Liberal Tilt to the Left Could Have Electoral Consequences for NDP, Say Pollsters
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Michael Harris | Rose LeMay | Alex Marland | Susan Riley | David Crane | Hill Climbers | Heard on the Hill Rose LeMay p.16 THIRTY-FIRST YEAR, NO. 1764 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 $5.00 HOH Michael p.2 Harris p.13 Politics & the Pen goes virtual: Q&As with the five top authors pp. 25-32 News News News ‘These jobs PM should are not Liberal tilt to the left create coming back’: permanent economists pour emergency cold water on could have electoral preparedness O’Toole’s Canada cabinet First policy consequences for committee, BY PETER MAZEREEUW say experts, onservative Leader Erin political players CO’Toole’s promised “Canada- NDP, say pollsters first” economic strategy could make most Canadians worse off than they BY MIKE LAPOINTE are now, say some economists, and wouldn’t likely bring back manu- The federal Liberals should be careful about the ‘recoil effect’ as some former national security facturing jobs unless it includes A adviser to the prime minister heavy subsidies for industry. of their supporters could back away if they vacate the political centre. says Canada “doesn’t worry about emergency preparedness as much Continued on page 35 Continued on page 34 News News Old and new ‘Ping-pong’ gun priorities politics continue to divide voters, compete as O’Toole courts for space in Prime Minister Justin GTA seats Trudeau, pictured Sept. 16, 2020, and BY PETER MAZEREEUW Liberals’ fall his Liberals will be taking a chance if ven during the worst health they tip further to the Eand economic crises in recent agenda political left in the memory, gun politics are inescap- Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 remainder of their able in Canada. BY PETER MAZEREEUW mandate, say seasoned A petition to Parliament call- political insiders. The ing on Prime Minister Justin he governing Liberals will Hill Times photograph Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) to Thave plenty on their plate by Andrew Meade reverse his May 1 decision to ban when business gets underway in a list of guns that he described as the House of Commons following “military-grade assault weapons” the Sept. 23 Throne Speech. BY ABBAS RANA date support among progressive vot- In an interview with The Hill has garnered more than 230,000 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ers, but while political insiders say Times, pollster Nik Nanos of signatures from across the coun- (Papineau, Que.) called a mid-term he Liberals may use the upcom- that could cause big problems for the Nanos Research said the Liberal try since it was introduced shortly Ting Throne Speech to signal a tilt NDP, a veteran New Democrat MP Continued on page 4 to the political left and try to consoli- says his party is not worried. Continued on page 6 Continued on page 36 2 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES Heard on the Hill by Palak Mangat Former federal NDP MPs Rankin, Cullen eye return Former NDP MPs Murray Rankin and Nathan Cullen both opted not to run in last fall's federal election, but want to run provincially in British Columbia. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade Mr. Rankin was among at least a dozen that have resulted in many projects not NDP MPs last year who decided not to run being supported or being delayed signifi- to politics, seek to again in the 2019 federal election, opting cantly. McConaghy outlines several prag- to make way for a party “renewal” and matic strategies that can be used to reduce “fresh look.” (The federal party has since or remove the bottleneck to move large welcomed eight rookie MPs onto the Hill, infrastructure projects forward (or create run for B.C. party some of whom are on the fence about run- earlier certainty that they should not) so ning again.) that investment (domestic and foreign) will “Soooo excited to see my friend and be attracted to Canada,” said the Donner all election speculation appears to be a pendent MLA Andrew Weaver. outstanding all around good guy @Mur- Prize jury members David A. Dodge, (Jury Ffavourite Canadian pastime even in the “I will be honest: this was not an easy rayRankinNDP throw his hat in the race Chair), Elizabeth Cannon, Jean-Marie Du- most unprecedented of times, and British decision. But after listening to the views of for the #BCNDP in Oak Bay-Gordon Head. four, Brenda Eaton, and Peter Nicholson, Columbia politicos got in on the fun last many people in our community, I conclud- An accomplished lawyer, champion for the in a press release on Sept. 16. There were week, prompting two former federal politi- ed that the stakes were too high to sit on planet & defender of our coast. Go