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A daily look inside Canadian politics and power. | | | | |  | | By Zi-Ann Lum | Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Zi-Ann l Follow Politico Canada WELCOME TO OTTAWA PLAYBOOK. I’m your host Zi-Ann Lum with Nick Taylor-Vaisey. We start with a chat with BOB RAE, Canada’s top diplomat at the United Nations, and look at a burgeoning supply chain headache that could irritate cross-border trade.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | MERCURY RISING — There’s some deep soul searching going on at the U.N. and NATO. What’s been challenging for U.N. members to agree on right now is deciding whether or not to be powerless with the crisis in Ukraine, said Canadian U.N. Ambassador BOB RAE , “Just as it's challenging for members of NATO to agree on what its further steps will be — other than just repeating mantras about not attacking NATO.” Rae chatted with Playbook’s NICK TAYLOR-VAISEY about the complexities, and complications, of diplomacy during war. He said his recommendation to Ottawa from the very beginning has been don’t let VLADIMIR PUTIN win. “Whatever you do, make sure that Putin doesn't succeed because that's the last straw as far as I think a lot of people are concerned,” Rae said. Read Playbook’s Q&A with Rae under “Hallway Conversations.” On NATO’s next moves , the diplomat said Ukraine’s allies need to keep their nose to the grindstone and “keep on pushing ourselves to examine every option and to look at every possibility in order to allow us to make Vladimir Putin stop doing what he's doing, and make his government stop doing what it's doing.” — What’s next: Minister ANITA ANAND is in Brussels today for an extraordinary meeting of NATO defense ministers. Ahead of the meeting, NATO Secretary General JENS STOLTENBERG hinted increases in air and naval deployments and discussion of “substantially more forces in the eastern part of the Alliance” could be on the agenda. Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is scheduled to head to Brussels next week to attend a NATO leaders meeting. FREIGHT FRIGHT — Supply chain headaches could potentially get worse over a looming CP Rail strike risks snarling trade along a key rail link between the U.S. and Canada a month after illegal border blockades were cleared. The issue has piqued the attention of a handful of Senate Republicans who sent a letter to Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU to intervene so a strike can be avoided. — Gas concerns: “Because of the Keystone XL pipeline cancellation, Canada and the U.S. rely on CP to carry heavy Alberta crude oil to US refineries,” read the letter, signed by Sens. KEVIN CRAMER (R-N.D.), STEVE DAINES (R-Mont.), MIKE BRAUN (R-Ind.) and JOHN HOEVEN (R-N.D.). “Without the ability to move heavy Canadian crude, fuel supply shortages will be exacerbated and agricultural producers who rely on diesel to power their equipment will be forced to pay even higher fuel costs,” they said. Canada sends roughly 140,000 barrels of oil daily to the U.S. by rail. Transport Minister OMAR ALGHABRA told POLITICO he’s monitoring the situation closely. “Safe and reliable rail systems across the country are important to support the Canadian economy,” he said in an email, adding Ottawa is encouraging all parties to work together to find a solution.
