Opposition Parties Say Their Filibuster Is a Protest Against Liberals
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LOBBYISTS Phil Gurski ON WHAT’S IN BUDGET on London’s 2017: A BIG terrorist LOOK p. 5 attack p. 16 TWENTY-EIGHTH YEAR, NO. 1420 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017 $5.00 News House rules & Hill culture News Senator Don Meredith Three former Opposition parties say their judges, two lawyers to fi libuster is a protest against decide political future of embattled Sen. Liberals’ ‘political thuggery’ Meredith Liberal MPs Nick Whalen and Scott BY ABBAS RANA Simms, pictured last Wednesday The Senate Ethics and Confl ict night at the of Interest Committee has some House Affairs of the “most competent jurists” on Committee, which Parliament Hill who will decide conducted an the political fate of embattled Sen. estimated 38-hour Don Meredith, says Newfoundland fi libuster against Liberal Senator George Baker, the government’s vice-chair of the Senate’s Legal and plans to change Constitutional Affairs Committee. parliamentary “The Ethics Committee of the rules of the Senate is above politics and above House. The reproach,” said Sen. Baker, who opposition MPs was appointed to the Red Cham- will take up the ber in 2002, but before served as fi libuster when an MP and a cabinet minister dat- the House returns ing back to 1974. “Their creden- on April 3. The Hill tials are beyond reproach. They’re Times photograph by the most competent and most Andrew Meade prominent jurists on Parliament Hill. They’re experts in the law, they’re legal scholars and they have a thorough knowledge of the law and the observance of the rule of the law.” Saskatchewan Conserva- tive Sen. Raynell Andreychuk, a former provincial judge, former senior public servant and Canada’s “political thuggery” from the Lib- efforts taken to present what NDP about protecting as many procedural BY RACHEL AIELLO former ambassador to several eral government. MP David Christopherson (Ham- tools as possible that allow the oppo- African countries, is the chair PARLIAMENT HILL—Four In interviews with The Hill ilton Centre, Ont.) called a “unifi ed sition to slow down the government, of the fi ve-member committee. days of fi libustering the Liber- Times during and proceeding effort” responding to the govern- Mr. Christopherson said. Quebec Liberal Sen. Serge Joyal, als’ attempt to expedite House the initial four days of fi libuster- ment’s attempt to push through “If our rights are lost, it’s not a respected international constitu- rule changes was a product of ing—which is scheduled to resume changes to the Standing Orders, just the offi cial opposition or the tional law expert and former Pierre Conservative and New Democrat when MPs return to the Hill on the rules that govern MPs, by the third party, it’s all of us. … We’re Trudeau-era cabinet minister, is the backroom collaborative efforts Monday, April 3—opposition MPs summer without all-party support. working very closely,” he said. vice-chair of the committee. Mani- to present a “unifi ed front” in the on the Procedure and House Af- The opposition response to the Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 face of what the opposition called fairs Committee detailed the joint Liberals’ “political thuggery” was Continued on page 22 Continued on page 4 Innovation Minister There are two Peter Harder and the entire The future of he Hill Climbers: James Budget 2017 Navdeep Bains is the budget measures ISG need to apologize to Senate rests in the Cudmore takes on a wants more most lobbied cabinet that could the Senate for their extreme hands of Senators. new role in Defence innovation in minister, again. A actually unite lapse in judgment on Don It’s up to us. Minister Harjit Canada, just not story and the full list. Canada. Meredith. Sajjan’s offi ce. right away. Derek Abma p. 6 Sheila Copps p. 9David Tkachuk p. 10 Stephen Greene p. 11 Laura Ryckewaert p. 23 David Crane p. 12 2 MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017 | THE HILL TIMES Who you gonna call? Heard on the Hill The fi re chiefs, naturally. by Derek Abma Photographsgp courtesy y of Dave Chan Summa’s Lanthier moving over to CN Rail Summa Strategies adviser Louis- Fire chiefs from all of the provinces in Atlantic Canada with Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner. House Speaker Alexandre Geoff Regan hosted the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs on March 20 in Room 216-N Centre Block. Lanthier will start working for CN Rail next month, a company he’s already familiar with. Photograph courtesy of Louis- Alexandre Lanthier Vancouver Fire Chief John McKearney, left, Liberal Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier, left, MP Raj Saini, and Calgary Deputy Fire Chief Ken Liberal MPs Rémi Massé and Denis Lemieux, and McMullen. Gatineau Fire Chief Gary Barnes. umma Strategies senior adviser Louis-Al- In the Maclean’s article, Mr. Potter Sexandre Lanthier is taking his