It’s the New Year, and it’s an election year, and that means we’re about to be subjected to all kinds of performative nonsense, and most especially about carbon taxes. Like how Doug Ford has all of the Ontario PC caucus tweeting about lowering gas prices, despite the fact that Ontario didn’t have a carbon tax (cap-and-trade did affect gasoline prices, however), and there also just happens to be a major tumble in the world price of oil because of a global supply glut. Andrew Scheer, meanwhile, is claiming that the government plans to hike carbon taxes to $300/tonne if they get re-elected – which is patent nonsense. He’s also unable to pick a lane in that the he claims the proposed $50/tonne carbon tax (in three years) is too low to do anything, and that it’s the “experts” and “departments” who are encouraging him to raise it to $100/tonne, if not the $300/tonne figure that he’s citing as a secret plan. (But seriously – they might have modelled it, but that’s not a plan). But hey, way to stoke the “elites” versus “folks” narrative that Scheer thinks is going to win him votes. To that end, he’s continuing to shitpost blatant lies about the carbon pricing system, despite the fact that this particular lie has been called out again and again. But since when does truth matter when you’re trying to make people angry?

This has repeatedly been pointed out to be a lie, and yet he persists. https://t.co/r2XHgU2Na1

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) December 29, 2018

Good reads:

• Here’s a rundown of the arguments in the upcoming federal carbon tax case in the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal.
• Here’s a good look at how the federal government’s infrastructure plans wound up being shambolic and didn’t deliver promised fiscal multipliers.
• Similarly, here’s a look at how the government’s innovation funds seem to be awfully political in what it is they choose to fund.
• The Canadian Forces say they’re aware of some 30 current members who are members of hate groups or who have espoused “discriminatory views.”
• Research shows that the stories of dissatisfaction in the civil service in the Harper years were largely just rhetoric.
• Weapons that were due to be sent to Kurds in Iraq to fight ISIS remain in a Montreal warehouse after plans went off the rails (in part due to Iraqi objections).
• The family reunification system for immigration is being revamped again, and we’ll see how many more complaints of unfairness will result.
• There are concerns that the new elections legislation can’t properly grapple with social media as advertising, particularly in writ and blackout periods.
• Here’s a look at where the parties are standing with regards to nominations.
• NDP MP Sheila Malcolmson has officially resigned, leaving four seats awaiting a by-election. No word yet on MPs Nicola Di Iorio and Raj Grewal.
• Former Sergeant-at-Arms (and now Ambassador to Ireland) Kevin Vickers is mulling a run for Liberal leader in New Brunswick.
• Susan Delacourt makes a plea for MPs to reform some political culture to make life less hard on them and their staffers, after a year of difficult stories.

Want more Routine Proceedings? Become a patron and get exclusive new content.