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Presented by Team SkyGuardian Canada: A daily look inside Canadian politics and power. | | | | |  | | By Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Zi-Ann Lum | | |
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Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. In today's edition: → It's the NDP's turn to pitch a tax exemption that responds to energy affordability woes. → MPs spent how much on cell phone overage fees? → KEN MCDONALD stood accused Monday of flipping the bird at the Tories. Just another day in the House of Commons. |  | Talk of the town | | |
FRESH GOSSIP — We’re now hearing a Fall Economic Statement will be delivered the week of Nov. 20. Finance Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND is expected to reveal the date this week. Want bragging rights? Send us your bets.
| | DRIVING THE DAY | | ALL HOT AIR — Heat pumps are all the rage. British Columbia Premier DAVID EBY was shilling for them at Monday’s meeting of premiers in Halifax. They're even a Halloween costume! Somebody dressed up as a heat pump! In Ottawa! (More on that later.) Heat pumps are having a moment in the House of Commons: zero Hansard mentions in 2020 ticked up to eight in 2021, 46 in 2022, and 118 in 2023 — a sum that is about to increase substantially thanks to an NDP opposition motion on today's House agenda. OK, but before we indulge these gadgets further: what is a heat pump? — Home heat pump (n.): A system that transfers heat between the inside and outside of a home. The pump can both heat and cool. It operates on the same principles as fridges and air conditioners.
|  The pump can both heat and cool. | iStock | | → The longer definition: This lengthy explainer via ENERGY STAR Canada. — Recent buzz: When Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU announced a carbon price exemption for home heating oil, he also boosted incentives for heat-pump installation in cash-strapped households (mostly in Atlantic Canada). The federal math says the "average heat pump" would be free for low-income families — and end up saving up to C$2,500 a year in energy costs. (The Globe's MARIEKE WALSH reported the beefed-up incentives, which increase the federal subsidy to C$15,000 from C$10,000, would ding the feds an extra C$500 million over four years.) — What a mess: The carbon tax exemption enraged provinces that felt left out because their residents — many of whom receive more in carbon rebates than they pay — heat their homes with natural gas, propane or electricity. | | | | A message from Team SkyGuardian Canada: Leveraging the well-proven MQ-9 platform that has supported Five Eyes and NATO missions for more than a decade, Team SkyGuardian brings together the best in business and technology to serve Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the many industries that support them. Our government and industry team will help ensure Canada’s safety and security for the long term. | | |
— How to save climate policy: BRENDAN HALEY, director of policy research for Efficiency Canada, posted an op-ed Monday at National Newswatch that positioned heat pumps as a crucial federal climate-fighting tool. Yes, Haley was the costume guy.
Haley offered the government a way out of its political mess: expand heat pump incentives to all low-income households, and help people of all incomes better insulate their homes. "All government MPs would be able to follow the lead of their Atlantic colleagues by presenting tangible support for heat pumps and insulation, which is easier to explain than a confusing carbon tax/rebate scheme," he wrote. — Easy-to-sell policy: Haley's framing reminded us of a point WWF-Canada CEO MEGAN LESLIE made at last week's Canada 2020 conference. "I find that a lot of our climate policies, like a carbon tax or the electricity regulations, they're so technocratic. Up there in the sky. They don't relate to me as a human being in my life," the former NDP MP told the Westin Hotel audience. "I would focus on policies that people could see their values in: having access to a warm and comfortable home through energy efficiency. Having access to green technologies, whether I'm a farmer or somebody who drives a taxi." — If you know you know: The fact that Leslie and Haley agree shouldn't come as a total surprise: They are spouses, after all. — Today in the House: It's an opposition day, and legislators will debate NDP MP LAUREL COLLINS' motion to remove the federal sales tax from all forms of home heating, make retrofits and heat pumps "free and easy to access" for all "low-income and middle-class Canadians," and pay for it all by taxing excess profits of fossil fuel companies. "While the Liberals make policy based on their political interest and the Conservatives deny climate change outright to protect the profits of rich oil and gas companies, the NDP is offering a real plan to lower home heating bills and cut climate pollution," read a statement sent to Playbook by NDP MP TAYLOR BACHRACH. | | For your radar | | | | 
