The government announced yesterday that they would be halting compliance measures related to the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, and would restore the funds frozen to those 38 bands that had not reported yet. It was a move that First Nations applauded, while Conservatives and other small-c conservative types decried as making things less accountable. We also found out that the previous government was considering putting those non-compliant bands under third party management, which sounds fairly drastic. It’s not that First Nations are against being accountable – for the most part, they have indicated that they want to be, but that the previous government’s legislation was ham-fisted and in some cases unfair because it forced the reporting of revenue streams that didn’t come from taxpayers. In fact, they have long raised the notion of the creation of a First Nations Auditor General, but the Conservatives were never in favour of it. And to be sure, there are bands that do require a closer eye because in some First Nations, there are problems with nepotism and corruption, and it does need exposure. The question becomes what tools are best able to accomplish the goal that aren’t paternalistic or steeped in racist assumptions. It’s something that the current government is looking to engage with, and we’ll see where their consultations take them, but this will no doubt be part of their move to transform their relationship with Indigenous Canadians.

Good reads:

• As their first patronage appointment, the government named former Ontario finance minister Dwight Duncan as interim chair of the new Detroit-Windsor bridge.
• Justin Trudeau is trying to articulate the change of the mission in Iraq as part of a longer-term vision in the region (but is still struggling with that, mind you).
• John McCallum made a surprise visit to a refugee camp in Lebanon, while the Governor General greeted refugees arriving in Toronto.
• Marc Garneau held a press event at Bombardier – to congratulate them on passing the trials for the new C-series jets, and not to give them more money for a change.
• Here is a look at the road from being Prime Minister to just another civilian, which Harper is starting to undertake.
• The Canadian fashion industry hopes that the stylish Trudeau family will be a boon for them.
• The Duffy trial will hear closing arguments for two weeks in February. David Reevely lists what we’ve learned after 60 days of testimony.
• Lisa Raitt pens an op-ed on the broken Liberal promises on deficits, but utterly neglects her government’s state of the books, with deficits already being projected.
• Jen Gerson makes the case for a referendum on electoral reform.
• Susan Delacourt writes about Canadian politics as Christmas movies.

Odds and ends:

Dean Del Mastro and his cousin are building a solar panel manufacturing centre and solar farm in Barbados while out on bail.

The Conservative riding association of former MP Stephen Fletcher reports that $95,000 is missing.

Manitoba just named Canada’s first openly trans provincial court judge.

Challenge accepted and completed, @PKSubban1. Jingle all the way! #CanadaCarolshttps://t.co/VwXLTk0F46

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 18, 2015