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Canadian politician Bill Oliver has gone viral after he appeared to accidentally read AI-generated editing instructions aloud, not once, but twice, during a speech to lawmakers in early June.

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I think more important--worth @aljazeera.com's investigating--is whether he fired the poor (likely overworked and underpaid) aide who made this blunder rather than taking responsibility himself. (I gather it's commonplace for politicians to read, cold, statements aides have prepared for them.)

It's important to remember that the "Progressive" in that party's name has very, very little to do with what the word represents in today's politics. John Bracken (Manitoba Premier 1922-1943) led the province's agrarian Progressive Party (22-32), then the merged Liberal-Progressive Party (32-43).

He became leader of the original federal Conservative Party in '42, and made it the Progressive Conservative Party. Provincial Conservative parties followed suit. The federal PCs merged w/Alliance (i.e. Reform) to form the new Conservative Party of Canada in '03, but 7 provincial PC parties remain.

The Progressive Party of Manitoba opposed the big corporations that made farmers' lives miserable, replaced prohibition w/gov't liquor stores, and pushed for gov't control of natural resources, but did not support unions or feminism, cut health/education/welfare, and imposed movie censorship.