Nobody wants an election, but everybody's expecting one Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up here to get it delivered weekday mornings. Imagine a mortified defenceman shooting the puck into his own net. Then, when everyone in the arena finally stops giving him a hard time, he pots another at his own team's expense. Meanwhile, the poor guy doesn't realize he's doing anything wrong. Replace a rink with a House of Commons and you've pretty much painted a picture of Steven Guilbeault's advocacy for his government's attempt at regulating social media giants. Bill C-10 is officially An Embarrassing Thing. Guilbeault's intent is, for the most part, sort of somewhat clear. C-10 would apply some of the same regulatory principles levied on traditional broadcasters—say, CanCon requirements—to the internet. Where it gets confusing is when Guilbeault tries to explain who is being regulated. Earlier this month, the Liberals removed a clause that exempted user-generated content from regulations. On Sunday, the minister told CTV News that the law would only apply to people "who are broadcasters or who act like broadcasters" and command audiences into the millions who earn revenue—"not everyday citizens." Of course, everyday citizens do have enormous online audiences and earn big bucks. And they're not explicitly exempted. Yesterday, Guilbeault's office later clarified to the network that C-10 would "only apply to the platforms," not users who upload content. The minister, his office said, "could have been more careful using his words." Now, another roadblock: opposition parties demanded a new charter statement for the bill (a measure that ensures laws don't violate rights and freedoms). Heritage committee MPs also want to hear from Guilbeault and Justice Minister David Lametti about the whole hullabaloo. Somewhere, a political scientist is concocting a heck of a lecture on how not to turn a bill into law. François Legault's total dominance: Philippe J. Fournier's latest analysis of Quebec's political landscape produces a simple conclusion: the sitting premier is a juggernaut. The governing Coalition Avenir Québec holds commanding leads across most age groups, and the Liberals have very little support among Francophones. Fournier does add one big caveat: Considering the low popularity and weak notoriety of opposition leaders at the National Assembly and the fact that Quebec stands among the vaccination leaders in Canada (as of this writing), it is difficult to imagine the CAQ blowing its re-election chances next year—especially if a fifth party gains any ground at the expense of the “old” parties. But we shall see: Quebec voters have shown little party loyalty over the past decade. Alternative media: Over the weekend, Justin Trudeau popped up on a YouTube channel run by Brandon Gonez, a former reporter and anchor on CTV and CP24. Gonez interviewed the PM for just shy of 30 minutes. His first question: What's on the playlist at Rideau Cottage? (Reuben and the Dark is top of the list, followed by Leonard Cohen. The Trudeau kids listen to Drake.) Gonez also pushed the PM on vaccine passports and how the former teach would grade his pandemic performance. Theresa Tam, another recent guest, told Gonez she'd land "in the B range." Watch the full interview. Ontario Premier Doug Ford keeps on launching anti-Liberal ads into the world. Ford's latest graphic gripes about porous borders by mocking up a list of COVID-positive planes arriving from around the globe. A quick glance reveals that a slim majority of flights on the graphic arrived from inside Canada—and one even from the same province. It's true that more domestic flights are carrying the virus than are international flights, but Ford hasn't restricted interprovincial travel. The American side of the Canada-U.S. Parliamentary Group has picked its members. Rep. Brian Higgins, a Democrat on the border in Buffalo, N.Y., will co-chair the Yankee side with Rep. Bill Huizenga, a Republican from Michigan. Huizenga also co-chairs a congressional Great Lakes Task Force. There's just a day to go before the governor of his state expects Enbridge to cease operations on its Line 5 pipeline, which she says endangers two of said lakes—Huron and Michigan. Sober second thought thoughts: Sen. Donna Dasko, a Trudeau-appointed member of the Independent Senators Group, worked at a big pollster in her pre-appointed life. That aptitude helps explain why Dasko asked Nanos Research to ask the country about the Red Chamber. What did they find? After five years of officially non-partisan appointments , three-quarters of respondents want the next government to maintain that status quo. Three per cent prefer the old way. Still, just one-in-four Canadians view senators positively. A majority still see them in a negative light. —Nick Taylor-Vaisey | 
