The Canadian Armed Forces has failed to make the changes needed to stamp out sexual misconduct and should move all criminal sexual offences to the civilian justice system, finds a new report that in part repeats past recommendations the federal government had ignored.
The damning report was released Monday and authored by former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour. It is the third report in seven years to give the government similar recommendations to address misogyny in the military.
All three were written by former justices of the top court. Monday’s report calls for urgent and profound changes to how the Forces operate in order to “create an even and safe playing field for women in the profession of arms.”
BREAKING – The federal government is outlining new firearms legislation later this afternoon. Preview here. Please check The Globe and Mail for details.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
SUPREME COURT BACKS VICTIMS IN 34 CONSECUTIVE SEX-ASSAULT CASES – The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled against accused people in 34 sexual-assault cases in a row, stretching back more than four years, making it more difficult to overturn such convictions on appeal as the cases pour in during the Me Too era. Story here.
INTEREST RATE HIKE COMING FROM BANK OF CANADA – The Bank of Canada is expected to announce another oversized interest rate increase this week, part of its effort to push Canadian borrowing costs rapidly higher in the hope of slowing the pace of consumer price growth. Story here.
LEGAULT ANNOUNCES POLICY PRIORITY FOR FALL ELECTION – Quebec Premier François Legault, at a policy convention of his Coalition Avenir Québec, announces a key issue he will be pressing in this fall’s provincial election, one that will require a response from Ottawa. Story here from The Montreal Gazette.
CANADA’S PUBLIC SERVICE BEING DESTROYED: FORMER PRIVY COUNCIL CLERK – A lack of trust between politicians and senior levels of the public service, and a Prime Minister’s Office that calls all the shots, is “destroying” Canada’s public service, warns a former clerk of the Privy Council. Story here from Policy Options.
MORE EXPECTED FROM POPE: GOVERNOR-GENERAL – Indigenous communities are “expecting more” from Pope Francis when he visits Canada in July, says Governo-General Mary Simon — but she said she’s uncertain if he’ll deliver. Story here from CBC.
SAJJAN PROMISES HELP FOR VICTIMS OF RUSSIAN SEXUAL ASSAULT – International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan says he told Canadian officials in Ukraine and neighbouring countries to ensure that women sexually assaulted by Russian troops get the help they need – including access to abortions if they wish. Story here.
ONTARIO ELECTION – Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford is defending his decision to not visit Ottawa sooner following a deadly storm that has left thousands of people in the area without power for nine days. Story here. Meanwhile, parties made final push on last weekend of campaign before June 2. Story here.
CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP RACE
CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Scott Aitchison is campaigning across Ontario this week. Roman Baber is holding a virtual event. Leslyn Lewis is in Gander in Newfoundland and Labrador, and Pierre Poilievre is in Winnipeg. No word on the campaigning whereabouts of Patrick Brown and Jean Charest.
BROWN BACKS OFF ON “DINOSAURS” LABEL ON SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES – Federal Conservative leadership candidate Patrick Brown says calling social conservatives “dinosaurs” in a book he wrote about his time in Ontario politics was “the wrong terminology” Story here.
POILIEVRE MUM ON BILL 96 Ontario MP Pierre Poilievre is the only candidate in the Conservative leadership race to stay mum on Quebec’s controversial new language law, Bill 96. Story here. Meanwhile, The National Post reports here that Mr. Poilievre’s polling numbers headed “in a negative direction.”
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS – The House of Commons is sitting again Monday after a week’s break, and will continue to do so, Monday to Friday, through June. 23. Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, May. 30, accessible here.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS – House of Commons committee meetings Monday include the standing committee on national defence holding a hearing on rising domestic operational deployments and challenges for the Canadian Armed Forces, with witnesses that include the Chief of Staff, Canadian Joint Operations Command, Canadian Armed Forces. Details, including the video link, here.
CHANGE OF NAVAL COMMAND – In Halifax, a Change of Command ceremony will be held for the Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy as authority is transferred from Vice-Admiral Craig Baines to Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee. General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff will preside over the ceremony.
TOURING THE SENATE BUILDING – Public tours of the Senate of Canada building, a former train station and government conference centre in the heart of Ottawa, have resumed. Details here.
THE DECIBEL
On Monday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Globe columnist Marcus Gee talks about the relaxation that birding provides more since the pandemic started. He has also been honing his skills at identifying birds by song. This led him to ask: Why do birds sing at all? The Decibel is here.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
In Ottawa, the Prime Minister held private meetings and was scheduled to hold a news conference on firearms legislation with several ministers including Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, Justice Minister David Lametti and Women’s Minister Marci Ien. The Prime Minister was also scheduled to speak with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
LEADERS
No schedule released for party leaders.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Boardon Canada’s real gun violence problem: “There is no one magic bullet that can make gun crime disappear. But Canada has done a few things right, and the way forward includes more of the same: smart gun control that screens owners while respecting law-abiding hunters; a focus on the flow of smuggled and illegal guns; criminal laws that target gun crime; and a society with a strong economy, education system and social safety net, to minimize the incentive to turn to crime.”
Kelly Cryderman (The Globe and Mail)on how Jason Kenney didn’t learn the lessons that Doug Ford has: “Critics of conservative premiers often lump them all together in the same category. But if there ever was a moment that showed how different they can be, it could be this spring – as the clearly contrasting fates of Doug Ford and Jason Kenney play out. Mr. Ford, the anti-establishment municipal politician who has become a more middling conservative, is likely to be re-elected as premier. The detail and policy-oriented Mr. Kenney – who wears his true-blue conservatism on his sleeve – will resign in the months ahead after a bruising leadership review result last week.”