| | AROUND THE HILL | | | 
Canadian parliamentarians and guests give Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a standing ovation on March 15, 2022. | Adrian Wyld, The Canadian Press | VIP ZOOM ROOM — Now what? Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY is expected to address Congress today after urging Canada's Parliament to do more to stop Russian missiles from continuing to kill people in his country. “Close the airspace, please stop the bombing — how many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities until you make this happen?” Zelenskyy told parliamentarians during a televised address to senators and MPs Tuesday. “When we talk with our partners … they say please hold on a little longer.” It's technically a constituency week, but Zelenskyy’s special address lured a majority of MPs back to their desks in the House of Commons chamber. Staffers filled the backbench to minimize the empty seats while senators filled chairs set up in the aisle. — Views from above: The House was packed for the first time in years. It brought retired CBC legend JULIE VAN DUSEN , taking her seat with the press gallery and chuckling at invites to join the press scrums again. Singer-songwriter CHANTAL KREVIAZUK, who is of Ukrainian descent, leaned in during each party leader’s address from her front-row spot in the Speaker’s Gallery. In the NDP’s Gallery: Ottawa City Councilor CATHERINE MCKENNEY. On the floor of the House, Conservative Sen. PIERRE-HUGUES BOISVENU took out his phone to snap a pic of interim Conservative Leader CANDICE BERGEN calling for the closure of Ukrainian airspace, at least above humanitarian corridors. Her predecessor, ERIN O’TOOLE, sat three seats to her right — different from his reassigned spot closest to the Speaker’s chair. Most MPs sat and listened to Zelenskyy with their two phones sitting idle on their desks. Deputy Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND, however, had a pen in hand and scribbled notes. When the microphone fell to ELIZABETH MAY, seated in the back behind Freeland, the Green parliamentary leader spoke of concerns Zelenskyy may be “inevitably” let down. “We will find every tool we can find, and where there aren’t adequate tools, by God, let’s invent them,” May said, earning applause from the House — and a 180-degree turn from Freeland who clapped and nodded in agreement. — In the crowd: Ottawa Centre MPP JOEL HARDEN, visiting the House for Zelenskyy's speech, and chatting up peace activists just off the Hill … Glengarry–Prescott–Russell MPP AMANDA SIMARD … NDP MP MATTHEW GREEN holding his son’s hand, leaving the chamber. Sen. DENISE BATTERS wore a traditional vyshyvanka, a blouse with intricate floral panels colorfully embroidered by her Ukrainian grandmother 100 years ago when she fled to Canada to start a new life. “We don't bring it out very often,” she told POLITICO after Zelenskyy’s speech. “But this seemed like definitely a place to wear it.” The Saskatchewan senator was an observer for Ukraine’s 2014 election. She said what’s been on her mind in recent weeks is the memory of Ukrainians, wearing their embroidered blouses, lining up to cast their ballots despite real risks to their own personal safety. That pride in the freedom and democracy of their country — and how it’s threatened now — is something Batters has been ruminating on. Zelenskyy embodies that courage, she said. “We need to stand by him and show him that we're by him every step of the way.”
| | SANCTION REAX | | The Russian government slapped sanctions on around 300 Canadian lawmakers on Tuesday. The national president of the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress, ALEXANDRA CHYCZIJ, said in response to the news: "LOL." Here’s how a few MPs reacted: Foreign Affairs Minister MELANIE JOLY: “I am not surprised.” Conservative MP SCOTT AITCHINSON: “So be it.” Liberal MP JOHN MCKAY: “To stand with real heroes, the people of Ukraine, is an honour.” Green MP ELIZABETH MAY: “Honoured.” NDP MP BRIAN MASSE: “If they had any brains they would know I belong in the top 50.” Conservative Leader CANDICE BERGEN: “I wear this ban from Putin as a badge of honour.”
