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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Trudeau violated federal law with caucus expulsions, Philpott says
Former Treasury Board president Jane Philpott says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau violated federal law when he expelled her and former Veterans Affairs minister Jody Wilson-Raybould from caucus without a secret-ballot vote.
She is asking House of Commons Speaker Geoff Regan to rule on the matter and declare that her and Ms. Wilson-Raybould’s rights were violated.
Ms. Wilson Raybould testified to a Commons committee in late February that the Prime Minister and his aides put inappropriate pressure on her to intervene in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin. Last month, Ms. Philpott cited a lack of confidence in the way Mr. Trudeau handled the SNC-Lavalin affair for her resignation (for subscribers).
At the time of the expulsions, Mr. Trudeau said their criticism of his role in the SNC-Lavalin affair had broken bonds of trust.
For more background on the story, check out our explainer (for subscribers).
More on the PM’s threatened lawsuit: The Prime Minister says his threat to sue Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is about making sure there are consequences for lying in politics – but he’s not saying if he intends to make good on it.
On Sunday, Mr. Scheer released a libel notice from Mr. Trudeau’s lawyer over comments he had made regarding the Prime Minister and the SNC-Lavalin affair. Mr. Scheer dared Mr. Trudeau to do so (for subscribers).
Opinion: “The threat adds fresh fuel to the SNC-Lavalin bonfire. The only question seems to be: What on earth were the Liberals thinking?” - John Ibbitson
The latest on Britain’s attempt to exit the European Union
As Friday’s deadline looms, European Union leaders will grant Prime Minister Theresa May a second delay to Brexit, but they could demand that she accept a much longer extension as France pushed for conditions.
Ms. May met separately today with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to state her case. Before an emergency EU summit in Brussels tomorrow, an advance draft of conclusions said Britain would be granted another delay on certain conditions.
Fallout from the turmoil: In Scotland, Mark MacKinnon reports, those who voted to keep Britain in the EU are bracing for the economic shock that a “hard Brexit” could bring to fisheries and oil – and the debate that will follow about whether Scotland should go its own way.
Meanwhile, Paul Waldie writes, the deepening uncertainty surrounding Brexit is fuelling calls for a referendum on the future of Northern Ireland and whether it’s time for the U.K. province to rejoin Ireland.
Opinion: “One of the paradoxical results of the Brexit breakdown is that continental Europeans have never followed British politics more closely. … Another paradox is that Britain has never been more dependent on its European Union partners than it is now, when it proposes to abandon them.” - Timothy Garton Ash, professor of European studies at Oxford University
Israeli election exit polls give Netanyahu the advantage amid close race against rival Gantz
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on course to securing a record fifth term with another right-wing coalition, Israeli TV exit polls indicated after voting ended today, as both he and his principal rival, Benny Gantz, claimed victory.
Some political analysts, however, cautioned it was too early to determine the outcome, with many hours to go before a final tally is in.
Mr. Netanyahu, in power consecutively since 2009, is fighting for his political survival. He faces possible indictment in three corruption cases, in which the right-wing Likud party leader has denied any wrongdoing.
Analysis: Emboldened by U.S. President Donald Trump, Mr. Netanyahu stirs controversy with pre-election vow to annex West Bank settlements.
Lori Loughlin, other parents face new charge in U.S. college-admissions scandal
Full House star Lori Loughlin and her fashion-designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, and 14 other parents were hit today with a new money-laundering charge in the sweeping college-admissions bribery scheme.
The move comes a day after fellow actress Felicity Huffman, 12 other parents and a coach agreed to plead guilty – signalling an escalation in the case against the parents who are continuing to fight the allegations against them.
Ms. Loughlin and Mr. Giannulli were arrested last month on a single charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Today’s indictment adds a charge of money-laundering conspiracy against the couple and 14 other parents.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Barr almost ready to release redacted Mueller report: U.S. Attorney-General William Barr told lawmakers today that he intends to release within a week a redacted version of the long-awaited report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election from Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
New York orders mandatory vaccination: New York Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a public health emergency in parts of Brooklyn today in response to a measles outbreak, requiring unvaccinated people living in those areas to get the vaccine or face fines.
Ontario’s new licence-plate motto sounds familiar: Ontario’s new licence-plate slogan will be “A Place to Grow,” replacing the 37-year-old motto “Yours to Discover,” sources tell The Globe and Mail. Readers of a certain age may remember it from the song A Place to Stand, A Place to Grow, written for the Ontario pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal.
