Good morning,
The Liberal caucus is meeting for three days starting today in Saskatoon. With all the MPs there and only one seat in the province in the year before the election, what better time to dole out some money? Here is a sample of some of the announcements happening in Saskatchewan today alone: Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez to make "an important announcement about Indigenous languages" at 10:30 a.m. (local time); Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott to announce an investment at 11:30 a.m.; Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson to make an announcement "that builds a strong western Canadian economy" at 12:30 p.m.; Finance Minister Bill Morneau talks the middle class (and those working hard to join it) with local business leaders at 1 p.m.; Seniors Minister Filomena Tassi to talk about the government's commitment to, well, seniors, at 1:30 p.m.; Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay delivers multimillion-dollar funding for the pulse industry at 2 p.m.; and Infrastructure Minister François-Philippe Champagne (and a provincial counterpart) announce infrastructure at 2:30 p.m. Whew.
This is the daily Politics Briefing newsletter, written by Chris Hannay in Ottawa. If you’re reading this on the web or someone forwarded this email newsletter to you, you can sign up for Politics Briefing and all Globe newsletters here. Have any feedback? Let us know what you think.
TODAY’S HEADLINES
North American free-trade agreement talks are back on in Washington today. Some trade experts wonder whether a new NAFTA deal will even lead to lasting peace with the U.S.
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland will give Canada's speech at the United Nations General Assembly later this month, the first time Justin Trudeau hasn't spoken at the gathering since he came to office.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford's plan to cut Toronto city council in half appears to be going ahead, despite its legal hurdles. Mr. Ford's Progressive Conservative government introduced the law this summer as one of their first acts, while candidates for council were in the middle of campaigning. Yesterday, a judge struck the law down, saying it was unconstitutional. Then, hours later, Mr. Ford said he would use the Charter's nothwithstanding clause (what's that?) to override the judicial decision. The Ontario legislature is set to meet Wednesday to debate the clause's use.
Independent MP Maxime Bernier, who is about to launch his own political party, says he was not familiar with all the views of the anti-immigrant, far-right Canadian Nationalist Party when he courted their support last week.
Canada's helicopters are being used as "flying emergency rooms" in the peacekeeping mission in Mali.
And the United States under President Donald Trump is considering for the first time using economic sanctions against China over human-rights abuses. The Trump administration is looking to rebuke the persecution of hundreds of thousands of Muslim residents in China.
Carissima Mathen (The Globe and Mail) on Ontario's use of the notwithstanding clause: "The Premier seems to think his mandate entitles him to do whatever he pleases and any opposition is illegitimate. He suggests there is something wrong with judges overriding democratic decisions – even when those decisions are found to violate the Constitution. To be sure, many governments have expressed frustration with court decisions. But it is virtually unheard of for a Canadian political leader to appear to question the idea that we are a nation of laws."
Christie Blatchford (National Post) on Ontario's use of the notwithstanding clause: "This government, whatever its flaws, is brave enough to use the notwithstanding clause that is, after all, there to be used. The fact that Ontario has never used it, and it’s been used so sparingly across the country, is because most governments, like most of those they represent, are timid."
Margaret Wente (The Globe and Mail) on the far right in Sweden: "One reason for the discontent may be the new, and growing, class divide between ordinary Swedes and newcomers. This is a distressing subject in a society that prides itself on being egalitarian."
Angella MacEwen (Regina Leader-Post) on MP Erin Weir: "A wide variety of behaviours are considered sexual harassment, including invasion of personal space, unwanted touching, leering, uninvited stories about sexual prowess, lewd jokes, repeated unwanted advances. And, it’s the impact of your actions that matter for proving sexual harassment, not your intent."
Mary Alice Vuicic (The Globe and Mail) on equality in the workplace: "There are so many areas where progress is being made. More and more incredible women continue to step forward and fight for all of us. From the silence breakers to ground breakers such as Mary Barra of General Motors, IBM’s Ginni Rometty, Cisco Canada’s Rola Dagher and Linda Hasenfratz of Linamar, great women continue to be the role models that we all need."
Lise Ravary (Montreal Gazette) on the Jewish new year: "At this time of year, when Jews examine our hearts and consciences at Rosh Hashanah and in anticipation Yom Kippur, the chief rabbinate in Israel would do well to remember that the first Temple was destroyed because of division among Jews."
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Chris Hannay