Hello,
Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the government is reviewing security protocols for cabinet ministers and members of Parliament after Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was aggressively harassed over the weekend while entering an elevator at a city hall in Alberta.
Two female cabinet ministers – Marci Ien and Karina Gould – also spoke candidly about threats they have received and called for the temperature to be lowered when it comes to political discourse in Canada.
At a joint news conference Monday on another matter that involved several federal ministers, Mr. Mendicino was asked if Ottawa is considering adopting the practice in place for provincial cabinet ministers in Quebec, who are accompanied by drivers who also act as bodyguards.
“We’ll continue to explore all options,” he said, adding that the government works closely with the RCMP, local and regional police services and the sergeant-at-arms, who oversees House of Commons security.
Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief Bill Curry and I report here.
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
ROGERS OUTAGE RELEVANT TO TAKEOVER HEARINGS: TRIBUNAL - Canada’s Competition Tribunal has ruled that the Rogers Communications Inc. July 8 service outage is relevant to the upcoming hearings on the telecom giant’s $26-billion takeover of Shaw Communications Inc. Story here.
LEGAULT CRITICIZED FOR `THAT LADY’ COMMENT - Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) Leader François Legault is being criticized for referring to Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade as “that lady” on Day 1 of the provincial election campaign. Story here from Global News. There’s a refresher on the campaign here.
HATE MESSAGES DRAW FEDERAL ATTENTION - Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino has met with representatives from the Canadian Association of Journalists to discuss what support the federal government can offer as journalists face what the association calls a “fever pitch” of hate messages targeting journalists. Story here from CTV.
A PROFILE OF THE ACTIVIST CHALLENGING DAVID EBY’S BID TO BECOME B.C PREMIER - In a litmus test for the political clout of the climate movement, Anjali Appadurai, who’s never held public office, is gunning for an upset over establishment favourite David Eby in the NDP leadership contest. Story here from The Narwhal.
FEDS UNVEIL PLAN TO SUPPORT LGBTQ2S+ - The federal government has unveiled the details of its five-year, $100-million plan to support LGBTQ, two-spirit and intersex communities across the country. Story here.
HOT RENTAL MARKET AFFECTS POSTSECONDARY RESIDENCE BUILDING - A hot rental market across Canada is squeezing postsecondary students with universities and private companies trying to meet growing demand with a mini-boom in residence building. Story here.
CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP RACE
CAMPAIGN TRAIL - Scott Aitchison is campaigning virtually. Jean Charest is in Montreal. Pierre Poilievre is in Vancouver and North Vancouver. There’s no word on the campaign whereabouts of Roman Baber and Leslyn Lewis.
`AVOID ASSIGNING MOTIVE TO JUSTIN TRUDEAU’ AND OTHER ADVICE FOR THE TORY OPPOSITION - Jake Enwright, the former deputy chief of staff to Erin O’Toole, writes here in The Hill Times on how the federal Conservatives, with their new leader, should approach their back-to-Parliament strategy next month.
THIS AND THAT
COMMONS NOT SITTING - The House of Commons is not sitting again until Sept. 19. The Senate is to resume sitting on Sept. 20.
SUMMER LIBERAL CAUCUS MEETING - The National Liberal Caucus is holding their summer meeting in St. Andrews by-the-Sea in New Brunswick Sept. 11 - 13, according to a statement on Monday from MP Brenda Shanahan, chair of the National Liberal Caucus.
NEW ASSIGNENTS AT THE GLOBE - Marie Woolf of The Canadian Press and Shannon Proudfoot, the former Ottawa Bureau Chief of Maclean’s, are joining the Ottawa bureau of The Globe and Mail in September. Also, Marsha Lederman, currently the Western Arts Correspondent of The Globe and Mail, will be joining the Globe’s Opinion section as a columnist next month.
CHAMPAGNE IN FLORIDA - Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne was in Florida to attend the launch of the Artemis I mission. However, the launch has been delayed. Story here.
GUILBEAULT IN WHITEHORSE - Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, in Whitehorse, to announce funding for Indigenous Guardians initiatives.
