'Cancer' That Will Destroy the Party, Say Political
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Michael Harris p.11 Feds’ spending tops $392-billion and counting p. 17 Heard on Our problem Canada’s the Hill Gwynne p.2 with China is Dyer mental much bigger p.13 health than the two system is Time to get serious Michaels p. 15 broken p. 12 about climate change p. 10 THIRTY-FIRST YEAR, NO. 1742 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER MONDAY, JULY 6, 2020 $5.00 News News Next Conservative Stalled Liberal leader must stop agenda awaits internal sniping fall return of before it becomes Parliament BY PETER MAZEREEUW 338 MPs would begin on that day, forcing MPs to regularly criss-cross he Liberal government has the country and sit in close proxim- Tplenty of work left to do as ity to one another. The number a ‘cancer’ that will of COVID-19 cases in Canada MPs begin their summer recess, with a stalled legislative agenda has declined in recent weeks, but and high-profile promises await- second waves of the virus have ing Parliament’s return this fall. already begun to spring up in other It’s not yet clear what the return countries around the world. destroy the party, of Parliament will look like. The MPs have not yet reached a House of Commons has adjourned deal on how or whether to alter until Sept. 21. By default, that say political insiders would mean regular sittings of all Continued on page 4 ‘Unity is the way to go’ should be the marching orders from the new News leadership to all Conservative Party members, says Keith Beardsley, former deputy chief to former prime minister Stephen Harper. COVID-19 pushes Former cabinet minister Peter MacKay, left, and Conservative MP and former cabinet minister Liberals into majority Erin O’Toole are the front- runners in the Conservative Party leadership contest. But territory; Conservatives leadership candidates Toronto lawyer Leslyn Lewis and Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 Conservative MP Derek Sloan must ready an alternative are expected to play pivotal roles in the outcome of the race, say Conservative insiders. vision, say pollsters The Hill Times file photographs BY ABBAS RANA pandemic should get ready to make themselves relevant in the coming ustin Trudeau’s Liberals are months by offering a clear alterna- BY ABBAS RANA between rival camps within the “Right now, it’s inside base- in majority territory in public tive vision for Canada’s future and party, before it draws public atten- ball,” said pollster Nik Nanos of J opinion polls chiefly because of their how to rebuild the economy, say he next leader of the federal tion away from the COVID-19 pan- Nanos Research, in an interview effective management of COVID-19, political insiders and pollsters. Conservatives will have to take demic and becomes a “cancer” for T but opposition parties that have been immediate steps to stop sniping the party, warn political insiders. Continued on page 6 relegated to the sidelines during the Continued on page 7 2 MONDAY, JULY 6, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES Governor General Julie Payette earned Heard on the Hill herself some musical chops last by Palak Mangat week. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Philpott keeping busy these days, co-editing new book GG gets musical nod as dean appointment begins The Queen’s representative Canton has been picking up earned herself yet another acco- international and national rec- lade last week, after the Ottawa ognition, all while featuring the Bach Choir, which features Gov. former astronaut as one of the Here comes Jane: Jane Philpott has Gen. Julie Payette, was named a six sopranos. “Our album won helped edit Vulnerable: The Law, Policy Juno winner under the classical … we are so thrilled!’” tweeted and Ethics of COVID-19, published album of the year category. Since Ms. Payette on June 30. Astro- by the University of Ottawa Press. The 2002, the group headed by York naut, Governor General, award- 628-page book, to be released on July University associate professor winning singer … what can’t Ms. 14, features some 60 authors. She is and head of choral music Lisette Payette do? one of five editors of the book. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan, pictured at the November 2019 cabinet swearing-in, thanked some star power this week for donating to her alma mater. