Protest and Politics and the Pen

May 08, 2024

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By Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Zi-Ann Lum

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In today's edition:

→ The world intrudes on a gathering of Ottawa’s A-list.

→ ANITA ANAND is resurrecting a cross-border forum in search of billions in savings.

Talk of the town

Politics and the Pen was held last night at Ottawa's Chateau Laurier.

The Politics and the Pen gathers authors and politicians at the Fairmont for an annual fundraising gala. | Adrian Wyld, The Canadian Press

BALLROOM BLITZ — Nobody heckles at The Politics and the Pen. It’s a black-tie event in Ottawa, for god's sake.

The power-player crowd is supposed to applaud and chuckle on cue. Minglers talk business as they drift into drunkenness. Emcees make jokes at their own and each other's expense. The room caps the evening with a standing ovation for the winner of the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing.

— Unscheduled appearance: As House Speaker GREG FERGUS and Assembly of First Nations National Chief CINDY WOODHOUSE NEPINAK opened the evening, another woman quietly stood near them onstage.

KAGISO LESEGO MOLOPE, a South African-Canadian novelist and playwright who wasn't on the agenda, casually walked to the mic.

Time for an unplanned vibe shift.

As Molope mourned the rising death toll in Gaza amid war with Israel, she acknowledged she might not be invited back. “Let's hope!” yelled the first of several hecklers.

Molope implored the “brilliant minds” assembled to consider how they use their power in the world.

“Free the hostages!” barked an attendee.

“F--k yes, free the hostages!” Molope replied. A security guard soon escorted her away. Some people applauded her.

Fergus stood in the background throughout. “That was quite unexpected,” he intoned, clarifying that Molope was not on the program.

Yeah, it was awkward.

— The irony: The gala's MO is celebrating seering political writing that provokes uncomfortable conversations about the country and world in which we live. Being edgy is, well, kinda the point. But we digress.

— The show must go on: Leave it to amateur comedians to rescue the vibe.

LISA RAITT, MEGAN LESLIE, TOM CLARK, RODGER CUZNER and a parade of corporate sponsors segued via video intro to the stand-up stylings of former premier emcees KATHLEEN WYNNE and JASON KENNEY.

→ Brief aside: In what other room would Leslie, a former NDP MP and current CEO of WWF-Canada, thank Imperial Oil for sponsorship money?

— They brought the funny: Wynne and Kenney's monologue took shots at the left, right, center and themselves.

They were, according to the in-room reviews, legit funny.

Take this zinger from Wynne, who puzzled over JUSTIN TRUDEAU's unpopularity with young voters. “But then I remembered reading in The Globe and Mail that young people aren't having sex anymore, and it all made sense.”

— And the winner is: JOHN VAILLANT, whose "Fire Weather: The Making of the Beast" was also named a Pulitzer finalist this week, won the Cohen Prize.

As he recounted his seven-year quest to complete a book about humanity's relationship with fire amidst destructive climate change, Vaillant described Canada as a “complex and splendid crucible.”

“The place we're at now in Canada is complicated and hard,” he told the room, finding hope in “taking time with people we don't know.”

— A dose of levity: Writing the book was “kinda like an affair,” Vaillant said of all the time away from his wife NORA, who laughed along with the rest of the audience. “And fire is hot.”

— Closing line: Vaillant ended with an appeal for unity. “Let's be in that crucible together bravely,” he said.

HALLWAY CONVERSATION

Canada's Minister of National Defense Anita Anand, joined at right by Kirsten Hillman, the Canadian ambassador, speaks with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in Washington, Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Anita Anand, joined at right by Ambassador Kirsten Hillman, in Washington, last February. | AP

OTTAWA TO WASHINGTON — If you want to see ANITA ANAND transform into an enthusiastic hand-talker, turn the conversation to regulations.

The Treasury Board president is rebooting the Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) in a bid to save Canadians billions of dollars.

— Get money: “I was a corporate lawyer and corporate law professor, and everything we focused on is regulatory harmonization, cross border, to increase the efficiency for businesses, contribute to their bottom line and grow our GDP,” Anand tells Playbook.

“We gotta be on our front foot vis-à-vis the relationship with the United States.”

