everyone did, pretty much. This morning, it’s hard not to feel that way.

Justin Trudeau was supposed to easily win a second majority. He didn’t. Blackface, broken promises and scandal – LavScam and Aga Khan, to name just two – have sullied his name, and reduced him to a minority.

Andrew Scheer was running against a Liberal leader less popular than Donald Trump – a Liberal leader who was even hit with a massive scandal mid-campaign – and he still couldn’t win. The talking points about popular vote are sophistry – most of that vote came from the prairies, where it didn’t result in enough seats to win. We all knew he wanted to get rid of Trudeau – but we didn’t know what he’d do if he won.

Jagmeet Singh was supposed to be the Jag-ernaut, the one everyone would turn to. But it didn’t work out that way. He lost Quebec seats and was shut out of places like Toronto, where he needed to win. His response to Trudeau’s blackface scandal was pitch-perfect – but he couldn’t translate that into a big victory.

Elizabeth May lost, big. After multiple elections, after multiple tries, all she could do is add a single seat. As with Trudeau and Trump, it’s always dangerous to let your political party morph into a single person. She needs to go. And her party wants her to move on, too.

Maxime Bernier is done, as my friend Brian Topp put it on TV last night. He’s done. And good riddance. Me and my firm were honoured to campaign against Bernier, who made common cause with racists, anti-Semites and white supremacists. His loss, his humiliation, was complete. May we never see his likes again.

The West, my home, is again relegated to margins, as it was during the reign of Trudeau’s father. Trudeau didn’t seem to care about Alberta’s plight before, and he’ll care even less, now. Anger is rising in the West. There will be consequences.

Unity, which wasn’t even on the ballot, lost. The separatists are back – visibly, in Quebec, less so in the West (for now) – and they intend to hold the future for ransom. The word “constitution” was used by the Bloc leader last night. Get ready to hear it many more times, in the weeks ahead.

Canada lost. As in 1980, as with another Trudeau, Canada is deeply, deeply divided – with the West feeling powerless, and the East completely indifferent to that. We often claim to be better than America, but we’re like America, now – a nation divided, a nation moving apart.

Not very sunny ways, I know. And a (typical) overstatement, maybe. There are glimmers of hope in the detritus: Jody Wilson-Raybould’s huge win, Jane Philpott’s extraordinary dignity, the pollsters were finally right, the complete rejection of racist populism. But that’s about all I can see, on this rainy and cold morning.

I’m not sure where all of us are headed.

But it doesn’t feel like many victories await us there.

128 Comments

  1. John Matheson says:

    There is some rumor that Warren K. arranged for the Rhino candidate by the name of Maxime Bernier to run against the PPC candidate by the same name. CTV News gave this story some oxygen to chuckles all around.

    I am not sure Warren did this. I am sure the Rhinos are perfectly capable of staging their own stunts like this.

    As you can see by the reaction, when you ridicule the far right they go ballistic. Max was totally petulant in his defeat speech.

    Everyone in the Montréal business community knows that Max is no good for any particular purpose. In Québec Max was written of as a bit of a fool.

    I am sorry if your personal life suffered because of politics. A long time ago I decided not to let that happen to me.

    • Matt says:

      By my quick review, PPC directly cost the Conservatives at least 8 seats.

      PPC got more votes than the CPC candidate lost by.

      Still would have been a Liberal minority, but a smaller one 149 – 131 or somewhere around there

      • Vancouverois says:

        The next election will be just around the corner (relatively, at least). Perhaps those votes will return to the Conservatives next time.

    • JIM Johnson says:

      It is very clear what Quebec wants they get. They put the gun to Ottawa’s head. The West is ignored as usual.

    • JIM Johnson says:

      Bernier says they have 30,000 members it will be interesting to see if they park their votes with the Conservatives next election or stay with Bernier to try and build the PPC. I think another leader from Quebec will be toxic and don’t the party will amount to much.

  2. Douglas W says:

    “I’m not sure how to find my way back to shore.”
    There’s always the sacraments. Might be time to head back home.

  3. People have to cool off and cool down the rhetoric. The voters are always right in a democracy. They are right in every province, territory and region of Canada.

    Remember that blood is thicker than water. Their opinion is just as respectable and correct as yours and vice-versa. You know that and they will also come to realize that because when politics one day become nothing more than an after-thought for you and your relatives, the blood bond will still be there and hopefully thriving. Family — a billion times more important than politics, or the family’s individual political views. Here’s to getting back to KinsellaStrong.

    • Harry Belafonte says:

      More voters for Scheer than Trudeau. Not that it matters but that means they aren’t really right in every province and territory. Lots of TDS sufferers up here mention the popular vote, I’m guessing they won’t mention that.

      I’m in the GTA and not sure I’m comfortable one city deciding the fate of the whole country. I hope for the day that all voters base their decisions on all the facts and not just Star headlines. Sadly I know too many who do just that.

      • Fred from BC says:

        “Lots of TDS sufferers up here mention the popular vote, I’m guessing they won’t mention that.”

        Yeah, funny how that works, isn’t it?

  4. Phil says:

    I concur that nobody really won.

    Liberals will have power but a tougher time in committees where they have no majority to dominate.
    THAT is perhaps the biggest victory for all of us last night.
    No-one gets to push their own agenda without some help.

    I get the feeling Pierre did not read “plays well with others” in any of Justin’s report cards. It will be a challenge for him to find a mask that he can wear for all occasions. I’m guessing this torturous election may require us to view the same damn choices in less than 18 months.

    I think the bigger loser is not the parties but all of us.

