David Akin's Roundup: Tariff support. Que-berta co-operation. Streaming backtrack.
MON MAY 18
Canada
Ottawa to extend steel, aluminum tariff support measures for another year
Finance Canada says a remission program that pays back certain firms for Canadian tariffs on steel and aluminum from the United States will be extended until the end of June 2027. Steel imports from countries except the United States and Mexico will also continue to be hit with 50 per cent tariffs above a certain quota for an additional year. | Globalnews.ca
U.S. ambassador stands by Trump’s latest taunt on Canada being 51st state
Arriving for a meeting with Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette Wednesday, Peter Hoekstra said he represents the president and his job is to promote his views. “I’ve said that ever since I’ve been here (as ambassador),” Hoekstra told reporters arriving at the premier’s office. “That’s a great discussion (the 51st state) for the president and the prime minister to have. “They will set that policy. I have no instructions on the 51st state. If the president and the prime minister want to have that discussion they can have that discussion.” | Montreal Gazette
Canada’s AI strategy to be released as survey suggests public trust gap
Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon says the strategy will be titled “AI for All” and will focus on unleashing the economic potential of AI while building Canadians’ trust in the technology — which the Ipsos report suggests is also at a global low. “That means AI is going to benefit every Canadian, no matter where you live, no matter what you do, no matter what age you are,” Solomon said in a social media video posted Wednesday. | Globalnews.ca
Development fee cuts alone won’t solve housing affordability crisis: CMHC
The federal government is spending billions of dollars to encourage municipalities to cut development fees in half to boost housing supply and improve affordability. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says in a new analysis that reducing or eliminating development charges could increase the number of viable projects in some cities by up to 14 per cent. | Globalnews.ca
The Provinces
Smith, Fréchette tout closer Alberta-Quebec ties on trade, autonomy
Smith said Alberta and Quebec have long-standing trade links and can lean on each other amid uncertainty involving the United States, Canada’s largest trading partner. She suggested the relationship could even earn a nickname, joking about “Que-Berta” or “Alber-Bec.” “The best way to create resilience is to support each other and to have more trade with each other,” Smith said, adding she was encouraged to see Alberta goods moving through the Port of Quebec. | Globalnews.ca
Ford charged more than $140K in private plane charters last year, records show
Records show Ford’s penchant for private travel took off immediately after winning the 2025 provincial election campaign, during which the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party chartered planes to Washington, D.C. to push back on U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war. Since then, Ford and his staff have flown on five separate private flights in a single year to various destinations for government business — all of which were chartered by the Ministry of Natural Resources, which was eventually involved in the government’s purchase of the ill-fated $28.9 million jet. | Globalnews.ca
Ontario civil servants to see ‘flexibility’ on work options during World Cup: government
The Ontario Public Service Employees’ Union, which represents some 200,000 workers, says while it welcomes flexibility on work options during the tournament, that should be the approach at all times. The union’s president, JP Hornick, says the best way for the government to approach work arrangements would be to discuss with employees what is needed for specific jobs rather than requiring all workers to be in office five days a week. | CityNews
Elsewhere
Tech billionaires are spending unprecedented sums in California races. Experts say it’s the tip of the iceberg
The industry has used a cover-all-bases approach, funding candidates and ballot measures big and small, contributing to what looks to be the most expensive primary season in California history. The goal, experts say, is to gain both political and regulatory leverage that will perpetuate dominance in business. “This money is flowing in the direction of politicians that can be influential in defining the regulatory agenda for the next five years,” said Francesco Trebbi, a public policy professor at the University of California in Berkeley. “Reinforcing the cycle of economic power produces political power, and political power further establishes economic power. So, this cycle is ongoing.” | The Guardian
Trump library says no Twitter DMs can be found, despite evidence he sent them
The newly operational Trump Presidential Library, the entity responsible for preserving records from the White House, says that it cannot find a single Twitter direct message sent by a president who tweeted more than 25,000 times during his first administration. This no-records response to a Freedom of Information Act request from The Washington Post comes as the Trump administration argues it does not need to follow the Presidential Records Act, a law designed to ensure the public has access to records of the president after he leaves office. | WaPo (🎁 link)
A journey into history – Hansard records dating back to 1803 now available online
Hansard - the official report of Parliament - has added around 130 volumes from the 19th and early 20th centuries to its online database, completing its online archive. The Hansard website now provides users access to debates and proceedings not previously available in digital form. The material covers major events in UK and international history, from the King’s Speech in 1803 to the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German invasion of Poland in 1939, and the death of King George VI in 1952. Great resource. I used it to search how many times “Canada” was mentioned from 1865-1869 and the charge above was part of the search result return. | UK Parliament
Media
Ottawa orders CRTC review of streamer spending rules, citing consumer cost
The CRTC said in May it would require large streaming services like Netflix to contribute 15 per cent of their Canadian revenues to Canadian content. The government says it will instead provide $600 million to Canada’s audio and audiovisual sectors. | Globalnews.ca
From Making Web Giants Pay to Making Taxpayers Pay: Government Announces Plan to Kill the CRTC’s Online Streaming Ruling
