| | | | |  | | By Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Kyle Duggan | | 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: → CHRYSTIA FREELAND talks to POLITICO about Ukraine, Poilievre and dinner planning. → The menu for JUSTIN TRUDEAU's Rideau Cottage dinner with EMMANUEL MACRON. → The pesky France-Canada trade beef that followed Macron to Ottawa.
|  | For your radar | | | SAVE THE DATE — We’re thrilled to announce our next Playbook Trivia Night is booked for Oct. 29 at the Métropolitain. We'll get going as the Government Relations Institute of Canada's fall reception at the Met winds down. Date: Oct. 29. Time: Doors open at 7 p.m. First round starts at 7:30. — Registration is open now. Space is limited. RSVP via this Google Form. Please don't send your RSVP via email. (Please do email us with news tips, gossip and everything else we're dying to know.)
| | FIRST THING'S FIRST | | | | 
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, an author and former journalist, tells POLITICO that one of her fantasies is to write a "political autobiographical cookbook." | Adrian Wyld, The Canadian Press | LONG-FORM FREELAND — "I am going to leave it to PIERRE POILIEVRE to define himself for Canadians," CHRYSTIA FREELAND, asked for her take on the Tory leader, told POLITICO's ANNE MCELVOY on the latest “Power Play” podcast. Listen here. Canada's Liberal Party has faced criticism for failing to unleash negative advertising meant to sell their image of Poilievre to voters. The ascendant Tory leader has spent millions defining himself, and his party's war chest can pay for a lot more. — Now there's a metaphor: Freeland did say a bit more about Poilievre, guiding McElvoy through a Canadianized version of the WARREN BUFFETT line: "In a bear market, when the tide comes in, you find out who is swimming naked." To that, the finance minister added (with a dash of Canadian modesty): "Now we see what kind of a bathing suit everyone is wearing here in the Canadian political waters." Asked if she thought Poilievre was dangerous to Canada, Freeland replied: "Well, I definitely think so." — Funding Ukraine's war effort: Freeland is confident the global plan to help bankroll Ukraine’s war effort by seizing the windfall profits of frozen Russian central bank assets will move ahead in "the coming months." “I actually completely disagree with the view that this is not going to happen,” Freeland said. “I'm very confident Ukraine will start getting the money in the coming months, and I really think at this point what we're talking about is the technicalities.” When G7 leaders agreed on a plan for "leveraging" $50 billion in frozen asset profits, they set out an end-of-year timeline to get the money flowing. More on these details from POLITICO's KYLE DUGGAN. — Dinner diplomacy: "My children would tell you that cooking is my love language," Freeland told McElvoy. The deputy PM makes a habit of hosting dinners at her Toronto home for visiting VIPs. She revealed to McElvoy that one of her "fantasies" is to write a "political autobiographical cookbook" — think NORA EPHRON's "Heartburn," a novel filled with recipes, but with way more Ukrainian food. — Dream dinner guest: McElvoy's culinary questions caught Freeland by surprise, but she didn't think twice before declaring VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY as top of her guest list, alongside his wife OLENA ZELENSKA and two Ukrainian soldiers of their choice. → On the menu: Prairie-style Ukrainian pierogies, stuffed with mashed potatoes and Cheez Whiz; borscht, prepared by her daughter NATALKA; a standing rib roast, to honor her family's British roots; beef, to recognize her Alberta roots; and Yorkshire pudding served with mushroom gravy. For dessert: walnut-almond torte (two layers walnut, one almond), with almond cream and coffee icing. → A different vibe: Would Freeland invite Poilievre? "He is warmly invited and I think I'm gonna have to offer him the showstopper," she said, referring to the same rib roast on Zelenskyy's menu.
