Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Marc Miller, a prominent cabinet minister under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, has returned to cabinet as part of a shuffle announced today.
Miller is replacing Steven Guilbeault as Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture after Guilbeault quit cabinet last week over a federal agreement with Alberta.
First elected in 2015, Miller served as Indigenous services minister, minister of Crown-Indigenous relations and immigration minister under Trudeau, but was left out of cabinet when Mark Carney led the Liberals to another term in government in the April federal election.
During a ceremony today at Rideau Hall, he was sworn into his new role. He will also be in charge of the official languages file.
As Carney looked on, Joël Lightbound, the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, had Guilbeault’s Quebec lieutenant role added to his responsibilities.
And Julie Dabrusin, who has served as environment minister, has a new title: Environment, Climate Change and Nature Minister. She takes on Guilbeault’s parks responsibilities.
As Stephanie Levitz reports, Guilbeault, a former environment minister, quit cabinet last Thursday over concerns the government was walking away from efforts to combat climate change.
His resignation followed the signing of a new energy accord between Ottawa and Alberta.
The deal provides for the cancellation of the oil and gas emissions cap, the suspension of clean electricity regulations and the potential lifting of a ban on oil tanker traffic for a new bitumen pipeline to the West Coast.
In other news, Canada has secured a deal to join the European Union’s military purchasing fund as the 27-member economic bloc ramps up defence spending.
Ottawa is declining to reveal the entrance fee for membership in the program.
Steven Chase reports that, as part of the Secure Action for Europe agreement, or SAFE, Ottawa will be able to make joint weapons purchases with EU countries to achieve savings through large-scale buying, and Canadian companies will be eligible to bid for contracts financed by the €150-billion fund.
Defence Minister David McGuinty said that while Canada has secured access to SAFE – the first non-EU country to do so – there are still “fine print negotiations” ahead.
Marc Miller with Prime Minister Mark Carney after he was sworn in as Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Monday.Blair Gable/Reuters
What else is going on
About 10,000 Jordan cases thrown out annually: Strict criminal trial deadlines imposed by the Supreme Court of Canada are derailing about 10,000 cases a year, including several involving alleged murders and hundreds involving alleged sexual assaults, according to the latest Statistics Canada data.
Nova Scotia to sell U.S. booze stockpile: The province is selling off its remaining stock of alcohol from the U.S. and plans to donate the proceeds to charity.
B.C. Premier says he could back new pipeline if tanker ban remains in place: “If we can agree that the oil tanker ban is going to stay in place, then let’s have those conversations,” David Eby said.
Details of Premier’s ties to businessman underscore need for public probe, Alberta NDP says: New Democratic Party Leader Naheed Nenshi said The Globe’s investigation detailing links between executive Sam Mraiche and the government of Danielle Smith reveals “deep, deep, deep” ties worthy of further examination.
New rules on safer-supply medications in B.C.: British Columbia will require anyone receiving prescribed alternatives to illicit drugs to ingest them under the supervision of a health care provider, tightening the reins on a program that has faced considerable barriers to expansion and sustained political pushback.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s day: Mark Carney attended a cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall.
Party leaders: No schedules released for party leaders.
Ministers on the road: This week, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is in Brussels for commitments through Wednesday that will include a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, talks with the NATO-Ukraine Council on co-ordinated support for Ukraine and talks with senior European Union officials. She will also meet with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Question period
Pipelines are in the news these days after last week’s agreement between the federal and Alberta governments. When and where was Canada’s first pipeline built?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
The push and pullback of internal trade
Despite their enthusiastic platitudes, Canada’s provincial leaders continue to drag their heels on eliminating key interprovincial trade barriers. They make splashy announcements, but behind the scenes, they are too often moving in the opposite direction.
— The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
If nothing else, Danielle Smith is a disruptor
But there is something to be said for a politician that is willing to take conventional thinking and turn it on its head. One who will touch the third rail – on health care, on social issues, on an erratic U.S. President – and stand behind policy changes that pose some risk to his or her reputation.
— Robyn Urback, columnist
Danielle Smith helped create a separatist monster that is now attacking her
Ms. Smith saw what happened to the last UCP premier who got on the wrong side of the party base. And she doesn’t want to suffer the same fate as Mr. Kenney. Yet, the road she is embarking on – trying to sell a deal with a federal government she has indoctrinated her supporters to be deeply suspicious and wary of – is politically fraught.
— Gary Mason, national affairs columnist
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
Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.
The answer to today’s question: The first pipeline was a 25-kilometre cast-iron line moving natural gas to Trois-Rivières, Que., to light the streets. The first oil pipeline was built in 1862, connecting an oil field in the Southwestern Ontario town of Petrolia to the city of Sarnia.