Hello,
One of Canada’s most prominent criminal defence lawyers has taken up the case of trying to reverse Patrick Brown’s disqualification as a candidate for the leadership of the federal Conservatives.
On Thursday, party spokesman Yaroslav Baran said the party’s lawyer is reviewing a pair of written requests from Marie Henein and her associate Alex Smith and will respond as appropriate.
Ms. Henein has gained an especially high profile defending such clients as former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi and former Ontario attorney general Michael Bryant. Mr. Ghomeshi was acquitted of sexual assault charges, and charges of criminal negligence and dangerous driving against Mr. Bryant around a 2010 traffic incident in Toronto were withdrawn.
In a letter to the party, dated Wednesday, Ms. Henein and Mr. Smith announced an appeal of this week’s decision to oust Mr. Brown from the race over what the party has called “serious allegations of wrongdoing.” Story here.
“To be clear, Mr. Brown has engaged in absolutely no misconduct. Your refusal to specify the allegations grounding your recommendation demonstrate this,” they write, noting he has refuted the paltry information provided and asked for particulars.
“This Kafkaesque process led to a politically motivated and preordained result and is not consistent with the values that should he upheld by this party.”
Also, the lawyers call for the preservation of all documents and records related to the decision to disqualify Mr. Brown, including communications with members of the campaign of Mr. Brown’s rival Pierre Poilievre and other stakeholders. They ask for that move in light of “anticipated litigation.”
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
INDIGENOUS GROUPS COALITION SEEK SETTLEMENT REOPENING - With a crucial deadline approaching, a coalition of Indigenous groups is pressing Ottawa and one of Canada’s biggest law firms to reopen the federal Indian day school settlement so that eligible former students don’t get excluded. Story here.
FEDS SUBPOENAED TO HAND OVER DOCUMENTS - The commission looking into the Nova Scotia mass shooting of April, 2020, has once again used its subpoena power to order the federal government to hand over any remaining RCMP documents to its investigators, and says it’s still waiting for assurances that Ottawa is not withholding any further material. Story here.
TALKS ON U.K-CANADA FREE-TRADE DEAL TO SURVIVE JOHNSON EXIT - The Canadian government says the ousting of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson by his party will not affect Canada’s negotiations on a free-trade agreement. Story here.
SERVICE CANADA DIDN’T ANTICPATE PASSPORT APPLICATIONS: MINISTER - The minister responsible for Service Canada admits the government did not fully anticipate the overwhelming surge in passport applications that came with the lifting of travel restrictions and is hopeful waiting times will return to normal by the end of summer. Story here.
ARCHIBALD SURVIVES EFFORTS TO TOPPLE LEADERSHIP - Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald avoided efforts to topple her leadership this week at the AFN’s annual general assembly, after her suspension last month by the organization’s executive committee. An emergency draft resolution that called for her removal was pulled by its authors on Wednesday and will not be voted on. Story here.
NOT CALLOUS AND OUT OF TOUCH: FREELAND - Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the federal government is absolutely concerned about inflation, but dismissed critics who called her callous and out of touch for suggesting the high cost of gas is a reminder of why we need to transition to greener energy solutions. Story here.
EBY ENDORSED AS PROSPECTIVE BC PREMIER - The race to become British Columbia’s next premier may be over before it has begun after Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon, expected to run for the BC NDP leadership, not only announced he was not running, but then endorsed Attorney-General David Eby. Story here from CBC.
CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP RACE
CAMPAIGN TRAIL - Scott Aitchison is in Calgary as is Jean Charest and Pierre Poilievre.. Leslyn Lewis is in Yellowknife. There is no word on Roman Baber’s campaign whereabouts.
CONSERVATIVE STAMPEDE EVENT - The candidates for the Conservative leadership are expected at the annual Calgary Conservative Stampede Barbecue on Saturday at Heritage Park in Calgary. The event is being hosted by the Calgary Heritage Conservative Association. The fundraising event is resuming this year after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. At least 1,100 guests are expected for the gathering that will feature a speech from interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen as well as the leadership candidates.
CHAREST ECONOMIC PLATFORM - Jean Charest has released an economic platform that includes commitments to begin negotiations on an accord to commit to a new equalization formula for Alberta. Details of the plan are here.
THIS AND THAT
The House of Commons is not sitting again until Sept. 19. The Senate is to resume sitting on Sept. 20.
