| | | | |  | | By Maura Forrest | Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Maura | Follow Politico Canada Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. I'm your host, Maura Forrest. Today, a group of MPs are hoping their private member's bills have what it takes to beat the odds and become law. The Rouleau Commission will hear from City of Ottawa officials. And CATHERINE MCKENNEY nabs some high-profile endorsements. Did someone forward you this edition? Click here to sign up for your own. |  | DRIVING THE DAY | |
LONG SHOTS — Today will see four House of Commons committees meet to discuss private member's bills, those passion projects of individual MPs that oh-so-rarely make it all the way through Parliament.
These four bills — or three of them, at least — deserve a moment's attention. After all, they've made it to committee, which means they have support (so far) from a majority of MPs. — First up is Conservative MP MARILYN GLADU's attempt to beef up pension protections , which she will defend before the House of Commons finance committee this afternoon. Bill C-228 seeks to prevent the loss of pensions for employees whose companies have gone bankrupt (think Nortel Networks or Sears Canada ). In part, it would ensure pensions are paid out ahead of most other creditors in cases of bankruptcy. The Conservatives, Bloc Québécois and NDP have all put forward bills dealing with pension protection in recent years, and none of them has passed. But Gladu claims to have cherry-picked the best parts of all those previous attempts. Her bill passed second reading in June with near-unanimous support. — Next up is Liberal MP JIM CARR's push for a "green prairie economy," which is being studied by the industry committee. Bill C-235 would require the industry, finance, environment, natural resource and transport ministers to come up with a framework to help transition the prairie provinces to a low-carbon economy. Among other things, the framework would include measures to retrain energy-sector workers, promote clean energy projects and propose public transportation options for small communities. The Conservatives oppose the bill, arguing it would create another layer of bureaucracy. — Then there's Conservative MP BEN LOBB's attempt to amend the federal carbon pricing law to exempt propane and natural gas used to dry grain and heat livestock barns. Bill C-234 is up before the agriculture committee later today. The Conservatives have long been pushing this issue, arguing the carbon tax is too costly for farmers. A similar bill died on the order paper before the last election. Although the Liberals have voted against, Lobb has the support of the Bloc Québécois and the NDP, who do support carbon pricing. — And then there's Conservative MP JACQUES GOURDE's (likely ill-fated) move to increase employment insurance sickness benefits to 52 weeks from 15, up before the human resources committee. Bill C-215 proposes spending public money, meaning it would have to have a "royal recommendation" — support from a minister — to pass the House of Commons. The Liberals all voted against Gourde's bill at second reading, making a royal recommendation unlikely. The government has promised to extend sickness benefits to 26 weeks. — What else is out there? Only two other private member's bills are further along than these four. A bill sponsored by Liberal MP ANJU DHILLON is before the Senate, and would allow judges to require people accused of intimate partner violence to wear an electronic monitoring device as a condition of release. A bill from Conservative MP KYLE SEEBACK , which would allow parents and grandparents visiting Canada on a temporary resident visa to stay for five years, is at third reading in the House of Commons. | | AROUND THE HILL | |
WEEK TWO — The Public Order Emergency Commission gets underway again at 9:30 a.m. This week's focus is the "Freedom Convoy" protests in Ottawa last winter, with witnesses scheduled to appear from the City of Ottawa, the Ottawa Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police.
On Friday, the commission heard from its first slate of witnesses, a group of Ottawa residents and city councilors who spoke about feeling trapped and terrified by the protesters, and about the impacts on local businesses. This week will presumably focus on the city and police response to the three weeks of protests that overtook the nation's capital, which the Ottawa police say could not have been predicted. — First up: It's not clear which witnesses will testify on which day, but the first scheduled to appear are city manager STEVE KANELLAKOS, SERGE ARPIN, the mayor's chief of staff, and Mayor JIM WATSON. City councilor DIANE DEANS and PATRICIA FERGUSON, acting deputy chief of the Ottawa Police Service, are also on the list. — One thing to watch: As the inquiry got underway last week, a lawyer for the Ontario Provincial Police said the force had "sufficient legal authority" to deal with the protests without the invocation of the Emergencies Act. Three OPP officials — CRAIG ABRAMS, CARSON PARDY and PAT MORRIS — will testify later this week. | | For your radar | |
PICK A SIDE — Who says Ottawa is boring? Federal Liberals are still choosing between the rival campaigns of CATHERINE MCKENNEY and MARK SUTCLIFFE for Ottawa mayor, and it's a wild ride.