    Take out a blank page and draw a line down the middle.
    Draw a circle about 1.5 inches around the middle of that page through the centre line.
    Write the number 70 in the middle of that circle.
    Here is where 70 % of us live most days. Here is where we voted – none of us very far from that line.
    That number is maybe 80% or more (think pareto theory) if you count the independents and some Bloc voters that are more about looking for an option to oppose Trudeau.
    And yet 35%-40% percent of the population HATES the 35% -40% that is most like them.
    Western alienation, fueled by pipeline anxiety meets Quebec separatism because the 70%-80% in the middle cannot meet on the bridge.
    Political ambivalence meets all voters because the people of Ontario voted status quo as they have some buyers remorse on Doug Ford.
    People like Judy Sgro, Justin Trudeau, Max Bernier and a host of others have a voice because principled people can’t equally punish those who do society wrong. (Enough people voted for Bernier to win a lot of other ridings.)
    Great personas failed – Ralph Goodale (don’t like him) Lisa Raitt (do like) are gone but they both had a toe on that centre line.
    What a great country it could be if 200 people more like these two were in a party that won.
    It may not be racism, but HATE WON this election. I fear 70% of us voted against something last night and that doesn’t mean I think 30% voted for anything.
    What a fucking mess.

  5. Darren H says:

    Don’t be hard on yourself. You did what needed doing and I’m proud of you. And Scheer for potentially costing himself the election through scandal by stomping this (bowel) movement into the dust. As a staunch conservative myself what Bernier was peddling turned my stomach.

    As a fellow westerner all I can say is that there is a powerful feeling here of purpose that does not bode well for Canada.
    Hard times are coming for Alberta, I think there will be pretty bad cuts to govt programs but we will do what needs to be done.

    I truly feel for the average Ontario voter who is barely getting by and placing all their hope in the mythical ‘green economy’ that will supposedly rise from the ashes of the oil and gas industries. They have been duped and I fear not for the last time. It will be the last time for the west…

    • Pedant says:

      What didn’t you like about Bernier’s platform? A discussion on immigration? Is that not allowed?

      • Harry Belafonte says:

        He ran to lead the conservatives and lost. Then as a bitter loser he did his best to harm them. What does it matter what his platform is?

        • Fred from BC says:

          “He ran to lead the conservatives and lost”

          Yes, thanks to the Quebec dairy cartel.

          ” Then as a bitter loser he did his best to harm them.”

          ???

          What does it matter what his platform is?”

          It matters because he’s a real Conservative, and Andrew Scheer is not.

          • Fred,

            You’ve got to divide him in three: so-called real Conservative, so-called Libertarian and definitely so-called something else.

          • Fred from BC says:

            “You’ve got to divide him in three: so-called real Conservative, so-called Libertarian and definitely so-called something else.”

            The Libertarian is what initially attracted me to him.

            Why does no other politician in Canada seem willing to stand up to the Quebec dairy cartel? Andrew Scheer let them buy
            him off at the leadership convention, which is exactly when I decided that I wouldn’t be voting Conservative this time around.

    • Vancouverois says:

      Does Ontario still buy in to that green economy stuff, after the enormous debt inflicted by McGuinty and Wynne?

      • Fred from BC says:

        I don’t know about Ontario, but clearly the rest of the country doesn’t. The Greens were expecting much more than one additional seat.

  6. Andrew Warren says:

    I don’t believe it’s a loss, I think it’s a win for Canada overall, we have a government that will be forced to work together and hopefully will. Good riddance to the PPC but its supporters will not have changed and will be absorbed back into the conservative base from where they came, Maxime included. Was almost better seeing them out in the light of day than slithering around back under the rocks they came from. Either way a new day for all, hope we can move forward and have a little more hope and a little less partisanship and maybe Canada can truly be the country it should be. Keep fighting the good fight Warren.

    • Matt says:

      They won’t though. NDP and the Greens are broke and in serious debt after this election. They won’t be in a position to fight another one for at least three, if not the full 4 years. They will either support the government or abstain from voting on bills allowing them to pass so they don’t bring the government down.

    • Andrew,

      The CPC will never, ever, take Bernier back.

  7. Pedant says:

    Toronto 416 went 25/25 Liberal. How lovely.

    I don’t ever want to hear another word about “diversity”, “tolerance”, or “inclusion” from a regressive-Left numbskull Torontonian ever again.

  8. NeinerNeiner1 says:

    Hi Warren.

    You will make it back to shore. For the time being, just back float. Ride the waves, don’t fight them, let them guide you back to shore.

    When you make it back to shore, rest as long as you need and recover.

    You’ll get there Warren.

    I’ve been very low myself. With patience, self acceptance, self forgiveness & self compassion I got through. Keep those who care close to you.

    You may not see it right now, but you can do it.

  9. Here’s why the progressive opposition still has Trudeau by the balls: firstly, they all know not to sink Trudeau too early. If he can command the confidence of the House, then by all means, let him have at it.

    But wait for an economic statement or budget bill (or even later if Canadians don’t want another election) and then attach proportional representation ( a measure that will weaken the Liberals even more than they are now) as part of an omnibus bill. If Trudeau says No, then pull the plug, on your own timing, and roll the dice.

    • Vancouverois says:

      Whoever pulls the plug too early will pay a political price for having done so.

      Also, any attempt to change to proportional representation will require a nation-wide referendum. Again, there could be a political price for instigating that – and an even bigger one for trying to force it through *without* a public vote.

      Besides, the Liberals don’t need to cater to the NDP – that party can’t afford another election so soon. Besides, the Liberal minority is strong enough that they only need to make a deal with one other party at a time, on a case by case basis.

      Personally I think it’s pretty clear the opposition will wait until the next recession hits, or some other event damages the government.

