Evening Update: Federal court strikes down request to review SNC-Lavalin decision

Good evening,

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Court strikes down SNC-Lavalin’s request to review prosecutor’s decision to proceed with charges

The Federal Court of Canada has dismissed a request by SNC-Lavalin to review the decision that is at the heart of the current political crisis in Ottawa. In September, the director of public prosecutions declined to negotiate a deferred prosecution agreement with SNC-Lavalin and decided to proceed with charges of fraud and corruption. A deferred prosecution agreement would essentially let the Quebec engineering company pay a fine rather than face the charges. After that possibility was rejected, SNC-Lavalin made an unprecedented request for judicial review of the decision. Today’s court ruling essentially rejected that request.

Open this photo in gallery:

The political crisis that has gripped Ottawa since The Globe and Mail reported on Feb. 7 that attorney-general Jody Wilson-Raybould was being pressed to intercede in the case and push for a deferred prosecution agreement has resulted in the resignations of two cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister’s top aide, and has led to dramatic hearings at the Commons justice committee.

SNC-Lavalin has pursued several avenues to try to quash the fraud and corruption charges. Yesterday, we wrote about a mid-October letter from SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. CEO Neil Bruce to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reveals new details about the company’s concerns and appeals to Ottawa in the weeks after the opportunity to negotiate a settlement was denied.

Meanwhile today, the House of Commons justice committee announced it will hold an emergency meeting next Wednesday to discuss bringing former justice minister and attorney-general Jody Wilson-Raybould back to speak again. Justice committee chair, Anthony Housefather, a Liberal MP, confirmed the justice committee will meet behind closed doors on March 19, which is the same day the federal government will table its budget.

If she is invited back, one of the subjects of discussion could be the Jan. 14 cabinet shuffle, which has become a key focus of the the political controversy. Ms. Wilson-Raybould was demoted to Veterans Affairs after rejecting an offer to become head of Indigenous Services. Ms. Wilson-Raybould testified that she felt she was removed from her job in Justice because of her refusal to order the federal director of prosecutions to negotiate a deferred prosecution agreement with SNC.

Mr. Trudeau’s former principal secretary, Gerald Butts, who resigned in the wake of the controversy, testified this week that Ms. Wilson-Raybould was first offered the Indigenous Services portfolio but turned it down.

Opinion

Doug Saunders on why it’s time to give authority back to MPs: “The Prime Minister and his staff are not just an important part of the government; for all intents and purposes, they are the government. Even the Clerk of the Privy Council, a theoretically impartial public servant, has turned out to be an intensely political power figure.”

Emily Riddle on the gaslighting of Jody Wilson-Raybould: “To be an Indigenous woman in this country is to intimately understand both interpersonal and systemic gaslighting. Gaslighters psychologically manipulate others in order to get us to question our own reality. The Trudeau government’s treatment of Jody Wilson-Raybould constitutes exactly that: the narrative from the PMO that, although she felt inappropriate pressure to change her mind, no such thing occurred.”

Konrad Yakabuski on how Trudeau’s foreign fan club has gone quiet: “... Mr. Trudeau’s somewhat perplexed foreign admirers need to understand is that he was never the great moral hope they built him up to be.”

Martha Hall Findlay on how Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott aren’t principled because they’re women. They’re just principled: “I prefer to believe that they did not resign because they are women; rather, because they are people with principles, which in turn guided their actions.”

This is the daily Evening Update newsletter. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was forwarded to you from someone else, you can sign up for Evening Update and more than 20 more Globe newsletters on our newsletter signup page.

Canada pumps out a surprising 55,900 new jobs

Statistics Canada reported a second consecutive month of bumper job gains. The economy added 55,900 jobs in February, far exceeding analyst expectations. The news went a long way to quell concerns that Canada’s economy could be headed for a recession and cooled market expectations that the Bank of Canada could cut interest rates by the end of the year. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.8 per cent, while wage growth was up. It was the third month of outsized job gains in the last four and, for the first time since 2012, total Canadian job gains beat U.S. employment growth, which almost stalled in February with just 20,000 jobs created.

