Roundup: Healthy tensions made dramatic

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The Globe and Mail had one of those stories that sets the cat among the pigeons, where they got a number of sources to describe the tensions between PMO and the department of finance over their spending plans, and in particular that the PMO was adamant that they wanted to do that stupid GST “holiday”/rebate cheque programme, while Chrystia Freeland was trying to keep a lid on spending because she had fiscal anchors that she was trying to stick to.

As for those anchors, Freeland had her usual Tuesday economic good news press conferences yesterday, and very deliberately said that the Fiscal Update next Monday will show that the debt-to-GDP ratio fiscal anchor would be met—but steadfastly refused to mention the other two fiscal anchors she spoke of in the spring, being a cap on the size of the deficit, and a target for the deficit to be less than one percent of GDP by 2026-27. Freeland repeatedly said that the debt-to-GDP ratio was the one that mattered and that we would see on Monday that it was continuing to decline, but the interpretation of that statement is essentially that the deficit will indeed by higher than $40.1 billion, but that overall GDP grew enough that the higher number is less of an issue. We’ll have to see on Monday, but she very much appeared to be telegraphing lowered expectations.

As for those tensions, if anyone has been around Parliament Hill for any length of time, this should be normal. PMO wants to do things that are politically expedient, and that usually involves spending money, which finance tries to rein in as much as they can. This appears to be little different from that very ordinary standard operating procedure. This, of course, didn’t stop Pierre Poilievre from pouncing on this in QP as proof that the PM has “lost control” of his Cabinet (which is risible on the face of it), and every journalist was trying to get some kind of comment on it (when they weren’t trying to get a comment on Trump’s latest slights). Maybe I’ve been up here too long but “PMO wants to spend money, finance tries to say no” isn’t really news. That’s a day that ends in y. Maybe we don’t need to be so breathlessly dramatic about everything all the time?

Ukraine Dispatch

A Russian missile hit a clinic in Zaporizhzhia on Tuesday, killing at least six and injuring at least 22. A missile attack also damaged an industrial facility in Taganrog the same night. President Zelenskyy says that he used his meeting with Trump in Paris to raise the issue of security guarantees.

https://twitter.com/zelenskyyua/status/1866509325197316109

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau will be meeting with premiers virtually today, to discuss next steps when it comes to dealing with Trump’s threats.
  • At an Equal Voice event, Trudeau described Kamala Harris’ defeat was an attack on women’s progress (particularly as the second female presidential candidate).
  • The Supplementary Estimates got passed with absolutely no drama (not even slow-voting), and news outlets have overhyped what went down regardless.
  • Marc Miller says that Canada will continue to process asylum claims from Syria, even though certain European countries are pausing their claims post-Assad.
  • There appears to be no end in sight for the postal strike.
  • The Privacy Commissioner says that LinkedIn has paused the use of its platform data to train AIs, and will work to obtain consult from members.
  • Inuit leaders are calling out Poilievre’s tweet about an Arctic ambassador only being good for Santa Claus, and that it demonstrates his lack of understanding.
  • Following the AFN’s special assembly, the organization says it can’t implement the direction given on child and family welfare because it doesn’t have funding.
  • TikTok is challenging the government shutdown order of their Canadian office in the courts, and hoping for an injunction to keep them from shuttering.
  • The Star has an explainer about Canada’s trade surplus with the US, and just what trade surpluses and deficits mean.
  • Pierre Poilievre used the party’s final Supply Day motion to amplify Trump’s message about fentanyl and repeat far-right narratives of Canada as a hellscape.
  • Because our MPs are all children, Poilievre danced the “hokey pokey” during the non-confidence vote on Monday as a way to mock Singh.
  • Althia Raj suggests a way for all parties to come together on a de-politicised long-term plan for military spending (but I suspect she may be too optimistic there).
  • My column looks at the far-right narratives weaponizing Canada as their “cautionary tale,” and how many of them Poilievre has picked up and run with.

Odds and ends:

For National Magazine, I look at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s new campaign to push back against increasing use of the Notwithstanding Clause.

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