Blacklock's Reporter

Genevieve Fuji Johnson, a political scientist, spied the land for democracy. Not the raucous democracy of Parliament, but the beautiful democracy envisioned by ancient Greeks. Her search ended badly. The result is this crisp and engaging book. There is nothing like disillusionment to inspire compelling non-fiction.

“Deliberative democracy is a rich ideal,” writes Fuji Johnson, associate professor at Simon Fraser University. “It invokes a democratic system of governance in which citizens actively exchange ideas, engage in debate and create laws responsive to their interests and aspirations.”

“Ideal” is the key word here. Many Canadians think of democracy as the right to dissent and be left alone. Democratic Illusion went in search of something finer.

Liberal leadership candidate Karina Gould yesterday said she opposes her cabinet’s proposed $17.4 billion increase in capital gains taxes. The Burlington, Ont. MP did not explain why she voted for the measure seven months ago as Government House Leader: "I don’t think we got the capital gains tax increase right."

An anti-Israel advocacy group says it forced CBC-TV to issue a correction over whether the bombing of Gaza was "genocide." The incident followed thousands of complaints alleging biased coverage at the Crown broadcaster: "Such an admission by our public broadcaster is rare."

Attorney General Arif Virani yesterday confirmed cabinet will file an intervenor’s brief in a landmark Supreme Court case on government powers versus religious freedom. The Court agreed to hear appeals of a 2019 Québec law that restricts public display of religious symbols by public employees on duty including Muslim hijabs or Sikh turbans: "That will have an impact right across the country."

Canada will “definitely be looking at those words” after U.S. President Donald Trump said NATO member countries should more than double their rates of defence spending. Canada currently spends proportionately only slightly more than Luxembourg and Slovenia on military preparedness: "Is that realistic?"

The Canada Revenue Agency yesterday said it will extend a deadline on 2024 tax credits for charitable donors to February 28. Charities nationwide had complained a work stoppage at the post office before Christmas disrupted contributions at their busiest time of year: "The Agency is confirming."

Homeless people should not sleep in city parks, Housing Minister Nathaniel Erskine-Smith said yesterday. Sleeping on sidewalks was also unacceptable, he told reporters: "I’ve got two young kids."

The federal Court Challenges Program yesterday said it funded Supreme Court intervenors in support of the carbon tax in the name of “human rights.” The Program refused to say which pro-tax advocacy group received a taxpayers’ grant to speak in favour of the federal tax on fuel: "We will not be making additional information available."

Transparency in federal spending “reached a new low” under ex-finance minister Chrystia Freeland, the Budget Office said yesterday. Analysts expressed anger over concealment of financial accounts that confirmed dramatic overruns in deficit spending: "Was there any political pressure?"

New Democrats favour a review of a decades-old treaty that restricts illegal immigrants in the United States from filing refugee claims in Canada, Party leader Jagmeet Singh said yesterday. New enforcement measures against 10,990,000 illegal immigrants in the U.S. were “really scary,” he said: "It's really sad for folks in the States right now."

The Hill Times, Canada’s most heavily subsidized weekly, yesterday likened the election of a Conservative Parliament in 2025 to the “beginning of Nazi authoritarianism.” The newspaper earlier criticized Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre for opposing subsidies to newsrooms like the Hill Times: "All we need is a Reichstag fire for our rights to be suspended and to never return to democracy without a fight."

A federal program paid intervenors to take the federal government’s side in a 2021 Supreme Court of Canada challenge of the carbon tax, records show. The Court Challenges Program yesterday would not discuss subsidies paid to advocacy groups to argue in favour of cabinet's fuel tax: "“It is no simple matter to tinker with the Constitution."

Cabinet may not “go ahead with the consumer carbon price,” Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said yesterday. He called the carbon tax "very unpopular." The rate will jump an average 20 percent effective April 1 to 21¢ per litre for gasoline: "What went wrong?"

Canadians will have to mind their brand of ketchup if U.S. President Donald Trump starts a tariff war, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday. Trudeau invoked a decade-old blacklist of American imports to be targeted with retaliatory tariffs including ketchup: "French’s was still using Canadian tomatoes."

Parliament cannot remain shuttered for another nine weeks while Canada is threatened with a trade war, Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre said yesterday. Parliament is prorogued until March 24 at the Prime Minister’s request: "Canada has never been so weak."