Virtual format changes the A decade game for hybrid heckling p. 4 after massive quake, Japan Tim says thank Powers p.6 you p. 12 Erica Ifill p.9 THIRTY-SECOND YEAR, NO. 1808 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021 $5.00 News News News ‘This is the new When will order, don’t be Not open to interpretation: shy’: Indigenous the world advisory group virtual Parliament see Canada’s charts new exacerbates pre-existing grounded top path for Canada diplomat in Energy Regulator issues with vital service BY AIDAN CHAMANDY person? New booths he Canada Energy Regulator’s installed in a BY NEIL MOSS TIndigenous Advisory Commit- multi-purpose tee will provide “clarity” on how to room in the hree months into his new approach consulting and working Sir John A. Tcabinet role as Canada’s top with Indigenous communities to Macdonald diplomat, Marc Garneau has yet any industry that has found itself Building to embark outside the Canadian in conflict with those communi- are pictured border amid the continuing CO- ties in the past over energy proj- on Feb. 16 VID-19 pandemic. ect development, says the interim during a press International trips are a com- chairperson of the new body. conference mon practice for foreign affairs “This is the new order, don’t with Prime ministers as they build diplomatic be shy,” Tyrone McNeil said. “All Minister links and strengthen Canada’s we’re doing is adding clarity from Justin global standing. In place of for- an Indigenous perspective.” Trudeau on eign travel, Mr. Garneau (Notre- As the interim chair of the COVID-19. Dame-de-Grâce-Westmount, Indigenous Advisory Committee The Hill Times Que.) has relied on virtual meet- (IAC) and member of the Sto:lo photograph by ings and phone calls with his Nation in British Columbia’s Andrew Meade international counterparts. Fraser Valley, Mr. McNeil said he’s The travel hiatus for Canada’s seen “a nervousness and appre- foreign affairs minister comes hension” on the part of companies as the federal government has “because they don’t know where warned Canadians against travel- we might stand on a certain BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT that MPs, industry advocates, and (Bellechasse-Les Etchemins-Lé- ling and after MPs came under development, whether it be a others are looking to address. vis, Que.), vice-chair of the House scrutiny for travelling for per- pipeline or other infrastructure.” arliament’s shift to hybrid “It [COVID] has certainly Official Languages Committee, sonal reasons over the holidays, exacerbated the underlying is- which launched a study into which resulted in the loss of a Continued on page 14 Pvirtual proceedings as a result of COVID-19 has led to a spike in sue of the challenges of having challenges facing parliamentary parliamentary secretary post for injuries for Hill interpreters, and sufficient and qualified transla- interpretation in the context of Liberal MP Kamal Khera (Bramp- in turn, has exposed and exacer- tors, and somewhat we took for COVID in February. ton West, Ont.), the loss of a bated pre-existing shortfalls with granted that this was [there],” said What Continued on page 25 Continued on page 23 the “essential” service—shortfalls Conservative MP Steven Blaney makes Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 News Canada (Edmonton Riverbend, Alta.) in Amid COVID-19, grieving support bill February 2020 and reinstated in September after the House go? returned from prorogation, origi- ‘really hit home’ for MPs, says Jeneroux nally aimed to amend the Canada Labour Code to extend compas- Energy policy sionate leave for caregivers with BY ALICE CHEN aimed at extending the time cross-partisan support and co- jobs in federally regulated work- some Canadians can take off operation. briefing places from one to three weeks. pp. 13-22 fter a year marked by loss, after the death of a loved one Bill C-220, first introduced by Aa private member’s bill has garnered “unprecedented” Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux Continued on page 24 2 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021 | THE HILL TIMES CPC MP calls for lifting of COVID-19 lockdowns Breaking away from his party’s stance, Conservative MP David Sweet spoke out Heard on the Hill March 3 in favour of lifting the restrictions put in place in his province of Ontario. by Alice Chen The MP, who represents the riding of Flamborough-Glanbrook, Ont., said there should be a more focused approach, with emphasis on taking care of those most at risk while allowing the less threatened to go back to some semblance of normalcy, Alberta MP launches reports Global News. “Seniors, long-term care homes, con- gregate settings; helping people that have pre-existing conditions that feel unsafe petition to ban use of with income helps. That’s where the focus should be with efforts and resources,” Mr. Sweet