| | | | |  | | By Zi-Ann Lum, Kyle Duggan and Nick Taylor-Vaisey | | Presented by |  | | | Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Ottawa Playbook | Follow Politico Canada Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. Let's get into it. In today's edition: → JAGMEET SINGH definitely, maybe will reveal his budget stance today. Definitely. → Canada’s enviro watchdog says Liberals remain on track to miss 2030 targets. → About that time PIERRE POILIEVRE got himself kicked out of the House. |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | | 
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh on budget day last month. | Justin Tang, The Canadian Press | BUDGET BLUFF — What’s JAGMEET SINGH going to do? Debate on the budget ends today meaning MPs will vote to approve it or not, barring last-minute delay tactics. Conservative, Bloc and Green leaders plan to vote against. Will the budget get the NDP’s support? Signs point to yes. They’ve always pointed to yes. The NDP leader has been playing hard-to-get since DPM and Finance Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND dropped her budget. On Monday, reporters were told to expect Singh’s Super Clear Definitive Budget Position. But it never came. — Who you callin’ a rubber stamp: “There are some outstanding elements that we're still waiting on,” he said. — What we know: A senior NDP official with knowledge of the discussions said Singh and Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU met last week. Concerns about the disability benefit and slow progress on Jordan’s principle came up in their chat. The issues were among the NDP’s budget asks, raised publicly and privately. And the vast majority of budget negotiations were led by former NDP finance critic DANIEL BLAIKIE, who left his Manitoba seat at the end of March. Under Blaikie, there were “full-scale negotiations” over the budget’s pharmacare and anti-scab provisions — priorities under the supply-and-confidence deal. DON DAVIES has since stepped into Blaikie’s shoes as his party’s finance critic role, heading post-budget talks. — The sign that always pointed to yes: The NDP can’t afford an election. — Another sign: Check the count. The NDP confirmed to Playbook it had 41 candidates nominated as of Monday. That means there’s 302 to go if the NDP wants to run a full slate of candidates for the next federal election where the updated seat map will be in play. — More on campaign affordability: As noted in Monday’s Playbook, first-quarter returns this week will offer a glimpse at federal party coffers. Until those numbers come out, one yardstick to measure party finance health is in the number of fundraisers they’ve been hosting. The NDP haven’t hosted a regulated fundraiser, aka one that gets Elections Canada’s attention if entry costs at least C$200, since before the pandemic. That fundraiser happened in August 2019 at Brampton’s Grand Empire Banquet Hall. The party billed it as the “Third Annual Jagmeet Singh Dinner and Reception” and charged C$320 for admission. Total attendance: 277 guests. Compare and contrast with the regulated fundraisers other parties have hosted that meet Elections Canada’s bar for public reporting: The Liberals have held 161; the Conservatives, 133; the Bloc Québécois, 11; and the Greens, 0. — Mining for deep-pocketed donors: The Conservative money machine churns forward with a private “Evening with PIERRE POILIEVRE” fundraiser Thursday at The Wine Academy in Toronto, a private club where annual memberships start at a cool C$3,500. The NDP don’t have any fundraising events on their schedule — and neither do Liberals. | | | | A message from Spotify: As the CRTC consults on the implementation of the Online Streaming Act, the Canadian music industry faces a fundamental question: whose music counts as Canadian? This comes at a time when Canadian and Indigenous artists are finding success on streaming platforms including Spotify like never before. Last year, Canadian artists were discovered on Spotify by first-time listeners more than 3.8 billion times and generated royalties exceeding $435 million. Learn more. | | | | | HALLWAY CONVERSATION | |
LEFT ON READ — JERRY DEMARCO says he’s heard zip from the feds since he warned last fall that Canada is set to miss its 2030 emissions target.
