Pressure’s on for a Seaway deal

By Kyle Duggan and Zi-Ann Lum

Presented by the Canadian dairy, poultry and egg sector

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In today's edition:

→ With St. Lawrence Seaway talks set to restart Friday, Labor Minister SEAMUS O’REGAN vows to keep the pressure up for both sides to reach an agreement.

→ Commons committee calls for stiffer penalties for national security leakers.

→ An interview with former Liberal cabinet minister MARC GARNEAU on his new side gig.

A barge floats down the St. Lawrence River in this 2021 photo from Quebec. | Andrej Ivanov/AFP via Getty Images

SEAWAY STRIKE — Unifor and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) are set to return to the table in Toronto on Friday morning.

Despite calls for the government to intervene, Labor Minister SEAMUS O’REGAN said he’s opting to keep the pressure on to ensure both sides work it out on their own at the bargaining table.

“They know that’s where the deal has to be made,” he told reporters Tuesday. “But for too long it was short-circuited — that government would intervene and they wouldn’t have to do the hard work at the table.”

If both sides don’t work it out, though, he’s prepared to use “every friggin’ device in the Canada Labor Code that I can find to make sure they’ll do a deal at the table, because those are the ones that are sustained.”

Both sides in the labor dispute issued statements Tuesday, after the government’s mediator BRIAN STEVENS of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services urged them back to bargaining talks.

“Our goal remains to achieve a fair and reasonable collective agreement for those who work along the St. Lawrence Seaway,” read a statement from Unifor.

The locks remain closed for business in the meantime and more than 35 inbound vessels are affected by the situation, according to JEAN AUBRY-MORIN, VP of external relations for SLSMC, who said he is “hopeful” for a speedy outcome.

— Stakes are high: It’s a big deal for deliveries of grain, fertilizer, potash, steel and construction material, leading to both backlogs and companies dipping into their stock supplies, as the window on the shipping season ticks down.

It’s also an issue for things like jet fuel, which Pearson airport takes in from the marine industry, heaping pressure on the transportation sector.

Some C$16.7 billion in goods last year passed through the lengthy marine highway that runs from Montreal to Lake Erie and serves as the gateway to major North American ports.

The employer, which has characterized the talks as being inspired by recent automotive bargaining, has appealed to the Canada Industrial Relations Board seeking a ruling that would ensure the passage of grain. CIRB has started into fact finding but made no decisions.

A message from the Canadian dairy, poultry and egg sector:

Canada’s innovative system of supply management supports sustainability, enables innovative solutions, promotes Canada’s food sovereignty, and drives economic activity that builds strong communities. Supply management is a testament to the strength and resilience of the Canadian agriculture sector. Stand with Canada’s farmers by supporting Bill C-282, An Act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (supply management). Click here to learn more.

PRESSURE TO SPEED UP — It’s nearly November, yet the name DAVID JOHNSTON is still hanging on the lips of MPs in the capital.

Foreign interference is rushing back to the fore as MPs manage a juggling act of several burning hot files on the political agenda.

It comes the same week that MPs were targeted with a “spamouflague” attack linked to Chinese propaganda — something Transport Minister PABLO RODRIGUEZ seemingly hadn’t heard about, since he responded with a “what?” and a laugh when asked by a reporter if he was targeted.

— Leakers in the crosshairs: Among the Commons ethics committee’s two dozen recommendations released at a press conference Tuesday, the committee wants Ottawa to hold tech giants accountable for the spread of false information online, and have CSIS be a lot more up-front with Canadians about information on national security threats to help tackle foreign interference.

Yet at the same time, the committee’s report calls for strengthening rules and penalties against national-security intelligence leakers, after being told by experts the intelligence leaks about attempted Chinese interference “undermined efforts to confront the threat,” the report notes.

That conclusion was reached after MPs were told throughout their hearings that Canada has ignored foreign interference for far too long. And the issue only exploded onto the political scene when national security secrets leaked out to the press.

Although one of the vice chairs, Bloc MP RENÉ VILLEMURE, said he doesn’t approve of leaks in general, he added: “I'm forced to say in this case, it's helped a lot.”

— What’s the holdup?: Asked about the speed at which the government is moving on foreign interference, Villemure pointed to delays with launching the public inquiry — work going on now behind closed doors with a report date set for February.

“People asked me a lot over the summer, ‘How is this taking so much time?’ Well, this takes time — to find the right person, to do the right thing — and after Mr. Johnston, who was basically crucified, not many people were at the gate.”

