Canada
RCMP ‘aware’ of intelligence related to foreign interference and parliamentarians
The police force would not confirm nor deny active investigations into parliamentarians after allegations federal politicians are engaged in foreign interference.
Liberals blocking access to 1,000-plus documents says oversight panel
“It goes without saying that it is essential for the Committee to have comprehensive access to all the information it needs to fulfill its statutory responsibility of conducting reviews and making relevant recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the security and intelligence community,” the committee wrote.
Tories demand a 'secret' carbon pricing analysis Liberals say doesn't exist
At issue is a series of documents on economic impact of carbon pricing provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada to the parliamentary budget office in May.
Alberta MP felt ‘ambushed’ by Liberal MP’s podcast questions on abortion
Conservative MP Arnold Viersen said he felt "ambushed" by queries about his opposition to abortion during a recent podcast appearance.
Poilievre gagne en popularité au Québec
Les Québécois demeurent toutefois sceptiques à l’égard de Pierre Poilievre, selon le sondage. Pas moins de 44 % d’entre eux craignent de voir le chef conservateur accéder au pouvoir, contre alors que 34 % redoutent un quatrième mandat pour Justin Trudeau.
Calgary Conservative nomination candidates disqualified from race
Conservative nomination candidates Leela Aheer and Wyatt Claypool (Calgary Signal Hill) have been barred from running in the race to become the next candidate, the Western Standard has learned.
More P.E.I. candidates seeking Conservative nomination
Two more candidates have said they are seeking the nomination for the Conservative Party of Canada in Cardigan. More interest in taking the seat held since 1988 by Liberal Lawrence MacAulay.
A Plea for Depth Over Dismissal
Daniel R. Meister "... there is a tendency when examining political figures to portray them as either good or evil, with little room for nuance or depth. Take Mulroney and multiculturalism, for example".
The Provinces
Edmontonians unhappy with province's Bill 20, poll shows
A new Leger poll shows Bills 18, 20 and 21 all fail to hold the support of a majority of Albertans, with strong opposition to measures designed to give cabinet the power to dismiss a mayor or councillor or ban the use of voting tabulators.
Auditor says carbon tax program lacks of transparency, accountability
Tara Clemett said the ministry of environment "isn't doing a good job" tracking greenhouse gas trends in Saskatchewan, or following its stated objectives.
Elsewhere
China ‘aggressively’ trying to lure West’s military trainers: Five Eyes
Five Eyes intelligence partners said Beijing is using private companies in South Africa and China to target potential recruits in western countries with 'exorbitant salaries.'
Trudeau congratulates Modi for re-election, raises rule of law in India relationship
In a written statement Wednesday, Trudeau said Canada "stands ready to work together" with India, but this will be "anchored to human rights, diversity and the rule of law."
UN head warns of ‘climate hell’ as May sets temperature record`
The UN's secretary general warned of "climate hell" on Wednesday as two new reports show that the planet may warm above the 1.5 C threshold once hoped to be kept at or under.
Brain drain from Canada
Tyler Cowen Don’t forget — in the long run the policies you choose shape who is attracted to your country. So be tough, as selection matters above all else. These are not the Canadian losers [the U.S.] are getting.
Media
What does the public in six countries think of generative AI in news?
Asked to assess what they think news produced mostly by AI with some human oversight might mean for the quality of news, people tend to expect it to be less trustworthy and less transparent, but more up to date and (by a large margin) cheaper for publishers to produce. Very few people (8%) think that news produced by AI will be more worth paying for compared to news produced by humans.
Reader Notes
Missing issues
Good morning, patient reader! I've been publishing newsletters these last five days but just learned yesterday that very few of you have been receiving them. So, until yet another publishing problem is worked out with the Goodbits.io platform, we're back to using this publishing platform curated.co . For those looking for "back issues", here are the links:
- WED JUN 5: Mystery Randy. Modi misses. Netflix taxed
- TUE JUN 4: Sharing secrets. PBO gagged. German NeoNazis
- MON JUN 3: Housing revolution. Mexican First. Defence meeting
- SUN JUN 2: Dumb squabble. Saskatchewan sues. Detecting hate
- SAT JUN 1: Campus antisemitism. BC defection. Tracking Trump
Science and tech
Vaccines don’t cause autism, but the lie won’t die. In fact, it’s getting worse.
it's a bleak finding that bodes poorly for the collective health of Americans, who are now seeing rises in cases of measles and other vaccine-preventable illnesses. Additional surveys by the APPC in 2021, 2022, and 2023 identified a slight increase in the number of survey takers who specifically believe, falsely, that the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine causes autism.
