Your middle-of-the-week brain teaser ...
Justin plans on lying about the Chinese electoral interference he knew was happening and allowed his party to remain active:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to testify on Wednesday at an inquiry into foreign meddling in Canada’s last two elections.
The inquiry has already heard that China and other state actors attempted to interfere, but there has been little evidence so far to indicate whether they were successful.
Trudeau has maintained over the last year that foreign interference had no meaningful impact on Canada’s free and fair elections, which echoes what senior government officials have told Parliament.
Yes, now, about that:
Canada's spy agency believes the Chinese government "clandestinely and deceptively" interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 federal elections — and a top secret briefing note discussed at the Foreign Interference Commission shows the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) told the Prime Minister's Office about it in February 2023.
**
Federal 2021 election monitors knew Chinese agents sought to re-elect the Liberal Party, document show. Witnesses at the China inquiry have questioned why monitors failed to issue any public warnings of foreign interference: “A Liberal minority was the preferred election outcome of the People’s Republic of China as the Liberal Party was perceived to be ‘friendlier.'”
**
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office in 2023 was given explicit warning of illegal conduct by Chinese agents that posed an “existential threat to Canadian democracy,” the China inquiry disclosed yesterday. Trudeau had denied he was ever told foreign agents breached the Elections Act: “It truly is a remarkable document.”
It's not a coincidence that China got what it wanted.
More:
Mr. Trudeau’s chief of staff, Ms. Telford, told the inquiry she was surprised by a report in The Globe early last year, based on secret and top secret CSIS documents, that said China wanted a return of a Liberal minority government and sought to defeat certain Conservative candidates in 2021.She said she never saw CSIS intelligence that suggested Beijing had favoured the Liberal party over the Conservatives in the 2021 election. She added that she was never told “either publicly or privately by any government official” that foreign interference had an impact on the past two elections.Ms. Telford said she would have expected China to be more supportive of the Conservatives than the governing Liberals, considering the tense relations between Ottawa and Beijing over the imprisonment of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, who were released from detention in China in September, 2021.
Again:
Federal 2021 election monitors knew Chinese agents sought to re-elect the Liberal Party, document show. Witnesses at the China inquiry have questioned why monitors failed to issue any public warnings of foreign interference: “A Liberal minority was the preferred election outcome of the People’s Republic of China as the Liberal Party was perceived to be ‘friendlier.'”
**
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office in 2023 was given explicit warning of illegal conduct by Chinese agents that posed an “existential threat to Canadian democracy,” the China inquiry disclosed yesterday. Trudeau had denied he was ever told foreign agents breached the Elections Act: “It truly is a remarkable document.”
So, who is lying, Katie?
As someone who also reviews anything that comes across Justin's desk, for her to claim that these reports are surprises is a bald-faced lie.
**
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office in 2019 was told MP Han Dong (Don Valley North, Ont.) was under security surveillance but kept him in the Liberal caucus, records show. Trudeau’s chief of staff in 2023 had denied the subject was ever raised: “I am not quite sure what is being referred to.”
**
Cabinet had to follow “due process” before firing suspected Chinese spies working at the National Microbiology Laboratory, says Health Minister Mark Holland. Scientists with links to the People’s Liberation Army came under surveillance in August 2018 but remained on the job until July 2019: “Do you think they were eminent scientists or eminent spies?”
Alright, Mark.
Would American scientists smuggling out viruses for Israel have been treated the same way?
Surely not!
China expects to waltz and take what it likes.
And you helped.
Why wouldn't the member of AUKUS trust Justin?
See above:
Canada has once again found itself on the outside looking in after some of its closest allies — the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia — announced the next phase of their new AUKUS security pact this week.
AUKUS, formed by the three countries in 2021, is part of efforts to push back against China’s growing power in the Indo-Pacific region by focusing on military modernization through new technologies. The trio announced Monday it will begin consultations this year on collaborating with “prospective partners” around the world as part of its second phase, specifically mentioning Japan as an ally it is considering working with.
Not mentioned was Canada, despite the federal government saying it is considering joining the pact Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2021 described as “a deal for nuclear submarines, which Canada is not currently or any time soon in the market for.”
Speaking to reporters Monday as his government announced its long-awaited defence policy update, Trudeau said Canada was already talking with AUKUS members about working with the alliance and potentially even joining it as a member. ...
But AUKUS members have already poured cold water on the idea of expanding the alliance beyond the core trio — and experts say even if that is possible, Canada is unlikely to be invited.
“The United States and Canada are already so closely aligned that AUKUS could become CANAUKUS pretty easily, but it’s not. That’s a choice,” said Richard Shimooka, a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute who studies defence policy. ...
While Canada may end up collaborating closely with AUKUS in the future, Shimooka said it is simply not in a position to contribute as an equal partner even if it were asked to join.
“The whole point of AUKUS is to ensure the modernization of military systems to stay ahead of its adversaries,” he said in an interview. “Canada has not adapted to that well … and wouldn’t really be able to take advantage of it.”
