Cabinet under oath

From: POLITICO Ottawa Playbook - Tuesday Nov 22,2022 11:00 am

Nov 22, 2022

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Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. I'm your host, Nick Taylor-Vaisey. Today, we dig in for Cabinet Week at the Rouleau Commission. Plus, Nova Scotia's federal riding redistribution commission tables a redraw of the electoral map. And we do the math on just how many senators are in their seats because of JUSTIN TRUDEAU.

DRIVING THE DAY

PRIME TIME BEGINS — The Public Order Emergency Commission is an exhaustive exercise in patience. Or exhausting, depending on your access to caffeine. Justice PAUL ROULEAU is constantly fighting the clock.

When he calls today's hearing to order, Rouleau will have 75 days to submit his final report to Cabinet. It's a tall order given the complexity of the multi-jurisdictional response to border blockades and the weeks-long occupation of downtown Ottawa. Dozens of interviews. Hundreds of hours of testimony. Thousands of pages of documents.

— Clock is ticking: The justice admonishes lawyers for blowing past their allotted time, but he often allows them just one more query, as long as they promise to wrap up soon. BRENDAN MILLER, the lawyer repping the convoy organizers, is a repeat offender.

— Big name witnesses: On Monday, the commission heard from a panel of senior intelligence officials and Emergency Preparedness Minister BILL BLAIR — the first Cabinet minister in the hot seat.

Lawyers guide witnesses through exhibits — redacted reports, email threads, text messages. Sometimes the context of the documents is missing. They poke and prod witnesses' recollections. They ask for elaboration and interpretation. It's a slow process. Witnesses sometimes claim to simply have forgotten key details in the sands of time.

Monday was nearly an 11-hour day for the commission, 9:30 a.m. to just past 8 p.m.

The commission's hearings are scheduled to wrap up Friday. Rouleau's inquiry still has to hear from Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU, three of his senior staffers and six of his ministers.

THE HEADLINE — Canadian Security Intelligence Service director DAVID VIGNEAULT confirmed that he advised the prime minister at a February meeting to invoke the Emergencies Act. He offered that counsel despite CSIS's opinion that the convoy protest itself did not pose a threat to Canada's security according to the CSIS definition.

— The nuance: Some observers might call that a contradiction.

Vigneault told the commission his advice to the PM was based not solely on his view as CSIS director, but as a national security adviser more broadly who was listening to voices all around the Cabinet table — and also to lawyers from the Department of Justice.

— Clear as mud: A public summary of a commission interview with Vigneault explained his advice to the PM. Try to follow these words:

"Mr. Vigneault explained that based on both his understanding that the Emergencies Act definition of threat to the security of Canada was broader than the CSIS Act, as well as based on his opinion of everything he had seen to that point, he advised the Prime Minister of his belief that it was indeed required to invoke the Act."

More than one lawyer asked Vigneault what he meant by "it" in the last sentence. Vigneault couldn't really say. That's the kind of day it was.

— Who's up next: Public Safety Minister MARCO MENDICINO and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC are Tuesday's headliners.

Further reading: The Toronto Sun's BRIAN LILLEY says senior bureaucrats are reinventing the definition of a national security threat … The National Post's JOHN IVISON called it an "elastic" definition … The Toronto Star reports on Blair's testimony .

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HALLWAY CONVERSATION

LINGERING QUESTIONS — With only four days of public testimony remaining at the Rouleau Commission, Playbook asked Centretown resident KIAVASH NAJAFI what he still hopes to learn from policymakers.

Najafi, a former NDP staffer who now works for a public service union, spoke frequently to protesters as they occupied his neighborhood's streets, tweeting observations from those interactions after evening strolls.

Here's what he's listening for, in his own words:

— The big question: How are we going to deal with our security establishment’s blind spot when it comes to far-right extremism?

— Disarray on the ground: What the testimony has revealed so far is a troubling picture of disorganization and a lack of urgency among decision makers as the crisis unfolded.

While different levels of government and police forces were debating who was responsible for taking action, people in downtown Ottawa were facing harassment, noise, pollution and a very real threat to their safety.

There has been a real loss of trust in our police and government institutions, because they failed to protect people when we needed it most.

— The impact of inaction: It’s hard to have much confidence that our security officials and political leaders can maintain peace, order and good governance in the face of an insurgent far-right movement fed by disinformation and embraced by at least some Conservative politicians.

Our confidence is further eroded when we see intelligence reports that sympathize with the occupiers, hear about leaks from different police forces to the occupation organizers or learn about AI-generated recommendations based on social media noise to determine whether the rule of law should be maintained in our communities.

— What's next: Canada was thrown into a public order emergency in part because the authorities we trust with maintaining public order were arguably indifferent to an active threat of far-right extremism. How are they going to change?

For your radar

TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY — Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU announced Monday a trio of new senators : SHARON BUREY, ANDREW CARDOZO and REBECCA PATTERSON.

When they take their seats, they'll join another 57 Trudeau-appointed senators in the Red Chamber. That's 64.5 percent of all sitting senators, with a dozen vacancies still on the books. If the PM filled them all today, he'd have named two-thirds of sitting senators.

