Roundup: Carney and the premiers

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Mark Carney held a First Ministers’ meeting yesterday at the Canadian War Museum, which we’re given to understand was a bit of deliberate symbolism for the current moment, and most of the premiers arrived in person, save Danielle Smith, Scott Moe, and Andrew Furey (who is on a trade mission to Japan, and not in a fit of pique). The meeting ran long, and came out with a number of promises that the cynic in me feels are incredibly optimistic in terms of timelines and ambition. Not that we shouldn’t be ambitious, but oftentimes things are slow for a reason.

In particular, Carney is looking for complete internal free trade by July 1st (barring a few Quebec-specific carve-outs, which one assumes are mostly related to linguistic requirements). He’s also promising to temporary lift the waiting period for EI, to allow businesses to defer corporate income tax and GST/HST filings, creating a new Large Enterprise Economic and National Security Facility for financing, doubling the Indigenous Loan Guarantee programme, increasing funding for regional development agencies, and removing mobility restrictions for federally-regulated workers. The promise around “one window” approvals for major project assessments confuses me somewhat because we already have joint review panels—the whole point being that the federal and provincial assessment processes work together, hence “joint,” so there isn’t duplication. This has been the practice for environmental assessments for decades now, so I’m not quite sure what he’s talking about. Carney was also talking about expediting projects like high-speed rail, but looking at their timeline, I have questions about how much they can realistically speed things without creating new problems. But hey, there’s great enthusiasm in the moment for doing Big Things, so we’ll see if they can actually get off the ground.

In response to questions, Carney clapped back at Trump’s suggestion that he’s the one who changed Canada’s political landscape (not untrue, but not for the reasons he is suggesting),  and gave a line about how Canadians will choose their own leaders. He clarified that yes, he intends to keep the emissions cap (and made the point that it’s an emissions cap and not a production cap), but wants to spur investments in emissions reductions (but really, the carbon price and cap should actually do that on their own). He also did not rule out future investments in pipelines but says he wants to clear the way for private sector investment.

Ukraine Dispatch

Russia continues to hammer civilian targets in Odesa and Zaporizhzhia, but then gets all precious about a major pumping station that blew up as Ukrainians have been withdrawing from Kursk region, even though Ukraine says that Russia blew it up themselves as a provocation.

Good reads:

  • Mark Carney formally confirmed the government won’t move ahead with the capital gains changes (which is only going to help the very wealthy engage in tax arbitrage).
  • The Canadian government is buying billboards in “red” states to help drive home the message that tariffs are taxes on American businesses.
  • The federal government will provide $1.5 billion over ten years to Vancouver’s transit system, but it will leaves it with a funding gap.
  • The doors on the Canadian side of the library/opera house that straddles the border of Stanstead, Quebec, are being sealed for “security reasons.”
  • Syrian Canadians are calling on the government to remove sanctions in order to give the country’s new government a chance at a democratic future.
  • Parties are gearing up for Sunday’s expected election call.
  • TVA want to charge parties $75,000 apiece for a “face-to-face” debate during the election, citing a need to “offset costs.” (No, it’s your duty as a broadcaster).
  • Randy Boissonnault has announced he’s not running again; neither is Kirsty Duncan.
  • Edmonton mayor and former Liberal Cabinet minister Amarjeet Sohi has been asked by the party to run again in this election, and he is considering it.
  • Pierre Poilievre found a new rhyming slogan for his plan to boost training for skilled trades workers (while also appealing to blue collar unions).
  • The NDP could be fighting to retain official party status if the polls hold.
  • Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault will be the face of their campaign, not Elizabeth May, and he will be at the debates on their behalf.
  • Doug Ford says his MPPs will be “too swamped” to help Poilievre in the election.
  • Danielle Smith says that if Mark Carney doesn’t give her what she wants, she’ll form another Fair Deal Panel! OH NOES! (The last one was useless, for the record).
  • Philippe Lagassé and Peter Jones discuss how Canada’s military needs to be able to start moving away from such tight integration with the US (but it will take time).
  • Emmett Macfarlane posits that America is no longer a democracy, which changes the nature of the fight against the Trump regime.
  • Matt Gurney sees signs the Conservatives are trying to pivot their campaign, but isn’t sure that they’re able to sustain the changes.

Odds and ends:

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