As proof, Shimooka pointed to the very defence policy update Trudeau and his government announced on Monday.
While the policy commits another $8.1 billion over the next five years, that brings Canada’s defence spending to 1.76 per cent of GDP by 2030 — still below NATO’s threshold target of two per cent for its members. And the promised boosts to equipment, including new helicopters and submarines, don’t address long-standing issues with timely procurement or match the technological advancements being sought by AUKUS. ...
(Sidebar: oh. Are we too diplomatic to state the obvious?)
The defence policy update focuses not just on Arctic security, but also on the growing issue of cyberattacks and technological warfare — and the threat posed by China, Russia and other hostile actors in those spaces. The Canadian Armed Forces has also been working to build out its cyber capabilities, which were a major component of the last defence policy update in 2017 and which will see the military work alongside the Communications Security Establishment, the country’s foreign signals intelligence agency, which is governed under the National Defence Act.
There it is!
Also:
How vast was the Great COVID Cover-up? Well, my investigation has recently discovered government officials from 15 federal agencies knew in 2018 that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was trying to create a coronavirus like COVID-19.
These officials knew that the Chinese lab was proposing to create a COVID 19-like virus and not one of these officials revealed this scheme to the public. In fact, 15 agencies with knowledge of this project have continuously refused to release any information concerning this alarming and dangerous research.
Government officials representing at least 15 federal agencies were briefed on a project proposed by Peter Daszak’s EcoHealth Alliance and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
**
On April 2, a source from the Argentine presidential office, speaking to the news outlet Infobae, pointed out that President Javier Milei was considering a request to inspect the clandestine Chinese base.
The purpose, as articulated by the source, was to assess any potential irregularities associated with the base in Neuquén. The possibility of a contract review was highlighted.
The report elaborated that the contract stipulated that “ten percent of the resources in the base must be utilized by Argentina,” which is what the inspection aimed to verify.
“It is necessary to check what was built and what was not built, from what was established in the contract,” the source added.
Normal countries would revolt over things like this:
Canadians at all levels of income pay more tax than residents in most other OECD countries around the world, according to a new report.The study, “Canada’s Rising Personal Tax Rates and Falling Tax Competitiveness,” published by the Fraser Institute, said personal income tax rate increases at both the federal and provincial levels have made Canada less competitive compared with other countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).“In 2022 (latest year of available international data) Canada had the 5th highest combined top tax rate out of 38 countries,” the report said. “This indicates that in 2022, while Canada’s top tax rate was more competitive than in four countries, it was uncompetitive compared to most OECD countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and other English-speaking countries such as Australia.”
Also:
Canada’s lagging economic and productivity performance is no secret. Various articles in The Hub have highlighted it, most recently one by Sean Speer and Taylor Jackson. “At the heart of Canada’s economic malaise,” they correctly noted, “is low productivity growth.”
And last week, Bank of Canada Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers echoed this sentiment. In uncharacteristically strong language for a central banker, she said Canada’s “long-standing, poor record on productivity” is “an emergency” and that “it’s time to break the glass.” (It’s a really good speech; read it, I’ll wait.)
These are not exaggerations. Labour productivity has grown by 0.2 percent annually, on average, between early 2015 and the end of 2023. That’s the slowest growth over an eight-year period ever recorded. (At least since comparable data started in 1946.1) ...
University of Waterloo economist Mikal Skuterud recently estimated that earnings growth has been flat for many years. After adjusting for inflation, he finds average weekly earnings have increased only 1.6 percent between January 2015 and January 2024, or less than 0.2 percent per year.
This isn’t because Canadians are working fewer hours or taking pay in other forms (say, with improved benefits). We see this in a broader measure of total hourly labour compensation. Since the end of 2015, total compensation per hour (adjusted for inflation) has grown by only 1.9 percent. That’s 1.9 percent over the entire period from 2015 (Q1) to 2023 (Q4), which works out to 0.2 percent per year, just as Mikal found for weekly earnings. ...
Since 2015, I find real disposable incomes have increased in Canada by only 0.2 percent on average per year—the same concerning story as with earnings and labour compensation. The historical context here should raise alarm bells: only during the 1990s recession and the Great Depression has growth been lower.
They already have their pensions:
NDP MPs Carol Hughes and Rachel Blaney have joined Charlie Angus in deciding that they won’t run again in the next federal election.
South Korea's opposition was set to triumph in parliamentary elections on Wednesday, with exit polls suggesting it increased its majority in a major blow to President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The Democratic Party (DP) of Lee Jae-myung — survivor of a January knife attack and myriad scandals — and its satellites are forecast to win between 184 and 197 seats, up from 156 in the last parliament.
Yoon's People Power Party (PPP) and its satellite party were expected to have secured 85 to 99 seats, down from 114, the exit polls conducted by three major broadcasters indicated.
