Roundup: Bad-faith grievance narratives and faux confusion

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The day started off on something of a petulant tone, as Andrew Scheer complained that people were “upset and confused” by prime minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to attend the Black Lives Matter protest in spite of the pandemic, and furthered the bad faith grievance narrative by pointing to the Ottawa restaurant that was fined $880 for opening its patio. Scheer, and other Conservatives, spent the day obscuring the difference between what the federal government is in charge of and what falls under local public health guidelines, and deliberately playing up this “confusion” where none should actually exist – there were public health guidelines that said that if people were going to protest that they should wear masks and social distance, and then self-isolate afterward, if anyone bothered to pay attention.

Trudeau was up shortly thereafter for his daily presser, and he talked at length about those protesting, and people being afraid of the police, and that he promised to deal with systemic racism and listed actions that his government has taken to thus far to deal with it, including mental health resources for the Black community, an anti-racism secretariat and strategy under the Minister of Diversity, and agreed that it’s not enough. He also said that he has been in discussions with Cabinet, as well as the RCMP commissioner, and that he was also raising the issue of body cameras with premiers this week. Trudeau also mentioned that Bill Blair was following through on their commitment to Indigenous policing, and that this week the government would be undergoing a stock-taking on their reconciliation efforts with Indigenous people. He then pivoted to the wage subsidy and other measures being taken to help people, the $14 billion being offered to help provinces with their economic restarts, and finally announced that they had introduced a number of limited exemptions at the border for immediate family members of Canadians to cross – spouses, children, parents of minor children in Canada – but that they must still self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival. During the Q&A, he defended his attending the protests as balancing competing interests.

On body cameras, it looks like the RCMP has agreed to outfit some members with them, but it remains a controversial move, that may be seen as a band-aid solution to deeper problems. (Here’s a good thread by lawyer Michael Spratt to that effect). It’s also pointed out that if we want to shift resources away from the current model of policing, this is a big expense that makes it even harder to do so.

As the talk of the defunding/abolishing police gains momentum, here is a look at how Camden, New Jersey, has been doing an experiment in scrapping their police force and starting over, and some of the more important things to realize in his are that the incentives changed – not judging performance by the number of arrests or tickets issued, and a focus on making connections in communities. Of course, it also says that they haven’t made enough investments in the other community supports that are supposed to underpin this model, so that’s something to think about.

Good reads:

  • The RCMP drew nearly 3000 complaints in 2018, mostly around excessive use of force, which was an increase over the previous year.
  • Two Alberta Mounties have been charged with criminal negligence for a fatal shooting that happened in 2018.
  • Liberal MP Greg Fergus discusses what the government has been doing for Black Canadians, and what more they need to still do.
  • DND released the preliminary findings of the investigation of crash of the Cyclone helicopter off the coast of Greece.
  • A civil society group says thousands of migrant workers are not being protected from the pandemic, and wants immediate pathways to permanent residency.
  • The government continues to work out how to not disadvantage pregnant women who can’t get enough hours to qualify for parental leave in current circumstances.
  • The Privacy Commissioner is alarmed that an Elections Canada survey found that only 14 percent of candidates in the last federal election secured their voter lists.
  • Here’s a look at how AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde is partnering with Prince Charles in promoting more sustainable business practices post-pandemic.
  • We got a few more details on now-former Liberal MP Marwan Tabbara’s criminal charge, including the fact that the leader’s office wasn’t informed until Friday.
  • Economist Trevor Tombe proposes a temporary tax-and-repayment fund to help manage pandemic-related spending and recovery.
  • Susan Delacourt looks at how Justin Trudeau took the calculated risk of attending the protests, and how the frustration of the pandemic may have amplified them.
  • Chantal Hébert pens a self-aware column on how her adversity as a francophone woman in journalism pales against the structural racism others face.

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