parties top up leaders` salaries, so what? p. 11
Transcription
parties top up leaders` salaries, so what? p. 11
EXCLUSIVE POLITICAL COVERAGE: NEW NEWS, WS W S, FEA FE F FEATURES, EATURE AND ANALYSIS INSIDE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY POLICY BRIEFING PP. 19-24 PARTIES TOP UP LEADERS’ SALARIES, SO WHAT? P. 11 TRADE COMMITTEEE BUCKS TREND P.55 TWENTY-SEVENTH YEAR, NO. 1336 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSWEEKLY HILL CLIMBERS P.25 WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 $5.00 NEWS ACCESS TO INFORMATION NEWS ENVIRONMENT NEWS DIPLOMACY ‘Too early to tell’ if Liberals’ positive tone will last: Info czar Feds’ approach to B.C. dam approvals ‘like the Saudi Arms deal’: Opponents Saudi government sending huge cultural delegation to Ottawa, as arms deal concerns continue to swirl BY MARIE-DANIELLE SMITH There has been a “change in tone” from the top, and a “very positive one,” when it comes to access to information, says Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault. “This is somewhat of a honeymoon period,” the federal watchdog told The Hill Times in an April 27 interview. “We will have to see whether the sunny ways will continue.” It’s early days, Ms. Legault said, and they’re full of a spirit of co-operation. “It’s not unlike what we experienced in the early days of 2006 and 2007, with the previous government. So we will see how this unfolds. It is too early to tell,” she said. She later took the Conservative government to court over long-gun registry documents it denied a requester. BY PETER MAZEREEUW The Saudi government is planning to send dancers to the lawns of Parliament Hill May 19 as part of a massive, fourday cultural show, while a range of rights groups and media pundits continue to pressure Canada’s government over arms sales to the Middle Eastern powerhouse. A delegation of between 70 and 100 performers, artists, and other exhibitors are set to arrive in Ottawa to show off various aspects of Saudi culture—from Arabic calligraphy to folk dances and Arab cuisine— from May 18 to 21. Apart from the dance Continued on page 6 Continued on page 7 NEWS CITIZENSHIP NEWS FOREIGN AFFAIRS Liberals order investigation into possible citizenship fraud Politician’s cancelled visit causes tension in Indo-Canadian communities BY TIM NAUMETZ Citizenship Minister John McCallum has ordered an investigation into Canadian citizenship approvals that might have been obtained fraudulently, following a scathing report from Auditor General Michael Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson tabled an audit report in Parliament Tuesday that cited examples of crucial information not being passed from the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Department as 106,271 foreign nationals who were permanent residents in Canada submitted citizenship applications in 2014 and had been granted citizenship by June 2015. Continued on page 16 BY CHELSEA NASH Ken Boon, president of the Peace Valley Landowner Association, and Rob Botterell, the lawyer representing the organization, visited Ottawa on April 27 to meet with officials from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans about their concerns of excessive sediment pollution caused by preparatory construction The planned visit of an Indian politician to Canada to campaign to non-resident Indians and its ensuing cancellation has caused tension in Indo-Canadian communities. Amarinder Singh of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee had planned to visit Canada to hold rallies and events in the GTA and Vancouver, according to news reports out of India, but cancelled the visit after a complaint was made by a human rights group called Sikhs for Justice to Global Affairs Canada and the Indian High Commission in Canada. Continued on page 4 Continued on page 12 Trees are cleared last fall from the future site of the Site C dam along Peace River in northeastern British Columbia. Photograph courtesy of Garth Lenz BY CHELSEA NASH The federal government is coming up on what will be a litmus test of its commitment to nation-to-nation relations with First Nations and to the environment, say those advocating for the shutdown of the massive BC Hydro development known as Site C in northeastern British Columbia. 2 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 FEATURE BUZZ HEARD ON THE HILL Diplomats flock to Cuban Embassy to meet foreign minister B Y P ETER M A Z E RE E U W Dragon boat season on the horizon Members of the European Union Delegation’s team prepare to paddle in the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival on June 27, 2015 at Mooney’s Bay. From front left: captain Petra Auster and Annegret Hayward, EU assistant Mélina Chimal-Pilon, and Austrian assistant Annkathrin Diehl, Romanian second secretary Silvana Bolocan (turned head) and Portuguese deputy João Sabido Costa. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia P ublic servants and embassy staff are signing up once again to shed their businesswear for life preservers and a chance at glory. Entries are already rolling in for the annual Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival, a contest for bragging rights among 200 teams of paddlers at Ottawa’s Mooney’s Bay Park on Riverside Drive that will run from June 23 to 26 this year. Dragon boat racing, a sport taken from Chinese tradition, involves teams of between 14 and 20 paddlers, one drummer and a steersperson guiding long, narrow boats in a race against each other and the clock. The Ottawa festival, which bills itself as North America’s largest, includes a special division for diplomatic missions CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATION Re: “AG denies Harper lawyer suggestion he will audit Duffy expenses with trial over,” (April 27, p. 1). The story said there were 69 days of hearings, from April 14, 2015 through to last Feb. 23. In fact, the trial lasted 64 days, starting April 7, 2015. The story mistakenly noted that Robert Staley began representing Mr. Harper on the Duffy issue in mid-2014. It should have read mid-2013. And Nigel Wright was misquoted saying “stop the water torture” when he actually said “Chinese water torture.” • Re: “Justice Minister Wilson-Raybould hires Smith as policy director,” (May 2, p. 27). The photos accompanying the story were published by mistake and were unrelated to the text. • Re:“Five-year ban on lobbying excessive, say former political Hill staffers,” (May 2, p. 1) Erik Waddell was mistakenly identified as having worked for former industry minister James Moore as industry minister. In fact, he worked for Tony Clement as industry minister, and later as president of the Treasury Board. Also, Mr. Waddell was quoted as indicating that the lobbying ban only applies to former designated public office holders (DPOHs) trying to lobby other DPOHs. It in fact bans former DPOHs from lobbying anyone in government for five years postemployment. The Hill Times apologizes for these errors. (won last year by a team from the European Union Delegation) and the federal government (won last year by a team from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission). The reigning champions from the European Union mission have already signed up for another go, as have teams from the Romanian Embassy and Taiwan’s economic and cultural office. The former champs of the government division, which go by the name Panacea, are also coming back, and are now one of just two teams to take part in the festival every year since it began in 1994, according to Shelley Freake, the festival’s director of teams and fundraising. The Canada Border Services Agency is entering a team for the first time, she said. Each team pays an entrance fee of $1,400, plus tax (less for teams from out of town), and many of the teams raise funds for charitable causes selected by the festival as well, though few embassy teams have done so in the past, said Ms. Freake. This year, proceeds will go to the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa, the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation and a Tim Hortons community fund for Ottawa, she said. Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Cuban Ambassador Julio Garmendia, and Chilean Ambassador Alfonso Silva at the May 3 reception. The Hill Times photographs by Sam Garcia Mr. Parrilla with Jamaican High Commissioner Janice Miller and Rwandan High Commissioner Shakilla Umutoni. Braune publishes Arctic book Press gallery veteran Gerd Braune has published a Germanlanguage book on the Arctic. Photograph courtesy of Gerd Braune A press gallery veteran has published a German-language book on the Arctic— everything from polar bears to the Arctic Council and the seal hunt controversy. Gerd Braune, who writes for about a dozen German-language publications, launched his book, Die Arktis—Porträt einer Weltregion (The Arctic—Portrait of a World Region) at the Leipzig Book Fair on March 18. Mr. Braune has covered Arctic policy and other issues as a freelance member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery since arriving in Canada in 1997. The book introduces readers to the Arctic, covering plants and animals, indigenous peoples, climate change, the Arctic Council and some of the biggest Arctic policy issues, and includes a chapter on Canada and its history in the Arctic, said Mr. Braune, who estimates he has travelled to the Arctic 15 times or more. “It’s not a book that will fly from the shelves. It’s a book for people who are interested in this issue,” he said. The book is currently only available for purchase in German-language markets in Europe, but a Kindle edition of the book can be purchased via Amazon for $9.99. Mr. Braune is considering publishing the book in English as well. Continued on page 29 Vietnamese Ambassador To Anh Dung with Senegalese Ambassador Ousmane Paye. Kenyan High Commissioner John Lanyasunya, Dominican Republic counsellor Dulce Rosario, Miraly Gonzalez, wife of the Cuban ambassador, and Claudia Rocabado, chargé d’affaires of Bolivia. Hungary marks memorial day for Holocaust victims Liberal MP Anthony Housefather and Hungarian Ambassador Balint Odor at the April 18 reception at the embassy to recognize Hungarian Holocaust victims. Floralove Katz with Barrick Gold founder Peter Munk and Conservative MP Ed Fast. Mr. Housefather with Liberal MP Michael Levitt, Supreme Court of Canada Justice Michael Moldaver and his wife, Riky Moldaver. The Hill Times photographs by Ulle Baum Mr. Odor with Mr. Munk and his wife, Melanie Munk. LOOK WHO’S LEADING OUR CLIMATE CHANGE FIGHT CANADA’S FOREST PRODUCTS SECTOR’S NEW 30 BY 30 CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGE WILL CUT 30 MT OF GHGs A YEAR BY 2030. (That’s 13% of Canada’s entire goal). LEARN MORE AT FPAC.CA/30BY30 THE FOREST PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA @FPAC_APFC · /FPAC.APFC 4 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 NEWS ENVIRONMENT Silt is stirred up in the Peace Valley River as a result of preparatory construction for the Site C dam. Photo courtesy of Garth Lenz Feds’ approach to B.C. dam approvals ‘like the Saudi Arms deal’: Opponents The fisheries minister says his department will consult with First Nations groups before making permitting decision. Continued from page 1 for the Site C dam, which, at a cost of close to $9 billion and a projected 10-year timeline, is described as one of the largest public infrastructure projects B.C. has ever seen. The project has caused a stir among the First Nations groups who live in the area and use the land for gathering, trapping, fishing, and other cultural and spiritual practices, and landowners in the area who will be displaced as a result of the construction. Mr. Boon is one of those landowners. He said if the Site C project is to continue, he and his wife will lose their home. “My wife’s family lived there, we live in her grandfather’s old house, so we have deep roots there especially on my wife’s side of the family,” he told The Hill Times during his visit to Ottawa last week. Mr. Boon and Mr. Botterell are concerned that the federal government is turning a blind eye to Site C, and said they felt they needed to meet with officials to inform them “so they can’t say their hands are tied,” said Mr. Boon. The federal government is currently deciding on whether to issue a permit for civil works in relation to the hydroelectric dam to go ahead. Mr. Boon said the government seems to be hiding behind the fact that there are several related cases currently before the courts. The project was approved in October 2015 by both the provincial and federal governments, after the application underwent a three-year joint review panel overseen by both governments. Regarding fisheries, the panel concluded, “the Project would cause significant adverse effects on fish and fish habitat,” and that “there would be a reduction to fish health and survival due to sedimentation during construction and headpond and reservoir filling.” Mr. Boon wanted to stress that the Peace Valley Landowner Association is not against energy development projects. But he said he has a lot to lose if this project goes ahead, and he doesn’t feel like anyone is being held accountable for potential infractions being committed at the site. “What we are doing is looking out for the interests of the landowners in the valley...we want to know that if permits are being issued for this project that they are being reviewed properly and that this is being done right. I don’t feel it has to this point,” said Mr. Boon. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, land advocate Helen Knott, and Mr. Boon all said they believe the warnings in the Joint Review Panel, including of damage to fish populations and infringements on indigenous treaty rights, were ignored by the previous federal government when it decided to go ahead with the project anyway, citing economic benefits. “I guess it was Stephen Harper trying to do [B.C. Premier] Christy Clark a favour,” said Ms. May. “It’s all politics.” The project opponents say the Liberal government should be held responsible for the current state of the project, even if it didn’t make the initial decision to allow the dam to be built. “So you take all that together and you think...this new government is going to say: ‘This is like Saudi tanks, sorry the previous government made the decision, we’re just going along with it’? That won’t wash,” Ms. May told The Hill Times. Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion has been under fire for the way he and his government framed a deal to sell arms to Saudi Arabia. Initially, the government claimed that its hands were tied because the deal had been approved by the previous Conservative government, but Mr. Dion was criticized when it was revealed he actually played a key role in confirming the deal in April. Mr. Botterell and Mr. Boon echoed Ms. May. “I think what’s happening in the federal bureaucracy is ‘Oh, we’re done here. Too bad, but— sort of like the Saudi Arms deal— it was signed. We really feel for you, but that was then and this is now. And we’ll be different going forward.’ And what we’re saying is ‘No, no, going forward is right now,’” Mr. Botterell said. “The fishery is going to be ruined for the First Nations. You’d better be sure that this is the least impactful solution and you’ve got a chance right now to do it right,” said Mr. Botterell. An emailed statement from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans reads: “DFO has received and is reviewing BC Hydro’s application for a Fisheries Act Section 35(2)(b) authorization for the Site C main civil works (i.e., dam, generating station, spillway, and associated works) and operations. DFO is currently consulting potentially affected indigenous groups prior to making a decision on issuance of an authorization.” Minister for Fisheries and Oceans Hunter Tootoo, in an interview with The Hill Times, reiterated the fact that the department would be consulting with First Nations groups before deciding whether to issue the permit to BC Hydro. When asked whether he was considering denying the permit, he said: “My officials and chief of staff met with representatives from over there. There was information provided, we’re reviewing that information and, you know, part of the application from BC Hydro. We’ll follow the process, we’ll be consulting with the indigenous groups over there before any decision is made whether to move forward or not.” The Member of Parliament for the area, Conservative Bob Zimmer (Prince George-Peace RiverNorthern Rockies, B.C.) did not respond to a request for comment. While construction has already started on the project, Mr. Boon remains hopeful it could still be halted. “The activity that has happened to date, it’s reversible,” he said. “It’s just a small part of what will be needed for this project. There’s not a dam being built yet, it’s all prep work leading up to this project. Myself as an individual, I’m still hopeful that a sober second thought will be done with this. And this is a key one, these federal permits.” [email protected] The Hill Times ENERGY SITE C: A TIMELINE MAY 2014: The federal-provincial joint panel review, among other conclusions in a 473-page report, says if Site C goes forward, that there would be “significant adverse effects of the Project on cultural heritage resources for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.” OCTOBER 2015: The federal government issues 14 permits for work on Site C in the midst of an election. DECEMBER 2015: BC Hydro signs a $1.75-billion contract with its preferred bidder to construct the main civil works on the project. Clear-cutting and other preparatory work has started on Site C. DECEMBER 31, 2015: A group calling itself the Treaty 8 Stewards of the Land, referring to a treaty signed by First Nations and Queen Victoria in 1899, sets up camp on Site C to peacefully protest the development of the land. The camp is run by advocate Helen Knott and Mr. Boon. FEBRUARY 2016: Lawyer Rob Botterell and Ms. Knott come to Ottawa seeking meetings with the prime minister and cabinet ministers. They meet with Liberal MP Pamela Goldsmith-Jones (West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky County, B.C.), NDP justice critic Murray Rankin (Victoria, B.C.), and a junior policy adviser in Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett’s (Toronto-St. Paul’s, Ont.) office. “It was like they were checking a box off,” Ms. Knott told The Hill Times after her meeting with Ms. Bennett’s staff. FEBRUARY 29, 2016: The B.C. Supreme Court grants BC Hydro an injunction, requiring all protesters to leave Site C by midnight, or face arrest. The court cited “irreparable harm” that it said was being done to the $9-billion project by the presence of the protesters. APRIL 6, 2016: Ms. Clark announces a $470-million turbine contract with BC Hydro for Site C. APRIL 27, 2016: Mr. Botterell and Mr. Boon visit Ottawa to meet with the fisheries and oceans minister’s chief of staff, George Young, regarding concerns over sediment pollution at the construction site and the process for issuance of new federal fisheries permits by the Trudeau government. 5 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 NEWS TPP House Trade Committee agrees on equal witness selection A Liberal motion on the TPP study may be a product of ‘exceptional circumstance’ or rookies on the committee, say lobbyists. BY PETER MAZEREEUW W ading through a prolonged study on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, the House Trade Committee has taken the unusual step of passing a motion requiring that, “to the greatest possible extent,” each party with a seat at the table should be able to choose an equal number of witnesses to weigh in on the deal. The motion is relatively unique, so far as a handful of current and former Members of Parliament and staffers can recall, in that it puts in writing rules for a selection process for which few hard rules exist. Though the motion was written to apply only to the committee’s TPP study, several members said they are open to continuing the practice of splitting up witness slots equally. However, a pair of Liberal MPs left the door open to returning to the more typical practice of giving the majority caucus more say over who gets to testify. Minutes from a private portion of the committee’s March 8 meeting show it passed a motion laying out some of the terms of its TPP study, including a clause that requires clerk Rémi Bourgault, in consultation with committee chairperson and Liberal MP Mark Eyking (Sydney-Victoria, N.S.), to schedule witnesses “to the greatest possible extent, with witness slots apportioned equally among each caucus for each meeting.” So far, that’s been the case, said Tracey Ramsey (Essex, Ont.), the committee’s sole NDP representative. Ms. Ramsey said there hasn’t been a major difference so far in the sorts of witnesses testifying before the committee during its TPP study meetings versus other meetings, but that the motion is a good way to ensure the committee members hear all perspectives as they evaluate the looming trade deal, on which the Liberal government has not yet taken a firm position. Liberal MP Kyle Peterson (Newmarket-Aurora, Ont.), who said he proposed the motion, said the idea was to get the broadest possible cross-section of witnesses for the TPP study. “We thought it was important, we as Liberals, because we had nothing to do with the negotiations of the deal at all,” he said. The committee is taking the next few months to travel across the country to hear from Canadians on the deal as well as accept written submissions. The chair hopes to report back to the House about it by the end of the year. Majority rules There are few hard rules about the way in which witnesses are selected for a committee. Each caucus on the committee typically submits a list of desired witnesses ranked in order of preference. Members often put forward witnesses they know already. The committee clerk officially schedules witnesses to appear based upon the time available, which witnesses can make it, and input from the committee chair. In practice, subcommittees on agenda and procedure often play a role in deciding which witnesses will be chosen. The witness selection process for most committees has been loosely based upon a formula that allocates witness slots, or at least input into which names get chosen from the lists, based upon the makeup of the House of Commons. In other words, members of the party with the most MPs— who also form a majority of the members on most committees— get to choose the most witnesses. The second-ranked party chooses fewer, and so on. In practice, that’s not always the case, said Mr. Eyking, a veteran of numerous committees during his 15 years as an MP. In most cases, the majority caucus would only flex their muscle when the committee was studying a particularly contentious issue, he said. Mr. Eyking, Mr. Peterson, and Ms. Ramsey all said they were open to extending the equal selection of witnesses beyond the TPP study in the future, though the Liberal MPs stopped short of promising to do so in all cases. “We’ve got to have a balanced approach and listen to everyone,” said Mr. Eyking, adding that the Liberal majority “might have to revisit it” if a contentious issue changed the committee’s relatively collegial atmosphere. ‘Exceptional circumstance’ Writing out a rule for how witnesses are selected is “a little unconventional,” said Yaroslav Baran, a consultant lobbyist for Earnscliffe Strategy Group and former chief of staff to a chief government whip and house leader under the Harper Conservatives. In most cases, representatives of the different parties will engage in some “wheeling and dealing” to hash out a list of names, roughly half of which will be recommended by the majority, half by the opposition caucuses, he said. Members of different parties often want to hear from the same witnesses, and that overlap further stretches adherence to the principle of doling out witnesses based on representation in the House, said Robin MacLachlan, a consultant lobbyist for Summa Strategies and former legislative assistant to former NDP MP Paul Dewar. The move to hear from more witnesses recommended by the opposition is likely a product of the “exceptional circumstance” of one government studying a trade deal negotiated by another, said Don Boudria, a consultant lobbyist for Hill and Knowlton Strategies and former Liberal cabinet minister. “I wouldn’t call it earth-shattering, because it doesn’t affect the votes on the committee either way,” he said, adding that the majority on a committee should have more say in which witnesses appear in most cases by virtue of their mandate from the electorate. Putting the motion in writing could be a case of“atypical behaviour”more common now for committees populated by more rookie MPs than usual, said Mr. MacLachlan. There are five rookies on the House Trade Committee—four of them Liberals—including Mr. Peterson, who worked as a commercial lawyer prior to winning his seat. [email protected] @PJMazereeuw Canada at the World Humanitarian Summit: Opportunities for Leadership & Legacy Join us for a dynamic and thought-provoking discussion on today's global humanitarian challenges! Panelists will unpack the humanitarian space, highlight key concerns and challenges, make humanitarian policy and practice recommendations for the Canadian Government, and provide guidance on the World Humanitarian Summit objectives. May 10th, 2016 5:30-9:00PM Introductory remarks by H.E. Selçuk Ünal, Turkish Ambassador to Canada Moderated by Susan Ormiston , Senior Correspondent | CBC Humanitarian expert panel Susan Johnson: Vice President and Director General International Operations & Movement Relations | Canada Red Cross Dr. James Orbinksi: Ƭ ȁ ơ Library & Archives 395 Wellington St. ǡ Political response panel Pamela Goldsmith-Jones: ơ| Liberal Party of Canada Tony Clement: ơȁ Hélène Laverdière: ơȁ Elizabeth May: Leader | Green Party of Canada FREE Public Event ϭ Ϯ Reception & Humanitarian Fair 5:30-6:30PM Expert & Political Panels 6:30-8:00PM ϯ Reception & Humanitarian Fair 8:00-9:00PM REGISTER! Eventbrite: “Humanitarian Public Event” 6 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 NEWS ACCESS TO INFORMATION ‘Too early to tell’ if Liberals’ positive tone will last: Info czar ‘Honeymoon’ period is in full swing, she says, ahead of Access to Information Act review. Continued from page 1 Ms. Legault was appointed Canada’s information commissioner in 2010. But she has worked in the office since 2007. Treasury Board President Scott Brison (King-Hants, N.S.) told an open government conference at the end of March that a comprehensive review of access-to-information law will begin in 2018, but that legislation including quick fixes and election promises could be tabled as soon as this year. Promises in Mr. Brison’s ministerial mandate letter include ensuring the information commissioner can order government information to be released, and mandating that the law applies to the prime minister’s and ministers’ offices, as well as administrative institutions that support Parliament and the courts. The latter will take a lot of work, Ms. Legault told The Hill Times. Offices should be given three to six months to hire accessto-information officers and train staff, she said. Legislation that requires members of the House of Commons Board of Internal Economy to be sworn to secrecy will have to be looked at, she added. In addition, not everything that happens in a minister’s office should have to be disclosed, warned Ms. Legault.