The Carney government opened the fall sitting by tabling a massive 243-page omnibus bill, titled the—wait for it—Building Canada Strong Act. Dear reader, I am beyond tired of every iteration of “Build Canada Strong” that the prime minister utters and names things with. Get some new adjectives. Please. I implore you. This aside, the bill covers three major areas—a promise to reform environmental assessments so that they only take a year; amending the Canada Labour Code so that they can try to head off labour disputes in federally-regulated sectors; and putting in place a trade corridors strategy that includes a council to monitor the situation with said corridors.
First of all: Steven MacKinnon claiming this isn’t an omnibus bill because it’s all related to the economic situation is pure bullshit, and he should be absolutely shame-faced that he tried to get away with saying with a straight face on live television. We’re not idiots, and it’s not great when the government tries to treat us like we are. Secondly, trying to fast-track environmental assessments is likely to just wind up in more lawsuits. Stephen Harper tried this tactic and it failed. And trying to rush resource-strapped First Nations through consultations on an expedited basis without providing them with more resources to do the work is going to result in more delays and more litigation. And I really, really dislike the notion that proponents can both just pay a fee when they disrupt fish habitats, because that just means it’s the cost of doing business and doing nothing for actual environmental protection. Or that they can start construction before project approvals, because then that just turns into “Well, now you have to approve it, because of sunk costs.”
Between this environmental betrayal and the government’s dubious actions when it comes to labour rights, they are trying really hard to burn all of their progressive credentials while claiming it’s because we’re in some kind of crisis, and because the country is still in love with Finance Daddy that they’re going to get away with it for a while, but that will eventually come to bite them in the ass, and right now, I don’t think any of them are thinking that far ahead. Burning the public’s trust is a dangerous game, and a Teflon leader only lasts so long before it starts to peel and flake, and turn toxic.
Potash
Also yesterday, Trump tried to troll Canada by saying he was going to get potash from Belarus for cheaper than he could get it from Canada, and that set off a whole bunch of people, clearly unaware that earlier in the day, noted ABBA superfan Alexander Lukashenko said that they don’t have any spare potash to send to the US even if they wanted to (to say nothing about the logistics of transporting it, since they are landlocked and it couldn’t go through the EU). But boy, did a bunch of people fall for it. Especially the “Blame Canada” crowd.
Setting aside the fact that Belarus wouldn’t come close to having enough potash available for export to replace Canadian imports, imagine thinking relying on **Belarus** to grow your country’s food supply was a viable option! 🤦🏼♂️
— Blake Shaffer 🇨🇦 (@blakeshaffer.bsky.social) 2026-09-21T18:58:29.803Z
My Latest:
- For National Magazine, I delve into Friday’s Supreme Court of Canada decision about that election nullification in Terrebonne, and the interesting 6-3 split.
- My weekend column worries about the chaotic state of the Alberta referendum.
- For National Magazine, I preview the fall sitting of Parliament and what’s on the Order Paper now that they’re back.
New episodes released early for C$7+ subscribers. This week I'm talking to @patricklennox.bsky.social about his new book, "On Treason: Alberta Separatism, Foreign Interference, and Canada's Survival in a Revolutionary Age" #cdnpoli
— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-09-22T00:26:01.392Z
Ukraine Dispatch:
Russian attacks killed five people across Ukraine on Monday, following the deaths of four people in attacks on Kyiv on Sunday. The oil refinery in Moscow has halted production following a Ukrainian drone attack on the weekend.
Noteworthy:
- Shannon Proudfoot examines Canadians’ hardening feelings toward the US in the lead up to the renewed trade war, and in the weeks after it began anew.
- Kevin Carmichael delves into how NAFTA helped make Canadian industry lazy instead of competitive, which was what the trade deal was originally billed to do.
- Philippe Lagassé reminds us that yes, the BC lieutenant government can grant a dissolution and call an election even if there is no opposition leader in place.
- Justin Ling ponders the state of digital asbestos regulation as the warnings of doom reverberates, and suggests more cooperation as a start.
- Althia Raj enumerates the poison pills in the government’s new omnibus bill.
To fight the far right, we need the center-right to fight, not imitate or pander to, the far right.
— Steve Saideman (@smsaideman.bsky.social) 2026-09-21T12:19:57.207Z
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I am so with you on “Canada Strong”. To me, its synonymous with right wing reactionaries and their version of positivity.
I guess you can count the CBC among those who fell for the potash threat. I just heard that on the national news.
I mean by that, a version of positivity that feels like bullying.