  10. Pedant says:

    Some other thoughts:

    – did anyone catch the CBC’s interview with the guy who beat Lisa Raitt in Milton? Dumb as a post! I think the Liberals chose him since by comparison Trudeau looks like he has gravitas

    – good riddance to Goodale. His smarmy distortion of the Harper record was despicable (sure Ralph, as if the Liberals wouldn’t have run a massive deficit during the biggest global economic crisis in 80 years), and he apparently thought that it was okay for HIMSELF to vote again gay marriage in 2004 but not okay for Scheer to have done so

    – it is becoming increasingly evident that this federation cannot continue in its current form whereby the main contributor to equalization is treated like dirt while forced to pony up massive amounts of cash to province and people who hate it. What does Alberta actually get out of Confederation? Can somebody more knowledgeable than I am weigh the pros and cons? Because I don’t see the benefits

    – the polls were on the money for Lib/CPC but significantly off on the NDP vote. Strategic voting for Blackface?

    – we are about to experience the biggest brain drain out of Canada that we’ve had in 20 years. This Liberal-NDP coalition will dole out the goodies to the unproductive while taxing to death the accomplished. If you are under 40, or even under 50, and have marketable skills, time to consider your options.

  11. Peter says:

    Take a break, Warren, please. Time for funny movies, new hobbies, the murder mystery you’ve always intended to write, etc. Then come back and resume the good fight. Bruises like that
    heal, but you must give them time.

  12. A. Voter says:

    Winner: Any defeated candidate who has qualified for the MP pension plan. Does anyone know a site with the riding results?

  13. Matt says:

    How does Singh survive as NDP leader? He lost 40% of his seats and went from 3rd party in the HOC to 4th. They dumped Mulcair for a similar performance.

    How does Scheer survive? Sure CPC gained 23 seats,but they should have at least won a minority.

    How does May Survive? In an election where climate change was front and centre, the best she could do was win 3 seats.

    Trudeau? Someone should tell him he didn’t “win” he just lost less than the others. Dropped 30 seats. Lost double digit support in every province except Ontario and Quebec where he went down roughly 5% and 3%. Almost non existent west of Ontario. This is not the “clear strong mandate” Trudeau seems to think it is.

    NDP and Greens who think they can force electoral reform on Trudeau in a minority? DELUSIONAL. He just kept power with 33% of the popular vote, FPTP ain’t going anywhere.

    • Matt,

      That’s why it’s called a strategic well-timed second election.

    • Phil says:

      NDP spent how much? to win what?
      Greens the same.
      Party Debt is not an issue. They should be the first to pull confidence. They could all stay home. Run the same candidates and not lose by much more.
      I believe propping up this government will not give the Greens or the NDP any benefit. Short term / long term / any term. The only reason they should delay an election is to see if they can merge to form an alternative to the Liberals and take back the progressive label.
      They should force the Bloc to prop up Trudeau. Do everything they can to move away from shared ground.
      We have tons of proof. That when Given a choice between complacent liberals and new faces the NDP and Greens do not have the capital to compete.
      The very reason Trudeau feels he has a mandate has been his most transparent message in this campaign. “Vote for me or get Conservatives.” Worked AGAIN

    • Not Justin Blackface says:

      If Scheer survives, it will be Tim Hudak II for the CPC. He will not win people over in future. He has no personality to project affection, intelligence or wit. Just a swarmy smile. I am glad my riding went CPC, but it will be Liberals with a majority next time round if Scheer survives as leader. Utterly incompetent as a politician. Literally had a guy with 3 known occurrences of racist behaviour, lying, misogyny etc and still he could not beat him. CPC MPs need to start the process of dumping him now, just the way the Liberals do when they lose. Get a personable woman or minority <40. Do it now.

      Sheer: be gone. No more of my $$ to CPC until this loser is back in the back benches, or selling insurance or whatever.

      • Matt says:

        Agreed. He cannot lead the party into the next election. But more than that, CPC needs to stop relying on the NDP to suck votes away from the Liberals and start crafting policy that will take votes away from the Liberals on their own.

        I see people saying, well Scheer wasn’t treated fairly by the media. He wasn’t. So what makes people think two or three years from now in the next election would be any different?

        • BikeMike says:

          The CPC would do well to

          (1) pick a leader from anywhere besides the west, since that’s all they and their precursors have had since 1993
          (2) sacrifice some of their base in the prairies to grow elsewhere
          (3) legitimately have policies that appeal to the mainstream

          Conservatives would attract people like myself more of they weren’t so tied to SoCons, Alberta oil, and tax cuts. There’s a legitimate concern that’s preventing them from expanding their pool of potential voters that Scheer did a great job of bringing to life

          • Pedant says:

            Sounds like you want the Conservatives to be clones of the Liberals. What’s the point in having two large parties in that case, if there’s no philosophical difference between the two?

          • BikeMike says:

            I’d rather a realistic alternative to the Liberals. Moving a bit more to the centre – particularly in who they’re picking as a leader – doesn’t make them a clone of the Liberals, it makes them pragmatic.

            When the rubber hits the road, I suspect that there’s a lot less deep philosophy in these parties than people pretend there is and there’s a lot more tribalism. Certain leaders have certain perspectives and philosophies and these tend to be more reflected in the policies adopted than the so-called ‘party philosophy’

          • Both Conservatives and Liberals claim to live and die by their principles but as soon as the writ is dropped, they fall all over each other in the rush to lie through their teeth. And you thought both parties had nothing in common!

  14. Dean Rivando says:

    Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and move on. ‘Nanakorobi yaoki’ – fall seven times, stand up eight. You wear this humility well, but hairshirt gets itchy after a while. You’ll find a way forward.

  15. Pamela Ingold says:

    Don’t beat yourself up! You know darn well what you did is done by all parties. I hope to see you back on Twitter soon.

