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Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. Im your host, Maura Forrest, with Nick Taylor-Vaisey. This week, two parallel budget tours hit the road, the Emergencies Act is under scrutiny (again), and we hear theres some news about DONALD TRUMP. And this morning, well find out which Canadian astronaut gets to fly to the moon.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Quebec as part of his budget tour today. | Hollie Adams/Getty Images
BUDGET TOUR The House of Commons isnt sitting again until April 17, giving the Liberals (and NDP) plenty of time to criss-cross the country and sell last weeks federal budget to Canadians (or take credit for whats in it).
Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is in Quebecs Abitibi region today, visiting two ridings currently held by the Bloc Qubcois. Hell visit a grocery store and hold a town hall with employees of a lithium mine.
Trudeau was in Montreal over the weekend, and made a Sunday evening appearance on Tout le monde en parle the must-watch Quebec talk show where his most notable lines werent about the budget at all.
Election talk: Its been pretty clear for a while now that Trudeau isnt planning an exit anytime soon. But for the record, he told host GUY A. LEPAGE in no uncertain terms that hell be leading the Liberals into the next election.
Migrant deaths: He was also asked about the deaths last week of two migrant families attempting to enter the United States from Canada across the St. Lawrence River in Akwesasne Mohawk territory. Trudeau claimed the tragedy is proof that Canada needs controlled, regular migration, which he said is why his government reached an agreement with the U.S. to extend the Safe Third Country Agreement to the entire border.
Thats an argument unlikely to sit well with refugee advocates, who say the expanded agreement which allowed the government to close the unofficial border checkpoint at Roxham Road in Quebec will drive migrants to attempt more dangerous crossings.
Also worth noting: The PM has launched a new YouTube channel just in time for the budget tour. He already has an official channel, featuring all his official speeches and press conference clips. But this new one offers a more, shall we say, personal touch.
For example, here he is, sitting on his desk, explaining the so-called grocery rebate (7,600 views). Here he is, with a whiteboard, explaining how budgets get made (for some reason, lobbyists dont get a mention here). Here he is, in a hard hat, explaining the electric vehicle supply chain (155 views).
(Just as a point of comparison, Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVREs Friday video urging people to fill up their tanks ahead of the annual carbon tax increase has roughly 210,000 views but whos counting?)
Meanwhile: Trudeaus ministers will pop up today at grocery stores, union locals, universities and Royal Canadian Legion branches from Calgary to Newfoundland, where theyll no doubt highlight the budgets affordability measures and tax credits for the low-carbon economy.
NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH is also on the road as part of his own post-budget victory tour. Hell spend the day in St. Johns, Nfld., where hell claim the governments C$13-billion dental care plan as a major NDP win.
For more on that: Heres the CBCs AARON WHERRY on how dental care is happening now because the Liberals and New Democrats were willing to sign a supply-and-confidence agreement and the NDP needed something to show for it.
ONCE MORE, WITH FEELING The Federal Court will begin hearings this morning on the federal governments invocation of the Emergencies Act during the so-called Freedom Convoy protests in February 2022.
Youll no doubt recall that Justice PAUL ROULEAU, who spearheaded the public inquiry into the use of emergency powers, concluded in February that Trudeau was justified in invoking the act to end the occupation in Ottawa and protests elsewhere in the country.
But civil liberties organizations and groups involved with the protests are taking the government to court in a separate bid to prove the Liberals didnt meet the legal threshold required to invoke the act. The hearings will take place in Ottawa today until Wednesday.
Whats at stake: Its possible the court could reach a different conclusion from Rouleau, who himself found that reasonable and informed people could look at the same situation and decide the use of emergency powers was unwarranted.
The question of whether the legal threshold for invoking the Emergencies Act was met is important not just for evaluating a historical event, but for how it might guide governments in the future, CARA ZWIBEL, a lawyer with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, said in a statement Friday. Ultimately, it is a question that can only be answered by the courts.
A lone MAGA protester was parked outside Trump Tower on Saturday. | Wesley Parnell for POLITICO
THE INDICTMENT We know, we know, this is a Canadian politics newsletter. But it will be difficult to ignore former U.S. President DONALD TRUMPs expected appearance in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday, following his indictment related to alleged hush money payments to porn star STORMY DANIELS.
