Roundup: The inflation and population figures

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There were a couple of important figures released from StatsCan yesterday, and the first was the November inflation numbers. While some analysts were predicting it to fall, it held at 3.1% for a second month, showing that this is the part where it’s starting to get sticky, and why the Bank can’t let up measures and start reducing interest rates just yet. One of the upsides is that food price inflation continues to come down, which means that prices are stabilising, so that’s very good news (and it has nothing to do with carbon prices). And don’t forget to check out this thread from Trevor Tombe, as he digs into the numbers.

https://twitter.com/trevortombe/status/1737111583002923039

The other figures released were the population figures, and it was the fastest growth of any quarter since 1957. The thing to keep an eye on here is that a lot of this seems to be driven by non-permanent residents, whether international students (and the big problem there are a couple of colleges in Ontario turning themselves into abusive degree mills), and other temporary foreign workers, some of whom may have been hired in an abusive way. Some of this are also asylum seekers who have not yet received status (because “closing” Roxham Road didn’t really do much for this situation other than push it underground).

https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt/status/1737106801617703236

https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt/status/1737109349477310976

https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt/status/1737112568286855177

https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt/status/1737136794938884329

Ukraine Dispatch:

Russia launched an air attack on Kyiv for the fifth time this month, but this attack was intercepted and no damage was reported. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Ukraine is boosting its domestic production capacity and will produce one million drones next year. Zelenskyy is also dismissing talk that there is a rift between him and the head of the army. Here’s a look at the work judges are doing to keep the justice system going in a country under fire.

Good reads:

  • In his year-ender with Global, Justin Trudeau remarked on the terrifying rise in antisemitism, particularly after a teenager was arrested on terrorism charges.
  • In his CBC year-ender, Trudeau credited Pierre Poilievre with effectively weaponizing housing anxieties, but also noted that simplistic solutions can’t work.
  • Thus far, Canada is opting not to sanction violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
  • Steven Guilbeault published the new regulations mandating new internal combustion engines be phased out by 2035, and the auto sector is freaking out.
  • The RCAF will be buying 11 remote-controlled aircraft, which are larger than drones, but which will be armed.
  • Amazingly, Bombardier says they’re not going to sue to contest the sole-source contract for the Boeing P-8A Poseidons.
  • Jody Thomas, the National Security and Intelligence Advisor, is retiring in the New Year after a couple of tumultuous years on the job.
  • The Federal Court has certified a class-action lawsuit for Black federal inmates going back to 1985 for mistreatment and anti-Black racism.
  • Liberal MPs felt it necessary to point out that Poilievre is only doing year-enders with friendly media, including Rex Murphy, Brian Lilley, and True North.
  • The Canadian Press named Poilievre as their Newsmaker of the Year, per a survey of news outlets across the country.
  • PEI is the second province to sign a formal health care funding agreement with the federal government per the new funding rules.
  • Susan Delacourt takes note of Trudeau’s year-ender with his friend Terry Dimonte, and the very different, candid interview he gives there.
  • Paul Wells hears from another senior military commander about our degraded capabilities, and how premiers who call in the army too soon aren’t helping.
  • My column charts how Parliament’s continued decline into deep unseriousness happened in real time over the fall sitting.

Odds and ends:

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