Roundup: The NDP call for more Biden policies

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I am once again forced to wonder what exactly is the point of the federal NDP if the only thing they will ever call for are just the policies of the American Democrats, no matter how inappropriate for the Canadian context, or how lazy it is to just regurgitate the American talking points without any critical conception of how Canada is a different country and is not just America divided by ten (well, probably nine now given how fast our population is rising compared to theirs).

Case in point once again—as part of their pre-budget demands, the NDP want the Canadian government to copy Joe Biden’s proposed tax increases on corporations and billionaires, because of course they do. This after years of calling for “windfall” taxes on oil companies and grocery chains, and higher wealth taxes. There are a few problems with this, however, the first being that just because Joe Biden proposes something, it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen—especially if it’s a tax increase after all of the time and energy since the 1980s on tax cuts in that country. Biden doesn’t control Congress, and I have serious doubts he could get the increases passed. And while I would agree that every billionaire is a policy failure, we have so few in Canada—even fewer who file their income taxes here than who are Canadian citizens—that even if we did increase the taxes on them, it would amount to very little. The same with the demands on wealth taxes—we don’t have nearly as many as the Americans, and it wouldn’t really dent our fiscal situation federally. Windfall taxes also come with side-effects, particularly for something like the oil and gas industry, where if we impose these windfall taxes when oil prices are high, it would likely come with an expectation of greater bailouts when those prices crash.

I get that every Canadian political party likes to play fanboy/girl to American politicians, and invite them to their conventions (though the Conservatives lately have eschewed public association with most Republicans, but will instead associate themselves with disastrous UK Conservatives like Boris Johnson), and get organizing lessons from them, but come on. Some actual local policy development that reflects the Canadian economy and polity might be a good idea for a change.

Ukraine Dispatch:

Russian missiles and drones stuck communications infrastructure in north-eastern Ukraine, knocking out television and radio signals in five towns. Ukrainian officials say that two of Russia’s border regions are now “active combat zones” thanks to incursions, primarily by rebel Russian forces located in Ukraine. Ukrainians living in occupied regions of the country are being coerced to vote for Putin in Russia’s elections this week.

Good reads:

  • There is some confirmation that the government has paused non-lethal military exports to Israel, including an order of armoured vehicles.
  • Marc Miller says that the decision to impose visas on certain Mexican travellers should save the government $6.6 billion over the next decade.
  • As the Americans contemplate banning TikTok, the Canadian government ordered a national security review of the app back in September.
  • The federal government is reducing the number of diplomats in Haiti given the volatile situation there, with staff airlifted by helicopter.
  • The federal government is appealing the (dubious) Federal Court ruling ordering them to appoint more judges (because it’s a legally unsound judgment).
  • The Supreme Court of Canada has opted not to hear the appeals from churches who fought against Manitoba’s COVID restrictions.
  • The dog and pony show at committee continues as another contractor for ArriveCan disputed the Auditor General’s report, then admitted he hadn’t read it.
  • Former Liberal MP and parliamentary secretary Kim Rudd died from cancer.
  • Conservative MP and one-time trade minister Ed Fast won’t run again.
  • Saskatchewan is spending $1.15 billion to expand irrigation, given the persistent drought in parts of the province. (What climate change?)
  • The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in Alberta are calling on the federal government to study oil sands tailing ponds contents to determine if they are toxic.
  • For Policy Options, here is a takedown of the age verification bill from the perspective of the attitudes that it engenders around women’s bodies and sexuality.
  • My Xtra column looks at how “citizens’ initiative” legislation was abused to ban rainbow crosswalks in Westlock, Alberta, and how this is the dark side of populism.

Odds and Ends:

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