EXCLUSIVEEXCLLUUSSIIVVE PPOLITICALOL COVERAGE:GE: NEWNEWS,S, FEATUREFEATURES,S, AND ANANALYSIS INSIDE HILL CLIMBERS MARK KENNEDY’S TOP 100 LOBBYISTS HEALTH POLICY - BRIEFING PP. 19-35 P. 42 43 SHINDIG P. 41 2016 P.37

TWENTY-SEVENTH YEAR, NO. 1324 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSWEEKLY MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 $5.00

NEWS LOBBYING NEWS LEGISLATION Power shift Nine rookie MPs came House of among federal Commons lobbyists biggest to Canada as refugees to vote on since Chrétien Canada’s won power in anti-terrorist 1993: lobbyists or from current and mission BY DEREK ABMA against ISIS Much has changed as a result past war zones of last year’s election that brought BY RACHEL AIELLO in a majority Liberal government and marked the fi rst change in The House will vote this week government in almost 10 years, on Canada’s mission against ISIS and the federal lobbying sector is and will be fi nalizing procedure to one of those things, as seen with begin debating private members’ this year’s Top 100 Lobbyists list. bills by the next sitting week. Robin Sears, a principal at On Monday, March 7, the Earnscliffe Strategy Group, said House will vote on Bill C-4, An the shakeup in the power hier- Act to amend the Canada Labour archy among federal lobbyists is Code, the Parliamentary Employ- probably the biggest since Jean ment and Staff Relations Act, the Chrétien came to power in 1993 Public Service Labour Relations and—like Justin Trudeau (Pap- Act and the Income Tax Act—at ineau, Que.) today—put the Liber- als in power after nearly a full Continued on page 6 decade of Conservative rule.

Continued on page 36 NEWS SENATE AUDIT NEWS HOUSE SPENDING Binnie sends MPs slammed rulings on 14 for quietly Liberal MPs Arif Virani, Gary Anandasangaree, Maryam Monsef, and Ahmed Hussen came to Canada as refugees. Senators who boosting Photographs courtesy of Parliament of Canada challenged BY ABBAS RANA Canada either as refugees or fl ed Publications, four came to Cana- House from war-torn countries. da as refugees from war zones or AG’s report Nine newly-elected MPs in the Out of the nine, according to suffered persecution and fi ve im- 42nd Parliament, which is consid- research conducted by John Che- migrated to Canada from current to Senate budget by ered the most diverse crop of MPs nier, former editor of The Lobby $26-million in Parliament’s history, came to Monitor and now editor of ARC Continued on page 38 registrar

BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT BY ABBAS RANA FEATURE GARY ANANDASANGAREE Members of Parliament will Ian Binnie, the former Supreme be getting an almost $58,000 ‘I remember it as if it was yesterday,’ rookie Grit Court justice who has the fi nal boost to their offi ce budgets for say on all 14 Senators who chal- 2016-17—a 20 per cent increase lenged Auditor General Michael starting in April following a Toronto MP knows what being a refugee is like Ferguson’s scathing audit on their seven-year freeze—along with Senate spending last year, released an extra $1,400 each for travel BY CHELSEA NASH Syrian refugees who were land- 10-year-old boy, he and his mother his rulings to the registrar of the expenses, but these changes are ing in Canada for the fi rst time. landed in Montreal under similar arbritration process, last week. The being met with mixed reactions On a recent Sunday, Liberal The moment was especially circumstances. report is expected to be publicly on and off the Hill. MP Gary Anandasangaree took touching for Mr. Anandasanga- “I remember it as if it was released in the coming weeks. his family to the Toronto Pearson ree (Scarborough-Rouge Park, Continued on page 16 International Airport to greet 269 Ont.) because 33 years prior, as a Continued on page 39 Continued on page 4 2 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 FEATURE BUZZ

ganization for Economic Cooperation and The Globe and Mail, and is a former Ot- Development (OECD). tawa bureau chief for the Globe. “These relationships will enable the insti- “As someone who believes deeply in ON tute to leverage best practices and comparative having thoughtful, far-ranging discus- THE data, as well as to connect thought leaders and sions on the policy problems of our times, HEARD HILL Canadian decision-makers with students and I’m thrilled to join the Forum community,” researchers, while sharing the strengths of Mr. Greenspon said in a press release BY DEREK ABMA Canadian values and democratic institutions issued by the Ottawa-based think-tank. abroad,” Mr. Page said in the school’s release. “I’m excited and proud to advance its Allan Rock, president of the University collaborative solutions that lead to better of Ottawa and a former Cabinet minister in outcomes for Canadians.” Jean Chrétien’s Liberal government, said: Forum chairwoman Anne-Marie Hubert “This new institute will make a signifi cant called Mr. Greenspon “a highly-credible impact on evidence-based decision making.” policy leader and exceptional communica- The university said the Ontario govern- tor” who will “excel at combining the best Former PBO ment was funding this think-tank, though possible thinking with building trust across a spokeswoman said the exact amount of sectors to contribute to the best policy funding has not been announced yet. outcomes for our country.” Greenspon new boss at Page to help run Continued on page 44 Public Policy Forum new think-tank Longtime CORRECTIONS: THE HILL TIMES, journalist FEB. 29 ISSUE Edward Re: “ ‘Storm clouds coming’ for Post- Greenspon media, feds should ‘stop perpetuation ormer parliamentary budget offi cer has been of revenue model that does not serve FKevin Page has been tapped to help run appointed CEO journalism,’” (The Hill Times, Feb. 29, p. 1). a new think-tank called the Institute of Fis- of the Public This story mistakenly described TorStar cal Studies and Democracy. Policy Forum. as a conglomerate controlled by hedge Based at the University of Ottawa, it will Photograph by funds. It is not involved with or controlled be “the only Canadian university-based Peter Power by hedge funds. The Hill Times apologizes think-tank to focus on public fi nance and in- for this error and confusion. stitutions,” the school said in a press release. • Mr. Page currently holds the univer- Re: “Cabinet staffi ng continues, sity’s Jean-Luc Pepin Research Chair, and further chief of staff changes,” (The Hill his co-head for the new organization will Times, Feb. 29, p. 28). In last week’s be Sahir Kahn, a senior visiting fellow at Hill Climbers column, Jillian White was identifi ed as assistant to Liberal the university who was an assistant bud- The Ottawa-based Public Policy Forum MP Omar Alghabra, parliamentary getary offi cer to Mr. Page during his time announced last week that longtime news- secretary to the foreign affairs minis- as the federal budget watchdog. man Edward Greenspon has been appoint- Kevin Page, former parliamentary budget ter. She is in fact assistant to the other The university said the new institute ed its new president and CEO. offi cer, has been chosen to help run a new parliamentary secretary for Foreign Af- will leverage relationships that have been Mr. Greenspon had been a senior editor University of Ottawa-based think-tank called fairs (there are two), Liberal MP Pamela formed between Mr. Page’s current offi ce of Canadian news for Bloomberg since the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy. Goldsmith-Jones. The Hill Times apolo- and institutions such as the World Bank, 2014, and before that was a vice-president The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright gizes for this error. International Monetary Fund, and the Or- with The Toronto Star, editor-in-chief for

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Former Supreme Court justice Ian Binnie started the Senate The 14 Senators who chose to take their cases to Mr. Binnie include Quebec Ind. Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, Quebec Conservative dispute resolution process in September. He provided his Sen. Jean-Guy Dagenais, New Brunswick Liberal Sen. Joseph Day, Ontario Liberal Sen. Colin Kenny, New Brunswick Liberal Sen. Sandra rulings to the Senate last week. Photograph courtesy of Ian Lovelace Nicholas, Nova Scotia Liberal Sen. Terry Mercer, Saskatchewan Liberal Sen. Pana Merchant, Nunavut Conservative Sen. Dennis Binnie Patterson, Manitoba Conservative Sen. Donald Plett, Northwest Territories Liberal Sen. Nick Sibbeston and Saskatchewan Conservative Sen. David Tkachuk. Three former Senators –Lowell Murray, Robert Peterson and Terry Stratton also challenged Mr. Ferguson’s fi ndings before Mr. Binnie. Photographs courtesy Senate of Canada Binnie sends rulings on 14 Senators who challenged AG’s report to Senate registrar

Ian Binnie provided hands of or seen by any member of CIBA to the Senate in June. In total, the AG deter- Meanwhile, Sen. Housakos told The [Committee on Internal Economy, Budget, mined that the 30 Senators misspent $992,000. Hill Times in January that Mr. Binnie’s rulings on Senate and Administration], steering, or any other Of the 30 Senators, nine Senators’ cases were arbitration report would be made public Senator [or] staffer,” Ms. Delaney wrote in referred to the RCMP and 14 chose to take in its entirety. He also said that, following expense arbitration to the an email to The Hill Times. “Only once the their cases to Mr. Binnie. up on recommendations of Mr. Ferguson, registrar, last week. translation, verifi cation, etcetera, is com- The Senate’s Internal Economy Com- the Senate’s Internal Economy Committee plete will the report come to CIBA.” mittee invited Mr. Ferguson in 2013 to would release details about a new indepen- Senate sources told The Hill Times that undertake this audit after the explosive dent oversight plan to examine and approve Continued from page 1 the 14 Senators who took part in the Sen- expenses scandal rocked the Red Cham- Senators’ expenses that will make the Upper ate arbitration process have not received ber. As a result of the expenses scandal, Chamber “the model for all legislatures in Mr. Binnie, head of the special Senate advance copies of Mr. Binnie’s rulings and three Conservative Senators—Mike Duffy, Canada in terms of accountability, oversight arbitration process, submitted his rulings on Mr. Thompson has informed them that he’s Pamela Wallin, and Patrick Brazeau—were and disclosure.” As of last week, no details individual Senators’ cases on Monday, Feb. currently working on the translation and suspended from the Upper Chamber while were available publicly. Sen. Housakos was 29, to the registrar. But Senators will receive fi nalizing Mr. Binnie’s rulings to be pre- Liberal Senator Mac Harb resigned from unavailable for an interview last week. their individual copies at the same time when sented the Internal Economy Committee. his seat in August 2013. Sen. Wallin has The 14 Senators who chose to take the fi nal report is submitted to the steering Mr. Thompson, according to Senate now returned to the Senate while Sen. their cases to Mr. Binnie are: Quebec Ind. committee of the Senate’s Internal Economy, sources, also informed Senators that they Duffy and Sen. Brazeau’s cases are still Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, Quebec Budgets and Administration Committee Sen- will get a copy of their individual reports at undergoing the legal proceedings. Sen. Conservative Sen. Jean-Guy Dagenais, ate sources told The Hill Times. the same time when the complete report will Duffy’s criminal court trial, in which he New Brunswick Liberal Sen. Joseph Day, Mr. Binnie, now a lawyer with the Toronto be submitted to the steering committee of the faced 31 charges of fraud, breach of trust Ontario Liberal Sen. Colin Kenny, New litigation fi rm Lenczner Slaght, confi rmed Internal Economy Committee. Mr. Thompson and bribery, wrapped up last month and a Brunswick Liberal Sen. Sandra Lovelace to The Hill Times that he sent his rulings on did not provide any date to concerned Sena- decision is expected on April 21. Nicholas, Nova Scotia Liberal Sen. Terry Feb. 29 to Adam Thompson, the registrar of tors either, but only that he expects to fi le the Mr. Ferguson’s audit cost the taxpayers Mercer, Saskatchewan Liberal Sen. Pana the Senate arbitration process, but said he fi nal report in the coming weeks. $24-million. The AG’s auditors reviewed Merchant, Nunavut Conservative Sen. did not know when the fi nal report would Mr. Binnie, who declined to say last week 80,000 expense claims fi led by the Senators. Dennis Patterson, Manitoba Conservative be provided to the steering committee of the how much he was paid for his work, started During the Senate audit, Prince Edward Sen. Donald Plett, Northwest Territories Internal Economy Committee. the dispute resolution process in September. Island Liberal Sen. Percy Downe tabled Liberal Sen. Nick Sibbeston and Saskatch- Jacqui Delaney, director of parliamen- This process was offered by the Senate’s In- a motion in the Senate in February 2014, ewan Conservative Sen. David Tkachuk. tary affairs to the Senate Internal Economy ternal Economy Committee to all 30 Senators calling upon the House of Commons to Three former Senators—Lowell Murray, Committee’s chair Conservative Sen. Leo whose expenses were fl agged by Mr. Ferguson invite Mr. Ferguson to conduct a similar Robert Peterson and Terry Stratton also Housakos, declined to specify a date when in his unprecedented and historic audit of 116 comprehensive audit of their expenses, but challenged Mr. Ferguson’s fi ndings before the report will be made public. current and former Senators who served in MPs declined. The auditor general cannot Mr. Binnie. “This is not to be confused with it the Upper Chamber between April 2011 and initiate an audit of any Chamber of Parlia- [email protected] [arbitration rulings] actually being in the March 2013. Mr. Ferguson provided his report ment without an invitation. The Hill Times SAY YES TO OPPORTUNITY

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for individuals with taxable there is a market solution al- Also happening income of more than $200,000. ready available to support them. this week, the fi rst In addition to this, it reverses As well, it asks the House to the Conservative change to the state the company has designed chunk of private tax-free savings contribution aircrafts that are well suited members’ business limits from $10,000 to its previ- to urban airports like the Billy ous level of $5,500. Bishop Toronto City Airport, and topics are to be The House will also vote asks the government to reverse solidifi ed. on the NDP’s Feb. 25 opposi- its decision to restrict the expan- tion day motion on employ- sion of that airport. ment insurance, introduced by Also happening Tuesday, MPs Continued from page 1 MP Karine Trudel (Jonquière, will vote on Canada’s redefi ned Que.). The motion seeks to mission to combat ISIS, intro- second reading stage, and have the House recognize how duced by Prime Minister Justin once it passes, it will be sent to important access to employ- Trudeau (Papineau, Que.), to end committee to be studied. This ment insurance is, and call on the airstrikes, which has already is a government bill, tabled on the government to strengthen happened, and to boost train- Jan. 28 by Employment, Work- the EI system by creating a ing on the ground as well as force Development, and Labour universal qualifying thresh- humanitarian assistance. Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk old of 360 hours for EI; repeal First, the House will deal On Monday, the House of Commons will vote on Bill C-4, An Act to amend the (Kildonan-St. Paul, Man.). changes the previous govern- with an amendment to the mo- Canada Labour Code, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act, the It seeks to repeal Bills C-377 and ment made to the system; and tion presented by interim-Con- Public Service Labour Relations Act and the Income Tax Act—at second reading C-525, two union-related Con- to protect the EI fund from servative leader Rona Ambrose stage. This is a government bill, tabled by Employment, Workforce Development, servative private members’ bills being spent on anything other (Sturgeon River-Parkland, Alta.) and Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright passed in the last Parliament. than benefi ts to Canadians. that sought to replace the entire Also Monday, the House Tuesday, March 8 will be the motion with re-establishing the will continue the second- sixth allotted opposition day mission and reversing the deci- STATUS OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS reading debate on Bill C-2, An when the House will debate an sion to withdraw the CF-18s. Act to amend the Income Tax opposition motion. It’s possible Wednesday, March 9 will be HOUSE OF COMMONS • C-6, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and to Act, which was introduced by it will be the motion on Mon- the fi rst day of second read- • C-2, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (second make consequential amendments to another Act Finance Minister Bill Morneau day’s notice paper from Conser- ing debate on Bill C-6, An Act reading) (second reading) (Toronto Centre, Ont.) on Dec. vative MP Scott Reid (Lanark- to amend the Citizenship Act, • C-4, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code, 9, 2015. This bill implements Frontenac-Kingston, Ont.) that introduced by the Minister of the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations SENATE the Liberals’ promised amend- seeks to have the House ac- Immigration, Refugees and Citi- Act, the Public Service Labour Relations Act and No government bills have passed into the Senate ment to the Income Tax Act, knowledge Bombardier’s contri- zenship Minister John McCal- the Income Tax Act (second reading) yet this session. and introduces a new personal bution to the Canadian economy • C-5, An Act to repeal Division 20 of Part 3 of the marginal tax rate of 33 per cent and aerospace industry and that Continued on page 47 Economic Action Plan 2015 Act, No. 1 (second ROYAL ASSENT RECEIVED reading) • C-3, Appropriation Act No. 4, 2015-16 THE WEEK AHEAD

MONDAY, MARCH 7 Service; Alastair Bland and Cathy Hawara, directors with the • The House International Trade Committee will meet at March 31, 2016, and the expenditures set out in the • The Senate Human Rights Committee will meet at 11:30 • The House Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Canada Revenue Agency; and Chief of the Defence Staff 8:45 a.m. in The Valour Building, Room 306 to continue Main Estimates for the fi scal year ending March 31, a.m. in The Victoria Building, Room 9 to conduct its Committee will meet at 3:30 p.m. in Centre Block, General Jonathan Vance. The committee will then move its pre-study of the Trans-Pacifi c Partnership Agreement. It 2017. It will meet again on these subjects at 2 p.m. in clause-by-clause on Bill S-201, An Act to prohibit and Room 237-C to discuss the Minister of Infrastructure on to a study of the security threats facing Canada and will hear from Unifor’s Jerry Dias and Angelo DiCaro; Ford East Block, Room 257. prevent genetic discrimination. and Communities mandate, as well as the Main will hear from Monik Beauregard, senior assistant deputy Motor Company of Canada’s Dianne Craig and Caroline • The Senate Transport and Communications Committee • The Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Estimates 2016-17. Minister Amarjeet Sohi will appear minister of the National and Cybersecurity Branch of the Hughes; the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association will meet in-camera at 9:30 a.m. in East Block, Room Committee will meet at 4:15 p.m. in East Block, as a witness, as will the Deputy Minister of Transport, Public Safety Canada, as well as other directors within of Canada’s David Worts, and Stephen Beatty, vice- 257 to consider a draft agenda. Room 257 to study on matters pertaining to delays Infrastructure and Communities Jean-François Tremblay; the department: Patrick Boucher, Colleen Merchant, and president of Toyota Canada Inc; and the Automotive Parts • The Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee will in Canada’s criminal justice system and consider a and Associate Deputy Ministers Yazmine Laroche and Suki Wong. Manufacturers’ Association’s Flavio Volpe. meet at 5 p.m. or when the Senate rises, in The Victoria draft budget. It will hear from the Ontario Crown Helena Borges; and Darlene Boileau, assistant deputy • The Senate Offi cial Languages Committee will meet • The House Environment and Sustainable Development Building, Room 2 to study International market access Attorney’s Association; the Canadian Association of minister and CFO of corporate services at Infrastructure at 5:30 p.m. in East Block, Room 257 to discuss Committee will meet at 11 a.m. in Centre Block, Room priorities for the Canadian agricultural and agri-food Crown Counsel; and Ian Greene, professor of political Canada. This meeting will be televised. the application of the Offi cial Languages Act and of 237-C to begin a review of The Canadian Environmental sector. It will hear witnesses from the Canadian Canola science at York University. • The House Finance Committee will meet at 3:30 p.m. the regulations and directives made under it, within Protection Act, 1999. The committee will hear from senior Growers Association; Canola Council of Canada; Pulse • The Senate Social Affairs, Science and Technology in-camera in Centre Block, Room 112-N to consider its those institutions subject to the Act. It will hear offi cials from Health Canada and Environment Canada. Canada; and Association des érablières-transformateurs Committee will meet at 4:15 p.m. in a to-be-determined draft report on its pre-budget consultations 2016. witness testimony from Sylviane Lanthier, president • The Procedure of House Affairs Committee will meet at des produits de l’érable. room to study on the issue of dementia in our society. • The House Health Committee will meet at 3:30 p.m. in of the Fédération des communautés francophones 11 a.m. in 1 Wellington Street, Room C-110 to discuss • The Senate Energy, the Environment and Natural It will hear from Rodney Ghali, director general of the The Valour Building, Room 306 to receive a briefi ng on et acadienne du Canada; and Groupe Média TFO’s Order in Council Appointments of the Independent Resources Committee will meet in-camera at 5 p.m. Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention at the Public the Zika virus outbreak. The committee will hear from President and CEO Glenn O’Farrell, and Executive Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, committee or when the Senate rises in East Block, Room 257, to Health Agency of Canada; and Dr. Yves Joannette, Canadian Blood Services’ Chief Executive Offi cer Dr. Director Michel Tremblay. business, and Supplementary Estimates (C) 2015-16. consider a draft agenda and study emerging issues scientifi c director of the CIHR Institute of Aging, Chair of Graham Sher and Chief Medical and Scientifi c Offi cer The committee will hear from Speaker of the House related to its mandate. It will hear from Alex Ferguson, the World Dementia Council at the Canadian Institute of Dana Devine; and from the Public Health Agency of TUESDAY, MARCH 8 of Commons Geoff Regan, and Director of the vice-president of policy and performance at the Health Research. Canada Chief Public Health Offi cer Dr. Gregory Taylor, • The House Canadian Heritage Committee will meet at Parliamentary Protective Service Michael Duheme. This Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. • The Senate Aboriginal Peoples Committee will meet at and Matthew Gilmour, scientifi c director general of the 8:45 a.m. in The Valour Building, Room 228 to further meeting will be televised. • The Senate Fisheries and Oceans Committee will meet at 6:45 p.m. in , Centre Block, Room 160-S to continue National Microbiology Laboratory, Infectious Disease their study on the media and local communities. It will • The House Veterans Affairs Committee will meet at 11 5 p.m. or when the Senate rises in The Victoria Building, studying best practices and on-going challenges relating Prevention and Control Branch. hear from Sylviane Lanthier, chair of the Fédération a.m. in The Valour Building, Room 268 to study service Room 9 to study Bill S-208, An Act respecting National to housing in First Nation and Inuit communities in • The House Offi cial Languages Committee will meet at des communautés francophones et acadienne du delivery to veterans and the Supplementary Estimates Seal Products Day. The committee will hear from Senator Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut and the Northwest 3:30 p.m. in Centre Block, Room 253-D to receive a Canada; Association de la presse francophone’s Francis (C) 2015-16. Appearing before the committee will be Céline Hervieux-Payette, the sponsor of the bill. It will Territories. It will hear from the National Aboriginal briefi ng on the current Roadmap for Offi cial Languages. Sonier and Jean-Patrice Meunier; Alliance des radios Veterans Ombudsman Guy Parent. then move in-camera to discuss future business. Economic Development Board’s Hilda Broomfi eld It will hear from the Treasury Board Secretariat’s communautaires du Canada’s François Côté and • The House Government Operations and Estimates Letemplier; and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Assistant Deputy Minister of governance planning Simon Forgues; the Quebec Community Newspapers Committee will meet at 3:30 p.m. in Centre Block, Room WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 Obed. and policy in the offi ce of the Chief Human Resources Association’s Executive Director Richard Tardif; the 253-D to study Supplementary Estimates (C) 2015-16; • The House Offi cial Languages Committee will meet at Offi cer Sally Thornton, and Executive Director, Offi cial Aboriginal Peoples Television Network’s Chief Executive Departmental Performance Reports 2014-15; and to 3:30 p.m. in Centre Block, Room 112-N to conduct a THURSDAY, MARCH 10 Languages Centre of Excellence, Offi ce of the Chief Offi cer Jean La Rose; and the Canadian Media Guild’s discuss committee business. It will hear from experts review of the Status of Offi cial Languages in Minority • The House National Defence Committee will meet at Human Resources Offi cer Marc Tremblay. Witnesses Carmel Smyth and Jeanne d’Arc Umurungi. from the Public Service Commission and the Privy Settings across Canada. It will hear from the Quebec 8:45 p.m. in-camera in East Block, Room 362 to discuss from the Department of Public Works and Government • The House National Defence Committee will meet Council Offi ce. Community Groups Network and the Fédération des a future work plan. Services will attend as well. at 8:45 a.m. in 1 Wellington Street, Room C-110 to • The House Status of Women Committee will meet at communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada. • The House Veterans Affairs Committee will meet at 11 • The House Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee will receive a briefi ng from Minister of National Defence 3:30 p.m. in Centre Block, Room 112-N to discuss • The House Transport, Infrastructure and Communities a.m. in The Valour Building, Room 306 for a briefi ng on meet at 3:30 p.m. in 131 Queen Street, Room 7-52 to Harjit Sajjan on his mandate letter, and will hear from committee business. Committee will meet at 3:30 p.m. in Centre Block, the Minister of Veterans Affairs’ ministerial mandate and study the Supplementary Estimates (C) 2015-16. It will senior offi cials in the department on the Supplementary • The House Fisheries and Oceans Committee will meet Room 237-C to discuss the mandate of the Minister of service delivery to veterans. It will hear from the Minister hear from Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Estimates (C) 2015-16. This meeting will be televised. at 3:30 p.m. in The Valour Building, Room 228 to study Transport, and look at the Main Estimates 2016-17. It of Veterans Affairs Kent Hehr; and Deputy Minister Gen Assistant Deputy Ministers Tina Namiesniowski and • The House Public Accounts Committee will meet in- the Supplementary Estimates (C) 2015-16. It will hear will hear from Transport Minister Marc Garneau, and Walter Natynczyk. Pierre Corriveau. camera at 8:45 a.m. in Centre Block, Room 112-N and from several deputy ministers within the Department of deputy ministers from the department of Transport Jean- • The Joint House and Senate Scrutiny of Regulations • The House Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure for will receive a briefi ng from the Canadian Comprehensive Fisheries and Oceans. François Tremblay, André Lapointe, and Laureen Kinney. Committee will meet at 8:30 a.m., in Centre Block, the Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee will meet at Auditing Foundation’s , Vice-President, Performance • The Senate Aboriginal Peoples Committee will meet This meeting will be televised. Room 256-S for the election of joint chairs. 4:30 p.m. in-camera in 131 Queen Street, Room 7-52 to Audit and Oversight John Reed, Oversight Director at 9:30 a.m. in Centre Block, Room 160-S to continue • The House Government Operations and Estimates • The Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee discuss committee business. Lesley Burns, and Associate Shawn Murphy. studing best practices and on-going challenges relating Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. in Centre Block, Room will meet at 10:30 a.m. in East Block in Room 257, • The new special House Pay Equity Committee will meet • The House Justice and Human Rights Committee will to housing in First Nation and Inuit communities in 253-D to study the Supplementary Estimates (C) 2015- to study matters pertaining to delays in Canada’s at 5:30 p.m. in Centre Block, Room 253-D to elect meet at 8:45 a.m. in Centre Block, Room 253-D to Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut and the Northwest 16 and Departmental Performance Reports 2014-15. criminal justice system. It will hear from Rebecca committee chairs. discuss access to the justice system. It will hear from Territories. It will hear testimony from offi cials from • The Senate Special Committee on Senate Modernization Bromwick, board member of The Church Council on • The Senate National Security and Defence Committee will Canadian Heritage’s Rachel Wernick, assistant deputy Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada; and the will meet at 11 a.m. in East Block, Room 257, to consider Justice and Corrections; Andrea Markowski, district meet at 1 p.m. in The Victoria Building Room 2, to study minister of strategic policy, planning and corporate Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. methods to make the Senate more effective, more director, Manitoba/Saskatchewan/North West Ontario Canada’s national security and defence policies, practices, affairs; and senior directors of policy Gordon Platt and • The Senate National Finance Committee will meet at transparent and more responsible, within the current District Offi ce of Correctional Service Canada; and Kim circumstances and capabilities. It will hear from Michel Yvan Déry; and from the Justice Department, General 9:30 a.m. in The Victoria Building, Room 9 to study the constitutional framework. It will hear from David E. Smith, a Pate, executive director of the Canadian Association of Coulombe, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Counsel Michel Francoeur and Erin Brady. Supplementary Estimates (C) for the fi scal year ending distinguished visiting scholar from Ryerson University. Elizabeth Fry Societies. Competition guarantees the best for Canada.

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Publishers Anne Marie Creskey, Editor Kate Malloy Jim Creskey, Ross Dickson Deputy Editor Derek Abma Online Editor, Power & Influence Editor Bea Vongdouangchanh General Manager, CFO Andrew Morrow

EDITORIAL HOUSE SPENDING & TRANSPARENCY LETTERS TO THE EDITOR House gets $26-million boost, Infrastructure an investment should have been released in our future, not a quick fi x he House will increase its total budget “Word leaking out almost three months ast October, infrastructure was at skilled jobs and develop expertise across Tby about $26-million this year and later … that does not to me sound like a Lthe heart of the Liberal platform that the design and construction sectors, but MPs will be getting an almost $58,000 group that is very confi dent in defending propelled the party to a strong majority more importantly, they create long-term boost to their offi ce budgets in April, this,” he said. “If they really believe they victory. One of the clearest delineations prosperity and jobs across all sectors, which represents a 20 per cent increase, need this money, they should at least have between the major party platforms was making the economy more resistant to after a seven-year freeze. This is good the guts to be transparent about it and the Liberals’ commitment to run relatively future downturns. Further, these so-called news for MPs, but it should have been make the case to Canadians, saying this is modest annual defi cits (in the context of a “shovel-ready” projects are either small publicly released, not leaked to some Hill why we need to do this, not try and bury it.” national economy of nearly $2-trillion) to scale repair and maintenance jobs or media through a Gmail account, espe- The House of Commons secretive Board allow the expansion and upgrading of the projects that are already designed and cially from a government that promised of Internal Economy fi nalized a decision country’s infrastructure. This must be the have received all of the necessary approv- more transparency. The House is expected last year to increase MPs’ offi ce budgets by focus of the upcoming budget, and if done als and permits. Unfortunately, as anyone to spend $464-million this year. 20 per cent for 2016-17, as well as increase right, a multi-billion dollar infrastructure who understands design and regulatory Aaron Wudrick, federal director of the House offi cers’ offi ce budgets by 20 per cent, program can help set the stage for en- processes will agree, we cannot make Canadian Taxpayers Federation, rightly and approve a fi ve per cent boost to the MP hanced growth for decades to come. projects “shovel-ready” retroactively. Ad- called the process “troubling,” since it was travel expenses account. Offi ce budgets Study after study demonstrates a link ditionally, in order to have “shovel-ready” approved by “the Board of Internal Econo- had been frozen since 2009-10 as part of the between infrastructure investment and projects next year and each year there- my, which is secretive in and of itself,” and former Conservative government’s efforts to economic performance; infrastructure in- after, planning and design needs to start not released publicly, and especially since cut costs and reduce the defi cit. vestment grows the economy, strengthens now and continue year after year; a long- it’s a 20 per cent hike. The board also decided at its Decem- communities and protects the environ- term, strategic approach is critical. “We’re obviously facing a very chal- ber meeting that MPs’ offi ce budgets, ment. Furthermore, public infrastructure The opportunity is tremendous and, if lenging fi scal environment, the new gov- parliamentary research bureau budgets, is a core business of government and vital done correctly, can help Canada emerge ernment keeps conditioning us to expect and House offi cer offi ce budgets would to Canada’s prosperity. Infrastructure en- from what is a stubbornly low-growth a very, very large defi cit, much larger than be “adjusted annually, as of April 1, 2017, hances the economic, social and environ- period. As a proportion of GDP, the they had pledged to run. I think in terms according to the consumer price index mental quality of life of all Canadians. proposed infrastructure investments are of the message this sends to Canadians, as measured in September of the previ- Therefore, the federal government’s modest however they will yield mas- you know, we’re bleeding red ink all over ous year.” House offi cers include the infrastructure program has an oppor- sive benefi ts in the future as returns are the place, you can still fi nd $25-million for House leaders, party whips, and caucus tunity to take advantage of historically compounded over decades. We cannot yourselves?” said Mr. Wudrick. chairpeople. Prior to the freeze, MP offi ce affordable borrowing rates to make succumb to the temptation to choose House Speaker Geoff Regan, chair of budgets were typically increased by two long-term investments in Canada’s com- ill-suited projects just because they are the Commons Board of Internal Economy, to three per cent each year. petitiveness and productivity, enhancing expedient or offer a “ribbon-cutting” informed MPs of the changes through But MPs have been asking for bigger infrastructure that, over time, will help us opportunity. We urge the federal govern- internal email, but it was shared with offi ce and riding budgets for years. emerge from what is currently a persis- ment and municipalities to be strategic members of the Parliamentary Press “It’s been really tight the last couple of tently low-growth economy. and focus on projects that are truly pro- Gallery on Feb. 26 via an email from an years,” Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner told The However, notwithstanding the current ductivity-enhancing, long-term in nature unfamiliar Gmail account. Hill Times last week. “I was really happy to economic challenges, we must resist fo- and that will boost long-term economic “I haven’t found a press release. … hear that they’ve gone forward with it.” cusing on short-term “stimulus” spending growth. If we are able to accomplish this, The government has not even offi cially These kinds of decisions should aimed at so-called “shovel-ready” projects the government, and more importantly all announced this. It’s just simply a clipped be made in public and BOIE meetings merely for the sake of speed and expedi- Canadians, will reap the rewards. email from Geoff Regan that every related to fi scal matters should be open, ency. The real value proposition and the John Gamble journalist and groups like ours around which, as Conservative MP Dan Albas greatest return on investment require a President and CEO town got. That, to me, is almost a bigger said, “would be a good thing for the public long-term, strategic approach. Not only Association of Consulting Engineering problem,” said Mr. Wudrick. to build faith.” do infrastructure investments create Companies Canada Exploration, discovery essential for mining: Innovation Council xploration and discovery are essen- The NSERC-CMIC Project is a bright Etial for any industry that is based on light in the dark days of one of the exploiting fi nite resources. In the min- industry’s most punishing downturns. ing industry, new ore deposits are being With a fi ve-year budget of more than developed at ever greater depths, and $13-million, the scale of the project replenishing those resources has become is unprecedented, and the expecta- a challenge. Conventional approaches to tions are high. This week’s release of exploration are falling behind. Canada’s Deloitte’s global mining report at the largest mining and mineral exploration PDAC convention emphasizes that in- research network will meet to discuss novation is vital to growth in Canadian the advances that are needed to improve mining, but that innovation doesn’t exploration success. Supported by the happen in isolation. The report’s au- federal government’s Natural Sciences thors point out that a strategy that is and Engineering Research Council and expanding the innovation focus beyond the mining industry’s Canada Mining just new technology is the establish- Innovation Council, the group has already ment of broad collaborative partner- been working together for three years ships between miners, technology and will present preliminary fi ndings at providers, scientists and government. a two-day meeting timed to coincide with Carl Weatherell the world’s premiere mining conference Executive director held by the Prospector’s and Developers Innovation Council Association of Canada. Ottawa, Ont.