“Nothing has changed,” the federal environment and sustainable development commissioner told Playbook Tuesday in an interview. — The gap: The federal government has pledged to cut emissions by 40-45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. DeMarco’s audit of government climate measures last year found they added up to roughly 34 percent — below what Liberals advertised. — New reports: DeMarco has been sounding the alarm since assuming the role of Canada’s environment watchdog in 2021. On Tuesday, he delivered fresh findings and new questions. He spoke to POLITICO Pro’s ZI-ANN LUM about the government’s efforts and shortfalls. Here are excerpts from that interview. This morning, you said: “If Canada is serious about dealing with what the UN calls the triple planetary threat of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, including plastic waste, then we need more real time data.” Could you expand on this point. Is this an urgent issue for government? If the government — and the UN, for that matter — both called climate change a crisis or pollution a crisis, it seems like a contradiction then to not give it the attention it deserves in terms of data collection. With greenhouse gas emissions, we have a long lag between when the actual emissions occur and when we get the reports from Environment and Climate Change Canada. With plastic waste, we get an even longer lag between when waste is discharged and when it's reported by Statistics Canada. If you're gonna call these issues crises then you should be managing them with more dispatch. Having data that's three years old and making decisions today — that just doesn't cut it. Among your suite of spring reports, is there an audit that stands out? I can't really choose one of the five, just like I wouldn't choose a favorite daughter. They're all important. You’ve committed your career to working in the environmental field — what keeps you motivated? Are you as optimistic as you were 25 years ago when you started? I guess I have to update the bio, it's been more than 25 years now. The level of concern, the level of environmental literacy is much higher now than it was when I got into this issue as a student in the ’80s or ’90s. So that's a positive. But as I said before, the magnitude of the problem has increased since then, too. What keeps me motivated is that the general population is aware of these environmental issues. It's not just people who study the environment that talk about climate change, or the loss of species. Probably the biggest inspiration — getting back to my daughters, who I'm not going to choose between — is that it's top of mind for the younger generation. Pro subscribers can read the full interview here. | | For your radar | | | | 
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in QP on Tuesday. | Adrian Wyld, The Canadian Press | ‘WACKO’ MOMENT — Tuesday’s Question Period was so raucous, the usual pugilistic metaphors are kind of useless. Less a boxing match than a bench-clearing hockey brawl. Of words. Of really, really dumb words. — Hot House: The noise level rose as Liberals and Conservatives exchanged a string of non sequiturs and insults, largely themed on drug decriminalization in B.C. and PIERRE POILIEVRE’s recent trip to a controversial anti-carbon tax convoy encampment tied to a far-right group. As both parties fought for another inch, Speaker GREG FERGUS lost another mile. Heckles came through loud and clear. Hansard scribes must have wondered, why bother even “Oh, Oh!”ing these ones? “Get it together, Greg!” “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” — Ref under fire: Decorum was already going down the drain but started to swirl when JUSTIN TRUDEAU accused Poilievre of being a “shameful” and “spineless” leader for courting the votes of white nationalists. “The chair is acting in a disgraceful manner,” said Conservative RACHAEL THOMAS for allowing that one to pass. Clearly flustered, Fergus named her by her maiden name, Harder, as he ejected her from the House. — Yakko, wakko and done: The scene culminated with Fergus booting out Poilievre for calling the PM a “wacko,” then refusing to withdraw the remarks. Poilievre’s caucus stormed out, offering some drive-by commentary on the way. Poilievre took to social media to say he’s being censored by the “Liberal speaker.” A few Conservative staffers stuck around to watch a lineup of Liberals pop up one by one at the media pool mic in the House foyer, which included: GARY ANANDASANGAREE, STEVEN MACKINNON and ADAM VAN KOEVERDEN. NDP House Leader PETER JULIAN also threw down. — Fighting words: Immigration Minister MARC MILLER called Poilievre a “big baby” for not retracting the statement, dismissing the idea he could ever be censored. “That guy's never shut his mouth in his life,” Miller said. “He refused to apologize. That attacks the integrity and the authority of the chair, which is sacrosanct.” — End of the day: The incident snatched the first 15 minutes of Power & Politics, effectively pushing DeMarco’s environmental audits and other pressing items out of mind. | | | | A message from Spotify:   | | | | | Where the leaders are | |
— Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is in Ottawa with plans to chair national caucus at 10 a.m. and to participate in question period in the afternoon.
— Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND is in Ottawa and will join the Liberal caucus meeting. She has a healthcare announcement and media availability at 1 p.m. alongside Citizens’ Services Minister TERRY BEECH, Labor and Seniors Minister SEAMUS O’REGAN and Public Services and Procurement Minister JEAN-YVES DUCLOS. — Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE and Bloc Leader YVES-FRANÇOIS BLANCHET did not release their public itineraries before deadline. — NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH is in Ottawa and will chair his party’s 9 a.m. caucus meeting. He has his standing 2 p.m. date with West Block cameras and reporters before heading into the House for question period. — Green Party Leader ELIZABETH MAY is in Ottawa with plans to meet with Nature Canada representatives, participate in Flora’s Walk and an evening reception at the Sir John A. Macdonald Building to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. | | | DULY NOTED | | |
— Liberals in Toronto-St. Paul's are gathering this evening for a nomination meeting in advance of a federal byelection. LESLIE CHURCH, a former chief of staff to CHRYSTIA FREELAND, is the heavy favorite. Also on the ballot: EMMA RICHARDSON, a Global Affairs Canada employee.
