Yesterday saw the release of the Auditor General and Environment Commissioner’s reports, and lo, these ones actually got a tonne of media attention and took centre stage in Question Period, which is a far cry from most of their recent reports. The reason, of course, is that the topics were sexy—F-35 fighter jets and the ArriveCan app gong show in particular, the latter of which the Conservatives have been salivating over for three years now, which made the day pretty much insufferable as a result. But there was more than just those.

• The F-35 procurement costs have ballooned because of delays, pilot shortages, infrastructure, and inflation but acknowledged the Canadian government has little control over most of these factors.
• CBSA failed to follow procurement and security rules when it used GC Strategies to contract out work on ArriveCan, and didn’t follow-up to ensure work had been done before more contracts were awarded.
• Public Services and Procurement has been slow to modernise and downsize office space, and turn over surplus buildings for housing.
• Indigenous Services has failed to process Indian Act status applications within the required six-month timeline, with a backlog having grown to over 12,000 applications.
• The climate adaptation plan is falling short, with only one of its three pillars in place and little connection between spending and results.

I’m not sure that the F-35 news is all that surprising, but it does actually work to either justify a potential move away from the platform, or to reflect increases in defence spending calculations. The GC Strategies findings are also not unexpected, but one thing the Conservatives have been failing to mention is that CBSA is an arms’-length agency, so ministers had no real say over any of its contracting practices (as the Conservatives try to insist that any minister who had carriage on the file should be fired). Meanwhile, their narrative that this was somehow about “Liberal friends” was never mentioned in the report, nor was there any mention about partisan considerations, or indication that the firm had any connection to the government, so these are just rage-bait accusations used solely for the performance art, which is how most things go with these guys.

— Effin' Birds (@effinbirds.com) 2025-06-10T21:22:14.366Z

Ukraine Dispatch

Tuesday’s attack from Russia was one of its largest strikes on Kyiv, which also hit civilian targets in Odesa, and Kharkiv was subjected to a nine-minute-long drone attack that killed at least two and injured 54. Another prisoner swap took place yesterday, this time for an undisclosed number of sick and wounded soldiers.

Good reads:

• Mark Carney joined the Pride flag-raising on Parliament Hill, and spoke about the backlash against LGBTQ+ rights; Security funds for Prides are being renewed.
• Canada and allies have sanctioned two far-right Israeli Cabinet ministers for inciting settler violence in the West Bank.
• Cabinet has apparently not yet sorted out who will responsible for the online harms legislation that will need to be reintroduced.
• Evan Solomon thinks we need less AI regulation. (I swear to Zeus…)
• Here are a few more details about the recruitment and retention plans for the military as part of the increased spending.
• Afghan-Canadians recruited to help the military during the Kandahar campaign are now suing DND for not properly training or taking care of them after the mission.
• Chief Justice Richard Wagner reiterated that he doesn’t know who paid for the bust of his head in the foyer, but did explain why it was displayed before he retired.
• Senator Mary Jane McCallum, an early Trudeau appointee, has also joined the Conservative caucus (which is a very big surprise).
• Pierre Poilievre, aping MAGA talking points, is calling for “severe limits” on population growth (which totally isn’t a dog-whistle—or a fog horn).
• New Brunswick’s Auditor General says the government there hasn’t been maintaining their public housing stock. (I am shocked. Shocked!)
• Philippe Lagassé gives his assessment of the promised spending to reach the two-percent NATO target.
• Susan Delacourt wonders where the sacrifice is going to come from in order to meet Carney’s big-spending NATO plans.
• My column notes the lawful access provisions, privacy evasion and Henry VIII clause in Carney’s recent legislation, and calls it a red flag for bad government.

Odds and ends:

For National Magazine, I recount the Chief Justice’s annual press conference, talking about the rule of law—and the upcoming change to their ceremonial robes.

Also, say goodbye to the Santa suits. Justice Wagner says that they were worn for the last time during the Speech From the Throne, and that new ceremonial robes will be unveiled at the Ceremonial Opening of the Court in October.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2025-06-10T19:56:53.219Z

Want more Routine Proceedings? Become a patron and get exclusive new content.