Hello,
Veteran NDP MP Charlie Angus, a feisty opposition critic who transitioned from activism to public office, is leaving politics, announcing his exit as his Northern Ontario riding gains a new name and expands considerably.
His announcement today marks the ending of a political career in which Angus served as caucus chair and ran for the party leader in 2017, placing second to current leader Jagmeet Singh.
Angus will remain an MP until the next election.
“After seven elections, 20 years of service, and the privilege of being the longest-serving MP in Timmins history, it is time to pass the baton,” Angus said in a statement Thursday.
Full story here.
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
Ottawa launches $1.5-billion fund to protect existing rental apartments: Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of housing pledges from the Trudeau government, which is under pressure to deal with the country’s shortage of affordable housing.
No criminal probes into foreign meddling during last two general elections, says RCMP boss: RCMP commissioner Mike Duheme also says none of the force’s partners referred intelligence to the Mounties that would have warranted such criminal investigations.
Ford delaying start of EV production at Oakville, Ont., plant until 2027: The move will mean extended layoffs for the majority of the factory’s 2,700 workers, Ford spokesman Said Deep said today.
How Canadian potato prowess could help bolster Ukraine’s economy: Two PEI business partners - one a former federal cabinet minister - have created a company to help boost Ukraine’s economy and agricultural viability by investing in planting, harvesting and selling potatoes.
Home prices in Canada could hit peak levels by next year: CMHC report: The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp’s latest housing market outlook report also says housing starts in Canada are expected to decline this year before recovering in 2025 and 2026.
Canada lost 8.6 million hectares of forest in 2023, more than 90 per cent due to wildfires: The satellite-derived data, produced by researchers at the University of Maryland, showed that the swaths of forest burned in Canada in 2023 represented one of the largest anomalies witnessed since they began collecting the data globally in 2001.
Ford’s office claims Premier meant medical schools when he said he wants ‘100 per cent’ Ontario students at universities: “I’m not being mean, but I’m taking care of our students, our kids first,” the Premier said at a news conference this week.
New challenges for Ottawa’s troubled LRT system: A stopped train slowed service on the western end of the Confederation Line in the nation’s capital, causing chaos for commuters headed into work this morning, CTV reports.
TODAY’S POLITICAL QUOTES
“I have to directly take issue with what Prime Minister Netanyahu said yesterday when he said, Well. This just happens in conflicts and in wartime.’ No. It doesn’t just happen and it shouldn’t just happen.” - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Winnipeg, during a news conference with Premier Wab Kinew. He was referring to an Israeli air strike that killed seven aid workers.
“There’s a broad consensus that we want to do better by the environment. I think there is an equally broad consensus that we’ve got to find ways to make life more affordable. Everybody is dealing with the cost of living.” - Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, after noting that the conversation over carbon pricing has become “divisive,” at the news conference in Winnipeg with Trudeau.
THIS AND THAT
Commons, Senate: The House of Commons is on a break until April 8. The Senate sits again April 9.
Deputy Prime Minister’s Day: In Toronto, Chrystia Freeland toured an affordable rental apartment building and made a housing announcement ahead of the 2024 federal budget.
Ministers on the Road: The affordability announcements continue, with ministers out across Canada while the Commons is on a two-week break, namely: Treasury Board President Anita Anand in Calgary. Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault in Edmonton. Public Services Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, and Marci Ien, minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth in Halifax. Sport Minister Carla Qualtrough and Privy Council President Harjit Sajjan in Vancouver. Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez and Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez in Quebec City. Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario in Whitby.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly attended the final day of the NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
GG in Nunavut: Governor-General Mary Simon and her partner Whit Fraser conclude an official visit to the territory today..
PRIME MINISTER'S DAY
In Winnipeg, Justin Trudeau met with families to discuss affordable housing, and made a housing announcement, accompanied by Premier Wab Kinew.
LEADERS
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet concluded a tour of the Gaspé Peninsula today, with commitments that included a news conference, and attending a meeting with the Rocher-Percé forestry group.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was scheduled to hold a party fundraising event in the Vancouver Island community of Campbell River.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, with party Deputy Leader Jonathan Pedneault, continued a national tour, with a stop in Winnipeg and a meeting with La Société de la francophonie manitobaine.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, also in Winnipeg, joined the picket line of Griffin Wheel workers, Unifor Local 144, and then met with Premier Wab Kinew.
THE DECIBEL
On today’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Philip Mai, senior researcher and co-director of the Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University, discussed a lawsuit by four Ontario school boards suing the companies behind Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat for billions of dollars, joining a long list of U.S. school districts doing the same. The Decibel is here.
PUBLIC OPINION
Conservatives have federal finances edge: Nanos Research says the federal Conservatives now have a 16-point advantage over the Liberals in terms of trust to responsibly manage federal government finances.
OPINION
A critical push to speed up mine approvals
“Canada’s quest for critical minerals has led to an astonishing promise: The federal government says it can slash the time it takes a proposed mine to get through the regulatory review process from 12 to 15 years – to just five. Without access to a supply of pixie dust or a time machine, this commitment will demand a phenomenal amount of goodwill and co-operation from industry, First Nations and the provinces and territories.” - The Globe and Mail Editorial Board.
Trudeau’s Liberals are full of promises on everything except Canada’s highest priority: defence
“The federal government has become strangely surreal. Each day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces new initiatives that are some combination of (a) unnecessary, (b) outside federal jurisdiction and (c) unlikely to be realized before the next federal election. Meanwhile, the government remains silent on the most pressing issue, and one for which it is 100 per cent responsible: shoring up Canada’s defences in a world growing more dangerous by the day.” - John Ibbitson.
Trudeau shouldn’t reject Chrétien and Harper’s offer on 24 Sussex
“Former prime ministers Jean Chrétien and Stephen Harper have volunteered to lead a campaign to raise the money to do a restoration of the building. They would do so with donations from individuals and businesses who want the embarrassment to end. There would be limits on contributions so no one could claim credit as a prime driver. They would do the work for $1, with the goal of having the renovation completed within two to three years. How could anyone object to that?” - Lawrence Martin.
A carbon tax will hurt the economy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t the right policy
“Let’s be honest: A carbon tax will hurt the economy, and Canada reducing its emissions will not do much for climate change. But we should also do our part, and carbon pricing is the option that should appeal the most to conservative-minded people and be the least economically damaging.” - Claude Lavoie
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