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A daily look inside Canadian politics and power. | | | | |  | | By Nick Taylor-Vaisey | Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Nick | Follow Politico Canada Welcome to Ottawa Playbook. I'm your host, Nick Taylor-Vaisey with Zi-Ann Lum. Today, we take a closer look at the budget bill before the House. Plus, the Rideau Club crowd dives into Canada's place in the world. 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.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland leaves a news conference on November 30, 2020. | Adrian Wyld/CP | BUDGET TIME — 464 pages. That's the official length of Finance Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND's first budget bill of the year. Liberals promised to do away with the omnibus bills of the Harper era that enacted and amended all manner of non-budget measures. Trudeau's Liberals have followed through on that pledge, limiting their legislation to only those things that are contained within the budget plan. That still leads to some odd ducks. Remember the proposal to bring in deferred prosecution agreements that eventually lost Trudeau a pair of Cabinet ministers and buried SNC-Lavalin in, shall we say, a pile of bad press? Yeah, that was in a budget plan and the implementation act that followed. This spring's bill is C-19. It's chock full of election promises, reintroduced measures and even a pair of nods to legislative ideas that burbled up from the opposition benches. The House is debating it all week, and the Senate is studying it in case it passes the House. Spoiler alert: JAGMEET SINGH's merry band of New Democrats will support this thing, barring a universe-altering disruption in the space-time continuum. Here's a sampling of what hides in plain sight within the tome: — Old: The Liberals first promised to tax the purchase of luxury vehicles last year. This time, they're serious. The new tax will hit automobiles and airplanes that cost more than C$100,000, and boats more than C$250,000. It'll cost consumers either 10 percent of the purchase price or 20 percent of the price over the threshold (whichever is less). The National Post spotted the government's attempt to attach to the budget bill measures that will change Senate rules and bump the salaries of certain leaders in the Red Chamber. Those used to merit their own bills that failed to pass through Parliament. — New: The budget bill introduces the concept of moon crime , as Canada ramps up its involvement in the international space consortium that plans to construct lunar bases. A government proposal to tax "underused" housing owned by foreigners has also rankled the Americans, even though there's an exemption for vacationers. Rep. BRIAN HIGGINS (D-NY) says the tax would punish Yanks who own cross-border property within a stone's throw from, for example, his Buffalo-area district. — Borrowed: Freeland's bill will take the sales tax off low-alcohol beer, a measure first proposed by NDP MP RICHARD CANNINGS in a private member's bill. The bill will also criminalize Holocaust denial, a Criminal Code tweak proposed by Tory MP KEVIN WAUGH's PMB (which was first debated in the House the day before the budget tabling). — Blue: As in, how some measures make their critics feel. The post-secondary world is upset with a measure to extend the term of copyright to the life of an author plus 70 years, a USMCA concession that delays works being available in the public domain by 20 years. The feds consulted with stakeholders and eventually published a discussion paper on implementing the extension. They were exploring options to accommodate the post-secondary community. Alas, those measures have so far not been proposed. The budget bill also changes the rules that govern charities' donations to third parties. Some lawyers have flagged minor concerns that might well arise at a finance committee meeting or two. One particularly spicy lawyer, Stikeman Elliott's MICHAEL LASKEY , told Canadian Lawyer that proposed changes to competition laws are "snuffing out what should be vigorous debate as to their merits."
