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A daily look inside Canadian politics and power. | | | | |  | | By Zi-Ann Lum and Maura Forrest |
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Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. I’m your host, Zi-Ann Lum, with Maura Forrest. The Volkswagen glow is real at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Deputy Minister SIMON KENNEDY squeezed us in to talk about the bigger picture to-do list. Plus, we learn the CBSA’s program that enlists volunteers to drink alcohol in a “controlled environment” is making a comeback. |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | |  Deputy Minister Simon Kennedy talks about the making of the VW deal. | Getty Images | ANCHORS AWEIGH — In a month with 28 days, SIMON KENNEDY clocked 26 meetings with Volkswagen in February. Despite the pace of his fall and winter meeting schedule, the ISED deputy minister tells Playbook it was never assumed Canada’s offer would secure Volkswagen’s new gigafactory. — Blunt words: “If it was just about money, it might have been easier for the company, frankly, to locate in the U.S., because the U.S. had already made this decision last fall — the incentives were there under the [Inflation Reduction Act],” Kennedy said. — Deciding factors: The country’s automotive and parts manufacturing base, quality of life, domestic access to critical minerals and the comparable abundance of clean energy were the carrots baked into Canada’s offer. A “competitive tax regime,” was another selling point, he said. — Industrial puzzle: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau referred to the deal as an “anchor” four times in English on Friday. Kennedy used the same word to illustrate the hope that Volkswagen will help Canada land other pieces for a new battery supply chain. Imagine a shopping mall, he said. “You have all of these small stores, but the shopping mall is anchored by two or three very large department stores — and these assembly facilities are anchor facilities.” The gist of the government’s strategy is build it and they will come. — Big resilience energy: Kennedy will join a panel at the Public Policy Forum’s Canada Growth Summit in Toronto Thursday, alongside Johnson & Johnson’s COURTNEY BILLINGTON and Bright Angel Therapeutics’ DOMINIC JAIKARAN, to discuss health security in Canada. “You're only as good as your weakest link. And the challenge that we face as a country is when the pandemic hit, we discovered that, actually, we had multiple weak links,” he tells Playbook, explaining Canada didn’t have the end-to-end capability to develop a vaccine and get it into peoples’ arms. “And in an emergency. That's what people are interested in.” — Other topics people are interested in relevant to his ISED file: ChatGPT. It’s a topic Kennedy said he’s following with great interest. “I haven't personally used it.” The Public Policy Forum’s Canada Growth Summit 2023 is sold out, though you can email registration@ppforum.ca to be added to the waitlist. A handful of tickets to PPF's Testimonial Dinner remain here. POLITICO is a media partner. TABLE TALK — Ahead of the PPF’s main event on Thursday, the think tank has organized seven smaller shindigs around Toronto this evening:
- STEVE VERHEUL, now a PPF fellow, will guest star with WTO Ambassador NADIA THEODORE at a dinner hosted by the University of Toronto at the Munk School. The conversation starter: “A new, less predictable global trade order is emerging. How will Canada navigate?”
- Former Cabinet ministers ANNE MCLELLAN and LISA RAITT will be at Leña Restaurante, holding court at a small gathering sponsored by the Coalition for a Better Future, which they co-chair. Guests will chew over ways to measure Canada’s success.
- Compass Rose is hosting a supper — also at Leña — featuring Privy Council Clerk and Secretary to the Cabinet JANICE CHARETTE and talk of industrial transformation and the common good.
- Thoughts on responsible AI will flow at a meal sponsored by Microsoft at CIBC Square. BRENDA MCPHAIL of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association will be an expert guest, along with CHRIS BARRY and OWEN LARTER of Microsoft Canada.
- CIBC is hosting JP GLADU and conversation focused on Indigenous economic growth; JULIAN WHIKE of Deetken will be at a table at Gusto 101, focused on digital and climate policy.
- Finally, MICHEL RODRIGUES, DAVID GOLDBLOOM and ZABEEN HIRJI will be at a dinner sponsored by Deloitte where the subject is the mental health of Canada’s workforce.
The dinners, held under the Chatham House Rule, have been a PPF thing since 2018 and are intended to kickstart conversations ahead of Thursday’s public policy deep dive.
Like Ottawa Playbook? Maybe you know others who’d like to start the day with a free rush of intel. Point them to this link where sign up is free. | | TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS | |
— It’s caucus day on the Hill.
