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A daily look inside Canadian politics and power. | | | | |  | | By Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Maura Forrest | Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Nick | Follow Politico Canada WELCOME TO OTTAWA PLAYBOOK. I'm your host, Nick Taylor-Vaisey with Maura Forrest. Today, we check in on Canada's ambivalent position on a vaccine IP waiver. Plus, a sobering report thudded on the desk of Defense Minister ANITA ANAND.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
People gather along with truck drivers to block the streets during an anti-government and anti-vaccine mandate protest in Ottawa, Canada. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images | A FUTURE HOUSEHOLD NAME — Get used to hearing the name JUSTICE ROULEAU. He's the man behind Canada's next high-stakes public inquiry. It came with a whimper, not a bang via press release (and an order-in-council), not a press conference (that came later). PM JUSTIN TRUDEAU appointed a judge named Paul S. Rouleau as commissioner of the formal public inquiry into the government's controversial invocation of the Emergencies Act after a three-week occupation of downtown Ottawa by anti-mandate protesters whose collective goals were more ill-defined by the day. It was an unprecedented move in an era without precedent, and Rouleau's work to get to the bottom of what happened behind the scenes could come to define part of Trudeau's legacy. Or it could be a total nothingburger. But given the prolonged nature of the motorized sit-in, the notably hands-off approach of every police force on the scene, the evolving demands from the protest leadership, and the debate over who funded the whole decentralized venture — well, let's just say testimony is not likely to be boring. — The stakes: Rouleau could join the ranks of JOHN GOMERY, MURRAY SINCLAIR and LOUISE CHARBONNEAU — game-changing judges whose recommendations over the past 20 years have prompted tectonic shifts in Canadian politics that either brought down governments or disrupted the discourse. So who is Rouleau? Not a retired Supreme Court judge, notably. — The quote: Rouleau published a statement after his appointment. Here's part of it: "I am committed to ensuring that the process is as open and transparent as possible, recognizing the tight timelines for reporting imposed by the Emergencies Act." — The résumé: He's a two-time grad of the University of Ottawa and earned a second law degree at Osgoode Hall. His last job before he was a judge was at Heenan Blaikie. His first after passing the bar in 1979 was at Cassels Brock & Blackwell. — His day job: Rouleau sits on the Court of Appeal of Ontario, and was also appointed a deputy judge of Yukon's Supreme Court in 2014 and the Northwest Territories Supreme Court in 2017. — What it's all called: Colloquially, the Public Order Emergency Commission. (The order-in-council that sets it all in motion officially termed it the Public Inquiry into the 2022 Public Order Emergency. Repetition much?) — What it'll do: "Examine the circumstances that led to the declaration being issued and the measures taken in response to the emergency." — More specifically: Rouleau's work will focus on five priorities: → The evolution and goals of the convoy and blockades, their leadership, organization and participants. → The impact of domestic and foreign funding, including crowdsourcing platforms. → The impact, role and sources of misinformation and disinformation, including the use of social media. → The impact of the blockades, including their economic impact. → The efforts of police and other responders prior to and after the declaration. — A buried detail: Rouleau has until Feb. 6, 2023 to submit his final report to Cabinet in both official languages. The government can hold on to it for up to two weeks before tabling the report in Parliament by Feb. 20, 2023. Did someone forward Ottawa Playbook to you today? Are you ready to be a forwarder, not a forwardee? Click here to sign up to this free newsletter.
