Hello,
Canada’s new representative for combating Islamophobia has apologized for comments that have caused controversy in Quebec.
“I understand that the words and the way that I have said them have hurt people,” Amira Elghawaby, speaking in English, told journalists ahead of a meeting with Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet on Wednesday.
“I am listening very carefully. I have heard you. And I know what you are feeling and I am sorry.”
Multiple politicians in Quebec have called for Ms. Elghawaby’s appointment by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to be rescinded because of comments she made in 2019 opinion piece she co-authored. The column cited polling data to say that “a majority of Quebecers” who supported Bill 21 also held anti-Muslim views.
Earlier this week, Quebec Premier François Legault said Mr. Trudeau is endorsing the contempt she has shown for Quebec by keeping Ms. Elghawaby in her position. Members of the Quebec National Assembly also adopted a motion calling on Ottawa to put an end to her contract immediately. Story here from The Montreal Gazette.
Earlier Wednesday, Mr. Trudeau made a point of commenting on the controversy ahead of the weekly Liberal caucus meeting, speaking very specifically in both French and English.
“Quebecers are not racists. Quebecers are among the people who are the strongest defenders of individual rights and freedoms, along with a lot of other Canadians,” Mr. Trudeau said,
But he said what’s needed now is people who can bridge the two realities of a Muslim and larger community for whom religion is extremely important in a private and a public way, and Quebecers uneasy with some of the authority associated with religion.
“It’s super easy for people to simplify and try to attack either side when what we need is a conversation about the fact that we all agree that rights and freedoms need to be protected and how, in a pluralistic society, a place of diversity and strength, we’re able to not just coexist but understand each other, respect each other’s priorities and desires and build a better future.”
He said he knows Ms. Elghawaby is open to the discussions required for these goals.
This is the daily Politics Briefing newsletter, written by Ian Bailey. It is available exclusively to our digital subscribers. If you're reading this on the web, subscribers can sign up for the Politics newsletter and more than 20 others on our newsletter signup page. Have any feedback? Let us know what you think.
TODAY'S HEADLINES
TORIES SET FUNDRAISING RECORD - The Conservative party has set a fundraising record for a non-election year under the new leadership of Pierre Poilievre, and it is outpacing other federal parties. Story here.
ALBERTA’S FORMER CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER HAS A NEW JOB - The former chief medical officer of health in Alberta, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, has a new short-term role as the deputy provincial health officer in British Columbia. Story here.
OPPOSITION MPS SEEK CLIENT LISTS FROM MCKINSEY AND CO. - Opposition MPs are asking McKinsey and Co. to disclose its private sector client list to address possible conflicts of interest involving tens of millions of dollars of work for the Canadian government. Story here.
COMMITTEE TO EXAMINE NG ETHICS RULING - A parliamentary committee have voted to examine a recent ethics ruling against International Trade Minister Mary Ng. Story here.
FORD HOPING FOR HEALTH DEAL SOON - Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday he hopes the provinces can reach a health care deal with the federal government shortly after their meeting next week with the Prime Minister. Story here.
B.C. ENACTING NEW MEASURES ON REPEAT OFFENDERS - British Columbia’s Attorney-General says new teams of Crown prosecutors, police and probation officers will craft better punishments to ensure repeat violent offenders pose less of a risk to strangers, while also helping these people get much-needed mental health and drug treatments. Story here. Meanwhile a longtime former CBC producer has died after a random daytime assault in Toronto’s east end. Story here from CBC.
YUKON NDP TO BACK TERRITORIAL LIBERALS - The Yukon NDP has renewed its support for the minority Liberal government until 2025. On Tuesday, the two parties announced they have extended the confidence and supply agreement (CASA) that they signed in April 2021. Story here from CBC.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS – Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, Feb. 01, accessible here.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER’S DAY - Chrystia Freeland attended the national caucus meeting and met with British Columbia Premier David Eby, ahead of Prime Minister Jutin Trudeau’s meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
NEW JOB FOR KENNEY - Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney has joined the Bennett Jones law firm as a senior adviser based in Calgary. In a tweet here, Mr. Kenney said his relationship with Bennett Jones was reviewed by the Ethics Commissioner of Alberta, and found to be compliant with the Conflicts of Interest Act. “I will not be engaged in lobbying the Alberta Government or its agencies,” Mr. Kenney wrote. The former federal Conservative cabinet minister also said he will be announcing other opportunities in the private sector that he is taking on, all reviewed by the ethics commissioner. Bennett Jones chairman and CEO Hugh MacKinnon said in a statement that Mr. Kenney brings an extraordinary combination of leadership and public policy experience to the firm and its clients.
