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In this Nov. 9, 2016, file photo, President-elect Donald Trump smiles as he arrives to speak at an election night rally in New York.The Associated Press

By Chris Hannay (@channay)

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS MORNING

> "All aspects of NAFTA will be put on the table," Wilbur Ross, Donald Trump's pick for commerce secretary, told U.S. senators at his confirmation hearing. Mr. Trump takes office on Friday, and the Canadian embassy is planning for a big party and tailgate.

> With Justin Trudeau making Liberal MP (and former lieutenant-general) Andrew Leslie an envoy to the U.S., the party is in need of a new parliamentary whip to keep everyone in line in the House. Le Journal de Quebec reports that the new whip will be Montreal MP Pablo Rodriguez -- the first Quebecker to hold that post in more than 20 years, the newspaper notes.

> That may be helpful for the Prime Minister, who has been facing some concern from his home province that he isn't paying enough attention to it. In particular, Mr. Trudeau -- who actually got in trouble for speaking too much French in Quebec -- has refused to appoint regional ministers (a point that also rankled MaryAnn Mihychuk of Manitoba before she was dropped from cabinet). The imminent retirement of Stephane Dion from federal politics may give the Liberals a chance to recruit a high-profile Quebecker to run for his very safe seat.

> British Columbia's provincial government would like a national public health emergency to be declared because of a spike in overdose deaths, driven largely by fentanyl.

> In Manitoba, Premier Brian Pallister says he has no intention of signing a health-care deal with the federal government. (And on the question of the weeks the Premier spends in Costa Rica each year, one CBC Manitoba reporter says it's a tempest in a teapot cooked up by the Toronto media -- though it's worth noting the story was broken by the Winnipeg Free Press and Mr. Pallister now says he'll cut down on the vacation time.)

> And back in Ottawa, a member of Health Minister Jane Philpott's staff has been let go after sneaking into NDP offices late one night.

WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT: KEVIN O'LEARY

Campbell Clark (Globe and Mail): "Name recognition alone won't win this leadership race; even popularity with voters isn't going to do it. But Mr. O'Leary's fame, at least in English Canada, will help him do concrete things that really do matter in a leadership race: raising money and signing up new party members."

Andrew MacDougall (Globe and Mail): "Mastering French is about the language, and Quebec's unique place in our federation, but it's also a test of seriousness. That any candidate for the most important job in the country thinks he or she can show up without it tells you how little they care for the place they aspire to run. Or its history."

Tim Kiladze (Globe and Mail): "Like Donald Trump, he tries to project an image that suggests every business he's touched is wildly successful. As we uncovered in Report on Business magazine, the reality is much less rosy. Mr. O'Leary's billion-dollar sale of his software company in 1999 proved to be a disaster, his track record on Dragon's Den was spotty, and the investment fund company he co-founded roared out of the gates, only to fall out of favour with investors and their advisers."

Konrad Yakabuski (Globe and Mail): "Don't underestimate the desire of a plurality of Canadians, an increasingly feisty people, to shake things up. We may not have a choice if Donald Trump's presidency unleashes seismic upheavals in the international order."

Toronto Star editorial board: "O'Leary has shown little enthusiasm for the sort of nativist politics that in large part propelled Trump to power. In recent interviews, he has taken pains to say Canada has no immigration problem, and has largely steered away from social issues, preferring instead to pontificate – or, if you prefer, bloviate – on the economy. It seems that those looking for an extra dose of xenophobia still have no better option than Kellie Leitch."

Brent Rathgeber (iPolitics): "Name recognition will make Kevin O'Leary a contender, but Conservatives are, well, conservative by nature. I suspect they'll end up opting for a safer, more traditional leadership style."

Andrew Coyne (National Post): "What we're left with, then, is a campaign that depends almost entirely on name recognition and shock value: if his track record is anything to go by, O'Leary can be relied upon to say a half a dozen dumb, offensive or crazy things a day (of which his proposal to auction off Senate seats provides a foretaste)."

Arlene Dickinson (CBC): "For seven years I sat shoulder to shoulder with Kevin. We'd spend long hours together, listening to hardworking Canadian entrepreneurs pitch their businesses, which, all too often, led to real-life stories of enormous struggle. You get a window into somebody's character by the way they treat people, particularly those who are vulnerable and need help or guidance. Kevin's total lack of empathy toward these Canadians who put their heart and soul on the line, I can assure you, was genuine."

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