by Sean Orr | Solidarity: Heckles, jeers and turned backs greet Justin Trudeau at youth labour forum. “It is a little bit frustrating for me to come in, sit down, look forward to hearing from you, talking with you, and seeing a room full of people who are standing in a way that shows they’re not listening…” Yeah? Well, it’s a little bit frustrating for us to come in, sit down, and vote for someone who we thought was listening to us.

It seems as though this Will Wonka facade is finally dissolving into a sticky mess of melted saccharine bromides:

Recently, Trudeau celebrated his first year in office by granting “exclusive” interviews to golden-ticket bearing journalists who, predictably, treated him with gooey deference, careful to avoid asking their younger and perpetually effervescent guest any prickly questions.

Even the one thing that he seemed to get right, The Canada Child Benefit, he actually got wrong: Liberal government decides low-income children will receive $500 less than originally promised.

By 2020, low-income families will only effectively earn an extra $6.50 each month in 2016 dollars compared to what they had received through various benefits offered by the old Harper government.

I guess the other good thing about Trudeau is that it makes conservatives like Joe Oliver look even more bat shit crazy: Joe Oliver: Trudeau talks up ‘social licence,’ but will bulldoze protesters if he wants something built. Evoking social license to criticize the Liberals while calling protesters hooligans.

Call us hooligans all you want, but this is the perversity of the late-capitalism that you champion, Joe! Fracking company teams up with Susan G. Komen, introduces pink drill bits “for the cure”.

I guess another good thing about this government is that they’re so concerned about their image. Thus, the Globe & Mail can pressure them to act: Adam Capay, held in solitary for four years, moved from cell. Jesus.

The case follows a series of stories in The Globe and Mail showing how the correctional system is straining to address the growing mental-health needs of its inmate population with outdated, understaffed facilities.

Also…apparently, Residential Schools never ended: Nunavut student allegedly punished for speaking Inuktitut, says MLA.

Back in BC, it seems John Horgan is catching on. I take full credit: John Horgan’s childcare promise suggests B.C. NDP is more eager to court progressive vote.

Speaking of taking credit for things, remember when I told people about this “housing” conference that cost $370, or the same as the monthly welfare shelter rate, and that we should crash it? They did: ‘They’re Angry Because We’re Failing Them’: Cities Share Tensions at Housing Summit.

A key component of Vancouverism was always density around transit points. Now it seems we can’t even get that right: Vancouver-area renters being pushed away from transit corridors.

Two questions: Dear YVR landlord: when did you get so creepy? and Why did Canadian police cars become so menacing?

Lightning Strikes Twice: wendythirteen loses Funkys. God save the Queen.

Bonus: The U.S. Border Is Killing Canadian Bands.