Politics Briefing: Convoy protest represented an unprecedented national security crisis, former Ottawa Police chief testifies - The Globe and Mail | Canada News Media
The convoy protest that took over main arteries of downtown Ottawa this winter represented an unprecedented national security crisis and a major shift in the way that demonstrations are organized, funded, executed and responded to in Canada, former Ottawa Police chief Peter Sloly said Thursday.
Mr. Sloly appeared before the House of Commons procedure and house affairs committee as part of its study on expanding federal jurisdiction for security of the parliamentary precinct to include sections of Wellington Street and Sparks Street in downtown Ottawa. During his appearance, Mr. Sloly said there were factors that underpinned the national security crisis including social media, disinformation campaigns, societal polarization, ideological extremism and reduced public trust in democratic institutions.
ALSO: Residents of Canada’s most populous province are voting today in the provincial election. Check here for live Globe and Mail updates on the Ontario election. There are details here on how to vote. And the latest edition of Vote of Confidence, The Globe’s Ontario election newsletter is here.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
IT’S THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE – Europe correspondent Paul Waldie writes here about what to expect during the four-day June celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, celebrating the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.
MORNEAU DENOUNCES LIBERAL POLICIES – Former finance minister Bill Morneau has delivered a pointed critique of the federal Liberals’ economic policies, along with a series of recommendations for kickstarting growth, in his first public speech since leaving political life two years ago. Story here.
DISABILITY BENEFIT BILL REINTRODUCED – The federal government, on Thursday, reintroduced legislation to create a monthly benefit payment for working-age Canadians with disabilities. Story here from CBC.
MENDICINO CALLS FOR DEPUTY INDIGENOUS CORRECTIONS COMMISSIONER – The creation of a deputy commissioner of Indigenous corrections is long overdue, says Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, who has ordered Correctional Service Canada to establish the position amid systemic racism and high incarceration rates of Indigenous people in federal prisons. Story here.
LOEWEN ENTERS LEADERSHIP RACE – The first United Conservative backbencher to publicly call for Premier Jason Kenney to quit says he is running to replace him. Story here.
HERITAGE COMMITTEE CONCLUDING HEARINGS ON STREAMING LEGISLATION – Members of Parliament on the Canadian heritage committee are wrapping up hearings this week on the government’s online streaming legislation, a bill that is generating a deeply polarized reaction from policy experts. Story here.
CAQ A NATIONALIST PARTY IN CANADA: LEGAULT – Premier François declared Thursday that his Coalition Avenir Québec government stands for Quebec within Canada, and is a nationalist party within Canada. He added, “There is no appetite (for a referendum).” Story here from The Montreal Gazette.
GOVERNMENT BACKS SENATE BILL ON IDENTIFYING FORCED LABOUR ON SUPPLY CHAINS – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have thrown their support behind a Senate bill requiring government and businesses to annually report on steps they have taken to identify forced labour in their supply chains. Story here.
CONVICTION IN CONFINEMENT CASE WHERE LIBERAL MP VICTIM – An Ottawa man has been convicted of unlawfully confining Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld (Ottawa West-Nepean), in a 2020 incident. Story here fromThe Ottawa Citizen.
CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADERSHIP
CAMPAIGN TRAIL – Scott Aitchison is in Manitoba. Jean Charest is in Montreal. Leslyn Lewis is campaigning on Prince Edward Island, with an event in Summerside. Pierre Poilievre is in Ottawa. (He announced Thursday he is tabling a private members bill to stop the federal government from requiring COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment for public servants, and to allow Canadians to travel regardless of their vaccination status.) There’s no information on the campaign whereabouts of Roman Baber and Patrick Brown.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS – Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, June. 2, accessible here.
FREELAND IN WASHINGTON – In Washingtion, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was scheduled to meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen as well as Brian Deese, director of the U.S. National Economic Council – a key forum used by the U.S. president to consider economic policy. Ms. Freeland is also attending the 68th Bilderberg Meeting.
UKRAINIAN WITNESSES BEFORE SENATE COMMITTEE – A member of the Ukrainian parliament and two representatives of the Embassy of the Ukraine to Canada testified Thursday before the Senate foreign affairs and international trade standing committee. Details here.
BQ MP TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 – Bloc Québécois MP René Villemure, who represents the riding of Trois-Rivières, has tested positive for COVID-19, and is isolating at home.
GG HEADED FOR LONDON – Governor-General Mary Simon and her husband Whit Fraser are travelling to London on Thursday to participate in celebrations of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and staying through June. 6. According to a statement, the visit will provide the Governor-General an opportunity to meet with governors-general from across the Commonwealth.
ANNUAL MUNICIPALITIES CONFERENCE UNDERWAY – The Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ annual conference is underway in Regina, with mayors, councillors and municipal representatives gathering onsite or online through June. 5. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc delivers a keynote address on Friday, followed by Conservative infrastructure critic Andrew Scheer. Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks on Saturday.