— German President FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER heads to Yellowknife, the final stop on his visit to Canada. — Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU starts his day in Ottawa by delivering 9 a.m. remarks at the launch of the Official Languages Action Plan. He has caucus and question period on his schedule. Trudeau ends his day stateside with a 5:45 p.m. arrival in New York City. — Deputy Prime Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND is in Ottawa with the Liberals’ 10 a.m. caucus meeting on her public schedule. 4:30 p.m. Innovation Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE is at the House industry committee meeting where Bill C-34 is the focus of the day. 4:30 p.m. International Development Minister HARJIT SAJJAN is up as a witness at the House citizenship committee’s study of the government’s response to the special committee on Afghanistan’s final report. | | | PAPER TRAIL | | |
GO HOME, YOU'RE DRUNK — How do you train border agents to recognize the signs of drunk driving? You buy a bunch of alcohol, get some volunteers drunk, have the officers practise on them, and then drive them home to sleep it off.
The Canada Border Services Agency bought C$7,700 worth of alcohol between 2018 and 2020 to train 716 border guards to recognize indicators of impaired driving, according to a document recently tabled in the House of Commons. Playbook asked CBSA about the training, and was told the agency conducted a “controlled alcohol workshop with volunteers.” In a nutshell, volunteers drank the booze in a “controlled environment” with the aim of hitting a blood alcohol level between 0.06 and 0.14. The legal limit is 0.08. — Scenario training: Then border officers practised using breathalyzers and getting the tipsy volunteers to walk, balance and remember instructions to assess their level of impairment. At the end of it all, the volunteers were driven home. — Who were the volunteers? The agency says they were recruited from CBSA employees’ “known acquaintances.” There were a few criteria, including that they shouldn’t be police officers. — The background: The training program was a first for the CBSA, and took shape after the Liberals legalized cannabis in 2018 and simultaneously beefed up Canada’s impaired driving laws. But these workshops are nothing new. The program was developed in partnership with the RCMP, the agency says, and follows guidelines used by all law enforcement agencies who conduct this type of training in North America. — What’s next: The agency trained about half its border guards in 2019 and 2020, but then paused the program due to the pandemic. Training is set to resume this year for the remaining 709 officers. | | | For your radar | | | 
Sen. Joe Manchin has an invite for Canadian businessman Kevin O'Leary. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | CROSSOVER EPISODE — Sen. JOE MANCHIN is looking to make friends with Canadian businessman KEVIN O’LEARY. The West Virginia Democrat sent a letter Monday, inviting the “Shark Tank” investor to visit his state after O’Leary’s proposal to build a $14-billion oil refinery in the United States made headlines earlier this month. “I guarantee that you will find West Virginia to be an excellent partner for your project and our citizens to be exceedingly welcoming,” wrote Manchin. REALITY CHECK — The House was suspended for an hour Monday after no sponsor stepped up to pick up on a Senate public bill previously championed by the late JIM CARR. The bill, having no sponsor in the House, was knocked off the order paper. Carr, who was an oboist, had stepped up to sponsor Sen. PATRICIA BOVEY’s bill which proposed a declaration to support the essential role of artists and creative expression in Canada, a plan to implement it. Government House Leader MARK HOLLAND’s office said the government doesn’t really have a role in private members’ bills and that the onus is on the Senate side. Bovey’s office acknowledged difficulty in finding a sponsor and tying up the senator’s work before her retirement next month. Bovey turns 75 in mid-May, a moveshake that will add a Manitoba seat to the list of 16 current vacancies in the Upper House. | | MEDIA ROOM | |
— The Star's STEPHANIE LEVITZ reports: Trudeau’s Liberals abandon plan to expand banned guns list — but new amendments are coming.
— The GLOBE sets up today's vote that will determine the future of Teck Resources Ltd. — POLITICO’s ALEX WARD offers a video explainer on Sudan's war — and why it matters to the rest of the world. — The BANK OF CANADA has released its first annual climate risk disclosure report. Find it here. — From DAVID THURTON at the CBC: Complaints of anti-Black racism at human rights commission to face Senate scrutiny. — TikTok launched into provincial lobbying blitzes after feds banned the app on government devices. The Investigative Journalism Foundation’s XAVIER RICHER VIS and ROBERTO ROCHA have the story. — In Le Journal de Montreal, SARAH-MAUDE LEFEBVRE reports on three Quebec universities that have research projects with Huawei. — Global News’ JEFF SEMPLE brings readers inside a Taipei classroom where civilians are learning how to survive a Chinese military invasion. — ALEX BOUTILIER of Global News reports: Canada’s political parties are exempt from privacy laws. Voters say that needs to end. | | PROZONE | |
Our latest policy newsletter for Pro s from MAURA FORREST: Meddling vs. muddling in campaigns.
