Roundup: Singh’s turn with the report

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It was NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s turn to read the classified NSICOP report yesterday, and like Elizabeth May, he too called a press conference afterward, but there was a striking difference between the two, and Singh’s conference went off the rails shortly after he started.

First of all, there was a major difference in tone. Singh’s opening remarks were practically verbatim his condemnatory remarks from Question Period a few days ago, and stuck to those partisan scripted points trying to lay into both the Conservatives and the Liberals while trying to pretend that he’s the adult in the room (when clearly, he’s not, and that still remains Elizabeth May on this file). And after all, it’s hard to walk back the language he and Heather McPherson were using earlier in the week about the report and the supposed lack of action on the part of the prime minister, ignoring the obvious question of how he would know that the Liberals haven’t done anything if they’re keeping it quiet because the gods damned allegations are secret. Honest to Zeus, this shouldn’t be rocket science, but no, he is so intent on scoring points that he can’t seem to think through his own lines of attack. Just amateurish.

Which brings us to his point about how he says he’s more alarmed by what he read, but kept talking in circles, and refused to say whether he has concerns about any sitting MPs or senators, and his office needed to clarify to CBC later on that “Singh’s comments should not be taken as confirming or denying that the parliamentarians cited in the report are currently serving.” Really? Then what exactly was the point of this exercise? Other than to try and poke Elizabeth May in the eye, score points, and look like he’s the big man on campus? This is supposed to be a serious issue, and it would be really great if our political leaders could actually treat it that way.

Ukraine Dispatch:

Ukraine says it needs more air defences within the next few weeks, otherwise there won’t be sufficient power to get them through next winter. More than 4500 Ukrainian inmates have applied to enlist in the military under the new law, some of them eager to do their part for their country. At the G7 meeting, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been working toward getting security agreements signed with the US and Japan.

https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1801175861443383308

Good reads:

  • At the G7 meeting, Justin Trudeau announced that Canada is contributing $5 billion toward a deal that will help Ukraine use frozen Russian assets.
  • The federal government released the data the PBO used for his calculations, but warn that it needs to be put in proper context (which the Conservatives aren’t).
  • Anita Anand announced early retirement eligibility is being expanded for more front-line federal workers, including  border agents.
  • The government is sending 2000 decommissioned CRV7 rocket motors to Ukraine, with more shipments to come as they inspect them.
  • Both the controversial NunatuKavut Commuinty Council and the Innu Nation in Labrador are celebrating a Federal Court decision, but for very different reasons.
  • Bank CEOs told the environment committee that they can’t stop funding oil and gas full stop, but need to help manage the transition to renewables.
  • The veterans affairs committee have tabled their report on the unique challenges facing women veterans, and makes 42 recommendations the minister agrees with.
  • Conservatives are telling the Jewish community in Toronto—St. Paul’s to vote against the Liberals, claiming Trudeau “betrayed” them.
  • NDP MP Niki Ashton is almost never on Parliament Hill, but billed for a family trip to Quebec City over Christmas and claimed it was for “stakeholder meetings.”
  • The NDP have tabled a bill to expand the eligibility for the Canada Disability Benefit (which won’t actually help those for whom the benefit is insufficient).
  • Wab Kinew has finalized the details for the landfill search in Winnipeg to find the remains of Indigenous women.
  • David Eby is considering joining Newfoundland’s performance art lawsuit around equalization, which is an expensive waste of resources.
  • Paul Wells points out that in trying to cleverly box Poilievre in, the Liberals gave him too much time to prepare his narrative and he’s out-boxing them. Again.

Odds and ends:

https://twitter.com/LindsayTedds/status/1801427601531007437

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