BERGEN EXIT - Candice Bergen, who recently served as the interim leader of the federal Conservatives, has announced her immediate resignation as the MP for the Manitoba riding of Portage-Lisgar, ending a 14-year run in the House. In a video statement here, Ms. Bergen said she will not be going back into the Commons. “I am not really one for long goodbyes,” she said.
NEW PARLIAMENTARY POET LAUREATE - Marie-Célie Agnant has been named Canada’s new Parliamentary Poet Laureate. Ms. Agnant, who is from Quebec, is the tenth poet to hold the office since MPs created the position in 2001 to build awareness of the reading and writing of poetry. She succeeds Louise Bernice Halfe – Sky Dancer. Ms. Agnant was selected from a shortlist generated by a selection committee. The laureate’s role includes writing poetry, especially for use in Parliament on important occasions, and sponsoring poetry readings.
WILIKINSON AND ENERGY AGENCY DIRECTOR - Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson and Dr. Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, held a fireside chat at the University of Ottawa, and then took media questions.
COMMITTEES - The Commons standing committee on government operations and estimates was to hold a hearing Wednesday between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. ET into federal government consulting contracts awarded to McKinsey and Company. The only witness is Dominic Barton, a one-time global managing partner at the New York-based consulting giant who was also a senior policy adviser to the federal government and once Canada’s ambassador to China. Details, including a video link, here. Please watch The Globe and Mail for updates on the hearing.
PRIME MINISTER'S DAY
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Ottawa, attended the national caucus meeting and Question Period, and then was scheduled to meet with British Columbia Premier David Eby.
LEADERS
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves François Blanchet held a news conference with the Bloc’s caucus chair and house leader, met with Amira Elghawaby, the special representative on combatting Islamophobia, and participated in the standing committee on government operations and estimates to question Dominic Barton during his testimony.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held a news conference before attending the Conservative caucus meeting, and also attended Question Period.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Ottawa, attended the meeting of B.C. members of the party caucus then the NDP caucus meeting, held a news conference and attended Question Period.
No schedules released for other party leaders.
THE DECIBEL
Wednesday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast features feature writer Jana Pruden on the case of spiritual leader John de Ruiter, who calls himself the ‘embodiment of truth’ and was arrested and charged with four counts of sexual assault earlier this month. Mr. De Ruiter is a leader of a multimillion-dollar organization called The College of Integrated Philosophy. It’s based in Edmonton but has followers all over the world. The Decibel is here.
OPINION
Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail) on how everything isn’t broken, but the government is: “Oh God they’re back. As the ritual shaking of jowls resumes in Ottawa, we are reminded again of how much the government and opposition are agreed: notably, in the belief that the government is responsible for every sparrow that falls, in the economy in particular. They have, indeed, a mutual interest in maintaining this fiction: the opposition, because it wants to blame the government for everything that has gone wrong; the government, because it wants to claim credit for everything that has gone right. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”
Konrad Yakabuski (The Globe and Mail) on how French transportation giant Alstom wants Ottawa to go all in on a high-speed rail project: “French transportation giant Alstom SA is pushing Ottawa to go all-in on high-speed rail service between Quebec City and Toronto rather than settling for a cheaper but slower alternative that would attract too few new passengers to make much of a difference. Alstom, which bought Montreal-based Bombardier’s rail unit in 2021, is urging Ottawa to opt for a French-style TGV (train à grande vitesse) in Canada’s busiest transportation corridor to reduce car traffic and carbon emissions. Though previous attempts to bring a TGV to Canada have failed, in part because of opposition from the country’s airlines, Alstom insists the case for high-speed rail will only get stronger in the face of population growth, road and airport congestion and climate change.”
Mehmet Tohti and Margaret McCuaig-Johnston (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how we can throw escaped Uyghurs a lifeline by bringing more to Canada: “Hundreds of Uyghurs will be in the gallery of the House of Commons for the vote. If Motion-62 passes, it will give Canadians the concrete measures that Parliament’s earlier vote on the genocide really demands. And if cabinet ministers vote in favour, they will be giving a strong signal for meaningful action. Canada will be leading the world in supporting Uyghur refugees at dire risk – people such as Abdulla Abdulhamit.”
Tom Mulcair (The Montreal Gazette) on Amira Elghawaby being the wrong person for her new job: “Trudeau says she’s there to fight prejudice and build bridges. She is not in a position to do that and it’s not because of haters, it’s because of what she said. When your job is fighting prejudice and you’ve made statements in the past that sound like a reflection of your own prejudice, you withdraw them and, ideally, apologize. You don’t dig in, or try to explain them away. People who know her have spoken to me of Elghawaby’s many qualities and the difficulty of going from outspoken activist to government spokesman. I get it. By her own refusal to withdraw those remarks, Elghawaby has confirmed that she is just the wrong nomination for a very important job.”
Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.