Good morning,
These are the top stories:
Election: Our May profile, donations laws, Vancouver’s mayor, Obama’s endorsement
Elizabeth May nearly quit as Green leader after the 2015 election, when the Greens’ share of the popular vote cut from 6.8 per cent to 3.9 per cent. But she set her retirement plans aside, and now she’s hoping for a breakthrough in “the campaign of our lives” – a vote where climate change is front and centre.
Justine Hunter writes: “If the party once again fails to make substantial gains, it will be difficult for May to remain in charge. At the same time, it is difficult to imagine the Greens without her.”
May arrives for a campaign stop via public transit in Longueuil, Que. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)The Canadian Press
The loophole on donations to third parties needs to be fixed by the next federal government, former chief electoral officer Jean-Pierre Kingsley said. His comments follow the Manning Centre’s decision not to disclose the names of donors whose money it gave to third parties running attack ads on the Liberals.
Vancouver’s mayor is warning voters against electing the federal Conservatives, saying a government led by Andrew Scheer would be out of step with his city’s priorities on transit, affordable housing and harm reduction.
Barack Obama has endorsed Justin Trudeau, tweeting: “The world needs his progressive leadership now, and I hope our neighbors to the north support him for another term.” Trudeau wouldn’t say whether he or his team asked Obama for the endorsement, a rarity for a former U.S. president and a move Lawrence Martin argues “constitutes unjustified meddling.”
Are you voting for the first time on Monday? Been locked down since the beginning, or still undecided? Changed your vote for the first time in decades? Haven’t voted for a while, but this particular election prompted you to do so? We want to hear from you. Email wellversed@globeandmail.com to join the conversation — your response may be featured in an upcoming story. Include your name, age and city if you feel comfortable.
Britain, EU reach Brexit deal, but PM Johnson still faces domestic hurdles
Just before the start of a summit of EU leaders in Brussels, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker announced a Brexit deal.
Mr. Johnson now has to win approval for the pact in the House of Commons, which is set to sit on Saturday to vote on the agreement. The Prime Minister’s Conservatives don’t have a majority in Parliament and lack the support of their key ally, Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, so it’s far from certain the agreement will be approved.
Nonetheless, Mr. Johnson celebrated the deal on Twitter. “We’ve got a great new deal that takes back control – now Parliament should get Brexit done on Saturday so we can move on to other priorities.”
The ex-CEO of a Crown corporation is accusing a Liberal minister of not resolving a conflict of interest
James Paul, the former head of Defence Construction Canada (DCC), says in a lawsuit that Moreen Miller was appointed as chair in 2017 despite concerns that were raised about her ties to the construction industry.
Paul alleges Public Services and Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough failed to take sufficient action to address what he and five independent directors viewed as a conflict of interest.
Miller was president of Fowler Construction, an Ontario paving and construction company that had performed DCC contract work.
A spokesperson for Qualtrough said the government intends to defend itself against the lawsuit and denied any wrongdoing.
The remaining questions after Toronto and Ontario reach a tentative deal on transit
Ontario will drop its plan to seize ownership of Toronto’s existing subway network under a deal that would see the city endorse four provincial transit projects without having to pay for them.
The arrangement, which needs city council approval, would still leave Toronto on the hook for billions in maintenance of the aging current system.
But Marcus Gee says there are many unanswered questions, starting with the Ontario Line. The centrepiece of the agreement, he notes, “is still just a coloured line drawn on a map.” It’s unclear what kinds of cars it will use and how it will fit with the current transit system.
Then there’s the matter of funding: The city isn’t responsible for covering the estimated $30-billion cost of the plan, but Gee notes it’s unclear how a provincial government dedicated to erasing the deficit will find the resources.
Families of Humboldt crash victims are urging Alberta to reverse trucking rule changes
"We are flipping the coin for safety,” said Shauna Nordstrom, the mother of Logan Hunter. Along with other Humboldt family members, she joined the NDP in calling for Alberta to put an end to exemptions that reversed stricter standards for semi-truck drivers put in place after the deadly crash.
Transportation Minister Rod McIver responded by saying his United Conservative government would reconsider whether the changes it made to relax licensing rules are appropriate. “I’m not making a promise ... [but] they’ve convinced me to take a second look,” he said.
This is the daily Morning Update newsletter. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was forwarded to you from someone else, you can sign up for Morning Update and more than 20 more Globe newsletters on our newsletter signup page.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
RCMP officials explored making Cameron Ortis a police officer: A plan supported by then-RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson would have seen the intelligence analyst sent for police training. But the proposal was nixed after it was met with opposition in high ranks of the force. Ortis is facing seven charges, including breach of trust.
