A death in the family

From: POLITICO Ottawa Playbook - Tuesday Dec 13,2022 11:02 am
A daily look inside Canadian politics and power.
Dec 13, 2022 View in browser
 
Ottawa Playbook

By Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Zi-Ann Lum

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Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. I'm your host, Nick Taylor-Vaisey with Zi-Ann Lum. Today, the Hill marks the passing of an MP named Jim Carr.

DRIVING THE DAY

MP Jim Carr in Ottawa, in 2018.

MP Jim Carr. | Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

IN MOURNING — The Hill was reminded Monday of the cruelty of cancer, a disease that can work with shocking speed that appears to defy logic. That person was so vibrant just the other day, we tell ourselves. Now they're gone?

So it was with JIM CARR, the MP for Winnipeg South Centre who just last week achieved a remarkable feat, witnessing a private member's bill under his name clear the House of Commons. Carr died Monday at 71 after three years living with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, and kidney failure.

— Last act: Carr stood proudly in the Commons last Tuesday.

He celebrated the expected passage of a private member's bill, C-235, that he'd marshalled through the chamber. First reading came on Feb. 7, when Carr got a chance to table the legislation.

The bill requires the Prairies economic development minister to work alongside six Cabinet colleagues —and provinces, municipalities, Indigenous people, companies and unions — to "develop a framework … to build a green economy in the Prairie provinces."

The Prairies minister must table a report with that framework within a year, and then report back every few years on progress.

MPs debated the bill for an hour in March and another in May before sending it to committee in June. The industry committee studied it for five meetings and returned it to the House Nov. 21. On Dec. 6, Carr was in the House to cap the bill's final hour of debate.

— Final speech: The three-term MP did make reference to C-235 that day. But Carr spoke to more than the bill.

"My respect for Parliament has grown by leaps and bounds," he told his colleagues.

"The wisdom of inviting witnesses to add thoughtful commentary and an opposition that has been respectful though occasionally dissenting are what a democracy is all about, and it is always rooted in strengthening the national fabric, woven as it is from those mini threads that make Canada the envy of the world.

"With resources, natural and human, comes responsibility to each other and to the world itself. How could we not be humbled by the greatness of this magnificent country?"

— Caucus support: As he spoke, Carr was surrounded by Liberals: IQRA KHALID, SEAN FRASER, KEVIN LAMOUREUX, KODY BLOIS, MICHAEL MCLEOD, CHRIS BITTLE, RECHIE VALDEZ, ADAM VAN KOEVERDEN and MARIE-CLAUDE BIBEAU.

As Carr took his seat, Bibeau wiped away tears.

A few moments later, assistant deputy speaker ALEXANDRA MENDÈS gave the House an option. They could approve or reject the bill without a vote, or they could stand up and be counted.

Carr stood once more and spoke his final words in the House: "I request a recorded vote, Madam Speaker."

HALLWAY CONVERSATION

— First impressions: Playbook spoke to Van Koeverden about Carr's final speech. "Something just told me to go sit behind Jim. And I got over there and realized I wasn't the only one with that idea," he said. "When I heard his voice, I just sprung out of my chair and sat behind him."

Carr earned a reputation for folksiness and kindness with just about everybody on the Hill. Van Koeverden knew it from the moment he met Carr.

It was a case of mistaken identity. Van Koeverden had a Carr from his part of the country — Gary, the chair of Halton Region — on his mind.

"I walked up to Jim and said, 'Hey, there, my name is Adam, Gary.' And he looked at me and went, 'The name's Jim.' And I said, 'Oh shoot, you know, I'll tell you why I made that mistake.' And he patted me on the shoulder, he goes, 'It doesn't matter. My name is Jim.' And then just kind of walked away the way that he would. He kind of set me straight.”

— Recognizing kindness: In 2015, CATHERINE MCKENNA was a fellow rookie minister. She reflected on why the Hill often talks openly about the virtues of parliamentarians after they're gone.

"The challenge with politics is everyone's living in the moment. You're focused on questions like: How are you winning? Did you land a punch on the other side?

"I was probably as much a part of that as anyone else, but it's a challenge in politics, especially how it's evolved now where folks don't hang out and chat enough," McKenna told Playbook.

"If people did that, maybe they'd build more personal relationships. But Jim did that. He built the personal relationships. And if we take a moment and at least reflect on how we can do politics better and look at someone who did, I think that's important."

— Families Minister KARINA GOULD : "For anyone who knew him, you'd know his warmth, the twinkle in his eyes, boundless energy, love of country and keen sense of humour. I feel fortunate that the last time I saw him was the day his PMB passed. He was as positive and energetic as ever. It's a memory I will cherish."

