Hello,
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will kick any MP who knowingly worked with a foreign government to undermine Canada out of his caucus.
Singh made the commitment today during a news conference on Parliament Hill and said other party leaders should do the same.
He said he is planning to read a national-security watchdog report, released last week, that revealed some parliamentarians have been collaborating with foreign governments for their own benefit.
He promised to take action if New Democrat MPs turn up in the report. No names have yet been released.
“If it’s clear to me that they knowingly worked with a foreign government to undermine Canada, I will immediately remove them from caucus,” Singh said.
“There’s no way I would approve them to run as a candidate, nor would I allow them to continue to sit in my caucus if they are named and they knowingly worked with a foreign government to undermine our country.”
“We all, as leaders, have the power to vet candidates. It would be very obvious to me that if there was clear evidence or clear intelligence that someone knowingly worked with a foreign government to undermine our country, that every party leader should look at the report and remove those members from their party if their names come up.”
Meanwhile, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc told Question Period this afternoon that the government will support a Bloc Québécois motion to change the terms of reference of the ongoing foreign-interference inquiry to include the conclusions of the new report.
LeBlanc said he believes the terms of reference for the commission allow it to do the work proposed by the Bloc. “We will support the motion in the vote tomorrow and we will work with the Hogue commission to find the best way to move forward,” said the minister, referring to the inquiry being conducted by Marie-Josée Hogue.
This is the daily Politics Briefing newsletter, written by Ian Bailey. It is available exclusively to our digital subscribers. If you're reading this on the web, subscribers can sign up for the Politics newsletter and more than 20 others on our newsletter signup page. Have any feedback? Let us know what you think.
TODAY'S HEADLINES
Chrystia Freeland challenges Conservatives to take a stand on capital gains changes with House motion: By introducing the changes in a standalone motion, the Finance Minister is forcing the Conservatives to vote in favour of raising taxes or risk being tagged as the party of millionaires.
Beverley McLachlin to retire from seat on Hong Kong’s highest appellate court when term ends: The former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada had faced repeated calls to resign since China’s 2020 imposition of a national-security law on the territory eroded the legal freedoms and rule of law that Beijing had promised would remain in place until 2047.
Ottawa to give Quebec $750-million for surge in temporary immigrants: Quebec Premier François Legault announced the funding today after meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Quebec City. The Quebec leader had asked for $1-billion to cover costs incurred from 2021 to 2023.
Tax collectors owed more than $300-million over alleged fuel fraud on First Nations reserves: The long-running case centres around the tax strategies employed by Original Traders Energy, a company founded in 2017 that was once at the forefront of Canada’s expanding First Nations fuel businesses.
Cabinet ministers flock to Liberal stronghold ahead of Toronto byelection: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and at least 13 of his ministers have dropped into the riding of Toronto-St. Paul’s to campaign on behalf of Liberal candidate Leslie Church, a former political staffer, ahead of the June 24 vote. CBC reports.
Canadian universities flag foreign influence registry’s potential ‘chilling effect’ on global partnerships: The U15 Canada universities are among several concerned voices urging MPs to adopt changes to the planned registry, a centrepiece of legislation being whisked through a House of Commons committee.
Alberta NDP MLA resigns, opening potential seat for leadership hopeful Naheed Nenshi: Shannon Phillips, who served as environment minister when the NDP ruled the province between 2015 and 2019, said she is leaving office because she was worn out by the polarization and disinformation infecting today’s politics.
Former Global B.C. newscaster Randene Neill nominated for BC NDP: The former broadcast journalist has won the nomination for the riding of Powell River-Sunshine Coast, held by New Democrat Nicholas Simons for the past five elections. He is not seeking re-election. The Vancouver Sun reports.
New mayor in Gatineau: Maude Marquis-Bissonnette was elected to lead the Quebec city neighboring Ottawa, succeeding France Bélisle, who suddenly resigned in February, citing a “hostile” climate in municipal politics. CTV reports.
Edmonton Oilers fever brings MPs together in Ottawa: Some MPs are setting their political differences aside Monday evening to gather in Speaker Greg Fergus’s office, watch the game and eat popcorn – reviving a long tradition on Parliament Hill.
TODAY’S POLITICAL QUOTES
“And I also said, `You know what? I feel good about how the cup is going to proceed, so if somehow the Oilers win, [I’ll] not only send the rum, I’ll throw in a key lime pie to boot.” - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis here, in the Florida city of Hialeah, sweetens his bet with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith over the Edmonton Oilers versus the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals. Smith posted a two-word response on X: “It’s on!”
THIS AND THAT
Today in the Commons: Projected order of business at the House of Commons, June 10, accessible here.
