Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
B.C. Conservatives say they have ousted John Rustad, their embattled leader.
But Rustad, a former cabinet minister under the BC Liberals, said earlier in the day that he would not quit, and it was not immediately clear whether he could be removed as leader of the party.
The party’s board of directors issued a statement noting that a majority of the Conservative caucus had informed the party’s legal counsel they no longer had confidence in Rustad.
Lawyer Bruce Hallsor wrote to party president Aisha Estey saying he was in possession of letters from 20 MLAs calling for Rustad’s removal.
The board said Rustad had been deemed “professionally incapacitated” and unable to continue as leader, a position he took on in 2023.
But Rustad cited the party constitution, which says a leader can be removed only by resignation, death, incapacitation or a leadership review.
The dissident MLAs have named Trevor Halford, a caucus member, their interim leader.
The Official Opposition party has 39 of 93 seats in the provincial legislature. The BC NDP are governing with 47 seats.
In other news, the Canadian government is buying $200-million of military gear for Ukraine through a mechanism set up by the Trump administration and NATO after the U.S. President signalled he wanted to reduce Washington’s contributions to Kyiv.
Steven Chase reports that the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) was developed by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Trump after the June NATO leaders’ summit in the Netherlands, where the U.S. said it wanted allies to shoulder far more of the burden of supporting Ukraine.
Kyiv has been fighting an all-out military assault from Moscow since February, 2022.
The aid, in combination with other money from allies, comes as Ukraine is under pressure to accept a U.S.-backed peace plan with terms unfavourable to Kyiv.
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad speaks to reporters following the throne speech at the legislature in Victoria on Feb. 18.CHAD HIPOLITO/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
Don’t abuse asylum system, Immigration Minister says: Lena Diab is warning foreign nationals against abusing Canada’s asylum system, as other G7 countries tighten their refugee rules.
Thomson, Weston families win bid for Hudson’s Bay charter: The auction process for the 1670 Hudson’s Bay charter has officially concluded, with the uncontested selection of an $18-million bid from two of Canada’s most prominent families to keep the historic document in the country and publicly accessible.
Ottawa rejects softwood lumber industry request for duties payouts: The federal government fears that direct intervention would further irritate the United States.
Alberta ends procurement talks with two firms tied to businessman at centre of health-care controversy: Hospital Minister Matt Jones announced the move, saying discussions related to proposed clinics in Red Deer and Lethbridge were terminated because of procurement issues and conflicts of interest at Alberta Health Services.
Ottawa housing spending to drop by more than 50%: Federal spending on housing is projected to drop by more than half over the next three years, according to a new report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Day: Mark Carney attended the Liberal caucus meeting and Question Period and met with Canadian tennis player Victoria Mboko.
Also, the Prime Minister’s Office says Carney will travel to Washington on Friday to represent Canada at the Final Draw ceremony for FIFA World Cup 2026. While in the U.S. capital, Carney will also attend the World Cup celebration and tree lighting ceremony at the Canadian embassy.
Party Leaders: In her Saanich-Gulf Islands riding, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May attended Parliament virtually and went to the Sidney Breakfast Club. Interim NDP Leader Don Davies attended the NDP caucus meeting and attended the Canada-Cuba Parliamentary Friendship Group Assembly. No schedules released for other party leaders.
Ministers on the Road: Foreign Affairs Anita Anand is in Brussels for the last day of a NATO foreign ministers meeting.
Commons committee invites Chrétien : Former prime minister Jean Chrétien has been invited to appear before the Commons citizenship and immigration committee on “Operation Citizenship,” described in a motion passed by the committee as a “bureaucratic initiative” aimed at expediting the processing of citizenship applications in the months before the 1995 Quebec sovereignty referendum. Chrétien was the prime minister at the time. The committee is also calling former citizenship minister Sergio Marchi and Peter Harder, the deputy minister. The hearing is to be held next week, though no specific date has been scheduled.
Quote of the Day
“She supported the budget in part because of that, and I feel that it’s a betrayal for us to change our mind like this two weeks later, basically, and put it in agreement with this MOU with Alberta” - Liberal MP Steven Guilbeault, the former cabinet minister, calls out his government for a shift in a policy commitment that had led Green Party Leader Elizabeth May to vote for the budget
Question period
Mark Carney is visiting Washington on Friday for the Final Draw ceremony for the FIFA World Cup and a commitment at the Canadian embassy. Which of Carney’s predecessors opened the current embassy?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
The Canada-Alberta deal is good policy, and probably good politics too
Whatever pains the deal may cause for Mr. Carney in B.C. (where a majority is in support of the project) or Quebec (where Mr. Guilbeault is half as popular as Mr. Carney), or with the still-leaderless NDP, these must be set against the opportunity to steal the centre-right vote from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and possibly reinvent the Liberals in Western Canada.
— Andrew Coyne, Columnist
With typical Alberta governing-party arrogance, Danielle Smith waves away a scandal
With the exception of the most disgruntled among the UCP, Danielle Smith is giving Albertans what they want: a new path forward on a hybrid model for health care, the promise of a new pipeline in partnership with Ottawa, and a government that is unafraid to use various tools at its disposal to enact its legislation. That’s why Ms. Smith can cast off this AHS scandal as a pesky little nuisance; she told reporters “you’ll have to ask my advisors” when pressed Monday on how Sam Mraiche ended up in an election-night suite reserved for her inner circle.
— Robyn Urback, Columnist
The notwithstanding clause is running rampant. Is it time for the `thermonuclear’ option?
The clause was inserted into the Charter as a compromise between elected legislatures and unelected judges, and seen as a “nuclear” option to rarely be used, given its draconian nature. If only. Since 2017, it has been invoked (or threatened) 14 times: once in New Brunswick, twice each in Saskatchewan and Alberta, four times in Ontario, and five times in Quebec.
— Sheema Khan is the author of Of Hockey and Hijab: Reflections of a Canadian Muslim Woman.
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: Brian Mulroney opened the embassy complex in May, 1989. It was designed by B.C. architect Arthur Erickson and was the second complex since 1927 to house a Canadian embassy.