IN DEFENCE OF CABINET MINISTERS AND PUBLIC SERVANTS – Acclaimed academic and author Donald Savoie is standing up for cabinet ministers, public servants and government, in general, in his new book.
Government: Have Presidents and Prime Ministers Misdiagnosed the Patient (McGill-Queen’s University Press) studies the United States, Great Britain, France and Canada to make the case that cabinet government has been diminished, and public servants marginalized by political leaders. It has, says Mr. Savoie, led to declining trust in government.
Mr. Savoie, who holds the Canada Research Chair in public administration and governance at the Université de Moncton, talked, in a recent interview, about his conclusions. Some key points:
ON PIERRE POILIEVRE’S CALL TO FIRE THE GOVERNOR OF THE BANK OF CANADA: “The Bank of Canada is a proper institution. It has norms. It has values. You don’t play fast and loose with these institutions. I don’t think it’s wise to belittle it. I don’t think it’s wise to throw rocks at it. I think if you have some concerns with the Bank of Canada, you raise it in a very serious fashion.”
THE MARGINALIZATION OF CABINET MINISTERS? : “I think it’s not just the Prime Minister’s fault. I think it’s the way we structure government these days, the way we expect quick decisions. We expect prime ministers to be in control of their government. Cabinet government is a long process. And if you want to get quick answers, you don’t have time to go through the government process. The Prime Minister and his advisers will deal with these issues.”
IN DEFENCE OF PUBLIC SERVANTS: ”The whole point of my book is to not debase the public service. You can raise fundamental questions about its size, its ability to be non-partisan, all kinds of fundamental questions can be raised. And we need to raise these issues. Debasing the public service, bureaucratic bashing has gone on long enough. It has hurt the public service. When you hurt the public service, you hurt government. When you hurt government, you hurt Canada. It’s time to ask some fundamental questions about how we improve the public service, not by bureaucratic bashing.”
FIXING THE SITUATON: ”There’s only one person who can have a wrench of the wheel to turn it around. It’s the prime minister. We need a prime minister to say government needs to be fixed. There’s nobody else who can turn it around.”
WOULD HE ADVISE SOMEONE TO APPLY TO BECOME A PUBLIC SERVANT: “I’ve been asked that very question by students, and I strongly encourage them to join the public service. If you want to do something bigger than you, larger than you, the federal public service is the answer. That having been said, I warn students the federal public service now is only for the brave. It’s going to be tough. You’re only going to hear bureaucracy bashing. You’re going to hear family members taking shots: ‘Oh, you’re a bureaucrat, fat cat.’ Ignore that. Go and try to fix the public service because it’s fundamental to Canada, and if you love Canada go make a contribution.”
NEXT BOOK: “I’m working on a manuscript that’s very, very, very provocative; probably the most provocative book I have ever written. It’s looking at how Canadians view themselves as victims and what does it mean for Canada …nWe’ll need to see if a publisher is brave enough to publish it because it’s quite provocative.”
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
ANAND IN QUEBEC – Defence Minister Anita Anand is visiting 2nd Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier in Quebec, meeting with members of the Armed Forces who have returned home after deploying on Operation REASSURANCE – Canada’s support to NATO’s assurance and deterrence measures in Central and Eastern Europe. Later in the day, she will be joined by Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and visiting foreign affairs minister from Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia.
THE DECIBEL
On Thursday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, The Globe’s Robyn Doolittle , who has reported on sexual violence and gender discrimination since 2015, and Nicole Bedera, a sociologist who researches sexual violence and how it relates to our society and culture, talk about the outcome of actor Johnny Depp’s defamation case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. The Decibel is here.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
In Siksika, Alberta, the Prime Minister held private meetings and participated in a signing ceremony with Siksika Nation Nioksskaistamik Chief Ouray Crowfoot,
LEADERS
No schedules released for party leaders.
OPINION
Tanya Talaga (The Globe and Mail)on how now is the time for truth telling, not denial, about surviving residential schools: “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this statement, after an awful revelation of Canada’s colonial treatment of Indigenous people: “It all happened in the past. Canada shouldn’t be held accountable for what happened then.” I’ve heard it uttered at dinner tables or in casual conversation, by people you’d think would be more empathetic, knowledgeable or would simply know better. That person had “no idea” that 150,000 First Nations, Metis and Inuit children were removed from their families and put in schools aimed at turning them into white-washed, “good” Canadian citizens with no trace of who they are.”
