| | | | |  | | By Zi-Ann Lum and Kyle Duggan | | | Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Ottawa Playbook | Follow Politico Canada Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. Let's get into it. In our Leap Year edition: → It's Feb. 29. Time for that quadrennial sport unique to the Ottawa fishbowl. → Three things we're watching this morning. → Plus, NDP MP DANIEL BLAIKIE is calling it quits. |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | | 
The scene on Parliament Hill this week. | Sean Kilpatrick, The Canadian Press | LORDY GUESS WHAT’S 40 — Today is the 40th anniversary of PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU’s poetic resignation — inspired he said by an epiphany he’d arrived at during a walk in the Ottawa snow. He told reporters he’d made the decision after a day spent working on a constitutional amendment to recognize Indigenous peoples’ rights to self-government. “I had a good day yesterday … and it seemed like a good day to have a last day,” the elder Trudeau told reporters on Feb. 29, 1984. — Memory lane: It was actually Trudeau’s second crack at retirement. In 1979, after a narrow election defeat, he’d signaled his intention “to re-enter private life.” One foot out the door, Trudeau Sr. unknowingly set the stage for a comeback. JOE CLARK's Progressive Conservatives took over but didn’t last long. Clark’s government collapsed after 6.5 months in power on a confidence vote over his budget — well before the Liberals had a chance to move on with a new leader. Liberals urged Trudeau Sr. to stay. When the election was held, Trudeau won a storybook majority. — Political parallels: Trudeau’s initial 11-year reign as prime minister came to an end in 1979 after a strong anti-Trudeau mood (fueled by a slumping economy, high inflation and unemployment) swept the electorate, notably in Ontario. The Liberals lost 25 seats in southern Ontario to the Conservatives. — Fast forward to now: The front page of Wednesday’s National Post featured columnist RAYMOND J. DE SOUZA opining on the symmetries between father and son. The idea that Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU will achieve four consecutive election victories is an “unlikely prospect,” de Souza wrote, echoing what’s becoming a truism in a parade of bad polls. The glow-up Trudeau gave the Liberals eight years ago has dimmed. And the mood on the Hill has changed with it. In the early days of Trudeau’s government, résumés flooded government offices. Now, resignations leave roles empty for months as would-be recruits mull the pros and cons of joining a government that could soon be dumped to opposition status. — The latest numbers: A new Leger poll backs what everyone’s talking about, putting PIERRE POILIEVRE Conservatives (41 percent) 16-points ahead of Trudeau’s Liberals (25 percent). The survey, conducted in late February, suggests 66 percent of Canadians are unhappy with Trudeau’s government; 42 percent of respondents reporting they’re very unhappy — a 4-point jump since January. — History knocks: 2020 was the last Leap Year. Trudeau was deeply unpopular then, too. The prime minister’s disapproval and approval levels were nearly identical to now, according to Angus Reid’s Trudeau Tracker. What spared talk about the spike in Trudeau dislikes was the fact a novel coronavirus was wreaking havoc on the global economy. | | | | A message from Universities Canada: Investing in research is also investing in people. Meet Dr. Molly Shoichet whose lab at the University of Toronto is not only doing important research into cross-disciplinary approaches in regenerative medicine but is also currently training over 20 graduate and post-doctoral researchers who are gaining invaluable skills and experience that they will bring with them to their next roles. Investing in Canadian research helps support labs like Dr.Shoichet’s. Learn more now. | | |
— If not now, when: Although Trudeau has repeatedly insisted he has another election in him, there’s still chatter about the possible windows in which he could call it quits.
And the longer the Liberals’ freefall continues, the louder the buzz grows. Columnist CHANTAL HÉBERT tossed out May as the next and last potential opening in which Trudeau could quit — after the budget passes but ahead of summer when the official campaign to replace him could begin. “You could have a replacement in place in the calendar by the time the House comes back in mid-September, “ Hébert told Good Talk host PETER MANSBRIDGE on the latest episode of the pod. It’s a very optimistic scenario in which the Liberals would have to pull off a breakneck summer leadership contest. And it would only officially begin if, and when, Trudeau hands Liberal Party President SACHIT MEHRA a written resignation or request for a leadership vote. One question observers are pondering: Do the benefits of quitting outweigh the risks of sticking around for an anti-Trudeau election. — Heirs unapparent: The Liberals’ renewed supply-and-confidence deal with the NDP gives the government a little runway. It also gives potential Liberal leadership contenders (CHRYSTIA FREELAND, MÉLANIE JOLY, ANITA ANAND, MARK CARNEY and FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE) more time to consider their options and organize. — Putting this out there: Should Trudeau resign, what’s to say he won’t come back? Canadian politics is chock full of comeback stories. Look at DANIELLE SMITH, OLIVIA CHOW, BOB RAE and GILLES DUCEPPE. And Trudeau Sr., obviously. | | Where the leaders are | |
— Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is in Thunder Bay, Ontario with plans to make a housing announcement at 11:45 a.m. alongside Indigenous Services Minister PATTY HAJDU. A media availability will follow. The PM will stick around town for an evening fundraiser.
