There were some movements on the environment front today, as Mark Carney admitted to a Radio-Canada year-end interview that we’re not on track for either our 2030 or 2035 emissions targets (we knew 2030), but tried to make the case that they need to find climate solutions in the current economic climate, which seems to go against what they’re actually doing, by eliminating the consumer carbon levy, weakening or outright undermining the industrial carbon price, and weakening emissions to make it easier for the oil and gas sector to produce and export more, which isn’t going to bring in billions because there is a supply glut on the market that will keep depressing prices. Meanwhile, the costs of climate change continue to increase, and will get even more expensive the longer we delay action.

With this in mind, Julie Dabrusin announced new methane regulations with the aim to reduce them by 75 percent over 2014 levels by 2035, which is great—except if you’re Alberta. You see, part of the MOU with Alberta means that the methane regulations that Carney and Dabrusin keep patting themselves on the back for don’t have to reach their targets until 2040, which means weaker regulations and longer timelines so that they can pollute more for longer because the industry whinged and cried that it wasn’t fair they had to spend more money.

Meanwhile, the federal government has signed a “one project, one review” agreement with New Brunswick, which sounds fine in theory, but the thing that I keep getting hung up on in competencies. Everyone keeps saying they don’t need two reviews because it’s “duplication,” but each level is assessing different things, because each of them has specific competencies, such as species at risk (provincial), fish habitats or migratory birds (federal), site contamination (provincial—unless it crosses a border), and so on. And there were already provisions for joint review panels, so again, I’m not sure what this is all about other than reducing the actual oversight because it would seem to be ensuring that less rigorous assessments are done than with a joint review panel, particularly if the provincial assessors are supposed to be assessing federal areas of responsibility, which they may not have the expertise in.

Ukraine Dispatch

Europe has launched an international commission for war damages in the invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin says a proposed Christmas ceasefire depends on the status of peace talks (which essentially means it’s not going to happen).

Good reads:

• François-Philippe Champagne was in Paris to talk up investment in Canada.
• The federal government formally launched their “Buy Canadian” policy, but it turns out that “Canadian” includes foreign firms who “actively operate” in the county.
• Treasury Board plans to ignore the recommendations on enhancing productivity in the civil service if they don’t include digital asbestos. (Seriously?)
• The Canadian Forces intelligence officer accused of leaking information to a foreign power was passing information to Ukraine that he thought they could use.
• Elections Canada says that they will make a series of changes to how they handle special ballots, following the review of incidents in the last election.
• FINTRAC has been on an enforcement blitz, levying eight times their previous record for fines and penalties. (Now we have to see if the courts will overturn them).
• The CEO of VIA Rail will step down in January.
• Here is a look at the ballooning paperwork requirement around tariff enforcement under the New NAFTA to ensure that auto parts get tariff exemptions.
• Skate Canada will stop holding national and international events in Alberta because of their ban on trans athletes. Danielle Smith responded with indignation.
• The two bills rushed through the Commons at the end of the sitting won’t be debated in the Senate until February (which is what happens when you delay).
• Those six MPs travelling to the West Bank were denied entry for “security reasons,” and one of them was shoved repeatedly by border guards.
• CBC has a wide-ranging interview with Jamil Jivani, which includes his reasoning for his anti-DEI/so-called ”Liberal racism” schtick.
• Anne Applebaum pans the new US National Security Strategy as the “longest suicide note in American history,” as it targets liberal democracy as a threat.
• Paul Wells talks to the US ambassador, and well, you can imagine how well that went, particularly his “not understanding” why we get emotional to being bullied.

Odds and ends:

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