It really should not have been a surprise to anyone that Pierre Poilievre won the by-election in Battle River—Crowfoot by around 80 percent, which is why he chose that riding after all. But that won’t but an end to the back-patting about the “hard work” he put in, and so on. What I find particularly odd is this narrative that has emerged, from Jason Kenney and others, about how this somehow proved that Poilievre stuck it to the so-called “separatist” movement in the province, and exposed them for the empty shell that they are. Because I don’t see him having done that at all.

https://twitter.com/jkenney/status/1957815691299713180

This was a federal by-election and there was no real “separatist” presence, particularly when the ballot question in the riding was whether Poilievre deserved a second chance after he was defeated in his own riding. There was no actual separatist narrative being advanced, and even if there was, Poilievre basically said that they have “legitimate grievances,” which is not exactly a rousing condemnation. More to the point, those separatists are focused on the provincial level, because they know that they can wedge Danielle Smith internally within the UCP, because these are the same face-eating leopards that Jason Kenney invited into the party while he kicked out the centrist normies (and those leopards subsequently ate his face). Smith is the one giving these losers oxygen, especially as she has tried to do everything she can to ensure that they get the referendum that they’re looking for, so that she can play it to her advantage in trying to leverage concessions from the federal government. It’s going to blow up in her face eventually, but this has nothing to do with Poilievre and everything to do with Smith, so giving Poilievre any credit here is grasping.

As for Poilievre’s return to Ottawa, could legacy media be less credulous about his supposed change in tone, or his bullshit about how he’ll work with the government on “non-partisan solutions,” which in his mind is the obliteration of environmental legislation, and the other bullshit in his so-called “Canadian Sovereignty Act.” He has explicitly stated this outright. Stop pretending he’s going to act “prime ministerial” or “statesmanlike,” because he is completely incapable, nor is he willing because that doesn’t get him clicks on social media/funds in the party’s coffers.

Ukraine Dispatch

Within hours of the “peace” talks in Washington, Russia launched their biggest overnight attack of the month, with 270 drones and ten missiles, striking energy facilities in Kremenchuk and Chernihiv. But hey, they’re going to draw up options for “security guarantees” that Russia won’t agree to, because their goal is the elimination of Ukraine. (Why are we pretending otherwise?)

Good reads:

• The Air Canada strike ended after a tentative agreement was reached in the wee hours, proving that withdrawing labour works when governments don’t intervene.
• CUPE is nevertheless challenging the minister’s use of Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, and is hoping the courts will strike it down.
• Anita Anand is doing the thing where one expresses optimism for the role Trump can play in ending the war in Ukraine (even though it won’t happen).
• Gary Anandasangaree says the gun buyback will happen “no later” than the end of 2026, and that the foreign agent registry is on the way, hopefully this fall.
• Evan Solomon has signed an agreement with Cohere to help develop digital asbestos tools for the federal government (because he’s a complete mark).
• Five Canadian soldiers have been suspended after being caught on video at an event where Nazi salutes were being thrown.
• Here’s a look into China’s ban on Canadian beef, and why it’s ongoing.
• Charity watchdogs are warning about donating to MAGA influencer Sean Feucht’s “charities” after most of his Canadian tour stops were cancelled.
• Elizabeth May says she won’t lead the Green Party in the next election, and is starting the process of organising another leadership contest.
• Here’s a look at how Zelenskyy and the European leaders with him have learned how to manage Trump (mostly through obsequious praise).
• It looks like Doug Ford wasn’t telling the truth about crime rates around the safe consumption sites he forced to close, and now crime has increased. Shocker!
• The Alberta government will now pay for COVID vaccines for healthcare workers, but won’t make it mandatory. (Most of the public still has to pay, however).
• Legal groups are challenging BC legislation that would severely impact the independence of the legal profession in that province.
• Kady O’Malley speculates as to the procedural manoeuvres Poilievre may use to try and advance his bullshit proposed “Canadian Sovereignty Act.”
• My column looks at Pierre Poilievre’s capacity to learn any lessons after his election defeat and by-election win.

Odds and ends:

— The Beaverton (@thebeaverton.com) 2025-08-19T15:17:37.587Z

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