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Dec 12 2023

Housing blueprints. EV interest. Pension poll. The Roundup

Dec 12, 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
Liberals to revive ‘war-time housing’ blueprints in bid to speed up builds
The Liberals plan on restarting a war-time housing program in their latest attempt to ease the high cost of housing across the country.  [Global]

Eric La Fleche told MPs at a House of Commons agriculture committee meeting on stabilizing food prices that Metro is willing to sign the code as it's currently drafted. [Global]

The data found about 68 per cent of car shoppers in 2022 who did not own an EV showed an intent to purchase one, but that dropped to 56 per cent this year. [Global]

House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus is in the hot seat over a video tribute he made to John Fraser, former interim leader of the Ontario Liberals. [Global]
Report No. 15 of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food [House of Commons] 
Report No. 16 of the Standing Committee on 
Agriculture and Agri-Food. [House of Commons]
Report No. 22 of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. [House of Commons]
From the provinces
Half of Albertans oppose leaving CPP: Angus Reid Survey
The poll, released Monday, showed 48 per cent of Albertans who were surveyed opposed the idea of a provincial plan. [Edmonton Journal]
Emergency waiting room populations have ballooned across the province, and hospitals are way past capacity in Edmonton, according to the head of the Alberta Medical Association. [Edmonton Journal]
The first blip on the radar signalling a potentially new player in British Columbia politics occurred in the summer byelection to fill the seat vacated by former New Democrat premier John Horgan. [CP]
Elsewhere
Hopes for finishing a critical climate summit on time faded as countries were still far apart on key issues, including an agreement on what to do about the fossil fuels. [AP]
A looming election rematch next year between U.S. President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump would be closely fought, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found, with both candidates saddled with profound vulnerabilities that could cost them the White House. [Reuters]

Daniel Cohn-Bendit, who had supported Macron since 2017, is now criticizing the French president for having given up on a balanced stance to place 'the center-right in power.' [Le Monde]
Media
Canadian advertisers are joining U.S. brands that are reconsidering their relationship with X, formerly Twitter, as hateful content has proliferated on the social media platform since it was bought by Elon Musk in October 2022. [CBC]

David Zaslav, the chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, was friends with some of the network’s biggest names. That didn’t matter when their jobs were on the line. [NYT]
He began his career as a lawyer but switched to journalism, working at The Idler and other magazines before moving to newspapers. Gerald and I were colleagues during the first years of the National Post. This is a wonderful tribute.  [The Globe and Mail]
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Sci/Tech
Americans’ Trust in Scientists and Views of Science Decline in 2023
The share of Americans who say science has had a mostly positive impact on society has fallen 16 percentage points since before the start of the coronavirus outbreak, from 73% in January 2019 to 57% today. [Pew]
Peter Wayner: Why is the language developers and DBAs use to organize our data such a mess? Here are nine reasons we wish we could quit SQL, even though we probably won't. [InfoWorld]
The Calendar
  • 0900 ET: Room B45 Senate -  Senate Committee on Transport and Communications | Study the impacts of climate change on critical infrastructure in the transportation and communications sectors and the consequential impacts on their interdependencies
  • 0900 ET: NPT - Deputy PM and Fin Min Chrystia Freeland , Innovation, Science and Industry  François-Philippe Champagne, Treasury Board President Anita Anand, Housing and Infrastructure Min Sean Fraser and Health Minister Mark Holland speak about the economy.
  • 0930 ET: Room C128 Senate -  Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples | Drafting report | Briefing on Indigenous Affairs
  • 1000 ET: Dubai, UAE - Environment Min Steven Guilbeault speaks to reporters about COP28.
  • 1000 ET: West Block - PM Trudeau meets with his cabinet.
  • 1100 ET: 425 Wellington - S.C. on Environment and Sustainable Development | Meeting  91 - Committee business
  • 1100 ET: 315 Wellington - S.C. on Fisheries and Oceans | Meeting  93 - Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing
  • 1100 ET: 225-A West Block - S.C. on Public Accounts | Meeting  91 - Drafting report
  • 1100 ET: 415 Wellington - Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the S.C. on Foreign Affairs and International Development | Meeting  42 - International Disability-Inclusive Education
  • 1100 ET: 425 Wellington - BQ Leader Yves-François Blanchet and BQ MP Alain Therrien speak to reporters.
  • 1100 ET: 035B West Block - S.C. on Canadian Heritage | Meeting  104 - Briefing with Sport Minister Carla Qualtrough
  • 1100 ET: 410 Wellington - S.C. on International Trade | Meeting  88 - The 2023 Strike at the Port of Vancouver: Selected Impacts, Responses and Port-related Innovation
  • 1100 ET: 025B West Block - S.C. on Procedure and House Affairs | Meeting  100 - Drafting report
  • 1530 ET: 225-A West Block - S.C. on Government Operations and Estimates | Meeting  96 - ArriveCAN Application
  • 1530 ET: 125-B West Block - S.C. on Indigenous and Northern Affairs | Meeting  90 - Bill C-53
  • 1530 ET: 315 Wellington - S.C. on Industry and Technology | Meeting  104 - Bill C-27
  • 1530 ET: 330 Wellington - S.C. on Citizenship and Immigration | Meeting  89 - Committee business
  • 1530 ET: 125-B West Block - S.C. on Indigenous and Northern Affairs | Meeting  90 - Bill C-53
  • 1530 ET: 315 Wellington - S.C. on Industry and Technology | Meeting  104 - Bill C-27
  • 1530 ET: 410 Wellington - S.C. on Justice and Human Rights | Meeting  89 - Bill C-40
  • 1530 ET: 425 Wellington - S.C. on National Defence | Meeting  87 - Briefing on the War in Ukraine
  • 1600 ET: 025-B West Block - S.C. on Veterans Affairs | Meeting  76 - Veterans Affairs Min Ginette Petitpas Taylor testifies on FY24 Supp Bs
  • 1830 ET: Room 225-A West Block -  Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying | Drafting report
  • 1920 ET: Ottawa - PM Trudeau attends the LPC National Caucus holiday party.
* S.C. = House of Commons Standing Committee

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