“It would not be appropriate, in my view, to have that covered by the access-to-information legislation,” she said. It will be a challenge to figure out “how we segregate purely political activity from activities that relate to the administration of government,” she said. A House of Commons committee is currently studying potential reforms to the Access to Information Act and will be holding public consultations. It has already heard from Ms. Legault. She said she intends to appear again before the committee to recommend changes beyond what the government has already promised. The Hill Times asked Ms. Legault about some of the problems with the access-to-information system and how they could change under a new government. The following has been edited for style and length. What should the government prioritize beyond the mandate letter promises? “There is one thing that I have been advocating for, that all of my colleagues across Canada have been advocating for, and that is the duty to document. “I think that this is an imperative now in terms of access to information across the country. All the commissioners issued a joint resolution. We issued it Jan. 16 and essentially that’s really to address what we’ve seen in some very specific cases across the country. We had the tripledelete issue in B.C., we had the gas-plant emails in Ontario and we conducted our own investigation with the use of BlackBerry pin-to-pin. “So we’re very concerned that the new technology, the speed at which information is being conveyed, all the various devices that people are using, that there needs to be a heightened legal duty to document in order to preserve the right of access. And that will definitely be in those quick fixes. “It’s something that is a concern around the world, by the way, and to my knowledge this is not something that exists in any access-to-information legislation at this time. So when we talk about Canada, you know, sort of regaining its leadership in terms of access-to-information legislation, I think that would be a key component.” What are some challenges in extending access to information to ministers’ offices and the Prime Minister’s Office? “I think that it would be an opportunity for ministers and PMO to really make sure that they have the right information-management practices in place, that they have the opportunity to equip themselves to answer access-toinformation requests. It actually does require some work. “You need to have someone that works in the ministers’ offices to respond to access-toinformation requests. You need people to be trained. There is a set-up time in order to be ready to answer access-to-information requests. That’s going to be one challenge for sure. “In terms of the administration of Parliament and the Board of Internal Economy, I think we’re going to have to look at the legislation that applies to the Board of Internal Economy because I think members are sworn to secrecy as part of the legislation. I think that’s going to have to be looked at. And also I think we’re going to have to look at how we protect parliamentary privilege in those types of circumstances.” Should the legislation be applied retroactively? “I think it should be prospective. It should move forward from the time the legislation is in place. I don’t think it would be fair to basically apply something like Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault at her office in Gatineau, Que. on April 27. ‘We will have to see whether the sunny ways will continue,’ she says. The Hill Times photograph by Marie-Danielle Smith that retroactively.” Does protecting parliamentary privilege mean using exclusions? “I’m not a big fan of exclusions either because as you know exclusions mean that my office cannot review the records. My experience is that that is not a good idea in terms of ensuring the effective oversight and proper accountability. “But certainly a mandatory exemption for parliamentary privilege would be appropriate, or a discretionary exemption for parliamentary privilege, one or the other, but at least to provide proper oversight.” There seems to be a culture of overusing exemptions. How should this be dealt with? “Well I do agree. I think that there are some over-applications of exemptions. You know, the philosophy underlying the Act and the purpose of the Act clearly states that disclosure should be had if it’s normal disclosure in terms of government operations. “What we do find is a lot of application of exemption that is not warranted. About 50 per cent of the cases that we reviewed that deal with the application of exemptions, we find that there was an over-application of the exemptions, so that gives you a sense. Basically half of the time in the cases that we investigate, we find that it’s over-applied. “What can be done to change it? Certainly the tone at the top really makes a difference. The prime minister has made some strong statements, but that needs to filter through to the deputy ministers, the assistant deputy ministers, has to filter down all the way through the access-to-information professionals. Training has to be done with that philosophy and those directions in mind. “People have to be reassured when they make decisions on disclosure that they will not be disciplined or sanctioned if they allow disclosure of information which potentially embarrasses the government, so long as it’s respectful of the legislation. “So that really requires a change of culture. A change of culture is really like a change of management within government institutions, and it needs to be done systematically. It needs to be messaged, it needs to be reinforced, it needs to be ongoing. “This is not necessarily something that occurs quickly and of course a change of legislation— if we were going to look more substantively at the Act, if we looked at the exemptions, if we had a public interest override, a stronger legislative framework that favoured disclosure, more so than secrecy—it would also go a long way to change the culture.” Is the fear of being disciplined a legitimate one? Have some staffers been disciplined after disclosing information? “Not that I know of. But we have seen public servants during our investigations that are quite fearful.” Have you seen any concrete changes take hold since the new government came in? “We have had some instances since the new government has been in place where there have been quicker resolutions on some files, and some very quick action. So we have so far seen a change in results. A change in tone. “I received a response to a letter of recommendations recently which was very positive. Very collaborative and really addressed the recommendations. This is a change of tone from certainly the last few days of the previous government, for sure.” In what way were complaints resolved more quickly than usual? “These were just a couple of instances so far, where basically, these were easier files. I thought the information should be disclosed, essentially just picked up the phone, and the files were disclosed. That was very posi- tive, and that was very quick, and we’re seeing some movements as well in terms of earlier resolution of some files. “The assistant commissioner is working with assistant deputy ministers across the system and we’re seeing a lot more receptivity and a lot more collaboration than we did in the last few days of the previous government.” Your office is still facing a significant backlog of complaints. Are you looking for more resources? “We did seek additional funding through the budget. We did not get additional funding through the budget. We are still in discussion with the government. We will see in the next few months whether there will be additional funding coming to the office. “We definitely need more staff to deal with our files. Just to give you a sense, this past year we received over 2,000 complaints and we were only able to close not quite 1,300 this year. So there’s already, just for this past fiscal year, 700 complaints [in the] backlog. Already. Just for this year. So we’re at over 3,000 files in inventory. “On an ongoing basis, to absorb this kind of volume, we would need at least 20 new people, 20 new investigators. We’re about 90 people, and out of that, we have usually about 77 per cent of the whole office that works on investigations and 23 per cent that works on corporate services. “On investigations—because some people are critical of this—from my office, it’s not just investigators that work on investigations. The lawyers work on investigations, directors work on investigations. We have an intake unit—they work on the investigations. So that’s all part and parcel of how the investigations are managed, from the time that someone files a complaint with the office.” [email protected] The Hill Times 7 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 NEWS DIPLOMACY The event could help to ‘soften the image of Saudi Arabia’ in the minds of federal politicians, says one consultant. Women, development on agenda The public cultural event is intended to “highlight the friendship between Saudi Arabia and Canada,” according to an emailed statement from Shaza Fahim, an official in the Saudi Embassy. The Saudi government held another Cultural Days event in Indonesia earlier this year, and has in the past held events in countries including Syria, Brazil, and Kyrgyzstan. The event is scheduled to begin two months after the embassy uncharacteristically opened its doors to a few journalists to witness the presentation of a $31,000 cheque to the United Way Ottawa in support of its work resettling Syrian refugees in Ottawa. The embassy hosted Mr. Dion, Senate Speaker George Furey, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, officials from Ottawa’s universities and members of the press for dinner following the cheque presentation. Saudi Ambassador Naif Bin Bandir AlSudairy declined to answer reporters’ questions about the arms sale on that occasion. The Saudi government also received a trade delegation from Canada last month that included Conservative MP Randy Hoback, former Conservative MP Ed Holder (from General Dynamics’ Canadian home TRAVERS DEBATES Is democracy in trouble with the decline of legacy media? Continued from page 1 on the Hill, the show will be held in the Shaw Centre, the airy conference facility at 55 Colonel By Dr. in downtown Ottawa. The event will be open to the public and “everything is free,” according to an official in the Saudi Embassy. The Saudi Cultural Days event is held in various locations around the world each year, but has not been in Canada since 1991, according to the embassy. The cultural show is being planned while Canadian Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion (Saint-Laurent, Que.) and the Liberal government are under pressure for allowing the sale of armoured and weaponized military vehicles to the Saudi government, which has a history of human rights abuse. The sale was originally brokered under the previous Conservative government in Canada. The Saudi government has used what appears to be the same type of Canadian-made vehicle, General Dynamics Land Systems’ light armoured vehicle or LAV, in its intervention in neighbouringYemen’s civil war, the Globe and Mail reported. Mr. Dion has said“all the assessments that have been made up to today, since 1993, [have indicated] that the equipment has been properly used.” A coalition of non-governmental organizations including Amnesty International Canada, Project Ploughshares, the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, and the Canadian Council for International Co-operation (which in 2014-15 represented 73 members) sent an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.), Mr. Dion, and other ministers April 27 urging them to reconsider their decision to issue export permits for the LAVs, calling it “immoral and unethical.” TUESDAY, MAY 17 NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE 2016 Saudi government sending huge cultural delegation to Ottawa Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion, right, joined Saudi Ambassador Naif Bin Bandir AlSudairy for dinner at the Saudi ambassador’s home in March. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia Challenges facing traditional media in a digital world have some fearing for the democratic process itself, worrying base in London, Ont.) and a range of business groups. Mr. Hoback (Prince Albert, Sask.) said he believes “millions of dollars” worth of business was done on the trip between Canadian and Saudi companies. Mr. Hoback said he raised the issue of human rights with Mr. AlSudairy before departing on the trade mission, and did so with Saudi officials during the trip as well. “I’m glad to see that they’re reaching out and doing things like [the Cultural Days] to help Canadians understand that there’s more to the relationship between Canada and Saudi Arabia than one deal,” said Mr. Hoback. Mr. AlSudairy will be attending the cultural event, which will include seminars on Saudi-Canadian relations and on women and development, according to the Saudi Embassy. The Saudi government has been consistently criticized in the West for its restrictions on women’s rights, which includes a ban on driving and requirements for male relatives to approve actions ranging from marriage to obtaining a passport, according Human Rights Watch. In a response to the Globe and Mail on the arms deal controversy, the Saudi Embassy in March criticized what it called “sensationalized and politicized” coverage of the $15-billion deal and outside attempts to interfere with internal affairs. The Saudi government plans its Cultural Days events at least three years ahead of time, according to an emailed statement from the Saudi Embassy. The event has “nothing to do with the sale of armored vehicles,” the statement said. that every newspaper or broadcasting layoff lessens the foundation of an informed public. Bruce Anderson, Chairman, Abacus Data, and Ed Greenspon, President of the Public Policy Forum, will debate whether this is a valid concern, and whether cutting edge new media are changing the game in ways that the old media will not be missed. And join our fearless fun debate teams as they tackle the question of House decorum. Scott Feschuk and Ruth Ellen Brosseau trade trenchant bon mots with Katie Simpson and Rodger Cuzner in arguing the pros and cons of the resolution “Heckling is a parliamentary privilege and should be maintained.” A softer side of Saudi Arabia Whether it is or not, the event is a good idea for an embassy tasked with promoting close, positive ties with Canada, says John Capobianco, Fleishman-Hillard’s national lead consultant for public affairs. “It never hurts countries to come in and showcase themselves to decision-makers within Canada,” said Mr. Capobianco. The cultural event could help to “soften the image of Saudi Arabia” in the minds of federal politicians who must consider how to approach the country as the arms sale controversy swirls, he said. The four-day showcase won’t make human rights concerns go away, but it’s a step better than trying to improve the Saudi government’s image with a simple meeting or phone call with a federal decisionmaker, he said. If the event helps to move the needle of public opinion on Saudi Arabia and the arms sale, that will make it easier for Canada’s government to look more favourably upon Saudi Arabia in turn, he said. [email protected] @PJMazereeuw It’s all in aid of raising funds for the R. James Travers Foreign Corresponding Fellowship, created to honour the late Jim Travers. The last three Travers Debates have been sell-outs and tickets are selling quickly again for this year. Don’t be disappointed — buy today! MAY 17 NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE Tickets are $125 and available only at traversdebates.ca PRESENTED BY 8 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 Editor Kate Malloy Deputy Editor Derek Abma Managing Editor Kristen Shane Deputy Editor Peter Mazereeuw Assistant Deputy Editor Abbas Rana Online Editor, Power & Influence Editor Ally Foster Publishers Anne Marie Creskey, Jim Creskey, Ross Dickson General Manager, CFO Andrew Morrow Why the silence on mining oversight? EDITORIAL IMMIGRATION CBSA oversight, and more, needed G ood on Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale for recognizing the need to create a new body to oversee Canada’s border agency. Currently, there is no explicit review mechanism for it, he said. He told The Hill Times this week that the border agency “undoubtedly” needs a new oversight mechanism, a tool that goes beyond the parliamentary committee he’s promised to set up to oversee a number of security agencies. He said the government is considering several options, including mechanisms similar to what already exist to review the RCMP and Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Fourteen immigration detainees have died since 2000 while being held by the Canada Border Services Agency. This includes two in one week in March. A coroner’s inquest into the death of 42-yearold Mexican migrant Lucia Vega Jimenez recommended the appointment of an independent ombudsman to mediate complaints, and a civilian body to investigate critical incidents involving people in CBSA custody. Ms. Jimenez hanged herself in December 2013 while detained in a Vancouver airport holding cell. She had been facing removal to Mexico. These deaths are horrific on their own. They are also signs of deeper problems that must be addressed by Mr. Goodale, in addition to the creation of an oversight body. The border agency, for instance, was so tight-lipped in the death of Abdurahman Ibrahim Hassan, who died last June after four years at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ont., that it refused to release even his name. It is bewildering that Mr. Hassan, who had diabetes and bipolar disorder and who came to Canada from Somalia in 1993, was detained for four years in a provincial jail. Canada keeps thousands of immigrants and asylum seekers locked up every year. Some spend years imprisoned, despite having committed no crime. This is unconscionable for a country such as Canada that now wishes to stand on a record of fair treatment for migrants and asylum seekers. Detainees need proper support to deal with mental health conditions and other pressing medical issues. Detention must be used as a last resort and no one should be jailed for years on end unless they are convicted of a crime. Human rights groups, United Nations bodies, and others have implored Canada to follow these fair and humane recommendations. Mr. Goodale is suggesting that he may be listening and is willing to act, we hope, before another detainee dies behind bars. R e:“Feds show little interest in tougher oversight of mining firms’ actions abroad,” (The Hill Times, April 20, p. 1). In March the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights slammed Canada on its failure to ensure that its mining, oil, and gas companies respect human rights in their work abroad. It joined a growing chorus of international bodies decrying the lack of accountability regarding Canadian companies that work in countries where environmental and human rights protections are weak or non-existent. (Case in point: Honduras, which a UN expert warned in March was at risk of becoming “a lawless killing zone for human rights defenders.” More than 100 Hondurans speaking out against destructive mining, dam, logging, and agriculture projects have been killed since 2010.) The committee pointed to the ineffectiveness of the Office of the Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility Counsellor, a toothless mechanism created by the Harper government. It called on Canada to pass laws “requiring...corporations to conduct human rights impact assessments”before starting projects, create“effective mechanisms to investigate complaints,”and ensure“access to justice before domestic courts by victims of the conduct of those corporations.” Last month, we learned that newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s ministers are collectively mute on the issue. Why the silence? We can only hope they’re working out the details of a real system of oversight, one that will finally create Canadian accountability that’s so urgently needed. Karyn Keenan Director, Above Ground Ottawa, Ont Let’s cut our sugar high I t is my observation that our health-care system is primarily reactive. We want to contain escalating costs but do nothing much in the form of prevention, which could ultimately save billions. It is common knowledge that much of the food consumed is pure junk, but many parents do not want to take responsibility for what goes into their bodies, let alone their children. According to a recent report from the World Health Organization, diabetes is rampant around the world, as the United States continues to export its junk-food ideas. The government can influence this by designating what goes into our food. The U.S. tried to reduce sugar and ran into the sugar lobby. We need a strong government to act on behalf of its citizens and resist the lobbyists. Ivor Green Calgary, Alta. Taiwan Night’s age hardly lessens insult R e:“No reason for China to be upset over Taiwan Night”(The Hill Times, April 27, p. 14). With only a foreigner’s understanding, I will try to answer Scott Simon’s arguments in the article. That Taiwan Night has been an annual affront to China for 20 years hardly lessens the insult. Taking Quebec, Scotland, Palestine (The West Bank and Gaza), First Nations’ territories, Catalonia, and the Basque EDITORIAL SENIOR REPORTERS Tim Naumetz and Laura Ryckewaert REPORTER, POWER & INFLUENCE ASSISTANT EDITOR Rachel Aiello NEWS REPORTER Chelsea Nash PHOTOGRAPHERS Sam Garcia, Cynthia Münster, and Jake Wright POWER & INFLUENCE ASSISTANT EDITOR Christina Leadlay EDITORIAL CARTOONIST Michael De Adder CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Yael Berger, Denis Calnan, Simon Doyle, Christopher Guly, Leslie MacKinnon, Carl Meyer, Cynthia Münster and Marie-Danielle Smith COLUMNISTS Keith Brooks, Karl Bélanger, Andrew Cardozo, John Chenier, David Coletto, Sheila Copps, David Crane, Jim Creskey, Murray Dobbin, Gwynne Dyer, Michael Geist, Greg Elmer, Alice Funke, J.L. Granatstein, Éric Grenier, Dennis Gruending, Cory Hann, Tim Harper, Chantal Hébert, Jenn Jefferys, David T. Jones, Joe Jordan, Warren Kinsella, Camille Labchuk, Gillian McEachern, Arthur Milnes, Nancy Peckford, Kate Purchase, Tim Powers, Michael Qaqish, Jeremy Richler, Susan Riley, Ken Rubin, Sarah Schmidt, Rick Smith, Evan Sotiropoulos, Scott Taylor, Ian Wayne, Nelson Wiseman, Les Whittington and Armine Yalnizyan ADVERTISING VP OF ADVERTISING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Don Turner ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Amanda Keenan DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Steve Macdonald CORPORATE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Craig Caldbick, Martin Reaume, Ulle Baum PRODUCTION DELIVERY INQUIRIES [email protected] 613-688-8822 PRODUCTION MANAGER Benoit Deneault SENIOR GRAPHIC, ONLINE DESIGNER Joey Sabourin JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Melanie Brown WEB DESIGNER Kobra Amirsardari ADMINISTRATION FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION Tracey Wale RECEPTION Alia Kellock Heward CIRCULATION SALES MANAGER Chris Peixoto PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY BY HILL TIMES PUBLISHING INC. 69 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5A5 (613) 232-5952 Fax (613) 232-9055 Canadian Publications Mail Agreement No. 40068926 www.hilltimes.com region of Spain as examples of geographical areas whose political status is a matter for referendums, what makes a country is people. Few countries still recognize Taiwan as a country. The government of China is so sure of its right that it is prepared to peacefully wait for Taiwan to rejoin the motherland, as did Hong Kong and Macau. Andrew Romain Ottawa, Ont. Please send letters to the editor to the above street address or e-mail to [email protected]. Deadline is Wednesday at noon, Ottawa time for the Monday edition, Friday at noon for the Wednesday edition. Please include your full name, address and daytime phone number. The Hill Times reserves the right to edit letters. Letters do not reflect the views of The Hill Times. Thank you. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40068926 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: CIRCULATION DEPT. 69 Sparks Street, Ottawa, ON K1P 5A5 CMCA AUDITED 2012 Better Newspaper Winner 9 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 INSIDE DEFENCE IRAQ MISSION CTV cameras captured these Canadian soldiers wearing the Kurdish flag on their uniforms while at work in Iraq last week. Why are Canadians in Iraq wearing the Kurdish flag? Until Canada alters its policy of reunifying Iraq after the Islamic State’s defeat, our soldiers wearing those flags sends the wrong message. SCOTT TAYLOR O TTAWA—Last Thursday, CTV News broadcast a story from the front lines in Kurdistan. The hook for this feature was Chief of Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance’s surprise visit to liaise with members of Canada’s special operations forces. There are about 200 special-forces members being deployed as trainers to assist in preparing the Kurdish peshmerga militia to combat Daesh, the militant group also known as ISIL, ISIS, and the Islamic State. The site where Gen. Vance was filmed was at a destroyed highway bridge on the road to Mosul. The span over a muddy stream was purportedly blown up when defeated Daesh fighters withdrew from the region. In anticipation of Vance’s arrival, the CTV crew filmed a special-forces soldier securing the northern side of the defunct bridge. This rugged trooper was decked out in full special-forces gear, including a helmet, sunglasses, and beard. This soldier emphasized to the assembled media team the numerous dangers their close proximity to the actual front lines posed. The Kurdish media had openly broadcast the location and timing of Vance’s visit, so there were heightened fears that Daesh would attempt an assault on such a highprofile target. However, as breathlessly as the CTV reporter tried to torque up the drama, a handful of Kurdish soldiers soon turned up on the southern side of the bombed- Screenshots courtesy of CTV/Toronto Star out bridge. Wearing only berets and bereft of any body armour or combat gear, the Kurds waved like schoolboys to attract the camera’s attention. Their light-hearted antics quickly sucked the suspense out of the moment. A Kurdish general was soon in front of the CTV camera lens, praising Canada in one breath, and then pleading with us to send more weapons with the next. Thus when Gen. Vance’s convoy rolled to a stop at the bridge, one of the questions the reporter put to him was: when will the Kurds get new weapons? Vance had to explain that it is not Canada’s intention to re-equip the Kurdish militia, but rather to create an elite Kurdish commando unit with specific capabilities. Another question put to Vance was when the offensive would begin to recapture the Daesh-held city of Mosul. Naturally enough, Vance sidestepped the question, as no one would really expect him to telegraph the international community’s strategic plans via a media interview. A better question for Vance would have been: why are the Canadian soldiers wearing the distinctive Kurdistan flag on their uniforms? The red, white, and green striped flag with a yellow sunburst in the middle is evident everywhere throughout Iraqi Kurdistan and it is definitely not the red, white, and black striped flag with Arabic letters in the middle that is the recognized flag of Iraq. It remains Canada’s stated position that we are in support of a unified Iraq, under a central Baghdad authority. The Kurdistan flag—flown above all Kurdish government buildings, many private homes, military checkpoints, and on the uniforms of the peshmerga fighters—symbolizes the Kurds’ quest for their own state. We have deployed some of our most capable soldiers to assist in the training of the peshmerga, but that does not explain why our Canadian soldiers would be authorized to wear the flag of Kurdistan on their combat uniforms. Canada does not recognize Kurdistan as a nation and, in fact, the Kurdish flag is seen as a provocation to central Iraqi authorities, but also in Turkey, Syria, and Iran where they have large Kurdish minorities and armed separatist movements. It may seem cool for our soldiers to slap another Velcro patch on their uniforms, and no doubt the Kurdish peshmerga would smile approvingly at seeing Canadians wearing a symbol of an independent Kurdish state. However, until such a time as the Canadian government alters its current stated policy of reunifying Iraq following the defeat of Daesh, our soldiers wearing those flags on their uniforms sends the wrong message. As Canadian soldiers, deployed by Canada, they should wear the Canadian flag—and only the Canadian flag—on their uniforms. Scott Taylor is editor and publisher of Esprit de Corps magazine. [email protected] The Hill Times GLOBAL AFFAIRS PLURALISM Bangladesh minorities at risk Politics is keeping the country’s PM from doing more to stop the killing of secular bloggers and liberals. GWYNNE DYER L ONDON, U.K.