Roundup: The Pope arrives, and snubs Indigenous women

Posted on by

We’re on or about day one-hundred-and-fifty-two of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and wouldn’t you just know it, the day after Russia signed a deal to allow grain shipments out of Black Sea ports, they attacked Odessa, killing civilians. Because that’s who Russia is. They don’t respect their own cease-fires, and they act with impunity at every opportunity. (One might note that Justin Trudeau stated immediately that he didn’t trust Russia to uphold their end of the deal, and lo, was proven right). Elsewhere, Russian forces are blocking people trying to flee the Zaporizhzhia region, and they struck an apartment building in the port city of Mykolaiv.

Closer to home, the Pope’s visit to Canada has begun as part of the apology for residential schools, and both the Governor General and prime minister were in Edmonton to greet him. There are a lot of questions about how substantive this apology is really going to be, and whether he’s willing to do substantive things, like rescinding the Doctrine of Discovery that justified colonial behaviours. AFN national chief RoseAnne Archibald has been told she won’t be part of the welcoming ceremony at Maskwacis today, and she notes there are no women in leadership positions in the event (but this is the Catholic Church we’re talking about—they’re not exactly in favour of women in any leadership positions, or really of women in general). There has also been some irony noted that these events are being translated into Indigenous languages that were forbidden in residential schools, for what it’s worth.

Good reads:

  • The WHO has declared the monkeypox outbreak an international emergency, so good job everyone.
  • Steven Guilbeault says the oil and gas sector may get another couple of years on their emissions reductions targets in order to be more effective.
  • Farmers are continuing to complain about fertilizer from Russia being subjected to tariffs (but seem to forget that sanctions have to bite both ways to be effective).
  • The Star has a longread about the problems at Pearson airport, and it’s mostly because airlines overbooked without staff, then blamed the federal government.
  • Advocates are hoping that the government uses the upcoming AIDS conference in Montreal to announce a $1.2 billion replenishment of the Global Fund.
  • Here’s a look into the “coalition” that Poilievre has assembled in order to try and win the leadership, and take over the party in that direction.
  • Susan Delacourt wonders if the success of advertising in changing perceptions could be applied to countering disinformation. (Spoiler: It doesn’t look promising).
  • My weekend column calls out MPs who have selfishly decided to imperil parliamentary bilingualism using unaccredited interpreters to keep hybrid sittings.

Odds and ends:

Want more Routine Proceedings? Become a patron and get exclusive new content.