Premier Doug Ford leading with no nonsense counter threats to Trump
‘We can’t just roll over’: Doug Ford doubles down on threat to shut down energy exports to the U.S.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Thursday he’s dead serious about withholding energy exports to the U.S. if president-elect Donald Trump goes ahead with his plan to hit Canadian goods with steep tariffs that could cripple the economy.
“We’re sending a message to the U.S. You come and attack Ontario, you attack the livelihoods of Ontario and Canadians, we’re going to use every tool in our toolbox to defend Ontarians and Canadians across the border,” Ford said.
Trump was asked about Ford’s threat to halt energy exports on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, where he rang the opening bell Thursday.
He said that the U.S. is “subsidizing Canada” and it “shouldn’t have to do that”, apparently a reference to the U.S. trade deficit with Canada. That deficit, which is not a “subsidy,” is driven in part by strong U.S. demand for Canadian oil.
Source: Edited from CBC News/December 12/24
Court Painter seen with latest painting fit for a poster.
Entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary, also known as Mr. Wonderful on TV shows Shark Tank and Dragons’ Den, is making a bold proposal to develop what his company says would be the world’s largest AI data centre industrial park — located in northwest Alberta. “I think Alberta is waking up to what they have just now. I mean, they could easily lead globally in data centres,” O’Leary told Postmedia’s Chris Varcoe.
If you’re going to do something audacious, go really big.
Mr. Wonderpants O’Leary touts Alberta as the best place to build such energy-hungry projects.
What could go wrong?
Court Painter is always excited to meet a real TV personality like Mister Wonderpants and undertake a double portrait sitting with the distributor of Alberta taxpayers money.
Court Painter and his Press Attaché, A. Hardon MacKay, were lounging in the dusty, unkempt studio, breathing in the atmospheric terp heavy air; sipping sodas and reflecting on the nonprofit status the Court Painter Studio Enterprise has proudly maintained for well over a decade.
The topic at hand: whether a new business plan for 2025 could finally turn a profit.
Overhearing the exchange, the studio’s scribe and unpaid head researcher, Chatterley Gaseous Persistent Thunderstruck (Chat GPT), chimed in with research delivered in his trademark sonorous pedantry. With studied caution, he laid out how the profit motive has historically bred corruption in politics, healthcare, military contracting, and the arts. His findings raised red flags, warning Court Painter that an unchecked pursuit of profit could undermine the ethically rich yet economically impoverished standing of his enterprise within the pure, if flawed, art world.
Please Note:A variety of images from the vast Court Painter archive have been chosen to demonstrate what a non profit enterprise can do with…well…no profit!
As a public service we are publishing Chatterley’s (Chat GPT) research on the profit motive.
The profit motive, while a powerful force for innovation and efficiency, becomes a corrosive influence when it dominates sectors that serve public welfare or cultural enrichment. In politics, health, military contracting, and the arts, the unchecked pursuit of profit often leads to compromises in ethics, accessibility, and quality.
Politics: A Distorted Democracy
In politics, the profit motive drives decisions that favor corporate interests over public welfare:
Policy Manipulation: Lobbying and campaign financing by profit-driven entities distort policymaking, often leading to deregulation or legislation that benefits a few at the expense of the many.
Erosion of Public Trust: When politicians cater to financial backers, public confidence in democratic processes diminishes, weakening the foundations of democracy.
Privatization of Public Services: Essential public goods, such as education and infrastructure, are increasingly privatized, resulting in reduced access and quality for the less affluent.
Healthcare: Exploiting Vulnerabilities for Profit
The healthcare sector is particularly vulnerable to the profit motive’s darker side:
Skyrocketing Costs: Pharmaceutical companies and private providers prioritize profit margins, leading to unaffordable medication and services.
Ethical Breaches: The aggressive marketing of products, such as opioids, prioritizes profits over patient safety, fueling public health crises.
Inequity in Care: Resources are disproportionately allocated to profitable procedures and demographics, leaving vulnerable populations underserved.
Military Contractors: Perpetuating Conflict
The defense industry thrives on the profit motive, often at the expense of global peace and fiscal responsibility:
War as a Business Model: Contractors benefit financially from sustained conflicts, creating incentives to lobby for prolonged wars.
Wasted Resources: Inflated budgets and cost overruns, such as those seen in the F-35 program, waste taxpayer dollars with limited accountability.