—How’s this for a staunch defence of free speech in a secular state? Earlier this month, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh denounced anyone who criticized religion or expressed their own lack of religious faith in striking terms: “I don’t consider such writings as freethinking but filthy words. Why would anyone write such words? It’s not at all acceptable if anyone writes against our prophet or other religions.” So does she mean that it’s okay to kill people who write such words? Hack them to death with machetes, usually? She didn’t say yes, but she didn’t exactly say no either. And this is regrettable, because quite a few people are being hacked to death in Bangladesh these days. In the current wave of murders, most of the victims have been “secular” bloggers who publicly stated that they were atheists and offered reasons for their lack of belief. They did not criticize or mock Islam directly. But merely insisting that religious faith was not necessary or rational was enough to “hurt religious sentiment.” For some people, it was reason enough to kill them. Four high-profile secular bloggers were hacked to death in separate attacks in Bangladesh last year, in a campaign of murder that was clearly more than just random incidents of religious rage. What was remarkable was the response of the government— or rather, its lack of response. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leads a country of 160 million people that is officially committed to defending the freedoms of speech and belief of citizens of every religion (and of no religion at all). But while she publicly deplored the murders, she was careful at the same time to insinuate that the bloggers were outrageous people who had in some way deserved to be killed. She also insisted that these murders were the work of the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), or more precisely of its political ally, the Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist party. She firmly denied that foreign extremist forces like Islamic State or Al Qaeda (which would certainly approve of the killings) are active in the country. This probably seems to Sheikh Hasina to be sound politics in a country where 90 percent of the population is Muslim. So while not openly approving of murder, she publicly sympathizes with conservative Muslims who think they have the right to live in a society where their beliefs are never publicly questioned. It’s also good politics for her to blame the violence exclusively on the opposition parties, since admitting that foreign Islamists are involved would mean that she was failing in her duty to defend the country. But the result of her pragmatism and passivity has been a rapid expansion in the range of targets that are coming under attack by the extremists. On April 23, Professor Rezaul Karim Siddique, who edited a literary magazine and founded a music school—and never blogged about religion at all—was murdered by machete-wielding men as he left his home in the northern city of Rajshahi to go to the university. He was an observant Muslim, but he was involved in cultural activities that many hardline groups condemn as “un-Islamic.” The following day, gay rights activist Xulhaz Mannan, editor of a LGBT magazine, and actor Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy were hacked to death in the magazine’s offices in the capital, Dhaka. In other recent violence religious minorities have been attacked: Shia and Ahmadi mosques, Christian priests and Hindus. (Several of the murdered bloggers belonged to the 10-per cent Hindu minority, and their issue was religious belief in general, not Islam in particular.) So is Bangladeshi society drifting into the chronic terrorism against minorities of all sorts that afflicts its former ruler, Pakistan? The answer, unfortunately, is probably yes. The blame lies mainly with the two women who have polarized Bangladesh’s political life for so long. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is one of only two survivors of the family of Mujibur Rahman, the leader of Bangladesh’s independence struggle and its first prime minister. (He was massacred with most of the rest of his family in a military coup in 1975.) The opposition leader, Khaleda Zia, is the widow of General Ziaur Rahman, who led a subsequent military coup and declared Islam to be the state religion, only to be killed in yet another coup in 1981. In theory, at least, Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League represents the ideal of a secular Bangladesh that embraces its minorities, and Khaleda Zia’s BNP depends mainly on the support of conservative Sunni Muslims whose ideal society is explicitly Islamic. Such divisions exist in every Muslim society, but they are made far sharper by the mutual hatred of the two women who have utterly dominated Bangladesh’s politics for the past 25 years. The BNP’s alliance with Islamist parties pushes it ever closer to the religious extremists, and Sheikh Hasina’s pandering to conservative Islamic sentiment (in order not to lose devout Muslim voters to the BNP) is taking her party in the same direction. And Islamic State and Al Qaeda definitely are active in the country. Bangladesh is in deep trouble. Gwynne Dyer is a United Kingdom-based independent journalist. [email protected] The Hill Times 10 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 NEED TO KNOW MEDIA Politics takes its toll: Thoughts on the Parliamentary Press Gallery’s 150th anniversary From the elder Trudeau to Harper, reporters hold elected officials to account, and let the chips fall where they may. LES WHITTINGTON O TTAWA—There’s an old saying about the ivory-tower types who write editorials for newspapers: they’re like the people who ride down out of the mountains after the battle and shoot the wounded. Some politicians might say that applies to all journalists, and it’s true public office holders take a lot of punishment as they carry on through the highs and lows of their careers. Of course, you won’t get any apologies from the media. It goes without saying that reporters and editors consider it their job to try to hold elected officials to account, and let the chips fall where they may. While the Ottawa media’s commitment to doing so in an unrelenting way may have waxed and waned over the 150 years of the Parliamentary Press Gallery—an anniversary being celebrated this year—there’s no doubt political life at the national level in Canada in recent decades has been a perilous business. Pierre Trudeau is remembered today as one of the country’s modern heroes because of his efforts to bring in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. But when he stepped down from the prime minister’s job in 1984, he was widely disliked as a leader who had left the country in a shambles. (Oh, speaking of politicians and the media: what about the photographer who Aviation in Canada A key economic driver Employs over 60,000 Canadians Enables connectivity across the country ATAC - A dominant voice in the Canadian air transport industry since 1934 Members serve every region of Canada Represents over 180 Operators and Industry Partners Members train pilots from all over the world MEET ATAC MEMBERS on our May 17 Aviation Day on the Hill www.atac.ca Reuters photographer Jim Young and other photojournalists take photos of former prime minister Jean Chrétien as he answers questions at the Gomery commission in Ottawa on Feb. 8, 2005. The fallout from the scandal knocked the Liberals into also-ran status in elections for years, says Les Whittington. The Hill Times photographs by Jake Wright took the 1974 picture of Robert Stanfield fumbling a football, which put paid to the Progressive Conservatives’ chances of winning power?) As ill-fated politicians go, though, it’s hard to top Joe Clark, who lasted only nine months as prime minister and lost his minority government because someone neglected to count the likely opposition numbers in a confidence vote on the federal budget in the Commons. Pierre Trudeau’s successor, John Turner, never seemed to find his way as Liberal leader, suffering the unprecedented ignominy of a revolt against his leadership within his own party right in the middle of an election campaign. Then there was Brian Mulroney, who was probably fonder of journalists—at least before he got to 24 Sussex—than most politicos. As one who went from winning a huge majority in 1988 to widespread unpopularity a few years later, it’s not surprising that he used to say, in an admirably brief encapsulation, that Canada is a hard country to govern. The media hammered Mulroney’s Progressive Conservatives, digging up a series of spending outrages by his fellow PCs and Mulroney cronies—a theme that only got worse, unbelievably enough, after Mulroney was gone from office. Who can now forget the image of the former prime minister taking wads of cash from a socalled arms merchant? To his credit, Mulroney tried to address the glaring irregularity of having the country’s second-most-populous province holding out against signing the Constitution. But the whole project of course eventually backfired and nearly led to Canada’s breakup. Following Mulroney, Kim Campbell never had a chance and the PCs suffered a historical defeat, going into the 1993 election from 156 Commons seats to two— prompting inevitable jokes about caucus meetings in a phone booth. Jean Chrétien, previously passed over as party leader, went on to win three majority elections as the Liberal standard bearer. Despite that, he was undermined by the power-hungry Paul Martin gang. Chrétien’s tenure was also marred of course by the sponsorship scandal that emerged under his watch. The cascading scandal was a field day for reporters month after month and the fallout knocked the Liberals into also-ran status in elections for years. As theatre goes, it was unprecedented: Chrétien left the whole country scratching heads when, testifying at the Gomery commission, he opened his briefcase and brought out golf balls signed by U.S. presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clin- ton, among others. In Chrétien’s typically inimitable fashion, it was a rejoinder to a comment that Justice John Gomery had made to a journalist earlier in the sponsorship hearings, when the judge put down Chrétien for being “small-town cheap.” (And Chrétien got the last laugh over Gomery’s totally unnecessary and illadvised comment. In 2010, an appeal court upheld a ruling that Gomery had been biased against the Liberal prime minister and therefore vacated Gomery’s conclusion that Chrétien had been responsible for the sponsorship scandal.) Based on his success as finance minister, Paul Martin enjoyed cross-country acclaim that made him one of the most popular Canadian politicians of modern times. But as prime minister he appeared to be spinning his wheels. He never overcame the nickname bestowed by journalists at The Economist, who labelled him Mr. Dithers. Who knows what to say about Stephen Harper? I always had the impression he thought the whole journalistic exercise, with reporters raising questions in an adversarial manner, was beneath him—or at least illegitimate in some way. He certainly had the worst relations with the Parliamentary Press Gallery of any prime minister of recent decades. Harper’s supporters thought the Ottawa media were a bunch of left-wing hacks who were out to get him. But in fact the Conservative government received pretty good coverage, on balance, during its years in power. Overall, by the time Harper became prime minister, Canada’s news outlets were more conservative-minded than they had been in several previous decades. Harper had a good run, chalking up two minority election victories and a majority in 2011. His worst moment appears to have come at the hands of reporter Bob Fife, who uncovered the secret $90,000 cheque Mr. Harper’s then-chief of staff Nigel Wright wrote for Mike Duffy in an effort to quash an embarrassing uproar over Duffy’s expenses. In the long run, Harper will probably be remembered for being the prime minister who presided over the decline of the Quebec separatist threat, which had preoccupied most of his recent predecessors. But the unforgiving mills of history caught up with him, too, as he lost in a most unexpected and humiliating fashion to the Liberals under the leadership, of all people, of the son of the man whose national energy policies motivated Harper’s entire political enterprise. Les Whittington is an Ottawa journalist and a regular contributor to The Hill Times. The Hill Times 11 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 PLAIN SPEAK LEADERS’ SALARIES So political parties top up leaders’ pay, what’s wrong with that? How parties choose to spend their money is entirely up to them if that money is privately raised and properly disclosed. TIM POWERS O TTAWA—Wood purchased. Nails at the ready. I expect to be crucified by some readers of this column once they have finished reading. Why? Read on. There seems to be a furor in some quarters these days because, shockingly, some political parties in this country are topping up the salaries of their leaders. Imagine that. Crazy stuff, really. Yup, those schlep politicians should get the square root of shag-all for their services. The British Columbia Liberals therefore must be utterly cracked for giving Premier Christy Clark a $50,000 stipend for her work as party leader. Even that guy Brad Wall in Saskatchewan is getting some extra cash from his party; utter madness on the Prairies. If Christy and Brad want more money, they should be organizing bottle drives on their own time to pick up a few extra nickels. It goes without saying those empties must have been personally purchased and not cast-offs from government receptions. And they better use their own frigging vehicles to take them to the beer store. How political parties choose to spend their money is entirely up to political parties if that money is privately raised. If the donors are prepared to give and members are prepared to support the allocation of those resources by the parties then that is their business. As long as the spending is legitimate, properly disclosed, subject to proper financial controls, and audited. Really, what is the issue? British Columbia Premier Christy Clark, pictured speaking to reporters in Ottawa last November, is under fire because her party tops up her salary, which is already close to $200,000. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright Christy Clark got herself in some trouble on the disclosure front because she wasn’t as forthcoming as she should have been about her pay supplement. Yet for some in the B.C. NDP to be screaming bloody murder about it is mind numbing given their leader apparently received some form of clothing allowance. The real crime would have been if John Horgan, the NDP leader, spent the money at Moores; joking of course—that is a fine haberdashery. Frankly, wouldn’t you rather have political parties looking after the political pay and expenses of their leaders and other highprofile figures? Some people are still rightly spitting mad because a certain senator used our money to expense a personal trainer. If the Conservatives bought that guy a Bowflex, no one would have given a damn. There always seems to be an underlying tone when it comes to the debate about leaders getting top-ups from their parties. It is as if offence is taken and senses have been abandoned because a politician is getting more than they should. The expectation from some is that politicians must take a vow of poverty as a nun takes an oath of chastity. But ultimately we are screwing ourselves if we don’t think money matters to people who are in or contemplating public service. Most people don’t go into politics to get rich. Some politicians get very rich after their time in office. Think of people like former premiers Mike Harris and Frank McKenna. Who is to say these two wouldn’t have become wealthy anyway, as they are all quite able. But you need to pay reasonably competitive salaries if you want to hope that politics is in the mix for all manner of job seekers. We live in era when we should take no offence to the question: “Well, how much money can I make being a politician?” Noble callings are nice. Public service as a vocation, even better. But money does actually talk! No one is arguing the nearly $200,000 Christy Clark makes or the about $175,000 or more MPs get is chump change. But these aren’t exorbitant wages either, and much less than many privatesector equivalent positions. And in the case of Clark, if her party thinks she is worth more because of all they ask of her, then let them fill their boots. That is their call. If you don’t support that, then don’t donate, or vote against her when the opportunity presents itself. Take solace in how nice John Horgan’s suit looks on him when you do. Tim Powers is vice-chairman of Summa Strategies and managing director of Abacus Data. The Hill Times INSIDE POLITICS INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS Trudeau sets himself a high bar on promises to First Nations Indigenous high school students ask pointed questions of the PM. TIM HARPER O TTAWA-Perhaps it was the impatience of youth. More likely, it was the impatience of a First Nations generation meeting a prime minister who has raised expectations sky high. When Justin Trudeau visited Saskatoon’s Oskayak High School last week, he got his share of selfies and delighted squeals, but he got something else—tough questions from First Nations teens on their futures and his promises. They were not smitten with celebrity. They were showcasing themselves as the potential leaders of a First Nations generation that will hold Trudeau and his successors at their word when they speak of a new relationship. They asked Trudeau about First Nations suicides, genocide, Third World living conditions, and respect for treaties. What are we physically going to see with your budgetary investments, asked Mafif Singer. Why is this taking so long, asked Charisa Tootoosis. When Tahris Bear, a 19-yearold from Sweetgrass First Nation rose, she stumbled briefly, betraying her nervousness, before she found her voice. “How do you intend to honour the promises your ancestors made with mine exactly written in all the signed treaties across Canada, to make up and pay for the acts of genocide our ancestors were subject to long before and after the signing of Treaty Six? “How do you, Justin, with all your politicians and representatives, plan to right the wrongs of the past 22 elected prime ministers who failed?” “Are we not considered Canadians as well? If we are, why do you allow the First People of this land to endure and live in Third World conditions?’’ Trudeau’s answer wasn’t bad, but it was rambling, and as a general rule of thumb with this prime minister (and most politicians) the longer the answer, the less of an answer it actually is. Afterward, Bear told the Saskatoon Star Phoenix she was underwhelmed, that she received a “politician’s answer.’’ The point is, Trudeau has promised First Nations much and he had better deliver. Liberal leader Justin Trudeau greets Elder Evelyn CommandaDewache during the closing ceremony of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission, at Rideau Hall in June 2015. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright He has backed much of it with an $8.4-billion spending commitment over five years in the recent federal budget. He has promised to end boilwater advisories in five years. Thursday he visited Shoal Lake, a First Nations community on the Manitoba-Ontario border that has been under a boil-water advisory for two decades. He was accompanied by a VICE News crew in a private visit for a coming documentary, simultaneously showing he believes he can deliver on his promises, knows he has already funded a road that will free up the isolated community, understands the value of the massively staged photo-op, and doesn’t mind an- gering other news organizations barred from joining him. He will convene an inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women and girls. He has promised to begin anew the nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations. These are big promises and events keep reminding how big these challenges are. The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has given the Liberals two weeks to comply with its January ruling, which said the government discriminated against First Nations children on reserves by not providing them with the same welfare services as exist elsewhere. Eleven suicide attempts in one night in Attawapiskat highlighted what some are calling a national First Nations suicide epidemic and a fire that claimed nine lives in Pikangikum in northern Ontario highlighted the substandard housing and lack of services and running water on First Nations reserves. Trudeau told the Saskatoon students that change is like turning around an ocean liner and that Ottawa can’t do it alone. It will take billions of more dollars and many more years to erase the scar of the treatment of First Nations on the Canadian morality, he said. Indigenous Canadians, too, have a lot of work to do, he told them, and they and his government must work together. If Trudeau cannot deliver, it will be the next generation embodied in Oskayak that will hold him and his successors accountable. This is a school that is a home to 300 students from 51 First Nations across Saskatchewan. Most of them live on their own. Twenty per cent have children of their own. These are teens who did not fit in elsewhere, but now celebrate their history and their culture and daily discuss treaty rights, housing issues, homelessness, and missing and murdered women. The students demand that, says principal Bernadette Laliberte. Such issues are never far from their minds, she told me. They had less than 24 hours to prepare questions for Trudeau. But this was not some social sciences class. These kids are living this and this is the generation that will keep our politicians honest. Tim Harper is a national affairs writer for The Toronto Star. This column was released on April 29. The Hill Times 12 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 NEWS FOREIGN AFFAIRS Politician’s cancelled visit causes tension in IndoCanadian communities ‘We welcome any opportunity that politicians have when they want to come and engage with the diaspora,’ says Minister Navdeep Bains. Mr. Singh’s North American political tour, spokesperson Francois Lasalle pointed to a government policy banning political campaigning by foreigners, and wrote in an email that “Global Affairs Canada has made this policy very clear to all foreign missions in Canada (including bringing it to the attention of the Indian High Commission in Ottawa) and will continue to do so.” Canada’s government enacted a policy in September 2011 that reads “the Government of Canada will continue to refuse requests by foreign States to include Canada in their respective extraterritorial electoral constituencies. Also, the Department will not allow foreign governments to conduct election campaigns in Canada or establish foreign political parties and movements in Canada.” Continued from page 1 Mr. Singh instead interacted with Indo-Canadians and non-resident Indians known as ‘NRIs’ - via Skype. When asked about the Canadian government’s involvement in the re-routing of Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains (Mississauga-Malton, Ont.) appeared to disagree with the government’s policy, saying that his constituents are engaged in international politics and that allowing politicians to visit communities is a matter of Charter rights. “I think we have a very vibrant diaspora here in Canada that’s very engaged in domestic and international politics. I think we’re a country that supports a Charter. Freedom of expression, freedom of opinion, freedom of assembly. These are all Canadian attributes and we welcome any opportunity that politicians have when they want to come and engage with the diaspora, and I think that’s the message I heard from my constituents and that’s the message I relayed on to them,” he told The Hill Times. Mr. Singh himself characterized the ban on his political action in much the same way, writing a letter to Mr. Trudeau on the matter. “It feels like a gag order that has left a very bad taste,” he wrote, according to a report from India Today. Liberal MP Ramesh Sangha (Brampton Centre, Ont.), who was born in India and represents a riding with many Indo- EVENTS INNOVATION IN SENIORS CARE JUNE 2, 2016 | 11:30AM - 5PM SHAW CENTRE PRESENTED BY: On June 2, join the discussion on innovative practices and policies for an aging population The federal government’s commitment to a new Health Accord is considered to be essential to the sustainability of Canada’s health care system. As provinces and territories struggle to meet the health care needs of their ageing population, the Forum addresses opportunities to be able to deliver a health system for all Canadians. Seniors today account for 14 percent of Canada’s population. It is expected to increase to more than a quarter of the population by 2036. The new Liberal government has recognized that something needs to be done. In this year’s budget speech, Finance Minister Hon. Bill Morneau announced his intent invest in innovative practices to protect the integrity of the health care system and find ways to work with partners to identify solutions. hilltimes.com/events Canadians, was of a different opinion, and said he did not think that too many of his constituents were concerning themselves with Indian politics. “I don’t think people will be so crazy to talk to him,” he said. “There’s Indian politics there, this is here. People, sometimes they do have interest...back in their country, because their hearts are there still. But at the same time I don’t think they are so crazy that they want him here.” He did not specify whether he was in support of the policy itself or not. The office of Liberal MP Sonia Sidhu (Brampton South, Ont.) said she did not wish to comment on Indian politics because the issue was too divisive amongst her constituents. Amarinder Singh is an MP for Amritsar, a constituency in the Indian province of Punjab. He is currently the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, the provincial affiliate of the Indian National Congress party, currently in opposition to the government. He held the position of Chief Minister of Punjab - the equivalent to a premier in Canada - from 2002 to 2007. He is seeking re-election to this position in the 2017 Punjab election. The Canadian policy banning political campaigning by foreign politicians was put in place by the Conservative government, and was stressed by MP Jason Kenney and former minister of multiculturalism Tim Uppal. The Times of India reported in July 2014 that Mr. Kenney said, “We’ll encourage foreign visitors, if they are politicians to come here on their private visit or to promote bilateral relations, not to get overtly mixed in their own country’s domestic politics on Canadian soil.” Gurpatwant Pannun, the legal representative for Sikhs for Justice, the group that launched the complaint in the first place, said Indian political leaders coming to Canada end up dividing the community. He said his group is actively trying to keep Indian politicians out of Canada because they come here mainly for fundraising purposes, and that it isn’t always fair. “They make them do the gathering, then they take their money, and if you speak against them, then they openly threaten you,” he said. “If anybody in Canada talks about the policies of the political leaders who come from Punjab, they fear repercussions for their families back home.” Mr. Singh did not respond to a request for comment by The Hill Times. Mr. Pannun, who acquired the legal services of Canadian law firm Goldblatt Partners in his quest to block Indian politicians from campaigning here, has recently submitted another complaint to Global Affairs against Mr. Singh’s rival candidate: Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party. “We understand that Captain Amarinder Singh announced the cancellation of his planned election activities in Canada after being informed by the Indian government that they were in violation of the Policy. We commend GAC for its prompt action in enforcing the Policy,” it reads. “In the interest of consistent enforcement of the Policy, we are bringing to your attention information that we recently became aware of concerning activities of representatives of another Indian political party, Aam Aadmi Party.” The letter cites several Indian news articles as its sources of information, one of which states that Mr. Kejriwal is planning trips to Vancouver and Toronto this year. The letter, signed by civil rights lawyer Louis Century, also referred to Mr. Singh’s participation in Skype meetings with Canadians, and asked the department to “reiterate its objections to the Indian government in light of Amarinder’s subsequent statements.” Mr. Singh went on to host political events in Los Angeles, California. Global Affairs Canada has previously enforced this policy against politicians from France and Tunisia who had planned political efforts in Canada in 2014. [email protected] The Hill Times 13 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 OPINION ENVIRONMENT European Union Ambassador Marie-Anne Coninsx and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau enter a reception on Feb. 18 marking the 40th anniversary of the EU’s diplomatic presence in Canada. The EU and Canada face common challenges in crafting climate policies that work for large and diverse jurisdictions, say the authors. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia What Canada can learn from the EU’s climate policy Europe’s experience may offer guidance as Canada starts crafting climate policy for a highly diverse society. MERRAN SMITH AND TERESA RIBERA O utside our borders, Canada is perhaps best known for its spectacular wilderness: its lakes, rivers, mountains, and coastlines draw visitors from all over the globe. Canada’s new prime minister, Justin Trudeau, pointed to that same “rugged, natural beauty” when he campaigned on making environmental and clean energy leadership a priority. And with his new government in place, Canada has launched an unprecedented national project in line with those campaign promises: crafting a climate plan that the federal government and all 13 provinces and territories can agree on. Canada’s premiers and prime minister said this new national plan has to be strong enough to—at least—respect our country’s regional differences and hit Canada’s 2030 climate target. And it has to come together before October. It’s a very tall order, especially given the very different economic makeup of Canada’s provinces. Climate action in Quebec looks very different than it does in Saskatchewan or in the Yukon. But for any Canadians feeling daunted by the task ahead, we have good news: the European Union took on the same assignment and emerged with a solid package of climate and energy commitments that all its member countries agreed to. What can Canada learn? The EU’s experience offers four lessons that may offer guidance as Canada starts down the path of crafting climate policy for a highly diverse society. First, set goals for what you want to build, not just what you want to cut. Setting clean energy goals changes the conversation from one about how to allocate pain to one about cashing in on benefits. The EU climate package for 2030 didn’t just tell the world by how much the EU would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The agreements also contain targets for the clean economy the EU is building, emphasizing the positive return from investments in clean energy and efficiency. Second, carbon pricing is necessary but not sufficient. A price on carbon is an extremely effective climate policy tool: it makes polluting choices more expensive, thus rewarding clean choices throughout the economy. But the kinds of prices that are politically feasible today aren’t high enough to transform the way we use energy—and clean energy faces barriers that aren’t just related to price. So while the EU has had a cap-and-trade system in place for over a decade, carbon pricing is a foundation that supports many more layers of climate policies throughout the EU. Third, agreeing on a policy package is just the first step. Can- ada’s governments have six tough months of climate analysis and negotiations ahead of them—and then the real work begins. Having a credible plan is essential, and it would be a real breakthrough in a country that’s never made a serious national effort to achieve a climate target. But implementing policy promises can be even tougher than committing to them. The EU’s experience shows that governments need to be in this for the long haul, as do the businesses, experts, nongovernmental organizations, and citizens who care about climate action. We find that governments are far more likely to stay on track when they keep their eyes firmly fixed on the rewards of the clean energy transition—jobs, GDP growth, and investment, along with environmental and reputational gains—than when they’re arguing about how they don’t need to do as much as their neighbour. So a final lesson from the EU’s experience, one that the EU itself is still working on: a good planning process wraps up fairly quickly, so that the lobbyists can move over to make space for the engineers. Once companies know the rules of the game—and realize that they can’t avoid playing it—experience shows that change can happen at a far lower cost than industry and government predicted. Today, the EU and Canada face common challenges in crafting climate policies that work for large and diverse jurisdictions. Both governments see huge potential in the fast-growing clean energy economy, and both want to ensure they are positioned to succeed in a clean energy world. Both contributed to the success of the Paris climate negotiations, which resulted in an agreement that brought the world together in committing to action to avoid dangerous climate change. In the process, this gave a worldwide boost to the clean energy sector’s momentum. But while the EU has been a longtime leader, Canada’s federal government spent most of the past decade missing in action on climate change and clean energy. The one advantage of arriving late at the party? We can learn from those who came before us. The lessons we’ve outlined here are just the beginning of what could be a very rich collaboration. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the EU’s diplomatic presence in Canada. With Canada’s climate agenda finally kicking into high gear, the timing is perfect to celebrate that anniversary with a Canada-EU dialogue on climate change and clean energy—hopefully accompanied by an ambitious climate plan in Canada. Merran Smith is the executive director of Clean Energy Canada. Teresa Ribera is director of IDDRI, a Paris-based sustainable development policy institute. [email protected] The Hill Times 14 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 OPINION FINANCE China’s economy growing amid restructuring The country is ready to work with Canada to negotiate a free trade deal at an early date. LUO ZHAOHUI O TTAWA—Given the sluggish growth of the global economy, the economic growth of China, the world’s second largest economy, is very much in the international spotlight. According to statistics released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics a few days ago, China’s gross domestic product grew 6.7 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year, slightly lower than last year’s average of 6.9 per cent, but within the 6.5 per cent to seven per cent target range for growth aimed by the Chinese government. China’s economic growth remains one of the highest compared to the developed economies and other emerging economies, maintaining a medium-high speed. The positive changes in China’s major economic indicators, such as production, demand, prices, and volume of physical goods, demonstrate that the country’s economic performance in the first quarter was better than expected. China’s employment rate is stable and increasing, with new jobs created in the first quarter already meeting 31.8 per cent of the annual target. The economic structure is improving and the economy is developing rapidly with new driving forces for growth gaining momentum. China’s new strategic industries have grown 10 per cent and its high-tech industries expanded 9.2 per cent. Consumption keeps going strong, with increased household spending on housing, transportation, education, old-age care, social security, health care, and tourism. Medium- to highend consumption is booming. China’s imports and exports are gradually picking up, especially its exports, which have stopped falling and are starting to rise again. All this has laid down a solid foundation for economic growth throughout the year. In April, while downgrading its global economic growth outlook by 0.2 percentage points and cutting its forecast for growth prospects of the United States and euro area by 0.2 percentage points, the International Monetary Fund upgraded China’s economic growth outlook by 0.2 percentage points. Similarly, JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, and other financial institutions have also raised China’s economic growth forecast. This is a strong indication that the international community is optimistic about China’s economic development. As the Chinese economy grows in size, it would be unrealistic and irrational always to maintain the double-digit growth taken for granted in previous years. China’s GDP totalled more than US$10 trillion in 2015. A mere one per cent growth today is equal to 2.5 per cent 10 years ago. China’s current annual GDP increment in absolute terms is almost the size of a medium-sized economy. China’s GDP amounted to 15,852.6 billion yuan (about US$2,443.3 billion) in the first quarter of 2016. Calculated at 2015 prices, the first-quarter GDP rose by 985.1 billion yuan (about US$151.8 billion) year-on-year, 22.2 billion yuan (about US$3.42 billion) more over the same period of last year. The rate of China’s GDP growth may be lower than before, but the real growth is more substantial and bigger in size than in the past. China’s economy is now at a critical juncture of transformation, and is going through a transition shifting from traditional drivers of growth to new ones. The economy is also grappling with the throes of structural adjustment and considerable downward pressure. The opportunities are unprecedented, but so are the challenges. Actions speak louder than words. In the face of these challenges and the complex economic situation, the Chinese government has put forward the concept of innovation-driven, co-ordinated, green, open, and inclusive development. China will improve its policies of macroeconomic regulation and press ahead with supplyside structural reform. China will vigorously implement the strategy of innovation-driven growth and promote industrial innovation and upgrading. China will cut overcapacity and excess inventory, deleverage, reduce costs, and strengthen weak links in development so as to improve the quality and efficiency of economic development, and strengthen economic sustainability. Skyscrapers in Yuzhong District in Chongqing, China. China’s GDP grew 6.7 per cent year-onyear in the first quarter of this year, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics. Flickr photograph by Thomas Bächinger According to the latest IMF World Economic Outlook, China is navigating a momentous but complex transition toward more sustainable growth based on consumption and services. Ultimately, that process will benefit both China and the world. China remains the world’s most important engine for global growth, contributing up to 25 per cent of the world economic growth. In the next five years, China’s economy will continue to grow at a minimum rate of 6.5 per cent. Its imports are expected to reach US$10 trillion and its outbound direct investment will exceed US$600 billion. China will adhere to the policy of reform and opening up, and promote common development and win-win co-operation with other countries. China is advancing the Belt and Road initiative (the development of a land-based Silk Road Economic Belt and an oceangoing 21st Century Maritime Silk Road) and developing international production capacity co-operation. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, established at China’s initiative, is already up and running. The New Development Bank BRICS has announced its first loan program. China is Canada’s second largest trading partner. China’s development will provide opportunities for bilateral trade and economic co-operation. The commonalities between Chinese and Canadian development strategies and the complementarities between our industrial structures promise huge potential for trade and economic cooperation between our two countries. China is ready to work closely with Canada to promote greater progress in bilateral trade and economic co-operation through, among other things, the negotiation of a free trade agreement at an early date; the development of large projects in high-speed rail, nuclear energy, and liquefied natural gas; the building of a ChinaCanada maritime energy corridor; and the creation and cultivation of new highlights of co-operation in energy resources, infrastructure development, new manufacturing industries, and the green economy. Luo Zhaohui is China’s ambassador to Canada. The Hill Times The timing for this training was good since a meeting of Canadian foreign ministry representatives, diplomats, academics, and former United Nations peacekeeping officials was held at Global Affairs Canada earlier this year to discuss a newly expanded peacekeeping role for Canada that might also involve greater support for UN mediation efforts. During the two days of discussions a couple weeks ago, participants agreed that this is a good direction for Canada’s foreign policy to take and that we can play a helpful role. In fact, it was agreed that the range of possibilities is huge and there are many ways for Canada to show it is committed to mediating global conflicts. These options range from supporting others already actively mediating, to building and supporting existing Canadian mediation capacity, to just getting started with doing the work ourselves. Interestingly, it emerged over the course of the workshop that there are indeed many Canadians who have been or currently are working away quietly on numerous mediation efforts. In some cases we are leading the process, and in many other cases Canadians are playing helpful and much-needed support roles. While an answer to the question of “what can and should Canada do?” wasn’t decided at the training program, just the fact that there were so many possible ways forward identified was indeed a useful exercise for moving this conversation along. And, as one person remarked, no matter what direction we eventually take we should probably start by systematically documenting, raising the profile of, and celebrating the successes of Canadians who are or have been mediating. One thing is clear: the world needs more Canada, and if we can find a place on the global stage as a helpful player in preventing and resolving conflicts that builds upon our existing strengths, past experience, and good reputation, then everyone benefits. Evan Hoffman is a senior associate at the Canadian International Institute of Applied Negotiation. [email protected] The Hill Times OPINION CONFLICT RESOLUTION Honest broker 2.0 Government officials recently spent a couple days brainstorming how Canada can help mediate global conflicts. EVAN HOFFMAN A couple weeks ago, nearly 30 people from Global Affairs Canada participated in two days of mediation training at the Canadian Foreign Service Institute in Gatineau. The focus was to introduce the topic of formal and informal diplomacy in political or armed conflict situations, plus to take a look at some of the practical skills required to help prevent or resolve these types of conflicts. Government officials participating in the training program also had a chance to explore a possible new global role for Canada as an “honest broker” on the world stage. The workshop facilitators included a number of Canadian mediation experts from PeaceBuild, the Canadian International Institute of Applied Negotiation, Partnership Africa Canada, and the University of Ottawa. Additionally, retired general John De Chastelain spoke of his extensive experience working for many years on the Northern Ireland peace process and, in particular, the difficulties of building trust between long-time foes. 15 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 OPINION SECURITY Rhetoric and reality in public policy Leaders should avoid rhetoric and work quietly to bring Canadian hostages home. GAR PARDY R hetoric and reality are often seen as opposites when issues of public policy are discussed. For many, rhetoric is the favourite instrument of those who wish to bedazzle and mislead in order to confuse when serious issues are at hand. Reality, on the other hand, is seen as the ultimate check on those who launch highflying statements—non-answers for serious questions. For the most part this dichotomy is tolerated as a useful aspect of public discourse. Rhetoric is accepted for what it is; knowing reality will intervene and provide all with the needed answers. Of course, there are always situations when rhetoric is acceptable not only for leaders but also followers, as reality is not a palatable nor understandable answer. Accordingly, rhetoric with all of its inherent contradictions becomes the basis on which large issues of public policy are debated, decided, and programmed. Nowhere is this more apparent than when democratic leaders lead us to the barricades with sound bites that are both beguiling and confusing. We can all remember the Nixon era “War on Drugs” which, with more rhetoric than reality, had a world marching largely together to defeat “public enemy number one.” Nearly fifty years later, and with spending by the United States alone estimated at over U.S. $50-billion annually, the global policy based largely on rhetoric has come to an end. The United Nations hosted a conference last month in New York to try and introduce some measure of reality into the “War on Drugs.” The conference was largely initiated by a report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy which, using some rhetoric to obtain attention stated, “The global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world.” Canada participated and announced its legalization of marijuana. Lest we dismiss that disaster, it is again time to remember another rhetorical-based policy, the “Global War on Terror” launched by former president George W. Bush in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and northern Virginia. The launch of this “war” was initially lumbered by the use of the word “crusade” by the president, but additional rhetoric soon corrected things. Instead, he told the public that the “War on Terror begins with al-Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped, and defeated.” It took less than a decade for a new president to declare the rhetorical flourishes of the War on Terror as being counterproductive and before long the U.S. Department of Defence replaced the “Global War on Terror” with “Overseas Contingency Operation.” Today it is “Countering Violent Extremism.” Not many flourishes there. One aspect of those “contingency” operations has been the effort to create a common policy on how to deal with kidnappings by those who want to do us harm. The common policy of “no negotiations, no ransoms” predates 9/11, but it is a policy that is largely rhetorical. It assumes countries are willing to sacrifice citizens who are victims, or more accurately, pawns in the many insurgencies around the world. Just as there is no one answer in dealing with these insurgencies, there is no one answer in dealing with the collateral victims. To suggest to an attentive public that a government is not willing at the rhetorical level to offer assistance is to use rhetoric in a most dangerous and unhelpful way. Rhetoric at times when citizen’s lives are in direct danger requires the most circumspect, not only of comment, but of action as well. Unfortunately, the lure of rhetoric is ever present. But it is not too much to expect leaders, in situations such as we are now facing in the Philippines, to ignore this lure and get on with the business of seeing the safe return of a Canadian home. This requires quiet work in the shadows, not as the lead item in our media. Gar Pardy is retired from the foreign service and comments on issues of public policy. He has just published Afterwords From a Foreign Service Odyssey, available from Amazon. The Hill Times OPINION DEMOCRACY The system is rigged…really? Politicians committed to democracy should engage the people directly and meaningfully, particularly when deciding on major changes to the electoral system. PASCAL DESBIENS U .S. presidential contenders Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are talking about the “rigged system.” Are they reaching a new low or an interesting high in U.S. politics? This systemic discussion has implications on international relations and future reforms in Canada. Adam Smith addressed systemic issues when he wrote The Wealth of Nations, the seminal book first published in March 1776, a few months before the U.S. colonies declared independence. Referring to the “invisible hand,” Smith argued that an individual “pursuing (his or her) own interest frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when (he or she) really intends to promote it.” This was 240 years ago, before economics and political science further considered game theory, public goods, social choices, and dynamic maximization. In 2016, U.S. presidential contenders state that the system is rigged. Are they naively convinced about their argument or, for political expediency, just simplifying a complex idea about the “system” and its evolution? Such a statement resonates well among voters who perceive social, economic or political rules (or their application) as unfair, dysfunctional or incoherent. U.S. presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump have both claimed that their party’s nomination processes were ‘rigged.’ Gage Skidmore Photo & Wikimedia Photo: Michael Vadon A troubling aspect of this claim is its broad and trans-boundary application. Anyone may understand it her own way. Other nations’ citizens and leaders also have reasons to consider that their own national system or the international architecture is rigged against them, which may or not be the case. In diplomatic language, making such statements is toxic. Also, breaking down the so-called “system” into sub-elements is endless. Using this political strategy may be a winning proposition, as there is always another example to reinforce the claim. It polarizes and antagonizes the “satisfied” and the “dissatisfied,” which potentially feeds interminable debates. Ill-conceived discussions are not conducive to building social consensus around public policy issues that are difficult to address in media-intensive political campaigns. For instance, issues such as setting firewalls between public and private interests, establishing boundaries to legal actions corporate entities may undertake against sovereign governments or containing rent-seeking behaviours that undermine the productive foundation of the economy, while protecting the less fortunate, arguably are not what town hall participants are interested in hearing, at least not for too long. Meanwhile, statements about the rigged system are useful in terms of public policy if discussions lead to actionable conclusions. What is presumably rigged? Sanders and Mr. Trump’s political message respectively focuses on two broad components of the system: the economic part, arguably rigged by those who benefit from financial and free trade rules and the lobbyists; and the political part, rigged by establishments controlling barriers to entry of “uninitiated” political contenders. These establishments are said to be financed and controlled by those who rig the economic system. It’s kind of a mutually beneficial “public-private partnership,” as the argument goes. These classical concerns relate to reasoning symmetrically equivalent to Adam Smith’s notorious idea of a “constructive” invisible hand, namely another invisible hand “less constructive” leading self-interested individuals to more effectively hinder the interest of the society as a whole, when the system of checks and balances and self-restraint become ineffective. As check and balance is what a democratic system and a free economy are all about, with core rules about free speech, well-functioning markets, human rights, rule of law, ethics, protection of minorities, and effective public institutions, Mr. Sanders and Trump implicitly put the whole system on trial. Arguably, they don’t question its basic design as much as social choices, distribution of benefits, governance rules as well as integrity and ethics of agents on whom it rests. A concrete application to Canada The eventual reform of Canada’s electoral rules and the rethinking of the “first-past-the-post electoral system” is a case in point. Indeed, a democratic government should be elected to represent the broadest range of interests in society, but achieving that goal is not limited to the electoral process. Democratic representation is not merely a numerical issue, but has other important qualitative features. Parties best positioned to influence the electoral rules are obviously those who won within these rules, and human nature suggests they are more likely to propose new rules securing their position rather than undermining it. Why would they propose rules undermining their current legitimacy to govern? To do so, they must be convinced that other rules will better serve the common good. But if they succeeded in being elected to serve it, doesn’t that mean that the current rules already work? This logical loop projects the appearance of a rigged system, whereas those working to improve it gradually undermine it through a series of self-interested actions or mere inaction. Advocates of, and opponents to, fundamental reforms such as electoral or constitutional changes, and redesign of the political or economic systems, reveal their political motivation and risk tolerance partly through their positions on decision-rules. Politicians committed to democracy should not hesitate to engage the people directly and meaningfully, particularly when deciding on major changes to the electoral system or the economic and social landscape. Former prime minister Pierre Trudeau said in his 1984 farewell speech “we have much more building to do”. Seven prime ministers and five U.S. presidents later, political debates in the U.S. and Canada suggest that his last words were pretty accurate. Pascal Desbiens is a former counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Canada to the UN, foreign and defence policy adviser in