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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 Maura Forrest. Today, a new era in vaccine mandates approacheth. Plus, the deputy PM will defend the invocation of the Emergencies Act at committee. Plus, the overhaul of broadcasting laws will rush through another committee. Plus, have you never heard of the World War 2 ship landing craft that sank off the coast of Vancouver Island? 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 | | THIS JUST IN — CBC is reporting a monumental shift in federal vaccine mandates is coming. The broadcaster had unnamed sources saying the feds would kibosh vaccine mandates for "domestic travel on planes and trains, as well as outbound international travel." The Star's ALTHIA RAJ is reporting that the announcement "includes dropping the public sector requirement that all bureaucrats be vaccinated." — Victory lap: Expect every Conservative politician who ever called for an end to mandates to soak up the news — and lay it on thick by saying the government waited too long to drop the. restrictions. — The other mandate: On Monday afternoon, Labor Minister SEAMUS O’REGAN was asked whether it was time to lift the vaccine mandate for federal public servants. Here's what he had to say: "Follow the science, follow the advice. Follow the science. Follow the advice. Follow the science, follow the advice." But as he walked into the Commons, O'Regan left with a parting comment: "Watch this space." — Incoming: Mandatory reporting of cyberattacks expected in security bill coming today, CP's JIM BRONSKILL reports. "The legislation is intended to flesh out Liberal government efforts to protect critical infrastructure following last month’s announcement that Chinese vendors Huawei Technologies and ZTE will be banned from Canada’s next-generation mobile networks." HOT SEAT OF THE DAY — Sometimes in Ottawa, you sense the sharks circling. Public Safety Minister MARCO MENDICINO is deep in a rhetorical hole for repeatedly insisting that based on police advice the government invoked the Emergencies Act to quell various Freedom Convoy blockades and occupations. As Monday's Playbook explained, current and former police chiefs have said they never explicitly requested the Act's invocation. But, of course, the minister is only saying law enforcement agencies needed more tools, which the invocation offered. Recall Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU , who told the House on April 27 that “police were clear that they needed tools not held by any federal, provincial or territorial law.” Tory MP SHANNON STUBBS joined PIERRE POILIEVRE in calling for the public safety minister's head. But while Mendicino tries to free himself of this controversy, the opposition will set its sights on a pair of his Cabinet colleagues. Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND and Emergency Preparedness Minister BILL BLAIR will testify today at the parliamentary committee that is poking around the government's February declaration of emergency powers (work that the Act mandates parliamentarians to do). Both will endure 90 minutes of questions. Freeland is first up at 6:30 p.m., with Blair taking his turn at 8. — The bureaucrats: Freeland will have three senior civil servants by her side: ISABELLE JACQUES, assistant deputy minister of the Department of Finance's financial sector policy branch; JENNIFER AITKEN, acting assistant deputy minister of the law branch; and SARAH PAQUET, director and chief executive officer of the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC). — What to expect: Clearly, Freeland is anticipating opposition questions on the government's decision to allow the RCMP to order financial institutions to freeze the accounts of any Canadians who were participating in illegal protests. In February, Jacques was the government face on those frozen accounts at a different parliamentary committee. At the time, Tory MPs were claiming that constituents who'd never donated to the convoy protests were targeted. As of Feb. 21, the feds claimed that 280 "financial products" — things like savings and checking accounts, credit cards and lines of credit — had been frozen during the Act's invocation. The assets totaled approximately C$7.9 million. Tories are certain to have more questions about whose accounts were frozen, and why the feds required unprecedented powers to enforce the law. That's where Paquet, the head of FINTRAC, might have to explain her agency's role in forcing crowdfunding platforms to register with her organization. — Overreach, overreach, overreach: That's the word on the opposition's lips. And while the bureaucrats might be there to account for frozen assets, expect the Cabmins in the room to get an earful about Mendicino's justification for invoking the Act in the first place.
