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Former governor-general David Johnston will be given broad powers to investigate foreign interference in Canada, which follows Globe and Mail reporting on Chinese government meddling in this country’s elections.
Mr. Johnston will be empowered to “review any classified or unclassified records and documents, including, where necessary in their estimation, records protected by cabinet confidence,” the government said in a statement on Thursday detailing his role as special rapporteur.
The government set no limits on whom Mr. Johnston can talk to in the course of his work. It said his mandate is to assess “the extent and impact of foreign interference in Canada’s electoral processes,” and to review the federal government’s response to the threat of interference in the past two federal elections, as well as historically.
Senior parliamentary reporter Steven Chase reports here.
MEANWHILE IN QUEBEC: Premier François Legault appealed to Quebecers to be careful, and patient Thursday after more than a million residences were in the dark due to storm-related blackouts.
Montreal was the most affected region, with nearly half a million customers in the dark Thursday morning. Hundreds of thousands were also without power in the Montérégie, Outaouais and Laurentides region, along with the city of Laval just north of Montreal.
“I know that the question all Quebeckers have is, `When will I get my power back?’ ” Mr. Legault told a news conference in Montreal. “I want to say to Quebeckers: Please be patient. Be patient.” He added that most affected residents will have their power back by Friday night.
Mr. Legault said the situation is not like the North American ice storm of 1998 that left millions across eastern Ontario, southern Quebec, Atlantic Canada and parts of the eastern United States without power for days, in some cases, and weeks in others.
The Premier noted the 1998 event happened in January, when it was colder. “What that means is we don’t expect to have three or four days of ice. We can already see that the weather is improving.”
The Premier was skeptical about ideas being raised about placing power wires across the province underground to make them less vulnerable to climate change, noting the idea would cost about $100-billion. “We have to be realistic, but there will be new ways to make sure we have less and less damages.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, examining storm damage in Montreal with Mayor Valérie Plante, said the federal government’s focus is helping municipalities and the province if needed, though, as he spoke to the media Friday, he said there had been no formal request.
Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel and Mark Colley report here on the situation in Quebec.
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TODAY'S HEADLINES
MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT REMOVED - The president of Memorial University was removed from her role Thursday after she faced weeks of scrutiny about her claims of Indigenous heritage. Story here.
JOBS ADDED; UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HOLDS - The Canadian economy added 35,000 jobs last month, while the unemployment rate held steady at 5 per cent. Story here.
CANADIAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN HOME FROM PRISON CAMPS IN SYRIA - The federal government says Friday it is bringing home four Canadian women and 10 children from prison camps in northeastern Syria. Story here.
CONCERNS OVER LACK OF DISCLOSURE ON OUTSOURCING OF LOAN PROGRAM - New figures show that Ottawa’s outsourcing of the main business pandemic loan program is one of the government’s largest contracts to a major consulting firm, raising renewed concerns about why it had never been publicly disclosed. Story here.
MULRONEY EXPECTED TO RECOVER FULLY AFTER CANCER TREATMENT - Former prime minister Brian Mulroney is expected to make a full recovery after undergoing treatment for cancer. Story here.
ONTARIO PURSUING NEW HOUSING PLAN - Ontario is proposing a “streamlining” of its planning rules to get more housing built, with new measures the government says will make it easier for municipalities to expand development onto farmland and to build more homes in rural areas – while requiring density around transit stations in cities. Story here.
MILITARY FACING PROCUREMENT STAFF SHORTAGE - An internal Defence Department report has found that a shortage of procurement officials is hindering efforts to buy much-needed equipment for the Canadian Armed Forces. Story here.
SUPREME COURT WON’T HEAR CHALLENGE OF B.C. HEALTH CARE LAW - The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear a challenge of a British Columbia law intended to preserve public health care through measures against extra-billing and certain private insurance. Story here.
QUEBEC TO FORBID PUBLIC-SCHOOL PRAYER ROOMS - Quebec’s Education Minister says it will soon be forbidden to have prayer rooms in the province’s public schools. Story here.
P.E.I. LIBERAL LEADER QUITTING - Prince Edward Island’s Liberal leader announced Thursday she will be stepping down, three days after the party made a poor showing in a provincial election that saw the incumbent Progressive Conservatives win a decisive majority. Story here.
THIS AND THAT
ON A BREAK – Both the House of Commons and the Senate are on breaks, with the Commons sitting again on April 17 and the Senate sitting again on April 18.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER’S DAY - Chrystia Freeland, also Finance Minister, in Candiac, Que., toured a battery material manufacturing facility to meet with workers and discuss budget’ measures on critical minerals supply chains. Ms. Freeland also held a media availability. She attended private meetings in Montréal, and participated in an armchair discussion, hosted by the Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain on the budget.
