Pierre Poilievre is a piece of work. Linda McQuaig writes:
So let me get this straight. Pierre Poilievre is going to make life more affordable for Canadians. Yet he’s going to ramp up our military spending wildly, as demanded by Donald Trump.
Trump isn’t even yet the Republican nominee (and still faces 91 criminal charges) but already our putative future prime minister is bending to his will.
Last week, Poilievre indicated support for boosting Canada’s military spending to 2 per cent of GDP, right after Trump told a rally he’d encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to any NATO country that doesn’t meet NATO’s 2 per cent target.
Of course, bowing and scraping to the MAGA boss-man isn’t the image Poilievre wants to project to Canadians. He wants us to see him as a scrappy tough guy who fights to make our lives more affordable.
The problem is he doesn’t come up with any ideas that would actually make our lives more affordable. Sure, he talks about “axing the tax” (very scrappy) but always leaves out the kicker: eliminating the carbon tax would also mean eliminating the rebate that leaves most Canadians better off (not so scrappy).
Consider the nonsense he's peddling:
Axing the tax certainly appeals to Big Oil boosters who want to keep us hooked on fossil fuels, but it won’t help with affordability.
Meanwhile, raising our military spending to 2 per cent of GDP — from its current level of 1.39 per cent — would cost us an extra $25 billion a year, according to Canada’s Parliamentary Budget Office. That would please Trump (at least for a moment). But such a massive spending hike would inevitably result in spending cuts to things we really need — like health care, transit, housing — making our lives worse and less affordable.
Poilievre takes his cues from the Magnetic Moron to the South. Americans may re-elect that moron. We should steer clear of our own frauds.
Image: The Toronto Star
10 comments:
I'd love to see PP confronted with President Nikki Haley. His usual smarm would be gone and he'd look like Tucker Carlson did when Putin was telling him that Poland was to blame for WW2.
Unfortunately, Cap, Republicans won't make that a possibility.
Lil'PP, Lil'PP,
so strong and so very buff.
Some adore you,
But I abhor you,
I think we've heard, just enough.
Lil'PP, Lil'PP
We deplore you
and all your stuff.
Dorothy Parker would approve, PoV.
I wouldn't worry about the Conservatives increasing military spending unless they've figured out some way to privatize the armed forces.
Point well taken, John. Doug Ford is a prime example of that.
It would not be difficult to privatize the military, just have a look back at the private army in Afghanistan which was run by Erik Prince, Blackwater. There was/is the Wagner Group and there are actually about another 7 of these major companies. However, it is doubtful the Conservatives would privaitize through them/ It would take too much work and the players in the game are too much for the Conservatives to deal with.
Given the situation in Ukraine, I'm not adverse to an increase in military spending. we just need to stop subsidizing corporations and impose a wealth tax which corporations couldn't avoid. The canadian military needs more personel and equipment. Lets not forget the ice is melting in the artic and our northern neighbour is Russia. China would also like a piece of the action. If Trump is elected no country should count on the U.S.A. for assistance unless it is perhaps Russia or China, etc. NATO countries need to kick it up a notch or two because if Putin wins in Ukraine he'll continue and we have all seen this show before, it was called WW II.
NATO has to prpare, e.a.f. Putin isn't going anywhere.
Lets not forget the ice is melting in the Arctic and our northern neighbour is Russia.
Great chance to increase trade. Transportation costs should shrink. I believe Churchill is getting a working railway again.
Getting around in the North will be easier, jrk. Lots of countries have taken note of that.
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