— Updateless update: Playbook reached out to the media team for the public inquiry with a set of questions, only to be told it “does not have any additional information to share regarding its operations” but that it “will share information on next steps later this fall.”

Villemure wasn’t the only Bloc MP asking questions like that Tuesday. His party is putting its own bill forward to establish a foreign agents registry to pressure the Liberals into acting quicker — something the Conservatives had tried to do before the last election but failed.

 At the same time as that calm, candid and non-confrontational press conference, sparks were flying from heated exchanges between Conservative MP MICHAEL COOPER and Emergency Preparedness Minister BILL BLAIR at the procedure and House affairs committee, occasionally talking over each other, about whether Blair threw top bureaucrats under the bus.

— What’s the holdup, pt. II: When it was Bloc MP MARIE-HÉLÈNE GAUDREAU’s time to speak, she pressed Blair on what’s taking so long for the government to move on its own foreign agents registry legislation — with no clear date in sight.

“When I go home, I can't tell my constituents anything to reassure them that we've taken this in hand,” she said. “I'm just wondering: do you have too much work to do? Or is it just not important enough?”

Blair said it’s a “priority that we do it right.”

 — What’s next: Former CPC leader ERIN O’TOOLE is up to bat at PROC tomorrow.

— Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU attends the national caucus meeting at 10 a.m. and Question Period at 2 p.m.

— Deputy Prime Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND is in Calgary, Alberta and will visit a geothermal energy company at 4 p.m. EST for an announcement.

A message from the Canadian dairy, poultry and egg sector:

Marc Garneau, a former Cabinet minister, says he does not miss Parliament Hill. | Getty Images

THE UNDERSTUDY — The 20th Korea-Canada forum kicks off in Seoul today and by the end of it, MARC GARNEAU will be officially appointed as its new Canadian co-chair.

Six sessions have been organized over three days in the heart of the city’s business district for some frank talk about geopolitical challenges facing both Canada and South Korea.

Garneau tells Playbook AI and energy security are priority topics on the agenda as potential areas for increased cooperation.

After leaving federal politics in March, the former Trudeau Cabinet minister says his new side gig doesn’t have a fixed term and that his tenure as Canadian co-chair is open-ended.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Do you miss the Hill? 

No, I don’t. It was the right time for me to retire last March. And in these past seven months, I have not regretted my decision.

I was ready to leave. I had promised my family to spend more time with them. I had almost left in 2021, but I decided to stay on.

Specifically, my last big responsibility was to co-chair the special joint committee of Parliament on medical assistance in dying. And that's something that I took to heart. When I tabled the report in February, it was a logical time for me to pull the plug.

Yet in retirement, you’re looking at this new role as co-chair of the Canada-Korea Forum — what do you hope to achieve during your tenure? 

Retirement doesn't mean sitting in a chair all day long and doing nothing. It means doing the things you'd like to do and not doing the things that feel like work. I'm lucky to still have my health — and I think I still have my brain — and I did want to make a contribution on a part-time basis to certain activities that interested me.

I had the pleasure of going to Korea twice last year in a non-official capacity. I'm very much taken with the country. It's a country that Canada needs to continue building relations with. And I was very much involved during my short nine months at foreign affairs with helping to develop the Indo-Pacific strategy. It’s something I feel very strongly about.

To put it bluntly, we're in the Indo-Pacific century and Canada needs to be an active participant. We're kind of a little bit late coming to the table. So I wanted to make a contribution outside of politics, and Korea is a natural country to focus on for a whole bunch of reasons.

What have you heard from the Federation of Korean Industries about what they’re specifically looking for in Canada? 

Certainly very interested in ways of exploiting artificial intelligence in virtually every sphere of human existence today. That's one area. They are very much interested as well in critical minerals. We will make recommendations to the government on potential areas of further cooperation, including in the business sector.

Does the possibility of a Trump comeback help your mission to strengthen Canada-Korea relations?

I don't think so. Korea is our seventh partner at the moment in terms of the amounts of imports and exports. There is great potential in the Indo-Pacific region — Korea — but also other countries. I don't think that American domestic politics plays into this particular case.

How are you considering the diplomatic realities of China and India in your work with South Korea? 

Canada has its own challenges with respect to our relations with China, with India. And that's just a reality. We also trade with both those countries, engage with those countries.

We have to cooperate with them on certain issues that are global, such as climate change, and work together.