the Privy Council Office, and policy and program planner and manager at the former CIDA. The Hill Times 16 The Hill Times, wednesday, May 4, 2016 news citizenship Liberals order investigation into possible citizenship fraud central database for managing citizenship cases, resulting in an oversight by citizenship officers responsible for verifying addresses, a requirement for obtaining citizenship, before citizenship was granted. The results prompted the auditors to scrutinize another 150 addresses out of the test pool of 9,778 adults who had been granted citizenship, finding 102 other addresses with inconsistencies, with one address that had 13 different versions in the departmental database, which the report said increased the risk that “problem addresses” in citizenship applications from permanent residents could be missed. Further review by Mr. Ferguson’s auditors of two recent Canada Border Services Agency fraud investigations found the CBSA had not consistently updated the central Citizenship department database ‘Simple’ work by the AG’s office found fraud overlooked or not communicated by government departments and agencies. Continued from page 1 From a sample of nearly 10,000 of the permanent residents who had been granted citizenship, Mr. Ferguson’s audit team found initial indications that the Canadian addresses of six citizenship applicants had not been flagged by the department’s with problem addresses CBSA officers discovered, which increased the likelihood of the department missing flags for possible fraud by citizenship applicants. In one of the investigations, CBSA officers found 16 different individuals had used two addresses during the year and a half that citizenship applications went through and “half of these addresses had not been added to the department’s list of problem addresses,” Mr. Ferguson’s report said. A second CBSA investigation linked 21 problem addresses to “multiple individuals,” but three of those addresses had not been added to the Citizenship department’s database of problem addresses, one of the most common factors in fraudulent applications. The audit also examined questionable address information on citizenship ap- EVENTS SPARKING INNOVATION MAY 18 | 7:30-9:00 AM DELTA OTTAWA CITY CENTRE PRESENTED BY: On May 18, join Hill Times Events for the release of a new survey on applied research produced by Colleges and Institutes Canada. Presenting the report findings will be Colleges and Institutes Canada president and CEO Denise Amyot. Earlier this year in the 2016 budget speech, the government reaffirmed its support to invest in universities, colleges and institutions to create ‘hubs of discovery and innovation’. How do these hubs create and add value to Canadian business and help transform the economy? Following Denise Amyot’s remarks a distinguished panel will weigh in with their thoughts on how applied research can contribute to the government’s innovation agenda and help answer the question. Discussants include: Kenneth Knox, chair of the Science, Technology & Innovation Council, Guy Levesque, vice president programs and performance, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Bettina Hamelin, vice-president, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and Marc Fares, vice president digital technologies and innovation, Algonquin College. Veteran broadcaster Catherine Clark will moderate the session. This is a FREE event. Advance registration is required. hilltimes.com/events/SI.html plicants that the RCMP had provided to the department. “We found an example where the RCMP provided the department with a list of [eight] problem addresses linked to a residency fraud investigation but only [one] address was ever added to the department’s list of problem addresses and flagged on the database,” the report said. Of seven other addresses Mr. Ferguson’s office audited, three citizenship applicants had used one of them as part of their proof of residency, and been granted citizenship after the information was provided to the department. The auditors found that in 18 out of a further 49 citizenship application cases that had been flagged as potential address fraud, citizenship officers did not request additional evidence to verify whether the applicant met citizenship requirements. The auditors also found “many applicants” used the same address over several years, but none of the citizenship offices in charge of their applications noticed. “For example, one address was used by at least 50 different applicants during overlapping time periods between 2008 and 2015,” the report said. Seven of those applicants became Canadian citizens. Mr. Ferguson was unable to say, in response to questions at a news conference after he tabled his report, how extensive fraud might be in Canadian citizenship applications. “We were able to identify about 50 cases of people where there were indications they were trying to obtain their citizenship fraudulently,” Mr. Ferguson said. “It’s not really possible to say how widespread, but I think what is possible to say is the steps that we took to try to identify cases of citizenship fraud were not complicated,” the auditor general said. “We’re not talking here about indications, necessarily, of very sophisticated fraud; it was fairly simple for us to find these 50 cases, and fundamentally, I think that means it’s 50 cases too many,” said Mr. Ferguson. The report also found examples where the RCMP had failed to forward information to the Citizenship department that would have been important for decisions to grant citizenship or not. From a sample of 38 cases where permanent residents or foreign nationals had been charged with serious crimes—such as drug trafficking and assault—Mr. Ferguson’s auditors found the RCMP shared the required information in only two of the 38 cases. Of the 36 cases where the RCMP did not forward information about criminal charges, four involved people seeking Canadian citizenship. The department did receive information from CBSA in 19 of the 38 cases, and the department became aware through that route of one more of the applicants who had been charged. Among the remaining three who had been charged, two applicants received citizenship and a third did not, but only because the applicant had failed a test on knowledge of Canada. Mr. McCallum said the government had already responded with a call for an investigation, and also has instructed the Citizenship Department, RCMP and CBSA to improve communications. “I wasn’t happy to see that and as I said I immediately responded by starting an investigation into people who may have committed fraud,” Mr. McCallum said. He added the government has instructed the RCMP, CBSA and citizenship authorities to improve communications and entry of data into the central case management system. “In every case, we will be responding immediately. We’ve already begun that work and after a certain number of months we will have completed those improvements,” said Mr. McCallum. [email protected] The Hill Times INTERNATIONAL SECURITY THE HILL TIMES POLICY BRIEFING • MAY 4, 2016 The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia MINISTER Q&A C-51 ANTI-TERRORISM PUBLIC SAFETY More oversight coming for CBSA, says Public Safety Minister Goodale Changes in ‘talks-about-talks’ phase: Advocacy group Repealing the law is essential The government needs to co-operate with the opposition By Conservative MP Erin O’Toole PAGE 22 By Peter Mazereeuw By Yael Berger Green Party Leader Elizabeth May PAGE 18 PAGE 20 PAGE 23 BORDER CYBER SECURITY C-51 TERRORISM Stalled info-sharing regime with U.S. now Liberal ‘priority’ Ahead of cyber security review, minister warned of spying, sabotage Almost a year after it passed, Liberals slow to fix law Security oversight committee should include Senators, MPs By Carl Meyer By Marie-Danielle Smith By NDP MP Randall Garrison By Conservative Senator Daniel Lang PAGE 19 PAGE 21 PAGE 22 PAGE 24 18 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 INTERNATIONAL SECURITY POLICY BRIEFING FEATURE MINISTER Q&A Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says all options are on the table for improving oversight of the Canada Border Services Agency. More oversight coming for CBSA, says Goodale Feds will find a way to keep tabs on border agency beyond promised all-party committee, says the public safety minister. BY PETER MAZEREEUW C anada’s border agency “undoubtedly” needs a new oversight mechanism, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told The Hill Times in a wide-ranging interview on his role guiding the government’s public safety priorities. Mr. Goodale (Regina-Wascana, Sask.) said April 30 that his government will create “another tool” for keeping an eye on the Canada Border Services Agency, beyond the promised all-party parliamentary oversight committee for Canada’s intelligence and security agencies. He noted the public outcry over the lack of supervision for CBSA, which became louder following the deaths of two immigration detainees in the agency’s custody within one week in March. Mr. Goodale promised to listen to the public during consultations on reforming Bill C-51, the socalled anti-terrorism act passed by the previous government that granted the government’s security agencies more powers. The minister also said he’s considering a long list of people to head a new counter-radicalization co-ordinator’s office, set to get off the ground this year. The following interview has been edited for length and style. When do you plan to bring forward the legislation to change and repeal parts of Bill C-51? “I would hope that we would see that later on this year. “There are four really important responses to C-51. The first one, and the flagship commitment that we made: establish a committee of Parliamentarians to provide a new dimension in review and scrutiny that we have not had before. Other countries have had this, all of the Five Eyes countries have a parliamentary mechanism. Most of the democracies in the Western world have that kind of a mechanism. Canada has been the anomaly. So that legislation is being drafted now, and we hope to have that in the public domain by the time Parliament rises for the summer. “The second element is the creation of our new Office of the Community Outreach and Counter-Radicalization Co-ordinator. We will have that operation up and running later on this year. There’s some consultation to be done with provinces and local communities and NGOs and so forth, but that work is getting underway. “A third element is the review of cyber security, which is extremely important. “The fourth piece, which is really critical, is addressing the specific legislative defects that remain in the law as a result of C-51 being put forward in a very faulty manner, and without adequate consultation of Canadians. We will have that kind of consultation, in fact it’s underway right now. But we’ve identified already some of the things that need to be fixed.” The Liberal campaign platform included promises to address several issues in its review of C-51, including no-fly lists, the right to take part in lawful protests, requiring warrants for the Communications Security Establishment, and more. Should Canadians expect that the government’s legislation is going to address each and every one of those promises? “They are very much a part of our plan, that’s what we intend to do. There will be a variety of consultations undertaken; some of them are already underway. We will obviously listen to what we are told in that consultative process. But, based on what I’ve heard so far, I would expect to hear people commenting on all of the issues I’ve mentioned here, saying that the changes have to be made, as we indicated in our platform. And there may well be others that they would want to raise. “One suggestion that’s made frequently, for example, is that we need to fix some of the oversight gaps with respect to some existing security agencies and organizations, like the CBSA, for example. Currently, there is no explicit review mechanism with respect to the CBSA. It will be covered by the committee of parliamentarians, but there will undoubtedly be a need for another tool in addition to that, specifically in reference to CBSA.” What could that tool look like? “It could take several forms. It might be an agency that would resemble the Security Intelligence The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright Review Committee, for example. It might be an agency that would resemble the two internal and external review agencies that deal with the RCMP. There’s a proposal in the Senate right now for a model that’s along the lines of an inspector general. We’re considering all of those options right now, we haven’t settled on the right tool for making sure that there’s the proper review and scrutiny of CBSA. All of these techniques are under consideration.” Have you heard any different or dissenting opinions from within the Liberal caucus about the government’s plans for C-51? “No. What I’ve heard is a tremendous amount of reinforcement. We need the committee of Parliamentarians. We need the office on outreach and counter-radicalization. We need to make serious advancements with respect to cyber security, and we need to fix the specific defects that we’ve discussed here in relation to the legislation. The consultation within the caucus has tended to reinforce the direction that was laid out in the platform and in my mandate letter.” Have you held any technical briefings on what’s a fairly complex subject for the Liberal caucus? “No, but we plan to. We’ve had general discussions, but we haven’t had a clause-by-clause analysis. But that is something that we intend to undertake, and not just for our caucus, but for all Parliamentarians. And also, if people are interested in this, for the general public, so that we all know the baseline starting point: what the law does, what it doesn’t do. What issues it raises, what issues it doesn’t raise, and so forth. “It’s very important to make sure that as you embark upon this kind of examination and ultimately, new legislation, that everybody understands where you’re starting from.You’re going to spend a lot of time debating issues that don’t exist if you’re not always operating from the same fact base.” The Conservative public safety critic recently criticized your approach to the all-party parliamentary committee, arguing that the government’s failure to get the opposition parties involved runs contrary to the government’s promises to be open and transparent, and hurts the credibility of the committee before it’s even been created. Why haven’t you worked more with the opposition on creating this committee? “I think the criticism is just a bit premature. We’re embarking on what is likely to be the most comprehensive re-examination of Canadian security law and procedure that there has ever been. So there will be ample opportunities for consultation with Parliamentarians in both houses and across all party lines, with subject matter experts and with the Canadian public generally. Both the Conservatives and the NDP have written letters with some of their suggestions. We are examining all of those recommendations thus far. But it’s still very early in the going. “We don’t regard this as something that should have any kind of a partisan divide. National security, public safety, getting this right, is critically important to all Canadians across every kind of political distinction. We don’t anticipate and we certainly don’t want any kind of partisan dust-up here.” When will you appoint the Community Outreach and Counter-Radicalization Co-ordinator? Do you have anyone in mind for the job, and how exactly do you envision this person will go about the job? “What we propose to do is to create an office that would be vested within the department of Public Safety, but it would be under the direction of a very independent and distinguished expert in this field of counterradicalization. “We are currently in the process of examining a long list of possibilities in terms of who that person might be, and where they would go for their advice, and so forth. “We’ve got to understand the nature of radicalization: what causes it, where it comes from, what makes people vulnerable to it, what can you do in an intelligent way to counteract all of those negative and insidious messages that draw people in. That is going to take a lot of research, and sharing of research with other countries around the world, and a lot of collaboration at the local level, because the ability to intervene in the right way at the right time with the right tools and resources will largely be within provincial and municipal jurisdictions. So this has to be a very collabora- tive effort. And I’m very pleased that thus far that we have had absolutely nothing but support and encouragement from all of the provinces and from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.” On the subject of sharing information about Canadian travellers to the U.S. with the U.S. government: how will that move actually benefit Canadians, and how can you be sure it won’t lead to more Canadians being mistakenly detained or otherwise hassled by U.S. authorities? “In terms of exit information, which has not been collected in the past, it’s the basic tombstone information that you’ll find on page two of your passport, which everybody shares with the United States when they cross the border in any event. What we don’t have now is records of people leaving the country, and that leaves a hole in our cross-border security arrangements: for tracking down Amber Alerts, for example, for dealing with human trafficking, for dealing with parents that are absconding from their family support obligations, and so forth. And also, those who might be trying to leave the country for the purpose of travelling to become involved in terrorism in some other part of the world. “The new arrangement will allow us to have a more comprehensive record of who is in the country at any moment in time, and who has departed the country. That will make the border more secure, it will make law enforcement initiatives more effective, and it will prevent the thickening of the border, which could become a major economic problem for Canada. “The other information sharing arrangement that we are working on has to do with the no-fly list. And in that regard, we have worked very carefully with the Department of Justice to ensure that we are consistent with the Charter of Rights, and we have had close consultations with the office of the privacy commissioner to make sure that those arrangements are appropriate within the rules of privacy. What we want to ensure is that our air travel system is safe, and that we are preventing those who would travel for the purposes of terrorism from being able to do so. At the same time, we are respecting people’s privacy and their basic rights under the Charter.” [email protected] 19 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 INTERNATIONAL SECURITY POLICY BRIEFING NEWS BORDER Info-sharing regime with U.S. now Liberal ‘priority’ Privacy commissioner’s office awaits legislation. BY CARL MEYER T he federal privacy commissioner’s office is keeping an eye out for expected legislation from the Trudeau government that will cement into place the final bricks of a controversial personal informationsharing regime with the United States. The system, which trades personal identifying information back and forth when individuals enter or leave either country, was first proposed in 2011 as part of the thenConservative government’s sweeping Beyond the Border security and trade initiative. But privacy concerns have since stalled it. Now, the Liberals under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) appear to have grabbed the baton and are running with it. In March, when Mr. Trudeau visited United States President Barack Obama in Washington, the White House said Canada had “assured” the U.S. it would complete the final phases of the entry-exit system. Canada’s border agency has confirmed to The Hill Times it’s a central focus for the Liberals. “While there is no specific timeline, this is a priority for the government of Canada,”wrote Canada Border Services Agency senior media spokesperson Esme Bailey in an email. She said the CBSA is expecting “legislative amendments.” A government website on the program also notes that “legislative and regulatory changes are required.” The Privacy Commissioner’s Office says it has been expecting legislation. In its 2014-15 report to Parliament, the office stated that it was waiting for privacy impact assessments from the CBSA as well as five other departments or agencies with regards to the info-sharing regime. Those assessments haven’t yet come, said spokesperson Tobi Cohen. “While we look forward to the opportunity to advise Parliament on the legislation, we would not expect to receive [privacy impact assessments] until that legislative process is complete,” she wrote in an email. The CBSA says the system is meant to identify visitors who potentially overstay their allowed time in either country, better monitor that people ordered to leave actually do, and ensure immigrants meet residency requirements that may be needed. that was to govern personal informationsharing between the two countries. The statement quickly became contentious as it allowed information to be sent to a third country under certain circumstances. After a judicial inquiry into the case of Maher Arar, who was found to have been tortured in Syria, had concluded that he was a victim of bad Canadian intelligence, the idea of personal information being sent to third countries by governments became a serious concern for privacy and civil liberties organizations. The 2012 statement granted that information could be transferred to a third country in the absence of “international agreements and arrangements” if certain rules were followed. Today, the Privacy Commissioner’s Office says there are inherent hazards in any such program. Tories, manufacturers on board Mr. Trost said his party remains on board with an info-sharing deal with the U.S. “I don’t think there’s any ideology, or any major philosophical point behind this,” he said. “It’s just a very practical, nuts-and-bolts issue. The U.S. is our biggest market, we need access to it, [and] if we don’t deal with security issues in a proper way, we will lose access to it. At the same time, we want as smooth a transition as possible.” Mathew Wilson, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters vice-president of national policy, said his organization was also in favour. “The idea of sharing data does not scare us from an industry association perspective,” he said. “We’re concerned more about flow of people and goods across the border, and if this can help facilitate the flow of individuals for work purposes or for personal reasons then it’s a good thing...from a trade facilitation or border facilitation standpoint, the concept is the right concept.” The Hill Times Y ‘A little bit of slow-walking’ The Conservatives already put in place a testing program on third-country nationals, and then an expansion of that program to all border crossings over land and to permanent residents who are not citizens of either Canada or the U.S. But the phases of the regime that would have brought in Canadian and American citizens are nearly two years delayed. They have not been implemented, though they were supposed to have been in place by June 30, 2014. Information such as a person’s name, birthday, and citizenship is set to be shared, according to the CBSA. Conservative MP Brad Trost (Saskatoon-University, Sask.), his party’s critic for Canada-U.S. relations, said the Conservative government had understood that there were concerns and had been deliberately proceeding slowly as a result. “When we were in government, we were doing a little bit of slow walking on this one, because we were trying to figure out people’s privacy concerns,” he said in an interview. In 2012, Canada and the U.S. released a Joint Statement of Privacy Principles “Cross-border sharing of personal information, while necessary for border management, clearly raises risks for privacy,” wrote Ms. Cohen. “Therefore, it is important to have privacy protections in place.” This includes, she said, “developing written information sharing agreements, ensuring the accuracy of the personal information shared, implementing appropriate safeguards, protecting against further use of the data, establishing appropriate retention periods, and creating strong oversight and redress mechanisms.” you can count on serving your customers halfway around the world. YXE YQY YXU YMX YJT YQM YXX YQT YHZ YYC YYZ YHM YXC YVR YKA YYG YYC YLW YSB YUL YXH YGK YEG YQB YAM YZF YXE YQY YXU YMX YJT YQM YXX YQT YHZ YYC YYZ YHM YXC YVR YKA YYG YYC YLW YSB YUL YLW YSJ YYR YQB YAM YZF YXE YQY YXU YMX YJT YQM YXX YQT YHZ YYC YYZ YHM YXC YVR YKA YYG YYC YYT YKF YQX YLW YSJ YYR YQB YAM YZF YXE YQY YXU YMX YJT YQM YXX YHZ YYC YYZ YHM YXC YVR YYJ YQR YFC YYT YKF YQX YLW YSJ YYR YQB YAM YZF YXE YQY YXU YMX YJT YQM YXX YQT YHZ YYC YYZ YTZ YQF YMM YYJ YQR YFC YYT YKF YQX YLW YSJ YYR YQB YAM YZF YXE YQY YXU YMX YJT YQM YXX YQT YWG YXS YXY YTZ YQF YMM YYJ YQR YFC YYT YKF YQX YLW YSJ YYR YQB YAM YZF YXE YQY YXU YMX YJT YHZ YXT YEG YWG YXS YXY YTZ Canada’s airports take us everywhere. YQT YQF YMM YYJ YQR YFC YYT YKF YQX YLW YSJ YYR YQB YAM YZF YXE YQY YOW YYB YDF YHZ YXT YEG YWG YXS YXY YTZ YQF YMM YYJ YQR YFC YYT YKF YQX YLW YSJ YYR YQB YAM YEG YCD YQQ YOW YYB YDF YHZ YXT YEG YWG YXS YXY YTZ YQF YMM YYJ YQR YFC YYT YKF YQX YLW YSJ YUL YXH YGK YEG YCD YQQ YOW YYB YDF YHZ YXT YEG YWG YXS YXY YTZ YQF YMM YYJ YQR YFC YYT YKF YYC YLW YSB YUL YXH YGK YEG YCD YQQ YOW YYB YDF YHZ YXT YEG YWG YXS YXY YTZ YQF YMM YYJ YQR YVR YKA YYG YYC YLW YSB YUL YXH YGK YEG YCD YQQ YOW YYB YDF YHZ YXT YEG YWG YXS YXY YTZ YQF YYZ YHM YXC YVR YKA YYG YEG YCD YQQ YOW YYB YDF YHZ YXT YEG YWG YXS YQT YHZ YYC YYZ YHM YXC YYC YLW YSB YUL YXH YGK C A N A DA S A I R P O R T S .C O M YVR YKA YYG YYC YLW YSB YUL YXH YGK YEG YCD YQQ YOW YYB YDF YHZ YXT YJT YQM YXX YQT YHZ YYC YYZ YYG YYC YLW YSB YUL YXH YGK YEG YCD YQQ YOW YYB YHM YXC YVR YKA 20 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 INTERNATIONAL SECURITY POLICY BRIEFING NEWS LEGISLATION People protest Bill C-51 on Parliament Hill on May 6, 2015. The bill became law last June. Though Liberal MPs voted for it, they’re looking to change it now that they’re in government. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade C-51 changes in ‘talksabout-talks’ phase, says advocacy group Critics and supporters of the bill are looking to shape how public consultations on changes unfold. BY YAEL BERGER Formal public consultations on changes to the controversial anti-terror law known a Bill C-51 have yet to begin, but an advocacy group is set to discuss with Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale this week how the government should organize the talks. OpenMedia expects to meet with Mr. Goodale (Regina-Wascana, Sask.) on May 5 in Ottawa. The meeting will not be part of the Liberal government’s formal consultation process. Rather the talks will be the topic of the meeting, OpenMedia spokesperson David Christopher said in an interview. “I think we’re still kind of at the talks-about-talks stage of the process,” he said. OpenMedia wants to see the entire law repealed and is pushing for a public consultation process that is open and accessible to Canadians. The previous Conservative government introduced Bill C-51, which it called the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2015, within months of the attacks in October 2014 that killed Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent in Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que. and Cpl. Nathan Cirillo in Ottawa. The bill became law last June. Privacy and civil liberties advocates criticized the legislation because they said it allowed for excessive information sharing; made a new, vague offence for terrorism promotion; and gave Canada’s spy agency power to disrupt perceived terrorist activity even if that violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The NDP voted against the bill. Liberal MPs called for more robust oversight of the country’s intelligence agencies and opted to vote in favour of the legislation. But they promised Canadians that, if they formed government, they would establish an all-party parliamentary committee to monitor national security agencies, and would strike a balance between security and Canadians’ Charter rights. Mr. Goodale’s mandate letter from the prime minister instructs him to repeal the “problematic elements” of Bill C-51, introduce a new law that boosts national security accountability and “better balances collective security with rights and freedoms.” It’s not just critics of the antiterror law looking to talk to government about the consultation process. Supporters of the new security powers are also looking to shape how public consultations on changes will unfold. