EXCLUSIVE POLITICAL COVERAGE: NEWS, FEATURES, AND ANALYSIS INSIDE CLIMBERS: TRADE POWERS: PAINFUL TO WATCH KENNEY, HAPPY CANADA DAY! MINISTER HIRES There will be no Hill Times paper on Monday, CLEMENT SUPPORT July 4, but we’ll still have all the latest news and TWO DIRECTORS P. 17 BREXIT P. 11 opinion on hilltimes.com TWENTY-SEVENTH YEAR, NO. 1352 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2016 $5.00 NEWS BREXIT NEWS VISAS NEWS HOUSE EXPENSES Canadian Mexico visa-lifting sets House political stablility, committees trade, not ‘bad precedent’: Rempel sought 65 per threatened by cent budget boost Brexit, MPs say to travel more BY SELINA CHIGNALL BY T IM NAUMETZ House committee chairs asked for a 65 In the days that have passed since the per cent increase to their budget to help startling referendum outcome that set the them travel to meet Canadians on their United Kingdom on a path to eventually home turf—a move one Conservative chair exit the European Union, MPs say eco- said was a waste of taxpayers’ money. nomic and political realities have calmed On June 14, the Liaison Committee, some of the early fears about the effect of which is made up of all committee chairs the dramatic outcome on Canada. and reviews all standing and standing On an economic front, International joint committee budget requests, asked the Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland (Univer- House Board of Internal Economy for an sity-Rosedale, Ont.) made a high-profi le additional $1.5 million on top of the com- appearance Monday on CBC’s political mittees’ $2.3 million budget for the 2016- affairs show, Power and Politics, assur- 2017. Liberals make up most members of ing Canadians that one of Canada’s most both the Liaison Committee and the board. promising free trade agreements, with the $16-trillion economy of the European Continued on page 3 Union, will go ahead. Continued on page 7 NEWS DEFENCE NEWS WOMEN IN POLITICS Military shakes Political up senior ranks, harassment of Canada is dropping the visa requirement for Mexicans visiting the country, Prime Minister Justin adds UN post Trudeau announced Tuesday during Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s visit to Ottawa. BY MARCO V IGLIOTTI female politicians The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia The number of general and fl ag offi cers in the Canadian Armed Forces increased done to ‘silence BY CHELSEA NASH At the front of the line of countries pressuring Canada to lift visa restrictions “modestly” this year because of internal and intimidate’: The Liberals’ decision to lift the visa are Bulgaria and Romania, the only two changes and growing demand in “opera- requirement on Mexico starting Dec. 1 has European Union countries still subject to tional and international positions,” includ- drawn opposition from Conservatives who Canadian visa restrictions. They’ve been ing a new posting to the United Nations, experts say the move sets a dangerous precedent pushing Canada hard to lift the visa for according to the federal defence ministry. and threatens the credibility of Canada’s years, going as far as threatening the Department spokesperson Laura Mc- BY SELINA CHIGNALL immigration system. implementation of the CETA Canada-EU Intyre-Grills said Canada’s decision to add Opposition immigration critic Michelle free trade deal. The EU is also in the midst a high-ranking military offi cer to the UN Politicians, civil society groups, and la- Rempel (Calgary Nose Hill, Alta.) told The of deciding whether the bloc should slap portfolio is a “refl ection of the increased bour unions are raising concerns about the Hill Times that the decision of Prime Min- retaliatory visas on Canadians. importance the UN will play for future political harassment of female politicians ister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) to lift If the Canadian government decided to international engagements.” after a golf tournament in Alberta wel- the visa requirement on Mexico Tuesday let Mexico bypass the normal visa-lifting She also noted that additional offi - comed players to take a swing at a cutout was “short-sighted” and used “backwards criteria, then it should do the same for Ro- cers were added to operational staff and the of the province’s premier, Rachel Notley. logic.” The MP said the decision demon- mania, Bulgaria, and other countries pushing team of the vice-chief of defence staff to “meet “It’s outrageous and unacceptable,” strates of preferential treatment being to lift Canadian visas, the argument goes. the increased co-ordination and leadership said Nancy Peckford, executive director of given to one country over others when it requirements associated with Canada’s com- Equal Voice, an organization dedicated to plex operational commitments.” comes to visa restrictions. Continued on page 5 boosting women’s presence in politics. