Good morning,
What’s next for Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott?
Since being ousted from the Liberal caucus in early April (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expelled the pair, saying their criticism of the PMO’s role in the SNC-Lavalin affair had broken bonds of trust and helped the government’s political opponents), the former senior cabinet ministers have been considering their political options ahead of an election expected in October.
Today, we’ll find out where they’ve landed.
Ms. Wilson-Raybould is set to reveal her plans in Vancouver at 12 p.m. ET, while Ms. Philpott will be in Markham, Ont., to make her announcement at 12:30 p.m ET.
For weeks, speculation has run rampant that the pair will join Elizabeth May’s Green Party – a move that could bolster a recent surge for the party that will see its caucus double when newly elected MP Paul Manly joins Ms. May in the House on Monday.
But CBC News reported Sunday evening that neither Ms. Wilson-Raybould nor Ms. Philpott will run for the Greens in October.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
Canada’s independent-controlled Senate is under pressure to approve a wide range of major legislation over the coming weeks as the clock ticks down on the life of the current Parliament.
The Senate has hired a private security company through a sole-source contract to work in its new premises without seeking approval from the committee responsible for spending in the Red Chamber.
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says the Liberals’ decision to name an anti-Conservative union to a panel that will decide which media outlets receive government funding is the latest example of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “stacking the deck” in his favour to get re-elected in October.
Tech giants will be in the hot seat this week as politicians from Canada and 10 other countries gather to consider how best to protect citizens’ privacy and their democracies in the age of social media.
Chief of the Defence Staff Jonathan Vance and Vice-Admiral Mark Norman met last week to discuss the return of the senior naval officer as second-in-command of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault says his government will force the Caisse to purchase trains made in Quebec as part of the extension of Montreal’s Reseau Express Metropolitain light-rail system.
Ontario has eliminated an Indigenous Culture Fund as the government cuts tens of millions of dollars in arts funding.
The rising populist and nationalist parties fell well short of overturning the political order in Brussels even though they, along with the Green parties riding the wave of worry about climate change, made gains in the European Union parliamentary elections.
Nigel Farage demanded a seat at Brexit negotiations after his new party swept to victory in the United Kingdom’s European Parliament election, warning that he would turn British politics upside down if denied.
U.S. President Donald Trump pressed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to even out a trade imbalance with the United States and said he was happy with how things were going with North Korea but was in no rush to reach a peace deal.
Iraq offered to mediate in the crisis between its two key allies, the United States and Iran, amid escalating Middle East tensions and as Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers steadily unravels.
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland (The Globe and Mail) on trade negotiations with the U.S.: “I strongly disagree with the notion that doing a good job in managing the U.S. relationship has in any way lessened our capacity to work on other issues. I really do believe you can walk and chew gum at the same time.”
John Ibbitson (The Globe and Mail) on foreign policy under the Trudeau government: “The world is a tougher place in 2019 than it was when the Liberals came to power. On many files, the watchword has been: Save what you can. Some of those files were handled better than others.”
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on trade negotiations with the U.S.: “Sometimes in a negotiation, you have to work hard to stay in the same place. Sometimes, going nowhere is progress. Leaving the table with nothing more than the status quo? Sometimes, that’s a victory.”
Andrew Coyne (National Post) on the Senate vs. the Commons: “The remedy for bad legislation is not to lobby a bunch of unelected sluggos to do away with it. It is to defeat it in the Commons, or if you do not have the numbers to stop it, to win enough seats at the next election to repeal it. There’s a name for that process. It’s called democracy.”
Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail) on Andrew Scheer’s vow to balance the budget: “Mr. Scheer has made his choice. Put off the two-year balanced-budget pledge he made when he was trying to win the support of Conservative Party members. He’s going after swing voters now. He doesn’t want to scare them with cuts. And he wants to be able to make election promises this fall.”
Martha Hall Findlay (The Globe and Mail) on B.C.'s ruling on Trans Mountain: “The five justices of the British Columbia Court of Appeal have, unanimously, ruled that B.C.’s recent effort to limit the amount of heavy oil crossing the province is unconstitutional. This is a win for Canada – regardless of whether you support pipelines and the oil industry.”
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