Welcome to Corridors. I'm your host, Nick Taylor-Vaisey. This week, a spate of federal appointments is the latest sign of well, you know what's coming. We meet one of Canada's newest senators on her home turf. And Erin O'Toole and Jagmeet Singh have quietly spent the last month crisscrossing the country.
OUR SPIDEY SENSES ARE TINGLING Sure, there's nothing remarkable about judges being appointed in the dead of summer. Justice Minister David Lametti endured a fraught spring in the House of Commons. Maybe there was simply pent-up demand to fill vacancies on the bench. But governments like to show off all their productivity when it's time to hit the campaign trail.
So maybe that explains Lametti's midsummer spree last Friday that delivered four new judges in Alberta, four to the Federal Court, two in Newfoundland and Labrador, two in Ontario, and one each to New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, the Tax Court, and the Federal Court of Appeal.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also shook up the senior ranks of the public service. He named a new federal lead for "proof of vaccine credentials" and promoted key pandemic performers (see Arianne Reza, a PPE and vaccine procurement workhorse).
The federal order-in-council database lists 35 other appointments to various tribunals, advisory boards and crown corps all dated Aug. 4.
That hubbub in officialdom, the kind of stuff governments aren't allowed to do during election campaigns, followed Trudeau's latest Senate appointments. A July 29 press release introduced the nation to five new senators including Alberta's Karen Sorensen, who resigned a gig she loved as mayor of Banff to jump into the Ottawa bubble.
If an election doesn't get called soon, it'll be downright weird at this point.
HOW TO MAKE A SENATOR POLITICO caught up with Sorensen on the streets of the iconic town, surrounded by craggy peaks and teeming with tourists in a reopened province, where she worked at town hall for three terms as mayor and two as a councillor. She's likely the only parliamentarian ever to list a home address in a national park.
Karen Sorensen is former mayor of Banff, new senator from Alberta. | Courtesy the Senate of Canada
Why apply? Sorensen says she first applied for an Alberta seat in 2019, when she was partway through her final term as mayor. She'd been approached by "various parties" provincially and federally, but wasn't attracted to partisan life. The lure of an independent Senate seat was "the real selling feature."
The vetting: Sorensen learned last fall that the government was finally sorting through applications. She was on vacation in Victoria in July when two women from the Prime Minister's Office gave her a ring. They asked "lots of questions about my personal life, my financial life, my social life." (She had to admit to three speeding tickets in university.)
The PM's minders also quizzed her on such policy issues as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and gun control. "They weren't looking to see if you lined up [with the government], and I would stress that. " It was more of a knowledge test, she said, because senators deal with such diverse public policy.
The call: A PMO organizer texted Sorensen, who was then renting a cottage on Salt Spring Island, on July 22 with another request for a conversation. They settled on the next afternoon, and Sorensen and her husband were in a parking lot near an Abbotsford brewery when she got on the line with Trudeau.
He joked that he wondered where people from Banff took vacations, explained his views on the importance of the Senate, offered her the gig, and told her she couldn't tell a soul until it was public. (She told her husband and mother.)
"We hung up the phone, and my husband said to me, 'Want to get a beer?'"
The backlash: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney lashed out at Sorensen's appointment. His province holds Senate elections and expects the feds to call on the winners. Sorensen had this to say about the premier's sniping: "The Senate appointment process is designed to move towards a less partisan and a more independent Upper Chamber, which I support. In my opinion, this helps the Senate provide the intended 'second sober thought' to proposed legislation and representing regional and minority interests."
What's next: Sorensen is in boot camp this week, sorting out IT issues and learning everything she can about the various Senate parliamentary groups. She's not planning to move to Ottawa full-time, like most senators. Her husband is a financial planner in Banff, where every resident is eligible to live there only under strict criteria.
FOLLOW THE LEADERS Justin Trudeau gets loads of press for his cross-country pre-election jaunts. The power of the purse is always newsworthy. A prime minister who carries the federal checkbook makes headlines. But Erin O'Toole and Jagmeet Singh are hitting the road from coast to coast all the same. And they're taking photographers.
