| | | | |  | | By Nick Taylor-Vaisey | Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Ottawa Playbook | Follow Politico Canada Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. Let's get into it. In today's edition: → An early look at ANDREW LAWTON's new book about PIERRE POILIEVRE. → Sights and sounds from JOE CLARK's big bash at Ottawa’s Shaw Centre. |  | HALLWAY CONVERSATION | | | | 
Pierre Poilievre speaks during the Conservative Party Convention on Sept. 10, 2022. | Dave Chan/AFP via Getty Images | 'A POLITICAL LIFE' — PIERRE POILIEVRE's mug is probably going to grace the cover of, shall we say, a few serious books in the coming years. ANDREW LAWTON got there first. The managing editor of True North, a conservative digital media platform, has a new biography out next week on the man determined to be Canada's next PM — the most comprehensive look yet at the career pol's arc. Poilievre's admirers and enemies will learn something in the book, including a detailed accounting of his early years, hints at his leadership and management styles, and an exploration of his post-election funk at the dawn of the Trudeau era. Playbook got on the horn with Lawton, who hopes "A Political Life" reaches readers who aren't sure what they think of Poilievre when they crack open the book. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You scored rare access to Poilievre's inner circle. His senior adviser and former romantic partner, JENNI BYRNE, doesn't do many interviews these days. Jenni Byrne was one of the first people I told I was working on this book, mainly because I didn't want her to hear from someone else when I started making calls. What I said, frankly, was, "Look, I'm writing the book one way or another. I want to make sure that you're able to get your side of the story represented in this." It's impossible to tell the story of Pierre Poilievre without also telling the story of Jenni Byrne. Those two have been thick as thieves, and in each other's lives in a very meaningful way, since Poilievre went to Ottawa for the first time in 1999. There will be more critical books written about Poilievre. This one doesn't scrutinize his record or beliefs. How did you decide on your approach? I don't hide the fact that I have a right-of-center editorial bias. There is obviously a sympathetic tone to the conservative worldview in the book. I also think that helps tremendously. There were people that wouldn't have picked up a call from another biographer doing this book. If you look at some of the players in Canadian media, I'm not sure [the Toronto Star's] ALTHIA RAJ or SUSAN DELACOURT would have been able to get the same access that I got to people in this world. People can still infer from the facts what they think about Poilievre, about his record, about the state of the Conservative Party. You note Poilievre's former belief in a two-term limit for MPs, which he explained in a formative essay. He's now in his seventh term. Have you heard him reflect on that? Not directly. It sounds like a gotcha to people. And it's not meant to be, but one of the things that I was really keen on asking him about if I did get to sit down with him. Obviously, something changed. What changed and why, and when did it? I have a couple of theories. When most people think of what two terms is going to be, they think of eight years. And his first two terms were minority parliaments. They were two years. And then the Conservatives [win] again, but it's another minority. You can see how you can feel, if you're in that situation, incomplete. The other theory goes back to a conversation that was relayed to me that he had with someone on his first campaign in 2004. He talked about perhaps leaving politics and coming back as a prime minister and finance minister. And one of the senses that was relayed was that there was a practical issue there: "Well, hang on, if I give up my seat, how do I know I can find another seat to come back?" | | Talk of the town | |
WHAT WE LEARNED — Factoids for your next pub trivia night, extracted from Lawton's account of Poilievre's journey from political geek teen to aspiring PM.
