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A daily look inside Canadian politics and power. | | | | |  | | By Maura Forrest and Zi-Ann Lum | Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Maura | Follow Politico Canada Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. I’m your host, Maura Forrest, with Zi-Ann Lum. Today, OMAR ALGHABRA is getting tough(er) on airlines. The public service strike continues after an acrimonious weekend. And if you think McKinsey gets a lot of government contracts, just wait till you hear about Deloitte. |  | THREE THINGS WE'RE WATCHING | | | | 
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra appears at a meeting of the House of Commons transport committee on Jan. 12, 2023. | ParlVu screengrab |
TRAVEL CHAOS — Transport Minister OMAR ALGHABRA is set to announce a long-awaited overhaul of air passenger rights first thing this morning, following through on a promise he made after major travel disruptions last summer and over the holidays.
But the big reveal isn’t likely to be much of a surprise. The legislative changes were included in the Liberals’ budget bill, tabled on Thursday. The goal is to make it harder for airlines to avoid paying compensation to passengers for delayed or canceled flights, and to cut down on the eye-popping backlog of complaints at the Canadian Transportation Agency. — The highlights: The government is targeting a loophole that allows airlines to refuse compensation for flight disruptions required for safety purposes. Under the new rules, disruptions are presumed to be within a carrier’s control and not required for safety reasons unless the airline can prove otherwise. The Liberals also want to require airlines to make decisions about complaints within 30 days, and they want the CTA to appoint mediators to speed up the agency’s process for resolving disputes. The CTA currently has a backlog of about 45,000 complaints. The government is also proposing to increase the maximum fine for airlines that break the rules to C$250,000 from C$25,000. The changes would go into effect Sept. 30. — For more detail on what to expect: Here are CHRISTOPHER REYNOLDS for the Canadian Press and ERIC ATKINS for the Globe and Mail. FINAL SHOWDOWN — The Senate is on the verge of passing the Liberals’ online streaming bill, C-11, but not before some final procedural wrangling. Last week, Heritage Minister PABLO RODRIGUEZ told reporters he hoped the bill, which would force online streaming giants like Netflix and YouTube to contribute to the creation and promotion of Canadian content, would become law before the week was out. It didn’t, thanks to Conservative opposition in the Senate. The Conservatives have dubbed C-11 “Trudeau’s censorship bill,” claiming it will give the government control over what Canadians can see online. Sen. MARC GOLD, the government’s representative in the Senate, is planning to introduce a time allocation motion to limit further debate on the bill during the next sitting of the Red Chamber on Tuesday. That means the bill could actually cross the finish line this week. — Meanwhile: The Conservatives have been fundraising hard on their opposition to C-11, with an email out this weekend titled “URGENT: Last chance.” Another fundraising missive from Friday encourages supporters to contact senators who have “expressed serious concerns” about the bill, including one PAULA SIMMONS. We’re guessing the typo has offered a bit of a reprieve to Sen. PAULA SIMONS, who told the Canadian Press recently that she gets hundreds of emails weekly from automated campaigns spreading disinformation about the bill. Simons said she’ll be voting against Bill C-11, but she expects it to pass and wants to see it “done and dusted.” — What’s next: Rodriguez has yet to introduce his long-awaited online safety legislation, which may make all the controversy surrounding Bill C-11 look like child’s play. It’s unlikely he will table it before the online streaming bill gets Royal Assent. — Related: Here’s more on the battle over Bill C-11, from the Toronto Star’s RAISA PATEL. | 
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will attend the Global Citizen NOW summit in New York City this week. | Hollie Adams/Getty Images |
REACH FOR THE STARS — Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU will be in New York later this week for the Global Citizen NOW summit, a gathering of politicians, business leaders and celebrities with a rather broad mandate to tackle “urgent issues including climate change, the global food crisis, gender inequality, protecting activists and defending civic space, and more.”
The summit, according to the Global Citizen website, brings together “the brightest minds, influential decision makers, and the biggest names in pop culture to create a global agenda for urgent action.” This year, it will feature unspecified “major announcements on policy initiatives” as well as “intimate conversations with renowned artists.” Trudeau will find himself in the company of French President EMMANUEL MACRON, Barbados Prime Minister MIA MOTTLEY and European Commission President URSULA VON DER LEYEN, in addition to such luminaries as CHRIS MARTIN, HUGH JACKMAN, KATIE HOLMES and JOHN LEGEND. Former environment minister CATHERINE MCKENNA will also attend. — The reason: According to a PMO news release, Trudeau is attending to “champion women’s rights.” Over the weekend, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to preserve access to the abortion pill mifepristone as a legal battle plays out, Trudeau posted this video to tout his pro-choice credentials. The PM is also planning a side trip to address the Council on Foreign Relations, an American think tank, with plans to talk up Canada as a reliable energy supplier and partner on electric vehicles. — The details: The summit takes place on Thursday and Friday at The Glasshouse, which bills itself as “the preeminent private event space of NYC.” Know someone who could use Ottawa Playbook? Direct them to this link. Five days a week, zero dollars. | | TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS | |
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Reelected German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier waves to the electoral college during the German Federal Assembly in Berlin on Feb. 13, 2022. | Michael Probst/AP Photo |
— German President FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER is in Canada until Wednesday, and will visit Ottawa, Vancouver and the Northwest Territories. His trip is expected to focus on energy and Arctic security, with a visit to a hydrogen fuel cell company planned for Tuesday in Burnaby, B.C.
— Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU will meet with Steinmeier in his office in West Block at 9:10 a.m. Trudeau and Steinmeier will host a conversation with students at the University of Ottawa at 11 a.m. — Deputy Prime Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND will make an announcement in Toronto about zero-emission public transit infrastructure at 12 p.m., accompanied by deputy mayor JENNIFER MCKELVIE. 9 a.m. Tourism Minister RANDY BOISSONNAULT will be in Ottawa to launch National Tourism Week. 9:30 a.m. Transport Minister OMAR ALGHABRA will make an announcement in Ottawa about proposed changes to air passenger rights. NDP transport critic TAYLOR BACHRACH will respond in a press conference at 11 a.m. 3:30 p.m. Former PCO clerk MICHAEL WERNICK will appear at the House government operations committee to talk about federal consulting contracts awarded to McKinsey & Company. 4 p.m. National Defense Minister ANITA ANAND and Chief of the Defense Staff Gen. WAYNE EYRE will appear before the Senate national security committee to discuss security and defense in the Arctic. | | For your radar | |
WELL, THAT WENT SIDEWAYS — The picket lines are back up this morning, and the head of Canada’s biggest federal public service union has promised to ratchet up the pressure during one of the largest strikes in Canadian history.
CHRIS AYLWARD, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, told the Canadian Press on Sunday that striking public servants will be “escalating” their actions this week by targeting “strategic locations,” possibly including ports. The news comes after a very public spat between the union and the federal government on Saturday, which saw Aylward call Treasury Board President MONA FORTIER incompetent and Fortier accuse Aylward of “stalling and misinformation.” Both sides say they’re negotiating in good faith, and accuse each other of being unavailable and blocking progress. On Sunday, Aylward said there had been “very little progress” since the day before. — Meanwhile: A poll published Friday by the Angus Reid Institute found a majority of Canadians support the union’s demands for wage premiums and the right to work from home, but are divided on the question of wage increases. Public servants want annual raises of 4.5 percent over the next three years. The government has offered a nine percent raise over three years. — ICYMI: On Friday, the National Post’s CHRISTOPHER NARDI was first to report that only a third of the 120,000 core public servants who walked off the job last week actually cast a ballot in the PSAC strike vote. — Picket predictions: Last week, we told you that redditors are betting on when the work stoppage will end. The most recent results? As of Saturday, 44 percent of voters said the strike would continue at least until April 28 — that’s this Friday. | | | MEDIA ROOM | |
— A small number of Canadian embassy staff have been evacuated from Sudan as violence escalates, report the Globe and Mail’s GEOFFREY YORK and JOE FRIESEN. The New York Times reported that six Canadian diplomats were among a group evacuated from Khartoum by U.S. Special Forces on Sunday morning.
— For the Toronto Star, JOANNA CHIU and STEVE MCKINLEY take a deep dive into PIERRE POILIEVRE’s recent attacks on the CBC. And on the Bridge pod, PETER MANSBRIDGE, CHANTAL HÉBERT and BRUCE ANDERSON discuss whether support for the CBC is collapsing and whether the public broadcaster will make it to its centennial in 2036. — Politicians haggling over the details of environmental policy is inevitable, AARON WHERRY writes for the CBC, but “the math of climate change is unavoidable.” — PIERRE POILIEVRE has yet to meet with Quebec Premier FRANÇOIS LEGAULT, more than six months after his election as Conservative leader, CHANTAL HÉBERT writes for the Star. | | PAPER TRAIL | |
REALPOLITIK TEST — Ottawa has awarded Deloitte more than C$1.1 billion in federal contracts since the Liberals came to power in 2015, according to documents tabled in the House of Commons.
The figure makes the C$116.8 million awarded to McKinsey during the same period look small, even though that sum launched a committee study and auditor general review. — Follow the money: The numbers will be brought up at today’s House government operations committee by NDP MP GORD JOHNS, who’s keen to highlight the international consulting firm’s connection to former Liberal and Conservative Cabinet ministers PIERRE PETTIGREW and PETER MACKAY. — Nepo, maybe: “They finish their career to join Deloitte and the federal government showered them with public funds instead of supporting public servants who are standing in the rain right now trying to get a fair deal,” Johns told Playbook, referring to the ongoing public service strike. — Hey big spenders: Johns asked the government to list the total value of contracts awarded to McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Accenture, KPMG, and Ernst and Young, broken down by fiscal year beginning in 2015-16. The March 2 order paper question sprouted a 198-page response last week, revealing some eye-popping consulting fees. Here are the highlights: Employment and Social Development Canada: The department awarded Deloitte C$310 million since 2015, which includes a whopping C$207 million (at least), in the last fiscal year alone. Public Services and Procurement Canada: In a “2022-23 to date” row, there’s a C$206.6-million figure under the “Deloitte” column. The expense marks at least a C$90-million jump from the previous year. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada: The department has awarded Deloitte more than C$60 million in contracts since 2015. What’s notable is the C$19.5 million paid out in the last fiscal year alone, minus the last four weeks of March. The amount eclipses what the department paid the company in the previous two fiscal years combined. — Dollars and sense: The government’s Deloitte dependency dangles a new opportunity for opposition members to question the credibility of Ottawa’s promise to make cuts to outsourcing and management consulting. Johns said it’s absurd to see the government pay consultants who work at a for-profit company rather than paying public service workers higher wages. He argued the reliance on consultants lowers accountability and institutional knowledge in government. “Their job is to create more work for themselves,” Johns said of external consultants, adding that bringing them in should be a measure of last resort, “not the government’s first call.” | | PROZONE | |
For POLITICO Pro s, our latest policy newsletter from ZI-ANN LUM: Negotiations over: Das details.