Michael Geist: The government [Wednesday] killed the centrepiece of its broadcasting policy, announcing it plans to issue a new policy direction to override the CRTC’s Online Streaming Act decision on Internet streaming service contributions less than two weeks after the Commission released it. The reversal, which undoubtedly reflects the harm the decision caused as part of trade negotiations with the United States, comes at a cost to taxpayers; the government promised a $600 million payout to the audio and audiovisual sectors to cover anticipated lost revenues. Canadian Culture Minister Marc Miller framed the move entirely in terms of affordability and consumer choice, cautioning that the Commission’s requirements could be borne by Canadian consumers through higher prices. That risk has been obvious since the government introduced the legislation years ago. In fact, it is close to word-for-word for the case I made before the Commission in December 2023 that consumer interests, competition, and affordability belonged at the centre of broadcast and Internet policy. | MichaelGeist.ca
[Press release] Government launches consultations on extending the Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit
Global News and all other private broadcasters do not receive the millions of dollars of subsidies newspapers like The Globe and Mail, the Calgary Sun, and The Toronto Star receive. But the government proposes to change this, giving my employer, for example, these subsidies. Public input is being solicited. As announced in the Spring Economic Update 2026, the government is proposing to extend the Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit to audio and audiovisual news production. The government intends to move forward with this extension and is seeking input on its design to ensure it is effective, targeted, and reflective of the realities of the news sector. | Department of Finance
Rebel News says it will register to advertise for Alberta separation
Operating under the moniker “Act for Alberta,” Rebel News says it plans to use “professional campaign tools,” such as TV and digital ads, a billboard truck and public events, to push for secession and is asking its followers to donate to the cause. The website claims to have received over 430 million views last year, and researchers at Oxford University and Reuters news agency found it is among Canada’s most mentioned news brands. | National Observer
Science and Technology
Quebec’s national library moves ahead with AI cultural databank project
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, or BAnQ, the province’s national library and archives institution, has launched the experimental phase of its proposed government and cultural databank in French and Indigenous languages after completing a feasibility study earlier this year. The project aims to address concerns that major generative AI systems often struggle to provide reliable information about Quebec society, economy and culture because of the limited amount of Quebec-related data available to them. | Globalnews.ca
United 767 diverted mid-Atlantic after teenager named Bluetooth speaker BOMB, stranding 200 passengers ten hours
United Airlines flight UA236, a Boeing 767-400ER operating the Newark–Palma de Mallorca route, made an emergency diversion back to Newark Liberty International Airport on May 30, 2026, after a Bluetooth speaker owned by a 16-year-old passenger was named “BOMB” — triggering a full bomb-threat protocol, a squawk 7700 emergency declaration, and a law-enforcement response that left passengers stranded for more than ten hours. | Air Traveler Club
The Calendar
0815 ET : 425 Wellington - Canadian Heritage (CHPC) | Meeting 41 | State of Creative and Performance Spaces Across Canada
0815 ET : 225-A West Block - Finance (FINA) | Meeting 44 | Fin Min François-Philippe Champagne and Transport Min Steven MacKinnon testify on C-30
0815 ET : 420 Wellington - Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) | Meeting 40 | Housing Starts in Relation to Federal Programs
0815 ET : 410 Wellington - Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN) | Meeting 36 | Affordability Challenges in Northern Canada
0900 ET : Chester Basin, NS - Jobs and Families Min Patty Hajdu announces the establishment of the Mining and Minerals Workforce Alliance.
0900 ET : 135B West Block - NDP MP Heather McPherson and others speak about fourth anniversary of the 2021 London terrorist attack.
1000 ET : 135B West Block - CPC MP Dean Allison speaks about COVID-19 vaccine injuries.
1045 ET : Toronto - PM Carney and Artificial Intelligence Min Evan Solomon announces new measures on artificial intelligence.
1100 ET : 415 Wellington - Agriculture and Agri-Food (AGRI) | Meeting 39 | Food Security in the Face of Global Instability / Government’s Regulatory Reform Initiative in Agriculture and Agri-Food Sector
1100 ET : 025-B West Block - International Trade (CIIT) | Meeting 41 | Canada’s Trade with Japan / Canada and the Forthcoming CUSMA Review
1100 ET : 420 Wellington - Environment and Sustainable Development (ENVI) | Meeting 42 | C-241
1100 ET : 420 Wellington - Status of Women (FEWO) | Meeting 42 | Role and Capacity of Women’s Shelters and Transitional Housing to Support Women and Girls in Canada
1100 ET : 425 Wellington - Industry and Technology (INDU) | Meeting 42 | Financial Fraud and Scams in Canada / Economic and Supply Chain Impacts of U.S. Tariffs on Canada’s Metallurgical and Advanced Manufacturing Sectors
1100 ET : 035-B West Block - Procedure and House Affairs (PROC) | Meeting 37 | Drafting report.
1100 ET : 125B West Block - Science and Research (SRSR) | Meeting 39 | Briefing Session with the President of the National Research Council
1250 ET : Toronto - PM Carney meets with Barbardos PM Mia Mottley
1415 ET : Toronto - PM Carney meets with Grenada PM Dickon Mitchell
1520 ET : Toronto - PM Carney attends the Bizot Conference.
1530 ET : 035B West Block - Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) | Meeting 45 | Statutory Review of the Lobbying Act
1530 ET : 225-A West Block - Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE) | Meeting 38 | Review of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy / Security Situation in the Balkans
1530 ET : 410 Wellington - Official Languages (LANG) | Meeting 38 | Draft Regulations on the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses
1530 ET : 125B West Block - Natural Resources (RNNR) | Meeting 41 | Canada’s Electrification, Energy Self-Sufficiency and Domestic Energy Security
1530 ET : 415 Wellington - Public Safety and National Security (SECU) | Meeting 41 | C-22
Issued this day …
… in 2008. Sc 2274. Royal Canadian Mint. Design: Stéphane Huot.
Nice stamp today.