— Deputy Prime Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND is in Toronto with plans to hold consultations with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Freeland told reporters this week that pre-budget consultations are “the way I talk to Canadians.” — Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE will headline an evening fundraiser at a private residence on Russell Hill Road in Toronto’s Forest Hill neighborhood. — NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH is in Ottawa with plans for a 9:30 a.m. press conference in West Block to talk about pharmacare. He has plans to be in the chamber for Question Period. — Green Party Leader ELIZABETH MAY will be travelling from Ottawa to Vancouver with plans to participate in Parliament virtually. | | | DULY NOTED | |
— ICYMI: The House “undesignated” today as an opposition day.
— Treasury Board President ANITA ANAND will unveil the main estimates this morning in the Commons. 8:30 a.m. Immigration Minister MARC MILLER hosts a press conference in the National Press Theatre to give an update on immigration measures. Radio-Canada says the federal government will reimpose some visa requirements on visiting Mexican nationals. 8:30 a.m. Citizens’ Services Minister TERRY BEECH is due to talk about priorities and timelines at a breakfast fireside chat at The Rideau Club hosted by TECHNATION Canada and sponsored by Deloitte. 10:15 a.m. Energy Minister JONATHAN WILKINSON will make an announcement in support of nuclear energy at the Canadian Nuclear Association Annual Conference. 11:30 a.m. Health Minister MARK HOLLAND will hold a press conference related to "An Act Respecting Pharmacare." | | | | A message from Universities Canada:   | | | | | THREE THINGS WE'RE WATCHING | |
PHARMACARE — Health Minister MARK HOLLAND will introduce the government’s long-awaited pharmacare bill today.
Check out our Wednesday Playbook for a briefing on what to watch for when the legislation drops. And here's a preview this morning from PETER ZIMONJIC of CBC News. WINNIPEG LAB DOCUMENTS — Tories are accusing Liberals of being soft on foreign interference after documents released Wednesday helped to explain why two sciences were fired from Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory in 2019. “Under Justin Trudeau’s watch, the PRC and its entities, including the People’s Liberation Army, were allowed to infiltrate Canada’s top level lab,” PIERRE POILIEVRE said in a statement. “They were able to transfer sensitive intellectual property and dangerous pathogens to the PRC.” Holland tried to head off sharp questions Wednesday, holding a press conference to talk about the documents before they were made available to reporters. During the availability, Holland was unable to answer basic questions: Why were they fired? What was their behavior? Does it say in the documents why they were fired and what the concerns were? “I’m not here to give you a blow by blow,” he said about documents that took four years to release. — SEAN BOYNTON of Global News reports: Winnipeg lab records fight about avoiding ’embarrassment,’ not security: docs. ARRIVECAN — The Tories, NDP and Bloc voted in favor of a Conservative opposition day motion calling for spending details over the ArriveCan scandal. — Posture change: Bureaucrats and the company GC Strategies that subcontracted the app’s development have been at the core of the scandal, not the political higher ups. But this latest move pushes the Liberals onto rougher footing: If they don’t produce the itemised figures, they could look unaccountable. The Conservative motion calls on Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU to produce detailed breakdowns of contracting and subcontracting salaries, bonuses and expenses in the House of Commons by March 18, and then recoup any cash paid out to contractors who did “no work” on the controversial pandemic-era app within 100 days. Heading into caucus Wednesday, Government House Leader STEVEN MACKINNON said the Conservatives are “playing a very cynical political game” by “asking for information that does not currently exist in the form that they’ve asked it in.” — Lots unaccounted for: Auditor General Karen Hogan produced a scathing report that called the project a failure in basic management and contracting practices by federal bureaucrats, and said she could not determine the ultimate cost, although pegged her best guess at around C$59.5 million. Poilievre accused the PM in question period of corruption and giving up “money for nothing,” while Trudeau defended that his main rival is “choosing to fling mud” over a scandal he’s already said is unacceptable and currently being investigated. — The latest scoop in the scandal via CTV's VASSY KAPELOS: "DND suspends contracts with ArriveCan contractor after learning CEO is a DND employee." | | MEDIA ROOM | |
— JOANNE CHIANELLO and CATHERINE MCKENNEY were on CBC News “Ottawa Morning” to discuss the “drip, drip, drip of toxicity” in municipal politics.
— Facebook whistleblower FRANCES HAUGEN told VASSY KAPELOS of CTV News that the Liberals’ Online Harms Act is “one of the best” pieces of legislation proposed today. — “The Conservative Party has positioned itself exactly where it needs to be to secure the support of younger, economically insecure middle-class voters,” the Globe’s JOHN IBBITSON writes in his latest column featuring notes from GINNY ROTH and ADAM CHAMBERS. — The arrival of more newcomers does not automatically lead to more homelessness, ALLAN REESOR-MCDOWELL and LOUISA TAYLOR write in the Citizen. “New arrivals can, and do, thrive if given proper early support.” — “Process nerd” KADY O’MALLEY asks and answers: What’s brewing on the spring backbench business track? — Our colleagues have the insider’s guide to the MITCH MCCONNELL succession race. | | Playbookers | |
Birthdays: HBD to WestJet Airlines, which first took flight on this date in 1996.