| | CONSERVATIVE CORNER | | DEADLINE COMETH — Four days stand between all of the approved leadership candidates and the seal of approval that'll grant them access to debate stages and eventually the ballot. Only LESLYN LEWIS, PIERRE POILIEVRE and JEAN CHAREST have submitted the required C$300,000 in entry fees, along with all the required signatures. That leaves PATRICK BROWN, SCOTT AITCHISON, ROMAN BABER, LEONA ALLESLEV, MARC DALTON and JOSEPH BOURGAULT on the outside looking in for now. BATTLE FOR QUEBEC — Poilievre, the race's crowd-gathering freedom evangelist, will hold a media avail at Jacques-Cartier Park across the river in Gatineau this morning. He'll talk about a "Quebec energy project," and rally later tonight at the DoubleTree on the road to Aylmer — smack-dab in the middle of Liberal MP GREG FERGUS's riding. — All-important GTA: His team also posted a pair of GTA campaign stops. Poilievre is headed to a rec center in Pickering on Friday evening, where he'll rally the troops in Liberal MP JENNIFER O'CONNELL's riding. On Saturday, Poilievre heads west to Scarborough for an afternoon rally at the Metropolitan Centre in Liberal MP JEAN YIP's neighborhood — about a five-minute drive from the seniors center where the government last week announced a C$379 million long-term care deal with the province. EASTBOUND AND DOWN — Poilievre rival JEAN CHAREST is on the Acadian Peninsula this morning for a breakfast meet-and-greet in Neguac. At noon, he's down the road in Shediac for another gathering. By evening, he'll be in Charlottetown. On Wednesday evening, Charest rolls back into New Brunswick for a Moncton event at the downtown Delta Hotel. For the record, the largest space in the building fits 1,100. PRAIRIE SQUAD — The ninth approved Tory leadership candidate, JOSEPH BOURGAULT, was rallying over the weekend in Airdrie, Alberta. He's gained the endorsement of former NHL legend and current Poilievre critic THEO FLEURY, a noted believer in the conspiracy theory that the World Economic Forum controls key Canadian political figures … Here he is cursing the frontrunner's name. Bourgault also has the support of former Conservative MP ROB ANDERS. In a video posted Sunday, the longshot candidate said his campaign still needed to raise C$175,000 to land his name on the ballot. (He's in Lethbridge tonight.)
| | ALSO FOR YOUR RADAR | | IP SCHMOOZING — Remember all that talk about whether we should waive patents for Covid-19 vaccines to help boost supply for developing countries? It’s never really gone anywhere, partly because pharmaceutical companies and many of the wealthy nations who signed vaccine contracts with them have been firmly opposed. Well, new documents tabled with a parliamentary committee shine some light on the rather chummy relationship between the Canadian government and the pharma industry when it came to discussing a proposed waiver. During a meeting with International Trade Minister Mary Ng last year, industry reps told her they were “very pleased” with the government’s vague statement on a possible waiver. She assured them Canada hadn’t committed to anything. In later meetings, government officials gave industry a rundown of negotiations between WTO members, and promised them Canada’s position hadn’t changed. They all agreed to stay in touch, and they have, with a most recent meeting planned for earlier this month. — The upshot? Canada still hasn’t said anything firm about an IP waiver, even after the U.S., the EU, India and South Africa came up with a compromise proposal last month. Read POLITICO’s full story here. WONK PROM — The Public Policy Forum's next growth summit goes down Thursday in Toronto. Prominent feds include Innovation Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE , Ambassador to the EU AILISH CAMPBELL, and Ambassador to Japan and former Invest in Canada CEO IAN MCKAY. PPF CEO ED GREENSPON will moderate a fireside chat with ANNE MCLELLAN and LISA RAITT , the ubiquitous co-chairs of the Coalition for a Better Future. The gathering crescendos with the PPF's annual testimonial dinner. This year's award winners: JOHN MANLEY, a former deputy PM and finance minister who headed up the Business Council of Canada; TERRANCE PAUL, chief of Membertou for 38 years; CLARISSA DESJARDINS , founder of biotech company Congruence Therapeutics; and DEEPA MEHTA, an Oscar-nominated filmmaker. Globe and Mail journalist MARK MACKINNON will receive the Hyman Solomon Award for Excellence in Public Policy Journalism.
| | TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS | | — PM JUSTIN TRUDEAU will speak with Moldovan President MAIA SANDU. He'll also chair Cabinet and attend question period. 8 a.m. (Mountain) Natural Resources Minister JONATHAN WILKINSON will make remarks at the Canadian Hydrogen Convention. 8:30 a.m. Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND will participate in a virtual meeting of the Build Back Better World global infrastructure initiative hosted by JANET YELLEN, the U.S. Treasury Secretary. 10 a.m. Freeland will virtually attend Cabinet. 10 a.m. Sen. MARILOU MCPHEDRAN and MP HEATHER MCPHERSON will call on the government to send a parliamentary delegation to the First Meeting of State Parties to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in June. 11 a.m. U.N. ambassador BOB RAE is 18th on a list of speakers for today's 69th plenary meeting of the U.N. Rae will speak to a motion, co-sponsored by Canada, that would compel the General Assembly to debate every veto applied at the Security Council. He's expected to speak between 11 and 11:30. 11:30 a.m. Labor Minister SEAMUS O'REGAN is at the Westin Ottawa, where he'll make remarks on "labor mobility and the role of workers in facing challenges" at the annual conference of Canada’s Building Trades Union. 12 p.m. (Mountain) Wilkinson will address the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.
| | PAPER TRAIL | | RACIST CULTURE — "Racism in Canada is not a glitch in the system; it is the system." That's the blunt opening to an advisory group's final report to Defense Minister ANITA ANAND on the barriers to workplace inclusion in and around the Armed Forces. — The assignment: Back in December 2020, the group was tapped to root out "policies, processes and practices" that enabled racism and discrimination in the Defense Team — aka both uniformed and civilian personnel. — The panelists: Four retired military personnel signed up for the job: Major-General E.S. Fitch, Captain D.L. Gibson, Sergeant Aroniia:nens Derek Montour, and Major Sandra Perron. — The verdict: Racism is everywhere in military culture, top to bottom. Holiday schedules mostly revolve around the Christian calendar. Meals are typically Euro-Canadian. The French language, and some English, is naturally gendered. These are practical examples of entrenched systems, the report concludes. — The task ahead: "Life is easier when everyone is the same," the panelists write. "Adapting different rules, changing methodologies, and evolving norms requires effort." "Dismantling Canada's colonial culture … requires this sustained and deliberate effort. It involves feeling uncomfortable and amenable to being stretched emotionally. It calls for an organization to become more tolerant of mistakes made in good faith and better at supporting a willingness to learn from these mistakes." — The last words: The advisory group's Indigenous member, Montour, closed meetings with "a much-appreciated ritual for us to walk away from these often lengthy and tense engagements feeling grateful, empowered and rejuvenated." Here's how they wrapped up their submission: "We ask for the strength to face our challenges, and we remember to always be grateful. It is said that a heart filled with gratitude has little room for anger or sadness."
| | ASK US ANYTHING | | TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW — What are you hearing that you need Playbook to know? Send it all our way.
| | MEDIA ROOM | | — Top of the Ottawa Citizen this morning: Ottawa police call in backup for 'Rolling Thunder' event, vow to head off 'another unlawful protest.' — VICKY MOCHAMA profiles MICHELLE REMPEL GARNER in a Chatelaine must-read. — From POLITICO’s Digital Future Daily newsletter: How Twitter fits into Musk's futurist agenda. And from Wired: How did it happen, and what the hell comes next? — National Post reports: Bank of Canada rebukes claims Pierre Poilievre has made on inflation, cryptocurrency. — STEPHANIE LEVITZ is on The Star’s latest This Matters pod to discuss the Conservative leadership race. Title of the episode: How right is too right? — An early provincial election is about the craziest thing imaginable. Therefore, it could happen in Alberta, DON BRAID writes in the Calgary Herald. — FATIMA SYED's The Backbench pod features your Playbook host and his former Maclean's coworker, JASON MARKUSOFF (who starts soon at CBC News). They break down the CPC leadership race as if every candidate is a Bachelor contestant. Listen.
