Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
The Alberta government plans to head up an application for a new oil pipeline to the B.C. coast, leveraging the expertise of Enbridge Inc. and Trans Mountain Corp. to help develop the plan, according to three sources.
Emma Graney, Robert Fife and Jeffery Jones report that the idea is to hammer out an application for a one-million-barrel-a-day bitumen pipeline that can be sent to the federal government’s new Major Projects Office by May, 2026, the government said. The final route and cost estimate has not yet been finalized.
While there is a small financial risk to the province to file an application, but nowhere near the $1.3-billion Alberta put up to back the Keystone XL pipeline project, which was scrapped in 2021 after Joe Biden pulled its permit as one of his first official acts as U.S. president.
The province told reporters that the idea is not for the government to own the pipeline but it’s about developing a plan and a route, and letting private capital take over.
Federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said the proposed project will be examined by the Major Projects Office but made no commitment it will be approved.
In other news, Ottawa is considering changes that would allow more U.S. dairy products on Canadian store shelves, in an effort to address one of Washington’s most significant bilateral trade irritants, according to sources familiar with the federal government’s consultation process with industry.
Kate Helmore reports that the discussions between government representatives and key players in the country’s dairy industry are part of consultations ahead of a formal review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, that the three countries will undertake in 2026.
The talks centre on changes to import restrictions and are part of broader conversations on supply management and U.S. trade, according to two sources with knowledge of the consultation process.
Canada’s supply management system, which limits dairy imports, is expected to be one of the most heated parts of the review.
U.S. President Donald Trump has consistently taken issue with Canada’s protectionist policies on dairy, and numerous trade disputes on the subject have made this issue one of the tensest within USMCA relations.
Meanwhile, Rob Ashton, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, has announced today that he’s running for the federal NDP leadership.
Ashton, who is billing himself as the “the first working-class labour candidate” in the race, released a short campaign launch video today.
“I’m done watching working people pick between Liberals and Conservatives, only to end up with the short end of the stick,” Ashton says in his video.
“I’m running because I want our party to get back to its roots, putting regular working Canadians first.”
He joins Alberta MP Heather McPherson and documentarian Avi Lewis as official leadership candidates.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announces plans in Calgary to submit an application for a new oil pipeline to B.C., on Wednesday.Todd Korol/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
Ottawa denies Marineland request to export remaining beluga whales to China: The federal government will not grant an export permit to ship the 30 whales to the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom aquarium, federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson said Wednesday.
Canadians say they are struggling to get information on relatives in ICE detention: E-mails and messages to a Canadian consular assistance hotline obtained under freedom of information laws show details of some cases in which Canadians were unable to locate family members in detention because of communication issues with U.S. officials.
Business council warns Ottawa against growing federal debt: In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, the president of the Business Council of Canada said if the federal government intends on financing investment by incurring more debt, then it better have a plan to bring it down.
Ontario A-G says grant selection process for skills training program ‘not fair, transparent’: In a special report released today, Auditor-General Shelley Spence examined Ontario’s marquee Skills Development Fund, which it launched in 2021 in response to labour shortages that emerged after the height of the pandemic. Also, Spence says Ontario needs almost $2-billion to make $10-a-day child care a reality.
Sikh separatist arrested in Canada: The former Indian high commissioner to Canada is hailing the arrest as an example of a constructive shift in Ottawa-New Delhi relations.
Nigel Wright has died: The long-time Onex executive and former chief of staff to Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper was 62.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Day: In Ottawa, Mark Carney attended the Liberal caucus meeting, and later met virtually with Yukon Premier Mike Pemberton. Later, Carney attended Question Period.
Party Leaders: At the House of Commons, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet held a news conference on Canada Post. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, at the Commons, provided comment on the results of a party review of her leadership. NDP Interim Leader Don Davies attended the NDP caucus meeting, and later went to a rally in support of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, then attended a Parliament Hill rally in support of residential-school survivors and held a news conference on the restructuring of Canada Post. He also went to Question Period. No schedule released for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Quote of the Day:
“We have been very clear from the beginning that supply management is not a subject of negotiation with the Americans. It will not be, it is not or will never be on a negotiating table as we look at a review of the CUSMA agreement. The Prime Minister has been very clear about that. I’ve certainly been very clear. My colleague, the Minister of Agriculture has been clear.” Dominic LeBlanc, minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, intergovernmental affairs, at Parliament Hill today.
Question period
Prime Minister Mark Carney today announced a diplomatic appointment for the most recent Clerk of the Privy Council before Michael Sabia, who now holds the post. Carney said John Hannaford is his new personal representative to the European Union. But going back in history, who was the first Clerk of the Privy Council?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
The Liberals push the envelope, finally, at Canada Post
The union and some labour experts have expressed their horror that the federal government has inserted itself into ongoing labour negotiations with the new marching orders for Canada Post. To the contrary: There is no better time for Ottawa to make clear to both management and the union that fundamental restructuring is required. It is a slap to the face of union leadership, true – but perhaps that can snap CUPW out of its 1970s mindset.
— The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
Canada’s new warships could be obsolete by delivery time
The Royal Canadian Navy has not changed its fleet structure since the end of the Cold War. Its large warships, the Halifax-class frigates, enable it to participate in naval task forces centred on U.S. aircraft carriers. That made sense in an age when control of the air meant control of the sea, and when a close Canada-U.S. partnership was central to our defence policy. But like everything else, this is changing.
— Michael Byers, co-director of the Outer Space Institute
Canada and India must put economics at the heart of rapprochement
A renewed relationship will require both countries to recognize what they bring to each other. It can also stress what they can achieve through alliances and multilateral groups. Both Ms. Anand and Mr. Jaishankar rooted their UN addresses this week in the need for multilateralism in an America First world. India, as a rising second-tier power, and Canada, as a challenged middle power, can both find strength in collective efforts.
— John Stackhouse, senior vice-president in Royal Bank of Canada’s Office of the CEO
Go deeper
- Follow along for our stories on Canada-U.S. relations as news develops
- Get the latest insight and analysis from our political opinion writers
- Take a look at the history of immigration reporting and great political scandals from A Nation’s Paper, a book about The Globe and Mail’s role in Canadian history
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The answer to today’s question: William Henry Lee was the first Clerk, serving from July, 1867 to June, 1872.