| | A message from Flip the Switch: With 12-month grain contracts already signed prior to the extended interswitching pilot, grain shippers have not been able to take advantage of this tool necessary to increasing competition, reducing transportation costs, and increasing access for Canadian goods. That’s why a 30-month extension to the pilot is necessary to unlock the full potential of competition. Learn more. | | | | | | | 
French President Emmanuel Macron arrives at Rideau Cottage Wednesday night for dinner with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. | Justin Tang, The Canadian Press | DINNER WITH EMMANUEL — What do you serve for dinner when your guest is the 25th president of France, fresh off a plane from the bright lights of New York City? If you're JUSTIN TRUDEAU hosting at Rideau Cottage, and you're keen to make a good impression, you fill your G7 counterpart's plate with a carefully curated mélange of regional fare. EMMANUEL MACRON's fave dish is cordon bleu, though he was once famously denied it. He's got a pretty decent track record at blind taste tests of wine. The leaders were well fed heading into today's official bilat. The centrist pair heads next to Montreal, where Macron is set to meet with Quebec Premier FRANÇOIS LEGAULT. The jaunt caps with a speech by Macron focused on Canada and the French community. — On the menu: These were the president's options as he sat down Wednesday evening for his first dinner in Canada since 2018: — Maple-glazed Ontario pork belly and seared scallop
— Apple and watercress
— Smoked brown butter and pumpkin purée
— Meyer Family Vineyards Old Main Road Chardonnay, 2021 (from British Columbia) — Rosemary crusted Quebec venison tenderloin
— Juniper infused jus
— Roasted carrot and sunchoke, parsnip silk
— Amaranth and carrot sablé
— Two Sisters Vineyards Eleventh Post, 2013 (from Ontario) — Apple tart
— Vanilla mousse
— Cinnamon crumble
| | | Where the leaders are | | |
— Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU will meet with French President EMMANUEL MACRON on Parliament Hill. They'll head to Montreal for a working luncheon on AI, and hold a joint media availability. Trudeau will host a reception in Macron's honor — and deliver remarks.
— Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND has no public events on her agenda. — Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE, NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH and Bloc Québécois Leader YVES-FRANÇOIS BLANCHET have not released their public plans for today. — Green Leader ELIZABETH MAY will participate in Parliament in person. At 6 p.m., she will attend and speak at the 100th anniversary celebration of the Federation of Medical Women of Canada. | | | HALLWAY CONVERSATION | | | TRADE BEEF — When Trudeau meets with Macron today for their official bilat, one issue he might want to raise is CETA — the Canada-Europe free trade deal. The deal has been ratified by 17 of 27 nations in Europe, though it applies provisionally, leaving 10 outliers, including France. France’s Senate voted against the deal earlier this year amid populist backlash. It’s bound to come up for a vote again and raises questions about the future of the trade pact, though it’s unlikely this could scuttle the whole accord. Pro subscribers can read all about that here. During a background briefing for reporters in Paris, a French official said Macron's trip could present an opportunity to reiterate to Trudeau strong support for the agreement — even though the vote is ultimately up to French parliamentarians. One of the key opponents: French beef farmers, fretting about a flood of beef coming into the marketplace. Playbook caught up with JOHN MASSWOHL from the Canadian Cattle Association, to get his thoughts on just how beneficial CETA has been to Canadian agriculture. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Do you have any concerns about CETA being held up in France, or even the possibility of it failing? We were big champions of the agreement when it was being negotiated. But to be honest, it's been a huge disappointment for Canadian beef producers. I can't speak for the rest of the Canadian economy, but if they want to rip it up, that's fine with us. That’s interesting, since beef has been one of the big issues that's been raised in France. We have imported several multiples more tons of European beef into Canada than we've exported. Even from France, they're down in what they've exported here, but they've exported 127 tonnes so far this year to Canada. I think we're slightly over 400 tons of what we've exported to the entire European Union. So, you know, it doesn't compute, right? Trudeau is going to be meeting with Macron, but you’re probably not really going to be all that concerned, then, if he brings up CETA or not. The current prime minister doesn't really ask our opinion all that often on things we care about. If he was looking to talk about the value of trade in both directions, there's a very good example of how France and Europe has benefited considerably on the beef trade. As well as cheese. As well as pork. As well as veal. So, if you want to look at Canadian agriculture as a whole, yeah, it's been bad for beef producers. But I struggle to find anybody in Canadian agriculture that thinks that this agreement has benefited Canada. As a consumer, I'm very happy to see all the Irish and French cheese in the Canadian stores. It's good stuff. But … the Europeans have got beef and cheese, and we've got nothing. So, I would think that would be a good way for the prime minister and his officials to frame it. | | | | A message from Flip the Switch:   | | | | | ALSO FOR YOUR RADAR | | CRANK IT TO 11 — The Bloc Québécois is the latest party to yank a block out of the teetering Jenga tower that is the House of Commons. YVES-FRANÇOIS BLANCHET upped the ante Wednesday by imposing an Oct. 29 deadline before his party pulls its support for future House confidence motions. Unless, that is, the Liberals embrace two Bloc bills: one to increase old-age security payments, and another that would shore up supply management in trade negotiations. The threat raises the prospect of a post-U.S. election election. Or a Christmas election. Eep. — Reminder: All three main opposition parties need to turn their keys at the same time before the nuclear device is cleared for launch (unless one of the oppo parties abstains, which introduces wacky vote math involving independent MPs).
