Hello,
At the G7 summit in Italy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met for the first time with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi since Trudeau accused India’s government of being involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen.
Modi posted a photo on social media, showing an encounter today with a grim-faced Trudeau.
Relations between Canada and India have been tense since Trudeau said Indian agents were behind the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader, in the Vancouver-area city of Surrey.
India has denied any involvement and dismissed the claims as unsubstantiated.
“The two leaders had an interaction on the margins of the G7. The Prime Minister congratulated Prime Minister Modi on his re-election and the leaders had a brief discussion on the bilateral relationship,” said a statement today from Jenna Ghassabeh, press secretary for Trudeau.
Earlier this month, Trudeau had congratulated Modi, declaring in a written statement that Canada “stands ready to work together” with India, but this will be “anchored to human rights, diversity and the rule of law.”
Meanwhile, Canada announced today that it will be holding the next G7 leaders’ gathering in Kananaskis, Alta., in 2025.
Canada last held a G7 summit in 2018, in the Charlevoix region of Quebec. Prior to that, Canada held a G7 summit in Kananaskis – a tiny Rocky Mountain retreat – in 2002.
“As Canada prepares to host G7 partners in Kananaskis next year, we are focused on delivering fairness for every generation and making life better for everyone,” Trudeau said in a statement issued today.
Trudeau noted that Canada, with its G7 partners, had announced comprehensive action to grow dynamic economies, build inclusive communities, and keep air clean during this week’s meeting.
Meanwhile, Globe European bureau chief Eric Reguly reports here on Francis becoming the first pope to address a G7 summit. The Pope warned of the dangers of AI.
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
Canada’s defence investment in the Arctic puts it on track to meet NATO guideline, defence minister: Bill Blair said today that Canada looks on track to meet NATO’s military spending guideline soon, notably by boosting investment in the Arctic near its shared border with Russia as the region warms quickly because of climate change.
Princess Anne to visit Newfoundland for 100th anniversary of National War Memorial: The July 1 anniversary will be particularly poignant as the remains of an unidentified First World War soldier, from what was then known as the Dominion of Newfoundland, will be entombed on the plateau of the memorial.
Singh says report shows some MPs are ‘traitors to the country,’ accuses Trudeau of accepting foreign interference: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh presented a dramatically different interpretation of the report than Green Party Leader Elizabeth May did earlier in the week when she said she saw no signs of disloyalty from current MPs and that reading the report left her “vastly relieved.”
B.C. may work with N.L. on court challenge of federal equalization payments, Eby says: B.C. Premier David Eby says that B.C. will consider joining with Newfoundland and Labrador in a court challenge over federal equalization payments in an effort to get “fair treatment” from Ottawa.
Canada’s biodiversity strategy welcome, but needs work to ensure it meets targets, critics say: Ottawa released the Nature Accountability Bill, proposed legislation meant to ensure the accompanying 2030 Nature Strategy brings measurable results.
NDP MP who’s rarely on Parliament Hill billed taxpayers for travel with family over Christmas: CBC reports that Niki Ashton billed the House of Commons for a trip she took to reportedly meet with “stakeholders” over the 2022 Christmas holidays in Quebec – travel that included bringing her husband and kids along at taxpayers’ expense.
Winnipeg landfill search for remains of First Nations women disposed by serial killer could last two years: Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew revealed that a search of the Prairie Green landfill, north of the provincial capital, will be conducted manually by dozens of soon-to-be-hired workers and likely occur throughout the winter.
Canadian bank CEOs defend investments in oil and gas: CBC reports that the chief executives from Canada’s five biggest banks faced hard questions from MPs this week over their climate commitments and plans to help spur transition to renewable energy.
TODAY’S POLITICAL QUOTES
“Met Canadian PM @JustinTrudeau at the G7 Summit.” - Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, in a posting today on X.
THIS AND THAT
Today in the Commons: Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, June 14, accessible here.
Deputy Prime Ministers Day: Chrystia Freeland is in Toronto, with no public events scheduled.
Ministers on the Road: Several ministers are out, across the country, making housing announcements, namely Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson in North Vancouver, Justice Minister Arif Virani and Filomena Tassi, minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, in Scarborough. Also, Public Safety Minister Domenic LeBlanc and Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor in Moncton, New Brunswick.
In the Alberta town of Rocky Mountain House, Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutchings, with provincial Technology Minister Nate Glubish, made an announcement on improving high-speed internet access in rural areas of the province.
In Quebec City, Public Services Minister Jean-Yves Duclos made an infrastructure announcement with Quebec Mayor Bruno Marchand.
Outside Canada, Defence Minister Bill Blair is in Brussels today for meetings with NATO defence ministers and held a media availability.