  16. I Mckeen says:

    I can say for certain that you didn’t lose one thing:

    the people who respect your honest, unbiased, clever and intellectual journalism.

    I trust that you will take these losses and discover hidden wins,

    that you will uncover glimpses of sunshine in these cloudy skies,

    and that you will feel compelled to share these gifts with us all…

    Because THAT is what you seem to do so well.

    In a world where corruption is on the rise, it is the pure who help us to keep sane.

    Thank you.

  17. Robert White says:

    You distinguished yourself as a statesman this election, Warren. Today may feel like a loss but it is a big win in that you have amassed many converts to your perspective on maintaining rule of law & ethics so that our shared democratic values are concentrated on what is right rather than what is expedient.

    You stood your ground on ethics, and you supported all the right causes which made many like myself notice who was principled and who was merely paying lip service for the sake of political expediency.

    Taking an ethical stance on national politics is necessary, Warren. Someone had to do it, and this time it was your turn. Paying the political piper sometimes requires taking roads less traveled where few see the learning curve as it actually is.

    JWR’s win is also a win for you given that you were onside the whole time.

    I have learned quite a bit from you about statesmanship, Warren.

    Thank you for the much needed education. I’m a little less naïve now that I am following you.

    Cheers, Robert

  18. Doug Brown says:

    Will the opposition parties dig into SNC now that the Liberals can’t obstruct committees? The Conservatives will likely push but won’t the NDP and BQ look like fools if they don’t?

    • Martin says:

      As I said below, the Bloc will likely stop any effort.

    • Pedant says:

      The BQ isn’t going to want to press for an investigation that involves a prominent Quebec company. Liberal + BQ is a majority, on that question anyway. There will be no further investigation. The issue is effectively dead.

  19. Leo Fleming says:

    Toronto and Montreal are, as usual, running the country. Almost clean sweep of Toronto and Montreal. Something like 75 seats between the two. It should not be right that 2 cities override the will of the rest of the country. We need to reopen the Constitution. Make the mayor of the TO-Montreal corridor one part of a 5-year triumverate . Non renewable.

    • Pedant says:

      Although the political culture of Montreal and Toronto destructive and hypocritical, you can’t fault them for simply having sufficient population to garner so many seats. That’s democracy. A more worthy complaint would be the fact that Atlantic Canada gets 32 seats whereas SK+MB get 28, even though the latter has a large population.

      • Pedant says:

        Er, the latter has a largER population…

        • Not Justin Blackface says:

          Yes, little PEI with 4 seats. Cape Breton 2. The system is rigged. PEI collectively has the same population as 1 Edmonton riding, so 4x more political power. When Harper increased western seats, he should NOT have increased Quebec seats.

          • Gananoque says:

            That was the deal back in 1873. PEI would be guaranteed four seats if the colony signed on to Confederation.

            Canadian history gets a rap for being kinda snoozy, but it’s the history I’ve got, and I like it.

          • NJB,

            You can’t pick and choose who gets new seats. It goes with rep by pop. Recognize also that you can’t take away any seats from a province or territory.

          • Gord says:

            We need to repeal a few of the provisions of the 1985 Representation Act.

            First, the “senatorial clause” that says no province can have fewer MPs than Senators. That’s why PEI gets four MPs instead of one, why New Brunswick gets ten instead of six or seven, etc.

            Second, the “grandfather clause”, which basically says that no province can have fewer seats in the HoC than it had when the Act was passed, regardless of population changes. So we just keep adding more and more seats to an ever-expanding House to try and balance the numbers.

            What we should have is a system like the US House of Representatives. Have a fixed number of MPs (say 325) and distribute them among the provinces strictly according to population. Then after every dicennial census, adjust the number of seats in each province – taking away seats from provinces where the populations have declined in relative terms and adding them to the provinces where the population has grown.

            Done.

          • Gord,

            Makes perfect sense but will never happen cause central and eastern Canada would lose their ability to shaft the west.

  20. Phil says:

    I have never lived anywhere but Ontario.
    I have been west of Ontario three times in my life. East never further than Quebec.

    I AM ONTARIO

    NO, you cannot blame ONLY Ontario but you also have to assign blame fairly and Ontario has been the most complacent toward Federal arrogance not just this election but back over most of my 53 years.
    Whether Ontario is the dad or the mom of this family, their partner has almost always been Quebec. The two are dysfunctional on their own. Together We are classic examples of co-dependency.
    When the west wanted in,it only happened because Ontario turned. (Ontario only came over when it appeared Mulroney and Harper had a chance in Quebec)
    Ontario is the heart of many of the age old anger the west has. WE in ONTARIO are the east to them and they scorn us because we do not ever seem to support them.
    Ontario has delivered every government since I have been alive.
    We who live in Ontario are fixated on
    1) placating Quebec
    2) denying any loss of our natural power to the west
    3) our addiction to over government
    4) keeping “balance” eg Bill Davis PCs in Toronto PET Liberals in Ottawa.
    This is not a failure of any political party. It is the failure of Ontario to act like the leader of the family and do what is best for the family as a whole.
    Ontario needs to stand up and insist that population by representation is mandatory. A vote in PEI MUST equal a vote in Calgary.
    Ontario needs to demand national unity and lead by example. Electoral reform, overlap of jurisdiction and a renewed equalization plan are places Ontario needs to roll up our sleeves on and get something resolved. We have the most diverse population and the most diverse economy we need to learn to use these tools and use them FAST.
    Ontario is not to blame entirely but we do not in any way deserve to be let off the hook for this one.

  21. Harry Belafonte says:

    You’re not a twitter shamrock, those vile angry people lose every day. Don’t be like them.

