Over in the National Post, Ashley Csanady found that the student council at the University of Waterloo has taken to abusing the concept of “safe spaces” to try and move their council meetings behind closed doors. Apparently student leaders have argued – with a straight face – that these closed-door meetings would foster a “safe environment, and less scrutiny results in better decision-making.” All of which is complete and utter nonsense because as political actors, they have obligations to transparency in order that they may be held to account. If they’re uncomfortable being challenged in public, then they shouldn’t run for office (which is an issue I have with people who run for office at any level of government, particularly federally – if you can’t so much as ask or answer a thirty-second question in QP without relying on a script and having your hand held, why are you there?) Now, there is a time and a place for closed-door meetings, and in camera discussions in grown-up politics, but it’s not all the time, and it’s not so that they can feel “safe.” Sometimes it takes a while to come up with suitable language when you’re putting together a report, and there is a case that some of the Board of Internal Economy’s decisions do happen better behind closed doors because some MPs can actually behave like adults when no one else is around, and I’m not sure it helps when they’re not using it as an excuse to play up the partisan drama for the cameras – again. (Also, BOIE deals with a lot of personnel issues that have legitimate privacy considerations). Yes, there has been an alarming trend in federal politics to move all considerations of committee business behind closed doors, likely because the Conservatives on the committee don’t want to be seen being irrationally partisan when they deny opposition motions, but they’re not using – or rather abusing – the notion of a safe space, or saying that they feel threatened by the exposure. Not wanting to look like jerks on TV is not a reason to meet in camera, and yet they do it anyway, and we the public should hold them to account for said behaviour. Hopefully the students at Waterloo will also see thought this charade, and vote this council out next year as well.

Good reads:

• While there were job losses in June, it wasn’t as bad as some were expecting as there were gains in full-time employment figures.
• It sounds like the US is not pleased with our trying to cling to Supply Management in TPP talks, and is ready to go it without us.
• Ruh roh! It seems like all of that natural light at the new CSE headquarters building could invite foreign eavesdropping.
• Kady O’Malley crunches some numbers to see if it was the personality or the portfolio that raked in all of that cash for Jason Kenney’s riding association.
• Susan Delacourt looks at the symbolism of a shrinking Canada Post as the government prides itself on child benefit cheques going in the mail.

Odds and ends:

The head of the Alberta Federation of Labour – yes, a “big union boss” – is seeking the NDP nomination in Edmonton Centre.

Former BC Regional Chief Jody Wilson-Raybould says her frustration with the Prime Minister during Idle No More spurred her to run for the Liberals.

Elizabeth May is unhappy about being left out of the Globe and Mail and Munk Centre debates.