Hello,
The NDP says it has reached a deal with the governing Liberals to introduce the first piece of a national pharmacare program that includes coverage for birth control and diabetes medication.
The deal is a critical piece of the supply-and-confidence pact between the two parties and comes ahead of a March 1 deadline to introduce legislation.
As The Globe and Mail first reported last week, the deal includes funding for diabetes medications and contraceptives.
One source said the deal includes funding for a broad range of contraceptives, including prescription birth control, intrauterine devices, the morning-after pill and the abortion pill. On diabetes, the source said the vast majority of drugs will be covered.
Full story here by senior political reporter Marieke Walsh and parliamentary reporter Kristy Kirkup.
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TODAY'S HEADLINES
Poilievre says other parties should have voted against ArriveCan’s growing costs when the bill hit $25-million: In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Poilievre also said a future Conservative government would bring in “a discipline of scarcity” so that ministers and their officials apply closer scrutiny to spending decisions in areas such as outsourcing for IT consultants. Story here.
McGill, Concordia launch legal action against Quebec’s tuition hike for out-of-province students: The two universities announced today they are pursuing separate court proceedings against the government, a last-ditch attempt to head off new rules that the universities say are discriminatory and will hurt them financially.
Premier Ford defends political appointments to judge selection committee: Doug Ford, explaining his government’s appointments of two former staffers to a committee that helps select provincial judges, says he’s not going to put Liberals or New Democrats in those roles. Story here.
Quebec bar criticizes Legault for questioning independence of federally appointed judges: The comments from the Quebec bar association follow Premier François Legault’s statements accusing the Parti Québécois Leader of prostrating himself before Ottawa regarding a Court of Appeal decision.
Canada sanctions 10 more people in Russia over war with Ukraine: Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly announced the new sanctions in co-ordination with the United States and Britain this morning.
Convoy protest organizer suing Ottawa for using Emergencies Act to freeze accounts: Chris Barber, who owns a trucking company in southwestern Saskatchewan, claims the federal government’s unprecedented move to invoke the act constituted an abuse of power.
Departing Gatineau mayor says province needs to deal with stresses on mayors: As France Bélisle announced her exit, she cited pressures on municipal leaders. “I think we should all be concerned about a public service that is no longer popular,” Bélisle told a news conference.
B.C. election-year budget predicts highest deficit ever recorded: That deficit will peak at $7.9-billion in 2024-2025. Third-quarter results for the fiscal year just ending record the deficit at $5.9-billion, compared with $4.2-billion forecast when the budget was delivered a year ago. Story here.
Independent MP Kevin Vuong says he would be ‘open’ to joining Conservatives: Vuong, dropped as a Liberal candidate for Spadina-Fort York just before the 2021 federal election, discussed the possibility during an interview with True North Centre, according to CBC.
Alberta town bans Pride flags, rainbow crosswalks after plebiscite: A slim majority of residents in the town of Westlock who took part in a plebiscite voted in favour of the town flying only government flags and painting crosswalks in a white striped pattern.
TODAY’S POLITICAL QUOTES
“The basic responsibility of the government of Canada is to make sure that someone [who] comes to Canada to pursue that Canadian dream, that they are not left abandoned to fall through the cracks, and sleeping outside in winter, and that’s happening right now. We need more help.” Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, at a news conference today, appealing for more support from the federal government to deal with the needs of migrants. Brown also referred to this incident, calling it “heartbreaking.”
“Canada’s support for Ukraine is unwavering and unequivocal. We will defend a future for Ukraine that’s written by Ukrainians.” - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a statement, marking two years since Russia invaded Ukraine.
THIS AND THAT
Online harms bill coming Monday: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government’s online harms bill would be coming this week. The House of Commons is sitting Monday after a week-long break, and the House of Commons Order Paper for the day says the promised legislation will be introduced by Justice Minister Arif Virani.
McGregor joins CityNews Toronto: Glen McGregor, formerly a senior political correspondent with CTV National News, reports that he has joined the Parliament Hill bureau of CityNews Toronto.
Matlow sticking with city politics: Prominent Toronto City Councilor Josh Matlow is ruling out a bid to seek the federal Liberal nomination in Toronto-St. Paul’s, which Carolyn Bennett represented for 26 years before leaving federal politics in December. “My family is rooted in Toronto and my daughter will only have one childhood, which I’m not prepared to miss,” Matlow said in a posting on X.
Interim commissioner at the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: Werner Liedtke has been appointed as the interim Commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s office announced the appointment today.
Commons and Senate on a break: Both the House of Commons and the Senate are on breaks until this coming Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister’s day: Chrystia Freeland is in Toronto and has no public events scheduled.
