Ottawa Observations: Tuesday-Wednesday, February 6-7, 2024

Our compilation of some of the stories of note from the day, reviewing the political developments from the Federal scene for  Tuesday-Wednesday, February 6-7, 2024

Hamas/Israel/Gaza 

Blinken says Hamas-Israel deal still possible even though the sides remain far apart 

Immigration minister 'pissed off' that Canadians' families blocked from leaving Gaza

Drone strike in Baghdad kills high ranking Kataib Hezbollah commander, officials say

Canada sanctions Hamas leaders as Joly says more aid must reach Gaza Strip 

Canadian officials still haven't see intelligence linking UN's Gaza aid agency with Hamas: sources 

Palestinian Canadians say their families are dying in Gaza while they wait to come to Canada 

Canadian Palestinian citizen journalist missing in Gaza for 2 weeks turns up alive 

Netanyahu rejects proposed ceasefire terms. slams 'delusional Hamas demands 

Supreme Court slammed after anti-racism advocates 'disinvted' from presentation over posts on Israeli-Palestinian conflict 

Fight against Hamas has all of Israel united

Toronto elementary school delayed telling parents about #KilltheJews graffiti, mother says 

The Palestinians' western 'friends' are the Palestinian's worst enemies 

Demands for hostages' return reach fever pitch as Israel-Hamas negotiations drag on 

How anti-Israel pressure forced out a Jewish cabinet minister in BC

BC Premier says Selina Robinson offered to quit twice over Middle East comment 

Jewish community offended by Robinson's removal from BC Cabinet: Advocate

Ukraine/Russia War           

Pierre Poilievre's carbon tax opposition is embarrassing his party on Ukraine 

Slava Ukraini am Yisrael Chai

Poilievre slams Trudeau as a 'big talker and little doer' on Ukraine as Tories vote against trade deal

NATO, US Pledge Ukraine support and warn Russia not to miscalculate 

More Canadians want Ukraine to keep fighting than seek deal  - but not by much: Poll

Globe and Mail

Liberal, Bloc, NDP MPs suspend ArriveCan hearing after reading 'scary' secret report 

On ArriveCan, Conservatives switch from prosecution to defence 

Trudeau Foundation probe can't rule out possibility Chinese donations part of 'influence scheme'  targeting Ottawa 

The truth should not be (redacted)

Foreign interference FAQs: What to expect from the public inquiry and how we got here

Peel Police charge five as they probe 29 incidents of alleged extortion targeting South Asian community 

Why the final stretch of the inflation fight is perilous 

Organized crime, including Mexican cartels, smuggling migrants to Canada 

We can all have federal workers' 'gold-plated' pensions - just expand the CPP

Ottawa's bid to woo a foreign grocer to Canada is a nothingburger

Can Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek outrun her terrible polling?

Naheed Nenshi feels like the leader Alberta needs right now

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he opposes puberty blockers for minors 

Liberals' proposed AI law to vague, costly, Big Tech executives tell MPs

Jagmeet Singh threatens end of pact with Liberals over Pharmacare 

Trudeau lumps Poilievre and Smith together as united in efforts to restrict youth transgender rights 

Five arrested after environmental protesters spray paint Prime Minister's office 

Federal housing advocate urges caution as provinces turn to hotels for unhoused 

China gains major Arctic foothold as Russia turns to Beijing more, report finds 

Health care workers want Canada to move faster on improvements, but a real fix will take time, says Minister Mark Holland

Conservatives call for Trudeau to resign over invitation to Waffen-SS veteran to Zelensky reception 

Public Safety Minister pushes back on opposition criticism over the country's soaring auto thefts 

Conservatives reject legislation for new trade with Ukraine in final Commons vote  

Canada updates free-trade deal with Ukraine despite Conservative opposition   

Pierre Poilievre vows to crack down on car theft with tougher measures ahead of Liberals' auto-theft summit

Freeland announces $199 million in support for low-income renters, shelters

Danielle Smith's sex-ed policy changes are putting all Alberta teenagers at risk 

Smith defends Alberta's gender policy proposals as Liberals accuse her of an anti-LGBTQ agenda 

CBC

Poilievre vows to crack down on auto theft with harsher sentences, tightened bail conditions 

Liberals proposed AI law too vague, costly, Big Tech executives tell MPs

NDP calls for ban on 'misleading, deceptive' fossil fuel ads

PM Trudeau invited veteran of Nazi unit to attend Zelenskyy rally in Toronto 

Jagmeet Singh threatens consequences if Liberals miss March 1 pharmacare deadline 

Lawsuit against convoy organizes moves forward 

Unions call for action after report criticizes values and ethics in federal public service 

Cameron Ortis, ex-RCMP official guilty of leaking secrets, sentenced to 14 years in prison

