Hello,
As of the fall, Canadians seeking to renew their passports will be able to do it online.
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser and Social Development Minister Karina Gould announced the plan Wednesday, but also noted that those applying for new passports, including children, will still need to go through the traditional application process with Service Canada.
At a news conference in Ottawa, Mr. Fraser and Ms. Gould also unveiled a new design for Canadian passports. It includes updated security features, and colourful new pages.
Ms. Gould said the digital option is a result of the lessons learned last year when the department was swamped with passport applications, which led to long lines and even longer waits for people to get their documents.
More recently, there were concerns about the processing of passports linked to the strike of federal public servants.
Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was dismissive of the plan during Question Period on Wednesday, raising concerns about the images on the passports.
“The Prime Minister couldn’t be more out of touch with reality. He heard about problems with passports, but he didn’t understand that it was they couldn’t get passports. He thought the problem was with the images,” Mr. Poilievre said.
He cited the erasure of images of Quebec City, Terry Fox and the Battle of Vimy Ridge from passports.
In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadians will get their passports on time and be able to travel and be proud of their country and history.
There’s a full story here on the passport announcement.
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.
TODAY'S HEADLINES
SPORT CANADA GAVE TOP MARKS TO NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS UNDER SCRUTINY – An internal analysis of dozens of Canada’s most prominent national sports organizations shows the federal government failed to recognize serious governance problems now plaguing several of them. Story here.
TIME FOR CANADA TO STEER AWAY FROM CHINA ON TRADE POLICY: EXPERTS – Diplomatic expulsions have given Canada new cause to steer away from China on trade policy, experts say. Story here. Also, a former Canadian diplomat who was ordered out of Saudi Arabia amid a disagreement between the two countries says a consul set to be expelled from China should prepare for challenging days ahead. Story here. And there’s a roster of books here to read to improve your understanding of China–Canada relations.
TRUDEAU FOUNDATION BOARD CHAIR DECRIES “UNFAIR ATTACKS” OVER CHINA-INTERFERENCE ALLEGATION – The chair of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation’s board says the organization has been subjected to “unwarranted and unfair attacks” over allegations it received a donation that was part of a China-led foreign influence campaign. Story here.
ANAND ANNOUNCES NEW TRAINING PLAN FOR UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS – Defence Minister Anita Anand announced on Wednesday that Canadian military members and their Latvian counterparts will begin training Ukrainian soldiers in Latvia this month. Story here.
SENATORS FACING THE PROSPECT OF NEW PROFILE OWING TO CELEBRITY BIDDING WAR – A celebrity bidding war for a minority ownership stake in the NHL’s Ottawa Senators stands to lift the team’s profile to new heights, while serving as a safe way for stars to park their money. Story here.
INDIA AND CANADA AIM TO SEAL TRADE PACT – India and Canada aim to seal an initial agreement this year to increase their trade and expand investment while setting out a mechanism to deal with disputes, they said in a statement on Wednesday. Story here.
CONSERVATIVE MP’S PRIVATE MEMBER’S BILL STIRRING UP ABORTION DEBATE – A private member’s bill from a Conservative backbench MP is stirring up debate over abortion in Canada, though the proposed legislation does not mention it even once. Story here.
QUEBEC RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT FEDERAL IMMIGRATION PLAN – Canada’s plan to increase immigration is stoking fears among Quebec’s political class, who say the changes would reduce the province’s influence in the country and make it harder to protect French. Story here.
THOUSANDS OF FOREIGN-TRAINED NURSES CAN NOW PRACTISE IN CANADA AS PROVINCES CHANGE LICENSING RULES – Provinces across the country are rapidly licensing thousands of internationally trained nurses after introducing a flurry of regulatory changes designed to make it easier to work in their jurisdictions, as governments try to address pressing staffing shortages afflicting the health care system. Story here.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS – Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, May 10, accessible here.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER’S DAY – Chrystia Freeland, also finance minister, is in Niigata, Japan for the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting.
MINISTERS ON THE ROAD – Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, in Montreal, announced $187 million in federal funding to help low-income Quebec households move away from home heating oil, and support initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Official Languages Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, in Toronto, announced government investments in new technology to promote second-language education.
IN OTTAWA – Defence Minister Anita Anand met with Latvia Defence Minister Inara Murniece, and they held a joint news conference. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser and Social Development Minister Karina Gould unveiled a redesigned Canadian passport. Ms. Gould was also scheduled to deliver closing remarks to the 2023 Exchange Conference.
NCC CHAIRPERSON – Maryse Gaudreault has been appointed chairperson of the National Capital Commission’s board of directors, effective June 6, for a term of four years. The former member of Quebec’s National Assembly for the riding of Hull takes charge of the federal Crown corporation, which manages more than 1/10th of lands within the capital region, including federal buildings, official residences, parks and numerous other assets. Public Services Minister Helena Jaczek announced the appointment on Wednesday.
PM HEADED FOR G7 SUMMIT – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be in South Korea and Japan from May 16 to 21, participating in an official visit in Seoul on the 16th and 18th before travelling to Hiroshima, Japan, from May 19 to 21 to participate in the Group of Seven summit.