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | For your radar | | INCOMING FROM D.C. — Freeland tweeted Monday evening that U.S. Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN is visiting Ottawa next week. TRUE WINNING PERCENTAGE — Housing policy nerd MIKE MOFFATT, a Smart Prosperity Institute economist who knows his way around a spreadsheet, changed the denominator on this month's Ontario election. Whenever we talk about winning percentage, the calculation is as follows: votes for winner divided by total votes cast. But what if the thousands of Ontarians who didn't vote were part of the calculation? Moffatt did a different bit of division: voters for winner / total number of electors. And he posted the results. What they reveal is a stark picture of how few Ontarians participate directly in their democracy — and just how little persuasion it can actually take for some politicians to win high-paying jobs at Queen's Park. — The most resounding win: Lambton–Kent–Middlesex MPP MONTE MCNAUGHTON , the labor minister credited with wooing the working class, scored a traditional winning percentage of 59.43 percent. He mopped the floor against his New Democratic, Liberal and Green opponents in southwestern Ontario. But factor in everyone who didn't vote, and McNaughton convinced only 28.6 percent of eligible voters to mark an 'X' beside his name. What it means: A majority of eligible voters — 49,542 of them — didn't go to the polls in Lambton–Kent–Middlesex. That's more than double the number of voters — 23,905 — who picked McNaughton, and five times more than second-place NDPer VANESSA BENOIT. — The least resounding win: Three of the four candidates elected with the tiniest winning percentages were New Democrats. Humber River–Black Creek's TOM RAKOCEVIC, who came out on top in a tight three-way race, scooped up 34.4 percent of votes. But turnout in the suburban Toronto riding was 29 percent — an 18-point drop since the 2018 vote. That means a mere 11.1 percent of all eligible voters sent the NDP's Rakocevic to Queen's Park. — Where they gained and lost: One of the enduring stories of the campaign was that every major party except the Greens saw their overall popular vote drop between 2018 and 2022. Moffatt's calculations illustrate where the parties managed to increase their share of all possible votes — and where their vote cratered. In Timmins, where the PCs knocked off NDP veteran GILLES BISSON, the swing was crystal clear. PC candidate GEORGE PIRIE saw his share of all possible votes jump 14.1 percent. Bisson's share plummeted by 14.5 percent. Using Moffatt's denominator, only the NDP didn't increase its share of the vote in any riding. — What it means: A provincewide voter turnout of 43.53 percent means more people stayed home than voted. The riding-level data invites a twisted competition: Who can win with the approval of the fewest possible voters?
| | AROUND THE HILL | | THE PARTY CIRCUIT — Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is at home with Covid — "feeling okay," he assures us — just as garden party season hits its stride. Monday night was for Liberal donors who own memberships in the Laurier Club. With PMJT out, Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND subbed in as the Most Important Liberal at the War Museum festivities. — Spotted: OMAR ALGHABRA, MARCO MENDICINO, SEAMUS O'REGAN, BILL BLAIR, LESLIE CHURCH, PAUL MOEN, STEVIE O'BRIEN, BEN CHIN, JEREMY BROADHURST, YASIR NAQVI, JULIE DABRUSIN, VALERIE BRADFORD and ADAM VAUGHAN. — A garden for everybody: Tonight is the night for Quebec staffers, at Tavern at the Gallery. Then the fun moves to 24 Sussex. Wednesday is when ministers and their flacks make conversation with the Press Gallery (Playbook will be there — come and say hello). Thursday is for party staffers. The lack of a prime minister at 24 Sussex is a downer for staffers keen to get a snapshot with Trudeau at the dilapidated official residence without an official resident. Anyone who arrived on the Hill during the pandemic hasn't yet had the chance. Cynics will scoff, but as one former staffer told Playbook: where else will enterprising young staffers find LinkedIn profile photos? LIFE IN THE FAST LANE — The House heritage committee will today sprint through clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-11, the overhaul of broadcasting laws for the internet era. They'll debate every amendment submitted by a parliamentarian, too, but only until 9 p.m. After that, they'll vote on every remaining amendment without debate. The Tories called the government effort to fast-track the bill a "guillotine motion on steroids." Spoiler alert: Liberals and the committee New Democrat will vote to send C-11 back to the Commons. Then it's onto an abbreviated report stage and third reading. CANADA-CHINA RELATIONS — Way back in December, when House committees were electing chairs and Playbook was placing bets, we mused about Liberal MP KEN HARDIE holding the gavel at the fisheries committee. Alas, name-twin KEN MCDONALD got the call. But as of Monday evening, Hardie is shepherding the work of the Canada-China committee.
| | TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS | | — PM Trudeau will attend Cabinet and question period. Both virtually. 8:30 a.m. Statistics Canada will release its monthly survey of manufacturing for April. 9 a.m. Three opposition MPs — New Democrat DANIEL BLAIKIE, Conservative MARILYN GLADU and Bloquiste MARILÈNE GILL — will hold a presser to "outline collaboration to protect workers pensions in bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings." (A similar bill died on the order paper at the last election call.) 9 a.m. The Parliamentary Budget Officer will release a new report: “Canadian patented drug prices: Gauging the change in reference countries.” 12 p.m. Public Policy Forum will host: “A Growing Opportunity: Atlantic Bubble to Atlantic Boom,” a dialogue to explore building a sustainable, technological and science-enabled economy that will help close the gap in living standards and economic growth.
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| | PAPER TRAIL | | AN OLD WARHORSE — Two days after D-Day, the tank landing ship known as USS LST-1003 was launched by a Boston shipyard. Last Thursday, as the renamed Trailer Princess lay sunken in Discovery Passage near Campbell River, B.C., the feds put out a tender to have the vessel removed and recycled. — From wartime to wallowing: LST-1003 never served as a landing craft, and was almost immediately converted into a repair ship named USS Coronis. In early 1945, the crew set sail for the Pacific theater, where they fixed up landing craft and provided protective fog cover for other naval vessels. Coronis earned a battle star. Twenty years after the war, Canadian Pacific purchased Coronis and converted it into a rail car carrier with four tracks that served the west coast. With a new owner came a new name: MV Trailer Princess. In 1986, CP sold the ship. At the time, company spokesman DON BOWER said this of its condition: "It's worn out. … It's come to the end of its useful economic life." Still, the Trailer Princess endured. It was converted once again into a helicopter accommodation barge, which a Transportation Safety Board report once noted could accommodate 41 workers and two helicopters that served logging camps. RICK MERCER once encountered the Trailer Princess for a heli-logging segment. — The final chapter: Earlier this year, the vessel was reported to be sinking near Campbell River. The Coast Guard moved to contain thousands of liters of fuel. Fisheries and Oceans is looking for a vendor that can "properly dispose" of hazardous materials as it "deconstructs" and recycles the vessel. "As a result," reads the clinical tender, "the hazardous conditions created by this vessel will be eliminated."
| | MEDIA ROOM | | — The Globe's MARIEKE WALSH reports this morning: Canada’s 2030 climate targets not feasible, government analysis says. — National Post's TRISTIN HOPPER writes: Canada to get new land border with Denmark as decades-long Hans Island dispute ends. — At the Hub, ERIN O'TOOLE's head of strategy on the last campaign trail, DAN ROBERTSON, explains three challenges ahead for the Tories if they hope to triumph: an efficient Liberal vote, a strong Liberal brand and NDP voters willing to vote Liberal. "Eventually," Robertson writes, "the timing and circumstances will be right." — PAULA SIMONS is on The Big Story pod this morning to discuss customs searches at the border. — From our colleagues in Washington: Top takeaways from the second big Jan. 6 hearing.
Also: What to watch in Tuesday’s primaries. — Women and racialized political candidates are being set up to fail, Carleton’s ERIN TOLLEY writes. — On The Star’s This Matters podcast STEVE MCKINLEY discusses tidal energy, “the next potential renewable source.”