Robyn Urback (The Globe and Mail)on Canada’s intractable gun-crime issue: Our geographic neighbour: “The unfortunate reality of Canada’s gun crime problem, one that has gone largely unacknowledged (at least by government), is that we will forever be vulnerable by virtue of our geography. Guns are being smuggled in from the U.S. by cars, trucks, even drones – and that’s something that tweaking the Firearms Act is never going to address. Canada could ban all guns tomorrow, making it so that not a single person in this country could legally possess a firearm, and yet we’d still be more vulnerable than, say, the U.K., because the Brits don’t share a border with a country with more guns than people, and you can’t fly a drone from Michigan to Lancashire.”
Don Braid (The Calgary Herald) on the UCP erupting again over Premier Jason Kenney’s claims about anti-vaxxers: “Many UCP politicians and activists are furious at Premier Jason Kenney for blaming his forced exit on anti-vaccine militants. “Why is this guy still allowed in front of a microphone, saying things like this?” says one prominent UCP MLA, who asks not to be named. “It’s frustrating and divisive and not reflective of where Alberta is going as a whole. It’s time to move on.” The party critics say Kenney is refusing to admit his own failings, which they consider a far larger factor in the party rebellion than anti-vaccine sentiment.”
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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.
—
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.
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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.
FREDERICTON – 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 is a relative newcomer to the province’s political scene, having won a byelection last year, eight months after she became the first woman to win the leadership of the party.
The Liberals appeared poised to take 31 of 49 seats to the Conservatives’ 16 and the Greens two.
Holt, 47, led the Liberals to victory after a 33-day campaign, thwarting Blaine Higgs’s bid to secure a third term as Tory premier.
The Liberal win marks a strong repudiation of Higgs’s pronounced shift to more socially conservative policies.
Higgs, meanwhile, lost in his riding of Quispamsis. In a speech to supporters in the riding, he confirmed that he would begin a leadership transition process.
As the Liberals secured their majority, Green Party Leader David Coon thanked his supporters and pledged to continue building the party, but he then turned his sights on the premier. “One thing is for sure,” he told a crowd gathered at Dolan’s Pub in Fredericton, “we know that Blaine Higgs is no longer the premier of this province.”
The election race was largely focused on health care and affordability but was notable for the remarkably dissimilar campaign styles of Holt and Higgs. Holt repeatedly promised to bring a balanced approach to governing, pledging a sharp contrast to Higgs’s “one-man show taking New Brunswick to the far right.”
“We need a government that acts as a partner and not as a dictator from one office in Fredericton,” she said in a recent interview with The Canadian Press.
Higgs focused on the high cost of living, promising to lower the provincial harmonized sales tax by two percentage points to 13 per cent — a pledge that will cost the province about $450 million annually.
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. A former business advocate and public servant, she promised to open 30 community health clinics across the province by 2028; remove the provincial sales tax from electricity bills; overhaul mental health services; and impose a three per cent cap on rent increases by 2025.
The 70-year-old Tory leader, a mechanical engineer and former Irving Oil executive, led a low-key campaign, during which he didn’t have any scheduled public events on at least 10 days — and was absent from the second leaders debate on Oct. 9.
Holt missed only two days of campaigning and submitted a 30-page platform with 100 promises, a far heftier document than the Tories’ two-page platform that includes 11 pledges.
When the election was called on Sept. 19, the Conservatives held 25 seats in the 49-seat legislature. The Liberals held 16 seats, the Green Party had three, there was one Independent and four vacancies. At least 25 seats are needed for a majority.
Higgs was hoping to become the first New Brunswick premier to win three consecutive elections since Liberal Frank McKenna won his third straight majority in 1995. But it was clear from the start that Higgs would have to overcome some big obstacles.
On the first day of the campaign, a national survey showed he had the lowest approval rating of any premier in the country. That same morning, Higgs openly mused about how he was perceived by the public, suggesting people had the wrong idea about who he really is.
“I really wish that people could know me outside of politics,” he said, adding that a sunnier disposition might increase his popularity. “I don’t know whether I’ve got to do comedy hour or I’ve got to smile more.”
Still, Higgs had plenty to boast about, including six consecutive balanced budgets, a significant reduction in the province’s debt, income tax cuts and a booming population.
Higgs’s party was elected to govern in 2018, when the Tories formed the province’s first minority government in almost 100 years. In 2020, he called a snap election — marking the first province to go to the polls during the COVID-19 pandemic — and won a slim majority.
Since then, 14 Tory caucus members have stepped down after clashing with the premier, some of them citing what they described as an authoritarian leadership style and a focus on conservative policies that represented a hard shift to the right.
A caucus revolt erupted last year after Higgs announced changes to the gender identity policy in schools. When several Tory lawmakers voted for an external review of the change, Higgs dropped dissenters from cabinet. A bid by some party members to trigger a leadership review went nowhere.
Higgs has also said a Tory government would reject all new applications for supervised drug-consumption sites, renew a legal challenge against the federal carbon pricing scheme and force people into drug treatment if authorities deem they “pose a threat to themselves or others.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
