We are on day one-hundred-and-thirty-three of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the governor of Donetsk province is urging some 350,000 residents to evacuate in order to both save lives and make it easier for the Ukrainian army to repel Russian advances. This being said, the Russians have been using up so many personnel and equipment on this advance that they may be forced to stall later in the summer, though they still have abundant resources that the Ukrainians don’t have at this point. Meanwhile, here is a look at Ukrainians struggling in towns and villages outside of Kyiv, as their homes have been bombed out and they don’t know when they might get new ones.
1 – At the #URC2022 in Lugano, #Switzerland, Parliamentary Secretary Rob Oliphant reiterated Canada’s commitment to help rebuild a strong, resilient and prosperous Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/MKzDhQwGfM
— Foreign Policy CAN (@CanadaFP) July 4, 2022
Closer to home, the Conservative Party’s Leadership Election Organising Committee has taken the decision to disqualify Patrick Brown on the basis of “serious allegations of wrongdoing,” and that they are planning on turning the file over to the Commissioner of Elections. Brown’s campaign responded a short time later saying this is all based on anonymous allegations they haven’t been able to respond to, and that their lawyers are now involved. So, it’s going well. Nevertheless, it’s one more reminder of just how bastardised this whole process is because our parties keep trying to ape American presidential primaries, while filling their coffers and databases rather than worrying about things like accountability, or parliamentary leadership. These races are a mockery of our system, and we really, really need to return to a system of caucus selection of leadership, so that MPs are empowered, leaders are held to account, and that the party isn’t just a hollow vehicle for a personality cult.
Statement from the Brown campaign. pic.twitter.com/gzgpu1yeuB
— Chisholm Pothier (@chisholmp) July 6, 2022
https://twitter.com/acoyne/status/1544519706127831041
The LEOC source tells me that the party will follow the same process they did in 2017 when Kevin O'Leary pulled out late in the game — they'll only count the second, third, fourth, etc. choices of the people who put Brown first.
— J.P. Tasker (@JPTasker) July 6, 2022
The LEOC source tells me there's no threat to the integrity of the vote — they already weeded out questionable memberships as part of their internal review, which was completed late last month.
— J.P. Tasker (@JPTasker) July 6, 2022
https://twitter.com/robert_hiltz/status/1544531763254411265
Oh, and while we’re at it, one of Peter MacKay’s staff from the last leadership contest is now suing Erin O’Toole for alleging he was behind a hacking theft, so there really is no end to the drama here.