| | CONSERVATIVE CORNER | | CONSPIRACY CORNER — Tories gather on a debate stage tomorrow. JEAN CHAREST's team fired a shot at LESLYN LEWIS and PIERRE POILIEVRE 's camps on Monday. "We refuse to give credence to conspiracy theories about the World Economic Forum or otherwise," he tweeted. "Canadians want a Conservative Party that is grounded in reality, not conspiracy." If you're ever on Facebook, you've definitely seen the viral claims that the German founder of the WEF, KLAUS SCHWAB, has gained control over a significant number of federal Cabinet ministers. Tory MP MICHELLE REMPEL GARNER has debunked all of that. Lewis is fundraising off claims that international organizations like the WEF, as well as the World Health Organization, are eroding Canadian sovereignty. PIERRE POILIEVRE has promised to boycott the WEF: “Unlike MAXIME BERNIER, I’ve never been to the Davos conference that the World Economic Forum puts on, and he’ll have to explain why he went there and what he was doing there … But I did not go to that, and I would not, nor will any of my ministers.” — Why the dig? Bernier has expressed concern about Schwab's influence, but he himself attended the Davos Summit in 2008 as Canada's foreign minister. ALBERTA SQUAD — Poilievre announced three co-chairs of his campaign in the province: SHANNON STUBBS, CHRIS WARKENTIN and STEPHANIE KUSIE. He also pumped out a video on energy prices using footage from last week's unofficial leadership debate. Expect more of this. (Playbook is counting the minutes until he posts his attacks on Charest's work for Huawei.) In related reading from STEPHANIE LEVITZ: Conservative leadership hopeful asks party to reconsider disqualification from race.
| | TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS | | — The G-7 Digital Ministers Meeting starts today in Düsseldorf, Germany. Innovation Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE is already overseas. (The German minister running the summit, VOLKER WISSING , hyped up the host city. "The people who live here by the Rhine are innovative, cosmopolitan and tolerant. I can think of no better place to turbo-boost the digital transformation." Have we found the German twin of FPC?) — Governor General MARY SIMON will arrive in Kangiqsualujjuaq, a village in Nunavik. She'll meet with Mayor MCCOMBIE ANNANACK and council before heading to Ulluriaq School for cultural performances and an award ceremony. Simon will also visit Qarmaapik Family House, a safe house for children and families. She'll stop by Kuururjuaq National Park and finish the day with a community gathering. — ROB OLIPHANT, parliamentary secretary to Foreign Minister MÉLANIE JOLY, is in Morocco to speak with officials about trade, climate change and peace and security. — The CDA Institute opens its Montreal Climate Security Summit. First on the agenda is the new Arctic security environment. 12:40 p.m. Organizers of a Hill rally expect "hundreds of practitioners of Falun Gong" to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day, which is held May 13. They also anticipate "a dozen or so MPs" attending. 1 p.m. Ontario's major party leaders will debate northern Ontario's issues in North Bay. The showdown coincides with the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities annual conference.
| | For your radar | | GLOBALISTS, UNITE — The fancy Rideau Club is the chosen sanctum for the Canadian Global Affairs Institute's day-long reflection on Canada's place in the world, which gets underway on the 15th floor of the Sun Life Financial Centre at 8 a.m. CGAI's roster of speakers is gold-plated. In order of appearance: KATHLEEN MONK, DAVID COLETTO, FRANK GRAVES, JOHN MANLEY, PETER MACKAY, ROLAND PARIS, MEREDITH LILLY, FARHAAN LADHANI, MARCUS KOLGA, PETER DONOLO, CHRIS WADDELL, JOE CLARK, MEREDITH PRESTON MCGHIE, BOB RAE, MAUREEN BOYD, CLAIRE CITEAU, FAWN JACKSON, SUSANNAH PIERCE, JANICE MACKINNON, JEFFREY SIMPSON, KERRY BUCK, PETER VAN PRAAGH, BEN ROWSWELL, RICHARD FADDEN, GARY DOER, DAVID MACNAUGHTON, FRANK MCKENNA, JOHN PARISELLA, SARAH GOLDFEDER, JONATHAN FRIED, ROB WRIGHT, DARREN HAWCO, DEANNA HORTON. — POLITICO's own: Our very own executive editor for growth, CGAI fellow LUIZA CH. SAVAGE, will sit on a morning panel that tackles these key questions: "Can we keep our liberties and beat back the autocrats? How do we counter disinformation and ensure cybersecurity?" — Tickets: C$266.23 for the day. Eventbrite here .