Montreal man charged with uttering death threats against Trudeau

Pierre Poilievre tries to walk a fine line on transgender rights  - and blames Trudeau 

House of Commons passes new Ukraine free trade deal over Conservative opposition  

Seniors unclear on whether they can drop their private dental insurance for national plan 

Toronto/Vancouver Star

What Doug Ford's insiders say about Danielle Smith's plans for transgender rights - and what it means for Ontario 

York Catholic school board director steps down, effective immediately

Pickering mayor slams councillor's Black history rant as 'racist' and 'unethical' 

13 overdoses in less than an hour: Belleville Ontario confronts an overwhelming  overdose crisis 

'Common sense prevailed': City Council votes to reverse tobogganing ban at 45 Toronto hills 

Pierre Poilievre says he's against Puberty blockers for kids and accuses Justin Trudeau of putting children in harm's way

Why Toronto's budget is lucky to be saddled with police horses 

Before the legality of tobogganing  came up at Council on Wednesday, thins were already going downhill 

A city toboggan ban doesn't matter when there's no snow on the ground

Liberals intend to include sexually explicit deepfakes under online harms bill

'We're not looking for placebo policy': Health fix will take time minister says 

Toronto Western Hospital getting more beds and operating rooms to help tackle wait times

Jagmeet Singh says he's getting 'a lot of heat' for working with the Liberals. Here's how he answers his critics  

Toronto Sun

Belleville's string of overdoses part of larger problem governments need to address 

Charlie Angus' bill to ban gas station advertising a joke 

Journalists now lecture us, contributing to track of trust in media 

Brampton home renting out multiple rooms, people living in car on driveway 

'Which one is the parody': Spoof Metrolinx ads seem to be 'relatable' to some

Social media firms can't be let 'off the hook' for deadly sextortion of kids: Eby 

A costly marriage of political opportunism 

Moral relativism will be our downfall 

Gun violence: Violent gun crimes on the rise in Canada 

Report shows Trudeau invited Nazi fighter to Zelensky reception 

Canadian military in shambles thanks to Liberals underfunding and woke policies 

If Trudeau held himself to his own standard, he'd resign 

Trudeau's bigger government not providing more benefits 

Providing MAID to the mentally ill is a complex decision 

National Post

'Stiff' 14 year prison sentence for high ranking RCMP intelligence leaker Cameron Ortis 

Leafs captain John Tavares fighting Canada's tax agency over $8M it claims he owes 

NDP bill would prescribe jail terms for speaking well of fossil fuels 

Pierre Poilievre says he is against the use of puberty blockers for transgender minors 

Alberta recorded eight transgender surgeries for minors in 2022-23

Liberals promise $28M for fight against stolen car exports ahead of summit 

Two soldiers at CFB Petawawa charged with drug trafficking among military and civilians

Next to the left, Danielle Smith is a voice of sanity on gender 

Toronto Police are supposed to protect and serve, not fear monger 

The Ontario government needs to get out of the booze business 

Global 

Puberty blockers should not be used on children, Poilievre 

CBSA will get $28M aimed at tackling vehicle theft as summit set to begin 

Can the auto-theft summit put the brakes on rising crime? There's optimism

About 25M pounds of asbestos, hazardous materials removed from Centre Block 

Ottawa 'not looking for placebo policy' to fix health care, minister says

Cameron Ortis, convicted RCMP leaker, will serve 7 years in prison 

House of Commons passes updated Canada-Ukraine trade deal with no Tory votes 

'Perfect Storm': BC Fruit farmers warn of massive crop loss after deep freeze  

Vancouver on track to miss its 2030 climate targets, council hears 

New allegations raised in civl suit against disgraced VPD detective 

Major street in Gaston going car-free this summer. What to know 

Notorious BC sex offender keeping overnight leave privileges 'not acceptable': BC Premier 

Eby zings suspended truck company: 'I hope they don't run into a bridge'

Surrey physician named BC United candidate for Surrey-Cloverdale in 2024 election 

New BC rules to restrict sale of flavoured 'nicotine pouches' to pharmacies 

4 years later, where is the promised school in Vancouver's Olympic Village 

Nurses triaged hundreds of calls from Vancouver Police in 2023, council hears 

'Flawed' VPD board structure putting police, public at risk, says director who quit

Miscellaneous            

Danielle Smith's Strange thoughts on 'Parental Rights'

Deflating BC's International student boom 

East Van Choosing offers community oriented vision

Why Vancouver should be a living wage employer 

Zombie Deer Disease is here, It's as bad as it sounds 

Robinson out of cabin over Palestine comments 

Why we can't take clean, safe water for granted 

BC apologizes to Doukhobors for 'a shameful part of our history'

Why so quiet about long COVD?