Roundup: Clearing the decks before summer

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It’s the last Wednesday of the spring sitting, and the big question is whether they’re going to pull the plug today or not. The government says there is still work to do—in particular, they want to push the Miscarriage of Justice Review Commission bill (Bill C-40) and the budget bill over the finish line, but the budget bill is up for a vote after QP tomorrow, leaving only C-40 at third reading debate, which is what is on for government orders tomorrow, and that’s the only bill they’re planning to bring forward for debate. This would make it pretty easy for them to pass a motion at unanimous consent to say something to the effect of it’ll pass on division or deemed pass at the collapse of debate at the end of the day, or some such if they really wanted, or to simply hold a vote at that point, and rise for the summer after that.

Of course, the Conservatives have been putting on a big song and dance about wanting to sit through the summer to “fix” the country, but we all know that’s all for show because that would mean nothing but more time for the government to keep passing bills and implementing their agenda, and that’s not what they want. They’re also trying to insist on committees sitting through the summer, but there are only two government bills at committee stage right now, so most of those meetings would likely be for private members’ business or for studies, and you can bet it’s going to be more of the latter, which would be little more than dog and pony shows to serve as clip factories while the House of Commons has risen. And if the Conservatives don’t agree for the House to rise tomorrow? Well, on the agenda are report stage debates on the cyber-security bill, the ports modernization bill, the (controversial) Métis self-government bill, and they have been debating the Elections Act changes, which the Conservatives and NDP are opposing because of bullshit objections to moving the fixed date back a week to avoid Diwali.

And then it’s up to the Senate to pass the number of bills on their plate, including the budget bill, and if they are true to recent form, they will race through their Order Paper until Friday, pass everything with little scrutiny other than maybe a few questions of the relevant minister at Committee of the Whole, and then rise by Friday, rather than stay another week or two to actually give things a proper review like they used to, back in the “bad old partisan days.”

Ukraine Dispatch

Ukraine is claiming responsibility for a drone attack causing a massive blaze at an oil reservoir in Russia’s Rostov region. Ukraine is investigating the suspected beheading of one of its soldiers by a Russian in the Donetsk region. Reuters has some photos of combat medics on the job on the front lines.

https://twitter.com/ukraine_world/status/1802984596122034588

Good reads:

  • Canada has levied sanctions against 13 more Russians involved in the death of Alexei Navalny. (His widow’s planned meetings in Ottawa were rescheduled).
  • Anita Anand is pushing back against the talking points about the NATO defence spending target, and says you can’t just spend the money for the sake of it.
  • Steven Guilbeault is recommending a federal protection order for woodland caribou in Quebec after the provincial government has dragged its feet on protections.
  • Mark Holland is accusing the Conservatives of calling up dental associations and bullying them into opposing the dental care programme.
  • The Canadian Forces ombudsman tabled a report on the backlogged grievance system which is full of complaints the military has little control over.
  • Foreign streaming services, who pay artists virtually nothing, are complaining about being ordered to contribute to a fund that helps Canadian artists. (No sympathy).
  • Some faith groups are calling on the government to create “bubble zones” around places of worship, schools and daycares like they did with hospital protests.
  • RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme told the public accounts committee that there are ongoing investigations into the ArriveCan procurement, but won’t give details.
  • The national defence committee heard that it will be even harder for Canada to meet its NATO spending targets as our economy grows (which is why it’s a dumb metric).
  • Poilievre’s office says that they won’t repeal the bill to ban replacement workers if they form government after the next election.
  • Yves-François Blanchet says that when he reads the NSICOP report, any members of his caucus named will “pay the price,” but he won’t comment on anything else.
  • Another former PC MLA in New Brunswick is running for the provincial Liberals, because Blaine Higgs has turned his party into a group of Christian nationalists.
  • Doug Ford signed a deal with four Ontario First Nations to build all-weather roads to the “Ring of Fire” region, but one chief said it was under duress.
  • Alberta commissioned a report from Deloitte to “prove” the emissions cap will mean production cuts (but it also points out that carbon capture is uneconomical).
  • My column wonders why Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux is still on the job rather than protecting the office he holds from his mistakes and bad publicity.

Odds and ends:

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