Quebec Aviation Best Political Policy Briefing Book Finalist Ridings pp. 17-25 Brown: What Being Critical in the Brown in the World outcome of Tory Today Means leadership race (To Everyone) p. 28 Kamal Al-Solaylee p. 28 TWENTY-EIGHTH YEAR, NO. 1428 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER M ONDAY, APRIL 24, 2017 $5.00 News Marijuana legalization News Liberal caucus Lawyers in Liberal caucus push back against eliminating deferred-tax provision, say Morneau open to change BY ABBAS RANA he elimination of work-in- Tprogress tax deferrals in the last federal budget will not only be a detriment to lawyers but will also impede Canadians’ access to Got a light? Flanked by the PMO, an estimated 6,000 people flocked to the Hill on April 20 to publicly smoke pot to celebrate 4/20. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright justice, say some Liberal MPs and the Canadian Bar Association who are pushing back against the policy. Yet members of the Liberal Marijuana legalization presents potential caucus say Finance Minister Bill Morneau (Toronto Centre, Ont.) is willing to listen to them. political risks and gains for Liberals, say insiders “I’m very much concerned,” Liberal MP Ali Ehsassi (Willow- dale, Ont.), who practised law BY RACHEL AIELLO AND On the upside, the successful Will Stewart, a former Conser- If and when the legalization before getting elected in the 2015 LAURA RYCKEWAERT execution of a legalized regime in vative Queen’s Park staffer and package passes, further hurdles election, said in an interview time for the next federal election will managing partner at Navigator could come for the government in with The Hill Times. “I think that here’s both “a lot of risk” and “a be seen as a win for the Liberals. But Ltd., who represents a number of the form of potential court chal- there might be some room for the Tlot of reward” at stake for the between now and then, a lot has to clients in the cannabis industry, lenges, said Mr. Stewart, pointing Ministry of Finance to examine Liberals in their plan to legalize be worked out; from regulations with said there is both “a lot of risk” to early questions raised over this issue and consider whether recreational marijuana in Canada the provinces, to how the Senate will and “a lot of reward” at stake for the constitutionality of changes there are means to taper it to by the summer of 2018, say Hill take to the bill, not to mention how the Liberal government in legal- ensure it does not impede access insiders and political players. public opinion evolves on the issue. izing recreational cannabis. Continued on page 26 to justice.” Up until the last federal bud- News Lobbying get, under Sec. 34 of the Income Tax Act, taxpayers in some des- ignated professions were allowed not to include work in progress, or Lobbyists registry shows Irving companies work that’s done but not billed, in their taxable income. This is also Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 called billed-basis accounting. keeping close contact with federal officials The designated professions in this provision included lawyers, ac- BY DEREK ABMA lobbyists so far this year, accord- several other groups for having fence or government procurement countants, dentists, chiropractors, ing to documents on the registry. filed the 10th most communication as the topics of discussion. veterinarians, and doctors. Even he Irving family and their con- Filing 23 reports in March, reports that month. It also had 17 Asked for elaboration on though they did not claim income Ttrolled companies, so central to Irving Shipbuilding Inc. was tied in January, in what is typically a the nature of its recent lobby- for this work in progress for the economy of Atlantic Canada, are with the Canadian Cattlemen’s slow month for lobbying, making ing activity, Irving Shipbuilding certain years, these professionals also major players in Ottawa, judg- Association as being the sixth it the third busiest lobbyist for spokesman Sean Lewis said in an were also allowed to deduct the ing by the federal lobbyists registry. most common lobbyist of the that period. email: “As Canada’s shipbuilder, expenses related to the work Irving companies have been federal government that month. It Most of Irving of Shipbuilding’s among the most prolific federal had 17 in February, tying it with communication reports identify de- Continued on page 6 Continued on page 4 2 monday, APRIL 24, 2017 | THE HILL TIMES per cent a year earlier. The Institute for Research on Public On a regional basis, Policy is hosting a workshop for journal- that level of trust ists about the Indian Act on Friday, April ranged from 56 per 28 in Ottawa. It will be moderated by cent in the Atlantic