Morning Update: Ottawa did not enforce protections for migrant farm workers

Good morning,

A Globe and Mail investigation has found multiple lapses in Ottawa’s enforcement of migrant workers’ protections. These include a finding that the government allowed some employers to submit three-year-old housing-inspection reports during the pandemic. As well, the government stopped conducting housing inspections altogether for six weeks at the outset of COVID-19. When the inspections resumed, they were done remotely.

Furthermore, Employment and Social Development Canada received 32 COVID-19-related complaints in the agri-food sector since March, but only launched 11 investigations and not a single farm was found to be in violation of any pandemic-related rules.

In Ontario alone, more than 1,000 migrant farm workers have contracted COVID-19, according to a Globe survey of local public-health units. Most of the workers contracted the virus in Canada, according to health officials. Three men from Mexico have died from COVID-19.

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More than half of Canadians want more aggressive response to China: poll

Fifty-three per cent of Canadians surveyed in a new Nanos Research poll believe that the government should apply more pressure on China to secure the release of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Measures supported by the respondents include blocking Chinese investors from buying Canadian companies or denying entry to Chinese government officials and their families from living or studying in Canada.

However, another 36 per cent of respondents say that Canada should instead focus on diplomatic efforts.

Nik Nanos, the president of Nanos Research, says the results suggest that Canadians have hit a tipping point and are hardening their attitudes toward China. The poll, which was conducted for The Globe and CTV News, comes amid growing tensions between China and Canada, including concerns over a new Hong Kong national security law.

Misaligned missile battery, miscommunication led to plane downing: Iranian report

A new Iranian report on why a Ukrainian jetliner was shot down this past January is not satisfying the families of the Canadian passengers who were killed. The report says that various military errors, including a misaligned missile battery, miscommunication between troops and their commanders, and a decision to fire without authorization, led to the downing of the flight.

The families are skeptical of this account and are instead calling for an international investigation into Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752. Among the 176 people killed were 55 Canadian citizens, 30 permanent residents, and dozens more with ties to Canada.

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ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Florida hits record case increase: Florida shattered a national record yesterday for the largest single-day increase of COVID-19 cases in any state, reporting 15,299 positive tests. This brings Florida’s total number of cases to 269,811. The state is struggling to contain outbreaks as part of Florida, including Disney World, are reopening.

Quebec police continue search for man one day after daughters found dead: Police are now prioritizing the search for Martin Carpentier, 44, the father of two deceased girls who were the subject of an Amber Alert last week. The bodies of Norah and Romy Carpentier, aged 11 and 6, were found in St-Apollinaire, Que., on Saturday after an intensive search.

Top executive at Ubisoft’s Canadian operations resigns amid sexual-misconduct allegations: Yannis Mallat, the Canadian managing director of France’s Ubisoft Entertainment, has resigned amid a widening sexual-harassment scandal. Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video-game producers, released a statement yesterday announcing Mr. Mallat’s departure, though it made no mention of any allegation of harassment on his part. Multiple Ubisoft employees have been accused of sexual harassment in recent weeks, both over social media and in traditional publications.

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U.S. appeals court rules first federal execution in 17 years can proceed on Monday: Daniel Lewis Lee, 47, is scheduled to die by lethal injection today at a federal prison in Indiana. A lower court order had put his execution on hold because of concerns from the family of the victims about COVID-19 in prisons, but that ruling was overturned on Sunday.

O’Regan, Telford helped raise $400,000 for WE Charity: Two senior members of the Liberal government – Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s chief of staff, Katie Telford – fundraised for WE Charity, then called Free the Children, prior to the Liberals forming government. Both were involved in a controversial decision to award WE with a now-cancelled contract to administer a student-volunteer program.

Read more on WE Charity:

• Justin Trudeau’s own explanations about WE should be the focus of hearings

MORNING MARKETS

World shares near five-month peak as earnings season kicks off: World shares were approaching a five-month peak and the U.S. dollar slipped on Monday as investors wagered the earnings season would see most companies beat forecasts given expectations had been lowered by coronavirus lockdowns. In Europe, Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 1.05 per cent just before 6 a.m. ET. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 rose 1.02 per cent and 0.76 per cent, respectively. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei jumped 2.22 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.17 per cent. New York futures were higher. The Canadian dollar was trading at 73.73 US cents.

Looking for investing ideas? Check out The Globe’s weekly digest of the latest insights and analysis from the pros, stock tips, portfolio strategies and what investors need to know for the week ahead. This week’s edition includes the case for Algonquin, what value are analyst reports and why higher inflation, interest rates are coming.

WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT

Defending freedom in Hong Kong helps defend it in Canada, too

Gloria Fung: “Anyone who serves China’s interests by threatening or intimidating Canadians should be prosecuted or deported. It’s time to stop trading Canadians’ cherished freedom of speech for future considerations from a duplicitous bully.”

Ottawa should listen to police chiefs. Drug use is a health care problem, not a crime

The Editorial Board: “The next big changes will be decriminalization and a safe supply. These are, however, only steps, not complete answers. Treatment and recovery are the ultimate goal; political leaders need people to stay alive so they have a fighting chance to recover from their life-threatening addictions.”

Canada is unprepared for a pandemic election – and it could happen at any time

Michael Pal: “While the fixed election date might make the next federal election seem deceptively far away, the clock is already ticking. If legislative changes are needed, as seems likely, then Parliament needs to add setting the rules for a pandemic election to its already crowded plate.”

TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON

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LIVING BETTER

When is the best time to eat dinner for my metabolism?

A new study from Johns Hopkins University has found that eating dinner close to bedtime worsens glucose tolerance and slows fat-burning. And, depending on your usual bedtime, you may be more susceptible to the metabolic consequences of late eating.

MOMENT IN TIME: Archive Jazz

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Billie Holiday performs in Toronto

For more than 100 years, photographers and photo librarians have preserved an extraordinary collection of 20th-century news photography for The Globe and Mail. Every Monday, The Globe features one of these images. This month, we’re celebrating jazz.

Pictured at the Town Tavern on Aug. 10, 1957, jazz singer Billie Holiday made her final appearances in Toronto with a week of performances at that venue. In his review of her Saturday show, Patrick Scott pulled no punches. “The bent notes and broken phrasing that used to come with such unpredictable charm and effect are now delivered with so calculated and mannered a fashion as to be almost comical,” he wrote. Still, the artist known as Lady Day commanded respect. The Town Tavern’s in-house drummer, Archie Alleyne, would later recall that the room was unusually silent during God Bless the Child: “There was no clinking of glasses, and the kitchen staff came out and stood in the doorway of the kitchen.” Holiday died less than two years later, on July 17, 1959. The cause of death was cirrhosis. She was just 44. Brad Wheeler

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