| | | MEDIA ROOM | | |
— Top of the Globe: Canadians told to leave Lebanon as Israel prepares for possible ground invasion.
— “Canadian politics are getting fiery,” NYT Canada Bureau Chief MATINA STEVIS-GRIDNEFF writes from Toronto. — From POLITICO: “How China plans to get more backers for its Ukraine peace plan at the UN.” — DAVID THURTON of CBC News reports that the Net Zero Advisory Body is advising that Canada should at minimum cut its carbon emissions in half by 2035. — The Narwhal’s MIKE DE SOUZA and CARL MEYER check in on the status of draft regulations that would cap emissions in the oil and gas sector. — The Star’s ALEX BALLINGALL reports today on documents that confirm Ottawa is off to a slow start on its 20-year plan to improve Canada’s contribution to NORAD — a story we shared with Pro readers last Thursday. — In case you missed it last night: New York City Mayor ERIC ADAMS has been indicted.
| | PROZONE | | For POLITICO Pro subscribers, our latest policy newsletter by SUE ALLAN: Timelines and redlines on Parliament Hill. In other news for Pro readers: — COP28 goal to triple renewable energy ‘possible,’ IEA says. — Q&A: U.S. State Department energy official on LNG, methane and Iraq. — Carbon markets take center stage at Climate Week as criticisms abound. — Meta, Apple snub EU’s AI Pact. — Heritage Foundation chief dismisses record temperatures and defends Project 2025. | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Birthdays: HBD to retired Canadian Sen. LOWELL MURRAY, former Alberta Cabmin LEELA AHEER, former Quebec Cabmin LOUISE BEAUDOIN, Nova Scotia MLA ALLAN MACMASTER, DAN MADER of Loyalist Public Affairs and CARL NEUSTAEDTER of the Canadian Institute for Health Information. HBD + 1 to MARLENE POILIEVRE, mother of PIERRE. Got a document to share? A birthday coming up? Send it all our way. Spotted: Sen. MARTY KLYNE, urging Canadians to watch “Fallen Heroes: Their Journey Home,” a documentary on Canadian soldiers who served in Afghanistan. — Scenes from QP: A copy of "Fire Weather," sitting on Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU's desk before he arrived. Green Leader ELIZABETH MAY, who gifted the book to the PM on behalf of a constituent, chatting with CHRYSTIA FREELAND before checking in with Cabmins ANITA ANAND and STEVEN GUILBEAULT … Green MP MIKE MORRICE, huddling with Public Safety Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC … Tory MP ADAM CHAMBERS, conferring with House neighbor Bloc Québécois MP JEAN-DENIS GARON … Bloc Leader YVES-FRANÇOIS BLANCHET, looking bemused as PIERRE POILIEVRE jabbed the prime minister about putting on a performance. Trudeau, accusing a Tory MP of uttering a homophobic slur about spending time in a bathtub with New York Consul General TOM CLARK (the recording caught the word "bathtub," with laughter from Tories); Trudeau, eventually agreeing to withdraw his remark if the Tory did the same; Trudeau, withdrawing the word "crap;" Trudeau, conducting a fly-by post-QP scrum with reporters before re-entering the House for the confidence vote du jour; Trudeau, reappearing a level higher as he exited the House chamber. Noted: Canada’s population as of July 1: 41,288,599. Sen. PAULA SIMONS has released “On the Front Lines of Canadian Governance,” a report on the challenges and opportunities of Canadian municipalities. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce shared notes on ways to defend Canada’s economic security interests. Read their letter. Movers and shakers: The prime minister announced Wednesday that he’d appointed SUZE YOUANCE as an independent senator to fill a vacancy in the Senate for Quebec. | | A message from Flip the Switch: Myth: Extended interswitching harms the environment.
