LES U.S. descending into truly uncharted territory WHITTINGTON Lebouthillier P. 11 hires new What’s in director store for Inside Sen. the new Downe’s fight Phoenix: lobbying why don’t watchdog with the CRA p. 4 employees just sue? p. 15 p. 21 p. 6 TWENTY-EIGHTH YEAR, NO. 1491 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2017 $5.00 News Family-friendly House News NAFTA Deep bench bolsters Committee recommends NAFTA trade team facing MPs not be docked pay ‘unworkable’ U.S. demands BY SAMANTHA WRIGHT ALLEN Canada can expect when it meets with Mexico and the United s Canada rejects what its States for the official sixth round for parental leave Achief NAFTA negotiator of talks in Montreal in January. calls “entirely unworkable” U.S. While Canada must tread cau- proposals, a deep bench is work- tiously lest it legitimize unreason- The Procedure and House Affairs Committee says MPs should ing around the clock to keep the able American offers, it should be tripartite agreement alive. creative with that dilemma and change the Standing Orders to formalize that infants are allowed on After appearing before the seriously consider countering in the House floor, and create more family-friendly spaces on the Hill. House Trade Committee Monday, order to keep the U.S. at the table, Steve Verheul said Canada has suggested Eric Miller, president yet to offer a counterproposal on of Rideau Potomac Strategy American demands some con- Group. sider “poison pills”—among them “Sooner or later, obstinance is attacking supply management, a not going to get you to the finish five-year sunset clause, and ag- line,” said Mr. Miller, who sits on a gressive rules of origin limits. But, government trade advisory coun- he said his team “is considering” cil. “We’re seeing an inflection counter proposals on some. point coming...To me, Montreal Next week’s unofficial round in Washington should signal what Continued on page 12 News Legislation Ex-StatsCan chiefs make last-ditch appeal to fix ‘egregious flaw’ in stats agency governance bill BY CHARELLE EVELYN the Statistics Act that purport to give the chief statistician more pair of former chief statisti- independence, should come with Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould, pictured at the Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Sept. 28 cians made a last-ditch plea to a more-stringent hiring process. speaking to Conservative MP Scott Reid, is set to become the first cabinet minister to give birth while serving, and said A Senators last week to fix what one “I’m very conscious of the fact Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 she will be taking six weeks off once her baby is born. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade said was an “egregious flaw” that this is the 23rd hour in terms of “fundamentally undermines” a gov- this legislation,” said Mr. Smith, on the House of Commons floor. House Affairs Committee, rec- ernment bill’s aim to give Statistics who served as the chief statisti- BY EMILY HAWS & cian from 2010 until he resigned SAMANTHA WRIGHT ALLEN Two MPs who are mothers of ommends that the government Canada more independence. babies, NDP MP Christine Moore House leader consider introduc- In an appearance in front of in September 2016 in protest over (Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Que.) ing legislation to change the the Senate’s Social Affairs, Sci- the role Shared Services Canada wo MPs with young children and Bloc Québécois MP Marilène Parliament of Canada Act to add ence, and Technology Committee plays in handling Statistics Cana- Tare applauding a new House Gill (Manicouagan, Que.), agreed that pregnancy and parental Nov. 30, Wayne Smith and Ivan da’s information technology. committee report that recom- with the recommendations, but leave not count as an absence Fellegi restated the case they Mr. Smith called a lack of mends the House stop counting both said there’s more work to do. from the House. made in front of the House of specificity in the bill over how parental leave as absence, and The report, tabled late last Commons committee that studied formalize that infants are allowed month by the Procedure and Continued on page 19 Bill C-36: that the changes to Continued on page 18 2 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2017 | THE HILL TIMES The Voice, a singing competition show, is currently airing its 13th season and features Author John Heilemann coaching by performers Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Miley Cyrus, and Jennifer Hudson. is coming to Ottawa to Ms. Simpson is being coached by Ms. discuss what the hell is Heard on the Hill Cyrus on the show. going on with Trump by Shruti Shekar Canada 2020 is going to host award- Changes at Hill