And from ZI-ANN LUM: Canadian public service strike threatens to squeeze ‘critical’ ports. In other news for Pros:
— WHO: Sudan fighters’ occupation of health lab poses ‘huge biological risk.’
— POLITICO Pro Q&A: Steve Verheul.
— Coinbase sues SEC over call for crypto clarity.
— U.S. Cyber Command disrupted Iranian hacking attempt aimed at 2020 elections.
— Pentagon steps up investments in electric tech. | | PLAYBOOKERS | |
Birthdays: HBD to Sen. PETER BOEHM and former Sen. SHARON CARSTAIRS. Also celebrating: RUTH ELLEN BROSSEAU, GILL DEACON, LORNE NYSTROM and LOIS BOONE.
Spotted: On Parliament Hill and in MPs’ selfies: The four crew members from NASA's Artemis-II mission. Brampton Centre MP SHAFQAT ALI paying tribute to former MP GURBAX SINGH MALHI in the House: “As the first Sikh member of Parliament, his persistence on wearing his turban resulted in a historic change in the rules with respect to wearing headgear in the House of Commons.” Media mentions: The new and latest book by BRETT POPPLEWELL tells the story of DAG AABYE, an 81-year-old extreme athlete. Tuesday was its official release date. Movers and shakers: ANGELO GIO MATEO joins the federal privacy commissioner’s office as a policy and research analyst on the AI file. Farewells: Longtime Toronto Sun columnist TAREK FATAH died this week at the age of 73. STEVE PAIKIN pens a rollicking tribute to educator and former Ontario education deputy minister, CHARLES PASCAL. Send Playbookers tips to ottawaplaybook@politico.com. | | On the Hill | |
→ Find upcoming House committees here
→ Keep track of Senate committees here 12 p.m. Canada 2020 hosts a lunchtime “Food As Medicine” panel discussion featuring Dr. ANDREW BOOZARY, Dr. KATE MULLIGAN, KATHRYN SCHARF and JOSHUA SMEE. 1:30 p.m. The Bank of Canada will publish a summary of the deliberations behind its April 12 interest-rate decision. 4 p.m. Bill C-22 is up for study at the Senate social affairs committee. Daily Bread Food Bank CEO NEIL HETHERINGTON is listed as a witness in the second panel. 4 p.m. Sen. PATRICIA BOVEY drops by the Senate foreign affairs committee where her peers are studying cultural diplomacy. 4:15 p.m. OSFI Superintendent PETER ROUTLEDGE will be at the Senate banking committee. 4:15 p.m. The Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee meets to study Bill C-9. 4:30 p.m. Bees get the spotlight for the first half of the House agriculture committee studying the environmental contribution of agriculture. 4:30 p.m. Bill C-290 is up for study at the House government operations committee. 4:30 p.m. The House justice committee will take Bill C-41 through clause-by-clause consideration. 6:45 p.m. Deputy Chief Public Health Officer HOWARD NJOO is one of 15 departmental officials on the witness list at the Senate national finance committee’s study of main estimates. 6:45 p.m. Leaders representing the Siksika Nation, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Piikani Nation, Manitoba Métis Federation and Heiltsuk Nation are witnesses at the Senate Indigenous peoples committee’s study of the Canadian human rights framework. 6:45 p.m. The Senate transport and communications committee will hear from witnesses on Bill C-18. — Behind closed doors: The Senate ethics committee meets to discuss internal matters. The House Indigenous affairs committee is discussing committee business and drafting a report. | | TRIVIA | |
Tuesday’s answer: Quebec was the last province in Canada to grant women the right to vote.
Props to DIANNE BRYDON, SOPHIA LINDFIELD, NANCI WAUGH, DOUG SWEET, BARRE CAMPBELL, JOANNA PLATER, RYAN HAMILTON, ROBERT SPURRIER, GEORGE SCHOENHOFER, SUSAN KEYS, GORDON RANDALL, ALLAN FABRYKANT, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, JONATHAN KALLES, MARC LEBLANC, SHEILA GERVAIS, GERMAINE MALABRE, MORGAN LARHANT and BOB GORDON. Wednesday’s question: Who was the youngest prime minister of Canada ever? Think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best. Want to grab the attention of movers and shakers on Parliament Hill? Want your brand in front of a key audience of Canadian 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. | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
