Hello,
For the first time, Canada will set targets for the number of new temporary resident arrivals to the country, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced today.
The federal government plans to decrease the number of temporary residents to five per cent of the population over the next three years, down from the current 6.2 per cent.
The first targets will be set in September.
Canada has seen a sharp increase in the number of temporary residents coming in each year, with Miller saying in the past that the country has become “addicted” to temporary workers.
Full story here from The Canadian Press.
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TODAY'S HEADLINES
Poilievre adviser’s staff established second lobbying firm working from the same office: On the first business day after Pierre Poilievre’s election as Conservative Leader, the senior staff of a lobbying firm run by his top adviser established a second company housed out of the same office, with many of the same staff – but dropping the name Jenni Byrne.
Premier Wab Kinew apologizes to two Manitoba men switched at birth: “On behalf of the Manitoba government, we sincerely apologize for our failure to care for you, to protect you, to ensure you would grow up with the families that brought you into this world,” Kinew told Edward Ambrose and Richard Beauvais in he legislature.
Newfoundland and Labrador tables budget with $152-million deficit amid protests from fish harvesters Finance Minister Siobhan Coady released her budget today, after sleeping at the legislature the night before after a chaotic demonstration by fish harvesters that had prevented officials from entering the building. Meanwhile, New Brunswick brought in a budget with a $41-million surplus and no voter-friendly items before an election later this year. Finance Minister Ernie Steeves played down the lack of voter-friendly measures, like tax cuts, telling reporters that his government doesn’t make budgets “based on the next election.” And in Saskatchewan, the government is promising big-ticket spending on health, education and communities along with no tax hikes and a $273-million deficit in a budget, also introduced on Wednesday.
Brian Mulroney’s casket arrives in Montreal church ahead of Saturday’s state funeral: The casket will lie at St. Patrick’s Basilica today and Friday for visitation by dignitaries and the public ahead of Saturday’s state funeral. Meanwhile, in a Globe and Mail video feature here, two generations of political reporters reflect on Mulroney’s legacy.
Canadian volunteer soldier who formed Norman Brigade killed in eastern Ukraine: Jean-François Ratelle – a 38-year-old Canadian military veteran – is the 10th Canadian known to have died fighting for Ukraine.
Hague commission releases interim report into unmarked graves at residential schools: The report from the International Commission on Missing Persons, based in The Hague, says Canada should continue funding searches for the unmarked graves of children who attended residential schools beyond 2025.
Liberals introduce legislation updating Elections Act, in keeping with NDP pact: The bill, if passed, would add two more days of advance voting, make a campus voting program permanent and “take steps toward” allowing voters to cast their ballots at any polling station in their riding.
Poilievre kicks off debate on non-confidence motion over carbon tax: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre urged MPs today to back his motion to topple the government over its planned increase to the carbon tax — a manoeuvre that CBC reports is unlikely to succeed.
Israel-Hamas motion sows confusion among NDP, Liberal MPs on nature of official arms-exports policy: On the way into their Liberal caucus meeting this week, MPs had different conclusions about what the government agreed to when cabinet voted for a motion that included a call for Canada to “cease the further authorization and transfer of arms exports to Israel.”
TODAY’S POLITICAL QUOTES
“You go in the middle of communities and start putting up four-storey, six-storey, eight-storey buildings, right deep in the communities? There’s going to be a lot of shouting and screaming. That’s a massive mistake. We are not going to go into communities and build four-storey or six-storey buildings beside residents like this. It’s off the table for us.” - Ontario Premier Doug Ford, at a housing development in Richmond Hill, ruling out a provincewide policy to ban single-family zoning and instead allow multiplexes as of right on all lots.
“It’s the right thing to do for each and every member of the Canadian Armed Forces” - Defence Minister Bill Blair, announcing an end to the military authority to investigate, prosecute sex crimes.
THIS AND THAT
Today in the Commons: Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, March 21, accessible here.
Deputy Prime Minister’s day: In Ottawa, Chrystia Freeland held private meetings and was scheduled to appear before the Commons finance committee to discuss Bill C‑59, the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act.
Commons Committee highlights (Videolinks accessible through committee titles) : Treasury Board President Anita Anand and Dominic Rochon, the chief information officer of Canada, appeared before the access-to-information committee on the federal government’s use of technological tools capable of extracting personal data from mobile devices and computers. Konrad Winrich von Finckenstein, the federal ethics commissioner, and Mario Dion, his predecessor, appeared before a session of the same committee on the decision of the RCMP to not pursue a criminal investigation in relation to the SNC-Lavalin Affair.
Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier was among the witnesses scheduled to appear before the fisheries and oceans committee on supplementary estimates, the formal process by which Parliament approves government spending. Health Minister Mark Holland is among the witnesses appearing before the health committee on supplementary estimates..Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan, Unifor National President Lana Payne and Chris Aylward, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada are among the witnesses who appeared before the human resources committee on Bill C-58, An Act to Amend the Canada Labour Code. The public-accounts committee was scheduled to hear from Bill Matthews, deputy minister of defence, on ArriveCan report of the Auditor-General.
Justice Minister Arif Virani appeared before the justice committee on supplementary estimates. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Canadian Security Intelligence Service Director David Vigneault, Correctional Service of Canada Commissioner Anne Kelly and RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme are among the witnesses who appeared before the public-safety committee on the mandate and priorities of the Public Safety Minister. Housing Minister Sean Fraser and Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez are among the witnesses who appeared before the transport committee for a briefing on infrastructure in Canada.
Senate Committee highlights: Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for restoration, appeared before the foreign-affairs committee as part of its study of foreign relations and international trade generally.
GG presents meritorious-service decorations: Governor-General Mary Simon is presenting a total of 64 Meritorious Service Decorations today at Rideau Hall.
Boris Johnson, Pierre Poilievre, Danielle Smith among speakers at conservative conference: The Canada Strong and Free Network, formerly the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, has released the interim schedule for the roster of speakers scheduled at their annual conference in Ottawa in April. Between April 10 and 13, speakers at the conference will include former British prime minister Boris Johnson and former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott. Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs are also on the schedule.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
No public events scheduled for Justin Trudeau.
LEADERS
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was scheduled to attend an evening party fundraising event in Toronto.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May participated in a panel discussion with other MPs on Canada’s support for fossil fuels and participated in proceedings in the House of Commons.
No schedules released for Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
THE DECIBEL
Mark MacKinnon, The Globe’s senior international correspondent, is on The Globe podcast today to talk about where Russia’s opposition movement stands after the death of Alexey Navalny. The Decibel is here.
BOOKS
Svend Robinson working on book: The NDP MP for more than 25 years is in Ottawa this week conducting research for a book on the LGBT Purge that saw the lives of thousands of dedicated, loyal people in the military, public service and the RCMP shattered because they were gay, lesbian or trans. In a statement, Robinson - the first openly gay member of Parliament - said the book, tentatively titled Purged: Broken Dreams and Shattered Lives, will update the history of the Purge. Robinson said that he is digging into the National Archives to view the historical documents telling the story of how this happened, and how it affected so many. Robinson, in Ottawa as Brian Mulroney was lying in state, said that research for the project took him to the home of the former prime minister for an interview a few months ago. He said Cormorant Books is his publisher, and the goal is a late 2025 or early 2026 publication date.
PUBLIC OPINION
BC Conservatives closing on BC NDP: With a provincial election looming in October, the governing BC NDP has 39.6 per cent public support compared with 34.2 per cent for the BC Conservatives, according to a new Mainstreet Research poll. BC United – formerly the BC Liberals who governed the province from 2001 to 2017 – are, says the poll, running at 14.2 per cent.
OPINION
Canada’s other (and worse) housing crisis
“Ask any Canadian politician about the housing crisis these days and, no matter their political stripe, they will recite party lines about what is being done, or ought to be done, to ensure that everyone has access to affordable and safe housing that is appropriate to their needs. Then, just for fun, say, no, you meant the housing crisis on First Nations reserves – the one where Indigenous people are four times more likely than non-Indigenous people to live in overcrowded housing, and six times more likely to live in homes that don’t meet basic standards.” - The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
More than a year into ArriveCan mess, the government runs to catch up to its procurement problem
“For a year, the Liberal government stood around flat-footed while revelations about the ArriveCan app spread into an indictment of federal procurement. Now they are running to catch up. They finally caught a piece of the tiger’s tail on Wednesday, when they announced they had found that three contractors fraudulently overbilled government departments to the tune of $5-million.” -Campbell Clark.
For months, police have been signalling we’re on our own. Now, finally, they’re telling us
“I hold just the tiniest bit of pity for Toronto Police Constable Marco Ricciardi, who sounded like he just wanted to be helpful when he made international headlines for his advice at a town hall on how to prevent violence during home invasions: leave your car keys by the front door. “They’re breaking into your home to steal your car,” he said in February. “They don’t want anything else.” This is the type of realpolitik advice that no one wants to hear, but many quietly take to heart anyway.” - Robyn Urback.
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Ian Bailey