Roundup: A policy reviewed and changed

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The government announced that their review of the transfer of inmates to Indigenous healing lodges is complete, and they made some changes to the policy to tighten the conditions. While they wouldn’t say directly, it was confirmed that Tori Stafford’s killer was reassigned from the healing lodge she had been transferred to back to an institution. Cue the self-congratulation from the Conservatives, who assert that the killer is back “behind bars.” But there are a few things we need to unpack here because some of this back-patting is disingenuous.

First of all, these healing lodges are still prisons. Said killer went from one medium-security facility to another medium-security facility. While Andrew Scheer kept insisting that she was moved to a “condo,” he is not only lying about what a healing lodge is, he is also misconstruing what conditions in women’s institutions in this country are like. There are no longer any of the kinds of cells and bars or high walls that you see on television – women’s institutions largely feature campus-like atmospheres, with apartment-like dwellings. Indeed, the facility she’s been transferred to post lodge is described as “a minimum security residential-style apartment unit and residential-style small group accommodation houses for minimum and medium-security inmates in an open campus design model.” So much for the crowing that she’s back behind bars.

There is also the self-congratulation in saying that they embarrassed the government into taking this action, and that this somehow disproves what the government said about not being able to act to transfer her. This is again disingenuous – when it came to light, the government ordered a review, and the policy writ-large was changed. They didn’t order an individual transfer, because that would be abusing their authority to do so. Now, there are some genuine questions as to how appropriate it is to change policies based on a single case, but insisting that they did what the Conservatives asked is not exactly true. Worse, however, is the unmitigated gall of the Conservatives demanding apologies and insisting that it was the Liberals who politicised the issue when they were the ones who decided to start reading the graphic details of Stafford’s murder into the record in the House of Commons. They’re still sore that they’ve been called ambulance chasers, which they insist is some kind of grievous insult, however their behaviour in the Commons around this issue was hardly decorous. An issue was raised, the policy was reviewed and changed, and the process worked. But trying to play victim over it is taking things a little too far.

https://twitter.com/journo_dale/status/1060641966776475648

Good reads:

  • Statistics Canada is officially holding off on their administrative data project until they can get more guidance from the Privacy Commissioner.
  • Chrystia Freeland says the dairy concessions were the only real compromise made in order to get a deal on the New NAFTA.
  • Harjit Sajjan insists the military wasn’t trying to mislead journalists on the costs of that VIP trip that went so horribly wrong.
  • Catherine McKenna says that since Ontario pulled out of cap-and-trade, their green funds will bypass the province and go to businesses and institutions directly.
  • The government announced $86 million to help combat gun smuggling across the border as part of their strategy to crack down on illegal firearms.
  • The government’s language around the Canada Post strikes changed yesterday, and has moved to “all options are on the table” if it’s not resolved quickly.
  • MPs and senators on the NSICOP have decided to take another look at their own report on Trudeau’s India trip, delaying its release to Parliament.
  • A senior UNHCR official apparently needs to remind us that no, we are not facing a crisis around asylum seekers (and neither is the US).
  • Bombardier plans to sell two of its business units, costing thousands of jobs, and everyone wonders why they keep getting government bailouts.
  • That sixth Arctic Offshore Patrol ship that the government ordered? It’s likely going to come in at double the price of the other five. But hey, Irving jobs!
  • Here’s a look at the growth in the number of generals and flag officers in the Canadian Forces.
  • Here are some reflections from Jewish cabinet ministers Jim Carr and Karina Gould on the MS St. Louis on the official apology.
  • Tony Clement admitted to affairs and previous extortion attempts, and the Star tracked down two of those women.
  • Nathan Cullen says that MPs need women and social media companies to tell them what appropriate online behaviour looks like. Seriously?
  • Rachel Notley is dismissive of Robyn Luff’s criticisms, citing politics as being a “team sport.” Sure, but Notley is also not letting her backbenchers fulfil their duties.
  • Martin Patriquin takes on Tony Clement’s hypocrisy, and the fact that his downfall is as much a part of playing footsies with social conservatives.

Odds and ends:

Tristin Hopper reminds us why First Past the Post is pretty great.

Here’s an interview with Robert Lewis, former Maclean’s editor, about his new book on the Parliamentary Press Gallery.

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