Roundup: Starmer sputters instead of speaking up

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UK prime minister Keir Starmer visited the White House yesterday, and a couple of bizarre scenes erupted. One was that he presented an invitation from King Charles for Trump to make a second state visit to the UK, which way too many people took as a personal invitation rather than one at the behest of the government—because the King does not act unilaterally, and does not make state visit invitations on his own. Later, when Starmer was asked about the annexation threats, Stamer didn’t stand up for Canada, but sputtered about there being no divisions before Trump cut him off with a sharp “That’s enough.” And worse, when Starmer was asked by a journalist if the King had anything to say about the annexation threats, Starmer said that he can’t say what the King’s opinions are and that he’ll let them be known in his own way.

*seethes*

On the one hand, Starmer is sucking up to Trump to avoid being tariffed, which probably won’t work, but I get his self-interest here, but it’s nevertheless a sign of the shifting global order and a sense of who our allies really are. (Thus far, only Germany has expressly said that they have Canada’s back). On the other hand, the fact that reporters are trying to drag the King into this is wildly inappropriate, and I’m not sure whether that’s because American journalists cannot grasp what a constitutional monarchy is (seriously, it makes their brains melt), but the fact that so many people in this country who should know how constitutional monarchy works because we are one, are rising to take the bait and are raging about how the King is supposedly “betraying” us is really disheartening because it’s a reflection of just how poor our civics education is, and how ignorant our own media are about how the very basic rules of our system of government operate.

The King does not freelance, he does not say things without advice, and his governments do not drag him into their fights because the first rule of constitutional monarchy is that you DO NOT involve the King. Starmer should have given a better answer in both cases, and Canadians following along shouldn’t take the bait.

Ukraine Dispatch

Russians launched air attacks on energy sites in the Kharkiv region. Ukraine’s top army commander visited sites on the front lines in eastern Donetsk region.

https://twitter.com/ukraine_world/status/1895048627690656241

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau announced a $270 million agreement for Inuit-led conservation efforts in Nunavut.
  • Trudeau also said calls to bar Trump from the G7 meeting later this year were “irresponsible,” and that it was a stunt from other politicians (because it is).
  • Trump says tariffs are coming March 4th. (But we’ll see).
  • In Washington, David McGuinty says that Canada has been acting on border concerns, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference (because it was never the issue).
  • The Fentanyl Commissioner was also in Washington, and says he’s getting positive reaction (not that it actually matters).
  • Mark Holland has signed a pharmacare deal with Manitoba (and the NDP tried to take all of the credit for themselves when they did nothing).
  • Gary Anandasangaree formally apologised on behalf of the federal government to Inuit for forced relocations between 1934 and 1948.
  • Marc Miller changed up some of the occupations that the immigration system will prioritize, such as teachers and educational assistants.
  • While people are talking CANZUK again, here is a look at some of the challenges of making it a reality (especially that everyone is a trade hypocrite).
  • Diaspora groups are calling on the government to get the foreign agent registry up and running before the next election.
  • The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear the challenge of the appointment of the previous New Brunswick lieutenant governor, who was not bilingual.
  • The Bloc are grumbling that Mark Carney used the phrase “Masters in our own house,” which they consider “appropriation.”
  • Tim Houston has agreed to resume media scrums in the Nova Scotia legislature after a boycott from media outlets over his decision to try and control them.
  • Doug Ford won another majority legislature, while Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie lost her own seat. (Look for a column on this later).
  • The Alberta budget is back in deficit after declining oil prices and a tax cut that they couldn’t afford.
  • In spite of the housing crisis, Vancouver’s mayor has implemented a pause on new supportive housing projects, claiming he wants to repair existing stock.
  • Justin Ling worries that none of the Liberal leadership candidates are able to articulate a plan for a post-US world order, which they need to right away.
  • Susan Delacourt remarks on Doug Ford getting his early election and majority while Pierre Poilievre is still waiting on his turn.

Odds and ends:

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