Politics Briefing: Poilievre would eject any caucus member found to have colluded with foreign governments

Hello,

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he would eject any member of his caucus found to have worked with a foreign government against Canada.

“If they wittingly worked with a foreign government against Canada? Absolutely,” Poilievre told Ottawa radio host Bill Carroll today on his Morning Rush show.

Poilievre’s vow in a radio interview follows a similar promise this week by NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh amid the furor prompted by a national security watchdog’s report on foreign interference.

The report by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, which did not identify any individuals, said some parliamentarians have knowingly collaborated with countries such as India and China to meddle in Canadian democracy.

Poilievre said he understands there is sensitive intelligence that can’t be released publicly because it would compromise the ability of intelligence agencies to collect information. As a result, the Official Opposition leader said he supports Justice Marie-Josée Hogue’s review of the matter. Hogue is the head of the ongoing public inquiry looking into foreign interference.

On Tuesday, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, the first opposition leader to review the top-secret version of the report, told a news conference in Ottawa that the classified version of the report does not detail any examples of sitting MPs being disloyal to Canada.

However, Poilievre said he was not reassured by her comments and does not think Canadians will be comforted “until we have a public verdict on this,” with the names of parliamentarians who worked with foreign governments made public, regardless of their party.

Unlike May, he has declined the security clearance that would allow him to review the classified version of the report.

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

Calgary mayor says water restrictions to last at least another week for repairs: Calgarians were in their seventh day of water restrictions after one of the city’s two main feeder pipes fractured.

Mississauga mayor-elect wants to work with Ford government on urgent housing needs: Carolyn Parrish, a former long-time Liberal MP, was elected Monday in a competitive mayoral by-election that centred around the city’s housing needs – which she says are urgent. Story here.

Plan to search Manitoba landfill for remains of slain women moves closer: The Manitoba government has given environmental approval to a planned search of a landfill for the remains of two murdered First Nations women.

No current MPs wittingly collaborated with foreign powers, Green Leader Elizabeth May says after reading classified report: May is the first opposition party leader to review the top-secret version of the report, which was redacted before being released last week by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians.

In 1984, this announcement shook up the education system – and provincial politics: TVO’s Steve Paikin recounts the stunning declaration that Bill Davis, as Ontario premier, made about funding the Catholic school system 40 years ago today.

Alberta government dissolves controversial energy ‘war room’: The operations of the Canadian Energy Centre – the controversial “war room” founded in 2019 by Jason Kenney’s government to fight what it called misinformation about the province’s energy industry – will be shuffled into a government department. CBC reports.

‘It’s an insult’: Mayor wants to put an end to Ottawa’s nickname ‘the town that fun forgot’: CTV reports that Mark Sutcliffe is fed up with the label for the nation’s capital. “It’s an insult, we shouldn’t be repeating it,” Sutcliffe told journalists this week as he introduced the city’s new nightlife commissioner.

TODAY’S POLITICAL QUOTES

“It will be tight everywhere, including in my riding, in the next election, and that’s why we cannot take anything for granted. And hope and hard work are going to guide us in that campaign and in the following ones.” – Public Services Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, arriving for today’s Liberal caucus meeting on Parliament Hill, on the looming byelection in Toronto-St. Paul’s and the general election to follow.

“We cannot play with national security. We cannot play with national security and intelligence. There are people’s lives and careers and reputations at stake here. We have folks in the field. We have sources and methods. We have relations with foreign governments. We have sources of information from other governments, in the Five Eyes and elsewhere. This is not a game. So what we have done here is our job.” – David McGuinty, chair of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, arriving for today’s Liberal caucus meeting, on the committee’s recent report on foreign interference.

THIS AND THAT

Today in the Commons: Projected order of business at the House of Commons, June 12, accessible here.

Deputy Prime Minister’s Day: Private meetings in Ottawa. Chrystia Freeland also attended the weekly Liberal caucus meeting and Question Period.

