The potential move of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to Canada is causing a great deal of media speculation, and a share of boneheaded headlines in international papers (the New York Times being particularly egregious in citing that Canadians are “giddy” – in the very week that we have been in mourning over the downing of Flight PS752 – that they could be adding some “razzle dazzle” to our “bone-chilling” country). And then there are all the polls demanding that Harry be made Governor General, or the speculation that we could make him Kind of Canada if we wanted (which we really don’t). Nevertheless, Philippe Lagassé had a few thoughts on the whole matter:

https://twitter.com/PhilippeLagasse/status/1215618283812069377

https://twitter.com/PhilippeLagasse/status/1215619724404494337

https://twitter.com/PhilippeLagasse/status/1215627487377600513

At the same time as we’re allegedly giddy, we’re also apparently “furious” about potential security costs. Which, could very well be, nothing at all, really. And in the coming week or two, I suspect these stories will be all the more absurd.

Maybe Reuters lost the phone number of the Privy Council Office. The security requirements of Mr. & Mrs. Sussex are surely negotiable, rather than a question of “legal obligation” (what sort?), & would be for our government to decide.

— Colby Cosh (@colbycosh) January 10, 2020

Good reads:

• Justin Trudeau indicated that he spoke with the president of Iran about the missile downing Flight PS752, and that he will continue to press for a full investigation.
• Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland attended the memorial for victims of PS752 in Edmonton on Sunday.
• Canadian officials are now on the ground in Tehran, and more are exected to arrive in the next few days.
• Statistics Canada being subjected to the government’s “cloud-first” digital policies is raising eyebrows about the sensitivity of their data.
• Here’s an update on the situation on the ground for our troops in Iraq.
• On the tenth anniversary of the Haiti earthquakes, we learn that Michaëlle Jean tried to use her Commander-in-Chief powers more robustly than proper to send aid.
• Here are some Canadians recounting their experiences fighting “mega” fires in Australia right now.
• The Conservative Party unveiled the formal rules for their leadership campaign, as expected. Stephen Harper is apparently “supportive” behind-the-scenes.
• One of the declared candidates for the Green Party leadership wants all Canadians to be able to vote for leaderships, and it’s so stupid that I just can’t even.
• The swivel-eyed loons behind the “Wexit Party” got their Elections Canada ducks in a row, so expect more credulous journalists to give them undeserved coverage.
• For people in Ontario, if you got the false alarm about the Pickering nuclear station, here is a primer on how a real situation would go down.
• Susan Delacourt looks at how Trudeau has been couching his anger at the downing of Flight PS752 in diplomatic terms, unlike others.

Odds and ends:

Here is some further exploration of some of the challenges that Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, may have in moving to Canada.

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