| | PERSPECTIVES | | FAMILY AFFAIR — NDP MP BLAKE DESJARLAIS pierced through Monday’s House natural resources committee meeting with a searing testimony about his father’s fate and how it relates to MPs’ study of a “fair and equitable Canadian energy transition.” The Edmonton Griesbach MP hails from the Fishing Lake Métis Settlement in Alberta, a community he said that continues to this date to ask oil companies to pay their taxes. “The number from the president of the Rural Municipalities Association of Alberta said [companies owe] C$253 million of unpaid taxes to rural communities in Alberta. These are communities that are predominantly Indigenous and they need that money, they need to be able to pay for roads, for services, for basic things, but these companies are putting that debt, that unpaid tax burden on regular everyday people. It's killing communities,” Desjarlais said. “My father, including myself, were energy workers. My father died on an energy site and you know what [Canadian Natural Resources Limited] said? Take a hike. That's workers today,” he said. Desjarlais has seven other siblings. “And they're asking for partnership with the government? Since when do we partner with criminals? “It's absolutely unfair to the men and the women who work in these communities and their families to be shackled to companies that don't want to pay their fair share, pay for their communities. Pay for the basic programs and benefits that every worker deserves. And that's partly why I'm here today. To talk about that. “This is a study on fairness, on equality. And we've only talked about handing out money here. What about the families that need that money?” Desjarlais isn’t a regular member of the House natural resources committee but was given the floor after his colleague NDP MP CHARLIE ANGUS shared his speaking slot. — “Woke capitalism” enters committee evidence : When Angus did take a turn to speak, the Timmins–James Bay MP used his time to attack his cousin, ex-Liberal MP DAN MCTEAGUE, who he described as “a guy whose Twitter feed is full of ridiculing the crisis, calling it woke capitalism.” McTeague was a witness at the committee on behalf of Canadians for Affordable Energy. When the pair started talking over each other, committee chair JOHN ALDAG jumped in to break it up. “I love you, Dan,” Angus said, before threatening to call his mother on his cousin. McTeague shot back with a threat. If gas prices jump to C$2.50 per liter in Timmins, he promised he’d remind northern Ontario constituents that Angus is “too busy looking at Twitter feeds rather than getting up and standing up to the people he's supposed to represent.”
| | PAPER TRAIL | | FIREFIGHTERS WANTED — Parks Canada is beefing up its firefighting personnel. The agency is looking for three crews — each featuring a leader and four additional members — to carry out "fire suppression services." Each crew's total weight cannot exceed 1,000 lbs. The docs stipulate that the grand total "can be distributed throughout the crew," but the average cannot exceed 200 lbs. After all, helicopter hover exit guidelines are not to be trifled with. Crew members also must be able to walk 2 miles in less than 30 minutes while carrying a hose pack that weighs 25 lbs. Yes, they will be tested on "level ground over a firm, smooth, unobstructed surface." TRANSLATION: OUCH — The University of Ottawa scored a C$227,216.75 contract to "conduct a series of auditory tests tailored to the problems faced by interpreters in order to assess their hearing and provide TB management with recommendations on working conditions in terms of acoustics." — The backstory: Whenever you hear simultaneous interpretation on ParlVu or almost anywhere else in the federal sphere, behind that voice is a human being and a pair of ears. Remote work has produced a lot of poor audio — and significant aural challengers for the guardians of Canada's official languages. They're a tired bunch: The National Post reported that extended House sittings will tax the team of translators. — Elsewhere in the tenders: Public Services and Procurement is negotiating on behalf of the provinces with Emergent BioSolutions. What do they want? 30 doses of botulism antitoxin. When do they want it? Before next April. (With a contract option for another 5,910 doses, just in case.) Environment and Climate Change Canada is hoping to buy 80 trail cameras to be deployed as part of the government's response to a regional assessment of mining activity in Ontario's Ring of Fire. Minister STEVEN GUILBEAULT has taken heat from five First Nations that say the assessment "promotes recklessness and danger." Guilbeault is now "carefully considering the feedback." — One last lucrative tender: Transport Canada is on the hunt for a project manager to "support" the department's high frequency rail project. Here's the shortlist of vendors.
