Pierre Poilievre has written another letter to the prime minister, this time demanding the creation of a strategic oil reserve like other countries have, never mind that unlike other countries that have said reserves, we are a net exporter and not a net importer (and yes, the US is now a net exporter, but they were not always, which is why they have a strategic reserve). The most ironic thing? This is just one more example of Conservatives demanding a redux of the hated National Energy Programme that Pierre Trudeau tried to launch in the late seventies, after the global oil crisis that happened then.

Of course, part of this has to do with Poilievre’s fantasy notion that such an oil stockpile, along with critical minerals, is going to be how he gets leverage over Trump in trade talks, and that it can be used to bolster allies—but only allies with whom we have tariff-free trade agreements. Never mind that it is unlikely to persuade Trump to abandon tariffs, which he loves. Never mind that he has no plan for how to pay for such a stockpile, and he would need to fund some kind of an oil arbitrage agency. It’s facile, and it’s deeply cynical, particularly because included in this demand are once again the insistence that we abolish environmental laws, because Poilievre has convinced himself that they’re just one big con, and that it’s a bunch of environmental elites somehow profiting off of said laws (because apparently there are no costs to climate change, and it’s all just in our imaginations).

Meanwhile, the Canadian Climate Institute published a report that says that once the industrial carbon price reaches minimum price of $130 per tonne, that it would effectively add fifty cents to a barrel of oil, in direct contravention to the pronouncements of doom that Poilievre and the Conservatives keep insisting that said price is doing to food prices and the economy. This after certain pundits claimed it would add $20 per barrel, which is of course nonsense.

Ukraine Dispatch

Ukrainian drones hit an oil pumping station in Russia’s Krasnodar region. Ukraine signed a joint defence procurement with Romania, that includes the production of drones.

Good reads:

• While in Yellowknife, Mark Carney announced $35 billion in defence commitments to the Arctic (drawn from the existing budget for NORAD modernisation).
• Carney is off to Norway, where he will observe NATO exercises in the Arctic circle.
• While in London, post-Norway visit, Carney will have an audience with the King.
• Steven MacKinnon says the government is still courting members of the opposition to cross the floor.
• Marc Miller has officially revived the online harms advisory group to consult on a new draft of legislation.
• Questions have been raised as to why the government said nothing about the fact that Canadian Forces personnel were at a military base in Kuwait hit by Iran.
• The government is promising $37 million in humanitarian aid for Lebanon in the wake of Israeli attacks (allegedly targeting Hezbollah).
• Treasury Board says the departmental plans for spending cuts should be released within the coming days.
• CBSA says that they cancelled 239 visas related to members of the IRGC, and that 32 Iranians in the country have been reported inadmissible and face removal.
• The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is concerned that the Bill C-9 is being rushed through without addressing their concerns it could criminalise protests.
• The Artemis II launch has been pushed back to early April.
• It looks like Poilievre has pretty much no presence, network or allies among Republicans in Washington, who see him as a non-entity who is going to lose.
• Conservative MP Sandra Cobena tabled a “stand your ground” bill to defend against home invasions, when it’s already legal to use reasonable force in defence.
• First Nations chiefs in BC are telling Conservative MP Aaron Gunn to “chillax” about land acknowledgements, as they do not affect private property.
• Vass Bednar details the problems of the American going to bat for the tech bros in resisting digital sovereignty pushes, and how Canada needs to respond.
• Bruce Arthur skewers the Travis Dhanraj committee appearance, and the online exercise in confirmation bias that it elicited.
• Paul Wells got his desired interview with Pierre Poilievre, and it’s a mix of letting Poilievre spout bullshit, while challenging him hard on some of his policy planks.
• My Xtra column looks at how banning social media for minors is really just age verification by stealth, which won’t solve problems and make everyone suffer.

Odds and ends:

For National Magazine, I did a deep dive into the new lawful access bill, and why it fixed a few problems while leaving a whole lot of others still in the legislation.

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