    JWR winning was probably the highlight of the day. To a narcissist like JT yesterday was awful. Enjoy that, and hopefully Scheer can come up with a better plan than pretending he was going to win next time.

    • The Doctor says:

      Aside from Goodale and Svend Robinson losing, JWR winning was my bright spot. I wish the oppo would get together and place her on the oppo benches immediately opposite Selfie Boy, so he has to look his hypocrisy in the face every day.

  22. Tod Cowen says:

    I have to disagree with Warren (at my peril, I’m sure.) JT was a huge winner, since he really should have been a big loser. Any politician who can get hit by everything from Lavscam to blackface-gate and still have the keys to 24 Sussex (metaphorically speaking, I know) is a lucky man indeed. Neither the Bloc nor the Dippers want an election, since the former wants to bask for awhile the glow of electoral success, and the latter is shattered and bankrupt. (Hey–they didn’t get passed by the Greens–there’s that!).

    Agree that Scheer is a loser. That election was winnable, but his downward aim (straight into his foot) was unerring. Revealing dual-citizenship during an election campaign? Political malpractice, and I’m sure he’ll pay a price.

    So, let’s keep watching the weather forecast in Ottawa two or three Januaries down the road. If there’s a snow flurry, and Justin puts on his winter boots, he can finally do something that does justice to his father: walk away on top. Luckiest pol we’ll ever see.

    And Warren: you did indeed see JWR elected, and you put the boots to Mad Max. Not a bad day’s work.

  23. Martin says:

    Clear winner:

    https://business.financialpost.com/investing/snc-lavalin-soars-as-election-uncertainty-eases-with-trudeau-win

    And the Bloc will stop any investigation by the Justice Committee.

    • Pedant says:

      Exactly. Liberal + Bloc equals majority on the committee. This story is dead. More Alberta bucks will flow to dodgy Quebec corporations.

  24. Martin says:

    Only hope is RCMP investigation.

  25. Ron Kelly says:

    In my lifetime I have lived through nine minority governments. They were led by John Diefenbaker (2), Lester B. Pearson (2), Pierre Trudeau, Joe Clark, Paul Martin, and Stephen Harper (2). That’s five Conservative and four Liberal minority governments.
    Canada survived; some may say the country even thrived!
    Which of the opinions expressed by you and your commentators are original?

  26. Sean says:

    Warren,

    You are to be commended for the astonishing effort you made in fighting against injustice, corruption, and racism. You put your heart, soul and exceptional intellect into this fight and secured the respect of many. This fight isn’t over and after a brief respite, I trust you’ll return to the ring.

  27. Walter says:

    I don’t think you realized how difficult of a task it would be to unseat Trudeau. The Liberal Party is a giant machine with many tentacles in many areas.
    – They control the many Agencies, Board and Commissions of government,
    – They control the civil service,
    – They control the media, both print and broadcast,
    – They control the justice system, including the RCMP police, the Prosecutors, and the Courts (including the Supreme Court).
    You on the left have been the beneficiary of the above power imbalance for so long, that you did not realize how daunting the task was. But don’t worry, in time Trudeau will pass and you will once again have all the benefits you once had, but for a more favourable leader.
    But please spare a thought for the poor right of center voter. They have endured the above-mentioned bias for several decades without once receiving fairness. They have continued their Quixotic quest for fairness, knowing it will never come. And regardless of how many Liberals leaders will be replaced, the anti-conservative bias of the above groups will continue for generations to come.

  28. The Doctor says:

    First of all, kudos and thanks to WK for running this website. And I appreciate his honesty, even if I don’t agree with him 100% of the time.

    I personally think Scheer should go, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen. His boosters will cite his seat gains and winning the popular vote, even though in the big picture both mean squat.

    I thought Scheer ran a terrible campaign, and he’s a lousy politician. I can honestly say I thought he was a terrible choice as leader when he was elected leader, and I stand by that today. Why does the CPC get such lousy candidates for leadership? Whoever wins the CPC leadership has a more or less even chance of becoming PM. Is this the best they can do? Where’s someone with charisma and some political smarts? It’s a disgrace, really.

    As for the CPC’s campaign, which sucked: a big reason it sucked is that it massively failed the stick-a-microphone-in-front-of-the-average-voter test. If you stuck a mike in front of the average voter and asked that voter what the CPC’s platform was, chances are you would have gotten a blank stare in return.

    Compare that to Harper’s campaign when he won: GST cut. Any average voter could get that. Scheer and the CPC just had this incomprehensible, scattershot jumble of crap, basically, that no average voter could grasp. Pathetic.

    Oh yeah, and R.I.P. fiscal responsibility.

  29. Mackenzie says:

    I’ve never actually heard of you before and I’m not sure what your crisis is. But a few things I know. No one suffers by leaving twitter. Write everything that is bothering you but you don’t have to publish it. A person can easily get angry and stay that way but it will cost you eventually. If you did something wrong own it and if you didn’t let it go and move on.
    Things could be worse. Just saw Andrew Scheer make a fool of himself on tv morning after. Acts like a tone deaf used oil company salesman – single issue lobbyist. Adversarial and confrontational despite losing. Sorry but the west is in the wrong. The west has a huge opportunity to be a powerhouse of green commerce and a world leader. The tech is there to support this.
    Scheer has no class, gravitas or political acumen. We need thoughtful intelligent co- operative statesmen and women in power. Not corporate schills. So whatever your problems are at least you are not Andrew Scheer.

  30. The worldwide problem of late is that most of our so-called party leaders come from the bottom of the barrel, politically speaking.

