Roundup: Threats and compromises over dental care

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After spending the weekend talking tough on healthcare, Jagmeet Singh made some threats and shook his fist in the direction of Althia Raj yesterday, insisting that if the promised dental care programme doesn’t happen by the end of the year, that he was walking away from the supply-and-confidence agreement with the federal government. As this was hitting the wires, so was a leak that said the government was looking at a temporary cash transfer for eligible households in lieu of dental care this year, because it’s taking longer to implement (even though they insist they are on track). But the federal government hasn’t even decided on a delivery model yet, which is a problem, and premiers haven’t signalled any willingness to work with them on this either, and that’s a problem for all involved. Singh was naïve to believe this could happen in a few months, and the Liberals were stupid to promise that it could, knowing that this was going to be tricky because of the jurisdictional hurdles. And I suspect this is just going to drive cynicism on all sides, because new national social programmes can’t be done on the back of a napkin and rolled out in a few weeks, and everyone has set up expectations that will be nigh-impossible to meet. So good job, everyone. You’ve really helped.

Ukraine Dispatch, Day 167:

There are international concerns after Russians shelled the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, in what is believed to be an attempt to cut power to Ukrainian-held cities in the southern part of the country. We also got word that a Ukrainian grain ship has reached Turkey, but it seems there has been a dispute with the cargo’s buyers in Lebanon, so they may be looking for a new buyer for the corn haul. Because of course. Over the weekend, Russians targeted the eastern cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, in the Donetsk region.

In case you missed it:

  • My column on Michael Chong’s latest round of reform ideas, and some of them are actually good, while others may not be practical given current limitations.
  • For National Magazine, I wrote about the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision around condom refusal and how that can lead to a sexual assault trial.
  • My Loonie Politics Quick Take on the (then-forthcoming) leadership debate and how you shouldn’t count anything out when there’s a ranked ballot in the mix.
  • My column on why we can’t keep ignoring the link between climate change and what it’s done to crops, and by extension, rising food inflation.
  • My Xtra column on this government’s poor record on HIV funding, while they were busy patting themselves on the back at the International AIDS Conference.
  • My column calling out Senator Dasko’s morally bankrupt poll trying to drum up support for the continuation of hybrid sittings, with no mention of the human toll.

Good reads:

  • General Wayne Eyre won’t confirm or deny if Canadian special forces are on the ground in Ukraine, citing operational security and Russian disinformation.
  • Canada doesn’t have any ships in NATO deterrence forces in European waters for the first time since 2014, as our previous deployment overstretched capabilities.
  • The CRA will start sending out e-notifications about unclaimed cheques in its coffers, totalling $1.4 billion since 1998.
  • The Privacy Commissioner wants tougher laws as news of RCMP use of spyware was reported in the media. Marco Mendicino claims there are “rigorous” protections.
  • Groups challenging the use of the Emergencies Act were in Federal Court trying to get unredacted Cabinet documents.
  • Because it’s still summer showboat season, the Commons transport committee is going to start hearings on airport delays next week.
  • Former Liberal foreign affairs and defence minister—and one-time interim leader—Bill Graham, died at age 83.
  • Ontario’s health minister insists there’s nothing to see here with the closure of emergency rooms over the weekend. Please disperse.
  • Matt Gurney chastises the Ford government for issuing press releases as the healthcare system in Ontario collapses around them.

Odds and ends:

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6 thoughts on “Roundup: Threats and compromises over dental care”

  1. Jagmeet Singh walking away from his agreement?

    He must have finally realized just how stupid it was. Still, it’s interesting to see that his of Federal–Provincial jurisdictions has remained as deficient as ever. Are we sure he has a law degree?

    There are international concerns after Russians shelled the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, in what is believed to be an attempt to cut power to Ukrainian-held cities

    The Russians captured the plant back in, IIRC, March or April. Why not flip a switch rather than shell their own troops?

  2. Glen Pearson has a lovely tribute to Bill Graham on National Newswatch this morning.

  4. Singh claims in a tweet that American style healthcare privatization will find an opponent in him and every New Democrat. I remain skeptical, because if that were true, he wouldn’t be ignoring the jurisdiction of the premiers currently pursuing it, while blaming the federal government and thus giving those premiers carte blanche to steamroll ahead.

    He knows jurisdiction; he also knows Canadians and especially the unicorn utopian NDP base don’t. He’s simply a partisan stooge who is more than content to let Trudeau wear the blame for problems in the provinces’ wheelhouse if he thinks it’ll be enough to TikTok away votes from the Liberals — and cover the behind of the line orange premier who he owes half his caucus to, including his own seat.

    John Horgan had an opportunity to be this era’s Tommy Douglas by partnering with a Liberal PM to spearhead an expansion of national healthcare across Canada. Thus setting an example by pressure for the rest of the “resistance” to follow. All he had to do was to agree to the necessary stipulations. Instead he, and his obnoxious Ottawa ambassador parachuted into Burnaby South, have hitched their self-serving orange grift wagon to the wrong Douglas: a big blue FORD.

    • Given the ravings of Scheer, O’Toole and Singh I think both the Cons and the NDP are counting on total ignorance of jurisdictional issues in the electorate.

      Thank God Doug Ford can amend the Criminal Code. /sarc

  5. Since the Russians control the area where that nuclear plant is located why would they shell it? If they wanted to cut off power why not just flick a switch? Hmmm.

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