ANGUS NOMINATED FOR BOOK – NDP MP Charlie Angus is among the nominees for a Trillium Book Award, the province’s literary prize for English and French-language Ontario authors. The Timmins–James Bay MP is nominated for Cobalt: Cradle of the Demon Metals, Birth of a Mining Superpower. The nomination announcement is here. Winners will be announced on June 20.
WICARY HEADED SOUTH – After eight years in Ottawa as economy and government editor for Bloomberg, Steve Wicary has announced he is headed south. Mr. Wicary and his family will be moving to Buenos Aires to focus on covering Latin America. “Though Argentina will be one of the immediate storylines, complete with 100-per-cent inflation and 1,000 – basis – point rate hikes, I’ll be handling breaking news and enterprise from across Bloomberg’s bureaus in the region,” Mr. Wicary wrote in a Linkedin posting.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Ottawa, held private meetings, attended the weekly national caucus meeting and attended Question Period.
LEADERS
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Ottawa, attended the NDP caucus meeting, took questions from journalists ahead of Question Period, and participated in Question Period.
No schedules provided for other party leaders.
THE DECIBEL
On Wednesday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Campbell Clark, The Globe’s chief political writer, explains what has happened to bring us to the expulsion of Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei in response to China’s interference in Canadian politics. The extraordinary move is the first expulsion of a Chinese diplomat in decades and could carry substantial consequences given the size of Canada’s economic and social ties with China. The Decibel is here.
PUBLIC OPINION
CONSERVATIVE INTENTIONS IN GOVERNMENT – Abacus Data has a poll out on public perceptions of a Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre, with findings that include the view of 62 per cent of respondents that a Conservative government definitely or probably would eliminate the national carbon tax. It also says 81 per cent of respondents think a Conservative government should seriously deal with climate change seriously. Details here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how B.C.’s bail failure on violent offenders shows need for federal reform: “Last November, British Columbia Attorney–General Murray Rankin issued a rare directive to the province’s prosecution service, calling for them to seek to keep repeat violent offenders behind bars while awaiting trial. The new policy acknowledged an increase in repeat offending and unprovoked violent stranger attacks. Mr. Rankin said it is a significant issue, and he instructed Crown counsel to “treat it accordingly.” Mr. Rankin told reporters he expected higher rates of remand would improve public safety.”
Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail) on why anyone would think the Liberals want to control the media. Oh, I can think of a few reasons: “Wait, so the allegations in The Globe story were true? Our sources were not partisan coup-plotters? The Globe’s reporters and editors are not credulous half-wits? Or what else are we to conclude from the Trudeau government’s decision to expel a Chinese diplomat, Zhao Wei, shortly after The Globe reported he had been gathering information on family members of Conservative MP Michael Chong, a prominent critic of the Beijing regime, with the intent of making “an example” of him.”
Gary Mason (The Globe and Mail) on another ugly mark on Danielle Smith’s record: “I can’t think of a political leader, certainly a Canadian premier, as unqualified to hold the position as Ms. Smith. Her musings both in and out of office run the gamut from bizarre to nonsensical, from distasteful to dangerous and deeply offensive. It’s hard to imagine a political institution that isn’t the U.S. Republican Party electing someone so ill – suited to hold the position of leader as the UCP has done with Danielle Smith.”
Rita Trichur (The Globe and Mail) on photographer Edward Burtynsky saying corporations can play a role in fighting climate crisis politics: “Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky is urging corporations to help depoliticize the climate crisis amid a growing partisan backlash against environmental issues that is particularly pronounced in the United States. Mr. Burtynsky, who has spent his 40 – year career capturing images of human-altered landscapes, wants business leaders to use their clout to ensure that Canadian society remains aligned on transitioning to a low-carbon economy.”
Andrew Willis (The Globe and Mail) on a warning to Ryan Reynolds about how the Ottawa Senators are the Green Lantern of pro sports teams: “Hi Ryan, Loved Deadpool. Thrilled to watch you and Rob McElhenney turn around Wrexham, congrats on the club’s promotion. And well played on the sales of Mint Mobile and Aviation gin. You’re on a winning streak. Don’t muck it up. Don’t overpay for the Ottawa Senators. The National Hockey League team is poised to set the new high-water mark in hockey by fetching $1 – billion. Ryan, teaming up with the real estate developers who built most of Markham – the Bratty family’s privately owned Remington Group – to drop a billion bucks on the Sens could end up being your sequel to Green Lantern. We’ve watched you cringe when talking about that turkey of a film. Great concept, brutal execution. That sums up the Senators’ potential as a sports and real estate play: attractive idea, insanely difficult to execute.”
Guy Saint–Jacques (contributed to The Globe and Mail) on diplomatic expulsions that could provide a welcome reset of Canada’s relationship with China: “The expulsion of Toronto-based Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei, followed by the removal of Canadian consul Jennifer Lynn Lalonde in Shanghai, signals a growing deterioration in the relationship between Canada and China. But while we are going through tumultuous times, it may also serve as a new beginning with China – one where Canada can better protect its interests and values, as well as its citizens from foreign interference.”
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Ian Bailey