All opposition parties combined may even have secured a super-majority of 200 in the 300-seat parliament, which could in theory allow them to attempt to impeach Yoon.
That includes new party Rebuilding Korea, led by former justice minister Cho Kuk, who is facing corruption charges that he denies, which was projected to have won 12-14 seats.
"The people have won, the will to judge Yoon Suk Yeol is very clear," Cho said after the vote, local media reported.
Yoon beat Lee in South Korea's closest-ever presidential election in 2022 and has taken a tough line with nuclear-armed North Korea while improving ties with Washington and former colonial occupier Japan.
But Lee, while fending off a slew of graft probes he says are politically motivated, has secured revenge with the election result following a bruising and polarizing campaign.
"I'll watch the people's choice with a humble heart," Lee said after the vote, local media reported.
From the start of his presidency, Yoon has been unpopular, with ratings hitting the low 30s, and the PPP's lack of control of the National Assembly has stymied his socially conservative legislative agenda.
This includes planned healthcare reforms — that are backed by voters but have sparked a crippling strike by doctors — and a pledge to abolish the ministry of gender equality.
PPP leader Han Dong-hoon said that "exit polls are disappointing. ... We will watch the vote count", the Yonhap News Agency reported.
On Yoon's side were shifting demographics, with voters aged 60 and older now outnumbering those in both their 20s and 30s in a country with the world's lowest birth rate.
"Voters over 60 represent a formidable and staunchly conservative base for Yoon," said Sharon Yoon, a Korean studies professor at the University of Notre Dame.
Still reaping the rewards of Moon.
Why fight for a country that disparages you, sues you, and refuses to arm you?:
The Canadian Armed Forces are more than a quarter below “target strength” with resignations and poor enlistment rates, says a Department of National Defence briefing note. New recruits average just 7,600 a year: “We’ve actually seen greater attrition.”
Is that why Yaroslav Hunka is still in the country?:
Federal agents have lost track of more than 28,000 foreign fugitives in Canada including several hundred with criminal records, documents show. The latest figures follow an admission by the Canada Border Services Agency that it found it difficult to keep track of people ordered deported: “Should we not look to remove close to 100 percent of these individuals?”
What's a bit of crime in a hospital?:
Hospital staff, including nurses, are concerned with a perceived rise in illicit drug use and weapons inside hospitals, according to a memo obtained by Global News.
The Northern Health memo directs nurses and staff on how to deal with illicit drugs in hospital settings. They are told not to measure, weigh, or test the substance.
Nurses also have no responsibility to monitor substances or quantities for legal purposes and should avoid contact with unknown substances.
The BC Nurses’ Union told Global News very few health authorities are making their employees feel safe, and if concerns are raised, they’re not taken seriously.
“Decriminalization doesn’t mean that consumption should take place in a hospital setting. I think that just needs to be considered and needs to be addressed,” Adriane Gear said, with BC Nurses’ Union. “Ultimately, from our perspective for our members, this is becoming a health and safety issue.”
Yes, it does.
Be careful what you wish for.
A labrador retriever who failed to become a drug sniffing dog because he was overly friendly and playful has won hearts across Taiwan for his detection work in the aftermath of last week’s 7.4-magnitidue earthquake.
Rescue dogs play a crucial role in helping to locate both stranded people and bodies, and teams of capable canines were quickly deployed by Taiwanese authorities after last Wednesday’s deadly tremor.
The quake that hit the island’s rugged eastern coast, Taiwan’s strongest in 25 years, triggered deadly landslides in a scenic national park and caused several buildings to partially collapse.
Roger, 8, was among the dogs put to work, helping to locate the body of one of the 13 people killed in the quake, according to authorities and local media.
He and his handlers ventured into the Shakadang Trail of the heavily damaged Taroko National Park and found the body of a missing 21-year-old woman, according to Taiwan’s official Central News Agency (CNA).
While other dogs also played similar roles and were paraded for the media, Roger captured the island’s imagination — partly because of his backstory of an initial career failure.
Roger was born into a training center for drug-sniffing dogs. But his love for fun, food and people got the better of him, distracting his ability to pay attention and react to his trainers’ commands, CNA reported.
As a result, Roger failed to become a drug detective.
But his ebullient personality and intelligence made him a much better candidate to be a rescue dog, which was the career that was then chosen for him.
That excitedness was on full display during a media interview with his handler when Roger, tail wagging, lunged at a reporter’s microphone.
Chen Chih-san, captain of the rescue dog unit of the Kaohsiung Fire Department, told reporters that Roger was transferred to the rescue training school when he was 1 year old.
“I’m not saying he was not good or that he didn’t get along with others. But the requirement for narcotic detection dogs is that they can’t be too restless and independent,” Chen said.
“But (these attributes) are what we want in rescue dogs.”
The dogs have provided some much needed relief for Taiwan’s social media in the aftermath of the quake.
“Keep it up, heroes and little heroes,” one person wrote. Another said: “Roger is the pride of Taiwan.”
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