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A daily look inside Canadian politics and power. | | | | |  | | By Maura Forrest | Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Maura | Follow Politico Canada WELCOME TO OTTAWA PLAYBOOK. I’m your host, Maura Forrest. Today, we take a look at the ugly side of the beautiful game. The U.S. unveils its China strategy while Canada sits tight. And we talk to the author of a new book about the Canadian military’s “decade of darkness.”
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | THE BIG LEAGUES — Well, the Canadian soccer team isn’t going to play Iran in an exhibition game in Vancouver after all. Not surprising, after families of those killed aboard Flight PS752 said it was an insult to invite the Iranian team to Canada. Canada Soccer officially called off the friendly on Thursday, saying “the untenable geopolitical situation of hosting Iran became significantly divisive.” SINA KALHOR, Iran’s deputy minister of sport, tweeted in response that the Iranian Football Federation will pursue $10 million in compensation, and accused Canada of politicizing the game. From Canadian political quarters, the condemnation of the scheduled match was near-universal. Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU said the game “wasn’t a very good idea.” RALPH GOODALE, who acted as a special adviser on the government’s response to Iran’s downing of the Ukrainian Airlines flight, called it “repugnant.” The Conservatives called it “reprehensible.” So the friendly was scrapped. — Of course, the game had been scheduled as part of the Canadian team’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in November, and that’s very much still on. This despite the fact that human rights groups have documented widespread abuse suffered by migrant workers building the infrastructure to host the World Cup over the last decade. There are reports of thousands of unexplained deaths and injuries, and widespread theft of wages. This will be Canada’s first trip to the World Cup in 36 years. But if Canada is now a “legit football country,” as head coach JOHN HERDMAN said when the team qualified back in March, it will have to grapple with all that entails. — Few games blur the line between sport and geopolitics more than soccer. London's Chelsea Football Club was sold this week after the U.K. government froze the assets of its former owner, Russian oligarch ROMAN ABRAMOVICH . Authoritarian regimes now control some of the world's biggest clubs, including Manchester City (the UAE) and Paris Saint-Germain (Qatar), in the hope on-field success will burnish their reputations, a practice known as "sportswashing." — This year began with the Winter Olympics in Beijing and will end with the World Cup in Qatar, prompting the Guardian to wonder in January whether 2022 will mark “a high point of authoritarian regimes looking to cover up their dismal human rights records.” — Canada sent athletes to Beijing, though the federal government joined with other countries in a diplomatic boycott of the Games over China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims. The men’s soccer team will surely be in Qatar in November. But if the Canadian team is in the big leagues now, the friendly with Iran may be only the tip of the ethical iceberg.
| | | | DON'T MISS THE 2022 GREAT LAKES ECONOMIC FORUM: POLITICO is excited to be the exclusive media partner again at the Council of the Great Lakes Region's bi-national Great Lakes Economic Forum with co-hosts Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot. This premier, intimate networking event, taking place June 26-28 in Chicago, brings together international, national and regional leaders from business, government, academia and the nonprofit sector each year. "Powering Forward" is this year's theme, setting the stage to connect key decision-makers with thought leaders and agents of change to identify and advance solutions that will strengthen the region's competitiveness and sustainability in today's competitive climate of trade, innovation, investment, labor mobility and environmental performance. Register today. | | | | | | | ALSO FOR YOUR RADAR | | CHINA STRATEGY — Despite Russia’s war in Ukraine, China is “the most serious long-term challenge to the international order,” U.S. Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN said Thursday in a speech unveiling the Biden administration’s strategy to counter the Asian superpower. Still, the United States isn’t “looking for conflict or a new Cold War,” Blinken insisted in a 45-minute address. “We don’t seek to block China from its role as a major power, nor to stop China — or any country, for that matter — from growing their economy or advancing the interests of their people,” he said. “But we will defend and strengthen the international law, agreements, principles, and institutions that maintain peace and security, protect the rights of individuals and sovereign nations, and make it possible for all countries — including the United States and China — to coexist and cooperate.” Read more here from POLITICO’s QUINT FORGEY and PHELIM KINE. — And as for Canada? There’s still no sign of our own, long-awaited Indo-Pacific strategy. Last week, Foreign Affairs Minister MÉLANIE JOLY told POLITICO it would be unveiled in the “coming weeks,” but her office had little to say Thursday about the U.S. strategy. “Launching our Indo-Pacific strategy will enhance Canada’s presence and engagement across the region,” a spokesperson for Joly told Playbook this week. “Under this strategy, cooperation with regional and like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific, including our most important ally, the U.S., will only intensify.” — Falling behind? On Thursday, Reuters’ STEVE SCHERER reported Canada is “playing catch-up on its Indo-Pacific strategy” after delaying a decision to ban Huawei equipment until last week. "The word is out that Canada is just not as reliable a partner as it used to be," CHARLES BURTON, a former Canadian diplomat, told Reuters. Earlier this week, the Biden administration announced a new trade arrangement between the U.S. and a dozen other Indo-Pacific nations — a group that didn’t include Canada. The agreement is meant to deepen U.S. ties in Asia and to counter China’s growing influence. Trudeau brushed off the new framework on Tuesday, saying it doesn’t matter because Canada is already a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Here’s the Globe and Mail’s JOHN IBBITSON arguing Canada is “inexcusably absent from another Indo-Pacific initiative.”
| | CONSERVATIVE CORNER | | | 
The Conservative leadership candidates in Laval on May 25. | Andy Blatchford | THE REVIEWS ARE IN — The Conservative leadership debates are over, and the takes are in. Here’s some of what the commentariat had to say after the dust settled. PAUL WELLS: “Charest’s bet is that the Conservatives will be more interested in getting back to power than in throwing in their lot with a ‘pseudo-American,’ as he called Poilièvre. … I would be amazed if Charest’s bet wins.” ROBYN URBACK: “Mr. Poilievre understands the plight of the working man because he is the working man, with calluses on the sides of his pinkies where he rests his phone while texting. And really, is that so different from the hands of the truckers, the oil-rig workers, the brick masons he claims to represent? Are his Italian loafers so different from their steel-toe boots?” ALTHIA RAJ: “The Liberals may have hoped to throw a curve ball into the Conservative debate [on Bill 21], but in the end offered Poilievre a chance to show he was ready to live his principles of freedom, not just freedom from inflation but support for religious freedom as well.” CAMPBELL CLARK: “ The dynamic is clear now: Pierre Poilievre is the front-runner, campaigning with a populist appeal, opposition to vaccine mandates, support for the trucker convoy and a pledge to fire ‘gatekeepers.’ Mr. Charest is chasing.” SUSAN DELACOURT: “Three debates aren’t enough to explore all of the fascinating divisions in this contest or shine a light on any alternatives to Liberal party rule. Conservatives should demand more; so should Canadians.” With the official debates at an end, the six leadership candidates have just one more week to sign up new members. After June 3, the race will be all about getting out the vote. Here’s the Canadian Press’s STEPHANIE TAYLOR with a look at what’s to come.
| | TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS | | 9:45 a.m. The Supreme Court of Canada will issue its decision in the appeal of the sentence of Alexandre Bissonnette, who murdered six people at a Quebec City mosque in 2017. 12 p.m. Immigration Minister SEAN FRASER will attend a virtual citizenship ceremony. 12:30 p.m. Environment Minister STEVEN GUILBEAULT and Natural Resources Minister JONATHAN WILKINSON will hold a joint media call-back at the conclusion of the G-7 climate, energy and environment ministerial in Berlin. 6 p.m. Governor General MARY SIMON will present the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards at Rideau Hall. Keep up to House committee schedules here. Find Senate meeting schedules here.