Elmer, Alice Funke, J.L. Granatstein, Éric Grenier, Dennis DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Steve Macdonald DELIVERY INQUIRIES The Hill Times also relies weekly on the valuable research of EDITORIAL the Library of Parliament. ASSISTANT DEPUTY EDITOR Abbas Rana Gruending, Cory Hann, Tim Harper, Chantal Hébert, CORPORATE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Craig Caldbick, [email protected] NEWS REPORTERS Tim Naumetz, Jenn Jefferys, David T. Jones, Joe Jordan, Warren Martin Reaume, Ulle Baum 613-688-8822 Please send letters to the editor to the above street address or Kinsella, Camille Labchuk, Gillian McEachern, Arthur e-mail to [email protected]. Deadline is Wednesday at noon, Rachel Aiello, and Laura Ryckewaert CIRCULATION SALES MANAGER Chris Peixoto Ottawa time. Please include your full name, address and daytime PHOTOGRAPHERS Steve Gerecke, Jake Wright, Milnes, Nancy Peckford, Kate Purchase, Tim Powers, PRODUCTION phone number. The Hill Times reserves the right to edit letters. and Andrew Meade Michael Qaqish, Jeremy Richler, Susan Riley, Ken Rubin, PRODUCTION MANAGER Benoit Deneault Letters do not reflect the views of The Hill Times. Thank you. Sarah Schmidt, Evan Sotiropoulos, Rick Smith, Ian EDITORIAL CARTOONIST Michael De Adder SENIOR GRAPHIC, ONLINE DESIGNER Joey Sabourin Publications Mail Agreement No. 40068926 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Denis Calnan, Simon Wayne, Nelson Wiseman, and Armine Yalnizyan JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Melanie Brown PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY BY RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN Doyle, Christopher Guly, Leslie MacKinnon, and WEB DESIGNER Kobra Amirsardari HILL TIMES PUBLISHING INC. ADDRESSES TO: CIRCULATION DEPT. Cynthia Münster ADVERTISING 69 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5A5 69 Sparks Street, Ottawa, ON K1P 5A5 COLUMNISTS Keith Brooks, Karl Bélanger, Andrew VP OF ADVERTISING AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (613) 232-5952 Fax (613) 232-9055 2012 Better Cardozo, John Chenier, David Coletto, Sheila Copps, DEVELOPMENT Don Turner FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION Tracey Wale Canadian Publications Mail Agreement No. 40068926 CMCA AUDITED Newspaper David Crane, Murray Dobbin, Michael Geist, Greg ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Amanda Keenan RECEPTION Alia Kellock Heward • www.hilltimes.com Winner THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 9 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Australian still waiting ENTREPRENEURS for permanent residency, two years later THRIVE HERE

e: “Spouses of Canadians to get perma- Rnent residency immediately: McCal- lum,” (The Hill Times, Feb. 29, p. 1). Cur- rently, sponsored spouses of Canadians Feridun Hamdullahpur receive conditional permanent residency President and Vice-Chancellor upon arrival in Canada and have to wait for two years to obtain permanent-resi- University of Waterloo dent status. Spouses holding conditional permanent resident status enjoy the same rights and benefi ts as any other perma- nent resident. Economic Club of Canada I applied for permanent residency via Fairmont Chateau Laurier spousal sponsorship in May 2014 from within Canada (I’m Australian) and I’m Tuesday March 8, 11:45–1:30 still waiting. Yes, it takes around two years Tickets available at economicclub.ca to be granted residency, but during this time, I did not have conditional perma- or call 613-369-4363 nent residency and I most certainly do not “enjoy the same rights and benefi ts as any other permanent resident.” I’m here under what is called “implied status,” which means I do not have access to provincial medical benefi ts, I can’t open a bank ac- count, get a Canadian driver’s licence, or even get a pre-paid credit card. I have no rights, I can’t work or study, and I’m not even allowed to volunteer in my local com- munity. There are many of us here who are not enjoying any rights or benefi ts. Shannon Smith Penticton, B.C. Liberals should restore offi cial development assistance, says reader The University of Waterloo champions a unique model of university education that f the Liberals insist on carrying on with Itheir spending spree plans, why not places talent development and industry restore our beleaguered ODA budget? For decades, both Liberal and Conservative connection at its core. governments have treated our offi cial development assistance (ODA) budget as a cookie jar to be raided. At the World Economic Forum in Da- This approach, which signals a way forward for 21st Century university education, provides vos, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that, “Moving forward, we will focus students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to thrive in today’s world, not only on enhancing the prosperity of while providing industry with the opportunity to work with tomorrow’s leaders. Canadians, but of all global citizens in an inclusive way.” It remains to be seen if he was just caught in the moment. Join University of Waterloo President and Vice-Chancellor Feridun Hamdullahpur at the Pardon my cynicism, but we have been Economic Club of Canada as he shares the University of Waterloo’s vision of an enhanced role sliding backwards for the last 40 years. for universities in today’s economy, and explains how the 21st Century university model has Today, OECD fi gures show that our ODA made Waterloo Canada’s most innovative university. is a miserly 0.24 per cent of gross national income (GNI). To put it another way, that’s 24 cents for every $100 of GNI. That’s a long way from our record 0.56 per cent reached in 1975 when, ironically. his father was prime minister. This government has been talking ad nauseam about helping the middle class. How about changing the channel for an instant, and let’s hear how they plan to help the 1.2 billion people in the ultra poor Find out more about how Waterloo class who live on less than $1.75 a day? is defining innovation Stephen St. Denis uwaterloo.ca/defining-innovation Ottawa, Ont. 10 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 COPPS’ CORNER GENDER EQUALITY Gender equality strong in Canada, not so much elsewhere the country certainly seems to be heading How many Americans cackle in ap- One only has to look to in the right direction. preciation when he takes a shot at women the success of American And with a Senate nomination advisory simply because they bleed at a certain time board dominated by women, chances are of the month? presidential candidate the Red Chamber will follow suit. How many chime in with support when Donald Trump to cringe So why is it that some of us are worried he makes jokes about how ugly some that there is still so much to do? woman is? And when he trots out his fam- at the status of women on Trump launches venomous attacks on ily, many of whom look as though they this continent. women, Mexicans, Muslims, and he only have visited the same aesthetician/plastic seems to keep climbing in the polls. Mean- surgeon, his followers eat it up and sign on while, the greatest crack against his oppo- in greater numbers. nent, Hillary Clinton, seems to be her gender. How can any self-respecting American Trump takes special pleasure in knock- woman even consider supporting such a sex- ing down any woman who could be a ist and racist pig? When David Duke jumped threat to his political ascendance. Remem- on to the bandwagon, you would think that SHEILA COPPS ber his dump on a reporter who, in his would be enough to stop his momentum. But While Canada can be proud of its record on opinion, was unable to do her job because at this point, it seems unstoppable. the status of women, the story is not great of her period. Really? It is almost like watching the train elsewhere, including in the U.S., where Donald TTAWA—This International Women’s Day; Then he had the gall to attack the only wreck that prompted the Ford family saga Trump is getting closer to becoming the next OCanada can afford to take a short bow. female opponent in his Republican run-up, in Toronto. In the end, Doug Ford handily president, writes Sheila Copps. The Hill Times With equality in the Cabinet and his- not with substantive opposition to her supplanted Olivia Chow as the only real photograph by Chelsea Nash toric numbers in the House of Commons, ideas, but because of her face. opponent in the mayoral race, and came scarily close to actually winning the thing. It looks as though Trump has a lock on the Republican race, and even if he didn’t win, he has vowed to offer himself and his billions as an independent candidate. With unlimited personal fi nances to support his bid, and federal law that upholds his right to simply outspend all his opponents with his own money, Trump continues to confound the critics. There is a possibility he could actually end up as president of the United States. MORE NUTRITIOUS Which brings me back to the question FOOD of International Women’s Day. How can we be satisfi ed on the status of equality in Canada when so many stereo- types are still fl oating around in high offi ce in countries around the world? In Africa, many of the young girls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram are still at large. UNICEF reported last year that 1.5 million people, including 800,000 children, GREENER were forced to fl ee their homes because of attacks by the anti-women terrorist group. At ENERGY the end of the day, millions of girls around the world are still not free to pursue their dreams on an equal footing with boys. Of course, Canadian women and men can be rightfully proud of the profound changes that have taken place in the high- est offi ces in the land. Supporters of all political stripes gathered to celebrate the new face of Parliament recently at the opening recep- tion hosted by non-partisan Equal Voice. From Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his spouse Sophie Gregoire, to opposition leaders, ministers, and members, all were speaking out in favour of parity in Parlia- ment and beyond. BOUNTIFUL Equal Voice can take particular credit HARVESTS for the improvements, having devoted thousands of volunteer hours to tracking the records of political parties and candi- dates in all Canadian elections. The organization vigilantly tracks the The world’s biggest promise? work of every party in the nomination and promotion of women. It works across party lines to educate back-room girls, with the same tools and support that was previously the exclusive domain of the back-room boys. But when Donald Trump’s numbers Research that unlocks the genome may be the most powerful continue to swell south of the border, Equal Voice must remind us all that there is still innovation of all. It has already led to better food, healthier forests, much work to do. and new, affordable medicines. Canada is among the world’s leaders International Women’s Day may be a hap- py one in Canada this year, but sadly, it is not today, and every dollar invested by Ottawa draws more private investment, so serendipitous for women in other places. meaning more jobs, stronger growth and renewal of our economy. When a presidential wannabe can complain about women’s periods leading to unprofessionalism, we still have a long Learn more at genomecanada.ca way to go. Sheila Copps is a former deputy prime minister and a former Jean Chrétien-era Cabinet minister. She is a registered lobbyist. [email protected] The Hill Times The fact is that, if you tax it too much as we saw with

“cigarettes,

you end up with driving things towards a black market,“ which will not keep Canadians safe - particularly young Canadians.* Justin Trudeau * PM would use pot tax for addiction treatment, Nanaimo Daily News (CP), Fri Dec 18, 2015, Page A2

Contraband tobacco undermines health objectives, results in less tobacco tax revenues for critical public services, and compromises public safety through links with organized crime.** **Ontario 2016 Budget, page 208 **www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/pubs/tobac-tabac/tobacco-tabac-strat-2008-eng.htm Contraband tobacco should be the Federal Government’s top tobacco control priority…NOW! 12 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 POST-PARTISAN PUNDIT EMOTIONS IN POLITICS Political professionals Some call it should keep cool, refrain from public spats and an impasse, behind-the-scenes we call it a people should remain starting point. behind the scenes Maybe it’s human nature or maybe it’s just the Where others struggle, we thrive. We are a team of the nature of those humans foremost infrastructure practitioners operating across who engage in politics, all stages of the lifecycle of an infrastructure asset. but for whatever reason We work shoulder to shoulder with our clients to solve the most daunting infrastructure challenges of our time. democratic debate has We are KPMG’s Infrastructure team. always overfl owed with red hot emotion. kpmg.ca/infrastructure

GERRY NICHOLLS

AKVILLE, ONT.—Maybe it’s human Onature or maybe it’s just the nature of Gerald Butts, one of Prime Minister Justin those humans who engage in politics, but Trudeau’s top advisers, is no slouch when it for whatever reason democratic debate has comes to debating publicly on Twitter. The Hill always overfl owed with red hot emotion. Times photograph by Jake Wright In the heat of political combat, coolly rational voices just have a hard time get- ers, then a realist will recommend dropping ting a word in edgewise. or modifying that position and emphasizing Indeed, emotional appeals designed to some other policy that polls better. pluck at our heartstrings or to kindle the Likewise, if a rational analysis indicates fl ames of outrage or to scare the bejeebers an election can be won by running a nega- out of us, pop up everywhere in politics, tive media ad campaign, viciously attack- saturating social media, mainstream me- ing a political opponent’s mother, then yup, dia, and just about any other kind of media a realist will recommend doing that too. you can think of. It’s not personal; it’s just business. And for good reason: strong emotions— At any rate, the reason I’m bringing both positive and negative—motivate all this up is I’m a little perplexed and voters, convert people to causes, and win dismayed at how certain Canadian politi- elections. cal professionals have seemingly put their Yet, not everyone involved in politics realist side on hold and allowed their emo- should get emotional. tions to get the better of them. In fact, the one group of people who must What I mean is, I’ve observed profes- consciously avoid getting all hot and both- sionals go onto social media outlets like ered are political professionals—the men Twitter to either attack other political pro- and women who work behind the scenes to fessionals or to engage in heated debates make politicians look and sound good. with the media. Such professionals must always main- Now maybe I’m a little bit old-fash- tain a dispassionate practicality. ioned, but to my mind that’s poor form. Or to put it another way, professionals In the fi rst place, there should be a code must understand and appreciate the power of honour, whereby you respect others in of emotion in politics, without ever suc- your discipline. And secondly, it doesn’t cumbing to it themselves. really make much sense to attack a col- To succeed in the business of politics, to league who might one day be on your side. effectively sway public opinion, to have the After all, due to the ever-shifting nature best chance of winning, professionals must of political circumstances, today’s enemy keep cool and rational. could be tomorrow’s ally. They must embrace their inner cynic. So why poison any wells? And if you think “cynic” is too negative And fi nally, whenever a strategist or a word, if it conjures up images of Machia- consultant or adviser vents his or her emo- velli or of consultants practicing manipula- tions in a public forum, it can often refl ect tive “dark arts,” then feel free to replace it badly on their employer. with the less threatening term “realist.” That’s a defi nite no-no. Anyway, a cynic or a realist, in my view, I’ve known political consultants who is a person who won’t allow prejudices or have damaged their careers by making ill- ideological attachments or sentimental feel- considered comments to the media. ings to infl uence their tactics and decisions. So in my ideal world, strategists and A realist, in other words, bases strate- consultants, and political staff would refrain © 2016 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member gic decisions on coldly calculated rational from public spats; they would refrain from firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. analysis. making themselves the centre of attention. All rights reserved. The KPMG name and logo are registered trademarks For instance, if a rational analysis in- “Behind the scenes” people, should or trademarks of KPMG International. dicates a political candidate’s most prized remain behind the scenes. ideological position isn’t winning over vot- The Hill Times THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 13 THE WAR ROOM AMERICAN POLITICS Donald Trump can be beaten and that’s very, very relevant

recently had Rob Ford, who was chief constitute a majority— but they are an im- The Republican and magistrate in our largest and most diverse portant constituency, because of two things. Democratic war rooms city. Ford, as was well-established, smoked One, they vote. Two, they are completely, crack cocaine, drove drunk, cavorted with totally impervious to factual information. need to bombard Donald gangsters, and said some of the most dis- Donald Trump calls Mexicans rapists and Trump, until election day. tasteful things one could imagine. killers? Demands a ban on Muslims? Mocks In the United States, meanwhile, they the disabled? Attacks the Pope? Makes foul, Donald Trump matters because he is a rough have much greater familiarity with the fi lthy remarks about women and African- beast now slouching his way towards the Oval Trump-Ford genus. There, mendacious, Americans, Asians, POWs, and Seventh-Day Offi ce and he must be stopped, writes Warren malicious, mean-spirited populist types are Adventists? He has done all those things, and Kinsella. virtually a dime a dozen. Southern segre- more, and here is how his surging legions of gationist George Wallace, red-baiting po- supporters respond: they shrug. cally know—everything there is to know lemicist Joseph McCarthy, redistributionist They don’t believe it, because Big Media about the populist’s popular base. You need to know what they like, and what WARREN KINSELLA demagogue Huey Long, and on and on. is saying it about their guy, and they detest They come and they go. Sometimes they Big Media. Or they don’t care, because they they don’t. You need to know something achieve real power, sometimes they don’t. mostly agree with him. about Donald Trump about which they are But such men persist. Why? Because, to them—and as we unsure, or which they sort of don’t like. ORONTO—Donald Trump is irrelevant. Yes, What matters isn’t these men, per se have heard so many times, in recent Something unhelpful they are overlooking, Tyes, of course: the racist, sexist, extremist (because they are almost always men). What months, it is like an Internet meme—he perhaps. reality- TV billionaire is the biggest news story matters is their audience—the voters, the citi- says the things that no one else will. Be- And then your war room—be it Repub- on the planet, presently bigger than ISIS and zens, who license them to wield power. Who cause he gives voice to the prejudices that lican or Democratic—needs to bombard Justin Bieber combined. Yes. He is newsworthy make them historically signifi cant. they nurture in their tiny black hearts. Donald Trump with it. Overwhelm him because he says outrageous, offensive things, Demographically, the Trump-Ford constit- To beat Donald Trump—and, rest as- with it. Put your foot on his throat, leaving and because the media cannot bring them- uency is populated by overwhelmingly white, sured, we need to, because he is currently him gasping for air, and don’t remove it selves to ignore him. Also true. older men with little or no post-secondary winning—we need to dramatically change until Election Day is long past. He isn’t merely newsworthy, either. education. To a one, they harbour deep re- the focus. We need to stop overreacting What is that thing that has been over- Donald Trump matters because he is, per sentments and fears about all that is around to every loathsome utterance he makes, looked? What is that thing that hurts him Yeats, a rough beast now slouching his them. They are profoundly distrustful of because our overreactions help him. We the most, and will lose him the support way towards the Oval Offi ce. He is the institutions that wield power (governments, need, instead, to start focusing on changing of those angry, older white men? His tax presumptive Republican Party presiden- media), and they feel greatly intimidated by the hearts (such as they are) and the minds returns? His big bank connections? His tial nominee, in fact, and that means he is societal change (particularly cultural change, (ditto) of the angry old white men who sup- myriad lies? His four bankruptcies? His closer to the presidency than anyone ever be it race or sexuality or gender). port Trump. lack of religion? His eponymous universi- dreamt he could be, even in their blackest, These men, as we have lately seen, num- It can be done; it has to be done. I’ve ty? It is out there. It needs to be found, and cold-sweat nightmare. ber many more than anyone thought. They overseen political war rooms for a genera- it needs to be used, over and over and over. But he isn’t relevant. are not what Richard M. Nixon termed “the tion. To stop a runaway populist train, you With it, Donald Trump can be beaten. And Men like Donald Trump come and silent majority”—they are not particularly must research the candidate, to be sure. that, of course, is very—very—relevant. go, you see. Up here in Canada, we most silent, these days, and they do not thankfully But you must also research—and intrinsi- The Hill Times

The Forest Products Association of Canada

The Chair of the Board of Directors Customize of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), Curt Stevens, is pleased to announce the appointment of Derek Nighbor as Your Work CEO of the Association. Derek had served as Senior Vice- president with Food & Consumer Track a bill Products of Canada, overseeing the Q organization’s strategic development in government relations and Q Follow a committee UHJXODWRU\D΍DLUV%HIRUHWKLVKH was Senior Vice President of Public $΍DLUVZLWKWKH5HWDLO&RXQFLO Q Get immediate of Canada. Derek has also held notification senior political positions with the when changes Government of Ontario, including happen WZR\HDUVDVFKLHIRIVWD΍WRWKH province’s Consumer and Business Derek Nighbor Services Minister.

'HUHNLVDPHPEHURIWKH%RDUGRI'LUHFWRUVRI5RQDOG0F'RQDOG House Charities Canada and the Churchill Society for Parliamentary Democracy. He has an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with an Option in Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario.

www.parliamentnow.ca 14 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 OPINION ECONOMY Where’s the urgency on Canada’s economy?

But Canadians want action Trudeau’s Cabinet has shown Finance The country on an economy that is turning in it knows how to move quickly— Minister Bill needs a full-scale a performance that has seldom on Syrian refugees, support for Morneau. been worse since the depths of Alberta and other fi les. But the Canadians want commitment, with a the global recession in 2008-09. economic line remains the same: action on an range of spending, Morneau recently acknowl- we’re consulting with Canadians, economy that edged the public is worried. Still, it goes, and on March 22 we are is turning in a subsidies and tax there has been little to indicate going to launch billions of dol- performance incentives, to revive that he and Prime Minister Justin lars in infrastructure spending to that has seldom Trudeau are fully cognizant of boost the economy. been worse an economy that how serious the problems are and There’s also talk about helping since the how to address them. the middle-class. But while any depths of the is in much worse Hammered by the collapse in tax break will be welcome, even global recession shape than anyone oil prices, the Canadian economy if for a lot of people it amounts in 2008-09, barely climbed out of a recession to only a few bucks a month, writes Les thought it would be last year and expected growth in what the middle-class, or most Whittington. when the Liberals 2016 is an anemic 1.5 per cent. Un- Canadians, need is a government The Hill Times employment is up, with 1.4 million determined to use all the levers photograph by Jake were campaigning out of work. The Canadian dollar at its disposal to get the economy Wright for election last is stuck in the 74 cent (U.S.) range. rolling again. And quickly. Consumers are still carrying huge Leaving aside the fact that the year. debts and the business factors long government could have taken expected to propel the economy action much sooner—say, with at the situation. Working out new expansion. But despite urging by back to health—business invest- a budget in January or Febru- plans is gruelling and, hey, the international fi nancial authori- ment and exports—were both ary—it’s not at all clear that the existing plan is a pretty good one. ties to do just that, the crucial down at the end of 2015. pro-growth program conceived Look at the way the Harper gathering ended with no such The Liberals were elected by the Liberals last summer is Conservatives almost lost their agreement. largely because they offered some adequate to the task of reversing government in 2008 by sailing At home, the fi nance minister into the onrushing global reces- has rightly promised to get busy LES WHITTINGTON hope of activist government when the current slump. it came to the economy. They Given the shock that Canada sion with a laissez-faire attitude. on a set of long-term policies promised a doubling of spending has been forced to absorb in the Look at the way Harper cam- meant to deal with the country’s to $10-billion annually on bridges, past year, broader stimulus mea- paigned in 2015 on fi scal rec- ingrained economic shortcom- TTAWA—Inertia is a risky sewers, transit, and other infra- sures may be needed from Ottawa titude while the economic ship ings—mainly a lack of effi cient Obusiness in politics. structure projects to try to get to help jump-start economic was foundering underneath him. industry, weak business invest- Bill Morneau, the Liberal fi - the economy going, along with a growth. Infrastructure is a proven Or the way NDP Leader Thomas ment and inadequate research nance minister, seems like a good more generous (and simplifi ed) economic driver but it’s only one Mulcair missed the signals on the and technology-based innovation. guy—intelligent, well-meaning, child benefi t program and tax approach and it takes time to need to throw out the playbook But in the meantime, the coun- and highly accomplished. cuts for average income earners. implement and have an effect. on defi cit fi nancing. try needs a full-scale commit- But his performance has Those policies made sense If Morneau is thinking much Morneau at least can be said ment—with a range of spending, defi nitely shown the hallmarks of heading into last year’s election beyond increased infrastructure not to be alone in all this. He went subsidies and tax incentives—to the amateur. He’s been consult- but that was many months ago. outlays, it’s not evident. In gov- to his fi rst G20 fi nance ministers revive an economy that is in ing with Canadians for months Since then, business conditions ernment, it seems, reality often meeting in China last month with much worse shape than anyone on what to do about the economy. have steadily worsened in Canada evolves slowly. Days pass, weeks an idea about convincing fellow thought it would be when the That’s all very nice, and an im- and at the global level, where pass, months pass. Nobody wants global leaders to deliver on their Liberals were campaigning for portant change in tone from the there are now fears of another to tell the minister, or the leader, promise to take concerted action election last year. previous regime. world recession. to wake up and have a fresh look to accelerate global economic The Hill Times

DIGITAL WORLD PICK-AND-PAY TV

In fact, the choice is not lim- ited to cable packages or pick- New ‘skinny’ TV packages provide and-pay options. With numerous streaming alternatives, a growing number of consumers will rely on Netfl ix (or Shomi or CraveTV) Jump-start to competition for much of their entertainment programming, and some may turn to sports-streaming subscriptions creases and restrictive options that their basic packages, making them shop around. Television services directly from the leagues. The reality is that many are failing to recognize the viable choices for those looking for have long been exceptionally dif- For example, a Shaw customer arrival of greater consumer choice. limited service that can be supple- fi cult for consumers to compare, could pay $30 per month (includ- the combination Last week’s launch of the new mented with streaming options given the wide variability in pack- ing $5 for a cable box) to receive of basic television $25 basic “skinny” cable pack- such as Netfl ix. Bell, on the other ages and prices. The new CRTC all the major Canadian and U.S. ages, mandated by the Canadian hand, has loaded its package with requirements establish a level networks, the CBC News Network, service and the Radio-television and Telecommu- French-language channels and playing fi eld, enabling consumers TSN, Treehouse, YTV, Country pick-and-pay model nications Commission, left many none of the popular U.S. channels, to fi nally make apples-to-apples Music TV, as well as Home and underwhelmed, as the patchwork of thereby ensuring that there will comparisons among similarly Garden Television. Add in a Netfl ix that must be offered channels and hidden fees seemingly be few takers among English- priced basic packages as well as subscription and the monthly cost by the end of the confi rmed critics claims that con- speaking households. Consumers assessing the incremental costs of is still under $40 per month. sumers would be better off sticking looking for a cheaper option have a adding more channels or special- While not every company will year is changing the with their existing, pricier packages. real (and obvious) choice. ized services. offer an identical package, the There is plenty of room to Yet focusing solely on the Third, the biggest benefi ts of CRTC’s mandated requirements marketplace for the criticize the cable and satellite value of a basic package misses the new system will come later this have fi nally cracked open the door better. companies. They have no intention most of the story. year when the full pick-and-pay to competition and comparison of actively promoting the cheaper First, the arrival of the basic requirements kick in. Critics warn shopping for television services. options, and some seem deter- package has sparked a re-exam- that consumers will be shocked The new market will still take some mined to make them as unattract- ination of television packages by the high prices of some chan- time to unfold, but the benefi ts ive as possible. However, the reality more broadly, with the companies nels. However, early indications are likely to be felt by all consum- is that the combination of basic tweaking their more expensive suggest that consumers interested ers, whether content with basic television service and the pick-and- alternatives to make them more in combining a basic service with services or willing to pay for access pay model that must be offered by attractive. For consumers who some additional sports, news, or to hundreds of channels. MICHAEL GEIST the end of the year is changing the were thinking of cutting the cord, family-oriented channels will save Michael Geist holds the Cana- marketplace for the better. the changes may be just enough hundreds of dollars a year when da Research Chair in Internet and Start with the new cable and to stick with conventional cable compared to bigger packages. E-commerce Law at the Univer- satellite basic packages, which or satellite services for now. Those larger packages obviously sity of Ottawa, Faculty of Law. anadians appear to have differ signifi cantly between Second, the emergence of offer access to far more channels, He can be reached at mgeist@ Cbecome so accustomed to an companies. Cable companies such some product differentiation on but many consumers may place a uottawa.ca or online at www. uncompetitive cable and satellite as Rogers and Shaw offer both even basic services should spark very low value on channels they michaelgeist.ca. market typifi ed by frequent price in- Canadian and U.S. channels in greater consumer willingness to have never bothered to watch. The Hill Times THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 15 IMPOLITIC PIPELINES

buildings wouldn’t go amiss. We’ve been hearing the same refrain since Paul Mar- Friendlier fi rst ministers, but tin’s day. If green investment is supposed to transform our economy and replace fossil fuel jobs, why is everyone so reluc- tant to move away from oil? mission failure on climate And why are we still driving gas guz- zlers, living and working in leaky build- ings, and exporting some of the dirtiest oil on the planet? in Quebec to a pipeline that will run near price and got nowhere, apart from For the most part, everyone behaved To make substantial hundreds of communities and cross some assigning the problem, now called a well in Vancouver, aware, no doubt, that the progress in reducing 700 waterways. “carbon-pricing mechanism”, to a work- unbridled nastiness of the Harper era was But Premier Philippe Couillard was ing group to report on in six months. universally deplored by voters. Aware, also, emissions at home, we quick to assure his fellow premiers—and This “mechanism” will be one of a “broad that at least some of their electors care have to start to wind particularly Alberta’s Rachel Notley—that suite of measures,” said Trudeau, to tackle very much about climate change and want the environmental review “is not a pipe- climate change. (Sure it will.) cooperation among fi rst ministers. down oilsands production, line, yes or no issue; its a process issue.” Faced with implacable provincial But all we got from the “Vancouver not throw it a lifeline. His environment minister, David Huertel, opposition to anything but more money Equivocation” was nothing. None of the was similarly reassuring, pointing out that from Ottawa, the Prime Minister was left fi rst ministers, including Trudeau, dared Ontario, too, conducted its own study. grasping at straws. His main boast, after to state the obvious: to be taken seriously Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall was a clearly disastrous meeting, was that all abroad, to make substantial progress in bluntest about the virtues of fossil fuels as participants agreed that climate change reducing emissions at home, we have to “a transition energy, until we get to renew- is undesirable and will continue to talk start to wind down oilsands production, ables.” He asked, “Do Canadians want to about it. not throw it a lifeline. be part of meeting those fossil fuel needs? We know what they are going to Susan Riley is a veteran political col- SUSAN RILEY Yes.” No one asked how long until this say, too: electric cars, green jobs, clean umnist who writes regularly for The Hill long-waited transition, if it ever happens. growth, public transit, oh, and an addi- Times. Instead, the fi rst ministers wrestled tional $120-million in federal money for [email protected] ATINEAU, QUE.—Justin Trudeau’s over a proposal for a national carbon green infrastructure and energy-effi cient The Hill Times Gshowpiece fi rst ministers’ conference on climate change ended last week in una- nimity on one point, at least: none of our intrepid leaders is interested in tackling the country’s major single source of green- house gas emissions, the Alberta oilsands, or proposed pipelines that will keep the oil fl owing. On the contrary, as Prime Minister Trudeau told a Vancouver audience: “The choice between wind turbines and pipe- lines is a false one. We need both to reach our goals.” Wealth from our natural re- sources, he argued, will fund our transition to a low-carbon economy. SCHOOL’S OUT... Perhaps, but far too slowly to arrest the worst impacts of climate change. Plentiful fossil fuels will only undercut green tech- nologies and keep us driving our gasoline- COME AND SEE US powered cars longer. More pipelines will sustain, if not actually boost, activity in the Fort McMurray area, where production is already scheduled to double by 2020, despite slumping oil prices. More pipelines will make it even harder for Canada to meet the fast-receding goal we agreed to in Paris: restricting average global tempera- ture increases to 1.5 degrees. Nor will pipelines solve Western Cana- da’s immediate unemployment crisis. Even THE CANADA SCHOOL OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE if Energy East and the Kinder Morgan project in B.C. pass environment assess- ments, construction won’t begin for a few is no longer offering retirement seminars years. And Energy East will not automati- cally free Atlantic and Central Canada from reliance on imported oil, as claimed, because the diluted bitumen from Alberta cannot be refi ned in Atlantic Canada without extensive retrofi ts to existing refi neries. Some 80 per cent of that Alberta crude will likely be exported, according to industry estimates. So why, at a conference dedicated to The Retirement Planning Institute addressing climate change, was anyone— much less the Prime Minister—defending The largest provider of retirement seminars to the Public Service....established in 1986 oil pipelines, which make less economic— never mind environmental—sense with every passing month? is now expanding its offering outside the National Capital Region. Is it because Trudeau’s end goal is to en- able Energy East, in particular, by helping produce the “social licence” everyone talks about? To be fair, the Prime Minister has imposed extra conditions on TransCana- da’s $15-billion project, including consider- ation of upstream carbon emissions—that is, the proposed pipeline’s impact on pro- duction in northern Alberta. But prepare to hear that the impact will be negligible, since the oil will be transported by train in the absence of pipelines. The Quebec government has, so far, kept a wary distance from Energy East, and, last week, imposed an injunction on TransCanada to force a provincial www.rpi-ipr.com environment assessment on top of the National Energy Board scrutiny. As ev- eryone knows, there is strong opposition 16 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 NEWS HILL OFFICE BUDGETS

