Politics Briefing: Several Conservatives break from the federal caucus’ support for ‘Freedom Convoy’ – The Globe and Mail

Hello,

Some Conservatives are breaking away from the federal caucus support for the Freedom Convoy that has led to chaos in Ottawa.

The dissension comes after parliamentary reporter Marieke Walsh reported here that the Conservative Partys new interim leader, Candice Bergen, advocated in internal discussions against asking the protesters to go home, according to an e-mail obtained by The Globe and Mail.

On Friday, Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson, a lifelong Conservative appointed to the senate in 2009 on the recommendation of former prime minister Stephen Harper, announced hes quitting the Conservative senate caucus over the issue though he will hold on to his party membership.

This is no longer a caucus I want to belong to, Mr. Patterson said in an interview. I do not support this approach, and I hope it will change.

He said he has been disappointed at the absence of a Conservative condemnation of the continued lawless occupation of the downtown core of Ottawa. Its uncharacteristic for a party I always considered stood for law and order.

I was absolutely appalled at members of our caucus and even our new leadership associating themselves in any way with the racist, hateful, misogynist, white-supremacist hooligans in the so-called Freedom Convoy. That was what motivated me to finally make the step of realizing that these caucuses no longer represent the party I know, he said, referring to the senate caucus and national caucus.

Meanwhile, Quebec MP Pierre Paul-Hus, the Conservative public-services critic, tweeted Friday that action against the protest is necessary after a week undergoing the Siege of Ottawa.

He suggested the motivation of truckers is unclear. I ask that we clear the streets and that we stop this occupation controlled by radicals and anarchist groups.

Ontario Conservative MP Dean Allison said he respects and values his colleague Mr. Paul-Hus, but on this issue, I would have to strongly disagree with him. He did not elaborate.

Amid the back and forth, Ms. Bergen called for a peaceful resolution to the impasse in a statement released by her office. She said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should provide a clear plan to end the situation in Ottawa. Lets work together to find solutions, said the statement To the truck drivers in Ottawa: please remain peaceful. Call out and denounce any acts of hate, racism, intolerance or violence.

Meanwhile, Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said Friday that 150 additional police officers will be deployed throughout downtown Ottawa as part of a new strategy to manage the occupying demonstrators and restore a shaken trust with residents as thousands more are expected to arrive this weekend.

Parliamentary reporters Janice Dickson and Ms. Walsh report here on this development.

Elsewhere, more than 100 vehicles taking part in a protest convoy arrived in Quebec City Thursday ahead of a rally planned this weekend in front of the National Assembly. Story here from CBC.

And in Saskatchewan, the provincial legislature was closed Friday in advance of expected protest against COVID-19 restrictions while a protest against restrictions began in Winnipeg, outside the main entrance of the Manitoba legislature grounds.

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TODAYS HEADLINES

EMPLOYMENT PLUMMETS Canadian employment plummeted in January and work absences because of illness soared to record levels as the Omicron variant drove a steep uptick in COVID-19 infections. The country lost 200,000 jobs last month, the first decline in employment since May, Statistics Canada said Friday. Story here.

TRUDEAU AND FREELAND MAKE APPEALS TO UKRAINE GOVERNMENT Justin Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland made personal appeals to persuade the Ukrainian government to not arrest and imprison former president Petro Poroshenko when he returned home in mid-January, two sources in Ottawa and one in Kyiv say. Story here.

TORIES LOOKING TO QUICKLY REPLACE OTOOLE Federal Conservatives say they have to move quickly to find a permanent replacement for Erin OToole, because the minority government means Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could trigger an early election. Story here.

MPS SUMMON GOFUNDME REPS A committee of MPs has voted to summon representatives of GoFundMe to Parliament as soon as possible to answer questions about the California crowdfunding companys ability to screen out hate campaigns. Story here.

END COMING TO ALBERTA VACCINE PASSPORT: KENNEY Premier Jason Kenney says his government will announce next week a date to end Albertas COVID-19 vaccine passport, with the actual cancellation coming soon after that. Meanwhile, varied premiers are taking different approaches to loosening COVID-19 restrictions. Story here.

HORGAN FEELS PRETTY GOOD AFTER CANCER TREATMENT B.C. Premier John Horgan says hes feeling pretty good after treatment for cancer diagnosed in November, and has lost 25 pounds in the process. I had a couple of jackets taken in, so Im ready to go, Mr. Horgan said outside the B.C. legislature this week. Story here from City News 1130. Meanwhile, voting to elect the next leader of British Columbias Liberals is under way. Story here.

THIS AND THAT

The projected order of business at the House of Commons, Feb. 4 is here.

PARLIAMENTARY BLACK CAUCUS SPEAKS OUT ON PROTESTS The Parliamentary Black Caucus, representing MPs and senators, is denouncing protests in Ottawa and Gatineau. We strongly support the right of Canadians to protest. Regrettably, we believe that this protest became a venue for extremist elements to intimidate Members of Parliament, Senators, and the residents of Ottawa and Gatineau, said a statement issued on Friday. The full text, including proposed actions, is here.