POLITICO Canada | HOUSE BUDGETS — Playbook's inbox pinged with a quarterly reminder of how much MPs billed the taxpayer over a three-month period. The House of Commons website recently dropped figures for the first quarter of 2023-24, which covers April 1 to June 30. These sums caught our attention: 261: MPs who paid voice and data overage fees for mobile devices. C$22,841.80: Combined overage fees. Tory MP LAILA GOODRIDGE racked up the most (C$517.39). Tory MP MARILYN GLADU racked up the least (20 cents). 1: MP who expensed primary residence internet. (It was Tory MP PIERRE PAUL-HUS.) C$76.90: Paul-Hus' bill, a holdover from the old days. (Remember the kerfuffle over MPs who saddled taxpayers with their home internet costs? From Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022, 93 MPs racked up C$95,318.61 in said expenses — or 0.063 percent of all expenses for the same period. Every party abandoned the practice in response to National Post reporting.) C$1,693.00: Pins and flags, expensed by all MPs combined. C$1,223.99: Shredding costs, expensed by all MPs combined. | | TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS | | — Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU will chair Cabinet and attend question period. — Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND will attend Cabinet and QP. — The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is starting a two-day "critical minerals mission" in Washington in association with the Canadian Embassy, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the provincial offices operating in D.C. 9 a.m. Freeland will make an announcement and hold a media availability. She will be joined by Procurement Minister JEAN-YVES DUCLOS and Treasury Board President ANITA ANAND. 9:10 a.m. U.S. Ambassador DAVID COHEN is at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa to deliver the opening keynote at the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters AGM. Stay tuned for our parsing of every line. 11 a.m. JERRY DEMARCO, commissioner of the environment and sustainable development, will hold a news conference after releasing five performance audit reports. 11 a.m. NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH will hold a presser on the NDP's call for a removal of the GST off from home heating and a national heat pump program. 11:30 a.m. Bombardier CEO ÉRIC MARTEL speaks at the Canadian Aerospace Summit — elsewhere at the Shaw Centre. At 4:30 p.m., Martel talks military procurement at the House defense committee. 12:15 p.m. Environment Minister STEVEN GUILBEAULT talks net-zero strategy at the CME AGM. 1 p.m. Trade Minister MARY NG takes her turn onstage at the CME AGM, an hour after testifying on the Canada-Ukraine free trade deal at a House committee. 1:45 p.m. Employment Minister RANDY BOISSONNAULT is Cabmin No. 3 of the day at CME. 2 p.m. Senate Speaker RAYMONDE GAGNÉ will preside over the swearing-in of Sen. RODGER CUZNER. 2:45 p.m. MITCH DAVIES, the senior bureaucrat who oversees the federal Strategic Innovation Fund, speaks to the CME crowd. 4:15 p.m. LISA RAITT, vice chair of global investment banking at CIBC Capital Markets, closes the program at CME. 5:30 p.m. Senators vote on an amended committee report on Bill C-234, which would take the carbon levy off of grain-drying and barn-heating and cooling. 5:30 p.m. Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE headlines a fundraiser at The WoodSource, a wood products company in his riding — the makers of that oversized "Common Cents" replica coin from the early days of his leadership bid. | | | | A message from Team SkyGuardian Canada:   | | | | | MEDIA ROOM | | — “In the bubble of the politically obsessed around Parliament Hill, people generally make two observations about Housing Minister SEAN FRASER: he is very tall; and, man, can he talk,” the Star’s ALEX BALLINGALL writes at the start of his profile. — Angus Reid Institute President SHACHI KURL was on The Hot Room pod to discuss the sour public attitude toward the House of Commons. — From our colleagues in London: Why Charles III will hate every word of his first King’s Speech. — POLITICO’s NAHAL TOOSI obtained a dissent memo that reveals U.S. State Department staffers offered a blistering critique of the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, arguing that, among other things, the U.S. should be willing to publicly criticize the Israelis. — Finally, from AARON WHERRY of CBC News: Could the Liberals' carbon tax troubles light a fire under the move toward heat pumps? | | PROZONE | |
Our latest policy newsletter for POLITICO Pro s by KYLE DUGGAN: Turning up the political (home) heat.
