Mark Carney had a small Cabinet shuffle yesterday afternoon, counter-programming the latter part of Question Period, where he appointed Marc Miller to Cabinet to replace Steven Guilbeault after his resignation last week in protest over the MOU with Alberta. Miller becomes the new minister of Canadian Heritage, now dubbed “Canadian identity and culture and official languages,” because it sounds a little more like it’s holding the line against the onslaught of Americanisms. But there were a couple of other adjustments made to Carney’s front bench—environment minister Julie Dabrusin took over the responsibilities for Parks Canada, which were under Heritage for some strange reason (much of which involves the fact that they are responsible for things like historical designations, but which created all kinds of problems around things like marine protected areas), while Joël Lightbound was named the new Quebec lieutenant, though I’m mystified why that required a swearing-in as opposed to it simply being a ceremonial title, like deputy prime minister (which Carney does not have). It also bears noting that no one was put in as new transport minister, and that Steve MacKinnon continues to do double-duty.

Miller is an interesting choice—he was a good minister, and I’m glad he’s back in Cabinet, because he was one of the best communicators, hands down, in the Trudeau government, and that kind of frankness and candour is desperately needed in the current front bench where the rule of “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all” means that most of what comes out of every minister’s mouth is back-patting, if they say anything at all. But it’s also a choice that is going to ruffle feathers in Quebec because he’s not Québécois (though he is a Montrealer and speaks French, Swedish and Mohawk). There is so much anxiety around Quebec language and culture in the province that the Canadian Heritage portfolio might as well be a Quebec-focused one, and certainly there have been jokes floating around Ottawa for years about how if you got a meeting with the minister of heritage, he or she would tell you to come back when you were French.

Nevertheless, Miller is going to be responsible for some big files coming up with new online harms legislation, as well as a potential mandate review/transformation of the CBC, which didn’t take off under the previous government following the release of a discussion paper on the subject, and then Carney having his own ideas about what to do with CBC during the leadership contest, none of which has actually happened in the six months he’s been in power. I do think Miller will be suited to the task—he’s handled big, tough files before, and going up against web giants is something I think he can be pretty good at.

Ukraine Dispatch

Four people were killed and more than 40 injured in a Russian missile attack on Dnipro. Putin has again claimed that Pokrovsk has been taken over by Russian forces, along with Vovchansk, but Ukraine has not confirmed.

Good reads:

• Canada has finalised its entry into the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme, as part of joint military procurement initiative.
• Julie Dabrusin says the government is still committed to their 2030 emissions targets, in spite of it being pretty much impossible to meet. (Aspirational targets?)
• Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali there are no changes for hybrid work in the civil service, as unions claim there are plans for a full return to office.
• The government appears to have secured the cooperation of the Bloc in passing the new hate crime bill by agreeing to remove religious exemptions.
• Calls to the government’s tip line for abuse of migrant workers have quadrupled over the past five years, but that may be because workers are more aware of it.
• World AIDS Day was marked with calls for decriminalisation of HIV infections, more prevention funding, and new guidelines for prescribing PrEP.
• First Nations leaders are prepared for another round of resistance to a potential new pipeline to the BC coast, saying the government can’t ignore title holders.
• Here is more from Steven Guilbeault’s appearance on Tout le monde en parle.
• Elizabeth May says that voting for the budget was a mistake, and that Carney’s word isn’t worth much as he broke it with what was in the MOU to Alberta.
• Danielle Smith insists that the UCP isn’t a separatist party. (Sure, Jan).
• The Forever Canada petition was certified by Elections Alberta, and should trigger a referendum on Alberta staying in Canada, if Danielle Smith holds to her legislation.
• Susan Delacourt remarks on Miller’s appointment to Cabinet and how it defies the expectations that Carney was trying to shed the Trudeau era in a hurry.
• Paul Wells notes the fight over the perceptions of the MOU within the Liberal ranks, and how that is playing out with Guilbeault’s resignation.

Odds and ends:

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