David Akin's Roundup: Investigator quits. Alberta's hope. Ukraine corruption.

THU NOV 13

Canada

Carney to add LNG, hydro, nickel projects to fast-track list

Prime Minister Mark Carney was in British Columbia Wednesday, as he prepares to announce the next list of items as part of the government’s projects-of-national-interest initiative. B.C. already has two of the approved projects, and according to sources, it’s expected to be home to at least one more when Carney unveils the second phase of his major projects plan on Thursday. Global’s Mackenzie Gray breaks down what we know about the shortlist. | Global National

Correctional investigator quits, says government failing to heed his recommendations.

The Correctional Investigator of Canada is leaving the job two years early. In his scathing annual report, Ivan Zinger says weak policies, insufficient training, and a lack of accessible treatment are hindering efforts to provide proper mental health care to vulnerable prisoners. Jillian Piper reports on his findings and the impact. | Global National

‘Spam’ videos use actors to spread fake Canadian political, western separatism content

The Canadian Press identified three channels with hundreds of thousands of views between them that published misleading Canadian political commentary using hosts who advertise their services as voiceover artists or presenters. The Canadian Reporter, Canadian Zone and The Effect Reporter channels on YouTube used thumbnails with AI-generated images of Prime Minister Mark Carney, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and others to attract clicks. | Globalnews.ca

Premiers say infrastructure, U.S. trade talks top Carney meeting priorities

Carney will host a virtual meeting with the nation’s provincial and territorial leaders on Monday and the premiers laid out their priorities in a letter to the prime minister this morning. | Globalnews.ca

Arctic Military Preparedness Needs More “Jaw Jaw”

All eight Arctic states are currently expanding their military facilities, patrols, and combat training in the region. As of October 10, the Washington-based Arctic Military Activity Tracker listed 35 significant exercises and training events across the region in 2025 – triple the pace of operations in 2022. | Centre for International Policy Studies

Ottawa seeks new parliamentary budget officer with ‘tact and discretion’

The job listing says Ottawa is looking for someone familiar with fiscal policy and the inner workings of Parliament. The listing says the successful candidate must show sound judgment, “tact and discretion,” and communicate about complex policy issues in a “neutral way.” The PBO job comes with a salary range of $225,300 to $265,000. The application review will start on Dec. 8. | Globalnews.ca

The Provinces

Alberta hoping for pipeline promise Thursday

In Alberta, the provincial government and the oil and gas industry will be paying close attention to Carney’s announcement. They have high hopes for a new pipeline to the West Coast. No private investor has expressed interest in building the pipeline, and B.C. Premier David Eby isn’t interested either. As Heather Yourex-West reports, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith insists that without a new pipeline, national unity is on the line. | Global National

Nova Scotia’s new Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Bill 150)

Privacy lawyer David Fraser breaks down the new Nova Scotia FOI law. The law was tabled and passed by the Houston PCs in about a week this fall with zero consultation and, in Fraser’s view, “There’s some good, some bad and some changes that I’m indifferent to.” Fraser, in his practice, acts for both requesters seeking records and for public bodies who must comply with this new law. Fraser notes that the “purpose” clause in the old act has. simply been removed. As Fraser explains, “The original FOIPOP was relatively unique among access to information laws in Canada in that it clearly had as its intent full transparency, accountability and access – as fundamental to how democracy should work. That part is gone. Just removed.” That would be the bad.

The good, perhaps, would be that muncipalities are now bound to comply with the FOI law making municipal records open to journalists, researchers, NGOs and business groups. A good explainer here for anyone doing records work in the province of Nova Scotia. - DA

From 2019-2025, Mike ☝️worked on Parliament Hill as chief of staff to some of Trudeau’s cabinet ministers. He joins another former federal Liberal on the Nenshi NDP team: Andrew McKendrick recently joined the Alberta NDP as communications director after several years serving in the Trudeau PMO and in some federal Liberal ministers’ office in communications and issues management roles. - DA

