On history repeating

With the Libs floundering in an election campaign where they considered themselves entitled to waltz into power and the NDP making a push toward the top of the party standings, commentators haven't been able to avoid some comparison to 2011. But that's always come with a caveat - that Justin Trudeau is no Michael Ignatieff.

To which we should ask: are we sure he isn't?

On a closer look, there may be more similarities to the Libs' position today and their standing ten years ago than has yet been discussed. And voters should be at pains to avoid the same mistakes that resulted in our missing out on the best Prime Minister Canada never had due to a save-the-furniture-and-torpedo-the-NDP campaign by the Libs.

In both cases, let's start by examining what happened in the election cycle before the one at issue. In 2008, the Libs under Stephane Dion took their usual rigid position against any cross-party cooperation. Even in the midst of an economic meltdown, Dion considered it more important to keep the NDP out of any power-sharing coalition than to replace Stephen Harper in responding to the crisis. 

But circumstances changed after Harper held onto power, then used an economic calamity as an excuse to try to attack his political opponents. And with the Libs lacking any framework for cross-party cooperation, the NDP stepped into the breach and facilitated an agreement which would have created a Lib-NDP government supported by the Bloc to replace Harper's toxic Cons.

Michael Ignatieff signed onto that agreement, if only begrudgingly. But once Dion was removed and Ignatieff assumed the Libs' leadership, he decided he didn't want to be in charge under conditions which required another party's support. So instead, he left Harper (and his antisocial judgment) in power to rebuild from the economic crisis, without requiring any accommodations for any other party's input. 

By 2011, Ignatieff had to wear that decision while having no record of accomplishment to point to. And so instead of forcing voters into a binary red door-blue door choice, he opened up the opportunity for the NDP's message of pragmatic cooperation to position it as one of the primary contenders for government. And we'll never know for certain how much strategic voting based on the Libs' past results may have contributed to the Cons' majority - though it's highly likely that Jagmeet Singh would have been one of the NDP candidates to beat out a Con competitor if not for a coordinated effort to back a Lib who ended up in third place.

Let's then look to the parallels in more recent events. While Justin Trudeau was able to hold power in a minority Parliament in 2019, he stuck to his party's refusal to discuss formal support arrangements, instead choosing to engage in Harper-style brinksmanship. And that could have led to serious problems if there had been any trouble getting support behind a response to the COVID-19  pandemic when it hit in 2020.

Fortunately, that didn't prove to be a meaningful issue. All parties were willing to work on at least some urgent measures - and more significantly, Singh and the NDP made abundantly clear that they were willing to maintain confidence in the Libs as long as they worked toward supporting Canadian people and implementing the types of promises which had been put on hold during Trudeau's term of majority government.

Like Ignatieff, Trudeau decided that cross-party support wasn't enough: he wanted to be able to unilaterally shut down investigations, and pivot his entire government's direction on a dime if he saw the opportunity to to do. And so he called an election which he thought would hand him a majority.

Needless to say, that hasn't happened. And there may be a couple of associated reasons for it.

Most importantly, anybody voting based on policy has had nothing but reason to be wary of Trudeau. It never made sense to try to run on promises which could have been kept in the existing Parliament. And the Libs' insistence on an unaccountable majority has only opened the door for skepticism that the result would be another Chretien/Martin attack on Canada's social supports.

But there's another aspect of Trudeau's choice which doesn't seem to have received much attention. If one buys into the Libs' raison d'etre that the essence of politics is the pursuit of power, then there can be no less defensible choice than to deliberately abandon power which one is already in a position to exercise. 

Both Ignatieff and Trudeau tried to justify their choices with the claim that they'd be better positioned to secure more power later on by choosing not to govern in the short term. But both have left Canada to problematic government in the midst of a crisis - and both have given voters reason to view them as less than prime ministerial in repudiating the opportunity to show what they could do with the title.

In turn, voters will need to recognize that a leader who has abandoned his post isn't likely to recover support in the midst of an election campaign. And particularly given Singh's work following in Jack Layton's footsteps as a leader determined to use every bit of influence available to provide for what Canadians need, we should be eager to take up the opportunity we missed in 2011 to see how that mindset plays out in government.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Crawford Kilian takes note of new research showing that the Delta variant of COVID-19 produces more severe outcomes (including increased hospitalization rates) even taking into account its increased transmissibility. And the New York Times looks into one example of the variant infecting students and families in a California classroom.

- Meanwhile, Guy Quenneville reports on the projections which suggest Saskatchewan will soon be seeing upwards of 300 new cases per day due to the Moe government's choice to let the Delta variant run rampant. And UCP House Leader Nathan Neudorf has come out and admitted that his party's plan is to try to maximize how many people get infected as soon as possible, while Timm Bruch reports on UCP MLA Angela Pitt's lobbying to actually ban employers from implementing vaccination policies.

- Damian Carrington reports on new research on the connection between increased air pollution and harm to mental health.

- Finally, David Moscrop rightly points out that we can't expect capitalists to protect us from the harm done by capitalism. And Katie Way highlights the increased recognition of the importance of unions in protecting workers' interests.

#Elxn44 Roundup

The latest from Canada's federal election campaign.

- The Maple examines how the timing and format of the campaign chosen by Justin Trudeau could hardly have been designed for lower expected turnout.

- PressProgress looks into the background of Lib candidate Mary-Jane Bennett as both a cheerleader for privatization, and a senior fellow connected to climate change and residential school deniers at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. 

- Jim Stanford discusses how the Cons' plans predictably involve crushing austerity for Canadians in the name of balancing budgets, but no plan to actually reach that outcome. Stephanie Taylor points out how Erin O'Toole is rejecting the latest round of global agreements on climate change. And Aidan Chamandy talks to experts about how that choice to backtrack would violate Canada's commitments under the Paris agreement.