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police also hopes to be in Ottawa in the coming days to meet with the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Michel Picard (Montarville, Que.), said Didier Deramond, deputy chief of Montreal’s police department and co-chair of the CACP Counter Terrorism and National Security Committee. Mr. Deramond said the upcoming meeting in Ottawa would be an opportunity to talk about changes to Canada’s anti-terror laws and the collective vision of police and intelligence agencies regarding Canada’s national security. He said he’s in favour of public consultations on changes to C-51, but that security agencies are the ones using the legislation. “Every opinion is important, but we do have to deal with those agencies,” he said. “If there is new legislation, those agencies will be the ones implementing it and we have to connect those dots.” Consultations in ‘medium term’ The clock is ticking if the Liberal government is going to introduce legislation before the summer to set up an all-party parliamentary review committee to monitor the country’s intelligence agencies, and opposition MPs are eager to be consulted on details of how the committee will be structured. “The Minister has said that he hopes to introduce legislation to create the Committee of Parliamentarians before summer,” Scott Bardsley, the minister’s press secretary, wrote in an emailed statement to The Hill Times. The Liberal government has promised to consult with Canadians and experts on Canada’s national security framework, but Minister Goodale’s office has been vague about the timeline. “Work to achieve these objectives is underway and will be informed by our government’s forthcoming consultations with Canadians and experts on our national security framework,” Mr. Bardsley said in the email. No specific date has been announced for when consultations will begin. Mr. Bardsley suggested they could be weeks or months away, not days or years.“They will be held in the medium term,” he said. “I think the government decided this was not a priority it could easily solve or address in 100 days,” said Christian Leuprecht, a political science professor at Queen’s University. He said the government should give the legislation the attention it requires. Mr. Leuprecht said he expects the Liberals to announce some sort of plan before the summer as to how the government will move forward. He said the announcement could be about how the consultations will unfold or how the parliamentary committee might be structured. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) appointed Liberal MP David McGuinty (Ottawa South, Ont.) in January to chair the committee. Mr. Goodale and Mr. McGuinty travelled to the United Kingdom that month to learn about the U.K.’s Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament. Opposition MPs are disappointed that they were not brought along on the trip or given a report on the findings, and have yet to be consulted on how the parliamentary committee will function. Conservative public safety critic Erin O’Toole (Durham, Ont.) said in an interview with The Hill Times that he has written two letters to Mr. Goodale with recommendations on the new parliamentary committee to review national security agencies. He received a response from Mr. Goodale to his first letter, he said. Mr. Goodale’s letter, dated April 20, said that he has taken “careful note of suggestions” and will reach out to opposition parties. Mr. Leuprecht said the prime minister could set up the committee through an executive order, in which case he wouldn’t require a legislative change. The government also wouldn’t necessarily need to consult anyone on structuring the committee, Mr. Leuprecht said. Mr. O’Toole said a divided Liberal caucus and the confusion of many new rookie MPs around the antiterrorism law are slowing down the government’s consultations. “Most people have no clue what C-51 is all about, even some of the critics—even some of the new MPs on the Hill—when I talk to them about C-51 it’s clear they don’t even understand what powers were provided to law enforcement,” he said. Mr. Goodale said in an interview with The Hill Times that he hasn’t heard dissenting opinions from within his caucus. “The consultation within the caucus has tended to reinforce the direction that was laid out in the platform and in my mandate letter,” he said. The minister also said he hasn’t held any technical briefings yet to bring his caucus up to speed, but he intends to. “We’ve had general discussions, but we haven’t had, sort of, a clause-by-clause analysis. But that is something that we intend to undertake, and not just for our caucus, but for all Parliamentarians,” he said. “So that we all know the baseline starting point, what the law does, what it doesn’t do.” [email protected] The Hill Times 21 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 INTERNATIONAL SECURITY POLICY BRIEFING NEWS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE ‘Under constant attack,’ minister warned of spying, sabotage ahead of cyber security review BY MARIE-DANIELLE SMITH A s the public safety minister promises to talk to Canadians about and put more money into cyber security, opposition parties are criticizing the Liberals for being too vague about their plans to secure Canadian cyberspace. Briefing documents prepared for when Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale (Regina-Wascana, Sask.) started on the job last November say government systems are “under constant attack.” “Critical infrastructure is being targeted for exploitation,” says the briefing material. “The intellectual property and trade secrets of our companies are being stolen by our adversaries.” But before any significant changes are made to how Canada handles cyber security issues, Mr. Goodale is planning a policy review, including the launch of public consultation—another in a series of reviews promised by Liberal cabinet ministers on everything from defence to foreign aid. This review of cyber security policy will be launched“shortly,”Mr. Goodale’s office told The Hill Times. It will“seek feedback from citizens and stakeholders on how Canada can best address the challenge of cyber security, and keep our citizens, businesses, and critical infrastructure safe in an online world,” said press secretary Scott Bardsley. The government has been working on such issues for years. Bureaucrats write in the briefing book,“the low cost and high impact of cyber attack tools means that cyber espionage and sabotage will continue to be attractive to states and non-state actors that otherwise would be unable to mount direct attacks against Canada.” Threat actors have the “capability and willingness to disrupt Canada’s critical infrastructure and economic assets” and “organized crime and lone hackers are using many of the same tools to target Canadian businesses and individuals.” Besides the promised review, the federal government in its March budget pledged $77.4-million in new funding for cyber security. The 2016 budget document says new money will be used “to improve the security of govern- The cyber security policy review will be launched ‘shortly,’ according to Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale’s office. The Hill Times photograph by Steve Gerecke ment networks and information technology systems.” Michael Geist, a University of Ottawa law professor who writes about cyber issues, said in a recent blog post that the budget’s digital promises are underfunded. He said the dollars are backloaded: the $77.4-million is allotted for the next five years, but only $12-million is reserved for the first year, and $15-million the year after that. Critics underwhelmed Funding announced in the 2016 budget doesn’t include any of the money announced by the previous government last year. It included $142.6-million announced in July and $94.4-million announced in the 2015 budget, with both amounts spread out Universities Canada and Simon Fraser University present Cybersecurity: You will be breached A dialogue on cybersecurity featuring Ray Boisvert, former assistant director at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and now president and CEO of I-Sec Integrated Strategies Asia Pacific Hall • Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue 580 West Hastings Street • Vancouver, B.C. Thursday, May 12, 2016, 9:00AM - 10:30AM Or watch the livestream on our Facebook page: facebook.com/univcanada For more information on this event, visit: univcan.ca/mindshare Mindshare is a national speaker series promoting fresh thinking on policy issues critical to Canada’s future, hosted by universities across Canada in 2016. 1965 2015 over the next five years. That funding will still be in place, Mr. Goodale’s office confirmed. The NDP’s public safety critic, Randall Garrison (EsquimaltSaanich-Sooke, B.C.) told The Hill Times he sees nothing innovative in the way the Liberals are framing cyber security funding. “Concern levels are very high, and I just don’t see that reflected in this government,” he said. “There’s no new plan. They’re apparently still working on the basis of the 2010 plan that the Conservatives put out, which everybody criticized [as] inadequate.” Conservative public safety critic Erin O’Toole (Durham, Ont.) said he’s concerned the Liberals won’t see through the entirety of his party’s cyber plan.“I think they’re continuing on the work from the Harper government,” he said. But it seems the new government is“stepping back”from the industryfocused approach of the Conservatives, Mr. O’Toole suggested, with more money for securing government systems but no word on how Continued on page 24 22 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 INTERNATIONAL SECURITY POLICY BRIEFING OPINION PUBLIC SAFETY Governing in reality The government needs to co-operate with the opposition, starting with its security oversight committee of Parliamentarians role as an opportunity to leverage my background in the military and as a lawyer. In many ways, the intersection of security issues and our laws represents the true challenge facing any government charged with keeping our communities safe and preserving our rights and way of life. There must be a balance struck between the security Canadians expect in the towns and cities of the country and the freedoms they also expect as a fundamental aspect of living in Canada. Balance can only be achieved however, when a government is realistic about the threats facing Canada and our way of life. Unfortunately, the “sunny ways” rhetoric of the Liberal government often has it governing in the world as it would like it to be, as opposed to the realities facing the present world. The “sunny ways” language also obscures the fact that the government has refused several attempts to de-politicize aspects of the public safety file and that is disappointing. In the short life of the 42nd Parliament, nothing has demonstrated the disconnect of this government from the reality of the world we live in more than budget day. Finance Minister Bill Morneau began his budget speech by expressing the concern and support from all Canadians in light of the horrific terror attacks in Brussels earlier that day. Most MPs wore a special Belgian pin in the House that day to show our solidarity with our friend and ally. However, despite starting his speech by recognizing the profound risks facing countries like Canada in the face of global terrorism, the budget provided no new funds for front-line security and intelligence agencies. In a budget replete with billions in new spending in a range of areas, the lack of support for public safety agencies spoke volumes about the priorities of the new government. In the first year of this new Parliament, the Conservative opposition has attempted on several occasions to work with the government to ensure that critical issues of public safety are not subject to the normal cut and thrust of partisan politics. I expressed public support for the government’s proposal for a Counter-Radicalization Coordinator and office to examine strategies and tools to help communities combat the isolated but real threat of radicalization in Canada. Despite this support for their position, the Liberal majority on the Public Safety Committee refused to study the issue. Similarly, while the government has talked about a committee of Parliamentarians to examine security oversight, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale has not engaged with the opposition on the composition and character of this unique and important commit- Conservative public safety critic Erin O’Toole says the government’s budget should have included more money for front-line security and intelligence agencies. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade tee. Surprisingly, he also proposed a chair of this committee without any terms of reference for the committee itself. I have written twice to the minister to urge more collaboration on this important initiative, which the Conservatives support in principle. When I began my work on the public safety file I was taken back to first year university at the Royal Military College where we studied Maslow’s hierarchy of needs for a society. Right there on the bottom of the Maslow pyramid, just above the essentials of life, is the need for physical safety and security. It is a given in Canada that families and seniors expect their personal safety and the security of their property and institutions to be a fundamental matter for their government. This means trying to ensure law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies have the tools and ability to fulfill their mandate in a balanced fashion. These tools and a legal framework must not be frozen in time and must acknowledge modern threats and new technologies. I believe that the Harper government accomplished this balance working alongside law enforcement agencies and ensuring balance and legal oversight was part of all aspects of public safety laws. The Liberal government must demonstrate that it is prepared to work with this Parliament proactively and collaboratively and must articulate policy that addresses the real risks facing Canada. Taking two positions on an issue, like they did in the last Parliament on Bill C-51, is not leadership, but is avoiding fundamental issues that Canadians expect their government to tackle. I look forward to holding the government to account and working collaboratively when possible on these critical policy matters. Conservative public safety critic Erin O’Toole is the MP for Durham, Ont. [email protected] The Hill Times Almost a year after it became law, Liberals slow to fix C-51 limited debate with time allocation and rushed C-51 off to the Senate where it was expedited and passed. Now that the Liberals are the government, they are still choosing to ignore the legal experts on the facts surrounding C-51. They haven’t expressed any urgency to act, despite the fact that the provisions of the bill will have already been in force for a year come June. The Liberals have yet to present any specific proposals to revise the bill nor any specific plan for the proposed new oversight mechanisms. New Democrats remain convinced that the best path forward remains to repeal C-51 in full. We continue to be disappointed with the failure of the Liberals to consult opposition members as promised and with their statement that they will not re-open the issue until fall at the earliest. New Democrats believe that governments can and must protect both civil liberties and public safety at the same time and any changes moving forward must respect the will of Canadians and the full democratic process. Randall Garrison is the Member of Parliament for EsquimaltSaanich-Sooke, B.C. and is the NDP critic for public safety and for national defence. [email protected] The Hill Times CONSERVATIVE MP ERIN O’TOOLE W hen the interim leader of the Conservative Party, Rona Ambrose, gave me the responsibility for the public safety and emergency preparedness file, I viewed it as a unique opportunity to play a critical role in the safety and security of Canadians. As official opposition critic, my primary role will be to hold the government to account for its actions, or for inaction in the face of threats to Canadians. I will also have the opportunity to provide advice and insight to the government as they manage the issues and agencies charged with keeping us safe. I also viewed this OPINION PUBLIC SAFETY New Democrats remain convinced that the best path forward is to repeal C-51 in full. NDP MP RANDALL GARRISON M ore than a year ago, New Democrats stood virtually alone in taking on the challenge of opposing Bill C-51 and suggesting better ways to keep Canadians safe in a world beset with terrorism and violent extremism. At the time the Liberals voted with the Conservatives but suggested C-51 needed some changes and better oversight. Since then, Bill C-51 has become law while Canadians wait for the Liberals to act on their promises. New Democrats stand ready as Parliamentarians to come together to meet threats to our security with responsible and thoughtful measures that do not erode the fundamental freedoms that generations of Canadians worked so hard to protect. The former Conservative government took Canadians down the road of the politics of hate and division. The Conservatives justified introducing sweeping changes to Canada’s security apparatus by using fear to pit Canadians against each other, rather than taking concrete actions to keep us safer. The result was Bill C-51. This bill brought forward greater information-sharing practices between government agencies that violate Canadian privacy rights, granted dangerous new powers to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, created a new and vague offence for the promotion of terrorism, lowered the standard for judges to authorize preventative arrests, and expanded the No-Fly List without any measures to make it more effective or to allow timely appeals. While no Parliamentarian disagrees that terrorism is a real threat and that there is a need for concrete and effective measures to keep Canadians safe, the contents of C-51 and the way it was rushed through Parliament without careful and thoughtful study and debate remain problematic. In the limited number of hearings that the House Public Safety Committee held, expert witnesses from across the political spectrum near-unanimously told the committee that the bill was fundamentally flawed and threatened the rights of Canadians without actually improving our security. Almost all of the witnesses were concerned with the virtually unlimited sharing of personal information amongst Canadian government agencies and the very real possibility of that information being shared with foreign powers. The privacy commissioner even stated that C-51 potentially allows the government to compile personal profiles on all Canadians. The greater powers given to CSIS to disrupt suspected terrorist activities in secret were very alarming to the expert witnesses because such actions would not only be in violation of the law, but also potentially of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Witnesses also noted that the bill failed to improve existing oversight mechanisms, let alone provide new oversight to match CSIS’ new powers. The Security Intelligence Review Committee was not given an increased role and instead remained as an after-the-fact review agency with limited scope and budget. Based on witness testimony, New Democrats put forward a comprehensive amendment package aimed at removing the worst aspects of the bill. The Liberals argued that C-51 could be fixed later and so allowed the Conservatives to railroad the bill through the committee and the House of Commons. After our amendments were defeated, New Democrats attempted to delete Bill C-51 in its entirety but the Conservatives 23 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 INTERNATIONAL SECURITY POLICY BRIEFING OPINION TERRORISM Repealing C-51: an essential step in public safety and security GREEN PARTY LEADER ELIZABETH MAY I t is one of the stickier aspects of former prime minister Stephen Harper’s omnibus-bill strategy: legislation rammed through Parliament as omnibus bills are harder to repeal and reform than stand-alone legislation. After passage, C-51 ceased to exist. It was an omnibus bill in five parts. Some of those parts touched on dozens of bills. Bill C-51 cannot be repealed, but eliminating 90 per cent of it is necessary. The Liberals are pledging to get rid of any sections that are dangerous. That’s pretty much the whole bill. Here are its five parts and a rough sketch of what they do: 1. Information sharing. This is not about information sharing between spy agencies working together to stop criminal elements. That would have been a good idea, but it’s not in C-51. This so-called information sharing is about disclosing personal information about any Canadian to anyone who wants it. This gives rise to the very scary deflection of those who seem to oppose civil liberties: “this does not worry me; I have nothing to hide.” But you do have something to defend, and it’s called “your rights.” 2. No-Fly List provisions. Pretty straightforward, but this puts tremendous burdens on airlines to control the work of airport screening conducted by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, a group they do not manage or control. This could be put down to bad drafting, but legislators were in such a rush to pass the bill, they could not be bothered to fix this. It also does nothing to reduce the confusion and inconvenience suffered by people with names similar to suspected terrorists. 3. The thought-chill section. This one purports to deal with the promotion of terrorism on websites. It adopted the unheardof notion of promotion of “terror- ism offences in general.” No one knows what that means, but the descriptors are so over-broad they could include a single image—a raised fist, a Che Guevara poster— as promotion of terrorism in general. The impact of the limitations on even personal communication exceed other similar laws such as those to deal with hate speech and pornography on the Internet. C-51 does not exclude private communication and as a result it could put a chill on speech intended to persuade someone not to engage in terrorism. Anti-radicalization efforts would be compromised. 4. Part 4 is the most dangerous. It transforms the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, an agency designed to collect intelligence and share it with those who can act, to an agency empowered to disrupt plots. Worse, it sets up a private hearing before a sole judge, with no publicinterest advocate present, to grant warrants for constitutional breach. 5. Then there’s the final section. It is so opaque and incomprehensible that it received virtually no attention in committee. It changes the way information going to a judge in support of a security certificate is handled. Only Prof Donald Galloway of the University of Victoria’s law school figured out what its purpose was: to allow the use of evidence obtained by torture to be submitted to a judge, without disclosing that fact. While the previous government claimed that we needed the extreme measures of C-51 to keep us safe from terrorism, the truth is that C-51 makes us less safe. The approach of C-51—empowering CSIS agents to take action to disrupt plots, and allowing the various security agencies of Canada to operate independently of each other—runs directly contrary to the advice of public security experts and to the conclusions of the Air India Inquiry. So too is the Arar Commission report ignored in setting up the “information sharing” provisions of Part 1 of the bill, allowing virtually any information about any Canadian to be shared between and among federal agencies and departments, as well as with foreign governments. None of this makes sense, and none of it makes us safer. Universités Canada et la Simon Fraser University présentent Cybersécurité : Nous sommes tous à risque Un dialogue sur la cybersécurité avec Ray Boisvert, ancien directeur adjoint du Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité (SCRS), et actuel président de I-Sec Integrated Strategies (ISECIS) Asia Pacific Hall • Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue 580, rue West Hastings • Vancouver, C.-B. Jeudi 12 mai 2016, de 9 h à 10 h 30 (HP) Suivez la discussion en direct sur notre page Facebook à facebook.com/univcanada Pour obtenir un complément d’information, veuillez consulter univcan.ca/convergences La série de conférences Convergences est conçue de façon à favoriser une nouvelle réflexion sur les enjeux stratégiques essentiels pour l’avenir du Canada. Les conférences seront présentées en 2016 dans des universités d’un peu partout au Canada. 1965 2015 In fact, according to Joe Fogarty, a security expert from the United Kingdom who testified at the Senate on C-51, the way the bill is structured makes Canada’s security law a “tragedy waiting to happen.” Mr. Fogarty gave specific recent examples of times when CSIS knew the RCMP was tracking the wrong people, but opted not to tell them. Or when CSIS discovered a terror group in formation and also decided not to tell the RCMP. As former Supreme Court justice John Major testified to the House of Commons committee on C-51, it is an absolute certainty that security agencies will not share intelligence. Major put it down to “human nature.” But when CSIS agents are also empowered to give out getout-of-jail-free cards to people they are tracking, without warning the RCMP, or when CSIS agents have the right to get an exemption from the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in order to violate Canadian laws and/or Charter rights, the dangers of C-51 should be very clear. The Liberals in opposition made a calculated political decision to vote for C-51. Their most knowledgeable Members of Parliament, such as Irwin Cotler, supported my opposition in the House and on the record. They can leave in place and reform much of Part 2; but the rest has to go. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May represents Saanich-Gulf Islands, B.C. The Hill Times 24 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 INTERNATIONAL SECURITY POLICY BRIEFING NEWS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OPINION TERRORISM Grits have no new, clear cyber policy beyond: opposition Security oversight committee should include Senators, MPs Continued from page 21 the private sector could get involved. That’s important because private infrastructure, such as online banking systems, form the backdrop for much of what Canadians do online, he said. A co-ordinated cyber attack on a bank would be more of a risk “at the dinner table” for most Canadians than a breach of government information, added Mr. O’Toole. Still, Mr. Bardsley said, funding announced by the Conservatives is going towards its original purpose—much of it to “enhance collaboration with the private sector and critical infrastructure.” But bureaucrats warned Mr. Goodale in the briefing book that “there are no legal requirements for operators of vital cyber systems to protect their systems or report cyber incidents affecting their systems to government, which could impact the national security and public safety of Canada.” The 2015 budget had specifically set aside $36.4 million over five years for the protection of “vital cyber systems,” but the 2016 budget funding wasn’t as specific. Neither Mr. O’Toole nor Mr. Garrison seemed particularly keen to push the Liberals on a legislative instrument, despite the briefing book’s emphasis on a legal requirement, and Mr. Bardsley did not respond to a question about whether Mr. Goodale was planning to introduce legislation. Mr. Garrison ventured that the new funding offered in the Liberal budget sounded “bland,” like it was just for “routine system upgrades.” He said he wants to see the government produce a new road map that will address the many cyber threats facing Canada—rather than just following in the previous government’s footsteps. China concerns spy agency Independent of political announcements, some government agencies have been pursuing their own cyber security solutions. It all fits into the government’s overall Cyber Security Strategy, which continued to chug along in the background during last year’s lengthy election campaign. For example, last fall, Communications Security Establishment Canada announced it was partnering with industry to update information assurance across the government. The director general of the CSE’s Cyber Protection Branch told industry groups at the Government Technology Exhibition and Conference in October that there’s an “awful lot” of overclassified information within the Canadian government. Internal documents released through access-to-information legislation show that in 2012- 13, CSE was worrying about the “exponential scale of cyber threats and espionage that are being conducted against Western targets by the People’s Republic of China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army.” The following year’s report shows the agency’s work was being challenged by “continued unauthorized disclosures of classified information.” It was China that got promptly blamed after cyber attacks on the National Research Council in July 2014 that forced it to shut down its systems, though the Chinese Embassy was quick to deny any involvement. In the summer of 2015, including on Canada Day, some Canadian government websites went out of service after distributed denialof-service attacks blamed on the hacktivist group Anonymous. Shared Services had bumpy start: Tory MP Many agencies and departments are involved in cyber security, according to Mr. Goodale’s briefing binder. Cyber initiatives are overseen by Public Safety Canada, which houses the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre. The Treasury Board Secretariat has a hand in management. While Global Affairs Canada charges itself with “the international dimension of cyber security,” Industry Canada looks after telecommunications and the marketplace. The Cyber Threat Evaluation Centre inside of CSE has its own mandate to investigate incidents, as do CSIS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Meanwhile, National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces keep networks separate from the others, meaning they have their own ways of securing them. They also exchange “cyber best practices” with allied militaries. That’s not to mention an entirely separate Canadian AntiFraud Centre and the Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange, a joint government-private sector initiative established Dec. 11. Shared Services Canada, a department the Conservative government created in 2011, which was supposed to streamline all of the above processes. A belaboured implementation and major bugs in how it works have been the subject of recent scrutiny. Though some money in this year’s budget was set aside for improving Shared Services Canada, there are fears that dollars just won’t be enough to fix it. Mr. O’Toole admitted that it hasn’t had “the best rollout,” though “the rationale that we started at was sound.” @mariedanielles The Hill Times CONSERVATIVE SENATOR DANIEL LANG D uring the past three years that I have chaired the Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence, we have studied and reported on the threats to national security. Our committee has noted that there remain areas for improvement in our national security strategy, particularly in the realms of: information sharing, review and accountability, and public communication and education. The government must address these to maintain the public confidence and the social licence our security organizations and government depend on to act. After nine months of hearings and testimony from more than 100 witnesses, which included government agencies, security officials, academics, and members of various religious communities, including imams, we learned that: • By late 2014, authorities identified 318 radical Canadian jihadists: 93 of them were seeking to travel abroad, 145 were overseas, and 80 had returned. CSIS director Michel Coulombe confirmed a few months later that these numbers were increasing. • There were 683 identified cases of terrorist financing in five years, but to our knowledge no specific charges or prosecutions were initiated. • Foreign funds had entered Canada for religious-oriented programming despite their donors and recipients being linked to radicalization. • Eight Canadian charities had their charitable status revoked because of indirect or direct connections to terrorism—yet no members of their executive or staff faced criminal prosecution. • The Muslim Brotherhood and entities closely associated with it are a problem; the committee recommended that CSIS review it as a priority with the intent of determining whether it should be designated a terrorist entity. • Terrorist promotion and radicalization remain a concern in many areas of Canadian society, including at schools and in religious facilities. • Government agencies and political leaders conduct outreach to some disturbing individuals and organizations linked to terrorism and radicalization. • The government was failing to communicate clearly with Canadians about the scope of the terrorist threat. • Emergency preparedness at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels required enhancement, in view of the threat we face. • The government must communicate in a clear, quantitative, and unambiguous manner about the national security situation in Canada and abroad, including the true number of people directly or indirectly involved in supporting Liberal Senator Grant Mitchell and Conservative radicalization and Senator Daniel Lang, the vice-chair and chair of the terrorist activity. Senate National Security and Defence Committee • We must last year, are seen speaking in March 2015. The Hill aggressively Times photograph by Jake Wright prosecute those who violate our national security law. Public While our committee heard confidence relies on respect for from informed sources about the rule of law and the principle radicalization and terrorism, I of equal application of law. The would be remiss if I did not address the view in some of national relatively administrative and secret character of peace bonds is security and political quarters no substitute for a public trial. that suggests jihadi terrorism • As recommended by the is essentially caused by mental Senate committee, we need to health and drug issues. empower local police and prosJocelyn Bélanger, a professor of ecutors to proceed with terrorism psychology who appeared before cases, without requiring the atour committee, testified: “[t]o torney general’s consent, as is the believe that radicalized individuals case in other areas of criminal law. are crazy or are not playing with a • We need to work closely with full deck would be our first mistake municipalities, provinces, and terin developing effective counterritories to prevent radicalization. terrorism strategies. The mental-in• We need to enhance emergency stability hypothesis rather reflects preparedness, especially in relation our profound misunderstanding of to our critical national infrastructure. the process of radicalization.” • We need to fully screen for Going forward, national secusecurity the more than 500,000 rity agencies and experts must immigrants and visa holders we begin to take seriously the issue of receive each year. immigration and demographics. • When it comes to earning the Most Canadians are not aware public’s confidence, we need to that Canada welcomes more than establish, by statute and other500,000 immigrants and tempowise, national security review rary visa holders each year, the bodies and systems that boost vast majority of whom do not face comprehensive security screening. review capabilities and public accountability, especially in security This has to be a serious domains where none currently concern, when we consider the exists, such as in relation to the reality that terrorists are freely Canada Border Services Agency. moving across borders in Europe • In line with public accountto carry out attacks in Paris and ability, the proposed parliamentary elsewhere on the continent. committee on security and intelliIn Canada, the RCMP has gence must not be seen as a partisan redeployed more than 600 officers body dominated by governmentto deal with terrorism cases. That friendly appointees. To address this means 600 officers are not doing possibility, I would recommend that other important police work. And it be a joint parliamentary commitas our committee was told, it takes tee where both houses of Parliament 25 to 30 officers to monitor one would be represented. radicalized jihadist. Resources must The government must allow our go up significantly across the board agencies to execute their responfor the foreseeable future if we are sibilities—whether identifying to effectively manage the growing threats, laying charges, or prosecutnational security threats we face. ing—without preoccupying themTo ensure a comprehensive naselves with accommodating aggrestional security strategy is tailored sive lobbies or catering to politics to meet this problem, we should and political correctness. If we were consider the following: to do this, I am confident we would • Improve intragovernmental earn the public confidence necesinformation-sharing and leverage sary to address the threats to our the role of the national security national security. Canadians want adviser to ensure timely, accountand need us to succeed. able co-ordination. Yukon Conservative Senator • Provide sufficient resources Daniel Lang is chair of the Senate or tools to allow CSIS and the Standing Committee on National RCMP to be able to effectively Security and Defence. monitor low-level threats and [email protected] targets, as well as higher-level The Hill Times threats. 25 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 HILL CLIMBERS POLITICAL STAFFERS Elyse Banham, left, is now a special assistant to National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, as is Anthony Di Carlo. Photographs courtesy of LinkedIn Yanique Williams is a policy adviser for small business and Ontario desk adviser to Small Business and Tourism Minister Bardish Chagger. Photograph courtesy of LinkedIn Ariel Gough, left, is a policy adviser to Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, while Emilie Gauducon is now the minister’s press secretary. Photographs courtesy of LinkedIn John Gosal is now a senior policy adviser to Mr. Sajjan. Photograph courtesy of LinkedIn HILL CLIMBERS B Y L AU R A R Y C K E WA E RT Families and Social Development Minister Duclos hires press secretary Meanwhile, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan hires a reserve infantry officer and a midwife as special assistants. F amilies, Children, and Social Development Minister JeanYves Duclos was set to welcome a press secretary to his ministerial staff this week, Hill Climbers has learned. Emilie Gauduchon was expected to mark her first day in Mr. Duclos’ ministerial office on May 3. She will work closely with communications director Mathieu Filion in her new role as press secretary. Until recently, she was co-ordinating graduation ceremonies at the Université de Montreal, her alma mater, since February 2015. In 2013, she worked as a coordinator for public relations and protocol in the university’s communications and public relations office. In 2009, she was a project co-ordinator with the school’s Montreal Centre for International Research, also known by the French acronym CERIUM. Ms. Gauduchon has also previously been a communications manager at the Unité de santé international in Montreal, Que. She is a former communications manager with the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime in the city. And she has worked for ERAI Canada, an economic development agency promoting the French region of Rhône-Alpes in Canada, among other experience indicated in her LinkedIn profile. She’s also previously worked for the European Commission in Geneva and the French Embassy in Ecuador. Ariel Gough, meanwhile, joined Mr. Duclos’ ministerial team last month as a policy adviser and Atlantic desk adviser. Until the beginning of this year, she was a communications officer for the Nova Scotia Liberal Caucus office in Halifax, N.S. Ms. Gough has previously worked as a social media manager for Miss Mediosa, a social media management company in Halifax. In December 2012 and January 2013 she interned at The Chronicle Herald in Halifax. She’s also briefly worked as a production assistant for Eastlink, a cable TV and telecommunications company, in Lower Sackville, N.S. Ms. Gough has been involved with the Nova Scotia Young Liberals in recent years, as well as serving as youth liaison for the Halifax West Liberal Association. She spent a year studying journalism at City University London, and her LinkedIn account indicates she’s in the midst of a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing at Mount Saint Vincent University (having started in 2014 and set to graduate in 2017). In other news, Science Minister Kirsty Duncan has hired Christopher Ethier as her director of parliamentary affairs, according to the government’s online staff directory. Mr. Ethier previously worked for Ms. Duncan last Parliament in her capacity as the Liberal MP for Etobicoke North, Ont. and worked on her 2015 re-election campaign. His LinkedIn profile indicates he also helps with operations and issues management in the office, and studied for his undergrad in commerce at Ryerson University, focusing on business management and business law. Defence Minister Sajjan bolsters team National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has welcomed a number of interesting new staff to his ministerial team, including John Gosal, a senior policy adviser who joined the office in February. Until then, Mr. Gosal had spent roughly the last eight years working in various roles for Canada’s foreign ministry, starting in 2007. He worked at the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan, ultimately under the title of head of trade, commercial, and economic affairs. Before that, Mr. Gosal spent three months with the India Unit of the foreign ministry’s South Asia Commercial Relations Division, after briefly working with the division’s Pakistan Unit. His first placement with the department in 2007 was in Vienna, Austria, as a counsellor at the Canadian Embassy in Austria, during which time he was part of the Canadian delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Mr. Gosal is also a former second secretary as part of Canada’s permanent mission to the UN, according to his LinkedIn profile, which indicates he has a master’s degree in war studies from King’s College London and an undergraduate degree in political science and history from Simon Fraser University in B.C. Anthony Di Carlo is now a special assistant in Mr. Sajjan’s office. Since 2008, he’s been an infantry officer (a lieutenant) with the primary reserve of Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal, supervising “more than 30 active members in their Infantry trade professional development as platoon commander,” reads his LinkedIn account. For a year starting in January 2013, he was in Port-au-Prince, Haiti serving as assistant finance officer for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti. He earned an award in recognition of his work from the Brazilian Armed Forces during this time as part of professional interaction between the Canadian Armed Forces and the BAF. Before that, he was a senior associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Montreal, Que., starting in 2008. Prior to that, he was a project manager at Les Industries Certico Inc. He studied toward an undergrad in economics and finance at McGill University, where he later earned a diploma in accounting before studying chartered accounting at Concordia University (later earning his CPA and CMA professional designation). While at McGill, he for a time was vice-president of finance and operations at the university’s students’ society. Among a long list of volunteer experience, Mr. Di Carlo has been involved with CPA Sans Frontières Canada; was project manager for Running for Athletes, a program of the Canadian Athletes Now Fund; and has volunteered as a project manager for Canada 150 plans put forward by the community of Papineau, Que. on behalf of the Liberal Party. He’s also been a blogger for Huffington Post Canada. Elyse Banham has also joined Mr. Sajjan’s ministerial team as a special assistant. Until recently, she was working as a registered midwife with the Midwifery Group of Ottawa since 2014. She’s a former student employee with the Hamilton Family Health Team, and is a former writer and political operations aide to thenOfficial Opposition Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff on the Hill, in which capacity she did tour, correspondence, youth engagement, operations, and stakeholder relations work. She studied political science and later midwifery at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., and is a former board of directors member of the Association of Ontario Midwives. Finally, Small Business and Tourism Minister Bardish Chagger has hired Yanique Williams as a policy adviser for small business and Ontario desk adviser. Before joining the minister’s team in March, Ms. Williams was a special assistant for policy and executive assistant to the principal secretary in Ontario Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne’s office in Toronto. Previously, she worked at Queen’s Park as scheduler and office manager to then-Ontario Citizenship, Immigration, and International Trade minister Michael Coteau. She previously founded theCOR, a former blog described as an online community resource focused on celebrating “all aspects of the African and Caribbean Communities,” on her LinkedIn profile. In 2012, Ms. Williams interned as a policy adviser with the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation, and previously has worked for the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, starting off as a project assistant for the organizational standards initiative in December 2010, amongst her other past experience. She studied toward a master’s in public administration in public and international affairs at York University’s Glendon College, during which time she spent a year studying international relations at the Institute d’Etudes politiques de Paris in France (Sciences Po Paris). Ms. Williams has an undergrad in political science and philosophy at Queen’s University [email protected] The Hill Times EVENTS WOMEN IN FINANCE PRESENTED BY: MAY 10 7:30-9:00 AM OTTAWA MARRIOTT HOTEL On May 10 join Hill Times Events as we explore what it will take to encourage greater participation of women in finance. Opening remarks will be delivered by the Minister of Small Business and Tourism Ms. Bardish Chagger, MP (Waterloo, Ont.). This session will explore why there has been a decline in women-owned small to medium sized enterprises, the percentage of women serving on corporate boards and the importance for teaching financial literacy to women and girls. This is a FREE event. Advance registration is required. Supported By: hilltimes.com/events 27 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 HILL TIMES CLASSIFIED INFORMATION AND ADVERTISEMENT PLACEMENT: TEL. 613-232-5952, FAX 613-232-9055 0010 RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE OTTAWA RIVER WATERFRONT $1,550,000 With the goal of maximizing land use, privacy, and the beauty of its surroundings, the award winning architect Peter J. Kindree designed a truly exceptional home! Sitting on the south shore of the Ottawa River, between Orleans and Rockland, it is a mere 25 minute commute to Parliament Hill. 4 Bedrooms, 3+2 garage parking, Pool, decks, patios. MLS®986377. 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The Big City Mayors’ Caucus Advisor will engage and mobilize Canada’s municipal leaders from our Big Cities; contribute to public campaigns aimed at increasing awareness and support for Canada’s urban and big city issues; and help build support for these issues among Members of Parliament, federal political parties, the media and opinion leaders. The incumbent will work with a cross-departmental team of professionals in government and media relations, communications and public policy. This is an opportunity to join one of the most effective advocacy organizations in Canada at an exciting time in its history, and to work in the nation’s capital on behalf of local governments. Learn more about this position and apply online at fcm.ca/careers. Joignez-vous à la FCM et contribuez à rendre les villes et les collectivités plus fortes La Fédération canadienne des municipalités (FCM) est présentement à la recherche d’une personne dynamique pour faire partie de l’équipe des Politiques et relations gouvernementales. Le rôle de conseiller au Caucus des maires des grandes villes consiste à : sensibiliser et mobiliser les dirigeants municipaux des grandes villes du Canada; contribuer aux campagnes publiques visant à augmenter la conscientisation et le soutien envers les enjeux qui touchent les grandes villes et les centres urbains du Canada; et susciter un intérêt pour ces enjeux auprès des députés, des partis politiques fédéraux, des médias et des leaders d’opinion. Le titulaire du poste travaillera avec une équipe d’experts en relations avec les gouvernements et avec les médias, en communications et en politiques publiques. Ne manquez pas cette occasion de faire partie de l’un des organismes de défense des intérêts les plus influents au Canada, à un moment marquant de son histoire, et de travailler dans la capitale nationale pour représenter les gouvernements locaux. Visitez fcm.ca/carrieres pour plus d’information sur ce poste et pour soumettre votre candidature. POLITICS THIS MORNING A DAILY EMAIL FOR HILL TIMES SUBSCRIBERS People, politics and policy direct to you — SUBSCRIBE TODAY www.hilltimes.com 28 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 FEATURE PARTIES PARTY CENTRAL W E D N E S DAY BY E D I T I O N CHELSEA NASH A party fit for a king Dutch Ambassador Cees Kole with Museum of History CEO Mark O’Neill at the King’s Day celebration on April 26. Kazakhstan’s ambassador, Konstantin Zhigalov, Mr. Monji, Ms. Isarabhakdi, EU Ambassador Marie-Anne Coninsx, Ms. Monji, Slovak Ambassador Andrej Droba and his wife, Daniela Droba, Mr. Zhigaov’s wife Indira Zhigalova and the Egyptian ambassador’s wife, Hala Youssef. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia A table adorned with cheese, wooden clogs, and tulips. Mr. Kole with his wife, Saskia Kole-Jordans, greet ViceChief of Defence Staff Lt.-Gen. Guy Thibault. Piles of cheese, kegs of Heineken, and a special stained-glass window marked the national day of the Netherlands. A soundtrack of smooth jazz was the backdrop to the constant chatter of diplomats, military attachés, and other guests at the Canadian Museum of History on April 26 for the Netherlands’ King’s Day celebration. Perhaps it was the piles of cheese, or maybe the kegs of Heineken. Either way, the celebration in honour of Dutch King Willem-Alexander drew people in droves. The date of the event is based on WillemAlexander ascending the throne on April 30, 2013. Slovak Ambassador Andrej Droba and his wife Daniela arrived early, which was lucky because an extensive line quickly wrapped around the escalators in the Grand Hall while diplomats and other guests alike waited to greet the ambassador, his wife, and the Dutch military attaché. Former MP Peter Stoffer (who was born in the Netherlands) was spotted in the lineup, as was EU Ambassador MarieAnne Coninsx. “We make friends with everybody,” said Dutch Ambassador Cees Kole. “I think I can safely say that you have one million Canadians of Dutch descent; that means many friends.” The feature of the evening was a colourful stained-glass window, created by the late Dutch artist Theo Lubbers, which he originally presented in 1992 to the newly opened Dutch consulate general in Montreal. The window was donated to the Canadian Museum of History by the embassy of the Netherlands as a “natural token of friendship of Canada and the Netherlands,” said Mr. Kole, to be added to the perennial gift of tulips that bloom every year during May’s Tulip Festival in Ottawa. They will hopefully be popping up soon despite this very long Canadian spring, joked the ambassador. Museum CEO Mark O’Neill accepted the window on behalf of the museum and Canada. The iconic symbol of tulips, representative of Canada and the Netherlands’ friendship, adorned the room as accents on tables and lined the walls. In addition to all of the diplomats, a few Canadians with special ties to the Netherlands were in attendance. Patrick Kelly, of the RCD regiment in Petawawa, was there with his wife and father-in-law, Joanna and Louis Zwanenbeek, to meet the ambassador. At the end of the Second World War, Mr. Kelly’s regiment liberated a town in Holland called Leeuwarden. It just so happened that the town was the same one that Mr. Zwanenbeek lived in. He later immigrated to Canada, and his daughter and Mr. Kelly met and married by chance. “It’s just kind of a way of coming full circle to do what I can to bring a little bit of Holland back for him, and, in a way, to try and get us together. I appreciate my fatherin-law and my wife’s heritage very much, and I just want to be a part of it,” said Mr. Kelly. Guests mingled over wine, beer, and spritzers, while specialty Dutch hors d’oeuvres, including bitterballen, the classic Dutch pub food in the form of bite-sized croquettes stuffed with beef, veal, and ragu, were served. There was a table about six metres long that was almost entirely filled with piles of Dutch cheese, which was the highlight of the night for Party Central. Werner Wnendt, ambassador of Germany, chatted with Teuku Faizasyah of Indonesia over some wine and gouda. “The Netherlands is our neighbour and good friend. This is a wonderful spring day and a wonderful place that I like to come [to] again and again. It’s always important to show our support for our neighbours and friends,” said Mr. Wnendt. [email protected] The Hill Times The Hill Times photographs by Sam Garcia Author Margaret Dickenson and her husband, former diplomat Larry Dickenson, with Japanese Ambassador Kenjiro Monji and his wife, Etsuko Monji. Thai Ambassador Vijavat Isarabhakdi, his wife Wannipa and Belgian Ambassador Raoul Delcorde. Indonesian Ambassador Teuku Faizasyah, left, his wife, Andis, Ms. and Mr. Isarabhakdi. 