| | | | |  | | By Nick Taylor-Vaisey | Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Nick | Follow Politico Canada Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. In today's edition: → The constructive side of Reddit. Yes, you read that right. → We asked economists to gamble on 2024. → Easter eggs in PMO photog ADAM SCOTTI's annual photo dump. |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | | 
Kitchener Centre MP Mike Morrice says conversation on his local Reddit helps to shape his work in the House. | Nick Taylor-Vaisey/POLITICO | REDDIT: THE GOOD PLACE? — Kitchener Centre MP MIKE MORRICE is learning to make priorities in the House — with a little help from Reddit. Morrice, one of two Green MPs, has managed to find a tendril of the extremely online world that wants to help him be better at his job. And produce tangible changes in Ottawa. A subreddit can be a nasty place. Reddit is an internet platform, and people on the internet treat each other poorly. Except, well, when they don't. For the past several months, Morrice has harnessed r/Kitchener to help shape government policy. — Case study: Kitchener is one of dozens of cities and towns in Canada where international students are caught in the crosshairs of complex public policy debates. Canada's population is booming, in large part due to a constant influx of non-permanent residents — including hundreds of thousands of students. Many feel exploited by a system that promised more than it delivered on job prospects and permanent immigration to Canada. Meanwhile, residents are worried about a lack of infrastructure to accommodate spiking numbers of new students. Morrice was hearing about both sides from constituents when he manned booths at summer festivals. And then on Sept. 3 he jumped in on a Reddit thread about the issue. One user, PancakesGhost, was incredulous in reply: "It never occurred to me that MPs might have Reddit accounts. This is both strange, but reassuring." — From callout to fold-in: The Redditors fueled a digital conversation that spilled into the real world. Morrice met with students, employers, post-secondary schools and the education agents who connect the dots in their worlds. Together they decided a private member's motion could put solutions on the record in the House. Redditors popped to collaborate: "That creates momentum for my team," Morrice tells Playbook. "It just made it so easy for our legislative team to dig in." Morrice brought a draft motion to the subreddit, which produced constructive tweaks. He introduced the motion in the House on Oct. 19. He also brought his ideas to Immigration Minister MARC MILLER's staff, and secured a commitment from the minister to consider the proposals. "There was friction along the way, here and there. But there was real openness from him," Morrice says, acknowledging the minister was already contemplating policy changes.
|  MP Mike Morrice says he likes that most of the people chiming in on Kitchener's subreddit actually live there. | Getty Images | — Batting .300: On Dec. 7, Miller folded three of the 10 planks in Morrice's motion into policy changes designed to protect international students from abuse. Students will be required to prove financial capacity of C$20,635, a doubling of the current threshold meant to help them prepare for the cost of living. The government will adjust that threshold on an annual basis. And the feds will enforce a cap on off-campus work hours for international students, allowing them to focus more on studies. — Why Reddit works: Morrice says the platform has two things going for it. Most of the people who chime in on Kitchener's subreddit actually live there. And the community there regulates the conversation, rewarding the most constructive ideas and discouraging the vile stuff. "These are people who live here and have a good connection to place," Morrice tells Playbook. "Unlike other social media platforms, where you can only up-vote, there's a better chance that the trolls get down-voted." — Tough talk: On another issue, some constituents slammed Morrice's vote in favor of S-210, a bill meant to restrict minors' online access to sexually explicit material. Critics have dismissed the legislation as an unconstitutional censorship tool. Morrice read it all, and reconsidered his position. "Equipped with the feedback from this thread and emails in the past 24 hours, I wish my team and I had had more time for more research on this bill before Wednesday’s vote," he wrote. "If I were asked today to vote again on sending S-210 to committee, I would vote against doing so." | | | Where the leaders are | | |
— Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU will be in the National Capital Region with "no public events" on his agenda — a new turn of phrase on his itineraries for 2024.
— Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND is in Toronto for "private meetings." | | For your radar | |
OVER/UNDER: ECON EDITION — Playbook asked some of Canada's leading economic thinkers to take a stab at the state of the nation at the end of 2024, a year that promises supply chain shocks, a housing supply crunch, anemic economic growth and political uncertainty in Washington. Good times, eh?
