Roundup: Worst instincts for second-choice votes

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As the Trumpocalypse serves up another “totally not just Muslims” travel ban south of the border, immigration references in the Conservative leadership race are certainly starting to pick up steam. Maxime Bernier started dropping not-so-coded references to “radical proponents of multiculturalism” who want to “forcibly change” the cultural character of the country (no, seriously), while Kellie Leitch offers up some of the questions her “values test” would include. Because you know, it’s totally not like people aren’t going to lie about the obvious answers or anything. Meanwhile, Deepak Obhrai says that statements like Leitch’s is creating an environment that could get immigrants killed, in case you worried that things aren’t getting dramatic. Oh, and to top it off, Andrew Scheer has a “survey” about terrorism that he wants people to weigh in on, and it’s about as well thought-out as you can expect.

https://twitter.com/stephaniecarvin/status/838798221501673473

While John Ibbitson writes about how the Conservative leadership candidates’ anti-immigrant rhetoric is a path to oblivion for the party, I would also add this Twitter thread from Emmett Macfarlane, which offers up a reminder about how our immigration system in this country actually works, because facts should matter in these kinds of debates.

https://twitter.com/emmmacfarlane/status/838879309829967874

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/838879524888670208

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/838879901725900800

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/838881353940750339

Good reads:

  • The government has announced an extension to the military training mission in Ukraine for another two years, but the Conservatives says it’s not enough.
  • Chrystia Freeland says that Canada should be prepared for Russia to try and destabilize us politically like they’ve been doing to the US.
  • What’s that? The Liberals have been playing politics with funding announcements and re-announcements? You don’t say.
  • RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson has announced that he’ll retire at the end of June. Here’s a look back at some of the challenges he’s faced as Commissioner.
  • Alberta’s outgoing top Mountie talks about being a pioneering woman and lesbian in the Force.
  • Stéphane Dion and John McCallum have been appointed as “special advisors” and not ambassadors, which the department says is an interim step.
  • Here’s a look at the costs of all those boutique tax credits to the federal treasury.
  • The CBC has more about those classified documents released about how the government would react to a 9/11-style attack.
  • There are questions as to why the government hasn’t even started the process of hiring a new Chief Electoral Officer.
  • Another trial balloon in the media, this time about privatizing airports. Expect this to come up in QP today.
  • The minister of revenue says that KPMG may still face criminal charges for their Isle of Man tax scheme.
  • Brad Trost’s campaign is whinging that they’re being treated unfairly by the party.
  • Andrew Coyne looks at the renewed interest in income tax cuts that the Conservative leadership race is inspiring.
  • Martin Patriquin writes about the sham of an open nomination for Yolande James in Saint-Laurent, but why it may not matter.
  • Chantal Hébert notes how long it is taking for Trudeau to fill parliamentary watchdog positions – four of the eight are still waiting.

Odds and ends:

The NDP want to use their upcoming supply day motion to talk about tax havens.

Tristin Hopper writes about the delicious irony of the federal government giving money to memorialise René Lévesque.