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Mar 13 2024

Auditors fired. Quebec deficit. Curbing China: The Roundup

Mar 13, 2024
David Akin's Roundup
Clippings of #cdnpoli, #media, and #tech content aimed at those with an interest in Canadian politics and policy. And sometimes Canadian postage stamps.
Canada
Auditor general fires staffers who had undisclosed government contracts
Federal auditor general Karen Hogan fired and called in police to investigate the employees who had undeclared contracts with the government. [National Post]

The Conservative leader is ditching the traditional business luncheon circuits in Ottawa, Toronto or Montreal to speak directly to voters. [National Post]
Le lieutenant politique québécois pour le Parti conservateur du Canada, Pierre Paul-Hus, est à Sherbrooke mardi. [Radio-Canada]
You will see this chart in this space from time to time over the coming months to give you a sense of the state of play for political journalists and political operatives. Reminder: This is not not necessarily predictive. It is a snapshot based on polls taken over the last six weeks. But it can help put some current events in context. For example, the federal Liberals currently hold 6 of 7 seats in NL. If an election were held today, the Liberals would win 1. Related: The Liberal premier of NL is now calling for a pause in the carbon tax.    - DA
From the Provinces
Quebec budget 2024: Deficit balloons to record $11B, no precise timeline to balance books
After hinting Quebec’s financial situation was weak, Girard tabled a $158-billion budget on Tuesday with an $11-billion deficit and a delay of his timeline to balance the books. [Global]
Premier Andrew Furey has written Prime Minister Justin Trudeau requesting a pause on an increase in the carbon tax due to take effect April 1st. In his letter, Furey states “punishing inflation” is having a detrimental impact on all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, particularly the most vulnerable. [VOCM]

New Brunswick’s premier has long called for the federal Liberal government to cancel the tax altogether. Higgs says if he will not cancel it outright, Trudeau should at least pause the increase scheduled for April 1. [91.9 The Bend]

The funds for the Alberta is Calling Attraction Bonus are aimed at bringing skilled tradespeople from elsewhere in Canada. [Global]
Elsewhere
Canada helps Ukraine’s dangerous demining through innovation
About 30 per cent of Ukraine's land is believed to be contaminated with deadly mines, and demining is now a priority ahead of spring. Crystal Goomansingh travelled to Kharkiv, Ukraine to check out the innovation protecting deminers, and explains the Canadian connection to it. [Global National]
President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday Russia was technically ready for nuclear war and that if the U.S. sent troops to Ukraine, it would be considered a significant escalation of the conflict. [Reuters]

The US could further tighten controls on China’s access to sophisticated semiconductor technologies, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said, signaling Washington may intensify its campaign to prevent Beijing catching up in military capabilities. [Bloomberg]

To defend elections from the dangers of AI now and in the run-up to the November general election, state election officials should look for ways to lead the current debates around AI’s deployment and oversight. To start, these leaders should voluntarily implement measures addressing the use and integration of AI in elections architecture. That starts with having open dialogues with stakeholders around the safe and transparent use of AI tools as part of elections implementation. It also includes drafting explicit protections against the potential and already observed external misuses of AI in elections (that is, by those outside elections offices). [Brookings Institution]
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Media
Jaemark Tordecilla: I created an AI tool to help investigative journalists find stories in audit reports. Here’s how I did it and why it matters [Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism]
Zeljko Poljak: I argue that the media, driven by audience engagement, plays a pivotal role in shaping politicians’ propensity for negativity. Specifically, politicians resort to negativity because it aligns with the media’s negativity bias, thereby increasing their chances of securing media access and public attention. The results show that using negativity significantly increases politicians’ chances of gaining media access, particularly when using uncivil negativity. The more media access politicians start to attract due to negativity, the more they resort to negativity. [Intl Journal of Press/Politics]
Science and Tech
Lead in gasoline blunted IQ of half the U.S. population, study says
Leaded gas was banned in 1996, but exposure to the poison cost people born before then several IQ points on average, researchers estimated. [NBC]
Find out how the Lakota AI Code Camp is teaching Indigenous youth to use AI to save native culture and language. [Teen Vogue]
The Calendar
  • 0800 ET: Charlottetown - Agriculture Min Lawrence MacAulay and LPC MPs Sean Casey and Heath MacDonald make an infrastructure funding announcement.
  • 900 ET: Campbellton, NB - LPC MP René Arseneault makes a funding announcement. 
  • 930 ET: Montreal - Transport Min Pablo Rodriguez makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1030 ET: Calgary - PM Trudeau meets with Premier Danielle Smith.
  • 1100 ET: 025B West Block - Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) | Meeting 108 - ArriveCAN Application
  • 1200 ET: Antigonish, NS - Housing and Infrastructure Min Sean Fraser makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1220 ET: Calgary, - PM Trudeau makes a dental care announcement.
  • 1315 ET: Chesterville, QC - Revenue Min Marie-Claude Bibeau makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1400 ET: Saint-Lazare, QC - Transport Min Pablo Rodriguez and LPC MP Peter Schiefke makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1540 ET: Calgary - PM Trudeau meets with seniors.
  • 1700 ET: Gander, NL - Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre meets with supporters.
  • 1730 ET: Halifax - GPC MP Elizabeth May meets with supporters.
Issued this day ...
… in 1998: Sc 1713 plate block: Birds of Canada — 3. Design: Raymond Bellemare based on paintings by Pierre Leduc. 
There is a whole class of ornithological philatelists — bird stamp collectors — and this series has been a favourite. Birdwatchers will spot, clockwise from top left, a Hairy Woodpecker, a Great Crested Flycatcher, a Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch and an Eastern Screech-Owl.

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