- Meanwhile, Matthew Alexandris points out how the NDP's benefit for renters can put a substantial dent in poverty and homelessness. And Pat Armstrong and Hugh Armstrong make the case to build a truly universal and complete health care system.

- Finally, Loretta Fisher interviews Paul Taylor about the importance of working through the political system to make sure nobody is left behind.

Musical interlude

Eve Owen - Mother

 

#Elxn44 Roundup

 The latest from Canada's federal election. 

- Alex Ballingall writes about the NDP's task in translating the general popularity of Jagmeet Singh into votes and seats. And Gary Mason highlights how Singh's strong campaign is complicating the Libs' expectation of waltzing into a majority. 

- PressProgress examines the superficiality of the Cons' plan to give workers token representation on corporate boards compared to their real track record of undermining workers' bargaining power. 

- David Macdonald crunches the numbers as to how parents would be far better off with a real child care system than with the Cons' limited tax baubles. And Chen Zhou talks to climate experts about the Cons' platform who agree it's at best far out of date and insufficient to meet the current crisis (particularly due to the irresponsibility of conservative premiers). 

- Finally, Jackie Sharkey reports on the effects of Elections Canada's plan to discontinue the Vote on Campus program due to unclear logistical concerns - as well as the organizing efforts seeking to ensure young voters don't face undue barriers to participating.  

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- BBC News reports on the record COVID numbers arising in Scotland, while Josh Lynn and Carla Shynkaruk report on Charlie Clark's call for vaccine passports as the fourth wave slams into Saskatoon. Gary Mason discusses how overly-reluctant governments are needing to be pressured by their constituents to take any action at all to push for further vaccinations, while Zak Vescera highlights how Scott Moe is refusing to follow the lead of even other conservative premiers in doing anything to limit the damage. 

- Lori Fox offers a personal perspective as to why workers aren't eager to endanger themselves and their loved ones in order to provide restaurant owners and patrons with cut-rate and precarious labour. 

- Meanwhile, David Macdonald updates his work in determining who has funded COVID supports, and finds that the federal government has continued to foot almost the entire bill (though that should give voters pause about the prospect of a Trudeau government determined to bring existing supports to an end, or an O'Toole administration which would have been opposed to them in the first place). 

- Andrew Elrod writes that contrary to what's become conventional wisdom in the U.S., the primary risk to progressive politics out of inflation is the danger of overreacting and sacrificing people's well-being to the goal of price stability. 

- Cassandra Jeffery explores how producers, workers and consumers alike are worse off due to corporate control over Canadian agriculture. 

- Finally, Linda McQuaig highlights the massive gap between a public demanding strong climate action and a just transition to a clean economy, and their elected representatives who are refusing to do anything of the sort. 

#Elxn44 Roundup

The latest from Canada's federal election campaign.

- David Climenhaga offers a warning against Conservatives bearing gifts, both generally and in their plan for token representation on corporate boards. And the Canadian Labour Congress highlights how the Cons' interest in gig workers is limited to saddling them with far less retirement security and unemployment insurance rights than most workers. 

- Bradley Lafortune discusses the value of actually creating a child care system, rather than merely handing out money and hoping that will result in spaces emerging out of thin air. 

- Ricardo Tranjan warns against accepting definitions of "affordable" private rental housing which require upwards of half of a tenant's income to be handed over as rent, while pointing out the importance of public and non-profit housing to actually ensure people can afford homes. And PressProgress calls out Justin Trudeau's disingenuous attempt to cast blame solely on the Cons for severe cuts and devolution which were carried out primarily by Lib governments. 

- Seth Klein makes the case for voters to decide based on their assessment as to which candidate will be a champion for climate justice. 

- Finally, Chantal Hebert discusses how Justin Trudeau has become the candidate of petulance and gloom. And Angus Reid's polling shows that attitude is being reciprocated by voters.

#Elxn44 Roundup

This and that from the federal election campaign.

- Canadians for Tax Fairness sets out its platform for a fair and equitable tax system. And Katrina Vandenheuvel makes the case for a tax on windfall pandemic profits in particular. 

- Sue Capon reports that Revera's response to being required to provide basic protections to people in long-term care has been to start slashing staff. Which makes it particularly significant that Jagmeet Singh is pushing to nationalize Revera in particular as part of a plan to take for-profit operators out of the long-term care system. 

- PressProgress reports on just some of the appalling statements of Con candidate Arnold Viersen which have been deemed acceptable by Erin O'Toole, including denouncing even basic COVID response measures as "tyranny" while doubting whether there is any pandemic at all. And the Canadian Labour Congress points out how O'Toole is speaking out of both sides of his mouth in pretending to care about pension protections after working to eliminate them both in Stephen Harper's government and in the most recent Parliament. 

- Meanwhile, Aaron Wherry discusses how Justin Trudeau is failing to making any case for himself to remain in power. And Olivia Stefanovich notes how Singh has presented a compelling contrast to Trudeau for progressive voters in particular. 

- Finally, Luke Savage interviews Avi Lewis about the prospect that this election may prove a turning point toward a Green New Deal for Canada. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Rhianna Schmunk reports on British Columbia's application of a reinstated mask mandate. And Cameron MacLean reports on Manitoba's plan for both mask and vaccine requirements. But Adam Hunter finds no willingness whatsoever from the Moe government to acknowledge the cresting fourth wave, or do anything to keep people safe and healthy. Which is to say that it's well worth listening as Sarath Peiris makes the case for medical health officers to be fully independent to ensure that political motivations don't override public health. 

