Keeping it Real…

Pierre Poilievre is struggling.

After almost a lifetime in politics … with no other notable business or professional career … Poilievre’s own Ottawa voters tossed him out as their MP in the last federal election.

How embarrassing!

And making it worse, as Conservative Leader, Poilievre snatched defeat from the jaws of victory … the Conservatives losing to the Liberals AGAIN, after leading in the polls by as much as 26 points for many months prior to the April 28 election.

Now, Poilievre is fighting to return to the House of Commons by running in a by-election in one of the safest Conservative seats in Canada: Battle River-Crowfoot.

The previous MP, Damien Kurek, who captured 82.8% of the vote in April, stepped down so Alberta voters could help Leader Poilievre get back into the Commons.

But should they?

Battle River-Crowfoot voters need to ask themselves if they truly believe Polievre could beat Carney next time around?

Carney has generally impressed Canadians quite well since assuming the Liberal leadership after Trudeau.

The latest Nanos poll, published July 1, showed Canadians voicing 52.1% support for Carney, and only 23.2% for Poilievre.

“That represents a sharp decline for the Conservative leader, who has dropped nearly 10 points since the week before the election,” the Economic Times noted.

And if Carney manages to come up with a fair trade deal with the Mad Hatter down south, his popularity would likely rise even more.

Alberta voters should realize Poilievre clearly is clearly not as personally popular with Canadians as polls had indicated; it was just that Trudeau was so much more unpopular!

In fact, Poilievre’s personality now seems to grate, voters are increasingly turned off by what sometimes comes across as innate nastiness and, frankly, he doesn’t seem as smart or competent as Carney.

So, if by-election voters don’t really believe in their heart the Conservatives under Poilievre would beat the Liberals under Carney in the next election (which, with a minority government might not be as far off as many imagine) maybe they should send Poilievre packing now!

Why go through a by-election now, and then in January have Poilievre face the scheduled mandatory leadership review and, if he survives, end up with him for another couple of years … if they believe he would lose to Carney again?

There is an alternative.

Independent candidate Bonnie Critchley, a well-known local 44-year-old military veteran who served in Afghanistan and is running on the theme “This is Our Home, Our Riding”. And she is getting attention from Battle River-Crowfoot voters who see Poilievre as an outsider … and a loser.

This by-election is about more than voters choosing a new MP.

A defeat for Poilievre Aug 18 in Battle River-Crowfoot would allow the Conservatives to get on NOW with choosing a new leader … someone with more charisma and business/professional background, who would have more time for Canadians to get to know him or her and just might be able to successfully take on Carney when the next vote comes.

In the meantime, Alberta voters would end up with a local MP who more accurately mirrors themselves, and would no doubt pay more attention to their interests than his own.

Harv Oberfeld

CHECK the labels: BUY CANADIAN! 🇨🇦

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Thousands of Canadians have already suffered layoffs; tens of thousands of Canadian companies are seeing reduced exports, higher import tariffs and many are even vulnerable to potential collapse; while millions of Canadians face an economic future full of uncertainty, more layoffs/closures … and all levels of government are already struggling to pay for public services.

Canada is in an economic crisis.

This is the time for every Canadian, every community organization, every union and every business group to pull together, work together and stand up together for our country against Donald Trump’s war on our independence, our economy, and our very own way of life … which we know, despite the cold weather, is actually much warmer than theirs.

Elbows up!

The “One Canadian Economy Act” (Bill 5, passed by Parliament in June) is a critical weapon in Canada’s arsenal to fight Trump’s crippling tariffs, protect our economy and even improve our independence.

It has already helped remove internal trade and employment barriers and it aims to increase international investment, streamline and expedite approvals for designated major resource and infrastructure projects from coast to coast to coast.

However, in speeding things up, critics fear it will also compromise and denigrate environmental considerations/community input, regulatory controls … and set aside the Crown’s legal duty to “to consult and, where appropriate, accommodate” Indigenous groups/concerns over major projects that may impact Treaty rights/obligations.

I get that … and understand the concerns of ALL communities that could be impacted by any major infrastructure or resource development, pipeline or port project.

Water, fishing, air quality, land, cultural sensitivities and quality of life standards across Canada must be protected by the federal and provincial governments as companies are allowed to extract our nation’s riches and export them to expanded or new markets.

BUT consultation and accommodation does not bestow “veto” power … and it certainly must not be allowed to become a licence for shakedowns, extortion or blackmail!

Yet, it sure seemed to me that was the objective, listening to Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, just before Prime Minister Mark Carney spent a full day meeting with First Nations leaders last week.

“AFN national chief says fast-tracked projects bill should come with plan for infrastructure for reserves,” the National Post reported.

Noting Bill 5 would speed up consideration/approvals of major projects, Woodhouse Nepinak pointed to what she called a “$350-billion gap in infrastructure for First Nations kids in this country” and called on the federal government to address “lack of access to clean drinking water, roads and housing, as well as the number of young people dying in communities”. 

Noble goals, indeed, but those are long-term issues that go well beyond the scope/focus of the immediate economic crisis Canada is facing.

The real concerns over Bill 5 should be whether/how it protects the environment, respects local communities and meets the governments’ duty to consult and accommodate Indigenous nations where appropriate.

Woodhouse Nepinak’s remarks smacked of just “gimme, gimme, gimme” … more a threat of blanket blackmail opposition than an appeal for consultation and inclusion!

Not that addressing serious on-going problems isn’t worthy, but every town/city/community/jurisdiction in Canada, has on-going problems: infrastructure, crime, drugs, mentally ill running amok, homelessness.

Imagine if each local community/town/city/region made pre-requisite demands for billions of dollars that governments must also satisfy wherever companies/cities are interested in proceeding with a major expedited resource or infrastructure project!

Canada would lose; foreign investors would just go elsewhere; and the US would once more keep us almost totally reliant.

Fortunately, there are now many First Nations which do support resource development, extraction, pipelines and offshore exports as a key to Canada’s economic future and they welcome the jobs and revenue/royalties sharing that could benefit their bands.

But with more than 634 First Nations across the land (200 in BC) … I have no doubt some will challenge the fast-tracking law over the principles of consultation and accommodation, which is their right, but, sadly, others will simply try to cash in by blocking/extorting/blackmailing every project they can.

Several First Nations in Ontario have already launched a Constitutional challenge against Bill 5, saying it violates their Charter Rights and threatens their “sovereignty”

“Our case is not a fight against development, it is a fight against dangerous development pushed ahead by factless, thoughtless and reckless decision making from government Ministers behind closed doors with little accountability,” Chief Taynar Simpson of Alderville First Nation told APTN News.

That Courts will decide … but that, with Appeals, could take months or even years, handicapping efforts to grow Canadas’ resource economy.

Here’s hoping most First Nations leaders and band members will agree our collective wealth and prosperity will get a boost by increasing our resource developments and overseas exports, and that can be accomplished while respecting the duty to consult and accommodate where appropriate.

However, when the blackmail/extortion/shakedown artists start demanding blackmail or act out threats to shut down approved projects, federal, provincial officials, the police and the Courts should get them out of the road, fast … without paying them a loonie.

Harv Oberfeld

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