RBC Economics stated in an email this a.m. that the CDN $ is weakening, but failed to add "vis-a-vis the US $". The US $ has been strengthening, as indicated by a higher US dollar index (against six peers including Canada). The US $ is the world's reserve currency. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ There has been some discussion about the "de-dollarization movement." This refers to an attempt by some nations to reduce the role of the US $ in trade by setting up trade channels in currencies other than the US $. /3

Speaking of federal political donations. Much is being made by the NDP of CEOs donating to the party or candidate of their choice. Um, this is a democracy. Citizens have the right, even obligation, to vote and to donate. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ Are they going to fuss about a union official donating to their party? Probably not. The donation limits at the federal level are so low - and corporate and organization (union, for example) donations are not permitted - that influence via $ is unlikely. /3

Janyce McGregor is on CBC (I'm told, I've stopped watching CBCNN for erroneous reportage reasons.) fear-mongering about Canada's debt, equating it with a credit card account. This is standard austerity porn flogged by Conservatives. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ Public debt is not the same as credit card debt. The latter has a limited horizon. A working life. Qualifying for the card. Ability to contract with lender, etc. A nation, OTOH, has an indeterminate horizon. We do not anticipate that Canada will have an end-date. /3

OK, here we go again. A correspondent on BNN/Bloomberg erroneously suggests that the tax-cut on fuel oil program "primarily benefits Atlantic Canada", when there are 350,000 fuel-oil users in Ontario alone. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ The federal program is for all Canadians currently using fuel oil for heating, not just Atlantic Canadians. The spin is endless and it's sad to see it on Bloomberg @Bloomberg. /3

What a surprise that a member of the press wonders why Mark Carney is asked about his leadership plans. It's not as suggested - that the press is asking because the PM is in difficulty. It's because the press needs a constant stream of click-bait conflict to survive. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ And the Conservatives freak out about everything, because they need a constant stream of targets for hate in order to get up in the morning. And, as for the comment about fiscal acumen in cabinet.../3

To reiterate a number of points I've made earlier...fiscal management is not the same as a credit card account or a kitchen table household budget. The latter two have fixed horizons. A working lifetime, the life of the account-holder, etc. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ No one can inherit a credit card account. One can inherit a house, yes, but whoever inherits it is bound by the future costs involved and so new budgets are fashioned. Whereas a nation's horizon is indeterminate. We don't expect that Canada will sunset at any point. /3

Contrary to Danielle Smith’s stupid assertions, Canadians’ contributions to CPP do not go to “Ottawa” to be spread across the country, or the PM. They go to the CPP Investment Board, a Crown Corporation at arm’s length of the federal government. /2 #cdnpoli #abpoli #DenialSmith 2/ The federal government does not decide how CPP funds are invested, nor does it have access to those funds, which are directed by *professional managers*. We can thank Liberal Paul Martin for this (1997 legislation). /3

The storey-and-a-half home that Mr. Poilievre referred (insultingly) as a "shack" is of post-war (um, WWII) construction to help when Canadian soldiers returned from war to civilian life, families were being formed, and housing was in short supply. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ And that "shack" was the sort of housing that the Canadian military supplied to those who served in the military. I don't recall being scarred for life as a result of being raised in such housing. /3

The technical people at Rogers say that my mother's outgoing LD calls (and some local calls) are not being dialled completely, perhaps because she can't dial them quickly enough before the system takes over. I wonder if she just gets off-track in the middle of a long number. /2 2/ Anyway, I'm going to have a neighbour do some testing tonight and then we'll have a better idea of what's going on. I spent a week with my mother, observing and listening closely to make sure dementia wasn't encroaching and I didn't see anything to make me conclude that. /3

There goes Jagmeet Singh on CTV noting that "the government" has always had the capacity to launch a public enquiry and why doesn't "the government" just do it. Apparently Mr. Singh hasn't read the part of the Rapporteur's report (not classified) that says why. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ That "why" is that so much material is ***classified***. Mr. Singh says that Canadians are entitled to the truth about FI, but he can't bring himself to be truthful or secure the clearance needed so that *he* can look at the classified material in the report's Annex. /3

I noticed this am that gas in YYC is up about 14 cents/l. Danielle Smith and Pierre Poilievre are tweeting about a 14 cent carbon levy increase, the PM, orange cars (NDP), and the CBC. The carbon levy bumped from 11.05 to 14.31 cents/l. That’s 3.26 cents/l, not 14. /2 #cdnpoli 2/ Conservatives are just not serious people. Stupid and shallow is their thing. They’re such marionettes that they won’t comment on oil and gas companies having “fun” with consumers to the tune of 11 cents/l under shelter of the carbon levy increase.

Could we just evaluate something without referring to one of the Conservatives’ fake scandals? The two things aren’t remotely equivalent. At the federal level, the AG has the authority to Gazette notice of directing the prosecution. #cdnpoli #abpoli

https://twitter.com/nenshi/status/1641608193880231936

And it was her option not to so direct the prosecution, but it was entirely in Shawcross order for her colleagues to discuss that optional direction. What they couldn’t do is direct her, and she testified that no one including the PM did.

I am perplexed by notice of what Danielle Smith said about the PM and JWR, which was not much except to conveniently refer to them. In fact, there was nothing wrong with the PM - or anyone else, for that matter - approaching the former AG to discuss SNC-L /2 #cdnpoli 2/ What no one could do is tell her what her decision ought to be and she testified that she was not so directed. The 2006 Harper DPP Act gives the federal AG authority to direct the public prosecution - to either assume conduct of a prosecution or to direct the PPSC. /3