Roundup: Inflation falling into the control range

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The inflation numbers were out yesterday, and headline inflation dropped to 2.8 percent annualized, which is the lowest in the G7, and back within the Bank of Canada’s control range of 1 to 3 percent (though they have stated they are going to keep measures in place it reaches two percent). There are still hot spots—food price inflation is still fairly high, and shelter costs are also running high, but that’s not unexpected given where things are at right now.

Chrystia Freeland called this news a “milestone moment” that Canadians should feel some relief in, while the Conservatives repeated some of their usual talking points. The NDP, naturally, are keeping up with their attempt to blame high inflation on corporate greed, particularly food price inflation, even though the data doesn’t really bear that out, as I pointed out in this thread:

Ukraine Dispatch:

Russian forces struck the southern port city of Odessa, and while most of the missiles and drones were intercepted, there were hits and there was damage from debris. This was considered to be retaliation for the explosion on the bridge linking Russia to occupied Crimea. More strikes are aimed at Odessa in the early morning hours. Meanwhile, with the Black Sea grain deal ended by Russia, the EU is looking to transport more Ukrainian grain by rail and road, while the UN says they are floating “a number of ideas” around how to get that grain flowing again.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau addressed the Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum, and got some praise in his introduction from John Baird.
  • The BC port workers union has rejected the arbitrator’s deal, saying four years is too long, so the strike is set to resume.
  • Sean Fraser announced $212 million in emergency funding to house asylum seekers, $97 million of which is going to Toronto where needs are acute.
  • The government programme to attract skilled high-tech workers from the US maxed out applications in a single day.
  • A former senior Canadian military attaché is suggesting that Canada might loosen its arms embargo on Türkiye as part of the deal to get Sweden’s admission.
  • A Public Policy Forum report says that the need to build new electrical generation capacity to meet our climate needs is a challenge but not insurmountable.
  • The head of the RCMP union says it’s not fair to blame Mounties for the vacancies in the organization. Dude, your organization is horrifyingly toxic to its membership.
  • Indigenous groups in Hawai’i are calling out Canada’s support for a telescope project that they oppose as it’s on their sacred ground.
  • The Senate Ethics Officer has determined that Senator Michael MacDonald’s profanity-laced rant in support of the occupation breached Senate rules.
  • New Brunswick and Nova Scotia agreed to contribute to an interprovincial infrastructure project, but want to litigate so the federal government to pays for it.
  • It turns out that the head of the Law Society of Ontario turned down the offered King’s Council designation because of the lack of selection criteria.
  • A Manitoba judge has acquitted two First Nations men wrongfully convicted of murder in 1973, after the federal justice minister ordered a new trial.
  • Alberta’s health minister is being tasked with de-centralising the health delivery system, fifteen years after the province centralised it all.
  • Philippe Lagassé remarks that the interminable debate over post-election government formation really boils down to the confidence convention overall.
  • My column looks at how the provinces are taking a harder line in abdicating their responsibilities and daring the federal government not to get involved.

Odds and ends:

My Loonie Politics Quick Take looks at the accusations that Canada is somehow a “freeloader” in NATO.

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