The RCC was launched under former PM STEPHEN HARPER and former U.S. President BARACK OBAMA’s governments to increase cross-border regulatory cooperation.

Anand is heading to Chicago on Tuesday to hear about what grinds Midwesterners’ gears when it comes to Canada-U.S. regulatory barriers. She’ll bring her notes to Washington the next day to a meeting with U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director SHALANDA YOUNG.

— Regs rush: Ottawa wants to take advantage of the Biden administration’s newfound appetite for more regulations. The Economist has an explainer why it’s suddenly raining rules in Washington.

— Reporter sidenote: Your Playbooker and Anand arrived on time to a reserved meeting room in West Block where they found Liberal MP PARM BAINS squatting inside. He asked the Cabinet minister to wait three minutes so he could finish his call.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Why pull this forum out of zombie mode now?

It was very much ready to be revived pre-Covid. We needed to turn our attention to providing PPE and rapid tests and vaccines for the country. Our officials have been in close touch with the United States Office of Management and Budget.

You hosted your fourth Canadian RCC roundtable this week. What common concerns are you hearing from industry folks?

Common concerns relate to [cross-border] transportation. In the trucking industry, for example, the need for virtual manifest filing permissions. Greater digitization to increase the efficiency of crossing the border. And making sure there's harmonization for health and health-related products.

There is so much work to be done to continue to hear the businesses and to be able to iron out regulatory differences between Canada and the United States.

This is a big moment for us because we're not only reviving the regulatory cooperation council, we are ensuring that we are meeting face to face with our U.S. counterparts. And I've invited [Shalanda Young] to come to Canada as well.

We’re six months out from a U.S. election. What's on the agenda when you meet Young next week?

My job is to represent the concerns of Canadian businesses in the area of reducing red tape and increasing efficiency and efficacy, cross border. I’m sure that her concerns are the same. We are going to meet and develop our working agenda.

One part of my algorithm is the RCC and ensuring we're using that bilateral forum, in place since 2011, to harmonize regulation. But the other part of my algorithm is to reduce barriers to trade and services within our country, cross provincial borders and vis-à-vis the provinces and the federal government.

In that latter respect, we have Bill S-6, which is an omnibus bill to reduce red tape. It is at second reading now. And it's extremely important for businesses in our country to know that this is omnibus annual legislation. If they have concerns about regulatory harmonization in our country, and reducing red tape, they can bring those concerns to me at any point.

Whether the November U.S. election delivers a Biden 2.0 or Trump 2.0 administration, “Team Canada” seems entirely focused on mitigating the threat of any future trade barriers. What’s an example of a regulatory barrier you’d like to resolve first under your RCC watch?

The goal is to save billions of dollars for Canadian businesses. We know there is money on the table there to be saved. And that is my goal and my job to ensure we do that.

What I love about the regulatory cooperation council is it's a tangible forum. It already exists. Since 2011! Its infrastructure to resolve bilateral issues between the two countries from a business standpoint and an economic standpoint. It's already there.

Where the leaders are

— Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is in Ottawa with plans to be at the Liberals’ 10 a.m. caucus meeting and QP in the afternoon.

— Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND is outside the Ottawa bubble today to continue her budget roadshow at a fire station in Brant County, Ontario with Emergency Preparedness Minister HARJIT SAJJAN. Freeland will hold a noon media availability.

— Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE and Bloc Leader YVES-FRANÇOIS BLANCHET had not released their public itineraries before our deadline.

— NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH has his party’s caucus meeting at 9:30 a.m. then will hold a 2 p.m. media availability with NDP MP LORI IDLOUT before attending QP.

— Green Party Leader ELIZABETH MAY is in Ottawa with plans to meet with her caucus and meetings with representatives of The Salvation Army and First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of British Columbia.

DULY NOTED

8:15 a.m. Conservative MP TAKO VAN POPTA and Liberal MPs ANTHONY HOUSEFATHER, MARCO MENDICINO, YA’ARA SAKS, JULIE DABRUSIN, ANNA GAINEY and BEN CARR will host a press conference in West Block with Jewish students to address antisemitism on university campuses and to discuss an upcoming study.

→ Read NICK TAYLOR-VAISEY’s Q&A with Housefather.

