| | | | |  | | By Kyle Duggan, Zi-Ann Lum and Nick Taylor-Vaisey | Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Nick | Follow Politico Canada Thanks for reading the Ottawa Playbook. Let’s get to it. In today's edition: → Just when you thought the foreign interference file was simmering down for summer. → Chief Justice RICHARD WAGNER rebuts media and politicians who disseminate decisions carelessly. → The winners of the First Annual POLITICO Canada Trivia Cup.
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | 
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc speaks to reporters in the House foyer on Monday. | Sean Kilpatrick, The Canadian Press | THE NSICOP WALLOP — A secretive committee of parliamentarians came out with an explosive report on Monday alleging some Canadian lawmakers “wittingly” (or, lol, “semi-wittingly”) collaborated with foreign governments that seek to influence domestic politics. Public Safety Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC got out in front of the TV cameras, though he left reporters with more questions than answers. LeBlanc said he disagreed with parts of the report based on how intelligence was interpreted, but would not speak to specifics. “There are, however, elements of the report with which the government respectfully disagrees,” he said, reading from a prepared statement. — Yikes: The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians report, written based on classified intelligence, said a few elected officials had assisted foreign state actors in furthering their own domestic political interests. The report cited alarming examples: → Frequent communication with foreign missions “before or during political campaigns to obtain support from community groups or businesses.” → Accepting “funds or benefits from foreign missions or their proxies.” → Piping intel to foreign governments about fellow lawmakers, despite knowing that would be used as leverage to pressure politicians to change their positions. The behavior sounds illegal, yet is unlikely to result in criminal charges, the report said. The public version of NSICOP's findings is redacted, and specific lawmakers are not named, but there was enough there to give Canadians the gist: — India cited: A redacted section “described examples of members of Parliament who worked to influence their colleagues on India’s behalf and proactively provided confidential information to Indian officials.” — PRC cited: Another paragraph said CSIS assessed that China believes its relationship with some MPs “rests on a quid pro quo” that any engagement with its representatives will result in China “mobilizing its network” to assist the Canadian politician. — Leadership candidates targeted: The report also alleged two instances where Chinese government officials targeted Conservative leadership races. — Refresher: The report said the findings were unanimous among committee members, which include Liberal chair DAVID MCGUINTY and Liberal MP PATRICIA LATTANZIO, Conservative MPs ROB MORRISON and ALEX RUFF, Bloc MP STÉPHANE BERGERON, NDP MP DON DAVIES, along with Sens. PATRICIA DUNCAN, MARTY KLYNE and FRANCES LANKIN. — Missing context: LeBlanc said the government’s concerns “center around the interpretation of intelligence reports, which lack the necessary caveats” that usually come with national security intel. The minister also said the committee didn't acknowledge the “full breadth of outreach” the government has undertaken in informing lawmakers about foreign interference threats. Asked if Canadians deserve more specifics, LeBlanc responded: “Canadians, again, will have the benefit of seeing Justice [MARIE-JOSÉE] HOGUE’s report at the end of this year.”
| | For your radar | |
COMPETITIVE STREAK — The NDP has the opposition day reins in the Commons today, forcing debate and an eventual vote on — what else? — high grocery prices.
— Making the most of the week: NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH became the star witness and controversy magnet at the House industry committee Monday — and he didn’t even have an extra CEO to throw on the grill. Singh didn’t earn the same media exposure as when he once went mano a mano with Loblaw’s GALEN WESTON, but that didn’t stop him from boasting about his crusade against the nation’s biggest grocers and corporate elite. Singh was at the House industry committee to promote his private member’s bill — C-352, or the “Lowering Prices for Canadians Act.” But the political fight there became about which party is standing up for consumers the most. — Coulda woulda shoulda: It didn’t take long for sparks to fly. Conservative MP RYAN WILLIAMS said that while RBC bought HSBC, Rogers bought Shaw and WestJet bought Sunwing, Singh did not pull the plug on the government.“You're standing up for these corporations who have only got bigger,” Williams charged. Singh retorted: “I’m opposing them” — the two talking over each other, a theme of the day. Singh said he was proud to go up against CEOs of telecom and grocery goliaths. “I was the only leader there to take on these wealthy and powerful corporations that are ripping off Canadians,” he said. “I believe that’s the role of government: to stop corporations from ripping off Canadians.” Williams interjected: “And Mr. Singh, you folded.” — A finger in every pie: A short time later, Singh’s attention was on something completely different: the pharmacare bill clearing the House — that key load-bearing legislation under the NDP-Liberal supply-and-confidence pact keeping the next election at bay.