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | | | HALLWAY CONVERSATION | | DECADE OF DARKNESS — Canada’s military is in the throes of a sexual misconduct crisis, with a report from former Supreme Court justice LOUISE ARBOUR to be made public any day now. A new book from CHARLOTTE DUVAL-LANTOINE, a fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, shines light on another period of upheaval for the Canadian Armed Forces — the “decade of darkness” in the 1990s. At the time, the military was grappling with a scandal over atrocities committed in Somalia, drastic budget cuts, and efforts to integrate women following a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling. In THE ONES WE LET DOWN , Duval-Lantoine looks at the legacy of the decade of darkness, and she spoke to Playbook about the lessons that should have been learned. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Tell me about the human rights tribunal ruling on sex discrimination. After the Charter of Rights and Freedoms came out [in 1982], there were a few people that claimed that women not being able to serve in every occupation of the military was a violation of Section 15 of the Charter. In 1985, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal took on all of these complaints and merged them into one case. And the verdict in 1989 was that the military had to open all positions to women, except for submarines, and also to reach full gender integration by 1999. How did the military respond? What we saw is an opening of combat roles for women, everything from artillery to infantry to serving on ships. Then they tried to put in place integration policies, but at that time, there was a lack of understanding of gender equality. [The thinking was,] “We need women and men to be treated exactly the same way.” And what happened is that male standards became the norm for everyone and it was disguised as gender neutrality. So you find yourself in a situation that a lot of feminist scholars will call “Add women and stir” — not putting in place the policies needed so that women can thrive in the military. And you end up with a slew of sexual misconduct allegations that really blew up in 1998. What was the fallout from that? The response from the [defence] minister at the time, ART EGGLETON, was to put in place an advisory body, but that died down as soon as it was put in place. There is no documentation about what was being done there. And there was no visibility, no real implementation of any corrective measure. What is the legacy from this time for what we're seeing in the military today? Because gender integration didn’t happen when women started to come into the military, there is a lot of catch-up to do. We assumed that because women were allowed legally to serve, there would be no problem. To this day, we continue to focus on individual behaviors when it comes to all forms of discrimination and misconduct towards marginalized people. But you need to also look at how policies can have adverse effects on dynamics within the military. I am kind of worried that we have yet to learn that lesson.
| | WE GET MAIL | | COVID RULES — Last week, the Conservatives tabled an opposition motion calling on the government to drop all Covid travel restrictions, blaming random testing and screening questions for long lines at Canadian airports. We asked if you think it’s time for Ottawa to scrap all remaining Covid rules, and you had a lot to say. Here are some of your emails: “COVID has become politicized to the extent that it is ripping our country apart. Our government should be, and is, following the direction of our public health experts. Full stop.” — MAUREEN MACGILLIVRAY, Welland, Ont. “Yes, it is time that Ottawa removed all COVID era restrictions, including, and very importantly the ArriveCAN app. … It requires that one has a smart phone, a phone plan, incur roaming charges, or try and find Wi-Fi or an Internet cafe before getting to the border or getting on a plane. It is probably unnoticeable to those in government but discriminatory to the rest of us.” — DAVID LANE, Courtenay, B.C. “Autumn arrives in 3-ish months, and a variety of well respected scientific publications are anticipating a fresh round of variants. More masking now equals less drama when mask mandates will be reinstated.” — JOE GODFREY, Victoria, B.C.
| | MEDIA ROOM | | — Top of POLITICO this morning: Swing-state politics stymie gun debate. — RCMP officers privately warned their loved ones that a killer was on the loose, but didn’t warn the broader public, Halifax Examiner’s TIM BOUSQUET reports from the public inquiry into the Nova Scotia mass killing. — For the Line, KEN BOESSENKOOL argues JASON KENNEY discovered too late that Alberta “doesn’t really have a conservative ideology.” — The Globe’s ALEXANDRA POSADZKI reports: Ottawa sets new CRTC telecom policy directives to promote competition and affordability. — POLITICO’s GIO COI and CORNELIUS HIRSCH compare gun laws and gun violence around the world. — Climate change is heating up elections — and the right is getting torched, POLITICO’s KARL MATHIESEN says in this analysis.
| | PROZONE | | For POLITICO Pro s, our policy newsletter by ZI-ANN LUM and ANDY BLATCHFORD: Watchdog: Late budgets impair transparency. In other headlines for Pros:
— Gas prices are rising. So where are the electric cars?
