THIRTY-FIRST YEAR, NO. 1731 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2020 $5.00 News International trade Canada’s next trade battle: consensus building at the WTO A Global Affairs International Trade trade official told the Minister Mary House Committee on Ng says that reforming the International Trade in World Trade Organization March that Canada has cannot be done by the had little engagement Ottawa Group alone. The with the United States Hill Times on reforming the WTO photograph by Andrew Meade to date. BY NEIL MOSS s an embattled international Atrading system is further strained by some countries’ pro- tectionist instincts, the Canadian government continues to try to build consensus over needed Continued on page 12 Contending Tim with the Canada-U.S. Relations entertainment Powers economic hole p.10 policy briefing pp. 13-18 p.4 News Conservative leadership News COVID-19 & data News Economic recovery MacKay leadership camp Health agency reveals race- Unparalleled BoC bond purchasing touts strength in numbers based data guideline as calls grow for nation-wide collection welcomed to move country BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT Michael Diamond in a recent interview with The Hill Times. BY SAMANTHA WRIGHT ALLEN regardless of jurisdiction. That “We’re proud of the team, gap in information affects the from ‘defence ormer Progressive Conser- provincial, territorial, and federal vative leader Peter MacKay proud of the candidate for recruit- n response to calls for better de- Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 F ing a record-setting number of mographic data to understand response to the pandemic and to offence,’ says is fighting to lead the party he I until the country moves forward once helped found, and his team, new members into the party, and health inequities and COVID-19, we look forward to sharing that this week the Canadian Institute with race-based and disag- Senator Loffreda led by former MP Alex Nuttall, gregated income data, Canada is touting strength in numbers, vision and moving forwarding for Health Information is releas- during the general election.” ing an interim race data standard “can’t possibly target resources” BY MIKE LAPOINTE claiming a lead in membership and care where they’re most sales to go with a lead in notable The MacKay camp has that public health agencies can boasted of record-breaking mem- use. needed, said Dr. Jennifer Rayner, iven continued global finan- endorsements and funds raised an epidemiologist and director to date. bership sign ups since the May Many advocates, though, are Gcial market turmoil borne 15 cutoff for new Conservative pushing for more than advice, of research at the Alliance for from the ongoing COVID-19 “Among caucus members and Healthier Communities. past candidates we have robust Party members to be eligible to saying the federal government pandemic, the Bank of Canada’s support and a lot of workhorses,” has a leadership role to play to ensure there’s consistent data, said deputy campaign manager Continued on page 18 Continued on page 20 Continued on page 6 2 WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES Ms. Meng’s arrest in December 2018 at the behest of the United States was fol- lowed by the arrests of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor at the hands of Chinese authorities in apparent retaliation and the Heard on the Hill deterioration of Ottawa-Beijing relations to a freeze. The webinar will feature Guy Saint- by Neil Moss Jacques, who was Canada’s top diplomat in Beijing from 2012 to 2016, as well as Canada China Business Council executive director Sarah Kutulakos and UBC School Paul Thomas named new of Public Policy and Global Affairs profes- sor Wenran Jiang, who is the director of the Canada-China Energy and Environ- ment Forum. director of Parliamentary Former prime minister Stephen Harper is Last week, Foreign Affairs Minister pictured at a rally in New Brunswick during the François-Philippe Champagne released a 2015 campaign. The Hill Times photograph by joint statement with his counterparts in Internship Programme Andrew Meade the United Kingdom and Australia stating “deep concern” over proposed national se- my opponent—they scrubbed it out. They curity legislation that “clearly undermine[s] Paul E.J. actually met every day to co-ordinate their the ‘one country, two systems’ principle Thomas has coverage. They would not run any ad I had under which Hong Kong is guaranteed a most recently that showed footage depicting my oppo- high degree of autonomy.” been a senior nent in an unfavourable light,” Mr. Harper The webinar will take place at 6 p.m. It research said in 2018 of the media during the 2015 will be moderated by Institute for Peace associate at election. and Diplomacy executive director Bijan the Samara Some compared the sentiment to that Ahmadi. Centre for of an American president who kept an Democracy. enemies