Gwynne Dyer on climate Jenni Byrne urges Conservatives to elect an interim leader, but change’s Tories say such public criticism is causing divisions in the party p. 28 coming, deadly devastation p. 11 Don’t turn lights off creation ooff Defence policy Canada’s homegrown, diverse,e, briefi ng pp. 19-27 and internationally recognizeded fi lm and TV industry p. 10 THIRTY-FIRST YEAR, NO. 1730 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER MONDAY, MAY 25, 2020 $5.00 News House of Commons ‘Doing democracy by Zoom meetings is just not the same as being there in the House’ BY ABBAS RANA and-thrust of Ottawa’s parlia- forgotten Parliament,” the one March 11, Parliament has only sat The rookie MPs interviewed mentary experience as Canada’s during the global pandemic. for about six weeks since the last for this article acknowledge ome of the 98 rookie MPs federal lawmakers, and a Conser- Because of COVID-19, which federal election on Oct. 21, 2019. the importance of suspending Selected in the last election say vative MP says if there’s an early the World Health Organization The House was suspended on they’re missing out on the cut- election this could become “the offi cially declared a pandemic on March 13. Continued on page 29 News III of III-Part Series: Transparency, Trust & Transition News Senate Revival of Upper In move from crisis management Chamber’s Progressive to transition, Parliament will Group will ‘weaken’ Senate leaders, says Sen. require a ‘diff erent manner’ and Pierre Dalphond an ‘adaptive response,’ say experts BY PETER MAZEREEUW he Progressive Senate Group’s Treclamation of offi cial status last week will give more freedom ‘It’s in the government’s interest and in the country’s interest to make the management of COVID an to Senators unhappy with their important priority, but not to set aside the other priorities,’ says former Tory Senator Hugh Segal. affi liation, and weaken the lead- ership teams in the Red Chamber, says Sen. Pierre Dalphond, who BY NEIL MOSS & MIKE LAPOINTE left the Independent Senators Group that dominates the Senate s the federal government last week to join the PSG. Aprepares to transition to a Sen. Dalphond (De Lorimier, new normal in the fi ght against Que.) was the third Senator to COVID-19, experts say the priori- join the group this month, follow- ties the Liberals spotlighted in the ing formerly non-affi liated Sen. last election will change, that the Peter Harder (Ottawa, Ont.), the government could outline its new previous government represen- approach in a Throne Speech in the tative, and Sen. Patricia Bovey fall, and that the next phase of tran- (Manitoba), who also joined after sition will require a “different man- leaving the ISG. Sen. Dalphond became the PSG’s ninth member, Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 ner of Parliament” and an “adaptive response” to the new world. giving it enough bodies to qualify Over the last three months for recognized status in the Sen- many central policy plans of the ate for the fi rst time since last Liberal government have been November. put on pause as all attention has Prime Minister Justin Sen. Dalphond left the ISG the been centralized to deal with the Trudeau, pictured day after publishing an op-ed in The Hill Times coronavirus pandemic. May 20, 2020, that criticized the The federal government is arriving at the West leaders of the ISG and Senate going to be dealing with COVID- Block on the Hill. The Conservative Caucus, alleging Hill Times photograph that they were trying to exercise by Andrew Meade Continued on page 6 Continued on page 31 2 MONDAY, MAY 25, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES Indigenous Child Welfare Act passed just Carole Saab before Parliament was adjourned as the was a press last election quickly approached. secretary “I was there in 2006 for the Indian to the NDP Residential School Settlement, which was caucus Heard on the Hill about some measure of healing and justice when she for the federal government taking our chil- worked on dren away and, in doing so, trying to take the Hill by Neil Moss our languages and cultures. And in 2019 … a decade we had these two pieces of legislation that ago. were about Canada working with Indig- Photograph enous people to support and promote and courtesy ‘More Canadians are starting strengthen and revitalize our languages, of Twitter/ and put responsibility for First Nations Carole Saab children back where it belongs with First to get it’: outgoing Don Kelly Nations families,” Mr. Kelly told The Hill Times. “It’s far from full circle because there’s “Carole’s ability to generate success for refl ects on two decades at still a long ways to go, but those really municipalities and FCM is evident from her stand