The official date of the new child benefit cheques going out saw the Conservative government at its most ham-handed yesterday, starting with a “leaked” letter to caucus about just how historic this event was as the “single biggest one-time direct payment in Canadian history.” Funny, it seems to me that an actual conservative government would rather just lower taxes across the board rather than bribe people with their own money, but oh, wait – this is a right-flavoured populist government and not a real Conservative one. As ministers and MPs went around the country to tout the benefit, and social media sites were bombarded with blaring ads, some of which were branded as “Christmas in July,” Pierre Poilievre was the most egregious of all, hosting a press event in Halifax that was arranged by his department, and yet featured him wearing a Conservative-branded golf shirt, as though this were a partisan event, or that it was somehow the Conservatives doling out this largesse rather than the Government of Canada. It was utterly crass, and yet the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner decreed that no, it wasn’t actually in contravention of the rules, though one cannot deny that it was in poor taste and poor judgement. Mind you, this bit of vote-buying is going to blow a big hole in the government’s budget, given that growth projections are down and we are pretty much certainly back into a deficit position (not that the budget was actually balanced – simply papered over by raiding the contingency reserve and the EI fund). But then again, the NDP have declared that the child benefit would remain under their plan on top of their plans to have this universal childcare programme (well, years down the road at a great cost to the provinces) and the Liberals planning to revamp the whole system that will also cost at least an extra couple of billion more than this programme does. Watching this play out in the election while each touts fiscal responsibility will be an interesting exercise.
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Good reads:
- Justin Trudeau had his own issues with Energy East pipeline politics as he told a New Brunswick radio station that his support wasn’t unqualified – and people freaked out.
- The Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled that no, long-time expats shouldn’t be able to vote in Canadian elections. Expect this to go to the Supreme Court of Canada.
- The Senate transport and communications committee put out their report on the future of the CBC, which is focused mostly on governance and alternate funding.
- Mulcair launched his Ontario campaign yesterday, and was met with questions on Quebec separation and the Sherbrooke Declaration.
- Here are five reasons why it’s likely the writs will drop early.
- Military supplier General Dynamics is trying to convince the government to start using militarized smart phones on the battlefield.
- Canada is committing another $20 million to ending child marriages, but won’t include sexual education or birth control, which would be useful in those situations.
- Here’s an exit interview with Shelly Glover, who says that the media is awful and everyone is more partisan than her. Apparently said with a straight face.
Odds and ends:
The NDP candidate in Papineau stepped down, after controversies surrounding her separatist past, and comparing Quebec to a colonised African country.
Alison Redford is no longer a member of the Progressive Conservative party in Alberta.
The House of Commons has posted the notice in their search for a new Sergeant-at-Arms.
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