Politics Briefing newsletter: Trudeau squeezes in campaigning around China trip

Share

Good morning,

The Prime Minister just doesn't take a break – at least when it comes to campaigning. Last Saturday, Justin Trudeau was on his way to an official visit to China when he stopped by Surrey, B.C., to campaign for the local Liberal candidate running in a by-election next week. Today, after a full day of activities in China and a long flight back across the international date line, he'll be popping by North Battleford, Sask., to stump at another by-election there. That's a long day.

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.

NEW We have a newsletter called Amplify that will inspire and challenge our readers while highlighting the voices, opinions and insights of women at The Globe and Mail. Amplify lands in your inbox every Saturday morning, with a different guest editor each week - a woman who works at The Globe - highlighting a topic of the author's choice. The topics will vary and will dive deep into issues and events around the world. The newsletter will also highlight Canadian women who are inspiring others. Sign up today.

CANADIAN HEADLINES

The Senate's ethics watchdog is now investigating a trip by three senators to China and how it was paid for. Chinese media have said the travel earlier this year was at the invitation of a Beijing-based wealth management firm that recently expanded to Canada, but the senators gave different answers to The Globe when queried about it.

In 2013, when asked at a fundraising event what country he admires most, Mr. Trudeau said China "because their basic dictatorship is allowing them to actually turn their economy around on a dime and say 'we need to go green  fastest…we need to start investing in solar.'" This week Mr. Trudeau was asked the same question, and said his answer is now Britain, because they do "a significantly better job than us in programming legislation and getting that through the House." One possible common theme in the answers: getting stuff done.

The chief of the Montreal police has been suspended after a devastating report into the force's investigations and integrity.

First Nations say they should have control over how legalized marijuana is sold in their jurisdictions. Some say it is an opportunity to bring in additional revenue, while others want it banned from their reserves, like alcohol.

The B.C. government says changes announced this week aimed at preventing money laundering in the province's casinos are only the province's first steps to address the problem.  The province is imposing new requirements on high roller gamblers amid concerns that money laundering by organized crime is widespread. Attorney-General David Eby says there is still work to do, particularly to determine whether money laundering is connected to other areas of the economy —and to what extent.

Heavy emitters in Alberta are offering a mixed reaction to the province's plan to cut industrial greenhouse gas emissions. The NDP government has outlined a $1.3-billion plan that includes grant and loan guarantees to help the oil sands and other industries reduce their carbon footprint.

A contentious mining project in B.C. that has been rejected twice by the federal government has lost a critical court battle. Taseko Mines had filed a lawsuit over Ottawa's decision not to approve the New Prosperity gold and copper mine, which faced opposition from First Nations and environmentalists. A Federal Court judge has now upheld the federal government's decision.

A legal advocacy group in B.C. has released a report that argues the province is failing to meet its UN obligations to protect women's rights.

And federal Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc has gone public with his diagnosis of leukemia.

David Mulroney (The Globe and Mail) on Trudeau in China: "The Prime Minister's 11th-hour reversal has cost us in terms of credibility and goodwill in Beijing. But opting out of a process for which we are not ready is not the worst possible outcome. The government should now take the time to consult Canadians and craft a more comprehensive and sophisticated China policy. Being clear about objectives, enumerating risks as well as opportunities, and cultivating the lost art of listening can help us negotiate a deal that is well worth doing."

Dave Parkinson (The Globe and Mail) on the Bank of Canada: "Markets need to use some caution in putting too much weight into what they believe the Bank of Canada is signalling. This is a central bank that, in the past three years, has surprised markets not once but twice with rate moves that were not foreshadowed in the bank's communications. Governor Stephen Poloz has shown a willingness to act without sending advance signals, and has rarely allowed his policy to be defined narrowly by a specific word or phrase, or the absence thereof." (for subscribers)

Niels Veldhuis and Jason Clemens (The Globe and Mail) on the Ontario PC platform: "With last month's release of both the Ontario Progressive Conservative platform and the Ontario Liberal government's 2017 economic outlook and fiscal review, Ontarians now have a better sense of what lies ahead after next year's election – the continuance of big government."

Vicky Mochama (Metro) on a Liberal MP's harassment: "Women often do not report because they fear minimizing and condescending responses like these. Despite a gender-equal cabinet and much talk of branded feminism, women are vulnerable on Parliament Hill."

Andrew Coyne (National Post) on military procurement: "The National Shipbuilding Strategy, they called it: a $38-billion, multi-year plan to supply new vessels to the Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy out of shipyards in Halifax and Vancouver. Seven years later, the national part is consumed by provincial infighting, no ships have been built and God knows what's left of the strategy."

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

U.S. President Donald Trump's unilateral decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital drew calls for mass demonstrations, and Israel's military made preparations for today that will likely include street closings. The move breaks with longstanding U.S. policy and went forward despite pleas from allies in the Middle East and across the world. The city of Jerusalem is a holy site for Christianity, Judaism and Islam, making its status especially contentious during the Middle East peace process. The Canadian government has urged caution when travelling in the area. We've built an explainer on the topic that delves into the historical context of Jerusalem's role in Middle Eastern politics and explores the potential ramifications of Mr. Trump's decision. The Globe's Eric Reguly is in Jerusalem and will continue to cover the situation as it develops.

Mr. Trudeau will be meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson later this month to strategize on how to deal with the threat of a nuclear North Korea. Canada and the U.S. will be co-hosting a summit early in the new year that aims to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis, a meeting that was announced after North Korea launched its most powerful weapon to date — an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the eastern seaboard of North America. Meanwhile, North Korea says that "remarks coming from the U.S. high-level politicians amid such circumstances have made an outbreak of war on the Korean Peninsula an established fact. The remaining question now is: when will the war break out."

The Globe's Paul Waldie spoke with Cressida Dick, London's first female police chief, about her tumultuous start to the role. Ms. Dick, who started her role in April amid a string of terrorist attacks, has degrees from Oxford and Cambridge, has a counter-terrorism background and is looking to revamp the force amid the growing threat of extremism.

The United Nations says funding put forward by Canada for reproductive health rights is critical after the U.S. slashed its support for the initiative. "We're really grateful for core funding because it keeps the lights on and it has us at the ready so that we're there before a problem arises … during a crisis, and hopefully we're there afterward," Natalia Kanem, head of the UN Population Fund said, adding that Canada's monetary contribution was "lifesaving" for women and girls in poor regions of the world.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will run for re-election next year. He is expected to win.

And the British cabinet minister leading the country's exit from the European Union says his government has not yet conducted a detailed analysis of what Brexit will do to the nation's economy.

Janice Stein (The Globe and Mail) on Trump's rationale on Jerusalem: "What does Mr. Trump's decision tell us about his Middle East strategy, if indeed he has one? That he is satisfying his evangelical supporters and right-wing base is hardly a surprise. Most U.S. presidents do respond to domestic politics, but they usually try to do so in ways that do not compromise their core foreign-policy objectives. Not this President. His symbolic rhetoric has just made it immeasurably harder for King Abdullah II of Jordan, Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to line up behind any peace initiative that the Trump administration may propose."

The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on Trump's decision: "His move has obvious and potentially catastrophic downsides for the Middle East, and America's standing in the region. It antagonizes Arab allies, weakens Arab moderates, fuels radicals who will celebrate it as proof that the U.S. is the enemy of Palestinians and Muslims, and breaks with the rest of the international community. And the upside? There is none – except possibly for the President's popularity with some voters in Middle America. But in the fraught geography of the Middle East, Mr. Trump's move is a downside-maximization strategy."