Roundup: A question with the intention to intimidate

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Conservative MP Chris Warkentin has put a question on the Order Paper asking whether a number of economists have received any government contracts, and for any information about those contracts if they have been the recipient. While Stephen Gordon responds for himself below, it was also noted that all of the economists listed (who include names like Kevin Milligan, Andrew Leach, and Mike Moffatt) are all male, which I’m sure is just a coincidence and not indicative of a mentality that they think there’s no such thing as a “lady economist.”

This having been said, I think it’s important to point out that what Warkentin is doing here, on behalf of the party, is directly out of the authoritarian playbook. Number one of the seven key tactics in that playbook are to politicise independent institutions (and university academics would qualify), while number four on that list is about quashing dissent, and many of these names are economists who signed onto that open letter about the value of carbon pricing (which, to reiterate, was not defending the Liberal policy because it’s not actually carbon pricing, but a carbon levy plus regulation and subsidies). The Order Paper question is a shot across the bow that they are looking for anything to discredit these economists as partisan hacks whose expertise can be discounted for that reason. It’s about as subtle as a ham-fist, but they don’t care because they’re riding high in the polls. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be alive to what they’re doing, because it absolutely matters.

Ukraine Dispatch:

A missile strike in Kharkiv has killed at least seven civilians, as the Russian assault continues. Russians have also taken control of the village of Andriivka, southwest of Bakhmut. Russian jamming has also prevented many of Ukraine’s newer glide bombs from hitting their intended targets.

Good reads:

  • Marc Miller tabled a bill to restore citizenship to the children of Canadians born abroad, undoing changes the Conservatives made the courts struck down.
  • Dominic LeBlanc announced regulatory changes that will allow retailers participating in the gun buyback programme to turn in guns by way of couriers.
  • While Canada is seventh in the world on foreign aid spending, one-fifth of that spending has been done in the country supporting refugees.
  • Some within the RMCP are balking at the notion of turning their vehicle fleet emissions-free by 2035, trotting out excuses about range and how they use cars.
  • The RCMP’s inclusion of ribbon skirts for uniforms for Indigenous officers is raising a lot of hackles for a lack of appropriateness.
  • Twenty-three US senators sent a letter to Trudeau, rebuking him for not meeting NATO targets. (Aren’t strongly-worded letters a Canadian tactic?)
  • Métis National Council president Cassidy Caron says she’s not running for leadership again, citing her growing family (and not the schism in Métis politics).
  • The Commons’ Board of Internal Economy is studying the “loophole” that allows MPs to bill travel to conventions so long as a caucus meeting is also held there.
  • Mark Holland told the health committee he is open to expanding the list of drugs under pharmacare, but it largely depends on provincial negotiation.
  • At committee, combatting antisemitism envoy Deborah Lyons said the proposals to eliminate religious exemptions for hate speech is worth discussing.
  • Conservatives spent the time in the justice committee filibustering rather than hear from two ministers on the auto theft issue.
  • Another would-be Conservative nominee says she was disqualified with no explanation as to why, in the same riding as Sabrina Maddeaux alleged shenanigans.
  • The Conservatives’ refusal to talk about what they would do with industrial carbon pricing is creating uncertainty across industry who need price signals.
  • The New Brunswick Court of Appeal has overturned the decision that said that the prime minister shouldn’t have appointed a unilingual Lieutenant Governor.
  • Alberta is watering down their bill to assert more authority in municipal governance, but there are still concerns about it.
  • Aaron Wherry suggests that maybe we start adopting the UK system where the Speaker resigns from caucus to sit as an independent, and run again as such.
  • Susan Delacourt delves into the polling data about Canadians not feeling that Poilievre is as scary as the Liberals claim.

Odds and ends:

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3 thoughts on “Roundup: A question with the intention to intimidate”

  1. Strange how you do not mention Palestine or the war? Or Canada refusing to recognize the State of Palestine. Trudeau playing electoral politics to save his bacon.

    • You don’t need Dale Smith to provide you with updates about that war. The coverage has overshadowed Ukraine, and I appreciate that Dale doesn’t forget.

      • Wholly agree. There’s a lot said about Gaza and Israel. The best for me is Dr Janice Stein with Peter Mansbridge Mondays on his podcast “The Bridge”. She also does a good job of explaining Ukraine. On the other hand Dale reminds us of the relentless destruction of war. Lest we forget.

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