Mur- 74 submissions. cal players to announce intentions to run in the sidelines,” Mr. Rankin wrote in a note ray!” tweeted former NDP MP Nathan Cul- Mr. McConaghy’s book won over the the province’s next vote. posted to his webpage. “This is my home. len, who also opted to not run in last fall’s other finalists, which included: Empty Longtime NDP MP Murray Rankin, who I raised my family here. I love it here. election. Late last week. Mr. Cullen, who Planet: The Shock of Global Popula- captured the Victoria, B.C., federal riding in And when I served as your MP, the big- held the Skeena-Bulkley Valley, B.C. riding tion Decline, by Darrell Bricker and a 2012 byelection and held it up until last gest rewards came from helping make life from 2004 to 2019, shared some of his own John Ibbitson (Signal/McClelland & year, will be seeking the party’s nomination better for this community and all who call news: he will be making a bid to become Stewart); Living With China: A Middle in the provincial riding of Oak Bay-Gordon it home. With your support, I hope I can the party’s candidate for the provincial Power Finds Its Way, by Wendy Dobson Head, currently held by Green-turned-Inde- continue doing that work.” riding of Stikine. It is currently held by the (Rotman-UTP Publishing/University of NDP’s Doug Donaldson, who will not be Toronto Press); The Wealth of First Na- seeking re-election. tions, by Tom Flanagan (Fraser Institute); Mr. Rankin, 70, will compete with and The Tangled Garden: A Canadian former Oak Bay city councillor Michelle Cultural Manifesto for the Digital Age, Kirby to be named the party’s candidate, by Richard Stursberg with Stephen Arm- after just under a year of returning to strong (James Lorimer & Co.).Each of the practise law. other nominated authors received $7,500. B.C. NDP Premier John Horgan said last week that his party has been “prepar- Ex-staffer starts a new line of ing for the eventuality of an election since day one,” but did not answer for certain if seltzers he would call to dissolve the legislature. The Dominion City Brewing Company, Mr. Rankin’s announcement came just which includes a former Conservative days after New Brunswick voters opted Hill staffer who co-founded the group in to give Premier Blaine Higgs‘ Progressive 2014, launched a new line of non-alcoholic Conservatives another mandate, this time sparking water last week called City Selt- a majority, after the province’s 2018 vote. B.C.’s next scheduled election would take place in 2021 if one is not called earlier. McConaghy wins this year’s $50,000 Donner Prize Dennis Mc- Conaghy won this year’s prestigious $50,000 Donner Prize for his book Breakdown: The Pipeline Debate and the Threat to Canada’s Future, Did someone say beer? Former Conservative Hill staffer Josh McJannett, published by Dun- pictured left, with Alex Monk, and Andrew Kent, helped launch a new line durn Press. of sparkling water last week. The Hill Times file photograph Mr. McCo- naghy’s book was awarded the best public zer. Josh McJannett worked in former Con- policy book of the year, because “it ad- servative MP Jay Hill’s office during his dresses arguably one of the most conten- tenure at chief government whip, and was tious and consequential sets of policy also a consultant at Summa Strategies. issues facing Canada today—the nexus “Fantastic how this can be done in these of resource development, climate change, times,” wrote Summa vice-chair Tim Pow- Indigenous rights and Alberta alienation. It ers in a note to The Hill Times on Sept. 14. presents the history of four pipeline proj- ects and overlays the political decisions Continued on page 38 FPAC_FP_7.875X10.5"_FIN_OUT_se11.indd 1 2020-09-14 11:33 PM 4 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES News committed to that change during the election campaign. Old and new priorities compete Bill C-6 would have changed the citizenship oath for new Canadians to include an acknowl- edgement of the treaty rights of for space in Liberals’ fall agenda Canada’s First Peoples. The Liber- als have already reintroduced that bill once, after it died when the Prime Minister last election was called. Talk of pharmacare, Justin Trudeau Bill C-7 would have fulfilled a arrives for the fall court order to amend the gov- childcare and clean Liberal cabinet ernment’s assisted dying law, in retreat in Ottawa order to allow an assisted death energy is nothing before Parliament for people for whom death is not new, but a re-surging resumes on Sept. reasonably foreseeable. Bill C-8 14. Mr. Trudeau's would have banned so-called pandemic could cabinet will have to “conversion therapy”—attempts juggle the demands to force LQBTQ people to become sideline everything of the COVID-19 straight—another Liberal election pandemic, the promise.