Honk if you love wedges

A daily look inside Canadian politics and power.

Jan 04, 2023 View in browser   By Zi-Ann Lum Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Zi-Ann | Follow Politico Canada Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. I'm your host Zi-Ann Lum with Nick Taylor-Vaisey. Today marks the first celebration of National Ribbon Skirt Day thanks to the advocacy of ISABELLA KULAK, a Cote First Nation girl from Saskatchewan. A trio of pundits ruminate on the state of play on the Hill. Plus, SHACHI KURL introduces us to the term "wedginess." DRIVING THE DAY STATE OF PLAY — Canadian federal politics has experienced some rough starts to the year of late: → 2017 found Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU embroiled in an ethics controversy of his own making after he (a public office holder) accepted a Bahamas private island holiday (a gift) from the AGA KHAN (not technically a friend). → 2018 brought international lampoon over Trudeau's official trip to India in February. Sartorial decisions were made. Security gaffes, plural, too, involving JASPAL ATWAL. → 2019 delivered the SNC-Lavalin affair. The mess delivered a meme: Blame it on SCOTT BRISON! → 2020 saw Iran down flight PS752 with 55 Canadians and 30 permanent residents on board; pipeline and railway blockades; and the WHO declaring Covid-19 a pandemic the day before SOPHIE GRÉGOIRE TRUDEAU tested positive. → 2021 started with JULIE PAYETTE's resignation as governor general. → 2022: honk honk. Ottawa declared a national emergency and invoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14. Russia launched its full-scale attack on Ukraine 10 days later. If the trend holds, this year isn't likely to be different. We asked pundits to chart the challenges/opportunities shaping Canadian politics and why Trudeau is predicting a "tough" first six months ahead. OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 29: People listen to a speaker at a rally against COVID-19 vaccine mandates on Jan. 29, 2022 in Ottawa, Canada. (Photo by Alex Kent/Getty Images) | Getty Images SHACHI KURL, president of the Angus Reid Institute The Emergencies Act testimony was something that boosted [Trudeau's] approval numbers. He's definitely in a stronger position politically — in terms of perceived leadership — than his main opponent, PIERRE POILIEVRE. We're in the [eve] of the NFL playoffs. It's always the end game. It's always what happens in the end zone — and what happened right at the end of the year were some stumbles. — Challenges: The gun legislation hasn't gone away and that's something that definitely had this Liberal government looking somewhat disorganized. There is the looming conversation and challenge around the medical assistance in dying legislation where conversations are picking up more traction. I would posit that the conversation has changed a little bit from when the legislation was initially brought in back in 2016. The questions now are much thornier around mental illness. You are now into issues really around the value of life. It becomes much more about questions of conscience, rather than cut-and-dry questions around end of life in very specific and controlled situations. — The backdrop: The continued dissidence of the prime minister and willingness, if you will, to engage in the politics of division, as with Mr. Poilievre. At what point do we see Canadians continue to respond to that — to the wedginess of Canadian politics? At some point do they just go, "This is gross. Enough." TASHA KHEIRIDDIN, principal at Navigator The state of play for the federal Conservative Party is mixed. Their opportunity lies in the weakness of the current government and its failings, chiefly on economic and ethical issues. Their challenge lies in building a cohesive constituency: by appealing to the Freedom Convoy voter they are driving centrist conservative voters away, in ridings where they need that group to win. VELMA MORGAN, chair of Operation Black Vote Post-GEORGE FLOYD, [the Liberal government] made a lot of promises. We were made aware of inequities because of George Floyd … We hope that it wasn't performative. We hope it wasn't just a knee-jerk reaction, no pun intended. — Challenges: Now we're coming out of the pandemic, we're expecting the same energy, the same action that was promised to us about systemic changes within institutions, in particular, government. One of their challenges is being able to transform the public sector and [the government's] political office to make it more inclusive, to make it more diverse. — Opportunities : We're in the last year of the International Decade for People of African Descent. And we think it's time that he apologizes for slavery, and then take action. He's apologized for other atrocities. This happened in Canada. It's also time he settles the class action lawsuit and provide compensation and mental health support for Black public, federal workers. — Calendar watch: Trudeau jets off to Mexico City next week to join Mexican President ANDRÉS MANUEL LÓPEZ ORADOR and President JOE BIDEN at the North American Leaders Summit on Jan. 10. Parliament returns Jan 30. Don't forget: Justice PAUL ROULEAU's commission report, assessing the appropriateness of Ottawa's use of the Emergencies Act, is due Feb. 20 — that's in 47 days. FOR YOUR RADAR — MP PETER SCHIEFKE, chair of the House transport committee, said Tuesday that he will be calling on VIA Rail and Sunwing to appear before TRAN. "Canadians deserve answers for the unacceptable delays and cancellations seen over the holiday season." As of yet, there is no meeting on the books. Do you enjoy Ottawa Playbook? Maybe you know others who would like it, too. Point them to this link where they can sign up for free. PROZONE