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These are the top stories:
Justin Trudeau pushed for the leak investigation that led to a charge against Mark Norman
The Prime Minister was furious at the leak of classified cabinet deliberations involving a $668-million naval supply ship contract, sources say. Leaks are common in Ottawa but it’s rare for the Prime Minister to get involved, in turn sending a powerful signal throughout the government. (for subscribers)
Sources say Trudeau indicated that he felt betrayed that bureaucrats would leak cabinet confidences and wanted to find out who was responsible. That, in turn, percolated through the Privy Council Office, which failed to discover the source of the leak. Trudeau’s then-national security and intelligence adviser Richard Fadden subsequently telephoned the RCMP Commissioner to request an investigation.
The Prime Minister was not aware of who may have leaked the cabinet deliberations when that request was made to the RCMP, sources said. Once it became known that Norman was the key RCMP suspect, Trudeau predicted in 2017 that the vice-admiral would end up in court even as he denied politically interfering in the matter.
Last week, the breach-of-trust charge against Norman was dropped, with the Crown calling his actions “inappropriate,” but not criminal.
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The top unelected B.C. Legislature official has resigned after multiple findings of misconduct
An independent probe by former Supreme Court chief justice Beverley McLachlin said Clerk of the House Craig James repeatedly failed to defend his actions, including explaining why he bought two $1,000 suits in London at the public’s expense. At the same time, McLachlin cleared Sergeant-At-Arms Gary Lenz. Both Lenz and James were suspended last November amid allegations of improper spending.
Among the new details:
- McLachlin criticized Darryl Plecas – the Speaker of the House who brought forward the allegations last fall – saying he acted more like a criminal investigator than the House’s top administrator.
- James’s suits were for personal use, McLachlin said, while his purchase of a wood-splitter and trailer served only for his home projects.
- James also “engaged in misconduct” by directing changes to insurance and retirement benefits to serve “his personal advantage outside of established protocols,” the report found.
For his part, James issued a statement calling for the release of documents he submitted, and said: “I have had enough. I have been publicly ridiculed and vilified. … I have decided to retire, and reach a settlement with the Legislative Assembly.” The settlement doesn’t include cash, the government House leader said.
Lenz, meanwhile, remains on paid leave until three other probes are completed.
The Philippines has recalled its ambassador to Canada amid a dispute over garbage
The government of Rodrigo Duterte also recalled its consulate heads after Canada missed a May 15 deadline to take back dozens of shipping containers of garbage that had been sitting in the Philippines for years after it was discovered they weren’t filled with recyclables, as labelled.
Ottawa is in the midst of contracting with a company to bring the waste back to Canada. According to a government official, steps must be taken to safeguard against the possibility of pathogens and viruses that may have formed within the containers.
The Philippines will maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until the garbage is removed from the country.
Conrad Black says Trump’s pardon amounts to a complete exoneration
The former media baron said: "This completes the destruction of the spurious prosecution of me. It’s a complete final decision of not guilty. That is finally a fully just verdict.” However, the U.S. Department of Justice website says a pardon is an expression of the president’s forgiveness and “does not signify innocence.”
The man who prosecuted Black, meanwhile, called it “another sad chapter in the demise of justice in the United States under President Trump.” Eric Sussman, who spearheaded the 2007 trial that resulted in Black being charged with multiple counts of fraud, said: “Conrad Black was found to be a liar and a thief by 12 jurors. That will always be Mr. Black’s legacy.”
A long-time friend and one-time business associate of the President, Black recently penned a book titled Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other. Black, who returned to Toronto after his release in 2012, will now be free to travel to the United States.
