Politics Briefing: Auditor-general to release new investigations

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Good morning,

One of the biggest news items today will be the spring report from the auditor-general. While the table of contents is always published ahead of time, you never know which chapters will be the most important. Based on what has leaked out so far, we know the auditor-general will raise concerns with how the RCMP helps its members deal with mental-health issues (story here) -- this following other watchdog reports on the police force's problems with workplace harassment. Auditor-general Michael Ferguson's office is also expected to report on two below-the-radar crown corporations, among others: Freshwater Fish Marketing Corp. and Defence Construction Canada. The whole report is tabled in Parliament at about 10 a.m. ET.

This is the daily Politics Briefing newsletter, written by Chris Hannay in Ottawa and Mayaz Alam in Toronto. If you're reading this on the web or someone forwarded this email newsletter to you, you can sign up for Politics Briefing and all Globe newsletters here. Let us know what you think.

BRIEFING: REFUGEES

By Michelle Zilio (@MichelleZilio)

A Canadian think-tank is hoping to reshape the world's handling of an unprecedented global refugee crisis that has displaced more than 21 million people.

The Waterloo-based Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) will launch the World Refugee Council Tuesday, with financial support from the federal government. The independent council, chaired by former Liberal cabinet minister Lloyd Axworthy, hopes to offer solutions to the world's refugee crisis through a number of reports informed by meetings with governments, intergovernmental organizations and civil society.

Speaking to The Globe and Mail, Mr. Axworthy said the global refugee system needs reform in order to address the imbalance among countries who resettle refugees.

"Going back to the [United Nations] Refugee Convention in 1951, there's a clear expectation that countries will work in a collaborative way. Because you can't deal with refugee issues, which are cross-border issues, country by country," Mr. Axworthy said.

"You've got certain countries … which are basically denying those responsibilities. In the meantime, you've got countries like Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Uganda which are having to carry the real brunt of support and settlement, even though they themselves are pretty limited or poor in their own respects. There's a fundamental inequity in the way in which the system's working right now."

The council will hold at least six international meetings between now and early 2019, when it completes its final report. The first meeting will be held in Geneva in June. Mr. Axworthy said the group is also hoping to make trips into the field, including Jordan, to visit refugee camps and resettlement pilot projects.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland has expressed her support for the council.

"Canada is committed to being a strong voice to help the most vulnerable worldwide," the minister said in a statement.

Given the fact that a number of Canadians also sit on the board, including former ambassador Paul Heinbecker and Fen Hampson of CIGI's Global Security and Politics program, Mr. Axworthy said Canada stands to play a major role in influencing the future of the global refugee system.

The council is mostly funded by CIGI and consists of a volunteer board. A number of people who sit on the council, including Canadian Senator Ratna Omidvar, have been refugees.

CANADIAN HEADLINES

The Canada Infrastructure Bank is a new federal initiative to leverage private-sector investment in public infrastructure. The Liberals describe the bank as an "arm's-length Crown corporation," but Finance Minister Bill Morneau says cabinet will have final say on what projects the bank funds.

The Liberal government needs to pick a new conflict-of-interest commissioner, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is recusing himself from making the appointment since the watchdog is currently investigating him.

Families of missing and murdered indigenous women and the Native Women's Association of Canada say that, so far, the national inquiry has been a failure.

Interim Federal Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose will be stepping down from federal politics. She intends to resign from her seat before the House rises in June and wanted to make her announcement prior to the party's leadership convention on May 27 in order to show that her decision is independent of whoever wins. Bloomberg reported that Ms. Ambrose will be headed to Washington to join the Wilson Center's Canada Institute as a visiting fellow and will focus on the Canada-U.S. trade relationship.  There are 13 candidates aiming to replace former prime minister Stephen Harper.

The House also passed Ms. Ambrose's bill on sexual-assault training for judges yesterday. The bill skips third reading and will head to the Senate. Opposition bills rarely become law in major policy areas but the proposed legislation received unanimous approval. Despite the consensus in the House, some in the legal community are unsure of whether it will prove to be useful.

Jagmeet Singh has officially announced his campaign to head up the federal NDP in a speech focused on inequality and social justice. He joins a list of current federal MPs seeking to replace Tom Mulcair.

And out West, B.C.'s Liberal government is preparing to recall the legislature and introduce a budget as early as next month, putting the party on a collision course with a confidence vote that will determine the fate of Premier Christy Clark. If the Liberals still have a minority after next week's absentee ballots are counted, they will need the support of the Green Party to remain in power. The Liberals and the NDP are both courting Leader Andrew Weaver for his support, and that is expected to heavily influence the updated fiscal plan the Liberals are preparing. A June budget would increase the pace of those negotiations, and force Mr. Weaver to make a decision quickly.

John Ibbitson (The Globe and Mail) on the Conservative coalition: "There are several different kinds of conservatives: social, economic, geopolitical. Looking at where the 13 federal leadership candidates stand on key issues reveals the sort of challenge the winner will face in uniting these strands."