→ Jeff: Poilievre's high school nickname, which was his biological mother's preferred moniker had she not given him up for adoption. → 14: Poilievre's age when he attended his first political event, a provincial Progressive Conservative riding association meeting in Alberta. → Khmer Bleu: The cheeky nickname for an "informal cabal" of true-blue Conservative MPs who coalesced when their party came to power in 2006. Members included Poilievre, SCOTT REID, CHERYL GALLANT, ANDREW SCHEER, MAXIME BERNIER, ROB ANDERS and CHRIS WARKENTIN. → Athabasca University: The mostly online school where Poilievre completed the final credits of his undergrad degree in international relations. (The school on his diploma is the University of Calgary, where he did most of the work.) → La Bottega: The renowned Italian grocer and sandwich purveyor in the ByWard Market where Poilievre and ANAIDA had their first date in 2012. Their second date was at a Moxies near the Ottawa airport. Their first kiss was in Little Italy. They eloped to Portugal in 2017. → Cappuccino: Poilievre's preferred caffeinated drink. Lawton writes the Tory leader has an "obsession" with coffee. FIRST MENTIONS — Familiar names in today's Conservative Party surface early in the book, as Poilievre developed friendships in the Reform movement that stuck for good. Spot the exception to the "forever friend" rule in the list of first references below: Former Alberta Premier JASON KENNEY (p. 12), Tory MP SHUV MAJUMDAR (p. 16), former PMO adviser BEN PERRIN (p. 18), senior adviser JENNI BYRNE (p. 20), Tory MP CHRIS WARKENTIN (p. 23), Conservative campaigner KORY TENEYCKE (p. 23), Tory MP MARK STRAHL (p. 23), Tory MP SHANNON STUBBS (p. 23), Tory House leader ANDREW SCHEER (p. 24), lawyer and writer ADAM DAIFALLAH (p. 27), Brampton Mayor PATRICK BROWN (p. 27), Conservative data guru HAMISH MARSHALL (p. 41), Tory MP MICHAEL COOPER (p. 49). — The exceptions: Perrin, whose views on criminal justice have evolved since his days working for Stephen Harper; Brown also has a rocky history with Poilievre. Further reading: PAUL WELLS had Lawton on his podcast. The Star's STEPHANIE LEVITZ zeroed in on five things you didn't know about Poilievre. | | Where the leaders are | | — Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU, Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE and NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH had yet to release their public schedules by the time of this newsletter send. — Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND had not released her itinerary, though we do know G-7 finance ministers are meeting for three days in Stresa, Italy. — Bloc Leader YVES-FRANÇOIS BLANCHET will speak in the House around 10 a.m. and will hold a media availability an hour later in the foyer. — Green Leader ELIZABETH MAY will participate in Parliament in person. | | MEDIA ROOM | | | | 
On Wednesday, Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a general election. | Peter Nicholls/Getty Images | — “Why now? Why not,” POLITICO’s ROSA PRINCE writes of RISHI SUNAK’s decision to pull the trigger on a July 4 general election in the U.K. — MANISHA KRISHNAN pulls no punches in her first Globe and Mail byline: Backtracking on drug decriminalization is politically cowardly — and illogical. — LAURA RYCKEWAERT of The Hill Times reports that the House Board of Internal Economy recently approved millions of dollars to boost security for the Hill and MPs. — “Time for the federal government to step up. Being risk [averse] in this context is super risky,” former environment minister CATHERINE MCKENNA said in response to this Globe editorial. — A brutal climate change check-in from the Guardian: Monkeys ‘falling out of trees like apples’ in Mexico amid brutal heatwave | | PLAYBOOKERS | |
Birthdays: HBD to former NDP MP WAYNE STETSKI. HBD + 1 to The Logic's MURAD HEMMADI.
Send birthdays to ottawaplaybook@politico.com. Spotted: A whole bunch of Liberals, and even some Conservatives, filling the Shaw Centre's Trillium Ballroom for a Pearson Centre bash that marked the 45th anniversary of JOE CLARK's 1979 election victory. During a "fireside chat" with daughter CATHERINE CLARK, the man of the hour offered tepid criticism of divisive forces in Canadian politics (interpreted by some attendees as a measured subtweet of PIERRE POILIEVRE). A sampling of the faces in the room, mingling with lobbyists, staffers and corporate honchos: JUSTIN TRUDEAU, DALTON MCGUINTY, JIM WATSON, ROBERT GHIZ, ELIZABETH MAY, JANICE CHARETTE, MICHAEL WERNICK, SCOTT MCCORD, and emcees LISA RAITT and MARC ROY. Playbook counted five current Conservative MPs in attendance: GÉRARD DELTELL, JOHN NATER, GREG MCLEAN, GERALD SOROKA and RICK PERKINS. — RCMP Commissioner MIKE DUHEME, unveiling the force’s new ribbon skirt uniform … Engineers Canada's NATHAN DURHAM, now a Canadian citizen. Texas Gov. GREG ABBOTT, answering the call from Alberta Premier DANIELLE SMITH as the Edmonton Oilers face off against the Dallas Stars in the NHL's Western Conference Final. U.K. Labor Leader KEIR STARMER, launching a campaign ad that declares "nothing seems to work anymore" in his country. Shades of a certain "Canada is broken" slogan. Noted: Tory MP DAN ALBAS, giving props to the Library of Parliament research crew … KYLA RONELLENFITSCH, a pollster and founder of Relay Strategies, joins “The Herle Burly” pod with new data on JUSTIN TRUDEAU's public image. The top three attributes voters associated with the PM: poor judgment, arrogant, unethical. For sale: The former Canadian Coast Guard ship W. JACKMAN is up for auction at GCSurplus. Asking price: C$75,000. Number of bids so far: zero. Here's the ship in better times … Also on the auction site: A Roger Dubuis watch from the Monégasque collection, for which the feds are asking C$80,000. Movers and shakers: LOUISE BLAIS joined the Institute for Peace & Diplomacy as an adviser … JARED MALTAIS started at Wellington Advocacy as a consultant … NADIR PATEL, Canada's former high commissioner to India, was named Wilfrid Laurier University's next chancellor. BILLY CANN, a former NDP candidate in P.E.I., is running for the federal Conservative nomination in Cardigan. Former provincial minister JAMES AYLWARD is also in the running. LAWRENCE MACAULAY has kept the riding Liberal since 1988. Cerberus Capital Management, a global investment firm with an interest in critical minerals, posted recent meetings with five ministerial chiefs of staff, senior political staffers and senior bureaucrats. | | | PROZONE | |
Don’t miss our latest policy newsletter for Pro subscribers via KYLE DUGGAN and SUE ALLAN: Tight turnaround for pharmacare bill.
