EXCLUSIVE POLITICAL COVERAGE: NEWS, FEATURES, AND ANALYSIS INSIDENSIDDE DEFENCE HEARD POLICY WARREN ON THE NANCY HILL BRIEFING PP. 17-27 KINSELLA P. 11 HILL P. 2 PECKFORD P.12 CLIMBERS P.34 TWENTY-SEVENTH YEAR, NO. 1341 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER MONDAY, MAY 23, 2016 $5.00 NEWS LOBBYING NEWS LIBERAL CONVENTION Telecom giant ‘Most dysfunctional week’ Grassroots Shaw lobbies in the House, and despite Liberals demand most in April, 41 withdrawal communications pulling Motion 6, Liberals of proposed in one month still want extended sittings constitution to Telecom, broadcasting avoid ‘most divisive lobbying were up last month. convention in BY DEREK ABMA years’ : Grit riding Shaw Communications Inc., the pro- vider of internet and TV services, primarily in Western Canada, was the busiest lobby- BY ABBAS RANA ist of federal offi cials in April. The Calgary-based company had 41 com- The Liberal Party’s leadership should munication reports registered for last month, withdraw the proposed new party consti- compared to just one in March. The reports tution because it was put together with- showed the company met with several MPs out adequate “member consultation and as well as offi cials from departments such as engagement,” and a signifi cant number of Innovation, Finance, Canadian Heritage, and delegates will oppose it on the convention the Prime Minister’s Offi ce. fl oor which could make this week’s bienni- Some of the other groups that were al policy convention in Winnipeg “the most among the most regular federal lobbyists last divisive in many years,” warns one Ontario month included the Canadian Foodgrains riding association president. Banks, which had 34 communication reports Tom Addison, president of the federal fi led, and the Canadian Life and Health Ontario electoral district association of Insurance Association, with 31 reports. Kingston and the Islands, who is coordinat- ing a “large” group of concerned Liberals, Continued on page 15 Elbowgate: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lost his temper last Wednesday evening, grabbed Continued on page 6 Conservative Whip Gordon Brown and accidentally elbowed NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau in the chest. The House Affairs Committee will now investigate the incident. Screen capture: CPAC FEATURE HILL MEDIA NEWS LIBERAL NOMINATIONS BY RACHEL AIELLO and with U.S. President Barak Obama Columnist Tim scheduled to address a joint Parliament After last week’s high-profi le dustup in June 29, the government is not ruling out Proposed free- the House and all the procedural wrangling extending sitting times. Harper leaving eating up Commons time, there is still a lot memberships Star after three left on the government’s legislative agenda Continued on page 5 make some Liberal decades, ‘it’s a MPs nervous: Grits FEATURE PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS hell of a job’ BY ABBAS RANA A worker in the West ‘Nobody has Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s idea BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT Block. of free memberships for any Canadian Photograph He’s one of the best national affairs seen anything who wants to register with the Liberal courtesy of Party is making some incumbent Liberal columnists in the country and for the PSPC fi rst time in more than 30 years, on May MPs nervous because it could mean more 30, Toronto Star columnist Tim Harper bigger,’ West challengers than usual and tougher fi ghts will wake up without the pressure of a in the nomination campaigns prior to the deadline. He’s set to leave the paper and Block masonry next election. the Parliamentary Press Gallery at the end “It’s open season for anybody to go,” of the month. said a Liberal MP, who spoke to The Hill “I may enjoy it, I don’t know,” Mr. project largest BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT Times on condition of anonymity because Harper told The Hill Times last week. “It’s he does not want to be seen opposing the completely uncharted territory. I’m kind of of its kind in The extensive work to restore the party leadership. “It’s not going to involve Type A and I don’t know how long I’ll be heritage stone masonry of the West Block individuals buying memberships, and that able to do that.” North America building is almost complete, set to “wind means more challengers.” Continued on page 29 Continued on page 30 Continued on page 7 2 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, MAY 23, 2016 FEATURE BUZZ that those involved in bringing this the book. “It was what they were putting initiative to fruition “are inspired by Mauril it in service of. They used it to pull people ON Bélanger’s commitment towards this apart, but it could be used to bring people THE Ottawa neighbourhood and are choosing to together.” HEARD HILL invest in the well-being of its