Good morning,
These are the top stories:
Ontario’s cancer agency flags problems with drugs to Health Canada
Hundreds of cancer patients in Canada did not receive the full dose of three highly concentrated intravenous medications because of problems with the way they were administered. However, at least two provinces disagree on whether the patients need to be told.
The drugs, which were introduced in this decade, are for advanced cases of cancer and are given to patients in hospitals using a similar method to how chemotherapy is administered: via an intravenous tube attached to a pump. In June, Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) learned that the way some hospitals were using this system when they administered these drugs could leave small amounts behind after the treatment ended. The problem was first noticed by a health-care worker at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga.
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B.C. central Interior ‘in for a bit of a ride’ as extreme conditions threaten to worsen already treacherous fire conditions
Emergency officials in British Columbia are bracing for an increase in extreme fire activity in the province’s central Interior as hot, dry weather is expected to cause wildfires to quickly spread, adding to a crisis that has already forced thousands of people from their homes.
A day earlier, the B.C. government declared a state of emergency − the second in two years − as more than 500 wildfires burning in nearly every corner of the province have overwhelmed the province’s firefighting resources. As of Thursday, there were 26 evacuation orders issued, affecting about 3,100 people, while another 19,000 were under evacuation alerts that could call for them to leave their homes
Conservatives tell Bernier to ‘play on the team’ in midst of identity politics spat
The Conservative Party is warning outspoken MP Maxime Bernier that he must choose between being a maverick or a caucus member after a public spat with Tory Leader Andrew Scheer over identity politics.
Mr. Scheer urged Mr. Bernier to be a team player, while his Quebec lieutenant Alain Rayes went further, suggesting there is a limit to how much deviation the caucus will tolerate from Mr. Scheer’s former leadership rival.
“We think that Maxime has his place within the party if he is ready to play on the team,” Mr. Rayes told The Globe. “He is not the leader today. It’s Andrew Scheer and we are all behind him.”
Tesla to take Ontario government to court over cancelled electric-vehicle rebate
The Canadian arm of Tesla, Inc., is taking the Ontario government to court, saying it has been treated unfairly in the cancellation of a program providing rebates to residents who bought electric vehicles.
In an application for judicial review, Tesla Motors Canada says the decision by Premier Doug Ford’s government to halt the program in July left hundreds of its customers no longer eligible for rebates they expected to get when they ordered their vehicles.
It asks the Ontario Superior Court to quash the “arbitrary and entirely unreasonable” decision, adding that the government has given it no reason for its exclusion from the rebate extension.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Trump suggests Canada has been sidelined from latest NAFTA negotiations
U.S. President Donald Trump is suggesting Canada has deliberately been left on NAFTA’s sidelines as one-on-one talks heat up between Washington and Mexico.
For four straight weeks, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo have held bilateral negotiations on the North American free-trade agreement, while Canada has been absent from the bargaining table.
Canadian officials have insisted they’re unfazed by being left out of the discussions because it’s allowing the U.S. and Mexico to sort out tough bilateral issues, such as their differences on autos. They’ve stressed that there have been a lot of one-on-one talks during NAFTA’s renegotiation process.
MORNING MARKETS
Global markets are mixed so far, though starting to sour. Tokyo’s Nikkei gained 0.4 per cent, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng 0.4 per cent, while the Shanghai Composite lost 1.3 per cent. In Europe, the Paris CAC 40 was little changed by about 7:15 a.m. ET, With London’s FTSE 100 down slightly and Germany’s DAX down 0.2 per cent. New York futures were down. The Canadian dollar was sitting at just about 76 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Turkey shows the economic costs of populist authoritarianism
“Key ingredients in Mr. Erdogan’s rallying of much of Turkey’s population behind him over his decade-and-a-half in power – his endless funnelling of money toward investments that buy him support and his anti-elite dismissal of normal economic wisdom among them – are straight from a playbook increasingly familiar as populists rise around the globe. It’s an approach that can help persuade the public to overlook other excesses of power. But it is destined to cause severe consequences in and of itself.” - Globe editorial
The Giorgio Mammoliti sideshow needs to end
“Mr. Mammoliti’s permanent sideshow hasn’t left much time for actual work. If after two decades in office (almost three, if you count his earlier years at Queen’s Park), he is unable to get his ward some nice parks, as he often moans, then he’s painfully bad at building consensus and working with staff, two essential parts of his job.” - Denise Balkissoon
Who’s playing identity politics? Everyone
“Canada has been superbly fortunate, because we’ve been able to avoid the poisoned immigration and identity politics that are rocking Europe. Our immigration situation is largely a success story. At the same time, we need to find a way to discuss our problems honestly. And that means leaving identity politics out of it.” - Margaret Wente
LIVING BETTER
How do I quick-pickle vegetables?
Pickling is a notoriously time-consuming process. But there’s a faster way to accomplish the same taste at a much faster rate. As Lucy Waverman writes, the secret to quick pickling is the ratio of vinegar to water, and the amount of sugar and salt. The more vinegar, the more acidic the pickles. More sugar means a sweeter pickle. As for added spices, there is a whole world out there.
MOMENT IN TIME
It had been four years since the controversial release of Monty Python and The Holy Grail when its successor, Monty Python’s Life of Brian, premiered in North America on this day in 1979. The film follows a “very naughty boy” named Brian Cohen through a series of ridiculous events as he is repeatedly mistaken for Jesus Christ (Brian was born on the same day in the next stable). Filmed as a satire and critiquing blind faith in organized religion, its tone and message predictably sparked fury across Britain and North America after its release. It motivated protests outside U.S. theatres, and was banned from cinemas entirely in parts of Britain and all of Ireland and Norway. The film’s creators (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin), however, disputed the assertion that Life of Brian mocked Jesus – they said they were careful not to ridicule Jesus or his teachings, but instead critique his followers and organized religion in general. Nearly 40 years later, the film is regarded as one of the funniest comedies of all time – former British prime minister Tony Blair even quoted it in a speech in 2004. – Audrey Carleton
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