— The Canadian Chamber of Commerce launches a two-day "North American Economic Security Mission" to Washington, D.C. The chamber will meet today with "Team Canada Hub" staff and embassy officials, as well as provincial reps JAMES RAJOTTE, DAVID PATERSON and BENJAMIN BELAIR. The lobby group will also connect with reps of the departments of state and commerce, as well as the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. 9 a.m. National Defense Minister BILL BLAIR will deliver a keynote speech on NORAD modernization at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute conference in Ottawa. 4:15 p.m. Bank of Canada Governor TIFF MACKLEM and Senior Deputy Governor CAROLYN ROGERS will be at the Senate banking committee. 4:30 p.m. The House foreign affairs committee will discuss a request to launch a study on waivers granted to continue the use of Russian titanium in Canadian aerospace manufacturing. | | | ALSO FOR YOUR RADAR | | | | 
Defense Minister Bill Blair with Prime Minister Trudeau last month. | Sean Kilpatrick, The Canadian Press | DEFENSE POLICY ROADSHOW — The Arctic will get some prominence in National Defense Minister BILL BLAIR’s keynote speech at the Westin Ottawa today. Blair’s remarks to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute’s conference on NORAD modernization marks his first major speech since Canada’s long-awaited defence policy update was released last month. 23: Number of days since Blair released Canada’s defense policy update. 69: Number of days until this year’s July NATO summit in Washington. — Spoiler alert: Blair’s spokesperson DIANA EBADI gave Playbook a preview. — Repetitious pitch: Expect to hear how Canada’s Arctic is warming at four times the global average, a point made on page 4 of the strategy to underscore how melting ice and new waterways are a potential national security issue. Blair is expected to namecheck Russia and China for investing in advanced weapons to threaten and test North America and its increasingly outdated joint U.S.-Canada North Warning System. — Know thy audience: Blair is likely to make some overtures to Canada’s defense industrial base — many of whom will be represented at the day-long event. — Follow the money: Big name sponsors of today’s conference include Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Irving, Hanwha, Boeing and the American Chamber of Commerce in Canada. — Follow the minister: Blair will take his speech down the 401 Friday for an Economic Club lunchtime event at the Hilton Toronto Hotel. SEEING RED — From spring showers will bloom May flowers on the lapels of Parliamentarians today. MS Canada will dispatch volunteer ambassadors to the Hill to deliver red carnations to government and opposition lobbies to raise awareness about May being Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. More than 90,000 people in Canada live with the neurological disease, which disproportionately affects women at three times the rate than in men. The parliamentary pin-a-thon is happening on the heels of the charity’s three-day lobbying effort on the Hill. | | MEDIA ROOM | |
— Top of POLITICO this hour: NY police clear pro-Palestinian protesters from Columbia in escalation of campus turmoil.
— From POLITICO's ANDREW MCDONALD: Is the dream of Scottish independence over? — Time Magazine released two wide-ranging interviews with former President DONALD TRUMP. Read the transcripts. — CSE says it shared details of Chinese hacking with Parliamentary officials. The Globe’s BOB FIFE and STEVE CHASE have the story. — Finance officials love to read it: Economist TREVOR TOMBE makes his case in The Hub for why the Trans Mountain pipeline was worth its C$34B price tag. — KYLE BAKX of CBC News writes: For its next trick, Ottawa must unload the $34B Trans Mountain pipeline. It won't be easy. | | PROZONE | |
Our latest policy newsletter for Pro subscribers from ZI-ANN LUM and SUE ALLAN: What friends in DC should remember.
In other news for Pro readers: — G7 coal power pact doesn’t cover exports, Canadian minister says. — Watchdog says 407-hour application impedes industrial decarbonization push. — Biden administration charts new path for use of biofuels in aviation. — New White House critical infrastructure policy avoids big changes. — Biden administration finalizes update to NEPA permitting law. | | PLAYBOOKERS | |
Birthdays: Senate birthday twins MARY JANE MCCALLUM and PIERRE DALPHOND (70) celebrate, sharing the day with CBC Radio “Q” host TOM POWER and Sussex Strategy Group VP MARK OLSHESKI.
