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Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino was unable to explain on Thursday why he was not informed about the notorious child killer and serial rapist Paul Bernardo’s prison transfer while his ministerial staff, the top levels of the bureaucracy and the Prime Minister’s Office were all briefed on the file in advance.
The Minister spoke to reporters for the first time since CBC reported on Tuesday that despite the shock and dismay he expressed when news of Mr. Bernardo’s transfer was made public two weeks ago, his office was aware the move was coming.
Mr. Mendicino made brief comments at a microphone outside a committee on Thursday and then walked away from reporters before they could ask questions.
He stopped after being followed to the door by about a dozen reporters and photographers. He declined to explain how it’s credible that he did not know about the transfer while his office did.
“The short answer is: It is unacceptable. And my job is to make sure that it doesn’t happen again,” Mr. Mendicino said.
“As far as internal matters, I’ve dealt with it.”
Senior Political Reporter Marieke Walsh reports here.
During a Parliament Hill briefing on another issue, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault was asked about the challenges his cabinet colleague is facing.
“I think we, as cabinet ministers, have a responsibility to ensure important information are brought to us so we can take appropriate decisions, and I think, as he has indicated, he has taken steps to ensure that mistake doesn’t happen anymore,” said Mr. Guilbeault told journalists.
“As ministers, we are ultimately responsible for what happens in our offices. That’s my own attitude.”
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
EMPLOYMENT MINISTER REJECTS SENATE AMENDMENT TO DISABILITY BILL - The Liberal government is rejecting a key Senate amendment to its disability legislation that aimed to ensure the new federal benefit won’t cause provinces or insurance companies to claw back existing support payments. Story here.
ONTARIO DOCTOR’S FIGHT FOR EMPLOYMENT RECORDS REVEALS FLAWS IN CANADA’S FOI SYSTEM - A hospital medical director abruptly terminated from his position at the Greater Toronto Area hospital network over his public criticism of the Ontario government has run into challenges using the freedom of information system to seek further answers. From overused redactions to lengthy delays and record searches that came back incomplete, the case of Dr. Brooks Fallis showcases some of the most common problems that The Globe and Mail uncovered as part of Secret Canada, its investigation into Canada’s broken access regime. Story here.
OTTAWA FREEZES DEPORTION ORDERS OF INDIAN STUDENTS DUPED BY CONSULTANTS - Ottawa is freezing the deportation orders of dozens of Indian international students who have been duped by consultants with fake acceptance letters from Canadian post\secondary institutions, the Immigration Minister has announced, while a task force investigates each individual case. Story here.
FEDERAL ACTION ON RUSSIAN PLANE PROMPTS WARNING FROM MOSCOW - Moscow is warning that relations with Canada are “on the verge of being severed” after the federal government moved to forfeit a massive Russian cargo plane. Story here.
SUSTAINABLE JOBS BILL PRESENTED - The Canadian government has presented a sustainable jobs bill intended to prepare workers for a transition to a lower-carbon economy following years of consultation and opposition from Alberta, Canada’s main fossil-fuel producing province. Story here.
FREELAND DISPUTES PBO VOLKSWAGEN REPORT - Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is challenging the findings of a Parliamentary Budget Office report that says federal support for Volkswagen will cost nearly $3-billion more than originally announced. Story here.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CREATING CANADA’S FIRST LGBTQ ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM - The federal government says it will invest $25-million to create Canada’s first-ever LGBTQ entrepreneurship program, with Economic Development Minister Mary Ng expected to announce the funding Thursday in Kingston, Ont. Story here.
OTTAWA EXTENDS PROBE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY CANADA - Investigators retained by Ottawa to review allegations of conflict of interest and financial mismanagement at Sustainable Development Technology Canada have extended their probe to pore over more documents and conduct additional interviews, the federal department in charge says. Story here.
AGING AIRCRAFT FLEET PROMPTS AIR FORCE TO DECLINE PARTICIPATION IN NATO EXERCISE - The Royal Canadian Air Force says it is declining to participate in a show of military strength by 25 allied countries in Europe because it is focusing on trying to upgrade its aging fleet. Story here.
META DISPUTES SMITH FACEBOOK CLAIMS - Despite Alberta Premier Danielle Smith saying that she’s been banned from posting to Facebook, Meta, which owns the social-media website, says she’s actually able to continue posting. Story here from The National Post. Meanwhile, Ms. Smith is also selling a rail-car restaurant she owns with her husband. Story here.
CROMBIE AT ODDS WITH RIVALS ON GREENBELT AS SHE ENTERS ONTARIO LIBERAL LEADERSHIP RACE - Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie is leaving the door open to swapping out portions of protected Greenbelt land as long as there are what she considers proper consultations, a position that puts her at odds with her rivals as she officially joins the Ontario Liberal leadership race. Story here.
OTTAWA NEEDS NEW ARENA “RIGHT DOWNTOWN”: MAYOR - With the ownership of the Ottawa Senators NHL team settled, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says, without providing details, that he is thinking about the development of a new arena “right downtown.” Story here from CTV.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS – Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, June. 15, accessible here.
