The federal government is looking to change Canada’s assisted dying laws following a Quebec court decision finding a part of it to be unconstitutional (which many, many people told them). But will the expanded access come with new barriers?

As USMCA passes the US Senate, we look at what it changes from NAFTA and whether this is good for Canada.

Then we look at the latest in what has been a wild week of who’s in and who’s out of the Conservative leadership race and whether it’s just coming down to the Peter MacKay coronation.

But first we start with a new format of rounding up the latest in BC politics. Notably, the mini cabinet shuffle, some follow ups on the impasse between the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs and the Coastal GasLink pipeline and the news that Uber and Lyft are arriving in Vancouver, while the taxi industry’s Kater gets shut out.

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Come see us at Fan Expo Vancouver, February 15-17, 2020.

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BCpoli roundup

* B.C. cabinet shuffle: Here’s what changed, and what didn’t

* Ex-Mayor of Sidney call for Adam Olsen’s resignation

* Former Sidney mayor Steven Price defeated in surprising election result

* APTN Nation to Nation interview

* WCEL analysis of injunction ruling

* Indigenous pipeline supporters slam human-rights advocates over Coastal GasLink stance

* Expert Panel on the Future of Housing Supply & Affordability

* Once proposed as ski resort: B.C.’s Jumbo Glacier turned over to First Nation

* Province looking at steps to dissolve Jumbo resort municipality

* Municipality with no residents being shut down by BC government

* Uber, and Lyft approved – Passenger Transportation Board press release [pdf]

* PDF with links to Uber, Lyft, Kater decisions

Segment 1: MAiD to order

* Online government survey on medical aid in dying sees record-breaking response

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UBC economist Kevin Milligan (@KevinMilligan) joins us for a deep dive into income taxes. Along the way we look at the Liberal and Conservative plans from the last election, wealth taxes and negative income taxes.

Andrew Weaver announced he’s leaving the BC Green Party to sit as an independent as of January 20. Does he just hate the Greens, party politics or is he just another type of politician?

And in quick takes we look at money laundering, the latest in the Conservative leadership race and more.

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Come see us at Fan Expo Vancouver, February 15-17, 2020.

Links

Segment 1: Tax time on the 99

* Follow @KevinMilligan

* CCPA analysis of Liberal and Conservative tax changes

Segment 2: Andrew Leaver

* Andrew Weaver leaves BC Green Party to sit as independent

* Farewell, professor from The Orca

* Keith Baldrey: Opinion: No way Horgan calls a 2020 B.C. election

* Rob Shaw : B.C. parties prep for possible 2020 election as Green leadership race ramps up instability

Quick takes

* BC grilled by Supreme Court justices on a bill that would halt Trans Mountain expansion

* BC case dismissed from the bench

* Sam Cooper B.C. disbanded RCMP unit after report warned possible crime figure bought stake in casino

* Wilkinson to hand over cabinet documents

* ‘I’m in’: Peter MacKay confirms he’s running for the Conservative leadership

* Stephen Harper resigns from the Conservative Fund board to block Jean Charest

* Manning Centre to change its name as founder Preston Manning announces retirement

* Name the Manning Centre survey

First, we look at the the ongoing protests over the Coastal GasLink LNG pipeline by the hereditary chiefs of five Wet’suwet’en clans who claim the lands as their traditional territories.

Then we look at the state of the tensions between the US and Iran and the possible implications of the crash of Ukraine Airlines flight 752. Plus a look at the latest in leadership race news.

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Links

Segment 1: All eyes on the LNG prize

* Background: Why some elected Wet’suwet’en councils signed agreements with Coastal GasLink

* Injunction granted to natural gas company by BC Supreme Court

Segment 2: Iran out of jokes

* Background on Iran-US relations (wikipedia)

* Ukraine Airlines Flight 752

Conservative leadership race roundup

* Conservatives to pick their new leader on June 27

* MP Marilyn Gladu is running for the Conservative leadership

* Clayton Knutzon on Twitter: “I am Running for leader of the #CPC – just waiting for the nomination papers from the @CPC_HQ #hoc #pnpcbc #cbcnn Am I the first to formally announce? #cdnpoli”

* Aron Seal Millennial Conservative: Home – watch the video

* Former Quebec premier Jean Charest to run for the Conservative leadership

* Pierre Poilievre ‘Skippy’ for Conservative leader?

* Peter MacKay ‘100 per cent in’ for the Conservative leadership race, friends say

Quick takes

* BC Greens Leadership 2020

* Stay tuned for Canada Greens Leadership Contest

* Lametti says he won’t split roles of attorney general and justice minister

* Harsha Walia joins BCCLA as new ED

* Bank of Canada to make new $5 note, seeks public input on who should be on it

* Trudeau has a beard now

Stewart Prest joins us to look back and look ahead at the big shifts in politics over the past decade and the one before us. Follow @stewartprest

For our last episode of 2019 (yes, we’re taking next week off) we look back at our predictions and the highlights for the last year and give some thoughts about 2020. Then we catch up on who’s in and who’s out of the race to replace Andrew Scheer. Plus some ranting about impeachment in the US and the election in the UK. And a couple quick takes to round it all off.