Trudeau has named 66 senators. STEPHEN HARPER named 59.

— The other PMs: Twenty-four Harper appointees are still in the Senate, though only 15 remain in the Tory caucus. Six of JEAN CHRÉTIEN's flock remain, alongside three named by PAUL MARTIN.

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

— PM JUSTIN TRUDEAU heads to Toronto after a morning Cabinet meeting. At 4:30 p.m., he will meet Estonian President ALAR KARIS.

Trudeau is guest of honor at an evening party fundraiser in Toronto co-hosted by Minister AHMED HUSSEN and MP HAN DONG. No location is listed, but it can't be far from Dong's Don Valley North riding.

9 a.m. Heritage Minister PABLO RODRIGUEZ will be at the Senate transport and communication committee to take questions on Bill C-11 — the committee's 22nd televised meeting on government legislation to modernize the Broadcasting Act.

12 p.m. Chief Electoral Officer STÉPHANE PERRAULT will be at the House procedure and House affairs committee to field questions about MPs’ study of foreign election interference.

3:30 p.m. Finance Deputy Minister MICHAEL SABIA and Auditor General KAREN HOGAN are the marquee witnesses at the House public affairs committee meeting to take questions related to the Public Accounts of Canada 2022.

PAPER TRAIL

NOVA SCOTIA'S RIDING MAP — The two political scientists and sitting judge responsible for redrawing the lobster-shaped province's federal riding boundaries dropped their latest report on Thursday . They were the first province to take the plunge.

The Nova Scotians tweaked initial proposals after enduring nine public hearings, 106 in-person presentations from constituents with gripes, and more than 1,000 written submissions.

We've plucked out the takeaways that are harbingers in miniature of complaints to come in bigger provinces.

— 'People do not like change': That's one of the commission's first observations. In other words: "If it is not broken, don't fix it!" You can feel the frustration of a trio of commissioners that has devoted countless hours to boundary changes torn to shreds by residents.

— The Antigonish tug-of-war: Antigonish has shared a riding with Pictou County for 25 years. The commissioners' first proposal shifted Antigonishers into a Cape Breton riding. And they got an earful from constituents aghast at the idea of separation.

Others celebrated the switcheroo. And they had history on their side. Antigonishers and Pictonians elected different MPs for Canada's first 130 years. Final verdict: Separate them.

— The Halifax 4: Nova Scotia's capital is in the middle of a population boom . Residents "made a compelling argument" for a fifth riding in the city's metro area. But that'd mean enlarging less populous rural ridings. The conversation isn't disappearing anytime soon. As Halifax grows, commissioners say the case for an extra seat "will only strengthen" in coming years.

— What's next: MPs can file objections with the final report until Dec. 17. The provincial commission will consider those objections and send a final final report to House Speaker ANTHONY ROTA by way of Canada's chief electoral officer, STÉPHANE PERRAULT.

Seven commissions will publish final reports by Dec. 9. Quebec has until Jan. 30. B.C.'s deadline is Feb. 23. They'll all follow the same steps. The goal is for Perrault to submit the brand-new package of 343 ridings to Cabinet by next September.

ASK US ANYTHING

TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW — We welcome tips and scoops. What are you hearing that you need Playbook to know? What are you watching this week? Send details .

MEDIA ROOM

— CBC's DAVID THURTON reports this morning : "Federal carbon pricing to take effect in Nova Scotia, P.E.I and Newfoundland and Labrador

— An evergreen headline from ABBAS RANA at the Hill Times: "Distrustful of each other, Liberals and Conservatives preparing for potential spring showdown"

— Via Reuters , New Zealand's top court ruled the voting age of 18 is "discriminatory." We bet NDP MP TAYLOR BACHRACH, whose bill to lower Canada's federal voting age to 16 was defeated earlier this fall, can feel his ears burning. (h/t DAVID COLETTO)

— “A wealth gap exists between Indigenous peoples and other Canadians,” ZOË YUNKER writes in the Walrus . “Some First Nations believe buying the Trans Mountain pipeline might fix it.”

— Tory finance critic JASRAJ SINGH HALLAN gets the Globe profile treatment .

— Watch: How Washington is reacting to Musk’s Twitter takeover

PROZONE

For POLITICO Pro s, our latest policy newsletter: Rouleau Commission enters a new phase.

In news for POLITICO Pro s:
— RSV surge fueling fresh debate over kids and masks.
— Ag groups call on Congress to prevent rail shutdown.
— EPA floats significant increase to contested social cost of carbon.
— Summit yields ‘historic win’ for climate payments, but also a push for natural gas.
— EU-U.S. trade and tech summit to promote green technologies.

PLAYBOOKERS

Birthdays: HBD to Tory MP MICHAEL CHONG and former MPs GEOFF REGAN, ROBERT-FALCON OUELLETTE and JACQUES SAADA. Former B.C. premier GLEN CLARK is 65. Also celebrating today: former Ontario cabmin MADELEINE MEILLEUR.