Quality Concerns: Cutting corners to maximize profits can compromise the safety and effectiveness of critical military equipment.
The Arts: Commodification Over Creativity
The arts, traditionally a realm of human expression and cultural enrichment, are increasingly commodified under the profit motive:
Market-Driven Creativity: Artists may feel pressured to produce work that caters to market trends rather than authentic expression, stifling creativity and innovation.
Exclusion of Emerging Talent: Profit-centric galleries and institutions often prioritize established names over emerging or marginalized voices, narrowing the diversity of artistic representation.
Devaluation of Noncommercial Art: Art that doesn’t align with lucrative commercial models—such as experimental or politically challenging works—is often sidelined or dismissed.
Broader Implications
When the profit motive dominates these sectors, it undermines their core purposes: governance for the people, healthcare for well-being, defence for security, and art for cultural enrichment. This shift prioritizes monetary gain over societal good, eroding trust and fostering inequities.
A Path Forward
To counterbalance the corrosive effects of profit motives:
Politics: Strengthen campaign finance laws and increase transparency in lobbying.
Healthcare: Expand nonprofit healthcare models and regulate pharmaceutical pricing.
Military Contracting: Enforce stricter oversight and accountability mechanisms.
Arts: Support public funding for the arts and cultivate spaces for experimental and socially relevant works.
Reclaiming these sectors from the clutches of unchecked profit is essential to ensure they fulfill their roles as pillars of a just and equitable society.
House of Commons decorum shattered last evening as allegations of intimidation and drunkenness emerged . NDP, Conservative, and Green MPs raised allegations of antics in the opposition lobby that resulted in parliamentary pages being removed for ‘safety’ concerns.
Rumors in Ottawa suggest a political operative may have orchestrated the recent “Decorum Debacle” as a bold rebranding of Canada’s governance image. The incident coincides with global upheaval: France’s government collapse, South Korea’s martial law reversal, Notre Dame’s dramatic reopening, a U.S. manhunt and follows suspiciously the meat loaf dinner at Mar a Lago.
Critics question whether this was a distraction tactic or mere coincidence. Officials deny involvement, but the timing has sparked debate over Canada’s place in the global governance narrative.
Chatterley Grandiose Pretentious Thunderclap (ChatGPT), the resident studio scribe, drew inspiration from last evenings abandoned decorum in the Great Dominion’s House of Commons to craft a film script in record time.
Please note that the accompanying artful images by Court Painter are rendered in a style he describes as darkly “non-objective,” departing from his usual subjective approach. He has intentionally avoided the latter to steer clear of pictorial content brimming with a citizen’s anger, which could potentially spark a libelous dust-up with certain honorable members.
Title: A House Divided: Shadows of Decorum Genre: Political Drama Setting: Parliament Hill, a heated late-night session.
Scene 1: A Storm Brews
Fade in on the hallowed halls of the House of Commons. A tense late-night session unfolds as MPs debate a contentious tax holiday bill.
Narrator (V.O.): “In the heart of Canada’s democracy, the rules of decorum were shattered. What began as debate turned into chaos, and the echoes of the night reverberated through the nation.”
Wide shot of MPs yelling across the chamber. Parliamentary pages hastily retreat from the opposition lobby, a mix of confusion and fear on their faces.
Scene 2: The Allegations
Cut to NDP House Leader Peter Julian addressing the House with palpable frustration.
Peter Julian: “Parliamentary pages—dedicated young Canadians—removed for their safety? Because of intoxicated, disorderly conduct by some Conservative members? This is a disgrace to this institution!”
Gasps ripple through the chamber. Conservative MPs exchange tense glances. The Speaker adjusts his glasses, visibly uneasy.
Scene 3: The Opposition’s Counter
Cut to Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner standing, defiant.
Michelle Rempel Garner: “Let the record show it was NDP members who displayed aggression—hands raised, voices sharp. My colleagues had to de-escalate the situation!”
Flashes of grainy footage show MPs in a heated verbal exchange, with Speaker Fergus and the Sergeant-at-Arms stepping in to separate them.
Scene 4: Behind the Curtain
The camera follows NDP MP Jenny Kwan leaving the chamber and heading into the dimly lit opposition lobby.
Jenny Kwan (V.O.): “The air reeked of alcohol. Conservative MPs, emboldened by their antics, laughed and schemed. I overheard instructions to disrupt the proceedings deliberately.”
