Is anyone going to run for BC NDP leader, and by extension Premier or is David Eby on track for a coronation. And the premiers undertake the time honoured Canadian tradition of asking Ottawa for more money. Stewart Prest returns to fill in for Ian.

Links

* Nathan Cullen, Melanie Mark and Bowinn Ma announce they aren’t running* Patrick Brown endorses Jean Charest to lead Conservative Party – The Globe and Mail* Green Party spokesperson criticizes potential candidate ahead of leadership race | The Star* Premiers gather in Victoria to present united demand for more health-care cash | CBC News* Premiers close 2-day summit, call on feds to stop negotiating health funding through the media | CBC News* Council of the Federation Health communique [PDF]* Council of the Federations Other items communique [PDF]* Rob Shaw’s Tweet highlighting Small Modular Reactors* Clarification from BC’s Energy Ministry* Mandatory random COVID-19 testing for fully vaccinated air travellers resuming next week | CBC News* Bank of Canada hikes rate to 2.5%. Here’s what it means for you | CBC News* Jagmeet Singh’s response* Pierre Poilievre’s response* Ottawa announces it will require telecoms to provide backup for each other during outages following Rogers system failure* Guilbeault’s cross-country climate train tour derailed by lack of service

Lots of people are not running in leadership races these days.

Links

* Shannon Waters leaves BC Today

Segment 1

* Ravi Kahlon bows out of BC NDP leadership race before it starts, says Eby should take over

* Ravi’s tweet

* Bob D’Eith endorses Eby

* Katrina Chen also endorses Eby

* Adrian Dix out

* Bowinn Ma thread

Segment 2

* Statement by Ian Brodie, Chair, Leadership Election Organizing Committee – Conservative Party of Canada

* Brown statement

* Brown hires Heinen

* Brown says Conservative establishment, Poilievre campaign worked to oust him from leadership race | CBC News

* Conservative whistleblower says she discussed third-party payment with Patrick Brown | CBC News

Quick takes

* British PM Boris Johnson resigns, but will stay on until new leader is chosen | CBC News

* Alex Tyrrell mulls Green run

* Quebec Green Party leader defies petition calling for his removal | Canada’s National Observer: News & Analysis

* More than half of Canada’s AstraZeneca vaccine doses expired, will be thrown out | CBC News

* Hair colouring, face tattoos permitted under new military dress rules | CBC News

* Grab a seat: Passport lineups prompt Canada to urgently procure hundreds of chairs

What’s happening in BC and Canadian politics that isn’t the BC NDP leadership race.

* Approximately 675K eligible to vote in Conservative leadership race: party

* Brown considering a run in Brampton mayoral race if rival Poilievre looks likely to win Tory leadership | CBC News

* Green leadership rules so restrictive, Elizabeth May would struggle, says Sask. Green leader | CBC News

* Vacancies pile up in the Senate with Trudeau slow to appoint new members | CBC News

* Whether PM has constitutional duty to fill Senate vacancies is moot: ruling | CBC News

* Supercluster program gets political renewal – and new name – from Innovation Minister Champagne – The Globe and Mail

* 2nd RCMP staffer suggests commissioner under political pressure after NS mass shooting | CBC News

* Liberals agree to release cabinet documents to Emergencies Act inquiry – National | Globalnews.ca

* Canadian special forces are operating in Ukraine, NY Times reports | Ottawa Citizen

* Military to look at cutting capabilities to save money, says directive from top general and deputy minister | Ottawa Citizen

* New shipbuilding delay leaves Canada reliant on allies, civilian ship to supply navy  

* BC-led lawsuit nets $150M proposed settlement with Purdue Pharma over opioid harms | CBC News

* West Moberly First Nations, BC, BC Hydro and Canada reach settlement related to the Site C project | BC Gov News

* The battle against BC’s Site C dam is over | The Narwhal

John Horgan is set to retire as premier.

Photo credit: flickr/bcgovphotos

OpenMedia’s Campaigns Director Matt Hatfield joins us to discuss Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act and we look at the NDP’s about face on the Royal BC Museum project.

