This government’s incoherence with regard to its environmental policies continues apace, as Tim Hodgson told Vassy Kapelos that exceptions to things like the tanker ban or emissions cap could be made through Bill C-5, which doesn’t make any gods damned sense. Why have a tanker ban or an emissions cap if it’s only applied on an ad hoc basis? If you want to get rid of them (and with that tanker ban, be ready for a major fight with local First Nations), actually lay out a rationale for it other than hand-wavey nonsense, But seriously, Hodgson is worse than any Trudeau-era minister when it comes to being unable to communicate his way out of a wet paper bag, and I fail to see how he could possibly have been considered a star by Carney.
Meanwhile, while Alberta continues to beat the drum for the obliteration of environmental laws, they keep using examples where there are already permits in hand, and where the market has determined that they don’t see a business case to move ahead, which has nothing to do with government. But hey, why be honest about it?
Oh, and because this government seems to be pinning a lot of hopes on reinventing the wheel, there already was a pre-existing major projects office, but Carney has determined to recreate it under a different minister, just because, and not actually learn any lessons as to why projects take time or approvals take as long as they do.
effinbirds.com/post/7772964…
Ukraine Dispatch
Russia launched another massive attack in the early morning hours of Thursday, with 574 drones and 40 missiles, and one of the targets was an American-owned household electronics company based in Lviv, because they know the Americans won’t respond. Ukraine attacked an oil refinery in Russia’s Novoshakhtinsk city. And Putin’s demands include the whole Donbas region, and a prohibition on joining NATO or having Western troops in the country, which are clearly unacceptable because Russia has no intention of ending the war.
Good reads:
- Mark Carney had a “productive” call with Trump yesterday, even though no news emerged around tariffs (because there is no deal to be had).
- Anita Anand was in Washington to meet with Marco Rubio, and among the topics she raised was to object to the sanctions against ICC judges including a Canadian.
- Canada joined 21 other countries in a joint statement condemning plans for settlements in the West Bank that would kill a two-state solution.
- Canada, however, was not part of a multi-country statement calling on Israel to allow foreign journalists into Gaza, and to protect them once they are in there.
- Court documents have given more of a picture of what prompted the terrorism charges against four Quebec men with ties to the Canadian Forces.
- Former Harper-era fisheries minister Gail Shea passed away.
- Lucien Bouchard has warned the current leader of the PQ that promising a referendum in his first mandate will wind up being disastrous for the party.
- Wab Kinew says that the search of the Winnipeg landfill came in at $18 million, which was a far cry from the $184 million initially projected.
- Scott Moe wants Carney to meet with President Xi about the canola tariffs, possibly at the G20 meeting in November.
- Danielle Smith claims she was unaware of policy changes that reduced expenses disclosures. (Sure, Jan).
Odds and ends:
For National Magazine, I look at the recent trend to governments using Henry VIII clauses in legislation, and why it may be constitutional but still very bad practice.
Pretty much my job.
— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2025-08-21T21:44:46.604Z
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thanks very much for these posts. appreciate it.