We also compete with them on world markets. We also sometimes criticize each other because we have differences of opinion — and that's not going to change. But we want to be sensitive to the geopolitical realities of a country like Korea, which is right up against China and not far from Russia, learning about their realities.

The purpose of the forum is to have these open, frank discussions. Because Korea has stated it wants to become a pivotal state globally. And this is an interesting point.

Canada and Korea are both middle powers. Economically speaking, we're both ninth, tenth in terms of GDP. By and large, the two countries are respected. They’re democracies, they believe in the international rules-based order. And at a time when superpowers have a disproportionate voice on the world stage, it’s a good thing if middle powers who have credibility can be voices that can be heard, perhaps in some cases collectively.

That's something that is worth exploring because we need to hear from our middle powers.

You contributed to the Indo-Pacific strategy. In light of Canada’s current relations with India, do you believe the strategy needs an update or revision?

It needs to be adjusted in real time continuously without abrogating, without giving up on your fundamental principles. Diplomacy is always dynamic. It doesn't mean bending certain things just for convenience’s sake.

But we also have to realize there's a larger political context in some of our dealings with other countries — and we have to take that into consideration.

India and Canada have had traditionally good relations and it goes back a long way. We have to sort of mend fences now because of what happened without bending on certain things. And I'm sure that there's a way to do it.

— The Star’s STEPHANIE LEVITZ writes on Trudeau’s “Team Economy.”

— From APTN News: Federal Court approves C$23B First Nations child-welfare settlement.

— A surgeon at CHEO “re-partnered” with SOPHIE GRÉGOIRE TRUDEAU according to a court claim that does not name her explicitly, GLEN MCGREGOR substacks. McGregor writes: “If the claim is accurate, it could give new context to the demise of the Trudeau marriage — and show the challenges Grégoire Trudeau faces as she tries to move on from her former life and the police protection it required.”

— HEATHER EXNER-PIROT makes the case on The Hub that the oilsands’ weaknesses are turning into strengths.

— Defense Minister BILL BLAIR said Hamas must be “eliminated,” while also dismissing calls (including the ones coming from his own caucus) for a ceasefire,reports National Post’s CATHERINE LÉVESQUE.

— Canadian author ADAM GOPNIK, a McGill grad himself, calls Quebec’s tuition decision to nearly double costs for out-of-province university students “bewildering,” BILL BROWNSTEINwrites in the Montreal Gazette.

Our latest policy newsletter for Pro s by SUE ALLAN: Energy transition is ‘unstoppable,’ IEA chief says.

In other news for Pros: 

— UAW strike, slowing EV sales growth hurt GM's bottom line.

— Dozens of states sue Meta over addictive features harming kids.

— New York rolls out renewable projects in bid to save climate goals.

— Hot new Canada oil play draws drillers seeking greener crude.

— U.S. Commerce Secretary GINA RAIMONDO “optimistic” of IPEF deal in time for APEC summit.

Birthdays: HBD to MAURICE RIOUX, director of government relations at Proof Strategies.

HBD + 1 to JAMIL JIVANI, a Conservative activist and favorite to win an eventual byelection in Durham, Ont. (ERIN O'TOOLE formally resigned Aug. 2. That means the prime minister must announce the date of the election no later than Jan. 30. The last possible voting day is Monday, March 18.)

Birthdays, gatherings, social notices for this community: Send them our way.

Spotted: JUSTIN TRUDEAU, booked for a Friday morning conversation on housing affordability at Montreal's Club Saint-James. Only club members are allowed at the event held in association with the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec. PMO Quebec adviser WILLIAM HARVEY-BLOUIN amplified chamber CEO CHARLES MILLIARD's LinkedIn post.

At the Canadian Federation of Agriculture reception at SJAM: LAWRENCE MACAULAY, KODY BLOIS, FRANCIS DROUIN, SCOT DAVIDSON.

A sweater-clad PIERRE POILIEVRE in a fireside-chat style video on social media expounding on what his bring-it-home slogan means.

JOYCE NAPIER and National Foreign Trade Council Chair SUSAN SCHWAB at a Canadian American Business Council event, which included a roundtable on the “damaging effects of digital services taxes.”

Former Sen. ANDRÉ PRATTE in the pages of La Presse rejecting calls to run for Liberal leadership in Quebec.

GCSurplushawking “complete series” DVD sets of the 1980s TV crime drama “Spenser: for Hire” for the reasonable price of C$5 a pop.