| | PLAYBOOKERS | | Birthdays: HBD to Montreal Mayor VALÉRIE PLANTE, New Brunswick judge PAUL DUFFIE, Ontario MPP JOHN YAKABUSKI, New Brunswick MLA FRANCINE LANDRY, the newly retired DARYL KRAMP, former MPs HOANG MAI and DOUG ROWLAND and MARK ASSAD, and St. Thomas Mayor and former MP JOE PRESTON. And we can't forget DAVID HERLE , who celebrates the big 6-0 today. Movers and shakers: Global Public Affairs consultant ANDREA BELTRAN is lobbying for the Government of Northwest Territories. Top priority is the federal Arctic and Northern Policy Framework … CATHERINE LANSLEY, a senior consultant at the same firm, is repping PETRONAS Canada. Sandstone Group brought on former Gatineau city councilor ALAIN PILON as senior associate. Near the end of the Chrétien era, Pilon was described as one of the longest-serving chiefs of staff on the Hill. ANGELO BAKOULAS is now a consultant at Bluesky Strategy Group. Spotted: Pollster MARIO CANSECO, pointing out a truly bizarre stat. Peru only qualifies for the World Cup when a Canadian PM named Trudeau leads a majority government. (Playbook asked for the backstory: "I have a great friend who is Peruvian and we were colleagues at the Liu Institute at UBC. It sort of started there.") Liberal MP ADAM VAN KOEVERDEN, apologizing for telling a Canadian in a DM to "f--k off" after that person called him a "disgrace." Media mentions: The Toronto Star's JENNA MOON is now on the paper's business team, covering personal finance and "the growing affordability crisis." … Day one at the Globe and Mail for JAKE KIVANÇ. (Also, HBD+1.) NDP MP RICHARD CANNINGS, a known birder, taking the Hill Times to task for a front-page owl. RON NURWISAH, formerly of HuffPostCanada and Yahoo Sports, is leaving the world of journalism. Next stop: McKinsey. Farewell: To the COVID Alert app. We hardly knew ye.
| | HOUSE BUSINESS | | Keep up to House committee schedules here. Find Senate meeting schedules here. 9 a.m. The Senate rules and procedures committee meets partially in camera. On the agenda: “Pursuant to rule 12-7(2)(a), consideration of possible amendments to the Rules.” 9:30 a.m. The Vaping Industry Trade Association and Canadian Cancer Society witnesses are at the Senate national finance committee to speak on the budget implementation bill. 11 a.m. The House fisheries and oceans committee will hear from experts and analysts as it studies science in the federal department. 11 a.m. Auditor General KAREN HOGAN will be at the House public accounts committee as it studies an AG report on access to safe drinking water in Indigenous communities. 3:30 p.m. The House Indigenous and northern affairs committee will hear from witnesses on Arctic sovereignty and emergency preparedness. 6:30 p.m. Deputy Prime Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND and Emergency Preparedness Minister BILL BLAIR will testify before the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency. Behind closed doors: 11 a.m. The House public safety committee will be discussing its report on ideologically motivated extremism. 11 a.m. Two draft reports (review of Conflict of Interest Code for MPs and inclusion of Indigenous languages on federal election ballots) are up for consideration at an in-camera meeting of the House procedure and House affairs committee. 11 a.m. The House environment committee meets in camera to consider a draft report of its nuclear waste governance study. 3:30 p.m. The House status of women committee meets in camera to consider a draft report of its intimate partner and domestic violence in Canada study. 3:30 p.m. The House justice committee is studying its report on the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act. 4 p.m. The Senate ethics and conflict of interest committee meets in camera to discuss, you guessed it, “Consideration of matters relating to the ethics and conflict of interest code for senators.”
| | PROZONE | | If you’re a POLITICO Pro , don’t miss our latest policy newsletter: Hunger games: A crisis that's getting worse. In news for POLITICO Pro s:
— Lawmakers push new compromise for screening American investments in China.
— DoD struggles to rush cutting-edge tech to Ukraine.
— Amazon to deliver packages by drone, after a decade of promises.
— U.N. climate chief warns of consequences of a second Trump term.
— FDA: Pfizer, Moderna vaccines for kids under 6 are safe, effective.
| | TRIVIA | | Monday’s answer: In June 1993, KIM CAMPBELL beat JEAN CHAREST to win the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party. Other names on the first ballot: JIM EDWARDS, GARTH TURNER and PATRICK BOYER. Props to DOUG RICE, BRAM ABRAMSON, SEAN WEBSTER, KEVIN COLBOURNE, NANCI WAUGH, BRENDAN HALEY, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, DOROTHY MCCABE and BOB GORDON. Tuesday’s question: In Monday’s Playbook, MAURA FORREST told you about the quest to make the Canada jay the country’s official bird. The item prompted some reader mail, which included one question we’ve turned into today’s trivia query: Does Canada have a national horse? 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 | | | | |  |