He's running: The Tory leader is, er, fond of the mid-jog photoshoot. He went for a Sunday run with MP Alain Rayes in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que. On Saturday, he traced a scenic route through Old Quebec with Alupa Clarke, a former MP who chaired O'Toole's leadership campaign in the province (and later scored a taxpayer-funded C$72,000 contract). O'Toole's Quebec swing included stops in Brome-Missisquoi, where the Conservatives are a longshot, and Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, where Richard Martel is the incumbent.
O'Toole came to Quebec from Atlantic Canada, where he set a pace around the waterfront in Saint John with Tory candidate Mel Norton, the city's former mayor. He chatted with fishermen in North Rustico, P.E.I., where longtime Liberal Wayne Easter isn't running and the local Tory candidate is a banking exec and triathlete (cue another photo-op). July also saw O'Toole visit St. John's (he laced up there, too), hit up the Calgary Stampede, made the rounds in British Columbia oh, and put on his sneakers in Regina.
Focus groups must love this stuff. Of course, O'Toole's not the first runner to make his exercise routine part of his personal brand. Recall Kathleen Wynne's "Never Stop" ad from 2017. That trick didn't work for Wynne in her eventual showdown with Doug Ford. O'Toole's success will be measured by what he runs on. Pavement won't be enough.
O'Toole is now back in Ontario, where he Monday pledged high-speed internet for every Canadian by 2025. He made the promise in Belleville, where the Tories lost a squeaker in 2019. He was in Oakville yesterday, where Liberal Anita Anand will be hard to topple.
Jag-meeting the nation: The NDP leader was in Kamloops, B.C., at the end of July, where he met the chief and council of Tkemlps te Secwepemc and spoke from the site where hundreds of unmarked graves were recently discovered. Singh toured an emergency operations centre in Penticton with incumbent Richard Cannings, and met with Joan Phillip, his party's standard-bearer down Highway 97C in Merritt. The pair was joined by Grand Chief Phillip of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs.
Why B.C.? New Democrats are hoping to make gains where their issues might play well, and climate change and reconciliation are priorities for west-coasters. The NDP is already competitive in the region, and subtle vote shifts could pay dividends.
Singh took two years to visit New Brunswick, an oversight that forced him to deliver a no-nonsense apology at the outset of the 2019 campaign on a visit to Bathurst. Well, Singh was there on Monday introduced at a presser by local legend Yvon Godin, a New Democrat who held Acadie-Bathurst for 19 years before the leader hopped to P.E.I. for two days of events.
Singh fired off a letter to Trudeau Monday that dared the PM not to call an election.
NOMINATION CENSUS POLITICO's Zi-Ann Lum is keeping count as Canadas major parties secure their candidates. Here are the standings, with any change since last week in parentheses.
Conservative: 289 (+14)Liberal: 240 (+15)NDP: 165 (+39)Greens: 114 (+17)Bloc Qubcois: 41 (+1)
With an election call possible any day now, each party slowly builds a full slate of candidates some faster than others. | Nick Taylor-Vaisey/AP Photo
Tweeting about election speculation? Nick and Zi-Ann's DMs are open.
THIS JUST IN A Chinese court found a Canadian entrepreneur guilty of espionage Wednesday in a case at the nexus of nearly 1,000 days of frayed relations between Ottawa and Beijing. The court in Dandong sentenced Michael Spavor to 11 years in prison. The ruling includes a deportation order, though the timing of when that would apply is not clear. Early this morning, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken joined Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in condemning the decision. POLITICO's Andy Blatchford is following developments.
NORTH STAR Yukon's top doctor is jumping into politics. Brendan Hanley is running for the Liberals in a riding recently vacated by longtime fixture Larry Bagnell, who eked out a win in 2019.
The governing party has been busy behind the scenes. Jenna Sudds, Ottawa's deputy mayor, scored a controversial appointment in Kanata-Carleton to replace incumbent Karen McCrimmon. Both outgoing MPs made their futures clear only days ago.
Watch for another name to fill the void left by Adam Vaughan in downtown Toronto (the Star has a lead on that one).