- Walker Bragman and David Sirota discuss how the refusal of employers to accommodate workers explains a substantial portion of the unvaccinated population in the U.S. And Brett Bundale talks to workers about their reasons for not flocking to low-paying and unsafe jobs in the restaurant industry. 

- Sara Mojtehedzadeh reports on the Ontario labour ministry's policy of ignoring the science behind COVID-19 in order to pretend workers are safe in obvious outbreak hotspots. Meanwhile, in case there was any doubt the state has taken the side of COVID, Francine Kopun reports on the death cultists harassing a restaurant owner who cared enough to implement a vaccination requirement - along with the refusal of police to do anything about an actual danger to the public. 

- Kwame McKenzie makes the case for a national plan to support mental health - starting with the social determinants of health which are necessary for psychological well-being. 

- Finally, Eric Posner calls out the fallacious assumption that corporate decision-making is more efficient than that of elected governments. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Tabled cats.

 

#Elxn44 Roundup

Noteworthy news and opinions from Canada's federal election campaign.

- Kiavash Najafi discusses how the Libs are struggling for lack of any reasonable explanation as to why they've precipitated an unnecessary election in the first place. And Jen Gerson wonders whether anybody in the Lib camp thought to question whether the election was a good idea. 

- Stewart Prest notes that this election is looking very much like 2015, only with the roles reversed between a Lib campaign attempting to brand itself with experience and moderation versus an NDP reaching out to younger and more aspirational voters with an appealing leader offering the promise of something better. 

- Innovative Research releases (PDF) poll results showing strong support for a government that takes better care of its citizens, including through a basic income and improved public services. 

- Finally, Justin Ling calls out Erin O'Toole's slippery posturing on "conscience rights" as an excuse to deny basic health care including abortion and services to trans people. And Andrew Jackson notes that the Cons' supposed promise of income benefits for working seniors (itself a problematic enough place to be intervening in the economy) would in fact be clawed back for many recipients. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- David Climenhaga discusses how Jason Kenney's detachment from the reality of COVID is leading to disaster for Alberta. Marilou Gagnon and Damien Contandriopoulos point out how even the beginning of the fourth wave is overwhelming health care workers in British Columbia. Andre Picard highlights the need for vaccine mandates to have meaningful consequences, while Rob Vanstone implores the Saskatchewan Roughriders to follow most of their fellow CFL franchises in mandating vaccines for their crowds. 

- Emily Mullin writes about the effect of COVID-19 on the brain, while Alison Escalante discusses the effects of long COVID in children. And Kristen Brown and Rebecca Torrence highlight the need not to assume we know more than we do about an ongoing pandemic - particularly when the downside risks of presuming we're safer than we are loom so large. 

- Rachel Gilmore points out the gap between anti-deficit hysteria and the realities of public finances.  Adam Tooze discusses the need to criticize wasteful war spending not as a matter of limited resources, but as a matter of grossly misplaced priorities and the creation of harmful power structures. And Isaac Stanley-Becker notes that U.S.' COVID response has been turned into a cash cow for corporate consultancies rather than focusing on public health. 

- Rebecca Solnit challenges the attempts of the fossil fuel sector to make the fight on climate change a matter of individual carbon footprints rather than corporate and governmental structures. 

- Finally, Umair Haque writes about the increasing influence of gleeful ignorance masquerading as enlightenment. 

#Elxn44 Roundup

News, notes and commentary from Canada's federal election.

- Heather Scoffield comments that there's reason for hope in this election based on the options available to voters. Jaime Watt concludes that Jagmeet Singh is ideally positioned to provide aspirational leadership in an election where voters are more interested in future plans than a referendum on the past. And Singh writes about the influence of Jack Layton's enduring legacy. 

- Bruce Anderson writes about the many unknowns thus far in the campaign, as well as the readily-available prospect of change. And Campbell Clark discusses how the Libs are the primary loser in calling an election without a purpose or shape. 

- Amir Barnea wonders why we're not hearing more about immensely popular wealth taxes - which are of course central to the NDP's budgetary plans, but being ignored by other parties dedicated to facilitating the accumulation of wealth. And Nick Falvo offers his breakdown of the NDP's housing platform. 

- Finally, Lori Lee Oates argues that we can't allow parties to green-wash their way through the election as the immediate consequences of a climate breakdown become clear. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Paul Krugman discusses the need for people who have been responsible about limiting the spread of COVID-19 to start speaking out and taking action to ensure that the reckless and nihilistic aren't able to impose avoidable disease and death. Adia Benton, Maimuna Majumder and Gavin Yamey write that the selfishness of rich countries - both in refusing to allow lower-income countries to produce their own vaccines, then hoarding the ones which are manufactured - stands to extend the ongoing pandemic until as late as 2028. And Ashleigh Stewart reports on David Fisman's resignation from Ontario's science advisory table due to Doug Ford's refusal to provide accurate information about an impending fourth wave. 

- Meanwhile, Paul Sakkal and Aisha Dow write about the importance of a ventilation revolution to stop the spread of COVID-19 through indoor environments including workplaces and schools. 

- Frederik Pleitgen, Claudia Otto, Angela Dewan and Mohammed Tawfeeq write that much of the Middle East may soon be uninhabitable as limited water reserves disappear due to our climate breakdown. Jonathan Tirone notes that newly-constructed refineries will lock in additional carbon pollution for decades to come.  And Kevin Crowley discusses how the fossil fuel industry is splitting in its response to global determination to protect our planet - though it can't escape notice that it's the worst climate offenders who are determined to double down on spewing greenhouse gas emissions.  

- Tony Seskus writes about the need for farmers (and consumers generally) to have a right to repair, rather than seeing major purchases rendered worthless by the whims of corporate intellectual property rules. 

- Matt Bruenig highlights how gratuitous Republican cuts to unemployment insurance in the U.S. led to added poverty and precarity without producing any of the promised increase in available employment. 