— Former Cabinet colleague MARC GARNEAU : “He asked me if I took music in Space and I mentioned Marcello's Oboe concerto. He then told me he played the oboe and we cooked up the idea for him to play the 2nd movement at Liberal national caucus. He was excellent. A sweet moment."

— Former PMO comms guy MICHAEL DEN TANDT : "Jim Carr had a way of cutting through noise without being abrasive. At any table, his voice stood out for its reason, common sense, humanity and brevity."

— Alberta NDP leader RACHEL NOTLEY : "He worked hard to be a voice for the west and was available to meet with many of us despite disagreements we might have, even as he was struggling with his illness. He gave politics a good name."

For your radar

A NEW MP — Liberal candidate CHARLES SOUSA soundly defeated his Conservative challenger, RON CHHINZER, in Monday's Mississauga–Lakeshore by-election. With almost every vote countied, Sousa, a former provincial finance minister, took 51.2 percent compared to Chhinzer's 37.3 percent.

Thirty-four independent candidates, plus Rhinoceros Party leader SÉBASTIEN CORHINO, managed just over 500 votes. Perennial candidate JOHN TURMEL, contesting his world record 105th election, eked out 15 (or 0.1 percent).

Looking for morning analysis? The Writ's ÉRIC GRENIER has a post this a.m.

HOLIDAY PARTY — The Liberals are hosting a Laurier Club event for top donors at the Museum of History on Thursday.

PM JUSTIN TRUDEAU will bring 10 of ministers to the shindig: MARC MILLER, MARIE-CLAUDE BIBEAU, JEAN-YVES DUCLOS, GUDIE HUTCHINGS, FILOMENA TASSI, HELENA JACZEK, GINETTE PETITPAS TAYLOR, MONA FORTIER, KAMAL KHERA and FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE.

The party is hosting its Hill staff party on Wednesday at the Shaw Centre. Quebec staffers will keep the party going at Sens House in the ByWard Market.

NEW CLUB — Canada is leading a new alliance that almost mirrors G-7 membership.

Natural Resources Minister JONATHAN WILKINSON started the week at COP15 in Montreal, announcing the launch of the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance, a league of seven countries advocating for sustainable and ethical mining.

This new Canada-led alliance aspires to “to drive global alignment on sustainable and socially responsible mining practices in the critical minerals space,” Wilkinson said.

— What’s different : Italy isn’t included. Australia is.

The high-minded message, announced at a summit where 196 countries are striving for a deal to protect 30 percent of lands and oceans by 2030, puts pressure on wealthy countries to recalibrate mining practices for the burgeoning critical minerals sector.

“We understand that net zero by 2050 will involve more mining, not less,” said KATHERINE RUIZ-AVILA, Australia’s deputy high commissioner to Canada.

Japan’s envoy KANJI YAMANOUCHI joined the launch and said the alliance, Ottawa’s recent release of its Indo-Pacific and critical minerals strategies signals the “crystallization” of Canadian policy.

Membership and participation in the new alliance is voluntary.

— Plant this : Wilkinson also used his day at COP15 to announce 54 new projects to plant 12.5 million trees. Price tag: C$37 million.

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

— PM Trudeau will chair a meeting of the Incident Response Group on the situation in Haiti. He'll also speak with the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz.

— Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND is in Paris for the Solidarity With the Ukrainian People conference, co-hosted by France and Ukraine.

10:45 a.m. Defense Minister ANITA ANAND will hold a media availability on her "Report to Parliament on Culture Change Reforms in Response to Former Supreme Court Justice Arbour’s Recommendations."

11 a.m. Canada’s taxpayers’ ombudsperson, FRANÇOIS BOILEAU , will release his second annual report: “Service Matters: Numbers Speak Volumes.”

12 p.m. Foreign Affairs Minister MÉLANE JOLY and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC drop by the House procedure and House affairs committee to take MPs’ questions related to foreign election interference.

2 p.m. In the House foyer, NDP leader JAGMEET SINGH will talk to reporters about the health-care crisis.

3:30 p.m. Singh meets with SEAN STRICKLAND , the executive director of Canada’s Building Trades Union.

2 p.m. Trudeau will attend QP.

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

— Canada's chief of protocol, STEWART WHEELER, showed bureaucratic contrition as MPs demanded answers for a C$100,000 catering bill on a vice-regal trip to Europe and the Middle East: “We recognize that the system that we had in place was not delivering the kind of oversight and control that Canadian taxpayers deserve."

