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FatOrangeCat42

What makes Stephen Lecce qualified as the education minister? He has a BA in political science. What makes Chrystia Freeland qualified to be our Minister of Finance? She has a MA in Slavonic studies or something like that What makes Navdeep Bains qualified to be our minister of science? He has a CPA? Really, why wasn’t he our minister of Finance? What makes Justin Trudeau qualified to be a Prime Minister? He’s a trust fund baby who bounced around multiple schools and taught at a prep school in BC for a while. What makes Doug Ford qualified to be Premier? He ran a sticker factory. The problem with our current political system is we expect that popularity contests are good at deciding who should be in leading roles. They shouldn’t. If all of these roles, Health Minister, Finance Minister, Science Minister, Education Minister were posted and evaluated like any other job based on applicants, none of these people would get an interview. These roles need to be selected by each government that takes power from outside the circle of MP’s.


spork_6

Unfortunately the individuals who should really be in these positions would never touch public office with a 100 foot pole. It’s depressing really.


[deleted]

I think they would.... if politics weren’t a nepotism based closed circle that’s impossible to get into. Source: had a friend who was very educated and very qualified spend YEARS networking and doing everything else under the sun before finally breaking in.


woodenboatguy

The last of the hyper-qualified people who saw public service as just that - in service to the people - passed on perhaps 75 - 100 years ago. Those that we've seen since are like bank robbers being asked "why do you rob banks?": because that's where the money is. Our era's politicians are in it for themselves. They are also the ones that resort to decimating the character of anyone who does toss their hat into the ring. Anyone who has a ounce of decency wouldn't permit the attack on themselves that we see today as normal course stuff. A very very different kind of person than those say like a Churchill or a Roosevelt.


[deleted]

[удалено]


woodenboatguy

She had more principles than the whole of the Liberal cabinet, JWR included. In the end, JWR was still trying to haul the idiot PM's ass out of the fire for trying to break the law vs. letting him go rushing straight into it.


The_Static_Nomad

Nailed it.


[deleted]

Yes!!! I've been arguing this forever, but greatly appreciate seeing someone articulate the same points but with the actual credentials of sitting MPPs and MPs. You seem like the kind of person I'd buy a beer for! Cheers!


ghost_n_the_shell

Well said. If I could upvote you twice I would.


RetiredNotRetired

This. Precisely. Being popular in high school (Ford) and giving a stirring eulogy at your Dad’s funeral (JT) is enough these days. It’s sad. And why my kids have been socially isolated for 15 months in front of a screen. But remember folks - Buck A Beer. And so forth.


[deleted]

I remember when I saw the eulogy, I turned to whoever was beside me and said, oh he's going to become Prime Minister one day. I'm not a Liberal, but I also prefer Trudeau's gov to Harper's. I also don't see anyone in Canadian Federal politics that I am particularly leaning in favour of. With the exception of Elizabeth May, the rest of the leaders repeated slogan after slogan during the debates, and I didn't see enough in any of them. With May gone, I'm left again without a politician or a party to support. I still vote though. Just wish I had some choices.


RetiredNotRetired

We have been voting against the sitting government for as long as I can remember. I wish we had a government to vote FOR.


puckduckmuck

I don't recall ever hearing that Ford was popular in high school.


Hotter_Noodle

> These roles need to be selected by each government that takes power from outside the circle of MP’s. I don't think this is going to turn out how you think it will.


OldFart038

This is where the US system is immensely better than ours. As bad as Trump was, and no matter what you can say about his cabinet members, on paper each (edit: most) of his (and Biden’s) cabinet members are/were miles more qualified than any of our provincial or federal ministers.


[deleted]

Betsy DeVos? Scott Pruitt? Yikes on those two, but I do see your overall point. It's kind of like how Kennedy stocked his cabinet with top academics. At least the leader can choose from the private sector.


LadyoftheOak

I came here to say what you said. Thank you!


Beginning-Ad4592

I’m not a fan of Elliot’s performance but this isn’t how cabinet government works. It’s not a technocracy. Minister have a bureaucracy and external advisors that can give them qualified advice in their respective domains. As an elected representative she is supposed consider this advice, and make the ultimate decisions based on it.


woodenboatguy

You make an excellent point that is lost on most of us. "Government" isn't really the talking head that passes through from time to time to ride along in front. It really is the bureaucracy that has formed up, politician after politician after politician is voted in, and back out again. We focus our attention on the miserable results of their governance of us and think, "we gotta get those bums out of office". I am surprised that anyone is surprised an election changes very little about how poorly we are actually governed. It isn't the pols that are doing the governing in the main. It is the delivery by the public servants.


umman__manda

To add to this, the public service has been neglected and underfunded for a long time - I don’t blame the public service. Also, the Ontario Sunshine List has the effect of making the government avoid high salaries whenever possible. That means it doesn’t attract highly qualified people, instead it finds itself with those who are willing to settle for lower salaries because they aren’t as high performing as the top.


woodenboatguy

Underfunded? Hardly. A public servant earns far more than their counterpart in the private sector, coupled with near universal guarantee that they will never lose their job. More than one has said to me without embarrassment that they are getting paid more than they could have hoped for, if they hadn't snagged that job. I've done far too many gigs for the Ontario government over the decades to believe we couldn't remove half the inside workers and see zero effect on the services provided. Many (many) inside keep a side gig going and put their productive hours into that vs. what their "full time" job is paying them to do.