    They have very little political skills and it shows. In this country, I can think of five right off the bat. So there you go…

  31. Eastern Rebellion says:

    I think the NDP were the real losers, and I can’t see the party surviving. The Greens have severely eroded their support, and why would any progressive support the NDP (who always lose) and not throw their lot in with the Libs, where they will have a seat at the table in government. The party needs to look in the mirror and decide whether or not they can justify their existence. The CPC will be fine, and Scheer should be around to fight the next election, as long as he can keep his base in the West onside.

    • Bingo!

      Yeah, and just look at the Bloc now.

    • Pedant says:

      By that logic, the NDP should have never won a single seat ever in history because “why wouldn’t they just vote Liberal?”

      • Eastern Rebellion says:

        They have become the patron saints of lost causes. The Greens are eating their lunch across Canada, and the Bloc just crushed them in Quebec. In 2011 the NDP had 103 seats, now they have 24. I suppose they can hang around, but why would anybody want to support a party that never seems to be able to win an election.

  32. Lee Hill says:

    Politics, as someone much smarter than me said on this site, can break your heart. Keep a close watch as a former Velvet might echo. Last, but not least, from the bleachers of the dystopian passion play that is Brexit, remember this old ballad “”Si tu vois mon pays / Mon pays malheureux / Va dire a mes amis / Que je me souviens d’eux.”

    And wish I was there with them. Tomorrow, for those of us of fixed and unfixed addresses, is another day. Good night, good luck…good health to all.Mike drop from Airstrip One.

  33. Gananoque says:

    That was the deal back in 1873. PEI would be guaranteed four seats if the colony signed on to Confederation.

    Canadian history gets a rap for being kinda snoozy, but it’s the history I’ve got, and I like it.

  34. Isy says:

    It’s almost like it’s the same script as it was for Pierre.

    Mania, minority to bland conservative, and back with a big majority next.

    Call me crazy, eh 😉

    • Isy,

      Maybe but Justin is no Pierre and too prone to his delusions that he’s always right and hasn’t done anything wrong politically. That’s a recipe for disaster further down the road. They were basically inept as a majority…what will they be like when they need nuclear-generated wits in a minority context? (Broadhurst better stick around.)

  35. PJH says:

    Test…..

  36. Al in Cranbrook says:

    If Warren will indulge for one more time, I’m going to say a few things that few want to hear.
    When no less than Roy Romanow opines on national TV that he fears what is brewing in western Canada, some people had better listen up!
    Jason Kenney is as strong a believer in Canada as could possibly be; he’s got his hands full from here on out. Everyone can thank the gods that he’s the one out in front of this mess, and not some flaky wannabe; he is likely the most important politician in this country right now.
    Talk about back to the future, eh? Harper drove the BQ into irrelevancy. Four years of Trudeau et al, and we’re right back where we started. The Libs won 14 seats west of Ontario: 2 in the territories, 4 in Winnipeg, and the rest in Vancouver. When have we seen this before!
    But here’s the kicker in all this…
    At it’s very core, what’s driving this march to what could become the demise of Canada is ONE thing: The Religion of Climate Change, upon the altars of which elitists and leftists together are ready to sacrifice an entire confederation.
    I’ve got two grandchildren, now in the their early teens, coming home from school literally depressed because they’re worried their world is going to end in twelve years. Good God Almighty! The utterly despicable crap that’s being pounded into our children’s heads!!! Worse, there’s nobody out there who will be ALLOWED to tell them anything differently!
    Tell you all what: Take $20 worth of your beer money and a couple hours of your precious time and get your hands on the book, “Inconvenient Facts”. Go on YouTube and search: Conversations that Matter, and listen to Freeman Dyson and William Happer, two of the most prominent physicists of our time, and learn something about CO2! Or there’s Patrick Moore, Patrick Michaels, Matt Ridley, etc., etc. There’s another side to this matter, and it’s damn well past the time for people to inform themselves as to the truth of it all…as opposed to sitting back on their lazy asses and relying on fanatic trolls on FB and Twitter, and an MSM up to their elitist necks in this unmitigated BS!
    …or, God help us, a 16 year old kid no less!
    Climate Change, justifying the destruction of the single most environmentally responsible energy industry on the whole GD planet! All the while tankers line up at eastern refineries to supply oil to the Canadian markets from environmental hell holes like the Middle East, Nigeria, Venezuela, you name it! You can’t even any more make up s*** like this! Rank hypocrisy doesn’t even begin to describe it!
    And then there’s one province, the same one that has soaked up literally hundred of billions of wealth generated by western oilfields, but for the sake of Climate Change will not permit a pipeline to move the same oil across its borders to eastern refineries, the very same ones afore mentioned. As Brad Wall put it so succinctly, if equalization money had to move through pipelines, they’d get built in a heartbeat!
    We’re now in one helluva mess, and it’s going to get a damn sight sorrier before it’s over.
    And no, I won’t be responding. I’ve said my piece, take it anyway you want.

    • Walter says:

      Can’t argue with anything you said.

    • Andre Goulet says:

      Al, the science is in. That’s why your grandkids, and millions like them around the world (and even 40-somethings like me) are scared as hell right now. That’s why your grand kids are apocalyptic. It’s the scientific consensus, as inconvenient as that may be for a Canadian economy that’s addicted to resource extraction. Addressing this will need to be a major priority for national governments moving forward. Unfortunately, mediocre men like Trudeau and Scheer are not up for the challenge. Just my two cents….