Canadian golf wins: When Corey Conners won the PGA’s Valero Texas Open on Sunday, he wasn’t the only Canadian golfer having a good day: Oakville, Ont.'s Nicole Gal took her category at the Drive, Chip and Putt competition at Augusta National, ahead of the Masters this week (in which Mr. Conners earned entry). Read Jeff Brooke’s story about the five young Canadians who competed.
Nicole Gal, with her trophy for girls 14-15 first overall, and former Masters champion Mike Weir during the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)DC/Getty Images
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index fell today, mirroring losses in global equities. Weighing on investor sentiment was the United States threatening to slap taxes on European goods and fears of a global economic slowdown resurfacing (for subscribers).
The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index closed down 70.84 points at 16,336.45.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 190.44 points to 26,150.58, the S&P 500 lost 17.57 points to end at 2,878.20 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 44.60 points to 7,909.28.
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TALKING POINTS
A doctor’s murder shows the reality of domestic abuse
“Dr. Fric-Shamji’s death isn’t notable because of her murderer’s past accomplishments. It’s notable because Canada has lost another daughter, another mother, one who also happened to be a successful family physician, university professor and emerging policy analyst.” - Denise Balkissoon
Jason Kenney prepares to put Alberta on economic war footing
“Why would Mr. Kenney begin punishing British Columbians by limiting the supply of gasoline, and driving up the price at the pumps even more than they already are, when the province has nothing to do with whether the Trans Mountain pipeline gets built?” - Gary Mason (for subscribers)
Why are animal activists trespassing on farms? Because the industry polices itself
“When an industry is permitted to police itself, and to use labels and marketing that are sometimes misleading regarding animal welfare, how are the growing number of consumers who want to see how the sausage is made supposed to know the truth?” - Jessica Scott-Reid, animal activist
Fosse/Verdon is a great, ravishing television drama about theatre, love and life
“It’s about a relationship and a man selfishly wreaking havoc, and yet it approaches the relationship without an easy judgment in mind.” - John Doyle
LIVING BETTER
No one likes to think about dying, which is perhaps why so many Canadians don’t have a legal will. But if you die without one, you are considered to have died intestate and the rules of your province will determine how your estate is divided. If you don’t have a will, or it hasn’t been updated in a while, our guide to estate planning will set you on the right path (for subscribers). There are tips to help you get started, a guide to choosing your executor, seven planning mistakes to avoid and more.
LONG READS FOR A LONG COMMUTE
In a slowing Toronto housing market, realtors feeling the pinch
Market reports about the Greater Toronto real-estate market often focus on whether buyers are on the sidelines or if sellers are biding their time as the region grinds through a generally slow period. Rarely does anyone mention the financial trouble that a lack of sales causes for the 52,000 realtors who are members of the Toronto Real Estate Board.
Sharon Soltanian worries about the realtors. Her independent brokerage focuses mainly on the old city of North York. The Willowdale area has been the most fertile hunting ground for her business for more than 15 years. But, since peaking in 2016, Willowdale and the neighbouring Newtonbrook area have seen some of the sharpest declines in sales in Toronto, and she has seen agents who once had a decent living drop out of the business, go homeless, put their cars on lease-breaking websites and turn to side-hustles such as driving for Lyft or running an Airbnb.
“I know in the public eye, real estate agents are ruthless, heartless, all they want is to make money,” she said. “The reality is, the majority of these people are educated people, immigrants.… I have PhD-from-Harvard agents. I had a dermatologist that cannot work here as a doctor. These are normal people, they become agents, it was easy a few years ago for them, but now it’s very difficult." Globe subscribers, read Shane Dingman’s full story here.
Realtor Sharon Soltanian. (Photo by Jessica Lee for The Globe and Mail)Jessica Lee
Calgary Flames rookie set to make her playoff debut on a Zamboni
Joanne Kuzoff was as nervous as any other rookie during her first NHL game. She told herself what she was about to do was nothing new, that she had done this thousands of times before. Butterflies remained, even though she had driven a Zamboni in municipal arenas in Ontario for a decade.
“I took a deep breath and tried not to vomit,” says Ms. Kuzoff, who operates one of the machines for the Calgary Flames. “You are not flooding the ice for 20 people, you are flooding it for 20,000."
She joined the team on Feb. 6 and drove in her first NHL game two weeks later. The only other woman who drives a Zamboni in the league full-time is Alison Murdock of the Tampa Bay Lightning. “It is nice to do what I love and to represent that it doesn’t matter if you are a male or a female,” says Ms. Kuzoff, 48. “It can be a boys’ club, but it doesn’t have to be.” Read Marty Klinkenberg’s full story here.
Zamboni dirver and ice technician Joanne Kuzoff. (Photo by Jeff McIntosh for The Globe and Mail)Jeff McIntosh/The Globe and Mail
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