29 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 ENVOYS DIPLOMATIC CIRCLES B Y C H EL S EA N AS H Canada welcomes new top diplomats; Dion hiring Canada welcomed three new heads of mission on April 26 when they formally presented their letters of credence to Governor General David Johnston. Clarissa Sabita Riehl, the new high commissioner for the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, succeeded Harry Narine Nawbatt. Ms. Riehl was the one of the first female military officers in Guyana when she joined in 1966, the same year Guyana achieved independence. She eventually entered the political world in 1992, when she was became a member of the People’s National Congress, and also served as deputy speaker for 14 years. The other two heads of mission are posted in the United States, but will serve Canada from there. Hassana Alidou will be the new ambassador of the Republic of Niger. She presented her credentials to U.S. President Barack Obama on February 23. Her background is in education, with a specific emphasis on educating African children in their native language rather than colonial English or French. The third head of mission, Elisenda Vives Balmaa, is the new ambassador of Andorra. She holds six degrees, including two postgraduate degrees in law and comparative politics and a PhD in history and a master’s in gender differences. She speaks four languages: Catalan, Spanish, English and French. Previously, she was posted to UNESCO as the president of the Andorran National Commission and as the permanent representative of Andorra to the United Nations. She is posted to New York, N.Y. Dion looking for new policy advisers: Middle East and Latin America Minister Stéphane Dion’s office is apparently looking for a new policy adviser. Former Canadian diplomat and current Canadian Global Affairs Institute fellow Colin Robertson told The Hill Times that he was approached by director of policy Christopher Berzins about possible suggestions for people who might be knowledgeable about the Middle East and/or the Americas. “Because we have extensive networks through our fellows, and they’re looking for someone with specific research skills, so that’s why...They just asked if I knew anybody,” he said. He said he thinks they’re looking for “various positions,” and that the areas they inquired about included Latin America and the Middle East. He said he just spoke to the policy director as recently as two weeks ago. Joseph Pickerill, Mr. Dion’s communications director, said in an email,“All I can say at this point is that we’re always looking for good people to cover policy in both geographic and thematic areas but we do not elaborate further on human resource decisions.” Currently, the office has two policy advisers in addition to three senior positions. Julian Ovens, the minister’s chief of staff, has extensive experience working in the mining industry. Christopher Berzins, director of policy, is well-versed in Europe and the United States, having spent the past two and a half years at the Canadian embassy in Washington, and was the deputy director for North and South Europe at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, which has since been renamed Global Affairs Canada. Jocelyn Coulon is the senior policy adviser, and according to Mr. Robertson, was brought on for his expertise in peacekeeping. He is a former journalist and was on the board of governors for the International Development Research Centre, and has written several books on peacekeeping. The remaining two policy advisers have expertise in China and the environment. Pascale Massot has a PhD specializing in the political economy of China, and Jean Boutet worked in the public service at the environment department. Carlo Dade, director for the Canada West Foundation’s Centre for Trade and Investment Policy, said if Dion’s office was looking, Mr. Robertson is who they should go to. “Colin’s an old hand. He’s kind of the dean on North American issues, foreign policy issues...He’s more of an insider,” he said. Asked whether or not six months into its mandate was a long time for Mr. Dion’s office to still be looking for policy advisers, Mr. Dade said he “wouldn’t read too much into it.” He said that while the Conservatives may have had trouble finding self-identified Conservative experts in foreign policy, he’s“not too worried that [the Liberals] haven’t had access to people who have some background.” However, he said that when it comes to policy on Latin America, he could see the Liberals having trouble finding someone who is moderate enough. “A lot of the Latin Amerincanists are left of centre, to be blunt about it,” he told The Hill Times.“This government is centrist. I don’t think they’re going to want someone who’s said that NAFTA’s been terrible and that trade agreements are terrible,” he said. This future policy adviser, whether it’s one person or more, has potential to shape Canada’s foreign policy in these regions. “Trudeau appears to be letting his ministers have free rein,” Mr. Dade said. “So this person could actually have some influence rather than just executing.” A former adviser to multiple Conservative ministers, who spoke under the condition of anonymity due to his current political position, said that political staff can develop the ability to influence what a minister might decide to do because they “know where the minister’s head is.” While a junior policy adviser might not have that much influence, having the minister’s trust can mean you develop some influence, he said. He also said that when it comes to the different file assignments, “you don’t always have to have a neat, cookie-cutter approach to ‘this is what this person is doing.’ That works in the civil service, but in the political world, it’s more fluid than that.” If Dion is looking for one person to fill both files, it’s likely because all the other files have already been spoken for, said Dade. That specific combination of regions would be hard to find in one person in academia, though would be more common in someone with a background in the foreign service, he said. “Stéphane Dion kind of knows his way around internationally, and he has some very strong opinions. So it will be interesting,” Mr. Dade said. [email protected] ambassador said that has been raised with him on a couple of occasions already, after only a couple months on the job. He said Canada could help its allies by “bringing China more into the normal international trade behaviour” and keeping in contact with the United States while it did so. It’s not clear whether Mr. MacNaughton’s remarks about “spectacular new trade deals” was a reference to starting up trade talks with China, or to the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement that Canada and the United States have signed, but which has been denounced by several leading U.S. presidential candidates, and to which the Canadian government remains officially uncommitted. It’s also possible Mr. MacNaughton was referring to hypothetical future trade deals that would somehow tie in both Canada and the United States, though none have been seriously proposed. Canada’s embassy in Washington did not respond when asked for clarification. which also proposed a hockey arena as well as a walk-through “linear” park, a skate park, and other attractions. The NCC also released the names last week of 12 diplomatic missions that would show their stuff in its new building in the ByWard Market, as part of a showcase for the 150th anniversary of Confederation in Canada. The United States, Mongolia, Cuba, Germany, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, the Philippines, Switzerland, Hungary, and Israel will each take a turn transforming the new International Pavilion building at 7 Clarence St. into an exhibition of its culture and relationship with Canada, beginning in February 2017 and ending in December of the same year, according to an NCC press release. The host countries were determined by the NCC “on a first come first serve basis, based on availability of dates and the ability of the embassies to develop programming for the space,” according to an emailed statement from spokesperson Cédric Pelletier. Finally, the NCC approved an application from the federal government to build the controversial memorial for victims of communism in the Garden of the Provinces and Territories, a park not far from the LeBreton Flats and west of the Parliament Buildings. A plan under the previous federal government to build a much larger memorial on space that had been reserved for a new Federal Court building on Wellington Street had been blocked by the NCC after it drew criticism from Ottawa residents and a lawsuit from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. [email protected] @PJMazereeuw FEATURE BUZZ HEARD ON THE HILL B Y P ETER M A Z E RE E U W This is no time for ‘spectacular new trade deals’: MacNaughton Continued from page 2 Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. David MacNaughton. Photograph courtesy of StrategyCorp Canada’s ambassador to the United States had some interesting things to say about international trade during an April 26 interview with Bloomberg TV. David MacNaughton says Canada could help to bring China closer to “normal” international trade practices through potential free trade talks, then, in response to another question, poured cold water on the possibility of “spectacular new trade deals.” When asked to reveal his biggest goal as ambassador to the U.S., Mr. MacNaughton said he would be trying to “make the things that are working really well now” to “work better.” He then referred to “some of the discussion that’s going on in the U.S. general election,” before saying, “I don’t think it’s a time for spectacular new trade deals to happen. I think we’re going to go through a couple of years where, anybody who’s proposing that might get shut down fairly quickly.” Mr. MacNaughton’s remarks came after another question about whether Canada’s rumoured free trade negotiations with China might “frustrate” the United States. The NCC clears its desk The National Capital Commission had a busy week, making a long-awaited decision on the future of the LeBreton Flats lands in Ottawa and a pair of other announcements. The NCC said it would begin negotiations with RendezVous LeBreton on the business group’s plan to redevelop the LeBreton Flats area. The RendezVous LeBreton team is backed by Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, and the bid includes a plan to build an NHL-calibre hockey arena in which the hockey team could play, as well as housing and public spaces. The NCC chose that plan over another bid by the Devcore Canderel DLS Group, 30 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 FEATURE EVENTS Parliamentary Calendar Former U.K. foreign secretary and EU peace negotiator Lord David Owen will explain why he thinks the U.K. should leave the European Union in a May 4 talk organized by the Canadian International Council National Capital Branch. British exforeign secretary to talk Brexit May 4 at the Sheraton WEDNESDAY, MAY 4 Liberal Caucus Meeting—The Liberals will meet in Room 237-C Centre Block on Parliament Hill. For more information, please call Liberal Party media relations at [email protected] or 613-627-2384. Conservative Caucus Meeting—The Conservatives will meet for their national caucus meeting. For more information, contact Cory Hann, director of communications, Conservative Party of Canada at coryhann@ conservative.ca NDP Caucus Meeting—The NDP caucus will meet from 9:15 a.m.-11 a.m. in Room 112-N Centre Block, on Wednesday. Please call the NDP Media Centre at 613-222-2351 or [email protected] The Canadian International Council (CIC) National Capital Branch: An Evening with Lord David Owen on Why the UK Should Leave the European Union—David Owen is one of the U.K.’s most distinguished political figures and public intellectuals. He is a former U.K. foreign secretary and EU peace negotiator in the former Yugoslavia. It is a significant development in the current U.K. referendum campaign that he has decided his country should leave the EU. June 23 is the date of the referendum, and Lord Owen has dramatically entered the debate with a new book Europe Restructured, Vote to Leave. May 4, 5 p.m. (registration and cash bar); 6 p.m. (presentation begins), Rideau Room, Sheraton Hotel, 150 Albert Street, Ottawa, ottawa@ thecic.org or 613-903-4011 Avoiding Catastrophe: Linking Armed Conflict Harm to Ecosystems and Public Health—From May 4-6 in Montreal, join experts from the medical, epidemiological, veterinary, conflict management, biodiversity conservation, climate change and political science communities for this conference hosted by the Loyola Sustainability Research Centre. The event kicks off with keynote speakers Dr. Keith Martin (Consortium of Universities of Global Health) and Adan Suazo Morazán (Embassy of Honduras in Brazil) on May 4, from 6-9 p.m. at 1400 de Maisonneuve St., room LB-125. Free. For more information, see eventbrite.com/e/avoidingcatastrophe-linking-armed-conflict-harm-to-ecosystemsand-public-health-tickets-21273132512 The Ottawa-Orleans PC Association Reception—The Ottawa-Orleans PC Association is holding a reception featuring Conservative MPs Jason Kenney and Tony Clement. The event will take place at the HMCS Photo courtesy of Chatham House Bytown Naval Mess 78 Lisgar St., May 4, 6 p.m. For tickets go to www.orleanspc.com. Contact: [email protected] for more information. THURSDAY, MAY 5 The Canadian Nurses Foundation—will host its annual Nightingale Gala to celebrate Canada’s nurses and support indigenous nursing education and research on May 5 at the Shaw Centre. The reception takes place at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Sophie Grégoire Trudeau is an honorary patron and will speak at the gala. For more information please visit: http://cnf-fiic. ca/2016-gala/ Building Capacity, Fostering Collaboration: The Best Defence Against Dangerous Pathogens in Africa—Award-winning scientist Gary Kobinger, with the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg and the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases Detection, outlines his approach to combating infectious disease in Africa. Hosted by the International Development Research Centre at the Delta Ottawa City Centre Hotel, 101 Lyon St., Panorama Room, from 2-3:30 p.m. See idrc.ca for more information. FRIDAY, MAY 6 Nobel Peace Laureate lecture—Hosted by Alex Trebek, the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, speaks on the topic of “Crossing borders to find common ground.” Cocktail reception at 6 p.m. and lecture at 7 p.m., Trillium Ballroom, Shaw Centre. Tickets (including hors d’oeuvres and one drink) $15 for University of Ottawa alumni and students; $20 for the general public. Register online by visiting alumni.uottawa.ca/en/gbowee. SATURDAY, MAY 7 Second Annual Anti-Corruption Symposium— Organized by the Canadians for Accountability, the symposium is free. The day starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 2:45 p.m. Speakers include Peter Mantas, Dr. Youssef Youssef, David Kilgour, Allan Cutler, Cindy Blackstock, and Andy Bryce. For more information, call Allan Cutler at 613-293-4671. MONDAY, MAY 9 EU and Canada Strategic Partners: Towards a New Generation Relationship—To celebrate 40 years WANT TO LEARN FRENCH? ).4%.3)6%s0!244)-% 7/2+3(/03s3,%02%0!2!4)/. /.,).%#/523%3 SINCE 1905 REGISTER NOW: WWW.AF.CA /OTTAWA | 613-234-9470 of the European Union in Canada, the EU Delegation to Canada hosts a conference at the National Gallery of Canada, 1-5:30 p.m. Speakers include EU ambassador Marie-Anne Coninsx, French ambassador Nicolas Chapuis, Liberal MP Jonathan Wilkinson (North Vancouver, B.C.) and the former trade minister, Conservative MP Ed Fast (Abbotsford, B.C.). For more information, and to register, visit eucanada40.ca TUESDAY, MAY 10 Hill Times Event: Women in Finance—Small Business and Tourism Minister Bardish Chagger will speak at this event. 7:30 a.m.-9 a.m., Ottawa Marriott Hotel, 100 Kent St., Ottawa. Free for Hill Times subscribers and $20 for non-subscribers. Panellists include: Caroline Hubberstey, head of external relations at Acxsys Corporation/Interac Association; Caroline Riseboro, CEO Plan Canada International; Victoria Lennox, co-founder and CEO Startup Canada; and Sharon Connolly, vicepresident Business Development Bank of Canada. The discussion will be moderated by Power & Influence editor Ally Foster. CCSA Hosting Communications Services Reception—The Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA), which represents 120 independent and entrepreneurial cable, telephone and internet companies, is hosting a reception in the Commonwealth Room in Centre Block, May 10, from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. All Senators, Members of Parliament and staff are invited to attend and better familiarize themselves with our nation’s communications service providers. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Cynthia Waldmeier at 613-233-8906 or [email protected]. Canada at the World Humanitarian Summit: Opportunities for Leadership & Legacy—The Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC), the Canadian Association of International Development Professionals (CAIDP), and the School of International Development and Global Studies (SIDGS) are co-hosting a public event at the Library & Archives (395 Wellington St.), May 10, 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. The event includes a humanitarian expert panel, a political response panel, networking reception, and a humanitarian fair. The event is free and open to the public –register on Eventbrite. For more information please contact Sara Thaw ([email protected]). The Canadian Dental Association’s (CDA) Days on the Hill—May 10 and 11. CDA’s Days on the Hill WESTMOUNT MOVING Westmount Moving International has been providing first class relocation services to Diplomats for the past 40 years. We offer specialized packing, shipping, customs clearance and delivery of personal effects and vehicles to over 150 worldwide locations. Please contact Westmount Moving by telephone at (613) 612-6475 for an estimate on your upcoming move. connects leaders from Canada’s 21,000 dentists with parliamentarians to discuss important issues pertaining to oral health. The CDA is the national voice for dentistry in Canada and is dedicated to the promotion of optimal oral health for Canadians. For further information, please contact Bonnie Kirkwood at bkirkwood@ cda-adc.ca An Evening with the Canadian Dental Association Tuesday May 10—The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) invites you to its annual Parliamentary reception for friends of the dental profession, parliamentarians, and staff on Tuesday May 10th at 5:30 p.m. at the Métropolitain restaurant. Refreshments will be provided. To RSVP, please contact Bonnie Kirkwood at bkirkwood@ cda-adc.ca Launch of the Rio Tinto Award for Indigenous Students—A reception co-hosted by Rio Tinto, Canada’s largest mining and metals business, and Indspire, an indigenous-led charity that invests in the education of indigenous people, celebrating the launch of the Rio Tinto Award for Indigenous Students. The reception is a chance for parliamentarians and industry stakeholders to meet and mingle with indigenous financial award recipients in order to learn their experiences and celebrate indigenous education in Canada. Alfredo Barrios, chief executive of Rio Tinto Aluminum; Roberta Jamieson, president and CEO of Indspire; Indspire financial award recipients; MPs and Senators; industry stakeholders, May 10, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Drawing Room, Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel, 1 Rideau St. Ottawa. WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 Liberal Caucus Meeting—The Liberals will meet in Room 237-C Centre Block on Parliament Hill. For more information, please call Liberal Party media relations at [email protected] or 613-627-2384. Conservative Caucus Meeting—The Conservatives will meet for their national caucus meeting. For more information, contact Cory Hann, director of communications, Conservative Party of Canada at coryhann@ conservative.ca NDP Caucus Meeting—The NDP caucus will meet from 9:15 a.m.-11 a.m. in Room 112-N Centre Block, on Wednesday. Please call the NDP Media Centre at 613-222-2351 or [email protected] Canadian Rail Summit 2016—Canadian Rail Summit 2016, Canada’s leading rail event. Explore cutting-edge products and services from 50 tradeshow exhibitors, and choose from a wide variety of technical and conference sessions on key industry issues such as competitiveness, safety and emerging technologies. Register at www.railcan.ca/crs2016 and for more information, contact Janet Greene at 613-564-8109 [email protected] or Lynn Raby at 613-237-3888 or [email protected] Fit for purpose? CSO Transformation for Agenda 2030—The Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC) is hosting its annual conference on May 11 and May 12 at the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health. The 2016 CCIC annual conference seeks to raise the profile of the Canadian international development and humanitarian assistance sector and its important work. This landmark event brings together stakeholders from international development and humanitarian civil society organizations (CSOs), key government officials, relevant policy makers and academics from Canada and abroad. ‘Fit for purpose: CSO transformation for Agenda 2030’ will examine the challenges and opportunities facing CSOs in this new era of global development cooperation. For more info see: www.ccic.ca. Follow #intlcoopdays on Twitter. Talent for Innovation: Harnessing Canada’s Research Advantage—Join Mitacs and leaders from business, government, and academia to examine strategies to effectively engage and employ research innovators. Tuesday, May 11, National Arts Centre, Ottawa. Forum: 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m., and reception 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m. 31 THE HILL TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016 FEATURE EVENTS Parliamentary Calendar Former MP David Kilgour is set to speak at the Second Annual AntiCorruption Symposium, organized by the Canadians for Accountability, on May 7. The Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada. NAC director of communications Rosemary Thompson will emcee. The event is sold out. Digital Governance Forum—The Institute on Governance, in partnership with the Centre for Public Impact, presents its second annual Digital Governance Forum, with the theme “Democratic Governance in a Networked Age.” May 12-13, at the Adobe Conference Centre, 343 Preston St., Ottawa. Contact Franca Palazzo, [email protected] or 613-562-0090 x 218. TUESDAY, MAY 17 Kilgour, Cutler, Blackstock to speak at anticorruption summit May 7 Travers Debates—Maclean’s iconoclastic humourist Scott Feschuk, journalist Katie Simpson, and Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner and NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau are all going to be on the same stage May 17, at the NAC. Register at www.traversdebates.ca Merit Canada Reception—Métropolitain Brasserie & Restaurant, 700 Sussex Dr., May 17, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. RSVP to [email protected] The Forest Sector: Contributing to Climate Change Solutions—The Forest Products Association of Canada and FPInnovations will be holding a reception on Wednesday, May 18 to showcase how the forest products industry is using clean tech and innovation to pave the way to a lowcarbon economy. The event, which will include leaders from industry and government, will be held at the Rideau Club, 99 Bank St., Ottawa, between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. For more information, please contact [email protected] Hill Times file photograph THURSDAY, MAY 26 THURSDAY, MAY 12 Bacon & Eggheads Breakfast, Thursday May 12— PAGSE presents a bilingual talk ‘Keeping Food Available and Affordable: A 21st Century Challenge’ with Jean Caron, Université Laval. Thursday, May 12, 7:30 a.m. Parliamentary Dining Room, Centre Block. No charge to MPs, Senators , and media. All others, $25. Pre-registration required by Monday, May 9 by contacting Donna Boag, PAGSE [email protected] or call 613-991-6369. Polytechnics Canada Annual Policy Conference— This year’s conference theme is “Learning that Works: Polytechnic Education.” Speakers include disruptive innovation expert Michael Horn, best-selling higher education author Jeff Selingo and ESDC deputy minister Ian Shugart. The conference will be held on May 12 and 13, 2016 at Humber College in Toronto, Ont. For more information visit polytechnicscanada.ca. Ottawa Branch Monarchist League of Canada Celebrates Queen’s 90th Birthday—Senator Serge Joyal will deliver an address ‘Canada’s Constitutional Monarchy: Honougin a Lifetime of Service by Her Majesty, Liberal Biennial Convention—The federal Liberals will hold their convention in Winnipeg, Man., Thursday, May 26, to Sunday, May 29, 2016. Conservative Convention—The federal Conservatives will hold their convention in Vancouver, B.C., May 26 to May 29, 2016. SUNDAY, MAY 29 Taiwan Film Screening: Together—Seventeen should be a carefree age, but Yang gets to see the complexities of love involving his friends and family. Should he just stand aside and watch or should he risk himself to help? Presented by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada in collaboration with Ottawa Asian Heritage Month Society. Sunday, May 29, begins 2:10 p.m. with a complimentary reception and film starts at 2:45 p.m., Chamber at Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive, Nepean, Ottawa. In mandarin Chinese with English subtitles. Free admission. SATURDAY, JUNE 4 Parliamentary Press Gallery Dinner—It’s the 150th Anniversary of the Press Gallery at its Annual Gallery Dinner, Saturday, June 4, 5:30 p.m., Canadian Museum of History, River View Salon. The dinner will be held in the Grand Hall at 7 p.m. Dress: cocktail elegant (black tie optional). For press gallery members and guests only. TUESDAY, JUNE 7 Registration Now Open CIPMM’s 27th Annual National Workshop—June 7-8, 2016. The workshop fee is $875 plus HST and includes access to all keynote and breakout sessions. More than 400 delegates from PWGSC, ESD, DND, HC, RCMP, CSEC, DFATD, DFO, TBS, NRCan, IC, AAND, CIC, and LAC. Senior government officials from the lead departments and agencies will be at the networking reception. There will be exhibitors, subject matter experts representing both the public and private sectors. Please contact CIPMM Secretariat at [email protected] or at 613-725-0980. MAY 2017 Conservative Party Leadership Convention—The Conservatives will elect their next leader on May 27, 2017, Dan Nowlan, chair of the party’s leadership election organizing committee announced last week. The party is urging Conservative Party members to buy memberships or renew them in order to vote. For more information, contact Cory Hann, director of communications, Conservative Party of Canada, at 613-697-5614. The Parliamentary Calendar is a free listing. Send in your political, cultural, diplomatic or governmental event in a paragraph with all the relevant details under the subject line ‘Parliamentary Calendar’ to news@ hilltimes.com by Wednesday at noon before the Monday paper or Friday at noon before the Wednesday edition. Or fax it to 613-232-9055. We can’t guarantee inclusion of every event, but we will definitely do our best. [email protected] The Hill Times CELEBRATING CANADA’S HIGHEST HONOUR IN THE PERFORMING ARTS CONGRATULATIONS, SUSAN AGLUKARK, 2016 GOVERNOR GENERAL’S PERFORMING ARTS AWARD LAUREATE “I love the North, I love being an Inuk, I love that history. That’s what I write about.” - Susan Aglukark, singer-songwriter and humanitarian TICKETS NOW ON SALE rrr;QWTVKEMGVKPENWFGU ROCocktails and Canapés RO Gala Tribute Performance ROChampagne, Desserts, Dancing NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE SATURDAY, JUNE 11 0#%$QZ1HƂEGQTPCEEPCECIICYCTFU PRESENTED BY PRODUCED BY Photo: Denise Grant Enjoy the red carpet reception, the spectacular tribute show with surprise performers, and the champagne after party! IN PARTNERSHIP WITH @govgpaa #ggawards WITH THE SUPPORT OF MAJOR SPONSOR ASSOCIATE SPONSORS MEDIA PARTNER