Nicola, B.C.), in an interview with The Canadian Press at the end of MPs slammed for quietly boosting February, said he “always found we had the money to do what we needed to do,” and said Mr. Wu- drick raises a “legitimate point.” House budget by $26-million He said these kinds of decisions should be made in public and BOIE meetings related to fi scal matters should be open, which “would be a good thing for the public to build faith.” Liberal House Leader Domi- nic LeBlanc (Beauséjour, N.B.), a member and spokesperson for the BOIE, in an emailed response to questions, said the budget increases were “made so as to help Members of Parliament to effi ciently fulfi ll their parliamen- tary duties, hold the government to account, and ensure that their constituents receive the services they expect from their MP in the constituency.” The Liberal government com- mitted to opening up meetings of the BOIE as part of its 2015 cam- paign platform, and it’s included in Mr. LeBlanc’s ministerial mandate letter. However, as of last week, timing remained unknown. Mr. Cuzner said staff salaries eat up about two-thirds of his of- fi ce budget, and the increase will allow him to better compensate and recognize his staff for their work. With the budget increase, he said he’s also considering hir- ing an extra part-time aide to his Hill offi ce. He said there’s now new opportunities for more “outside research” and local polling, which House Speaker Geoff Regan, Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner, and NDP MP Peter Julian. Mr. Cuzner says he’s ‘really happy’ with increases to MPs’ budgets because it’s he said he hasn’t “really utilized a ‘been really tight the last couple of years.’ The Speaker’s Offi ce has been criticized for not publicly releasing the increase. The Hill Times photographs by Jake Wright lot” over the years because “we’ve been so focused on trying to stay within” the offi ce budget. He said “Catching up on that freeze— Index] as measured in September cidental expenses incurred while such activity “would be benefi cial In all, budget [which] has meant fewer resources of the previous year.” House of- travelling—is being increased fi ve to the constituents.” changes approved by available to provide those services fi cers include the House leaders, per cent, from $28,600 to $30,000 “It’s been [seven] years since to Canadians—is important.” party whips, and caucus chairpeo- for each MP. That’s an extra there’s been an increase and costs the Board of Internal Aaron Wudrick, federal direc- ple. Prior to the freeze, MP offi ce $473,200 overall for 2016-17. have gone up and the rent here for Economy amount to tor of the Canadian Taxpayers budgets were typically increased In all, these changes amount my offi ce space has gone up. Ev- Federation, said these changes are by two to three per cent each year. to a roughly $26-million budget erything has sort of become a little a roughly $26-million “troubling,” not just in terms of the MP’s offi ce budgets had been increase for the coming year. bit more expensive, so you just sort budget increase as of dollars and cents, but in terms of frozen at $284,700 for seven News of the offi ce budget of carve. The pie hasn’t increased. the way it was done, “at the Board of years, but were adjusted last increase came to public light after You sort of just carve the pie a little April 1. Internal Economy, which is secre- October to include the cost and a memo from House Speaker Geoff bit differently,” he said. tive in and of itself,” and not even budget for wireless devices for Regan, the Liberal MP for Halifax “I haven’t really been able to formally announced to the public. MPs—previously a separate West, N.S., to MPs explaining the acknowledge their [staffers’] long Continued from page 1 “We’re obviously facing a cost not included in the offi ce changes was shared with Parlia- service or their good work.” very challenging fi scal environ- budget—to $288,450. A 20 per mentary Press Gallery members on Mr. Cuzner said offi ce budgets are Some MPs are welcoming the ment, the new government keeps cent increase will mean an extra Feb. 26 via an email from an unfa- allocated to MPs “so that they’re able extra funds and say the increase conditioning us to expect a very, $57,690 for each MP, bringing miliar Gmail account, rather than to better serve their constituents.” will help to better compensate staff very large defi cit, much larger total annual offi ce budgets to through an offi cial press release. “I think sometimes the govern- and serve constituents, but other than they had pledged to run. I $346,140, starting April 1. With a Chaired by Mr. Regan, the BOIE ment itself is sort of stepped back sources say the large increase think in terms of the message this 338-member Chamber, that’s an is an all-party, seven-member com- from the average citizen and made in the midst of a “challenging sends to Canadians, you know, extra $19.5-million overall. mittee of MPs that meets entirely in many average citizens feel intimi- fi scal environment” sends a bad we’re bleeding red ink all over Offi ce budgets cover camera and controls the rules and dated when the necessity arises message to Canadians. the place, [but] you can still fi nd costs such as staff salaries, con- budgets of the House of Commons, to deal with the bureaucracy, “It’s been really tight the last $25-million for yourselves?” ques- stituency offi ce leases, service acting as its governing body. Brief whether it’s an immigration case couple of years,” Liberal MP Rod- tioned Mr. Wudrick. contracts, and local travel. Many meeting minutes are posted online, or CPP or an EI case or Veterans ger Cuzner (Cape Breton-Canso, “[A 20 per cent increase] is a MPs also receive geographic and/ but they’re posted often months Affairs case,” he said. N.S.) told The Hill Times last big leap all at once,” he said. or electoral supplements to their later. The most recent minutes on- “It’s important you have a week. “I was really happy to hear Though the decision was only budgets for larger-than-average line are from June 2015. Mr. Julian competent, capable staff that that they’ve gone forward with it.” brought to media’s attention on ridings, in terms of square kilo- is a member of the BOIE. understand their role.” NDP House Leader Peter Ju- Feb. 26, on Dec. 10 last year the meters or number of constituents. “I haven’t found a press re- Mr. Wudrick said if MPs are go- lian (New Westminster-Burnaby, House of Commons’ secretive These supplement levels have not lease. … The government has not ing to spend more money, his orga- B.C.) said all parties agreed to Board of Internal Economy (BOIE) been changed. even offi cially announced this. It’s nization will be calling even “more unfreeze offi ce budgets after fi nalized a decision to increase House offi cer offi ce budgets just simply a clipped email from vocally now” for increased trans- seven years so that MPs “have MPs’ offi ce budgets and House are allocated to “recognized par- Geoff Regan that every journalist parency, not just by opening up the appropriate resources to help Offi cer offi ce budgets by 20 per ties” in the House, those with at and groups like ours around town the BOIE, but by having MPs post Canadians.” cent for 2016-17, and approved least 12 sitting members, and are got. That, to me, is almost a bigger expense receipts online. During “I can tell you in my riding, a fi ve per cent boost to the MP determined by party standing. problem,” said Mr. Wudrick. the last Parliament, changes were where sometimes you get a dozen travel expenses account. Offi ce With the increase for 2016-17, the “Word leaking out almost three made to improve and increase people to 15 people lined up in the budgets have been frozen since government whip, for example, months later … that does not to me the reporting of MP expenses and offi ce itself, we’ve helped 10,000 2009-10 as part of the former Con- will get a budget of $884,744 (up sound like a group that is very con- category breakdowns. Mr. Wudrick people over the last 10 years, servative government’s efforts to from $737,287); the offi cial op- fi dent in defending this,” he said. “If said while “they’ve gotten better,” and we’re seeing an increasing cut costs and reduce the defi cit. position whip will get a budget they really believe they need this there’s still room for improvement. number of people who have to go The board also decided at its of $580,393 (up from $483,661); money, they should at least have “Like ‘materials and supplies,’ to their Member of Parliament December meeting that MP offi ce and the third-party whip will get the guts to be transparent about it I don’t know what that is. Some because the government machin- budgets, parliamentary research a budget of $332,918 (up from and make the case to Canadians, offi ces had $3,000 worth in there, ery is simply broken down,” he bureau budgets, and House Offi cer $277,432). saying this is why we need to do and we don’t know what that said, adding constituents look for offi ce budgets will be “adjusted an- The MP travel status expenses this, not try and bury it.” [includes],” he said. help with EI and pension claims, nually, as of April 1, 2017, accord- account—to which MPs charge Conservative MP Dan Albas [email protected] immigration issues and more. ing to the CPI [Consumer Price accommodations, meals, and in- (Central Okanagan-Similkameen- The Hill Times THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 17 OPINION SITE C DAM Site C dam will destroy wildlife and Peace River Valley: Falk-Ouellette The area the reservoir town. Jobs will be lost numbering in the air and the dirty water, the stench of H2S, thousands in Mackenzie and Prince George fl ared gas, and other chemicals. We have will fl ood is vital to the forestry industry. Is this okay? oily creeks and unusable lands. Most of The valley has been homesteaded for all, we have no say. We are not heard or environment, the ecology, 100 years by settlers. The Ardill family has listened to. We are not asked or consulted. and the welfare of an a ranch, located far beneath the estimated We are truly the expendables. reservoir water level. It was established 96 We have become non-people in the eyes entire region. years ago. It was cleared by hand and suc- of both the federal and provincial govern- cessfully raised four generations. BCH will ments. Our own MLA, Pat Pimm, refuses tear their home down, rip out their fences, to listen and our MP is not listening either. BY SHELLEY FALK-OUELLETTE cut down a century of family history with- All these concerns are well-documented out blinking an eye. Arlene and Ken Boon and easily researched. They have been ORT ST. JOHN, B.C.—I continually see stand to lose the ranch that Arlene’s great- reported one at a time and are considered Fnews stories concerning the multi-bil- grandfather established several genera- menial problems in the grand scheme of lion-dollar Site C dam project in north- tions ago as well. These people are the salt the dam and progress. But to read them all eastern British Columbia. There is growing of the earth. To BCH and the B.C. govern- listed one by one, they don’t seem so small opposition to this project. ment, they are expendable. Their lives and or menial. I must admit, while writing this, But while our numbers grow every livelihoods are expendable. I’ve had to stop and shed tears for all that The Peace River Valley is a jewel of a valley, day, we go unheard. Our emails to Prime We’re all expendable, according to our will be lost of my home of 57 years. writes Shelley Falk-Ouellette, but B.C. Minister Justin Trudeau and Environment government’s actions and inactions. We Shelley Falk-Ouellette is a B.C. resident Premier Christy Clark secretly lessened its Minister Catherine McKenna are ignored. have the oil and gas wells, we have the and environmental activist. environmental protections last year. The Hill Site C dam is touted as clean energy, but dams and the reservoirs, we have the fi lthy The Hill Times Times photograph by Jake Wright that is completely untrue. Hydro electric dams and their reservoirs pollute the at- mosphere, the rivers, the surrounding land, and they poison fi sh and wildlife. The Site C dam will be no different. The area the reservoir will fl ood is vital to the environment, the ecology, and the welfare of an entire region. One of our biggest concerns is the loss of the old growth forest and the boreal forest along the banks of the Peace River. The forests CANADA’S RAILWAYS are a carbon sink, meaning they suck and store vast amounts of carbon forever. Site C will replace this pristine natural won- der, the lungs of our Earth, with a methyl mercury, methane, and carbon-emitting reservoir that will poison everything in and around it. The forests are the home, nesting, and breeding grounds for count- less species of birds and wildlife. Many of them protected species and all on the endangered species list. The area is home to many bald eagles, whose nests have already been destroyed by BC Hydro. Further to the north is the Peace Athabasca Delta, a protected area under the Ramsar Convention. The delta is Rail Safety the summer breeding and nesting grounds for thousands of species of migratory shore birds who also use the Peace River Val- Earning trust is up to us. Since 1999, Canada’s railways ley as a resting and feeding area on their migration north. The PAD is in great peril have invested more than $20 billion to improve tracks and from the two existing dams on the Peace rail beds, and add new technologies to spot risk factors. River. The Peace River runs along the north side of the delta, and because of the fl uctu- ating water levels, the ecology of the delta Railways have trained more than 26,000 first responders is being severely stressed. The Peace River Valley is a jewel of a valley. and rail employees on emergency response, while making B.C. Premier Christy Clark secretly lessened its environmental protections last year. It is an state-of-the-art investments in technology – including east-west running valley with its own micro the new AskRailTM mobile app – accessible to communities climate. It gets the benefi t of 16 hours of sun and daylight during the summer months and across the country. provides the locals with a plethora of fruits and vegetables. Everything from corn to cantaloupe is grown in the valley. It consists of rare alluvial soil and has the potential to feed a million people. The valley consists of 2,564 hectares of grade No. 1 soil, 12,502 hectares of grade No. 2 soil, making it the best soil and some of the only of its kind left in B.C. We import 65 per cent of all our produce PULLING for CANADA and fruit from the California. With the drought there, and the loss of huge tracts of farmland due to desertifi cation, when will they stop exporting to us to feed their own? Meanwhile, this valley of so much potential, gets fl ooded and will be lost forever. Food sustainability should be fi rst and foremost on our and, especially, our government’s agenda. Forestry will be affected as well. The B.C. government has applied to lower the level of railcan.ca the Williston reservoir to fi ll the Site C res- ervoir. This will put the town of Mackenzie on the endangered list. They will lose their only revenue and essentially become a ghost 18 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 NEWS TRANSPARANCY Timing unknown on Liberal commitments to reform Internal Economy Board, PBO

Government Mr. LeBlanc (Beauséjour, N.B.) ians to disclose their expenses in and Whip Andrew Leslie (Orléans, a common and detailed manner House Leader Ont.), Conservative Whip Gord each quarter and end the secrecy Brown (Leeds-Grenville)-Thousand surrounding the Board of Internal Dominic LeBlanc Islands and Rideau Lakes, Ont.) Economy by making meetings of indicated at a recent and Conservative MP Andrew the Board open by default.” Scheer (Regina-Qu’Appelle, Sask.), In an appearance before the Senate committee and the NDP’s Mr. Julian. Senate Rules, Procedures and the appearance the The BOIE meetings are held Rights of Parliament Committee entirely in-camera, and the Parlia- on Feb. 24, Mr. LeBlanc indicated government may ment of Canada Act includes an that the Liberal government may oath of secrecy over some aspects seek to amend the BOIE and the seek to amend of the Board’s work. PBO at the same time as part of the BOIE and the The BOIE has taken up the one bill amending the Parliament practice of appointing two spokes- of Canada Act. PBO at the same people to discuss decisions of the “I have mandate instructions time as part of BOIE with the media, though they from the prime minister which aren’t always available. Meeting require the Parliament of Canada one bill amending minutes are posted online, though Act to be opened,” said Mr. LeB- the Parliament of usually months after the meet- lanc, adding that if Senators were ings take place and they are not seeking to make any legislative Canada Act. detailed. The most recent minutes amendments regarding the func- online are from June 2015, despite tioning of the Senate. “I would NDP MP Peter Julian is calling on the Liberal government to follow through on its the fact the BOIE has met within prefer that we could do together campaign promises to reform the Board of Internal Economy and strengthen the BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT the last eight months. amendments to the Parliament Offi ce of Parliamentary Budget Offi cer. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright A Feb. 26 memo from Mr. of Canada Act that would refl ect here’s no indication yet for Regan to MPs announced that the your priorities, the priorities in Twhen Prime Minister Justin BOIE, at a meeting on Dec. 10, the House of Commons for which It would also give Parliament “That’s not change. And again, Trudeau’s government will act 2015, had decided to increase MP I have a mandate … and then the chance to approve the ap- as I say, this is why [the NDP] were on campaign commitments to offi ce budgets and House offi cer we could pass effectively and pointment of the next PBO so disappointed with the other par- open up the secretive Commons offi ce budgets by 20 per cent each effi ciently a piece of legislation Mr. Page said he thinks Con- ties when there was public pressure Board of Internal Economy and for 2016-17, and increase each that would meet the objectives of servative MPs may be more sup- [in 2013] to substantially change strengthen the Offi ce of Par- MP’s travel expense account by both.” portive of strengthening the PBO how Parliaments expenditures and liamentary Budget Offi cer, as fi ve per cent, costing Parliament Mr. LeBlanc said in an email now that they’re opposition and how MPs expenses are handled reiterated in Government House more than $25-million. The memo to The Hill Times last week, “An- said, “in terms of timing, sooner is and to do it in an independent and Leader Dominic LeBlanc’s man- was leaked to reporters and, aside nouncements will be forthcoming better than later.” non-partisan way. The Liberals and date letter, but NDP MP Peter from resulting news stories, there on these subjects in due course.” The NDP was vocal last Parlia- Conservatives killed it, and so the Julian said these are “important” was no other public mention of He said his mandate letter “in- ment in supporting Mr. Page, and committee recommendations were changes the public wants to see these decisions. cludes a number of initiatives Mr. Julian said strengthening the fairly meaningless,” he said. and he hopes these campaign “We will end the secrecy sur- associated with the parliamentary PBO by increasing funding and Mr. Julian said he has not gotten commitments were “sincere.” rounding the Board of Internal budget offi cer, including ensuring making it an independent offi cer any indication of when the Liberals “It’s easy to make all kinds of Economy—the group responsible that the offi ce has independence, of Parliament would be a “wel- are planning to introduce changes promises in an election campaign,” for regulating spending by Members adequate funding and a mandate come step in transparency.” to the BOIE or the PBO, When asked Mr. Julian (New Westminster-Burn- of Parliament. Except in rare cases focused on accurate and transpar- Mr. Julian said the NDP has about timing, he said he’s “more aby, B.C.) said in an interview with requiring confi dentiality, meeting of ent costing,” and opening up the been the “most vocal party around inclined that it be done right.” The Hill Times last week. “I would this group will be open to the public,” BOIE. changes to the BOIE,” and he The NDP has characterized hope that there would be a sincere the Liberal platform says. A hint of the Liberal govern- “would hope that there would be the BOIE as a partisan “kangaroo commitment to making those kinds The Liberals campaigned on ment’s plans can perhaps be a sincere commitment to making court” since 68 NDP MPs were of changes.” running a more transparent gov- gleamed from a 2012 supplemen- those kinds of changes,” from the ordered by the board to repay The Liberal Party committed ernment overall. tary committee report, as part of new Liberal government. hundreds of thousands of dollars of in its 2015 platform to “end the Aaron Wudrick, federal direc- a study by the House Government “This is a real problem,” he said. claimed expenses in 2014, related secrecy surrounding the Board tor of the Canadian Taxpayers Operations and Estimates Com- Liberals turned their back on to the caucus’ use of satellite of- of Internal Economy” (BOIE) Federation, said it’s “a problem” mittee, in which Liberals recom- opening up the BOIE last Parlia- fi ces. The NDP argued that BOIE and have it hold public meetings that the BOIE currently is “secret mended “legislative and funding ment, said Mr. Julian, referring rules were not clear, and that Lib- “except in rare cases requiring by default,” and said the Liberal changes” be made to the PBO so to the fact that Liberals MPs on eral and Conservative MPs on the confi dentiality.” It also committed government needs to act on open- it can better support the House, the Procedure and House Affairs board pushed through the decision to make the parliamentary budget ing up the Board as part of its ef- specifi cally making the PBO an Committee supported a commit- to force NDP Members to repay offi cer (PBO) “truly independent” forts to improve transparency. He “Offi cer of Parliament and that its tee report following a review of costs for partisan reasons. The and “make sure that the offi ce is said the BOIE’s recent decision to power to request information be the BOIE that did not include any NDP has challenged this decision properly funded” and accountable boost MP offi ce budgets by 20 per strengthened.” recommendations that meetings in court; the case is ongoing. directly to Parliament. Liber- cent, made in December and not Former parliamentary budget be held in public. Parliamentary Budget Offi cer als also committed to “add the revealed until February, under- offi cer Kevin Page, now at the The study came about as a Jean-Denis Frechette, who’s held costing of party platforms” to the lines its lack of transparancy. University of Ottawa after serving result of an NDP motion calling on the role since 2013, said his offi ce PBO’s mandate. The PBO, meanwhile, was as PBO from 2008 to 2013, said the Procedure and House Affairs has not gotten any indication of Any changes to either the created under the former Con- he thinks it is “important” that the Committee to conduct a study the Liberal government’s plans, BOIE or the PBO both require servative government after the PBO be made an independent “with a view to replace the Board aside from Mr. LeBlanc’s man- amendments to the Parliament of 2006 election (it was a campaign offi cer of Parliament, meaning it of Internal Economy with an date letter, and said his offi ce was Canada Act. commitment) to provide inde- would no longer be slated under independent oversight body” from “looking forward to” discussing The BOIE is the governing pendent, non-partisan analysis to the Library of Parliament, for October 2013, which the NDP ar- plans with parliamentarians. body of the House of Commons, Parliament on the state of federal starters because it would give the gues was a clear endorsement by “We’re quite open to discuss and is a seven-member executive coffers, analyzing government PBO full control over its budget Parliament to open up the BOIE. any changes to the legislation,” committee with members from all estimates and costing for legisla- and how resources are allocated. “The Liberals wouldn’t have he said, adding he’s encouraged “recognized parties” in the House tive proposals. The PBO has had a “You can run into problems made a [campaign] commitment Liberals have highlighted “proper (those with at least 12 sitting $2.8-million annual budget since of independence when you have like that if they weren’t aware the funding” as part of changes. “They members.) The board oversees it was created. accountability to two difference public doesn’t see the BOIE as it’s clearly recognize the link between the House’s annual $464-mil- Mr. LeBlanc’s mandate letter people, accountabilities to Parlia- currently constituted as credible. resources and the mandate.” lion budget and administrative as government House leader in- ment for the mandate, admin- But that being said, their track Mr. Frechette said the PBO’s matters, and is responsible for cludes directions to lead changes istrative accountability to the record has not been good,” said work is overall based on three establishing House bylaws, ap- to the BOIE and to ensure the (parliamentary) librarian. When Mr. Julian. pillars: independence, proper re- proving budgets, setting out rules PBO is “properly funded and truly I was at PBO, we had problems The report from House Af- sources, and access to information. on proper use of MPs’ resources, independent of government.” with hiring and contracting and fairs Committee last Parliament “We welcome any changes to the and determining if such rules are “The PBO’s mandate should budgeting issues, and those issues did, however, note that the BOIE legislation that will improve the way being followed. focus on accuracy and transpar- can be used to prevent you from should “continue its practice to we provide information to Parlia- The BOIE is chaired by the ency in costing and in the future doing the work that you need to make available publicly and in a ment, we certainly welcome and we House Speaker and Liberal MP also include the costing of party do if you can’t hire the people timely manner the minutes of its recognize this vote of confi dence Geoff Regan (Halifax West, N.S.), election platforms,” reads the you need to do the work that is meetings.” As mentioned, the most into the function of the PBO,” he said. and includes Liberals Judy Foote letter, which also notes a priority necessary,” he said in an interview recent minutes posted online are [email protected] (Bonavista-Burin-Trinity, Nfl d.), is to “require all Parliamentar- last week. from June 2015. The Hill Times HEALTHA HILL TIMES POLICY BRIEFING March 7, 2016

PHILPOTT FORMER MP WE WILL WANTS NEW FLETCHER MARIJUANA HEALTH ACCORD PLEASED WITH TASK FORCE TRANSFORM IN PLACE COULD ASSEMBLE OUR HEALTH- ASSISTED-DYING CARE SYSTEM BY 2017, A REPORT, THIS SPRING, AND IMPROVE ‘FUNDAMENTAL AWAITS SAYS PHILPOTT CHANGE’ LEGISLATION HEALTH OF CANADIANS

PAGES 20, 21 PAGE 23 PAGE 23 PAGE 24v HEALTH PROPONENTS, THE CASE FOR BEVERAGE INDUSTRY DEBATE MERITS OF TAX ON SWEET DRINKS TAXING SUGAR

PAGE 28 PAGE 35 20 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 HEALTH POLICY BRIEFING

NEWS MINISTER Q&A Philpott wants new Health Accord in place by 2017, a ‘fundamental change’

Health Minister Health Minister Jane Jane Philpott says Philpott talks about a new the new Health Accord will be Health Accord, the long- a ‘fundamental term funding agreement change.’ Ms. Phil- pott sat down with with the provinces and The Hill Times for territories that she wants a wide-spanning conversation in her signed by 2017, and more offi ce last week. The Hill Times with The Hill Times. photograph by Jake Wright

BY RACHEL AIELLO

ealth Minister Jane Philpott says she Hwants a new Health Accord in place by 2017. The 55-year-old physician, whose party campaigned on establishing a new era of federal-provincial relations, espe- cially on the health fi le, said she has the provinces and territories on board in their projected Canada Health transfer to the community and at home if necessary, rather negotiating a new Health Accord with the ‘initial conversations’ and said Health provinces and territories is $36.07-billion than in hospital. There are now many other provinces and territories. And even within Canada offi cials are working behind the for 2016-2017. providers other than physicians that need to that, there are a number of pieces to, it but scenes to move ahead on the deal with new Ms. Philpott said she anticipates all be taken into consideration. And so we need to I think, overall, that will be the centrepiece. long-term funding. Canada’s provincial and territorial health fi gure out ways to do that.” It is going to really address the matter of The Liberals promised to renegotiate a ministers will meet a few more times this Ms. Philpott, who also represents Markham- how do we make sure that Canadians have new Health Accord between the provinces, year on this. They had their fi rst meeting in Stouffville, Ont., sat down last week with The the health care that they need and what role territories and the federal government Vancouver in January. Hill Times in her 16th fl oor offi ce in the Brooke does the federal government play in that. to provide the provinces and territories She said she considers this to be a “fun- Claxton Building overlooking the Ottawa River “So we, as you know within the Health with stable, long-term funding and to damental change” to the way the govern- and downtown Ottawa to discuss her top priori- Accord, there are number of pieces to it. One set national standards. The 2004 Health ment looks at health care. ties as Canada’s new health minister. The Q&A is addressing the matter of home care and Accord expired in 2014 after the federal “The system was designed in an era where has been edited for length and style. making it more affordable, accessible, and government refused to renegotiate it. The health care was primarily delivered by physi- available. Then mental health services as well; new Health Accord will include improv- cians and primarily delivered in hospitals, and What is your No. 1 most important goal for making those more accessible to Canadi- ing home care access, reducing the cost a number of things have changed,” Ms. Philpott this Parliament? ans. The third pillar is addressing the cost of of pharmaceuticals, and widening the told The Hill Times. “We’ve determined that “I have a big mandate and I would say prescription drugs; making sure they are also availability of mental health services. The Canadians want their care delivered in their the biggest part of it falls into the realm of affordable and appropriately prescribed for Canadians. And then the fourth is system inno- vation, and looking at new ways of moderniz- ing the health-care system so that it meets the needs of Canadians for the coming generation.”

What’s your biggest challenge in achieving this goal? “It’s a fairly fundamental change in the way that we look at health and, as you know, Canadians love their health-care system. We’re very proud of it, it’s served us well for half a century now, we’re proud of medicare, and the fact that Canadians can have access to health care on the basis of need and not on the basis of their ability to pay. “But the system was designed in an era where health care was primarily delivered by physicians and primarily delivered in hospitals, and a number of things have changed. One is we’ve determined that Ca- nadians want their care delivered in their community and at home if necessary, rath- er than in hospital. There are now many other providers, other than physicians, that need to be taken into consideration and so we need to fi gure out ways to do that. “The cost of drugs has skyrocketed in Canada and we need to fi nd a way to make sure Canadians can access the prescription medications they need.”

What steps has your new government taken so far on developing a new Health Ac- cord? Are the provinces on board? What’s the current projected timeline on this? The national voice of “The provinces are on board, we’ve had really good initial conversations. The healthcare organizations biggest meeting we’ve had so far was a and hospitals in Canada meeting in Vancouver Jan. 20 and 21 and met with all the health ministers of the provinces and territories. THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 21 HEALTH POLICY BRIEFING

NEWS MINISTER Q&A

“I’ve continued to be in touch delivery happens at the level of ing unhealthy food and drinks, and “It will take a lot of wisdom it’s something I think physicians with some of them over the phone the provinces and territories and other regulations on processed and consideration for us to make and other health-care providers and our offi cials have been working so provincial and territorial health foods. How soon can we expect to sure that we make the right deci- take the matter very seriously. It’s in the background on moving ahead ministers are mandated to make see these changes introduced, and sions on how to respond to each a big responsibility to address the on each of the pieces of the accord, decisions around care delivery. will it include a sugary drink tax? of those recommendations.” needs and the suffering of Cana- and we’ll continue to have probably “As a federal government, though, “Unfortunately I can’t do every- dians as they reach the end of life. a couple of other in-person meetings I think that we very much have a thing within the fi rst six months, As a physician, what will be your And so we really want to make this year with the health ministers. role to play in trying to facilitate a but we have started into initial steps input and recommendations to the sure we make the right decisions.” “I am hoping to be able to an- system that is more strongly based on addressing some of those mat- justice minister in forming this new nounce a new health accord for in primary care. That would be one ters that will help with healthy eat- right-to-die bill? Do you think doc- Lastly, being the fi rst physician our sesquicentennial year in 2017, of my priorities because we know ing and healthy living. I think a lot tors should have to refer patients? to be federal health minister, and so that’s my goal timeline wise.” that health systems that are more of the really interesting work that is “The report talks about the fact having to stickhandle so many strongly based in primary care can going to happen is around address- that there was a pretty universal heavy fi les, what is it like to be a How is the pan-Canadian collabora- achieve better health outcomes at ing marketing of unhealthy foods to consensus that physicians’ con- part of these conversations at the tion on access to prescriptions and lower costs and it can be a more kids and that is something we will science rights would be recognized decision-making table, and how buying drugs in bulk going? Could equitable and accessible system. And defi nitely follow through on. in terms of not personally partici- is your working knowledge of the we see action on this before 2017? what that also does then, of course, is “I’m also meeting with various pating in providing the assistance. health-care fi eld playing a part? “We’ve already started to make relieves pressure on hospitals. departments to discuss the matter “We will have to discuss the mat- “I would say it’s possibly the changes in terms of there are “The more that we can do to of food labeling, and addressing ter of referral, yet because that’s an most wonderful opportunity a numerous mechanisms that we’re take the pressure off hospitals, for instance, the labeling of sug- area where I think there is still some- doctor could hope for, to think that, going to be able to use to address either by facilitating people being ars in food and salt in food. what divergent opinions, but we’ll after all these years of treating the cost of medications, and one able to get out of hospitals sooner “On the issue of a tax, that’s defi nitely take the recommendations patients one by one and seeing the of them you mentioned is the pan- and be cared for appropriately at not in my mandate. It’s something of the report into consideration.” impact of health and wellness and Canadian pharmaceutical alliance. home, or taking care of their condi- that I think is an interesting con- illness on individuals and families “Earlier this year I announced tions before they get there, will be cept and something that I think Does your training provide a dif- and communities, I’ve thought a lot to my colleagues the intention for indirect ways we’ll be able to help we will be studying, but at this ferent perspective for you, seeing about the health-care system and the federal government to join that that pressure on hospital beds.” point, I’m not mandated to intro- their side of things? how it could be better, and now I bulk-purchasing plan. The federal duce any measures like that.” “I would say it does. Obviously, have the huge privilege of being in a government is the fi fth largest Will the government be appealing I have lots of physician friends position where I can actually make purchaser in that plan because we the federal ruling permitting patients From your perspective, why are and it’s something that I talked some of those changes. So, I can’t provide medications for indig- to grow medical marijuana at home? these measures important and about with them, so it makes it imagine a better opportunity and enous peoples as well as veterans If yes, why? If not, will looser regula- why are they needed? perhaps a little easier for me to I’m really, really honoured that the and Canadian Forces, so together tions impact licensed producers? “We need to do that because we understand how challenging this prime minister asked me to do this.” that really adds to the purchasing “We haven’t yet made a decision have, for instance, rising amounts will be from their perspective and The Hill Times power of that organization so that on that … we have 30 days to make of non-communicable diseases will help to bring costs down. that decision so folks in my depart- and those would be things like dia- “We’ll also be working with ment as well as the Department betes and obesity and hyperten- HEALTH regulatory organizations like the of Justice are looking at the decision sion and all of those are affected Patented Medicines Prices Review and examining it at this point. I would by what we eat and how we live. A CHECK-UP ON CANADA’S HEALTH Board to look at how prices are say stay tuned, it’s too early to say. “Increasingly, the costs and regulated. And we’ll be doing some “Obviously, we will look at the challenges of the health-care system work with the provinces and territo- details of the Federal Court ruling are related to chronic diseases like Total Fertility rate (average number of children per woman) 1.61 ries. We have established a working and I think what I can say for diabetes and hypertension, which Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) 4.8 group to look at how we can con- sure, I know at this point is that leads on to heart disease and kidney Current smokers 18.1% tinue to move on drug pricing.” Canadians who need access to disease and everything else, so the Has a doctor 85.1% medical marijuana for prescription further back that we can address There are Canadians dying waiting purposes need to be able to get that those issues by making sure that Ca- Heavy drinkers 17.9% for hospital beds, and wait-times access and it needs to be affordable nadians make smart choices about High blood pressure 17.7% are being called “deadly.” What are and easily available to them. So we what they eat, the better off we will Overweight or obese adults 54.0% you doing to end “deadly” wait- will be looking at that, but keeping be. So I think there is a real public Overweight or obese youth (12-17) 23.1% times for hospital beds in Canada? in mind that there will need to be interest in making sure that we take “It will be, it’s a multi-pronged some regulations in place to make a responsible action on that.” Physically active (leisure time) 53.7% approach, and some of the things sure that we consider the health I mentioned in the Health Accord and safety needs of all Canadians.” The report tabled by the Special In 2014, roughly 3.4 million Canadians aged 12 and older (11.2 per cent) reported will be part of that. So, making Joint Committee on Physician- that they did not receive health care when they felt they needed it. Overall, females (12.4 per sure, for instance, that Canadians On legalizing recreational mari- Assisted Dying provided recom- cent) were more likely than males (10 per cent) to have reported an unmet health-care need. can get care at home will help with juana, what role will you be play- mendations outside of the scope of Among age groups, unmet health-care needs were lowest for those aged 12 to 19 and those hospital wait-times because some- ing? Are you going to be studying the Supreme Court ruling. Do you aged 65 or older, and were highest for those aged 20 to 54. times patients preferred to be cared health impacts? anticipate the legislation will too? —Source: Health Canada for at home, it’s much more afford- “Like a lot of other initiatives in “The Carter decision was dealing able for their care to be delivered our government, we work very much with a specifi c situation and so it’s TOP 10 CAUSES OF DEATH IN CANADA (2012) % at home, rather than at hospital, across departments, and so the proj- not that surprising I think that the and the outcomes are often better ect on the legalization, regulation, committee looked at issues that Ischaemic heart disease 13.8% as well. So the home care plan will and restriction of access to recre- didn’t necessarily arise in the Carter Alzheimer’s and other dementias 9.5% certainly help with that. ational marijuana is an initiative that decision. At this point, now the work Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers 8.1% “We also are investing, as a gov- will be undertaken in three different will take place between my team Stroke 5.4% ernment, as part of our social infra- departments, so Health, of course, as and the folks and Justice to look at structure fund, on things like seniors well as Public Safety, and Justice. the committee’s report. I think the Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 4.5% housing and long-term care facilities, “We have been meeting—myself committee did a very thorough job Colon and rectum cancers 3.7% and those will also be ways to sup- with my ministerial colleagues—with and I was pleased to see that they Diabetes mellitus 2.7% port the need to address wait-times. those two departments as well as came to a fairly impressive consen- “But I suspect there will be oth- with Mr. Blair [Bill Blair, Liberal MP sus on many of the matters and I Lower respiratory infections 2.3% er initiatives that we’ll take in the and parliamentary secretary to the think it will be extremely helpful to Breast cancer 2.2% course of the accord. We may look, minister of justice] who is taking a us, but it’s too early to say how much Falls 1.9% for instance, at wait-times around leading role on this, so we’ve been of their recommendations we will mental health services that have meeting somewhat regularly recently, necessarily see in the legislation.” —Source: World Health Organization not been addressed in the past. So and we will be before too long an- INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON OF HEALTH SPENDING we will look at the wait-times issue nouncing a task force that will give Did the report raise any issues for from a number of perspectives.” us expert advice on the matter of you that you hadn’t considered, or Canada OECD Average Canada’s legalization would take place … rep- you found particularly striking? OECD Ranking A Hamilton girl (Laura Miller, 18) re- resenting all different spheres, health, “We’ve been talking about this cently died after waiting for a bone justice, law enforcement, public for quite a while. We’ve had two Total Health expenditure as a percentage of GDP 10.2 8.9 10/34 marrow transplant even though safety, I suspect we’ll have addictions previous reports, the external she had a donor. The hospital said specialists and mental health special- panel report and the provincial Total Health expenditure per capita $4,351 $3,453 10/34 it could only do fi ve transplants ists on the team as well.” and territorial report so I think Public expenditure on health per capita $3,074 $2,535 13/34 a month and there were about 30 many of the issues that were in Public share of total health expenditure 70.60% 72.70% 22/34 people who were waiting for a trans- What is the timeline on this task the special joint committee report plant. Why is this happening? force being named? were topics that had come up Hospital expenditure per capita $1,338 $1,316 15/29 “I don’t want to comment on “Hopefully, the spring.” over and over again so we’re now Physician expenditure per capita $720 $421 4/27 the specifi cs of any case, and, as starting to see there are a number Drug Expenditure per capita $761 $517 2/31 you know, we’re functioning in Your mandate letter included of issues that need to be ad- a system where the actual care introducing restrictions on market- dressed are fairly well outlined. —Source: OECD Health Statistics 2015 Minor ailments…

More than three-quarters of Canadians prefer to manage their own minor ailments

colds One in seven Canadians headaches with minor ailments visits a doctor allergies colds coughs allergies

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If just sixteen percent of Canadians …more Canadians who see the doctor – those who said their symptoms were mild – who see the doctor practiced self-care instead... had the tools and the confidence to manage their own minor ailments? % 16 an additional five hundred thousand Canadians could have access to a family doctor. …major impact.