Sutcliffe may be claiming McKenney's plan is a "hard left turn that will put the city's finances at risk," but that didn't stop former central banker and possible future Liberal candidate MARK CARNEY from throwing them his support over the weekend. "Catherine respects the value of your taxpayer's dollars," he said in a video posted Sunday on social media . "That's why Catherine has released a fully costed program that adds up." McKenney scored another big-name endorsement on Sunday from none other than former Trudeau right-hand man GERRY BUTTS, who said they showed "toughness, care, and leadership" during the trucker convoy protests last winter. — And on Saturday: It was the turn of former environment minister CATHERINE MCKENNA to vouch for McKenney's leadership. — Meanwhile: Sutcliffe has scored a new endorsement from Ottawa Liberal MP DAVID MCGUINTY. — As Playbook has previously reported : Both campaigns have courted Liberal heavy-hitters. Sutcliffe has the backing of MPs CHANDRA ARYA, MARIE-FRANCE LALONDE, JENNA SUDDS, YASIR NAQVI and former MP DON BOUDRIA, as well as a range of moderate Tories. But one of McKenney's campaign co-chairs is long-time Trudeau budget architect TYLER MEREDITH, who recently left Finance Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND's office. ELSEWHERE IN MUNICIPAL POLITICS — Last week, Playbook brought you the story of the Brampton mayoral race, in which lawyer-entrepreneur NIKKI KAUR is hoping to unseat PATRICK BROWN with a campaign team that includes noted Brown enemy NICK KOUVALIS. At the time, we noted the Kaur campaign had yet to release internal polling, despite the fact Kouvalis owns and operates polling firm Campaign Research. Well, come Friday, some brand new Campaign Research polling landed in our inboxes, claiming to show that Kaur has surged from behind and is now neck and neck with Brown. The survey results show the two candidates each with 32 percent of the vote. "It is very likely that Nikki Kaur will overcome Patrick Brown in the coming days," the poll concludes. — Some (significant) caveats: First off, let us just reiterate that Campaign Research (a legit polling firm) is owned by Kouvalis, who's supporting Kaur. Second, the poll, conducted in English and Punjabi, surveyed a grand total of 258 people from a city of more than 600,000. It bills itself as a "preliminary sample," and hasn't been assigned a margin of error. Third, the survey records a high proportion of undecided voters — 25 percent relative to the 32 percent who are supposedly backing both Kaur and Brown. — In conclusion: We suggest you take these results with a fistful of salt. | | TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS | |
9:30 a.m. Nokia Canada will announce plans to expand its presence in Canada at an event at its headquarters in Ottawa, alongside Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU, Ontario Premier DOUG FORD, Innovation Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE and Treasury Board President MONA FORTIER.
9:30 a.m. The Public Order Emergency Commission continues its hearings in Ottawa with witness testimony expected this week from officials with the City of Ottawa, including Mayor JIM WATSON, the Ottawa Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police. 10:30 a.m. The Bank of Canada will release its Business Outlook Survey for the third quarter of 2022 and the latest results of the Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations. 11:15 a.m. NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH will hold a press conference in Ottawa about his party's "proposal to address corporate greed." 12 p.m. The Cannabis Council of Canada will hold a press conference in Ottawa to discuss "urgent action needed for the cannabis industry" on the fourth anniversary of cannabis legalization. 1 p.m. Singh will speak at the Canadian Labour Congress Canadian council meeting. 1:15 p.m. Deputy Prime Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND will give a speech in Gatineau about the Canadian economy and opportunities ahead, linked to her speech at the Brookings Institution last week, with similar messages to be delivered in Ontario and Alberta later this week. 1:45 p.m. Freeland will hold a roundtable discussion on the green transition with energy leaders in Quebec. 3:15 p.m. Freeland will hold a press conference in Gatineau. 4 p.m. CAROLYN ROGERS , senior deputy governor of the Bank of Canada, will participate in a panel discussion at the Toronto Centre's 25th anniversary event. | | MEDIA ROOM | |
— Check out the latest from the Toronto Star's View From Taiwan series , as JOANNA CHIU looks at the tensions surrounding a visit by a Canadian parliamentary delegation.
— Elsewhere in the Star, RICHARD WARNICA has the longest profile of Toronto Mayor JOHN TORY you will probably ever read, ahead of the Oct. 24 municipal elections. — The CBC's BRIDGETTE WATSON tells you what to expect from KEN SIM , Vancouver's first Chinese Canadian mayor, whose newly formed center-right ABC Vancouver party swept Saturday's election. — XI JINPING's ascension to a third term as China's paramount leader at this week's 20th Party Congress seems almost certain. POLITICO's PHELIM KINE writes on his path to power. — Political scientist JARED WESLEY explains why using "the populist playbook" may not pan out for Alberta Premier DANIELLE SMITH. — As PIERRE POILIEVRE's new shadow cabinet prepares to face off against the Liberals in question period today, the CBC's PETER ZIMONJIC asked experts to weigh in on the strategy behind the Conservative leader's choices. | | PROZONE | |
For POLITICO Pro subscribers, catch up to our latest policy newsletter by ZI-ANN LUM and MAURA FORREST: Ottawa eyes Beijing .
In headlines for POLITICO Pro subscribers:
— How Putin has maimed Gazprom .
— Malpass survives climate gaff, but the World Bank's fossil fuel policy may not .
— Minnesota's weird weed experiment .
— Michigan's referendum becomes a tense and expensive abortion battleground .
— Battle over pregnancy drug highlights risks of FDA expediting drugs to market . | | PLAYBOOKERS | |
Birthdays: HBD to Senator DAVID ADAMS RICHARDS and former MP ÉLAINE MICHAUD. Comedian and satirist RICK MERCER also celebrates today.