| | 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 | | — The CBC’s KATIE SIMPSON has the story behind the PM’s Ukraine visit. — MIKE DE SOUZA and MATT SIMMONS have receipts. In the Narwhal, they report on the RCMP's changing story as journalists faced arrest on Wet’suwet’en territory. — In the Ottawa Citizen, former ambassador LOUISE BLAIS — once a deputy representative at the U.N. — writes that two-term Sec-Gen ANTÓNIO GUTERRES has "let down the world." Blais hopes for better in his eventual successor: "A woman who will defend the values of the U.N. Charter, not just those that conveniently suit her." — The Hill Times says abortion will "quite likely" define the Tory leadership race. ABBAS RANA's sources are "political insiders supporting different candidates and one leading pollster." — ICYMI, former MP STEPHEN HARPER wants Western leaders to stop negotiating with Iran on a renewed nuclear agreement: "We must be pragmatic and strategic about deepening cooperation with those who have an existential stake in containing the dangerous theocrats in Tehran," Harper writes for Postmedia. Top of his list of allies? Saudi Arabia. — On the Blue Skies pod hosted by ERIN O'TOOLE, the former Tory leader talks Arctic sovereignty with Arctic360 president and CEO JESSICA SHADIAN.
| | PLAYBOOKERS | | Birthdays: HBD to former Cabmin and current BMO bigwig SCOTT BRISON. Greetings also to Sen. DOUG BLACK (70!), former Tory MP BRAD BUTT, former Liberal MPs PAUL STECKLE (80!) and PAUL SZABO, former Ontario MPP and current Waterloo regional councilor MICHAEL HARRIS, former New Brunswick House Speaker BEV HARRISON (80!), and former Ontario NDP leader MICHAEL CASSIDY. Movers and shakers: One of Sussex Strategy's newest hires, former Liberal staffer DAN LOVELL, is registered with his first three clients: The Independent First Nations Alliance, Welded Tube of Canada, and Berkshire Hathaway Energy Canada. Here's the top priority of BHEC, which also owns electricity utility AltaLink: "Begin discussions with the Canada Infrastructure Bank about public-private partnership opportunities in Alberta to support the development of electric transmission infrastructure in the province." StrategyCorp is signing up four lobbyists for shipping giant DHL Express, which wants speedier clearance for imports and exports by the Canada Border Services Agency: BRIAN TEEFY, GARRY KELLER, FRÉDÉRICK LAROUCHE and ANDREW STEELE. The Canadian Steel Producers recently filed an April meeting with a familiar face in trade circles: STEVE VERHEUL, the retired negotiator who now toils as a special adviser in Finance DM MICHAEL SABIA's office. LAURA D'ANGELO is Enterprise Canada's new VP of national strategy and public affairs. D'Angelo served a stint as senior manager in the PMO, and has played senior roles on Liberal campaigns. Spotted:DAVID LJUNGGREN and ANDREW BALFOUR at the Met (not together). Also leaving the patio after lunch: ROB SILVER. Premier ANDREW FUREY welcoming a plane of Ukrainian refugees to Newfoundland and Labrador. Liberal MP SHAFQAT ALI, apologizing for watching House proceedings from a toilet stall. Tory House leader JOHN BRASSARD told the House MPs pinpointed the location to a West Block restroom: "I am informed that it appeared that the camera was mounted on the ledge or ridge on the wall just above the back of the toilet." Media mentions: After clearing out what publisher KEN HUNT described figuratively as "old crap" on the editorial staff, Maclean's wants freelance writers who will write exclusively for the web. A digital editor at the magazine, KC HOARD, is "looking for compelling narratives about the country, good writing that helps life here make sense, and stories that amplify underrepresented voices." Chatelaine deputy features editor ERICA LENTI reminded her followers that the magazine has launched its Editorial Fellowship for Racialized Journalists. Carleton University announced its 2022 Travers Journalism Fellowship team: JESSE WINTER and ANDREA WOO. Here's a list of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize winners. Included with the winners announced Monday afternoon, a Special Citation for The Journalists of Ukraine, “for their courage, endurance & devotion to truthful reporting during Vladimir Putin's relentless invasion of their country and his propaganda war in Russia.” Farewells: Journalist GERALD HANNON has died. Pink Triangle Press invited friends to share their memories.