Greetings also to DAVID SHEPPARD, a parliamentary affairs staffer for Sen. JANE CORDY; and JOHN ALHO, associate VP of government relations for the University of Calgary. HBD + 1 to LUIZA SAVAGE, SCOTT REID and MARK MULRONEY. Spotted: Liberal MP and Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie President FRANCIS DROUIN and Sen. ÉRIC FOREST representing the Canadian branch in Luxembourg for talks with officials. Emergency Preparedness Minister HARJIT SAJJAN and Liberal MPs MARC SERRÉ and RYAN TURNBULL on the left coast meeting with UBC President BENOIT-ANTOINE BACON and UBC Okanagan Principal LESLEY CORMACK. Movers and shakers: MP SCOT DAVIDSON confirms he’s the acclaimed Tory candidate for the new riding of New Tecumseth–Gwillimbury … Same with Conservative MP Mark Strahl in Chilliwack–Hope. International Trade Minister MARY NG has appointed MASUD HUSAIN as interim ombudsperson for responsible enterprise, replacing SHERI MEYERHOFFER in the role. Democrat TIM KENNEDY won a special election Tuesday to finish the term started by fellow Democrat BRIAN HIGGINS in a Buffalo-area congressional seat. Media mentions: Michener Award finalists are out, recognizing exceptional public service journalism from The Canadian Press, CBC/Radio-Canada, The Globe and Mail, The Montreal Gazette, The Narwhal + The Toronto Star, Radio-Canada. Winners will be named June 14 at a ceremony at Rideau Hall hosted by Governor General MARY SIMON. | | | | A message from Spotify: The CRTC’s current definition of Canadian content designed for radio may be excluding those Canadian artists who work with a global mindset and are increasingly finding success all around the world.
That includes staples by The Weeknd, Celine Dion or Shania Twain and even new hits like greedy by Calgary-born Tate MacRae, which garnered 860 million plays globally and spent four weeks as the world’s most popular song.
All Canadian, right? Maybe not.
That’s because these songs only fulfill some of the CRTC’s criteria which focuses on songs written, performed or produced almost exclusively by Canadians in Canada.
We think that needs to change.
The CRTC must prioritize its work on redefining Canadian and Indigenous content to ensure it reflects the global nature of today’s music industry.
Read more about Spotify’s position and how we are helping Canadian artists grow their audiences globally in our For The Record blog post. | | | | | ON THE HILL | |
→ Find House committees here.
→ Keep track of Senate committees here. 12:45 p.m. NDP MP ALISTAIR MACGREGOR will hold a media availability in West Block to raise awareness around a national brain injury strategy. 1 p.m. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference will hold a press conference in West Block to announce strike vote results at Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City. 1 p.m. Indigenous Services Minister PATTY HAJDU will make an announcement at Ottawa’s Hilton Garden Inn on a “new arrangement” related to First Nations land management. 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 social affairs committee will take Bill S-235 through clause-by-clause consideration. 4:15 p.m. Bill S-15 is the topic of the day at the Senate legal and Constitutional Affairs committee. 4:30 p.m. Privacy Commissioner PHILIPPE DUFRESNE will be at the House national defense committee. 4:30 p.m. The House government operations and estimates committee will continue its study on federal contracts awarded to McKinsey. 6:45 p.m. The Senate Indigenous peoples committee will study the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. 6:45 p.m. The Senate national finance committee will study Main Estimates. 6:45 p.m. Sen. JIM QUINN and Nova Scotia Public Works Minister KIM MASLAND will be witnesses at the Senate transport and communications committee’s study of Bill S-273. | | TRIVIA | | Tuesday’s answer: “OGD” means Other Government Department. Props to QUSAI YUSUF, MICHAEL FOLKERSON, MATTHEW CONWAY, SEAN MOORE, WALTER ROBINSON, MARC LEBLANC, RODDY MCFALL, ALYSON FAIR, ROSS LECLAIR, ANDRÉ BRISEBOIS, JOANNA PLATER, BOOTS TAYLOR-VAISEY, LAURA JARVIS, JOHN MATHESON, TRACY SALMON, KEVIN COLBOURNE, MARCEL MARCOTTE, RÉMI HYPPIA, KAREN COOK and MARK AGNEW. Wednesday’s question: Speaking of language in the House, who said: “Why does the government treat Alberta like a fart in the room that nobody wants to talk about?” Answers to ottawaplaybook@politico.com Writing Playbook tomorrow: NICK TAYLOR-VAISEY. | | | | 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 | | | | |
