Ottawa hints at its rollout plan Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up here to get it delivered weekday mornings. The pandemic's earliest stages were dominated by headlines about emergency benefits, closed borders, PPE and the efficacy of masks. Now, vaccine politics are starting to define the next phase of Ottawa's pandemic response. Conservatives say the feds have no plans. Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his health minister, Christine Elliott, say Ottawa changed its tune on how much vaccine is guaranteed for the country, and exactly when inoculations will start. Last night, Justin Trudeau talked to the premiers and this morning, he'll once again hold a press conference outside his Ottawa home. So what did the feds have to say for themselves yesterday? Dr. Howard Njoo, the deputy chief public health officer, told reporters that a "great deal of preparation" is happening "behind the scenes." He said vaccinations would happen "early" in 2021. His "optimistic" view was that six million doses could be administered before the end of March. Arianne Reza, a senior public servant at Public Services and Procurement Canada, pointed to the "first quarter" of 2021. Top medical advisor Dr. Supriya Sharma, who spoke to Maclean's this week, said the feds "don't want to set up expectations that we might not be able meet." Earlier this week, this newsletter explained that McKinsey, the global management consulting giant, was recently awarded a $452,000 contract to help reimagine the post-pandemic economy. In fact, McKinsey won that contract on June 3—and the value immediately ballooned to $2.9 million. The federal procurement website only posted the contract several months later, on Nov. 23. A spokesperson for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada called the amended contract "routine practice ," and said McKinsey was paid to "undertake detailed analysis of the pandemic’s impact on various industries, various trajectories for the overall health and economic pictures, assessments of other economies, and to help the [Industry Strategy] Council in its outreach and development of advice." Bookie blues: Under-the-table single-event sports betting may soon be a thing of the past. Canadians have long been restricted to gambling on multiple events at the same time. The young Liberal government once opposed legalizing single-event bets. In 2016, Bill Blair argued "the vast majority of those who bet with illegal bookmakers would continue to do so," and warned about the dangers of gambling addiction. Yesterday, Justice Minister David Lametti reversed his government's position , and described the flip-flop as an "evolution." Lametti credited NDP MP Brian Masse, who has represented a Windsor, Ont., riding with thousands of casino workers for 20 years, for his fierce advocacy on the file. The think-tank Cardus says the "regressive" move will punish the poor. Have you heard of Highway 413? Ontarians have for decades watched the gradual proliferation of 400-series highways that criss-cross the province. Paul Webster, writing for In the Hills, reports that Doug Ford's government has "resurrected" a project to build Highway 413 in the northwest corner of the Greater Toronto Area—and has outsourced new consultations. The potential freeway gives new life to an age-old fight in Canada's suburbs over how to fight congestion. Critics point out that new roads simply beget more congestion—and, decades hence, even newer roads to fill with even more cars. How much does a guided missile cost? The Department of National Defence bought four missiles from the U.S. Navy. The contract is marked at $11,559,067, which translates to $2.89 million per high-tech projectile. The military is also looking for eight trumpets for the RCAF's 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron—including soprano, melody, tenor and bass varieties—at an estimated cost of $70,000 (or 2.4 per cent of a missile). They're described as fanfare trumpets, and they'll likely be purchased with little of that. Happy trails: Diane Finley isn't retiring yet, but the six-term Tory MP bade farewell to the Commons yesterday in case she didn't return before the next election. Finley spoke about the tumult of parliamentary life. "I lost my husband, my father, my vision temporarily, my appendix, and my dear neurotic cat," she said. "I also gained more than I ever could have imagined: amazing experiences across Canada that only deepened my love for this great country; friendships that will last a lifetime; an undying respect for this institution and for those who serve in it; and a pair of titanium hips." Erin O'Toole called Finley the "last of the Titans," a reference to her service as a senior minister during every second of the Harper era. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh challenged left-wing congressional superstar Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to stream Among Us, the popular online space-themed multiplayer game, on Twitch. And, well, AOC accepted the challenge. "Canadian Members of Parliament & US Members of Congress venting each other into space. What could go wrong?" she tweeted. Singh told HuffPost that he hopes to have fun—and, of course, talk about issues like the federal minimum wage. Watch them have it out tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Hometowns: So many of you responded to yesterday's callout for your long lists of hometowns that we can't declare a winner. We need more time. But you should know three of you have lived in Virden, Man. —Nick Taylor-Vaisey | 