Roundup: Proactively calling in Navigator

Posted on by

There was some late-in-the-day excitement in the political sphere last night as it was confirmed that David Johnston has hired crisis communications firm Navigator to help with his media relations, because of course he has. Now, there is some context here in that he hired them off the start and not only in the last week as the toxic bullshit that surrounds his report has been cranked up to eleven, but that would also mean that they were likely the ones who advised him on how to handle the allegations of the conflict of interest, which doesn’t actually exist, but the fact that he spent so much time on it during his press conference didn’t seem to help matters any.

https://twitter.com/StephanieCarvin/status/1664764909974896640

Yes, Navigator has become something of a punchline in Canadian politics, particularly of late, and someone remarked over Twitter that it’s on par with people hiring former Supreme Court of Canada justices to burnish their reputations. (And lo, Johnston did just that as part of his ensuring he didn’t have an actual conflict of interest). And if I were to hazard a guess, I would say that this blind spot that people in politics seem to have around Navigator’s waning reputation is in part because of their clubbiness with the people who work there. It’s full of people who spent a lot of time in politics and who are still actively involved, and everyone knows them, so they feel they can trust these people they know, never mind that their reputation as a whole has taken a beating. And yeah, that blind spot is a problem.

Nevertheless, I’m not sure this news changes anything. Johnston pretty much has to keep on working because frankly, there is no one else who can take over at this point. The field has been flooded with bullshit, and the opposition attacks have made this poisonous for anyone to step into the role, either to take over from Johnston as a special rapporteur or to head a public inquiry. (I have a column on this that should be out later today).

Ukraine Dispatch:

The total air barrage countered overnight on Thursday was 15 cruise missiles and 21 drones, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ordering an audit of air raid shelters after three people died after being locked out on the street during a raid. Zelenskyy has also acknowledged that NATO membership is impossible until after they win the war against Russia (for reasons that should be immediately obvious). Meanwhile, top US military officials say that Abrams tanks and F-16 jets are long-term plans for Ukraine, and training is being organised, but they won’t happen for the upcoming spring/summer counteroffensive.

https://twitter.com/anitaanandmp/status/1664582278897434627

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau was in Toronto to meet with the prime minister of Poland. Curiously, he raised his concerns on Poland’s LGBTQ+ backsliding in private.
  • Steven Guilbeault says he’s open to the notion of reducing plastic production but suspects it’ll be difficult to come to a global consensus on it.
  • The government’s Charter statement on the bail reform bill says that any Charter breaches are acceptable because of “just cause” and narrow application.
  • The external monitor put into place to oversee culture change in the military says there is no overall strategic plan, including for necessary legislative changes.
  • Over 700 international firefighters are on the way to Canada to assist with our wildfire situation.
  • Air Canada suffered an IT meltdown twice this week, and advocates say they need to pay compensation to passengers and not weasel out of it.
  • A group of parliamentarians has formed an Emerging Technologies Caucus to help keep up with things like advancement in AI.
  • Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi officially enters the Ontario Liberal leadership contest today.
  • Pierre Poilievre was in Portage, Manitoba, to campaign for the by-election and try to hold off Maxime Bernier’s appeal to social conservatives.
  • Poilievre also noted Pride Month and condemned the anti-gay legislation in Uganda, and mouthed some tepid support for “freedom” for LGBTQ+ people in Canada.

Odds and ends:

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