Roundup: A dying brand of politics

Posted on by

As tributes to Jim Prentice continue to roll in, we see one in particular from Michael Den Tandt, who says that the particular blend of civility and competence that Prentice had is becoming a fading quality in politics, not only looking south of the border to the giant tire fire that they call their presidential election, but also toward the Conservative leadership race in this country. Why is it fading? Because that kind of politics isn’t selling to the angry populist wave that seems to have captured so many imaginations, and in that race, it’s less Maxime Bernier who is capturing that angry populism (despite his claiming the “Mad Max” label by being “mad” about so many government problems) than it is by Kellie Leitch and her campaign manager, Nick Kouvalis. And case in point, Leitch officially launched her campaign on the weekend (remember, it was just an exploration beforehand), and lo, was it full of angry populist rhetoric that doesn’t make a lot of sense when you actually listen to it. Leitch continues to insist that she’s not anti-immigrant – she just goes about completely mischaracterising this country’s immigration system (you know, which the government that she was a part of had an opportunity to apparently do something about over the last decade and apparently didn’t), and pits “good” immigrants against “bad” ones – which, to be fair, is something Jason Kenney got really good at over his time as the cultural outreach guy in the Conservative party. Suffice to say, here are Justin Ling’s tweet’s from Leitch’s launch, and if it sounds like her going down the angry populist checklist, it’s because that’s what it pretty much is – which lends a little more credence to what Den Tandt was saying about Prentice’s breed of politician fading away.

https://twitter.com/Justin_Ling/status/787359199957245952

Good reads:

  • Here’s a look at what’s changed a year after the Liberals won the election. Of course, there is a lot of consultation still ongoing (list here).
  • Maclean’s has their report card on Trudeau’s year, including the economy, national security, democratic reform, the environment, and Indigenous relationships.
  • Healthcare negotiations with the provinces get underway this week. Expect some performative Blowing of the Gaskets (to quote Paul Wells).
  • For her part, Jane Philpott is aiming more for transformation of the system, saying more money won’t achieve that.
  • There are concerns that there has been a stealth American takeover of our premier space technology company, MacDonald Dettwiler Associates.
  • Changes are coming to the mandatory victim surcharge being imposed in court decisions, and it looks like judicial discretion is being restored.
  • Global agreement on reducing hydrofluorocarbons means new regulations are likely to roll out in Canada soon.
  • Public sector unions are grousing that the Liberals aren’t rolling over to all of their demands.
  • The government might start charging HST on Netflix. But no Netflix Tax™ that would have them pay into the Canadian Media Fund.
  • Erin O’Toole thinks the government should use tax incentives instead of carbon pricing to lower emissions. (Um, that’s still carbon pricing, no?)
  • Paul Wells connects some dots between meetings Trudeau has been having with billionaires, investment moving to Canada, and the planned Infrastructure Bank.

Odds and ends:

The electoral reform committee wraps up their last tour session in Iqaluit today.

Donald Bayne, Mike Duffy’s lawyer, remains saddened by the “toxicity” of politics.