Hello,
Anthony Rota’s exit as Speaker of the House of Commons has led to a bounty of high-end cuisine being made available to low-income Ottawa residents.
On Wednesday, the Ottawa Mission released a list of food donated to them from a garden party on Rota’s schedule that was cancelled shortly after he quit Tuesday.
Parliamentarians and members of the Parliamentary press gallery had been invited to the Tuesday gathering at the rural Quebec residence that is among the perks provided to Speakers.
With the event cancelled, a spokesperson for the mission said they would be picking up the following from the company catering the Speaker’s cancelled event.
- 100 seared scallops - crusted
- 200 poached shrimp
- 200 small lamb meatballs
- 10 kg pulled beef barbacoa
- 200 pieces of fried chicken
- 100 bao buns
- 700 oysters
- 100 pouding chômeur - Newsletter note: Chômeur pudding is the mix of a basic cake batter onto which a hot syrup or caramel is poured prior to baking. Chômeur is the French word for unemployed person. The dish was created in the early years of the Depression.
“This donation will be very helpful in continuing to meet this ongoing need. We’re very grateful for this donation and the donations from all of our partners to meet the need,” Aileen Leo, communications director at the Mission, said in a statement Wednesday.
Leo said food insecurity in the nation’s capital over the past four years has led to a need that last year saw the mission serving more than one million people.
Rota became the eighth Commons Speaker to resign on Tuesday, responding to calls to go over his decision to invite a member of a Nazi unit to the House during an official visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Full story here. Meanwhile, there’s an Explainer here on the role of the Commons Speaker.
Breaking: Prime Minister Trudea is to make a statement. The announcement was not in his previosuly released schedule. Follow The Globe and Mail for details.
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TODAY'S HEADLINES
Ontario records lower deficit for the last fiscal year than projected - Ontario ended the last fiscal year with a smaller deficit than projected in the 2022 budget, Story here. Meanwhile, CBC reports here that New Brunswick’s budget surplus exploded to more than $1-billion last year, even higher than the already massive figure put out by the Higgs government back in March.
Canadian tech companies sign on to AI code of conduct as law evolves - A number of Canadian technology companies are signing on to Canada’s new code of conduct for generative AI, a set of voluntary guidelines aiming to limit harm until formal artificial intelligence regulation comes into force in two years. Story here.
NDP Leader says he was briefed on secret intelligence indicating India was behind killing of Sikh leader - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he was provided with a classified intelligence briefing that points to the Indian government’s role in the gangland-style killing of a prominent Sikh leader from British Columbia. Story here.
Bob Rae says he ‘took comfort’ after Indian diplomat approached him to discuss Nijjar case - Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae says his Indian counterpart pulled him aside Tuesday to discuss the case of Hardeep Singh Nijjar — a week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there are “credible allegations” linking the Indian government to his death. Story here from CBC.
N.L. premier to apologize to residential school survivors in NunatuKavut, says community council - Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey will apologize to residential school survivors in Cartwright on Friday, according to a Facebook post by the NunatuKavut community council. Story here from CBC.
Debate over evidence ‘embarrassing’ to top general delays his court martial - Lieutenant-General Steven Whelan’s court martial was set back a day after his lawyer opposed the attempt by military prosecutors to admit a raft of e-mails, arguing they were irrelevant to the case and “highly prejudicial and embarrassing” to the senior commander. Story here.
Ottawa yet to decide whether reprocessing spent nuclear fuel should be allowed in Canada - More than two years after it provided tens of millions of dollars to a company seeking to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, the Canadian government has yet to decide whether the practice should be allowed on Canadian soil. Story here.
THIS AND THAT
Today in the Commons – Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, Sept. 27, accessible here.
Deputy Prime Minister’s Day - Chrystia Freeland, in Toronto, held private meetings and then travelled to Niagara Falls, Ont., to meet with leaders of the Power Workers’ Union. Freeland was scheduled to participate in a fireside conversation hosted by the union.
In Ottawa - Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault delivered a keynote address to the Canadian Club of Ottawa then participated in a fireside chat. International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen held a news conference to announce development flood recovery funding to help Afghan refugees and host communities in Pakistan. (Story here.) Justice Minister Arif Virani was scheduled to testify on Bill C-48 before the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.
