Ottawa Observations: Tuesday-Wednesday, November 22-23, 2022

Our compilation of some of the stories of note from the day, reviewing the political developments from the Federal scene for   Tuesday-Wednesday, November 22-23, 2022

Emergencies Act Inquiry

Attorney General suggested Emergencies Act in first week of Ottawa protests, texts reveal

Don't bet on Emergencies Act inquiry hurting Trudeau 

Mendicino eagerly testifies at Emergencies Act inquiry, despite recent fuzziness on facts

Acrimony grew between Ottawa, provinces over convoy chaos

Convoy lawyer ejected from Emergencies Act inquiry over interruptions  

Emergencies Act inquiry lawyer calls out an 'absence of transparency' as solicitor-client privilege invoked 

Emergencies Act inquiry commissioner rejects convoy lawyer's pitch to call witnesses on Nazi flag at protest

Security tightened for eight cabinet ministers and Theresa Tam before convoy protest arrived 

Mendicino says Lucki warned him of 'urgent' threat of violence in Alberta before Emergencies Act was invoked

Enterprise Canada pushes back against Nazi flag claim made by convoy lawyer

Minister Blair 'embarrassed' by Lakelse of police response to convoy protests, evidence shows

CSIS head says he supported invoking the Emergencies Act last winter to address convoy protests

Judge rejects 'Freedom Convoy' lawyer's racist flag claims as a 'fishing expedition'

Justice Minister David Lametti refuses to reveal key advice behind decision to use Emergencies Act

'Freedom Convoy' lawyer claims government conspiracy, talks over judge, gets booted from Emergencies Act inquiry

Border blockades tipped 'Freedom Convoy' protests into national security threat, Bill Blair tells Emergencies Act inquiry 

With Trudeau set to speak last, Emergencies Act inquiry's upcoming week enters grand finale 

Trudeau cabinet minister proposed using army, tanks to take back Ottawa streets 

Liberals discussed using tanks to clear Freedom Convoy protest 

Government fumbled its way into invoking the Emergencies Act

Minister Mendicino can't recall key facts, but had stories about feelings  

Emergencies Act commissioner rejects 'provocateur' theory by Freedom Convoy lawyer

Government never considered ending trucker vaccine mandate because of protests, minister says

Trudeau's national 'emergency' was a pure concoction of political convenience 

Woman says she couldn't visit mother before she died because roads blocked for Freedom Convoy 

Justice Minister inquired about using Emergencies Act just two days into Freedom Convoy protest

Executive accused of carrying Nazi flag to discredit Freedom Convoy denies being in Ottawa 

Canada, where traffic violations bring the country to the brink of collapse

Using the Emergencies Act was necessary if regrettable  

'Sloly is incompetent': Justice Minister discussed Emergencies Act early in convoy

Lawyer for 'Freedom Convoy' organizers facing libel notice over inquiry claims 

'Ungovernable': Mendicino says it was near impossible to enforce law amid convoy

Ukraine/Russia War

 

Russian missile hit water, power infrastructure, leaving much of Ukraine freezing and in the dark

Negotiated peace with Russia that accepts loss of Crimea is not an option, says Zelensky aide

Canada has yet to sell off any seized Russian assets for benefit of Ukraine

Globe and Mail

Ontario narrows list of candidates to chair the OSC

Interest rates need to keep rising to fight inflation, Tiff Macklem tells MPs

Shaw CEO questioned over motives for selling his family business to Rogers 

Alberta's Danielle Smith unveils $2.4 billion in measures to give inflation relief 

Trudeau rejects call from Alberta to fire RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki

Pierre Poilievre couldn't be more wrong on drug policy

Under the cover of the housing crisis, Ontario is pushing for more sprawl 

Saying no to cryptocurrency was a glorious moment for Canada's investment advisers

Former Harper adviser denounces Pierre Poilievre drug policy video in video 

Critics may scoff at Pierre Poilievre, but any politician opposing him should be concerned 

Scottish independence referendum denied go grounds the Scots no more oppressed than Quebeckers

Heritage Minister justifies controversial clause in online-streaming bill that YouTubers want changed 

Online Streaming Act won't cover user-generated content, heritage minister says

Belaruisan opposto leader asks for more Canadian assistance during visit to Ottawa

Ottawa should stop clinging to any hope of deepening trade ties with China

Good science, bad politics: The mask mandate dilemma

CBC

'Our children are suffering': Federal health minister calls for COVID, flu shots for kids

Alberta justice minister calls for firing of RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki

Exiled opponents of Belarus regime have a plan for victory - and it could start with Ukraine

'It's not just low-hanging fruit': Canada's Haiti sanctions are hitting some big names

Inflation relief measures should be well targeted and temporary, says Macklem

Former reservist who stormed Rideau Hall looking for Trudeau granted day parole 

Ottawa, AFN file court challenges on tribunal's decision to reject $20B child-welfare deal

