Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Independent MP Jody Wilson-Raybould won’t seek re-election
Jody Wilson-Raybould, the country’s first Indigenous justice minister – who was expelled from the Liberal caucus amid the SNC-Lavalin scandal – will not be running in the next general election, which is widely expected to be called later this year.
The Independent MP from Vancouver Granville announced the decision Thursday, criticizing the political system in Parliament for being focused on “harmful partisanship over substantive action,” she wrote in a statement. “It has become more and more toxic and ineffective while simultaneously marginalizing individuals from certain backgrounds.”
Her upcoming political memoir is expected to touch on conversations with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that led to the SNC-Lavalin scandal, and is likely to be released amid the expected election. Moving forward, she said she intends to continue to fight for Indigenous rights, social justice and solutions to the climate crisis.
Last month: Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett apologizes for “racist” text message to Wilson-Raybould
COVID-19 today: Tokyo Olympics ban spectators, business groups urge Canada-U.S. border reopening prior to federal election
The Olympics will take place without spectators in host city Tokyo, organizers said on Thursday, as the highly contagious Delta variant forced Japan to declare a state of emergency in the capital that will run throughout the Games. This leaves hopes dashed as the global sporting showpiece is due to start on July 23 and run until Aug. 8 without its last vestiges of pomp and public spectacle.
Meanwhile, in Canada, business groups are urging the federal government to postpone the federal election until after a comprehensive Canada-U.S. border reopening plan is set and fully vaccinated foreigners are allowed to enter – warning devastation for the tourism industry.
Read more
- Canada not doomed to fourth wave of COVID-19, doctors say, despite U.K.’s experience
- Lambda and Delta are in Canada: The five major COVID-19 variants explained
House of Commons bid for virus-lab firing records could be doomed by election call
A legal battle between the federal government and House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota, after the former refused to release classified documents regarding the firing of two federal scientists from the country’s top infectious-disease laboratory, appears set to stretch beyond a possible fall election.
Parliament is automatically dissolved once election writs are issued and that means all parliamentary business ends, including the motion to require the government to release the classified documents.
Former Commons law clerk Rob Walsh said it appears that the Liberal government is slow-walking the court proceedings in the expectation that a general election will be called in August and the party will win a majority. In that scenario, Walsh anticipates the Trudeau government would withdraw its court action against the Commons Speaker and Liberal MPs would block any opposition attempt to pursue the matter in the new Parliament.
Context: Liberals take House Speaker to court to block release of unredacted records about fired scientists
Editorial: Justin Trudeau is prime minister, not president. There’s a big difference
Subscribe to our Olympics newsletter: Tokyo Olympics Update features original stories from Globe reporters in Canada and Tokyo, will track Team Canada’s medal wins, and looks at past Olympic moments from iconic performances.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Assembly of First Nations national chief election: Two candidates, RoseAnne Archibald and Reginald Bellerose, remain in the race to become the new national chief of the Assembly of First Nations. The role will involve navigating working relationships with federal and provincial governments at a critical moment in reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Another round of voting will proceed today as neither candidate has reached the 60-per-cent threshold required for election.
Finance Department defies precedent in delaying tax law: The federal Finance Department is asserting that it has the power to freeze a law passed by Parliament that gives more generous tax treatment to small businesses, in what experts are calling a break with parliamentary tradition and federal law. The legislation, Bill C-208, reduces the tax burden on owners of small and medium-sized businesses who want to pass on their companies to family members.
Kenney drops critic Leela Aheer amid cabinet shuffle: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has shuffled his cabinet, notably removing high-profile critic Leela Aheer from her post as minister of culture, multiculturalism and the status of women. The member for Chestermere-Strathmore publicly criticized Kenney for breaking COVID-19 health rules by having a patio dinner outside his temporary penthouse office.
New CMHC CEO calls for new housing amid soaring home prices: The new leader of Canada’s national housing agency, Romy Bowers, said she is concerned about the spike up in home prices over the past year and the level of homeowner indebtedness. She says that the best way to combat the problem is to build more housing.
In the latest Decibel: Lebanon’s financial crisis was only made worse last year when an explosion ripped through the port of its capital city, Beirut, killing more than 200 people. The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon is in Lebanon, and talks about what he has seen in Beirut’s largest hospital, how Lebanon has gotten to the brink of a “social explosion,” according to its prime minister, and why this threatens the very existence of the country.
Bolts beat Habs to win second straight Stanley Cup final: Tampa Bay Lightning won 1-0 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final last night, securing a 4-1 series win. While the Montreal Canadiens miss out on the cup, some reactions focus on the bright side: the Habs united Canada and provided the country with a much-needed COVID-19 breather.
MARKET WATCH
Wall Street closed lower on Thursday, retreating from record closing highs in a broad sell-off driven by uncertainties surrounding the pace of the U.S. economic recovery. S&P/TSX Composite Index logged its worst day since February, losing 229.39 points, or 1.13 per cent, to 20,061.21. Unofficially, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 256.34 points, or 0.74 per cent, to 34,425.45. The S&P 500 lost 36.09 points, or 0.83 per cent, to 4,322.04, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 101.36 points, or 0.69 per cent, to 14,563.71.
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TALKING POINTS
Making it up as they go: The Liberals don’t seem to have a plan for the border
“The vague, “stay tuned” non-information from the Liberal government will cause its own problems. The best way to reopen a border smoothly is by telling everyone how it will work. Canada’s tourism industry doesn’t know if vaccinated American visitors will be allowed in in two weeks or two months, or what those people will need to visit. They’re asking. But the Liberal government doesn’t seem to have a plan.” -Campbell Clark
Why is America’s history in dealing with Indigenous peoples held in a harsher light than Canada’s?
“Mr. Trudeau’s appointment this week of Mary Simon as the first Indigenous person to hold the role as Canada’s governor-general is hopefully about more than image. She has the wherewithal to turn the largely ceremonial position into one which can help upend history and make real progress on the road to reconciliation.” -Lawrence Martin
LIVING BETTER
Four easy frozen dessert recipes to help you keep cool this summer
With temperatures soaring this summer, Julie Van Rosendaal has created options for pops, pies, sandwiches and slushies that are easily adaptable to the ingredients you have on hand and that will keep everyone cool and happy.
TODAY’S LONG READ
A member of the Afghan security forces walks in the sprawling Bagram air base after the American military departed, in Parwan province north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, July 5, 2021.Rahmat Gul/The Associated Press
Bagram air base: from superpower prize and insurgent battleground to a looters’ playground
For more than 40 years, Afghanistan’s Bagram has been a prize for superpowers and insurgents. But this month the United States finally abandoned its massive Bagram base, opening a new chapter in a long-contested country.
Evening Update is written by Ibnul Chowdhury. If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.