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A prominent Liberal MP says he is reflecting on whether he belongs in the governing party after the Liberal caucus and cabinet backed an NDP opposition motion on the Israel-Hamas war, which passed.
Anthony Housefather, who has represented the Montreal riding of Mount Royal since 2015, says the Liberals should have voted down the motion advanced by NDP MP Heather McPherson.
However, the Liberals worked with the NDP to significantly amend the motion to come up with one that they could support. Housefather, the parliamentary secretary to Treasury Board President Anita Anand, also said he was struck by Liberals applauding McPherson after the vote.
Speaking to journalists today at the House of Commons, Housefather, who recounted his pride in being both a Jewish Canadian and a Canadian, said he is pondering his next move.
“I think it’s the first time in my parliamentary career that I’ve had a reflection like this where I truly felt last night that a line had been crossed,” he said.
“When my party members got up and cheered and gave a standing ovation to Heather McPherson and the NDP, I started reflecting as to whether or not I belonged, and I will let you know further how I feel over the coming days. For the moment, I am still there.”
As Senior Political Reporter Marieke Walsh reports here, the non-binding motion, which passed late Monday evening, came closer to mirroring existing government policy on a negotiated two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, after a day of tense negotiations between the Liberals and the NDP.
The talks resulted in the NDP removing the most contentious part of its motion, which called on Canada to recognize the state of Palestine. Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to Canada says the motion will weaken Israel’s ability to defend itself.
Housefather said he cares passionately about Israel. “It’s the only refuge for Jewish people when they are exiled or thrown out of countries, and with the strong wave of antisemitism across the world, you need an Israel,“ he said.
“I didn’t feel like some members of Parliament or a lot of members of Parliament understood the existential threat that Israel faces and the fears of Jewish Canadians as a result of what’s happening domestically and what’s happening abroad.”
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TODAY'S HEADLINES
Dignitaries, VIPs pay tribute to Brian Mulroney as former PM’s casket lies in state: A guard of honour delivered Mulroney’s flag-shrouded casket before Governor-General Mary Simon entered to pay her respects. Simon was followed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Canada to give more than $40-million to help buy artillery shells for Ukraine: The Canadian contribution will help deliver several thousands of shells of heavy ammunition, Defence Minister Bill Blair said in a statement.
B.C. Auditor-General finds ‘shortcomings’ in overdose-prevention programs meant to save lives: Michael Pickup says overdose prevention and supervised consumption services are critical to saving lives and connecting people to the supports they need, but cited municipal resistance in B.C., location and accessibility of the sites, and human resources as roadblocks to effective provincewide implementation.
Infectious-disease scientist fired from Winnipeg laboratory surfaces in China: The Globe and Mail has learned that Xiangguo Qiu has been conducting research with Chinese military scientists and other virology researchers on antibodies for the coronavirus, as well as the Ebola and Nipah viruses. But there was no information on her biologist husband, Keding Cheng, believed to be with her in China. Story here.
Canada’s inflation rate fell to 2.8% in February: It’s the slowest pace since June and comes despite forecasters who had widely expected an acceleration in price growth.
Field of six finalized in Alberta NDP leadership race: The deadline to register as a candidate has passed, and six people have met the nomination requirements in the race, which ends with a choice by party members in June.
Tory MP Ed Fast’s assistant seeking to replace him: Mike Murray says he is putting forward his name for the nomination to represent the Conservatives in Fast’s B.C. riding following the MP’s announcement that, after 18 years in office, he will not seek re-election. The Abbotsford News reports.
The Globe and Mail leads nominations for 2023 National Newspaper Awards: The Globe has received 20 nominations for the 2023 National Newspaper Awards, across 16 categories, for work that includes coverage of foreign interference in Canadian elections and the newspaper’s Secret Canada project, which exposed how this country’s access-to-information laws are failing.
TODAY’S POLITICAL QUOTES
“This is the fourth year since 2003 that we are raising the alarm about unsafe and unsuitable housing in First Nations communities. Adequate housing is a basic human need. After four audit reports, I can honestly say that I am completely discouraged that so little has changed and that so many First Nations individuals and families continue to live in substandard homes.” - Auditor-General Karen Hogan discussing the latest series of reports from her office at a news conference today.
“Changing a colonial system overnight is not easy because the system has never been designed to be collaborative.” - Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, during a news conference to respond to new reports from the Auditor-General.