and winning producer and author John Knowlton Heilemann to discuss U.S. politics as a lead-up to the one-year anniversary of U.S. It looks like the public affairs firm Hill and President Donald Trump taking office. Baby number 3 on the The event—titled What the Hell is Going Knowlton has hired on Rob Mariani as its new general manager in the Ottawa office. On? Inside U.S. Politics—will be hosted at Mr. Mariani is replacing Jackie King, the Westin Hotel in downtown Ottawa on who was in the role for about five years. Dec. 13. ballot for MP John Nater Ms. King joined the Canadian Chamber of Mr. Heilemann was the host of Show- Commerce as the chief operating officer on time’s political documentary series The Aug. 23 after being with Hill and Knowlton Circus, which was about the 2016 election for more than 18 years, a press release noted. and Mr. Trump’s first 100 days in office. But back to Mr. Mariani: he has been at He also co-authored the book Game Hill and Knowlton since 2012 when he joined Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain the firm after it acquired Mr. Mariani’s pub- and Palin, and lic engagement group Ascentum, a Nov. 27 the Race of press release on H&K’s website said. a Lifetime, Mr. Mariani was most recently the na- which HBO tional audience engagement leader. went on to The firm’s office is also set to move to a new adapt to a film space located at 50 O’Connor St. in January. in 2012. The Ms. King told The Hill Times shortly movie won before she left the firm that the current loca- five Emmy tion at 55 Metcalfe St. is “pretty dated,” add- Awards, ing a lot of the space is inefficiently used. three Golden The new space is smaller, but Ms. King Globes, and John Heilemann, former host of noted that it did not mean the firm was a Peabody the political show The Circus, downsizing its staff. Award. will be coming to discuss Mr. Heile- Trump politics. Photograph mann is also courtesy of Flickr/Wikicommons a political Justice Canada highlights analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. LGBTQ activist as one of its own Nathan Cullen floating riding Conservative MP John Nater and his wife are expecting their third child. He announced the news on his Twitter account on Dec. 3. Photograph courtesy of John Nater’s Twitter On Nov. 28, Prime Minister Justin name-change Trudeau delivered his historic formal apol- ogy to the LGBTQ2 community. That same New Democrat MP Nathan Cullen here are going to be more babies in the day Michelle Douglas, the director of in- has been gauging support for a proposed THouse! Will the real Brook ternational relations at the Justice Depart- change to the name of his riding, which is Looks like Conservative MP John Nater ment, received a coin of achievement for currently Skeena-Bulkley Valley, B.C. and his wife Justine are expecting their Simpson please stand up? her work fighting for equal rights. After an initial round of constituent third child, according to his Twitter. “I had the absolute honour & privilege discussions, Mr. Cullen tweeted on Nov. It looks like a lot of people are acciden- “Coming in May 2018…” Mr. Nater of witnessing Michelle Douglas receive 28: “It’s official - after widespread conver- tally tagging Infra- posted on Dec. 3, which was accompanied an Achievement Coin for not only her sations & consultations I will propose to structure Minister by a photo of his two children, daughter accomplishments and dedication to the Parliament a name change for our riding. Amarjeet Sohi’s Ainsley and son Bennett, standing next to Department but for her continuous battle Respecting history & geography of our vast press secretary, election signs. for equal rights,” Justice Minister Jody region the name ‘Skeena-Pacific Northwest’ Brook Simpson, on Ainsley is calling to be re-elected as a Wilson-Raybould tweeted Nov. 28. will be submitted to Parliament for consid- Twitter instead of big sister and Bennett is campaigning to Ms. Douglas sued the Canadian govern- eration. Thx to all!” NBC’s The Voice be elected as a big brother. We think their ment in 1992 when she faced discrimina- However, the engagement continued, contestant Brooke chances are pretty good. tion for her sexual orientation during her and on Dec. 1, Mr. Cullen tweeted a new Simpson, who is time in the Canadian Armed Forces, which poll and said: “Some felt they hadn’t been actually doing really she joined in 1986. properly consulted when I announced I’d well on the show. Staffer Brook Simpson Ms. Douglas re-told her story in a Face- be proposing to change the name of our “My namesake on Some fishy things have has been mistaken for book video posted by the Justice Depart- riding to Skeena-Pacific Northwest, so The Voice continues The Voice’s contestant ment the same day Mr.