The Order in Council relating to the new Senate appointment board was made public yesterday, and some of the details were tweeted out (as below, with commentary). Of note for me when you read the terms was that this interim process for the first five appointments will be done by engaging with civil society groups of various distinctions. The permanent process going forward will be the one that invites people to nominate others (or themselves) as vacancies come open.

And here's the mandate for the Senate appointments board. https://t.co/cwc6kocSUQ

— Glen McGregor (@glen_mcgregor) January 21, 2016

Board members who select new senators will earn $375-$450 per diems, plus travel costs. Not even lawyer money. https://t.co/aFdwzBbZC5

— Glen McGregor (@glen_mcgregor) January 21, 2016

Here are the detailed terms for the Senate appointments board. https://t.co/EXgFpxGraa

— Glen McGregor (@glen_mcgregor) January 21, 2016

Because of Responsible Government and the Constitution. It’s a Thing. https://t.co/mPh828058x

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) January 21, 2016

Pretty safe bet that one of the first five new senators appointed will be aboriginal. I will bet my house on this. https://t.co/6LqSLZ6JIm

— Glen McGregor (@glen_mcgregor) January 21, 2016

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/690289470709563392

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/690289727677829121

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/690290163809959937

Good reads:

• From Davos, Justin Trudeau tried to get Leonardo DiCaprio to tone down his rhetoric on Alberta’s oil industry, while he engaged with youth and his cabinet built other global relationships.
• Denis Coderre and mayors from surrounding areas say they’re opposed to Energy East, which set up a pissing match with Brad Wall, Brian Jean and others.
• It sounds like there may be a bit of legal “adjusting” still being done with the Canada-EU trade agreement around the trade dispute resolution mechanism.
• Federal and provincial health ministers agreed to tackle drug prices, home care and mental health challenges (and it sounds like no big cheque was promised).
• Rona Ambrose wants regulation for illegal pot dispensaries…but is still against legalization?
• It looks like the budget will be in March sometime, after which infrastructure funds will start to flow.
• The Parliamentary Budget Officer says that the Liberal tax changes may cost the treasury more than expected, based on differing assumptions.
• The NDP want the Industry Committee to look at media concentration with the Postmedia job losses.
• This look at the unhinged radical right-wing commentariat threatening violence against the likes of Justin Trudeau is a disturbing read.
• The military’s sexual misconduct response centre is getting its second interim director in four months.
• Chatelaine talks to female MPs about heckling in light of the Samara report.
• Mike Moffatt pitches a food inflation rebate cheque as a better way of providing both stimulus and relief to families hit by rising costs.
• Tyler Dawson writes a smart piece disabusing people of the notion of basing foreign policy on tragedies that happen in places like Burkina Faso.

Odds and ends:

Peter MacKay is now really playing coy on leadership ambitions.

https://twitter.com/kevinmilligan/status/690257815441580032

https://twitter.com/kevinmilligan/status/690258584538484737

https://twitter.com/kevinmilligan/status/690259312107589632