Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
After weeks of speculation and controversy, Alberta and Ottawa signed a sweeping new energy accord today that both sides say will position Canada as a global energy superpower while still working toward net-zero emissions.
The deal includes a pledge for a new bitumen pipeline to the West Coast with Indigenous co-ownership and the suspension of clean electricity regulations for Alberta with the proviso that the province increase its industrial carbon price.
As Stephanie Levitz and Emma Graney write from Ottawa and Calgary, respectively, the memorandum of understanding also says the federal government won’t implement its oil and gas emissions cap and, if the pipeline comes to fruition, the government would adjust the current oil tanker ban so bitumen could be exported to Asian markets.
The deal, which Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed in Calgary, marks a milestone for relations between the two levels of government, which had soured under the previous Liberal government.
Ms. Smith received a standing ovation from the oil and gas industry representatives invited to the signing, while across town, thousands of people from across the business spectrum lined up to hear Mr. Carney deliver a speech at a Calgary Chamber of Commerce luncheon later in the day.
Though the deal is between Ottawa and Alberta, it also stresses that British Columbia will be brought to the table.
B.C. supports expanding capacity on the Trans Mountain pipeline, but Premier David Eby has said he’s not in favour of a new pipeline to his province’s coast – nor the idea of lifting the oil tanker ban to support it.
He has also expressed frustration over not being at the table while Mr. Carney and Ms. Smith’s governments were hammering out the deal.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, meets with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in Calgary on Thursday.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Anglo-Teck deal clears government hurdle
Ottawa has cleared Anglo American PLC’s proposed $20-billion acquisition of Canada’s Teck Resources Ltd. on national-security grounds, removing one more hurdle to the deal closing, a source familiar with the matter said. The Globe and Mail is not identifying the source because the person was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
Visas of thousands of former international students set to expire
Tens of thousands of international students who were granted postgraduate work permits will see their visas expire this year, casting doubt on their futures in Canada and leading economists to wonder if some will stay in the country as undocumented residents.
Buy Canadian movement to be tested this Black Friday
Shoppers are heading into the holiday spending season eager to buy Canadian, but their patriotism will be tested by their spending power as they head into the most American of retail holidays.
Anti-corruption police look into Quebec Liberals
Quebec’s anti-corruption police say they are looking into the internal crisis shaking the province’s Liberals, as their political rivals feast on a steady stream of embarrassing news that is tarnishing the party’s image and putting pressure on its leader.
Separatism is off the agenda at UCP annual meeting
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will likely walk into this weekend’s United Conservative Party annual convention basking in the afterglow of a new energy accord with the federal government. But the Premier is facing growing pressure from all sides.
On our radar
Freeland’s future: Liberal MP Chrystia Freeland is expected to be appointed a senior fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School, a source close to her says. The position will start in January, will last at least a year, according to the source, and is in addition to her role as Canada’s special envoy for the reconstruction of Ukraine. She is also writing two books for publisher Simon & Schuster. The Globe and Mail is not naming the source, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
Freeland was recently announced as the new CEO of the Rhodes Trust and warden of Rhodes House, which will start next July.
Prime Minister’s day: Mark Carney was in Calgary to meet with Premier Danielle Smith and sign a framework to strengthen energy collaboration. The Prime Minister was also scheduled to meet with unionized skilled trade workers. In the afternoon, Carney delivered remarks and participated in a featured conversation with members of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.
Party leaders: From Kitchener, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May will respond to Mark Carney’s announcement about a memorandum of understanding between the federal and Alberta governments.
Another G7 meeting: Industry Minister Mélanie Joly and Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon are co-hosting the G7 Industry, Digital and Technology Ministers’ Meeting in Montreal from Dec. 8 to 9.
NDP leadership debate: The first debate of the NDP leadership race is being held in Montreal this evening at 7 p.m. The confirmed participants are Rob Ashton, Tanille Johnston, Avi Lewis, Heather McPherson and Tony McQuail.
Quote of the Day
“I am not blind to the fact that the people of Alberta have had the rug pulled out from underneath them too many times to count over the past 10 years.” — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith after signing a memorandum of understanding with Prime Minister Mark Carney
Question period
Things sometimes get feisty in the House of Commons, but which MP once said to another MP, “Do you have the fortitude or the gonads to stand up and come across here and say that to me, you son of a bitch?”
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Leadership races are not private parties
Paying someone to vote for a candidate in a political party leadership race is clearly unethical. But last week, many Canadians were surprised to learn that it’s completely legal. There is no ban from Elections Canada or its provincial counterparts on cash-for-votes in leadership or nomination races; the practice generally isn’t covered by parties’ own regulations.
— Globe and Mail editorial board
Spain has become an economic leader by using Ottawa’s toolkit the right way
Analysts agree that smart policy is at the centre of Spain’s transformation. Specifically: Big, bold public investments in infrastructure, export growth and green-energy transition, and substantial use of immigration to drive growth and consumption and to staff those projects. Those, you may notice, are cards that Canada has played, but without the golden results.
— Doug Saunders
Canada’s memorials reveal who we are as a country
I have spent a lot of years wandering around our nation’s capital. As a correspondent for CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes, I’ve had the good fortune to see more of the Parliament buildings than most Canadians have. I’ve admired the Parliament buildings. I respect them. But I wouldn’t say that I’ve ever been in awe of them.
— Mark Critch
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: It was 1997, and Darrel Stinson, the Reform MP for the B.C. riding of North Okanagan-Shuswap, was vexed when Liberal MP John Cannis heckled him as a racist in the House of Commons. The Speaker called out both men for unparliamentary language.