residents.” Ms. Delacourt is scheduled to hold a The centre will start providing this book signing in at Hy’s Steakhouse in BY DEREK ABMA service once a month in June. Karen Winnipeg this Friday evening between 5 Ergus, vice-president of the Ottawa- and 7 p.m., coinciding with the Liberal Vanier Women’s Liberal Association, who Party convention being held in that city happens to be a registered dental hygienist, over the weekend. will be among those helping out. Mulroney-era cabinet minister blasts Mr. Bélanger went public late last Harper in upcoming book Two minutes in the box year with his diagnosis of amyotrophic Tom McMillan, who was a cabinet lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as minister in Brian Mulroney’s Progressive Lou Gehrigh’s disease. His condition has Conservative government in the 1980s, for elbowing, Prime progressed to the point where he has has written a book being released this lost the ability to speak. He now uses fall that promises to take chunk out of the an iPad with text-to-voice software to last prime minister who served under the Minister Trudeau communicate. Conservative banner. The book is called Not My Party: The Rise and Fall of Canadian Tories, from Prime Minister Poll shows support for Robert Stanfi eld to Stephen Harper, and Justin Trudeau is slated for release in October. A press caused controversy O Canada change release from publisher Nimbus Publishing in the House said Mr. McMillan “indicts Stephen Harper last week when Most Canadians are in favour of the for destroying the historic Canadian he inadvertently change being contemplated to make the Conservative Party while prime minister elbowed NDP lyrics to O Canada gender-neutral. and party leader, accusing him of turning a MP Ruth Ellen Bill C-210, the private member’s bill force for progressive Canadian values into Brosseau sponsored by Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger, an American Republican-style vehicle for while grabbing proposes changing the phrase “in all thy right-wing ideologies.” Conservative Whip sons command” to “in all of us command.” Ouch. Gord Brown to A survey conducted by Mainstreet Mr. McMillan uses this book as a call move a little faster Research, on behalf of Sing All of Us, a for “Conservative progressives to reclaim for a Commons group that advocates for such change, their party from right-wing extremists and vote. The Hill Times found 62 per cent of those polled favoured revive its commitment to nation-building photograph by Jake this alteration in the national anthem, and national unity; to re-brand itself, once Wright while 19 per cent were opposed. The again, as Progressive Conservative.” support level was up fi ve percentage points from a similar survey taken last year. The survey also found that 54 per hat are we going to do about this If you screw up, we will call you on it, cent were unaware that the anthem had Grace-Pépin Access to Trudeau kid and his behaviour in the despite the fact us news-types understand W previously been changed to create the House of Commons? that everyone is human and vulnerable to Information Award to lyrics that are in question today. The As a third-party MP in 2011, making mistakes. original English version of O Canada, Liberal MP Justin Trudeau called then But please don’t kill yourself over it, be given Wednesday written in 1908, included the lyrics “thou environment minister Peter Kent “a piece and I mean that literally. In recent days, no dost in us command,” before being changed The Grace-Pépin Access to Information of shit” during a House session, and now as less than two prominent fi gures in federal to the current version in 1913, just before Award will be given this Wednesday to prime minister last week, he was involved politics have gone public about their the First World War. recognize a individual and group found to in this “manhandling” of Conservative Whip suicide attempts. “We can take our English national have furthered that cause of transparency, Gord Brown and the accidental elbowing First, just more than a week ago, The anthem out of the historical, World War I accountability, and the public’s right to of NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau. Mr. Ottawa Citizen’s Gary Dimmock featured ice box some have put it in,” Conservative know what the government is doing. Trudeau also apparently told people to “get an interview with Sen. Patrick Brazeau Sen. Nancy Ruth, co-founder of Sing All The award is presented annually by the the fuck out of the way.” that went into graphic detail about how he of Us, said in a news release. “We can let Offi ce of the Information Commissioner, Suffi ce it to say, this is no way for an slit his throat in January in an attempt to it thaw a little, grow a little, in this new in collaboration with its provincial and MP, never mind the prime minster, to take his own life.