MINISTERS ON THE ROAD - Ministerial efforts to sell the budget continued Thursday. Tourism Minister Randy Boissonnault, also associate finance minister, was in Kelowna, B.C., to meet with community and business leaders. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, in Halifax, hosted a budget event at the Dalhousie University dentistry building. Families Minister Karina Gould, in Thunder Bay, talked about the budget during a visit to a family-foods store. Housing Minister Ahmed Hussen, in Winnipeg, talked about the budget at a grocery store while Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutchings, in La Ronge, Sask., did the same. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, in Yellowknife, talked about the budget at a grocery store. Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray, in Vancouver, highlighted the budget’s grocery rebate at an IGA Supermarket. International Trade Minister Mary Ng, in St. Davids and St. Catharines, Ont., visited small businesses and stakeholders in the Niagara region to highlight the budget. Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan, in Sydney, N.S., toured the Atlantic Canada Regional Council of Carpenters, Millwrights and Allied Workers facility for budget talk. International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan, in Burnaby, B.C., visited a local organic and natural food manufacturer and distributor, for his budget presentation. Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, also minister for the Prairies Economic Development Canada, in Winnipeg, spoke to Manitoba Chambers of Commerce members about the budget. Seniors Minister Kamal Khera and Mental Health Minister Carolyn Bennett, in Toronto, talked about budget measures on public health care.
TRUDEAU AND BIDEN TALK - The Prime Minister’s Office says Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden spoke on Wednesday, discussing migration, the implementation of the Safe Third Country Agreement, and the President’s recent visit to Canada. Also, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office, Mr. Trudeau updated Mr. Biden on a phone call he had with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They also talked about Russia’s detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and called for his immediate release.
THE DECIBEL
On Thursday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, health reporter Wency Leung talks about the life-changing symptoms including insomnia, dizziness and hallucinations that dozens of people have been experiencing in New Brunswick. After several years and a provincial investigation, patients left wondering what is going on want the federal government to step in and examine their situations further. The Decibel is here.
PRIME MINISTER'S DAY
Mr. Trudeau’s schedule was supposed to have him in Montréal, visiting a food store and meeting with families and employees to discuss the federal budget. However, TV reports indicated he inspected storm damage in the city, and he said he was going to meet with Quebec Premier François Legault about the impacts of the storm.
LEADERS
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Mississauga, joined members of the Muslim community for the Ramadan Iftar, break of fast, organized by the Islamic Society of North America Canada.
No schedules released for other leaders.
PUBLIC OPINION
IS TIME UP FOR THE FEDERAL LIBERALS? - Have Justin Trudeau’s Liberals passed their expiration date? Right now, all the major indicators are trending in that direction. Nik Nanos, the chief data scientist at Nanos Research, and the official pollster for The Globe and Mail and CTV News, takes a Data Dive on the issue here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how Canada’s carbon tax conversation is full of hot air: “A grown-up conversation about the challenges of climate change would go something like this: Carbon taxes are costly, but are by far the most efficient, and fairest, way to wean the Canadian economy from its dependence on fossil fuels and to blunt this country’s contribution to global warming. We are not having that conversation.”
Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail) on how Quebec Premier François Legault can’t stop praising Prime Minister Justin Trudeau while announcing shipbuilding project: “Mr. Legault’s exuberant thumbs-up for Liberal industrial policy guarantees doesn’t amount to an overall endorsement, and even that would not guarantee gains at the ballot box for Mr. Trudeau in the next election. The Quebec Premier is popular, but his endorsement for Mr. O’Toole didn’t make Tories winners in the province in 2021. However, it won’t be easy for political opponents to criticize Mr. Trudeau’s big industrial-incentive programs, either. That would mean clashing with all the local leaders who want those announcements.”
Konrad Yakabuski (The Globe and Mail) on Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne building his case to replace Justin Trudeau: “Mr. Champagne switches with ease from playing good cop to bad cop, in both official languages, steadily building a case that he – rather than Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland or even former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney – is the best person to lead the Liberals after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau steps down. That could be sooner than many think. Mr. Trudeau these days looks less like a Prime Minister running for re-election than a Liberal Leader trying to prove to members of his own caucus and party that he still deserves their trust.”
Jen Gerson (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how the 24 Sussex Drive saga shows Canada is too complacent (and cheap) to have nice things: “No, we cannot blame the state of decline on one party only; it’s the fault of a succession of leaders (though perhaps Stephen Harper in particular) who refused to see themselves as not just tenants of a home, but also stewards. Only a tiny amount of foresight, courage and vision would have sufficed to gel the property into something more than the sum of its architecturally ungainly parts. Again, the metaphors speak for themselves. And so the site has been a yarn ball for pundits for years. Columnist Paul Wells mused about tearing the place down back in 2009 – he even invited architects to submit designs for its replacement to run in Maclean’s (another old mansion that is now not worth salvaging). There is nothing wrong or frivolous about having an official residence – especially one that is occasionally drafted into holding official or diplomatic events. It’s not merely a perk of office: such a home can become historically significant in its own right, expressing a country’s dignity and sense of self. It’s a building that tells the world exactly what we are.”
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