Marcus Gee (The Globe and Mail) on a disappointing election in Ontario: “Ontario votes in a provincial election on Thursday and the tension is… barely palpable. This campaign was less than a barnburner. The three major-party leaders traded predictable gibes about predictable issues and rolled out the usual array of unrealistic, unaffordable promises. Though anything can happen on election night, opinion polls suggest that the Progressive Conservatives will coast to re-election and Doug Ford will serve a second term as premier.”
David McLaughlin (Contributed to The Globe and Mail)on how the trust that binds Canada together is cracking: “Canada’s governments and leaders will need to listen to and learn from Canadians in the months and years ahead to maintain our strong democratic traditions and public institutions. Our public servants tally among the best in the world. They have a big stake in getting this right. Listening and learning from their front-line experiences with citizens and inside experiences with politicians would be smart.”
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New Brunswick voters have elected a Liberal majority government, tossing out the incumbent Progressive Conservatives after six years in power and handing the reins to the first woman ever to lead the province. Liberal Leader Susan Holt spent much of the campaign rolling out proposed fixes for a health-care system racked by a doctor shortage, overcrowded emergency rooms and long wait-times. She promised to open 30 community health clinics across the province by 2028. (Oct. 22, 2024)
The New Brunswick Liberal Party has won a majority government, and Susan Holt will become the first woman to lead the province.
Here’s the latest from election night. All times are ADT.
10:15 p.m.
The results of the New Brunswick election are in, and with virtually all of the ballots counted, the Liberals won 31 seats out of 49.
The Progressive Conservatives won 16 seats.
The Green Party won two.
Voter turnout was about 66 per cent.
—
10 p.m.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has congratulated New Brunswick Liberal Leader Susan Holt for her party’s victory in the provincial election.
Trudeau says on the X platform he’s looking forward to working with Holt to build more homes, protect the country’s two official languages, and improve health care.
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9:48 p.m.
During her victory speech tonight in Fredericton, New Brunswick premier-designate Susan Holt thanked all the women who came before her.
Holt will become the first woman to lead the province after her party won a majority government in the New Brunswick election.
The Liberals are elected or leading in 31 of 49 ridings.
—
9:30 p.m.
Blaine Higgs says he will begin a transition to replace him as leader of the Progressive Conservatives.
After being in power for six years, the Tories lost the election to the Liberals.
Higgs, who lost his seat of Quispamsis, says, “My leadership days are over.”
—
9:17 p.m.
The Canadian Press is projecting that Blaine Higgs, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick since 2016, has lost in the riding of Quispamsis.
Higgs, 70, has been premier of New Brunswick since 2018, and was first elected to the legislature in 2010.
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8:45 p.m.
When asked about the election results, Progressive Conservative chief of staff Paul D’Astous says that over the last 18 months the party has had to contend with a number of caucus members who disagreed with its policy.
D’Astous says the Tories have also had to own what happened over the last six years, since they came to power in 2018, adding that the voters have spoken.
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8:39 p.m.
The Canadian Press is projecting that David Coon, leader of the New Brunswick Green Party, has won the riding of Fredericton Lincoln.
Coon, 67, has been leader of the party since 2014, the year he was first elected to the legislature.
—
8:36 p.m.
The Canadian Press is projecting that the New Brunswick Liberal Party has won a majority government in the provincial election.
Party leader Susan Holt will become the first woman premier in the province’s history.
—
8:20 p.m.
Early returns show a number of close races across the province, with the Liberals off to an early lead.
Liberal campaign manager Katie Davey says the results will show whether party leader Susan Holt, a relative newcomer, was able to capture the attention and trust of the people of New Brunswick.
Davey says she believes voters have welcomed Holt and her message, which focused on pocketbook issues, especially health care.
—
8 p.m.
Polls have closed.
Eyes will be on a number of key ridings including Fredericton South-Silverwood, where Liberal Leader Susan Holt is vying for a seat; Saint John Harbour, which has been competitive between the Tories and Liberals in recent elections; and Moncton East, a redrawn Tory-held riding that the Liberals have targeted.
At dissolution, the Conservatives held 25 seats in the 49-seat legislature. The Liberals held 16 seats, the Greens had three, there was one Independent and there were four vacancies.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
FREDERICTON – A look at Susan Holt, premier-designate and leader of the New Brunswick Liberal party.
Born: April 22, 1977.
Early years: Raised in Fredericton, she attended Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., and then spent a year in Toronto before moving abroad for three years, spending time in Australia and India.
Education: Earned a bachelor of arts in economics and a bachelor of science in chemistry from Queen’s University.
Family: Lives in Fredericton with her husband, Jon Holt, and three young daughters.
Hobbies: Running, visiting the farmers market in Fredericton with her family every Saturday.
Before politics: CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, CEO of the New Brunswick Business Council, civil servant, business lobbyist, advocate, consultant and executive with an IT service company that trains and employs Indigenous people.
Politics: Worked as an adviser to former Liberal premier Brian Gallant. Won the leadership of the provincial Liberal party in August 2022 and was elected to the legislature in an April 2023 byelection.
Quote: “We don’t take it lightly that you have put your trust in myself and my team, and you have hope for a brighter future. But that hope I know is short-lived and it will be on us to deliver authentically, on the ground, and openly and transparently.” — Susan Holt, in her speech to supporters in Fredericton after the Liberals won a majority government on Oct. 21, 2024.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