Movers and shakers: Northern Affairs Minister DAN VANDAL recently rejected Baffinland's proposed expansion of an iron ore mine on Baffin Island. Vandal cited environmental concerns. The company was "surprised" by the federal decision , and pledged renewed consultations with local communities .

Baffinland also has a new fixer on the Hill. The company has enlisted Gowlings partner CYRUS REPORTER, recently returned to the firm after more than a year at CN.

Reporter was a chief of staff to PM Trudeau when the Liberals were in opposition. He was also a senior adviser in the Prime Minister's Office until 2017. (He popped up in the acknowledgements at the back of Trudeau's memoir.)

— The Terry Fox Humanitarian Awards program is now repped by Temple Scott Associates president DON MOORS and senior consultant CAITLIN DROUILLARD. Their job is to "advocate for funding to re-capitalize" the award.

— McGill Liberals have a new policy director: NATE MANIS .

Spotted: Silly season in the House per the Speaker. “We are going into what is pre-holiday season … I am going to ask everybody to just take a deep breath and not shout out.”

— Former Privy Council clerk MICHAEL WERNICK supports a demolished 24 Sussex. Wernick cautions on LinkedIn that a revamped 24 Sussex will come with a hefty price tag if it means beefing up security on the property:

"That won’t be cheap and certainly won’t be easy on a site so close to the river and the road. It would [be] easier and cheaper to work with a new building than to try to renovate."

— ADAM VAN KOEVERDEN saluting the “double-blue” for their victory in the Grey Cup — you know: “the Canadian game with three downs, a larger field and our rules.”

Cocktail circuit: TMX Group — the Bay Street gang, not the pipeline people — is hosting a reception at the Met at 6:30. CEO JOHN MACKENZIE will be in the room, and he's bringing the market's opening bell … Across the street at the Senate building, senators MICHÈLE AUDETTE and MARY COYLE join filmmaker MICHAEL ZELNIKER in hosting a 6:30 screening of "The Issue with Tissue — a boreal love story."

Media mentions: Bloomberg News needs a new Ottawa bureau chief. THEO ARGITIS is moving on to "a completely new chapter." Argitis dropped a few hints about what's to come: "I look forward to putting some of those journalist skills — research and observation, connecting dots, distilling ideas — to good use in the future."

ANDREW STOBO SNIDERMAN and DOUGLAS SANDERSON will be in town Thursday for the launch of Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, a White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation . The event will be held at Perfect Books .

On the Hill

→ Find upcoming House committees here

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8:30 a.m. Liberal MP YVAN BAKER and Conservative MP JAMES BEZAN, co-chairs of the Canadian Parliamentarians for Democracy in Belarus, welcome Belarus Opposition Leader SVIATLANA TSIKHANOUSKAYA to Ottawa with a meeting in the Wellington Building.

9:30 a.m. The Public Order Emergency Commission continues hearings in Ottawa.

8:45 a.m. Parliamentary Budget Officer YVES GIROUX will be at the Senate national finance committee to take questions on the Liberals’ legislation to implement parts of the Fall Economic Statement.

11 a.m. The House international trade committee continues its study of the potential impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act. Witnesses include Smart Prosperity Institute senior director DEREK EATON and Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association president IVETTE VERA-PEREZ.

11 a.m. Canadian Coast Guard officials will be at the top of the House national defense committee in relation to MPs’ study of Arctic security.

11 a.m. Four Canadian Heritage department officials will drop by the House heritage committee to take questions on Bill C-18 , the government’s Online News Act.

3:30 p.m. The House public safety committee meets to take Bill C-21 through clause-by-clause consideration.

3:30 p.m. David Suzuki Foundation National Policy Manager LISA GUE will be a witness at the House environment committee meeting related to MPs’ study of Bill S-5 , the government’s Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act.

3:30 p.m. The House citizenship and immigration committee meets to continue its study of conditions faceted by asylum-seekers.

3:30 p.m. The House fisheries and oceans committee holds its second meeting in its new study reviewing the impacts of the climate crisis.

3:30 p.m. The National Aboriginal Forestry Association, Quebec Forest Industry Council and Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada will be witnesses at the House natural resources committee where the topic of study is federal help for industry.

6:30 p.m. Climate change and the oil and gas industry will be the focus at the Senate energy committee . Witnesses include seven department officials from Environment and Climate Change Canada, Natural Resources Canada and Finance Canada.

6:30 p.m. The special joint committee on medical assistance in dying meets.

6:30 p.m. The House committee on Canada-China relations will hear from department officials and academics,

Behind closed doors: The Senate agriculture and forestry committee meets to discuss Bill S-236; the House procedure and House affairs committee meets to review its report exploring the expansion of federal jurisdiction in the parliamentary precinct for security reasons; the House health committee meets to review a draft report and to talk about “committee business.”

TRIVIA

Monday’s answer: “Keep smiling at the bastards … cause it'll drive them crazy.” This was advice from outgoing B.C. premier JOHN HORGAN to incoming DAVID EBY .

Props to BOB GORDON, ROBERT MCDOUGALL and ELIZABETH BURN.

Tuesday’s question: Who are CHOCOLATE and CHIP ?

Send your answers to ottawaplaybook@politico.com .

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