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Feb 29 2024

Lab leaks. Mexican visas. Putin’s warning: The Roundup

Feb 29, 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
Winnipeg lab records fight about avoiding ’embarrassment,’ not security: docs
Two scientists fired from Canada's National Microbiology Lab in 2019 had an "extensive relationship" with China that they did not properly disclose to Canadian officials. [Global]
The Quebec government says it has been told by Ottawa that the federal government plans to bring back visa requirements for Mexican nationals. [Global]
The famous "walk in the snow" that purportedly spurred Pierre Trudeau's departure as prime minister 40 years ago has taken on such mythical proportions in Canadian politics that it has its own Wikipeda entry. [CP]
 Le chef conservateur Pierre Poilievre démontre un « mépris profond pour la démocratie et les Québécois » lorsqu’il demande « à quoi sert le Bloc québécois », s’est indigné mercredi le premier ministre Justin Trudeau. Some good backstory from Quebec City that sheds new light on an interesting end-of-QP dust-up between the PM and Poilievre. [La Presse]

Daniel Blaikie says he will step down from his Elmwood-Transcona seat in Winnipeg at the end of March, after almost a decade in federal politics. [CP]
Le cahier de breffage préparé pour Jean-Yves Duclos à son arrivée en poste ne faisait pas mention de l’application. [La Presse]

The parliamentary budget officer says the Defence Department is planning unprecedented capital spending in the coming years, raising concerns about the effect of inflation. [Global]
From the Provinces
N.S. auditor general to file police complaint against provincial Liberal Party
Nova Scotia's Auditor General Kim Adair is going to police over "what appears to be" the Liberal Party of Nova Scotia's attempt to "conceal or delay" the release of information concerning the misuse of party funds over several years. [CBC]

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's in favour of establishing political parties at the municipal level for larger cities, suggesting legislation on the matter could come during the spring sitting. [CBC]
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs says he's surprised by the backlash he's received for his promise to give workers a one-time payment of $300. [CP]

Former New Brunswick cabinet minister Jeff Carr, who was shuffled out of the provincial cabinet last year for breaking ranks on Policy 713, says he is leaving provincial politics. [CBC]

The Liberals will remain the Official Opposition in the P.E.I. legislature, after Speaker Darlene Compton ruled on a challenge from the Greens as the first day of the spring sitting got underway Tuesday. [CBC]
Elsewhere
Putin warns West of risk of nuclear war, says Moscow can strike Western targets
President Vladimir Putin told Western countries on Thursday they risked provoking a nuclear war if they sent troops to fight in Ukraine, warning that Moscow had the weapons to strike targets in the West. [Reuters]
France’s finance minister, Bruno LeMaire, said there was no legal rationale for giving the Russian central bank funds to Ukraine. Canada's finance minister Chrystia Freeland, asked about this at a press conference in Ottawa Tuesday, said she supported Secretary Yellen's position. [NYT]

“The unifying theme of the results is inconsistency,” authors wrote in the study, published this month in the American Political Science Review. Their findings have the potential to blow up years of research that’s guided political campaign advertising best practices. [Fast Company]
Media
The Canadian Media Guild says it has reached a tentative agreement with CBC/Radio Canada. [CP]
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Sci/Tech

Artificial intelligence software can be a powerful force in helping government agencies that are responsible for managing and analyzing massive amounts of data, both quantitative and qualitative. [Government Technology]

The question today, however, is does Cook actually believe Apple will move the needle on AI after being mostly mum on the subject so far? Or does Cook simply mean Apple is breaking new ground on its own AI technologies this year? Knowing Cook, he most certainly means the former. [9to5Mac]
The Calendar
  • 0800 ET: Ottawa - Innovation Min François-Philippe Champagne speaks at the Mayor's Breakfast.
  • 0815 ET: 330 Wellington - Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) | Meeting 103 - Drafting report
  • 0815 ET: 410 Wellington - Justice and Human Rights (JUST) | Meeting  97 - Bill C-332
  • 0815 ET: 035-B West Block - Official Languages (LANG) | Meeting  89 - Increased Francophone Immigration to Canada, Language Obligations Related to the Process of Staffing or Making Appointments to Key Positions
  • 0815 ET: 415 Wellington - Public Safety and National Security (SECU) | Meeting 97 - Growing Problem of Car Thefts in Canada
  • 0830 ET: National Press Theatre - Immigration Min Marc Miller speaks about immigration levels.
  • 0900 ET: B45 Senate Building - Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry - Soil health
  • 0930 ET: HoC Foyer - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks about pharmacare legislation.
  • 1000 ET: 025-B West Block - Procedure and House Affairs (PROC) | Meeting  108 - Drafting report
  • 1000 ET: Gatineau, QC - Diversity and Inclusion MIn Kamal Khera and LPC MP Emmanuel Dubourg make a funding announcement. 
  • 1100 ET: 315 Wellington - Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) | Meeting  106 - Drafting report
  • 1100 ET: 330 Wellington - Agriculture and Agri-Food (AGRI) | Meeting  94 - Bill C-355
  • 1100 ET: 425 Wellington - Health (HESA) | Meeting  105 - Opioid Epidemic and Toxic Drug Crisis in Canada
  • 1100 ET: 410 Wellington - Finance (FINA) | Meeting 130 - Bill C-59
  • 1100 ET: 125-B West Block - Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TRAN) | Meeting  104 - Projects of High Frequency Rail Between Quebec City and Toronto, Between Calgary and Banff, and Between Calgary and Edmonton
  • 1130 ET: B45 Senate Building - Senate Committee on Social Affairs - Drafting report.
  • 1130 ET: Ottawa - Health Min Mark Holland speaks about national pharmacare legislation.
  • 1145 ET: Thunder Bay, ON - PM Trudeau and Indigenous Services Min Patty Hajdu make a funding announcement. 
  • 1230 ET: Ottawa - Employment Min Randy Boissonnault and LPC MP Anita Vandenbeld make a funding announcement. 
  • 1300 ET: Toronto - Deputy PM and Fin Min Chrystia Freeland meets with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami about Budget 2024.
  • 1300 ET: NPT -  Afghan and Iranian Women’s Rights Organizations representatives speak to reporters.
  • 1330 ET: HoC Foyer - Treasury Board President Anita Anand speaks about government spending programs.
  • 1530 ET: 315 Wellington - Fisheries and Oceans (FOPO) | Meeting  101 - Scales Used by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to Set Redfish Quotas
  • 1530 ET: 330 Wellington - International Trade (CIIT) | Meeting 96 - Free Trade Negotiations Between Canada and Ecuador
  • 1530 ET: 415 Wellington - Natural Resources (RNNR) | Meeting  88 - Bill C-49
  • 1530 ET: 225-A West Block - Public Accounts (PACP) | Meeting  104 - Public Accounts of Canada | Report 1, ArriveCAN, of the 2024 Report 1 of teh Auditor General of Canada
  • 1530 ET: 410 Wellington - the Status of Women (FEWO) | Meeting  99 - Women’s Economic Empowerment
  • 1940 ET: Thunder Bay, ON - PM Trudeau speaks at an LPC fundraising event.

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