Canadian Railroads > Implications of 2015 Canadian Federal Elections for VIA

I skimmed the platforms of the Conservative, Liberal & New Democratic Party platforms to see if any took positions on VIA.  All three party platforms support investment in public transportation, but I could not find a mention of VIA in any of the three platforms.

My question to TO's Canadian participants is "What do you believe are the implications of the election results for VIA?"

How does the Liberals platform compare to the Conservatives platform in regards to Via?

Like in the U.S. neither Canadian political party has been kind to VIA but the most famous cut came from the Conservatives moving the Canadian off the traditional CP route. Otherwise, a sad day for Canada. What are they thinking? Canadians should get ready for deficit spending, higher taxes to pay for that spending, more free stuff paid for by the people who actually pay taxes, and pull back from fighting terrorism. It's all right there in the socialist Liberal's platform. You get what you vote for I guess.

A very optimistic morning.....whatever happens certainly couldn’t be any worse that what we’ve had the past 9 years.

The Manchester Guardian (UK) described former Prime Minister Stephen Harper as a child in Leaside ON. "A lonely boy who went trainspotting with his dad".  Like most British media, the implication is that the ultimate geek pastime is being a railfan.

Guess what, my dad went trainspotting with me as a little boy, and it didn't turn me into a Conservative. I've voted in Federal Elections since 1972, (Parliaments 29 through 42) and never Conservative.

Canadians went to the polls in record numbers not so much to repudiate the Conservatives but rather to remove this unpopular Prime Minister from office.

Time will tell what a change in Government will do to Via. Pierre Trudeau, father of Prime Minister Elect Justin Trudeau made massive cuts to Via in 1981.
We will have to see who gets appointed as Minister of Finance and Minister of Transport before we get a clear picture of Via's future.

Shortly after the election concluded, Prime Minister Stephen Harper resigned his office and also as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. He remains as Member of Parliament for Calgary Heritage riding.

TO is not the place for comments of this nature, whether you are Conservative, Liberal or something else. Comments about how politics affect railroads are appropriate. Otherwise, post it elsewhere. Thanks!

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
Otherwise, a sad day for
> Canada. What are they thinking? Canadians should
> get ready for deficit spending, higher taxes to
> pay for that spending, more free stuff paid for by
> the people who actually pay taxes, and pull back
> from fighting terrorism. It's all right there in
> the socialist Liberal's platform. You get what you
> vote for I guess.

Canada has great urban public transit (with high fares) and terrible intercity transportation with the ridiculous policy that there shall be no non-corridor train where there is a bus, and in remote area, perhaps 2 or 3 times a week at best. Even the definition of "corridor" in southern Ontario has been reduced. The ACR local and Northlander are also both gone.

(Conservative Mulroney left Canada near bankrupt. The Liberal following corrected that).

Canadian urban transportation is pretty good, at least as far as I've seen it.  As a visitor, I've been to Victoria, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax, and Saint John. And, I've been on buses, light rail, commuter trains etc in all that have these modes.

If Canadians don't want / aren't demanding their provincial and federal leaders provide intercity services, that's a matter for them to sort out.

My assessment is that VIA is essentially a financial consideration for the Canadian federal government, with neither the Conservatives or Liberals being particularly good or bad for VIA's future.  Sometimes services are added when political considerations suggest there would be a benefit of doing so, whether real or imagined.  At other times governments are just faced with balancing the books, and in a small populated country like Canada, there just isn't as much room in the budget as in the U.S. for spending programs like VIA.

In a parliamentary system, the government in power typically decides what it wants to do, and nonleadership MPs have limited power to push toward a different outcome.

Stephen Harper made some specific promises to voters in Vancouver and suburbs about investing in transit, specifically LRT lines in Surrey and elsewhere.

Trudeau says he will invest in "infrastructure" and the voters of Vancouver are already pressuring the Liberals to carry out promises made by Harper to help fund the Surrey LRT line.

Whether improvements to Via service come under the category of infrastructure investment is an interesting question.

Certainly there will be great pressure to improve the Trans-Canada highway from the Alberta border to Vancouver, with improvements through the National Parks being a Federal responsibility.