The makers of evidence-based over-the-counter medicines and natural health products think self-care matters. So do most Canadians. chpcanada.ca

Willemsen KR, Harrington G. From Patient to Resource: Redfern Research/Research Now survey of 1304 Canadians The Role of Self-Care in Patient-Centered Care of Minor Ailments. reporting one of four minor ailments, conducted Jan 2015 SelfCare 2012;3(3):43-55 INFOGRAPHIC PREPARED BY WWW.DELSYS.CA THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 23 HEALTH POLICY BRIEFING

NEWS ASSISTED SUICIDE

medical condition that causes by a lot of people. … When I in- in Carter v. Canada where the intolerable suffering. According troduced the bills into Parliament, court ruled unanimously that Former MP to the report’s recommendations, there wasn’t a lot of response. ... banning physician-assisted dying this would be followed by a law But I’m one of these guys who is unconstitutional. on competent mature minors prefers Parliament deal with stuff Justice Minister Jody Wilson- within the following three years. like this, but politicians would Raybould (Vancouver Granville, Fletcher pleased Its recommendations included rather have their ears ripped off B.C.) told reporters after the report amendments to the Criminal than deal with this.” was tabled that she will be reviewing Code and other acts related to the The Conservative Party tabled a the committee’s recommendations eligibility for medical assistance dissenting opinion to the report, tak- and will be taking the discussion to with assisted- in dying, procedural safeguards, ing issue overall with it not including Cabinet in the “next couple of weeks.” oversight, and addressed other is- enough protections for the vulnera- Liberal MP Rob Oliphant sues not discussed in the Supreme ble, and specifi cally with the recom- (Don Valley West, Ont.), House Court ruling like age, ability, and mendations on advance consent and chairman of the assisted-dying dying report, capacity. that it doesn’t include requirements committee, said he anticipates “I think it refl ected what the for patients with an “underlying right-to-die legislation will be Supreme Court has already said. mental health challenge to undergo tabled in four to six weeks. I think it’s a good report,” said Mr. a psychiatric assessment.” Offi cials from the Canadian awaits legislation Fletcher, who has been an advo- Mr. Fletcher disagreed with his Medical Association and the cate for assisted dying since a car former caucus, calling any char- Canadian Pharmacists Associa- crash when he was 23 that left him acterization of those with mental tion have said more needs to be Right-to-die “It’s a very interesting report, paralyzed from the neck down. illnesses as being less competent done to respect the freedom it raises a lot of interesting topics, During his time in Parliament, as “old fashioned,” and said he’s of conscience of health-care legislation should but when the rubber hits the road he introduced two private mem- largely supportive of the report’s practitioners, and took issue with is when we see the legislation that bers bills, Bill C-582, An Act to recommendations. recommending that doctors have be tabled in four the government brings forward,” establish the Canadian Commis- “This is the challenge when leg- to provide referrals to someone to six weeks, says Mr. Fletcher told The Hill Times sion on Physician-Assisted Death, islators try and legislate morality else to perform the procedure if last week. and Bill C-581, An Act to amend for everyone. We will have protec- they are not comfortable. Liberal MP Rob The Joint House and Senate the Criminal Code (physician- tions for the vulnerable; the person When The Hill Times asked Oliphant. Committee on Physician-Assisted assisted death), but neither made has to be of competent mind. You Health Minister Jane Philpott Dying tabled its report, “Medical it past fi rst reading. can have a mental illness and still (Markham-Stouffville, Ont.) her Assistance in Dying: A Patient- He said he was pleased to see be of competent mind.” perspective as a physician on Centred Approach,” on the fi nd- that a lot of the themes from his The government now has to whether doctors should be man- BY RACHEL AIELLO ings of its month-long study in bills were echoed in the report. draft the legislation and table the dated to refer their patients, she the House on Feb. 25. It included “I am quite pleased that there bill in the House with enough said she understands the concerns. ith the special committee’s re- 21 recommendations and a two- is now a legislative process to time to have it pass through the “It will take a lot of wisdom Wport fi nalized, former Conser- stage legislative process. review both my ideas and the House and Senate by June 6. That and consideration for us to make vative MP Steven Fletcher and many The fi rst phase, to take effect Supreme Court’s framework, be- was the deadline on the exten- sure that we make the right deci- other right-to-die advocates are now in the near term, would apply cause this should have been dealt sion given by the Supreme Court sions on how to respond to each of anxiously awaiting the tabling of to the right to die of competent with in Parliament in the fi rst of Canada. Initially the govern- those recommendations,” she said. the federal government’s legislation adults aged 18 or older if they place,” he said. ment was to have until the end of [email protected] on physician-assisted dying. have a “grievous and irremediable” “This was a momentous effort February to respond to the ruling The Hill Times

NEWS MARIJUANA Marijuana task force could assemble this spring, says Philpott

Health, Public by the Department of Justice and and distributing marijuana in to provide access to medical mari- Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould Canada and to advise on new juana for those who need it. Safety, and Justice (Vancouver Granville, B.C.) and rules to keep it out of the hands of “We also recognize that there During an appearance before a Senate ministers have Ralph Goodale (Regina-Wascana, minors. It’s not known yet if the are other signifi cant public health Liberals’ open caucus meeting held Sask.), the minister responsible task force will have to wade into concerns with respect to the use of on Feb. 24, Liberal MP Bill Blair, been meeting for Public Safety Canada. The the international treaty hurdles marijuana, particularly those who Toronto’s former police chief, said the regularly, ahead of three ministries have been meet- the government faces. suffer mental illness, or who are task force will be seeking input from ing regularly alongside Liberal MP According to a Canadian very frequent users, or perhaps ad- Canadians and from experts from announcing the task Bill Blair (Scarborough Southwest, Press report, the government has dicted to the drug. And so we want across the country to advise on how Ont.), parliamentary secretary to to assess how it can continue to to ensure that there can be a robust the government can minimize the force to advise the the minister of justice, who is tak- comply with three international public health response in response harmfulness of marijuana use, while Liberal government ing a leading role on the govern- treaties which criminalize mari- to some of those health harms,” Mr. continuing to provide access to medi- ment’s marijuana fi le. juana possession and production. Blair said. cal marijuana for those who need it. on legalizing “We will be before too long The three treaties are the Single On the same day Mr. Blair The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright and regulating announcing a task force that Convention on Narcotic Drugs of appeared before the Senate will give us expert advice on the 1961; the Convention on Psycho- caucus, in British Columbia, a marijuana. matter of legalization would take tropic Substances of 1971; and Federal Court judge struck down the ruling. Ms. Philpott said the place,” Ms. Philpott (Markham- the United Nations Convention the regulations that restricted government is still examining the BY RACHEL AIELLO Stouffville, Ont.) told The Hill against Illicit Traffi c in Narcotic medical marijuana patients from decision and it’s too early to say Times in an interview last week. Drugs and Psychotropic Sub- growing their own supply. whether they’ll be appealing it. he federal ministers of Health, “Hopefully the spring.” stances of 1988. The regulations were intro- “Obviously we will look at the TJustice, and Public Safety have She said the task force—a con- During an appearance before duced in 2013 under the previous details of the federal court ruling been meeting regularly to discuss cept fi rst announced as part of the a Senate Liberals’ open caucus federal Conservative government and I think what I can say for the federal government’s plans to Liberal election platform—would meeting held on Feb. 24, Mr. Blair, and required patients to buy sure, I know at this point is that legalize marijuana and want to include representatives from all rel- Toronto’s former police chief, marijuana from licensed produc- Canadians who need access to have the task force announced by evant fi elds, including law enforce- said the task force will be seeking ers. The court has given the new medical marijuana for prescrip- the spring, says Health Minister ment, legal experts, health-care input from Canadians and from Liberal government six months to tion purposes need to be able to Jane Philpott. professionals, as well as addiction experts from across the country respond with new policies. get that access and it needs to be Legalizing, regulating, and and mental health specialists. to advise on how the government The government also has 30 affordable and easily available to restricting access to recreational The task force is intended to can minimize the harmfulness of days after the ruling to decide them,” Ms. Philpott said. marijuana is a shared initiative design a new regime for selling marijuana use, while continuing whether they’ll be appealing The Hill Times 24 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 HEALTH POLICY BRIEFING

OPINION MINISTER’S VISION We will transform our health-care system and improve health of Canadians

that is effi cient, effective, accessible, and to modernize our health-care system to meet care and mental health; and fostering in- equitable. Canadians are generally proud of the needs of all Canadians. The meeting was novation in the organization and delivery of our health-care system. Some say it defi nes an important step in my relationship with health-care services. I’m enthusiastic about us as a country. But the basic confi guration of these partners. It was described as a positive what this could mean to Canadians. medicare was put together over half a century shift in the federal government’s relationship We all want to make sure that prescription HEALTH MINISTER JANE PHILPOTT ago and the structure is showing its age. with the provinces and territories. drugs are reasonably priced and available It’s 2016. I am now federal minister of A strong, universally-accessible, publicly- when needed. For a variety of reasons, too health and the prime minister has asked me fi nanced health-care system is essential for many people don’t have access to appropriate n medical school, I learned a lot about “to strengthen our publicly-funded univer- a strong and prosperous Canada. Through a medications. Canadians pay among the high- Imedicine—but not enough about the health sal health-care system.” It’s a tall task and statement of the federal-provincial-territorial est prices in the world for pharmaceuticals. system in which I would deliver care. Working one that I’m eager to take on—but it’s not ministers of health, we identifi ed a number As one important step in addressing costs, the as a family doctor in Canada and internation- something the federal government can tackle of shared priorities: enhancing the afford- federal government has now joined the pan- ally, it didn’t take long to realize that it takes alone. That’s why, in January, I met with the ability, accessibility, and appropriate use of Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, which more than medicine to improve people’s provincial and territorial ministers of health. prescription drugs; improving care in the negotiates lower drug prices on behalf of health. In part, it takes a health-care system We talked about how we can work together community—notably in the areas of home public drug plans. The health ministers agreed to establish a working group to look at how to further improve the affordability and acces- sibility of prescription drugs for Canadians. The health ministers acknowledged the reality that our population is aging and we are living longer. At the same time, rates of chronic disease and demands for mental health services are increasing. When medi- care was created in the 1960s, most health- care took place in hospitals and institutions, provided by doctors. Today, we are moving to a much more inter-professional approach to providing care, with a focus on treating patients in their communities. It makes sense to shift care away from hospitals and institu- tions to the home and in the community. To support ongoing efforts to make this shift, the federal government has promised to invest $3-billion over the next four years to better integrate and expand access to services at home, including palliative care. I will work with my provincial and territorial colleagues to determine how investments can be best leveraged to yield transformative results. We are also determined to address ac- cess to mental health services. It’s estimated that mental illness costs our economy over $50-billion per year. Those facts are com- bined with the moral imperative of respond- ing to staggering mortality rates from suicide and substance use. This is one of the most challenging parts of my mandate as health minister and among the most pressing needs. The good news is that, across the country, there are innovative projects and new approaches to delivering high quality health care. What we are missing are the tools to help spread and scale-up the most promising innovations. Working collabora- tively with provinces and territories will Euthanasia and help to harvest the existing ingenuity to improve healthcare systems. Finally, improving the health of indigenous peoples is an irrefutable concern for Canada. First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples bear assisted suicide are killing a disproportionate burden of illness, injury and premature death, compared to the gen- eral population. As health ministers, we are determined to work together with Indigenous leaders to support positive change. We had NOT health care productive meetings with First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders in Vancouver to discuss our mutual goals. By working in a spirit of rec- onciliation, respect and cooperation, we must make concrete progress. To go from the front lines of health care as a family physician to federal minister of Palliative care is available to only health, is a humbling journey and an excep- tional opportunity. I will be held accountable for an ambitious and crucial health agenda. 30% of Canadians who need it I won’t be successful on my own. But I’m confi dent that with the collective efforts of my colleagues across the country, we will fi nd the means to transform our health-care www.actionlife.org system and improve the health of Canadians. Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott represents Markham-Stouffville, Ont. In October 2015, Canada’s beverage industry came together around an important national initiative – to reduce per-capita consumption of non-alcoholic beverage calories in Canada by 20% by 2025.

Beverage calories have decreased 20% per capita over the past ten years.

We recognize that this trend is positive for Canadians, but project that without strong industry commitment, it will not continue.

Our latest voluntary initiative -

aims to reduce non-alcoholic beverage calories by another 20% over the next decade.

Balance Calories is about providing consumers with a range of beverage options and calorie information, and we will leverage our strengths in marketing and innovation and our vast distribution networks to increase consumer access to beverages with reduced calories.

Balance Calories builds on the success of previous initiatives including Clear on Calories, a front-of-pack labelling initiative; the voluntary restriction of marketing to children and the elimination of full calorie soft drinks from elementary, middle, and high schools.

Visit www.balancecalories.ca to learn more 26 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 HEALTH POLICY BRIEFING

NEWS WAIT-TIMES

Canada’s federal Health Minister Jane Philpott, pictured in this fi le photo at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa, told The Hill Times: ‘The more that we can do to take the pressure off hospitals, either by facilitating people being able to get out of hospitals sooner and be cared for appropriately at home or taking care of their conditions before they get there will be indirect ways we’ll be able to help that pressure on hospital beds.’ The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright Feds must follow provinces on collecting wait-time data: advocacy group

in an effort to push government to reduce Wait Time Alliance those times. chairman Chris Simpson Wait Time Alliance chairman Chris Simpson said there is a lesson for the says what’s not measured federal government in the data produced cannot be fi xed, by his organization. “The really big story is that the most im- and there’s a lack of portant wait times are not even measured information on how long at all,” he said. “The federal government itself, who are people such as aboriginals responsible for health care for people in the military, RCMP offi cers, incarcerated and veterans, who rely on people and many aboriginal people, many the federal government First Nation and indigenous people, they have the worst reporting of all,” he said. “So for health care, are when we scan provincial databases and waiting for treatments. federal databases, it’s impossible to fi nd out how long those people wait for a fam- ily doctor visit or radiation treatment for a cancer, or to access any kind of medical BY DENIS CALNAN service.” He said what’s not measured cannot be group that monitors the time patients fi xed, so measuring wait times is the fi rst wait for health care for various proce- A step for the federal government. dures and in all parts of the country says While there has been some modest producing this kind of data helps reduce improvement on wait times in most prov- waits and is calling on the federal gov- inces, Manitoba and the three Maritime Health Action Lobby ernment to step up and provide this kind provinces notably lag behind the rest of of information on the care it provides to the country, according to the group’s an- aboriginal peoples and veterans. nual reports. The Wait Time Alliance, a group that And the organization said provincial represents doctors in various medical health-care systems noticeably improve fi elds, produces a report every year pub- lishing how long it takes to have access to Continued on page 27 certain procedures, or to basic health care, THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 27 HEALTH

NEWS WAIT-TIMES ‘The really big story is that the most important wait times are not even measured at all’: Simpson

Continued from page 26 when wait times are monitored and prov- inces respond. “Provinces like Ontario made dramatic improvements in wait times for hip and knee replacement, for cataract surgery, for bypass surgery. So there’s no question that in some places there have been improve- ments,” said Mr. Simpson. “Saskatchewan is another example where about 90 per cent of all surger- ies—doesn’t matter what surgery it is— but all surgeries are done within three months now, which is really an incred- ible improvement versus 10 years ago,” he said. Newfoundland and Labrador is deter- mined to get better, said Mr. Simpson. “One really interesting thing that they did was they reached out to us and … they said something we’re really interested in is wait times for colonoscopies. And it turns out no province publicly reports their wait time for colonoscopy. It’s anybody’s guess as to what that would be.” He said that the result was a partner- ship between the province and CMA mem- ber organization, the Canadian Associa- tion of Gastroenterology. “Now Newfoundland and Labrador has the only publicly reported wait times for colonoscopy,” he said. “Being self-critical is the only way we can improve.” Mr. Simpson said another point he wants to highlight to governments is the gridlock that happens at hospitals, where there is a lack of people fl owing out of the hospital because people who don’t need to be in them stay while new patients attempt to get in. This is something he said relates to seniors care. “So many seniors are in acute care hos- pitals when they’re not acutely ill.” He said long-term care facilities and home care need to be strengthened in order to fi x that jam that happens in the hospitals. Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott (Markham-Stouffville, Ont.), who is also a physician, said the federal government has a role to play in reducing wait times. “The more that we can do to take the pressure off hospitals, either by facilitating people being able to get out of hospitals sooner and be cared for appropriately at home or taking care of their conditions before they get there will be indirect ways we’ll be able to help that pressure on hos- pital beds,” Ms. Philpott said in an inter- view with The Hill Times. “We also are investing as a government as part of our social infrastructure fund on things like seniors housing and long-term care facilities, and those will also be ways to support the need to address wait times,” she said.—With fi les from Rachel Aiello [email protected] The Hill Times 28 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 HEALTH POLICY BRIEFING

NEWS SUGAR & OBESITY Health proponents, beverage industry debate merits of tax on sweet drinks BY DENIS CALNAN the report—to tax sugar-sweetened and the government could count on loosing Comeau said, adding that this should be com- artifi cially sweetened drinks, was from the high-paying, private-sector jobs. bined with actions such increasing access to he debate around a Senate report Senate Social Affairs, Science and Technol- “We know that sugar-sweetened bever- healthy foods, decreasing access to unhealthy Treleased last week suggesting taxing ogy Committee, which studied obesity in ages contribute a signifi cant amount of foods in schools, day cares, and recreational sweetened drinks as a way to curb obesity the country and said it is at a “crisis level.” sugar to the diets of Canadians, specifi cally facilities, while also restricting of the market- is foaming up in Canada like a well-shaken The committee is made up primarily of adolescent boys,” said Kate Comeau, spokes- ing of food and beverages to children. pop can being opened. Conservative senators and is chaired by Kel- woman for Dietitians of Canada, a group Others say a new tax would not address But Canada’s federal Health Minister Jane vin Kenneth Ogilvie (Nova Scotia). The deputy that support a tax on sweetened drinks. the problem of obesity. Philpott (Markham-Stouffville, Ont.) told The chairman is Liberal Art Eggleton (Ontario). “While we’ll continue to do education, “This idea of taxation has been tried Hill Times that, although it’s something she Those supporting an additional tax we feel it’s important to also look at up- in other jurisdictions and it has failed,” will be studying as part of her larger plan to for calorie-packed drinks, such as pop or stream actions. What kind of policies could said Jim Goetz, president of the Canadian introduce restrictions on marketing unhealthy juices with added sweeteners, say it could the government put into place to help curb Beverage Association, a group that counts food and drinks, and other regulations on encourage people to choose healthier the consumption of these drinks?” she said. Coca-Cola Canada and PepsiCo Canada processed foods, she’s “not mandated to intro- drinks. While those opposed—most notably “When it comes to sugar-sweetened bever- among its members. duce any measures like that.” the beverage industry—say there is no ages, we’ve recommended that an excised tax “The fact is this tax does nothing to re- The recommendation—one of 21 in proof this would work, but if implemented, of at least 10 to 20 per cent be applied,” Ms. duce obesity. It increases the price of your grocery cart bill, and in many jurisdictions where it’s been introduced the net result has been job losses in the food-and-bever- age sector,” he said. He pointed to Denmark as an example of where a tax was introduced and then re- pealed after its economy and job numbers were negatively affected and the positive health outcomes did not result. Mr. Goetz said the industry is taking voluntary measures to make their products healthier. He said that while the sector has decreased the amount of calories in its drinks, the obesity rate in Canada has con- tinued to rise, suggesting the two matters are not as closely aligned as some believe. “We’re doing our part through our voluntary efforts. We want to work with the government, we want to work with other stakeholders. But simply putting a tax on soda, iced cappuccinos, specialty coffees, and milkshakes is not going to get us to the goal of reducing obesity,” said Mr. Goetz. And while other jurisdictions like Mexico and Berkeley, Calif., have imposed sugar taxes, Mr. Goetz said that this would still be an experiment on the part of the Canadian government and be “very risky.” “Obesity is much too complicated to have any kind of a solution that involves the government taxing or regulating our foods,” said Patrick Luciani, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, GREEN ECONOMY a non-profi t think tank, and a senior resi- dent at Massey College at the University of s4HENEW,IBERALGOVERNMENTIS !LBERTASOILSANDSPRODUCERSANDPOWER Toronto. “It won’t work, it hasn’t worked, promising to invest $100-million more generators. and there’s no evidence out there that it EVERYYEARINTOCLEANTECHNOLOGYPRODUCERS has worked anywhere. So it’s basically a AND MILLIONMOREEACHYEARTO s7ETAKEADEEPLOOKAT#ANADAS waste of time and money,” POLICY BRIEFING support innovation in Canada’s natural GREENECONOMYANDOFFERUPALLTHE Mr. Luciani said he has struggled with RESOURCESSECTORS)TALSOWANTSTOMAKEIT facts. weight and wrote a book about about it called Publication Date: March 21, 2016 EASIERANDMORElNANCIALLYREWARDINGFOR XXL: Obesity and the Limits of Shame. Booking Deadline: March 15, 2016 Canadian business to invest in creating s7ELOOKAT6ANCOUVERWHEREMAYOR “Health is a deeply personal struggle. It’s CLEANJOBS7HATSTHELATESTONTHESE 'REGOR2OBERTSONSAYSTHECITYIS not something that can be dictated from on PROMISESANDALLTHEOTHERGREENECONOMY BLAZINGTRAILSONCLIMATECHANGEPOLICY high. Public policy can’t just basically dictate PROMISES INCLUDINGMODERNIZINGTHE BUTISFALLINGBEHINDONlGHTINGREAL through taxation or regulation” and expect .ATIONAL%NERGY"OARD 7EFOLLOWUPWITH WORLDEFFECTSOFGREENHOUSEGAS people’s health to change, he said. Mr. Luciani said that while the govern- AREALITYCHECKONALLTHEPROMISESAND emissions. ment used a tax to help reduce smoking, WHATTHEFEDERALGOVERNMENTISACTUALLY cigarettes are just one product and food is doing so far. s!NDWELOOKATHOWPROVINCIALCARBON much more varied, so therefore a similar pricing programs can drive economic route of attack would not work. s7ELOOKINTO!LBERTA0REMIER2ACHEL GROWTH But the tax on cigarettes is a fair com- Notley’s multi-billion-dollar carbon parison, according to proponents. TAXASWELLASHOWTHENEW0ARIS Be a part of this timely and “We know that taxes really do have an CLIMATECHANGEACCORDWILLAFFECT important policy briefing. impact on behaviour change. And the best ex- ample we have is from tobacco,” said Manuel Arango, the director of health policy and advocacy at the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Communicate with those most responsible for “Tobacco tax has been a huge and very critical tool in reducing smoking,” he said. Canada’s public policy decisions. “Sugary drinks are the same thing. [They] For more information or to reserve your government shouldn’t be treated any differently from tobacco.” relations and public affairs advertising space, contact The Hill Mr. Arango said the tax would also serve Times display advertising department at 613-688-8825. as a good revenue generator for government. The Hill Times Treating chronic pain, our shared responsibility.

As one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in Canada, Purdue Pharma is dedicated to ongoing research and development in the fi eld of drug delivery and the use of pain medications. However, we also recognize that prescription drug abuse is a public health issue. A recent survey conducted by CAMH showed that 81% of students who use medicines non-medically obtain them from family or friends.1 Purdue Pharma, together with health authorities and the medical community, is actively working to reverse this trend so that the right medications get to the right patients.

Through our educational programs and strong community partnerships, we are confi dent that we can continue to make great strides in addressing the use, abuse and diversion of pain medications.

For more information on our role within the community, please contact [email protected].

Innovation in Pain Care

1. Boak, A., Hamilton, H. A., Adlaf, E. M., & Mann, R. E. (2013). Drug use among Ontario students, 1977-2013: Detailed OSDUHS fi ndings (CAMH Research Document Series No. 36). Toronto, ON: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. 30 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 HEALTH POLICY BRIEFING

OPINION UNIVERSAL PHARMACARE

plans. Governments would see savings from greater purchasing power for medications Universal pharmacare: it’s time and improved health outcomes as fi nancial barriers to fi lling prescriptions are lifted. Launching the program would necessarily require up-front investments. However, there is It’s time for leadership age. More notoriously, Canadians pay the of a national formulary, along with eventual a broad consensus amongst health care econo- second highest prescription drug prices in comprehensive bulk buying by all provincial, mists that universal prescription coverage will from all levels of the industrialized world—second only to the territorial and federal governments, will lay the save our health care system money over time. government to extend United States. We thus experience the twin foundation for a universal pharmacare system. These researchers estimate that a problems of seeing many Canadians unable Bulk buying provides no relief to the national pharmacare program could be that care and ensure to obtain the medications they need—while millions of Canadians without access to achieved through an initial $3-billion Canadians receive the paying through the nose when they can. prescriptions. Further, it fails to resolve the to $5-billion investment. Further, they Despite a patchwork of private and pub- ineffi ciencies of the multi-payer system. estimate that overall savings for Canada medicines they need to lic plans across Canada, fi nancial barriers Combined federal, provincial and territorial would range from $4-billion to $11-billion get well, and stay healthy. to medications continue to exist among spending on prescription medications cur- annually, depending on the structure of the the millions of Canadians without cover- rently sits at 42 per cent of the overall spending system and the parameters adopted. age. Canadians with private insurance face across Canada. The remaining 58 per cent is Most compellingly, in a country with a costly co-payments or deductibles. In fact, absorbed by private plans and the millions of proud tradition of universal access to medi- nearly one in four Canadian households Canadians paying out-of-pocket. Accordingly, cal care, Canadians who need access to report family members who struggle or purchasing power by the bulk buying alliance medications would be treated equally. neglect to fi ll prescriptions due to cost. is signifi cantly weaker than it could be under a Canadians agree. Recent polls put NDP MP DON DAVIES However, high prices not only gouge single-payer system. In addition, many observ- public support for a national pharmacare government treasuries, pocketbooks and ers are concerned that increased bulk buying plan at between 75 per cent and 91 per business balance sheets—they also gener- could trigger a rise in retail prices as pharma- cent. Diverse stakeholder groups including s costs rise and our population ages, ate increased costs down the line. ceutical companies seek to offset losses by doctors, nurses, health care profession- Astakeholders of all kinds recognize These barriers not only undermine the hiking costs to those without coverage. als, medical students and seniors across that Canada’s health-care system needs tenets of our universal, single-tier health Under pharmacare, Canadian govern- Canada have added their voices to the call. new approaches to stabilize expenditures care system - they ultimately cost more as ments could leverage Canada’s maximum New Democrats believe the federal govern- and improve quality of care. Canadians enter the system downstream purchasing power to bargain down prices. In ment has an historic opportunity to launch this Among the many ideas proposed to meet even sicker. A recent study put the health return, manufacturers of either brand name long-overdue public program. Indeed, this was these objectives, however, one stands out for care cost of non-adherence to prescrip- drugs, “me too” copies, or generics, who price part of the second phase of Tommy Douglas’ its broad consensus: a universal plan for pre- tions, due to fi nancial barriers, at between competitively would be rewarded with ac- dream for a universal, public and comprehen- scription medications or pharmacare. This $1-billion and $9-billion annually. cess to 100 per cent of the population. This sive health care system for all Canadians. proposal has the potential to reduce costs In January, the Liberal government an- would be a win-win-win for Canadian busi- It’s time for leadership from all levels of for Canadians, government and businesses, nounced Canada’s intention to join the existing nesses, governments, and families. government to extend that care and ensure improve health outcomes and increase equi- provincial and territorial bulk buying alli- Canadians would see immediate savings Canadians receive the medicines they need table access to good health for all Canadians. ance. This collaboration is a welcome one and as retail prices, co-payments and deductibles to get well, and stay healthy. Surprisingly, Canada is the only country promises to go some distance to reduce the bill would be reduced or eliminated altogeth- NDP MP Don Davies, his party’s health in the world that provides public medicare paid by taxpayers for prescription medica- er. Businesses would benefi t by removing critic, represents Vancouver-Kingsway, B.C. without universal prescription drug cover- tions. Some also believe that the establishment the insurance premiums for medication The Hill Times

NEWS DRUG RESEARCH Health experts call on government to increase transparency around drug research

cians don’t have all the information they He said while the law requires compa- “So up until they complete the study, it’s Researchers say not need to have faith in a drug when prescrib- nies to make information available, “we a public document. You can go there. After having open access to ing it to their patients. don’t know yet what information they have they complete the studies, it’s no longer a “Just having the regulator look at all the to make available and we need regulations public document and you can’t get it off of studies that were done information isn’t good enough. Regulators to defi ne that.” the website,” he said. to allow the drugs to be make mistakes, too. Sometimes companies Prof. Herder suggested that until those He said he wants to know what stud- hide things. More transparency is a good regulations are introduced, the law lacks ies the companies carried out for Health sold in Canada means thing,” said Matthew Herder, an associate the bite it needs to achieve its goal. Canada and if the results were published in physicians don’t have all professor in the Faculties of Medicine and In the meantime, researchers can re- medical literature. Law at Dalhousie University and the per- quest information on specifi c drugs. If and “That’s the way people like me will be the information they need son behind the push to get Health Canada when they get that information, the recipi- able to evaluate the fi nal evidence for these to have an open policy around drug infor- ent is committed to not disclosing what is drugs,” he said. to have faith in a drug mation. still seen as confi dential business informa- Prof. Herder said researchers can fi le a when prescribing it to “Canada made major changes to its tion, according to Prof. Herder. special request for information on specifi c Food and Drugs Act in late 2014, I would He said he is working with many drugs, but are then committed to signing their patients. say the most important changes since the researchers in trying to pry open Health confi dentiality agreements and are intimi- thalidomide disaster in the 1960s from a Canada’s policy around this issue. Joel dated by Health Canada into not speaking patient-safety perspective. And included in Lexchin, a professor of health policy at about the information they attain. BY DENIS CALNAN those changes were a number of provisions York University and an emergency-depart- For his part, Dr. Lexchin said he’s been that have the potential to make informa- ment physician at the University Health waiting about 15 months for his access to ealth professionals and academics are tion about the safety and effectiveness of Network in Toronto, is among them. information request to be fulfi lled. Hputting the heat on Health Canada drugs more available or transparent, but “Health Canada has a policy for ap- “To be fair to [Health Canada] this is to release information about prescription we’re very much in the process of seeing proving medications before all the data is a fairly new change in law. They’re trying drugs—information that the department if that potential is going to be realized. We in. This is called a notice of appliance with to fi gure out how to make this process deems confi dential for the businesses that haven’t seen a big shift as of yet,” said Prof. conditions,” explained Dr. Lexchin work. I would hope that they could be very sell the products. Herder. “If a company gets a drug approved under effi cient as they do that, but it is a work in While the 2014 passing of Bill C-17, the “We’re talking about changing a prac- this, then they have to give an undertaking that progress,” said Prof. Herder. Protecting Canadians from Unsafe Drugs tice that has been in place for decades and they’re going to complete additional studies “I think we really need to start moving Act—also called Vanessa’s Law—opened decades and decades. And so that’s hard, to show that the drug actually does what the faster.” up some of the secrecy about pharmaceuti- right? Like, how you change the way how preliminary data indicated that it would do. Prof. Herder said that he hopes Health cal products, critics say the law lacks teeth. an organization works,” he said. Once the studies have been done to Health Minister Jane Philpott will step in soon if Researchers say not having open ac- “These changes in law were signifi cant,” Canada’s satisfaction, then all that information the department continues to lag at getting cess to studies that were done to allow the said Prof. Herder, “But they require other about what study they committed to vanishes information out. drugs to be sold in Canada means physi- things to be done.” from the website,” said Dr. Lexchin. [email protected] THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 31 HEALTH POLICY BRIEFING OPINION HEALTH PRIORITIES Malaria Protecting Canada’s kills a child universal health-care system is job No. 1 every

Canada still has a far The most helpful tool in the minister’s mandate letter will be the pursuit of bulk more cost-effective and buying of prescription drugs. As the thor- compassionate health- ough and convincing study produced by 2 minutes international health experts, Pharmacare care system than our 2020, conclusively established, Canada neighbours south of the could save $7-billion per year by bring- ing in a national pharmacare plan. No border. It is no longer Canadian should go without medically prescribed treatment solely for lack of enough to watch its funds. But neither should the pharmaceu- New medicines decline. It is time to tical industry be allowed to make obscene profi ts on drugs with minor variations on reverse it. existing R&D. Nor should Health Canada can save their lives register pharmaceuticals without applying a more rigorous assessment of the risks and benefi ts. The standard applied by the UBC Therapeutics Initiative should be MMV and partners develop and deliver: applied. Between the two prongs of bulk buying and greater scrutiny of the side RRRbetter medicines innovative new GREEN PARTY MP ELIZABETH MAY effects and risks of drugs, the health-care medicines to treat medicines to system will reduce the single biggest pres- sure driving up costs—the rising cost of for malaria and protect help eradicate here is a constellation of serious issues prescription drugs. children malaria Tpiling up on the desk of our new Health Patient-centred care with a greater Minister, Jane Philpott. There’s how to le- focus on team medicine will likely be the and pregnant galize cannabis, while ensuring medicinal model that provides more connection marijuana is accessible and of high quality. for every Canadian with a family doctor. women Simultaneously, the government must man- Greater access to long-term health care age health warnings that should be applied facilities, as well as support for home care, as healthy people look to cannabis as a will reduce hospital costs. recreational drug. There’s the challenge to Electronic records, transportable and the medical community to ensure that the available to every patient, will reduce coming regime to ensure legal physician- administrative costs. There is also a huge assisted death provides clarity. There’s the gap in health-care facilities and pro- issue, well-handled in her fi rst few months, grams for mental health and addiction. of lax regulation of toxic pesticides. And Canadian prisons are not the appropriate there is the mandate letter direction to place for treating those with mental ill- act to reduce the health threat to children ness or addiction. posed by sugary drinks. The enormous potential of preven- Thanks to the unanimous support for tative health care must be embraced. my private member’s bill C-442 in the Reducing the intake of sugary drinks is a last Parliament, Philpott has a mandatory good start. But so too should be promot- duty to develop a federal Lyme disease ing healthy and locally-grown food. The strategy. Work on that is proceeding with high school on Salt Spring Island, Gulf a planned federal-provincial/territorial Islands Secondary School, supplies most conference planned for May 16-18 in Ot- of the food for the school kitchens from tawa. Thousands of Lyme disease patients the gardens at the school, tended by the across Canada are pinning their hopes on students. While southern Vancouver Island that conference to develop an improved does have an unusually long growing protocol for effective diagnosis, treatment season, the model is largely transportable. and cure. Linking local food to institutional kitch- Still, for all the signifi cant, indeed trans- ens would improve health in schools and formative, issues in the health portfolio, hospitals. Cutting costs by eliminating nothing trumps ensuring the sustainability institutional kitchens across Canada was of our health-care system. For that it is penny wise and pound foolish. critical that the federal government take Healthy living, active-living, is a bridge seriously the responsibility to enforce the between the portfolios of health and Canada Health Act. The creeping growth of infrastructure. Canadian cities and towns private clinics and private medical facili- need funds to invest in enhanced pedes- ties must meet strong resistance from a trian and cycling opportunities. This green

federal government enforcing the Canada infrastructure will help reduce GHG emis- Photo: MMV Health Act. The promised renewal of sions while improving fi tness and health. federal-provincial and territorial consulta- Cyclists should not have to risk their lives tions and negotiations to renew the Health in Canadian cities to commute to work. Accord must include commitments from Safe cycling is the norm in most European Defeating Malaria Together provinces to sanction and prevent two- cities. Canada needs to ensure safe cycling tiered medicine. While some argue that the across the country. growth of private facilities is no threat to Canada still has a far more cost-effec- We are grateful to our donors and partners whose support our single-payer universal health care, the tive and compassionate health-care system reality is that, as long as Canada is within than our neighbours south of the border. It and expertise facilitate this vital work. NAFTA, every new facility brings us closer is no longer enough to watch its decline. It to a successful challenge from a U.S. for- is time to reverse it. profi t corporation to our entire system. We Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, who can only protect our health care system as represents Saanich-Gulf Islands, B.C. a public, not-for-profi t public service. We [email protected] www.mmv.org can never protect it if it is a market. The Hill Times 32 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 HEALTH POLICY BRIEFING

OPINION NATIONAL PHARMACARE It’s time to think beyond national pharmacare

To improve ac- cess, not just to EFFICIENT FRENCH COURSES WITH ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE drugs, but better drugs, phar- macare has to '2/50#,!33%30!24 4)-%s).4%.3)6%s7/2+3(/03s3,%02%0!2!4)/. help drive these additional, but interconnected, Private courses at your convenience. Official language test centre. institutional changes, writes Non-profit organisation since 1905! Matthew Herder. Supplier of the federal government for more than 15 years! REGISTER NOW: www.af.ca/ottawa | 613-234-9470

Meanwhile, drug fi rms are shifting their Make the evidence focus to rare diseases. This shift may be driven on drug safety and less by concerns that those diseases have been traditionally marginalized, and more by the fact effectiveness public. that the path to market for rare disease drugs tends be faster and cheaper, while the price of many of these drugs is exceptionally high. In addition, Canada’s public funding for research has, over several years, been increas- ingly aligned with industry’s goals and prac- tices. A slew of policy initiatives from every MATTHEW HERDER level of government emphasize commercial- izing research. In this environment, the ability of publicly funded science to advance valuable Canada’s ecently, federal and provincial health pharmaceutical interventions instead of prod- Rministers agreed to create a working uct line extensions, or independently scrutinize 39,000 group to explore how to improve Canadians’ the evidence base behind such interventions, access to pharmaceutical drugs. In the wake of may be compromised. pharmacists this, there is new optimism that pharmacare, Pharmacare is not a fake fi x; it represents publicly funded and universally available to major reform with the potential to positively Canadians, might one day come to pass. infl uence pharmaceutical manufacturers by I support pharmacare. Many Canadians forcing them to provide stronger evidence of cannot afford the drugs they’re prescribed the therapeutic value of their products rela- and that’s unjust. Yet, if Canada is to imple- tive to existing ones. But absent fundamental ment national pharmacare, surely we want changes in the way pharmaceutical research PHARMACARE OPTIONS to know more about the drugs we’ll be is rewarded, shared, and scrutinized, any paying for. To this end, we must tackle a new formulary will be a half measure. pre-existing challenge: we must open up Those working on pharmacare need to Let the conversation begin the evidence our drug regulator houses think bigger: not only in terms of how fed- concerning drug safety and effectiveness. eral, provincial and territorial governments For decades, Health Canada has kept can cooperate to create a national formulary, that information confi dential at the behest but also in terms of how such an institution As front line health care professionals responsible for delivering drug of drug manufacturers. This practice limits can be designed in parallel with changes in treatments to patients, pharmacists take a keen interest in the ongoing the ongoing evaluation of a drug’s safety pharmaceutical regulation and research. debate over drug coverage. Every day we see the devastating impact and effectiveness and, in turn, provincial and Health Canada now has the power to territorial governments’ decision-making share unpublished pharmaceutical informa- on patients when they cannot afford or access their medication. about which drugs to pay for, not to mention tion with researchers and other governmen- physicians and patients who make decisions tal bodies, including a national formulary about which drugs to prescribe and take. if it’s created. The regulator can also attach It’s time for an informed discussion that examines and debates all the In some cases, disclosing this evidence real, enforceable post-market monitor- options. Let’s talk about what actually makes sense for Canadians. might prevent serious harm. Consider Vioxx. ing conditions to drug company product Let’s go beyond simply talking about achieving cost savings through Approved in 1999 for treating arthritis, it was licenses, which is especially important for withdrawn from markets in 2004 after thou- informing formulary evaluations of those in- reductions in generic drug costs, bulk purchasing and product listing sands are estimated to have suffered cardiac terventions as real-world evidence about the agreements by government payers and talk about how optimal drug arrest and death. Regulatory offi cials knew of benefi ts and harms of a drug accumulates. In this risk but kept it secret on the grounds it was practice, neither is happening adequately. therapy can achieve both cost savings and better health outcomes for company property. This practice has to stop. In pharmaceutical research, a wholesale Canadians. And so, we must reframe the “pharma- rethink of the incentives, criteria, and pro- care question” from one of access to one cesses for rewarding and carrying out drug of access to what, exactly. Our gaze must research is needed. We need to hit the reset To learn more: turn upstream to the producers of pharma- button so that universities are not in the ceutical knowledge—companies that have business of recklessly promoting research visit www.pharmacists.ca/pharmacare or contact Joelle Walker long insisted that unpublished information and funding support for investigator-led at 613-523-7877 (ext. 387) or [email protected] about drug safety and effectiveness must and controlled drug trials and essential be held in confi dence by the regulator. groups like Cochrane Canada is restored. Yet, the problems with the way that private To improve access, not just to drugs, corporations decide which pharmaceutical in- but better drugs, pharmacare has to help terventions to develop and how run even deep- drive these additional, but interconnected, er. Industry has a well-documented tendency institutional changes. to tweak the formulation of existing drugs in Matthew Herder is an adviser with Eviden- order to extend their fi nancial rewards. There ceNetwork.ca and associate professor, health is insuffi cient research comparing the effec- law institute, faculties of medicine and law, tiveness of competing drug treatments because Dalhousie University, Twitter: @cmrherder drug-makers have weak incentives to demon- [email protected] strate the real value of their products. The Hill Times THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 33 HEALTH POLICY BRIEFING

OPINION HEALTH-CARE PARADIGM Changing health-care paradigm: from economic drain to economic gain

While we must respect the approaches ket, Ont., I am committed to working to help stimulate economic growth locally, but provide Canada’s health technology of various governmental stakeholders foster and incubate health-care innovation. In a fertile ground for potential federal and pro- sector can not only when it comes to their involvement in incu- 2015, Southlake opened the doors of its centre vincial investment in health care innovation. bating health-care innovation, what is clear of innovation, aptly named CreateIT Now. In short, Canada’s health technology sec- stimulate economic growth is that we no matter how small the actor, CreateIT Now is a launch-pad for great ideas tor can not only stimulate economic growth while positioning Canadian we all have a role to play. The newly-elect- and a landing site tailor-made for health care- while positioning Canadian innovators on ed federal government can take a leading focused innovators getting into North Ameri- a global stage, it also enables Canada to be innovators on a global stage, role in coordinating these efforts. can markets. In addition to the business advice fi rst to benefi t from the home-grown technol- it also enables Canada to As a former Canadian astronaut, aquanaut one would expect from an incubator, CreateIT ogies. In this mission, failure is not an option. and former director of life sciences at NASA Now offers a unique working space at an early Dr. Dave Williams was Canada’s fi rst dual be fi rst to benefi t from the Johnson Space Centre, I have been fortunate adopter hospital to provide access to in-market astronaut and aquanaut. He currently serves to have worked with cutting-edge and innova- clinical expertise and advice. It is my hope that as president and CEO of Southlake Regional home-grown technologies. tive technologies. As president and CEO at other hospitals across the country will create Health Centre in Newmarket, Ont. In this mission, failure is not Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmar- similar centres of innovation that will not only The Hill Times an option.

