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May 14 2024

NATO spending. NB turmoil. Biden’s tariffs: The Roundup

May 14, 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
Defence Minister Bill Blair says that he is looking to replace Canada's tanks and purchase new submarines, but he still needs to finalize the "business case." [Global]

The combined federal and provincial shortfall is projected to run in the range of 1-1.5% of GDP this fiscal year. This – alongside busy capital spending programs – will continue to push up debt-to-GDP ratios from their already-elevated levels. We’d argue that some of this spending and investment is necessary given the pressures of a rapidly expanding population, although governments have less fiscal wiggle room to weather unexpected events. All told, new measures in the budget season may contribute marginally to overall GDP growth this year, with most of this impulse coming from provincial governments. [TD Economics]
Erika Alexander, the granddaughter of the country's first-ever Black MP, Lincoln Alexander (he was a Progressive Conservative) is seeking the Conservative nomination in the riding of Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas. The riding is currently held by Trudeau cabinet minister Filomena Tassi but my model has the CPC picking this one up in a tight race by 2.5 points. - DA
The riding of Oshawa, in my model right now, 👆 should be an easy 20 point win for the CPC. So the nomination fight is the de facto race to succeed Colin Carrie as the MP. - DA
The NDP have packed family physician Samantha Green as their candidate for the next general election. She will try to defeat incumbent Trudeau cabinet minister Marci Ien. Ien scored 49% of the vote to the NDP's 26% in the 2021 general election and, the way things stand now in the polls, Ien likely prevails but by about nine points. - DA
From the Provinces
'Can't imagine a worse situation': Turmoil, anger within N.B. Tories before election
Last week, the party's general meeting, scheduled for May 24-25, was abruptly cancelled. A party newsletter to members suggested candidates, riding associations and volunteers thought the time and financial resources needed for the meeting were becoming "distracting" from election preparation. New dates have not been decided. [CP]

McGowan says the final instalment of the $60,000 entrance fee proved to be too high a bar. [CP]

Two Ford government ministries made contradictory decisions over the release of health-care staffing information to two media outlets. [Global]

Federal Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre cast his support behind Highway 413 during a visit to Milton last week, blaming government red tape for the project’s long history of delays. [Brampton Guardian]
Health Minister Adrian Dix says the proposed law would amend the province's Name Act to ensure people convicted of dangerous offences can't change their name. [CP]

Riviera Bonneau, co-chair for Queen City Pride, says it was hard to understand why some legislature members would want to march in the parade, when their actions over the last year contradict support for the LGBTQ+ community. [CP]
The city clerk says the petition collected fewer than 70,000 signatures, well short of the 514,000 needed under provincial law for the recall to kick in. [CP]
Elsewhere
Biden sharply hikes US tariffs on an array of Chinese imports
U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday unveiled a bundle of steep tariff increases on an array of Chinese imports including electric vehicles, computer chips and medical products, risking an election-year standoff with Beijing in a bid to woo voters who give his economic policies low marks. [Reuters]
Following a major turnout dip in 2022, Native American voters are now a key target in the Montana Senate race, where their votes could make or break Jon Tester’s chances of heading back to the Hill. [Politico]
Analysts say Russia is adopting a so-called hybrid approach to growing its strategic influence in the Arctic, through research, increased maritime activities and tourism. For the inhabitants of one remote Norwegian community, the announcement of a new boat bringing tourists from Russia means more than just a few extra visitors. Henry Wilkins reports from Svalbard, Norway. [Voice of America] 
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Media
The CBC modernization panel has been named. Here’s who’s on it
The heritage minister has named a panel to modernize the CBC that includes academics and media start-up executives, as the Crown broadcaster faces pressure. [Global]
The broadcaster asked the regulator to "urgently" make the changes last October, saying the changes would provide "much needed flexibility" amid programming and advertising uncertainty, as well as "severely constrained" finances. [CP]
Science and Tech
Dubbed GPT-40, the upgraded LLM boasts faster performance, multimodal capabilities, a new Voice Mode, and more. This new free version will also let you upload documents and images for analysis. That's a big deal for me.  [ZDNet]
How Big Tech, startups, AI devices, and trade wars will transform the way chips are made and the technologies they power. [MIT Technology Review]
The Calendar
  • 1000 ET: Winnipeg - LPC MP Kevin Lamoureux makes an infrastructure funding announcement.
  • 1015 ET: Yellowknife - Veterans Affairs Min Ginette Petitpas Taylor speaks about federal child care subsidies.
  • 1030 ET: Lunenburg County, NS - Deputy PM and Fin Min Chrystia Freeland and Families and Social Development Min Jenna Sudds speak about federal child care subsidies.
  • 1130 ET: Lower Mainland, BC - Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks to reporters.
  • 1130 ET: Port Colborne, ON - PM Trudeau , Innovation, Science and Industry Min François-Philippe Champagne, FEDDEV Min Filomena Tassi and Premier Doug Ford make a funding announcement.
  • 1145 ET: Thunder Bay, ON - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks at an Ontario Public Service Employees Union event.
  • 1215 ET: Thunder Bay, ON - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks to reporters.
  • 1430 ET: Thunder Bay, ON - Indigenous Services Min Patty Hajdu speaks about federal child care policies.
  • 1500 ET: Brampton, ON - FEDDEV Min Filomena Tassi and LPC MPs Maninder Sidhu and Francesco Sorbara make a funding announcement.
  • 1500 ET: Winnipeg - PrairiesCAN Min Dan Vandal and LPC MP Ben Carr speak about federal child care subsidies.
  • 1915 ET: Quebec City - PM Trudeau speaks at an LPC fundraising event.
Issued this day ...
… in 1964: Scott #417 plate block: Floral Emblems and Coats of Arms of the Provinces and Territories: Maple Leaf Unity. Design: Harvey Thomas Prosser. 

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