The pardon is the subject of today’s editorial cartoon:
(David Parkins/The Globe and Mail)David Parkins/The Globe and Mail
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
The Liberals have been reduced to a minority government in Newfoundland and Labrador. Premier Dwight Ball’s party secured 20 of 40 seats, a drop from the 27 it held going into the provincial election. The Conservatives nabbed 15 seats, with the NDP picking up three and the remaining two going to independents. (for subscribers)
Air Canada’s move to try and acquire Transat is raising concerns about higher ticket prices. Canada’s largest airline has entered exclusive talks with the Montreal-based Transat with a planned purchase price of $520-million. But Air Canada could have a hard time persuading federal competition regulators that the purchase would be in the public’s best interests. (for subscribers)
Justin Trudeau slammed China for “not following the rules and principles that the large majority of democracies follow” after Beijing formally arrested Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. The two had been detained since December over accusations of violating national security in a case that was widely seen as retribution for the arrest in Vancouver of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. (for subscribers)
World markets struggle as Beijing ramps up war of words
World share markets suffered a fresh bout of risk aversion on Friday after tough words on trade from China, while bets on a new pro-Brexit leader in Britain whipped the pound towards its worst week since October. Britain’s FTSE 100 was trading down 0.45 per cent at 5:19 a.m. ET. The Shanghai Composite Index fell 2.48 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 1.16 per cent. Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.89 per cent. On Wall Street, futures were lower ahead of the open. The Canadian dollar was trading lower at 74.12 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
China is changing the geopolitical climate. Canada has to mitigate, and adapt
Globe editorial: “From Parliament Hill to Bay Street, Canadians were long bamboozled by the promise of China. World’s most populous nation. World’s biggest market. The bottomless pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. ... Unfortunately, the real People’s Republic of China is not just an economic opportunity. It is also a threat. And that threat is growing. This is no passing storm. China’s rapid rise, even as it remains an unapologetically totalitarian state, is geopolitical climate change on an unprecedented scale.”
No, professors shouldn’t collect a six-figure pension - on top of a six-figure salary
Frances Woolley: “[Under a policy being considered by the Ford government], professors aged 71 and older would have their salary clawed back, giving them every incentive to retire. The Ontario government’s proposal has been widely criticized. One objection is that many older professors are still productive, and have a right to work. This misses the point. No one is stopping senior scholars from writing academic papers, or teaching ECON 101. The debate is over how much they should be paid for doing so.” Frances Woolley is a professor of economics at Carleton University
How Game of Thrones might end on Sunday, according to television’s greatest – and worst – series finales
Barry Hertz: “What if GoT doubled down on the ambiguity? As polarizing as David Chase’s Sopranos finale was when it first aired, it’s since aged like a fine chunk of parm. Maybe it doesn’t matter who lives or who dies at the end of GoT, but rather the journey we all endured on the way to the Iron Throne (which is essentially a pointier version of Tony’s Bada Bing office).”
LIVING BETTER
Your weekend movie guide
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum picks up exactly from where the previous one ended, and no, you don’t need to know anything more than “a bunch of guys are trying to murder Keanu” – and again he dispatches them with killer timing. (3 stars)
The documentary Meeting Gorbachev defines the former Soviet Union head of state’s titan legacy in an unexpected way. (3.5 stars)
Documentary Asking Dr. Ruth depicts a lovable every-granny – if your grandmother was a celebrity sex therapist not shy around STIs, vibrators and porn. (3 stars)
Subscribers can go here to get a full primer on flicks out this weekend.
MOMENT IN TIME
Montreal founded, though date is debated
(Costa/Bridgeman Images)Costa/Bridgeman Images
May 17, 1642: Montreal’s French connections began in 1535, when explorer Jacques Cartier visited Hochelaga, a village on the island which had long been inhabited by the St. Lawrence Iroquoians. The island Indigenous population dwindled over the years – researchers suggest a combination of factors could have led to their disappearance, including war and disease transmitted by Europeans. Fast-forward more than 100 years, when the Société Notre-Dame de Montréal – a religious organization – sent a group of settlers led by Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, an ex-soldier, and Jeanne Mance, a nurse, to the island to create a missionary colony. They named the community Ville-Marie after the Virgin Mary. Ville-Marie established itself as one of the great centres of the fur trade in early Canada and would go on to become one of the country’s largest metropolitan areas. There is, however, some confusion about what day the city was officially founded: May 17 or 18? Most sources, such as Canadian historian Robert Rumilly’s work, use May 17, but according to a plaque on an obelisk in the historic Place d’Youville square, May 18 is the day settlers landed. – Danielle Edwards
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