The closer the Trump tariffs loom, the more insane the suggestions are being proffered. Case in point was in The Line yesterday, where former NDP MP and law professor Craig Scott said that the only way to save Canada is with a “unity government.” It was like he had decided to smoke meth before sitting down to write the op-ed because it was devoid of sense, or rationality.
Yes, Trump’s threats are serious, but what exactly is a “unity government” going to do? The government currently has all of the powers it needs for retaliatory tariffs and most other countermeasures. Creating a situation of an interim party leader (as prime minister) and building a Cabinet to include members of all other parties (and as he proposes, former Conservatives like James Moore, Rona Ambrose and Lisa Raitt if the current ones don’t play ball) would only be for the sake of optics, and would cause more problems than it solves. What portfolios do you distribute to members of opposition parties, for a few months? And if you’re brining in former Conservatives because the current ones don’t play ball, well, they’re all in the phase of their post-political careers where they are making money, and bringing them into Cabinet means a lot of headaches around disclosures and ethics obligations—again for the sake of a few months of optics. On top of that, the demand to bring Parliament back right away makes no sense either, because there is nothing for them to legislate around the Trump threats. As I have stated elsewhere, its only utility would be for dubious unanimous consent motions and vapid take-note debates.
You don’t need a “unity government” for MPs to play nice in the face of a grave threat. Insisting that you do is naïve and ahistorical, but fully in keeping with Scott, who was a blowhard when he was an MP, and this hasn’t changed in his time since apparently. Anyone who takes his op-ed seriously needs to rethink some of their life choices.
Ukraine Dispatch
Russia claims Ukraine has hit them with a massive drone and missile attack overnight that hit two factories. Russian forces are bypassing the stronghold of Pokrovsk in order to try and cut off its supply lines instead. Production at the Pokrovsk coal mine (used for the steel-making industry) has been halted as Russians close in.
Engels lies around 600 kilometers (370 miles) from the front lines in Ukraine.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) January 14, 2025
Bryansk chemical plant hit in aerial attack, Russian media says.
The Bryansk chemical plant produces gunpowder and explosives and is a key enterprise of the Russian military, Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's counter-disinformation center, said.https://t.co/yH0UDzVfyn
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) January 13, 2025
Good reads:
- Here is a first look at some aspects of Justin Trudeau’s political legacy.
- Ahmed Hussen and Omar Alghabra visited the Turkey-Syria border for the first time since the fall of the Assad regime.
- Mark Holland is trying to conclude pharmacare negotiations with provinces before the election (as Jagmeet Singh has essentially undermined that progress).
- Privy Council Office announced that the elections intelligence task force will be monitoring the Liberal leadership race for foreign interference.
- The federal government has settled a class-action lawsuit with members of the military who experienced racism during their time in uniform.
- Canada Post raised prices again, as they face a dire financial future.
- First Nations leaders want the federal government to resume negotiations on child and family welfare reform, but they are only moving ahead with select groups.
- Chrystia Freeland will announce her decision on the leadership this week, while François-Philippe Champagne is expected to later today.
- Liberal MP Jaime Battiste is mounting an “exploratory committee” to ponder a leadership bid, allegedly at the behest of First Nations leaders.
- Stephen Harper was on an American podcast to denounce the Trump threats.
- Jagmeet Singh continues his performative toughness around Trump, and says that Poilievre won’t do anything because he wants to stay in Elon Musk’s good books.
- Elections BC hasn’t turned over any of the recent allegations of election irregularities to the RCMP, but could at a later date.
- Danielle Smith says she opposes blocking energy exports to the US to counter tariffs, threatening a unity crisis, but Doug Ford wants to keep the option open.
- Matt Gurney thinks we need more competence in service delivery to help “protect” Canada, but can’t bring himself to call out the premiers to do it.
Odds and ends:
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