Here are some of the latest POLITICO offerings on the unprecedented story:
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Prince Edward Islanders go to the polls today.
Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is in Quebecs Abitibi region.
Seniors Minister KAMAL KHERA will attend the United Nations Open Ended Working Group on Ageing, taking place in New York City today until Thursday, where she will deliver Canadas national statement.
7 a.m. The Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs Assembly begins in Ottawas Shaw Centre with a pipe ceremony.
9:30 a.m. (11 a.m. NDT) NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH is in St. Johns, Nfld. for a roundtable with seniors on dental care. Hell speak with reporters at 10:45 a.m. (12:15 NDT).
9:30 a.m. The Federal Court will begin hearings in a judicial review of the invocation of the Emergencies Act during the Freedom Convoy protests.
10:30 a.m. The Bank of Canada releases its first quarter issue of the Business Outlook Survey and the latest Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations.
11 a.m. (10 a.m. CDT) Innovation Minister FRANOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE is in Houston, Texas, with Canadian Space Agency President LISA CAMPBELL to reveal the names of astronauts for the Artemis II Moon mission, including one Canadian.
11:25 a.m. Trudeau will visit a grocery store in Val-dOr, Que., before speaking to reporters at 11:45 a.m.
12 p.m. (11 a.m. CDT) NDP MPs JENNY KWAN and LEAH GAZAN will hold a press conference in Emerson, Man., to condemn the governments expansion of the Safe Third Country Agreement.
3:45 p.m. Trudeau will hold a town hall with employees of the Sayona lithium project in La Corne, Que.
5:30 p.m. (7 p.m. NDT) Singh will host a meet and greet in St. Johns, Nfld.
JOB OPENINGS ERIN OTOOLE is out. A little over a year after being ousted from the Conservative leadership, OToole announced in a statement Friday hell be resigning his Durham seat at the end of the spring session.
Heres Globals ALEX BOUTILIER with a look back at OTooles decade in federal politics, his successful leadership bid and unsuccessful election campaign, and the party infighting that cast him out.
The full tally: OTooles exit will soon bring to six the number of federal ridings in need of a byelection, including three others vacated by Conservatives: PortageLisgar (CANDICE BERGEN), Calgary Heritage (BOB BENZEN) and Oxford (DAVE MACKENZIE). Two Liberal seats Winnipeg South Centre (JIM CARR) and Notre-Dame-de-GrceWestmount (MARC GARNEAU) round out the list. Those five byelections will all need to be announced by the end of summer.
But in all six ridings, theres a good chance the real drama will have played out long before voters actually head to the polls. Poll aggregator 338Canada rates all six as safe holds for the incumbent party, meaning the nomination races are likely where its at.
Hence all the fireworks in Oxford, where Conservative party organizer ARPAN KHANNA recently won the partys nomination despite accusations of being a parachute candidate.
And at least five Conservatives are vying for the partys nomination in Bergens former Manitoba seat, including former provincial minister CAMERON FRIESEN and former MP LAWRENCE TOET.
HOW THEY REALLY FEEL Playbook got its hands on the results of a Canada Revenue Agency employee survey. The agency wanted to gauge the vibe among employees who returned to the office to do their day jobs (i.e. not to just pick up mail).
A big caveat: The November survey predated a broad-based return-to-office hybrid regime that kicked in for thousands of workers in January.
The topline numbers: More than 6,400 CRA-ers who had already returned to the office in some capacity took the survey. Fifty-six percent said they still mostly worked from home. Another 27 percent split their time between home and office. The hardcore office workers comprised 17 percent. One in four commuted to an office once a month or less.
Almost every single survey respondent 97 percent accomplished what they expected to accomplish in the office. One in four returned at their bosss request. A mere 16 percent claimed to prefer to work in the office.
Snitch watch: Twenty-eight percent of respondents observed other employees at their CRA office not following safety protocols. (The bold and underline is the agencys formatting.)
Half and half: In November, 56 percent of surveyed employees indicated they were happy to work at a CRA office. Thats a majority! But remember, the survey excluded employees who were still fully work-from-home.