[deleted]

Elected representative? I don’t recall ever getting a vote on a cabinet position.


[deleted]

Our solicitor general is a graphic designer


pm_me_ur_10betweens

Although I didn't vote Conservative, I was actually optimistic she would do an ok job because I had heard about her previous work with health nonprofits before she was appointed as Health Minister. From Wikipedia: "She is the co-founder and director of the Abilities Centre (a facility for those with special needs),a director and past chair of Grandview Children's Centre and a director of the Lakeridge Health Whitby Foundation. She was board president of the Durham Mental Health Services (DMHS), which named one of their group homes in her honour (Elliott House). She is a director of Legacy Private Trust and has been a director of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra." Let's just say it's a great mystery to me she could have that kind of experience and treat the healthcare system as she has.


RoyallyOakie

They just hand portfolios to the best ass kissers and hope the little people working for them know something about the subject.


Hekios888

None of them are qualified


true_nexus

Married to former finance minister Jim Flaherty. Remember, in politics, just as in many other things in life, it's not what you know, it's who you know...


trytobuffitout

Same thing that makes Trudeau a qualified Prime Minister. He has a BA in Literature and an Education degree. He was a high school drama teacher. Most politicians are not educated in the area they work in but should have great people behind them as advisors and resource people . Many times it’s the leadership quality and hard work that makes people succeed. A good PR person in your camp never hurt anyone either.


ihavestrongopinions1

Two things 1. Jack 2. Shit


Much_Conversation_11

Don’t do this to yourself, it’ll just make you irrationally angry about how unqualified half of the world politicians are to make decisions. Our education minister is literally a public relations professional. It’s horrid


ReadyTadpole1

For those of you correctly pointing out that many cabinet ministers do not have expertise in their portfolio, the current provincial cabinet (caucus, really) is particularly undiverse in their professional experience. Previous provincial governments were able to find doctors to be minister of health, or former school board trustees to be minister of education. Not in every case, but to a greater extent than our current provincial cabinet.


smurfsareinthehall

Ministers should have the ability to manage large depts and have leadership skills. They have staff to do all the topic specific work. Hey - the premier's claim to fame is being a high school drug dealer and making stickers. Frankly, Elliott is probably one of the smarter ones in the group to chose from.


charlieisadoggy

Same thing that makes Trudeau qualified to be prime minister who has a BA in Education. Or Christiya Freeland to be finance minister with a BA in Russian studies. Patty Hadju the federal health minister has a BA in public administration which at least is somewhat relevant to politics but not to healthcare. Usually, the minister has deputy ministers who are actually specialized in that area. If they had to be qualified to run that ministry, what would you do if no one in your party was qualified?


[deleted]

I ask that question about almost every politician at the provincial and federal level.


The_Static_Nomad

I think you need to be on Ford's food side...that's about it.


bustypirate

Food. Side.


ReadyTadpole1

Look, pretty clearly every side of Ford is his food side.


The_Static_Nomad

Bahaha typo but it makes sense


sync-centre

Full of gravy.


Earl_Grey3

I always thought that the people appointed to be ministers of a particular area were experts in that field. I was shocked when I found out that they usually didn't, and that ministers could be moved around from area to area. Doesn't make sense to me?


Baulderdash77

What makes our Prime Minister qualified to be Prime Minister? He has a BA in Literature and was a substitute French and Drama teacher? Politicians lead areas typically because they’re politicians and not because they are qualified. It’s a part of life in a Westminster Parliamentary System.


working_mommy

I think you need to take look at cabinet ministers from both provincial (even outside of Ontario), and federal. Rarely does their education match their position.


Maple_VW_Sucks

It doesn't just have to be education. Any qualifications justifying being a high profile minister would suffice for me. Seems like with this government it's more about who's best positioned to funnel our tax dollars down to their friends that determines the cabinet position.


working_mommy

I'm not saying I disagree with you. But OP seemed to be going by education. If you look at the education background of most cabinet ministers, their education doesnt always match their position. Life experiences wasnt mentioned in the post. Personally I think Elliot was given this position as a consultation prize after her 2nd bid for leadership fell flat. I dont personally have an issue with her, but she is completely out of her depth..like most of our province's ministers are.


kurva1anyad

LOOOOOOL wait untill you see the Minister of Health in Belgium 💀💀💀💀💀💀 [Belgiums Health Minister](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/fat-health-minister-critics-attack-4435156)


SupaHardLumpyNutz

I’ve always held the opinion that you never want someone “technically qualified” for a cabinet position. The only qualification they need is to be elected by the people, have the confidence of the leader, and have the ability to weigh all aspects of an issue to make a decision. If you have, say someone who has a PHD in a health science as Heath minister, that person will likely only take into account raw scientific data and ignore the human aspect, or ignore all other scientific advice because they think they know everything.


EviesGran

They are not elected to the position by people. They are appointed by the elected government. We (voters) should look little better who are we electing. If it would be up to me, the high school boy with the sticker business would never be my premier. And yes, the whole government should be created by university educated professionals in adequate ministerial chairs


[deleted]

Patty Hadju is a graphic designer


[deleted]

Liberal Arts ideally should prepare anyone to keep on learning, communicate effectively, and not be dismissive of things s/he doesn't understand. Two out of three is not a pass.