4:15 p.m. MARK CARNEY will headline the Senate banking committee’s meeting studying Bill S-243 related to climate finance.

ALSO FOR YOUR RADAR

DIPLOMATIC CIRCUIT — Canada will be getting two German ambassadors when envoy SABINE SPARWASSER ends her term this summer.

Global Affairs Canada approved Berlin’s agrément request this week for TJORVEN BELLMANN and MATTHIAS LÜTTENBERG to share the role as Germany’s envoy in Canada. They will arrive in Ottawa in August.

— Progressive move: The pair are partners in work and life and will share the job in eight-month rotations so at least one parent can focus on family and child-rearing.

— Quick CV: Bellmann is the German foreign office’s security policy expert, specializing in North America, the United Kingdom and the European Free Trade Association. Lüttenberg is the German foreign office’s director for Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia.

Bellmann and Lüttenberg have close ties with Germany’s envoy in Washington, ANDREAS MICHAELIS.

VIP COMING THROUGH — German Defence Minister BORIS PISTORIUS will arrive in Ottawa Friday (by way of New York and Washington) to meet with National Defense Minister BILL BLAIR.

The visit will mark Pistorius’ first official trip to Canada since he was appointed Germany’s defense minister in January 2023.

— What’s on the agenda: A chat about Canada’s new defense policy update and bilateral defense relations. Blair’s spokesperson DIANA EBADI told Playbook that Ukraine and “our work to strengthen NATO’s defence and deterrence posture” are also topics on the table.

MEDIA ROOM

Jurors take notes as Stormy Daniels testifies in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in New York, (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

Jurors take notes as Stormy Daniels testifies in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in New York, (Elizabeth Williams via AP) | AP

— Top of POLITICO this morning: Stormy spoke. Trump fumed. Jurors were captivated — but also cringed.

— In The Hub, SEAN SPEER takes a crack at answering the question: “What is Canadian conservatism?”

— “Albertans and other Canadians have grown used to the jobs, wealth and government revenue provided by the oil and gas industry,” Star columnist GILLIAN STEWARD writes from Calgary. “But what will happen when demand drops, prices soften and that sector of our economy isn’t as key as it used to be?

— The Investigative Journalism Foundation reports: “Poilievre has met with ‘corporate lobbyists’ multiple times since becoming an MP.”

— CATHERINE MORRISON of the Ottawa Citizen reports: “Treasury Board secretary updated public service remote work policy while working from home.”

PROZONE

Our latest policy newsletter for Pro subscribers from ZI-ANN LUM and SUE ALLAN: Anita Anand’s DC to-do list.

In other news for Pro readers:

— EPA methane rule takes cues from oil and gas industry.

— Microsoft goes from bad boy to top cop in the age of AI.

— World Bank’s climate plan: Pricier red meat and dairy, cheaper chicken and veggies.

— US officials confronted China on major hacking activities during recent trip.

— Joe Biden is trying to Trump-proof his $1.6 trillion legacy.

PLAYBOOKERS

Birthdays: Former Liberal MP IRWIN COTLER celebrates today, along with former Harper Cabmin GARY LUNN and Quebec’s former deputy premier NATHALIE NORMANDEAU.

Spotted: The House human resources committee report on artificial intelligence, which advises the government to find ways AI can help it “pragmatically increase efficiency, productivity and reduce red tape.”

Alberta Premier DANIELLE SMITH meeting former Trump administration U.S. trade rep ROBERT LIGHTHIZER at the Business Council of Canada’s spring meeting in Calgary.

SEAMUS O’REGAN’s former issues manager JULIA PENNELLA calling the Liberals’ capital gains inclusion rate hike “bad economic policy for all” … LAURENT CARBONNEAU, former staffer for NDP MP CHARLIE ANGUS, also analyzing whether or not the capital gains changes will be the death of innovation in Canada: “Probably not.”

Scenes from question period: Trudeau calling Conservatives an “anti-choice party,” prompting Tory MP PIERRE PAUL-HUS to make a “what gives” gesture … Someone on the opposition benches heckling Freeland with outbursts of “squirrel.” (Not sure what that’s about.) … The PM giving Liberal MP MARK GERRETSEN props on his way out of the chamber … Fisheries Minister DIANE LEBOUTHILLIER reprising “chop chop chop” to mock Conservatives, delighting Liberals and prompting a standing ovation from Industry Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE and Foreign Affairs Minister MÉLANIE JOLY … Conservative Deputy Leader MELISSA LANTSMAN spinning her ear piece around her finger while Government House Leader STEVE MACKINNON accused her party of wanting to take Canadians’ rights away.

