{"id":13147,"date":"2025-03-12T05:24:20","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T09:24:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.routineproceedings.com\/?p=13147"},"modified":"2025-03-12T01:28:39","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T05:28:39","slug":"roundup-tantrums-and-ford-capitulates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.routineproceedings.com\/2025\/03\/12\/roundup-tantrums-and-ford-capitulates\/","title":{"rendered":"Roundup: Tantrums, and Ford capitulates"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The day started off with a tantrum\u2014Donald Trump screaming that Ontario wasn\u2019t allowed to put the \u201csurcharge\u201d on their electricity exports, and said he was going to make Canada pay dearly, and then threatened to ramp up the incoming steel and aluminium tariffs to 50 percent. That caused another huge panic, and by the end of the day, Doug Ford had secured a meeting with Howard Lutnick (apparently with Dominic LeBlanc), and suspended the \u201csurcharge,\u201d while Trump decided that the global steel and aluminium tariffs were still coming, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanadianpressnews.ca\/national\/white-house-says-trump-dropping-plan-to-double-steel-aluminum-tariffs\/article_ca1bd0fb-28cb-518a-a4f5-5aa0d20ca6de.html\">only at 25 percent<\/a>, and those are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ctvnews.ca\/business\/article\/trumps-tariffs-on-canadian-steel-aluminum-now-in-place\/\">now in effect<\/a>. And that in turn will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/politics\/trump-canada-steel-alumimum-tariffs-1.7480309\">trigger<\/a> more retaliatory tariffs from the Canadian federal government. Trump also went on an extended rant about annexation, but flattered Ford in the process, which made me want to throw up a little.<\/p>\n<p>Guys, I\u2019m just so tired.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Reporter: "Have you ever paid a tariff? Because I have. They don't get charged on foreign companies. They get charged on the importers."<\/p>\n<p>Leavitt: "I think it's insulting that you're trying to test my knowledge of economics and the decisions that this president has made." <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ATnOKQo4hZ\">pic.twitter.com\/ATnOKQo4hZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BulwarkOnline\/status\/1899519106598011062?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 11, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Please see a joint statement from United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and myself:<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Today, United States Secretary of Commerce <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/howardlutnick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@howardlutnick<\/a> and Premier of Ontario Doug Ford had a productive conversation about the economic relationship between the United States\u2026<\/p>\n<p>— Doug Ford (@fordnation) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/fordnation\/status\/1899531171622522925?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 11, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is as direct a threat to Canada\u2019s sovereignty as one could imagine, an illegal one at that (See UN Charter). Canada will never accept this direct threat of aggression and economic force as \u201cnormal\u201d. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QnuIEwLmYN\">https:\/\/t.co\/QnuIEwLmYN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>— Bob Rae (@BobRae48) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BobRae48\/status\/1899644499602579907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 12, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>I scarcely know where to begin. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/laws\/regulation\/r25025\">regulations<\/a> for that \u201csurcharge\u201d were released, and it reads very much like a cute attempt to pretend that they\u2019re not tariffs for the sake of international trade, so that he can pretend this is provincial jurisdiction and not federal. After two days of bluster and going on every cable news show in the US insisting he wasn\u2019t going to back down on this \u201csurcharge\u201d until the tariffs were gone, and that he was going to go even further, it took one phone call with Lutnik and Ford capitulated right as the global steel and aluminium tariffs were coming into place, so how exactly did he help Ontario or anyone? I\u2019m at a loss. He\u2019s also pretending that he has a role in international negotiations, neglecting in his tweet to mention that Dominic LeBlanc will be at the table with Lutnik, but on top of that, you think you\u2019re actually going to be negotiating a renewed NAFTA? Really? Given that Trump has proven that any agreement he signs isn\u2019t worth the paper it\u2019s written on because he only operates in bad faith? And you still want to go ahead with this farce?<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:l35pvajgwmf764yoqqwrjrqc\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3lk4eglycns2z\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreih724slduc5togkgfhvfvaft3r4euve6p6aa4ywnkj2bltegswy6q\">\n<p lang=\"en\">Trump needs to stop these tariffs for the sole reason that people are starting to believe that Doug Ford is a good leader, and I cannot have that<\/p>\n<p>— <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:l35pvajgwmf764yoqqwrjrqc?ref_src=embed\">Clare Blackwood (@clareblackwood.bsky.social)<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:l35pvajgwmf764yoqqwrjrqc\/post\/3lk4eglycns2z?ref_src=embed\">2025-03-11T15:18:15.159Z<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/embed.bsky.app\/static\/embed.