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Hello,
Former federal cabinet minister Peter MacKay is wading into Alberta politics, endorsing a newly elected member of the Alberta legislature intent on ousting Premier Jason Kenney.
“I count loyalty as a rare commodity in public life. Brian has demonstrated that to me over the years, and I will always return his loyalty,” Mr. MacKay said in an e-mailed response to Globe and Mail questions about Brian Jean.
“Endorsing him in his return to politics is the least I can do. My support has everything to do with friendship and how I feel about Brian, his considerable qualities , his decency, and nothing else. Alberta is lucky to have him and I wish him well in every pursuit.”
On Wednesday, Mr. MacKay tweeted out his support for Mr. Jean, a former Conservative MP, who, this week, was elected MLA for the United Conservative Party in Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche. Mr. Jean’s win marks a return to provincial politics after he previously served as opposition leader in Alberta, and the last leader of the provincial Wildrose party. Mr. Kenney defeated Mr. Jean in 2018 to become UCP leader.
Mr. Jean has been challenging the leadership of Mr. Kenney, who faces a leadership review on April. 9.
Mr. MacKay retweeted a column about Mr. Jean’s win, adding the comment, “Congratulations to my friend Brian Jean on his impressive win in Fort Mac. Onward and upward in his return to politics in Alberta. Brian Jean’s byelection win sets the stage for showdown with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.”
Subsequently, in response to a twitter query he added, “Oh this equals an endorsement I assure you !”
In 2020, Mr. Kenney endorsed Erin O’Toole in the last Conservative leadership race. Mr. MacKay came second in that race. However, Mr. MacKay said the endorsement was linked entirely to his friendship with Mr. Jean and the personal qualities of the new MLA, who he has known for 20 years serving together as MPs in opposition and government. Mr. MacKay had cabinet stints in justice, foreign affairs and defence under former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper.
“I have met loads of people inside and outside politics and Brian is one of the best, an extremely decent and honourable man who I am proud to call a friend.”
Alberta reporter Kelly Cryderman wrote here about how Mr. Jean’s by-election victory sets stage for a clash among Alberta’s United Conservatives.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
3,368 UKRAINIANS HAVE ARRIVED IN CANADA – As millions of Ukrainian refugees flee the Russian invasion, flooding into neighbouring countries, Canada’s border agency says 3,368 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada since the start of the war. Story here.
RT OFF THE AIR IN CANADA – Canada’s federal broadcast regulator has ruled that RT, a Kremlin-controlled network, can no longer legally be carried on Canadian television screens. Story here.
CANADA ENDS NECESSITY FOR COVID-19 TESTS FOR VACCINATED TRAVELLERS TO ENTER COUNTRY – Vaccinated travellers will no longer need to show a COVID-19 test to enter Canada beginning April 1, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos officially announced Thursday. Story here.
BUSINESS LEADERS RAP MICHIGAN ON LINE 5 – Business leaders from the United States and Canada are again wading into the fray over Line 5, accusing the state of Michigan of dragging its heels to ensure the controversial cross-border pipeline remains in a state of legal limbo even as both countries contend with a looming energy crisis. Story here.
ANAND TALKS DEFENCE BUDGET – Defence Minister Anita Anand says she will present a range of military spending options to cabinet ahead of the upcoming spring budget — some of which could result in a significant jump in Canada’s defence spending. Story here from CBC.
JOLY MILITARY COMMENTS CAUSE A STIR – Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is selling Canada’s military short, according to former generals who expressed surprise at comments she made this week. Story here from The National Post.
GG WANTED INDIAN-ACT BRIEFING – Canada’s first Indigenous Governor-General, within months of being appointed to the role, requested government officials outline what departments were doing to allow First Nations to move away from the Indian Act. Story here.
HORGAN RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT OTTAWA FISH-FARM POLICY – Any federal government plans to move away from open-net pen salmon farms in British Columbia should come with transition help for the industry and workers, says Premier John Horgan. Story here.
SOCIAL MEDIA A CHALLENGE FOR PUBLIC SERVANTS – Social media is a part of life that is increasingly treacherous for Canada’s public servants, who may need better guidance to navigate their public and private lives online. Story here from Policy Options.
CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP RACE
MULRONEY ON LEADERSHIP RACE – Brian Mulroney says the choice for the federal Conservatives in their continuing leadership race is whether they want to elect a candidate who can win a convention or an election. “There’s a big, big difference in that regard,” the former prime minister said in a Zoom interview Wednesday with Dr. Adam Lajeunesse, assistant professor at the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S. “If you want to be a Conservative leader, you’ve got to campaign with the broad middle class in mind. There are no victories on the extremes. You can’t win from the left wing and you can’t win from the far right wing. It’s just not doable.” Mr. Mulroney, prime minister from 1984 to 1993 as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, in particular praised three candidates om the race: Pierre Poilievre, Jean Charest and Patrick Brown. The video is here.