In the shadows, a staffer whispers into a Conservative MP’s ear, followed by nods and smirks. Kwan shakes her head, muttering under her breath.
Scene 5: Lines Drawn
Back in the chamber, Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer stands with a veneer of calm but a sharp edge in his tone.
Andrew Scheer: “We reject these defamatory accusations. Drinking? Intimidation? Baseless fabrications to distract from the NDP’s complicity with the Liberals.”
Elizabeth May rises slowly, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife.
Elizabeth May: “I witnessed it. The drinking. The antics. These actions tarnish this House’s dignity.”
The chamber erupts into chaos, with voices shouting over each other. The Speaker’s gavel pounds furiously.
Scene 6: A Broken Night
Cut to the Speaker’s Office. Greg Fergus reviews security footage, his face grim.
Speaker of the HouseGreg Fergus (to himself): “Unruly… disruptive… but was it intimidation?”
He sighs, setting the file down as the camera pans to the empty, dimly lit chamber, the echoes of the night’s events haunting the silence.
Scene 7: The Verdict Looms
The Speaker addresses the House, his voice carrying the weight of the institution.
Speaker of the HouseGreg Fergus: “I will deliver my ruling on these allegations. But let us not forget—this House must be a sanctuary of democracy, not a theatre of disrespect.”
Close-up on MPs from all parties exchanging uneasy glances as the screen fades to black.
Title Card:“Based on True Events” Credits Roll with Tense Orchestral Score
Tagline:In the crucible of democracy, the line between debate and disorder is thin.
‘Brain rot’ is defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration”.
“Rotter” is a British slang term used to describe someone who is unpleasant,or objectionable
In celebration of this Word of the Year for 2024 ,Court Painter would like to modestly declare the Great Dominion’s Conservative Leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre as the leading contender for the Political Brain Rotter 2024. Admittedley the competition was stiff however PP persists with his vacuous slogans and ad hominem nonsense assuring his rotter status and continual rise to the bottom.
Related : Court Painter recommends an excellent theTyee article by journalist Michael Harris : seven questions that Canadians must answer before making Pierre Poilievre the next prime minister at the head of a majority government.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Palm Beach, Fla. to meet over dinner at Mar a Lago with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, according to senior Great Dominion government sources.
The ever resourceful Court Painter gained access to the dining room for a portrait session.He was sworn to secrecy.
Court Painter, ever attuned to grand occasions, has swiftly produced a series of portraits in anticipation of the impending coronation of Trump the First. These works crafted in an everyman style ,carry hopes of earning The Donald’s approval and destined—if fortune allows—for inclusion in his regal library, whether posthumously or sooner.
When a curious passerby inquired about the inspiration behind this collection, the normally reserved Court Painter let slip a candid remark. He noted that the queue to kiss The Donald’s ring stretched far into the future. Recognizing The Donald’s well-documented fondness for visual tributes, Court Painter made a strategic business decision: to secure favorable tariff treatment for potential cross-border sales in the future.
Court Painter is having trouble sorting out the parliamentary blame game on the issue of the Great Dominion’s House of Commons gridlock other than WTF you bunch of privileged partisans!
A debate that has jammed up the House of Commons for nearly two months now doesn’t appear likely to end any time soon, as neither the Liberals or Conservatives are showing signs of backing down.
“Right now what we see in the House is deplorable. But the Liberals are not being transparent and are not providing documents with essential information. Having documents completely redacted is not responsible,” said NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice, speaking to reporters in French.
“And then we have Conservatives, who are doing systemic obstruction, who refuse to vote on their own motion and keep making amendments and sub-amendments to delay House work.”
The parties blame each other for tying Parliament up in a privilege debate that began in late September. That debate stems from a House order that directed the government to hand over unredacted documents related to a now-defunct foundation responsible for doling out hundreds of millions of federal dollars for green technology projects.
Although opposition parties could side with the Liberals to bring the privilege debate to an end, neither theNDP or the Bloc Québécois seem willing — with each of them on Tuesday calling on the Liberals to hand over the documents.
National Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet
Commons deadlock could trigger government cash crunch and get in the way of other House deadlines.
Surreal describes something that’s an aberrant mix of elements, often jarring and seemingly nonsensical. Images can be surreal, like Court Painter’s twisted presence , but so can strange, bizzare moments marked by irrational realities in the political precincts of worldly governance.