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papine- Participants in a recent golf tournament au, Que) has repeatedly pledged to bol- held by Big Country Oilmen’s Association - Could cost $360,000 to bring MPs back for Obama speech P. 5 ster Canada’s involvement in international in Alberta had the opportunity to pelt golf humanitarian and peacekeeping missions, balls at a cutout of Ms. Notley. Although it THREE and to enhance the relationship with the shocked many, it didn’t come as a surprise - Amnesty International continental leaders speak out P. 4 UN after it turned chilly under the former to Ms. Peckford. Conservative government. AMIGOS - Human rights in Mexico must be on agenda P. 12 Continued on page 6 Continued on page 6 2 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2016 FEATURE BUZZ Alexandra Mendès (Brossard-Saint nia region, she told the Hill Times. Lambert, Que.) is planning to host her She said she’ll start off by attending offi ce’s festivities for Canada Day at an celebrations in the Sarnia shoreline com- ON area mosque in an effort to reach out to the munity of Bright’s Grove, where the local EARD THE ILL local Islamic community. parade draws about 1,000 people each year. H H Ms. Mendès, who represented an earlier Following that, she said she’ll take in the BY MARCO V IGLIOTTI iteration of the Montreal region riding annual parade in Sarnia’s Canatara Park, from 2008 to 2011, acknowledged in a Face- which typically attracts about 5,000 people book post that she had received several to the popular outdoor spot along the calls and messages about why she opted to shores of Lake Huron, and then disembark host her Canada Day event at the Islamic for another parade in nearby Petrolia. Community Centre of the South Shore. Ms. Gladu, an avid signer who has H+K nabs Donolo, She said her decision to host the fes- belted out the country’s anthem at Sarnia tivities there started with a “very serious Sting OHL hockey games, said she also conversation” with the centre’s operators plans on celebrating the holiday by singing about the “feelings of exclusion and resent- O Canada. Quebec MP’s Canada ment felt by the Muslim community in our Her neighbouring MP, Conservative riding.” Bev Shipley (Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, “These feelings were the result of com- Ont.), plans on visiting a slate of Canada ments, gestures, and attitudes that several Day celebrations hosted in the numerous Day plan stokes people were receiving more and more small communities dotting his largely rural often in their daily life, and against which riding. there was no real answer other than si- Among the gatherings, he said he plans lence,” Ms. Mendès wrote, adding that lead- on attending the so-called Del-Ko-Brydge ers of the community centre worried about Canada Day events in the community of controversy their seeming inability to combat this Komoka. The event is jointly hosted by hostility. groups in the communities of Komoka, During a long conversation, she said Delaware, and Mount Brydges, all of which she and the Islamic community representa- are located in Middlesex County. tives sought out a way to demonstrate to Mr. Shipley called the holiday a “won- “all our citizens that Muslims are also peo- derful” celebration of the country. ple who live and face the same realities of daily life: they have children and parents, jobs and debts, dreams and disappoint- Liberals form fi rst ments...and like any human being, they need to feel useful to society as a whole.” indigenous caucus Eventually, the leaders of the communi- ty centre asked Ms. Mendès to jointly orga- nize the Canada Day event with them, she The Liberals have formed what they are said, with mosque leadership also mak- calling the largest indigenous caucus in the ing a request to Citizenship Canada to Canadian government’s history. organize a citizenship ceremony there on The nine-MP strong caucus features July 1, which was accepted. members from six different provinces and Forty new citizens from various origins territories, and includes a powerful cabinet will be sworn in on that date. minister. Ms. Mendès stressed that the event has Ex-Liberal cabinet minister turned absolutely “no religious content,” and will independent Hunter Tootoo (Nunavut) is feature infl atable structures, entertainment notably missing from the group. He re- options for children, cotton candy, pop- signed as minister of fi sheries, oceans and corn, a birthday cake, and ice cream served the Canadian Coast Guard and from the in the courtyard of the community cen- Liberal caucus at the end of May to seek tre, despite Canada Day coinciding with treatment for alcohol abuse. Ramadan, the Islamic holy month in which According to a statement released by adherents fast from sunrise to sunset. the caucus, the group’s goal is to “educate “We are a welcoming country.