Politics Insider for Nov 26, 2021: Softwood Pressure; a strident question period; and a new Chief of Defense Staff
No good: Hello. United States is doubling your rate on Canadian softwood, despite efforts at the recent Three Friends summit to lobby against the proposed change. While solving this is a “top priority” for liberals, according to Trade Minister Mary Ng in yesterday’s Question Period, the government is receiving criticism.
Can I get a Q? Can I get a P? We are two very loud QPs in the pre-holiday session (during yesterday’s session, President Rota had to reprimand MPs after hearing something “not very parliamentary”). Aside from the softwood problem, conservatives have clearly identified cost-of-living issues as their main line of attack. Aaron Wherry, at CBC, has a column that tries make holes in his argument that inflation is Justin Trudeau’s fault. And in case you missed it, our Jason Markusoff has a detailed explanation on what is happening exactly—And why the problem will get worse in 2022.
Global economic trends have a way of poking fun at predictions. But with inflation, we have to choose between disease and cure, and nothing in the past points to a pleasant outcome. Either we pay more in the future to borrow money and pay off our public debt, or we pay more to do just about anything else. Something is going to give in 2022, and perhaps in the next few years.
Missed opportunities: A scathing new report from Environment and Sustainable Development Commissioner Jerry DeMarco gives Canada low marks on its climate change mitigation efforts. Read it here. According to DeMarco, in a statement to the media:
Canada was once a leader in the fight against climate change. However, after a series of missed opportunities, it has become the worst performing country of all the G7 nations since the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change was adopted in 2015. We cannot continue to go from failure to another; we need action and results, not just more goals and plans.
It’s worth it? Erin O’Toole’s team spent more than $ 1 million in party funding to set up the broadcast studio in the hotel from which he ran many election campaigns, according to Alex Boutilier’s report on Global News. The catch, of course: This year’s pandemic-era campaign tour cost a couple million less than in 2019. Quite modest compared to the $ 600 million electoral figure the party is still circling. new ads That promise O’Toole is now set to win against PMJT (despite, of course, his recent loss).
That’s Gen., not Jane: General Wayne Eyre is take over as Chief of Defense Staff after nine months of doing the job in an interim capacity, despite his predecessor attempting to Hold on to paper. Sez new minister Anita Anand in a tweet: “General Eyre and I will continue to work together to build an army where all members feel safe, protected and respected, wherever they are, whatever they are doing.” Internal cultural change was the main theme of his recent speech at the Halifax International Security Forum, where Canada was asked to improve its military game further away-Something being actively consideredreports the Globe and Mail, as the Russian military rally on the border with Ukraine continues.
In other employment news: Congratulations to Dr. Amita Kuttner, who is the new interim leader of a beleaguered federal Green Party seeking to start anew after the Exit by Annamie Paul. Kuttner, 30, is the first non-binary person and the first person of East Asian descent to lead a national party, according to the Greens. They are also astrophysicists with experience in black holes. Maybe that, uh, puts them in a good position to prevent the party from turning into one?
Oh hello! It’s Friday! Hit play on a new pillar in the podcast fray (or is it more of a melee?). “Eh sayings”He debuted yesterday. We pray that they kill. Well. Okaaaay. That’s enough rhyme for now. (And for actual poetry, see Maclean’s for take next year of laureate poets from around the country). The capsule is from Statistics Canada and promises “the stories behind the numbers.” Episode One Goes Deeper disability statistics and discusses activity limitations and COVID-19. Happy listening!
—Marie-Danielle Smith
Reference-www.macleans.ca