Ministers on the Road: In Montreal, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne participated in a breakfast dialogue on elevating the Canada–U.S. relationship at the Conference of Montreal 2024.

Commons Committee Highlights: Pierre Karl Péladeau, president and chief executive officer of Quebecor Media Inc., is among the witnesses appearing before the industry and technology committee on Bill C-352 to amend the Competition Act and Competition Tribunal Act. Fen Osler Hampson, chancellor’s professor and professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, is among the witnesses appearing before the foreign affairs committee on the subject of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the situation in Iran.

Senate Committee Highlights: Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Justice Minister Arif Virani are among the witnesses scheduled to appear before the national security committee on Bill C-70, an act respecting countering foreign interference. At 6 p.m. ET, Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux is scheduled to appear before the national finance committee on supplementary estimates, the process by which Parliament approves government spending.

Bank Governor on the Road: Tiff Macklem, Governor of the Bank of Canada, is participating in a panel discussion on “Overcoming Economic Volatility” at the Conference of Montreal 2024 today. The text of the Governor’s remarks were to be released on the Bank’s website at 3:15 ET.

Mitchener Awards for public-service journalism: Governor-General Mary Simon will present the 2023 Michener Award for meritorious public service journalism, the 2024 Michener-Deacon Fellowship for Investigative Journalism, the Michener-L. Richard O’Hagan Fellowship for Journalism Education and the Michener-Baxter Award during a Rideau Hall ceremony that begins at 6 p.m. ET. The nominees for meritorious journalism are listed here.

PRIME MINISTER’S DAY

Justin Trudeau is headed for Europe. The Prime Minister departed today for the Italian region of Apulia to attend the G7 leaders’ summit and was expected to be there by this evening. The three-day summit begins Thursday. Trudeau was also scheduled to attend the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland on Saturday and Sunday before returning to Ottawa.

LEADERS

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May attended her party caucus meeting and, later, attended the House of Commons.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Ottawa, attended the NDP caucus meeting, held a news conference with New Democrat Laurel Collins on her bill to criminalize coercive control, then participated in Question Period.

No schedule released for Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet or Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

THE DECIBEL

On today’s edition of the podcast. Carly Weeks, the Globe’s former health reporter, joins the show to explain why midwives could be a vital answer to Canada’s healthcare labour shortage. The Decibel is here.

OPINION

A tired government tries out one more wedge issue

“The Liberal government got what it wanted on Tuesday when the House adopted a motion in support of raising taxes on the wealthy, but the Conservatives voted against it. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will tell you that what the motion achieved was her party’s goal of greater tax fairness for Canadians. But what the Liberals really were after, and got, is a wedge issue designed to slow the momentum of the Conservative opposition under Pierre Poilievre.” – The Globe and Mail Editorial Board

Elizabeth May sees no traitors around her, and at least she read the report

“Elizabeth May is the leader of a tiny two-person faction tucked away in the corner of the House of Commons, and she added something invaluable to the debate about naming MPs who have been witting participants in foreign interference. She read the secret report. And told people what she thought of it.” – Campbell Clark

This country can always find plenty of reasons to do nothing about national security

“You must understand: there is nothing anyone can do. I know, I know. It is shocking to learn that a number of MPs and senators have been acting, effectively, as agents of a foreign power, selling secrets and influence to countries such as China and India in exchange for money and political favours.” – Andrew Coyne

Calgary’s water woes are giving residents a taste of rez life

“It must be a strange, dystopian time in Calgary, like someone has turned the city into a giant rez. Of course, if you’ve never been to a First Nations reserve, you probably wouldn’t know what it is like to live without clean water – heck, any water – coming out of your taps. But, sadly, Calgary is now getting a crash course.” – Tanya Talaga

Canadians cannot be told to just sit tight while their democracy is actively being compromised

“Each minute of inaction is itself its own scandal. For about a week now, the Canadian public has been aware that individuals believed to have colluded with foreign governments may continue to serve as senators, staffers and/or members of Parliament. And for about a week now, those with the power to do something have done nothing.” – Robyn Urback

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