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Segment 1: 2020 Vision

* Our 2019 predictions

Segment 2: Hats in the Ring

* Scheer’s office expenses scandal

* Bryan Brulotte enters race

* Jean Charest mulls bid

* Rona Ambrose considers a run

* Ekos has polling data

Segment 3: Impeachment & BoJo’s Big Win

* No links, just Google it

Quick takes

* SNC Lavalin takes plea deal

* Jody Wilson-Raybould takes office deal

Andrew Scheer quits as Conservative Party leader as we learn that he was using party funds to put his kids through private school. Statistics Canada has released a report on the first year of cannabis sales and BC did poorly. And forestry workers on Vancouver Island paid a visit to the legislature to demand an end to a six-month long strike.

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Segment 1: The Scheer Audacity

* Scheer allegedly used party funds to pay for kids’ private school education

* Abacus data poll on possible Conservative leaders

* Possible candidates for Green Party of Canada leadership

* Paul Manly’s blog on why he voted no confidence

Segment 2: Betty in Sooke must be doing well

* Shannon’s thread on cannabis sales statitistics

* Statistics Cannabis

* Map of cannabis stores in BC

Segment 3: Can’t see the workers through the trees

* Forestry workers converge on BC Legislature

Quick takes

* Who’s who in the AggregateIQ report

* Opposition forces creation of China committee

* Jane Philpott can’t work for First Nation under ethics rules

* Jody Wilson-Raybould sets up camp in Parliament office

The first Throne Speech of the 43rd Parliament may not have contained much new but we’ll see if there’s enough to keep Trudeau’s government afloat.

Sam Cooper breaks the story for Global News that former BC Liberal MLA Richard Lee was detained in China for 8 hours but his colleagues in government didn’t seem to act on the information.

And what unites John Horgan, Doug Ford and the other premiers? The chance to ask Ottawa for more money.

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Image credit: Sgt Johanie Maheu, Rideau Hall

Links

Segment 1: Together in a vague, somewhat forward direction

* Election of Speaker

* Throne Speech

* Nora Loreto’s piece on the 30th anniversary of the Ecole Polytechnique massacre

* Bloc announces intent to vote in favour

* Conservative Shadow Cabinet

* Ed Fast said no to a critic role

Segment 2: Mr Lee goes to China

* Sam Cooper’s scoop

* Follow up

Segment 3: Mr Horgan goes to Toronto

* The premiers’ joint statement

* Some analysis

Quick takes

* SenSeg: Government representatives in Senate step down

* Three conservative premiers agree to develop small modular nuclear reactors

* Court documents show RCMP are investigating the woodsplitter

* Plecas says maybe he’ll run again

A look at the BC NDP’s convention and end of the 2019 legislative session; how the federal Conservative and NDP leadership teams are shaping up; and why Victoria’s AggregateIQ is attracting international attention.

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Segment 1: A conventional end

* CBC convention coverage

* Vancouver Sun convention coverage

* Andrew Weaver steps down as leader

* Prayers become prayers & reflections at legislature

Segment 2: Oppositions to the opposition

* Scheer fires two staff

* Jenni Byrne criticizes Scheer

* Conveservative Victory launched to defeat Scheer

* NDP critics

Segment 3: Your IQ was aggregated

* OIPC report

* Guardian coverage

Quick takes

* Lynn Beyak is back in the Senate

* New Brunswick considers invoking notwithstanding clause for vaccinations

* UBCM bans foreign sponsorships

* Anti-SLAPP law succeeds in first test

The BCNDP are rushing to get a bevvy of bills passed before the legislature rises next week. And in Ottawa Trudeau announces who’s in and who’s out of the new Cabinet.

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Segment 1: A legislative whirlwind

* Progress of Bills

* Fuel Price Transparency Act

Segment 2: Cabinet Shuffle

* Trudeau’s cabinet (CBC)

* More breakdowns (Globe and Mail)

Quick takes

* More Senate moves

* Rachel Notley asks LG to block bill

* Notley removed from legislature

* Canada votes against Israel at UN for first time since 2003

* Netenyahu faces corruption charges

* Charter school petition initiative gets 8 of 325,000 needed signatures

We look at the preliminary platform of the BC Liberals. Plus a look at the growing number of Senate groups, what that means for Trudeau’s ability to pass legislation and a possible fix Canada could adopt from the UK.

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Links

Segment 1: A Clearer Choice

* A Clear Choice

Segment 2: Independent Senators for Senatorial Independence

* New Senate group

Quick Takes

* Parliament to return with election of speaker & throne speech on Dec 5* Singh outlines requests from Liberals* BC Green Interim Leader hopes Jody Wilson-Raybould will run for their party* BC releases new vaping regulations* BC Ferries announces new ships