BANG AND WHIMPER Hundreds of cars lined up at the Peace Arch crossing in Surrey, B.C., on Monday the first time eased restrictions allowed Americans entry through Canadas land border in 17 months (fully vaxxed travelers only). The flash of 90-minute wait-time traffic came and went, a sign of hope for B.C.s tourism industry. By Tuesday, the crossing was mostly empty.
Pacific pandemic privilege(s): Eased land border restrictions come as Covid cases are rising in the province. In interior cities such as Kelowna, a region where tourism is big business, outbreaks account for at least half of B.C.s cases. In parts of downtown Vancouver this week, business looked normal. The province dropped its mask mandate on July 1 so some restaurants dont require servers to wear masks while serving indoor diners.
THE MOD CLUB Nobody knows where it'll happen or exactly when or how much the feds are ponying up, but the manufacturer of a leading mRNA vaccine manufacturer says its first foreign plant will be built in Canada. Innovation Minister Franois-Philippe Champagne and Moderna CEO Stphane Bancel made the announcement Tuesday in Montreal.
The money quote: Bancel delivered a gift to Liberals about to strike out on the campaign trail. "Whether it's a small outbreak, or a big pandemic, like the one we just saw God forbid Canada will be ready. We'll be ready on Canadian soil to make, in a matter of months, a new vaccine for a new emerging virus to protect the Canadian population." Champagne might well be popping a bottle of his namesake bubbly tonight.
This week, Corridors asks: Is now a bad time for a federal election, especially given spikes in Covid cases and rampant wildfires in some parts of Canada?
NDP strategist Kathleen Monk says while no one wants an election, the PM wont be penalized for calling one. | Courtesy of Kathleen Monk
Kathleen Monk, principal of Monk + Associates and NDP strategist: Jagmeet [Singh] wrote a letter [asking Governor General Mary Simon to refuse Trudeau if he asks her to dissolve Parliament]. On all the political shows, I was asked a million times about it. And Liberal Twitter went crazy. I felt people couldn't see the forest for the trees. They were just trying to divert to this process point.
I'm just like, guys, have you talked to a normal person ever? All these people in the interior of B.C., they're not thinking about this at all. People are just seeing family for the first time.
I don't think [Trudeau] will be punished for it. I think that that's also the benefit of going in August. It's seven to 10 days of How could you dare call an election? And then it drops. And we're just talking about issues at that point. I think nobody wants an election, but I don't think he'll be punished for calling it.
Karen Sorensen, senator for Alberta: I guess I would push back and say, well, and then whats the next thing? It has been a crazy time, but our experience here is there are fires burning every summer. Maybe we need to address that. The pandemic isnt over. Do you want to wait another six months or a year until thats looked after?
When is the right time? If its not those things, its a flood, or the oil industry collapsing and people are going out of business. Look back in history. Was there ever a good time to have an election?
It feels now like more of the country is suffering for really different reasons. But when it comes down to things like fire and flooding, have an election and lets start paying attention to those issues.
Who's up: The Liberal child care agenda
A vacationing Trudeau ceded the floor to Ahmed Hussen, the social development minister, for this week's blockbuster announcement in Manitoba: C$1.2 billion in federal cash for 23,000 new full-time spaces in five years. A provincial government not afraid to treat Ottawa with hostility simply copied and pasted the federal press release. It's a big win for the Liberals, who've now inked child care deals with eight premiers including one from "The Resistance." Only three holdouts remain: Jason Kenney, Scott Moe and Doug Ford.
Who's down: Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister
Manitoba signed onto the federal child care plan on Monday. On Tuesday, Premier Brian Pallister said he won't seek another term in office. He didn't say when he'd step down, but wanted to leave plenty of time before the next election expected in 2023. "I believe this will provide sufficient time not only for party members to choose a new leader, but for Manitobans to get to know that new leader and new premier." Pallister was the second-least popular preem in the country last month. His approval rating has languished in the mid-30s all year.
Corridors is a new weekly newsletter for MPs, lobbyists, executives, activists and any readers who are interested in whats going on around Parliament Hill. Every Wednesday we will look at the people pulling the levers of power in Ottawa and the questions that are influencing decisions on Parliament Hill and in the provinces. Join the conversation! You can email us at [emailprotected], [emailprotected], [emailprotected], [emailprotected].
