Roundup: On tight camera shots in the Commons

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One of the particular sub-plots of the interminable Speaker election south of the border is the discussion around camera angles on C-SPAN, and how suddenly they’re dynamic during this process. There’s a good explainer here about how the usual rules around tight shots are relaxed because this is considered a special event and not usual proceedings, and it normally only takes two or three hours and not three or four days, but that’s why suddenly they get to be much more dynamic about what they’re seeing.

This problem of camera angles is a familiar one here in Canada, where the directive, since about day two of televised proceedings in the House of Commons, has also been on tight shots, with no wide shots or reactions. This is at the behest of MPs themselves, who came up with these rules, in part because they’re convenient for them, but if you watch the very first televised Question Period, you’ll see wide shots and reactions, and it’s much more dynamic and engaging, and it’s something we should see more of. MPs, however, don’t want that. They like being able to fill camera shots (and frequently play musical chairs to do so, most especially on Fridays), because they don’t like to show how empty the Chamber is during non-QP debates, or on Fridays. They don’t like camera operators and CPAC producers to have the latitude of choosing shots in real-time, so they don’t allow it. It’s really too bad, because it could make for better viewing. That said, it’s also one of the reasons why I attend QP in person—so that I can see the full picture of what’s happening in the Chamber and not just the tight shots that obscure more than they illuminate.

Ukraine Dispatch, Day 317:

While the Russians are proposing a truce over Orthodox Christmas, the Ukrainians reject it, saying that this is simply a cover to bring in more ammunition and troops to try and halt Ukrainian advances in the Donbas region. Meanwhile, American analysts suspect that one of Putin’s allies is trying to gain access to salt and gypsum mines near Bakhmut, which is why they are trying so hard to take it over.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau will be hosting his Japanese counterpart in Ottawa next week.
  • The Canadian government is advising Canadians in Mexico to limit movements and shelter in place as violence has erupted in the western part of the country.
  • Omar Alghabra says he wants to make sure the CTA has all the tools it needs to ensure airlines compensate for the holiday chaos. (That’s not what the CTA needs).
  • Now that child care costs are coming down, provinces need to do more to keep up with demand, particularly with increasing wages to attract and retain staff.
  • Amid calls for bail reform, here is a reality check for what that could actually mean for a lot of innocent people who would be imprisoned pre-trial.
  • A year after the “conversion therapy” ban was put into place, no charges have been laid (which isn’t too surprising).
  • The Insurance Bureau of Canada has revised their estimate of insured damages from Hurricane Fiona to $800 million. (Because climate change is costly).
  • A man’s body, identified as a migrant, was found dead near Roxham Road.
  • After the Liberals stopped putting locations on notices of fundraisers the PM would be attending for security reasons, Elections Canada says that it violates the rules.
  • The Ontario Liberals have received a “scathing” report on just how bad their performance was during the last election (and some of it is pretty obvious).

Odds and ends:

For Xtra, I spoke with Senator René Cormier about the birth of the non-partisan Pride Caucus.

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