Roundup: The Ontario horror show

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It is now day one hundred of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suspects that Russian forces now hold some twenty percent of the country’s territory, and asks for more Western weapons. Russians hold most of Severodonetsk, and they are moving onto its twin of Lysychansk, which will help them secure control over the Luhansk province. Meanwhile, Ukrainians who return to their homes often find them to be destroyed, with all of their possessions.

Closer to home, the Ontario election was, well, a disaster for everyone involved. Ford gets a larger seat count on a hollow platform he won’t know what to do with, while most of his experienced performers have left politics. The NDP lost nine seats and still think they’re the “strongest” they’ve ever been, but Andrea Horwath did say it was time to step down, as well she should have. Steven Del Duca also stepped down after he lost his own seat, as well he should have. Voter turnout was extremely low, which tells you that people had nothing to vote for, but this breakdown of how each party lost votes is pretty instructive about the level of disillusionment with each, for what that’s worth as the opposition parties start to rebuild. (My full column on the election will be out later today).

https://twitter.com/mattgurney/status/1532558713948708887

https://twitter.com/mattgurney/status/1532535636485455872

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau was in Calgary to sign a historic land claim settlement with the Siksika First Nation after the government stole their lands.
  • Filomena Tassi defended the shipbuilding programme in spite of delays, cost overruns and demands for more federal money.
  • Carla Qualtrough tabled legislation around a Canada Disability Benefit, but much fo the details will have to be worked out in regulation.
  • Steven Guilbeault has signed an agreement with India to export clean energy technology, but it says nothing about getting India off of coal power.
  • Displaced Ukrainians arriving in Canada can now apply for financial assistance from the federal government. 300 Ukrainians arrived in Halifax yesterday.
  • The dairy cartel is looking to raise prices for a second time this year because of increasing input prices for producers.
  • Her Excellency Mary May Simon is in London to help celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, and she met with the Queen again.
  • Parliamentary buildings and other landmarks around the country were lit up in purple to mark the Platinum Jubilee.
  • Former Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly appeared at committee yesterday to talk about the Parliamentary precinct, and insisted he was surprised by the occupation.
  • Sara Bannerman explains the issue of discoverability and platform algorithms, and what the CRTC could do under the new broadcasting legislation.
  • Jen Gerson comes out hard against the online news bill.
  • Kevin Carmichael unpacks the Bank of Canada deputy governor’s speech yesterday on where interest rates are headed, which could be higher and faster.
  • Paul Wells reckons that the Ontario election could have used more polarization, given how absent of content the whole exercise was.
  • Susan Delacourt delves into the use of negative ads in this Ontario election, and how they were characterised in contrast with other past elections.

Odds and ends:

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One thought on “Roundup: The Ontario horror show”

  1. The sheeple of Ontario have spoken. It appears that their taste for the bitter grass of Thugs style of conservatism is more palatable than the bitter vetch on the other side of the fence.

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