— Our roster of prognosticators: KEVIN PAGE and MOSTAFA ASKARI from the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy; DAVID MACDONALD from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives; SEAN SPEER from the Munk School of Global Affairs; TREVOR TOMBE from the University of Calgary; JENNIFER ROBSON from Carleton University; STEPHEN TAPP from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce; ROB GILLEZEAU from the University of Toronto; BRETT HOUSE from Columbia University; KEVIN MILLIGAN from the University of British Columbia, and MIKE MOFFATT from the Smart Prosperity Institute. — Will interest rates land over or under 4 percent? Nearly three-quarters took the over, meaning the Bank of Canada's policy rate — 5 percent at the moment — would not come down more than a point before the (potential) election year of 2025. → Over: Macdonald, Speer, Robson, Gillezeau, House, Moffatt, Askari, Milligan → Under: Page, Tombe, Tapp — Will inflation settle over or under 2.75 percent? All but one of our correspondents see the consumer price index falling comfortably within the BOC's 1-3 percent target range. → Over: Speer → Under: Macdonald, Robson, Gillezeau, House, Moffatt, Askari, Milligan, Page, Tombe, Tapp — Will Canada have experienced a recession? This question split the crowd. Robson decided against taking a stand. → Yes: Speer, Macdonald, Moffatt, Page, Tombe → No: Gillezeau, House, Askari, Milligan, Tapp — What is one new year's resolution that Ottawa should adopt? Gillezeau: "A responsible approach to immigration that is forward looking, allowing for Canada to continue as a nation of immigrants, but at a pace and with a design that does not undermine housing affordability, service provision, and wage gains particularly for lower wage workers." Robson: "Picture BART SIMPSON writing on the chalkboard: 'I will pay as much attention to revenues as I do to expenditures.'" Macdonald: "Inflation at 3.5 percent is fine. Make sure the Bank of Canada gets the memo." House: "The federal government should be focused on increasing business investment, raising Canadian productivity, and boosting Canada's housing stock. " Askari: "Fiscal prudence!" — Save the date: We'll check the economists' work in 2025 and crown a prognosticator of the year alongside a similar award for Canada's pundit class. | | | ALSO FOR YOUR RADAR | | | | 
Photographer Adam Scotti snaps his boss en route to an April 2021 press conference. | Adrian Wyld, The Canadian Press | PMO EASTER EGGS — The prime minister's photog, ADAM SCOTTI, always posts his fave photos of the year on Medium. Scotti filed 28,000-ish in 2023, whittled down to a chronological, behind-the-shutter look at life for the PM. Some of them offer tidbits that never got reported. Here's what we noticed: — Rough notes: Trudeau learned about DAVID JOHNSTON's resignation as "special rapporteur" on foreign interference during an unannounced trip to Ukraine on June 9. During a phone call in which the PM was notified of the news, he penned a three-word note to update his staff. Also in the photo: a brownie with strawberry garnish, a bag of Ruffles, and the May 29 issue of The New Yorker — with a note referring to "cadet story." The long feature chronicled life on the front in Ukraine, including for a 19-year-old Ukrainian codenamed Cadet. — War briefing: On Oct. 26, Trudeau and national security adviser JODY THOMAS briefed opposition leaders on the Israel-Hamas war. Also in the room: PMO chief of staff KATIE TELFORD; Privy Council clerk JOHN HANNAFORD; Conservative MP MICHAEL CHONG; PIERRE POILIEVRE chief of staff IAN TODD; Bloc Québécois Leader YVES-FRANÇOIS BLANCHET; NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH; Singh chief of staff JENNIFER HOWARD. Not in the room: Poilievre. — Kitchen-table briefing: Former Privy Council clerk MICHAEL WERNICK has written extensively about the close working relationship between clerks and PMs. Evidence in the wild: Hannaford exchanging views with Trudeau in the Rideau Cottage kitchen. — Quiet dinner: Trudeau and Barbados PM MIA MOTTLEY shared a meal at SugarKane in Toronto during Mottley's October visit. The Caribbean resto's owners regretted the timing of a break from work. — Sounds familiar: Scotti was occasionally barred from taking photos at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan. Ask any Ottawa journalist about access restrictions during high-stakes events. We, uh, know the feeling. — Obligatory hockey photo: The PM's team made sure the Leafs game was on TV during an April 27 reception hosted by New York Consul General TOM CLARK. Trudeau dropped in on MIKE MYERS, a world-famous Scarberian and Leaf fan who watched the home team lose decisively (naturally) to the Tampa Bay Lightning. | | | MEDIA ROOM | | |
— POLITICO’s senior foreign affairs correspondent NAHAL TOOSI pens her inaugural Compass column with exclusive new details about sensitive talks between the U.S. and the Israeli PM: “How the U.S. is ‘Bibi-sitting’ an Israeli leader losing control.”