- Finally, Linda McQuaig and Neil Brooks comment on the need to tax billionaires out of existence, rather than allowing them to dictate public policy in the interest of extreme wealth accumulation. 

#Elxn44 Roundup

Links, notes and comments up to and including the first week of Canada's federal election.

- Shannon Proudfoot reports on Innovative Research's polling into how voters perceive the federal parties - with the noteworthy findings including the fact that the NDP is the only national parties seen as likely on balance to make life better for voters. And Darrell Bricker takes note of the reality that the Libs are seen as the party with a hidden agenda.

- tcnorris offers a reminder that minority governments' gambles on being promoted to majority status may not be as safe as they appear. Christo Aivalis discusses both the opportunity and the need for the NDP to play a key role in keeping the Trudeau Libs from an undeserved false majority. And Dru Oja Jay examines how the NDP has used the balance of power for the benefit of Canadians in the past.

- Luke Savage examines the prospect of an NDP surge (which seems to be playing out at least through the campaign's early stages). And Andrew Perez looks at a few of the factors in Canada and around the globe which were feeding into the party's momentum even before the campaign began, while Lisa Van Dusen discusses the authenticity which provides Jagmeet Singh with an important contrast against the other federal leaders. 

- Meanwhile, Jen Gerson discusses the importance of giving leaders more than one election to grow into the role, rather than throwing them away in the hope that someone newer and shinier will avoid the work of actually building a party and movement. 

- Finally, Maria Della Mattia offers suggestions as to how to make a party's values and ideas stick with the voters who stand to benefit from them.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- The Globe and Mail's editorial board discusses the need for far more Canadians to be vaccinated as part of any realistic plan to stop a calamitous fourth wave of COVID. And Marcus Gee writes that we're at the point where vaccine mandates are an entirely reasonable option, while Moira Wyton notes that it would be far more practical to set new baseline requirements before the start of the school year than after it's begun. But Kendall Latimer reports on the choice of Scott Moe - and everybody else responsible for keeping Saskatchewan healthy - to run and hide when action to protect the public is most needed. 

- Meanwhile, Andrew Kurjata and Shelley Joyce report on the health care workers fleeing their work as they face increasingly preposterous demands. 

- Christian Duttmann et al. study the reallocative effects of the introduction of a national minimum wage in Germany, and find a litany of positive outcomes: no loss of employment, increased wages, and the redeployment of workers to higher-paying and more-productive work.

- Finally, Chen Zhou asks when Canada's actions and policy choices will come within shouting distance of its rhetoric when it comes to fighting climate change. And Kate Yoder discusses the long-overdue transition toward media coverage which treats the climate breakdown as the undisputed problem it is, rather than going out of its way to bothsides an existential crisis for humanity.

Musical interlude

Tove Lo - Sweettalk My Heart

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Kai Kupferschmidt discusses how the Delta variant has caused responsible governments to radically change their response to the COVID in the face of increased risks - and how we can expect future variants to complicate the picture further. And Smitri Mallapaty notes that the Delta variant in particular has been spread primarily by pre-symptomatic carriers, making individual self-isolation insufficient to stop any spread. 

- PressProgress highlights how Doug Ford is trying to use the surgical backlog created by his own negligent response to COVID as an excuse to privatize essential health services. 

- Greta Thunberg and other youth climate activists question why world leaders (and other adults) appear determined to leave a damaged planet behind for their generation. And George Monbiot asks why life on Earth is still being treated as a less important consideration than fossil fuel profits. 

- But Sean Holman points out how Canada's media has fallen even below the standards of the U.S. in responding to ground-breaking news about the climate crisis. And Christian Favreau exposes the emergence of a "deep oil state" as fossil fuel corporations have engaged in even more lobbying under the Trudeau government than they did when the Harper Cons were in power as part of their push for massive subsidies and weak climate policy. 

- Finally, David Shields reports on how the Saskatchewan Party's policy on homelessness is to create more of it by ramming through changes to insufficient social benefits which will likely push people out on the streets. 

On time-shifting

There's been some discussion about parts of Canada's federal election campaign which are surfacing somewhat earlier than usual - ranging from party platforms (with the notable exception of the Libs'), to typical late-campaign scare tactics. But it's worth noting that there's obvious reason to make closing arguments from almost the beginning of the campaign - as well as a need for parties to consider what the means as the campaign progresses. 

The provincial elections held in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic have generally seen both a continuation of the trend toward increased advance voting, and a substantial increase in the use of mail-in ballots. But by the time the votes have been counted, the overall turnout hasn't been all that strong.  

And that combination of increased early voting and decreased election-day turnout raises important considerations for campaign. 

First, it means that persuasion in the opening days of the campaign will actually serve to lock in votes early - or conversely, that a failure to reach people by that stage could put them out of reach for the duration of the campaign. And so even to the extent a party might otherwise be tempted to hold off on messages or platforms to reduce the time in which they can be picked apart, the balance tilts strongly in favour of ensuring that early voters have a chance to see what's on offer. 

By the same token, the events which would normally be seen as shaping the outcome of an election - from debates to gaffes to movements behind a particular leader - are all likely to have comparatively less effect than in previous elections due to the votes which have already been banked by the time they would take place. 

At the same time, while those most motivated to vote need to be reached with persuasive messages early in the campaign, the voters left to be accessed on election day are then likely to be those who have put relatively little thought into how to vote as a matter of both partisan support and process. (This factor looms particularly large given the prospect of a COVID wave increasing the risk of attending any remotely busy polling station.)

