The July inflation data was released yesterday, which means that Pierre Poilievre had something to say about it, and it was…mind-numbingly wrong and stupid. The data were not terrible—yes, it ticked up to 3.0% because of gasoline prices thanks to Trump’s misadventures in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz (and there was also an effect from World Cup tourism prices in there as well), but core measures (which strip out the volatile categories) are all hovering at two percent, and that’s a pretty good thing. This is what we want. Poilievre, however, wants to say dumb things.

In which Poilievre selectively reads this morning's inflation data in order to support his pre-determined but purely bullshit narrative.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-08-17T14:43:12.309Z

For starters, grocery prices. They are actually at their lowest rate of inflation in months, but when you look at the things driving it (fresh fruit, coffee, beef), all of it has fuck all to do with federal deficits. But that’s what Poilievre keeps his focus on. Federal deficits, and taxes. But the thing is, taxes are disinflationary, because they take available spending money out of the system. So, advocating for a continued or larger “gas tax” cut (and to be clear, they’re not all taxes, and won’t equal 25 cents per litre, which is another lie he keeps telling) is actually an inflationary policy. He is literally advocating for what he doesn’t want. Because of course he is.

Poilievre keeps fancying himself an economic genius because he watches crypto bros on YouTube, but he absolutely does not understand anything he’s talking about, and the tax cut/deregulate ideology he espouses got us into the mess we’re in as a society, where the young people he claims to advocate for can’t get ahead. Doubling down on those measures won’t help young people, but he refuses to change his mind, and when your only plan is to betray the audience you claim to be fighting for, well, I’m not sure what to tell you.

My Latest:

My weekend column takes issue with the gross mismatch in funds the government is spending on pipelines rather than climate mitigation and adaptation measures.

New episodes released early for C$7+ subscribers. This week I discuss the various legal challenges to the different oaths to the King. #cdnpoli

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-08-17T00:14:10.972Z

Ukraine Dispatch:

Russia struck the ports in Izmail and Odesa on Sunday night, after previously hitting steel plants over the weekend. Ukraine struck the Moscow region on Sunday, particularly the Wildberries warehouses in the area.

Noteworthy:

• Conservative MPs are telling the media that they don’t think Poilievre can win the next election, and that he needs to resign before they lose their seats.
• Justin Ling is frustrated over the government’s silence about just who is hiring local criminals to terrorize Jewish people, and sow divisions in this country.
• Ling also suggests that because there’s no trade deal to be had with Trump, it’s best to say “no deal,” and let Trump deal with the consequences in his midterms.
• Kevin Carmichael makes note of how few of our big businesses actually invest in R&D, which is yet another reason why our economy is so slow to grow.
• Jennifer Robson crunches the numbers on the impact of the provincial booze bans.
• Emmett Macfarlane walks through the Ontario Court of Appeal’s bike lane decision, and why it matters to the broader application of the Charter.

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