Roundup: Getting their attention

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The upcoming trip to Washington DC continues to headline the news, and introducing Trudeau to the American audience was that segment on 60 Minutes, which wound up being fluffy and pretty lazy – particularly when they used a photo of actress Kim Cattrall in place of Margaret Trudeau. Oops. The celebrity factor could still play well for Trudeau, as it allows him to reach Americans in a way that most other politicians can’t, and it could serve Canadian interests well if we can push forward on some of our issues while we have their attention. One of those issues is softwood lumber, which is up for re-negotiation, but may wind up being another fraught battle, between changing circumstances since the last deal, and American election season making any deal on their end unpalatable, but at the same time, it could wind up back in endless litigation, which one expects that nobody wants to deal with. While Trudeau may not be able to get the issue solved on this visit, it could be an opportunity to get some wheels in motion and put some momentum behind it. But then again, with everyone concerned about the optics of the state dinner, and the celebrity aspects that come with it, we’ll see if any actual issues will penetrate the American consciousness.

Good reads:

  • Catherine McKenna is reiterating that within six months, every province needs to have a carbon-pricing model in mind.
  • Premiers like Kathleen Wynne and Christie Clark are warning about new climate targets, as they hare having some trouble meeting their current ones.
  • People who follow the climate debate more closely assure us that the Vancouver Declaration is a good thing.
  • Here’s a look at Mulcair’s internal campaign to stay on as party leader.
  • Here is a look at the upcoming budget, rolling out in three acts.
  • CBC got a look at the bureaucratic back-end of the bombing mission in Iraq.
  • PCO is asking for another $600,000 to revamp the Prime Minister’s website and digital presence.

Odds and ends:

Justin Trudeau won’t be in Question Period today, as he’ll be at the Toronto Zoo to help name the panda cubs.