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Aug 31 2023

Convoy crashers. Fire politics. Clark’s ethics.

Aug 31, 2023
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
Air Canada routes out of Calgary slashed in face of ongoing pilot shortage
The airline confirmed Wednesday it will no longer offer non-stop flights from Calgary to Ottawa, Halifax, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Cancun, or Frankfurt as of the end of October. [Global]
Mounties said the group of people are planning to re-enter in the territory in as many as 50 vehicles from Alberta and that 'they will not stop for the checkpoints.' [Global]
The latest data on forest fires confirms what we’ve long feared: Forest fires are becoming more widespread, burning nearly twice as much tree cover today as they did 20 years ago. [World Resources Institute]

Two different federal infrastructure programs have provided funding for more than 43,000 electric vehicle chargers since 2016, but fewer than one in five of them are actually operational. [CP]

The Canadian Armed Forces are repealing a policy known as the 'duty to report' to give victims of sexual misconduct and harassment more control in the reporting process. [Global]
Poilievre campaigns with prospective replacement for O'Toole
Flagging this Facebook post from Pierre Poilievre's Page  as it features Poilievre door-knocking in support of his party's nominated candidate in the riding of Durham, Erin O'Toole's old riding. Significance? That nominated candidate is Jamil Javini who is almost certain to be featured on Poilievre's front bench when he is elected. (Voters in Durham are almost certain to elect the Conservative in the yet-to-be called by-election prompted by Erin O'Toole's resignation).
Javini and along with Shuv Majumdar, just elected in Stephen Harper's old riding in Calgary, are part of a new, younger generation of Conservatives that will be featured not only in upcoming parliamentary proceedings but also in a future election. In any event, if you track political notables on your own social feeds, probably want to add both Javini and Mujamdar to your list.  - DA 
[Researchers] find that consensus across parties on immigration issues decreased and became more polarized with the breakup of the Progressive Conservative Party in the early 1990s. Liberal party speeches moved toward the left of the political spectrum while the Reform/Alliance/Conservative Party of Canada parties moved toward the right and became increasingly entrenched until 2015. The New Democratic Party was the most consistent in its views over time, focusing on issues of humanitarianism as well as broad policy issues. The Bloc, while maintaining a focus on Quebec issues, moved toward the centre during the Harper years and then left of centre during Justin Trudeau's first mandate. [Canadian Review of Sociology]
From the provinces
How wildfire in British Columbia's Shuswap is fanning political flames
The wildfire that has been rampaging through the Shuswap region of the B.C. Interior has also sparked a fight over whether local Opposition MLAs have been encouraging residents to disobey firefighters, or if the government is refusing to listen to critics of its response to the fires. [CP]
Ontario's integrity commissioner has found that the province's housing minister violated the integrity act in the government's Greenbelt land swap. [Global]
British Columbia finished last fiscal year $700 million in the black, after forecasts swung between multi-billion-dollar deficits and surpluses. [CP]
Political staff to NDP ministers receive larger raises than teachers, nurses and public sector. [Business in Vancouver]

The city’s executive committee says it will instead partner with a local institution to display the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald in a different location with more contextual information for onlookers. [Global]
The photos, published by the Journal de Montreal on Wednesday, were taken over a three-year span and posted to Geneviève Guilbault's social media accounts. [Global]
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Elsewhere
China's Xi likely to skip G20 summit in India
Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to skip a summit of G20 leaders in India next week. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday he will attend that summit as well as the ASEAN summit in Indonesia. [Reuters]
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will make a two-day visit to Singapore next week, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's office said on Wednesday (Aug 30). Mr Trudeau's working visit to Singapore will be from Sep 7 to Sep 8, Mr Lee's press secretary said in response to media queries. [Channel News Asia]

The new defence secretary pledges to continue the UK's support for Ukraine as he takes over as defence boss. [BBC]
Galvez is seen by many as best placed to challenge AMLO’s left-wing National Regeneration Movement in 2024 race. [Al Jazeera]
Media

Meta's decision to block news links in Canada this month has had almost no impact on Canadians' usage of Facebook, data from independent tracking firms indicated on Tuesday, as the company faces scorching criticism from the Canadian government over the move. [Reuters]

Mr. Thompson, who helped revitalize The New York Times, will take over at a pivotal moment for the news network. [NYT]
Sci/Tech
Self-driving vehicles have been promoted as improving safety, but how do people -- like pedestrians -- feel about interacting with them? A UBC study finds out. [Global]
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The Calendar
  • 1230 ET: Sudbury, ON - Indigenous Services Min Patty Hajdu and LPC MPs Viviane Lapointe and Marc Serré make a funding announcement. 
  • 1445 ET: Sooke, BC - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and NDP MP Randall Garrison meets with families and speaks to reporters. 
  • 2000 ET: Sooke, BC - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and NDP MP Randall Garrison visits the Esquimalt farmers market.
  • 2130 ET: Esquimalt, BC - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh attends the Esquimalt-Saanich--Sooke NDP nomination meeting.
Issued this day ...
Issued on this day in 1967: Scott # 473: Canadian Press. Design: William McLauchlan. 
Issued to mark the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Press, often referred to by the reporters in its Ottawa Bureau as “the people’s wire service.”

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