Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Canada is preparing to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state but will withhold full normalization of relations until the territory’s leaders deliver on commitments they made, including the release of Israeli hostages, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said today.
Steven Chase reports that, while speaking to reporters during a visit with Prime Minister Mark Carney to Mexico, Anand said she intended to speak later in the day with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to drive this point home.
She said Canada’s conditions include Hamas laying down its weapons; the return of Israelis kidnapped by the militant group on Oct. 7, 2023; no role for Hamas in the future governance of Palestine; and the introduction of democratic reforms in the territory.
The Canadian government considers Hamas a terrorist organization.
Also, Canada has launched public consultations on the scheduled review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
However, federal minister Dominic LeBlanc said the priority remains obtaining relief from U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos and lumber.
LeBlanc, who is responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, said he expects to return to Washington shortly to continue talks with his U.S. counterparts.
He said Ottawa wants Canadians to offer advice over the next few weeks on how to approach the review of USMCA.
And Emily Haws reports that Avi Lewis has officially launched his bid to become leader of the federal New Democrats, promising policies such as a wealth tax, a national cap on rent increases and a public option for groceries.
In a video posted to social media channels and his leadership website, Lewis also references expanding the public health care system and implementing a Canadian Green New Deal similar to the congressional resolution in the United States to fight climate change.
Lewis is an activist, documentary filmmaker and former TV host. He is also married to activist and author Naomi Klein.
Alberta MP Heather McPherson and International Longshore & Warehouse Union Canada president Rob Ashton are also listed as leadership candidates with Elections Canada, though McPherson has not yet officially declared her candidacy.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc speak with the media in Mexico City on Friday.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
Sub purchase: Ottawa is weighing contracting directly with the South Korean or German and Norwegian governments instead of manufacturers for its purchase of a fleet of submarines, said Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, commander of the Royal Canadian Navy.
Canada-Mexico pact: Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum vowed closer ties between their two countries against the backdrop of rising U.S. protectionism and the likelihood that U.S. President Donald Trump will soon make major demands in the scheduled renegotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Lobbying rules: Two of the hosts are on the federal Liberal Party’s B.C. board. The third is on the national party’s Alberta board.
Alberta transgender laws: A government memo asks other departments to assemble information as per a directive from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s office to invoke the clause.
Nadir Mohamed dies: The former president and CEO of Rogers Communications Inc. was active in Canada’s entrepreneurship community and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2019.
Anti-hate bill: The Combatting Hate bill would criminalize the promotion of hatred against religious or ethnic groups, as well as the LGBTQ community, by publicly displaying terror or hate symbols such as the swastika.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Day: Mark Carney, completing a visit to Mexico City, visited the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ferrovalle train yard, then returned to Ottawa. He is scheduled to travel to New York City from Sunday to next Wednesday to participate in the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Party Leaders: Green Party Leader Elizabeth May attended Parliament virtually from her Saanich-Gulf Islands riding in British Columbia and was scheduled to attend a party hosted by the Saturna Island Marine Research & Education Society. NDP Interim Leader Don Davies participated in Question Period. No schedules released for other party leaders.
Quote of the Day:
“I’m going to try it right now. This is absolutely delicious. My goodness. But you can start asking me questions whenever … Caramel in the middle. Ice cream. Chocolate. And peanuts … The best.” - Ontario Premier Doug Ford, in the Ontario community of Markdale, tries a Yukon ice cream sandwich from Chapman’s Ice Cream as he begins a news conference today announcing $27-million in provincial support for the company. Ford said he eats one of the treats every night. At the conclusion of the news conference, he said, “Folks. Don’t forget to go out and try these Yukons.”
Champagne in Copenhagen: Federal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is in Denmark’s capital today and Saturday for an informal meeting of European Union economy and finance ministers. Canada is the only non-European country invited to the meeting.
Canadian Privacy Commissioner leads international forum: Philippe Dufresne has been elected chair of the Global Privacy Assembly, an international forum for data protection and privacy authorities, during its 47th annual conference, which took place this week in Seoul. He is the first Canadian to lead the assembly since it was created in 1979.
Question period
Last year, the Terry Fox Memorial Sculpture, created by Canadian artist John Hooper and installed in 1983, was moved from its location across the street from Parliament Hill to a spot on the nearby Sparks Street mall to accommodate a new development for the parliamentary precinct. What is the historic significance of the new location?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
If the notwithstanding clause is the nuclear option, Ottawa should respond proportionately
Well, that has set the proverbial chat among les pigeons. The federal government has finally revealed the arguments it will make as an intervenor in English Montreal School Board v. Attorney General of Quebec, otherwise known as the Bill 21 case, now before the Supreme Court of Canada, having submitted its factum at the last possible date.
— Andrew Coyne, Columnist
To strengthen Canada, start in the North
Canada’s Arctic is where “deterrence meets development,” the government’s Major Projects Office said earlier this month in its first substantial update on the infrastructure projects it plans to fast-track.
— The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
In Sudan’s war, civilians - and democracy at large - are under siege
As global assaults on democracy continue, Canada should be at the forefront of defending the systems and movements that support democracies around the world. And if we are serious about this mission, our leadership must extend to efforts to achieve peace in Sudan.
— Meredith Preston McGhie, secretary-general of the Global Centre for Pluralism
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: The Sparks Street location is along the Ottawa portion of the Marathon of Hope that Fox ran on Canada Day, 1980.