In other news for Pro s: — Why Volkswagen picked Canada. — U.S., NATO cyber forces train for 'doomsday' cyber scenario. — Biden's climate rule for power plants may come this week. — Naftogaz CEO seeks to entice Western oil companies to Ukraine. — An Alaska gas export project, with Biden administration's backing, turns a corner. | | PLAYBOOKERS | |
Birthdays: HBD to SOPHIE GRÉGOIRE TRUDEAU, CHANTAL HÉBERT, MP ALI EHSASSI, WAJID KHAN, former Ontario Cabinet minister HELEN JOHNS (70!) and former Nova Scotia deputy premier KAREN CASEY.
Spotted: Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE with Raptors Superfan NAV BHATIA. The city of Ottawa, on the hunt for a “night mayor.” LISA LAFLAMME, preparing to cover the coronation of KING CHARLES in London. … MITCH HEIMPEL, reflecting on Volkswagen’s plan to build an EV battery plant in St. Thomas and his own childhood in Kitchener. J.K. ROWLING, having a go at OMAR ALGHABRA’s Hope in High Heels video. Movers and shakers: KIRSTY DUNCAN is stepping down as chair of the science and research committee. “I continue to listen to my doctors,” the Etobicoke North MP said in a statement shared on social media. Duncan has been on leave since January. Media mentions: Friday was TOM BLACKWELL’s last day at the National Post. Got a document to share? A birthday coming up? Send it all our way. | | On the Hill | |
— Find the latest House committee meetings here.
— Keep track of Senate committees here. 11 a.m. The House fisheries and oceans committee meets to continue its study on ecosystem impacts and management of pinniped populations. 11 a.m. The House environment committee will hear from Dene National Chief GERALD ANTOINE, Alberta Energy Regulator president LAURIE PUSHOR and Northwest Territories Environment Minister SHANE THOMPSON as it continues its study of the Kearl oil sands tailings leak. 11 a.m. The House public accounts committee has “committee business” on its agenda. 11 a.m. The House heritage committee continues its study of safe sport in Canada. 3:30 p.m. YVES GIROUX visits the House Indigenous affairs committee to discuss the PBO’s analysis of estimates of the Crown-Indigenous Relations and Indigenous Services departments. 3:30 p.m. The House veterans affairs committee meets to study the experience of women veterans. 3:30 p.m. Representatives from the Canadian Steel Producers Association and Équiterre will be at the House industry committee’s study of the development of the electronics, metals and plastics recycling industry. 3:30 p.m. Former PCO clerk MICHAEL WERNICK will appear at the House government operations committee to talk about federal consulting contracts awarded to McKinsey & Company. 3:30 p.m. The House justice committee meets to take Bill C-41 through clause-by-clause consideration. 4 p.m. National Defense Minister ANITA ANAND and Chief of the Defense Staff Gen. WAYNE EYRE will appear before the Senate national security committee to discuss security and defense in the Arctic. 6 p.m. The Senate official languages committee meets to study minority-language health services. 6:30 p.m. The Canada-China committee meets to hear from Université de Sherbrooke professor MATHIEU ARÈS. 6:30 p.m. The House agriculture committee meets to study the environmental contribution of agriculture. — Behind closed doors: The House international trade committee meets to discuss a draft report on potential trade impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act; the House citizenship committee will review its asylum seekers report; the House status of women committee meets to consider a draft report on women and girls in sport. | | TRIVIA | |
Friday’s answer: WOP MAY was a pilot and a First World War flying ace and part of the dogfight on April 21, 1918, in which the infamous Red Baron was gunned down. Canadian History Ehx has more on May’s legendary exploits.
Props to BOB GORDON, GERMAINE MALABRE, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, GEORGE SCHOENHOFER and GORDON RANDALL. Monday's question: In the House last week, MP TERRY DUGUID encouraged fellow parliamentarians to visit the Room of Remembrance. To what was he referring? Send your answer to ottawaplaybook@politico.com Two corrections from Thursday’s Playbook: GURBAX SINGH MALHI served as a Liberal MP; former MP PAUL LEFEBVRE is the current mayor of Greater Sudbury. Playbook wouldn’t happen without: Luiza Ch. Savage, Sue Allan and David Cohen. 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. | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