DEFENCE MINISTER TRIP TO EUROPE CONCLUDED Defence Minister Anita Anand has concluded a week-long trip to Europe that included stops in Ukraine, at NATO headquarters and in Latvia. In Ukraine, Ms. Anands meetings included talks with Ukraines Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, and Canadian Armed Forces personnel deployed on the Operation UNIFIER training mission. During the tour, she also met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

FEDERAL LIBERALS GATHER IN ONTARIO The Liberal Party of Canadas Ontario wing is holding a virtual convention on Friday and Saturday, with party leader Justin Trudeau expected to join 1,300 party members. Other speakers include Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Defence Minister Anita Anand and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.

COLLEGIALITY IS POSSIBLE Amidst turmoil across the aisle during the week, the federal Transport Minister here records a moment of collegiality with a member of the Official Opposition.

THE DECIBEL On Fridays edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Asia Correspondent James Griffiths is in Beijing as the 2022 Winter Olympics begin in Chinas capital. Mr. Griffiths talks about what its like to be inside the Olympic bubble and how politics are playing into these Games. The Decibel is here.

PRIME MINISTERS DAY

Private meetings. The Prime Minister was scheduled to speak with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. The Prime Minister was also scheduled to virtually meet with students from Smallwood Academy in Gambo, Newfoundland and Labrador.

LEADERS

Bloc Qubcois Leader Yves-Franois Blanchet holds a media availability at Parliament Hill.

No schedules provided for other leaders.

OPINION

The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how protest is a legal right, but a blockade isnt a legal protest: Canadians have the right to protest regardless of whether the cause is left, right, centre, trucker, whatever. But any time that interferes more than minimally and temporarily with the rights of others and particularly when it moves from persuasion by words to physical interference it ceases to enjoy the protection of the law. It becomes instead a threat to law and order. Police always have every reason to show patience, and to lean on negotiation rather than force. But at some point, one way or the other, the law and the rights of others must ultimately be upheld against illegal protests be they left, right, centre, trucker, whatever.

Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail) on why it already looks like no Conservative will be able to challenge Pierre Poilievre for the party leadership: He is a love-him-or-hate-him politician who garners tub-thumping applause from those who agree and revulsion from those who dont. He made his name as a partisan pitbull and placed his flag on the right wing of his party. He is probably the best communicator the federal Conservatives have, but will nonpartisans learn to like him? Thats a question that gnaws at some in his party, and at some in the caucus of MPs around him, who fear that he will shrink the blue tent to a hard core, and turn off broad swaths of moderate suburban Canada. But a lot of them think he will win the leadership.

Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail) on how Erin OToole pushed around the Conservative caucus, as leaders always have but didnt count on caucus pushing back: Mr. OTooles leadership was not the only problem facing the party its internal divisions, as I wrote recently, are the real issue, of which his uncertain leadership was more consequence than cause nor will it necessarily fare any better under a new leader. But the decision to remove him could have highly salutary effects in the long-term, and not only for the Conservative Party. After this, any future Conservative leader will be on notice: treat the caucus with respect, or face the same fate as Mr. OToole. The example having been set, it is not inconceivable that members of other party caucuses may one day demand a similar measure of respect. It was one thing when all caucuses were under the same yoke, seemingly in perpetuity. But now that the Conservatives have broken free, there is at last the potential for a backbench spring, a fundamental change in the balance of power between leader and caucus.

Robyn Urback (The Globe and Mail) on why the Conservatives need an affable, relatable new leader more than a right-wing one: In theory, it was probably the right approach tactically speaking for Mr. OToole to campaign for the Conservative leadership as a true blue, then pivot to the centre for the general election in order to be as palatable as possible to the widest swath of Canadians. But his change was so stark that it left the membership feeling duped and betrayed, and he never quite found a way to relay to Canadians what his centre-right vision would look like. Constantly changing your mind will do that. The Conservatives need a normal, affable, relatable new leader far more than they need one who will bring the party back over to the right. But they might be too busy laughing at Mr. Poilievres jokes to come to that realization.

Kelly Egan (The Ottawa Citizen) on how its time for Ottawa police to stop saying all options are on the table to deal with protest, and instead pick one and try it: Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly seems like a nice guy. Heres the problem. We dont need a nice guy right now. We need a strong leader, someone not afraid to pick the right fight. At the end of his initial presentation to the police services board Wednesday, Sloly dramatically took off his glasses, stared into the camera and said one of the most dispiriting things weve heard all week: There may not be a policing solution to this demonstration. You know, the truckers must be laughing at us. Weve basically admitted we think its too risky to attempt to forcibly remove them, one by one, because someone might get hurt or even killed.

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Politics Briefing: Several Conservatives break from the federal caucus' support for 'Freedom Convoy' - The Globe and Mail