That doesn't reduce the need to be perceived building momentum in the course of the campaign, or eliminate altogether the prospect of a late-campaign shift. But it does mean that the message for election-day voters may need to focus more than usual on making the case for people to vote at all - while at the same time taking into account the risk that relatively unmotivated voters may be tired of the campaign by then. 

We'll find out in time whether the federal campaign follows the pattern set at the provincial level. And it may be that a national-level air war leads to somewhat different results. But we shouldn't be surprised to see an "always be closing" principle applied in a campaign where potentially decisive votes may be cast long before election day. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Scott Larson reports on the continually rising number of active COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan. Lauren Pelley discusses the likelihood that even fully-vaccinated people will be exposed to COVID infection - particularly if public health measures aren't maintained or put back in place. And Alexander Wong and Carla Holinaty comment on the importance of health protections in schools in particular. 

- Agence France-Presse reports on the WHO's justified condemnation of the promotion of "booster" vaccine shots while much of the world waits for its first access to vaccines. And Geoffrey York reports that even Johnson & Johnson vaccines produced in Africa have been secretly diverted to Europe to chase profits rather than supporting public health. 

- Andrew Nikiforuk points out the connection between wildfires and the ongoing pandemic, as increased air pollution exacerbates the effects of the coronavirus while increased indoor activity promotes its spread. 

- Cameron Fenton makes the case for Canada's federal election to be all about climate change, while Danielle Groen outlines a few environmental issues which demand our attention. And David Roberts looks at new research showing how climate tipping points affect the social cost of carbon - and finds that we may be valuing the cost of carbon pollution at half (or less) of its actual economic impact. 

- Meanwhile, Jorge Barrera exposes how Trans Mountain is engaged in surveillance and monitoring of environmental activists. 

- Finally, Jennifer Scott discusses the need for gig workers to be heard in consultations on the future of work - based on both the struggles they're facing now, and the likelihood that new types of employers will try to impose precarity on their own workforces. And Greg Jericho highlights how poor wage performance in Australia (like elsewhere) is the result of structural forces, including governments' refusals to bargain fairly with public servants. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Mickey Djuric reports on Saskatchewan's alarmingly high rate of positive COVID-19 tests as students prepare to return to school. And Heidi Atter reports on the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation's call for mandatory vaccination to minimize the all-too-predictable spread in the school environment. 

- PressProgress notes that Justin Trudeau's campaign message about COVID benefits is based primarily on the CERB and other supports which he had to be pressured to provide in the first place, and which are gone or disappearing even as a fourth wave hits. But while any temporary gains for many workers have been reversed, David Macdonald and Alicia Massie document how the CEO class took advantage of the pandemic to rewrite bonus formulas in their favour. 

- Meanwhile, Joe Ryle makes the case as to how a four-day work week (without loss of pay) could lead to both a reduction in carbon emissions and a healthier environment for workers. 

- The Economist highlights new research showing a strong correlation between resource extraction and political corruption. Paul Krugman highlights the faulty economic assumptions of fossil fuel defenders. And Fitsum Areguy exposes how Canada enabled mining companies profiting from extraction linked to war and human rights abuses in Ethopia.  

- Finally, Jeremy Appel writes about the surveillance and psychological manipulation techniques used by the Canadian military in Afghanistan which are now being turned against the public domestically. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Sun-lounging cats.

COVID Zero, NDP Majority

Since it doesn't seem to have received the attention it deserves, I'll take the opportunity to highlight what may be the most important suggestion of Canada's election campaign so far:

Thinking about it, the NDP should run on "we'll take control of health from the provinces and crush Covid."

It's a perfect vote splitter, the Libs and Cons can't run on it, so even if it's not majority pop, it's a winner.

— Ian Welsh (@iwelsh) August 16, 2021

With occasional exceptions, Canadian politicians have fallen far behind the public in their willingness to prioritize health and well-being over "business as usual". And people now facing a fourth wave resulting largely from the false declaration that the pandemic was over should be particularly receptive to the message that the national interest in an emergency should far outweigh the whims of irresponsible premiers. 

Of course, it's well and good to have the strongest message when it comes to the measures which are already under discussion by other parties. But we should expect the NDP's opponents to continue to lie through their teeth about its position in order to generate confusion - and that's fairly easy to do when the only question is who deserves the most credit for relatively similar positions. 

As a result, the best option for the NDP - both to set itself apart from a political standpoint, and to set the most positive possible direction from a public health standpoint - is to highlight how far that discussion lies from what can be accomplished by a government truly dedicated to the health of its population. And the end result could be to take the Libs' choice of ballot questions, and turn it into a winning issue for both the NDP and the country. 

[Edit: fixed typo.]

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Janet French reports on Alberta's appalling move toward a see-no-COVID, speak-no-COVID policy as a substitute for basic precautions in schools. Gabriella Fourie highlights why a rush toward a social "normal" would pose problems for many people even if it wasn't linked to and impending new wave arising out of the spread of dangerous new variants. And Katharine Smart writes about the need for us to act like grown-ups in order to protect our children. 

- Jonathan Watts reports on polling showing a supermajority of people in the G20 recognizing the severity of our impending climate breakdown and wanting to see survival and well-being prioritized over oil profits. Lauren Fuge examines the mortality cost of carbon as an alternative and compelling measure of the harm we inflict on ourselves by insisting on the opposite. Andrew Freedman makes the case for a realistic view of what we can still do, rather than throwing up our hands as avoidable damage continues. Rebecca Solnit writes that we know perfectly well what we need to do to rein in the climate crisis, while Matt Simon emphasizes the importance of limiting methane emissions in particular. And Merran Smith and Trevor Melanson remind us that Western Canadians - including fossil fuel industry workers - are more than ready for a transition to a sustainable economy. 

- John Last reports on the extreme concentration of housing in Canada's North in the hands of one exploitative private operator. 

