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Mar 4 2024

Grocery switch. Federal spending. Eno’s Turntable: The Roundup

Mar 4, 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
Major grocers invest in discount stores as customers keep budgets tight
Converting grocery stores to discount keeps profits steady despite consumers seeking ways to rein in their spending, experts say. [Global]

Toronto Police say they are reviewing whether illegal activity occurred during a protest on Saturday that led to the cancellation of a reception hosted by the Prime Minister. [Global]

The Conservative Party will have to follow the nomination rules fairly or it will cause fissures in the caucus, says Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs. [Hill Times]
The riding of Durham, east of Toronto, has sent a Conservative to the House of Commons ever since Stephen Harper became leader of the party in 2004. [TorStar]
Of the 129 federal government organizations asking Parliament for spending authority in FY24, 11 are seeking more than $5 billion in voted budgetary expenditures:
Poilievre team finds its NB lieutenant
Brian Macdonald has a strong resume -- military veteran, advisor to a former federal defence minister, former provincial MLA -- and now he's the the Conservative Party of Canada candidate for the riding of Fredericton. (It will officially become the riding of Fredericton-Oromocto when new riding boundaries go into effect in April). The late Keith Ashfield won this for Stephen Harper's team in 2008 and in 2011. Liberal Matt DeCourcey won in 2015 but was defeated by Green candidate Jenica Atwin in 2019 who promptly crossed the floor and is now a Liberal MP. If an election were held today, my model has Atwin losing by 25 points to Macdonald who, you heard it here first, would go into a Polievre cabinet as the political minister for New Brunswick. - DA 

Justice Minister Arif Virani defended against criticism that the Liberals’ sweeping new online harms bill could have a chilling effect on free speech. [Global]

Standing Committee on the Status of Women Report No. 10. [House of Commons]
From the Provinces
Saskatchewan residents with low incomes worry about not getting carbon rebate
Alan Holman says the carbon rebate he gets four times a year from the federal government is crucial for his household budget. [CP]
Elsewhere
The cargo vessel carried fertilizer, threatening the region’s marine ecosystem. [WSJ]
Media

Advertisers and Democratic candidates will abandon platforms like X (formerly Twitter), once the center of diverse political discourse, in favor of emerging networks such as Threads. This migration signals a significant change in how political advertising and engagement will unfold. Prediction: The MAGA base remains on X, leading to a stark bifurcation of social media ecosystems. [Campaigns and Elections]
A Northeastern study compares the abilities of Democrats and Republicans in news discernment and whether they can identify fake news. [Northeastern University]

Reporting to the News Director and News Manager, the successful candidate would be responsible for anchoring multiple newscasts. This position is part of the Global News team, which produces live, local newscasts around the clock, seven days a week. [Corus]
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Sci/Tech
The $25,000 Turntable Designed by Brian Eno That Glows in Different Colors as It Plays
few years ago, Eno got into the business of functional sculpture, designing a turntable that emanates LED light of various, gradually shifting colors while it plays records. “The light from it was tangible as if caught in a cloud of vapor,” said Eno about his early experience with the finished product. [Open Culture]
The Calendar
  • 0830 ET: Durham, ON  -  The polls open in the by-election in the riding of Durham.
  • 0900 ET: Cap-Pelé, NB - Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1000 ET: Montreal - Environment Min Steven Guilbeault makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1000 ET: Tecumseh, ON - LPC MP Irek Kusmierczyk makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1000 ET: Mississauga, ON - Health Min Mark Holland makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1000 ET: Bedford, NS - LPC MP Lena Metlege Diab , Darren Fisher and Darrell Samson makes an infrastructure funding announcement. 
  • 1000 ET: Sidney , NS - LPC MP Jaime Battiste  makes an infrastructure funding announcement.
  • 1130 ET: New Glasgow, NS - Housing and Infrastructure Min Sean Fraser and Premier Tim Houston make an infrastructure funding announcement.
  • 1140 ET: Toronto,  - International Trade Min Mary Ng and Innovation, Science and Industry Min François-Philippe Champagne visit the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada annual convention.
  • 1200 ET: Toronto,  - Energy and Natural Resources Min Jonathan Wilkinson speaks at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention
  • 1200 ET: 415 Wellington,  - Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) | Meeting  107 - Meeting Requested Pursuant to Standing Order 106(4) to Discuss a Request to Undertake a Study of Documents in Relation to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg Tabled in the House on Wednesday, February 28, 2024
  • 1220 ET: Edmonton,  - Defence Min Bill Blair and Employment and Social Development Min Randy Boissonnault makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1300 ET: Bouctouche, NB - Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1430 ET: Chemainus, BC - ACOA Min Gudie Hutchings  makes an infrastructure funding announcement.
  • 1500 ET: Powell River, BC - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh meets with the Tla’amin First Nation
  • 1845 ET: Powell River, BC - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and NDP MP Rachel Blaney meet with residents.
  • 2030 ET: Durham, ON  -  The polls close in the by-election in the riding of Durham.
Issued this day ...
… in 2005. Scott # 2090: Expo 2005. Design: HM&E Design.

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