Deputy Prime Minister’s Day: Private meetings in Ottawa. Chrystia Freeland, joined by other ministers, also held a news conference, then attended Question Period.
Ministers on the Road: In Montreal, Small Business Minister Rechie Valdez participated in the inaugural panel discussion at the International Economic Forum of the Americas’ Conference of Montreal 2024 – Leading in an Accelerating World, on federal artificial-intelligence policy. In Sudbury, Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson delivered remarks to the chamber of commerce and made funding announcements at Laurentian University and the Jane Goodall Reclamation Trail.
Commons Committee Highlights: Auditor-General Karen Hogan appeared before the government-operations committee on federal-government consulting contracts awarded to McKinsey & Company. Amira Elghawaby, the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, is among the witnesses appearing before the justice committee on Islamophobia and measures to address fears expressed by Canada’s Muslim community.
Christine Ivory, nominee for the position of parliamentary librarian, appears before a joint committee on her nomination to the post. At 3:30 p.m. ET, “senior officials” of Public Safety Canada, the Justice Department and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service are appearing before the public-safety committee on Bill C-70, an act respecting countering foreign interference. Philippines Ambassador Maria Andrelita Sacramento Austria was scheduled to appear before the Canada-People’s Republic of China Relations Committee in a hearing beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Senate Committee Highlights: At 5:30 p.m. ET, Immigration Minister Marc Miller is scheduled to appear before the official languages committee on matters including the government response to a Senate committee report on francophone immigration.
PRIME MINISTER'S DAY
In Quebec City, Justin Trudeau met with affordable housing stakeholders and, later, with Quebec Premier François Legault, then held a news conference. In the evening, Trudeau attended a Liberal party fundraising event in Ottawa: the Laurier Club Summer Reception and Garden Party, an annual donor appreciation event.
LEADERS
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet held a news conference ahead of Question Period.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May attended the House of Commons in person and virtually attended the monthly Saanich Gulf Islands Forum of Indigenous, local, provincial and federal representatives to discuss local issues. Also, May was scheduled to meet with delegates representing Tibetans and Tibet supporters in Canada.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh held a news conference ahead of Question Period, then participated in Question Period.
No schedule released for Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre.
THE DECIBEL
Steven Chase, the Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter, is on the podcast today to explain a national watchdog report that says some parliamentarians in Canada are ‘semi-witting’ or ‘witting’ participants in foreign efforts to interfere in our politics – and what might be done about it. The Decibel is here.
POLITICAL PODCASTS
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on the Hard Fork podcast of The New York Times, talking about artificial intelligence. “I’ve spent my life thinking about it, from reading old Asimov as a kid to studying a few years of engineering to being basically a science nerd and geek most of my life, despite the fact that I went into English literature and teaching and now politics,” he said.
TRIBUTE
John Hastings: The two-term Progressive Conservative member of the Ontario Legislature from 1995 to 2003 has died, aged 82. Obituary here.
PUBLIC OPINION
Three in four Canadians support work-in-office rules for federal public servants: poll - Nanos Research found that three in four Canadians support or somewhat support the in-office policy, which has led to conflict between public-sector unions and the federal government.
OPINION
In the fight for freedom, D-Day never ends
“Last Thursday was the 80th anniversary of D-Day. As usual, the free world marked it by celebrating and honouring the sacrifices made in the name of freedom and democracy by thousands of Canadian, British and American troops on June 6, 1944.” - The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
Even the spies think the rush to name foreign interference collaborators is rash
“Who should be named as a collaborator with foreign states interfering in Canada’s democracy? If an MP is known with certainty to be acting in secret with a foreign power against this country’s interests, then Canadians would expect that person to be called out. Yet we don’t know that’s the case with the parliamentarians named in the still-secret, unredacted version of the report on foreign interference by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP).” - Campbell Clark
The time has come to think about what comes after the war in Gaza
“Israel’s three-phase proposal for Middle East peace, announced on May 31 by U.S. President Joe Biden, is an important step forward and deserves widespread support. The plan, however, leaves important questions unanswered concerning who ‘governs’ Gaza post-hostilities. Notably absent from Mr. Biden’s remarks was any reference to a two-state solution or any guarantee of Israeli security.” - Lloyd Axworthy, Michael W. Manulak and Allan Rock
Party leaders have the ability to step up and clean house of alleged colluders
“The shocking report released by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) last week is the stuff of democratic nightmares. In brief, the committee reported that when it comes to foreign interference, the call is coming from inside the houses: several parliamentarians may be working with foreign governments in ways that undermine Canada’s national security and democratic institutions. Notably, these parliamentarians may have unknowingly received donations from foreign governments, while at least one is alleged to have passed confidential information to foreign agents.” - Stephanie Carvin and Philippe Lagassé
Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.
Ian Bailey