- Finally, Zak Vescera reports on Saskatchewan's continuing lack of psychiatric care - and the lives being lost as a result. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Guy Quenneville discusses takeaways from the latest COVID town hall for physicians - including how Saskatchewan health care workers are burning out even before a fourth wave hits with full force. Joshua Freeman reports on the Ontario Medical Association's call for mandatory vaccination of education workers. And in case there was any question that it's possible to do far more to prevent future waves from developing, Juliana Kaplan discusses a new Oxfam report showing how a one-time tax on windfall pandemic profits could fund the vaccination of every person on the planet while also providing large supports to every unemployed person on Earth. 

- Ryan Mulcahy interviews Peter Huybers about the latest IPCC report - including the significance of irreversible effects on our environment, and a brief look at how to respond. And Rick Smith offers an optimistic take on what we can still do to decarbonize and avoid the worst of the anticipated climate crisis. 

- Michael Mann writes that while everybody has reason to be concerned about the future being defined by a climate breakdown, fossil fuel executives should be petrified due to their existing responsibility for it. And the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that fossil fuel culture needs to end now.

- Finally, Terry Slavin reports on the massive gap between reported methane emissions and the actual carbon pollution spewed by the fossil fuel sector. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Doug Cuthand calls out the Kenney and Moe governments for prematurely and irresponsibly declaring victory over COVID rather than paying any attention to how they've put their citizens at risk. And Nesrine Malik highlights how decades of anti-government rhetoric have laid the groundwork for vaccine hesitancy in the midst of a pandemic.

- Darren Shore reviews Jonathan Gauvin and Angella MacEwen's Share the Wealth as an important read in understanding both the reality of wealth inequality, and the policy choices which can address it. Kim Siever discusses the overwhelming popular support for the principle that the wealthy should pay their fair share. And Katherine Scott examines the NDP's pre-campaign policy commitments in addressing social and economic inequality. 

- Sask Dispatch comments on the need to start talking about - and planning for - the failure of the climate system we've relied up to support us. And Jeremy Corbyn discusses how climate change is a class issue - both in its disproportionate impact on vulnerable people, and the need for class struggle to combat it.

- Finally, Jason Vermes reports on the reality that the growth of global temperatures is only accelerating even as the base temperature reaches higher levels than any seen in recorded history. And Bonnie Allen and Theresa Kliem report on what's becoming one of the worst droughts in Canadian history - even as farmers are forced to brace for the prospect of it turning into the new normal.

Relentless

The Libs' choice of themes to start off a needless federal election campaign is telling mostly in the contast it presents between their self-image, and the obvious realities facing people living under their government.

After all, there are plenty of issues which have been properly described as "relentless".

‘Relentless’ climate crisis intensified in 2020, says UN report | Climate change | The Guardian https://t.co/bhZL7k4K0T

— Reto Knutti (@Knutti_ETH) April 19, 2021

For example, there's the climate crisis which is approaching worst-case scenarios, even as the Libs' plans fall short of meeting the targets they once (rightly) slammed as far insufficient.

New cases of COVID-19 continue to climb. The relentless march of the Delta variant, particularly in states with low vaccination rates, is to blame.

More here: https://t.co/zoSI0rL92s#COVID19 #COVID #SCDHEC #AU #UniversityHospital #DoctorsHospital #AUHealth #theaugustapress

— The Augusta press (@AugustaPress) August 6, 2021

There's the ongoing - and indeed escalating - pandemic which the Libs have chosen to gloss over in their pursuit of unfettered power.

Would you like an optimistic take on the Canadian housing market? Well, too bad! https://t.co/zNn0sU2KtA by @mattgurney #onpoli #cdnpoli

— The Agenda | TVO (@TheAgenda) August 12, 2021

There's an escalating affordability crisis, including a lack of access to housing exacerbated by the Libs' choice to fund returns for developers rather than homes for people who need them.

Alex Hemingway: One year later: Canadian billionaire wealth up by $78 billion, via @VancouverSun https://t.co/5fQwEmiQ1H

— Seth Klein (@SethDKlein) April 19, 2021

And there's the massive concentration of wealth in the hands of billionaires, even as an outright majority of Canada's population teeters on the brink of insolvency.

In the face of those problems which actually pose constant threats to our health and well-being, the Libs' consistent response has been...to do as little as they can get away with, while focusing on what matters more to them. And if Trudeau manages to grab another majority, we can look forward to four more years of his relentlessly shirking his responsibility to look out for the well-being of Canadians.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- The editorial boards of the Leader-Post and Star-Phoenix discuss the individual math which makes the case for vaccination compelling - though it's worth noting the equation is even more obvious on the government level where Scott Moe is being allowed to get away with social murder. Anya Zoledziowski points out how the UCP has been forced to reverse course from its disastrous declaration that the pandemic was over. And Lisa Rison interviews Alexander Wong about the only-increasing importance of masking and other protections in schools.

- Nick Fillmore asks whether we're past the point of no return when it comes to avoiding a complete climate breakdown. Willam Rees writes about the need to severely reduce our ecological footprint in order to have a sustainable society and economy. And George Monbiot discusses how our approach to ecology needs to allow our environment time to exist naturally, rather than being razed and replaced based on whims. 

- Meanwhile, Shannon Devine points out that the gains made by workers through collective bargaining tend to have a lasting effect. And that in turn helps to explain why the UCP's anti-labour government is perfectly willing to pay grossly inflated salaries to privately-contracted scabs with the goal of undermining the province's existing health care workers.

- Finally, Deepa Shivaram discusses the obvious connection between increased child tax benefits in the U.S. and a decrease in family hunger and precarity.

