The real April Fool's joke was the friends we faked along the way Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up here to get it delivered weekday mornings. One man's "joke" is another man's difference of opinion. Or, if you're Premier Doug Ford, you believe both at the same time. A few days ago, Ford had harsh words for the federal vaccine rollout—and yesterday's newsletter gave room to a few provincial sources who explained their frustration. But that was before a joint federal-provincial funding announcement on new money for pharma giant Sanofi, which will expand its Toronto plant and eventually produce enough influenza vaccine for every Canadian each year. The feds are contributing up to $415 million, and the province will throw in $55 million. The Globe and Mail's Marieke Walsh asked Ford about all the sniping between Queen's Park and Ottawa. Ford refused to "take the bait," and wouldn't drive a "wedge" between the two governments, which have "collaborated from day one." Every family, he claimed, has "a few differences." (Watch Ford's full response.) The Toronto Star's Robert Benzie noted the "worst-kept secret" at Queen's Park is that Tories prefer Liberals to run the show in Ottawa—because it's in their own interest. Then again, maybe not. As the premier extended an olive branch, a pile of tweeting Progressive Conservatives—including Ford's own account—weren't feeling so conciliatory. They synchronized an effort to blame the feds for a lack of inoculations. The premier's tweet disappeared later in the day. More DND allegations: CBC News broke the story that Vice-Adm. Haydn Edmundson, the military's head of personnel, is on indefinite leave with pay as he faces an investigation over accusations he sexually assaulted a subordinate. The public broadcaster spoke with the woman involved, who offered a detailed recounting of the alleged incident, which occurred onboard HMCS Provider while the ship was docked in Pearl Harbor in 1991. Edmundson told the CBC, "I categorically deny that I have ever had non-consensual sex with anyone ... ever." Parliamentary games: For the second time this week, a Liberal cabinet minister showed up to a parliamentary committee instead of the political staffer that was asked to appear. The House ethics committee had requested testimony on the WE Charity scandal from Amitpal Singh, an aide to Chrystia Freeland who worked for Bill Morneau last year. Instead, they got Mona Fortier, the minister of middle-class prosperity. Fed up opposition MPs shut down the meeting. The fiscal outlook: Econ nerds pored over the latest report from the parliamentary budget office, which offered up-to-date estimates of Canada's fiscal and economic future. The PBO now predicts the country's GDP will be $95 billion higher over the next four years, during which inflation will briefly exceed the Bank of Canada's 2 per cent target and the feds will continue to pay historically low debt charges. The PBO did warn that post-pandemic stimulus might be "miscalibrated," and cautioned that permanent new spending financed by deficits could endanger a debt-to-GDP ratio that, for the moment, is sustainable. #TransDayOfVisibility: That's a hashtag that could only stir controversy for a Tory leader. So it was for Erin O'Toole, who committed to "making Canada an equitable place for all people to live. I stand with the trans community in Canada and around the world in fighting for equal treatment." The reaction was, um, mixed. The pollster Innovative Research asked Canadians about the proposed Rogers-Shaw merger. Greg Lyle tells Maclean's that his polling found no shortage of opposition, particularly out west and among Shaw customers. Price is a concern: 46 per cent said they thought the merger would eventually hit their bank account. That suggests an approved merger might turn into a political problem down the road for whoever does the approving. Document of the day: One of the email chains recently disclosed to the federal health committee offered another in countless anecdotes behind the scramble for PPE last April. Tory MP Gerard Deltell alerted one of Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos's staffers to a possible opportunity. A friend of Deltell's, Dany Gagnon, was a VP at the Quebec-based Chrono Aviation. Gagnon had an opportunity to get his hands on 3 million KN95 masks. Did the feds still need to stock up? The paper trail went cold, but Gagnon confirmed to Maclean's that Ottawa "declined" his offer "several times." Happy trails: Liberal MP Geoff Regan told Global News he won't run for reelection in TKTK [ed. note: find out asap when the next election is happening]. Regan was first elected in 1993, and won seven more elections. He only lost once, in 1997, and managed to survive the 2006, 2008 and 2011 elections during which Liberals were increasingly scarce in Parliament. In 2015, Regan started a four-year stint as House speaker. He bravely, though unsuccessfully, fought against heckling. Happy April Fool's Day. Google cancelled it for the second year in a row. There are no epic jokes in this newsletter. Or are there? —Nick Taylor-Vaisey | 