Canada announces sanctions on Belarus as exiled opposition leader to meet with Trudeau

Federal carbon pricing to take effect in Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador

Trudeau says government monitoring after CSIS reports Iran has issued death threats against Canadians

Toronto/Vancouver Star

BC Premier Eby promises $230M in police funding for RCMP vacancies, new hires

BC Human Rights Tribunal awards $150,000 in child welfare discrimination case 

BC New Democrat housing legislation moves toward third reading after Tuesday votes 

Eby announces dedicated BC Housing ministry, as Opposition seeks audit of providers 

BC auditor highlights costs of 2021 disasters, pandemic relief payments 

Unexplained wealth orders will make life harder for BC criminals: compliance expert 

Vancouver City Council approves funding for more police, mental health nurses 

BC Premier wins labour praise for poking Ontario, rejecting notwithstanding clause 

Robbery, chase, shooting, crash and police response cause mayhem in Coquitlam

Puzzling revelations about Justin Trudeau's confrontation with China 

Canada's tourism spending may recover sooner than expected: Destination Canada

BC 'doing everything' it can to stop bird flu, minster says, as infections spread

Alberta's Danielle Smith puts on her best Ralph Klein - but can't keep the mask from slipping

Steven Guilbeault needs every ounce of resolve he can get to cut Canada's emissions

Move over Doug Ford -  King Charles could be the catalyst for Canada's next constitutional crisis

How do we protect democracy? These young Canadians are on the right track 

What's behind Pierre Poilievre's controversial drug policy?

Feds file judicial review of $40B Indigenous child-welfare settlement

Rejecting unproven claims prevents 'mob' takeover of convoy inquiry: Murray Sinclair 

Trudeau elaborates on what Chinese 'interference' he discussed with Xi Jinping at G20

Justin Trudeau slammed for response after allegations of Chinese interference in 2019 election 

Toronto Sun

Don't look now but mask mandates are coming back to at least one Ontario city

Trudeau targets hunters with gun bill changes that assault Canadian heritage 

New 'proactive veto' to be used only for housing, transit, Mayor Tory says

Yes, China interfered in 2019 and 2021 federal elections 

Canadian teen killed as twin blasts shake Jerusalem, wounding 18

Liberals think their opinions supersede the law of the land 

Trudeau gets tough on hunters and farmers not gangsters 

Ford is letting top bureaucrats stall clearing of health backlog 

We increasingly have a problem with extremism

Trudeau's denial on China's interference simply ludicrous 

Was Canada's 2019 election sabotaged? 

National Post

Trudeau says opposition creation 'false concern' as he ducks Chinese election interference questions 

'Bye to my son': Family and friends mourn Canadian teenager killed in Israel bombings 

China interferes in our elections and Trudeau plays word games 

Controversial online streaming bill being amended by senators after waiting more than a year 

Canadian murder rates reach new highs - and it's mainly due to gang violence

Are 16 year old voters in Canada's future?

Poilievre's anti-drug pitch is a failure of imagination 

Danielle Smith gets in the way of health reform 

Why there's absolutely no way Canada could pull off a military intervention in Haiti 

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith promises $600 per child, fuel tax relief to fight inflation 

Trudeau knows even less about entrepreneurship than monetary policy

Global          

'I feel believed': BC mother awarded $150K in child welfare caseHighway 5 reopens but RCMP mum on reason for closure, say investigation 'active and ongoing'

'Collective, highly-violent event' in Coquitlam Tuesday as two suspects still on the run

BC Children's hospital opens satellite clinic to alleviate pressure on emergency department 

BC government provides $230 million to RCMP to fund rural policing, specialized units 

TransLink program encourages employers to subsidize workers' transit

'Virtual kidnapping' scam prompts warning from North Vancouver RCMP

Vancouver Council bans staff from work on any future 'road tax'

BC doctors call for better access to 'special authority' drugs, including for diabetics 

Mixed reactions to BC's proposed lifting of Strata rental restrictions 

Salmon Arm still without homeless shelter for the winter

BC teacher suspended after lesson in segregation leaves Grade 2 class in tears, confusion 

Man wanted on province wide warrant arrested in Merritt after long standoff 

BC NDP housing legislation advances toward third reading

Lifting pandemic stimulus sooner would've limited inflation: Back of Canada's Macklem

Opposition calls for investigation into Ontario for-profit-group home chain 

Alberta justice minister calls for RCMP commissioner to be removed 

Miscellaneous            

Vancouver considers brining back school liaison officers 

The BC Federation of Labour calls for policing alternatives 

Making sense of COP27

Rise of the YIMBYs

NDP vows to fight against 'War on Workers'

BC Liberals target Eby's 'mismanagement' of BC Housing 

A three year strike and a bittersweet win for workers 

Vancouver's so nice. Where's the Graffiti?

Eby launches housing action plan