Musical interlude

CARIBOU - Can't Do Without You

Which you can do by one-three thousand, three hundred and thirty-thirds

Peter Julian highlights exactly how little the Liberals have done with the promise of Pharmacare in the course of two terms in government before precipitating an election:

Undoubtedly the most deceitful thing he could have written.

In terms of progress on funding #public #universal #Pharmacare - this represents 3/100 of one percent (or 1/33rd of one percent!) of financing required.

After six years, this is #Liberal progress on #Pharmacare? #ndp https://t.co/bO23VWvSpm

— Peter Julian (@MPJulian) August 11, 2021

That means that if Justin Trudeau were to pick up his pace of Pharmacare announcements to match the PEI commitment every week, it would take...a mere 64 years to finally reach full funding. (Of course, that ignores the inevitable inflation of drug costs in the meantime.) And even an equal announcement every single day would leave the Libs short of a universal pharmacare plan through two more full terms in power. 

So voters will have the choice between national pharmacare in the next Parliament under a NDP government...or only three thousand photo-ops later if Trudeau gets to choose the pace. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Aaron D'Andrea reports on Dr. Theresa Tam's recognition that most of Canada is now firmly trapped in a fourth wave of COVID. Alexander Quon reports on research confirming that the people avoiding vaccines are also the least likely to take other protective measures. Robyn Urback discusses how vaccine mandates may actually offer relief for people currently on the fence. And Christine Gibson asks what Alberta plans to do about the lasting effects of a disease which creates long-term problems for its victims. 

- The Broadbent Institute highlights how Canadians are dealing with substantial anxiety over affordability and economic stability as a federal election looms.

- Robert Hiltz writes about both the need for the election to include serious talk about climate change - and the risk that we'll end up falling for empty rhetoric rather than electing MPs who will actually insist on action. Fiona Harvey and Giles Tremlett report on the IPCC's research showing that greenhouse gas emissions need to peak globally within four years - and be halved over the next decade - in order to avoid climate breakdown. Adam Tooze points out that the U.S.' push for more oil production makes it difficult to take seriously in claiming to want to do its part. And Norm Farrell notes that the result of massive natural gas subsidies in British Columbia has been increased production but reduced public revenue at a time when any fossil fuel development is mostly spun as a matter of gathering resources to fund a transition. 

- Meanwhile, David Moscrop reminds us that the wealthiest few are planning to spend their way into isolated bunkers to avoid the damage they're doing to the environment the rest of us rely on. And Ainsley Harris writes about Katie Porter's success in both calling out those who exploit everybody else to accumulate wealth and power, and development means to improve the lives of people who can't pay for lobbyists to torque the government apparatus in their favour.

- Canadians for Tax Fairness offers its approval to the NDP's plans to ensure that wealthy people pay more of their fair share. 

- Finally, Hiltz also comments on Canada's history of undermining both any meaningful definition of genocide, and any substantial effort to measure our treatment of Indigenous people against it. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Greg Jericho writes that the latest IPCC report confirms that we're running out of time to avert climate breakdown, but still have a narrow window in which to do so. Damian Carrington reminds us that the cost of climate negligence is far higher than that of planning for a just transition while we still have the chance. Simon Lewis discusses how the fossil fuel industry bears responsibility for endangering our future. Bill McKibben highlights the deliberate pollution of our political and social discourse which has only complicated any attempt to set us on a sustainable path. And Elizabeth Leier argues that we need to match the urgency applied to our initial COVID-19 response in addressing the climate crisis. 

- But in case there was any doubt how determined many people are to avoid dealing directly with any matter of public well-being, Max Fawcett points out the glaring gap between widespread public demand for vaccine passports, and a refusal to act by most Canadian political leaders. Jim Harding writes that Saskatchewan (among other jurisdictions) needs to demand better than the short-sighted government which has allowed COVID to run wild. Bruce Anderson examines the composition of Canada's as-of-yet-unvaccinated population, and finds that a substantial number of reluctant people would open up to vaccinations under the right circumstances. And Alexander Wong and Sean Tucker make the case for mandatory vaccinations in workplaces.  

- Kanecia Zimmerman and Danny Benjamin Jr. discuss the success of mandatory masking in limiting the spread of COVID in schools. And Lisa Schick reports on the rising number of cases among Saskatchewan children just as school is set to resume - together with Paul Merriman's complete lack of concern about the likelihood of outbreaks in schools. 

- Guy Quenneville provides a damning timeline of the Extendicare outbreak which killed 39 Saskatchewan residents. 

- Karen Weintraub and Adrianna Rodriguez write about the open question as to whether the Delta variant actually causes more severe symptoms than other forms of COVID-19 (in addition to being far more transmissible). And Ed Yong takes a general look at the current direction of the pandemic - including the certainty of "exit waves" as governments eliminate public health protections, and the eventual prospect of endemicity following whatever human toll we choose to accept in the meantime.  

- Finally, ProPublica exposes how the Republicans' tax cuts for the rich were not only a massive giveaway to the .1% generally, but specifically designed to hand extra goodies to a few closely-connected donors. And Alex Ballingall reports on the NDP's plan to apply a wealth tax to fortunes over $10 million in order to fund a functional set of social and health supports. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Lauren Pelley reports on the certainty that Canada is facing a fourth major wave of COVID-19 even as right-wing governments try to proclaim the pandemic over. Natalie Grover reports on the Oxford Vaccine Group's conclusion that any hope of herd immunity is "mythical" based on the spread of the Delta variant. Matthew Chapman reports on the catastrophic harm being done to children with COVID in Arkansas, while North Carolina State University models the likelihood that three-quarters of students in a given school could be infected in the absence of appropriate masking and testing. And Julia Wong reports on the expert response to Jason Kenney's decision not to bother tracking the spread of COVID-19 in Alberta even as that wave crests. 