 

Stuporchief I agree with your comments.  And as a Canadian I got exactly who I voted for.
And reading these commnents, my feeling is that the second poster is never happy!


stuporchief Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TO is not the place for comments of this nature,
> whether you are Conservative, Liberal or something
> else. Comments about how politics affect railroads
> are appropriate. Otherwise, post it elsewhere.
> Thanks!
>
> andersonb109 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> Otherwise, a sad day for
> > Canada. What are they thinking? Canadians
> should
> > get ready for deficit spending, higher taxes to
> > pay for that spending, more free stuff paid for
> by
> > the people who actually pay taxes, and pull
> back
> > from fighting terrorism. It's all right there
> in
> > the socialist Liberal's platform. You get what
> you
> > vote for I guess.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/15 18:52 by 4489.

My question may be premature, but thanks to all who responded with mature comments.

 

4489 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Stuporchief I agree with your comments.  And as a
> Canadian I got exactly who I voted for.
> And reading these commnents, my feeling is that
> the second poster is never happy!
>
>
> stuporchief Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > TO is not the place for comments of this
> nature,
> > whether you are Conservative, Liberal or
> something
> > else. Comments about how politics affect
> railroads
> > are appropriate. Otherwise, post it elsewhere.
> > Thanks!
> >
> > andersonb109 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > Otherwise, a sad day for
> > > Canada. What are they thinking? Canadians
> > should
> > > get ready for deficit spending, higher taxes
> to
> > > pay for that spending, more free stuff paid
> for
> > by
> > > the people who actually pay taxes, and pull
> > back
> > > from fighting terrorism. It's all right there
> > in
> > > the socialist Liberal's platform. You get
> what
> > you
> > > vote for I guess.

The original post is by a TO member who frequently injects politics into the discussion, whether relevant or not, whether appreciated or not, and regardless of factual content. Most of the political commentary is about US liberal politicans and policy, but as can you see, he occasionally will venture outside his space to annoy the good citizens of other countries. Perhaps the ultimate paradox of the poster is that while he claims to be a conservative and objects to "government" programs, he is a frequent defender of Amtrak. I guess government programs are only wasteful if someone else wants them.  I personally think Canadians choose correctly.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/15 05:50 by ATSF3751.

Not to drag out this verbal tennis match-But

Justin Trudeau our new prime minister is an avid outdoorsman-canoeing, camping etc.
I suspect the trains that cater to the wilderness inaccessible areas now have a favorable ear. I'm thinking the White River Budds, Vancouver Island Budds, the Algoma Central train to Hearst and possibly reinstatement of a train on the Ontario Northland. Time will tell.

All with government subsidies of course! 

Mike Bannon
St Catharines, ON

algoma11 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not to drag out this verbal tennis match-But
>
> Justin Trudeau our new prime minister is an avid
> outdoorsman-canoeing, camping etc.
> I suspect the trains that cater to the wilderness
> inaccessible areas now have a favorable ear. I'm
> thinking the White River Budds, Vancouver Island
> Budds, the Algoma Central train to Hearst and
> possibly reinstatement of a train on the Ontario
> Northland. Time will tell.
>
> All with government subsidies of course! 

There, of course, are no Vancouver Island Budds.  They long faded into history and are unlikely to come back.

Is the Liberal party in Canada more urban based and eastern based ?
If so, I would not expect much of anything for VIA Rail outside of what is left of the corridors. North Bay, Cochrane, and Hearst is not their turf.

Having visited Canada many times, I sincerely hope VIA prospers and expands. I was onboard the 2000 AAPRCO special to Winnepeg and was totally impressed with the cortesy and professional attituse that VIA showed us. With one single exception (crossing into Canada: Custom went overboard and tied up the train for HOURS. In an incredible response, in his welcome speech VIA's Presidenmt gave a public apology for that fiasco!).

Here's hoping....!

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is the Liberal party in Canada more urban based
> and eastern based ?
> If so, I would not expect much of anything for VIA
> Rail outside of what is left of the corridors.
> North Bay, Cochrane, and Hearst is not their turf.

The completely reborn center-left Liberal Party, with its strong showing, won in many regions nationwide, including North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie, along with areas in and around Vancouver, plus completely sweeping Atlantic Canada (Maritimes and Newfoundland), as well as doing very well in urban areas of Ontario and even Quebec.

Some of the more depressed rural areas opted for the more left-leaning NDP Party, including big swaths of rural Ontario.  Vancouver Island also went fo NDP, except for the one seat nationwide that went to the Green Party in Saanich.  The Conservatives did well in the Prairies, and the more affluent urban suburbs throughout Canada from Quebec west to Vancouver.

I'm personally acquainted with one new-elected rookie Liberal MP who is most definitely a railfan.

newtonville150 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm personally acquainted with one new-elected
> rookie Liberal MP who is most definitely a
> railfan.

Hopefully our new Minister of Transport? :)