| | HALLWAY CONVERSATION | | THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK — Canada's UN ambassador, BOB RAE, watched Zelenskyy's address. Playbook asked him to reflect on Ukraine's desperate need for more military assistance, where the conversations that matter most are happening, and what the U.N. can do about it. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. President Zelenskyy repeated a call for a no-fly zone over Ukraine's skies. That's still a no-go from Canada and its allies. What did you make of his request, given that the federal government has refused to support it? The important thing is to understand the objective. The objective that President Zelenskyy is asking for is to give all the assistance that we can to the people of Ukraine, and make sure that that assistance is effective, and is able to respond to the nature of Russian aggression. That's a critical question that will be asked not only by defense ministers, but by the leaders of every country in the alliance that's committed to supporting Ukraine. Playbook spoke with Louise Blais, a retired diplomat who worked with you at Canada's U.N. mission, about the U.N.'s options. She's advocating for a protective force. What do you think of that idea? What Louise is asking us to look at is the principle that nothing in the Charter impairs the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense, if an armed attack occurred against a member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. The U.N. is not powerless to respond if it chooses to. That is actually how the United Nations ended up being at war over Korea. The Korean War was fought between the United Nations and the North Koreans and China. That took place despite the Soviet Union having a veto at the United Nations. It's really a matter of political will. It's not a matter of saying, "Can the U.N. find a way to do this?" The answer is yes, the U.N. can. Do members of the United Nations want to do this? That's a separate question. Is a U.N. force an active conversation among your colleagues? I wouldn't say so. No. The conversation is very much happening within NATO, and within countries that are close to NATO, like Sweden and Finland, about what more might be done. Are you satisfied with the amount of discourse at the U.N. in response to the crisis? There's always lots of discourse at the U.N. The question is: Is the discourse related to reality? And is it related to the ability to take action? That's a sharper version of my question. I think the Secretary-General gave a very good statement yesterday. He spoke from the heart. He spoke very directly to the nature of the crisis. And he spoke very directly to an additional element of the crisis that I don't think is sufficiently understood. Ukraine is an incredibly important producer of food, and is an incredibly important participant in the global effort to fight starvation and hunger around the world. What is happening now is cutting off that lifeline. Agricultural production is being severely impacted in Ukraine, and that will have a major impact on our ability, collectively, to fight starvation and insecurity around the world. What Russia is doing is not just an attack on Ukraine, it's an attack on the global order. And the global order includes how we treat humanitarian issues, including the provision of food, ability of countries to buy food, and to share food. What are you watching for next? I'm anticipating that there will be other surprise events around what more needs to be done to deal with the consequences of Russia's behavior that are going to be quite consequential. We need to understand this is a war. We don't want to see it broadened or widened. We understand that it is something that is being deeply felt by the people of Ukraine at the moment. But it's having secondary consequences for many, many other countries. And all of those consequences are not entirely predictable.
| | ASK US ANYTHING | | What are you hearing that you need Playbook to know? Any questions about Parliament? Send it all our way.
| | PAPER TRAIL | | FROM THE TENDERS — Natural Resources Canada is contracting out a 32-week study exploring the hydrogen potential in Canada generated from renewable and nuclear sources. Hydrogen production and European energy security was a discussion topic last week when JUSTIN TRUDEAU met Chancellor OLAF SCHOLZ in Berlin. Canada is positioned to grow the domestic hydrogen production sector, the tender reads, “while also benefiting from growth in global demand through export opportunities, as worldwide demand for low-carbon intensity hydrogen is expected to increase.” — Landscaping language: Foreign Affairs’ concise answer to a query if tender documents for landscaping and grounds maintenance services for Canada’s embassy in Switzerland can be in German: No.
| | TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS | | 10:10 a.m. Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU joins Ontario Premier DOUG FORD, Innovation Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE and Ontario Economic Development Minister VIC FEDELI for a tour of Honda Canada’s Alliston, Ont. plant. A media availability follows at 10:45 a.m. Minister ANITA ANAND will participate in the NATO defense minister’s meeting. 8:30 a.m. Statistics Canada is releasing the consumer price index for February and wholesale trade figures.
| | CONSERVATIVE CORNER | | — The Post Millennial's ANGELO ISIDOROU brought PIERRE POILIEVRE onto his pod. The frontrunning leadership candidate took all of five seconds to say the word freedom. — Conservatives for Clean Growth boss KEN BOESSENKOOL beat a familiar drum on BRIAN CROMBIE's pod: "I think if the Conservative Party of Canada doesn't take climate change seriously, they will not be electable. It is a catastrophic threat to the electability of Conservatives." — Ontario Premier DOUG FORD and his entire PC caucus will remain neutral for the duration of the leadership race, reports COLIN D'MELLO. — The Globe's IAN BAILEY reports: CANDICE BERGEN sought quick move into Opposition leader’s residence, sources say.
