Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong was the target of a disinformation campaign in May that was likely orchestrated by China, according to the Department of Global Affairs.
This is the second time that Mr. Chong has been on the radar of China because of his outspoken criticism of Beijing’s authoritarian regime.
The federal government is in the midst of all-party negotiations to set up a public inquiry after revelations reported in The Globe and Mail that Beijing targeted Mr. Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong in the lead-up to the 2021 election – attempted intimidation that the MP had not been told about. The disclosure of this meddling prompted the Canadian government to expel Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei in May.
Global Affairs announced Wednesday that Mr. Chong appears to have once again been the target of China.
“In June 2023, while monitoring the digital information ecosystem for the June 19, 2023 by-elections, Global Affairs Canada’s [GAC’s] Rapid Response Mechanism [RRM] Canada detected an information operation targeting Michael Chong, Member of Parliament for Wellington-Halton Hills, which took place on the social media platform WeChat in May 2023,” the department said in a statement.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
Ford’s Greenbelt plan favoured certain developers, Ontario’s Auditor-General report says – Ontario’s Auditor-General has issued a scathing report on the provincial government’s removal of 3,000 hectares from its protected Greenbelt, saying the move was unnecessary to hit the province’s housing goals, done without considering environmental impacts, and favoured certain developers. Story here.
Manitoba NDP promises to search landfill for First Nations women if elected – The leader of Manitoba’s Opposition NDP is promising to move forward on the search of a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two First Nations women if the party forms government after the provincial election on Oct. 3. Story here.
New temporary foreign worker pilot program to speed up approvals for some employers – The federal government is making it easier for businesses to bring temporary foreign workers into Canada, announcing a new “recognized employer” program aimed at speeding up the approval process for companies with a track record of using foreign labour. Story here.
Doctor shortage leaves Northern Ontario emergency rooms on the brink of shutting down – Emergency rooms across Northern Ontario’s rural hospitals are in “dire” need for more physicians and funding as doctors struggle to keep emergency rooms open through the summer trauma season. Story here.
Alberta must reassure renewable power market after wind, solar pause, says federal Energy Minister – The Alberta government should reassure the renewable energy sector that the pause it has placed on approvals for wind and solar projects is a short-term measure, the federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister says, citing the need to avoid creating uncertainty and driving away investment. Story here.
Vancouver hospital suggested MAID as test to assess a patient’s suicide risk – A Vancouver woman who went to hospital seeking help for suicidal thoughts says she was further distressed by a clinician who unexpectedly suggested medical assistance in dying. Story here.
Conservatives launch massive ad campaign amid surge in polls – The Conservative Party of Canada is launching a multimillion-dollar ad campaign that depicts its leader, Pierre Poilievre, as a family man who wants to fix the country – all while his party is soaring in the polls and his main rival is going through a public split with his spouse. Story here by CBC.
Quebec judge certifies class action over federal prisons’ segregation practices – A Quebec court has given the go-ahead for a class-action lawsuit that will test the constitutional validity of prisoner-segregation techniques introduced in federal prisons in 2019 as a humane replacement for previous isolation practices that were deemed illegal. Story here. Meanwhile, the Quebec Superior Court has ruled that it can hear a challenge to the appointment of Governor-General Mary Simon, who isn’t fluent in French. Story here.
THIS AND THAT
Summer Break – Both the House of Commons and the Senate are on breaks. The House sits again on Sept. 18. The Senate sits again on Sept. 19.
Ministers on the road – Health Minister Mark Holland, in Vancouver, announced funding on sexual and reproductive health services. Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, in Esquimalt, B.C., participated in the 31st annual Peacekeepers Memorial Day event to unveil the 2023 Veterans’ Week poster. Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal and Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, in Whitehorse, with Yukon Tourism and Culture Minister John Streicker. made a joint announcement on support for the Yukon First Nations Culture and Tourism Association. I Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez, in Ottawa, made an announcement on supply chains and improving cargo capacity at Ottawa International Airport.
New Canada Strong and Free Network president and CEO – Adam Bolek has been named the new president and CEO of the Canada Strong and Free Network, formerly the Manning Foundation for Building Democracy. The appointment, announced here, is effective Aug.1. Mr. Bolek comes to the network from Binance, a global cryptocurrency exchange, where he worked in Canadian government affairs and policy. He succeeds Jamil Jivani, who left to seek the Conservative nomination in the Toronto-area Durham riding of former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole.
New government liaison in the Senate – Quebec Senator Michèle Audette is the new government liaison in the Senate, responsible for outreach on government business in the Senate and working to ensure that senators have the information they require in anticipation of votes. Ms. Audette, who was one of five commissioners responsible for conducting the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, is taking over the position of Government Liaison in the Senate. In that position, she is responsible for outreach on government business in the Senate. Ms. Audette was appointed to the Senate in 2021.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
Personal day. The PMO has said Justin Trudeau is on vacation.
LEADERS
No schedules released for party leaders.
THE DECIBEL
On Wednesday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, biological anthropologist Dr. Tina Lasisi of the University of Michigan, who focuses on studying the evolution and genetics of human hair and skin, will talk to us about the importance of curly hair. The Decibel is here.