LAMETTI IN MONTREAL - Justice Minister David Lametti, in Montreal, was scheduled to make a funding announcement to raise awareness about the new conversion therapy offences in the Criminal Code and the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ sexual assault survivors in Quebec.
O’REGAN IN NORWAY - Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan is in Norway, through Sept. 1, for the Offshore Northern Seas Conference 2022
THE DECIBEL
An explosion rocked downtown Wheatley, Ont., last year, injuring 20 people, destroying property, terrifying residents and shaking buildings kilometres away. The cause is assumed to be an “orphan” natural gas well tucked away near a building’s basement, one of many thousands left behind after the last 150 years of oil and gas drilling in Ontario. Globe energy reporter Emma Graney talks on Monday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast about what went wrong in Wheatley, and why experts tell her another explosion like it is “all but guaranteed.” Read more on The Globe’s investigation here. The Decibel is here.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
In the Ottawa region, the Prime Minister attended the Parliament Hill ceremony to raise the Survivors’ Flag honouring residential school survivors, families, and communities affected by the residential school system. He was then scheduled to meet with members of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council.
LEADERS
No schedules released for party leaders.
OPINION
Kelly Cryderman (The Globe and Mail) on how, in Alberta, children’s early years of education are being used in a game of political football: “Alberta students go back to class in a matter of days. But the question of what will make up the curriculum in elementary schools in the years ahead is far from certain. It all depends on the outcome of two key political races. This is a problem for teachers, parents and – especially – the youngest children in the province, whose early years of education are being used in a game of political football.”
Tanya Talaga (The Globe and Mail) on how Dawn Walker’s case demonstrates the need for Indigenous peacemaking practices in Canada’s justice system: “The case of Dawn Marie Walker – an Okanese Cree mother and celebrated author who was recently shortlisted for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour – would be the perfect story for a TV drama, if it wasn’t so depressingly sad. It’s yet another illustration of an Indigenous woman struggling to be safe, and desperate to be heard, but left with nowhere to turn.”
Guy Saint-Jacques (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy needs to address Taiwan: “When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently told parliamentarians to think about the consequences of visiting Taiwan, it raised some pressing questions. How dedicated is Ottawa to its goal of promoting democratic values around the world? And will the Indo-Pacific strategy that Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly is working on address Taiwan?”
Allan Rock (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how paying for blood and plasma donation is not the answer to our shortages: “In 1998, as Canada’s Minister of Health, I joined my provincial and territorial counterparts in creating Canadian Blood Services (CBS). Still reeling from the approximately 32,000 hepatitis C and HIV infections caused during the “tainted blood” tragedy of the 1980s, Canadians welcomed the establishment of CBS and its sibling, Héma-Québec, as a signal for a new era. The mandate of CBS reflected the recommendations of the Krever Commission, which in 1997 concluded its exhaustive examination of the tainted blood tragedy and the lessons to be learned. The Krever Principles were aimed at ensuring that Canadians would never again endure such a “nationwide public-health calamity” and that our national blood system would be safe and worthy of public trust.”
Andrew MacDougall (The Ottawa Citizen) on Pierre Poilievre’s plan to use his enemies’ hysteria to his electoral advantage: “Will Poilievre’s footsie with a “freedom convoy” foot soldier work? We’ll see. But if you think I’ve done Poilievre’s opponents a favour by referencing his now-infamous handshake with Mackenzie, the leader of something called Diagolon (yeah, me neither), think again. Poilievre wants his opponents to bang on about a little-known extremist group few Canadians will ever give the time of day to. It’s actually the key to the success of his campaign to become prime minister. While the pious are busy spluttering about Poilievre’s grip-and-grin, the Conservative leadership contender is talking about things like inflation and marginal effective tax rates, i.e. the things that are making life more expensive and progress harder to achieve. The result? When potential voters hear hysterical criticism of Poilievre, it doesn’t jibe with what they’ve heard from the man himself. To their ears, it sounds like Poilievre’s critics are fiddling while Rome is burning.”
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