How to Keep an Old Computer Running
Your desktop or laptop computer isn’t going to last forever. Eventually the time will come when you need to abandon it—responsibly disposing of it along the way, of course—and upgrade to a new machine. But maybe you’re not quite at that stage yet. Maybe you need to eke out a little more life from the computer you’ve got before turning to a new one. If you’d rather keep your old computer in service a little longer, you’ve got more options than you might think. These options vary in terms of the time and money needed.
This Hidden Safari Feature Makes Multitasking a Breeze
Safari's Picture-in-Picture mode is tucked away, but it's easy to get to if you know where to enable it.
Google Sheets’ new ‘conditional notifications’ easily keep track of small changes
You can set up email notifications to get a heads-up when a specific cell in a spreadsheet is updated, all without learning to code.
The Calendar
- 0425 ET: Courseulles-sur-Mer, France - PM Trudeau meets with European Council President Charles Michel
- 0500 ET: Courseulles-sur-Mer, France - PM Trudeau and Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor attend the Canadian National Ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day
- 0815 ET: 430 Wellington - Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) | Meeting 118 - Federal Housing Investments
- 0815 ET: 225-A West Block - Justice and Human Rights (JUST) | Meeting 108 - Islamophobia and Additional Measures to Address Fears in Canada's Muslim Community
- 0815 ET: 425 Wellington - Public Safety and National Security (SECU) | Meeting 113 - Bill C-70. Public Safety Min Dominic LeBlanc and Justice Min Arif Virani testify.
- 0915 ET: 125-B West Block - Official Languages (LANG) | Meeting 105 - Resuming debate on the motion of Mario Beaulieu and on the amendment of Darrell Samson
- 0930 ET: Ottawa - Fisheries Min Diane Lebouthillier speaks about the fishing industry in the Gaspésie.
- 1000 ET: Winnipeg - Housing and Infrastructure Min Sean Fraser and Northern Affairs Min Dan Vandal makes an infrastructure funding announcement.
- 1000 ET: Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, France - PM Trudeau and Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor attend France's International Ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day
- 1030 ET: HoC Foyer - NDP MP Laurel Collins and Charlie Angus speak about committee witnesses.
- 1030 ET: 135B West BLock - GPC MP Elizabeth May speaks to reporters about cancer prevention.
- 1100 ET: 410 Wellington - Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) | Meeting 123 - Committee Business
- 1100 ET: 330 Wellington - Health (HESA) | Meeting 121 - Opioid Epidemic and Toxic Drug Crisis in Canada
- 1100 ET: 225-A West Block - Procedure and House Affairs (PROC) | Meeting 119 - Question of Privilege Related to Cyber Attacks Targeting Members of Parliament
- 1100 ET: 035-B West Block - Science and Research (SRSR) | Meeting 91 - Science and Research in Canada's Arctic in Relation to Climate Change
- 1100 ET: 125-B West Block - Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TRAN) | Meeting 120 - Competition Act and Air Travel in Northern, Rural, and Remote Communities of Canada
- 1445 ET: Toronto - Health Min Mark Holland speaks about health information technology.
- 1515 ET: Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, France - PM Trudeau departs for Ottawa.
- 1530 ET: 430 Wellington - Canadian Heritage (CHPC) | Meeting 123 - Bill C-354. BQ MP Martin Champoux testifies.
- 1530 ET: 025-B West Block - Environment and Sustainable Development (ENVI) | Meeting 112 - Profits and Emissions Reduction Efforts in Canada's Oil and Gas Industry
- 1530 ET: 315 Wellington - Fisheries and Oceans (FOPO) | Meeting 113 - Drafting report.
- 1530 ET: 410 Wellington - International Trade (CIIT) | Meeting 110 - 2026 CUSMA Review; Free Trade Negotiations Between Canada and Ecuador
- 1530 ET: 225-A West Block - Public Accounts (PACP) | Meeting 129 - Report 2, Housing in First Nations Communities; Report 1, ArriveCAN; Report 6, Sustainable Development Technology Canada. Indigenous Services Min Patty Hajdu and Defence Min Bill Blair testify.
- 1530 ET: 425 Wellington - the Status of Women (FEWO) | Meeting 114 - Drafting report.
- 1530 ET: Hamilton, ON - Innovation Min François-Philippe Champagne and FEDDEV Min Filomena Tassi speak to McMaster University researchers.
- 2100 ET: Lower Mainland, BC - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh attends the Parent Support Services Society of BC Gala
