| | | | |  | | By Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Kyle Duggan | | Presented by |  | | | Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Ottawa Playbook | Follow Politico Canada Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. Let's get into it. In today's edition: → If conservatives aren’t your thing, maybe avoid The Westin this week. → JUSTIN TRUDEAU is in the hot seat at the Hogue commission. → The incoming chief economist of the OECD has joined Canada’s productivity debate. → A flag flap in Ottawa’s Confederation Square. |  | DRIVING THE DAY | |
MANNING THE WESTIN — The conservative id is coming to town.
The Canada Strong and Free Networking Conference is the nuclear core of ascendant right-wingers who don't just believe their time is coming. They're planning for it. JAMIL JIVANI, the CSFN's outspoken former CEO, took his newly won seat in the House this week. Seven provincial premiers sit somewhere on the right side of Canada's political spectrum. Two of them are headed to Ottawa. PIERRE POILIEVRE will drop by for a speech Thursday. — Prepare for battle: This gathering, formerly known as the Manning Networking Conference and still known informally as the “Manning thing,” has always prided itself as the home of “movement” conservatives — true blues wedded to principles, in search of power, and bent on training each other in the arts and sciences of political organizing. Liberals and New Democrats will mock and sneer at some of the conference's headline topics and its colorful onstage personalities, though basically nobody in The Westin's convention rooms will listen or care. — Kickoff party: Here’s proof the conference is a safe space for brash conservatism. Former British PM BORIS JOHNSON will be the first big name to address the hall, alongside former Aussie PM TONY ABBOTT. Their moderator is JOHN O'SULLIVAN, the British conservative political commentator. Expect a rowdy reception. — Premiers in the house: New Brunswick's BLAINE HIGGS and Alberta's DANIELLE SMITH will each sit down with True North's ANDREW LAWTON, who scored the conference's highest-profile moderator gigs (and has a book on Poilievre out next month). — On the conference agenda: Carbon tax, internet regulation, manufacturing, carbon tax, cities, “Europe’s Net Zero Rebellion and the coming North American reckoning,” natural resources, First Nations, and foreign policy. A few highlights from the four-day agenda: → So-called “parental rights” debates can divide friends and families over complex arguments about parents, teachers, kids and identity. Spoiler: the convo will unite this room. → The room will meet PAUL TAILLON, the chief strategy officer at Mash and key player in the creation of Poilievre’s pre-election digital campaigns. Taillon will moderate a panel on regulating the internet that features a trio of sharp-tongued government critics: The Line's JEN GERSON, uOttawa's MICHAEL GEIST and YouTuber DAVID FREIHEIT. → Former Liberal MP DAN MCTEAGUE gave up on his party eons ago. He moderates a panel worth watching as the Tories develop a “technology, not taxes” election platform. The room will hear from AMY HENRY from Eunike Ventures, CHERIE COPITHORNE-BARNES from CL Ranches and MICHAEL BINNION from Questerre Energy Services. → The immigration panel features Quebec Conservative Leader ÉRIC DUHAIME, The Hub's SEAN SPEER and the Macdonald-Laurier Institute's AARON WUDRICK. Conservative MP TOM KMIEC is moderator. → Poilievre has taken criticism for thin foreign policy. He'll have plenty to chew on in sessions about "the threat of Iran and Qatar, and their proxies to the west," Russia and Ukraine and foreign interference. Expected in the room: ANTHONY FUREY, KATY MERRIFIELD, JENNIFER ELLE, AARON GUNN, SHUV MAJUMDAR, SHANNON STUBBS, NAZANIN AFSHIN-JAM MACKAY, BALKAN DEVLEN, LARYSSA WALER, MICHAEL CHONG, SAM COOPER. — Training time: The U.S.-based Leadership Institute's STEPHEN ROWE and BRENT LOWDER will lead Saturday sessions on social media and the role of AI in campaigning. DUKE PELTIER, MALCOLM MACPHERSON and ALEXANDRIA SHAKE will teach "Indigenous 101" to the room. — Last on the list: ONE Persuades founder HAMISH MARSHALL, the longtime Conservative data specialist. He'll train attendees on "integrating data with ballot box questions" — a key difference-maker on the next campaign trail. What are you watching at The Westin? Tell us! We'll be in the room, too. Pull us aside to talk conservative politics. | | | | A message from Unsmoke Canada: The best option is always to quit nicotine and tobacco use altogether, but smokers who choose not to quit should also be aware that alternatives exist. These alternatives still contain nicotine and are addictive. But, for those adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke, smoke-free alternatives provide an option that does not involve combustion - or "burning" - like smoking a cigarette does. Legislation can change how smoke-free products are regulated. | | | | | For your radar | |
BIG MOMENT — It’s the day the opposition has been waiting for in the public inquiry into foreign interference.
Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is up for a grilling today, starting mid-afternoon. Prior to his appearance, Cabinet ministers KARINA GOULD, BILL BLAIR and DOMINIC LEBLANC will, in that order, kick off the day’s testimony at the Hogue commission. Security screenings are being stepped up. — Compare, contrast: At the Rouleau commission, Trudeau was kinda zen under cross examination. Will he be again, or face a tougher slog? A core cadre from PMO was up to bat Tuesday: KATIE TELFORD, JEREMY BROADHURST, BRIAN CLOW and PATRICK TRAVERS. Four big reveals: → On HAN DONG, Broadhurst recommended PMJT take no action on intel reporting irregularities in his nomination in Don Valley in 2019 despite warnings about possible interference. He said the Liberal Party was not advised by national security officials to drop him. → One of the documents released said Broadhurst told an inquiry pre-hearing that ERIN O’TOOLE’s 2021 election campaign had an “anti-China tone” — beyond an “anti-Beijing” one. → Former Privy Council clerk JANICE CHARETTE told the commission Tuesday she didn’t brief Trudeau during the 2021 election about specific issues related to foreign interference because he didn’t need to act on the intel. → PMO staff said they do not take intel products at face-value, claiming they’d found errors in past reports. One of the documents stated that Telford testified in a pre-hearing that an intelligence agency “mistakenly identified a threat linked to an MP,” which upon verification turned out to be false. “Telford maintained that had she not pressed for more information, this person’s political career would have been stalled without valid reason.” — Time to learn shorthand: Witnesses didn’t just limit what they said about classified briefings, since they remain classified. Some said they couldn’t remember what they wrote in their own notes or why, or which person of the same name they were referring to on paper. Many questions went back to Clow because he’s a diligent note-taker. — Follow along? Good luck: Globe reporter STEVE CHASEtweeted journalists weren’t getting access to the exhibited documents in a timely manner, making it difficult to follow the thread. So, too, for folks watching at home. — On camera all day: At one point late in the day, Broadhurst was asked about the result of the 2019 election and if it was what he was expecting. He replied he “would have hoped for better.” Telford cracked a grin. — Red-letter date: The commission’s interim report is due by May 3. — Related reads: From CBC:Trudeau not briefed on some foreign interference concerns about 2021 election. From CP:Don’t equate foreign meddling efforts with success: national security adviser. Know someone who could use Ottawa Playbook? Direct them to this link . Five days a week, zero dollars. | | Where the leaders are | |
— Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is scheduled to be an afternoon witness at the Hogue commission.
— Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND is in Ottawa and will attend the 10 a.m. caucus ahead of QP. — Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE has not released a public itinerary. — NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH is in Ottawa for the 9:30 a.m. caucus meeting and later QP. — Green Party Leader ELIZABETH MAY‘s itinerary has her in a series of meetings in Ottawa, including one with World Animal Protection, and later has her attending a reception called “JANE GOODALL – A Voice for Nature in the Senate.” | | DULY NOTED | |
— French Prime Minister GABRIEL ATTAL arrives in Ottawa on a three-day trip to Canada.
— The Conservatives have introduced a motion daring the PM to hold a televised “emergency meeting” with Canada’s premiers to discuss carbon pricing. MPs are expected to vote on the motion today. The Canadian Press has details. 11:30 a.m. Ministers HARJIT SAJJAN, STEVEN GUILBEAULT, JONATHAN WILKINSON and PATTY HAJDU will hold an update on the 2024 wildfire season. 1:30 p.m. Ontario Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister PAUL CALANDRA will introduce legislation to "cut red tape and help municipalities get more homes built in their communities."
| | | HALLWAY CONVERSATION | | |
'NO MAGIC RECIPE' — Economists, business leaders, policy makers and politicians will gather in Toronto on Thursday at Canada Growth Summit 2024, a Public Policy Forum event at which POLITICO is a media partner.