Nik Nanos (The Globe and Mail) on the unpredictability of Conservative leadership race: "Empirically, it can be sheer folly to predict the outcome of party leadership races. Why? Because they are one part tribal politics, one part political ambition, and one part bare-knuckle organizational fight. They are politically and emotionally charged crucibles that often yield surprise outcomes. Throw in a preferential ballot and you get a data curveball that is very hard to directionally predict."

Alex Marland (The Globe and Mail) on the endurance of the Liberal brand: "The Liberals' master brand is no longer about unifying Canadians amidst regional strife. Rather, the brand has pivoted to become synonymous with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Unity through diversity. This is a powerful space to occupy. Those who argue against it will probably lose in courts of law and public opinion. Though, urbanites who preach the moral high ground risk stoking feelings of classism and elitism, setting the stage for populist revolt."

Deepa Kundur (The Globe and Mail) on what Canada can do to address cyberattacks: "Co-ordination is crucial. Innovation is critical. Education is essential. There needs to be a cultural shift, in which all stakeholders view the integration and dependence of information technology in a holistic sense where cybersecurity is a necessary, ongoing process. This involves acknowledging that cyberattacks are not a matter of if, but when. Stakeholders must become comfortable prioritizing critical assets and developing strategies for protection, crisis management and recovery."

Valerie Percival (Open Canada) on feminist foreign policy: "Applying a feminist lens to Canada's foreign policy engagement makes good sense. The evidence is clear: gender equitable societies are more peaceful and more prosperous. They are better places for everyone to live. Such a strategy could anchor our engagement in the world. But despite indications that this strategy is a priority for the government, neither its critics nor the government itself have reflected on what we can learn from decades of slow progress on gender equity and what is needed to make such a strategy truly meaningful for women and girls around the world."

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INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

U.S. President Donald Trump disclosed highly classified information to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak when he met with them last week. At one point Mr. Trump boasted about his knowledge of intelligence on the Islamic State to the Russian envoys: "I get great intel. I have people brief me on great intel every day." Senior U.S. officials say that Mr. Trump shared more information with Russia than America does with its allies, raising questions on whether allies will continue to freely share intelligence with the U.S.

Politicians on Capitol Hill were taken aback and worried following the Washington Post report, with the Republican chairman of the foreign relations committee saying the Trump administration is "in a downward spiral right now." Senator Bob Corker's comments come as other GOP senators begin to soften their support for the president. So far, however, there has been little walk to back up the talk: Almost all the Republicans in the Senate have voted with Mr. Trump more than 90 per cent of the time.

North Korea says that it launched a successful mid-to-long-range missile yesterday and is vowing to conduct missile tests at "any time, any place." The future of the Korean Peninsula is entering a new phase following the election of new South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has promised to take a new approach to the situation and was the North's preferred candidate in the race.

And what comes next is still uncertain but a New York Times analysis looked at data of Americans' opinions on the Korean Peninsula by gauging whether they were able to place North Korea on a map. The results are stark: Only 36 per cent were able to correctly identify where North Korea is on a map. But, if someone knew where the country is, they're far more likely to support diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict such as economic sanctions  and negotiating with China. As a side note, the study used a control measure for the study by asking people to correctly identify the U.S. on a map. Just over 12 per cent of people contacted were unable to do so and were thus left out out of the study.

Jennifer Rubin (Washington Post) on Trump disclosing classified information: "It is not clear whether this was accidental or a deliberate attempt to aid Russia. However, in one fell swoop he has told allies he is untrustworthy, thereby impairing intelligence-sharing that is critical to our national security. He has also dumped a bucket of fuel on the fire with regard to the Russia investigation, suggesting he has some affinity or at the very least blind spot with regard to Russia."

Eliot Cohen (The Atlantic): "Quite apart from making himself and the country a laughingstock around the world, the president has now practically begged Vladimir Putin to toy with him, tantalize him, tease him, flatter him, manipulate him. He has shown the Russians (and others, who are watching just as closely) just how easy that is to do, and he has shown the rest of us that his vanity and impulsiveness have not been tempered by the highest responsibilities."

Jamie Murray (Bloomberg View) on what Trump can learn about tax cuts from the UK: "The impact of corporate tax cuts on the economy depends on where the money to pay for the measure has come from. In the U.K., businesses have been induced to spend more but public investment has been shrinking relative to GDP. And spending on healthcare and education — investment in human capital — has been squeezed compared with historical norms. Trump should take note."

Editor's note: an item in the May 16 Politics Briefing newsletter about the Auditor-General's spring report suggested there was potential financial mismanagement at Defence Construction Canada. In fact, while the auditor found that the corporation could improve its identification of risks of fraud, the report said that corporate governance was strong overall and no significant deficiencies were found.