game over to wrote, among other things, that “Quebec Canadian National Railway as of next month is an almost pathologically alienated and as senior manager of government affairs. low-trust society, defi cient in many of the Mr. Lanthier had been at Summa for most basic forms of social capital that the last three years, and before that was a other Canadians take for granted.” staffer to Justin Trudeau before he became After its publication, McGill University prime minister. tweeted that the views expressed by Mr. Mr. Lanthier, in his lobbying work with Potter did not refl ect those of the universi- Summa, had been handling fi les from CN, ty. After Mr. Potter’s resignation, Maclean’s and the company eventually asked him to reported sources as saying McGill forced join the team directly. Mr. Potter to resign. “At fi rst I was wondering if I should In a resignation letter he posted on Twit- or not, mostly because I really enjoyed ter, Mr. Potter said: “I deeply regret many Liberal MP Hedy Fry, left, New Westminster Fire Chief Tim Armstrong, Victoria Fire Chief Paul Bruce, and Summa,” he told The Hill Times last week. aspects of the column—its sloppy use of an- Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. “But then as we were going back and forth ecdotes, its tone, and the way it comes across on what the company’s looking to get done as deeply critical of the entire province. That in the next couple of years, where I could wasn’t my intention, it doesn’t refl ect my help with that, then we found a good foot- views of Quebec, and I am heartbroken that ing where it made sense for me. the situation has evolved the way it has.” “It was an opportunity that came knock- He added the job he’s quitting was his ing. I was not looking to leave Summa.” “dream job,” but that “the credibility of the In- Mr. Lanthier said he’ll continue work- stitute will be best served by my resignation.” ing in Ottawa, out of CN’s offi ces in the He said he would continue his academic Château Laurier. And as CN will continue position at McGill as an associate professor. to be a client of Summa, he will maintain Mr. Potter started his position at the Mc- contact with his old buds there. Gill Institute for the Study of Canada last summer, a few months after stepping down Potter resigns from McGill as editor-in-chief of the Ottawa Citizen. Institute following Quebec GG’s book launch event Maclean’s Saint-Bernard Fire Chief Daniel Gaudet, left, NDP MP Tracey Ramsey, Essex Fire Chief Rick Arnel, NDP MP criticism in article on Tuesday night at LAC Cheryl Hardcastle, and Grand Falls-Windsor Fire Chief Vince MacKenzie. in Ottawa An event to mark the launch of book co-written by Gov. Gen. David Johnston is planned for Tuesday, March 28, at Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa. The book is called Ingenuous: How Ca- nadian Innovators made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier and Happier, published by Signal/McClel- land & Stewart, and OpenText chairman Tom Jenkins also has a writing credit. Mr. Johnston and Mr. Jenkins are to be Andrew Potter has resigned as director of the featured in an on-stage discussion hosted McGill Institute for the Study of Canada. The Hill by Catherine Clark. Times photograph by Jake Wright A reception starts at 6 p.m. and the main event gets underway at 7 p.m. Say cheese: The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs was on the Hill last week, lobbying on mental Andrew Potter has resigned as direc- It’s organized by the Ottawa International health issues. In this group picture are chiefs from across the country. Back row, from the left: Rob tor of the McGill Institute for the Study of Writers Festival. Among the other things this Evans, Redwood Meadows; Brad Yochim, Wallace & District; Graham Pawlett, CVFSA; Cameron Canada following the negative reaction group is putting together is a discussion and Abrey, Dauphin; Bruce Donig, Cornwall; Bruce Ferguson, Township of Langley; Brian Wilson, he received after writing an article for book signing on Wednesday, April 5 for The Clarence-Rockland; Daniel Gaudet, Nova Scotia; Rick Arnel, Essex; Sean Tracey, Ottawa; Blaine Maclean’s that criticized Quebec for the Harper Factor: Assessing a Prime Minster’s Wiggins, Aboriginal Firefi ghters Association; John Gillissie, Ottawa. Middle row, from the left: Todd events that unfolded during a major snow- Policy Legacy, published by McGill-Queen’s Horricks, Ottawa; Gary Barnes, Gatineau; Phil Lemire, White Rock; Duane Antle, Come by Chance; storm earlier this month. University Press. Co-editors Graham Fox Denis Pilon, Swift Current; Ken Block, Edmonton; Vince Mackenzie, Grand Falls Windsor; Tim The refusal of some transport-truck and Jennifer Ditchburn are scheduled to Armstrong, New Westminster; John McKearney, Vancouver; Richard Kent, Aboriginal Firefi ghters drivers to be towed, and incur expenses for be at this event, which happens at Carleton Association; John Kingyens, Sarnia; Gerry Pingitore, Ottawa.