Roundup: Trump and Lutnick mock Ford’s capitulation

Posted on by

The reverberations from Doug Ford’s capitulation on the electricity “surcharge” was mostly met by mocking—Howard Lutnick mocking him on Fox, and Trump mocking him after his indignant “electricity affects people’s lives,” as if the tariffs don’t. Along the way, CNN fact-checked Trump’s claims that Canada is one of the highest-tariffing countries, when in fact we’re one of the lowest (Supply Management excepted).

Closer to home, the Dominic LeBlanc announced the retaliatory tariffs to the steel and aluminium tariffs, but also clarified that the meeting with Lutnick today is about tariffs and not renegotiating NAFTA as Ford claimed. (When asked later, Ford insisted that tariffs are NAFTA, which is obvious bullshit after he got caught in a self-aggrandizing lie). Meanwhile, Danielle Smith and Ford appear to be butting heads as Smith continues to demand a diplomatic approach (as though Trump responds to diplomacy), while Scott Moe took to the microphones to demand capitulation to China on EV tariffs. Because of course he did.

As for Mark Carney, he had breakfast with Ford before heading to a steel plant in Hamilton (where he avoided media questions), and Ford later praised Carney for his command of numbers and business skills. Carney later remarked that he’ll meet with Trump “when there’s respect for Canadian sovereignty.” So, never?

PBO Report

The Parliamentary Budget Officer released a new report yesterday on the effects of the emissions cap, and it was trash, because it once again compared a scenario that doesn’t exist. This is a pattern with this PBO, and because he’s an independent Officer of Parliament, he gets no accountability except from maybe the media, and rest assured, they won’t hold him to any.

Ukraine Dispatch

Russia launched three missiles and 133 drones in an overnight attack Tuesday night, and a missile attack on Kryvyi Rih killed one woman. Ukraine also contends that attacks on the port in Odesa are an attack on global food security. Putin visited the Kursk region for the first time since Ukraine occupied it, while Ukraine’s top army commander says the will fight in that region as long as needed. It doesn’t look like Putin will accept the US’ ceasefire proposal, at least not without a bunch of demands of his own. (Try and look surprised).

Good reads:

  • Mark Carney and his pared-down Cabinet will be sworn-in on Friday at Rideau Hall, which is when Justin Trudeau will formally resign.
  • Mélanie Joly is meeting with her G7 counterparts in Charlevoix for the next three days, and you can bet that a united response to US tariffs is being discussed.
  • The federal government is providing $37 million over four years to help BC ensure survivors of gender-based violence get secure transitional housing.
  • Bob Rae warns that the US’ anti-DEI (read: segregationist) policies are being felt at the UN as the US now lines up with adversaries against gender equality issues.
  • It looks like Canadians will be exempt from the new American fingerprinting rules (for now, but we all know that could change).
  • Randy Boissonnault is suing his former business partner over the false Indigenous claims, asking for just over $1 million in damages.
  • It sounds like Jamil Jivani isn’t talking politics with his good friend JD Vance these days, but that they tend to stick to family stuff.
  • The trade war is crisis enough for New Brunswick to drop most of its trade barriers, including interprovincial alcohol trade.
  • The BC NDP have signed a confidence agreement with the Green Party, given their one-seat majority (which is less so now that three BC Conservatives left the party).
  • Kevin Carmichael parses the Bank of Canada’s rate cut decision.
  • Ronald Diebert, head of Citizen Lab, warns of the US’ slide into a becoming a police state, and how Canadian law enforcement is being emboldened by it.

Odds and ends:

For National Magazine, I delve into the sudden use of Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code after years of inaction, and what it means for labour peace.

https://twitter.com/royalfamily/status/1899886998623592882

Want more Routine Proceedings? Become a patron and get exclusive new content.