Consider it an own-goal, as the government spent the day doing damage control over the statement by that unnamed senior official who declared that India was no longer engaged in foreign interference or transnational repression. Out of the gate first was Liberal backbench MP Sukh Dhaliwal, who condemned that official and questioned his suitability for the role.
This seems…unlikely, especially in light of reporting a few days ago that another Sikh activist had been warned of a credible threat to life. Either the government is naively believing India, or it is misleading Canadians with this statement. globalnews.ca/news/1170676…
— Jess Davis (@jessmarindavis.bsky.social) 2026-02-26T11:27:33.313Z
As the day progressed, more ministers needed to get involved. Gary Anandasangaree had to come out and say that no, they remain concerned about security issues, while Anita Anand went on TV to very carefully parse what that official said, and insist that they have an ongoing dialogue with the Indian government and that they are working toward dealing with these issues, and tried to very carefully walk the line of doing the whole “Everything’s fine!” line that Carney seems to be demanding as he departed for the trip, and trying to also let the Sikh community know that their concerns are being heard, but not really succeeding at that because their spokespeople were also on the political shows to talk about how they’re feeling like they’re being gaslit.
Honestly, this whole thing feels like another case of ineptitude at the highest levels of Carney’s government. He’s so quick to try and tout these trade deals and “strategic partnerships” that he both ignores real optics questions, and dismisses the concerns about things like, oh, human rights, or international obligations, or anything like that, and keeps bringing it back to his whole CEO shtick, which is frankly not a good look for a government. Things like rights and international law matters, and if Carney is going to keep sweeping this under the rug in order to get his hands on the dollars on offer, it shows those “Value(s)” he wrote a book about to be pretty hollow.
Ukraine Dispatch
Russia launched 420 drones and 39 missiles in the early hours of Thursday morning, injuring at least 26 people. It also appears that Russia has employed nuclear-capable cruise missiles as part of their recent attacks.
Good reads:
- Here is a look at what Mark Carney has planned on his India trip.
- The omnibus budget implementation bill passed third reading on division, meaning there was no recorded vote (since no one wants to bring the government down).
- Sean Fraser spoke about defending the rule of law at the CBA’s annual meeting.
- David McGuinty says that applications to the Canadian Forces are up 12.9 percent.
- At his own speech in Toronto, Dominic LeBlanc groused that internal trade barrier discussions are being slowed by “bureaucratic” processes in the provinces.
- Ahead of his trip to Washington, LeBlanc says that the New NAFTA review is not a renegotiation, and that we are already in alignment with Mexico.
- Mandy Gull-Masty announced $1.55 billion for Jordan’s Principle funding.
- Marjorie Michel announced $41.5 million for cancer prevention research.
- The federal government has reconvened their online harms consultation panel, in the wake of the Tumbler Ridge shooting, and will discuss regulating chatbots.
- OpenAI, meanwhile, is pledging stronger reporting mechanisms, with the underlying plea to not be regulated (which they absolutely need to be).
- The Defence Industrial Strategy won’t apply to the fighter jets or submarines (because we don’t build them here).
- Here’s a look at why Carney’s hope to form a trade bloc between the EU and the CPTPP members is easier said than done, and is going to take a lot of work.
- The nominated foreign influence commissioner said that he will be able to monitor things like Alberta referendum campaigns for foreign interference.
- RCMP spy Cameron Ortis’ appeal hearing is set for November.
- A Canadian who has lived in the US for thirty years has been in an ICE concentration camp since November, and has suffered from contaminated water.
- Chief Justice Richard Wagner told the CBA annual meeting that judges need to stand up for judicial independence (but didn’t call out Danielle Smith by name).
- Pierre Poilievre gave his major “foreign policy” speech…and it was pretty much just reheated leftovers of his previous policies. (I’ll have more in my weekend column).
- Conservative MP Garnett Genuis is trying to root out members of “antifa” from the civil service and armed forces (because he has to ride the American culture war).
- Jamil Jivani is offside from his party again, this time on food aid for Cuba.
- Alberta’s deficit is going to clock in at $9.4 billion and be even more dependent on resource revenues (because the UCP are fiscally incompetent).
- Supriya Dwivedi is critical of the notion that we should abandon the rights of Canadians, especially Sikh Canadians, to appease India and get a trade deal.
- Susan Delacourt considers Poilievre’s speech, and the fact that Trump seems to be furthering the cause of unity among Canadians.
- Paul Wells makes a few observations of his own on that Poilievre speech.
Odds and ends:
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