- Meanwhile, David Suzuki reminds us that the break from a destructive business-as-usual scenario should open the door to reductions in the days and hours we treat as the default for work.   

-  Robin Shaban and Ana Qarri examine how competition law could be used to avoid corporate monopolies generally, and collusive anti-worker arrangements in particular. 

- The Broadbent Institute discusses new polling by Abacus Data showing the priorities of Canadian voters - including strong preferences for more progressive taxes, and increased investments in public goods. 

- Finally, Steven Chase reports on a new study by Project Ploughshares and Amnesty International into how the Libs' continued supply of military equipment to Saudi Arabia is flouting human rights and international law.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Cats on guard.

 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Brad Plumer and Henry Fountain discuss the IPCC's latest report confirming that some climate degradation is inevitable - but that we face the choice how much to accept. Adam Moreton notes that it's all the more unacceptable to rely on accounting tricks rather than actual emission reductions as the consequences of inaction become more glaring. Eric Holthaus comments on the implications of entering the era of rapid climate change. Damian Carrington points out the inescapable responsibility of political leaders for the decisions which have caused the damage that's already locked in. And Kate Aronoff argues that undue deference to fossil fuel profiteers is indistinguishable in substance from climate denialism, while Seth Klein makes the case to ban fossil fuel advertising as one step toward breaking the stranglehold carbon polluters have over any discussion of transitioning to a clean society. 

- Jen Zoratti discusses how our failure to properly respond both to the climate crisis and to COVID-19 can be traced to a failure to challenge systems which cause harm to people by design, then hold them individually responsible for their circumstances. 

- Andre Picard writes about the "nasty" fall looming as the Delta variant takes advantage of reckless governments, while Kevin Sepkowitz notes that vaccinated people are still prone to transmitting it even if they're relatively protected against acute effects. Loren Smith highlights new research as to the psychology behind COVID non-compliers. And the Globe and Mail's editorial board argues that vaccine mandates need to apply to all kinds of social interactions (particularly those involving vulnerable people). 

- Finally, Matt Lundy puts the complaints of the business lobby to the test and finds no evidence of any meaningful wage growth in the midst of the pandemic. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Peter Singer reminds us of the one-time-opposition to mandatory seat belts to make the case to apply a similar principle to vaccinations, while Lorenda Reddekopp discusses the growing public groundswell for vaccine passports. James Keller reports on the UCP's decision to turn COVID testing into a matter of pay-for-play access - with the side effects of enriching a Jack Mintz-affiliated business, and undermining Alberta's information as to the spread of COVID-19. 

- Anne Helen Petersen discusses how the Delta variant may have arrived at just the wrong time - though it certainly hasn't helped matters to have anti-social politicians downplaying the pandemic and looking for excuses to do as little as possible from day one. And Pam Belluck discusses the damage long COVID is doing to children who have been deliberately left unprotected. 

- Fiona Harvey reports on today's release of the latest assessment from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - confirming both the urgency to act to avert climate breakdown, and the utter failure of our current leaders to do anything of the sort. But Anna North offers some hope that it's not too late to fight climate change if we work within our communities rather than despairing over how little we can do individually. 

- Finally, Rich Penney discusses how the label of a "liberal" (in both small- and large-L terms) refers more to the defense of an unequal and unsustainable status quo than any progress from it.  

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Erika Edwards reports on a push from U.S. pediatricians to speed up the development and distribution of COVID vaccines for children due to the significantly increased threat of the Delta variant.

- Jim Stanford responds to the spin of greedy bosses and antisocial politicians by pointing out how attempts to slash social supports due to supposed labour shortages have no basis in reality.

- Leyland Cecco reports on Monte Lake, the second B.C. community to be burned off the map by climate breakdown-induced wildfires this year. Daisy Nguyen and Noah Berger report on the California towns being destroyed by the Dixie fire. And Mehdi Leman juxtaposes a number of the unprecedented fires being seen around the globe as an indication of how severe and immediate our climate crisis is. 

- Stephanie Spera offers a primer on the upcoming IPCC climate change report set to be released tomorrow.

- Paul Thacker examines how corporations endangering the public and the planet have engaged in disinformation campaigns designed to call into question anybody who dares to point out their actions.

- Finally, Daniel Heath Justice and Sean Carleton suggest eight ways to respond to residential school denialism.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Holly Yan examines the growing medical recognition that children need to be protected from COVID-19 (and particularly the Delta variant). David Holtgrave et al. highlight why we need to be increasing our testing and monitoring - not abandoning the effort as the UCP has chosen as part of its "just give up" philosophy. Alessia Simona Maratta reports on Quebec's move to implement a vaccine passport - and the resulting increase in vaccination rates. Eleanor Murray and Ruby Barnard-Mayers discuss when it will be safe to remove mask mandates - and how far the U.S. (like most of Canada) is from that point. And on the bright side, Jennifer Abbasi examines evidence of the lasting effect of COVID immunity.

- Meanwhile, Christopher Reynolds reports on the hardship facing seniors whose Guaranteed Income Supplement is being slashed without warning based on their temporary receipt of CERB benefits last year.

- Frances Bula discusses how the Libs' supposed housing plans are in fact aimed at boosting developers' profits rather than the availability of affordable rental units.

- Sara Mojtehedzadeh reports on the responses provided to Ontario's one-sided consultation on the future of work.

- Finally, Ben Oquist makes the case for tax being a needed aspect of our public policy debate rather than a dirty word. And Abacus Data finds a strong (and growing) majority of Canadians eager to see a wealth tax among other means of ensuring that the wealthiest pay their fair share toward a functional society.

Musical interlude

BT feat. Emma Hewitt - No Warning Lights (Alpha 9 Remix)