System racism in Canada’s security and intelligence community is a persistent threat, says former CSIS intelligence officer p. 14 Michael Harris p.11 Hill Climbers p.23 THIRTY-SECOND YEAR, NO. 1770 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020 $5.00 News New Green Leader Paul says she’s been invited to run in ridings ‘across the country,’ as she sets sights on Toronto Centre byelection BY ABBAS RANA week when she was elected as the sociations across the country to run In an interview with The Hill would run in a different riding if first Black person to lead a major as their candidate if she is unsuc- Times, Ms. Paul said she was opti- she doesn’t win Toronto Centre. ew Green Party Leader Anna- political party, says she has received cessful in her bid to win the Toronto mistic she would win the Toronto Nmie Paul, who made history last invitations from Green riding as- Centre byelection on Oct. 26. Centre riding. She also said she Continued on page 6 News News Conservative Fund says ‘Much more gets accomplished it can’t keep O’Toole’s when hyper-partisanship is taken promise to return election out of politics’: MPs, experts, rebates to riding associations politicos weigh in on leadership because of a possible fall or during global pandemic spring election ‘This is exactly the time that BY ABBAS RANA you need to have confidence onservative Leader Erin that your political leadership CO’Toole won’t be able to keep is going to be making those his leadership campaign prom- ise to return candidates’ election types of decisions with one rebates the party received in 2019 thing in mind, and that is back to the riding associations, Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 the chair of the Conservative what is best needed to save Fund told associations across the country, because of the possibility the lives of people,’ said of a fall or spring election. new Green Party Leader James Dodds, the newly ap- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, NDP pointed chair of the Conservative Annamie Paul. Leader Jagmeet Singh, and newly-anointed Green Party Leader Annamie Paul. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Fund, recently told riding associa- tions that, because an election BY MIKE LAPOINTE ership in both politics and in the the time when we need to work demands a level of cooperation could be called at any time in a health community, as confirmed for the health and safety of every that is exceptional,” according to minority Parliament, the party ith the ‘second wave’ of the cases continue to increase in Canadian,” according to Bloc NDP MP Don Davies, and that WCOVID-19 pandemic con- jurisdictions across Canada, both Québécois MP Christine Norman- Continued on page 7 fronting the highest levels of lead- MPs and experts say that “this is din, that “the nature of leadership Continued on page 18 2 MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES of formidable with far-right activist Faith Goldy last fall. conviction and Ms. McCaffrey was hoping to flip the his- great humour, torically Conservative region back to Tory and a passion- blue, but fell short, claiming 36.5 per cent ate advocate for of the vote in 2019. Heard on the Hill Alberta,” she Mr. Fisher’s father, the late Doug Fisher, wrote on Twitter. the former national affairs newspaper col- Ever the umnist, once held the former riding of Port by Palak Mangat quotable politi- Arthur, Ont., for the Co-operative Com- Independent Alberta Senator cian, Taylor told monwealth Federation and then the NDP Paula Simons, pictured with The Hill Times during the 1960s. former late Alberta Liberal in 2002 that “we Praised by some for the “gutsy” move It’s The Fly! Canadian leader Nick Taylor in April used to have di- on Twitter, Mr. Fisher’s announcement had 2019, says the former nosaurs and ti- others already dreaming big: “You’d make a Senator had ‘remarkable gers and jungles super foreign affairs minister! Break a leg!” politicos let the bug conviction and great [in Calgary]. We tweeted Licia Corbella, a Herald columnist humour.’ Photograph courtesy have evidence who came under fire last year for endors- of Paula Simon’s Twitter of that right on ing Jason Kenney in the United Conserva- the river bank. tive Party’s 2017 leadership race. jokes rip after U.S. vice- Now the only place we have dinosaurs is in Others, like Independent Ontario Sena- the provincial legislature.” tor Peter Boehm, congratulated Mr. Fisher A geologist by training, Taylor rarely and wished him well in the race. “Good presidential debate shied away from telling it like it was, once luck! My father was a huge fan of your saying his favourite place for debate was in father going right back to federal CCF the Liberal caucus: “It’s nature in the raw, beginnings. Your vast international experi- politics as it should be. Quite often the prime ence and acumen will serve you well,” he between Harris and Pence minister is pilloried by the sons of bitchers tweeted. who give him hell.” Taylor was named to the Senate by then-prime minister Jean Chrétien in 1996, and rode out his days until the man- New boss at Canadian Race datory retirement age of 75 in 2002. Relations Foundation His passing sparked @PoliLego to pay Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault an- tribute to the late figure. “His legendary nounced last week that the Canadian Race wit was outmatched only by his love for Relations Foundation’s new boss is Moham- his province and its people,” the account med Hashim, a Mississauga, Ont., native tweeted. who will lead the group for a five-year term. A human rights advocate and labour Columnist Matthew Fisher organizer most recently with the Toronto & York Region Labour Council, Mr. Hashim seeking Conservative nod in also serves with the United Way of Greater Kanata-Carleton Toronto, is a member of the Urban Alliance Matthew Fisher, one of Canada’s on Race Relations, and is a founding advi- longest-serving foreign correspondents, sor of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. is seeking the Conservative nomination in Mr. Hashim’s post “will strengthen the the Kanata-Carleton riding, he announced voice and extend the reach of the [f]ounda- last week. tion,” said the group’s chairperson, Teresa As noted by the Canadian Global Af- Woo-Paw, in a release. “Our team looks fairs Institute, Mr. Fisher was born and forward to working with Mohammed as we raised in the Ottawa Valley and spent more continue to add the voice of the CRRF to than three decades abroad as a foreign cor- those who work through these challenging Twitter users had some fun last week after incumbent Republican vice-president Mike Pence fell respondent. He has worked for the Globe times to build an inclusive Canada.” victim to an insect incident that featured a two-minute cameo by a fly during the vice-presidential and Mail, Sun Media, and Postmedia, and Mr. Hashim takes over from Alicia debate. Image courtesy of Twitter his travels have taken him to 162 countries. Damley, who held the position on an interim basis since August, after the retire- anadian politicos tuned into the U.S. Longtime foreign ment of Lilian Ma on July 31. Cvice-presidential debate last week, join- Hillites pay tribute to former correspondent Tweeting his congratulations, Walied ing Twitter users who were abuzz about a Alberta Senator Nick Taylor Matthew Fisher Soliman, a fellow Mississauga alum who revealed last fly that landed on incumbent Republican Former longtime Alberta Liberal Party was the campaign chair for Mr. O’Toole’s week that he Mike Pence’s head. leader and retired Senator Nick Taylor successful leadership bid, noted he went to is seeking the The fly, which stuck on an unfazed Mr. passed away this month at the age of high school at Clarkson Secondary School Conservative Pence’s head for about two minutes, ap- 92. The Alberta native died at the Peter with the new boss. Party nod in peared to have stolen the show, prompting Lougheed Centre in Calgary from health “Don’t forget that the Canadian Race an Ottawa- the creation of multiple Twitter accounts and complications that plagued him for a few Relations Foundation Act was proclaimed area riding. a tweet from one popular user, @PoliLego, months, noted the Calgary Herald. in 1991 under a [Conservative] govern- Photograph which often depicts politicians in Lego form. Taylor was remembered for his sharp ment,” he said. “Good luck, my friend!” courtesy of Ekos Research pollster Frank Graves wit, bravery, and sense of humour last Mr. Hashim replied: “I would love to Matthew Fisher’s joked: “quick nature lesson, what are week. “Nick was on the front lines fight- work with you and the [Conservative] Twitter flies irresistibly attracted to? A metaphor ing Alberta separatism in the dark days members to bring a greater awareness of from God.” He later added that Mr. Pence of the early 80’s. Funny as hell. Loved systemic racism. In fact, I have a list of had “a promising career as Lord of the Canada,” tweeted David Herle, a former According to his website, he has also cov- things I would like to go over.” Flies,” if the whole “VP thing doesn’t work Liberal campaign strategist and host of ered eight Olympic games and speaks Eng- out”—a prospect that also got a nod from the popular weekly podcast, The Herle lish, German, and French.