In other news for Pro s: — Seizing Russian cash to rebuild Ukraine won’t be so easy. — An EV slowdown? Battery makers are cool with that. — For sale: Data on U.S. servicemembers — and lots of it. — Biden administration rule sets stage for CCS in U.S. national forests. — EU-China summit to take place next month. | | PLAYBOOKERS | |
Birthdays: HBD to former Liberal Cabmin MARYAM MONSEF and former Conservative-turned-Liberal MP EVE ADAMS.
Send us birthdays: ottawaplaybook@politico.com Spotted: Some of PIERRE POILIEVRE's break week travel plans, including a Nov. 14 fundraiser in Victoria, B.C., followed by one in Kingsville, Ont. on Nov. 15. Former Conservative leader ERIN O'TOOLE, retracing the training route of the binational Devil's Brigade commando unit that wreaked havoc on Axis forces in WW2. — Scenes from the House: Liberal MP YVAN BAKER, apologizing after snapping from his seat in the House a photo of his father in the gallery — a violation of chamber rules … Tory whip KERRY-LYNNE FINDLAY demanded Baker delete the material. (There goes the centerpiece of the next Baker family newsletter.) Liberal MP KEVIN LAMOUREUX, chuckling after being burned by Conservative MP JAMES BEZAN as someone who “talks and talks” without saying anything. Liberals, leaping to Lamoureux’s defense with a clappy standing O. Liberal MP KEN MCDONALD, serving up what looked like a schoolyard middle-finger taunt. He claimed he was scratching his temple — for the record, he did use two fingers — as he voted against the Conservative motion to take the federal carbon levy off all forms of home heating … The incident ballooned into a 20-minute House debate. “My goodness … so awful,” JODY WILSON-RAYBOULD tweeted, a sentiment reshared by Sen. PAMELA WALLIN. Movers and shakers: Former Tory MP BERNARD TROTTIER is seeking the party nomination in Etobicoke–Lakeshore, Ont. Trottier lost to Liberal MP JAMES MALONEY at the dawn of the Trudeau era in 2015. His reemergence is reminiscent of 11 Liberals who won back their seats after being swept away by STEPHEN HARPER's majority in 2011. 338Canada gives the Tories an edge in the riding. MARY-LIZ POWER has left Foreign Affairs Minister MÉLANIE JOLY’s policy team and has joined Public Safety Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC’s crew as deputy director of policy. Media mentions: Globe telecom reporter ALEX POSADZKI is publishing a book on the Succession-esque drama that rocked the Rogers family. “Rogers v. Rogers: The Battle for Control of Canada's Telecom Empire” is out in February. TOBIN NG has been named associate editor at Maisonneuve. Toronto Star owner and publisher JORDAN BITOVE has been named to the Order of Ontario. Starting Monday, SANDIE RINALDO will anchor an early edition of “CTV National News” on weekdays at 5:30 p.m. Farewells: The CBC’s ELIZABETH GRAY died late last month. “She asked the tough questions without fear or favour,” Sen. PAMELA WALLIN says in ALAN FREEMAN’s Globe obit on the veteran broadcaster. | | | | A message from Team SkyGuardian Canada: Learn about the remotely piloted multi-mission aircraft built on Canadian industrial partnerships to deliver sovereignty and security for Canada. | | | | | AROUND THE HILL | |
— The Cabinet meets in Ottawa.