— America's next wind powerhouse: The Gulf of Mexico?
— Facebook urges Biden to take antitrust action against Apple.
— Blinken: U.S. expects American companies to stand up to China.
— Revised tech antitrust bill attempts to address privacy, cybersecurity concerns.
— U.K. launches new probe into Google’s adtech practices.
| | PLAYBOOKERS | | Birthdays: HBD to MIKE DUFFY, FIN DONNELLY, THALIA ASSURAS, KAREN LEIBOVICI, YVES DUHAIME, DARYL BENNETT and CHARLES BIRT. Saturday birthdays: JOHN TORY, JEAN LECLERC, CALVIN POKIAK and CLAUDE FOGET. Sunday celebrations: LINDEN MACINTYRE, RITA DE SANTIS, GILBERT BARRETTE and SONIA SARFATI. HBD (+1) to DAN WOYNILLOWICZ and ANJA KARADEGLIJA. And happy 49th anniversary (+1 day) to BRIAN and MILA MULRONEY. Spotted: ELAMIN ABDELMAHMOUD, on the bestseller list. Movers and shakers: FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Retired Canadian Armed Forces Colonel TONY BATTISTA has joined GR firm Sandstone Group as a senior associate. MARK CARNEY will serve as the chair of Canada 2020’s new advisory board, “to be focused on ambitious progressive public policy solutions as Canada looks ahead from the pandemic,” per a news release … ALEXANDRE BENAY has been appointed vice chairperson of the National Arts Centre … D’ARCI MCFADDEN, EMILY HOLTBY, HUSSAIN SHORISH, GREG MACEACHERN and ELAINE LARSEN WELLS are joining the board of the Government Relations Institute of Canada. Meanwhile, JENNIFER BABCOCK, ALAYNE CRAWFORD, KEVIN BOSCH and HELENA SONEA have completed their terms. IAN SHUGART, 24th clerk of the Privy Council and secretary to the Cabinet, will join the Munk School in September. Media mentions: Props to the SABEW Canada Best in Business nominees, including PATRICK BRETHOUR, TOM CARDOSO, DAVID MILSTEAD and VANMALA SUBRAMANIAM for Canada’s C$110.6-billion Wage Subsidy Program is Shrouded in Secrecy. ROSE DANEN has earned a paid internship with CBC North, part of a program inspired by long-time professor MARY MCGUIRE. Farewells: It’s LESLIE ROBERTS’ last day at CTV and CFRA. He tweeted: “From the LRT, Covid, occupation, to the unprecedented storm this week, its been non-stop. Time for a break.”
| | Talk of the town | | Join us for real-life Playbook Trivia: Thursday, June 9 at the METROPOLITAIN in Ottawa! Festivities will get underway at 7 p.m. There will be special guests. There will be fierce competition. There will be drama. There will be bragging rights. Space is limited, so gather your team and then send us an RSVP.
| | TRIVIA | | Thursday’s answer: That was U.S. Ambassador to Canada DAVID COHEN we quoted in Playbook — from this John Ivison column. Props to BOB GORDON, DOUG RICE, LEIGH LAMPERT and ROBERT MCDOUGALL. Reader BRAM ABRAMSON notes then-Brit-PM DAVID CAMERON used similar words in 2013: “The road ahead won't be easy, there have always been issues on which we disagree and doubtless there will be more in the months ahead. But the key point is not whether you have disagreements, it is how you handle them.” Friday’s question: On Aug. 5, 2018, ANTHONY ROTA unveiled a plaque at a North Bay museum. What event of national historic significance was he commemorating? 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, editor John Yearwood and 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 | | | | |  |
