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Yup. The biggest power voids I've seen the provinces fill before this is some trade delegations to foreign countries. Even that could've been framed as just helping the local businesses and industries.
This is straight-up international diplomacy.
God I hope not. Singh has been half-assing opposition to Trudeau for months (and hinting at it before then), but he finally committed to bringing down the government...in late December, with at least six weeks until it would be possible...which has now been extended to more than three months. I'm hopeful that it'll all be over when parliament reconvenes in March (Early April election call + 37 day minimum campaign = new government in May??), but I'll believe it when I see it.
Remember that (under the current Liberal rules) temporary foreign workers and students are eligible to vote for the next Liberal leader (who will be the next Prime Minister, of course). In contrast, voting for the Conservative leader required a $15 membership fee and being a Permanent Resident or Citizen.
Unless they change the rules, that candidate could get in by appealing directly to foreigners for votes, instead of appealing to sentiment towards them by citizens and permanent residents.
And I find it more interesting that the Liberals don't give a shit. Then again, it's not like that had far-reaching consequences in Texas even though it really should have, but then again the US hasn't had an acting President for the past 2 or 3 years.
Maybe they think it'll end with a Con majority so Smith is just wasting her time playing Queen of Alberta (or hedging her bets if the Liberals somehow retain their minority status- and that's a risk I think is understated given the below), but I think the more notice the Cons (and their newer Ontario backers) are put on the better it'll ultimately be for the West if for no other reason than to provide a check against policy starvation.
The reason I think it's still going to be October is just because that's the optimal game theoretic strategy for every interested party. If an election was called today everyone already knows the result; what else do they have to lose by stalling for time? Black swan events are a thing, and if you don't wait for them, you can't get lucky.
I can't think of a more on-the-nose emblem of Liberal immigration policy than this. Fortunately, non-citizens can't vote in elections, so I don't expect much to be put on the scale by these groups, but still.
Eh, the NDP's run down the clock about as much as they can -- at a certain point propping up the Liberals will cost them more votes than it's worth. (and it's already costing them some)
The Bloc I suppose is always a wildcard, but it doesn't seem that they had much success with issuing ultimatums and they are poised to make out very very well in QC for the forseeable future -- so I can't see Trudeau's successor turning them.
Throne speech is a confidence vote; I predict an election declaration soon afterwards. (although at the maximum period, not the minimum -- for just the reasons you mention)
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Yes it did. Greg Abbott is for better or worse aligned with the hard right faction; he now has a free hand to defy the federal government. Internal politics are radically different and a big part of that is the conception that Texan interests and US national interests may not be one and the same anymore. Nullification is now a mainstream part of political platforms.
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