— From JACKIE MCKAY of CBC News: Trial of prominent Wet'suwet'en leader and land defenders begins. — Pollara Strategic Insights' annual economic outlook suggests Canada’s post-COVID economic malaise continues. — STEPHANIE TAYLOR of The Canadian Press reports on the government's looming decision to proceed with the expansion of Canada's medically assisted dying law. — The Quebec-based Davie Shipyard is asking the Federal Court to block disclosure of the details of a major shipbuilding deal with Ottawa worth an estimated C$8.5 billion. — Policy features GEOFF NORQUAY on the Conservatives and the road to the next election. — In 2021, the federal government began a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s roads, pipes, buildings, telecom systems and key natural features; The Logic’s DAVID REEVELY reports that it’s done nothing visible on the file since. — Top of POLITICO this hour: DONALD TRUMP returns to court in pivotal immunity showdown. — Six POLITICO campaign reporters reveal what they’re keeping an eye on in the key final stretch before the Iowa caucuses. | | | PROZONE | | Don’t miss our latest newsletter for Pro subscribers via NICK TAYLOR-VAISEY and SUE ALLAN. In news for Pros: — Biden administration mulls changes to LNG export approvals. — The U.S. energy transition in 8 numbers. — DONALD TRUMP may be crypto’s unexpected savior. — U.S. Supreme Court won't hear Alaska's unusual Pebble Mine lawsuit. — Next EU-US Trade and Tech Council summit set for late January. | | PLAYBOOKERS | |
Birthdays: HBD to Alberta Deputy Premier MIKE ELLIS. Greetings also to consultant and writer ERIN GEE, host of the tech/culture pod Alt-Text.
Celebrate your day with the Playbook community. Send us the details. We’ll let everyone know. Spotted: PMO strategic comms adviser MICHELLE JOHNSTON and H+K Strategies' ERIC DILLANE, going public with a personal-news twofer: they're engaged and have a baby due in June. Former Tory leadership candidate JEAN CHAREST, hosting a campaign debt-repayment fundraiser in the cozy confines of Toronto's Albany Club on Feb. 1. Required donation: C$500. Movers and shakers: Liberal MP RUBY SAHOTA is chief government whip, replacing STEVEN MACKINNON while he subs in as government House leader during KARINA GOULD's parental leave. IHOR KORBABICZ is the new president of Abacus Data. Jenni Byrne + Associates kicked off 2024 with three new junior associates: CONNOR HOLLINGSHEAD, SADAF ROSTAMI and MEY WESTLAKE. Blackbird Strategies brought on three new faces: senior consultant CAMERON PENNER, associate SARAH BIGGS and associate RILEY WONG. Blake, Cassels & Graydon lawyers JOSH JONES and ANNIKA WANG signed up in the lobbyist registry on behalf of IG Wealth Management, a subsidiary of Power Corp. Top priority is a federal proposal that “limits the amount of interest and financing expenses that businesses can deduct to a percentage of earnings.” McMillan Vantage's KARL BALDAUF is now lobbying on behalf of Apple Canada, which is looking for meetings about Online Streaming Act consultations, "as well as possible copyright, competition, and environmental legislation." BRIAN DIJKEMA has officially been confirmed as the Canadian president of Cardus. We're tracking every major political event of 2024 on a mega-calendar. Send us events and download the calendar yourself for Google and other clients . Media mentions: CARMINE STARNINO is The Walrus's new editor-in-chief. | | Talk of the town | |
TRIVIA CUP — Carve out some time on your calendar. Thursday is the last day to sign up for the First Annual POLITICO Canada Trivia Cup. Your Playbook host is manning a registration desk at the Métropolitain from 2-4 p.m. Arrive early. Avoid a waitlist!
— What's all this about? Between January and May we’re hosting five qualifying rounds — each targeted at a specific Hill demographic: → Lobbyists on Wednesday, Jan. 24 → Ministers and their staff on Monday, Feb. 5 → Journalists on Tuesday, March 5 → Public servants on Tuesday, April 23 → MPs, senators and staff on Monday, May 6 Spoiler alert: There's already a waitlist for the lobbyist night. Each team will be capped at six players. We'll accept entrants with “former” appended to their relevant occupation — and parliamentarians' staff are welcome to enter, too. The first 15 teams to sign up in each category will secure a table. The top 4 teams at each qualifier will advance to the championship on Monday, June 3. Follow this link for all the details. | | TRIVIA | |
Monday’s answer: The National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Air Disasters was first observed Jan. 8, 2021.
Props to GABE COUNSIL, LAURA JARVIS, AMY BOUGHNER, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, JOHN DILLON, GEORGE SCHOENHOFER and MARCEL MARCOTTE. Today’s question: Name the last woman to be executed in Canada — a hanging on this date in history. 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, editor Willa Plank and Luiza Ch. Savage. | | | | 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 | | | | |
