Eat, drink and be wary

Nov 29, 2024

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By Mickey Djuric and Sue Allan

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Let’s get to it:

→ The House passes a “GST holiday” bill.

→ Meta gets a new deadline from the CRTC.

→ J.D.M. STEWART shares a history lesson.

While you were sleeping

Government House Leader Karina Gould speaks to the media on Parliament Hill.

Government House Leader Karina Gould takes media questions. | The Canadian Press

A VOTE IN THE HOUSE — The not-super-subtle Tax Break for All Canadians Act passed the House late last night with help from the NDP.

On Nov. 21, Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU first announced a two-month tax break on groceries and certain goods. The government enlisted the NDP to get the legislation put to a vote. The “GST holiday” is scheduled to begin Dec. 14 and run through Feb. 15.

CASSANDRA SZKLARSKI of The Canadian Press looked at the items that will or won’t qualify for a GST/HST exemption: “The list runs the gamut from Christmas trees to booster seats, but exceptions abound: shoes but not cleats; video game consoles but not headsets; stuffies but not hockey cards.”

And NATALIE VAN ROOY of CTV News reports: Businesses are scrambling to figure out how it will work.

Economists have also questioned the rationale. Former Bank of Canada governor DAVID DODGE told VASSY KAPELOS this week that the “GST holiday” is like “a little candy today for pain down the road.”

— Not a cliffhanger: Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE announced earlier Thursday that he would be voting against the federal government’s “tax trick.”

“This isn't a tax cut. This is an inflationary, two-month temporary tax trick that will drive up the cost of living,” he said on the Hill.

The Bloc Québécois also voted against the legislation.

The Liberals and the NDP were quick to employ Poilievre’s decision as evidence the Conservative don’t care for middle-class Canadians.

Government House Leader KARINA GOULD called out Poilievre before heading into Thursday’s Question Period. "The fact the Conservatives’ leader would rather play politics than support Canadians I think is very indicative of who he is and what he really stands for," she said.

WHO'S UP, WHO'S DOWN

Up: Angst.

Down: Charity fundraising in the midst of the Canada Post strike.

For your radar

BIG TECH SHOWDOWN — Meta and Canada’s broadcasting regulator continue to go back and forth on details that could determine if the Liberal government’s controversial Online News Act applies to the tech giant.

— Quick review: Meta fought the legislation before ultimately deciding to block news on Instagram and Facebook rather than pony up millions for Canadian publishers.

— Latest update: This week, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission denied Meta’s request to keep specifics about how they’re complying with the law confidential. It told Meta it has until Dec. 11 to disclose the details.

— Fighting words: Meta’s actions send a “troubling message” and “[they] consider themselves above oversight in the public interest,” a spokesperson for Heritage Minister PASCALE ST-ONGE told Playbook.

“By acting selfishly, Meta has disregarded the best interests of Canadians and their users at large,” said spokesperson CHARLES THIBAULT-BÉLAND.

“Ultimately, Canadians expect the governments and parties they elect to do things in the public interest and in their community’s interests, not the interest of more profits for tech billionaires. The Online News Act may still apply to Meta, and it will be up to the CRTC to determine.”

— Who’s counting? The CRTC has spent about two months trying to get information from Meta.

— At loggerheads: The commission insists the information should be public because it is “relevant to the administration of the Act and its Regulations.” It argues that releasing the information “would serve the public interest.”

Meta argued such a disclosure could inspire users to find workarounds. They also say they’re being asked to share sensitive commercial information, which the CRTC isn’t buying.

The CRTC said the information provided by Meta was “not detailed enough to allow users to circumvent any measures that Meta has taken to comply with the Act.” And the release of the information “would not result in harm to Meta sufficient to justify a designation of confidentiality.”

Meta didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Where the leaders are

— Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is in Prince Edward Island to meet with Premier DENNIS KING and make an announcement on the National School Food Program.

— Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND is in Toronto where she will visit a transit facility and hold a media availability around 1:30 p.m. She will be joined by Toronto Mayor OLIVIA CHOW and Ontario Transportation Minister PRABMEET SARKARIA.

— Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE will attend an evening fundraiser at Bellvue Manor in Concord, Ont.

— Bloc Leader YVES-FRANÇOIS BLANCHET has not released his public-facing agenda.

— NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH is in British Columbia where he will speak to the media about the cost of living. He will also join the Canadian Union of Postal Workers picket line.

— Green Leader ELIZABETH MAY will attend Parliament and will speak at the Sustainable Finance Forum.

DULY NOTED

1:15 p.m. Industry Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE will also participate in a discussion at the Sustainable Finance Forum.

Environment Minister STEVEN GUILBEAULT and Tourism Minister SORAYA MARTINEZ FERRADA will attend a Liberal fundraiser at a private residence in Montreal tonight.

ALSO FOR YOUR RADAR

OTTAWA SPLIT-SCREEN — Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU picked up two standing ovations Thursday at the front of a conference hall just a 10-minute walk over from Parliament Hill.

During a 20-minute armchair conversation at Sustainable Finance Forum 2024, the PM fielded questions like, “Politicians out there are saying we can't afford to continue down the path of serious climate policies and climate action. What do you think?”

And during a discussion of investment tax credits and the Canada Growth Fund: “How do you think all those things sort of make our economy stronger?”

Speaking to policy-makers, investors and climate finance experts, the PM talked about transparency and core values, trade deals and the knowledge economy, safety nets and level playing fields.

— Cold calculation: Trudeau did his level best to demonstrate that he gets that climate policy is not a priority for many Canadians right now.

