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Feb 28 2024

Young conservatives. Garbage attacks. Uncommitted Dems: The Roundup

Feb 28, 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
Why are Alberta, Quebec planning to opt out of national pharmacare?
Alberta and Quebec both plan to opt out of the federal government's national pharmacare program, which Ottawa says will give all Canadians better and cheaper access to medicine. David Akin explains why both provinces are not interested, the reaction, how those federal funds may be spent instead, and how soon the federal legislation could be tabled. And, after this piece aired, the government formally gave the two-days notice required ahead of tabling the legislation so look for this, as I reported Tuesday, as early as Thursday. [Global National]
Support for the Tories was up one point to 41 per cent in the latest Leger tracking poll, which asks respondents for their voting intentions each month. Liberal support held steady at 25 per cent, while the NDP dropped two points to 18 per cent. [CP]
John Ibbitson: Frustration over housing affordability, interest rates, inflation and declining wages have powered a massive swing toward the Conservatives among younger Canadians. [Globe and Mail]

Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan said before the vote that it would be a test of whether or not the Tories truly support labour rights. [Global]
The only person to publicly announce that they are seeking the federal Liberal nomination in Guelph is current Guelph city councillor Dominique O’Rourke. During the Harper years, Guelph remained the sole red dot on the electoral map west of Highway 6 in southwestern Ontario. The riding has not elected a small-conservative since Bill Winegard won it in 1988 and became Brian Mulroney's science minister. The current Conservative party has a shot here but, in my model, whoever wins this Liberal nomination would squeak through by a few points if an election were held now. [Global]

Committee Report No. 16 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. These are the recommendations FINA is making for Budget 2024. [House of Commons]

Report No. 10 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence. [House of Commons]

Report No. 36 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts. [House of Commons]
From the Provinces
Immigration minister calls Ontario’s international student claims ‘garbage’
The federal government has responded to a growing series of attacks from Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his ministers over the imposition of a cap on international students. [Global]
Roughly 10,000 patients in rural Ontario could lose their doctor due to a provincial funding decision that splits a small town into haves and have-nots, a clinic director warns. [Global]
The chambers of commerce said a well-developed national pharmacare program could benefit Alberta’s economy in light of the ongoing labour shortages. [Global]
Elsewhere
'Uncommitted' option push exceeds goal in Michigan Democratic primary
The group Listen to Michigan has been urging voters in the state to vote uncommitted on the Democratic ballot as a protest vote against President Biden's handling of Israel's war in Gaza. [NPR]
... the danger for central bankers is that they get dragged into partisan battles to such an extent that it compromises their ability to deliver on their core job: keeping inflation in check. [Bloomberg]

Protection hub will offer legal assistance and technical help as officials report ongoing threats and harassment on their jobs. [The Guardian]

Supreme People’s Court spokesman says public can now access ‘limited’ archive of more than 3,700 rulings, which will be expanded. [South China Morning Post]
Media
Google Is Paying Publishers Five-Figure Sums to Test an Unreleased Gen AI Platform
In exchange for a five-figure sum, publishers must use the tool to publish 3 stories per day. [AdWeek]
After massive cuts at Bell Media and CBC, Vice Media announced last week that it would also be laying off hundreds of its employees, joining other media companies in the U.S. that have recently cut jobs. [TorStar]
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Sci/Tech
Apple Kills Its Electric Car Project
The car, which Apple spent billions of dollars researching, had been intended as a rival to Tesla’s E.V.s, which include autonomous driving features. [NYT]
Henk van Ess: What is currently not working anymore?
  • filetype:pdf search for PDF’s 
  • filetype:ppt(x) search for powerpoints 
  • filetype:doc(x) search for Word documents etc.
I frantically worked on some workarounds. Here they are. [Digital Digging]

The cases would have provided compelling precedent for a divorced dad to take his children to China — had they been real. [CBC]
The Calendar
  • 0930 ET: 025B West Block - The CPC National Caucus will meet.
  • 0930 ET: Wellington building - The NDP National Caucus will meet.
  • 0930 ET: Toronto - Energy and Natural Resources Min Jonathan Wilkinson makes a funding announcement.
  • 0930 ET: São Paulo, Brazil - Deputy PM and Fin Min Chrystia Freeland meets with G7 FInance Ministers and Central Bank Governors
  • 1000 ET: 225A West Block - The LPC National Caucus will meet.
  • 1030 ET: Ottawa - Immigration Min Marc Miller participates in a citizenship ceremony.
  • 1030 ET: Saskatoon, SK - Employment Min Randy Boissonnault makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1100 ET: 135B West Block - Environment Defence representatives speak about "Forever Chemicals"
  • 1100 ET: Ottawa - The GPC National caucus will meet.
  • 1130 ET: 425 Wellington - BQ Leader Yves-François Blanchet  and BQ MPs Gabriel Ste-Marie, Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, and Jean-Denis Garon speak about Budget 2024.
  • 1145 ET: São Paulo, Brazil - Deputy PM and Fin Min Chrystia Freeland meets with G20 FInance Ministers and Central Bank Governors
  • 1230 ET: Whitehorse - LPC MP Brendan Hanley makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1245 ET: HoC Foyer - Labour Min Seamus O'Regan and Rural Economic Development Min Gudie Hutchings speak about an energy agreement with NL.
  • 1615 ET: B45 Senate Building - Senate Committee on Social Affairs - Bill S-252
  • 1630 ET: 425 Wellington - Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) | Meeting  93 - Briefing on Recent Changes to International Student Policy. Immigration Min Marc Miller to testify. 
  • 1630 ET: 315 Wellington - Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE) | Meeting  97 - Security at the Borders Between Azerbaijan and Armenia
  • 1630 ET: 025-B West Block - Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) | Meeting  107 - ArriveCAN Application
  • 1630 ET: 415 Wellington - Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN) | Meeting  98 - 50th Annual Report of the Office of the Correctional Investigator of Canada
  • 1630 ET: 125-B West Block - Industry and Technology (INDU) | Meeting  113 - Accessibility and Affordability of Wireless and Broadband Services in Canada
  • 1630 ET: 330 Wellington - National Defence (NDDN) | Meeting  95 - Contracting of Consulting Services and Other Professional Services Within the Canadian Armed Forces
  • 1630 ET: 410 Wellington - Veterans Affairs (ACVA) | Meeting  85 - Transition to Civilian Life
  • 1845 ET: W110 1 Wellington - Senate Committee on National Finance - Bill S-233
Issued this day ...
… in 1962: Scott # 396: Education. Design: Helen Roberta Fitzgerald.

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