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Poilievre <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanadianpressnews.ca\/politics\/poilievre-wants-to-impose-50-per-cent-metal-tariffs-on-u-s-after-latest-trump\/article_d357e1bd-0fbb-5e9d-81c4-90ccd0815995.html\">demanded<\/a> 50 percent retaliatory tariffs if the steel and aluminium tariffs went to 50 percent, Jagmeet Singh continues to demand that Parliament be summoned to pass a package of aid for workers before the election, and Elizabeth May wants a \u201cwartime Cabinet,\u201d and I just can\u2019t because it misunderstands what actually happened during the First World War. Also, Alberta\u2019s energy minister Brian Jean thinks he\u2019s an international negotiator too. And hey, here\u2019s a plausible explanation for Trump\u2019s constant tariff chaos\u2014because affected CEOs have to pay millions to see him at Mar-a-Lago to plead their case, and he\u2019s making a lot of money that way.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"zxx\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/M9OlmOpmhb\">https:\/\/t.co\/M9OlmOpmhb<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8Sv3ocERxR\">pic.twitter.com\/8Sv3ocERxR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/journo_dale\/status\/1899554365280579999?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 11, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">If you're wondering why Trump keeps threatening crazy tariffs that make no economic sense, remember that each threat increases the incentive for CEOs to pay him $5 million for a meeting to beg for exemptions. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cAskuRSBni\">https:\/\/t.co\/cAskuRSBni<\/a><\/p>\n<p>— Tom Malinowski (@Malinowski) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Malinowski\/status\/1898415697492869508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 8, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It\u2019s a struggle. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WC5xFKDX6Q\">https:\/\/t.co\/WC5xFKDX6Q<\/a><\/p>\n<p>— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/journo_dale\/status\/1899526708518113645?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 11, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Ukraine Dispatch<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/ukraines-air-force-says-it-downed-russian-ballistic-missile-79-drones-2025-03-11\/\">downed<\/a> a ballistic missile and 70 out of 126 drones in Monday night\u2019s attack, while Russia <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/russia-says-it-makes-100-square-kilometre-advance-kursk-region-2025-03-11\/\">claims<\/a> they are making progress in reclaiming Kursk region. Ukrainian drones <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/ukraine-says-it-struck-oil-facilities-russias-moscow-oryol-regions-2025-03-11\/\">struck<\/a> two more Russian oil facilities, with explosions recorded. The US says they are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us-ukraine-meet-saudi-arabia-after-disastrous-white-house-talks-2025-03-11\/\">resuming<\/a> military aid and intelligence sharing after Ukraine said they were willing to sign onto a ceasefire proposal, but Russia has not agreed yet (and won\u2019t agree because they don\u2019t want a ceasefire). AP has a selection of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestar.com\/news\/world\/europe\/photos-war-in-ukraine\/article_c736e20e-ef96-502d-a7cf-28e2aec614b2.html\">photos<\/a> from the war.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u26a1\ufe0fRussian attacks on Donetsk Oblast kill 4, injure 5.<\/p>\n<p>Russian troops launched a series of attacks on March 11 against Donetsk Oblast, killing at least four civilians and injuring five, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.<\/p>\n<p>Two brothers, aged 11 and 13, were among those killed in\u2026<\/p>\n<p>— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KyivIndependent\/status\/1899654409283338693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 12, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u26a1\ufe0f Russia claims to recapture 12 Kursk Oblast settlements amid new offensive.<\/p>\n<p>Russian forces have recaptured 12 settlements and 100 square kilometers in Kursk Oblast previously held by Ukrainian troops, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on March 11.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yuUQ3tTYmt\">https:\/\/t.co\/yuUQ3tTYmt<\/a><\/p>\n<p>— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KyivIndependent\/status\/1899398923912872350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 11, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><!--more-->Good reads:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>While Mark Carney\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanadianpressnews.ca\/national\/carney-transition-team-met-with-pmo-staff-tuesday-hope-for-pm-swearing-in-by-friday\/article_ddf5be0b-7ab8-5935-8a00-e3cea2b35fc4.html\">team met<\/a> with PMO staff, Carney met with Kirsten Hillman, the Chief of Defence Staff, RCMP Commissioner, and the \u201cFentanyl Commissioner.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Carney is hoping to have his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestar.com\/politics\/federal\/mark-carney-to-name-a-cabinet-within-days-heres-what-hell-need-to-consider\/article_85ed7efc-fe9e-11ef-b35c-1722fcd0c05b.html\">Cabinet ready<\/a> in order to be sworn-in on Thursday or Friday at Rideau Hall, and it could be a smaller Cabinet.<\/li>\n<li>Carney\u2019s selection means that the capital gains changes are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanadianpressnews.ca\/politics\/carneys-win-kills-liberals-much-delayed-plan-to-change-capital-gains-tax\/article_daa854a9-54f4-5c17-bb60-5508874bdaad.html\">effectively dead<\/a>, and high-wealth individuals can keep engaging in tax arbitrage.<\/li>\n<li>The federal government reached a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanadianpressnews.ca\/prairies_bc\/alberta\/ottawa-alberta-reach-joint-70-million-deal-for-homelessness-response\/article_1c2546ce-4b10-5839-904d-f0ee89025e0e.html\">$70-million funding deal<\/a> with Alberta to help with the homelessness crisis there.<\/li>\n<li>The Canadian Forces are looking at <a href=\"https:\/\/ottawacitizen.com\/news\/national\/defence-watch\/canada-military-griffon-helicopters-f-35-arctic\">procuring<\/a> new helicopters, one of whose jobs will be to respond to F-35 crashes in the Arctic (as they only have a single engine).