PUBLIC OPINION
Justin Trudeau’s cabinet shuffle won’t affect Canadians’ views of Liberals: poll – Almost 70 per cent ofCanadians say Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent cabinet shuffle will have no impact on their likelihood of voting Liberal in the next federal election, according to a new poll. Story here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Boardon learning from the last pandemic to get ready for the next one: “At this point, the last thing that Canadians want to think about is the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s enough other big stuff to worry about – the high cost of living, the threat of a recession, floods and wildfires – without having to dwell on yesterday’s nightmare. The problem is that our politicians are of the same mind. There is little urgency at any level of government for a formal public review of what went right and what went wrong from the moment a novel coronavirus was first identified as a threat in China in early 2020. And that’s bad.”
Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail)on outtakes from a `kinder, gentler; Pierre Poilievre’s efforts to flip the script: “The Conservative Party is set to launch a major advertising blitz aimed in part at introducing a more personable side of Pierre Poilievre to Canadian voters… a kinder, gentler image of a man known in Ottawa circles as a sharp-elbowed partisan. — Global NewsCLIP ONE: EXT. FIELD – DAY (A verdant meadow, covered in dandelions and Queen Anne’s lace. Larks sing, insects hum. PIERRE strolls into view, smiling, a sweater tied around his shoulders. He is picking a daisy.)”
Omer Aziz (Contributed to The Globe and Mail)on the last call for neoliberalism: “In that ritzy apartment, the very people who had upheld and relied upon the way things worked – the comfortable system often referred to as the liberal international order – were now having doubts. There was assorted chatter around me: worries expressed about American politics and the global uncertainty. Whenever the conversation veered into the substantive, I sensed a disquiet about the future. They seemed to understand that populists were on the rise everywhere; Ukraine was being attacked; the spirit of rebellion was spreading; young people were losing hope. Animosity toward the elites – toward the people in the room – was reaching pitchfork-raising levels. The neoliberal ideology that had pushed apart the haves from the have-nots over the past four decades had been exposed as a fraud. Leaders had taken notice, and now they found themselves on the line.”
Jen Gerson (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how, without genuine political courage, we’ll get more of the same on housing: “Every once in a while, it’s only fair to tip one’s hat to the Conservatives. So many of their barrages of late have been doomed, bizarre or weak, so some credit is due for a clean rhetorical hit. The party recently issued a particularly on-point political advertisement, contrasting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statements on housing from 2015, 2021 and finally from a press conference held last week. Needless to say, the comparison was stark. At the beginning of his term, a dewy Mr. Trudeau was keen to “prioritize significant new investment in affordable housing.” In 2021, he lamented that first-time homes were “out of reach for far too many,” and firmly promised change.”
Michael Veall (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how, amid Canada’s housing crisis, immigration needs to be slower, more focused: “High expected immigration is the main reason that Canada’s total output will likely increase by 1.5 per cent annually in 2023 and 2024, according to the headline numbers from the International Monetary Fund World Economic Outlook. That would be the highest in the Group of Seven. But that document also includes the predicted changes in output per person. That is a better measure of the change in the average standard of living, as it adjusts for Canada’s high population growth. The 2023 and 2024 predictions for the country are –0.6 and 0.1, a cumulative decrease over the two years. That’s the worst performance in the G7. Part of this has to do with the lack of investment to complement the inflow of people. The most obvious symptom is Canada’s housing crisis.”
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FREDERICTON – A look at David Coon, leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick:
Born: Oct. 28, 1956.
Early years: Born in Toronto and raised in Montreal, he spent about three decades as an environmental advocate.
Education: A trained biologist, he graduated with a bachelor of science from McGill University in Montreal in 1978.
Family: He and his wife Janice Harvey have two daughters, Caroline and Laura.
Before politics: Worked as an environmental educator, organizer, activist and manager for 33 years, mainly with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick.
Politics: Joined the Green Party of Canada in May 2006 and was elected leader of the New Brunswick Green Party in September 2012. Won a seat in the legislature in 2014 — a first for the province’s Greens.
Quote: “It was despicable. He’s clearly decided to take the low road in this campaign, to adopt some Trump-lite fearmongering.” — David Coon on Sept. 12, 2024, reacting to Blaine Higgs’s claim that the federal government had decided to send 4,600 asylum seekers to New Brunswick.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
FREDERICTON – A look at Blaine Higgs, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.
Born: March 1, 1954.
Early years: The son of a customs officer, he grew up in Forest City, N.B., near the Canada-U.S. border.
Education: Graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1977.
Family: Married his high-school sweetheart, Marcia, and settled in Saint John, N.B., where they had four daughters: Lindsey, Laura, Sarah and Rachel.
Before politics: Hired by Irving Oil a week after he graduated from university and was eventually promoted to director of distribution. Worked for 33 years at the company.
Politics: Elected to the legislature in 2010 and later served as finance minister under former Progressive Conservative Premier David Alward. Elected Tory leader in 2016 and has been premier since 2018.
Quote: “I’ve always felt parents should play the main role in raising children. No one is denying gender diversity is real. But we need to figure out how to manage it.” — Blaine Higgs in a year-end interview in 2023, explaining changes to school policies about gender identity.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
OTTAWA – The pressing issues of climate change and food security join more familiar ones like violent extremism and espionage on a new list of Canada’s intelligence priorities.
The federal government says publishing the list of priorities for the first time is an important step toward greater transparency.
The government revises the priorities every two years, based on recommendations from the national security adviser and the intelligence community.
Once the priorities are reviewed and approved by the federal cabinet, key ministers issue directives to federal agencies that produce intelligence.
Among the priorities are the security of global health, food, water and biodiversity, as well as the issues of climate change and global sustainability.
The new list also includes foreign interference and malign influence, cyberthreats, infrastructure security, Arctic sovereignty, border integrity and transnational organized crime.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
