Troubling news out of the Information Commissioner’s office, as Suzanne Legault says that the office is nearly broke, thanks to an increasing workload of 30 percent more complaints this year, plus budget cutbacks (and it will be even worse next year as the budget has to absorb staff salary increases). It makes one wonder about the state of court cases that the Commissioner is pursuing in the name of access to certain documents, and what it means to accepting or dealing with new complaints in a timely manner, especially if they are stretched to the breaking point as it is. Tony Clement, not surprisingly, had no comment about any of this, even though as Treasury Board president, he is the one who is supposed to ensure that there is Access to Information compliance in the civil service, which would make her far easier.

Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, arrives today for a two-day royal tour in Ottawa that will be focused on the Remembrance Day activities, as well as charities that she is involved with and regiments for whom she is Colonel-in-Chief. The theme of the tour is “everyday heroes” (and yes, that was actually chosen long in advance of the shootings that happened a couple of weeks ago). The Princess Royal will also re-dedicated the War Memorial, now that new additions have been made to it.

The outgoing Ukrainian ambassador to Canada fears that the West is losing interest in Ukraine for fear of taking on Russia. Meanwhile, Stephen Saideman sees Ukraine and the divisions there as the kind of renewed divided Germany, and how Cold War kinds of engagement are returning in the wake of Putin’s moves.

Over in China, Stephen Harper met with president Xi Jinping, where we are assured that he raised human rights concerns – as well as the plight of that detained Canadian couple – behind closed doors. The Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang, later said that no, the couple wouldn’t be released and that the investigation into their alleged espionage would continue.

Apparently Harper’s decision to extend Canada’ Arctic sea floor claim all the way to the North Pole caught everyone off-guard – bureaucrats, allies, but most especially the diplomats who are supposed to be helping to negotiate these kinds of things.

The union representing most federal scientists has decided to actively campaign against the Conservative government in the next election. Because that reflects well on the neutrality of the civil service, and totally doesn’t give Harper the ammunition he needs to further cry victim about “big union bosses” being out to get them.

The Peterborough Conservative riding association said that the fundraiser they had for Dean Del Mastro’s legal expenses netted some $72,000, which was cycled through the riding association’s books, thus making them eligible for tax receipts, and then sent along to Del Mastro’s lawyers.

Pundit’s Guide looks at the number of retiring MPs by the next election, and when you combine that with new seats because of redistribution, it looks like we’re on track to have the most open seats in over a decade once the writ drops.

Aaron Wherry delves further into the government’s lack of internal analysis on the EI tax credit that is supposed to create jobs.

Jennifer Robson savages the government’s new family tax credits (including income splitting) as an assault on the equitable horizontal tax structure that’s in place now, and that it’s a poor way of helping out families who need the assistance (and it’s pretty compelling reading – really!)

And Andrew Leach shows the relationship between oil prices and the Canadian dollar, and how the dollar has managed to absorb the shock of falling oil prices so far, helping to avoid a repeat of 2008.