Jennifer Ditchburn, editor-in-chief of the Heard on the Hill to 37 per cent in the organization’s Policy Options publication. West—and as low as 27 The expert panelists there will be Carleton per cent in Calgary. His University public policy professor Frances by Derek Abma trust among females was Abele, University of Toronto law profes- 46 per cent compared to 40 sor and Opaskwayak Cree Nation member per cent among males. Douglas Sanderson, and Roger D. Jones, The poll also in- founding president of the Indigenous Bar cluded some interest- Association. Trump’s dairy ing results related It will be held between 1 and 3 p.m. at to marijuana, the the International Development Research recreational use Centre at 150 Kent St., on the eighth floor. Do you trust this for which is slated Those interested in attending are asked to offensive triggers guy? For the most to become legal next register through the events section at irpp. people polled by year. Fifty-one per org. The cost is $25, or free for students. Environics, the cent said they trust answer was no. The pharmacies to sell barbs in Conservative Hill Times photograph by and distribute pot, Champion bell ringers Jake Wright 39 per cent said they trust the government announced to set the prices, and just 13 per cent said they trusted the marijuana manufacturing House Speaker Geoff Regan last week leadership race announced the winners of the national industry. This is good news for those in the public relations industry, who should have Carillon Composition Competition, which Mr. Scheer responded with a link to the no shortage of calls from this sector over is based on the art of playing music with message in both official languages. the next year or so. the kinds of bells and chimes that make When asked about the tweet, Pierre-Luc noise in the Peace Tower. Jean, from Mr. Blaney’s campaign, said in The winner in the open category was an email that Mr. Scheer has had a habit of Munk academic to tell Scott Allan Orr, a Toronto native who’s cur- sending emails to Conservative members Canada to toughen up on rently a doctoral student of heritage science about supply management in French only. at Britain’s Oxford University. His piece is Nancy Bishay, a spokeswoman for world stage called Festive rondo, and it will be played Mr. Scheer, responded to that charge as for the public for the first time this Canada Day by the country’s dominion carillonneur, follows in an email to The Hill Times: “At The director of the University of Toron- Andrea McCrady, at the Peace Tower. times, when responding to a timely issue, to’s Munk The winner of the youth category—for sometimes one language goes out before School people who were 26 or younger as of Jan. 1 another … but the message remains the of Global this year—was Lucus Oickle, who is origi- same in both languages. And as one of the Affairs nally from Nova Scotia and is now living few campaigns with a candidate that is will be in in Japan with his wife. His composition, bilingual, that is important.” Ottawa Fifteen Decades, will also debut on Canada on the Day, but at the Soldiers’ Tower in Toronto. Conservative leadership candidate Maxime morning Bernier, seen here during this year’s Manning Angus campaign goes off of May Centre Conference in Ottawa, agreed with much 2 to tell of what U.S. Donald Trump said last week the beaten path Canada Search underway for about Canada’s supply-managed dairy sector. that its parliamentary poet laureate The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright “nice guy” approach .S. President Donald Trump’s shot to inter- Stephen Toope will be speaking Officials are Uat Canada’s dairy industry provided national on the Hill on May 2. The Hill looking for some fodder for Conservative leadership affairs Times photograph by Jake Wright a successor candidates to fight about last week. isn’t going to cut it anymore. to current After Mr. Trump promised something Stephen Toope will be appearing at the parliamentary would be done in reaction to what he called Parliamentary Restaurant that day for an poet laureate “very unfair” practices in Canada’s supply- event that goes from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., as George Elliott Charlie Angus, left, greets staff at Shacklands managed dairy sector, Conservative leader- part of the Big Thinking lecture series put Clarke. Brewing in Toronto. Photograph courtesy of Charlie ship candidate Maxime Bernier wrote an on by the Federation for the Humanities Parliament open letter to the U.S. president, which was Angus’s Facebook and Social Sciences. of Canada published in The Globe and Mail. Promotional material for the event said photograph Charlie Angus’s campaign to become In it, Mr.