| | | ALSO FOR YOUR RADAR | | | WAGNER UNPLUGGED — The most powerful judge in the land typically takes reporters' questions once a year. On Monday, Chief Justice RICHARD WAGNER broke his silence on a spate of Postmedia coverage on a March ruling in a sexual assault case. — Flashback: The Post's TRISTIN HOPPER launched a viral narrative on March 13 suggesting Canada's top court had declared the word woman "problematic” in reference to the victim. Hopper said the court implied a preference for “person with a vagina.” Things snowballed. Sun chain columnist BRIAN LILLEY added his two cents. Le Journal de Montréal's RICHARD MARTINEAU wrote a column slamming wokeism. Much of the coverage posted photos of Justice SHEILAH MARTIN, who held the pen on the ruling, as the face of political correctness run amok. → The pièce de résistance: On March 14, Quebec's National Assembly unanimously condemned the ruling in an all-party effort spearheaded by MARTINE BIRON, the minister for status of women. — That's a whoopsie: The outrage was based on a shambolic reading of the ruling. — Read the ruling here: Ctrl-F [109] to reach the offending paragraph, which did not try to disappear the w-word. In fact, "woman" and "women" appear dozens of times in the text. At the time, the Montreal Gazette's STEVE FAGUY explained that Martin and Co. were simply contextualizing the experience of the victim of sexual assault. The Globe's CAMPBELL CLARK also decoded the brouhaha. — Which brings us to Wagner: The top judge implored elected officials to read rulings before talking about them. Speaking in French, Wagner called the episode a "clear example of how disinformation circulates, and it can be dangerous."
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The winners of the First Annual POLITICO Canada Trivia Cup: CPAC Brainiacs! | POLITICO Canada | TRIVIA CUP — The Ottawa fishbowl's biggest geeks packed The Métropolitain on Monday night to crown the champion of the First Annual POLITICO Canada Trivia Cup. The smarty-pants crew known as the CPAC BRAINIACS took home the 16.5-inch trophy, as well as a selection of wine and gift cards graciously contributed by The Met, after a dramatic lightning-round showdown with fellow trivia heavyweights THE EH TEAM. | 
Some 50 teams competed for the trivia cup, which was hosted by The Met. | POLITICO Canada | — The final five: The winners and runners-up emerged from a playoff round that featured the best team from each qualifying category. The other three that made it to that stage were PIP SQUEAKS, PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET ORACLES and "I WAS WONDERING IF YOU MIGHT HAVE A MOMENT TO DISCUSS…" — Mea culpa: The room was never louder than when the quizmaster erred in his count of Bridgehead locations in Ottawa's Centretown neighborhood. (The correct number is five, even if a certain coffee purveyor's website is sadly out of date.) — The overall stats: 47 teams; 269 players; 195 questions; 15-ish hours of competition.
| | Where the leaders are | | — Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is in Ottawa and will chair the Cabinet meeting. He'll also attend question period. — Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND is in Ottawa to host a 9 a.m. news conference on the government’s economic plan, alongside Housing Minister SEAN FRASER and Labor Minister SEAMUS O’REGAN. — NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH has a 10:45 a..m. media avail alongside NDP MP LORI IDLOUT and Canadian Union of Public Employees economist ANGELLA MACEWEN to promote the NDP opposition day motion. Singh also has a meeting scheduled with the United Steelworkers. — Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE has not shared his schedule. — Green Party Leader ELIZABETH MAY is in Ottawa to participate in Parliament.
| | DULY NOTED | | — Auditor General KAREN HOGAN will release three new reports this morning and then hightail it to the House public accounts committee to take MP questions. — STEVE VERHEUL, the negotiator who led Canada’s efforts on the new NAFTA will appear at the trade committee this afternoon. We're tracking the political events of 2024 on a mega-calendar. Send us events and download the calendar yourself for Google and other clients .
| | MEDIA ROOM | | — Liberal MP NATE ERSKINE-SMITH's podcast made news when he traded views on abortion and same-sex marriage with Conservative MP ARNOLD VIERSEN. Asked if he'd repeal the latter if it came to a vote, Viersen acknowledged he would. Viersen's leader, PIERRE POILIEVRE, distanced himself from the MP on Monday. Meanwhile, the Star’s STEPHANIE LEVITZ reports: Conservatives are furious. — The Hill Times reports: Public service stalwart BILL MATTHEWS moves into top role as secretary of Treasury Board at a sticky time. — “Could Trump be forced to govern from a prison cell? Don’t count on it,” POLITICO’s JOSH GERSTEIN reports. — From our colleagues across Europe: What the EU election is actually about in each country.
| | PROZONE | | Don’t miss our latest newsletter for Pro subscribers: 758 days and counting. In other news for Pros: — Allies ask SASC to bar 'Buy American' from NDAA. — Wooden high rises gain popularity as climate solution. — China’s case against US EV subsidies could upend the WTO. — Shipping rules took aim at pollution. Did they backfire on climate? — DONALD TRUMP eyes cutting Interior, 'environment agencies.'