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Elsewhere

Major corruption scandal engulfs top Zelensky allies

President Volodymyr Zelensky called for Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko’s removal on Wednesday. On Monday anti-corruption bodies accused several people of orchestrating a embezzlement scheme in the energy sector worth about $100m (£76m), including at the national nuclear operator Enerhoatom. Some of those implicated in the scandal are - or have been - close associates of Zelensky’s. | BBC

Cyril Ramaphosa reply Donald Trump decision to boycott G20 summit for South Africa

South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa say “boycott politics no dey work” as e hit back at US President Donald Trump decision to skip di G20 leaders summit for Johannesburg later dis month. Trump say no US official go attend di gathering sake of di wide claims say dem dey persecute white pipo for South Africa. BBC News Pidgin is an online news service in West African Pidgin English that was launched by the BBC World Service in 2017. It is based in Lagos, Nigeria. | BBC News Pidgin

Media

87 postes abolis au sein de Groupe TVA: Lacombe presse Ottawa d’en faire plus pour soutenir le secteur télévisuel

À l’instar de Québecor, le ministre de la Culture et des Communications du Québec, Mathieu Lacombe, presse Ottawa d’en faire plus pour soutenir le secteur télévisuel, après l’abolition de 87 postes au sein de Groupe TVA, dans différentes régions. | TVA Nouvelles

Funding cuts may make public radio more reliant on old, rich, white donors

In the face of cuts, many [NPR] stations are issuing renewed appeals to their traditional donor base, making public radio even more reliant on private donations and an audience that’s older, whiter, and richer than the average American. Many in public radio are worried the donor appeals are not sustainable in the long term, but when I spoke to her last month, [Listeners Like Who? Exclusion and Resistance in the Public Radio Industry author Laura] Garbes was also concerned about the effect the defunding will have on programming and journalists of color in public radio. | Nieman Journalism Lab

Click through to read the rest of Lori’s post 👆and learn about the new project she’s launching dedicated “to long-form journalism focused on accountability and integrity in sport.”

Science and Technology

Silicon Valley data centers totalling nearly 100MW could ‘sit empty for years’ due to lack of power

In the heart of Silicon Valley, two freshly built data centers designed for the world’s most power-hungry computing workloads are standing empty. Digital Realty’s four-story SJC37 facility and Stack Infrastructure’s SVY02A campus in Santa Clara, California, were both constructed to host tens of megawatts of high-density IT hardware. Instead, they’re waiting for electricity. | Tom’s Hardware

The Calendar

• 1000 ET : Sidney, BC - GPC MP Elizabeth May attends a Rotary Club meeting.

• 1200 ET : Vancouver - Interim NDP Leader Don Davies meets with the Canadian Labour Congress executives.

• 1230 ET : North Vancouver, BC - Industry Min Melanie Joly accpets a new Coast Guard ship into service.

• 1240 ET : Toronto - Finance Min François-Philippe Champagne speaks about Budget 2025

• 1415 ET : Terrace, BC - PM Carney speaks about nation-building projects.

• 1500 ET : Timmins, ON - Energy and Natural Resources Min Tim Hodgson speaks about nation-building projects.

• 1500 ET : Montreal - Intergovernmental Affairs Min Dominic LeBlanc speaks about nation-building projects.

• 1500 ET : Kelowna, BC - Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks about Budget 2025.

• 1600 ET : Calgary - CPC MP Dalwinder Gill holds a constituency meeting.

• 1600 ET : Riverview, NB - CPC MP Rob Moore speaks at a party fundraising event.

• 1830 ET : Winnipeg - Women and Gender Equality Min Rechie Valdez speaks about Budget 2025.

Issued this day …

… in 1992: Sc 1452. Christmas (Personages). Design: Louis Fishauf and Stephanie Power. Illustration: Anita Kunz

For Christmas in 1992, Canada Post issued four stamps — all on the secular theme of different cultural treatments of what we in Canada generally refer to as Santa Claus or Père Noêl. This stamp features Jõuluvana — Finland’s version of Santa Claus.