Roundup: Trudeau confirms that there are to be strings attached

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It’s around day forty-eight of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and it appeared to be a fairly quiet day. Well, as quiet as can be in a country where two-thirds of its children have been forced to flee their homes in the past six weeks, which creates plenty of problems for their safety and security as they may be exploited in the confusion. Meanwhile, Russia has tapped a new general to lead its forces in Ukraine, and he’s one with a reputation of particular brutality in leading the Russian troops that acted in support of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, leaving a trail of civilian deaths and human rights violations in his wake. As well, Austria’s chancellor met with Putin, the first European leader to do so since the invasion, and tried to convince him to end the invasion, but he walked away from the meeting without any optimism that the war will end anytime soon.

Closer to home, prime minister Justin Trudeau has confirmed that he’s looking to have strings attached to future health care funds from the federal government, because he’s well aware of the history of provinces that have taken more federal dollars and used them on other things, including tax cuts, and the healthcare system has been left to suffer. Which is the way it should be—if the federal government is giving you money for healthcare, it should be used for just that, and no, that doesn’t mean they’re micro-managing, it means they want accountability for the money they send.

We also got confirmation that provinces are dishonestly ignoring the fact that the agreement in the 1970s to transfer tax points to the provinces in lieu of health transfers. They continue to insist that the federal government only funds 22 percent of their health care systems, but with the tax points, it’s over 33 percent, which is not insignificant considering that provinces are demanding the federal government fund the systems to at least 35 percent—a 35 percent that they don’t count the tax points under. They need to count those tax points, and government and media need to make that clear, rather than media just repeating the premiers’ talking points and both-sidesing it.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau was in Victoria on the budget sales tour, talking about making it easier to own electric vehicles, and saying that nuclear remains an option.
  • Mélanie Joly announced new sanctions on 33 firms in Russia’s defence sector.
  • Mona Fortier is offering reassurances to civil servants that no, a strategic policy review is not an excuse to fire employees (as the unions sound the klaxons).
  • The government is allocated $8.5 million to the CRTC to develop a regulatory regime covering use of news by web giants.
  • Hidden in the budget was mention of plans to end the practice of “dry cells” for women suspected of bringing contraband into prisons.
  • In the event you need more nightmare fuel, the food sector is being forced to adjust to an unprecedented outbreak in avian flu in poultry farms.
  • The Star delves into the history of the house that Pierre Poilievre featured in his housing video, and what factors led to its astronomical price tag.
  • The Conservative leadership debates will take place on May 11 in English, and May 25 in French. (Hopefully there won’t be eleven candidates on stage by then).
  • A former Alberta justice minister was found to have paid someone to acquire the phone logs of a reporter in order to find out who her sources were.
  • Colby Cosh notices an item in the budget document about extending copyright laws to conform with the New NAFTA, and hopes for some actual debate on the issue.
  • Paul Wells explains the situation in the French presidential election, and why there is a warning in there (which is especially prescient with Poilievre on the scene).
  • My Xtra column looks at the unprecedented $100 million the federal budget has promised for the forthcoming LGBTQ2 Action Plan.

Odds and ends:

We’re finally getting a royal visit! Charles and Camilla will be visiting Newfoundland and Labrador, Ottawa, and the Northwest Territories in May.

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