Ministers on the Road - Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne, in Montreal, attended the ALL IN artificial-intelligence conference, launched a voluntary code of conduct for advanced generative AI systems, and then participated in a fireside chat. Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada, in the Quebec City area urban reserve of Wendake, announced federal financial support for a dozen tourism development projects in Québec region. Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge is in Washington where she delivered a keynote address at the Center for Journalism and Liberty at the Open Markets Institute. (Story here.) Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, in Paris, released Canada’s carbon-management strategy.
International Trade Minister loses chief of staff; PMO gains a new staffer - The chief of staff for International Trade Minister Mary Ng has stepped down. But Jason Easton said in a Linkedin posting here he is remaining in government, taking an unspecified position in the Prime Ministers Office. Easton said that after five years with Ng, it was time for a change. Her new chief of staff is Kevin Coon.
PRIME MINISTER'S DAY
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Ottawa, attended the Liberal caucus meeting and delivered a statement before attending Question Period.,
LEADERS
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet attended Question Period.
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre attended the Conservative caucus meeting.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, from her Vancouver-Island riding, participated virtually in the House of Commons.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Ottawa, attended the NDP caucus meeting, met with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow to discuss affordable housing, and held a news conference. Mr. Singh then participated in Question Period.
THE DECIBEL
On Wednesday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Michael Von Massow, a food economist and professor at the University of Guelph, talks about why food prices are still so high, what role the government has, and why this is such a difficult problem to solve. The Decibel is here.
TRIBUTE
Selwyn Romilly - Selwyn Romilly, the first Black person appointed to provincial court in British Columbia, and later the B.C. Supreme Court, has died. He was 83. Story here from CTV.
PUBLIC OPINION
New poll shows CAQ slipping in voter intention with Parti Quebecois on the rise - Quebec Premier François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Quebec party is losing ground, especially in Quebec City, suggests a new Léger poll. Story here from CTV.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how the Speaker’s belated resignation is not enough: “The damage wrought by the spectacle of Canadian parliamentarians and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky unwittingly applauding a veteran of Adolf Hitler’s war machine will not easily be remedied. The belated resignation of Speaker Anthony Rota is the start, but cannot be the end, of that process. Canadians, Mr. Zelensky and our allies deserve a formal apology from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a full accounting of how this debacle occurred. The Liberal government did not create this mess, but it is up to Mr. Trudeau to demonstrate leadership, and to stop distancing himself from the controversy. That should begin with the Prime Minister deigning to show up in the Commons to address the country.”
Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail) on how Anthony Rota does the inevitable, and now Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must pick up the pieces: “A lot of people asked how the control freaks in the Prime Minister’s Office had missed this. The Conservatives argued that the control freaks should never have missed this, and that it was the control freaks’ fault for not controlling enough. On television panels, communications consultants chimed in that Something More had to be done, beyond Mr. Rota’s apology and resignation. Some of that missing Something More is on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who should have moved quickly – bright and early Saturday morning – to call Mr. Zelensky and apologize to his invited guest on behalf of Canada for dropping him into this pig’s breakfast.”
Gary Mason (The Globe and Mail) on how Alberta’s pension proposal is a Brexit-like disaster in the making: “The Premier’s plan is destined for the courts, which will ultimately decide who is right in this matter. Who knows how long it might be before that date arrives. Meantime, we know Ms. Smith will use this scheme as a threat against Liberal Ottawa – a cudgel with which to clobber Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as often as she can. It all leaves you wondering if there isn’t another agenda here: that the end game for Ms. Smith is not just leaving the CPP, but Canada all together.”
Jennifer Quaid (Policy Options) on the risk of waiting to regulate AI is greater than the risk of acting too quickly: “Is a quick but imperfect solution preferable to a perfect solution that will take a long time? This is the dilemma facing legislators when it comes to artificial intelligence. Part 3 of Bill C-27, tabled in June 2022, proposes framework legislation: the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA). The ensuing debate highlights the tension between the urgency to act, and the importance of putting in place a robust regime that reflects a social consensus on what a responsible framework for AI would look like. More recently, opposition to AIDA has intensified. Some believe that the federal government is on the wrong track with the project, arguing it is not salvageable and should be rejected. The advice is to “do better, not faster.” This reasoning is seductive but wrong.”
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Ian Bailey