| | PLAYBOOKERS | | Birthdays: HBD to Conservative MP MIKE LAKE and Sandstone Group's NARESH RAGHUBEER. Celebrate your day with the Playbook community. Send us the details. We’ll let everyone know. Spotted: In circulation at the Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU’s garden shindig for media on Monday night at Rideau Cottage, a contingent of Cabinet minsters: ANITA ANAND, GARY ANANDASANGAREE, FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE, JEAN-YVES DUCLOS, PATTY HAJDU, MARCI IEN, DIANE LEBOUTHILLIER, STEVEN MACKINNON, MARY NG, PABLO RODRIGUEZ, FILOMENA TASSI and RECHIE VALDEZ. Movers and shakers: Bell Textron's lobbyist records give a sense of which pols and bureaucrats were circulating at the CANSEC 2024 trade show. The aerospace manufacturer met with Tory MPs JAMES BEZAN and PIERRE PAUL-HUS; Sens. HASSAN YUSSUFF, VICTOR OH, TONY DEAN, JEAN-GUY DAGENAIS and ANDREW CARDOZO; MARY GREGORY, associate deputy minister at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada; and JEAN-FRÉDÉRIC LAFAILLE, VP at Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. From the ethics files: Public Safety Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC recently recused himself from any Cabinet talks about the appointment of his friend, PAUL GENEST, as chair of the board of trustees at the National Gallery of Canada. Media mentions: In case you missed it, here's the full list of 2024 Canadian Association of Journalists award winners. And here are the nominees for SABEW’s 2023 Canada Best in Business Awards.
| | ON THE HILL | | → Find House committees here. → Keep track of Senate committees here. 9 a.m. The Senate Indigenous Peoples committee digs into the budget implementation bill. 9 a.m. The House finance committee will focus on the budget bill in a meeting that will run until 2 p.m. 9 a.m. The Senate’s finance committee also meets over the budget bill. 9 a.m. Sens. MARTY DEACON and BRENT COTTER appear at the Senate transport committee to testify on Senate Public Bill S-269, which would create a national framework for sports-betting ads. 9:30 a.m. The Senate’s procedures committee hears from Sens. Patrick Brazeau, Mary Jane McCallum and Marilou McPhedran. 11 a.m. “Compliance of a minister to the Conflict of Interest Act” is on the agenda at the House ethics committee and Employment Minister RANDY BOISSONNAULT will be in the hot seat. During the second hour, the committee will hear from Ethics Commissioner KONRAD VON FINCKENSTEIN. 11 a.m. The House procedure committee will be focused on cyber attacks targeting MPs. House of Commons Clerk ERIC JANSE leads a panel of senior House officials who will take questions on the issue. 11 a.m. The Inuit Circumpolar Council will attend the House science and research committee as it continues its study on climate change and the Arctic. 2:30 p.m. The Senate’s finance committee continues its panels on the budget bill, hearing from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the Canadian Bar Association and the Public Service Alliance of Canada. 3:30 p.m. The House environment committee is studying fresh water and will hear from officials from the governments of B.C., Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador. At 5:30 p.m., the committee will turn its focus to the Net Zero Accelerator Fund. 3:30 p.m. The House international trade committee will start its meeting in private to discuss its report on trade between Canada and Ecuador. At 4 p.m., it will open the doors and return to its study of the 2024 USMCA review with help from JOSHUA MELTZER of the Brookings Institution, Canadian Labour Congress, Canadian Trucking Alliance, and STEVE VERHEUL of GT and Company. 3:30 p.m. The House public accounts committee will hear from the Assembly of First Nations, Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations and Glooscap First Nation as it considers the AG’s report on housing in First Nations communities. 3:30 p.m. The House public safety committee will study Bill C-70, An Act respecting countering foreign interference, with assistance from BENJAMIN FUNG, THOMAS JUNEAU, JAVAD SOLEIMANI and DAN STANTON. 3:30 p.m. The House subcommittee on international human rights will hold a briefing with OLEKSANDRA MATVIICHUK, chair of the Centre for Civil Liberties. 4 p.m. The House heritage committee will take Bill C-316 through clause-by-clause consideration. 5:30 p.m. The Senate’s energy and environment committee hears from BRAD GILMOUR, from Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP, on the budget bill before it turns its attention to sustainable jobs Bill C-50. Behind closed doors: The House agriculture committee will be discussing its study on the horticultural sector. The House transport committee will work on its high-frequency rail report. The House status of women committee is focused on its report on the “Red Dress Alert.”
| | TRIVIA | | Monday’s answer: The Battle of Loon Lake marked the end of a conflict known as the North-West Rebellion or North-West Resistance — a reference that varies by source. Props to MELISSA COTTON, MARCEL MARCOTTE, GEORGE SCHOENHOFER, RALPH LEVENSTEIN, MATTHEW CONWAY, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, DARRYL DAMUDE and MATT DELISLE, Today’s question: “It hasn't been easy, it hasn't been automatic, a lot of people fought for a long time for this day to happen.” On what date was the pride flag first raised on Parliament Hill? Answers to ottawaplaybook@politico.com . Writing Wednesday’s Ottawa Playbook: ZI-ANN LUM. 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.
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