Remember those Economic Action Plan™ ads touting the new Canada Jobs Grant programme that doesn’t actually exist yet? Well, as it turns out, only five percent of respondents bothered to actually go to the website to find out about them, and a mere two percent call the 800-number. But the best part is that Advertising Standards Canada also got involved to smack the government on the wrists for misleading advertising, saying that the programmes existed when they haven’t been implemented yet. $2.5 million well spent, apparently. Meanwhile, PostMedia obtained some of the aborted branding strategies that the government was considering using to attract international investment, many of which suggested that the country is just a work in progress.

The evidence thus far from the derailment at Plaster Rock, NB, is that the newer, thicker tanker cars were “less damaged” than the older, thinner-walled tankers. They apparently still burst into flames, but less so, so far as we know.

Despite Canadian Forces’ concerns that the government’s political demands for commemoration exercises will affect their budgets and operations, Julian Fantino insists that it won’t be the case, as the government unveiled yet more plans for commemorations for the two world wars. I guess we’ll just take his word for that – after all, his duotronic databanks wouldn’t lead anyone astray.

Defence department auditors have found significant gaps in the kinds of support services offered for military families, be it healthcare, daycare, or other supports to deal with the “unique stresses” of military life, which includes frequent relocation.

The head of the Canadian Army has promised disciplinary action against anyone caught leaking information to the media.

Anything you want to know about the upcoming telecom spectrum auction, PostMedia has you covered. Wind Mobile has pulled out of the auction, which pretty much guarantees that it’s not going to be the fourth national carrier that the government has been looking for.

The Neil Young/PMO snipe-fest carried on yesterday.

With the House back next week, The Hill Times previews what we can look forward to, including an early budget and a concerted effort to clear the order paper of “priority” bills like the “cyberbullying”/lawful access bill.

Here’s a tale of some of the weird processes that the PMO has put into place to engage with local ethnic non-English media, as with the recent stop in Vancouver. Their journalists are allowed one photo with the PM? Huh?

Aaron Wherry follows part of Brent Rathgeber’s “Broken Democracy” tour.

Here’s a look at some of the members of the team around Justin Trudeau, who are being credited with turning Liberal Party fortunes around in part because of the overwhelming mandate that Trudeau received in the leadership.

Andrew Coyne is really unimpressed by the whole Chris Christie apology, unlike all of the other Canadian pundits who are falling all over themselves to praise how this was how Harper should have handled the Senate expenses scandals.

And here’s the full version of the new Sir John A Macdonald Heritage Minute. I will admit that I’m slightly disappointed that they couldn’t have used the same cast as the excellent John A: Birth of a Country.