| | MEDIA ROOM | | — The CBC's TREVOR HOWLETT has the headline from Alberta: UCP candidate BRIAN JEAN wins Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche byelection. — Nieman Lab’s JOSHUA BENTON has a lovely remembrance of the life’s work of his colleague BRENT RENAUD, who was killed in Ukraine. (h/t Playbook) — Photographs by DAVID BUTOW for POLITICO: On the border as millions flee to safety. — The Globe’s NANCY MACDONALD and TIMOTHY MOORE teamed up on a compelling interactive that shows the catastrophic damage caused by flooding that has altered the landscape in British Columbia. — “To all the boys and girls out there who worry about how their sexuality could impact their career aspirations, such as a future in politics, let me tell you this: don’t be frightened,” Ontario Progressive Conservative MPP JEREMY ROBERTS writes in the Ottawa Citizen. “The world is full of much more love than you think.” — ROGER MCKNIGHT, chief petroleum analyst at En-Pro International Inc., joins The Big Story pod for an episode titled, “What’s up with these crazy gas prices?” — IAN ANDERSON, CEO of Trans Mountain Corp., is in the hot seat on the latest ARC Energy Ideas podcast. — Former cabinet minister and NHL goalie KEN DRYDEN explains why professional hockey leagues must do more to protect players. — CHRIS AYLWARD, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, tells APTN’s BRETT FORESTER that his union supports Indigenous bureaucrats advancing a class-action lawsuit against the federal government.
| | PROZONE | | If you’re a POLITICO Pro , don’t miss ANDY BLATCHFORD’s latest policy newsletter: Russia sanctions Canadian lawmakers. In other headlines for Pros: — Senate agrees on permanent daylight saving time. — EU ministers can’t budge global tax reform impasse. — Biden weighing Europe trip. — Recap of POLITICO/E&E News briefing on energy fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine. — House liberals to urge Biden to declare climate emergency, ban drilling on federal lands.
| | Playbookers | | | 
Canada's Mark Carney, the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Finance Adviser for COP26 and the UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance, listens during the opening ceremony of the COP26 U.N. Climate Summit, in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. The U.N. climate summit in Glasgow gathers leaders from around the world, in Scotland's biggest city, to lay out their vision for addressing the common challenge of global warming.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) | Alberto Pezzali/AP Photo | Birthdays: HBD to economist and banker MARK CARNEY. Former Conservative MP LEONA ALLESLEV also celebrates today. Send Playbookers tips to ottawaplaybook@politico.com. Spotted: QUEEN ELIZABETH, meeting in person with Governor General MARY SIMON and WHIT FRASER on Tuesday at Windsor Castle. … Consul General of Canada in San Francisco RANA SARKAR, talking wildfires and climate change with TONI ATKINS of the California State Senate. Liberal MP NATE ERSKINE-SMITH in conversation with MICHELLE REMPEL GARNER. The mayoral race in VANCOUVER: Crowded and growing larger. N.L. Premier ANDREW FUREY on the floor of the House of Commons. Rep. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-Fla) unboxing “pretty darn good” St. Viateur bagels c/o Liberal MP ANTHONY HOUSEFATHER. Innovation Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE at the Commons cafeteria, not standing in line for Tuesday’s special: Cabbage rolls. ANDY SLAVITT, former Covid-19 adviser to U.S. President JOE BIDEN, warning about the next wave. Media mention: Former iPolitics reporter RACHEL EMMANUEL speaking with True North’s CANDICE MALCOLM on why she left mainstream media.
| | | Tuesday’s answer: 947 privy councilors have been appointed in Canada. Props to ROBERT MCDOUGALL, GEORGE YOUNG and ALAN KAN. Wednesday’s question: What Canadian thought leader said: ‘Humility is important. I think about it and I try to remind myself every day. … It’s an attitude that helps you move forward if you can combine humility and ambition. It is something that reminds us of our place in the broader system.” Send your answers to ottawaplaybook@politico.com Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Alejandra Waase to find out how: awaase@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 | | | | |  |
