Roundup: An economic “nuclear winter”

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The stupid season is about to begin as MPs return to Parliament today, and lo, Pierre Poilievre primed his caucus in a meeting yesterday with a speech that decried the carbon levy as creating a “nuclear winter” for the economy. It’s absolute horseshit, because the carbon levy is not the cause of inflation or the cost-of-living challenges we’ve faced (and in fact, climate change is a major contributor to it), but this is Poilievre, and truth doesn’t matter.

I will also add that it was incredibly disappointing that in writing up the story, The Canadian Press simply both-sidesed Poilievre’s nonsense with the talking points of the two other parties, instead of phoning up an economist who could say “That’s horseshit, you should stop listening to that man.” (Yes, it was a Sunday, but a service like CP should have enough contacts that someone would answer their phones who is NOT Ian Lee). But leaving Poilievre’s comments to stand like that, completely unchallenged, is irresponsible.

Meanwhile, as the Liberals try yet another round of trying to convince the public of the merits of the carbon levy and that the rebates exist, there have been a few suggestions of what they should have done from the start, but Jennifer Robson’s are among the most salient/best to implement.

https://twitter.com/JenniferRobson8/status/1835333573366210734

Ukraine Dispatch

A married couple were killed in a Russian strike on the suburbs of Odesa, while at least 42 were injured in an air strike on an apartment building in Kharkiv. There was another prisoner exchange over the weekend, swapping 103 POWs from each side.

Good reads:

  • Today is the day for the by-elections in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun and Elmwood—Transcona, and they are naturally being portrayed as major tests.
  • François-Philippe Champagne is dismissing Elon Musk’s claim he could connect more Canadians for cheaper than the Telesat deal as “nonsense.”
  • The Emir of Qatar will be visiting Ottawa this week.
  • Air Canada and its pilots’ union have come to a deal to avoid a strike.
  • While the tech bros say that their “AI” tools can’t be used for political disinformation, nearly all companies failed when put to the test.
  • Here is a deeper look into Russian disinformation posing as legitimate Canadian news in Canada, pushing Poilievre in an attempt to polarise the discourse.
  • No return to Parliament would be complete without a look at where the leaders travelled over the summer and divining what it all means.
  • At the Liberal caucus retreat, one of the campaign co-chairs told MPs to “change their attitudes,” which didn’t go over well with the majority of them.
  • David Eby is now promising “involuntary treatment” for people with mental health and addictions, and I fail to see how this is remotely constitutional.
  • Kevin Carmichael makes the case for Mark Carney as having the ability to help Canada get past this moment of economic malaise.
  • Shannon Proudfoot suggests that civil service unions actually listen to what they sound like and why they are out of step with the rest of Canadian society.
  • Althia Raj hears from Liberals about Trudeau’s decision to be “unshackled” as part of his refreshed comms plan over the year ahead.
  • My weekend column looks at how Jagmeet Singh shredded the last vestiges of his credibility with his decision to rely on magical thinking for a climate plan.

Odds and ends:

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One thought on “Roundup: An economic “nuclear winter””

  1. CRA doesn’t respond to communications you initiate! Its impenetrable. Having said that, the Trudeau government made some positive changes to the tax form that I notice whenever I file.

    I would miss the carbon price rebate. But I don’t understand why it took so long to get the amount documented. I get a notice every year about the gst refund. In the old days there was a “baby bonus.” The carbon rebate is now identified on my bank statement, but it’s baffling why banks had to be pushed to do that.

    Can we lay it at Catherine McKenna’s door? It’s not a reach to see her as someone who overlooked something as mundane as finding a label for the rebate as compelling as “baby bonus”.

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