Roundup: A modest peacekeeping package

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At long last, Justin Trudeau delivered what the government had long-promised when it came to how Canada was going to fulfil its pledge around peacekeepers for the UN. Err, well, sort of. You see, while Trudeau said that the 600 troops would all roll out eventually, for the time being, we’re doing more of the work of capacity building, training, and getting more women involved, plus a new rapid-response air deployment of heavy-lift capability and weaponized helicopters that will include some 200 personnel. And no, we’re not sending troops to Mali. More significantly, perhaps, was the initiative on ending the use of child soldiers, which helps to fulfil some of the long-time work of retired general and Senator Roméo Dallaire.

At this point, the peanut gallery erupted into how the government’s mandate tracker would rate this promise as not having really been kept, but I have to wonder if that’s being unfair given the situation. We’ve heard for two years, since the initial pledge was made, that traditional peacekeeping was dead, and we needed to do something else, and lo, the government listened, consulted, and came up with a package of items – and funds – that will help with the real work of building capacity where it doesn’t exist currently. And listening to Dallaire on Power & Politics, he made the notion that it’s not really about committing another battalion of troops, because they have those – it’s about ensuring that they have the capacity to deal with the situation on the ground, and if Canada can help with that, is that not the better use of our time, money, resources, and personnel? Or do we demand 600 troops + 150 police in x-country that is just the right level of dangerous in order to check off a box and say “promise kept”? I’m not sure. We’ll see how the international community reacts, but so far the word out of the UN has been fairly positive (though it sounds like France may be a bit ticked that we’re not going to Mali). But maybe I’m wrong and we should have just sent them to Mali. I do think that we need to be a bit more nuanced in our understanding, and as with many things, people underestimate the need for capacity building at home and abroad, and it does seem to be something that this government is trying to address in one form or another. (For another take, here’s Stephen Saideman and his lukewarm feelings toward the announcement).

https://twitter.com/stephaniecarvin/status/931000867565776896

Good reads:

  • Meanwhile, Trudeau’s speech was interrupted by pipeline protesters, and as they were ushered out, he thanked them for their activism, in the most Canadian way.
  • Trade ministers won’t be part of this upcoming round of NAFTA talks, but will let the negotiators handle this round on their own.
  • Here’s a good look into what’s going on to build the secretariat that will support the new National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians.
  • The government is looking at expanded drug checking systems and prescription heroin to combat the opioid crisis, but won’t look at drug decriminalization.
  • The outrage of farmers seems to be subsiding after the government amended their tax proposals in a way that wouldn’t punish transferring ownership within families.
  • The RCMP are looking at how to expand programmes that allow anonymous third-party reporting of sexual assaults.
  • As It Happens took the M-4 Unit – err, Julian Fantino to task for his hypocrisy of taking over a marijuana company given his record on criminalizing users.
  • Oh noes! Parliamentarians spent more money to do diplomacy through Interparliamentary groups! Sound the cheap outrage alarm!
  • A look at economic and finance portfolios shows that even ministerial staff and senior officials are male-dominated.
  • The RCMP may be looking to scale down their presence on Parliament Hill in favour of more Parliamentary Protective Services personnel.
  • Former Conservative MP Rob Clarke has thrown his hat into the race to replace Brad Wall as premier of Saskatchewan.
  • John Geddes notes the contrast between Andrew Scheer’s new video ad and the current one playing on the Liberal website.
  • Kevin Carmichael looks at how the Trump administration is (probably inadvertently) sowing regional discord in Canada during NAFTA talks.
  • Colby Cosh looks at the absurd rules that make Kinder Surprise Eggs illegal in the United States, and the workaround the company has found to combat it.

Odds and ends:

An NDP MP is looking to appeal to the Commons to overturn a decision that rendered her bill unvoteable because the government tabled a similar bill.

Tristin Hopper explains the disconnect between high gasoline prices versus abundant Canadian crude.