Send birthdays to ottawaplaybook@politico.com. Farewells: NDP MP DANIEL BLAIKIE is leaving federal politics to work as a senior adviser for Manitoba Premier WAB KINEW. “As someone who became a father and an MP around the same time, one of the things I learned during the pandemic was how much it means to me to spend more time at home with my family while our kids are young,” Blaikie said Wednesday in a statement. He’ll exit the House at the end of March. Spotted: The Liberal caucus, dressed in pink. MPs YASIR NAQVI and ARIELLE KAYABAGA with SARAH ONYANGO and Immigration Minister MARC MILLER at a Canadian citizenship ceremony timed for the end of Black History Month. Former Ottawa Mayor JIM WATSON, taking in QP. Movers and shakers: SHANTI COSENTINO from Trade Minister MARY NG’s office has been poached to be International Development Minister AHMED HUSSEN's new communications director starting in mid-March, a spot left vacant after ALEX TÉTREAULT left in December. Media mentions: Layoffs at Vice have come for Canadian journalists MANISHA KRISHNAN, EVY KWONG and MACK LAMOUREUX. | | PROZONE | |
Our latest policy newsletter for Pro subscribers by SUE ALLAN and KYLE DUGGAN: 359 recs for the finance minister.
In other headlines for Pros: — UN slams ‘fear and intimidation’ of climate activists in Europe. — Why the oil industry may thrive without gasoline. — US encouraged by China move in WTO fish subsidy talks. — Top EU envoys fail to green-light EU supply chain rules. — National Institute on Drug Abuse director on what it will take to cut overdose deaths. | | ON THE HILL | |
→ Find House committees here.
→ Keep track of Senate committees here. 8 a.m. Industry Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE will join Ottawa Mayor MARK SUTCLIFFE for an armchair discussion at the Ottawa Mayor's Breakfast hosted by the Ottawa Board of Trade. 8:15 a.m. The House public safety committee continues its look at growing car thefts. 8:15 a.m. The House justice committee will meet to continue its study of Bill C-332. 9 a.m. The Senate agriculture committee will meet to resume its study on soil health. 9 a.m. It’s Big Eel day at the Senate fisheries and oceans committee. 9 a.m. The Senate internal economy, budgets and administration committee have a meeting scheduled. 9:15 a.m. The House official languages committee will host Official Languages Commissioner RAYMOND THÉBERGE as part of MPs’ study on language obligations related to staffing and appointments to key positions. 11 a.m. Drummondville Mayor STÉPHANIE LACOSTE will be a witness at the House transport committee’s study on high-frequency rail. 11 a.m. Five doctors will participate as witnesses at the House health committee’s study on the opioid epidemic and toxic drug crisis in Canada. 11 a.m. Bill C-355, related to exporting horses for slaughter, is up for study again at the House agriculture committee. 11:30 a.m. International Trade Minister MARY NG will be at the Senate foreign affairs and international trade committee to take questions on the Canada-Ukraine free-trade agreement. 11:30 a.m. The Senate banking, commerce and the economy committee will continue its look at Bill C-34. 11:45 a.m. Sen. YVONNE BOYER will be in the hot seat at the Senate legal and Constitutional affairs committee where her peers are studying her Senate public bill S-250. 3:30 p.m. Natural Resources Canada director ANNETTE TOBIN will be witness at the House natural resources committee where MPs will continue to study Bill C-49. 3:30 p.m. The House international trade committee will meet to launch into a new study on the Canada Border Services Agency assessment and revenue management system. 3:30 p.m. The House fisheries and oceans committee will meet to continue its study on scales used by the department to set redfish quotas. 3:30 p.m. The House status of women committee will meet to continue its study on women’s economic empowerment. 6 p.m. Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE will be the guest of honor at an evening fundraiser at a private residence on Russell Hill Road in Toronto’s Forest Hill neighborhood. Behind closed doors: The House human rights committee will review a draft copy of its study on the Canada summer jobs wage subsidy program; the House procedure and House affairs committee continues its review of a report summarizing their study on the intimidation campaign against Tory MP MICHAEL CHONG; the House access to information committee will meet; the Senate social affairs committee will meet to consider a draft copy of a report. | | | | A message from Universities Canada: Meet Dr. Nandika Bandara, a certified food scientist and material scientist, at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Bandara’s research includes using agricultural and food industry by-products to create renewable sources for food packaging, adhesives, and wound dressing materials. In addition to this work, Dr. Bandara’s lab trains students and researchers, providing them with invaluable skillsets that they bring with them into future roles.
Labs like Dr. Bandara’s are hard at work, finding tomorrow’s solutions today. Investing in Canadian research is crucial for supporting their work. Learn more now. | | | | | TRIVIA | | Wednesday’s answer: Toronto was the first city in Canada to proclaim Black History Month. Props to GERMAINE MALABRE, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, JOANNA PLATER, NANCI WAUGH, JOHN ECKER and MARCEL MARCOTTE. Today’s question: Recently in the House, Green Party Leader ELIZABETH MAY paid tribute to “the father of British Columbia.” To whom was she referring? Send your answer 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? Playbook can help. 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 | | | | |