9 a.m. The Senate’s Indigenous Peoples committee gets briefings from the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas and Oblate General Archives. 9 a.m. The Senate finance committee digs into the main estimates and will hear from research granting councils before going into clause-by-clause on Bill C-241, which deals with tax deductions of travel expenses for tradespersons and apprentices. 9:30 a.m. The Senate’s rules, procedures and the rights of parliament committee meets to talk committee structure and mandates and will hear from Clerk Assistant SHAILA ANWAR. 11 a.m. International Trade Minister MARY NG will be at the House international trade committee to take questions about Bill C-57, legislation to implement the Canada-Ukraine free trade deal. 11 a.m. The House foreign affairs committee’s subcommittee on international human rights meets to continue its study on the unlawful transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia. 11 a.m. The House public accounts committee hosts Women and Gender Equality Deputy Minister FRANCES MCRAE for its study on the auditor general’s audit of gender-based analysis plus. 3:30 p.m. Immigration Minister MARC MILLER will take a seat at the House citizenship and immigration committee as MPs launch a new study on closed work permits and temporary foreign workers. Miller told reporters last week that Canada has “become addicted” to temporary foreign workers and that “a conversation” about the topic is overdue. 3:30 p.m. The House national defense committee will meet for the ninth time since June to continue learning about Canada’s military procurement process. Bombardier president and CEO ÉRIC MARTEL joins the committee for the second half of the meeting. 3:30 p.m. The House government operations committee will meet to continue its study on the ArriveCAN app with testimony from senior Canada Revenue Agency and health officials. 3:30 p.m. The House Indigenous and northern affairs committee will continue its study on Bill C-53. 3:30 p.m. The House industry committee meets to discuss a request from members to launch a new study on Sustainable Development Technology Canada. 3:30 p.m. The House justice committee will meet to study Bill C-40. 4 p.m. The House veterans affairs committee will meet to continue discussions about the national monument to Canada’s mission in Afghanistan. 6:30 p.m. The special joint committee on medical assistance in dying will follow up on recommendation No. 13 of its second report. 6:30 p.m. The Senate energy and environment committee tackles Bill S-241, aka the Jane Goodall Act, which would usher in new legal protections for captive animals. 6:30 p.m. The Senate agriculture committee continues its hearings on soil health. Behind closed doors: The House heritage committee meets to review a draft of its study on safe sport in Canada; the House fisheries and oceans committee meets; the House environment committee meets to talk “committee business”; same with the House procedure and House affairs committee; the House industry committee’s subcommittee on agenda and procedure, too. The Senate’s transport committee huddles on future business. | | | | PLAYBOOK IS GOING GLOBAL! We’re excited to introduce Global Playbook, POLITICO’s premier newsletter that brings you inside the most important conversations at the most influential events in the world. From the buzzy echoes emanating from the snowy peaks at the WEF in Davos to the discussions and personalities at Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to the heart of diplomacy at UNGA in New York City – author Suzanne Lynch brings it all to your fingertips. Experience the elite. Witness the influential. And never miss a global beat. BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | TRIVIA | |
Monday’s answer: On Nov. 6, 1919, GEORGE FOSTER, acting PM of Canada, read a message from KING GEORGE V to the House of Commons. On Nov. 11, businesses, factories, schools and offices came to a halt for two minutes of silence.
Props to JOHN DELACOURT, AMY BOUGHNER, JENI ARMSTRONG, GERMAINE MALABRE, SM LEDUC, MAUREEN MACGILLIVRAY, ANDREW SZENDE, FRED PEARSON, BRIAN GILBERTSON, GUY SKIPWORTH, MATTHEW CONWAY, GEORGE SCHOENHOFER, MARK AGNEW, KEVIN BOSCH, LAURA JARVIS, WILL BULMER, GORDON RANDALL, PATRICK ST-JACQUES, MARC LEBLANC, DIANNE SHERRIN and MARY JANE ALLAN. Have a trivia question that will stump Playbook readers? Send it our way. Today’s question: On this day in history, who drove the “last” spike into Canada’s transcontinental railway? 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? Run a Playbook ad campaign. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com. Playbook wouldn’t happen without: POLITICO Canada editor Sue Allan, Luiza Ch. Savage and Emma Anderson. | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