Open this photo in gallery:

Paul Manafort sentenced to 47-months

U.S. President Donald Trump’s former campaign chair Paul Manafort has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for laundering tens of millions of dollars in payments from the Kremlin-connected former president of Ukraine, dodging American taxes and defrauding several banks. The sentence fell far short of guidelines that recommended a penalty of between 19 and 24 years, and it was even more lenient than Mr. Manafort’s own lawyers had asked for. The sentence is still the toughest one yet for a member of Mr. Trump’s campaign. Mr. Manafort will face another sentencing next week in a Washington court on charges related to illegal lobbying and witness tampering.

Donald Trump’s 2020 budget earmarks $100-million for daughter Ivanka’s initiative

President Donald Trump’s 2020 budget proposal will include $100-million for a global women’s fund spearheaded by his daughter Ivanka Trump, reports the Associated Press. The White House said the budget, expected to be released Monday, will include the funding for the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative. The administration last month launched the government-wide project, which she leads.

A gun-lobby group is fighting Canadian doctors who are advocating for firearm restrictions

Open this photo in gallery:

Toronto surgeon Najma Ahmed – who treated victims of last summer’s Danforth shooting – has seen roughly 70 complaints filed against her at the urging of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights. Ahmed is a founding member of Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns, a group that was formed last month to highlight the public-health consequences of gun-related injuries and deaths. But the gun lobby is describing the doctors’ efforts as unethical and radical, and it posted step-by-step instructions for its members to file complaints with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. The campaign by the lobby group echoes efforts south of the border, where the National Rifle Association has sparred with doctors advocating for gun control. And it comes as the federal government in Canada considers a handgun and assault-weapon ban.

Opinion

Doctor Najma Ahmed on why doctors must speak out on gun violence: “The NRA’s position is that health-care providers should be silent about our experiences, and about the horrors victims and families endure from gun violence. ... In response to the tweet from the NRA, American health-care professionals published an open letter, making it abundantly clear that this is our lane.”

André Picard on why challenging doctors on gun control highlights firearms as a public-health issue: “When you reframe the debate as being about public health rather than uniquely about property rights, the discussion becomes richer and more nuanced. And that’s just what the doctor ordered.”

WHAT ELSE IS ON OUR RADAR

Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning has been jailed for refusing to testify to a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks.

Britain has been struggling with knife crime for years. But the apparent murder without motive of a high-achieving student with his eyes on a medical career and a young woman playing music with her friends in a park has stunned the country and left the government scrambling to find a solution to what police chiefs are calling a national emergency.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has sparked shock and outrage by tweeting a video showing one man urinating on another during his country’s massive annual street carnival.

Shares of Montreal software firm Lightspeed POS Inc. jumped to $18.56 on their first day of trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The 14-year-old company, which provides retailers and restaurants with cloud-based software to help them manage point-of-sale and back-office functions on a range of digital devices, had priced its shares at $16 a piece on Thursday.

Work on a Trans Mountain pipeline crossing in a British Columbia stream altered habitat for young salmon, but the creek is expected to return to normal in one to two years, says Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

MARKET WATCH

Canada’s main stock index dropped for a second day, with oil prices plunging after weak China trade data and U.S. jobs growth report sparked fears of slowing global growth. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index fell 60.30 points, or 0.38 per cent, to 15,996.21. Another set of numbers from the United States showed job growth almost stalled in February, with the economy creating only 20,000 jobs, while economists polled by Reuters had forecast an increase of 180,000 jobs. Both reports added to a weak sentiment even as Canada added far more jobs than expected in February, cooling market expectations that the Bank of Canada could cut interest rates by the end of the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 23.12 points, or 0.09 percent, to 25,450.11, the S&P 500 lost 5.89 points, or 0.21 percent, to 2,743.04 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 13.32 points, or 0.18 percent, to 7,408.14.

Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.

WHAT’S POPULAR WITH READERS

Open this photo in gallery:

Women in STEM: ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’

The statistics are troubling: Among workers aged 25 to 64 in scientific occupations, only 28 per cent are women, 2016 data from Statistics Canada reveals. As of December, 2016, women accounted for just 30 per cent of research chairs at universities. And a recent study revealed that funding is less likely to be awarded to female health scientists if those rewarding the grants know who will be doing the science. Female participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is key, as STEM skills are crucial for innovation and solving economic and societal issues.