The stated mission of the event: “Fixing productivity once and for all.” ALVARO SANTOS PEREIRA is a top expert on the subject. The incoming chief economist of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, a dual citizen of Portugal and Canada, says Canada has work to do. “There's no magical recipe,” he says. “Whoever tells you there's a magic recipe is not probably not telling the truth.” Santos Pereira joins PPF President and CEO ED GREENSPON on an episode of the “WONK” pod that drops today. Here’s just an excerpt from their conversation: The Bank of Canada spoke about Canada's productivity problem as an emergency, “break the glass” kind of moment. That's not normal Central Bank-speak. Describe this urgently to us. The OECD has done a lot of long-term projections. The projections show very clearly that Canada would see the slowest growth in real GDP per capita of any advanced economy from 2020 to 2060. This projected outcome stems from Canada’s poor productivity performance in recent years. If we want to maintain, as we should be, one of the most advanced countries in the world, one of the most dynamic countries in the world, one of the leaders of the world, it's absolutely crucial that we have the Canadian economy growing faster and have a stronger productivity performance. Otherwise living standards in Canada won't be able to accompany the rising living standards of, say, the United States or other parts of the OECD. You talk about the average potential annual growth in real GDP per capita to 2060. What is it about Canada that makes it the worst as you look forward to 2060? We believe it's absolutely crucial that Canada goes back to the reform path. Have we strayed from the reform path? Canada needs to improve in several areas. One of them is the internal market. We've been highlighting for a long time that more rapid progress in reducing Canada's internal barriers to trade is crucial. We believe there are still impediments to trade across provincial borders. Another issue we've been highlighting is some limits on ownership — foreign ownership — and board membership in Canada. We think this is potentially limiting competition in some sectors. We also highlighted issues of skills and education. Find the entire conversation here. What are you watching at the PPF Growth Summit? Tell us! We'll be in the room, too. Pull us aside to talk policy. | | | | A message from Unsmoke Canada:   | | | | | ALSO FOR YOUR RADAR | |
THE CASE OF THE MISSING FLAG — Sometime last year, Prince Edward Island's flag disappeared from its pole on the southeast side of Confederation Square.
An eagle-eyed Playbook reader noted its absence Nov. 23 from the line of provincial and territorial flags waving proudly across from the National War Memorial. — Where did it go? A spokesperson for the Department of Canadian Heritage mused that a wind storm might've unlatched the eighth-in-line (ordered chronologically by each subnational government's entry into confederation). — Who should replace it? There was a prospect of some oh-so-Ottawa confusion about which bureaucrats are responsible for flags across the square (which is actually triangular). → Veterans Affairs Canada handles flags related to the war memorial. → Public Services and Procurement deals with anything flying in the parliamentary precinct. — A happy ending: Canadian Heritage swung into action shortly after Playbook's query. A new flag for Canada's tiny island province now flaps with the rest. Phew. | | MEDIA ROOM | |
— In an exclusive interview, the president of Ukraine talks about his outreach to DONALD TRUMP, stalled Ukraine aid and Russia’s growing influence in the U.S.
— Over on The Line, ANDREW POTTER makes the HGTV argument that Canada is no fixer-upper. It's a gut job. — BRYAN PASSIFIUME of the National Post reports the PM's six-day Indo-Pacific trip cost $2M, including $200K in catering. — “What is the point of the federal New Democratic Party?” conservative activist GINNY ROTH asks at the start of her latest contribution to The Hub. — The Star’s SUSAN DELACOURT took in MARK CARNEY’s speech in Ottawa on Monday. From it, she observed that he’s offering up a third option, “a middle ground between Trudeau Liberalism and Poilievre Conservatism.” — ANDY RIGA reports that Quebec's premier is threatening to call an immigration referendum as he presses for more powers, which comes as the Parti Québécois surges in the polls. — From APTN News: Assembly of First Nations says C$350B needed for housing, infrastructure. — In the Financial Post, former premier FRANK MCKENNA warns that Alberta's pension plan gambit risks undermining “one of the great achievements of Canadian public policy.” | | PROZONE | |
Our latest policy newsletter for Pro subscribers: Ontario’s D.C. envoy talks Trump.
And from ZI-ANN LUM: Lake Erie Connector project still ‘very viable,’ says bank head. In other news for Pro readers: — Trump looms over UN plastics treaty talks. — Switzerland’s climate failures breached human rights, top court rules. — ‘Climate homicide’ architects pitch theory to prosecutors. — Study: ’Forever chemicals’ widespread in waters worldwide. — 200+ U.S. chemical plants face crackdown on toxic air emissions. | | PLAYBOOKERS | |
Birthdays: HBD to Sen. PAMELA WALLIN, and TorStar editor ALISON MAH.
