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Mar 7 2024

Defence doldrums. Robinson’s letter. After Haley: The Roundup

Mar 7, 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
State of Canadian Armed Forces' combat readiness growing worse, government report warns
Only 58 per cent of the Canadian Armed Forces would be able to respond if called upon in a crisis by NATO allies right now — and almost half of the military's equipment is considered "unavailable and unserviceable" — says a recent internal Department of National Defence presentation obtained by CBC News. [CBC]
"Having seen the effects that it has had in Quebec, it simply doesn't make sense as an Albertan to have that come into place here." [Edmonton Journal]
Whistler resident and local realtor Keith Roy has been nominated as the Conservative candidate for the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky riding. Roy will face Liberal incumbent Patrick Weiler. Weiler will have to work to defend his seat. Weiler's margin of victory in 2021 was just 2201 votes or 4 per cent (based on the transposition of votes to the boundaries to be used in the next election) but right now, in my model, he is down about 5 percentage points to the CPC. [Squamish Reporter]
From the Provinces
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation suing Alberta Energy Regulator
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) has launched a lawsuit against the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) over the latter's handling of a series of leaks and spills from a tailings pond at Imperial Oil's Kearl facility. As Heather Yourex-West explains, the ACFN is seeking $500 million in damages from the AER. [Global National]
A former British Columbia cabinet minister quit the New Democrat government Wednesday, citing antisemitism in the party caucus and indifference towards the problem. [CP]
'It wasn't (two colleagues) antisemitism that broke my heart. It was your silence to their antisemitism that hurt the most' [National Post]
Coun. Bill Sarai told Castanet Kamloops he will be running for the opportunity to represent the new Kamloops Centre riding. [Castanet]
As fights between the provincial government and the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) continue to escalate, the province is making their next move. [Global]
Legislation to establish a new office to protect children and youth in Nova Scotia is being called a massive victory for advocates. [Global]
Elsewhere
Nikki Haley drops out, leaving Trump as Republicans’ presumptive nominee
Nikki Haley has ended her presidential bid in the 2024 election, clearing the way for a rematch between former U.S. president Donald Trump and U.S. President Joe Biden. Jackson Proskow looks at the encouraging and worrying signs for Trump's chances to return to the White House, and how Biden could campaign differently compared to 2020. [Global National]
We talked to nearly 40 Haley voters in four Super Tuesday states about how they would vote in a Biden-Trump rematch. [WaPo]

Researchers said the AI tools generated images in 41 per cent of the their tests and were most susceptible to prompts that asked for photos depicting election fraud. [Global]
Why do states engage in secret statecraft and covert action? How different are these secret and covert state activities in real world settings compared to their popular culture representations? And what effect do they have on democracy both globally and in individual states? Join Rory Cormac as he talks to Petra Alderman about his book How to Stage a Coup and Ten Other Lessons from the World of Secret Statecraft. Interesting big picture, global look at the issue of foreign interference. [New Books Network]
Media
Meet the queens of the Gilded Age who pioneered women’s journalism in Canada - The Globe and Mail
Kit Coleman, Sara Jeannette Duncan and Faith Fenton challenged traditional gender roles at the newspapers that would evolve into The Globe and Mail. [Globe and Mail]
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Sci/Tech
Robots and drones to work in Kelowna, B.C., orchards in 'precision farming' project
Drones and robots will be put to work in the orchards of Kelowna this spring as part of a pilot project to promote what the equipment maker calls "precision farming" [CP]
AI and LLMs pose significant risk to information integrity. But they also offer a lot of promise for OSINT and investigations. Here's a look at some encouraging areas. Bookmarked tons of these tools flagged by Craig Silverman. [Digital Investigations]
The Calendar
  • Greater Toronto Area - PM Trudeau , Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland, and Women and Gender Equality Min Marci Ien make an announcement.
  • 0820 ET: Ottawa - Defence Min Bill Blair speaks to the Ottawa Conference on Security and Defence
  • 0825 ET: Toronto, - LPC MP Pam Damoff speaks to the CACHE Challenge Symposium
  • 1000 ET: 225A West Block - Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP) | Meeting 107 - Report 1, ArriveCAN, of the 2024 Report 1 of the Auditor General of Canada
  • 1000 ET: Montreal - Environment Min Steven Guilbeault makes an infrastructure funding announcement.
  • 1030 ET: Ottawa - Defence Min Bill Blair meets with Latvia Defence Minister Andris Sprüds
  • 1300 ET: Vancouver, - Employment Min Randy Boissonnault makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1400 ET: Markham, ON - Transport Min Pablo Rodriguez and LPC MP Paul Chiang make a funding announcement.
  • 1500 ET: Qualicum Beach, BC - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh meets with the chief of Qualicum First Nation.
  • 1630 ET: Surrey, BC - Employment Min Randy Boissonnault makes a funding announcement. 
Issued this day ...
… in 1986. Scott # 1079. Expo 86: Communications. Design: Debbie Adams.

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