It’s time for the United Nations General Assembly, and while prime minister Justin Trudeau won’t be making an address at the Assembly this year, he did give a speech yesterday about Nelson Mandela, and how other should follow his legacy, and later in the day, announced a $20 million contribution to a global infrastructure hub.

The other thing that everyone is talking about is Canada’s (possibly quixotic) quest for that temporary Security Council seat in 2020, which means a lot of schmoozing and diplomatic niceties during the General Assembly – and it’s going to be an uphill battle, for which Canada has so far…deployed a logo. Add to that, the government hasn’t really articulated why exactly this is important to our foreign policy other than to stick it to the Harper years when they decided that they wouldn’t bother going for the seat again in a fit of pique.

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Meanwhile, this session of the General Assembly will see the adoption of the Global Compact on Refugees, which Canada had a hand in crafting.

Good reads:

• More fallout from Bill Blair’s misstatements to the media over the weekend about just how many asylum claimants have been removed from the country so far.
• AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde suggested that Trans Mountain may be approved more easily if the marine terminal were moved.
• Washington State wants additional improvements to the spill response plan for the Trans Mountain expansion. Here’s a deeper look at the current plan.
• Trans Canada says that Keystone XL construction will begin next year.
• The RCMP is pushing for more legislation around encryption to deal with online crime, which would create massive privacy issues.
• The government could be closing in on the winning bid for the new Royal Canadian Navy surface combatants.
• Four years after they were granted the right to unionise, the RCMP still haven’t held a vote thanks to endless delays.
• A Canada Post strike has been averted as both sides have opted to keep talking.
• Two new senators were appointed yesterday – the first woman interim commissioner of the RCMP, and the former publisher of two Saskatchewan papers.
• Liberal MPs on the justice committee voted against a study about the Notwithstanding Clause (which is fine because it related largely to Ontario’s use).
• Here’s an interview with Liberal MP Bill Casey, who used to be a Progressive Conservative, and who has decided to retire after the next election.
• Andrew Scheer laid out his Trans Mountain Expansion demands/future plans. (Look for my column on why they’re largely hot air later today).
• Leona Alleslev penned an op-ed about her decision to cross the floor, and it’s…mostly Conservative talking points.
• Rachel Curren offers a look at the ways that governments operate and set priorities during an election year.
• Kady O’Malley’s Process Nerd column looks at what Maxime Bernier can and can’t do in the House of Commons now that he’s an Independent MP.
• Andrew Coyne offers some high dudgeon for the government in their handling of the appointment of Her Excellency Julie Payette.

Odds and ends:

The rest of my Law Times package on competition law is now online, featuring “umbrella damages,” efficiencies analysis, and the search for a new Commissioner.

Tristin Hopper takes a look back at other unhappy denizens of Rideau Hall.

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