told Global News. Most health measures have been left in the term ‘assault rifle’ the hands of the provinces, and Mr. Sweet is pushing for the Ontario Ford government to move the province to the green “prevent” level, which according to the response framework, puts limitations on organized public events and allows restaurants and businesses to open up with some safety restrictions. MP Sangha uses Commons to claim other MPs are supporting She is also a two-time winner of the ter- Khalistani extremism ritorial Premier’s Award for Excellence for A former Liberal MP recently used his her leadership and commitment to improv- chance to make a Members’ Statement in ing community circumstances. the House to accuse Sikh MPs of sup- PSG Senator Brian Francis (Prince porting the Khalistani movement, reports Edward Island) took to Twitter to express Insauga.com. his delight in welcoming Sen. Anderson to Now-Independent MP Ramesh Sangha, the group, as did PSG Senator Jane Cordy who represents Brampton Centre, Ont., (Nova Scotia). said in the House on Feb. 17 that “a few Both wrote that they look forward to unsatisfied Sikh Members of Parliament” working with her. The Senate is set to re- had pushed the government to remove sume sitting on March 16. reference to Khalistani extremism from a Conservative MP David Yurdiga, right, and former MP Ed Kormarnicki, left, are pictured at a 2015 House 2018 “Terrorist Threat to Canada” report on Transport Committee meeting. Mr. Yurdiga recently launched a petition seeking to stop use of the term Minister of Agriculture takes terrorist risks in Canada. He also said they 'assault rifle' in the House during discussions about guns. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade had a “hidden agenda” to “camouflage all virtual farm tours the names long-time linked to the move- As a kick-off to Canadian Agriculture lberta Conservative MP David Yur- Mr. Duvall was first elected to represent ment, even their own near and dear ones,” Literacy Month, Agriculture and Agri-Food Adiga launched a petition March 3 seek- Hamilton Mountain, Ont., in the House of and in doing so “compromised” the security Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau recently ing to stop use of the term “assault rifle” in Commons in 2015, holding his seat in the of Canada. participated in two live farm tours. the House of Commons when it comes to 2019 election. Prior to entering the federal In his statement, Mr. Sangha noted that Taking place remotely on March 1, Ms. conversations about guns, calling it a scare sphere, he served on the Hamilton City he is a “proud” Sikh, but has no sympathy Bibeau participated in a back-and-forth tactic used to “demonize all guns,” reports Council, representing Ward 7, from 2006 for the movement. However, he said that live stream as the farmers walked through Fort McMurray Today. until 2015. In that role, he advocated for there are “a few Sikhs in Canada as well their property. The MP for Fort McMurray-Cold Lake, safer neighbourhoods and better transit. as in the House” who support Khalistani “I’m so glad to be with you today … Alta., posted the petition to his website, extremists, though he did not name any [as] we celebrate the first day of Canadian with a statement describing the term as specific MPs. having been “created by anti-gun groups to The Khalistani movement is focused scare people and demonize firearms own- on establishing an independent nation ers.” It further states that the “‘assault rifle’ called Khalistan in the Punjab region that ban targets law-abiding firearm owners straddles India and Pakistan. and does not address the root cause of gun Mr. Sangha, who now sits as an in- crime, gang violence, and gun smuggling.” dependent, was ejected from the Liberal As of writing, the petition had garnered caucus in January over similar comments more than 2,500 signatures. made against other Liberal Members that In a piece published by Rabble, David the caucus considered “baseless and dan- Climenhaga disagreed with the assessment gerous.” that the term “assault rifle” was created by A statement from Liberal Whip Mark anti-gun groups, instead attributing the Holland responding to these earlier com- term to the German army back in 1944. ments said the caucus “will not tolerate Just last month the federal government conspiracy theories,” or other “dangerous introduced Bill C-21, which seeks to ban and unfounded rhetoric about Parliamen- the use, sale, and importation of more tarians or other Canadians.” than 1,500 models of what the government called assault-style weapons. It came with strict conditions for those who decided Senator Anderson joins the PSG to keep their blacklisted weapons as well N.W.T. Senator Margaret Dawn Ander- as a voluntary buy-back program, though NDP MP Scott Duvall recently announced his son has joined the Progressive Senate Group.