So then how do you increase the number of women working in STEM? Toronto-based photographer Natalia Dolan asked female leaders in these fields to weigh in. Many of the women with whom she spoke shared the obstacles they’ve faced and offered solutions to overcome them.

TALKING POINTS

Stop telling women they must change themselves to become leaders

“The generation before mine had to fight for women’s rights. Mine is the generation with opportunities. Some might say that I have advanced to a leadership position in part because I’m a woman, and that in an era that prioritizes gender equality, I’ve been lucky to have a ‘short cut.’ To a point, this is true. But if equity initiatives helped mitigate 100 years of discrimination, I’m okay with that.” Melanie Dunn is global president and CEO of Cossette, an integrated brand experience agency

Gender bias in health care is hurting women

“[Gender] bias exists throughout the health-care system, from medical research to disease diagnostic and treatment approaches. If we are to address this grim reality with the urgency it requires, more attention must be paid by the broader public, who might not be aware of this dangerous gap in knowledge, and by scientists, who must include both sexes in biomedical research.” Anita Layton is the Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematical Biology and Medicine and professor of applied mathematics and pharmacy at the University of Waterloo.

As an Indigenous woman, I know our matriarchs will lead us toward cultural resilience

“In my culture, our matriarchs lead our families. My auntie is our oldest surviving matriarch. She holds the family’s history – our stories, our trauma, our truth. That is the work that women have always done; they are responsible for carrying life, water – and our belief that it is sacred – and truth. We need women, now more than ever, to carry our truth.” Sarain Fox is an Anishinaabe activist, artist and television host.

LIVING BETTER

Sleep-deprived? Our exhaustive guide to getting a good night’s rest

We all know what we’re supposed to do – set a consistent bedtime routine and wake-up time, and follow them regularly. Get the right pillow for your sleep style. Get rid of distractions that make it harder to fall asleep (that means you, cellphone). But just as there are many ways to lose sleep – struggling to doze off, lying awake at night, waking up too early – there are many ways to try to fix your sleep stresses. Within the stories we’ve written about sleep over the past few years, gathered here below, are tricks and tips that may help you on your journey to a full night’s rest.

Open this photo in gallery:

To Infinity War and beyond: All 21 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, ranked

With Friday’s release of Captain Marvel, (read the review) the Marvel Cinematic Universe hits a mind-boggling 21 feature films. From the relatively humble beginnings of 2008′s Iron Man through last year’s all-you-can-stomach bonanza Avengers: Infinity War, the Marvel Studios machine has completely changed the way Hollywood operates, for better and worse. But in between all the profit-raking (approx. US$17.5-billion worldwide, and counting), the Disney-owned behemoth has managed to produce some decent blockbusters. And just as the Marvel Cinematic Universe is constantly expanding, it is also open to constant re-evaluation. Herewith, a completely subjective ranking of all 21 MCU franchise entries, from best to worst. Argue among yourselves – there will be another 21 films to debate soon enough.

LONG READS FOR A LONG COMMUTE

Open this photo in gallery:

New-found gourmet cuisine in rural Newfoundland

Here’s a question: Can you find a half-decent restaurant in the untouristed areas of Newfoundland’s northeast coast? That’s what writer Luke Quinton asked on a recent trip and happily discovered Newfoundland’s culinary scene is seeing a new wave of restaurateurs. One example, Sylvie Mitford’s Boreal Diner. Ms. Mitford is Boreal’s operator, co-owner, head chef and occasional dishwasher. The Boreal is a casual, fine-dining spot in a handsome, two-storey building from 1872, and caters to fresh vegetable-deprived tourists, Ms. Mitford had to spearhead new ways of sourcing ingredients. Most fish in Newfoundland is frozen and destined for export, but a new law, passed in 2015, allowed fishers to, once again, sell directly to restaurants, meaning Ms. Mitford can work with local fisher Jerry Hussey, to serve scallops, mussels and fresh cod of “insane” quality, right off the boat. Now that friends have started to raise pigs and lamb, Mitford’s planning to source only local meat.

Evening Update is produced by Michael Snider. If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.