There were a couple of longreads over the weekend that are worth your time when it comes to understanding where we are at with the current government. The first was a deep dive into Carney’s past climate “leadership,” from his time at central banks to the UN, and a pattern emerges throughout where much of this “leadership” was fairly surface-level. Scratch the surface, and you find a lot of on naïve assumptions around a market response to the clean energy transition, coupled with some arrogant beliefs that he was right and no one could tell him otherwise (as those companies he was touting were also heavily invested in fossil fuels). In the time since, we have all watched as Carney has systematically betrayed that former climate leadership, and continues to rely on a “just trust me” approach to that clean energy transition as he breaks his word with little regard.
The second longread was in the Globe & Mail about Tim Hodgson and his adjustment going from banker CEO to Cabinet minister, with his belief that government bureaucrats are essentially lazy and stupid, and needing to learn how to be politically sensitive to the realities that he has little patience for as he looks to secure deals as quickly as possible. Along the way, he is learning that things don’t work like that, and that there are plenty of other considerations that he continues to ignore, like obligations regarding First Nations. And how he continues to alienate the actual clean energy people in his own department, along with the part of the Liberal caucus that actually care about climate change, because hey, he needs to be Mr. Business. This is what “running government like a company” is bringing, and it comes with a hell of a lot of ideological blind spots, while they insist that they’re not being ideological.
As well, in year-enders, Carney has been criticising the Trudeau approach to climate change as “too much regulation, not enough action,” which goes back to his particular assumptions about the market and why the government wasn’t able to rely on carbon pricing alone to achieve its goals, Oh, and he’s still completely sold on the belief that carbon capture is the route to go, even though it only captures a fraction of the emissions from the production process (and none of the downstream uses), so the math doesn’t even work there. He also talks about “guardrails” in dealing with China, but considering there has been no hint of that with India, I’m not holding my breath.
Ukraine Dispatch
Following more Russian airstrikes and bombings in the Odesa region, president Zelenskyy says that Russia is trying to cut off Ukraine’s Black Sea access. Russian forces have crossed the border in Sumy region and kidnapped 50 villagers. Ukraine has signed an agreement with Portugal go co-produce sea drones. Here is a look at a Ukrainian artist who is reflecting the war through his collection and work.
Good reads:
- Here is a look at how the government has been backing away from commitments to regulate AI, both because Carney is enamoured and they’re afraid of Trump.
- More departments have been told to expect job cuts in the New Year.
- CBC has an exit interview with Canadian ambassador to Washington Kirsten Hillman, as she prepares to return to Canada and retire from the civil service.
- There are questions about the government’s new “nature strategy,” particularly as the existing Indigenous guardianship programme is about to run out of funds.
- Here is a profile of the four youngest Liberal MPs, all born in either 2000 or 2001, and what drew them to run for office and what they hope to accomplish.
- In a year-ender, Poilievre says he’s shifting his message to one of “hope” (ahem) and that he’s not just fighting for the sake of fighting.
- Rob Breakenridge looks at how Danielle Smith is planning a new series of attacks based on immigration, in part as cover for her own mismanagement.
- Susan Delacourt lists her five things that shook Canadian politics over the last year.
- My weekend column takes exception to Heather McPherson’s call to use the federal disallowance power on Danielle Smith’s legislation, as it gives Smith what she wants.
Odds and ends:
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