FREELAND IN TORONTO AND RICHMOND - Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, in Toronto, committed $1-million in funding for the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Later Thursday, she was scheduled, in Richmond, B.C., to meet with the western executive council of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
ANAND IN LONDON - In London, Ontario, Defence Minister Anita Anand visited General Dynamics Land Systems, then held a brief media availability.
NG IN VANCOUVER International Trade Minister Mary Ng, in Vancouver,hosted the United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, and Mexico’s Secretary of Economy, Tatiana Clouthier Carrillo, on Thursday, with plans for their meeting to continue on Friday.
CHAMPAGNE IN TOKYO - In Tokyo, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne met with Hagiuda Koichi, Japan’s economy minister, to discuss bilateral trade and regional cooperation.
THE DECIBEL
On Thursday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Niigaan Sinclair, professor and acting head of Indigenous studies at the University of Manitoba, explains the work of the Assembly of First Nations , how the situation involving the suspension of National Chief RoseAnne Archibald over allegations of bullying and harassment by staff has overshadowed that work, and what role the AFN has – and should have – in advocating for First Nations people. The Decibel is here.
PRIME MINISTER'S DAY
In Sudbury, Ontario, the Prime Minister held private meetings, visited a local mining engineering facility, and was scheduled to meet with members of Science North’s Student Science Advisory Council, and participate in a tree planting event, with federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault present.
LEADERS
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Vancouver, met with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron and Vice Chiefs, then met with B.C. Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee and was scheduled to address the 43rd AFN Annual General Assembly.
No schedules released for other party leaders.
OPINION
Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail) on a summer of last-minute passports from a government that was too slow in the spring: “A month ago, the strategy to beat down Canada’s passport backlog was to get people to apply in-person, rather than by mail. Now workers at big-city passport offices triage the people standing in the long lines outside, sending those travelling in the next 48 hours on, and giving others tickets to come back another time. The minister responsible for the passport offices, Karina Gould, has started to tell Canadians that she is angry about it, too, or something like that: She calls the situation “totally unacceptable,” and insists more will be done. But what Ms. Gould really needs is a time machine and a bullhorn, so she can go back four months to March to wake up the slumbering government machine.”
Robyn Urback (The Globe and Mail) on how the Ford family government is back to some of its old antics: “Indeed, there’s no room here for Liberal nonsense such as “gender parity” in cabinet; this is a meritocracy, where only the most deserving individuals – that is, those who won the sperm race in the right families – are rewarded for their zygote-era hard work with plum cabinet postings in the government representing the most populous province in Canada. The victor in this case is Michael Ford, the 28-year-old first-time MPP and nephew to Premier Doug Ford, who brings his rich experience in being a member of the Ford family to his role as Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. The Premier no doubt carefully surveyed the impressive and lengthy resumes of his 82 MPPs and came to the conclusion that no individual was more qualified than his sister’s son.”
Irving Abella (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how the struggle for Jewish equality changed Canada for the better: “Members of both the JPRC and the Jewish Labour Committee were unrelenting in their lobbying. They arranged for delegations to meet Ontario premier Leslie Frost and his cabinet colleagues; they spoke at hundreds of meetings across the country, they planted articles in the press, they met editorial boards; they distributed pamphlets; they embarked on letter-writing campaigns and they arranged for talks on radio and to various service clubs of prominent speakers who supported their views. One of these, senator Wayne Morse (a Republican from Oregon), spoke so passionately and persuasively on the Trans-Canada Network of CBC Radio in favour of fair employment legislation that it had a real impact on one of his listeners, premier Frost. By 1951 it was clear that the lobbying had made a real difference.”
Pat Carney (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how Canada once nearly passed a restrictive abortion law: “Since Bill C-43 failed, no anti-abortion measures have been successfully introduced in Parliament. Successive governments, both Liberal and Conservative, have expressed no interest in reviving the debate. But Canadians shouldn’t become complacent. Canada is one of the few countries in the world that does not have laws restricting abortion, but we are always at risk of seeing potential new abortion laws passed by future parliaments. Political turbulence could also again split the country. In my view, there are other ways to promote safe pregnancies and wanted children with laws that give women equal treatment. So far, Parliament has voted that anti-abortion laws are not among them – but only vigilance, and a sense of history, can keep it that way.”
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Ian Bailey