Roundup: Federal damage control while Ford playacts

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While Ontario continues to be on fire, Doug Ford spent much of the weekend walking back his ridiculous pronouncements on Friday, re-opening parks and playgrounds, followed by walking back the increased police powers (which was not helped by the fact that most police forces declared publicly that they would not use them – though stories of arbitrary accosting of people of colour did resonate over social media. This was then followed by news that Ford plans to shutter the legislature this week – apparently it’s the one workplace he doesn’t consider “essential” – while there is also talk about a Cabinet shuffle, because gods know this band of murderclowns needs to rearrange the deckchairs on their own personal Titanic one more time. (Speculation here is also that he is facing a very restive caucus, and closing Queen’s Park would make it easier to avoid them). And then, to make it look like he was doing something, Ford engaged in some performance art to phone up consulates and try to secure vaccines from international allies, as though they wouldn’t all laugh in his face. But he’s committed to the narrative that all he needs is more doses to vaccinate his way out of the burning building rather than doing the public health measures he needs to in order to stop the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, prime minister Justin Trudeau announced some additional help for Ontario, some of which will wind up bypassing the provincial government and go directly to municipalities and businesses with things like additional testing and tracing capacity. Even these measures, however, are little more than damage control because they can’t do the things that need to happen, like stopping the spread in industrial workplaces, because they don’t have the requisite jurisdictional authority.

As for the doctors in this province, they’re at a breaking point. Thank the murderclowns for that.

Good reads:

  • Ontario and Alberta are expected to start allowing those 40 and above sign up for AstraZeneca doses this week.
  • Anita Anand says that Moderna hasn’t breached their contract despite the fact that shipments have been late.
  • The budget leaks have started, and it looks like the government will be putting up $2 billion for national childcare (money the premiers can’t refuse).
  • A briefing note from the RCMP Commissioner promised to do a better job of tackling threats against MPs, as Patty Hajdu has been added to a list of those facing threats.
  • Liberal MP Will Amos has spoken out, and is concerned that the screenshot leaking is a sign that there is an attitude of “anything goes” in order to score partisan points.
  • Liberal MP Paul Lefebvre wants to propose a private members’ bill to prevent any university from seeking creditor protection, to avoid another Laurentian situation.
  • Erin O’Toole and his staff know full well they’re pushing a “carbon tax,” but they’re determined to twist themselves into pretzels and lie to insist that they’re not.
  • Kevin Carmichael looks back at Navdeep Bains’ time as industry minister, and how he oversaw the move by government to embrace industrial policy once again.
  • Heather Scoffield gives her preview of the budget.
  • Susan Delacourt sees O’Toole’s climate “plan” as one that takes the position of preferring action through shopping rather than government involvement.
  • Chantal Hébert points out that O’Toole’s climate “plan” may have killed his prime ministerial ambitions, but it got the party out of the corner it painted itself into.

Odds and ends:

Here is Maclean’s recounting of Prince Philip’s funeral, topped with that haunting photo of the Queen alone in the church.

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One thought on “Roundup: Federal damage control while Ford playacts”

  1. Even Horwath said that paid sick days are the responsibility of the PROVINCIAL government. Why does Singh continue to undercut her by giving Ford a free pass and deflecting to Trudeau? He should just cross the floor or resign at this point. For the federal NDP to pass a motion at their convention “condemning” the Conservatives is laughable, considering how often they carry water for them just to own the Libs. Maybe they should all merge with the Greens and just call themselves the “Trudeau Really Súcks” Party, since it’s quite clear Singh is nothing but a “Conservative on a bicycle.” Most dangerous game of horseshoes ever.

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