Roundup: Polling on magical parties

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I am not a big fan about reporting on polls, which makes me particularly aggrieved that we saw a few stories today about the latest Angus Reid poll that postulated a hypothetical “Western Canada Party” and how that would skew the vote for the established parties. Why a poll like this is especially irksome is because when you invite people to vote for a hypothetical that has no leader, or policies, or structure, or even raison d’être, then it simply becomes a repository for unicorns and pixie dust. You’re inviting people from four fairly disparate provinces to join forces, when you have separate grievances with the federal government, and you think you’d make a coherent political force out of it? Really? What exactly is anyone supposed to take from this message, other than people have vivid imaginations?

Of course, the idea is pretty ludicrous on its face – it could never be anything other than a protest party that couldn’t aspire to power by sheer mathematics – and it builds on some particular mythology around the Reform Party that I’m not sure necessarily reflects history. You have people like Deborah Grey who hears this and just sighs about the notion about splitting the Conservative party again (though there is plenty to debate about how we qualify the “reunification”). Should Andrew Scheer read this poll and take it as a warning that his Western base thinks he’s pandering too much to Quebec? We’ve already seen him embrace some outright tinfoil hattery because he’s been spooked by Maxime Bernier and losing those votes – will he crank up his faux-Saskatchewan credentials to eleven for the rest of the election to keep pretending that he’s one of them to bash away at the federal government? Will we hear big and small-c conservatives double down on the faux mythology of Alberta’s conservativism (and if you haven’t yet, please do read Jen Gerson’s exploration of that mythology here). “Ooh, but protest vote!” people will handwave. But BC and Alberta would be protesting against different things – and different parts of BC would have different protests at that. Grievance-mongering is not a path to sustainable politics. Polls like this just confuse issues and make people think that there are magic wands – or in this case, magical political parties that could somehow cure all of their woes by forcing Ottawa to take them seriously, somehow. But that’s not real life, and politics is hard work, which is not something that this kind of polling reflects.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau has asserted that the topic of a single tax form for Quebec is a non-starter for his government. (Quebec can resume the single federal form anytime).
  • Trudeau also met with New Brunswick premier Blaine Higgs, and wouldn’t give him any concessions on the federal carbon price backstop.
  • The federal government tabled their Indigenous language legislation in partnership with some Indigenous groups. ITK says there are not enough Inuit-specific items.
  • As with any legislation, there are those who hope that it will come with additional funds and resources to make it meaningful.
  • Ralph Goodale says that he’s not prioritizing retrieving Canadian foreign fighters from Syria because we have no consular presence in the region.
  • Bill Blair says that new federal gun control recommendations will arrive within weeks following the most recent consultations.
  • Global Affairs is warning Canadians not to travel to Venezuela.
  • The NSICOP has decided to look into the recent high-profile failures and harassment allegations at CBSA.
  • The federal government has convinced Seaspan shipyard to change up its build order to prioritize one Joint Support Ship ahead of Coast Guard science vessels.
  • It turns out that in July, Davie Shipyard was accidentally sent secret Cabinet documents during an ATIP request, and were asked to kindly return them. Oops.
  • Health Canada has posted their draft regulations for vaping, and are asking for public input.
  • If you need a dose of cheap outrage, here are some figures around vehicles purchases, sales and rentals related to the G7 summit in Charlevoix.
  • The Parliamentary Protective Service needs some cyber-security help.
  • Yazidi survivors resettled in Canada are being harassed by phone and text by those claiming to be from ISIS.
  • Omar Khadr is trying to get the courts to declare his eight-year sentence to be served in order to lift his indefinite bail conditions, but that could be a challenge.
  • The Senate’s energy and environment committee agreed to some cross-country hearings on Bill C-69, but they need to come up with a list and a budget.
  • Kevin Carmichael goes through the Conservative talking points on deficits and higher taxes, and finds them wanting in the current economic environment.
  • Susan Delacourt notes the lack of any accountability by party leaders for the advertising that their parties put out.
  • My column looks at Bruce Stanton’s case for a second “parallel” chamber to the House of Commons, and to see if he can convince me of its merits.

Odds and ends:

Parliamentary Poet Laureate Georgette LeBlanc penned a poem about the closure of Centre Block.

The Books of Remembrance have now been moved to a space in West Block from the Memorial Chamber in the Peace Tower.

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