      • Al in Cranbrook says:

        Okay, can’t let that one pass. Sorry.
        The “science is in”??? I take it then that you’ve read up on both sides of the matter, and made an informed decision?
        Or did you just decide to go with the consensus? Everyone seems to be saying the same thing, so it must be true, eh?
        Bit of a story here. I’m into ancestry. I learned that a 10th great grandmother of mine was one “Susannah (North) Martin”. Google her. Short version: She was hung in 1692 at the age of 72 at Salem, Mass. for being a “witch”…one of some 22 women to meet that fate. She was a victim of “consensus” which bred mass hysteria, you know, fear. It must be true, because everyone is saying it is. Same reasoning that landed Galileo in a dungeon. And if you think we’re any better at this today, you’re not paying attention to what’s going on in this world.
        If you’re so scared, then it seems to me that the least you owe yourself (and those around you), is to take a bit of time to check ALL the facts.
        Ten hours of your life to dig into the counter arguments, and then use your own mind, the one God gave you, to figure out what is, and what isn’t.
        Until you get around to this, you’re just giving up your own independence to powers that, frankly, don’t give a rat’s ass about you.

    • Pedant says:

      More environmentally damaging that loading Saudi oil onto tankers and transporting it through the Indian ocean, around Africa, across the Atlantic to Halifax and Montreal? Leaving aside the human disgrace of enriching a regime like Saudi Arabia.

      Even if Alberta oil uses more energy and water than other sources, it doesn’t matter as long as it can sell the oil for a higher price than it takes to produce it. Should Ontario auto workers stop all production of minivans and SUVs since they use more energy than compact cars?

      • Walter says:

        The key is that all the GHGs required to bring Saudi oil to our shore is attributed to Saudi Arabia – and they are exempt from any GHG targets. Using Alberta oil has all the GHGs attributed to Canada. So in a very self-centred way, ignoring the GHGs can cross borders, using Saudi Oil helps Canada’s numbers, but hurts the planet.
        Like many things, the left-wing ideals sound good to those who spend zero time thinking about them – but upon closer scrutiny, they are absurd.

      • Pedant,

        You forgot Valero in Lévis (St-Romuald) but that’s OK.

    • Walter says:

      It is amazing how far Canada has been torn apart.
      We were never as united as we were under the Harper government.
      In the 1990’s, we had a separation referendum.
      In the 1980’s, we had a separation referendum.
      In the 1970’s, we had the FLQ crisis.
      In the 1960’s, we had the quiet revolution.
      In the 1950’s, we had the Richard Riots.
      In the 1940′ we had the Conscription crisis.
      In the 1930’s, we had creeping federalism.
      In the 1910’s, we had the Conscription crisis.
      Now in 4 years of Trudeau government, we are back to being divided as ever – maybe the worst in our history.

    • Vancouverois says:

      Jack Layton drove the BQ into irrelevancy? Absolutely not.

      He may have beaten the BQ in 2011; but only by adopting the substance of their platform. He betrayed the federalist cause in order to get votes for his party.

    • Fred from BC says:

      ” October 22, 2019 at 9:04 pm

      “Harper drove the BQ into irrelevancy.”

      I thought it was Jack Layton who did that. Harper did help by uniting Quebec against him.”

      No, Stephen Harper’s legacy will be that he disproved the
      long-standing myth (promoted by Quebec, I’m sure) that a Canadian political party *had* to win Quebec to win government. Once that was done, the Bloc lost their bargaining power. Now Junior has emboldened and resurrected them, apparently.

      “I found this review of “Inconvenient Facts” https://medium.com/@willardm22/its-easy-to-be-tricked-by-a-climate-denier-a87ba4b4a087
      It point out that it contains facts, but then uses those facts to draw an unjustified conclusions.”

      Yeah, so says the Global Warming Hysteric.

      • Peter says:

        No, it is not, but neither is just calling anyone who disagrees with you a denialist.

      • Peter says:

        Nope, I don’t buy the “present a different theory” gambit. The climate is either changing in accordance with IPCC predictions or it is not. Nobody who just observes that it is not is under any obligation to declare what exactly the climate is doing. And I really don’t care what you call me.

      • Fred from BC says:

        “Present a coherent theory that fits the data better then the consensus theory, then I won’t call you a denialist.”

        Consensus is the cornerstone of politics, but utterly irrelevant when it comes to science. Stop confusing the two.

      • Al in Cranbrook says:

        Darin…realizing you likely won’t be back to read this, but nevertheless:
        Great times to live in, eh? Look at all the time we can save thanks to the Net! One no longer needs to waste time thinking up defenses of positions or arguments; one merely Googles, finds an article or two that confirms one’s bias, posts links, and handled! Yay! I don’t even have to think!!! And it only took minutes!
        Or IOW: You are the critic who never read the book or saw the movie.
        Theory that counters AGW? I’ll take facts over theory ever time. Read the book, if you dare. The world didn’t begin 150 years ago (and it won’t end in 12, either).
        Undisputed facts: There have been 9 warm periods since the end of the Younger Dryas 11,000 years ago…and ALL of them were warmer than the current one.
        At the end of the interstadial prior to the one we now are in, global sea levels were 6 to 9 METERS higher than currently. (This was not caused by Neanderthals sitting around campfires.)
        In each of the last glacial period, CO2 dropped to 180 ppm. At 150 ppm a global mass extinction event begins as plant life on the planet dies. If you spare yourself 15 minutes of your valuable time listening to Prof. William Happer, he explains that in fact the planet has been, and still is, experiencing a “CO2 famine”. Yet, the planet has been “greening” for the last 30 years, proven by satellite imagery. Plants that have more abundant CO2 also are more drought resistant. Thus, our ability to feed the planet’s human population has never been more opportune, as new records are set almost every year in crop production…the value of which is measured in trillions of $.
        Every single study proves that cold climate, both historically and currently kills far, far more people than warm climate.
        I could go on and on, but Warren would lose it!
        Step outside the confinements of your ideological box, partner. Science has even less to do with ideology…indeed, nothing at all!
        Oh, and BTW…I read that review. (Did you?)