HBD + 1 to CBC News senior reporter ASHLEY BURKE. Birthdays, gatherings, social notices for this community: Send them our way. Spotted: MP JIMAL JIVANI, using his first S.O. 31 to announce his opposition to the government’s “elitist ESG [environmental, social, and governance] policies and divisive diversity, equity and inclusion agenda” — policies he described as “smokescreens” that create a false sense of progress. From our D.C. colleagues, background on the anti-ESG agenda. Liberal MP PETER SCHIEFKE, celebrating his 12th year in remission from cancer. “Today, I am privileged to rise in this House to extend a heartfelt thanks to the team at the Canadian Cancer Society,” he said in the House on Tuesday. uOttawa criminology prof MICHAEL KEMPA, accredited to cover JUSTIN TRUDEAU's Hogue commission testimony for The Hub. Key Gordon VP and municipal councilor JONATHAN SCOTT, inadvertently "helping the Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition sell merch." Movers and shakers: ANDREW PEREZ, a former Queen's Park staffer and H+K Strategies senior consultant, is now hanging his own shingle at Perez Strategies … Maple Leaf Strategies senior consultant STEPHANIE RITTER is repping H&R Block, which has beef with the government's delayed plan for an automatic tax filing pilot program — and is part of a coalition arguing against the measure. In memoriam: Former House Speaker JOHN ALLEN FRASER, the first ever elected by secret ballot by his peers, has died at 92, according to a statement by GREG FERGUS. He served as speaker from 1986 to 1993. “Following the enactment of significant changes to the Standing Orders, many of his decisions created the basic interpretation of our modern rules and redefined what is appropriate practice in our Chamber today,” Fergus said. Send Playbookers tips to ottawaplaybook@politico.com . | | | | A message from Unsmoke Canada: There’s no doubt Canada can be a global leader in reducing the harm caused by smoking, but it requires actionable steps. Governments should help adult smokers by openly recognizing the harm reduction potential of smoke-free products and modernizing Canadian legislation. Learn more about how we can accelerate change. | | | | | ON THE HILL | |
→ Find House committees here.
→ Keep track of Senate committees here. — It’s caucus day on the Hill. 8:30 a.m. Statistics Canada will release a report on February building permits. 11 a.m. Journalist LISA LAFLAMME and former Assembly of First Nations national chief PHIL FONTAINE will hold a press conference in West Block with University Canada West to promote a six-part documentary “Understanding Indigenous History: A Path Forward.” 11:30 a.m. Bloc MP DENIS TRUDEL will hold a press conference in West Block to discuss his report on housing and homelessness in Quebec. 12 p.m. Rural Economic Development Minister GUDIE HUTCHINGS and Conservative rural economic development critic DAN MAZIER will headline a “Recognizing Rural Canada” event in the Valour Building emceed by former MP CANDICE BERGEN. 1:30 p.m. The Senate audit and oversight committee will discuss the Senate’s internal and external audits with the red chamber’s top finance officers, PIERRE LANCTÔT and NATHALIE CHARPENTIER. 4:15 p.m. Environment Minister STEVEN GUILBEAULT will be at the Senate legal and Constitutional affairs committee to take questions on Bill S-15 regarding the trade of wild animals and plants. 4:15 p.m. The situation in Haiti will be discussed at the Senate foreign affairs committee with Global Affairs Canada’s Central America & Caribbean director general SYLVIE BÉDARD. Senators will switch focus to Canada’s interests in Africa in the second half of the committee. 4:15 p.m. The Senate banking committee will hear from UBC professor PAUL BEAUDRY. 4:30 p.m. The House government and operations committee will launch a study on federal regulatory modernization initiatives. 6:45 p.m. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister GARY ANANDASANGAREE will be at the Senate Indigenous peoples committee on Bill S-16. 6:45 p.m. The Senate national finance committee will study Supplementary Estimates (C). Senators will be joined by at least 18 department officials from Treasury Board, finance, Indigenous Services, national defense and immigration, refugees and Citizenship Canada. 6:45 p.m. The Senate transport committee will continue its study on the impact of climate change on critical infrastructure. We're tracking every major political event of 2024 on a mega-calendar. Send us events and download the calendar yourself for Google and other clients . | | TRIVIA | |
Tuesday’s answer: The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is featured on Canada’s $20 bank note.
Props to JOE BOUGHNER, BOB GORDON, NICK CHAN, WAYNE EASTER, JOHN ECKER, TRACY SALMON, CAMERON RYAN, MARC LEBLANC, SARA MAY, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, JOHN ALHO, LAURA JARVIS, JOHN MERRIMAN, JONAH ROSEN, JENN KEAY and JOSHUA ZANIN. Wednesday’s question: Trivia buffs will recall that former PM STEPHEN HARPER once appeared in the TV show Murdoch Mysteries. Which prime minister did his character not recognize in the episode? Answers to ottawaplaybook@politico.com Writing Playbook tomorrow: ZI-ANN LUM, NICK TAYLOR-VAISEY and KYLE DUGGAN. Want to grab the attention of movers and shakers on Parliament Hill? Want your brand in front of a key audience of Ottawa influencers? Run a Playbook ad campaign. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com. Playbook wouldn’t happen without: POLITICO Canada editor Sue Allan and Luiza Ch. Savage. | | | | 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 | | | | |
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