AITCHISON RUNNING FOR TORY LEADERSHIP – Parry Sound-Muskoka MP Scott Aitchison, the former mayor of Huntsville, is running for the leadership of the federal Conservatives. His Twitter account bio has been amended to read, “Candidate for Conservative Party leader,” and there’s the tweet with a video here. An official launch is expected on Sunday.
CHAREST MILITARY POLICY – Jean Charest says a Conservative government he led would “move quickly” to ramp up Canadian defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP, and increase personnel to 100,000. Details here.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS -The House of Commons is not sitting again until March 21.
CANADA AND U.S DEFENCE LEADERS MEET – Defence Minister Anita Anand is scheduled to meet with U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin III on Thursday while attending a North Atlantic Treaty Organization Extraordinary Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
THE DECIBEL
On Thursday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, David Shribman, a contributing columnist at The Globe and a Pulitzer Prize recipient for his coverage of U.S. politics, talks about the power of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech by video to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday. Mr. Schribman talks about the power of Mr. Zelensky’s speech, how it compares to his address to Canadian Parliament on Tuesday and why, despite strong support for Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden most likely won’t ever deliver on President Zelensky’s requests. The Decibel is here.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
In the Greater Toronto area, the Prime Minister had private meetings and spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, and then participated virtually in a panel discussion as part of the SHE Conference. The Prime Minister also visited a local Persian business to highlight Nowruz, and was scheduled, with Mental Health Minister Carolyn Bennett, to visit a supervised consumption site and meet with workers and volunteers. In the evening, the Prime Minister was scheduled to attend a Liberal fundraising event in Mississauga.
LEADERS
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Scarborough, holds a press conference on the rising cost of living and mainstreets with Ontario NDP candidate Neethan Shan at the Majestic City shopping mall in Scarborough.
No schedule released for other leaders.
OPINION
John Ibbitson (The Globe and Mail) on Canada needing to speed up the process for welcoming displaced Ukrainians: “When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared that Canada would accept an unlimited number of displaced Ukrainians, Polish President Andrzej Duda thanked him, but added, “Please, Justin, try to introduce some very, very, very simple procedures … to move this process faster, to accelerate it.” But simple isn’t the Canadian way. Mr. Trudeau’s government is unwilling to waive Ukrainian visa requirements, citing security concerns. Instead, the new special measures will make it easier to apply for a modified visitor’s visa that will allow new arrivals to stay and work or study in Canada for up to two years, with further extensions possible. But biometric requirements remain; security checks remain.”
Lawrence Martin (The Globe and Mail) on how Jean Charest winning the federal Conservative leadership would mean the political end of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: “At stake, too, could well be the future of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Many Liberals will tell you that if Mr. Charest wins, Mr. Trudeau won’t run again. Not against a fellow Quebecker who could dip deeply into his harvest of seats in la belle province. Not against a fellow moderate who would broaden Conservative appeal in the east and likely hold the lion’s share of his party’s seats in the west. Add in the country’s fatigue factor with a Trudeau who’s been in power for three terms, and Mr. Charest would be the odds-on favourite. But should convoy Conservative Mr. Poilievre win the prize, the chances of a Trudeau retirement shrink. The thought of the Tory finance critic taking over the country would be anathema to this Prime Minister, who would envisage his policy legacy being shredded.”
Robyn Urback (The Globe and Mail) on how Canada can’t save the world, but can fulfill its commitment to Afghan refugees: “We are a fickle species by nature, which is why the time to act on resettling Afghan refugees was back before another occasion of mass human suffering would capture the world’s attention. Seven months ago, we were captivated and horrified by images of Afghan citizens desperately clinging to planes while trying to evacuate Kabul to escape Taliban rule. This week, we are captivated and horrified by images of pregnant Ukrainian women clinging to their bellies as they evacuate a maternity hospital bombed in Mariupol. But even if the world’s focus is now elsewhere, the suffering in Afghanistan endures.”
Petros Kusmu (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how Canada’s political parties can get more Black candidates elected: “First, provincial parties should give Black and equity-seeking candidates a shot by enabling them to run in winnable ridings. So often is the case that talented and diverse candidates are slotted in unwinnable ridings – ridings that are a historical stronghold by a rival party or feature rival candidates with significantly higher public profiles. By electoral district associations (EDAs) actively identifying and inviting Black and equity-seeking candidates to run for a nomination, particularly in “safe” ridings, parties can remove some of the initial barriers these candidates face. The BC NDP’s equity policy, mandating EDAs to nominate female or male equity-seeking candidates once a male NDP MLA has retired, is an approach that has proved successful in producing a more diverse caucus relative to other parties in the BC legislature.”
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