Links

* BC Premier John Horgan cancels $800-million museum project – The Globe and Mail* Province stops museum plan, will consult public on museum’s future | BC Gov News* What’s wrong with Bill C-11? An FAQ | OpenMedia* OpenMedia’s C-11 MP Contact tool * Brown campaign manager joins Rempel Garner for possible UCP leadership bid* Michelle Rempel Garner will not run for UCP leadership | CBC News* Alberta Polling for Michelle Rempel Garner* I just made a big decision – Michelle Rempel Garner’s Substack* Michelle Rempel Garner calls out her fellow Conservatives | The Star* RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki tried to ‘jeopardize’ mass murder investigation to advance Trudeau’s gun control efforts* Trudeau says Ottawa ‘had a lot of questions’ after N.S. mass shooting but didn’t interfere in investigation* Canada investing $4.9 billion to modernize North American defences* Canada commits $4.9-billion over six years to modernize NORAD defences – The Globe and Mail* China may have tried to discourage Canadians from voting Conservative: federal unit | CTV News

The Money Laundering Inquiry is done but does anyone care? And a roundup of a bunch of national and other stories.

Links

* Cullen Commission Reports

* Long-awaited report on money laundering in BC to be released today | CBC News

* Ian Mulgrew: Cullen commission report on B.C. money laundering ‘an enormous opportunity missed’

* BCCLA Reacts: Civil Liberties Group Disappointed by Cullen Commission Report into Money Laundering

* Mélanie Joly’s office knew that senior official would be at Russian embassy party – The Globe and Mail

* Bill Blair says police did not ask for Emergencies Act | CTV News

* Heritage minister says online-streaming bill’s progress ‘important’ as Tories warn of ‘undemocratic’ fast-tracking – The Globe and Mail

* Ottawa touts $8.9-billion plan to help Canadians battered by inflation, as critics pan announcement as ‘unacceptable’   

* Angus Reid Premier Approvals

* Landing with a ‘thud’: Royal Museum rebuild causes political mess for NDP government, but BC Liberals yet to capitalize – Angus Reid Institute

* Toronto, Vancouver selected among host cities for 2026 World Cup, Edmonton snubbed | CBC Sports  

Image credit: Flickr/bcgovphotos

The BC Liberals consider a name change, the federal Conservatives talk membership numbers and reports covering heat deaths, freedom of information and elections.

Segment 1: A record breaking race

Conservative leadership: More than 600,000 may vote in race | CTV News

Conservative leadership hopeful Pierre Poilievre tables bill to ban COVID-19 vaccine mandates

Brown says he won’t run for the Conservatives if Poilievre wins the leadership

5 of 6 Conservative leadership candidates open to another debate

Segment 2: Damning reports round up

Report: Extreme Heat and Human Mortality: A Review of Heat-Related Deaths in BC in Summer 2021

Coroner’s report on B.C. heat-dome deaths calls for greater support for populations at risk

Heat dome report includes “no recommendations” to keep people safe this summer, says critic

Report: FIPPA FOR THE FUTURE

Access to BC government information rooted in culture of secrecy, MLA committee hears – Economy, Law & Politics | Business in Vancouver

Report Meeting New Challenges: Recommendations from the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada following the 43rd and 44th General Elections

Recommendations: Meeting New Challenges: Recommendations from the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada following the 43rd and 44th General Elections

Politics Chief electoral officer says it should be illegal to spread misinformation about voting

Quick Takes

BC Liberal convention to focus on party name change | Vancouver Sun

BC Liberal Party Convention 2022 – Register Today!

BC government delays some school upgrades due to shortage of capital cash | Globalnews.ca

Canada and Denmark reach settlement over disputed Arctic island – The Globe and Mail

Live reactions to Ontario’s election results, you can have drugs, you can’t have guns and the Legislature wraps for the spring.