New CP Ottawa bureau chief: Kathleen Harris is the new Ottawa bureau chief for The Canadian Press. “I am beyond excited and honoured to join such a tremendously talented team of journalists,” Harris said in a posting on X today. Harris, most recently a chief editor and public affairs counsellor for Compass Rose, an Ottawa-based public-affairs firm, was previously a senior producer of digital news in the CBC’s parliamentary bureau.
GG at the Michener Awards: Mary Simon is scheduled to present the 2023 Michener Awards tonight, not earlier this week as suggested by a previous newsletter item. At Rideau Hall, Simon will present the 2023 Michener Awards for meritorious public service journalism, the 2024 Michener-Deacon Fellowship for Investigative Journalism and Michener-L. Richard O’Hagan Fellowship for Journalism Education and Michener-Baxter awards during a ceremony at Rideau Hall. There’s a list of finalists here for the 2023 Michener Award for meritorious public service journalism
PRIME MINISTER'S DAY
In the Italian region of Apulia, for the G7 leaders’ summit, Justin Trudeau met with Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, president of Mauritania and chairperson of the African Union. Trudeau also had a private audience with Pope Francis. In addition, Trudeau attended a G7 working sessions, a working luncheon, and participated in a G7 family photo with the Pope, outreach countries and international organizations. He also attended the G7 closing session and a G7 reception, and official dinner hosted by Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s Prime Minister.
LEADERS
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre held an evening party fundraising event in Toronto.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May was in Ottawa for private appointments and media availability.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh canvassed in the Toronto riding of Toronto-St. Paul’s with Amrit Parhar, the party’s candidate in that riding’s byelection.
No schedule provided for Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet.
THE DECIBEL
Today’s Decibel podcast features the second part of a conversation with Mark MacKinnon, The Globe’s senior international correspondent, on top commanders and soldiers he’s been following and speaking with in the Ukrainian army. The Decibel is here.
PUBLIC OPINION
Data Dive with Nik Nanos: Pierre Poilievre is a juggernaut in the polls. But that doesn’t mean the Conservatives will win the election. The Nanos Research chief data scientist says that, for some, the outcome of the next federal election is a forgone conclusion and the Conservatives should be measuring the curtains in the Prime Minister’s Office. “But digging into the numbers reveals some fundamental truths that should give pause to anyone hoping to predict the future with any sort of certainty.”
OPINION
Political parties need to step up and fight foreign interference
“It has been heartening this week to see MPs work together to pass foreign-interference legislation before Parliament rises for the summer. Among other things, the rapid enactment of Bill C-70 will provide the time required to set up the foreign agents registry created by the bill before the next federal election, scheduled for 16 months from now. All the parties say they are on board: the Liberals, the Conservatives, the NDP and the Bloc Québécois. That’s great. But there is a sharp clang of dissonance between the parties’ enthusiasm for countering foreign interference and the way they nominate candidates in each riding – a process that two recent reports say is ripe for meddling.” - The Globe and Mail Editorial Board.
Singh says Trudeau and Poilievre tolerate foreign interference
“Are there traitors in the House? Jagmeet Singh says there are. The NDP Leader used that word. He had read the secret, unredacted version of the report on foreign interference drafted by a committee of parliamentarians. And he referred to the activities of some MPs in the House of Commons as unethical, and in some cases against the law.” - Campbell Clark.
Poilievre wriggles out of the Liberal trap, with a commitment to much broader tax reform
“We would appear, as Woody Allen once said, to stand at a crossroads: “One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness; the other to total extinction.” (“Let us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly.”) That, at any rate, is what one would gather from the rhetoric over the government’s capital-gains tax proposal.” - Andrew Coyne.
Why is the Hogue Commission overlooking foreign meddling through the financial system?
“The Foreign Interference Commission must follow the money. It was bad enough to learn that unnamed parliamentarians are collaborating with China and India. But allegations that some MPs accepted filthy lucre and other perks from meddling foreign actors cannot be ignored.” - Rita Trichur.
Canada should give doctors every incentive to stay. By hiking capital gains, it’s doing the opposite
“There is one very good reason why the Liberals could not entertain the request from Canadian doctors for a carveout on the looming capital-gains tax increase, and it comes down, as most things do with this government, to politics and perceptions.” - Robyn Urback.
Canada’s 1940s spy scandal can shed light on today’s foreign-interference problems
“As the controversy over foreign interference in Canada’s democratic processes continues to grip Ottawa, a look back at a similar episode in Canadian history may offer some useful perspective. It has been almost 80 years since cipher clerk Igor Gouzenko left the Soviet embassy in Ottawa with a sheaf of secret documents that revealed an extensive Soviet espionage operation in Canada, while also implicating a British scientist and a highly ranked official in the U.S. State Department in spying.” - Amy Knight.
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