The Conservatives have decided that they’re going to opt out of the major broadcasters when it comes to election debates this fall, and will instead entertain the option of independents who don’t have the same kind of widespread broadcast capabilities, by accepting the invitations of Maclean’s/Rogers, and TVA in French. In a way, it’s more of this attempt to portray themselves as poor, put upon underdogs that the “big media elites” are trying to control – as though being in power for the past ten years doesn’t make them elites. There has been this particular undercurrent in pre-election conversation that they want plenty of debates because apparently it’ll be how they can trip up Justin Trudeau (ignoring both the fact that he cleaned up in his party leadership debates, and the fact that the more debates, the more chance that any gaffes will be minimised). It’s also a curious strategy that they would forgo the broadest audience that the major broadcasters’ consortium could provide – and a bit tone deaf as to the reality of the media landscape that they think that it’s just a matter of some university hosting an event and everyone brings their cameras. What it does is twofold – firstly, it’s a power game by the Conservatives to unilaterally pull out of the consortium negotiation process and throw everyone into disarray, and secondly, it’s an attempt to control those debates by creating a proliferation of independent offers that they can then cherry pick when it comes to things like format and hosting choices. It has also been pointed out how hypocritical their position is considering that they very rarely allow their candidates to even attend local debates, so for them to be concern trolling over the state of the leaders’ debates is a bit rich. Suffice to say, it’s throwing a lot of added confusion out there and is setting up a power play that will further break our system more than it already is.

Good reads:

• The former Chief Electoral Officer said the government shouldn’t be allowed to advertise between now and the election. Good luck with that.
• The report on the friendly fire death of Sgt. Doiron is in, and it looks to be largely fatigue, anxiety, and unclear protocols to blame.
• The Conservatives blocked the Commons from looking into the breach of privilege caused by RCMP security that caused a group of MPs to miss a vote.
• The government is planning yet more legislation to deport foreign criminals and strip them of refugee protection, but I doubt they can pass it in four weeks.
• The government put a number of veterans benefit changes into the omnibus budget bill, so they can claim the opposition voted against them.
• The Senate is about to try and amend that union disclosure bill yet again in the hopes of ultimately defeating it.
• The RCMP tried to time the release of the Parliament Hill shooter’s video so as not to overshadow C-51.

Odds and ends:

As it turns out, the Conservatives’ acclaimed candidate to run in Trudeau’s riding was a performance artist just messing with the party. Oops.

Most of the Senate Liberals plan to vote against C-51, but I’m not sure why this is a Big Deal since they’re independent from the Commons Liberals.

The government is giving a $100,000 donation to Immunize Canada to mark the birth of Princess Charlotte (plus giving her a snowsuit).