Send birthdays to ottawaplaybook@politico.com . Spotted: AHMED HUSSEN and GTA Liberals SHAUN CHEN, JEAN YIP, PAUL CHIANG in a Markham, Ontario hotel ballroom for the SEAS charity gala … Hussen was also at the Casa Foundation's Friends of Africa economic summit … Ringette night in West Perth, Ontario with Conservative MP JOHN NATER. Sen. PETER BOEHM's spectacular fall encounter with a deer … Bloc MP CHRISTINE NORMANDIN, honored by her high school … Environment Minister STEVEN GUILBEAULT with a photo receipt of his bilat with Argentine Foreign Minister SANTIAGO CAFIERO … Sen. STAN KUTCHER and Liberal MP TERRY SHEEHAN meeting with TAKISAWA MOTOME, chair of the environment committee of the upper house in Japan's National Diet. Liberal MPs ROB OLIPHANT, RECHIE VALDEZ and ALI EHSASSI attending a freedom rally for Iranians at Toronto's Yonge-Dundas Square … B.C. MPs LISA MARIE BARRON and BOB ZIMMER modeling municipal votes as family affairs … CATHERINE MCKENNA, getting her bivalent booster shot . Movers and shakers: FRANÇOIS LAFRENIÈRE is the new ambassador to Mali, replacing MICHAEL ELLIOTT. DAVID SPROULE has been named special representative for Afghanistan. JEANETTE STOVEL is the new ambassador to Finland, replacing JASON TOLLAND. Last week, Playbook told you that the DM of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, TIM SARGENT, stepped down on Thursday. We asked the Privy Council Office for details, and finally got an answer (of sorts) on Sunday afternoon. "Mr. Sargent submitted his resignation… effective October 12th," a spokesperson said. "Mr. Sargent will be on assignment with a non-governmental organization." Meanwhile, the spokesperson said, associate deputy minister LAWRENCE HANSON has been filling in for Sargent since late June. "A replacement will be named in due course," he said. Cocktail circuit: Space Canada is holding a reception in the Sir John A. Macdonald Building at 5 p.m. — feat. special guest astronaut JEREMY HANSEN. | | On the Hill | |
→ Find the latest on House committee meetings here .
→ Keep track of Senate committee meetings here . 11 a.m. Assembly of First Nations Chief ROSEANNE ARCHIBALD, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President NATAN OBED and Métis National Council President CASSIDY CARON will be at the House Indigenous and northern affairs committee to speak about Bill C-29 , government legislation to create a national council for reconciliation. 11 a.m. The House status of women committee meets to hear from witnesses including three executives from the Mental Health Commission of Canada. 11 a.m. The House industry committee meets to study Liberal MP JIM CARR's private member's bill on building a green prairie economy. 11 a.m. The House justice committee meets to continue its study of the government's obligations to victims of crime. 11 a.m. The House government operations committee meets to discuss a request from opposition MPs to launch a study of the development cost of the ArriveCAN app. 3:30 p.m. The House foreign affairs committee meets to hear from Siemens Canada in relation to MPs' study of the export of Russian Gazprom turbines to Germany. 3:30 p.m. The House finance committee will hear from Conservative MP MARILYN GLADU about her private member's bill, C-228 , to enhance pension protection. 3:30 p.m. The House agriculture committee will meet to discuss Conservative MP BEN LOBB's private member's bill on amending the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act. 3:30 p.m. The House transport committee will meet to continue its study of anticipated labor shortages in the Canadian transportation sector. 3:30 p.m. The House ethics committee will hear from officials with Public Services and Procurement Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency as it begins its study of the use of public funds in relation to the Roxham Road crossing. 3:30 p.m. The House human resources committee will hear from Conservative MP JACQUES GOURDE about his private member's bill, C-215 , to amend the Employment Insurance Act. 4 p.m. The Senate official language committee meets to study Bill C-13 . 6:30 p.m. The House science and research committee meets to hear from three panels of witnesses related to its study of publications in French. — Behind closed doors: The Senate national security committee meets to talk about "future business" related to its study of defense in the Arctic. | | TRIVIA | |
Friday's answer: The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation got its first-ever national lead in the polls Sept. 30, 1943.
Props to ANDREW SZENDE, WILL WUEHR, ALASTAIR MULLIN, JANE DOULL, ROLAND KENNETH CARTY, PETER MCKINNEY, RYAN HAMILTON, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, KEN FAULKNER, SAM MACPHAIL, BRANDON RABIDEAU, KEVIN BOSCH, GOZDE KAZAZOGLU and BOB GORDON. And this came to us from BRAM ABRAMSON : "The lead didn't last through to the 1945 election — they earned 16 percent of the popular vote, and 11 percent of the seats. But the party did, sort of. It recreated itself following joint work with the Canadian Labour Congress to create what was simply called, as a placeholder, the New Party. Which, of course, became the New Democratic Party." Today's question: Canada legalized cannabis four years ago today. What did a New York Times correspondent insist Canadians were calling that day? Send your answers to ottawaplaybook@politico.com Playbook wouldn't happen without Luiza Ch. Savage and editor Sue Allan. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
Comments
Post a Comment