U.S. Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings dies at 68: Cummings became the powerful chairman of a U.S. House committee that investigated President Donald Trump, and was a formidable orator who passionately advocated for the poor in his black-majority district, which encompasses a large portion of Baltimore as well as more well-to-do suburbs.
Hong Kong activist injured in bloody attack: Jimmy Sham, a leader of one of Hong Kong’s biggest pro-democracy groups, was left bloodied in a hammer and knife attack. Amnesty International is urging authorities to investigate. Sham is in stable condition.
B.C.’s first probable case of vaping illness: The province’s health officer says she expects there to be more cases that emerge as the province examines other reports of illness linked to e-cigarette devices. Health Canada is on high alert as a handful of cases emerge here after deaths and widespread illness in the U.S.
U.S. officials dispute dispute tourists’ border claim: The family apprehended after wandering over the border south of Vancouver crossed into the U.S. “slowly and deliberately,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said as it released surveillance video. The family was arrested with $16,000 in cash and a small amount of cannabis.
MORNING MARKETS
Markets rise on Brexit deal: U.S. stock futures turned higher after the European Union and Britain announced they have reached a new Brexit deal. Major European markets gained and Britain’s pound jumped on the news. In this country, TSX futures followed suit even as crude prices slid on rising U.S. inventories. In Europe, Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.62 per cent at 6:47 a.m. Germany’s DAX gained 0.59 per cent. France’s CAC 40 rose 0.22 per cent. In Asia, Tokyo’s Nikkei lost just shy of 0.1 per cent, and the Shanghai Composite a bit less than that, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.7 per cent. The Canadian dollar was edging up closer to 76 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Will the world accept Trump’s shameless betrayal of the Kurds?
Bernard-Henri Lévy: “Can anyone remember seeing in recent years such an extreme case of betrayal and abuse of authority? When have democracies so shamelessly betrayed those who stood as their shields, sentinels and surrogates? When have they been faced with as catastrophic a situation as a key member of NATO assaulting a free people, in defiance of every principle and value of the alliance?” Bernard-Henri Lévy is the author of The Empire and the Five Kings: America’s Abdication and the Fate of the World.
Watchmen is one of the most exciting, ambitious and intensely weird series of the year
Barry Hertz: “Although the notoriously cranky Alan Moore has long ago disavowed any adaptations of his [comic-book series], were he to deign to ever watch what Damon Lindelof and his team have accomplished, there’s strong reason to believe he’d let loose just a tiny little wry smile. HBO’s Watchmen is just that insightful, invigorating and essential.”
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
(Brian Gable/The Globe and Mail)Brian Gable/The Globe and Mail
LIVING BETTER
Globe readers share tales about animals in these First Person essays
“I had a new addiction,” writes Catharine Fitton. “It began after we brought home a second pug, to keep our first one company. When they curled up in bed together, like two little loaves of bread, I felt compelled to capture their overwhelming cuteness in a photograph.”
D’arcy Farlow reflects on Archie, the cat that broke her heart: “One beautiful fall day, a couple of years ago, he sauntered out the back door, past the garden and just as he was about to go around a corner he paused, turned his head and gazed at me for a long moment. We don’t always know when we are experiencing something for the last time … so we aren’t prepared for the pain of an ending.”
MOMENT IN TIME
Laura Secord dies
Supplied
Oct. 17, 1868: Born to a Loyalist family in Massachusetts in 1775, Laura Ingersoll became a celebrated Canadian heroine only after her death. Her family moved north in the 1790s to establish a settlement at present-day Ingersoll, Ont. She married James Secord and settled in Queenston, close to Niagara Falls. During the War of 1812, the Americans began occupying homes in Queenston, leading to soldiers being billeted at her house. It’s unclear how she came to know of a planned American attack – legend has it she overheard the soldiers talking at dinner – but she sprung into action. Setting out on the morning of June 22, 1813, she walked more than 30 kilometres through treacherous terrain to warn the British of the impending offensive. Her actions led to a small contingent of British soldiers and Mohawk warriors overcoming the much larger force of advancing Americans at the Battle of Beaver Dams on June 24. Secord’s courage and bravery have become part of Canadian lore, but she was largely unrecognized during her lifetime. She and her husband were left nearly penniless, her heroism nearly unknown despite many attempts from her and others for government support. She died in Chippewa, Ont., at 93 years old, having lived to see Confederation. – Iain Boekhoff
If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday morning, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.