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Apr 14 2024

Threatening democracy. Alberta growth. Persistent Wells: The Roundup

Apr 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
What we learned from the inquiry into foreign meddling in Canada's elections
 If one thing from the public inquiry into foreign interference is clear, it’s that China attempted to meddle in the 2019 and 2021 elections. But the evidence is hazy on whether or not it succeeded. Here’s what we learned over the past 10 days of fact-finding hearings. [CP]
Wesley Wark: In cross-examination, which was brief, the most important question put to the CSIS Director came from counsel representing Michael Chong, the Conservative party foreign affairs critic. Mr. Vigneault was asked whether the statements in the briefing notes, whether explicitly delivered in briefings or nor, reflected the outlook of the Service. This was the moment I was waiting for. David Vigneault did not hesitate to say yes--they reflected the view of the Service and, for good measure, his personal view of the threats posed by foreign interference. [Substack]
CSIS Director David Vigneault was asked Friday about two or three memos but this is the key memo that got lawyers in the room talking when it dropped last week. Read it yourself by clicking on the link in the headline. This memo was prepared for a briefing Vigneault had with the PM and his senior aides on Oct 23, 2022. Wark refers to this memo in his piece. Much is blacked out. But It contains some clear recommendations from CSIS to the PMO, recommendations that Vigneault himself affirmed during his testimony on Friday. - DA [CSIS]
[Facebook video] "More boots, less suits. Tradesworkers who build our country will bring home paycheques for our people when I’m PM"
During a recent visit to Vancouver Community College, CPC Leader Pierre Poilievre, in this video,  says he'd put more money into the country's colleges: "I want colleges to get their fair share. Too long we've put everything into unversities." I would note that he has also vowed that every dollar increase in federal spending in one area would require a dollar cut in another area. So would boosting federal funding for college programs mean cuts somewhere else? To university funding? Have asked the OLO.
As for Vancouver Community College, in FY23 it received $55.9m in provincial grants and $4.5m in federal grants. That represented 39% and 3.1% respectively of all of VCC's 2023 revenue - DA [Conservative Party of Canada]

The finance minister reiterated that her government plans to honour the fiscal guardrails it pledged in the fall, including the promise to keep the federal deficit capped at $40.1 billion for the 2023-24 fiscal year. But a slew of announcements ahead of the federal budget, including billions for housing and national defence, are raising a big question: How will the Liberals make the math work? [CP]
From the Provinces
Red Deer at 1 million? Danielle Smith dreams of a new Alberta metropolis
Growing a mid-sized city's population 10 times over isn't easy. It's the premier's ambition, but local leaders aren't so sure. [CBC]
John Williston, who served as regional vice-president for Westmorland Albert, noted his decision in a letter where he accused the party of losing sight of its long-held principles. [Global]
A very interesting announcement 👆. Outhouse had been (and one assumes still is) the campaign director for the New Brunswick PCs and now moves right inside the premier's office in a top advisory role where, one assumes again, he will provide advice on government policy with an eye towards its impact on PC electoral fortunes. - DA
Elsewhere
Israel hails 'success' after blocking unprecedented attack from Iran
Officials said that Israel and its allies have intercepted 99% of more than 300 drones and missiles launched toward its territory and sustained little damage. [AP]
Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the G7, has called a video meeting of G7 leaders on Sunday to discuss Iran's attack on Israel late on Saturday. [Reuters]

59% of public K-12 teachers say they are at least somewhat worried about the possibility of a shooting ever happening at their school. Stunning statistics. [Pew Research Center]

We’ve been tracking the politics of sports for 20 years by analyzing Nielsen Scarborough data, which includes hundreds of thousands of annual in-depth interviews with American adults. As our bubble chart shows, the Masters’ political ad blackout is a double bogey for GOP campaigns, robbing them of a prime opportunity to reach their high turnout Republican base. [Campaigns and Elections]
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Media
'People like me still have to ask and persist and search'
Paul Wells: Politicians are right. They can go around us. It doesn’t much matter whether we love that or hate it. It’s just a fact. But I’ve got a question: When politicians, businesses and other organizations go around us, are they doing it to get the truth to you by a shorter path? All of the truth? Well, let’s see. [Public Policy Forum]
The search giant is reprising a tactic it has used to battle similar bills in other countries, requiring platforms to pay news publishers. [Politico]

Employees of the agency AGI, owned by the state-owned ENI group, fear that it will join the media outlets already bought by Lega Nord MP Antonio Angelucci. [Le Monde]
The first ads in the Windows 11 Start menu will be very similar to the app recommendations Microsoft used in Windows 10. [The Verge]

X says the option to hide your verified status is 'going away soon.' It comes after X began giving influential users blue checkmarks whether they wanted them or not. [PCMag]
Science and Tech
The first technique here -- "mbasic" -- worked like a charm on my Mac desktop in Safari. Assume it would work on a Windows machine too. Glad to have found this trick. - DA [PC Mag]
Issued this day ...
… in 1986: Scott #1090 - Canadian Personalities: Molly Brant. Design: Sara Tyson
Here’s the bio provided by Canada Post at the time of the release of this stamp in 1986: “Molly Brant (1736-1796), known to the Iroquois as Koñwatsi'tsiaiéñni, was the undisputed leader of the Six Nations Matrons, an influential group of Iroquois women. She was also a fervent Loyalist and the wife of Sir William Johnson, Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Thirteen Colonies. During the 1776 American Revolution, Molly Brant encouraged the tribes of the Six Nations to remain loyal to the British. Later, after they had lost lands to the Americans, many of the Iroquois fled to Canada. Molly Brant used her influence with the British leaders to obtain new lands for the Loyalist Amerindians.”

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