For POLITICO Pro subscribers, our latest policy newsletter by SUE ALLAN: Word of the week: Turbulence. In news for POLITICO Pro subscribers:  — Kentucky puts BlackRock, JP Morgan, Citigroup on energy boycott list. — The Federal Trade Commission's newest commissioner speaks. — NASA boss sounds alarm on Chinese moon ambitions. — Interior Alaska offshore oil lease sale draws one bid. — Europe mulls tighter control over how companies invest overseas. MEDIA ROOM California Rep. Kevin McCarthy's bid for speakership was denied three separate times on Tuesday. | Francis Chung/POLITICO — Here's POLITICO's JOHN F. HARRIS: After another failed vote, KEVIN MCCARTHY's Speaker bid is starting to look pathetic. — The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control has found five cases of the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron, The Globe and Mail reports. — This was University of Calgary professor LISA YOUNG on Jan. 3: "We are 118 days away from the writ being dropped, and 146 from Alberta election day. 210,240 minutes." — "It is pathetic that we, as a G7 country, can't afford to build a reasonable residence for the prime minister of Canada. It is unbelievable to me," Munk school prof and former privy council clerk MEL CAPPE tells the Globe's IAN BAILEY.  — The Logic's MURAD HEMMADI and DAVID REEVELY pick the people to watch in Ottawa in 2023. — The CBC's PAUL HUNTER reports for The National on The mystery of the missing Churchill portrait. — "When in doubt, beer is a great bridge to help span the partisan divide." Retiring members of the House and Senate offer advice to new members of Congress — most of which transfers to Parliament Hill. Playbookers Birthdays: HBD to the ARC Institute's PETER TERTZAKIAN. Former MPs JOHN NUNZIATA and YASMIN RATANSI also celebrate today. Spotted: OTTAWA on CNN's list of the best places to go in 2023. Nova Scotia Premier TIM HOUSTON, cheering on CONNOR BEDARD … same with Conservative MP KEVIN WAUGH … Newfoundland Premier ANDREW FUREY, hyping Season 2 of Son of a Critch … GEORGE FUREY and ANTHONY ROTA in Australia for a conference of Speakers of the Commonwealth. NDP MP MATTHEW GREEN sharing his first read of the year: bell hooks' "The Will To Change" … Tory finance critic JASRAJ SINGH HALLAN zooming with Canola Council of Canada's CHRIS DAVISON and TROY SHERMAN. Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY touts a "substantive conversation" with JUSTIN TRUDEAU, who is vacationing in Jamaica. A PMO readout pledged support for Ukraine "for as long as is necessary." Movers and shakers: TODD LANE is leaving Minister of International Development HARJIT SAJJAN's office for "new opportunities" TBA.   A new suite of envoys has been appointed to new (and old) international postings: HATIM Q. ZU'B as honorary consul of Canada in Manama, Bahrain. Reappointments Include: TOMASI TUITOGA as honorary consul of Canada to Fiji, MARY CHRISTINE VOWLES DUNCAN as honorary consul of Canada in Edinburgh, MOHAMED M. ATTAR as honorary consul of Canada in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. JACQUELINE O'NEILL, reappointed as Canada's Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security until March 2025. Media mentions: The Investigative Journalism Foundation launches this morning. Editor-in-chief ZANE SCHWARTZ founded the nonprofit venture meant to "expand the breadth, depth, and long-term financial sustainability of investigative journalism in Canada." The IJF employs a team of reporters including ROBERTO ROCHA and KAYLA ZHU, as well as contributing editors FATIMA SYED and MICHAEL PEREIRA. Their first stories are available here. The IJF is also today publishing eight databases that track lobbying, government funding, political donations and charity finances. The outlet has raised nearly C$800,000 from funders such as the Balsillie Family Foundation, the Trottier Family Foundation, the McConnell Foundation, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the University of Toronto Scarborough, and JOHN CAMPBELL and DENISE FUJIWARA. The IJF's board of directors is chaired by Canadian Association of Journalists president BRENT JOLLY. The board includes KARYN PUGLIESE, editor-in-chief of Canada's National Observer; SADIA ZAMAN, CEO of the Inspirit Foundation; and JOHN RUFFOLO , founder and managing partner of Maverix Private Equity. Send Playbookers tips to ottawaplaybook@politico.com. On the Hill → Find upcoming House committees here → Keep track of Senate committees here The House of Commons resumes Jan. 30 and the Senate is back Jan. 31. TRIVIA Tuesday's answer: The very first Canadian citizenship was granted to Canada's Prime Minister WILLIAM LYON MACKENZIE KING and 25 others during a ceremony on Jan. 3, 1947 at the Supreme Court in Ottawa. Props to KEVIN BOSCH, ALLAN FABRYKANT, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, GORDON RANDALL, JOHN ECKER, BRAM ABRAMSON, LUCAS BORCHENKO and WAYNE FLEMING. Wednesday's question: "The rules were unwritten, we didn't foresee something like this happening," former Quebec premier LUCIEN BOUCHARD once told Radio-Canada. "There was no security plan that was drawn up. It was [so] unlikely. We had to invent everything, improvise everything. We used our instincts." What was he talking about? Send your answer to ottawaplaybook@politico.com A CALL OUT — Do you think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best with a citation and we may feature it. Playbook wouldn't happen: Without Luiza Ch. Savage and Sue Allan.   Follow us on Twitter Nick Taylor-Vaisey @TaylorVaisey Sue Allan @susan_allan Maura Forrest @MauraForrest Zi-Ann Lum @ziannlum POLITICO Canada @politicoottawa   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

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