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Fisheries minister thanks star power Fisheries Minister Bernadette Indigenous Women’s Leadership. Jordan, a proud West Dublin, N.S., “You are indeed both honor- resident who graduated from St. ary Xaverians for life,” tweeted Francis Xavier University with a Ms. Jordan, whose hometown sits bachelor’s degree in political sci- just over three hours away from thors, on June 29. “This pandemic ence, gave a shout out to Vancou- the school. The school’s goal is to has been a massive wake-up call ver-born Hollywood actor Ryan raise $1-million in support of the to expose the vulnerabilities that Reynolds and American actress programming, and the fund comes have existed for a very long time,” Blake Lively last week. The Hol- as the country wraps up its Na- says Ms. Philpott in the video. lywood couple donated $200,000 tional Indigenous History Month The book chronicles those who to the school to help launch the for June. “I’m finally an X-Man. have been directly affected by the Coady Institute’s program called X-Person?” joked Mr. Reynolds on virus as well as those harmed by Circle of Abundance-Amplifying Twitter. measures taken to slow its prog- ress, including at the institutional, governance, and legal levels. Ms. Philpott is quite busy nowadays: she marked her McKenna to talk recovery first day as dean of the faculty of health sciences and direc- In a July 14 Pearson Centre tor of the school of medicine at webinar, Infrastructure Minister Queen’s University in Kingston Catherine McKenna will talk shop with Brian Gallant, the Former health minister Jane Philpott tweeted a promotional video offering on July 2. Her appointment former Liberal premier of New a sneak peek of her new book, which she co-edited, on June 29. It will go came into effect July 1, Canada Brunswick who was defeated public July 14. Image courtesy of Jane Philpott’s Twitter Day, when she tweeted a photo of her new office at Macklem by Conservative Blaine Higgs in House. She touched down in 2018. The talk comes as govern- Kingston on June 30, when she ments across Canada begin re- anada’s former federal health costs $95.95 for cloth, $49.95 for shared a photo of her new home: opening their economies, and Ms. Cminister Jane Philpott will paperback, and $29.99 in eBook. “Met some friendly neighbours McKenna will weigh in on how soon have a new COVID-19 “Hopefully, COVID-19 will force already and did a bit of exploring infrastructure can pave the path credential under her belt: a book us to deeply reflect on how we down by the lake,” she tweeted. forward to a national recovery. detailing the impacts of the out- govern and our policy priorities; Earlier, she was one of the public “Will Canada need a new break. Titled Vulnerable: The Law, to focus preparedness, precau- figures on the front lines of the Marshall Plan? And how can Policy and Ethics of COVID-19, tion, and recovery to include all, pandemic, when she returned to government[s] centre recovery it’s published by the University not just some,” reads a description the Markham Stouffville Hospi- objectives with issues such as of Ottawa Press and set to be of the book, which Ms. Philpott tal in Markham in March, where environmental sustainability and released on July 14. At a hefty 628 co-edited and comes complete she had worked for almost two gender equity?” reads a promotion Infrastructure Minister Catherine pages, the book is edited by Ms. with 43 peer-reviewed chapters. decades as a family physician of the webinar. The event runs 2 p.m. McKenna will chat with former Philpott, Colleen M. Flood, Vanes- She tweeted a one minute, 44-sec- before joining politics. Ms. Phil- to 3 p.m. Liberal New Brunswick premier Brian sa MacDonell, Sophie Thériault, ond video promoting the work, pott will serve at Queen’s for a Gallant on July 14. The Hill Times and Sridhar Venkatapuram and it which features more than 60 au- five-year term. Continued on page 16 photograph by Andrew Meade THE HILL TIMES | MONDAY, JULY 6, 2020 3 Opinion Radioactive waste: a We see big problem for New remarkable Brunswick’s proposed change new nuclear reactors ahead The two New Brunswick prototypes are The nuclear waste problem both designed to re-use spent CANDU fuel bundles. At Point Lepreau, solid, highly is not going away. radioactive used fuel bundles are stored in hundreds of silos on a site about a kilome- tre away from the CANDU reactor. Interestingly, promoters of both new nuclear projects in New Brunswick—the ARC-100 reactor and the Moltex “Stable Salt Reactor”—claim their reactors will “burn up” these radioactive waste fuel bundles. They have even suggested that their prototype reactors offer a “solution” to the Lepreau reactor’s existing nuclear fuel waste problem. The radioactive left-over Gordon Edwards & Susan O’donnell used fuel from the new reactors will still Opinion require safe storage for hundreds of thou- sands of years. The only way to re-use the existing used n June 26, federal Climate Change fuel at Lepreau is to access the unused “fis- Oand Environment Minister Jonathan sile material,” mainly plutonium, contained Wilkinson ended the environmental as- in the irradiated fuel bundles.