* Ontario Election Results 2022

* Independent Bobbi Ann Brady leading in Haldimand-Norfolk | CTV Kitchener  

* Top Doug Ford Adviser Sent Premier’s Office Backchannel Message About Meeting With Russian Government

* BC receives exemption to decriminalize possession of some illegal drugs for personal use

* BC to decriminalize possession of small amounts of ‘hard’ drugs such as cocaine, fentanyl and heroin – The Globe and Mail

* Exemption from Controlled Drugs and Substances Act: Personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs in British Columbia (January 31, 2023 to January 31, 2026) – Canada.ca

* MEDIA STATEMENT: “WE NEED DECRIMINALIZATION FOR ALL”: DRUG POLICY & HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS SAY MODEL IN BRITISH COLUMBIA LEAVES MANY BEHIND

* Canadians Split on Decriminalization of Possession of Narcotics, Prostitution | Ipsos

* Government tables bill to limit handguns, pledges to buy back assault-style weapons | CBC News

* Matt Gurney: Trudeau’s Goldilocks moment, but for pistols instead of porridge

* Bill C-21

* Gun Deaths by Country 2022

* Legislative session focused on building stronger BC for everyone

* Vaugn Palmer’s criticisms of BC Ferries changes

* BC investing more than $2.4 billion in Metro Vancouver transit improvements | BC Gov News

* Trudeau government has adopted dozens of secret cabinet orders since coming to power | CBC News

* Opposition MPs call for more transparency about secret orders-in-council | CBC News

* Trudeau government defends its use of secret orders-in-council | CBC News

Ontario goes to the polls next week. The election has been pretty boring – like most pandemic elections – and it looks like Doug Ford is set to cruise to re-election with another majority government. Queen’s Park Today and Wag the Doug’s Allison Smith joins us from Toronto to break down how we got here.

Then the business case for the Royal BC Museum redevelopment is out. We react to the parts that weren’t redacted.

Links

* Find Allison Smith @QueensParkToday (and subscribe!)

* Confidential NDP memo insists they have the momentum to stop Doug Ford

* Business case released for modern, new museum | BC Gov News

* Downtown Museum Busines Case

* Minister defends pricey rebuild of Royal BC Museum, says ‘there is a risk to doing nothing’ | CBC News 

* Melanie Mark posts chart of options considered in 2018

* How the BC NDP will make it impossible to cancel the $1 billion Royal BC Museum plan 

* Tom Hawthorn thread on 2010 opportunity to rebuild the museum

* Canada bans Chinese tech giant Huawei from 5G network

* Western countries considering whether to let Russian oligarchs buy relief from sanctions | CBC News

The Government of BC has announced plans to rebuild the Royal BC Museum – or more like plans to release plans. But it’s going to cost $800 million. And Conservatives are in chaos as Jason Kenney’s career comes to an untimely end, Ed Fast loses his critique portfolio and the BC Conservatives were subject of a possibly hostile takeover by Aaron Gunn supporters.

Links

Segment 1

* Historic investment to build modern, new RBCM, safeguard collection | BC Gov News

* Minister’s statement on Royal BC Museum business case | BC Gov News

* BC Liberals promise to scrap Royal BC Museum project if elected in 2024 | Globalnews.ca

* Les Leyne: Museum questions piling up, answers aren’t

* House Debates Transcripts (at 2:55pm)

* Adam Olsen criticism

Segment 2

* Alberta Premier Jason Kenney resigning as UCP leader despite narrow win in leadership review | CBC News 

* UCP keeps Kenney as interim leader

* Tory finance critic Ed Fast steps down after criticizing Poilievre’s attacks on central bank – National | Globalnews.ca 

* Common Sense BC wins BC Conservative board seats

* Aaron Gunn Facebook post

Quick takes

* New oil and gas royalty system ending inefficient subsidies | BC Gov News

* Furstenau: Oil and gas royalty plan inadequate response to a climate crisis – BC Green Party

* BC Cancels Province’s Largest Fossil Fuel Subsidy | Stand.earth

* Gas royalty review fails to rein in fossil fuel extraction | Wilderness Committee

*  Craig James, former BC legislature clerk, guilty of fraud, breach of trust | Globalnews.ca