What We’re Watching
- François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development is set to announce changes to Canada’s competition law, focusing on wage-fixing, deceptive pricing, and ‘anti-consumer practices.’
- Yesterday, on day 10 of the occupation of Canada’s capital city by the so-called “Freedom Convoy,” Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson finally declared a state of emergency, enabling new enforcement measures. It is estimated that Ottawa Police have spent $800 000 a day to supervise the protests and respond to emergencies. Last week, the Prime Minister condemned the protests and asserted that he will not concede to their demands. Smaller scale demonstrations were staged in other major cities across Canada over the weekend. The GoFundMe campaign for the convoy, which raised had over $10 million, was shut down and had its funds frozen on Friday.
- The Conservative Party of Canada has been in the news all week. Wednesday began the ousting of Erin O’Toole as party leader and the election of a new leader – Candice Bergen. As the week progressed, fractures in the party appeared, with immediate changes in parliamentary leadership, and public caucus disagreements over the trucker convoy, culminating with Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson leaving the Conservative Caucus over its support for protests in Ottawa against vaccine mandates and COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. On Saturday, surprising no one, MP Pierre Poilievre announced that he will be running for the leadership of the party.
- As tensions rise between Ukraine and Russia, the Canadian military was forced to relocate 60 of its troops to new bases west of the Dnieper River. This came in response to the increased threat of a Russian invasion. On February 3rd, Canada sent non-lethal military equipment to Ukraine.
- At the National Supply Chain Summit hosted by Ministers Alghabra, Bibeau, Champagne, Ng, O’Regan, and Qualtrough, several initiatives to address challenges to Canada’s supply chain were announced. This included the creation of a task force and a $50 million targeted call for proposals under the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF).
In the House
- Today, the House of Commons will commence debate on Bill C-8, Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021.
- There are two supply days (opposition days) this week – on Tuesday and Thursday – allowing the Conservative Party, under the new interim leadership of Candace Bergin, to set the agenda of the House.
Committee Business
- Today, the Standing Committee on Finance will continue pre-budget consultations ahead of the 2022 Budget.
- The Standing Committee on Natural Resources will also meet to review a Study of a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap for the Oil and Gas Sector.
- On Tuesday, the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development will begin a study of single-use plastics. This comes after the Government released a draft of regulations to ban six kinds of ‘harmful’ single-use plastics in December 2021.
- The Standing Committee on National Defence meets today and Wednesday. The committee will receive a briefing from CSIS and the CSE, then a briefing by the Minister of National Defence on her Mandate Letter.
- On Thursday, the Procedure and House Affairs Committee is set to review the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of Parliament.
In the Senate
- The Red Chamber will begin its first sitting of 2022 on Tuesday, after an extended holiday break.
- There are no government bills currently under consideration in the Senate.
- The Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights is currently discussing Bill S-211, An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff, and Legal and Constitutional Affairs. Meanwhile, the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs is studying Bill S-210, An Act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material
- Most other Senate committees have yet to get up-and-running since the election and will be meeting this week to discuss draft agendas for future business.
ICYMI
- Following the launch of a leadership review by several Conservative Party of Canada MPs on January 31st, a vote took place on February 2nd that O’Toole lost by 73 votes to 45. Later that evening, Manitoba MP and Deputy House Leader Candice Bergen was named interim leader.
- Pre-budget consultations were launched on January 31st by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland and Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance Randy Boissonnault, to solicit input from stakeholders and the public. Online submissions will be accepted until February 25, 2022. A date for the federal budget has not yet been set.
- Quebec Premier François Legault announced that the government will not be going ahead with the proposed tax on the unvaccinated to protect the province’s “social cohesion.” Instead, the government will be using other techniques to encourage people to get vaccinated.
- On Friday, Finance Canada released a suite of draft tax proposals (that were announced in Budget 2021) for consultation.
#ONpoli
- A day after COVID-19 restrictions were eased, Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table released its first projections for 2022. Their modelling shows that hospital occupancy related to COVID-19 is expected to remain in a “prolonged peak” even though the Omicron wave in Ontario has plateaued or is in decline.
- Premier Doug Ford stated that he was extremely disturbed by some of the incidents that took place by the trucker convoy in Ottawa on January 31st and urged protestors to go home.
- NDP leader Andrea Horwath released a letter on February 2nd calling on Premier Ford to work with other levels of government and use every tool at his disposal to end the chaos. The Ontario NDP held a party convention over the weekend, where their message focused on election readiness and readiness to govern.
#BCpoli
- The province announced that children ages 12-17 are now eligible to receive their COVID-19 boosters.
- This weekend, the BC Liberals elected their new leader. Former cabinet minister Kevin Falcon was elected on Saturday with just over 52 percent of the votes.
#ABpoli
- During a COVID-19 update, Premier Jason Kenney announced that the province may ease public health restrictions, including the vaccine passport program, by the end of this month if there is a sustained decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations.
- In solidarity with the demonstrations in Ottawa and nationwide, protestors blocked an essential port of entry to the United States in the village of Coutts. Premier Jason Kenney condemned the blockade and its resulting violence, calling it “totally unacceptable.” Local manufacturers and retailers expressed frustration at the potential consequent interruptions to the supply chain.
#ATLpoli
- On February 1st, the Minister Responsible for Labour Bernard Davis announced that the minimum wage rate in Newfoundland and Labrador will increase by 45 cents to $13.20 per hour on April 1, 2022.
- On January 31st, Prince Edward Island eased COVID-19 restrictions. In-person schooling has resumed, and gyms and restaurants may reopen at 50 percent capacity.
- On February 1st, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau and Prince Edward Island Minister of Agriculture and Land Bloyce Thompson released details on the Surplus Potato Management Response plan amid an export ban to the United States. The federal government will provide up to $28 million, and the provincial government will provide up to $12.2 million as part of this plan.
- Following public uproar regarding Nova Scotia Power’s application for a 10% rate increase over three years on January 27th, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston announced on February 2nd that the provincial government will bring forward legislation “to protect ratepayers and the solar industry”. Nova Scotia Power withdrew its application later on Wednesday.
- The Nova Scotia Liberals and the Nova Scotia NDP will elect their new leaders on July 9th and June 25th respectively.