Movers and shakers: Sussex Strategy's DAN LOVELL, who reps Nukik Corporation on the Hill, posted a Monday meeting with PMO senior adviser BEN CHIN. The Inuit-led infrastructure company hopes to build the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link, a project namechecked in Budget 2023 that aims to bring renewable energy and fiber-optic internet to Nunavut.

STEPHANIE DELORME is now Rubicon Strategy’s chief operating officer, while ELIZABETH ROSCOE becomes their executive vice president and will manage the consultancy’s Ottawa office.

Former cabmin NAVDEEP BAINS joins the advisory board of the Canadian American Business Council, following recent additions of MARYSCOTT GREENWOOD and MACK MOORE.

VINA NADJIBULLA joins the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada as its new vice president of research and strategy.

Media moves: Queen of the telecom beat ANJA KARADEGLIJA is leaving National Post on Friday for new ventures.

Send Playbookers tips to ottawaplaybook@politico.com .

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— It’s caucus day on the Hill.

11:30 a.m. The Senate national security committee will study Bill C-21 with the help of academic experts.

1:30 p.m. The Senate ethics committee will consider an inquiry report from the Senate ethics officer.

4:15 p.m. The Senate social affairs committee will hear from child care experts on C-35.

4:15 p.m. JON LOVE, CEO of KingSett Capital, will be at the Senate finance committee. 

4:15 p.m. Justice Minister ARIF VIRANI and department officials will be at the Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee to discuss Bill S-13. 

4:30 p.m. The House human resources committee continues its study of the Canada Summer Jobs Wage Subsidy Program.

4:30 p.m. Privacy Commissioner PHILIPPE DUFRESNE will attend the House ethics committee to take questions on his annual reports. During the second hour of his appearance, MPs will focus on social media platforms that harvest data and share personal information with foreign entities.

4:30 p.m. The House committee on science and research meets to discuss the use of federal grants in partnerships with entities connected to China.

4:30 p.m. Minister RANDY BOISSONNAULT will attend the House committee on official languages to brief MPs on his mandate and priorities.

4:30 p.m. Bill C-20 will be the focus of the House committee on public safety and national security. 

4:30 p.m. The House transport committee will have its attention trained on Bill C-33. 

6:45 p.m. The Senate committee on Indigenous People will hear from CADMUS DELORME, chair of the Residential School Documents Advisory Committee; RAYMOND FROGNER, head of archives at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation; MARY MUSQUA-CULBERTSON from the Treaty Commissioner Office of the Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan; and former special family support adviser ANNE PANASUK.

6:45 p.m. The Senate national finance committee will study Main Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.

6:45 p.m. The Senate transportation committee will hear from two panels on the impacts of climate change on critical infrastructure.

7:30 p.m. Public Health Agency of Canada officials will be at the House health committee as it undertakes clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-293.

A message from the Canadian dairy, poultry and egg sector:

Supply management has provided countless benefits to farmers and Canadians alike for over five decades. In an era of volatility and change, this innovative system acts as a stabilizing force in our agriculture sector. It offers Canadian farmers a stable market for their products, allowing them to plan for the future. This stability reaches well beyond the farm, fostering strong communities from coast to coast to coast.

Supply management provides a dependable supply of high-quality food on our store shelves while fostering innovation, sustainability, and domestic self-sufficiency. An economic powerhouse, it generates over 339,000 jobs, contributes $30.1 billion to Canada’s GDP, and delivers $5.95 billion in tax revenue each year.

This system serves as the foundation for our agricultural success. Stand with Canada’s farmers by supporting Bill C-282, An Act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (supply management). Click here to learn more.

Tuesday’s answer: ANNIE EDSON TAYLOR made history Oct. 24, 1901, when she went over Niagara Falls in a barrel and survived.

Props to KATHERINE FEENAN, DARREN MAJOR, CAMERON RYAN, ALYSON FAIR, MATT DELISLE, FERNANDO MELO, DAVE EPP, BOB GORDON, GEORGE SCHOENHOFER, DOUG RICE, GUY SKIPWORTH, AMY CASTLE and ROB LEFORTE.

Think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best.

Wednesday’s question: Name the Canadian politician who said: “I could say how many jobs I'd like to create, but, I'm sorry, that's old politics.” For bonus marks, tell us how your answer connects to this date in history.

Answers to ottawaplaybook@politico.com

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