Hello,
This is the daily Politics Briefing newsletter, written by Ian Bailey. It is available exclusively to our digital subscribers. If you’re reading this on the web, subscribers can sign up for the Politics newsletter and more than 20 others on our newsletter signup page. Have any feedback? Let us know what you think.
Canada’s border agents have launched a work-to-rule job action, leading to expected delays at Canada-U.S. border crossings.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada has confirmed the action by about 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency workers, which was under way Friday.
The alliance and Customs and Immigration Union served a strike notice to the government on Tuesday after PSAC’s national president Chris Aylward said the union had exhausted other options to reach a fair contract with the government.
In a statement this week, PSAC said it expected the work-to-rule activity at all Canadian airports, land borders, commercial shipping ports, postal facilities and headquarters locations could dramatically affect Canada’s supply chain and government plans to reopen the border to U.S. travellers on Aug. 9.
Unionized PSAC and customs union workers have been without a contract for three years, and are seeking better protections against what they describe as a toxic workplace culture at CBSA, and greater parity with other law enforcement agencies across Canada.
Further details here.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about the dispute, and noted that there is mediation under way between the union and the Treasury Board.
“We are hopeful we’re going to be able to settle this at the bargaining table because the fact is over the past number of years we have resolved, renegotiated almost all the different public service agreements that we needed to do,” Mr. Trudeau said during a news conference in Montreal.
“I want to recognize that, like so many different Canadians in various jobs, our border guards have had extremely challenging roles over the past year and a half, and I want to thank them for their work, and tell them we will continue to work with them to resolve these challenges.”
TODAY’S HEADLINES
FIRST AFGHANS ARRIVE - A new federal program intended to save the lives of Afghan interpreters and embassy staff by resettling them in Canada delivered its first planeload on Wednesday, but advocates say it needs to work faster and that the eligibility requirements need to be broader.
PRIVACY WATCHDOG PROBES LIBERALS - British Columbia’s privacy watchdog is launching an investigation into the federal Liberal party’s use of facial recognition technology to pick candidates for the next election.
QUEBEC PLANS VACCINE PASSPORT - Quebec will implement a vaccine passport system in September in an effort to tamp down the threat of a fourth wave, becoming only the second province, after Manitoba, to restrict some activities to fully inoculated residents.
$6B FOR QUEBEC CHILDCARE - Ottawa will transfer nearly $6-billion to Quebec over five years as part of a national child-care program and the funding will not have conditions, meaning the provincial government can spend the money as it sees fit. The announcement took place in advance of a much-anticipated federal election call that’s expected as soon as in the coming days.
NEW HATE LAW PLANNED - The federal Justice Department says existing Criminal Code offences are adequate to confront a recent surge in hate-fuelled incidents, but has recommitted to passing a law aimed at improving hate crime prosecutions.
JUDICIAL QUESTIONS ON MENG WANZHOU CASE - A B.C. judge raised questions on Thursday about the allegation at the heart of the U.S. case against a Chinese business executive facing extradition from Canada.
THE LOOMING ELECTION
BLOC PREPS FOR ELECTION - The Bloc Québécois’s “remarkable” gains for Quebec will convince voters in the province to send more of the party’s candidates to Ottawa in the next election, BQ Leader Yves-François Blanchet says. He added that increasing the party’s seat count on the island of Montreal remains an objective. Story here, from The Montreal Gazette.
MP EXITS PROMISE LIVELY RACES - With the country marching toward an anticipated fall federal election, a number of interesting contests are shaping up in some of the almost two dozen ridings where sitting MPs have announced their retirement from politics. Story here from CBC.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO FIND A NEW JUSTICE FOR THE SUPREME COURT OF CANADA?
How much did the process of finding the latest Supreme Court of Canada justice cost? That, among other details in the search that ended with the appointment of Justice Mahmud Jamal last month, are covered in a newly released report on the mechanics of the effort. All the answers are here.
FRUM LEAVING SENATE
Linda Frum has announced she is leaving the Senate. In a statement, Ms. Frum, a Conservative in the Senate, said she is leaving Aug. 27 - a date that marks the 12th anniversary of her appointment. “It has been my profound honour to represent the people of Ontario in the Senate of Canada since my appointment by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2009,” she said in a statement. “As a Senator, I have done my utmost to champion important causes including protecting the integrity of Canadian elections from the threat of foreign influence, denouncing human rights abuses by the malign regime in Iran, and combatting the surge of antisemitism at home and abroad.” Ms. Frum said she is leaving full of admiration for colleagues from all parties and groups.
PRIME MINISTER'S DAY
“Personal” according to the advisory issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
LEADERS
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet tours the Magdalen Islands as part of his summer tour, meeting Friday with representatives of the Association of Magdalen Islands Seal Fishermen.
Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole - No schedule provided by Mr. O’Toole’s office.
Green Party Leader Annamie Paul - No schedule provided by Ms. Paul’s office.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh - No schedule provided by Mr. Singh’s office.
OPINION
The Editorial Board of the Globe and Mail on why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must, at least, make the looming unneeded pandemic election a safe one: “Four provinces – Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick – have managed to hold general elections during the pandemic. And Nova Scotians go to the polls on Aug. 17. So it can be done, if that’s what Mr. Trudeau decides is best for him and his party. But if he’s going to insist on an election, the least he can do is join in the effort to make it as safe as possible. One way to do that is by listening to Election Canada’s plea for a long campaign.”
Don Braid (The Calgary Herald) on more federal election signs as COVID-19 worries increase: “But now the pandemic has suddenly jumped back to top concern for 31 per cent of respondents. Reid concludes the obvious — the rise of the Delta variant and the possibility of a fourth wave are worrying Canadians all over again. Since the Liberals are seen as best at dealing with COVID-19, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is even more likely to trigger this weird election. Simple, really. When your top issue is rising fast in the public mind, go for it. The most likely dates now cited by Liberal operatives are a call Aug. 16 for voting on Sept. 20.”
Lisa Van Dusen (The Ottawa Citizen) on Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole’s unfathomability problem: “In Abacus Data numbers published Thursday, the Liberals are at 37, the Conservatives 25, and the NDP 20. More withering for O’Toole, Tuesday’s Leger/CP poll has his “preferred PM” number at 11 per cent, versus Trudeau’s 27 and Jagmeet Singh’s 19. Even Angus Reid gives the Liberals a five-point edge over the Tories this week. The cliché that campaigns matter has, in the age of narrative warfare and social media weaponization, taken on a whole new dimension. This one, whenever it comes, will no doubt reflect that evolution.”
Send along your political questions and we will look at getting answers to run in this newsletter. It's not possible to answer each one personally. Questions and answers will be edited for length and clarity.
Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop
Ian Bailey