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Presented by Shaw Communications: A daily look inside Canadian politics and power. | | | | |  | | By Zi-Ann Lum | | |
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Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. I’m your host Zi-Ann Lum with Nick Taylor-Vaisey. Economists are betting the Bank of Canada will raise interest rates again today — the eighth consecutive hike in a year. What better day to hear from veterans of the Hill on a topic sure to resonate with just about everyone: exhaustion. Plus, a new offering from the Expense Files. | | A message from Shaw Communications: Last June, Shaw Communications announced that Videotron will acquire all of Freedom Mobile, which – to be clear – will never be owned by Rogers Communications. As a stronger fourth wireless carrier, Videotron will have all the tools it needs to compete effectively against the national carriers, including critical 5G spectrum. As the Competition Tribunal recently concluded, the new Videotron that will emerge from these transactions will be a more effective competitor than the present-day Freedom. Learn More | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | |
SENSING OUTROS — When voters catapulted JUSTIN TRUDEAU to a majority win in 2015, the New Yorker’s JEREMY KEEHN’s election story riffed on the Liberal leader’s WILFRID LAURIER-inspired sloganeering for his kicker:
“Sunny ways can win elections, but they don’t always lead to sunny days.” — Two minority governments later, and plenty of Not-Sunny Days in between, Trudeau has found himself the topic of columns and international reports, each prodding the thesis that he should take a cue from his friend New Zealand Prime Minister JACINDA ARDERN and leave office on his own terms before 2025. Ardern’s exit has sparked discussions about the pressure cooker that is politics. How do you know when it’s time to go? Playbook put the question to a motley group of outgoing and former Hill veterans:
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Celina Caesar-Chavannes in the House in 2018. | Justin Tang, The Canadian Press | CELINA CAESAR-CHAVANNES, doctoral student in neuroscience at Queen’s University, former Liberal MP: “It’s a question of how long can you sustain yourself within that pressure cooker. And when do you give yourself permission to leave when you know that you're no longer loved within that environment? I think that’s a very important consideration. “Why was everything [in] Prime Minister Arden's life so magnified? She goes to a party, it's magnified. She's young, it's magnified … conversations with other prime ministers — because they're all women — that's magnified. I mean, it's the constant bullshit they have to deal with. “For myself, it's ‘Why are you always talking about race?’ The emails that I got that were death threats, the constant personal attacks. Why is it? Why is it a pressure cooker? Who in that pressure cooker decides to say, ‘Enough’? “Why I chose to leave — not to quit — but to leave was, I'm smart, I'm coming to politics with this background and neurological research, I want to ensure that we're putting forward an agenda around seniors … a brain strategy, this is the stuff that I love. And I ended up being tokenized. “If research is saying that you design work so that people love it and stay, but then you end up being tokenized or put under this microscope and made to account for every single thing that you do, that everybody else could do and get away with except you — because you happen to be a woman, you happen to be a woman of color, you happen to be a Black woman — then how do you expect people to respond except but to leave?” HOWARD ANGLIN, doctoral student in law at Oxford University, former deputy chief of staff to PM STEPHEN HARPER: “I don’t think there is a hard and fast rule about burnout. Everyone experiences stress in their own way and ‘work-life balance’ means very different things to different people. Some people probably never burn out, but I don’t trust them. “I’d say when all the niggling daily aggravations of the job start to get under your skin, or when you find yourself becoming morbidly cynical (which is something different from the normal irony you need to survive in politics) and a proper holiday doesn’t reset your tolerance level, that’s a good sign. “Working at a high level in politics is the most interesting job there is. When it stops feeling like that, it’s time to go.” |  Catherine McKenna at the Turning the Paris Climate Agreement into Action panel discussion in 2016. | AP | CATHERINE MCKENNA, principal of Climate and Nature Solutions, former Trudeau Cabinet minister: “I just found this whole reaction to JACINDA ARDEN, on all sides, extremely odd ... I think it's also for many women, I mean I'm not that young, but maybe younger women have a different vision of success. Like it isn't you stay there and you cling to the job. You decide, all right, I got other things to do. All right, there's probably other people who can do this — that's the normal thing in shops. “But in politics, for some reason, it's so bizarre that anyone would ever leave on their own terms. And let me tell you, it was amazing, leaving on my own terms. I didn't leave for any reason other than I decided I wanted to go … that's actually quite liberating.” ALEX WELLSTEAD, outgoing director of communications for Innovation Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE: “For me it was when I had to register my daughter for junior kindergarten. "I came to Ottawa in 2016 with the intention of staying a couple years ‘for the experience.’ Six years — and two kids — later, I got the experience and so much more. But I never wanted to make politics my life. “And when I saw I had to pick a school board, and it wasn’t in Milton, I knew it was time to move on from the Hill and go home. “I’ve still got the energy and passion to help do big things for Canada, but I’ll happily do that in different ways now. And with my daughter going to school where my wife and I grew up.” CORY HANN, vice president of communications and marketing for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, former Conservative Party director of communications: “Frankly, you won’t really know until that first day after your last day when it finally hits you. How you react to feeling like you’re no longer at the center of things will be the litmus test for your decision. It’s why we see some people do a second tour of duty. (This is not me hinting at a return — either to your delight or disappointment, depending on who’s reading this.) “Regardless, it won’t be an easy decision. You spend all of your days trying to make the country a better place and it’s okay to struggle with deciding when is the right time to finally be selfish and make a decision for what’s best for you. “Of course, there are plenty of opportunities out there for you to continue to contribute, and if you’re fortunate enough you’ll find a role in a great organization like the one I was lucky enough to find myself.” ALEX KOHUT, former senior research and advertising manager in Prime Minister Trudeau’s office: "It isn’t talked about enough, but a majority of Hill staffers at all levels have dealt with burnout — myself included. "Stepping away from a dream job in politics is never a decision you want to make, but if a time comes when you reflect on why you entered politics and no longer feel you have the motivation or concentration to pursue those goals, leaving becomes the right decision. “I firmly believe workplaces on the Hill can become less prone to burnout and more supportive of those dealing with mental health concerns, but that will require an open conversation about the issue in Ottawa, a culture shift, and a strong commitment to managerial training aimed at restructuring workplace expectations." Are you JUSTIN TRUDEAU and have some time for a deep discussion about how you navigate the expectations and realities of office?Have your people call our people: ottawaplaybook@politico.com | | | | A message from Shaw Communications:   | | | | | For your radar | |
A WIDE SPECTRUM — As Playbook peruses the MP expense disclosure database, we've spotted notable discrepancies between the most and least spent on a few big-ticket line items between Oct. 1, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2022 — or tiny-ticket items, as the case may be.
— Most paid on office rental: C$86,674.74. Liberal MP TALEEB NOORMOHAMED represents Vancouver–Granville, a riding in a part of the country not exactly known for cheap real estate deals. — Least paid on office rental: C$2,383.51. Conservative MP TODD DOHERTY's first-floor unit in the B.C. interior city of Prince George rarely tops C$200 per month. — Most paid on advertising: C$86,007.15. Bloc Québécois MP YVES PERRON, who twice edged past former NDP MP RUTH ELLEN BROSSEAU in Berthier–Maskinongé. (338Canada currently projects a relatively close race in the riding.) — Least paid on advertising: C$0.00. This is a five-way tie between four Albertan Tories and one of their Ontario caucus colleagues: MATT JENEROUX, LEN WEBBER, BLAKE RICHARDS, MIKE LAKE and SCOTT REID. — Most spent on office renovations: C$84,862.22. Liberal MP WILSON MIAO packed all the renos of his Richmond Centre office into the most recent three quarters, and gave most of the work to Niicon Services Ltd. — Least spent on office renovations: C$0.00. This one is a 259-way tie. Do you enjoy Ottawa Playbook? Maybe you know others who would like it, too. Point them to this link where they can sign up for free. | | TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS | |
— Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is in Hamilton, Ont. and has a 8:50 a.m. visit to an “automotive resource center” on his schedule. He has a media availability at 9:20 a.m. before returning to his Cabinet retreat at 10:45 a.m.