DAVE WILLIAMS

n Jan. 13, 2016, Prime Minister Justin OTrudeau announced a $20-million investment to create a Centre for Com- mercialization of Regenerative Medicine establishing a stem-cell therapy develop- ment facility in Toronto. In his speech, the prime minister noted that “regenerative medicine is the future and not only is it the future, it’s a branch of medi- cine that Canada and the province of Ontario are actually quite good at.” And that “the medical advances and innovations happen- ing right here in Toronto are world-class.” I could not agree more with the prime minister’s sentiments. In 2013, I was asked to serve as the chair of the Ontario Health Innovation Council (OHIC), an advisory body that was created by the Ontario government to accelerate the adoption of new technologies in our healthcare system and support the growth and competitiveness of Ontario’s health tech- nology sector. As chair, I led a team of experts to provide strategic advice on how Ontario INFRASTRUCTURE could: facilitate technological innovations that promote health and well-being, improve ac- rime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statements on municipal infrastructure cess to health and health services, and deliver government is promising to spending; we look at how northern effective, effi cient, and quality care; use the make the New Building Canada finance ministers want infrastructure purchasing power of the province and broader P Fund, which is heavily backloaded spending at the top the federal public sector strategically to accelerate the growth of the health technology sector; and ex- with more than 70 per cent of its government’s list; we look into Public pand broader adoption of innovative new POLICY BRIEFING funding locked away until after 2019, Safety Minister Ralph Goodale’s technologies across the health-care sector. more focused and more transparent promise to open the government’s A year later, Dr. David Naylor was asked Publication Date: April 18, 2016 with clearer project criteria and faster wallet to prepare for natural to chair the Advisory Panel on Healthcare Booking Deadline: April 13, 2016 approval processes. We look into this. catastrophes; and we look into a C.D. Innovation by then federal health minister The Liberals are also promising to Howe Institute report that wants the Rona Ambrose. The panel was asked to iden- spend $20-billion over the next few Liberals to break its election promises tify the fi ve most promising areas of innova- years on infrastructure as part of its on creating the New Building Canada tion in Canada and internationally that have the potential to sustainably reduce growth 10-year, $60-billion election pledge. Is Fund and its promise to require cities in health spending while leading to improve- this enough? to look for a private-sector partner to ments in the quality and accessibility of care. share the financial risks and windfalls The panel was also asked to determine ways We also look into the idea of creating of any infrastructure project. the federal government could support inno- innovation hubs in municipalities vation in those fi ve areas. across the country; we look at Bank Be a part of it. Both OHIC and the federal advisory panel of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz’s released their reports in 2015. While both reports respected the constitutional division of powers regarding health care, they contained a number of shared themes. I believe the reports contain suffi cient evidence-based analyses Communicate with those most responsible for to serve as a baseline for FPT partners to establish a meaningful and sustained dialogue Canada’s public policy decisions. on the need for governments to invest in and For more information or to reserve your government create incentives for health care innovators, relations and public affairs advertising space, contact The Hill and knock down barriers that hamper access to those technologies when they are being Times display advertising department at 613-688-8825. developed and eventually brought to market. 34 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 HEALTH POLICY BRIEFING

OPINION INNOVATION It’s time: pan-Canadian collaboration on health-care innovation can deliver real change

achieving this ‘triple aim.’ Despite signifi cant dence-informed solutions across provincial of antipsychotics, in 2014 we launched a Scaling-up proven public sector spending and the efforts of and territorial lines—ensuring that best pan-Canadian collaboration to spread this health-care innovations governments and health-care organizations, practices are implemented from Victoria to successful approach. Fifty-six long term Canada ranks poorly on quality measures. Yellowknife and Halifax. care facilities across seven provinces and is the best way to build The Commonwealth Fund’s 2014 health This approach delivers real results. A one territory participated, and more than innovative and affordable scorecard ranked Canada 10th of 11 coun- 2014 independent evaluation by KPMG half the residents had their antipsychotic tries, including last on timeliness of care and concluded: “It is clear that CFHI has been medications discontinued or reduced with- health-care systems. second last on safety and effi ciency. Cana- able to support substantive positive im- out an increase in disruptive behaviours. dians report diffi culty accessing after-hours pacts on the Canadian healthcare system,” Just as importantly, we saw a 20 per cent care and same- or next-day appointments; and CFHI generated “signifi cantly more decline in falls by participating residents. the longest waits to see a specialist; the benefi ts to Canada than the funding invest- The result: better quality care at lower cost. greatest use of emergency departments; and ments being made [in CFHI].” Next, CFHI will be working with provin- the highest readmission rates. And we are Today, CFHI is spreading and scaling cial partners to scale across an entire prov- eighth of 11 in patient-centred care. innovative programs across Canada. These ince the success achieved by our pan-Ca- MAUREEN O’NEIL How can we innovate to address this innovations began as the ideas of physi- nadian medication reduction collaboration. situation? We can methodically build out cians, nurses and healthcare managers In the coming weeks we will announce from innovations well-tested in real life on who wanted better care for their patients. the fi rst such partnership to scale-up our cross the industrialized world, govern- a small scale, so that better ways of doing For example, an approach to curbing the antipsychotic initiative to every long-term Aments and health-care organizations things spread across the country—inno- inappropriate use of antipsychotic medi- care facility in a province. face aging populations and growing rates vations that improve patients’ lives and cations in long-term care facilities that We are excited about this work and of chronic disease as well as patients and produce more value for taxpayers. As the improves care for residents with dementia. the benefi ts it will bring long-term care families with unprecedented access to Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innova- People with dementia can be aggressive, residents, their families, health-care pro- health information and an appetite to be tion chaired by Dr. David Naylor recently resist care and show other challenging be- fessionals and the provincial healthcare engaged in their care. In this environment, observed, “... pockets of extraordinary haviours. In such instances, antipsychotic system. But there are many more opportu- promoting innovation in health care has creativity and innovation dot the Canadian medicines are often prescribed, but they nities for improvement across the country, never been more important. As federal, healthcare landscape. Local, regional and provide limited benefi t and can cause seri- where pressing healthcare challenges can provincial, and territorial health ministers even provincial programs worthy of emula- ous harm, including premature death. be met by supporting the implementa- recently stated: “service delivery innovation tion have simply not been scaled up across Currently, one-in-four residents of long tion of best practices. Scaling-up proven is a vital component of sustainable, quality the nation.” term care in Canada is taking an antipsy- health-care innovations is the best way to health systems.” The Canadian Foundation for Health- chotic medication without a diagnosis of build innovative and affordable health-care This year marks the 50th anniversary of care Improvement is working with health psychosis. One solution: implementing systems. CFHI will continue to work as a medicare in Canada. Many provincial and sector partners to reverse this trend. A more personalized care plans for residents, catalyst for real change in health care—de- federal commissions, and scores of research federally-funded, not-for-profi t organi- such as tailored recreation and music livering real results for all Canadians. reports, have outlined approaches that zation, we collaborate with healthcare therapy that reduce reliance on antipsy- Maureen O’Neil is president of the would deliver better care, health, and value. providers, managers and executives in chotic medications. Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Im- Yet there remain persistent challenges to hospitals, health regions and provincial- After supporting the Winnipeg Re- provement. territorial health ministries to spread evi- gional Health Authority to lower its use The Hill Times

OPINION HEALTH-CARE FUTURE

covers most (but not all) hospital, diag- nostic and physician services. And, with chronic health problems (increasingly A future for health care in Canada? associated with an aging population) the order of the day, there is much greater been pouring much of our resources into right against the left. To put this into some need for pharmaceuticals, good primary Something just has to hacking away at wait lists and times for a context, it seems that the left is in denial on care, home care, and long term care (the give. Rather than allow few major clinical areas, with mixed results. two counts: fi rst that we are facing a sustain- vast majority of which is not covered by Yet, if we take a careful look at health-care ability challenge, and second that by many public insurance). For a fortunate pro- the health-care sector challenges that are just down the road, espe- international comparative studies our system portion of the Canadian population (far to deteriorate further, cially those related to dealing with chronic is not performing well. The right, on the from the total population) the products health problems that are more effectively other hand, refuses to accept the evidence and services that are really required are let’s see some visionary dealt with outside hospitals by a mix of (albeit imperfect) that a private tier will not being covered through private insurance, leaders from both the pharmaceuticals, home care, and long-term reduce queues or otherwise take pressure co-payments, and/or out-of-pocket expen- care, and generally building capacity to ad- off the public sector, and they do not appear ditures. As well, more and more families public and private dress the required infrastructure, we are not willing to fully assume risk. (especially the women in these families) close to being ready. And, it is evident that The right also assumes that anything that are being increasingly burdened by having sectors (together) ‘step the heavily-funded acute care sector is ill- is publicly delivered is bloated with admin- to provide informal care not picked up by up to the plate’ to work equipped to handle these problems. istrative costs and “overmanned” unionized any organization in the system. The data (most recently from the jobs. They seem to ignore evidence from the Something just has to give. Rather than on developing reforms OECD) show that the Canadian health-care U.S.A. where the more than 1,500 private allow the health-care sector to deteriorate that will allow us to deal system is expensive, especially for what is health insurance companies are the ones further, let’s see some visionary leaders from achieved with all these expenditures. Un- that account for signifi cantly bloated admin- both the public and private sectors (together) with health issues of the like many other countries of the OECD, our istrative costs in U.S. health care. “step up to the plate” to work on developing future. public insurance health-care system covers This “debate” does little to address ways reforms that will allow us to deal with health a narrow range of services, and while we to effectively prepare for the future. Where issues of the future. For the fi rst time in a have tinkered at the margins with real is the leadership in this country that could decade, though, there does appear to be an health-care reforms (e.g., hospital restruc- help facilitate a serious discussion that opportunity for the federal government to turing, regionalization), other countries engages both the public and private sectors work with the provinces and the private sec- (especially in Western Europe) have been to develop viable approaches (for both tor to map out (and implement!) a desirable completing major structural reforms that fi nancing and delivery), a discussion that future for Canadians that underscores our are addressing their current and emerging is handled creatively and constructively much-cherished value system. As the Nike DOUGLAS ANGUS health and health related needs. and that could map out a system to help us Company once said, “just do it!” It’s not that we haven’t studied the issues address the chronic health issues of the fu- Douglas Angus is a full professor in the and made countless recommendations about ture (a future that is closer than we think)? Telfer School of Management with exper- uring the past number of years we have what to do, for during the past couple of de- It seems that both sides of this ideologi- tise in health economics and health policy. Dbeen grappling with some rather signifi - cades we actually created a cottage industry cal divide would agree on one thing right He was the director of the PhD program in cant challenges in our publicly-insured part around royal commissions, special studies now: the status quo is less and less viable, population health from 2003 to 2010. of health care, that is, medicare as Cana- and the like. In place of action, we are en- especially since the Canada Health Act [email protected] dians warmly call it. For example, we have gaged in an ideological warfare that pits the (which embodies public health insurance) The Hill Times THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 35 HEALTH POLICY BRIEFING

OPINION SUGAR TAX The case for taxing sugar

Independent reporting means you get the critical business

Last fall, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mandated Health Minister Jane Philpott to work on knowledge you need. improving food labels to give more information about added sugars. The Senate report does call for a revamped, evidence-based Canada Food Guide. The Hill Times photographs by Jake Wright

could be addressed with more and better It’s time for governments information. Last fall, for example, Prime in Canada to spend a Minister Justin Trudeau mandated Health Canada's media and telecom business news you can trust. Minister Jane Philpott to work on improv- little less time focuins on ing food labels to give us more information doctors and hospitals and about added sugars. And the Senate report thewirereport.ca does call for a revamped, evidence-based a bit more time on what Canada Food Guide. But more information contributes to poor health. alone is not going to be enough. As the Senate report observes, there are 56 differ- ent names for sugar alone making it hard for consumers to make an informed choice. Many other countries have already concluded that it is necessary to tax sugary beverages. Scandinavian countries have initiated such taxes in the past, as has France, Belgium, and Chile to name but PATRICK FAFARD three. A more recent example is Mexico that introduced a tax on sugar-sweetened food and drinks in January 2014. Research ast week, there was much discussion of published in January in the prestigious Ltaxation in Canada. By far the biggest medical journal BMJ suggested that the conversation was about taxing greenhouse 10 per cent rise in the price of sugary bev- gas emissions. But in the shadows of the erages led to an initial six per cent decline carbon tax debate, the Standing Senate in consumption and that the decline ac- Committee on Social Affairs, Science and celerated over time. Now critics are quick Technology released a report on obesity. to point out that we lack defi nitive studies Among its recommendations, the commit- demonstrating the effectiveness of taxes on tee suggested that Ottawa “assess the op- sugary drinks. tions for taxation levers” for sugary drinks. Drawing on the strategies of tobacco This is by no means a ringing endorsement companies, companies like Coca Cola and of a tax on soft drinks. But one can only Pepsico spend a great deal of time cast- hope that the report will kick-start a badly- ing doubt on the veracity of the existing needed discussion in Canada about the science underlying a tax on sugary drinks. merits, some might say the imperative, of a But as was true for the tobacco industry, tax on sugar. soft drink makers are also in the business The Senate committee noted that over of creating doubt knowing that this can the past 25 years or so, the number of slow or even avert government taxation or obese adults has doubled. At the same regulation. Fair enough. time, the number of obese children has But here we confront the limits of the tripled. The answer is not (or at least not current preoccupation with evidence- only) more exercise. As my University based policy making. Good public policy of Ottawa colleague Yoni Freedhoff has is not just the result of the accumulation argued many times, you cannot run away of scientifi c evidence. It is also a matter of from your fork. The key is how much and leadership in order to promote the public what we eat. interest. As other countries have already Nor is the answer simply one of individ- done, perhaps it is time for governments in ual effort. There is a great deal of research Canada to spend a little less time focusing that demonstrates the pernicious effects on doctors and hospitals and a bit more of the proliferation of fast and processed time on what contributes to poor health. foods and a barrage of advertising that en- Just as Tommy Douglasth made a bold courages us to over consume sugar. For ex- push in the mid 20 century to improve ample, fruit juice is presented as a healthy access to fi rst hospital and later physician st choice but, in the memorable words of the services, perhaps the early 21 century Senate report, “fruit juice is little more than is the time for Canadian politicians to a soft drink without the bubbles.” More- exercise similar courageous leadership to over, low-income Canadians and people in improve public health. Northern Canada often rely on unhealthy Patrick Fafard is a member of Centre foods because these items are cheaper and for Health Law, Policy and Ethics and as- sometimes all that is available. sociate professor of public & international Now few Canadians are willing to pay affairs at the University of Ottawa. more taxes. Thus, before taxing it, it is rea- [email protected] sonable to ask if our love affair with sugar The Hill Times 36 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 LOBBYING TOP 100 LOBBYISTS Power shift among federal lobbyists biggest since Chrétien won power in 1993: lobbyists

This year’s list features the This year’s Top return of former Liberal Cabinet 100 Lobbyists list minister Don Boudria from Hill & Knowlton Strategies, as well includes more as a fi rst-time appearance from entries with Liberal another former Liberal Cabinet minister, David Pratt, who runs connections, as his own government-relations well as those fi rm, David Pratt & Associates. There are also a few new representing entries, such as Summa Strate- gies Canada’s Louis-Alexandre environmental Lanthier, whose connections are issues and labour. more direct to the current regime; Mr. Lanthier is a former staffer to Mr. Trudeau, managing his cam- Continued from page 1 paigns to get elected as an MP in 2008 and 2011. “Every time a government Mr. Sears said that, “some lob- changes, the ranking of who is byists were so heavily associated best at advising clients changes with the previous government, somewhat,” Mr. Sears said. “When publicly and partisanly—and Above, lobbyists, politicians and other Hill types gather for a reception hosted by Bluesky Strategy Group in January. the change is as big as this one, continue to defend them after the the change in who is hot and who fact—that clients do not want to is not is even bigger. The last time be associated with them.” that we saw as dramatic a shift in Other lobbyists have become people, priorities, and power was less valuable, he said, because at the end of the Mulroney era in they are “simply too old-school, 1993.” not familiar with the new expec- Joe Jordan, an independent tations of a younger group of lobbyist and former Liberal MP, offi cials and politicians—social agreed this incoming government media, digital marketing, data creates the biggest change in fed- analytics—that they are not help- eral lobbying infl uence since Mr. ful to clients for whom that is Chrétien came to power. core culture.” “The extent of the change— With about 5,000 lobbyists 200-plus new MPs—is unprec- registered to lobby the federal edented,” Mr. Jordan said on why government as of last week, it this is an even bigger change amounts to slim proportion—one than when the Conservatives out of every 50—who make this led by Stephen Harper (Calgary list. A lot of highly qualifi ed Hired guns: Jacquie LaRocque, left, from Compass Rose Group, Tim Powers from Summa Strategies Canada, and Heritage, Alta.) came to power in government-relations profes- Robin Sears from Earnscliffe Strategy Group all returned to the Top 100 Lobbyists list in this year’s edition. The Hill 2006. sionals are left out, and it is by Times photographs by Jake Wright “Having a party go from third no means a mark of their futility. to fi rst is also something new,” Mr. Everything is relative and these just happen at election time,” he Roscoe, national practice leader “There’s an expectation that Jordan added. “On the policy side, lists are not scientifi c. said. “Cabinet ministers serve for Hill & Knowlton Strategies. (the Liberal government) will con- it is a clear move to the left, which Despite its effect on the list, at the pleasure [of the prime “As a longtime public-affairs sult with stakeholders, that their brings any number of NGOs to many in the lobbying sector say minister]. People can decide at practitioner, I’ve seen energy, departments will consult with the table, as well as a consultative partisan affi liations are certainly any point they want to resign interest, and openness … towards stakeholders. And as a result, for management style. Add to that not the whole story. Several lob- and return to their families and those in the lobbying sector who lobbyists, that means that there the two Gs—gender and genera- byists with Conservative back- private practice. So you have to want to contribute to the public- will be many more touch points tional change—and the result is a grounds remain, such as Perrin anticipate change all the time. policy process. The previous gov- for them as it relates to the gov- substation shift in the landscape.” Beatty, CEO of the Canadian “The reality around Canadian ernment was not as inclusive.” ernment coming up with a policy That said, it should be noted Chamber of Commerce, Monte politics is you have to play the long André Albinati, another princi- decision.” that the degree of change-out Solberg, principal of New West game. Sometimes decisions take a pal of Earnscliffe Strategy Group, Mr. Jordan agreed. “Although among individuals on this year’s Public Affairs, and Summa Strat- long time. Sometimes issues take a said: “The last government had a it is early, I have noticed a sincere list is similar to recent years. egies’ vice-chairman Tim Powers. long time for people to understand bit of an antagonistic relationship willingness to engage and con- There are 32 lobbyists on this Such people, lobbying insiders or wrap their heads around.” with the lobbying community, for sult. I think having the mandate year’s list who weren’t there last say, are good enough at their jobs Beyond partisan politics, lob- their own reasons, I guess.” letters made public … has al- year. In each of the previous two that they can effectively get their bying experts say the issues lob- He said he would not categorize lowed communications to become years, 30 changes were made. message through to policy-mak- byists are representing will make the new Liberal government as more focused and increased the Every year, certain alterna- ers of various political stripes. Mr. a difference in how receptive “having a love for lobbyists,” but overall effi ciency of engagement,” tions are made for reasons such Sears, who has a history with the this new government is to them. said it is open to more points of he said. as people leaving their jobs, NDP, also falls into this category, For example, this year’s list has view when establishing policies, [email protected] activities of certain organizations many said. fewer people from the energy and and lobbyists are part of that. The Hill Times ramping up or tapering off, or “The proper sweater colour— mining sectors and more from the because certain lobbyists’ perfor- blue, red, orange—may help at environmental movement, such mance over the past 12 months the introductory level, but the as Tim Gray, executive director FEDERAL LOBBYING is seen as excelling or failing to strategy for success would be of the Environmental Defence match past efforts. much more heavily infl uenced Network, and Erin Flanagan, TOP SUBJECTS LOBBIED ON NOW In this year’s ninth annual by how well the features and program director of federal policy edition, however, more changes benefi ts of your particular ask are with the Pembina Institute. VERSUS A YEAR AGO than usual were made as a result supported with facts and third- As well, with this govern- of links some lobbyists have with party validation,” said Jordan. ment expected to be friendlier to certain political parties—some Greg MacEachern, senior organized labour than the Harper Subject Active registrations Change from made the list because of this, vice-president of Environics Com- Conservatives were, Jerry Diaz March 3, 2016 March 3, 2015 while others were knocked off. munications—someone with a from Unifor and Mark Hancock Industry 1,247 -4.3% In creating the 2016 version Liberal background who has been from the Canadian Union of Pub- International trade 944 +6.3% of the Top 100 Lobbyists List, a regular on the Top 100 Lobby- lic Employees were also among Taxation and fi nance 940 -2.0% The Hill Times consulted about ists list, even during the Harper the new additions. Health 852 +1.6% a dozen of the most prominent era—said the trick to being a Some industry insiders say the Environment 837 +1.9% members in the federal lobbying successful lobbyist over the long new government presents better op- Transportation 664 +3.3% sector. Many said quite a few of term is playing the “long game” portunities for lobbyists in general. Science and technology 638 +3.4% last year’s entries had federal and not alienating government “This is a government that’s Employment and training 598 +4.2% Conservative ties that ran a little offi cials of any political stripe. open to new ideas and, frankly, Infrastructure 543 +14.4% too deep and, as a result, would “If you don’t anticipate change has such a cohort of new MPs Economic development 486 +23.3% lose some of their mojo under this in government relations, it’s eager to learn and represent their new Liberal government. foolhardy because change doesn’t constituencies,” said Elizabeth Source: Website of the Commissioner of Lobbying THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 37 INSIDE POLITICS CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP

SECTOR LEADERS THE TOP 100 LOBBYISTS, 2016 A bright shiny object

• André Albinati, principal, Earnscliffe Strategy Group • Richard Mahoney, McLaughlin Advisory amid Tory rethink Denise Amyot, president and CEO, College and • John Manley, president and CEO, Business Council Institutes Canada of Canada • Perrin Beatty, president and CEO, Canadian • Sergio Marchi, president and CEO, Canadian Kevin O’Leary is that Chamber of Commerce Electricity Association • Mirko Bibic, executive vice-president and chief • John Masswohl, director of government and bright shiny object. His legal and regulatory offi cer, Bell Canada international relations, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association appearance on the Friday • Heidi Bonnell, vice-president, federal government • Joseph Mayer, vice-president, patient and public afternoon of the Manning affairs, Rogers Communications engagement, Canadian Medical Association • Don Boudria, senior counsellor, public affairs, Hill & • Randall McCauley, vice-president, government and Centre Conference of Knowlton Strategies public relations, Canadian Real Estate Association conservatives was a • Michael Bourque, president and CEO, Railway • Velma McColl, principal, Earnscliffe Strategy Group Association of Canada • Colin McKay, head, public policy and government counterpoint to most of • Diane Brisebois, president and CEO, Retail Council relations, Google Canada the strategizing by party of Canada • Ted Menzies, president and CEO, CropLife Canada • George Butts, senior partner, CFN Consultants • Brian Mersereau, chairman, public affairs, Hill & activists grappling with • Brock Carlton, CEO, Federation of Canadian Municipalities Knowlton Strategies their future. • Philip Cartwright, director of transportation, • David Miller, president and CEO, World Wildlife infrstructure and communities, Global Public Affairs Fund Canada • Christyn Cianfarani, president, Canadian • Gabriel Miller, director, public issues, Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries Cancer Society • Gary Clement, senior manager, government • Rick Moorcroft, Wellington Strategy Group relations, TD Bank • Don Moors, senior vice-president, Temple Scott • Suzanne Corbeil, executive director, U15-Group of Associates Canadian Research Universities • Sheamus Murphy, vice-president, federal advocacy, TIM HARPER • Paul Davidson, president, Universities Canada Counsel Public Affairs • Ronald Davidson, director international trade, • Jayson Myers, president and CEO, Canadian Kevin O’Leary played his celebrity card to the TTAWA—We are still 15 months from government and media relations, Canadian MeatCouncil Manufacturers and Exporters hilt at the recent Manning Centre Conference the introduction of a new Conservative in Ottawa, but he’s no Canadian Donald • William Dempster, CEO, 3Sixty Public Affairs • Mark Nantais, president, Canadian Vehicle O leader in this country, but amidst many Trump and he knows that. Like Mr. Trump’s • Marc Desmarais, vice-president, National Public Relations Manufacturers’ Association sober, sage calls for a party to open up new ambivalent political leanings, it is not even • Jerry Diaz, national president, Unifor • Don Newman, senior counsel, Ensight Canada policy avenues and fi nd a way to speak to certain Mr. O’Leary is a Conservative, writes • Caroline Emond, executive director, Dairy Farmers • David Paterson, vice-president of corporate and voters who do not hear them, the lure of Tim Harper. of Canada • environmental affairs, General Motors of Canada the bright shiny object beckons. • Sean Finn, executive vice-president, corporate services • Jim Patrick, vice-president, government relations, Kevin O’Leary is that bright shiny ob- and chief legal offi cer, Canadian National Railway Shaw Communications ject. His appearance on the Friday after- and her party can win in 2019. “Justin is no • Erin Flanagan, program director, federal policy, • Martin-Pierre Pelletier, consultant, Prospectus noon of the Manning Centre Conference of Pierre,’’ she said. Pembina Institute Associates conservatives was a counterpoint to most Maxime Bernier said Conservatives • Shimon Fogel, CEO, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs • Anthony Polci, vice-president, government relations, of the strategizing by party activists grap- should outlaw all government subsidies to business, including Bombardier, and he • Duncan Fulton, senior vice-president, Canadian Bankers Association pling with their future. For every call to engage on the environ- mocked O’Leary’s lack of French. communications, Canadian Tire • Tim Powers, vice-chairman, Summa Strategies ment, for every discussion that marked the All bring strengths to the table. None • Andy Gibbons, director of government relations, WestJet Canada need for Conservatives to reach urban wom- are celebrities and O’Leary played his • Chris Gray, senior manager, government relations and • David Pratt, consultant, David Pratt & Associates en or young voters, for every call to rewrite celebrity card to the hilt. advocacy, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada • Pierre Pyun, vice-president, government affairs, the Conservative story for Canadians, there But he’s no Canadian Donald Trump, • Tim Gray, executive director, Environmental Defence Bombardier was someone in the hall talking about the TV and he knows that. Like Trump’s ambiva- Canada • Gordon Quaiattini, partner, Maple Leaf Strategies star and businessman and his preening mix lent political leanings, it is not even certain • Mark Hancock, national president, Canadian Union • Jim Quick, president and CEO, Aerospace Industries of showmanship and bombast. O’Leary is a Conservative. of Public Employees Association of Canada Former Reform leader Preston Man- He is given to bombast, yes, but even when • Bruce Hartley, senior partner, Prospectus Associates • Martin Rice, executive director, Canadian Pork ning, the patriarch of the centre that bears he called Alberta Premier Rachel Notley “an • Caroline Hubberstey, head, external affairs, Interac Council his name, presided over the fi rst of these incompetent’’ he felt compelled to apologize in • Tracey Hubley, president, Summa Strategies Canada • Nobina Robinson, CEO, Polytechnics Canada conferences with the party in opposition in the next breath for being so harsh. He says he told Bill Morneau he was go- • Caroline Hughes, vice-president, government • Bryan Rogers, executive director, Grain Growers of a decade. He reminded delegates Conser- vatives are now also opposition in eight of ing to be his worst nightmare, but there are relations, Ford Motor Co. of Canada Canada 10 provinces and are in a minority among no reports the federal fi nance minister has • Goldy Hyder, president and CEO, Hill & Knowlton • Elizabeth Roscoe, national practice leader, public big city mayors. lost any sleep. Strategies affairs, Hill & Knowlton Strategies He told his fl ock they have to regain the He has few views—at least that he is • Brian Innes, vice president, government relations, • Louis-Charles Roy, senior consultant, Environics trust of electors because without that trust prepared to share—beyond economic issues, Canola Council of Canada Communications voters will not believe anything Conser- the waste of carbon pricing, the scourge of • James Irving, co-CEO, Irving Shipbuilding • Lisa Samson, managing partner for Ottawa, vatives say on values, issues, or policies. defi cit fi nancing, the plight of young Canadi- • Joe Jordan, consultant, J. L. Jordan Group StrategyCorp Manning gave the fl oor to fi ve prospective ans who graduate from our universities and • Dan Kelly, president and CEO, Canadian Federation • Michael Sangster, vice-president, government leadership candidates, four former minis- head south to work, turning their back on • of Independent Business relations, Telus ters and The Kevin, but it was the machi- “dollar-ettes” and high taxes. • Patrick Kennedy, director, government relations, CF • Serge Sasseville, senior vice-president, corporat nations of three who did not speak here A few hours after Manning warned Industries and institutional affairs, Quebecor Media which have become a party preoccupation. delegates that regional tensions are being needlessly infl amed by the Trudeau govern- • Tim Kennedy, vice-president, federal government • Sonya Savage, senior director, policy and regulatory Brad Wall is running for re-election as Saskatchewan premier. Peter MacKay is ment—listening to Bombardier in Quebec affairs, Spectra Energy affairs, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association practising law in Toronto. Jason Kenney but ignoring unemployed oil workers in • Jason Kerr, director, government relations, • Robin Sears, principal, Earnscliffe Strategy Group was here, but did not grab the podium. It is Alberta—O’Leary strode on stage and said Automotive Industries Association of Canada • Dan Seekings, vice-president, natural resources and possible that all three will sit this one out pipelines should be decided by referen- • Joanna Kerr, executive director, Greenpeace Canada environment, Global Public Affairs (but keep an eye on MacKay) and if they dums in this country, 50 per cent plus one • Gar Knutson, counsel, government relations, • Johanne Senécal, vice-president, government affairs do, this race becomes wide open. will do just fi ne. Borden Ladner Gervais and communications, Mining Association of Canada Ontario MP Michael Chong told del- He didn’t say what he thought it might do • Louis-Alexandre Lanthier, senior adviser, Summa • Christopher Smillie, manager, government relations, egates the Conservatives must tell their to unity if western voters tried to push an un- Strategies Canada Building and Construction Trades story of perseverance and hard work, the popular pipeline through Quebec or why vot- • Jacquie LaRocque, principal, Compass Rose Group • Susan Smith, principal, Bluesky Strategy Group story of his immigrant parents. He also ers in Toronto should pronounce on a pipeline • Marc LePage, president and CEO, Genome Canada • Monte Solberg, principal, New West Public Affairs called for a debate on carbon pricing and headed through Burnaby or how a referendum • Michel Liboiron, senior director, government • Will Stewart, principal, Ensight Canada conservation of the environment. would override First Nations concerns. He is playing to anger that is not there. relations public policy, CIBC • Carla Ventin, vice-president, federal government Tony Clement said the conservative move- ment must protect its basic tenets but expand There isn’t the bottled up hostility that • Bernard Lord, president and CEO, Canadian Wireless affairs, Food and Consumer Products of Canada its sphere to include environmental policies, Trump has uncorked south of the border. • Telecommunications Association • Phil von Finckenstein, principal, PVF Consulting Inc. poverty reduction, security without endanger- There wasn’t even any anger in the • Fitti Lourenco, director, government affairs, Air Canada • Jan Westcott, president and CEO, Association of ing privacy, and ending subsidies to the CBC. room here when he spoke. • Greg MacEachern, vice-president, government Canadian Distillers Conservatives have to fi rst win the attention And that’s a good thing for a Conser- relations, Environics Communications • Russell Williams, president, Innovative Medicines of city dwellers, millennials, and new arrivals vative party that appears set to make a • Robin MacLachlan, vice-president, Summa Canada before they can try to gain their votes, he says. leadership decision based not on anger or Strategies Canada • Garth Whyte, president and CEO, Fertilizer Canada Lisa Raitt reminded delegates that shiny objects, but as part of a fundamental • Rosemary MacLellan, senior director, strategy, Gay • Alan Young, co-president, Tactix Trudeau’s father nearly frittered away a rethink of where it is going. Lea Foods majority four years after his 1968 sweep The Hill Times 38 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 FEATURE NEW PARLIAMENT Nine new MPs came to Canada as refugees or from current or past war zones