MINISTERS ON THE ROAD - Defence Minister Anita Anand is in Brussels for a gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, comprising countries that support the defence of Ukraine. Ms. Anand was also scheduled to attend NATO defence ministers’ meetings on Friday. Mental Health and Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett, in Sherbrooke, Que., announced funding to prevent elder abuse in Quebec. Rural Economic Development Minister Guldie Hutchings, in Osgoode, Ont., with provincial Infrastructure Minister Goldie Ghamari, announced plans to improve high-speed Internet access in rural eastern Ontario. International Trade Minister Mary Ng, in Kingston, announced support for 2SLGBTQ!+ entrepreneurs at the Global 2SLGBTQ!+ Business Summit and Supplier Diversity Forum.
IN OTTAWA - Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly hosted and delivered opening remarks at an international virtual ministerial meeting on Haiti. Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair, Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan WIlkinson, at the House of Commons, provided an update on Canada’s wildfire situation.
COMMONS COMMITTEES - Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino appeared before a procedure and House affairs committee meeting on the intimidation of members. Kirsty Duncan, the former federal sports minister, appears by videoconference before a Heritage committee meeting on safe sport.
CO-ORDINATED APPROACH TO INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED: PREMIERS - Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, on behalf of Canada’s premiers and territorial leaders, has written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, urging collective action to deal with infrastructure needs. The letter from Ms. Stefanson, chair of the Council of the Federation organization of provincial and territorial leaders, is here. The call comes ahead of a June 21 meeting of provincial and territorial infrastructure ministers in Whistler, B.C.
ERIN O’TOOLE HAS A NEW JOB - Departing Conservative MP Erin O’Toole, the former party leader, is the new president and managing director of ADIT North America. On Thursday, the Paris-based ADIT Group announced the launch of the North American operation, which will be a globally integrated risk advisory firm specializing in strategic intelligence, business diplomacy, due diligence, security and compliance.
CTV OTTAWA BUREAU IMPACTED - Broadcaster CTV’s Parliament Hill bureau has been affected by cuts announced this week by BCE Inc., which includes its Bell Media division. Among the cuts are bureau chief Joyce Napier, reporter Glen McGregor, and reporter Ian Wood.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Ottawa, holds private meetings, according to his schedule.
LEADERS
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, with MP Mike Morrice and Senator Rosa Galvez held a news conference.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Winnipeg, spoke to the Manitoba Federation of Labour Political Action Conference.
No schedules released for other party leaders.
THE DECIBEL
On Thursday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, The Globe’s U.S. correspondent Adrian Morrow explained what he and the Globe’s Africa Bureau Chief Geoffrey York learned about the cost of chocolate, which may be sweet but comes at a steep cost. The Decibel is here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how the state has a duty to protect trans students: “Pride month was born not in celebration but in protest against attacks on the LGBTQ community. Against police raids on bars and bathhouses and other queer gathering places. It became a protest against a society that shunned those with AIDS. Against laws that denied same-sex couples equal rights. And against prejudice toward people whose identity did not match their body. Once again, the LGBTQ community is under assault. Those who stand with them must help them fight back.”
Kelly Cryderman (The Globe and Mail) on how Alberta, denying information requests, is worrying: “It’s a poor showing by Alberta. And yes, the province does stick out like a sore thumb. I’m not talking about any economic, environmental or political indicator. The Globe and Mail is wont to find those types of things lacking in the province, every now and then. What I’m referring to is Alberta’s performance when it comes to freedom of information. What a Globe investigation found should be worrying for everyone in Alberta who cares about government accountability and transparency.”
Gary Mason (The Globe and Mail) on how federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s latest video diatribe goes off the rails: “Mr. Poilievre moves on to exploit the misery of many Canadians. “Hopelessness sends people into the streets. Drug addicts are dying of overdoses as governments give up on treating them and instead give them more of the poisons that are killing them in the first place,” he says. Of the many egregious statements made by the federal Conservative Leader in his video, this might be the most outlandish and despicable of them all. Governments are not giving drug addicts the same poisoned drugs that are killing them. (He is referring to B.C. here, and its safe-supply drug program.) They are giving addicts clean drugs so they don’t buy the fentanyl-laced narcotics being sold on the street that are killing them. They have introduced this policy at the recommendation of drug and addiction experts who have studied the problem for decades. And yet here, their expertise is being condemned by someone whose only career has been as a mostly incendiary, conflict-chasing politician.”
Beth Lyons (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how New Brunswick’s debate over trans student policy is bigger than one province: “Across North America, there have been attempts to remove queer and trans-affirming books from libraries. Drag story times are being protested. Pride flags outside of churches and private residences are being torn down. Many participants in this backlash against LGBTQ people claim they are opposing a radical plan to indoctrinate children and groom them for sexual abuse. In reality, children’s safety and well-being are being used as a cover to advance an agenda of hatred – which is now seeping into Canada’s political system.”
Kennedy Stewart (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how Canada has left itself vulnerable to election interference at the provincial and city level: “There can no longer be any doubt that Beijing is meddling in elections at all levels of government. Canadians deserve to know the full extent to which foreign agents interfere with our domestic politics and how it will be stopped. David Johnston’s departure from his position as special rapporteur demands a full reset by the Trudeau government, and any new inquiry must include investigating how we will eliminate future tampering in federal, provincial, and municipal elections.”
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Ian Bailey