Prime minister Mark Carney was in Prince Rupert, BC, to meet with the coastal First Nations, and by all accounts, it was a welcome and cordial meeting, and most of what they discussed were ongoing projects and conservation commitments in the region, along with the promises of renewed funding for ongoing projects in the area. This being said, nothing has changed on the part of these First Nations when it comes to their opposition to a pipeline in their territories or on lifting the tanker ban. The prime minister’s readout from the meeting talked glowingly about the commitments, but what was absent was any kind of commitment in writing to respecting their right to consent to projects in their territories.

Readout of Carney's meeting with Coastal First Nations.I don't see any commitment to respect their wishes if they don't grant consent to a pipeline through their territory.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-01-13T21:02:12.244Z

While this was happening, Pierre Poilievre decided to concern troll that there hadn’t been any meeting sooner, which wasn’t going to get things built faster. Of course, this concern is false because Poilievre has already declared that any consultation he will do will be perfunctory, and that he will ram through projects without any kind of consent (and a former Alberta minister was on Power & Politics to again insist that the obligation is consultation not consent, but that is dated with the adoption of UNDRIP which stipulates free, prior and informed consent).

Quite the concern troll given that Poilievre has flat-out said he'll build pipelines regardless of First Nations' objections.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-01-13T15:20:49.737Z

Meanwhile, when it comes to the Pathways project that Carney insists needs to move ahead if a pipeline is to move ahead (while the MOU also states that a pipeline needs to happen for Pathways to happen), this is your reminder that it’s a scam that will only happen if the government pays for it (and it’ll only remove about 12 percent of production emissions, to say nothing about downstream emissions).

— Effin' Birds (@effinbirds.com) 2026-01-13T15:08:05.432Z

Ukraine Dispatch

Russian drones have struck infrastructure in Kryvyi Rih, forcing power cuts, while the attacks overnight Tuesday consisted of nearly 300 drones, 18 ballistic missiles and seven cruise missiles, hitting eight regions and killing at least four people. Ukraine’s parliament rejected former prime minister Denys Shmyhal as the new energy minister.

Good reads:

• Mark Carney has now departed for Beijing, while security experts worry that there will be economic re-engagement without sufficient safeguards put in place.
• Here is a look at the slow pace the government is moving when it comes to responding to the “deep fake”/CSAM problem with Xitter.
• The government’s current legislation that would outlaw sexual deepfakes is unlikely to cover the material being produced on Xitter, as they are not always fully nude.
• Statistics Canada plans to cut 850 jobs, which will include twelve percent of its executive positions. Other civil service layoff notices will also go out soon.
• The Privacy Commissioner found that Staples was not properly wiping laptops being sold pre-owned, meaning old users’ personal data were still on them.
• Scammers have started using MPs’ names and photos on WhatsApp to try and solicit funds under the guise of a subsidised housing programme.
• NDP leadership candidate Rob Ashton apologised for using digital asbestos as part of a Reddit AMA, including on answers about being concerned about said asbestos.
• Homelessness is increasing in Ontario, currently estimated at around 85,000 people, which is up eight percent over the year before (while Doug Ford remains useless).
• My column points out that Canadians can’t be too smug about Trump attacking the Federal Reserve chair as our own Bank of Canada governor is also under threat.

Odds and ends:

For National Magazine, I got reactions to the announcement by Justice Sheilah Martin of the Supreme Court of Canada that she will retire in May.

My Loonie Politics Quick Take points out the reasons why Liberals gave to weaken the rules around government advertising doesn’t make any sense.

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