The official word: A spokesperson said the agency intends to maintain key flexibilities in its application of its Directive on Virtual Work Arrangements. The CRA has continuously engaged and consulted on how we will navigate our journey to a hybrid work environment, and will continue to do so.
Are you a CRA employee? Are you happy with your return to the office? Can you simply not wait to arrive for a hard days work? Or are you a homebody? Tell us!
Interim RCMP commissioner MICHAEL DUHEME told CTVs VASSY KAPELOS that the national police force should be able to use CSIS intelligence as evidence in criminal investigations.
The federal government is staring down one of the biggest strikes in Canadian history as public servants push for higher wages, Bloombergs RANDY THANTHONG-KNIGHT reports.
The next federal ethics watchdog will be paid C$110,000 less than the previous commissioners, the National Posts CHRISTOPHER NARDI learned.
MARK SUTCLIFFE and CATHERINE MCKENNEY raised similar amounts during the Ottawa mayoral election campaign, but in very different ways, the CBCs JOANNE CHIANELLO reports. Sutcliffe, who won the race, raised C$300,000 from just 250 people who donated the maximum amount. Among the names? DALTON MCGUINTY, MICHELLE COATES-MATHER, KORY TENECKYE and CHRIS FROGGATT. Former mayor JIM WATSON also gave C$500.
Ontarios chief electoral officer wants a ban on publishing the results of political polls for the last two weeks before an election, the CBCs MIKE CRAWLEY reports. Poll guru RIC GRENIER has thoughts.
And the CBCs JOHN PAUL TASKER writes that the cost to run the federal government is up C$151 billion since Trudeau took office.
For POLITICO Pro subscribers, our latest policy newsletter from ZI-ANN LUM and JOSEPH GEDEON: Exit interview with the Business Councils John Dillon.
In other news for Pro subscribers:
Lost in translation: Washington and Brussels face pushback on effort to patch trade rift.
IRS rules for electric cars unveiled after months of attacks.
Environmentalists alarmed by push to undermine New Yorks climate law.
How the climate movement learned to win in Washington.
Biden-backed California rule pushes clean trucks.
Birthdays: HBD to former senator DANIEL LANG.
Spotted: HAN DONG, serving Global News and SAM COOPER with a libel notice for a story alleging he advised a Chinese diplomat to delay the release of the two Michaels.
TASHA KHEIRIDDIN, accusing PIERRE POILIEVRE of revisionist history for claiming the Wright brothers were simple, common men.
The WESTERN STANDARD, going all in on April Fools Day JORDAN PETERSON, apparently falling for it.
Elsewhere, with attempts at April Fools Day humor: BOB RAE and the BLOC QUBCOIS.
Another UCP candidate, TUNDE OBASAN, bowing out Meanwhile, RAJAN SAWHNEY, a provincial minister who had said she wouldnt run again, is now the UCP candidate in the riding held by Environment Minister SONYA SAVAGE, who has also announced she wont seek re-election.
NDP MP CHARLIE ANGUS, accusing former B.C. NDP premier JOHN HORGAN of cashing in as the planet burns for joining the board of a coal company.
PIERRE POILIEVRE, making a Very Funny Joke.
Movers and shakers: SABRINA KIM starts today as director of issues management for Natural Resources Minister JONATHAN WILKINSON. Kim was most recently d-comm and head of issues management for Defense Minister ANITA ANAND and also served stints in the Prime Ministers Office and for two environment ministers.
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Fridays answer: Former Ottawa mayor CHARLOTTE WHITTON was the first woman mayor of a major Canadian city. She served from 1951 to 1956 and again from 1960 to 1964.
Props to SUSAN KEYS, BILL PRISTANSKI, GERMAINE MALABRE, ALYSON FAIR, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, RALPH LEVENSTEIN, DAN MCCARTHY, SHAUGHN MCARTHUR, LAURA JARVIS, DOUG SWEET, GEORGE YOUNG, DIANNE BRYDON, BOB GORDON, JOHN DILLON, NANCI WAUGH, BARRE CAMPBELL, PATRICK DION, CAROLYN MCCRIMMON, JOHN ECKER, JOE MACDONALD and GUY SKIPWORTH.
Todays question comes to us from reader DOUG SWEET: Canadas third prime minister had a much more famous great-grandson. Name them both.
Send your answer to [emailprotected]
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