Roundup: Chalk up another moral victory

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The NDP did what they are very good at yesterday, which is to get a non-binding motion passed in the House of Commons, and declare a moral victory in spite of the fact that it does little more than make a statement. In this case, it was their Supply Day motion on calling on the government to drop their litigation on both the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal decision around First Nations children taken into foster care, while the second is round survivors of the St. Anne’s residential school. The Cabinet abstained from the vote, while most Liberal backbenchers voted for it – agreeing in principle to parts of the motion, and making a statement, but not binding the government to do anything. And while the NDP pats themselves on the back and says that they are “forcing” the government to drop the litigation, it does no such thing. It was merely the House of Commons voicing an opinion.

Part of the problem is that there is very little ability for people to discuss what the litigation is actually about in a meaningful way. According to Singh and company, this is about “taking First Nations kids to court,” which isn’t it. As a lawyer, Singh very well knows that there are complex issues that governments are obligated to sort out, especially if there is a bad precedent that it can set. In the case of the Tribunal decision, the government says they will pay compensation – and they are negotiating with two other class action lawsuits on similar matters to do just that – but the Tribunal ordered individual remedies for a systemic claim, which it should not be able to do, if the logic holds from previous Supreme Court of Canada jurisprudence that said that they could not offer systemic remedies for individual claims. The government, however, mumbles about the jurisdiction of the Tribunal rather than explaining this, and it means they look like the bad guys. With the St. Anne’s case, I’m less familiar but the government’s line has been that they are seeking clarity on some five percent of survivors who have not yet been compensated, and in some of those cases could be getting more compensation for some of those five percent – because complex issues can require complex litigation to solve.

Unfortunately, that’s not what most journalists will sort out. Instead, we get the usual both-sidesing of this, where you get the advocates insisting the government is being “incomprehensible,” and the government gives some pat talking points, and they leave it at that. It’s why, for the Tribunal litigation, I went and talked to law professors and got some outside perspective on what the issues actually are, and why they matter for a government to bother litigating them. We’re being failed because most journalists are too incurious to sort the issues out, and that’s a problem. Legal stories are complex, but they deserve some attention paid to them so that we’re not left with the misleading narratives that are now being allowed to circulate unchallenged. Media needs to do better.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau and other leaders offered support for the Muslim community after a hate-motivated mass murder in London, Ontario, targeting a Muslim family.
  • Trudeau also says that they are looking at a “phased approach” to welcoming vaccinated travellers, while they discuss re-opening the US border with provinces.
  • Here is a lengthy read on virus mutations, COVID, and why it’s not just a matter of vaccinations, but also of keeping up public health measures to prevent spread.
  • Marc Garneau told a Commons committee that the China of today isn’t the China of 2016, which is why Canada’s approach is “evolving.”
  • Library and Archives has removed their web pages on Sir John A. Macdonald and other early prime ministers that had no mention of residential schools.
  • A CBSA intelligence report cites a concern that the pandemic will cause a rise in human smuggling and immigration fraud into Canada.
  • CBSA is also citing an “urgent need” to set up an Office of Biometrics and Identity Management as a digital-focused solution for pandemic-related travel issues.
  • Here is a look at the question of the nature of life sentences the Supreme Court will examine as they agreed to hear the case of the Quebec mosque shooter.
  • The Speaker has ruled that Will Amos’ urinating on camera is a prima facie case of contempt of the Commons, and is sending it to committee for further debate.
  • The Bloc voted with the government to impose time allocation for Bill C-10 for the remainder of its committee study, where it has been for months now.
  • Jason Kenney launched his latest diversionary tactic – a referendum on equalization, even though it will accomplish nothing other than “sending a message.”
  • Kenney also offered a half-assed apology for his “Sky Palace” dinner with other members of his Cabinet.
  • Kevin Carmichael notes that the report on the merits of open banking is on Chrystia Freeland’s desk, and hopes that she does something with it.

Odds and ends:

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One thought on “Roundup: Chalk up another moral victory”

  1. The media and the NDP should basically register as lobbyists for the Cons at this point. All they do is paint Trudeau as a liar and a sociopath who hates children, to score points and get ratings. Meanwhile, the Cons are right there as the party of “Indigenous issues are not high on our radar,” “I don’t need your Indian votes to win,” “hey kids, here’s how to defend John A. Macdonald while ‘owning the Libs’,” and whose Islamophobic rhetoric and legislation stochastically fueled the attack that occurred yesterday and the massacre at Quebec City. But that doesn’t feed the narrative and it doesn’t generate outrage clicks from hating Trudeau, just like the American MSM, the MAGA cult and the Bernie stans benefited from hating Hillary. I’m not saying Trudeau or the government are perfect, but the opposition and media are intentionally obfuscating, lying through omission and fueling emotional anger. They’re the ones who have blood on their hands.

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