In other headlines for Pros: — USTR sets most China tariff increases for Aug. 1. — Many countries pledge to reach net zero by 2050. Few plan for it. — French oil giant hit with novel criminal complaint over climate. — US can’t meet EV copper demand, study finds. — Ocean court tells countries to cut climate pollution. | | ON THE HILL | |
→ Find House committees here.
→ Keep track of Senate committees here. 8:15 a.m. Liberal MP SERGE CORMIER is first on the witness roster at the House committee on human resources, skills and social development to address Bill C-322, which would create a national framework to establish a school food program. 8:15 a.m. DEBORAH LYONS, special envoy for preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism, will be the first witness when the House committee on justice and human rights considers how to address fears expressed by Canada’s Jewish community. B’nai Brith Canada, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center Canada are also on the roster. 8:15 a.m. Transport Minister PABLO RODRIGUEZ and Public Safety Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC will join officials from the Transport department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency at the House public safety and national security committee where car theft is on the agenda. 9 a.m. The Senate internal economy committee will hear from Sen. SCOTT TANNAS, chair of the long-term vision and plan subcommittee, along with officials from the Property and Services Directorate and Usher of the Black Rod GREG PETERS. 9:15 a.m. The Senate energy and environment committee studies NDP MP BRIAN MASSE’s Bill C-248, which would create an Ojibway National Urban Park, and hears from witnesses including Caldwell First Nation Chief MARY DUCKWORTH and Windsor Mayor DREW DILKENS. 11:30 a.m. The Red Chamber’s banking committee hunkers down for four panels of hearings on C-69, the budget implementation bill. 11:30 a.m. The Senate foreign affairs committee continues its study on Canada’s interests and engagement in Africa. 11:30 a.m. The Senate Social Affairs, Science and Technology committee hears from two panels on the budget implementation bill. 11:45 a.m. The Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs committee goes clause-by-clause through Sen. MARC GOLD’s Bill S-15. 3:30 p.m. The House international trade committee will focus on the effects of American and European seafood import policies on Canada’s fishing industry. 3:30 p.m. The House natural resources committee will study Canada’s electricity grid and network. 3:30 p.m. The House committee on the status of women will continue its study of coercive behavior. 3:30 p.m. The House committee on fisheries and oceans will study scales used by the department to set redfish quotas. 3:30 p.m. The House heritage committee will take Bill C-316 through clause-by-clause consideration. 3:30 p.m. The House public accounts committee will study the auditor general’s report on the National Trade Corridors Fund. Behind closed doors: The House committee on official languages will meet in camera to discuss its report on the economic development of official language minority communities. The House transport committee will discuss its report on high frequency rail. The Senate agriculture committee is working on a draft report of its study on soil health. | | TRIVIA | |
Wednesday’s answer: Pac-Man made its debut on May 22, 1980.
Props to JOHN ECKER, ROBERT MCDOUGALL and WILLIAM GORDON. Today’s question: How many days did JOE CLARK serve as Canada’s prime minister? Send your answer to ottawaplaybook@politico.com Playbook wouldn’t happen without: POLITICO Canada editor Sue Allan and Luiza Ch. Savage. 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. | | | | 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 | | | | |