<\/li>\n<li>Here is a look at how countervailing tariffs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca\/p\/countervailing-tariffs-could-add\">will affect<\/a> the housing industry in Canada, and inevitably raise prices given how much we import from the US.<\/li>\n<li><em>The Logic<\/em> has a <a href=\"https:\/\/thelogic.co\/news\/the-big-read\/dalhousie-pozzolan-mine-facebook\/\">longread<\/a> about a potential pozzolan mine in New Brunswick, which has divided the local community to the point of violence.<\/li>\n<li>Canadians who spend more than thirty days the US will have to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/politics\/us-travel-immigration-law-executive-order-canadians-1.7481054\">submit<\/a> fingerprints to Homeland Security.<\/li>\n<li>Remember AUKUS, the Australian-US submarine deal this country\u2019s Elder Pundits brayed about their FOMO over? Looks like the Americans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/mar\/07\/surface-tension-could-the-promised-aukus-nuclear-submarines-simply-never-be-handed-over-to-australia\">won\u2019t live up to<\/a> their end.<\/li>\n<li>Pierre Poilievre is <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalpost.com\/news\/poilievre-has-been-called-too-blunt-and-grating-in-quebec-now-hes-owning-it\">launching<\/a> Quebec ads that own his being \u201cblunt\u201d and \u201cgrating\u201d in the hopes to win over those voters; not everyone is convinced it\u2019ll work.<\/li>\n<li>BC is trying to use the trade war chaos to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanadianpressnews.ca\/national\/b-c-takes-advantage-of-u-s-chaos-trade-war-to-attract-more-doctors-and\/article_883e0cab-45fe-558b-96ae-6c5e16733395.html\">attract<\/a> doctors and nurses from the US, making credentials recognition easier.<\/li>\n<li>Colby Cosh <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalpost.com\/opinion\/colby-cosh-american-bewildered-canada-offended-by-tariffs\">remarks<\/a> on the Americans\u2019 bewilderment as to why we\u2019re so upset with them over the imposition of tariffs.<\/li>\n<li>Althia Raj <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestar.com\/politics\/political-opinion\/mark-carney-fumbled-his-first-decision-as-leader-and-some-liberals-are-not-happy\/article_592d9e7e-fec1-11ef-b9cd-7316fd20c8b2.html\">hears from<\/a> Liberals and others who are upset with Carney\u2019s choice of Marco Mendicino as chief of staff, and consider it his first blunder out of the gate.<\/li>\n<li>My <a href=\"https:\/\/looniepolitics.com\/will-mark-carney-be-another-bill-morneau\/\">column<\/a> wonders if politically-untested Carney has the fortitude for actual political battles, or if he\u2019ll get the vapours like fellow finance guy Bill Morneau did.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Odds and ends:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"bluesky-embed\" data-bluesky-uri=\"at:\/\/did:plc:4xqt7t2zph634drigtdxdmro\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3lk4exbr3mk2p\" data-bluesky-cid=\"bafyreia4nznhwftub52csxzbdkfwh5v6xwl4bvd3s2mqgnlec4goep5ra4\">\n<p lang=\"en\">New episodes released early for C$7+ subscribers. This week, @jrobson.bsky.social and I talk about the size of the civil service and how to make it more efficient.<\/p>\n<p>— <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:4xqt7t2zph634drigtdxdmro?ref_src=embed\">Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social)<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/did:plc:4xqt7t2zph634drigtdxdmro\/post\/3lk4exbr3mk2p?ref_src=embed\">2025-03-11T15:27:36.464Z<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/embed.bsky.app\/static\/embed.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Some days I wish I could\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JHvvSPO8bZ\">https:\/\/t.co\/JHvvSPO8bZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/journo_dale\/status\/1899629254473585003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 12, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more Routine Proceedings?\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/journo_dale\">Become a patron<\/a>\u00a0and get exclusive new content. <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The day started off with a tantrum\u2014Donald Trump screaming that Ontario wasn\u2019t allowed to put the \u201csurcharge\u201d on their electricity exports, and said he was going to make Canada pay dearly, and then threatened to ramp up the incoming steel … <a href=\"https:\/\/www.routineproceedings.com\/2025\/03\/12\/roundup-tantrums-and-ford-capitulates\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">→<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[41],"tags":[678,44,506,547,664,176,317,122,132,359],"class_list":["post-13147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-roundup","tag-budget-2024","tag-canadian-forces","tag-donald-trump","tag-doug-ford","tag-housing","tag-mark-carney","tag-pierre-poilievre","tag-procurement","tag-trade","tag-ukraine"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2jJFQ-3q3","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.routineproceedings.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.routineproceedings.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.routineproceedings.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.routineproceedings.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.routineproceedings.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13147"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.routineproceedings.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13147\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13148,"href":"https:\/\/www.routineproceedings.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13147\/revisions\/13148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.routineproceedings.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.routineproceedings.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.routineproceedings.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}