Movers and shakers: KATIE KISSICK has joined the Parliamentary Centre full-time as a junior project officer for the Europe and Asia team.

Industry Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE’s policy director BOYAN GERASIMOV is leaving his post and marked the milestone with a post containing a pic of a mounted signed copy of a Globe and Mail article by PM JUSTIN TRUDEAU.

Toronto doctor DAVID JACOBS is joining the University of Toronto’s governing council as a lieutenant-governor-in-council appointee.

JAYME WHITE, who served as deputy USTR for Europe, the Americas and the Middle East before leaving late last year, is joining the Kelley Drye & Warren LLP law firm as a senior international trade adviser. (h/t Pro’s Morning Trade).

Media mentions: JAMES MCCARTEN shared news that he’s now at Manulife in the role of VP, information and analysis.

LEX HARVEY is trading her Star gig for a farflung writing adventure.

ON THE HILL

→ Find House committees here.

→ Keep track of Senate committees here.

— It’s caucus day on the Hill.

10 a.m. Christian Heritage Party Leader ROD TAYLOR will hold a press conference in West Block to discuss how “federal overspending is making us all debt slaves.”

11:30 a.m. A coalition of public sector unions will hold a press conference in West Block to “announce further actions” in response to the federal governments’ three-day-in-office mandate.

12 p.m. The Senate veterans affairs committee will meet to study the issue of veterans’ homelessness.

12:40 p.m. A dozen MPs and Falun Gong practitioners will be on Parliament Hill to mark World Falun Dafa Day, which is May 13.

4:15 p.m. The Senate foreign affairs committee will continue its study on Canada’s interests and engagement in Africa.

4:15 p.m. The Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee will meet to study Bill S-15.

4:15 p.m. The notice for the Senate social affairs committee’s study on Bill S-249 related to intimate partner violence comes with a warning: “The content of this study can be difficult.”

4:30 p.m. Chief of the Defense Staff WAYNE EYRE will be at the first half of the House national defense committee for MPs’ study on transparency in the department and the Canadian Armed Forces.

4:30 p.m. The House foreign affairs committee will continue its study on Canada’s approach to Africa.

4:30 p.m. Veterans Affairs Minister GINETTE PETITPAS TAYLOR will be at the House veterans affairs committee to take questions on Main Estimates.

4:30 p.m. Northern Affairs Minister DAN VANDAL will be in the hot seat for the second panel of the House Indigenous and northern affairs committee's meeting studying Nutrition North Canada.

4:30 p.m. The House government operations and estimates committee will start its meeting by resuming debate over a motion from Conservative MP GARNETT GENUIS.

6:45 p.m. Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated President ALUKI KOTIERK will be a witness at the Senate Indigenous peoples committee’s study on the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

6:45 p.m. Ten department officials from Public Services and Procurement Canada, Infrastructure Canada and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation will be at the Senate national finance committee to take questions on Main Estimates.

6:45 p.m. The Senate transport and communications committee will meet to study Bill S-273.

TRIVIA

Tuesday’s answer: It was LISA RAITT who said, “After I finished my master’s in chemistry, I realized I’m a terrible chemist.”

Props to ELLA D’SILVA, JOHN MERRIMAN, JIM CAMPBELL, LISA RAITT, KEVIN BOSCH, MARCEL MARCOTTE, CAMELLIA PENG, LISA KIRBIE, PATRICK DION and BOB GORDON.

Two more who landed Monday’s question: JENN KEAY and LAURA JARVIS.

Wednesday’s question: “Two Are Dead, Shops Looted, Liquor Stolen,” read the Globe and Mail headline on May 9, 1945. What happened on this day in history?

Answers to ottawaplaybook@politico.com

Writing Playbook tomorrow: NICK TAYLOR-VAISEY.

Playbook wouldn’t happen without: POLITICO Canada editor Sue Allan, editor Willa Plank 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.

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