said Mr. Virani, a lawyer who is Democratic Insti- Four MPs came to now parliamentary secretary to tutions Minister Canada as refugees the immigration minister. Maryam Monsef, “I’m proud to be the parlia- originally from and fi ve emigrated mentary secretary to the minister Afghanistan, is from regions that for immigration, refugees and one of four current citizenship, recreating that story MPs who came were and are for Syrian refugees now.” to Canada as a troubled zones. Mr. Virani, an Ismaili Muslim, refugee. The Hill moved to Canada in 1972 from Times photograph by Uganda along with his parents Rachel Aiello. Continued from page 1 and sister, who now is a public servant in the Ontario govern- and past troubled zones such as ment. Mr. Virani said that after the Middle East or Pakistan. coming to Canada, his father The four MPs who came to worked as a salesman at a Canada as refugees are: Liberals sporting-goods store. He said that Arif Virani (Parkdale-High Park, all family members worked hard Ont.) from Uganda; Gary Anan- and he ended up as a lawyer with dasangaree (Scarborough-Rouge 14 years of law practice, including Park, Ont.) from Sri Lanka; a stint at the UN as a war-crimes Maryam Monsef (Peterborough- prosecutor, and his sister earned Kawartha, Ont.) from Afghanistan her MBA and is now working and Ahmed Hussen (York South- for the Ontario ministry of health. Weston, Ont.) from Somalia. “The beauty of this country is community activist, and business more and more young people to In the interview with The Hill The fi ve fi rst-generation im- that you take advantage of the free executive, emigrated from India get involved in politics.” Times, Mr. Arya conceded that migrants from current and past medical system and free public to Canada about 12 years ago in The riding of Nepean in Ottawa with national name recognition, danger zones include: Liberal MP education system; you fi nd work the economic immigrant category. is also new, and Mr. Arya won it being regional minister for Ot- Fayçal El-Khoury (Laval-Les Îles, for yourself and you get your kids He said one of the key reasons he by besting Conservative candi- tawa, and being a three-term Que.) from Lebanon; Liberal MP into schools and you teach them decided to enter politics was to be date Andy Wang, a former aide to incumbent MP, John Baird would Iqra Khalid (Mississauga-Erin to work hard and keep their head a role model for the multi-ethnic Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre have been a formidable candi- Mills, Ont.) from Pakistan; Liberal down and stay focused. That’s communities. (Carleton, Ont.). Former Tory Cabinet date but he was confi dent he MP Salma Zahid (Scarborough what we did,” he said. “Politics in Canada is giving minister John Baird had indicated he could win. Centre, Ont.) from Pakistan; Lib- Mr. Virani, who won with 42 per back to the society,” he said. “It would run in this riding before unex- “At the same time, [Mr. Baird] eral MP Eva Nassif (Vimy, Que.) cent of the vote, beat former NDP is doing something good for the pectedly announcing last February had the baggage of the Conserva- from Lebanon, and Conservative MP Peggy Nash in the last election country and fellow Canadians that he was leaving politics. Mr. Arya tive policies,” Mr. Arya said. MP Ziad Aboultaif (Edmonton by 1,057 votes. Ms. Nash won in the and becoming role models for won the riding with 52.4 per cent of [email protected] Manning, Alta.) from Lebanon. 2006 and 2011 elections and was the new generation, encouraging the vote and by 10,575 votes. The Hill Times In total, there are 40 MPs from her party’s fi nance critic. all parties who were born outside Mr. Anandasangaree, a hu- of Canada, according to Parliament man rights lawyer who moved to 2015 ELECTION of Canada website, and research Canada along with his mother in conducted by The Hill Times. Of 1983, recently went to the Toronto MPS BORN OUTSIDE CANADA these, 29 are Liberal, eight are Pearson International Airport to Conservatives, two are NDP, and greet Syrian refugees, and said this Name Political party Riding Year elected Country of birth one from the Green Party. reminded him of his time when he In the last election, 88 female came to Canada as a refugee. Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, B.C. 1993 Trinidad and 10 indigenous MPs were “I was at Pearson receiving the Tony Clement Conservative Parry Sound Muskoka, Ont. 2006 England elected. Also, in the 338-seat new Syrian refugees coming in Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, B.C. 2008 South Africa House, there are 17 Sikh MPs, and, if more than any other time, Peter Kent Conservative Thornhill, Ont. 2008 England 11 Muslim, six Jewish and three that moment was when it really Elizabeth May Green Saanich-Gulf Islands, B.C. 2011 United States Hindu MPs, according to research struck me,” said Mr. Anandasan- Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, Que. 2013 Haiti done by The Hill Times. Most garee. “It also was a way for me Ziad Aboultaif Conservative Edmonton Manning, Alta. 2015 Lebanon of the rest are likely Christian or to tell people this is a country Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga Centre, Ont. 2015 Saudi Arabia of no faith, but it’s unclear be- where it doesn’t matter where Celina Caesar-Chavannes Liberal Whitby, Ont. 2015 Grenada cause Parliament does not track you come from, how you get here, Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey-Newton, Ont. 2015 India religion. what’s your background. You can Ali Ehsassi Liberal Willowdale, Ont. 2015 Switzerland However, a more diverse group do whatever you want to do, and Fayçal El-Khoury Liberal Laval-Les Îsles, Que. 2015 Lebanon of federal legislators is seen as a it was a really good way for me to Peter Fonseca Liberal Mississauga East-Cooksville, Ont. 2015 Portugal better refl ection of Canadian soci- communicate that to the people Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke, B.C. 2015 United States ety. According to the 2011 Nation- that were coming in.” Ahmed Hussen Liberal York South-Weston, Ont. 2015 Somalia al Household Survey by Statistics Mr. Anandasangaree, a Tamil- Chandra Arya Liberal Nepean, Ont. 2015 India Canada, there were more than Canadian, said that after mov- Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, Ont. 2015 Iran one million Muslim Canadians, ing to Canada in early 1980s, Darshan Kang Liberal Calgary Skyview, Alta. 2015 India 498,000 Hindu Canadians, 455,000 his mother started working as a Iqra Khalid Liberal Mississauga –Erin Mills, Ont. 2015 Pakistan Sikh Canadians, and 330,000 Jew- cashier at Canada Post and he Kamal Khera Liberal Brampton West, Ont. 2015 India ish Canadians. There were about started working when he was Robert Kitchen Conservative Souris-Moose Mountain, Sask. 2015 United States 22 million Christians, including 13-years-old. As a student, he Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, Alta. 2015 Poland 13 million Catholics, two million worked a variety of jobs, includ- Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard-Saint-Lambert, Que. 2015 Portugal United Church members, 1.6 mil- ing at a grocery store in Toronto Maryam Monsef Liberal Peterborough-Kawartha, Ont. 2015 Afghanistan lion Anglicans, 635,840 Baptists, and as a newspaper delivery boy. Eva Nassif Liberal Vimy, Que. 2015 Lebanon 550,690 Christian Orthodox, Mr. Anandasangaree ran in a Deepak Obhrai Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, Alta. 2015 Tanzania 478,185 Lutherans, 478,705 Pen- newly confi gured Toronto riding. Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, Ont. 2015 Tanzania tecostals, 472,385 Presbyterians, Mr. Anandasangaree won the Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, Que. 2015 Argentina three million other Christians, Scarborough-Rouge-Park riding Harjit Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, B.C. 2015 India and 7.9 million Canadians did not with 60.2 per cent of the vote Ramesh Sangha Liberal Brampton Centre, Ont. 2015 India disclose any religious affi liation. and by 16,326 votes. As a result Bob Saroya Liberal Markham-Unionville, Ont. 2015 India In interviews with The Hill of the redistribution of electoral Jati Sidhu Liberal Mission-Matsqui-Fraser-Canyon, B.C. 2015 India Times, two MPs who came to boundaries in 2012, the House Amarjeet Sohi Liberal Edmonton-Mill Woods, Alta. 2015 India Canada as refugees said Cana- of Commons was boosted to 338 Sven Spengeman Liberal Mississauga-Lakeshore, Ont. 2015 Germany da’s recent initiative to provide ridings-30 more than in the 2011 Marwan Tabbara Liberal Kitchener South-Hespeler, Ont. 2015 Lebanon home to 25,000 Syrian refugees election. These 30 new ridings—15 Geng Tan Liberal Don Valley North, Ont. 2015 China rekindled the legacy of Canada’s in Ontario, six each in British Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale-High Park, Ont. 2015 Uganda traditions of compassion and Columbia and Alberta, and three Alice Wong Conservative Richmond Centre, B.C. 2015 Hong Kong humanitarianism. in Quebec—came into effect when Salma Zahid Liberal Scarborough Centre, Ont. 2015 Pakistan “That’s the story of Canada the last election was triggered. Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, B.C. 2015 Hong Kong and that’s a good story and that’s Rookie Liberal MP Chandra what we’re trying to recreate,” Arya (Nepean, Ont.), an engineer, Source: Parliament of Canada and The Hill Times THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 39 FEATURE GARY ANANDASANGAREE ‘I remember it as if it was yesterday,’ rookie Liberal MP on what it’s like to be a refugee

‘Great day to get my canvas shoes out again,’ said Mr. Anandasangaree in a tweet. He was out supporting Ontario Liberal candidate in Whitby-Oshawa Elizabeth Roy on Feb. 6.

‘Privileged to host the fi rst Thai Pongal on Parliament Hill, and to showcase some amazing performers,’ tweeted Mr. Anandasangaree, pictured here alongside House Speaker Geoff Regan.

Mr. Anandasangaree on Jan. 18 visiting the Scarborough Seniors Association. Photographs courtesy of Twitter

On Feb. 9, Mr. Anandasangaree joined Liberal Liberal MP Gary Anandasangaree, pictured in his Hill offi ce, recently met a group of Syr- MPs Salma Zahid, John McKay, Catherine ian refugees coming into Canada for the fi rst time, and told them he knows they came for McKenna and Bill Blair on a tour through Rouge the sake of their children.The Hill Times photograph by Chelsea Nash Park, with Parks Canada.

times with different experiences,” tor Jerry Bance after he was Tamil community,” he continued, will have drastic consequences for Liberal MP Gary Mr. Anandasangaree told The caught on video urinating in a adding that Tamil communities us in the future. We need to get it Anandasangaree Hill Times. “That diversity is one cup in a customer’s kitchen—who in Canada have been “ostracized” right, and if we don’t, I will have of the unique things about this received just more than 27 per and “vilifi ed.” been part of that failure.” came to Canada as a Parliament.” cent of the vote and NDP candi- Now, as an MP, he is putting He said issues such economic child in 1983 to fl ee He said he talked to the Syrian date Kantharatnam Shanthiku- forward a private member’s bill development, job creation, and so- children who came over on the mar, who had 10 per cent. on recognizing Tamil heritage, cial housing are his priorities for the civil war that plane about his own experience On his fi rst months as an MP, though he is also concerned the people of Scarborough-Rouge had broken out in coming to Canada as a boy, and Mr. Anandasangaree said: “It’s with the treatment of indigenous Park. He references social hous- to the parents, telling them he really nothing like I’ve ever done people. He currently serves on the ing as a big challenge for most Sri Lanka. knows they came here for the before. I’ve had a busy life, but Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Toronto-area MPs, saying that sake of their children. this is nothing like that.” Development Committee. wait times can be upwards of 10 Mr. Anandasangaree said he Mr. Anandasangaree, raised “As someone with a back- years. Continued from page 1 and his wife, Harini Sivalingam, by a single mother, attended ground in human rights, you want Mr. Anandasangaree said that also tried to use the moment to Carleton University for his un- to use it in a way that advances if there’s one thing he’s learned yesterday,” the 43 year-old Tamil- teach their two daughters, aged dergraduate degree in political human rights in Canada. When on the Hill so far, it’s the sheer Canadian said. “We arrived Aug. fi ve and seven, about how lucky science, before attending Os- I did international human rights enormity of the country. Talking 31, 1983. It was a day I will never they are to grow up in Canada goode Hall Law School at York work, something that always to so many people from so many forget. We took Canadian Pacifi c and to appreciate all they have. University, and was called to the comes up is the horrible record different places, and hearing all Airlines, and I remember look- “For seven-years-old, it might bar in 2006. He then opened a law on the treatment of indigenous their local stories is enlightening, ing around when we got off the be a bit beyond her,” he said, offi ce in Scarborough, serving populations. We’ve created a just he said. plane, and all I can remember is laughing. business, commercial, and real society that is really the envy of “We’re on a learning curve, thinking, ‘Okay, we’re in a safe Mr. Anandasangaree, while estate needs, though he and his the world, but within that just so- we’re learning things every single spot now.’” owning a real estate practice, has team also conducted a lot of hu- ciety there’s also great injustice,” day. There are days that seem Mr. Anandasangaree and his spent a lot of time and resources man rights work, often doing pro he said. somewhat frustrating, but at the mother fl ed Sri Lanka in 1980, working in international human bono work. Mr. Anandasangaree said he end of the day when you go home, breaking ties with his politically- rights law, attending several ses- As a Tamil-Canadian, Mr. understands the enormous re- you know that there’s a country prominent father and moving to sions of the United Nations Hu- Anandasangaree has spent years sponsibility placed on him as an that relies on you and there’s a Ireland for three years with hopes man Rights Council. He said it’s advocating for Tamil rights, MP, adding that he takes personal responsibility to this country, and of returning to Sri Lanka after on- informed his politics today and including marching in protests in responsibility for the successes we just work hard for that.” going violence had been resolved. it motivated him to run in the Ottawa in 2009, the year Tam- and failures of the current gov- He said the hardest part of be- However, once further rioting 2015 election—his fi rst ever. ils were massacred by the Sri ernment—both in the short and ing an MP is being away from his broke out in July 1983 and the Sri “I look at a lot of things through Lankan government while the longer term. kids so much. Lankan civil war offi cially began, a human rights lens. I ask: Are we West remained largely silent. “You have issues where we may “I try to talk to them every it was no longer safe for them to doing things that address equality “Being a Tamil has been a not make a difference today, but morning and every night. I call return, and they made the deci- and equity?” he said. very diffi cult thing in the last some of these have generational them every night at 8:15. It can be sion to apply for refugee status in Mr. Anandasangaree won his 30 years,” he said. “Over the last consequences. Our commitment diffi cult if I’m in a meeting, but I Canada. A month later, they landed riding with 60 per cent of the seven years, that has evolved to our First Nations issues and the will just step out, even for just a in Montreal to start a new life. vote, beating the Conservative and people are really beginning TRC [Truth and Reconciliation one-minute phone call.” “Canada is a meeting place. candidate, Leslyn Lewis—the to understand the depth of the Commission] and our PM’s com- [email protected] People come here at different candidate who replaced contrac- challenges that were faced by the mitment to reset that relationship The Hill Times Environment AN EMBASSY POLICY BRIEFING

PUBLICATION DATE: MARCH 23 BOOKING DATE: MARCH 18

With the Paris summit in the rear window and From clean tech to energy projects and the Trudeau government promising a renewed land rights, this briefing will have the focus on the climate change file, Canada’s latest in all things green and global. actions are sure to be under the microscope. Only in Embassy.

Communicate with those most responsible for Canada’s public policy decisions.

For more information or to reserve your government relations and public affairs advertising space, contact The Hill Times display advertising department at 613-688-8825. THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2015 41 FEATURE PARTIES

PARTY CENTRAL BY RACHEL AIELLO

Jolly good fellow

Sun News’ David Akin, Kennedy bids farewell outgoing Ottawa Citizen Hill Bureau Chief Mark Kennedy, Reuters’ David Ljunggren, and The to Ottawa Citizen Toronto Star’s Bruce Campion-Smith.

t was like a march of parliamentary was plugged into the wall, and transmitting Ireporters across Elgin Street and down your story, pictures, and video through thin Rideau Street into the Métropolitain Bras- air seemed impossible. Mr. Kennedy said serie last Tuesday night as Hill journalists although things have changed remarkably, fi led into the familiar bar to bid outgoing the professionalism of the journalists has Ottawa Citizen Hill bureau chief Mark not and, as much as Hill reporters are com- Kennedy farewell. petitors, they’re also friends. Mr. Kennedy was one of a dozen Ottawa Speaking to the room of his fellow jour- Citizen journalists who took a buyout in nalists, Mr. Kennedy reminisced about be- the paper’s recent restructuring. The Ot- ing sent to a dozen or so countries and get- tawa native spent ting to interview 28 years on the prime ministers, Mark Kennedy and Ottawa Citizen alumnus Hill as part of the just because of The Canadian Press’ Norma Greenaway and Juliet Parliamentary the job he had. Mike Blanchfi eld. O’Neill with Mr. Kennedy. Press Gallery, and “And who the hell in that time has am I?” he said. covered six prime Mr. Kennedy’s ministers, won a fellow Citizen National News- bureau reporter paper Award, and Jason Fekete publish an e-book organized the on former Con- evening. Atop a servative prime chair he gave Mr. minister Stephen Kennedy a toast Harper entitled that began with Rebel to Realist. an anecdote from The Guardian’s Jessica Murphy, CTV’s Don Martin and Inside the Met, when he started Buzzfeed Canada’s Paul McLeod, Craig Oliver, with his colleagues had on the Hill think- and The Citizen’s Kady O’Malley. Global’s Tom Clark. set up photos of ing to himself, Mr. Mr. Kennedy, and Kennedy couldn’t a guestbook for all really be that nice to sign their best of a guy (he is) and wishes. Among ended with CTV’s the notes in the Craig Oliver lead- guest book were ing the entire bar sentiments like “to in a sing-along of Policy Magazine’s L. Ian a fi ne journalist He’s a Jolly Good National Post’s John Ivison MacDonald with CPAC’s Peter and a better man, Fellow. Vancouver Sun’s Peter O’Neil. chatting the ear off Jordan Press. sláinte,” while oth- Among the Van Dusen. ers highlighted his attendees there presence in the bu- to see Mr. Ken- reau and how he nedy off (and was a team player. speculate widely There was also about where he’s a stack of satiri- headed next) cal covers of the were: the Ottawa Global’s Jacques Bourbeau, Mark Kennedy, Citizen that Mr. Citizen’s Kathryn and The Globe and Mail’s Rob Fife. Kennedy’s news- May, Chris Cobb, room had done up. Ian MacLeod, The A1 included a Kady O’Malley, mock cover of the This just in: The mock page 1 of The Ottawa Citizen Lee Berthiaume, Ottawa Citizen done up for departing Hill reporter Mark Kennedy. Christina Spen- that was handed cer, Keith Bonnell, out to attendees. It included spoof stories and outgoing editor Andrew Potter and like “Ten tips for dealing with Mark-less managing editor Carl Neustaedter. Former Mr. Kennedy, Mr. The Globe’s Chris Hannay, The Hill bureau,” or “Alta Vista man quits Hill, now Citizen reporters Norma Greenaway and Akin, and Mr. Times’ Rachel Aiello, and The Globe’s roaming neighbourhood.” Juliet O’Neill also showed up. Campion-Smith. Bill Curry. It also had photos of him interviewing Also there was Postmedia bureau chief former prime ministers Brian Mulroney John Ivison; The Globe and Mail’s Robert and Mr. Harper, as well as current Prime Fife, Bill Curry, Chris Hannay and Laura Minister Justin Trudeau before he was Stone; The Canadian Press’ Kristy Kirkup, elected. It had a rundown of Mr. Kennedy’s Jordan Press; Sun Media parliamentary career by the numbers. Did you know Mr. bureau chief David Akin; CTV’s Don Martin Kennedy has fi led at least 4,338 stories, ac- and Mercedes Stephenson; Global’s Tom cording to the Citizen’s electronic archive? Clark and Jacques Bourbeau; Reuters’ David Or that he’s been with the paper through Ljunggren; Radio-Canada’s Mylène Crête; four different owners of the news chain? The Guardian’s Jessica Murphy; CPAC’s The change he’s seen over the years was Peter Van Dusen; The Toronto Star’s Ot- The Citizen’s Lee Berthiaume, Mark Kennedy, something Mr. Kennedy touched on when tawa bureau chief Bruce Campion-Smith; and The Canadian Press’ Mike Blanchfi eld. Broadbent Institute’s Sarah Schmidt, Bill Curry, he spoke to those gathered that evening. He Buzzfeed Canada’s Paul McLeod; and free- and Norma Greenaway. reminisced about the days where the phone lancers Michael Woods and Dale Smith. Photographs by Jake Wright 42 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 HILL CLIMBERS

POLITICAL STAFFERS

cast journalism at Concordia University. Gallant recently joined the offi ce as director Science Minister Kirsty Duncan has made of communications and Oliver Anderson has a similar hire in her offi ce and last week been hired as a communications adviser. welcomed Michael Bhardwaj to her ministerial Mr. Gallant arrived in the minister’s HILL CLIMBERS team as director of communications. offi ce late last month straight from New On March 2, he sent an email out to in- Brunswick, where he was working as BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT troduce himself to the Parliamentary Press press secretary to Liberal New Brunswick Gallery, some of whom, he highlighted, Premier Brian Gallant (they’re not related) he’s already familiar with from his time at since 2014. CBC Radio. A former staffer in Michael Ignatieff’s Mr. Bhardwaj arrives in the minis- offi ce as offi cial opposition leader, Mr. ter’s offi ce from a gig as media relations Gallant has also previously worked at the Minister Lebouthillier specialist at the Canada Foundation for P.E.I. provincial legislation, including for Innovation. Before that, he had been a then government House leader Sonny Gal- broadcaster with CBC Radio since 2004. lant ahead of the 2011 federal election. At CBC Radio in Ottawa, Mr. Bhard- A P.E.I. native, Mr. Gallant ran unsuccess- hires directors, Fitz- waj was a “nationally-syndicated science fully as the Liberal candidate in Egmont, columnist” and provided opinion on air, as P.E.I., in that year’s election, but lost to Con- described on his LinkedIn account. He’s servative Gail Shea. After the 2011 federal Morris now D. Comms also former host and producer of CBC election, he was hired as press secretary to Radio’s, In Town and Out, a weekend arts then-P.E.I. premier Robert Ghiz. and entertainment radio program airing in Relatedly, Hill Climbers learned this Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. week there are a lot of (not necessarily Mr. Bhardwaj studied his undergrad at related) Gallants on the East Coast! ational Revenue Minister Diane Leb- She studied law at the University of Ottawa. Queen’s University and graduated with a Oliver Anderson started late last Nouthillier is building up her ministerial Former CBC reporter James Fitz- master’s in journalism from Carleton Univer- month as a communications adviser in Mr. team and has hired a director of parlia- Morris has found his feet on the Hill after sity in 2004, according to his online profi le. McAulay’s offi ce. mentary affairs and a director of policy. announcing his departure from the Hill In the email to the gallery, Mr. Bhardwaj Until recently, Mr. Anderson was a man- Cédrick Beauregard has returned to the bureau Feb. 4, and is now director of com- said he’s “looking forward” to working with ager of engagement programs at United Hill to help guide Ms. Lebouthillier through munications to Small Business and Tourism reporters in his new role. Way/Centraide in Ottawa and before that complicated parliamentary procedure and Minister Bardish Chagger. he was a teaching assistant with Carleton her work in the House of Commons, Hill Mr. Fitz-Morris joined the minister’s offi ce University’s department of history while Climbers has learned. in late February, and tweeted out the news on Communications team in studying a master’s. He’s been active In recent years, Mr. Beauregard has Feb. 23. Until last month, Mr. Fitz-Morris had with the Liberal Party over the years and worked as a public affairs offi cer with been a senior reporter with CBC’s parliamen- place in MacAulay’s MinO attended the party’s conventions in 2006, the Ordre des comptables professionnels tary bureau since 2006. Before he joined CBC, 2013 and 2014 as a delegate. agrees (CPA) du Québec, and before that he was the Ottawa bureau chief for CJAD Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAu- Continued on page 43 he spent a year in 2011 as general manager Montreal and CFRB Toronto. He studied broad- lay continues to hire ministerial staff. Guy of the Jasmin Roy Foundation. He joined the minister’s offi ce on Jan. 11. STAFFERS “After almost 10 years, I’m very proud to be back in Ottawa and serve again a CABINET’S DIRECTORS OF COMMUNICATIONS AND CHIEFS OF STAFF LIST 2016 Liberal government. I was there at the end of the last Liberal government under Paul Minister Portfolio Chief of Staff D. Comms Press Secretary Main Offi ce Martin and now I’m here at the beginning Telephone of the new Liberal government under Jus- Trudeau, Justin Prime Minister, Intergovernmental Affairs, Youth Katie Telford Kate Purchase Cameron Ahmad, 613-957-5555 tin Trudeau. It’s an exciting moment to be part of,” he said in an email to Hill Climb- Andrée-Lyne Hallé ers, adding it’s a “privilege” to be on the Bains, Navdeep Innovation, Science and Economic Development Elder Marques - - 343-291-2500 minister’s team. Bennett, Carolyn Indigenous and Northern Affairs Rick Theis Carolyn Campbell Sabrina Williams 819-997-0002 Originally from Granby, Que., he fi rst Bibeau, Marie-Claude International Development and La Francophonie Geoffroi Montpetit - - 343-203-5977 began working on the Hill back in 2002 un- Brison, Scott Treasury Board Sabina Saini - Jean-Luc Ferland 613-369-3170 der the previous Liberal government, as a Carr, Jim Natural Resources Janet Annesley Laurel Monroe - 343-292-6837 part-time aide to his hometown MP, Liberal Chagger, Bardish Small Business and Tourism Rachel Bendayan James Fitz-Morris - 343-291-2700 Diane St-Jacques, who represented Shef- Dion, Stéphane Foreign Affairs Julian Ovens Joel Pickerill Chantal Gagnon 343-203-1851, ford, Que., while studying his undergrad at (D.Comm) 343-203-5938 the University of Ottawa. Mr. Beauregard left the Hill in 2004 to Duclos, Jean-Yves Families, Children and Social Development Josée Duplessis Mathieu Filion - 819-654-5546 work for the Quebec Liberal government, Duncan, Kirsty Science Rob Rosenfeld Michael Bhardwaj Véronique Perron 343-291-2600 but returned in 2006 as legislation assis- Foote, Judy Public Services and Procurement Gianluca Cairo Annie Trépanier Jessica Turner 819-997-5421 tant to then Liberal MP John Godfrey and Freeland, Chrystia International Trade Brian Clow - Alexander Lawrence 343-203-7332 went on to work briefl y in Stéphane Dion’s Garneau, Marc Transport Jean-Philippe Arseneau Marc Roy Delphine Denis 613-991-0700 offi ce when he was Liberal leader in 2007 Goodale, Ralph Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Marci Surkes Dan Brien - 613-991-2924 before returning to Quebec. Hajdu, Patty Status of Women Monique Lugli - - - Jacques Hudon is director of policy to the Hehr, Kent Veterans, Associate Defence Christine Tabbert - Sarah Mcmaster (Veterans) 613-996-4649, minister. He was hired back in January as well. (Associate Defence) 613-996-3100 A staffer under the former Liberal Joly, Mélanie Canadian Heritage Leslie Church Christine Michaud Pierre-Olivier Herbert 819-997-7788 government and a former lobbyist with Groupaction Marketing Inc., Mr. Hudon LeBlanc, Dominic House Leader Vince MacNeil - - 613-995-2727 went on to serve as a special adviser to Lebouthillier, Diane National Revenue Josée Guilmette - - 613-995-2960 deputy ministers at Environment Canada MacAulay, Lawrence Agriculture and Agri-Food Mary Jean McFall Guy Gallant - 613-773-1059 and the Canada Public Service Agency. McCallum, John Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Mathieu Bélanger - - 613-954-1064 He has an MBA in administration from McKenna, Catherine Environment and Climate Change Marlo Raynolds Frédérique Tsai-Klassen Caitlin Workman 819-938-3813 the University of Ottawa, according to his Mihychuk, MaryAnn Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Matthew Mitschke - - 819-654-5611 LinkedIn profi le. Monsef, Maryam Democratic Institutions Ali Salam Jennifer Austin Jean-Bruno Villeneuve 613-943-1838 Lili-Anne Delage Larson is now Ms. Morneau, Bill Finance Richard Maksymetz Daniel Lauzon Annie Donolo 613-369-5696 Lebouthillier’s scheduling assistant. In the Philpott, Jane Health Geneviève Hinse David Clemenys Andrew MacKendrick 613-957-0200 last Parliament, she was an aide to NDP Qualtrough, Carla Sport and Persons with Disabilities Matt Stickney - - 819-934-1122 MP Hélène Laverdière, who remains the MP for Laurier-Sainte-Marie, Que., but Sajjan, Harjit National Defence Brian Bohunicky Renée Filiatrault Jordan Owens 613-996-3100 she’s also previously worked for Liberals Sohi, Amarjeet Infrastructure and Communities John Brodhead Kate Monfette Brook Simpson 613-949-1759 MPs Brian Wilfert, Marlene Jennings, and TooToo, Hunter Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard George Young Mike Murphy - 613-992-3474 Alan Tonks over her 15 years on the Hill. Wilson-Raybould, Jody Justice - - Joanne Ghiz* 613-992-4621 Anne Ellefsen-Gauthier is a special as- *senior communications adviser sistant and caucus liaison to the minister. She was most recently working as a lawyer for the Prime Minister’s Press Offi ce: 613-957-5555 Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec Kate Purchase (Director of Communications) and before that with law fi rm Cain Lamarre, Olivier Duchesneau (Deputy Director of Communications) focusing on transport law. Ms. Ellefsen-Gauth- ier previously spent just over half a year as a Cameron Ahmad (Press Secretary) Senate aide on the Hill in the summer of 2011. Andrée-Lyne Hallé (Press Secretary) THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 43 HILL CLIMBERS

POLITICAL STAFFERS

Continued from page 42 Ms. Halloran worked as a communica- “I’m really excited to be back and I’m Mr. Filippone said having “great” rela- tions offi cer for a brief stint at Natural excited to work with the new team,” said tions with the media on the Hill is a prior- Resources Canada and spent about half a Mr. Filippone in an interview with Hill ity and having focused on digital media in Mr. Anderson has previously been year in Mr. Ignatieff’s OLO as a special as- Climbers last week. recent years, he’s also “looking to keep an involved with the Western Arctic Liberal sistant in 2012, among other experience, as There has been a lot of other changes eye on the digital impact that we have and Association and with the Northwest Ter- indicated by her LinkedIn profi le. She stud- to Mr. Mulcair’s staff since the NDP’s the digital vehicles that we use.” ritories Liberal Association and is a former ied public relations at Mount Saint Vincent disastrous results in the last election. Anne Mr. Filippone replaces Sophie Cha- donor relation’s coordinator for the federal University in New Brunswick. McGrath has left Ottawa to work for the vanel, who had been interim director of party. He also previously was a direct Marie-Pascale Des Rosiers is working Alberta NDP Premier Rachel Notley and communications since the campaign, for marketing manager for the party, work- alongside Ms. O’Halloran in the minister’s Karl Bélanger has moved over to the party which she served as director of campaign ing closely with its director of grassroots offi ce. She’s been president of the Young as the new national director. Alain Gaul is media. marketing to develop a plan ahead of the Liberals of Canada for Quebec since 2014, no longer chief of staff to Mr. Mulcair, but Previously, Shawn Dearn was director 2011 election. and will until a new one is elected later is now an adviser though he’s moved back of communications to Mr. Mulcair when Another P.E.I. native, Matthew Mann, this year. Ms. Des Rosiers was a youth to Montreal. Ray Guardia is now chief of Mr. Mulcair was offi cial opposition leader. who’s been Mr. MacAulay’s legislative organizer for Mélanie Joly during the 2015 staff to the leader. Deputy chief of staff and He was fi rst hired to the role in Febru- aide in recent years, is now his ministerial election campaign in Ahuntsic-Cartierville, former policy head Steve Moran is also no ary 2015. He helped out with campaign director of parliamentary affairs. Que., and is a former development intern longer on the Hill, while Jordan Leichnitz communications but left the Hill after the Wallace McLean has also been hired as with the David Suzuki Foundation. is now a deputy chief of staff alongside election. a special assistant for policy to the minis- Government House Leader Dominic Chantale Turgeon. Mr. Dearn recently began a new gig as a ter. Mr. MacAulay’s chief of staff is Mary LeBlanc is up two assistants in his ministe- “It’s overall a big change-up in the team. government relations adviser and coor- Jean McFall. rial offi ce, which is led by Vincent MacNeil It’s a tough gig, it’s a lot of work and so dinator of strategic relationships based In reporting on Environment and Cli- as chief of staff. usually after elections some folks decide to with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness mate Change Minister Catherine McK- Jérôme Miousse is a special assistant move on,” said Mr. Filippone. “So there was Society, coordinating “strategic opportuni- enna’s ministerial offi ce in recent weeks, to Mr. LeBlanc, and Sabrina Atwal, who a new chief of staff and new other folks, ties across a number of organizations and Hill Climbers missed out on one name: worked on Mr. Sohi’s 2015 campaign, is new directors in the party, so I thought, departments, depending on their shared Adam Moscoe, who’s been working as an also now an exempt assistant in the offi ce. ‘Yeah, I want to be part of that team.’ priority.” aide to the minister since shortly after Ms. Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie “Every day feels like it was a day well “I’m excited to be collaborating with McKenna was sworn in on Nov. 4. She fi rst Joly has hired Rachel Rappaport to her spent, working on the issues that you care more than a dozen of Canada’s leader worked as her executive assistant and in ministerial offi ce as assistant to the par- about, getting those messages out. So even environmental organizations to help recent weeks as a policy adviser. liamentary secretary for Heritage, Liberal in the last two days it already feels like them advance federal policies to address An Ottawa native, Mr. Moscoe has been MP Randy Boissonnault, who represents home,” he said last week. climate change and environmental pro- a Global Shaper with the Global Shapers Edmonton Centre, Alta. A former executive assistant to Jack tections that will benefi t all Canadians,” Community since 2013 and through this, A graduate of McGill University, Ms. Layton during his time as NDP leader and he said in email to Hill Climbers, adding helped co-organize a youth consultation on Rappaport was an aide to Liberal MP former interim deputy national director of he’s “looking forward to working with climate change in partnership with the Ca- Chrystia Freeland, who’s now also Interna- the party, Mr. Filippone was also a regional environmental groups, ministers’ offi ces nadian Commission for UNESCO and HUB tional Trade minister in the last Parliament. campaign director for the NDP in Quebec and their departments.” Ottawa. He was named curator of Global She’s previously interned in Public Services for the 2015 election. [email protected] Shapers last year. Minister Judy Foote’s MP offi ce through the Mr. Filippone began working on the Hill The Hill Times Mr. Moscoe has a long list of relevant Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs’ (CIJA) in 2006 as an aide to former NDP MP Peg- experience, including previously working parliamentary internship program, and was gy Nash, and is also her former campaign as a junior policy offi cer with Canada’s a full-time volunteer on Mr. Trudeau’s 2013 manager, and went on to join the NDP Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, campaign for party leadership. leader’s offi ce fi rst as a training coordina- Every Set focusing on humanitarian affairs, and Meanwhile, Families, Children and tor and then as Mr. Layton’s EA. In 2007, with Public Safety Canada before that. Social Development Minister Jean-Yves he worked on Mr. Mulcair’s ultimately suc- of Lost Keys He’s been a researcher for the All-Party Duclos, whose ministerial offi ce is run by cessful by-election bid to become the NDP Parlaimentary Group for the Prevention of chief of staff Josée Duplessis, has hired MP for Outremont, Que. Has a Story Genocide and Other Crimes Against Hu- François Landry as a special assistant. In 2012, Mr. Filippone was campaign manity, chaired by former Quebec Liberal manager on Ms. Nash’s leadership cam- Senator Roméo Dallaire, and worked on paign. After Mr. Mulcair was elected leader, “We lost our keys at a hockey Mr. Trudeau’s 2013 leadership campaign. Filippone returns as D. Mr. Filippone left the Hill. He spent a year game out of town, including our “It has been a remarkable experience working for public relations fi rm Navigator working with Minister McKenna,” he said Comms to NDP Leader Inc. in Toronto for a year before becoming expensive-to-replace smart key in an email, adding it’s a “unique privilege” a digital media offi cer for the Canadian for the car. Our War Amps key to be able to work as an aide to his own Riccardo Filippone, 35, marked his Union of Public Employees. Member of Parliament. Ms. McKenna is the fi rst week back on the Hill last week. He Now back on the Hill, Mr. Filippone said tag did its job when our keys offi cially returned as the new director of MP for Ottawa Centre, Ont. he has a new perspective in his new role as were returned to us last week by Mr. Moscoe is also a former intern to for- communications to NDP Leader Thomas communications director, but all in all, said mer Liberal MP Irwin Cotler and has been Mulcair on Feb. 29 after helping out the the Hill “doesn’t feel too radically changed” courier, much to our relief.” involved with the Canadian Jewish Political party in Quebec last fall. since he left. Affairs Committee (CJPAC). Jane McDonald – War Amps supporter is director of policy to the minister. Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi’s ZĞĨŽƌŵŝŶŐĂŶĂĚĂ͛ƐǀŽƟŶŐ The Key Tag Service – ministerial offi ce was not listed on the it’s free and it works. Nearly government’s electronic directory service ƐLJƐƚĞŵ͗tŚĂƚǁŽƵůĚƉƌŽƉŽƌƟŽŶĂů as of deadline last week, but Hill Climbers 13,000 sets of lost keys are understands a few more staffers are on his ƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƟŽŶĐŚĂŶŐĞ͍ team since the last update Feb. 22. returned every year. Kelly Rowe is a policy adviser to the min- DĂƌĐŚϮϮ͕ϮϬϭϲ ister—and has been since November, accord- 7:30 am - 8:45 am ing to her LinkedIn account. She moved to Parliamentary Restaurant, Centre Block Ottawa from Toronto to take on the job and previously was a policy adviser in the offi ce $25—Free for parliamentarians and media of the TTC chair for the City of Toronto. Breakfast included Ms. Rowe has a PhD from Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Spain in political sci- dŚĞϮϬϭϱĨĞĚĞƌĂůĞůĞĐƟŽŶĐĂŵƉĂŝŐŶďƌŽƵŐŚƚ ence and government and according to her Order key tags online. online profi le, her dissertation focused on ŶĞǁƵƌŐĞŶĐLJƚŽĂĨƵŶĚĂŵĞŶƚĂůŝƐƐƵĞŝŶĂŶĂĚŝĂŶ “electoral behaviour” and how factors like ĚĞŵŽĐƌĂĐLJ͗^ŚŽƵůĚǁĞĐŚĂŶŐĞŽƵƌǀŽƟŶŐƐLJƐƚĞŵ͍ the “economy, issue importance, and emo- André Blais, Research Chair in Electoral Studies at tion impact election turnout.” She was a ƚŚĞhŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚĠĚĞDŽŶƚƌĠĂů͕ĞdžƉůŽƌĞƐĂŶƐǁĞƌƐƚŽ presidential election observer as part of the ƚŚŝƐƋƵĞƐƟŽŶŝŶĂĐŽŶǀĞƌƐĂƟŽŶǁŝƚŚ&ĞĚĞƌĂƟŽŶWĂƐƚ Canadian election observation mission to President Antonia Maioni Ukraine in May 2014. She’s also a former ͕WƌŽĨĞƐƐŽƌŽĨWŽůŝƟĐĂů research and policy analyst at Queen’s Université de Montréal Professor ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞĂƚDĐ'ŝůůhŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ͘;/Ŷ&ƌĞŶĐŚĂŶĚŶŐůŝƐŚ͕ The War Amps Park, according to LinkedIn, among other ŽĨWŽůŝƟĐĂů^ĐŝĞŶĐĞŶĚƌĠůĂŝƐ ǁŝƚŚƐŝŵƵůƚĂŶĞŽƵƐŝŶƚĞƌƉƌĞƚĂƟŽŶǀŝĂĐĞůůƉŚŽŶĞ͘Ϳ experience. 1 800 250-3030 Katherine O’Halloran is a senior special waramps.ca assistant to the minister, as part the offi ces’ Atlantic desk. A P.E.I. native and former pub- The War Amps does not lic relations director with The Black Sheep ŝĚĞĂƐͲŝĚĞĞƐ͘ĐĂͬďŝŐƚŚŝŶŬŝŶŐ receive government grants. Fashion, Ms. O’Halloran is also a former VIP ηďŝŐƚŚŝŶŬŝŶŐ coordinator for Ottawa Fashion Week. Charitable Registration No.: 13196 9628 RR0001 44 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 FEATURE BUZZ