| | PLAYBOOKERS | | Birthdays: HBD to former Sen. SHARON CARSTAIRS, who is 80. Sen. PETER BOEHM also celebrates today. Fellow Tauruses include: RUTH ELLEN BROSSEAU, GILL DEACON, LORNE NYSTROM and LOIS BOONE. Movers and shakers: The World Economic Forum named its new class of Young Global Leaders — spunky keeners to most observers, global conspiracy mongers to a misguided corner of the internet. Immigration Minister SEAN FRASER made this year's list. Other Canadians include ILWAD ELMAN, COO of the Elman Peace Centre; and KIM HALLWOOD, head of corporate sustainability at HSBC Bank Canada. Former Trump acolyte ROGER STONE is officially advising DEREK SLOAN's Ontario Party in advance of the provincial election. Crestview's SUSIE HEATH is on the Hill for the Canadian Medical Association … Fasken's DANIEL BROCK is repping the Fair Tax Treatment for Digital Asset Mining Coalition, which has something to say about draft proposals on the tax treatment of crypto miners … StrategyCorp's LISA SAMSON is lobbying for iENSO, which wants federal funding for the "acceleration of artificial intelligence applications and manufacturing." Spotted: DAVID MOSCROP, opening his beer fridge … MARK MULRONEY, tragically missing a joke. B.C. Premier JOHN HORGAN, apologizing. Media mentions: PATRICK CAIN is the new polling and online politics reporter at iPolitics.
| | HOUSE BUSINESS | | Meeting in camera: The House Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, Public Accounts. 9:30 a.m. The Senate National Finance committee will hear from 25 senior government officials on Main Estimates. 10 a.m. The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development will table five spring reports. 11 a.m. Top officials from Export Development Canada will appear at the House environment committee as MPs study fossil fuel subsidies. 11 a.m. Twitter’s MICHELE AUSTIN, Meta’s RACHEL CURRAN and DAVID TESSLER are among the witnesses at the House public safety and national security committee as it studies the rise of ideologically motivated violent extremism in Canada. Up during the first hour of the meeting: Canadian Anti-Hate Network; Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism; and Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. 11 a.m. The House immigration committee will hear from Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Guide Me Immigration Inc. and Rainbow Refugee Society. 11 a.m. Chief Science Advisor MONA NEMER will be at the House fisheries and oceans committee with officials from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. 3:30 p.m.The House Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs continues its study of the housing shortage and will hear from Frontier Centre for Public Policy and Northwest Territory Métis Nation. 3:30 p.m. The Business Development Bank of Canada will be at the House industry and technology committee. 3:30 p.m. Treasury Board President MONA FORTIER is at the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates. 3:30 p.m. The House Standing Committee on the Status of Women is studying “Resource Development and Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls.” 3:30 p.m. The Canadian Bar Association, African Nova Scotian Justice Institute and the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto appear at the House justice committee on Bill C-5. 6:30 p.m. Public Safety Minister MARCO MENDICINO and Justice Minister DAVID LAMETTI will appear with department officials at a three-hour session of the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency.
| | PROZONE | | For Pro s, here’s our PM Canada memo from ANDY BLATCHFORD and ZI-ANN LUM: Macklem’s mea culpa. In news for POLITICO Pro s:
— ‘Critical juncture’: Global Covid fight is slowing.
— Pharma companies, charities say IP waiver won't help vaccination effort.
— World's richest man buys ‘free speech’ for $44 billion.
— Everything you need to know about the EU-U.S. Trade and Tech Council.
— Macklem on inflation: 'Team Transitory has disbanded.’
— Tech titans shell out to oppose antitrust legislation.
| | TRIVIA | | YOU ARE INVITED — Ottawa Playbook’s fourth virtual trivia night is set for May 4 at 8 p.m. Gather up your nerdiest friends and fire us an RSVP. Monday's answer: It was former Liberal MP CELINA CAESAR-CHAVANNES who wrote: “If people like me keep trying to fit into spaces like the House of Commons, which run according to a narrative of power and privilege designed to exclude us, how can we expect those spaces to change?” Follow this link to read more about her memoir, "Can You Hear Me Now?" Props to CHRISTOPHER LAWTON, DOUG PAGE, GEORGE YOUNG, MATTHEW DUBE, BOB GORDON and ROBERT MCDOUGALL. Tuesday’s question: A two-parter. Who said: “I viewed myself as a feminist, and I am a feminist, but Jesus, she took on s--t that I would never even think about being able to stand up to.” About whom was this person speaking? 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.
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