Roundup: Some unnamed inaccuracies

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Because this story didn’t have enough drama attached to it, prime minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday that the Globe and Mail’s story on alleged election interference from China included “inaccuracies” in the leaked documents—but then wouldn’t say what those inaccuracies are, leaving them to sully the field and cast doubt on his assurances and are again told to just trust him. Frank communication is a good thing! When will he learn this?

Meanwhile, the report from the panel of senior public servants that monitor for election interference hasn’t been completed and released yet, even though it’s been over a year since the election. Privy Council Office says it’ll be coming “in due course,” but the delay is raising more eyebrows, especially given the CSIS leaks and what has been reported on them.

While this is going on the National Post spoke to former Clerks of the Privy Council and members of the panel about the determination of what they say about these allegations of interference, and the answer was basically that it’s complicated—there is no bright line for when you disclose, and disclosing could raise even more issues and that public alarm could sway the vote, which is why they were trying to avoid. It’s an interesting read about what factors they are trying to balance, and good on the Post for actually reaching out, which other outlets have not done.

Ukraine Dispatch:

It’s the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a “special military operation” which was supposed to last three days, let them engineer regime change, and cross back over the border. Somehow things didn’t turn out that way. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed that they will “defeat everyone.” Russians have stepped up their attacks in the hopes of depleting Ukrainian resources (but they seem to have no qualms about how many of their own are dying in the process). Here’s a look at how Canada successfully delivered grain sleeves to Ukrainian farmers to help protect their harvests until they could get to market rather than risk them going to waste. Back in Canada, this armoured vehicle manufacturer is hiring Ukrainians displaced in Canada to build the vehicles destined for the war.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau says he will help Atlantic provinces who are willing to resettle asylum claimants that crossed into Quebec.
  • Trudeau also said he would raise the Safe Third Country Agreement during President Biden’s planned visit next month.
  • There are now agreements in principle with Ontario and the four Atlantic provinces on the bilateral health transfers, with the strings included there.
  • Chrystia Freeland has sounded the alarm about potential Chinese coercion in Wealth One Bank of Canada. (More context here).
  • The government will roll out special temporary measures to help Iranians in Canada extend their say and transit to permanent residency.
  • Federal disaster relief funding has topped $1 billion for the BC floods of 2021.
  • The federal privacy commissioner and three of his provincial counterparts have launched a joint investigation into TikTok and its data collection.
  • A member of the Patented Medicines Prices Review Board has resigned over the government’s continued foot-dragging over implementing drug price changes.
  • Canada’s trade with Russia has indeed collapsed since the invasion of Ukraine.
  • An independent climate institute says that Canada’s emissions rose in 2021 over the previous year’s levels, but is still below pre-pandemic levels.
  • The Star got a look at the seating chart from Doug Ford’s daughter’s wedding, and someone at his table got an appointment afterward, plus a lobbyist was there.
  • Ontario is contemplating more large-scale nuclear projects for future electricity generation, as opposed to small modular reactors.
  • Oh, look—Danielle Smith awarded her campaign manager a $72,500 sole-source contract as a professional shitposter. Try to look surprised!
  • Colin Horgan takes the “Everything is broken” talking point and notes that our desire to fix problems got overwhelmed by the desire for a “return to normal.”

Odds and ends:

https://twitter.com/stephaniecarvin/status/1628794860525305860

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