annello, Peter Simpson, Hugh Adami, Chris The winner of the $25,000 prize will be Cobb, Drew Gragg, and Stephanie Murphy. announced April 20 at the Politics and the Those staying include Mr. Egan, Ms. Pen gala at the Fairmont Château Laurier. ON Robin, Ms. May, Elizabeth Payne, Gary The other fi nalists will be awarded $2,500. THE Dimmock, James Bagnall, Blair Crawford, The fi nalists and winner are being cho- HEARD HILL Andrew Duffy, Andrew Seymour, Matthew sen this year by a jury consisting of Globe Pearson, Joanne Laucius, Bruce Deach- and Mail reporter Robyn Doolittle, military BY DEREK ABMA man, Jacquie Miller, Meghan Hurley, Peter historian Tim Cook, and McGill University Hum, Don Butler, Tom Spears, Shaamini political science professor Antonia Maioni. Yogaretnam, David Pugliese, Vito Pilieci, The prize, in its 16th year, is given out by Drake Fenton, Tyler Dawson, Jon Willing, the Writers’ Trust of Canada and named Lynn Saxberg, and Doug Menary. after Shaughnessy Cohen, a former Liberal MP for Windsor-St. Clair, Ont., who died of a cerebral hemorrhage in December 1998 Trudeau called ‘anti-Trump’ after collapsing in the House of Commons. Karsh photography by Washington Post Trudeau announces six exhibit to open in senior public service Vegas this month movements Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week announced last week six movements among high-level offi cials in the public service. If the Conservative Party is going to His offi ce said in a press release that Continued from page 2 return to power, it needs to pay more mind Though, like Donald Trump, he has experienced Malcolm Brown was becoming deputy to environmental issues, says a group dedi- political momentum over the last year or so, The minister of Public Safety on April 4, A exhibit by cated to this particular cause. Washington Post has called Justin Trudeau the moving from his current job as a special the late Cana- Canadian for Clean Prosperity said its ‘anti-Trump.’ The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright adviser to the Privy Council clerk on the dian photog- research indicates that 53 per cent of the vot- Syrian refugee initiative. rapher Yousuf ers the Tories lost between the 2011 and 2015 Amid the momentum Donald Trump is Jean-Françoise Tremblay will be come Karsh is slated elections support action on climate change. carrying toward his improbable run at the deputy minister of Infrastructure on March to open the “The data demonstrates that, during the U.S. presidency, The Washington Post last 14. He is currently deputy minister of Trans- Bellagio Gal- 2015 election, the majority of Canadian week compared Mr. Trump’s ascension to port, Infrastructure and Communities. lery of Fine Art voters were pro-climate-action voters,” the rise of Justin Trudeau and dubbed the Michael Keenan is slated to become in Las Vegas Mark Cameron, executive director of Canadian Prime Minister the “anti-Trump.” deputy minister of Transport on March 14, this month. Canadians for Clear Prosperity, said in a “Canada’s new Liberal prime minis- leaving the position of associate deputy Self-portrait by press release. “They supported action to ter, Justin Trudeau, stormed to a stunning minister of natural resources. Yousuf Karsh reduce greenhouse gases and the imple- electoral victory last year,” said an article Hélène Laurendeau will become deputy mentation of carbon pricing. Given this by Ishaan Tharoor. “He did so while coping minister of Indigenous and Northern Af- massive support, it would be very diffi cult with the attacks of opponents who cast fairs, moving from the role of associate for Conservatives, or any party, to form a him as an inexperienced, slightly buffoon- deputy minister in that same department. majority government without securing the ish dilettante trading on a powerful family Peter Boehm has been tapped to become A new exhibit showcasing the work of support of sizable portion of this group.” legacy. Sound familiar? deputy minister of International Develop- the late Yousuf Karsh, perhaps Canada’s The group said its data was based on “But Trudeau’s progressive, inclusive ment immediately after serving as associate most famous photographer ever, will open voluntary online surveys of 108,932 Canadi- message could not be more different than deputy minister of Foreign Affairs. at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art in Las ans by a company called Vox Pop Labs. No that of Trump.” Also, Diane Jacovella is becoming associ- Vegas on March 18. margin of error is applicable, said a spokes- The article noted how Mr. Trudeau recently ate deputy minister for Foreign Affairs on The exhibit will be called Yousuf Karsh: person for Canadians for Clean Prosperity. made an online video in a pink shirt and ad- March 14. She is currently assistant deputy Icons of the 20th Century and feature portraits dressed school bullying. That was contrasted minister of Global Issues and Development. of people such as Winston Churchill, Muham- by recent remarks by Mr. Trump in which he Retiring from the public service is Fran- mad Ali, Grace Kelly, and many others. Outgoing Citizen reporters, said he would have liked to punch a protester çois Guimont, deputy minister of Public The Karsh exhibit will be open until editors throw shindig at one of his rallies in the face. It also con- Safety, and Colleen Swords, deputy minis- Sept. 5 and is replacing one that featured the trasted the two politicians views on refugees, ter of Indigenous and Northern Affairs. works of Pablo Picasso and closed Feb. 14 so climate change, feminism, and other issues. preparations could take place for works of Mark Kennedy Later in the week, Washington Post the Karsh display. was among the writer Yanan Wang reported that there was Joly gives shout-out to Among Karsh’s most famous pictures is departing Citizen a surge in Google searches for “How to move Canadian Oscar winners one he took of Mr. Churchill in 1941, who journalists who to Canada” following Mr. Trump’s victories in was the British prime minister and visiting got together for a last week’s Super Tuesday votes, and that the Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly last Ottawa as the Second World War was being going-away party in Canadian government’s Citizenship and Im- week congratulated Canadian winners of waged. The world leader is scowling toward Westboro on Feb. migration website was experiencing delays. this year’s Academy Awards. the camera and, as Mr. Karsh explained in 26. The Hill Times “Canadian artists have once again made later years, the tone was set when he took photograph by Jake Shaughnessy Cohen their mark at one of the motion picture a cigar out of the mouth of a stubborn Mr. Wright industry’s most prestigious award ceremo- Churchill, who refused to put it down. Prize fi nalists announced nies,” Ms. Joly said in a statement released Mr. Karsh died in 2002. the day after the Feb. 28 Oscars ceremony. “I am proud of everyone working in the John Ib- arts in Canada; they are among the most Big Blue needs some About 50 people showed up at The Ottawa bitson is a talented and creative people in the world.” green for political success: Citizen’s going-away shindig at the Barley fi nalist for the Those winners included Sharmeen Mow in Westboro on the evening of Feb. 26 to Shaughnessy Obaid-Chinoy in the category documentary environmental group say goodbye to all the people who are leaving Cohen Prize (short subject) for her fi lm A Girl in the the newspaper or have recently left. for Political River: The Price of Forgiveness, and David There were lots of former, current, and Writing for his McIntosh, Steve Smith, Mike Branham and outgoing newsroom people there, including book Stephen Mike Kirilenko from Vancouver’s Aircover Mark Kennedy (departing Parliament Hill Harper. The Hill Infl atables won a technical achievement reporter), Jay Stone (former movie critic), Times photograph award for their Airwall, which is an infl at- Jason Fekete (Hill news reporter), Charles by Jake Wright able green wall that can be used for outside Gordon (former columnist), Kathryn May fi lming when special effects are to replace (federal public service reporter), Kelly the background fi nal productions. Egan (columnist), Andrew Potter (depart- Ms. Joly also congratulated American ing editor), Laura Robin (food writer), Janet Five fi nalists for the Shaughnessy actress Brie Larson, who won for best ac- Wilson (style editor), Peter Robb (departing Cohen Prize for Political Writing were an- tress in leading role for Room, which was a arts/books/travel editor), Carl Neustaedter nounced last week. joint Canadian-Irish production. (departing managing editor), Anita Murray They are: John Ibbitson for Stephen “Our government knows that Canada’s (departing homes editor), and Karen Turner Harper, Greg Donaghy for Grit: The Life and audiovisual industry contributes to the (departing home life editor). Politics of Paul Martin Sr.; Norman Hillmer vitality of our culture and represents an At the party, there was cake with outgoing for O.D. Skelton: A Portrait of Canadian important sector of our economy,” Ms. Joly journalists’ faces on it, lots of jokes about stick- Ambitions; Andrew Nikiforuk for Slick said. “In 2014-15, the total volume of fi lm Mark Cameron from Canadians for Clean Pros- ing a fork in it, a band playing, dancing, and Water: Fracking and One Insider’s Stand and television production in Canada was perity says the Conservatives need to become lots of talk about the future of print journalism. Against the World’s Most Powerful Industry; $7.1 billion, including $2.96 billion in Cana- more environmentally oriented if they want to Others who have recently left the paper and Sheila Watt-Cloutier for The Right to Be dian production alone.” win power again. Photo courtesy of Canadians for include Glen McGregor, who went to CTV, Cold: One Woman’s Story of Protecting Her [email protected] Clean Prosperity Robert Bostelaar, Robert Sibley, Joanne Chi- Culture, the Arctic, and the Whole Planet. The Hill Times THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 45 OPEN GOVERNMENT ACCESS TO INFORMATION Secrecy happenings and transparency hopes, Ottawa needs to open up

put pressure on the Trudeau government see needs to give more than lip service in a climate meta data and personal data collection that It’s a sure sign that it’s hope or a beginning for change in Legault’s where the culture of secrecy runs deep. needs better procedures and protections still secrecy as usual in limited access reform package but do want One bellweather area on which way albeit with much of their fi ndings redacted. even fuller disclosure measures put in place. transparency is going could be the prom- Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien has Ottawa when the Treasury Groups who might become covered under ised Crown-aboriginal partnership. That told the Commons Access Committee that Board wants six months access legislation, like the Canadian Legion new type of relationship could herald a his offi ce wants greater privacy protection and Canada Health Infoway, whose spending new and open way of dealing more directly and more transparency on government to respond to an access and decision records are not readily avail- with Canadian aboriginals or it could re- surveillance measures. request for records about able, are unlikely to be comfortable with any sult in yet greater secrecy. To date, records Parliament and most MPs themselves are change that results in their being covered. on what that new Crown-aboriginal rela- awaiting and want better spending data and Trudeau government’s The Commons Access Committee has its tions could look like are not forthcoming. greater review powers that could help re- work cut out if it wants to hear from many wit- The work done by the Parliamentary move transparency roadblocks so prevalent transparency work. nesses and to press the government to table its Budget Offi ce and the auditor general in Ottawa. Opening up the Commons Board legislative proposals for everyone to review. continue to tell us more about government of Internal Economy and Parliament has to There are yet other approaches to Canadi- operations like Shared Services bungled IT be part of a changed transparency equation. ans gaining better transparency. Some unions, efforts and provide alternate assessments Still, expecting better public inspection for instance, like the Professional Institute of on government fi nancial fi gures on matters and access in Ottawa is far from certain the Public Service of Canada, want an ability like emergency disasters and government when access-to-information requests via collective bargaining to engage in a better claimed surpluses. remain the domain of delays, exemptions, KEN RUBIN dialogue and be more transparent with the Even the Security Intelligence Review and cannot confi rm-or-deny responses. Canadian public. They are a partner Trudeau Committee has come out and reported on The Hill Times

TTAWA—It’s a sure sign that it’s Ostill secrecy as usual in Ottawa when the Treasury Board wants six months to respond to an access request for records about Trudeau government’s transparency work. That’s before applying policy advice and Cabinet confi dences to the records. But it’s far from the only example. Take the case of the request for the no-fl y list re- cords. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale indicated changes were needed to prevent minors with the “wrong” names getting on the list. Yet Public Safety denied access to records on what is transpiring on the no-fl y list citing national security, law enforcement, and personal information exemptions. With no real directives or public consul- tations coming from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government for greater transpar- ency, a bold public dialogue, or open, record- ed decision-making, Canada is not moving forward to the model of Sweden’s 250-year- old information access model that lays out many records for daily public inspection. Just think of the public having daily access to records on matters like electoral reform, Senate selection, a guaranteed income, or the infrastructure spending underway. The gov- ernment could release such records ranging from the full life cycle of present and planned military ships, to planes and armaments, to the options for pot regulation and distribution. Yet four months into his mandate, Trudeau has not indicated his government has up-front priority transparency legis- lation ready to be tabled. That does not mean, however, that senior central agency offi cials do not have their own draft protec- tive bills for access to information “mod- ernization” waiting on hand for approval. Meanwhile, the House of Commons Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Committee, consisting of mainly newly- elected MPs, is keen to do another study on the Access to Information Act. The commit- tee has already called on Information Com- missioner Suzanne Legault to help it out. Getting nearer the end of her term, Le- gault made a pitch to the House Access Com- mittee to get her offi ce getting binding order powers to be more effective, and requested it to examine her more than 80 modest reform recommendations made back in 2015 to balance existing secrecy rights of special interests with the public interest. Her testimony included reassurances that many Cabinet confi dences and attendant ex- emptions would still prevail under her modern- ization efforts. Her reform proposals, however, make it appear unlikely that Canadians would get much access to ministers’ records, records of newly-covered agencies like Nav Canada, or records held by covered agencies such as the Canadian Commercial Corp. Despite this, some access-to-information advocacy groups who have been trying to 46 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 THE SPIN DOCTORS By Laura Ryckewaert

“Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister John McCallum has introduced a bill to amend the Citizenship Act. What do you think of the changes proposed?”

KATE CORY IAN MATHIEU R. CAMILLE PURCHASE HANN WAYNE ST-AMAND LABCHUK Liberal strategist Conservative strategist NDP strategist Bloc Québécois strategist Green strategist

“Last fall, we promised “So, let me get this right. “I think that most people “Stripping someone of “The Greens are Canadians that we would The Liberals’ fi rst legislative were pleased to see this bill, their citizenship has wide- pleased to see Minister reverse the Conservatives’ priority is to give citizenship to which will repeal the Harper ranging consequences and McCallum acting with- divisive two-tiered citizen- a convicted terrorist? We’re gift- Conservatives’ harmful, con- should not be done lightly. By out delay to undo some ship laws. Canada is a ing citizenship to someone who tentious and likely unconstitu- giving a minister the author- of the destruction done nation of immigrants. Our planned to set off a bomb in tional Bill C-24. In fact, all the ity to revoke the citizenship to the Citizenship Act by country is made up of more downtown Toronto, then storm opposition parties had prom- of a Canadian who has been the previous Conserva- than 200 ethnic origins and Parliament and behead the sit- ised to repeal this bill if elected. accused of terrorism, the tive government. We op- more than one in fi ve Ca- ting prime minister? Man, those “Given the fact there was former Conservative govern- posed the Conservatives’ nadians was born outside citizenship tests have turned already a court challenge of ment was going down a dan- dangerous changes from of Canada. really weird. I always thought if the bill, the move to repeal it gerous path. Reversing this the moment they were “A law that revokes you hated the country enough now will at the very least save decision is not about giving introduced. the citizenship of some, to want to murder and maim the government years of legal terrorists a free pass. Rather, “Stripping citizen- and not others, does not innocent women, children, and wrangling in the courts. it is about avoiding a slippery ship amounts to banish- strengthen what it means men just for being Canadian, “The bill created two tiers slope. ment, which is a practice to be Canadian—it weak- maybe you shouldn’t get citi- of citizens, introduced new “Consider the case of belonging in the middle ens it. Canada’s success zenship to the country. obstacles for young people Mohamed Fahmy. He was ac- ages—not in modern- has always been rooted “I mean this in the most and seniors to get citizenship, cused of terrorism in Egypt. day Canada. We already in our unique approach to honest way—what in the world changed the rules on current Under the law passed by have a highly effective inclusive diversity. Bill C-24 is going through the minds permanent residents without the Conservatives, he would court system that is ca- stood in direct opposition of Liberals? If the answer is warning or a grace period have had to stay in Egypt, pable of jailing citizens to that ideal, and in doing a repetitive ‘a Canadian is a and made it more diffi cult imprisoned under terrible who commit terrorism so, it asserted that not all Canadian...’, or a ‘because it’s for people here on student or conditions for a crime he did offences. Stripping Canadians are equal. 2016’ hashtag of some kind, work visas to get Canadian not commit. The Conserva- Canadians of citizenship “There should only be please try harder. Zakaria citizenship. tives were known for dealing is a dangerous, slippery one class of citizenship, Amara has been convicted of “Despite the many concerns with issues as if they were all slope and goes against and every Canadian should a serious plot, one in which raised by us and experts— black or all white. However, everything that our be equal under the law. he and 17 others researched many of whom concluded the citizenship issues often fall country is about. Whether they were born meticulously, planned for, and bill was unconstitutional and into grey areas. “Citizenship stripping in Canada, or naturalized had every intention of execut- not in keeping with interna- “In short, the Liberal bill, was never designed to in Canada, or hold a dual ing, which could have been on tional law—Conservatives which gets rid of the one- keep Canadians safer; citizenship, a Canadian is a a larger scale than 9/11—and refused to listen. size-fi ts-all approach imple- it was only a boutique Canadian is a Canadian. the Liberals want to give him “Of course Tom Mulcair mented by the Conservatives, policy the Conservatives “Our judicial system Canadian citizenship?! and the NDP fi rmly opposed is an improvement. However, thought would appeal is fair, it is just, and most “In my book, a terrorist is C-24 from the start—standing it casts a wide net and makes to voters. The results of importantly, it is effective. a terrorist is a terrorist, and up to the Conservatives and changes to various criteria the last election suggest All Canadians who com- if you passionately hate our demanding the government for granting citizenship. they were wrong about mit crimes should face the country that much, Canadians withdraw it. At best, Bill C-24 These changes need to be that.” consequences of their ac- should be absolutely outraged was misguided—at worst, examined in depth to ensure tions through the Canadian when our government gives it was designed to be a yet that newcomers are integrat- justice system.” someone like that a passport to another divisive wedge issue ed smoothly into our society.” call his own.” created by the Conservatives.” “Innovation and “Pursuing Justice the Econ4Tmro” THE HON. IRWIN COTLER THE HON. NAVDEEP BAINS TORONTO, MARCH 31 TORONTO, MARCH 14

Two events in March not to be missed in Toronto: On March 14, the Hon. Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development will kick off the #Econ4Tmro Series, luncheon co-hosted with the Toronto Region Board of Trade. On March 31, the Hon. Irwin Cotler, former Justice Minister and human rights advocate will keynote the “Pursuing Justice Gala” at the Kind Edward Hotel, launching the Pearson Centre’s Pursing Justice project. For more information and tickets: www.thepearsoncentre.ca THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 47 NEWS LEGISLATION House of Commons to vote on ISIS mission, continue debate on government bills

On Thursday, March 10, the House will on the order of precedence will be fi nalizing Once the debate begins, each of the fi rst Some 30 MPs have begin debate on Bill C-5, An Act to repeal what bill or motion they’d like to have the 30 members on the order of precedence private members’ Division 20 of Part 3 of the Economic Ac- Commons devote some time to. If all goes as will get their fi rst hour of debate, then a tion Plan 2015 Act, No. 1, introduced by scheduled, the list will be fi nalized by Tues- second hour, and then a vote at second bills on the order of President of the Treasury Board Scott Bri- day, March 8, and off to the subcommittee on reading. If bills pass this stage, they go to son (Kings-Hants, N.S.) on Feb. 5. This bill private members’ business of the Procedure committee. If not, they’re dead. precedence in the House seeks to repeal the controversial sick-leave and House Affairs Committee to study all After the fi rst 30 names of the order of and disability measures the previous Con- the bills to determine if they are voteable. It’s precedence list have been cycled through, of Commons. servative government put into their fi nal possible this could happen during a special it will be refreshed by the next 15 names budget implementation bill, Bill C-59. The meeting of the committee on Wednesday, but for the rest of the session. Continued from page 6 section the Liberals are seeking to repeal the committee typically meets Thursdays, so MPs are able to switch places on the contains a change to the Public Service it could happen then. list if, for example, one is way down on lum (Markham-Thornhill, Ont.) on Feb. 25. Labour Relations Act that allowed the Trea- Once that’s done, the subcommittee will the list and has a timely bill they’d like to The bill removes the Conservative law that sury Board president to unilaterally change report back to the main House Affairs Com- see introduced and a colleague is willing revoked the Canadian citizenship of duel public servants’ sick-leave program to a mittee, which presents the report to the to let them go ahead. Private member’s citizen convicted of terrorism or national short-term disability plan while collective House. Once that passes, according to the business is only available to Members of security offences; reduces the amount of bargaining with the unions is ongoing. standing orders, or the House rules, the House Parliament with no other responsibilities, time applicants for citizenship have to be must wait two days to begin the fi rst hour of so House Speakers, Cabinet ministers, and physical present in Canada; and limits the Private members’ business debate in Parliament, meaning if it all rolls parliamentary secretaries aren’t able to put ages for knowledge and language tests to Also happening in the House this week, along punctually, the fi rst debate could hap- things forward. between 18 and 54; among other changes. the fi rst 30 MPs whose names were drawn pen when MPs return on March 21 or 22. [email protected]

PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILLS SO FAR, HERE’S THE FIRST 30 NAMES ON THE ORDER OF PRECEDENCE FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS AND WHAT THEY’RE PROPOSING:

• Conservative MP Ted Falk (Provencher, Man.): Bill C-239, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (charitable gifts) • New Democrat MP Karine Trudel (Jonquière, Que.): Bill C-234, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (replacement workers) • Conservative MP Steven Blaney (Bellechasse-Les Etchemins- Levis): Bill C-226, Impaired Driving Act • Bloc Québécois Gabriel Ste-Marie (Joliette, Que.): To be deter- mined. His fi rst attempt, Bill C-222, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (Canada-Barbados Income Tax Agreement) was deemed improper before the House and and dropped from the order paper. • Conservative MP Ziad Alboultaif (Edmonton Manning, Alta.): Bill C-223, Canadian Organ Donor Registry Act 





 • Conservative MP Pat Kelly (Calgary Rocky Ridge, Alta.): Motion M-43, Taxpayer Bill of Rights • New Democrat MP Brian Masse (Windsor West, Ont.): Bill C-221, Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act Franchise Awareness Day Reception • Liberal MP Ron McKinnon (Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam, B.C.): Bill C-224, Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act • Liberal MP Peter Fragiskatos (London North Centre, Ont.): Bill Connecting Government with Franchise Business Leaders C-242, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (infl icting torture) • Conservative MP Ben Lobb (Huron Bruce, Ont.): Bill C-232, An Act to amend the Excise Act 2001 (spirits) The Canadian Franchise Association invites all politicians and their staff • Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall (Yorkton-Melville, Sask.): Bill C-225, Protection of Pregnant Women and Their Preborn Children to a celebration of Franchise Awareness Day on Parliament Hill! Act (Cassie and Molly’s Law) • Liberal MP Gagan Sikand (Mississauga-Streetsville, Ont.): Bill C-247, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (passive detection device) Franchise Awareness Day is a landmark event designed to connect you directly with • Conservative MP Rob Nicholson (Niagara Falls, Ont.): Bill C-233, National Strategy for Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias Act franchise business leaders in your constituency through one-on-one afternoon meetings. • Liberal MP Andy Fillmore (Halifax, N.S.): Motion M-45, Infrastruc- ture investment Please join us for our cocktail reception where you can network with • Liberal MP Mauril Belanger (Ottawa Vanier, Ont.): Bill C-210, An Act to amend the National Anthem Act (gender) franchise business leaders from across the country! • Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Beaches-East York, Ont.): Bill C-246, Modernizing Animal Protections Act • New Democrat MP Kennedy Stewart (Burnaby South, B.C.): Bill The Details: C-237, Candidate Gender Equity Act • Liberal MP Ahmed Hussen (York South-Weston, Ont.): Bill C-227, An Act to amend the Department of Public Works and Government +,&'
 

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 variant) • Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands, Ont.): Bill Online: www.FranchiseAwareness.ca/HillTimes C-243, National Maternity Assistance Program Strategy Act • Conservative MP Ron Liepert (Calgary Signal Hill, Alta.): Bill C-229, E-mail: Samantha Sheppard at [email protected] Life Means Life Act • Liberal MP Gary Anandasangaree (Scarborough-Rouge Park, Ont.) Motion M-24, Tamil Heritage Month • Liberal MP Darren Fisher (Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, N.S.): Bill C-238, National Strategy for Safe Disposal of Lamps Containing Mercury Act Follow Us: @CFAFranchise | www.facebook.com/canadianfranchiseassociation • Liberal MP Linda Lapointe (Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Que.): Bill C-236, An Act to amend the Payment Card Networks Act (credit card www.linkedin.com/company/canadian-franchise-association acceptance fees) • Liberal MP Geng Tan (Don Valley North, Ont.): Motion M-38, Spring Festival • Liberal MP Bryan May (Cambridge, Ont.): Bill C-240, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (tax credit — fi rst aid) • Liberal MP Alaina Lockhart (Fundy Royal, N.B.): Motion M-39, Immigration to Atlantic Canada • Bernadette Jordan (South Shore-St. Margarets, N.S.): Motion M-40, Abandoned vessels TRANSPORTATION n this important and timely rules to regulate drones by 2017; Ipolicy briefing, The Hill Times will the Canadian Transportation Act’s take a closer look at the new report on Canada’s international federal Liberal government’s competitiveness; how Aviva POLICY BRIEFING promises to invest in public Canada is filling a gap as the transit, specifically to quadruple first auto insurer in Canada to Publication Date: April 4, 2016 federal spending by investing develop a policy for ride-sharing $20-billion more in public services; the court ruling on Booking Deadline: March 29, 2016 transit infrastructure over the Canada Pacific Railway’s liability next decade. We look deeper from lawsuits triggered by the into this. Is this enough? Where deadly Lac-Mégantic disaster; the will the money go? Have Railway Association of Canada’s Canada’s transit woes been report on the transporting crude exacerbated by the politicization oil by railways and pipelines; of infrastructure projects? And and the Canadian government’s what are the experts saying? expanded no-fly list.

As well, we look into Transport Be a part of Canada’s plans to bring in new this policy briefing.