— Deputy Prime Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND is in Hamilton and has “private meetings.” 10 a.m. The Bank of Canada announces its interest rate decision. 11 a.m. Bank of Canada Governor TIFF MACKLEM and Senior Deputy Governor CAROLYN ROGERS hold a press conference in Ottawa. 11 a.m. The House industry committee meets to pick up on their study probing the proposed acquisition of Shaw by Rogers. Quebecor boss PIERRE KARL PÉLADEAU, Rogers boss TONY STAFFIERI and Shaw president PAUL MCALEESE will be witnesses on a 3 p.m. panel in front of the same committee. | | FROM THE DESK OF 338CANADA | |
LOOKING WEST — Alberta’s election may be shaping up to be a tight race, but DANIELLE SMITH’s United Conservative Party has the advantage, POLITICO contributor PHILIPPE J. FOURNIER writes today. Why? Voter efficiency.
Check out Fournier’s latest column where he explains everything. | | Talk of the town | | | 
The winners of POLITICO Canada's first trivia night of 2023: H+Killers. | Zi-Ann Lum, POLITICO | TRIVIA WINNERS — The competition was fierce in the back room of the Metropolitain yesterday evening for our third in-person trivia night where (drumroll please) the H+Killers’ dazzling 23/25 point finish earned them the coveted No. 1 spot — and bragging rights. — Podium finishes: Sussex Strategy’s “Hands of the King”; plus a third-place tie between Impact Public Affairs’ “Four More Beers” and Maple Leaf Strategies’ “Mother Cluckers.” The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s “Team Sir John Eeeeeeh” shared their fourth-place finish with “LPC of the Eighties.” — Most surprising, jubilant cheer: When trivia host NICK TAYLOR-VAISEY revealed Gothic revival as the answer to a question about 24 Sussex’s original architectural style. — OH at the Met: Someone scouting a team to trade answer booklets with for marking: “Who is the most honest looking table in this room full of lobbyists?” | | PROZONE | |
For POLITICO Pro s, our latest policy newsletter: Trudeau on Biden visit priorities.
In news for POLITICO Pro s: — Ticketmaster says cyberattack disrupted Taylor Swift ticket sales. — Google to end pilot program that let political groups skip spam filter. — Lockheed in talks with Pentagon to accelerate weapons replenishment. — Pro bill analysis: Early GOP permitting proposal signals future energy independence efforts in 118th Congress. — Health NGOs urge drug regulator to initiate ‘major event’ on antibiotics shortages. | | MEDIA ROOM | |
— The prime minister was on morning radio in the Hammer Tuesday where he discussed his priorities for the upcoming Biden visit.
— The Business Council’s ROBERT ASSELIN joins SEAN SPEER on the latest episode of The Hub Dialogues to make the case for industrial policy. — ANDREW COYNE writes on that new report from Dodge, Asselin and Dion: The federal government’s fiscal plan is a sham. — Court rejects Competition Bureau's appeal to block Rogers' takeover of Shaw, PETE EVANS of the CBC reports. — Should Canada intervene in Haiti? On the latest gathering of The Backbench with MATTEA ROACH, the question is discussed with EMILIE NICOLAS, ARSHY MANN and STEVEN CHASE. — For Policy Options, MICHAEL WERNICK writes on the pull and push of the center that haunts the public service. — Process Nerd KADY O'MALLEY writes on BILL MORNEAU's 'cheerless blank walls’ and the art bank. — On the latest episode of Hot Politics, DAVID MCKIE talks to U.K. researchers about just how much climate disinformation is out there on Twitter. — Top of POLITICO this morning: McCarthy names GOP members to run sweeping investigative panel. | | A message from Shaw Communications: Over the past four months, the Competition Tribunal, an independent adjudicative body that was chaired by one of this country’s preeminent Competition Law experts, reviewed thousands of pages of evidence and hours of testimony.
