From across the pond comes a very interesting op-ed for your consideration, about the kind of insult and scorn that we heap on the political class. In taking a look at the example of the deputy prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader David Clegg, currently one of the most hated men in UK politics, it looks at how everyday cynicism about politics has obscured the reasons why people get into it in the first place, and the kinds of impacts that they can have by doing the work that they do, no matter that they’re currently not popular with the people. The title of the piece also speaks volumes – “If you believe that politicians are useless, you’ll wind up with useless politicians.” It’s kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy that we are reaping in spades here in Canada as we get MPs who are increasingly disengaged from their own jobs, and who are becoming little more than ciphers for their party leaders because we, the electorate, aren’t demanding of them to do their jobs. Instead, we have bizarre expectations of them to not be politicians, and what we’re getting in return is, well, an abrogation of parliamentary oversight and boosterism for central leaders’ offices that are increasingly run by junior functionaries whose chief virtue is loyalty and not experience. We, the electorate, should start rethinking our priorities before things get too far down the dark path we’ve started down.
Quebec’s justice minister has asked the province’s top court to review the appointment of Federal Court judge Robert Mainville to the Quebec Court of Appeal, given that they’re not exactly trusting of the government’s recent record of judicial appointments and the way that the appointment of Justice Nadon to the Sureme Court was scuppered.
Despite all of the talk about Germany possibly scuppering the Canada-EU trade agreement over concerns of the Investor-State dispute resolution mechanism – talk that the German government is disavowing officially – there is also talk that the Canadian government is quietly preparing a signing ceremony for the final agreement here in Ottawa. Meanwhile, those keen on the deal here in Canada are encouraging the government to bend a little on this particular issue, and perhaps write in limits around how much foreign investors can sue governments in order to ally the concerns that Germany – and others – have.
Economist Mike Moffatt looks at jobs data, and finds that many of the metrics people are using to crow about performance are not really a complete picture, and that when you drill down into specifics, there remain some real weaknesses in the job market – particularly among men of prime working age.
Ridiculous partisan hay is being made of the decision to quietly kill the Therese Casgrain Volunteer Award (an attack on women? Really, Niki Ashton?) without any of them touching the actual important issue of the Queen being the fount of honours and the fact that the Prime Minister trying to claim that kind of role with respect to honours is a bigger problem with respect to how our system of government operates.
The Bank of Canada website had the wrong description of the mountains on the back of the new $10 polymer note, which triggered some back-and-forth with mountain enthusiasts until the site was corrected.
A finance department memo warned that Bitcoin has the potential to be used for criminal activity. Gosh, do you think?
Quebec’s former lieutenant-governor has lost her bid to have her fraud trial quashed under “royal immunity,” which is absolutely correct seeing as SHE’S NOT THE QUEEN and can’t claim said immunity.
Despite the Americans evacuating their embassy in Libya amidst fighting among rebel militias there, Canada’s embassy is staying open. UPDATE: Apparently we’re pulling them out.
The Senate Conflict of Interest Committee met yesterday to discuss the case of Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu and his former girlfriend, now that the Senate Ethics Officer has completed her investigation. It also gave an opportunity for them to hear from Boisvenu himself, before they decide if any additional sanctions need to be levied against him.
Another Conservative nomination race in the GTA is being challenged with accusations of illegal signs, and intimidation of physical violence.
And here’s a look at the newly upgraded HMCS Calgary participating in the RIMPAC exercises in Hawaii, which is carrying the torch for Canada after two of our ships (HMCS Protecteur and HMCS Algonquin) were unable to participate after the fire on the former, and the rusting out of the latter.