Politics Briefing: Boushie family to meet with government

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Good morning,

On Friday evening, a Saskatchewan jury found Gerald Stanley not guilty of murdering Colten Boushie. On the weekend, hundreds (if not thousands) of people across Canada protested what they said was proof that Indigenous people are treated differently by the justice system.

And on this Monday morning, Mr. Boushie's family is in Ottawa, meeting with senior members of the Liberal cabinet to share their experiences and ideas on how to fix the courts. Both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ("I can't imagine the grief and sorrow the Boushie family is feeling") and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould ("I truly feel your pain and I hear all of your voices") made public comments on Twitter, rare for a criminal case.

Meanwhile, supporters of Mr. Stanley – the man acquitted of murder – have raised more than $73,000 online to give to him and his family.

If you aren't familiar with the details of the case and what happened on Aug. 9, 2016, it's worth reading up on it.

This is the daily Politics Briefing newsletter, written by Chris Hannay in Ottawa, Mayaz Alam in Toronto and James Keller in Vancouver. 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. Have any feedback? Let us know what you think.

TODAY'S HEADLINES

A Globe and Mail analysis finds that the Liberals have spent most of their infrastructure money in Liberal ridings, which the government attributes to prioritizing city needs – where the party does well. 'Twas ever thus: A similar analysis we conducted while the Conservatives were in power found most of their money went to rural projects in ridings they won.

Environmentalists say a recently proposed overhaul of federal environmental approvals doesn't go far enough. The Liberal government wants to change the way energy projects are evaluated, which Ottawa says will strengthen environmental protections while setting firm timelines on approvals. Environmental groups say the proposed system gives too much power to cabinet to approve projects regardless of what the assessment finds.

The fight over Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline has opened rift between New Democrats in Alberta and British Columbia. And any goodwill the two governments had was wiped away earlier this month when B.C. announced plans to study oil spills – and ban any expansion of oil shipments in the meantime. The move caught Alberta's New Democrats off guard.

On the harassment file: Many women have come forward alleging popular former NDP MP Peter Stoffer acted improperly with them, the Conservatives say they are doing a full internal review on how they handle harassment allegations and the Liberals say they will hold some "frank" discussions with their MPs and staffers about how to deal with workplace harassment.

Patients say the federal government should keep the medical marijuana system separate when the sale and recreational use of the drug is legalized later this year.

A well-known conservationist is calling on Ottawa to reject a proposal to allow Olympic skiing events in Banff National Park if Calgary bids for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

A new lawsuit is challenging the constitutionality of B.C.'s civil forfeiture laws in a case that could affect similar systems across the country.

Aecon is firing back at critics of its sale to a Chinese state-owned firm.

And find out how Patty Hajdu went from from a difficult youth to running Thunder Bay's largest shelter to being the Liberal government's point person on workplace harassment.

David Butt (The Globe and Mail) on the justice system and Colten Boushie: "Our justice system, by permitting a jury without an Indigenous member to decide an obviously racially charged case, has let down not just Indigenous people, but all of us."

Barrie McKenna (The Globe and Mail) on pipelines: "It would be nice to think that blocking this and other pipelines would curb carbon emissions and reverse climate change. But that's a dubious proposition, and it comes at a steep economic price."

Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail) on climate change: "In practice, Mr. Trudeau's opponents don't really have a plan on climate and pipelines – and in Canada, if you don't have both, you don't have a policy."

Michael Adams and Tony Coulson (The Globe and Mail) on the Ontario PCs: "The party's leadership contest promises to reveal the stark contrast between the pragmatists and the populists. Putting Humpty Dumpty back together again after the vote for leader on March 10 and driving a coherent, unified election campaign through to June will be a challenge for any new leader – whether the would-be unifier is an establishment centrist with a long record (or a familiar name), or a Trump-like populist such as former Toronto mayor Rob Ford's big brother, Doug."

Doug Saunders (The Globe and Mail) on family values: "Beneath all that controversial liberal language of shifting identities and diversity and competing rights, you'll find the secret to family stability and, therefore, to upward mobility. If candidates are careful with that language, the next few years could see the return of the family-values left."

Becky Bond, Adam Klug and Emma Rees (The Globe and Mail) on leftism in Canada: "Back in 2015, Canada also had an appetite for bold, progressive politics. And Justin Trudeau, young and optimistic, talking about real climate action and confronting inequality, seemed to fit the bill. Two years later, even from the outside, we can see more of his progressive promises have been betrayed than delivered. From cheerleading for oil sands expansion to abandoning clear commitments on electoral reform and Indigenous rights, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looks to us a lot more like Tony Blair or one of the Clintons. We know this type all too well in the United States and Britain: politicians who make progressive noises on the campaign trail, but once in office, implement the pro-corporate playbook. In fact, frustration with this pattern is what motivated us, along with millions of others, to engage with electoral politics for the first time."

Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson (The Globe and Mail) on populism: "There is some correlation between the economic insecurities of voters in economically depressed regions and support for populist causes. But the greater source of combustion is nativism: a fear of foreigners coming into your community and undermining your culture and way of life."

Kate Robertson (The Globe and Mail) on the wacky language of weed: "The government says they're legalizing recreational cannabis because prohibition hasn't dissuaded enough young people, whose developing brains could be affected, from using it. Nor has it prevented organized crime. But it was cannabis activists and, yes, drug dealers – who risked their reputations, their abilities to travel, their relationships with their families, their freedom – who created Canada's enthusiasm for cannabis. Why? Because they believed in not just its medicinal applications, but also its power to bring people together to connect, tell jokes and have fun."

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