“When people are squeezed every single day at a grocery store, paying for rent and thinking about whether their job can hold them to retirement, what the kids are going to do … it's really easy to scare people into being more anxious and thinking even more short term and more limited,” he said when asked about climate policy about political expediency.

“The pressures we're facing are not going to go away,” he said. “They're only going to get worse — particularly around climate change.”

During the wrap of session, the PM was invited to issue a challenge to the crowd of networkers and entrepreneurs.

“The challenge I put to you is a challenge I put to myself every day,” he said in the preamble to a four-minute reply. “How can we be ambitious for ourselves, for this country, at a time where everyone is stressed out … or freaked out?”

— Political climate: Deeper into his answer, he said: “There are a lot of forces around the world trying to knock us down. Tell us everything's broken, tell us that you can't fight climate change and deliver affordability … Canadians are starting to fall into — or have been tempted to — fall into despair and division and anger. But that's not who we are.”

— Back on the Hill: PIERRE POILIEVRE held a short media outing.

“Everything is broken after Justin Trudeau,” he said off the top. “We need a carbon tax election to fire him.”

WEEK IN REVIEW — DONALD TRUMP’s tariff bombshell offers Trudeau a new opportunity to argue he’ll be the best leader in Canada to take on the President-elect — while providing his opponents with ammunition to work against his bid. POLITICO’s MICKEY DJURIC looks at the state of play.

— In related reading: Poilievre says Trudeau has given premiers “no choice” but to “hold borders together with bubble gum.”

And the Star’s TONDA MACCHARLES and ROBERT BENZIE report: Trudeau government’s ‘Team Canada’ approach is already on shaky ground.

— In related listening: STEVE CHASE joined “The Decibel” pod to discuss developments; and ALEXANDER PANETTA was on today’s “Front Burner” from Washington to explain what this all means for Canada.

MEDIA ROOM

— Canada's Competition Bureau is suing Google over alleged anti-competitive conduct in online advertising. Reuters has the details.

— From JUSTIN LING in the Star: “For MÉLANIE JOLY’s sake and ours, Canada needs a new foreign minister.”

— Top of POLITICO this morning: Florida has a weird political culture. It’s about to take over the White House.

— Maclean’s tackled a timely question: Can Trumpugees move to Canada?

— On The Walrus via STÉPHANE LEMAN-LANGLOIS, AURÉLIE CAMPANA and SAMUEL TANNER: Canada’s far right is getting bolder.

— FATIMA SYED of The Narwhal reports: Canada is one step closer to burying nuclear waste in northwestern Ontario.

PLAYBOOKERS

Birthdays: HBD to Bloomberg editor STEPHEN WICARY. Former Ontario health minister ERIC HOSKINS also celebrates today.

Saturday: Conservative MP KELLY BLOCK. Sunday: Conservative MP DAN ALBAS.

Got a document to share? A birthday coming up? Send deets.

Spotted: Liberal MP JOHN MCKAY gifting Bloc Québécois MP CHRISTINE NORMANDIN a stuffed bear at the defense committee on behalf of MPs who are on it. It was her last day on the committee. “It will have a special place in my office,” Normandin said.

Movers and shakers: PETER NICHOLSON has joined the Public Policy Forum as a fellow.

Media: Editor-in-chief of TVO, GRAEME BAYLISS, is part of recent newsroom cuts at the broadcaster after spending eight years with them. MATT GURNEY, a columnist for TVO, says he also lost his job.

Farewells: There were loads of tributes this week to Sen. STEPHEN GREENE on his retirement from the Senate. “Stephen, as you depart this place for the last time, just remember that you left your mark, and you leave a true, virtuous and positive legacy,” said Sen. SCOTT TANNAS. Read more here.

In memoriam: Liberal MP YASIR NAQVI paid tribute in the House to the life of ROBERT SMYTHE, who died earlier this month. ”As the founding editor of the Centretown BUZZ, Robert captured the stories and struggles of our neighbourhood with passion and care. … His memory will forever echo through downtown's streets, its cherished buildings and people's stories that define our community.”

PROZONE

For POLITICO Pro subscribers, our latest policy newsletter from SUE ALLAN: The case for Team Canada call-ups.

In other Pro headlines:

— Big shadows, including Lighthizer’s, loom over Greer nomination.

— What are U.S. lawmakers prioritizing in the lame duck?

— Trump’s USDA pick shows limits of RFK influence.

— Musk calls for elimination of consumer bureau.

— Another massive attack on Ukraine energy grid forces wide outages.

TRIVIA

Thursday’s answer: WILFRID LAURIER did indeed serve in the House for 16,411 days, as many of you knew.

Props to SARA MAY, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, ANDIE HABERT, JANE GILBERT, JOHN ECKER, PATRICK ST-JACQUES, LAURA JARVIS, GORDON RANDALL and MARCEL MARCOTTE.

Here is Playbook reader and historian J.D.M. STEWART with the rest of today’s history lesson:

WILFRID LAURIER was first elected in 1874. There was a by-election in 1877 in which he ran and won. This was because he had been appointed to Cabinet by Prime Minister ALEXANDER MACKENZIE. In those days, before taking a seat at Cabinet you had to contest a by-election. Laurier actually lost the first by-election in October against an organized Conservative campaign, but won the second one in a different riding (Quebec East, which would become his long-time constituency) on Nov. 28, 1877.

Friday’s question: Who was the first Canadian woman to become a member of the British Royal Society of Arts?

Answer to ottawaplaybook@politico.com

Writing Monday's Playbook: MICKEY DJURIC and SUE ALLAN.

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.

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