Fact: Extended interswitching allows shippers to take a more direct route, helping to reduce overall emissions.
Consider a train full of grain travelling from Winnipeg to Fresno, California. Without extended interswitching, the train travels from Winnipeg, to Vancouver, then south to Fresno, compared to travelling on a more direct route. This adds over 600km of additional travel, increasing greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, the total excess emissions emitted under the non-interswitching route is the equivalent of transporting hundreds of passengers by rail roundtrip from Toronto to Montreal.
For more myth-busting, visit www.interswitching.ca. | | | | | WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY | | 8:15 a.m. Chief of the Defence Staff JENNIE CARIGNAN will be at the House national defense committee for a briefing on her mandate and priorities. MPs will devote the second hour of the meeting to a briefing on the Indo-Pacific region. 8:15 a.m. The House industry committee will take Bill C-27 through clause-by-clause consideration. 9 a.m. The Senate agriculture and forestry committee continues its work on Bill C-275. 9 a.m. The Senate fisheries and oceans committee will hear from ETHAN BAKER and EARL PROVOST of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. 9 a.m. PIERRE LANCTÔT, chief financial officer of the Finance and Procurement Directorate, will be at the Senate internal economy panel. 9:15 a.m. The House Indigenous and northern affairs committee will study Bill C-61. 11 a.m. The House veterans affairs committee will hear from JOANNE KIMM as it considers “adequacy of compensation for pain and suffering.” 11 a.m. “Canada without Barriers” is on the agenda at the House human resources committee. 11 a.m. Chief Electoral Officer STÉPHANE PERRAULT will be at the House procedure committee to discuss the status of Inuktut on federal election ballots in the electoral district of Nunavut. The second half of the meeting will focus on cyber attacks targeting members of Parliament. 11 a.m. The House operations committee will hear from witnesses on federal regulatory modernization initiatives. 11:30 a.m. Government and industry officials will attend the Senate banking committee to advise on Bill C-280. 11:30 a.m. The Senate foreign affairs and international trade committee will host the Dairy Farmers of Canada, the National Farmers Union, the Chicken Farmers of Canada and other experts as it studies Bill C-282 and supply management. 11:30 a.m. Bill S-256 is on the agenda at the Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee. 11:30 a.m. Pharmacare legislation continues to be the focus of the Senate social affairs committee. 3:30 p.m. Dow Canada and NOVA Chemicals Corporation are on the roster at the House science committee as it continues its study on research and innovation in recycling plastics. 3:30 p.m. Former Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness RALPH GOODALE will appear by videoconference at a one-hour session of the House public safety committee. 3:30 p.m. The House ethics committee is studying the impact of disinformation and misinformation on the work of MPs. TIMOTHY CAULFIELD, MARCUS KOLGA and YOSHUA BENGIO are on the witness list. 3:30 p.m. Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security JACQUELINE O'NEILL is on the witness list at the House foreign affairs committee as it receives a briefing on Sudan. Behind closed doors: The following House committees will meet in camera: justice, immigration, health, finance and official languages.
| | | TRIVIA | | | Wednesday’s answer: On Sept. 25, 1956, the first trans-Atlantic telephone cable connected New York, Ottawa and London in a ceremonial conversation. Props to LAURA JARVIS, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, WILL BULMER, MALCOLM MCKAY, MORGAN SWAN and MARCEL MARCOTTE. A belated nod to RAY DEL BIANCO for weighing in correctly with Tuesday’s answer. Today’s question: Bytown was founded on this date in 1826. Who was it named after? Send your answer to ottawaplaybook@politico.com Writing tomorrow's Playbook: KYLE DUGGAN and NICK TAYLOR-VAISEY Clarification: Wednesday’s Playbook was updated online to reflect that the government of Canada is currently reviewing its position on “connected cars” from China. | | | | 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 | | | | |