— An eye-popping headline from the Ottawa Citizen: Ottawa police cut email access over fears info would leak during 'Freedom Convoy'

— From the Narwhal: B.C. will soon decide the fate of four projects with big climate and biodiversity impacts

— CP reports: A lifetime of agony: families of missing, murdered Inuit women call for answers

Cue the election speculation . "If we don't see action on health care, we absolutely reserve the right to withdraw our support," JAGMEET SINGH told reporters Monday. Trudeau's reply: "I think if health care continues to be such a crisis point for so many Canadians an arrangement with the NDP is the least of our worries."

Cue the shuffle speculation . MICHELLE REMPEL GARNER dishes her top theories on why Ottawa is talking about its favorite game of musical chairs.

PROZONE

For POLITICO Pro s, our latest policy newsletter by ZI-ANN LUM: The House falls silent.

In news for POLITICO Pro s:
EU becomes the planet’s biggest NIMBY over U.S. climate bill.
Senator proposes ‘climate negligence’ bill based on Texas abortion law.
EU to publish draft U.S. data flows decision today.
9 offshore wind states want plan to compensate fishing industry.
EPA says fuel economy flat in 2021 as purchases of less efficient vehicles ramp up.

PLAYBOOKERS

Birthdays: HBD + 1 to The Strategists pod co-host COREY HOGAN ( h/t to his cousin COLE HOGAN).

Movers and shakers: The Tories have appointed ARPAN KHANNA as the party's national outreach chair. Khanna cut his teeth as a community outreach and stakeholder relations adviser for TIM HUDAK's Ontario Progressive Conservatives.

Khann ran then-minister JASON KENNEY's Toronto regional office, where he organized hundreds of events. One example he cites on LinkedIn: "managed a 75-person team and facilitated the presence of 2,000+ people to celebrations attended by the Prime Minister."

— General Electric tapped Rubicon managing partner ANDREW BALFOUR to help the company navigate the federal procurement process — and "identifying potential avenues for funding."

Spotted: Pod host DAVID HERLE quizzing three Hill journosSUSAN DELACOURT, HEATHER SCOFFIELD and BOB FIFE — on whether or not texts between staffers should ever find their way into the public domain.

A new Supreme Court family photo , now featuring MICHELLE O'BONSAWIN.

DAVID MCLAUGHLIN, revealing a major weakness in the "Defund CBC" plan.

A new commemorative sculpture marks Queen Elizabeth's 70-year reign — and takes on new significance following her death.

On the Hill

Find upcoming House committees here

Keep track of Senate committees here

9 a.m. The Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee meets to review Bill S-11 .

11 a.m. The House international trade committee meets to continue its study of the potential impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act. Witnesses include Canadian Global Affairs Institute senior adviser COLIN ROBERTSON and representatives from Bioindustrial Innovation Canada, the Canadian Biogas Association and the Cement Association of Canada.

11 a.m. The House health committee meets to pick up on its study of Bill C-224 , proposing the creation of a national framework to protect the health of firefighters. MPs will go through clause-by-clause consideration of the bill in the second half of the meeting.

2:30 p.m. The Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee meets for the second time Tuesday to continue its study of Bill S-11 .

3:30 p.m. The House public safety committee meets at the request of seven members about “need to rehear witnesses on the proposals contained in Amendment G-4 to Bill C-21 .”

3:30 p.m. The House environment committee meets to go through clause-by-clause consideration of Bill S-5 .

Behind closed doors: The House natural resource committee meets to go over a draft of its report summarizing its energy transformation study; the House public accounts committee meets to review a draft report of its study examining the auditor general’s “access to benefits for hard-to-reach populations” audit; t he Senate national finance committee meets to review a draft of its report on Supplementary Estimates (B).

TRIVIA

Monday’s answer: In 1901, GUGLIELMO MARCONI and GEORGE KEMP sent the first transatlantic radio signals from Cornwall’s Poldhu Point in the United Kingdom. They transmitted the letter ‘s’ in Morse code.

Props to Sen. DAVID WELLS, LAURA JARVIS, DAVID SCHATZKY, STACEY NORONHA, MICHAEL MACDONALD, BRAM ABRAMSON, BOB GORDON, JOHN ECKER, PATRICK DION, ROBERT MCDOUGALL and GORDON RANDALL.

Tuesday’s question: Name the Cabinet minister responsible for economic development on the Prairies.

Send your answers to ottawaplaybook@politico.com .

Want to grab the attention of movers and shakers on Parliament Hill? Want your brand in front of a key audience of Ottawa influencers? Playbook can help. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com .

Playbook wouldn’t happen without: Luiza Ch. Savage and Sue Allan.

 

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