In the wake of Friday’s attacks in Paris, and Trudeau’s trip to the G20 in Turkey, we seem to have been inundated with a whole lot of calls to carry on the bombing mission in Iraq and Syria, coupled with all manner of concern trolling from Conservative MPs and others to slow down on the refugee pledges for “security screening,” never mind that there have yet to be any verifiable links between the attackers and any actual refugees from the region. (Most of what we’ve heard has been about homegrown attackers, along with a couple of passports of dubious authenticity). Michael Petrou makes the case that keeping up the fight against ISIS with the bombing mission is evidence-based policy (plus has a video of Syrian refugees in France here), while Terry Milewski gives a look at what the mission has accomplished to date, and notes Canada’s participation in some recent victories in the region. Wesley Wark says that the aftermath of Paris shows that Canada needs to up its intelligence game. After sparring with Jason Kenney over the Twitter Machine, Paul Wells lays the smackdown on Conservatives doing backseat ministering without actually looking critically at their own policy – which is still being enacted in the region – while they second-guess what the voters decided pretty clearly on October 19th. (And it’s an amazing piece that you really must read).
https://twitter.com/inklesspw/status/665639828235530240
https://twitter.com/inklesspw/status/665640401370374145
https://twitter.com/inklesspw/status/665640787040845824
https://twitter.com/inklesspw/status/665640896562487296
https://twitter.com/inklesspw/status/665641975610126336
https://twitter.com/inklesspw/status/665642870829748224
https://twitter.com/inklesspw/status/665643511606177794
https://twitter.com/inklesspw/status/665645420547174400
https://twitter.com/inklesspw/status/665645614206619649
Good reads:
- While at the G20, Trudeau is trying to stay on his economic message of investment, and is proving popular as world leaders want selfies with him.
- The government has given the panel examining doctor-assisted dying another month to finish their report, and told them not to provide legislative options.
- Here is your preview of the Duffy trial resuming this week.
- The government has set up a new office under Public Services and Procurement to kickstart the CF-18 replacement process.
- Research into radicalization shows that the Internet plays a role, but is not the only factor, and that there are more than just “Islamist” radicals to worry about.
- Here’s a look at how the public service may have to deal with those mandate letters, including setting aside funds every year for innovation.
- Anne Kingston has a lengthy rebuttal to the criticisms of new science minister Kirsty Duncan and her position on CCSVI.
Odds and ends:
Maxime Bernier is considering a run for the Conservative leadership.
@calxandr No such "refusal to condemn" happened. You just made it up. The Q – a good one – was about his plan to end the bombing mission.
— Terry Milewski (@CBCTerry) November 14, 2015
@calxandr Wrong. He said "shocked..dark & terrible.." You made up that he said "too soon" to condemn. Pick a real issue like the air war.
— Terry Milewski (@CBCTerry) November 14, 2015
@calxandr In hole, stop digging. Or, keep us focussed on your deception about what JT said. Which is a genius plan, really. I'll retweet it.
— Terry Milewski (@CBCTerry) November 15, 2015
Chris would like us all to stay focussed on his making up things JT did not say. You're welcome. https://t.co/jPEIaZA8Vv
— Terry Milewski (@CBCTerry) November 15, 2015
I’ve said it from the beginning: this is ^NOT our fight. Six CF18A’s doesn’t even amount to the reserve on one US aircraft carrier. It’s a token gesture that only serves to put Canada on ISIS’s revenge list. We can do this right by offering safe haven on third-party soil and equipping/training the people who are directly in the line of fire.