The Hubs Sean Speer talks to Conservative MP Mike Lake on persistence, public policy and happy hour Zooms. His advice to incoming MPs: Read the room, and the whole room. Not just the Liberal, Conservative or NDP room, but read the room that is Canada.
How are voters feeling about this election? To quote pollster Darrell Bricker: As the kids like to say, meh.
It isnt going well between Trudeau and Joe Biden. In fact its barely going, Paul Wells writes in a Macleans feature on the PMs role in the world.
The premier episode of Curse of Politics is here thats the spinoff podcast starring The Herle Burly Political Panel.
We also enjoyed the latest episode of the Backbench especially around the 27-minute mark when former Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes shared some advice she offered to Conservative MP Garnett Genuis.
McKenna: Net zero isnt a 'get out of jail free card' for polluters. Privacy watchdog investigating Liberals over use of facial recognition technology. Canada opens border to fully vaxxed Americans, U.S. is not there yet. Time to get scared: Worlds scientists say disastrous climate change is here. Senate passes bipartisan infrastructure bill but what comes next won't be easy.
In LEGO, a tribute to Conservative MPs who got private members bills adopted by Parliament in 2021. | Courtesy of @PoliLego
Spotted: Conservative MPs Len Webber, Richard Bragdon, Kevin Waugh, Larry Macguire and Matt Jeneroux in LEGO. Hedy Fry on TikTok to celebrate her 80th birthday Ralph Goodale, high commissioner for Canada in the UK, sporting colors from home Niagara Falls in blue in honor of former Ontario premier Bill Davis. (And in case you missed it, Sarah Polley's Twitter thread on Davis is lovely.) CBC reporter Meagan Fitzpatrick back in Washington for a few weeks ... Perry Bellegarde celebrated with a surprise retirement gift, a portrait by visual artist Ricky Fraser.
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Birthdays: Happy early birthday to Liberal MP Scott Simms. Hes 52 on Thursday. Sen. Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia will be 64 on Aug. 15. Former NDP MP Irene Mathyssen turns 70 on Aug. 16, the same day prime mixister George Stroumboulopoulos celebrates 49 and former opposition leader Stockwell Day turns 71.
Movers and shakers: Eleanore Catenaro, ex of the PMO, has joined Perreault Writing Co. with Brttany Perreault, who worked on Trudeau communications from 2014 to 2020 The Qubec Government Office in New York is on the hunt for a temporary commercial affairs attach.
Media mentions: The journalism school at Carleton shared a roster of new instructors, a list that includes Garvia Bailey, Jennifer Chen, Charelle Evelyn, Chris Goldrick, Stefan Keyes, Amar Khan, Katherine Laidlaw, Gabriela Perdomo, Hannah Sung and Fangliang Xu.
Rassi Nashalik, the first host of CBC Norths first daily Inuktitut news show, is being inducted into the CBC News Hall of Fame. James Wattie is leaving CBC Toronto with destination TBA. Pratyush Dayal just joined CBC Saskatoon.
Farewells: Linda Frum will retire from the Senate at the end of the month. Former prime minister Stephen Harper was among those who praised her service and philanthropic contributions.
Last week first: Thirty-three years ago, Wayne Gretzky was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. The arena where he led a dynasty, the Northlands Coliseum, sat in the former riding of Edmonton East in 1988. Five parties repped that district over the next dozen years: Progressive Conservatives, New Democrats, Liberals, Reformers and the Canadian Alliance. Kudos to Michael Read, Nate Manis, and Alice Funke for naming them all.
This week's question: Swing ridings will get all the glory when the next federal campaign is on. Name the nailbiter to end all nailbiters: the riding with the smallest margin of victory in the 2019 election. Three hints: It's west of Thunder Bay. A Conservative came out on top. And it's a bit "moody" as far as constituencies go.
Send your answer to [emailprotected]
With thanks this week to Zi-Ann Lum in Vancouver and editor Sue Allan.
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