Ministers on the Road: Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree, in Vancouver, with Chief Glenn Bennett of the Kitselas First Nation, made an appearance on the signing of a co-developed Consultation Protocol. Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, in Edmonton, made a funding announcement in support of Black History Month. Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Health Minister Mark Holland, and Public Services Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, in Laval, Quebec, toured Moderna’s new state-of-the-art mRNA vaccine production facility. Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, in Whitehorse made a housing announcement for three Yukon First Nations communities. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, in New York City, attended an event at the United Nations on the repatriation of Ukrainian children. Diversity Minister Kamal Khera and Marci Ien, the minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, made funding announcements in Halifax. Khera announced $1.1-million in funding for three Black-led and Black-focused organizations. Ien, who visited the Africville Museum with Khera, announced $24,000 in support for the Africville Museum’s travelling exhibit project. Labour and Seniors Minister Seamus O’Regan and Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutchings, in St. John’s, announced federal support for climate action in the province with provincial Environment Minister Bernard Davis. Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan, in Squamish, B.C. announced federal funding for clean-energy development and the green hydrogen sector. Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, also minister for Prairies Economic Development Canada, in Churchill, Man., with Premier Wab Kinew announced a joint investment of up to $60-million to the Arctic Gateway Group partnership of 41 First Nation and Bayline communities in Manitoba for projects that include the maintenance and operation of the Hudson Bay Railway.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
No public events scheduled for Justin Trudeau.
LEADERS
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, at Laval University in Quebec City, held a discussion with students.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May travelled by train from Toronto to Ottawa.
No schedules released for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre or NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
THE DECIBEL
On today’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon, who’s in Kharkiv, discusses the front lines of the war between Russia and Ukraine two years on, how the soldiers are doing and what it means for Ukraine’s army that Western support is slowing down. The Decibel is here. Also, MacKinnon is doing a live Q&A tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET, here.
OPINION
Justice Hogue can still fix the growing mess at the election interference inquiry
“There are looking to be three likely victims of China’s meddling in the federal elections of 2019 and 2021. The loudest claims come from the Conservative Party, which contends that it may have lost up to nine ridings in 2021 as the result of Beijing’s efforts. Then there is the integrity of the electoral system itself. The ultimate outcome of the vote – who formed government – is not alleged to have been altered, but foreign interference in even a single local race cannot be ignored. And lastly, there are diaspora communities, the target of pressure from Beijing in many ways, including during the two election campaigns.” - The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
Call in more ArriveCan investigators
“Thank goodness the Commons committee on government operations called for yet another investigation into ArriveCan. Heaven knows the committee’s own hearings are going around in circles. On Thursday, the committee heard again from two senior officials who have been suspended without pay, Cameron MacDonald and Anthony Utano, who told the committee they were being scapegoated while their former bosses at the Canada Border Services Agency are engaged in a cover-up.” - Campbell Clark
The government’s ‘national security’ claim for withholding documents from Parliament is exposed as a sham
“Why did the government call an election in August, 2021, in the middle of a pandemic, just as Afghanistan was falling, and with more than two years left in its mandate? A good argument could be made that it was to shut down a Commons committee looking into the mysterious dismissal of two Chinese nationals from a top-secret Winnipeg research laboratory. At the urging of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the two scientists – Dr. Xiangguo Qiu, head of vaccine development at the National Microbiology Laboratory, and her husband Keding Cheng – had their security clearance revoked and were escorted out of the facility by RCMP officers in July, 2019. They were fired in January, 2021. Why precisely they were fired has never been divulged.” - Andrew Coyne
Canada-U.S. trade is at an inflection point ahead of U.S. presidential election
“Anyone who believed four years ago that having a Democrat back in the White House would translate into fewer trade tensions for Canada was mistaken. These days as Mr. Biden gears up for the fight of his political life, he is doubling down on his Buy America policies. His trade chief, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, was blunt this month: ‘We are putting the ‘U.S.’ back into USTR.’ ” - Rita Trichur
Just whose national anthem is O Canada, anyway?
“Charlotte Cardin seems well on her way to international stardom. The Montreal-born singer-songwriter leads this year’s Juno nominations and has become a rising star in France. Last weekend, she performed before millions of Americans who tuned into the NBA all-star game in Indianapolis. Her pitch-perfect a cappella delivery of O Canada awed the crowd. Quebeckers are usually the first to point out when one of their own scores the winning championship goal, captures the gold or cleans up at the Grammys. But the rendition of Canada’s national anthem that Ms. Cardin sang at the NBA all-star match drew anything but rave reviews in her home province. That is because it was in English only.” - Konrad Yakabuski
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