Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
An Alberta judge has struck down a petition for an independence referendum in response to a legal challenge by First Nations.
Matthew Scace reports that Justice Shaina Leonard of the Court of King’s Bench has issued a ruling today that quashes a decision by the province’s chief electoral officer to approve separatist leader Mitch Sylvestre’s question on independence.
Alberta separatists last week submitted more than 300,000 signatures to Elections Alberta, but the legal case had prevented the agency from counting the signatures.
In other news, Laura Stone reports that the Ontario government is on the hook for nearly $200,000 in extra costs related to the purchase of the $28.9-million private jet that Premier Doug Ford decided to resell after a public outcry.
The extra costs amounted to $190,865.56, for legal advice, maintenance, storage and inspection services, and did not include taxes, according to a briefing note provided to The Globe and Mail by the Ontario government.
Invoices also released to The Globe show that - as Mr. Ford has said publicly - the government last month sold the jet back to planemaker Bombardier for US$21-million, or about $28.9-million Canadian. But until now, the province had not detailed any extra costs it had incurred when it reversed the decision to buy the plane.
The move to buy the used 2016 Bombardier Challenger 650 for the Premier and other ministers to use on foreign trade missions or travel within Ontario was seized on by opposition politicians when it was first revealed on April 17.
And, in Vancouver, former RCMP officer William Majcher has been found not guilty of acting on behalf of China in its pursuit of a white-collar fugitive living in Metro Vancouver.
Mike Hager reports that B.C. Supreme Court Justice Martha Devlin read her reasons for the decision today in downtown Vancouver.
She noted that the prosecution’s case hinged on a single e-mail chain between Majcher and a colleague that did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt he had taken concrete steps to help Chinese police prepare to coerce Hongwei (Kevin) Sun in the spring of 2017.
A separatist supporter holds a flag during a rally near the Elections Alberta headquarters in Edmonton.HENRY MARKEN/AFP/Getty Images
What else is going on
Ottawa, Alberta close to reaching industrial carbon pricing deal, sources say: Prime Minister Mark Carney was expected to present a plan at a cabinet meeting today on a new accord with Alberta on industrial carbon pricing, according to two government sources.
Proposed $66-million settlement reached in class action over B.C.’s use of `birth alerts’: The controversial practice allowed hospitals and child-welfare agencies to flag pregnant patients they deemed to be high-risk without their knowledge or consent.
Federal government spent more than $800-million on AI contracts, licensing over three years: The sum includes two previously announced deals: a $350-million public-service contract with Dayforce to replace the troubled Phoenix pay system and a $240-million investment in the AI company Cohere.
Thunder Bay Police sergeant gets three-year sentence for obstruction, breach of trust: Today’s sentencing of Mike Dimini is one of three criminal cases against former senior members of the service, including the former police chief.
Quebec pledges action after a series of femicides: The Quebec government is tabling new legislation to protect those at risk after a spate of presumed femicides in the province this year, even as advocates decry a lack of resources for women in need.
Parti Québécois Leader says, without providing proof, that Ottawa is spying on separatist movement: Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and his colleagues leave their phones outside the room in signal-blocking pouches during sensitive meetings and otherwise conduct themselves as though they are under surveillance by Ottawa.
Canadians split on floor-crossing MPs, poll suggests: Respondents were closely divided on the issue, with 34 per cent believing an MP should resign and run in a by-election, 32 per cent saying an MP should sit as an independent until the next election, and 30 per cent saying they should be allowed to switch parties.
On our radar
Fife takes questions: Robert Fife, The Globe and Mail’s Ottawa Bureau Chief, is retiring soon, ending this chapter of a notable career covering federal politics. But before Fife leaves The Globe, he will be answering your questions on Thursday. Go here to ask Bob what you want to know before he retires, and check back on Thursday, May 14 at 11 a.m. ET as he answers them live.
Commons on a break: The Commons is on a break until May 25. The Senate is also on a break, until May 26.
Prime Minister’s Day: In Ottawa, Mark Carney met with the Artemis II crew, participated in an activity with students and the crew, and also chaired a virtual cabinet meeting.
Party Leaders: In her Saanich-Gulf Islands riding in B.C., Green Party Leader Elizabeth May met with constituents, then travelled to Salt Spring Island for a forum on human rights. NDP Leader Avi Lewis began a tour of Saskatchewan with a meeting with Erica Beaudin, chief of Cowessess First Nation. No schedules released for other party leaders.
Ministers on the road:
In the Omani capital of Muscat, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is beginning a trip through to Friday that will include stops in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
In the United Arab Emirates, Defence Minister David McGuinty began a two-day visit to the region that will include a stop in Qatar before it ends on Thursday.
In Prince Edward Island, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly announced $55.7-million in funding for efforts by MDS Coating Technologies, near Summerside, to develop and commercialize its protective coating technology for aerospace engines. She also participated in a fireside chat with the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce, followed by a media scrum.
In Quebec City, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne participated in a fireside chat with Carl Viel, president and CEO of Québec International, which supports the Quebec City region’s economic development.
In Winnipeg, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree highlighted aspects of the spring economic update that deal with combatting crime.
In Edmonton, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon marked the official groundbreaking of the International Cargo Hub.
In Steveston, B.C., Veterans Affairs Minister Jill McKnight announced investments for the Small Craft Harbours Program, including improvements to the Steveston Small Craft Harbour.
Quote of the Day
“Artemis II is just a step on a much longer journey for us, and like you, we can’t wait to be part of what’s next,” Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen of the Artemis II moon mission, during a visit with Prime Minister Mark Carney in his office, accompanied by commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch.
Question period
What was the name of the first gas pipeline laid in Alberta?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
The process of choosing the Governor-General is the problem, not the pick itself
It’s the process that’s the problem. No matter how qualified the appointee may be, he or she will suffer, as a unifying symbol, from not having been chosen by a more broad-ranging, consensus-based approach. That seems especially pertinent in such a fractious nation as ours.
— Andrew Coyne, Columnist
Airport privatization is a flight path to accountability
Prime Minister Mark Carney is signalling he is open to fully privatizing airports. This is welcome news, because if properly executed, privatization could improve Canadian airports and keep soaring fees in check.
— The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
Lament for a lost generation: Young Canadians’ bleak future shames us all
Canadians under 35 are enduring their own version of the Great Depression today. They are, as RBC Economics has noted, the only group in the country to experience a decline in real incomes between 2020 and 2025. Their incomes have fallen behind inflation, whereas those of all other age groups have exceeded the inflation rate over that time.
— John Turley-Ewart is a contributing columnist for The Globe and Mail, a regulatory compliance consultant and a Canadian banking historian.
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
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The answer to today’s question: The Bow Island pipeline, built over 86 days in 1912, ran 270 kilometres between Lethbridge and Calgary