out as major accomplishments,” the record, which includes her pivotal roles in departing Mr. Kelly said. negotiating and securing historic investments Assembly of First Nations On the fl ip side, Mr. Kelly said there are in national infrastructure, municipal program- still outstanding issues to be addressed, ming, capacity building and more,” said FCM highlighting the need for progress on the president Bill Karsten in a statement. Don Kelly fi rst started working Mr. Kelly has worked Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Ms. Saab received congratulations from at the Assembly of First Nations for four different national and Girls and Two Spirit People, as well as many across the political spectrum on her in 1999, he later became the chiefs (and one interim forwarding legislation on the UN Declara- new position, including Infrastructure Min- organizations communications chief) as the director of tion on the Rights of Indigenous People. ister Catherine McKenna. director in the early 2000s, but communications at AFN, Bill C-262 to align Canadian federal law “Looking forward to continue working last week started a new gig as including Phil Fontaine, with the UN declaration died on the Order together with municipalities to make posi- lead program communications Matthew Coon Come, Paper in the Senate before the last election. tive investments that benefi t Canadians, and public affairs at MasterCard Shawn Atleo, and current “That will really create … a framework grow our economy, create jobs and build Foundation where he will work AFN National Chief Perry for moving forward, that will help the en- cleaner and more resilient communities,” supporting Indigenous youth and Bellegarde. tire country move forward,” Mr. Kelly said. Ms. McKenna tweeted. education driven by Indigenous A communications He said that since he fi rst joined the communities. He's also a stand-up director at the AFN since AFN in the late 1990s, there has been a rec- comedian. Photograph courtesy of the early 2000s, Mr. Kelly ognition over time among Canadians of the Red Chamber and Don Kelly was with the organization importance to advance Indigenous issues. as the federal government “I think more Canadians are starting University of Victoria reached the Indian Resi- to get it. They’re starting to understand dential Schools Settle- why acting on these priorities is good for partner to bring virtual fi xture in the Parliamentary Precinct ment Agreement in 2006 Canada [and] why not acting on them is forum on bridging divides A for years, departing Assembly of First with nearly 90,000 Indigenous people who holding us back in so many ways—whether Nations (AFN) spokesperson Don Kelly were enrolled in residential schools receiv- it’s economically [or] whether it’s as a fair As the world charts a path of recovery from says since he started at the advocacy ing compensation in the largest class-ac- and just country.” the coronavirus pandemic, a national forum organization back in 1999 more Canadians tion settlement in Canada’s history for the “I am seeing more positive change,” Mr. will connect academics, business leaders, and understand the work that is needed on treatment they had to endure, and, more Kelly said. “Understanding there’s a long policy makers to chart a road to bridge divides reconciliation, but also says more progress than a decade later, he held the same post road ahead, I do think more people are that have been highlighted by the health crisis. needs to be made. as the Indigenous Languages Act and the understanding we need to walk that road together and then we’ll move forward a lot more quickly if we walk together.” Mr. Kelly had two hiatuses from the AFN from 2006 to 2008 and 2010 to 2013 to pursue other projects, during those periods he wasn’t far from the organization as he continued to do contract work for the assembly. On many days the life of a communi- cations director may not be a laughing matter, but Mr. Kelly’s has a different side gig than many of the spokespeople in the Parliamentary Precinct as he moonlights Independent Senator Yuen Pau Woo, the leader as a stand-up comic. of the ISG, sits on the Victoria Forum’s external “It’s all communication,” he said. “It’s advisory board with fellow Red Chamber about connecting with people on a real level.” Fish Out of members Yonah Martin and Jim Munson. The He was the host of APTN’s Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Water, which spotlighted Mr. Kelly who grew up in Winnipeg, Man., travelling outside his The 2020 Victoria Forum will be the comfort zone to traditional lands to learn result of a partnership between the Univer- the skills Indigenous people had to have to sity of Victoria and the Senate. survive far from many modern luxuries.