THIS AND THAT
No advice to federal Liberals on carbon pricing - Crombie: Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie says it’s not her place to tell the federal government what to do, a day after announcing she will not propose a provincial carbon tax if elected. At Queen’s Park today, Crombie said she won’t weigh in on the merits of the federal carbon tax. “I’m not here to tell the federal government on how to do their job. They’re getting lots of advice from a lot of people. I’m not going to weigh in on advice,” she told journalists. On Monday, Crombie announced that she has struck a climate change panel to propose policies for the 2026 election platform. But for the first time, she explicitly said it won’t include a carbon tax. Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives have, for weeks, been trying to link Crombie to the federal carbon tax, alleging she would bring in a provincial carbon price if elected premier. Asked later if the goal of the panel is to come up with a policy that would take the carbon tax off of Ontario, if the federal Liberals are re-elected, Crombie said: “Yes, it is the goal.” (Laura Stone/TORONTO)
Today in the Commons: Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons March. 19, accessible here.
Deputy Prime Minister’s day: Private meetings in Ottawa. Chrystia Freeland also attended the lying in state of Brian Mulroney. Freeland also attended Question Period, and the cabinet meeting.
Commons Committee Highlights: Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault was scheduled to appear before the environment committee on supplementary estimates. Auditor-General Karen Hogan appeared before the public accounts committee. Air Canada president and chief executive officer Michael Rousseau, with other executives from the airline, appeared before the transport committee, on accessible transportation for persons with disabilities. Michael Wernick, the Jarislowsky Chair in Public-Sector Management at the University of Ottawa and former privy council clerk, appeared before the access-to-information committee on the decision of the RCMP to not pursue a criminal investigation in relation to the SNC-Lavalin affair.
PRIME MINISTER'S DAY
Justin Trudeau attended a silent greeting of the funeral cortege for Brian Mulroney in downtown Ottawa, and then the lying-in-state of the former prime minister. Later, Trudeau attended Question Period, then chaired the weekly cabinet meeting.
LEADERS
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet and Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre both paid tribute to Brian Mulroney at his lying in state in Ottawa, and later attended and participated in Question Period.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, in Ottawa, paid tribute to Brian Mulroney at his lying in state and was later scheduled to appear as a witness before the Senate energy committee on Bill C-226.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Ottawa, paid tribute to Mulroney at his lying in state, then met with representatives of the Amalgamated Transit Union, then participated in Question Period.
THE DECIBEL
On today’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, finance reporter and columnist Tim Kiladze, explains private debt funds – one of the hottest commodities in the world of investing: how they operate and why some investors are reconsidering their big bets. The Decibel is here.
TRIBUTE
Roy McMurtry: The former Ontario attorney-general who also served as chief justice of the Superior Court in Ontario has died, aged 91.
OPINION
Political hot air has scorched the carbon tax
“Killing the carbon tax is a foundational promise in the Conservative Party’s campaign to win the election slated for no later than October, 2025. Polls show the Tories leading the Liberals by double digits and heading into majority territory. This space has always supported carbon pricing, and still does. The April 1 increase should go through.” - The Globe and Mail Editorial Board.
A divide is growing between the Conservatives, Liberals on issue of Israeli and Palestinian rights
“Canada’s decades-old bipartisan consensus in support of a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian question is falling apart. Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government voted Monday night for a heavily diluted version of a non-binding NDP motion that advances supports for Palestinians in the conflict in Gaza.” - John Ibbitson.
We have met the enemy of the carbon tax, and it is us
“If the carbon tax were axed, the funding for carbon rebates would disappear, and most Canadians would end up with less money in their pockets, not more. I pointed that out last year, and in the past week it has become the Trudeau government’s key talking point. It has the virtue of being true. However, a future federal government could always axe the tax – but keep the rebate. Just put it on our collective tab.” - Tony Keller.
Diversion of safer supply drugs is a trivial issue distracting us from the real challenge: Toxic drug deaths
“Ending safer supply programs – essentially research projects at this point – is not going to end drug use, or overdose deaths. There are an average of seven toxic drug deaths daily in B.C. alone – about 8,000 a year Canada-wide?” - André Picard
The NDP’s motion on Palestine ended up being a vain exercise in nothingness
“Why NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh allowed his motion to be neutered in this way, especially after his party spent the last month talking about the grave importance of recognizing the state of Palestine, would be unclear had Mr. Singh not long ago established the dopey rudderlessness of his leadership.” - Robyn Urback.
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Ian Bailey