Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
The federal government will spend nearly $35-billion to prepare the North for more extensive military operations aimed at defending against incoming threats to North America and asserting territorial sovereignty in the Arctic, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced today in Yellowknife.
Steven Chase reports that the bulk of the money, $32-billion, will be used to upgrade military Forward Operating Locations in Yellowknife, Inuvik and Iqaluit as well as the Deployed Operating Base at 5 Wing Goose Bay.
These provide hangars, fuel and accommodations to support fighter squadrons deployed in service of the Canada-U.S. North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD).
Funds will pay for upgraded airfields, new or repurposed hangars, ammunition and fuel storage as well as upgraded accommodations, warehouses and information technology equipment.
Carney also announced that four Northern infrastructure projects would be referred to Ottawa’s Major Projects Office, which streamlines regulatory approvals and financing for “nation-building” projects of national interest.
These include the 800-kilometre Mackenzie Valley Highway, the Grays Bay Road and Port, the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor, and the Taltson Hydro Expansion Project.
Canada has been under pressure from allies to do more to secure the Arctic and Carney last year unveiled the biggest increase in defence spending in more than 70 years.
In other news, Ottawa unveiled its revised border-security bill today, addressing criticism of the original proposed legislation by limiting the scope of police forces and the spy service to demand information about the services Canadians use without a warrant.
Marie Woolf reports that the bill introduced by Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, however, would make it easier for authorities to investigate online activities by requiring internet and phone companies to tell authorities whether they provide service to a particular person or account number.
It would also allow authorities to obtain subscriber information from telecommunications companies, such as names, addresses, phone numbers and services provided.
Open this photo in gallery:
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks, as members of the Canadian Armed Forces stand behind him, during his visit to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 440 Transport Squadron, in Yellowknife on Thursday.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
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What else is going on
CRTC orders companies to eliminate fees preventing customers from switching plans: As of June 12, the companies will no longer be allowed to charge the fees, according to a regulatory document released today by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.
Ottawa says Musqueam deal unrelated to private property rights: Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty says a recent rights agreement between the federal government and Musqueam First Nation in British Columbia does not mention private property rights because they are provincial authority.
Canada’s trade deficit widens to $3.65-billion January: Data released today showed exports dropped more than imports, led by a meaningful drop in shipments of motor vehicles and parts.
Gun-control advocates press for release of details on weapons used in Tumbler Ridge shooting: In an open letter to the RCMP commissioner, a group of high-profile gun-control advocates urged the RCMP to “be transparent with the public about the guns used in this school shooting – information Canadians expect and deserve.”
Bob Rennie and family donate two dozen contemporary artworks to National Gallery: The gallery said the works donated by the Vancouver collector and his family are by two Canadian and two American artists and valued at more than $33-million.
The current Canada-U.S. relationship is built on contradictions: Canadians are ripping mad at the United States, pollster Nik Nanos says in a new Data Dive. Yet even in this moment, Canadians still see the economic upside of trading with the United States.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Day: In Ottawa, Mark Carney chaired a cabinet meeting. Later, in Yellowknife, Carney made a defence-and-development announcement, met with Premier R.J. Simpson, visited local infrastructure and departed for Oslo.
Party Leaders: Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet was in the Quebec riding of Terrebonne with the Bloc candidate in a pending by-election there. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May attended a presentation held by the All-Party Anti-Poverty Caucus, and held a news conference on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first year in office. NDP interim leader Don Davies was in Toronto for a celebration of life for Leo Gerard, the late president of the United Steel Workers International.
Ministers on the Road: In Montreal, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly attended a Liberal fundraising event, while Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc was at a Liberal fundraising event in Sherbrooke.
Quotes of the Day
“I’ve often said that I want my adversaries to be as good as possible in order to force me and us to be better and do better all the time. I think we have learned that lesson. Watch us.” – Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, in the riding of Terrebonne today, responds to a news conference question on what the party learned from its candidate losing the riding by a single vote in a judicial recount after the past federal election.
“You just need to make him answer.” – Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, at the House of Commons today, offers advice to journalists who said Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc declined to stop and answer questions as he arrived for today’s cabinet meeting.
Question period
Who was Claude Brunelle and what happened to him, in Ottawa, on this day in 1985?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Donald Trump never shuts up. That’s a key to his power
He’s the President who never shuts up. He’s turned the Oval Office into a bullhorn. He’s doing more media than any other president, and it makes sense: It means he’s getting his side of the story out more than the others.
— Lawrence Martin, Public Affairs Columnist
Liberals and Bloc Québécois both have a lot riding on Terrebonne by-election
Now, Ms. Auguste and Ms. Sinclair-Desgagné are teed up for a rematch in an April 13 by-election that the whole country seems to be watching. The outcome will likely determine whether the Liberals secure the extra seat they need to form a clear majority government.
— Konrad Yakabuski, Columnist
Why Carney’s sovereignty and prosperity agenda needs to engage emerging and developing economies
To meet this moment of global turmoil, Canada’s government must look beyond traditional relations with advanced economies. A future-proof foreign policy should articulate how relations with emerging and developing economies can advance Canada’s core interests and values, and contribute to a safer, more just and more sustainable world.
— Jennifer Welsh is the director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University. Margaret Biggs is the Matthews Fellow in Global Public Policy at Queen’s University.
Go deeper
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The answer to today’s question: Brunelle was a security guard on duty at the Turkish embassy in Ottawa when three armed men attacked the embassy. Brunelle was shot and killed while confronting the attackers, stalling their entry to the embassy, and allowing the ambassador to escape. There are additional details in the citation for a Star of Courage honour for Brunelle.