      • doconnor says:

        The fact that climate has changed in the past without us doesn’t mean that we are not causing the current climate changes or that climate change isn’t bad.

        If the world was cooling as fast it is warming it would be worse, but that doesn’t mean warming is harmless.

        If you understood the review, you would know that just listing a bunch of facts doesn’t automatically lead to the correct conclusion.

  37. John says:

    Mr. Kinsella, please don’t beat yourself. Your heart has always been in the right place and you’ve done an amazing public service calling out racism as well as calling out Trudeau’s groping, SNC, Norman, blackface and overall hypocrisy. Thank you for that.

    By the way, you’re dearly missed on Twitter. You were the Twitter account I always checked first to keep apprised of goings on. Please don’t listen to the trolls/haters. Instablock. They’re insignificant.

    Please know that you have many people who care about you. You’re not alone. You’re a courageous inspiration to many others who suffer from depression too. Thanks so much for speaking out. Better days ahead.

  38. John says:

    Please don’t beat yourself up, I meant. My bad. Sorry. Poor proofreading on my part. Stay strong.

  39. Al,

    I’m all for pipelines to create new offshore markets by tanker and domestic markets. Oil and gas are the life-blood of Alberta but what I want to hear from Kenney is when the Alberta government thinks that the “party” is going to be over? People need to eat, live and survive but eventually fossil fuel demand will go to zero. Is Alberta prepared for that, 30-40 years down the road? What’s Kenney’s transition plan to make Alberta more than a one-trick oil and gas pony? When oil and gas goes permanently bust, what will Albertans do? If the Alberta economy has not been diversified, are they all going to be grateful recipients of equalization because Kenney and his successors did dick to diversify the provincial economy? That’s the answer we never get from Kenney, or any other provincial politician, and it needs to be addressed now.

  40. Vancouverois says:

    I thought Trudeau’s speech was hypocritical and lacking in class.

    He interrupted Scheer’s speech, opened by gloating over how Canadians had chosen against “division and negativity” in an election where he himself has been openly attacking Ontario and Alberta as the key element of his re-election strategy, and then has the gall to claim he’ll represent all Canadians?

    Not a good start.

    • JIM Johnson says:

      He will not represent all Canadians and frankly he is not a federalist. He is a narcissistic, hypocrite, pathological liar, self centered and if anyone is divisive it is Trudeau. His fear mongering approach is toxic.

  41. Jenna Ramone says:

    Social media breaks are healthy, if fully supported by handsome labs.
    Take some time and come back . You will be missed. Many of us enjoy your posts , wit and lush hair .

  42. C. Baker says:

    Of course, the winner is whoever controls the narrative. In this case, Time’s Anna Purna Kambhampaty who greatly helped reduce majority to minority. The minority held on because $600 million was distributed to Canada’s narrative makers – Justin Trudeau Thought as Mao Zedong Thought.

  43. Walter says:

    Conservatives need to realize that Canada does not want competence, or honesty, or integrity – they want celebrity.
    Just find a nice looking actor that can read a few lines and you will easily win over the current Liberal supporters.
    Problem is, it will likely drive away the conservative supporters.

  44. Steve Prentice says:

    I don’t know, I feel like this is the worst result possible and guarantees Trudeau another 6 years…and I just can’t stomach it…if Scheer was trounced or barely improved the seat count, he would be gone…but with this result i think the conservatives will keep him around, giving Trudeau the biggest smile he could have…Scheer just does not have it, it’s not there, period…and the conservatives ran a horrible campaign in my estimation…Trudeau got slapped and yet his ego will be bigger than ever…what a mess this country is in…AND WARREN, PLEASE HANG IN THERE…the world is a better place with you…we don’t always agree but you are a brilliant man and Canada needs your commentary and this website…Politics is a blood sport and you will rise once again…That much I know…All the best Warren…

  45. Gilbert says:

    Hi Warren,

    I know that politics is a tough business, and I have no doubt that the Liberals made you a big target. Please don’t stop the good work you do. I’ve learned a lot from you and I’m sure others have too.

  46. CanuckinEurope says:

    There was a lot of anti-Ford talk among my friends and relatives.

    People who were extremely enthusiastic and voted for Ford feel very let down.

    Ford wasn’t as advertised.

    Many were led to not believe Sheer or any conservative.

    Trudeau was the devil they knew.

    • Vancouverois says:

      It was also true that Trudeau’s claims he’d enact electoral reform were blatant lies – but people still believed him.

      It’s just human nature. People are inclined to believe what they want to believe, even when rational thought dictates otherwise.

    • Harry Belafonte says:

      Any time someone parrots a Star headline I ask them what Ford cut exactly. They usually say “education”. Then I ask them how he cut when the budget went up. Then then mumble something about conservatives…

      • Fred from BC says:

        “Ford cut education by dramatically increasing class sizes at the high school level.”

        That is NOT a ‘cut’, and only the teachers union or their NDP enablers would even try to claim that it was.

  47. Robert Elford says:

    Hi Warren, thanks for your commentary throughout this campaign. All the best, Rob

  48. Jennifer says:

    Now that the Liberals have a minority… can the Conservatives, Bloc and NDP together not start an RCMP investigation into the SNC scandal?

    • Walter says:

      Ask the Liberals. If it’s ok for the Liberals to direct the Prosecutor, would it not also be ok for parliament to direct the RCMP.

      • Ronald O'Dowd says:

        Walter,

        The way to go is to revive the multiple parliamentary investigations in the Justice and Ethics Committees. And force the call of every damned witness you can find, excluding the Parliamentary janitor.

    • Ronald O'Dowd says:

      Jennifer,

      It’s already started and only paused during the election campaign as per standard RCMP operating procedure.

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