Communicate with those most responsible for Canada’s public policy decisions. For more information or to reserve your government relations and public affairs advertising space, contact The Hill Times display advertising department at 613-688-8825. THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 49 OPINION CANADA & ISRAEL Justin Trudeau’s shameful capitulation to Zionism

may not get you condemned by simply reinforces the increasingly Israel’s attorney general from 1993 AIPAC, he referred to the BDS If Justin Trudeau the prime minister so I guess it extremist governments’ determina- to 1996, wrote: “We enthusiastically campaign eighteen times calling and his government must be okay. But it is defi nitely tion to never negotiate. chose to become a colonial society, on American Zionists to “fi ght not okay to advocate for the How many Parliamentar- ignoring international treaties, back” against its advocates. believe that they are non-violent BDS campaign. This ians have even the slightest clue expropriating lands, transferring The BDS campaign might not doing Israel a favour was made clear by the govern- what the Palestinians are seeking settlers from Israel to the occupied worry Netanyahu so much if it ment’s support of a Conservative through the BDS campaign? Do territories. ... We developed two weren’t for the fact that Israel by supporting resolution opposing the campaign they know its origins? According to judicial systems: one–progressive, now ranks near the bottom of the repugnant “…which promotes the demoniza- the movement Israel must: “End its liberal in Israel. The other—cruel, pile when it comes to world tion and delegitimization of the occupation and colonization of all injurious in the occupied territo- opinion. A BBC poll in 2013 Conservative State of Israel, and call upon the Arab lands and dismantle the Wall; ries. In effect, we established an interviewed more than 26,000 government to condemn any and recognize the fundamental rights apartheid regime in the occupied people in 25 countries around thought crime all attempts by Canadian organi- of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of territories immediately following the world, and found only 21 per resolution they zations, groups or individuals to Israel to full equality; and respect, their capture.” cent of participants had a positive promote the BDS movement, both protect, and promote the rights Other senior Israeli political view of Israel, while 52 per cent could not be more here at home and abroad.” of Palestinian refugees to return fi gures agreed: Shulamit Aloni, viewed the country unfavorably. mistaken. There’s no lipstick you can put to their homes and properties, as education minister under Yitzhak Only Iran, Pakistan and North on this pig—it is dishonest, breath- stipulated in UN resolution 194.” Rabin, and former prime minister Korea fared worse. In just the last takingly anti-democratic, and in The BDS campaign (which only Ehud Barak both made the same year, the percentage of Ameri- violation of basic rights (enshrined boycotts goods made in occupied comparison. Ehud Olmert, another cans viewing Israel favourably by junior’s father 35 years ago). As territory) was inspired by the suc- former PM, declared: “If the day dropped dramatically from 70 per the NDP’s Thomas Mulcair said, cessful boycott and sanctions cam- comes when the two state solution cent to 59 per cent. the resolution “…makes it a thought paign that fi nally brought an end to collapses, and we face a South If Justin Trudeau and his MURRAY DOBBIN crime to express an opinion.” South African apartheid. The BDS African style struggle for equal government believe that they are The NDP and the Bloc voted campaign was launched in 2005 by voting rights…the State of Israel doing Israel a favour by support- against the resolution along with 170 Palestinian civil society groups is fi nished.” With the two-state ing the repugnant Conservative OWELL RIVER, B.C.—Okay, three Liberals. representing virtually every sector solution on life-support—and no thought crime resolution they Phere’s a Middle East multiple That the government could be of Palestinian society “including all pressure on Israel from the West to could not be more mistaken. choice question for you (warning: so supine when it comes to facing political parties, unions, refugee revive it—the situation so feared by Every time a Western government one of these will get you con- down Israel lobby groups raises networks, NGOs, and organiza- Olmert is arguably already here. turns a blind eye to Israeli apart- demned by the Trudeau govern- the question: just who actually tions representing Palestinians With Canadian and other heid it incrementally reinforces ment). Would you rather that the makes Canadian policy towards living under occupation, in Israel, Western governments completely and extends that system by sig- Palestinian people: 1. Once again Israel? Did Trudeau think this and in exile.” bankrupt in their policy toward naling to Netanyahu that he can take up armed struggle in order through at all—such as, is this in Canadian political leaders Israel it could easily be argued do whatever he pleases. to end Israeli occupation of their Canada’s interests? seem to have at least one thing in that the BDS campaign is that By steadfastly denying the land or 2. Pursue a non-violent But perhaps more to the point, common regarding criticism of country’s best hope to avoid Ehud apartheid reality in Israel suc- strategy of Boycott, Divestiture is it even in Israel’s interests? Israel: their faux outrage at those Olmert’s greatest fear. Israel’s cessive Canadian governments and Sanctions (BDS) until such Trudeau’s advisers know what all characterizing the Israeli occupa- Prime Minister Benjamin Netan- in fact betray the long term of time as Israel recognizes the experts on this issue know: every tion as an apartheid system. Yet yahu knows this and it is why he interests of that country—not to rights of the Palestinian people? time you acquiesce to Israel’s inter- the comparison is made routinely is so determined to fi ght BDS. mention, of course, those of mil- Advocating a return to the use national crimes and every time you in Israel and not just by critics of In a 2014 speech to the power- lions of Palestinians. of violence against Israel may or give carte blanche to its actions it the government. Michael Ben-Yair, ful pro-Israeli US lobby group The Hill Times

OPINION BLOOD DONATIONS Deregulation of blood safety: Health Canada’s unhealthy decision on paid plasma

This issue fi rst arose in 2013, we have no protection against. healthy volunteer donors, willing to duty is to regulate blood and plasma The new government with an application by the same When a new threat arises, answer truthfully about their health safety “only in the public interest, and must reverse the commercial entity, Canadian the pattern of events is always and risk factors for infection, such as not in the interest of the regulated,” as Plasma Resources, for licensing of similar, whether the threat be HIV travel and lifestyle. By contrast, paid reaffi rmed by Justice Krever. Harper government’s facilities for paid plasma collection (1980-86), hepatitis C (1958-1990), donors may not reveal risk factors in Will Health Minister Jane abdication of duty by in Ontario. At that time, the Harper Mad Cow disease (1996-2000), or order to receive payment. Philpott reverse the Harper/Health acknowledging the government, ignoring the World perhaps the Zika virus today. Initial The international experts of the Canada gambit to abdicate this Health Organization’s research fi nd- outbreaks are not well understood, World Health Organization [WHO] responsibility? If not, this prec- reality—that payment ings, ordained that compensation to with no diagnostic tests available, advocate that all countries aim for edent forfeits the federal authority for plasma is a safety persons providing plasma [the liquid little understanding of the underly- voluntary collection systems for intended by our legislation to protect portion of blood] was not a safety ing biological mechanisms, and no blood and plasma by 2020, because this fundamental safety aspect of our issue—and directing issue, and therefore was beyond the reliable research data. Authorities “voluntary, unpaid blood donors … blood system, voluntary donation. Health Canada safety mandate of Health Canada. work in the dark, without the tools are the safest group of donors as the What to do? The new govern- By this political ruse, which defi ed or information they need to man- prevalence of blood-borne infections ment must reverse the Harper offi cials to regulate reality, Health Canada abdicated its age the danger. is lowest among this group.” government’s abdication of duty accordingly. This statutory duty to rule on the safety The Krever Inquiry into the So why is Canada moving in by acknowledging the reality—that implications of paid plasma. contamination of Canada’s blood the opposite direction toward payment for plasma is a safety is- will ensure that the Fortunately, Ontario’s health supply exposed how slow, negligent paid plasma donors? sue—and directing Health Canada blood system moves minister, under separate authority management of such new infec- Plasma fractionation is a multi- offi cials to regulate accordingly. for provincial health facilities, de- tions led to tens of thousands of billion-dollar industry; the fi nished This will ensure that the blood sys- towards more, not nied the company its local license. unnecessary deaths by HIV and products, such as Factor VIII (an tem moves towards more, not less less plasma collection Subsequent provincial legislation hepatitis C. In 2000, Britain lost essential blood-clotting protein, for plasma collection from volunteers. disallows payment for collection its entire plasma industry due to hemophilia, are ounce for ounce Canadians, especially the from volunteers. of plasma in Ontario. contamination with prions, the in- worth more than gold. There is big people of Saskatchewan, must let Now the question has arisen fectious agent of Mad Cow disease money to be made and the corpora- political authorities know that our BY MICHÈLE BRILL-EDWARDS for Saskatchewan, where the and its new human variant, CJD tions that stand to profi t are well safer voluntary blood system is a minister of health endorses this (Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease), causing used to pressuring governments to valued national asset, not for sale ealth Canada has quietly risk-prone practice, welcoming dementia and death. Prions could get the approvals that they need. to private plasma profi teers. Hlicensed a commercial facility the new business boost. not be tested for or destroyed. With the statutory duty to enforce Michèle Brill-Edwards is a for- that pays for plasma collected from But compensation to indi- In the years, even decades, before the Food and Drugs Act, Canada’s mer senior Health Canada drug Canadian citizens in Saskatoon. viduals to sell their plasma is a a new disease is fully understood federal minister of health is uniquely regulator, a former whistleblower, Although seemingly innocuous, this serious safety issue. Although and safeguards for the blood system empowered to allow or disallow and a member of the board of the constitutes a decision to massively our blood system may be well implemented, there is really just one payment for donation of blood and Canadian Health Coalition. deregulate the safety of Canada’s protected against known threats, line of defence against disastrous plasma in Canada as a safety issue. [email protected] blood supply. How did this happen? new threats inevitably arise that contamination of our blood supply— Furthermore, the minister’s clear The Hill Times 50 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 HILL TIMES CLASSIFIED INFORMATION AND ADVERTISEMENT PLACEMENT: TEL. 613-232-5952, FAX 613-232-9055

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Publication Date: March 9, 2016 Booking Date: March 4, 2016

As the Trudeau Liberals sink their teeth operating an ad hoc cabinet committee on into Canada’s first defence strategy update defence procurement, presents a briefing in years, questions are swirling about how on defence issues as wide-ranging as the new government intends to tackle Canada’s mission in Iraq and Syria, arms thorny procurement issues such as new exports and the future of the navy. fighter jets and new frigates. Embassy, which broke the news that the Liberals are Only in Embassy.

Eighty-seven per cent of our readers say Embassy reports and policy briefings are helpful to making informed professional decisions.

For more information or to reserve your advertising space in this issue, contact Embassy display advertising at (613) 688-8825. 52 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 OPINION DIVERSITY IN POLITICS Diversity in political backrooms still lacking

per cent). The Liberal Given this commitment and government’s action, is the Liberal government also applying diversity and inclu- commitment to sion to its hiring of political staff? diversity and What about the offi cial opposi- tion? inclusion, so well- To assess this, I looked at the executed at the Prime Minister’s Offi ce (59 total positions and 12 senior staffers), public level for the Leader of the Offi cial Opposi- tion’s Offi ce (OLO, 23 positions), both women and and ministerial offi ces (senior visible minorities, staff defi ned as chief of staff, di- rectors of communications, policy, is lacking in issues and parliamentary affairs, the backrooms, along with press secretaries, total number of 101 positions fi lled at particularly for time of writing). visible minorities. Sources for the data include the regular ‘Hill Climbers’ updates in The Hill Times, other relevant press articles, and the imperfect government electronic directory services (GEDS). Gender and vis- ible minority status were identi- fi ed through names, LinkedIn ANDREW GRIFFITH profi les, biographies, and photos where available. From a gender perspective, TTAWA—The Liberal govern- women are under-represented at Oment included in its mandate the senior level in the PMO (one- letters to all ministers a “commit- third), but close to 40 per cent for Some of the recent hires that Liberal government has made include Ali Salam, Annabelle St-Pierre Archambault, Max- ment to transparent, merit-based all 59 PMO staffers. The OLO has ime Dea, Dan Brien, Kirsten Mercer (who’s recently left her position), Vincent Garneau, Mathieu Filion, and Rebecca appointments, to help ensure slightly lower representation of Caldwell. Photographs courtesy LinkedIn and Twitter gender parity and that indigenous women (30 per cent). For min- Canadians and minority groups isters’ offi ces, the percentage of diversity (many, if not most Lib- path to becoming a future MP. (and opposition) decision-making. are better refl ected in positions of chiefs of staff is slightly less than eral staffers come from, or have Staffer experience is not neces- Having a diversity of back- leadership.” the overall per cent of close to 40 worked in, Ontario and Toronto), sarily perceived as an asset in grounds and experience generally To recall, the Prime Minister per cent who are women. sexual orientation, religion, and local riding associations or to the helps inform decision-making. appointed a Cabinet with gender Visible minorities are consis- education. R. Paul Wilson’s A broader public. Staffers may be The Liberal government’s parity (15 each of men and wom- tently under-represented, save Profi le of Ministerial Policy Staff asked by the party to be its fl ag- commitment to diversity and en) and almost 17 per cent visible for the overall numbers in the in the Government of Canada bearer in unwinnable ridings. The inclusion, so well executed at minority ministers (four Sikh and PMO (15 per cent). The OLO and provides the best most recent most famous example of a staffer the public level for both women one Afghan Canadian). senior ministerial offi ce staff all analysis of the different aspects becoming an MP is, of course, and visible minorities, is lacking Gender parity was not attained range between four to seven per of diversity among staffers under former prime minister Stephen in the backrooms, particularly for parliamentary secretaries cent, less than half of the percent- the Conservative government Harper, who was a staffer to Re- for visible minorities. Given the (12 positions out of 35, or 34 per age of visible minority Canadian October 2012 to June 2013. form Party leader Preston Man- role that staffers play in prepar- cent) or other leadership posi- citizens, with chief of staff visible Does this matter? In many ways, ning among other positions. ing ministers for debates and tions such as whips and House minority representation slightly it does not. Gender parity in Cabinet All three major parties were discussions, this may impact on leaders, though visible minority higher at 10 per cent. and relatively strong parliamentary able to recruit an impressive the degree to which the overall parliamentary secretaries are While I have focused on gen- secretary representation set the tone number of visible minority candi- diversity and inclusion agenda is over-represented (nine positions, der and visible minority status, for the government and Parliament. dates (women less so). implemented. or 24 per cent) in relation to their diversity includes of course other Being a political staffer may However, staffers play an The Hill Times share of the voting population (15 dimensions, such as regional not necessarily lead to a direct important role in government [email protected]

NEWS MEDIA

Herald posted several job post- ings for editors and multimedia Chronicle Herald Hill bureau still reporters. Mr. Campbell said that “they’re basically hiring to replace us while we’re off. They may be framing it differently, but going despite newsroom strike that’s what it is.” Mr. Campbell said the union thinks the intention of the Chronicle Herald is to keep workers off the The Halifax the union or the contract nego- all bylines and photo credits. The allowed management to choose job for at least four months because tiations, said Frank Campbell, bylines were removed indefi nitely which staff to lay off rather than it has learned that many of the Chronicle Herald vice-president of the Typographi- about a week before the strike be- basing it on seniority. replacement workers’ contracts are cal Union and the bureau chief gan, after reporters and photogra- He said the strike is “not so for that long. union rep. Frank for Truro, N.S., before the strike phers removed their own bylines much about money. We offered He said there have been no Campbell says the started on Jan. 23. and credits for one day in protest. them a fi ve per cent wage decrease. talks since the fi rst few days of As a result, Ms. Gunn has “They framed it as retaliation for We see it as [the newspaper] want- the strike. newspaper is ‘union continued fi ling for the Herald what we had done, but it was more ing to rid themselves of the union. The striking journalists have busting.’ and her contract has not been af- to ease them into the work stop- You might call it union busting.” since started an independent fected, Mr. Campbell said. page, to get people used to having no Mr. Campbell said the current news website called Local Ms. Gunn declined to com- bylines,” Mr. Campbell told The Hill goal of union workers is to get Xpress, which is run entirely by BY CHELSEA NASH ment, as did Chronicle Herald Times. companies to stop advertising in volunteers. CEO Mark Lever and publisher Mr. Campbell said the strike the Chronicle Herald until a deal “We don’t intend to compete he Halifax Chronicle Herald’s Sarah Dennis. was self-defensive as the com- can be reached. The union work- with the Chronicle Herald and TParliament Hill reporter is still Mr. Campbell added that it’s pany threatened to impose work- ers have been picketing outside of the resources they have,” Mr. fi ling stories because she’s not believed that Ms. Gunn, and ing conditions that had already businesses that are still advertis- Campbell said. “We intend it as a part of the union that includes 61 other reporters from as far away been rejected by the union in a ing in the paper. voice for people to do what they newsroom workers who have as Alberta, have been writing previously-proposed contract “Morale is fairly high and we love to do and get their name into been on strike since late January. local Halifax stories in place of amendment, such as a 17 per cent just want to get back to doing the public and show people what The Ottawa bureau reporter is the striking journalists. He said wage cut, changes to the pension, what we love—writing stories and journalism’s all about.” Andrea Gunn. Because she is out it’s hard to tell, given that the a reduction in severance pay, taking photos,” he said. The Hill Times of province, she is not included in Chronicle Herald has removed and provisions that would have Late last month, the Chronicle [email protected] THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 53 FEATURE EVENTS

Book Launch With Dalton Prime Minister McGuinty—The fi rst of the Pearson Trudeau to Attend Centre’s 2016 book launches with State Dinner in PARLIAMENTARY Dalton McGuinty: Making a Dif- ference. Reception, cash bar, and Washington, D.C.— snacks. Monday, March 7, 5:30 Prime Minister Justin p.m.-7:30 p.m., Carisse Studio Trudeau and his wife CALENDAR Café, 274 Elgin St. Tickets avail- Sophie Grégoire- able at eventbrite.ca Trudeau will meet A Taste of the Arctic 2016—In with U.S. President its sixth year, ITK’s A Taste of the Barack Obama and Arctic has consistently drawn hundreds of Ottawa foodies and infl uential Michelle Obama. The decision-makers keen to sample some two will be welcomed northern culture and cuisine in the for an offi cial visit national capital. A Taste of the Arctic and state dinner at will take place on March 7, from 6 the White House p.m. to 10 p.m., at the National Arts on Thursday, March Centre, 53 Elgin St., Ottawa. 10. It will be Mr. TUESDAY, MARCH 8 Trudeau’s fi rst offi cial HT Events Presents An Interna- visit to the U.S. since tional Women’s Day Discussion on winning offi ce. The Gender Equality—Julie Delahanty, two are supposed to executive director Oxfam Canada, focus their talks on will deliver a speech. Kathleen economic, climate, Trudeau to Monk will moderate a panel with security and border Oxfam Canada’s Brittany Lambert; the Canadian Centre for Policy matters. The HIll Times Alternatives’ Kate McInturff, Equal photograph by Jake Wright attend State Voice’s Nancy Peckford and Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld. March 8, Delta Ottawa City Centre, 7:30 Dinner in a.m. to 9 a.m. No charge for the event but advance registration is required. Get tickets: Eventbrite. Contact: [email protected] Washington, Cabinet Meeting—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to hold a Cabinet meeting today in Ottawa. For D.C. March 10 more information, call the PMO Press Offi ce at 613-957-5555. Heart and Stroke Foundation Lob- by Day on Hill—The Heart and Stroke researchers from Colombia, Mexico, from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. All Senators, Diplomats Meet Canada’s Parlia- Foundation is having a lobby day on Kenya, and Canada will engage in Members of Parliament, and staff are mentary Leaders—Carleton Initiative March 8 and is also hosting a “Health lively discussions on the evidence invited to attend. For more informa- for Parliamentary and Diplomatic MONDAY, MARCH 7 is hosting a two-day conference as Circuit” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that and solutions to create positive tion or to RSVP, please contact Cyn- Engagement and Nicolas Chapuis, part of Carleton’s FPA Research day in the Speaker’s Room (216-N) change for women around the world. thia Waldmeier at 613-233-8906 or French ambassador to Canada, host House Sitting—The House is month called Modern Treaties and for MPs and staff to get their blood Status of Women Minister Patricia A. [email protected]. this event, Tuesday, March 8, 6 p.m.- sitting from March 7 to March 11, Citizenship: The Next Forty Years, pressure and cholesterol checked. A Hajdu will provide closing remarks by Canadian Home Builders’ Associa- 8 p.m., French Embassy, 42 Sussex breaks for one week, returns March Monday, March 7 at 2 p.m. Keynote delicious heart-healthy luncheon buffet highlighting Canada’s contribution to, tion’s Forum For Growth—MPs, Sena- Dr. Invitation only. 21-25, breaks for two weeks, returns address by Senator Charlie Watt and will also be served. and role in, women’s empowerment. tors, and staffers are invited to join International Women’s Day—Sta- on April 11 and sits until April 22, on Tuesday, March 8, at 3 p.m. Tony Knowledge to Action: Improving Seats are limited, please RSVP: leading home builders, renovators and tus of Women Minister Patty Hajdu, breaks for one week, returns May 2 Penikett, former Yukon premier and Women’s Lives—Tuesday, March [email protected] developers from communities across Conservative interim leader Rona for three weeks until May 20, breaks aboriginal rights activist, will speak. 8, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Canadian Chiropractic As- Canada at a reception to mark the Ambrose and NDP Sheila Malcolm- for one week, and returns again on The conference will take place March International Development Research sociation Reception—The Canadian CHBA’s 2016 Forum For Growth. Tues- son will host an event to celebrate May 30. It’s scheduled to sit for four 7 and March 8 from 8:30 a.m. to Centre, 150 Kent St., 8th fl oor. To Chiropractic Association, the national day, March 8, 2016, from 5:30 p.m. International Women’s Day, March weeks until Thursday, June 23. 5:30 p.m., River Building, second celebrate International Women’s Day, voice of the chiropractic profession to 8:30 p.m. in the Drawing Room of 8, 5 p.m.-7 pm., Panorama Room, Carleton to Host Conference to fl oor, conference rooms. For more IDRC is hosting top Canadian and which represents over 8,500 licensed the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. Please National Arts Centre, Ottawa. RSVP@ Examine Indigenous People in Can- information, call Steven Reid, media international researchers who will doctors of chiropractic, will be host- RSVP to Louis-Philippe Champagne swc-cfc.gc.ca by March 4. ada Over Last 40 Years—The School relations offi cer at Carleton Univer- showcase their work on empowering ing a reception on March 8 in Room (Earnscliffe Strategy Group), 613-563- of Public Policy and Administration sity, 613-520-2600, ext. 8718. women. Two panels featuring seven 602 in the Parliamentary Restaurant 4455 or [email protected] Continued on page 54 Run. Jump. Play.

Every Day. Let’s get our kids moving! Lots of good things happen when our kids move more. Being active doesn’t have to mean planned, structured exercise. All you have to do is encourage that natural urge to ‘Run. Jump. Play. Every day.’

ontario.ca/healthykids

Paid for by the Government of Ontario 54 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 FEATURE EVENTS

Budget Day— Finance Minister PARLIAMENTARY Bill Morneau is expected to release the CALENDAR federal budget document in the House on Tuesday, March 22, 4 p.m. EST. Canadian The Hill Times photograph by Jake Cattlemen’s Wright Association offers beef, beer, and whisky March 9

Continued from page 53 please check out the website http:// forum.ca/, or contact Catherine McDonald telephone: 613- 233- TUESDAY, MARCH 8 4086, email: [email protected]. Forum for Young Canadians MP To RSVP to this reception, please Conservative Party of Canada at Climate Action after Paris— Ottawa on March 9 and 10. CORD Union of Solicitor General Employ- Reception—The Forum for Young contact Laura Seguin at lseguin@ [email protected] Citizens for Public Justice, Ecology will host a fundraising gala and ees, Kim Pate Executive Director, Canadians is a unique educational summa.ca or call 613-235-1400. NDP Caucus Meeting—The Ottawa, and the Polaris Institute recognition of rare individuals on Canadian Association of Eliza- program that brings high school WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 NDP caucus will meet from 9:15 co-host a panel discussion of next March 9. See www.raredisorders.ca beth Fry Societies, Louise Louise students from across the country to a.m.-11 a.m. in Room 112-N Cen- steps for faith communities on cli- for tickets and more information. Bradley President The Mental Ottawa for a weeklong, behind-the- Liberal Caucus Meeting—The tre Block, on Wednesday. Please mate change. Wednesday, March 9, THURSDAY, MARCH 10 Health Commission of Canada and scenes look at federal politics on Liberals will meet in Room 237-C call the NDP Media Centre at 613- from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Centretown Dawn Lovell-Harvard, President Parliament Hill. All MPs are invited Centre Block on Parliament Hill. 222-2351 or [email protected] United Church, 507 Bank Street. HT Events Presents A Discus- Native Women’s Association of to join these smart and ambitious For more information, please call Canadian Cattlemen’s Associa- cpj.ca/next-steps-climate sion on Criminal Justice Reform— Canada. Delta Ottawa City Centre, youth from all over Canada for Liberal Party media relations at me- tion—Invitation to an evening of Ca- International Rare Disease Join Hill Times Events as we March 10, 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. No an evening reception on Tuesday, [email protected] or 613-627-2384. nadian beef, Canadian beer and Ca- Day—To celebrate International examine criminal justice reforms charge, but advance registration is March 8, at the Sir John A. Mac- Conservative Caucus Meet- nadian whisky on Wednesday, March Rare Disease Day, patients and Canada. Howard Sapers, Correc- required. Get tickets: Eventbrite. donald building (144 Wellington ing—The Conservatives will meet 9, Sir John A. Macdonald Building, patient advocates from the rare tional Investigator for Canada, will Contact: [email protected] St.), from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. If you for their national caucus meeting. 144 Wellington St., Ottawa, Ont. disease community and delegates open the event. Catherine Clark will have any questions, or to learn more For more information, contact Cory 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. RSVP by email from the Canadian Organization moderate an ensuing discussion about Forum for Young Canadians, Hann, director of communications, to: [email protected] by March 4. for Rare Disorders CORD will be in with Stan Stapleton President, Continued on page 55 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 55 FEATURE EVENTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 24 a national dialogue on the place of WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20 THURSDAY, MAY 26 agricultural research to re-establish HT Events Presents a New Canada as a leading developer of Writers’ Trust of Canada An- Liberal Biennial Convention—The PARLIAMENTARY North American Future—Join Hill innovative and sustainable agricul- nounces Shortlist March 2—On federal Liberals will hold their conven- Times Events for a discussion on tural products and technologies. Wednesday, April 20 at 10 p.m. EST, tion in Winnipeg, Man., Thursday, May A New North American Future. Smart Global Development Confer- the prizewinner will be announced at 26, to Sunday, May 29, 2016. CALENDAR Agustin Garcia-Lopez, Mexico’s ence—This event will explore the the Politics and the Pen Gala in Ot- Conservative Convention—The ambassador to Canada, will pro- role of higher education in advancing tawa. Details of the authors and their federal Conservatives will hold their vide the opening remarks. Cath- sustainable development goals, April nominated books will be available convention in Vancouver, B.C., May erine Clark will then moderate a 13-14, at the Delegation of the Ismaili on the Writers’ Trust website: writ- 26 to May 29, 2016. substantive discussion featuring Imamat, Ottawa. Organizers and spon- erstrust.com. Last year’s winner was TUESDAY, JUNE 7 Eric Miller, senior vice-president sors: Aga Khan Foundation Canada, Joseph Heath for Enlightenment 2.0: Finance Business Council of Canada; Academics without Borders, Interna- Restoring Sanity to Our Politics, Our Registration Now Open CIPMM’s Matthew Wilson, vice-president, tional Development Research Cen- Economy, and Our Lives. 27th Annual National Workshop— Canadian Manufacturers & Ex- tre. Undertaken with fi nancial support June 7-8, 2016. The workshop fee porters Association; and Mairead of: Global Affairs Canada. Registration WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 is $875 plus HST and includes Minister Lavery, senior vice-president, Ex- is now open at smartglobaldev.ca. Donner Canadian Founda- access to all keynote and breakout port Development Canada. March THURSDAY, APRIL 14 tion Award Ceremony—The 18th sessions. More than 400 delegates 24, Delta Ottawa City Centre, anniversary of the Donner Prize to from PWGSC, ESD, DND, HC, RCMP, 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. No charge, HT Events Presents Transpor- reward excellence and innovation in CSEC, DFATD, DFO, TBS, NRCan, Morneau to but advance registration is IC, AAND, CIC, and LAC. Senior tation Forum—Join leading in- public policy writing by Canadians required. Get tickets: Eventbrite. dustry executive and senior policy for 2015-2016, will be held on government offi cials from the lead Contact: [email protected] departments and agencies will be at specialists for Hill Times Events Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 6 the networking reception. There will release budget TUESDAY, MARCH 29 Transportation Forum to examine p.m. at The Carlu, 444 Younge St. be exhibitors, subject matter experts the substantive recommendations Invitation only. Canada’s Defence Perspectives put forward in the Transportation representing both the public and 2020-2050: Recapitalization and Act Review Report entitled, Path- TUESDAY, MAY 3 private sectors. March 22 the Canadian Forces—Hosted by ways: Canada’s Transportation the Mackenzie Institute, the confer- Nestlé Canada Parliamentary MAY 2017 System to World. April 14, 11:30 Reception—All parliamentarians ence will engage military and civil- Conservative Party Leadership a.m.-5:30 p.m., Shaw Centre, are invited to join Nestlé Canada’s ian offi cials of the Department of Ottawa. Registration prices are Convention—The Conservatives business leaders from across the National Defence, the defence and $249 for subscribers and $299 will elect their next leader on May Continued from page 54 p.m., co-hosted by the Pearson country to celebrate 150 years of security industry, and academia in for non-subscribers. Special group 27, 2017, Dan Nowlan, chair of Centre and the Toronto Region Nestlé ‘Good Food, Good Life’. May Board of Trade, Board of Trade, a series of expert panels to inform discounted pricing is available. the party’s leadership election 3, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Daly’s Restau- THURSDAY, MARCH 10 First Canadian Place, 77 Adelaide recommendations for future Cana- Get tickets: Eventbrite or contact organizing committee announced rant, The Westin Ottawa Hotel. St. West, Toronto. The minister’s dian defence planning. Fairmont [email protected] last week. The party is urging OEA-CABE Spring Policy Confer- RSVP to Laura Seguin lseguin@ keynote speech will be followed Chateau Laurier Hotel, Ottawa, Canadian War Museum Hosts Conservative Party members to buy ence: “Canada’s Economy: Does it summa.ca or call 613-235-1400. Stay or Does it Grow?”—The Ottawa by a panel discussion which wil March 29-30, eventbrite.ca. Prestigious Society for Military memberships or renew them in Economics Association and the include Dr. Ilse Treurnicht, CEO, THURSDAY, MARCH 31 History Conference—The Canadian WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 order to vote. For more information, Canadian Association for Business MaRS Discover District, and Shel- War Museum and the Canadian contact Cory Hann, director of com- Canadian Rail Summit 2016— Economics will host its annual spring don Levy, deputy minister, Training, The Pearson Centre’s Pursuing Museum of History are proud to munications, Conservative Party of Canadian Rail Summit 2016, policy conference on Thursday, March Colleges and Universities. Justice Project Launch—Featuring host the 83rd Annual Conference Canada, at 613-697-5614. Irwin Cotler, and moderated by Jean Canada’s leading rail event. Explore The Parliamentary Calendar is a 10, 2016 at the Chateau Laurier MONDAY, MARCH 21 of the Society for Military History, Hotel. This full-day event will feature Chrétien, John Turner, Kim Camp- which will take place in Canada’s cutting-edge products and services free listing. Send in your political, keynote addresses from Postmedia’s Michael Bonner’s Book bell, Paul Martin, and Indira Naidoo- National Capital Region from April from 50 tradeshow exhibitors, cultural, or governmental event in Andrew Coyne and Glen Hodgson, Launch—Michael Bonner, a former Harris. Mingle with federal, provincial 14 to 17. It is considered to be one and choose from a wide variety of a paragraph with all the relevant Conference Board of Canada. The senior policy adviser for Jason parliamentarians, ministers , and of the world’s top events for military technical and conference sessions details under the subject line four sessions throughout the day will Kenney, and current communica- former prime ministers. The Pearson historians and a certain draw for all on key industry issues such as ‘Parliamentary Calendar’ to news@ discuss silver bullets for growth, inter- tions consultant at Allan Bonner Centre launches its Pursuing Justice those interested in history, heritage, competitiveness, safety and emerg- hilltimes.com by Wednesday at national trade and investment, green Communications Management, Project, March 31, King Edward security and current affairs. For ing technologies. Register at www. noon before the Monday paper. Or growth, and skills and talent. talks about Iranian history in his Hotel, Toronto. Eventbrite.ca more information on the Society for railcan.ca/crs2016 and for more fax it to 613-232-9055. We can’t Bacon & Eggheads Breakfast— new book, Al-Dinawari’s Kitab TUESDAY, APRIL 5 Military History and this year’s con- information, contact Janet Greene guarantee inclusion of every event, PAGSE presents a talk ‘Rethinking Al-Akhbar Al-Tiwal: An Historical ference held at the Ottawa Marriott at 613-564-8109 jgreene@railcan. but we will defi nitely do our best. Cyberattacks: New Strategies to Study of Sasanian Iran, March 21, Transition 2015: How the Hotel, please visit the Society’s ca or Lynn Raby at 613-237-3888 [email protected] Counter the Mounting Costs to 11:45 a.m., lunch 12:15 p.m. The Federal Public Service Managed website: www.smh-hq.org. or [email protected] The Hill Times Business and Threats to Canada’s Albany Club, member and spouse the Transition of Executive Power— Security’ with Scott Knight, Royal $55 per person and guests $68 Join IPAC for an unprecedented, Military College of Canada. Thursday, per person, plus taxes and service behind-the-scenes look at how the March 10, 7:30 a.m. Parliamentary charges, 91 King St. East, Toronto, federal public service managed the Dining Room, Centre Block. No RSVP to reservations@albanyclub. transition of executive power in charge to MPs, Senators & Media. All ca or 416-364-5471. 2015. This panel discussion will others, $25. Pre-registration required feature Allen Sutherland (assistant by Monday, March 7, by contacting TUESDAY, MARCH 22 secretary to the cabinet, machin- Donna Boag, PAGSE pagse@rsc-src. Budget Day—Finance Minister ery of government) and Dr. Lori ca or call 613-991-6369. Bill Morneau is expected to release the Turnbull (Policy Advisor, Machinery Panel Discussion: ‘Pathways to federal budget document in the House of Government), Tuesday, April 5, Peace in Syria and Iraq’—A panel of on Tuesday, March 22, 4 p.m. EST. 5:30 p.m.-7:45 p.m., $15 IPAC experts will help to deepen under- members, $20 non-members. standing of the complex political, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23 Register online https://goc2015. social, religious and sectarian issues Chow Down for Charity— eventbrite.ca characterizing the confl ict and the Speaker of the House of Commons FRIDAY, APRIL 8 region. Panelists: Payam Akhavan, Salon, Room 216-N, March 23, faculty of law McGill University; 2016 12 noon-1 p.m. The Evening NDP Federal Convention—The Marina Ottaway, Woodrow Wilson in The Maritimes Sponsors and federal NDP will meet for a policy International Center for Scholars; Citizen Advocacy board Members convention April 8-April 10 at the Mokhtar Lamani, former head of will join invited members of the Shaw Centre, Edmonton, Alta. Rick UN-League of Arab States Joint Senate and House of Commons Devereux is the convention’s director. Representative in Damascus; and for a chowder lunch in the House For more information, call the NDP Sebastien Beaulieu, director for Speaker’s Salon to raise awareness in Ottawa at 1-866-525-2555. Middle East Relations GAC. Mod- for Citizen Advocacy Ottawa. This TUESDAY, APRIL 12 erator is Paul Dewar, former MP for is the offi cial launch of Evening in Ottawa Centre, Monday, March 10, 5 The Maritimes. Citizen Advocacy’s Canadian Life and Health Insur- p.m.-7 p.m. $25, $10 student rate. annual gala is raising funds for its ance Industry Advocacy Day—Under Register on Eventbrite by March 7 or Everyday Champions program. This the theme “Working Together for a email: [email protected], phone event is by invitation only. For more Better Canada,” industry CEOs will 613-565-9449. Auditorium, Bruyere information, call Virgilia Partridge, be in Ottawa to meet with parliamen- Hospital, 43 Bruyere St., Ottawa. Citizen Advocacy of Ottawa, at tarians about issues of importance Prime Minister Trudeau to 613-761-9522, ext. 240 or email to Canadians, such as health care, Attend State Dinner in Wash- to [email protected] investing in infrastructure projects ington, D.C.—Prime Minister Forum for Young Canadians MP and fi nancial literacy, April 12. For Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Reception–The Forum for Young more information, contact Susan Grégoire-Trudeau will meet for the Canadians is a unique educational Murray ([email protected]). fi rst time in Washington, D.C., with program that brings high school Hope in Fragility: Healthy U.S. President Barack Obama and students from across the country to Futures for Women and Children in Michelle Obama. The two will be Ottawa for a weeklong, behind-the- the World’s Toughest Places—Join welcomed for an offi cial visit and scenes look at federal politics on President & CEO Michael Messen- state dinner at the White House on Parliament Hill. All MPs are invited ger as World Vision Canada hosts Thursday, March 10. It will be Mr. to join these smart and ambitious an experiential reception to explore Trudeau’s fi rst offi cial visit to the youth from all over Canada for how to improve women’s and chil- U.S. since winning offi ce. The two an evening reception on Wednes- dren’s health in the toughest parts are supposed to focus their talks day, March 23, at the Sir John A. of the world on April 12, 6 p.m.-8 on economic, climate, security and Macdonald Building (144 Wellington p.m. Drawing Room, Fairmont Cha- border matters, according to CNN. St.), from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. If you teau Laurier, 1 Rideau St. RSVP: For more information, call the PMO have any questions, or to learn more 613-569-1888 or externalrela- Press Offi ce at (613) 957-5555. about Forum for Young Canadians, [email protected] MONDAY, MARCH 14 please check out our website http:// WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 forum.ca/, or contact Catherine Mc- One block south of the Hill Locally Owned & Operated since 1921 Innovation and the Economy Donald. Tel: (613) 233-4086, email: The Agricultural Institute of O for Tomorrow—Innovation Minister [email protected]. To RSVP to Canada Conference—It will be 3PARKS3T /TTAWAs   ,UGGAGEs,EATHER'OODSs(ANDBAGS Navdeep Bains will speak at the this reception, please contact Laura holding a conference, April 13-14 Pearson Centre’s #Econ4Tmro Se- Seguin at [email protected] or call on “Disseminating Agricultural www.ottawaleathergoods.com "USINESS#ASESs!CCESSORIES ries, Monday, March 14, 12 noon-2 613-235-1400. Research.” Delegates will be part of On March 24, Hill Times Events presents EVENTS A New North American Future. Faced with increased global pressure from international trade agreements, a strengthening Europe A NEW and emerging-markets, this Hill Times Policy Panel explores the public policy initiatives required to enhance North NORTH America’s economic competitiveness. This event is timed to follow the Prime Minister’s visit with the US President in early March AMERICAN and in anticipation of a tri-lateral meeting FUTURE with Mexico and the US. Agustin Garcia-Lopez, Mexican MARCH 24 | 7:30-9:00 AM Ambassador to Canada will open the DELTA OTTAWA CITY CENTRE event and provide his insights that will frame the ensuing discussion. Following, SUPPORTED BY: Catherine Clark, will moderate a substantive discussion with Eric Miller, Sr. Vice President of Business Council of Canada, Matthew Wilson, Vice President of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters and Mairead Lavery, Sr. Vice President at Export Development Canada. hilltimes.com/events/NNAF.html Presented By: Supported By:

FREE READER EVENT Hill Times Events is pleased to bring you a free Policy Panel reader event on EVENTS March 10, to discuss suggested reforms to Canada’s criminal justice system. Howard Sapers, Correctional Investigator for A DISCUSSION ON Canada will open the event and provide his insights that will frame the ensuing CRIMINAL discussion. Following, Catherine Clark will moderate a substantive discussion with Stan JUSTICE Stapleton, National President Union of Solicitor General Employees, Kim Pate, Executive Director, Canadian Association REFORM of Elizabeth Fry Societies, Dawn Lovell- Harvard President Native Women’s Association of Canada and Louise Bradley, MARCH 10 | 7:30-9:00 AM President The Mental Health Commission DELTA OTTAWA CITY CENTRE of Canada.

PRESENTED BY: hilltimes.com/events/CJR.html

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