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Birthdays: HBD to Ottawa MP YASIR NAQVI (5-0), Tory MP SCOTT REID, former NDP MP MARIE-CLAUDE MORIN and science journalist BOB MCDONALD.
Spotted: Finance Deputy Minister MICHAEL SABIA at the Château Laurier. Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE trial ballooning a new slogan: “Bring it home” … Canadian beer baroness and Dragons’ Den judge MANJIT MINHAS appointed honorary lieutenant colonel for the Canadian Armed Forces and Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada. Hamilton Centre MP MATTHEW GREEN, writing an open letter to Trudeau’s Cabinet. … Green Party deputy JONATHAN PEDNEAULT, with a message from Dartmouth for "PIERRE" ... The National Gallery of Canada, on the hunt for a director. In this economy: GCSurplus hawking a Hermes Picotin handbag for C$1,825 … J.D.M. STEWART, welcoming invitations to write a new book on Canada’s prime ministers. Movers and shakers: Sen. MARGO GREENWOOD is a new member of the Independent Senators Group. ELIA LOPEZ is joining Sandstone Group as a public affairs consultant. Lopez most recently worked in the Office of the Leader of the Opposition under ERIN O'TOOLE, CANDICE BERGEN and PIERRE POILIEVRE. She worked on the tour team, and as a policy adviser. Media mentions: Postmedia has announced its intention to lay off 11 percent of its 650 editorial employees. New York-based journalist NINA TRENTMANN joins Bloomberg on the Canadian and Latin American credit markets beat. WORLD PRESS FREEDOM CANADA is accepting nominations for the 2023 Press Freedom Award. The award recognizes a journalist or media worker for making an outstanding contribution to press freedom in Canada during 2022. Details here. Farewells: The Star’s HEATHER SCOFFIELD has announced her exit from journalism after a 30-year career: “24 federal budgets, four prime ministers, seven finance ministers, a decade of Parliament Hill bureau-chiefing. Several economic cycles, several newsrooms, ever-changing readerships, ever-shrinking pages.” Read her farewell column here. Scoffield is heading to the Business Council of Canada as the senior vice-president of strategy. “I hope to look closely and concretely at how policymakers and savvy business leaders can accelerate the energy transition, smooth out the strains in our workforce and ensure there’s plenty of wealth to go around.” Send Playbookers tips to ottawaplaybook@politico.com. | | On the Hill | |
11 a.m. The House foreign affairs committee meets to pick up on its study on border security between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The MPs last met to discuss the topic in September. A second panel begins at 2 p.m.
— Behind closed doors: The House foreign affairs committee’s agenda and procedure subcommittee will be discussing “committee business.” The House of Commons resumes Jan. 30 and the Senate is back Jan. 31. → Find upcoming House committees here → Keep track of Senate committees here | | TRIVIA | |
Tuesday’s answer: Former deputy PM SHEILA COPPS, on March 26, 1987, became the first sitting MP in Canada to give birth.
Props to RALPH LEVENSTEIN, LAURA PAYTON, SHEILA GERVAIS, BRAM ABRAMSON, ALYSON FAIR, BRIAN KLUNDER, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, JEFF LABINE, KATHLEEN WALSH, NANCI WAUGH, JOANNA PLATER, MICHAEL POWELL, LAURA JARVIS, DOUG RICE, RAJ GILL, BOB ERNEST and MARK AGNEW. Wednesday’s question: Name the political journalist who is also the author of a novella on Robert Burns. Send your answer to ottawaplaybook@politico.com Playbook wouldn’t happen: Without Luiza Ch. Savage 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 | | | | |  |