list. He will start “Makes me think of [former U.S. presi- Public Policy Forum his new gig as dent Richard] Nixon, the resentment of director of the his persecutors,” Parliament Hill journal- launches commission to Parliamentary ist Stephen Maher tweeted. “I think a lot look into misinformation Internship of ex-politicians feel hard done by by the Programme media tho.” To address the increase in misinforma- on July 1. Mr. Butts offered another idea—former tion circulating online, the Public Policy The Hill Times Depression-era U.S. president Herbert Forum announced that it is setting up a photograph by Hoover. commission to seek policy ideas to address Andrew Meade “Harper friend and Hoover biographer the issue. [Kenneth Whyte] should tell him about how [Hoover] diminished his own reputation post presidency by repeatedly mashing sour [grapes] in public,” Mr. Butts tweeted. “I lean more Nixon but agree that [Harper] is not doing himself any favours,” responded Kenneth Whyte, author of Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraor- n alumni of the Parliamentary Intern- The internship program was started dinary Times and former editor-in-chief Aship Programme will be taking the or- more than 50 years ago, a brainchild of of Maclean’s magazine. “I’ve had similar ganization’s reins in July. Paul E.J. Thomas then-Conservative MP Alfred Hales who conversations with him and while I think was named the program’s new director felt overworked with parliamentary duties skepticism of media (and politicians) is earlier this month. as a backbench MP with only a shared healthy, his hatred of the media is palpable Mr. Thomas was an intern with the secretary. and, [in my opinion], irrational.” program from 2005 to 2006. Alums also MPs from across the partisan spectrum include some current Parliamentarians— hosted interns in their offices this year, Liberal MP Arif Virani and Conservative including Mr. Virani and Mr. Vis, as well Webinar on future of MP Brad Vis—and a member of the Press as current Conservative MP and leader- Gallery, HuffPost parliamentary bureau ship candidate Erin O’Toole, Conservative Canada-China relations to Past Supreme Court chief justice Beverley chief Althia Raj. MP Michelle Rempel Garner, Liberal MPs feature former envoy Guy McLachlin will be one of seven commissioners Greg Fergus and Pam Damoff, Bloc Québé- on the Public Policy Forum’s Canadian cois MP Stéphane Bergeron, and NDP MP Saint-Jacques Commission on Democratic Expression. The Hill Jenny Kwan, among others. Times photograph by Andrew Meade As Canada-China relations have reached a nadir, a virtual panel will talk The seven commissioners participat- What’s old is new again: about the future of the relationship on ing in the project include former Supreme Harper bashes the media, what could be an illuminating day for the Court chief justice Beverley McLachlin prospects for bilateral ties. and Earnscliffe principal Rick Anderson, a critics respond past chief adviser to Reform leader Preston Manning, among others. All it took was the resurfacing of a 2018 A recent study by Carleton University video of former prime minister Stephen that was supported by Abacus Data found Harper placing partial blame for his 2015 that 46 per cent of respondents believe electoral defeat on the media for critics of one of four COVID-19-related conspiracy Canada’s 22nd prime minister to pounce. theories despite 57 per cent of people sur- The nearly two-minute video clip that veyed being “confident” they could “easily was posted to Twitter last weekend, which distinguish” fact from fiction. HuffPost’s Althia Raj was an intern in the has more than 800,000 views, was from an The Canadian Commission on Demo- Parliamentary Internship Programme from 2004 interview the past PM had with conserva- cratic Expression will also have a citizens’ to 2005. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew tive radio show host Dennis Prager, who assembly of 42 citizen representatives Meade founded Prager University. selected from 450 volunteers. The assem- “I’ve watched a lot of Harper over the bly will meet for six days in Ottawa and Mr. Thomas, who has most recently years. Can’t tell if this is him saying what Winnipeg and is tasked with advising the been a senior research associate at the Sa- he really thinks, him doing business devel- commission on its “values and priorities mara Centre for Democracy, tweeted that opment by playing to the crowd, or both,” with respect to digital technology and he is “very excited” to be starting the new tweeted Gerald Butts, past principal secre- democratic expression,” the Public Policy gig on July 1. He is replacing Anne Dance, tary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Forum announced. who has been serving as the program’s “Anyway, the Arctic is on [fire] and Guy Saint-Jacques, pictured in 2012, was The work will also be supported by a director since 2016.