| | HOUSE BUSINESS | | Keep up to House committee schedules here. Find Senate meeting schedules here. 9:30 a.m. The Senate national finance committee meets to study main estimates and will hear from at least 18 department officials from Global Affairs Canada, Infrastructure Canada, the National Capital Commission and Environment and Climate Change Canada. 11 a.m. The House public safety and national security committee continues its study of the “Rise of Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremism in Canada.” The meeting will hear from experts including Canadian Race Relations Foundation executive director MOHAMMED HASHIM. 11 a.m. The House environment committee will meet in camera to discuss drafting instructions on its report on fossil fuel subsidies and to consider its draft report on nuclear waste governance. 11 a.m. The House fisheries and oceans committee meets in camera to consider a draft report of its study on the traceability of fish and seafood products. 11 a.m. The House citizenship and immigration committee is also in camera to consider a draft report of its study on recruitment and acceptance rates of foreign students. 11 a.m. The House procedure and house affairs committee is also behind closed doors to consider a draft report of its study on inclusion of Indigenous languages on federal election ballots. 12 p.m. The House committee on public accounts will also meet in camera to consider its draft report titled, “Lessons Learned from Canada's Record on Climate Change, by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development.” 3:30 p.m. The House committee on justice and human rights will continue its study of Bill C-5, an act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The committee will hear from witnesses, including PENNY MCVICAR, executive director of the Victim Services of Brant, and Peacebuilders Canada executive director MARLON MERRARO. 3:30 p.m. The House committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs will continue its study of the administration and accessibility of Indigenous Peoples to the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program. MPs will hear from witnesses, including FRANCES CHARTRAND, Minister of Health and Wellness for the Manitoba Métis Federation, and MARCELINE TSHERNISH, health sector director of Innu Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam. 3:30 p.m. The House committee on industry and technology will continue its study of small and medium-sized enterprises. The witness list includes DANA O’BORN, vice-president for the Council of Canadian Innovators, and TREVOR BOQUIST, president and CEO of the Driving Change Automotive Group. 3:30 p.m. The House committee on government operations and estimates will pursue its examinations of the national shipbuilding strategy and air defense procurement projects. 3:30 p.m.The House status of women committee continues its study of Bill C-233, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and Judges Act (violence against an intimate partner). 4 p.m. The Senate ethics and conflict of interest committee meets in camera to consider “matters relating to the Ethics and Conflict of Interest Code for senators.” 6:30 p.m. A special joint committee of MPs and senators will review the “Exercise of Powers and the Performance of Duties and Functions Pursuant to the Declaration of Emergency” that was in effect between Feb. 14, 2022 and Feb. 23, 2022. Parliamentarians will hear from Canadian Security Intelligence Service director DAVID VIGNEAULT and RCMP commissioner BRENDA LUCKI.
| | PROZONE | | For Pro s, here’s our PM Canada memo from ANDY BLATCHFORD and ZI-ANN LUM: RCMP takes fire over facial recognition technology In news for POLITICO Pro s:
— Jimmy Carter slams ‘dangerous’ court ruling on Alaskan conservation.
— Commerce reopens probe into whether Russia is still a 'market economy.’
— Japan envoy: Biden to launch Indo-Pacific talks during Tokyo visit.
— Covid-19 continues to rise across states.
— How Biden's solar trade probe is providing a lifeline to fossil fuel plants.
— Biden administration urges Supreme Court to reject social cost of carbon challenge.
| | TRIVIA | | Monday's answer: RON GRAHAM is the author of One-Eyed Kings: Promise & Illusion in Canadian Politics. Props to BEN ROTH, MICHAEL MACDONALD, KEVIN BOSCH, GREG MACEACHERN, MARC CHARRIER and ROBERT MCDOUGALL. Tuesday’s question: Prime Minister Mackenzie King once reflected in a letter: “I believe there is a quiet peaceful dignity about it. I somehow bring myself to read it that way — no matter what troubles and worries and differences of opinion take place in the building. I feel that one cannot approach the building up the centre road without experiencing its mute appeal for toleration, moderation, dignity and peace.” To what was he referring? 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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