As talked about within the readout from his first official cellphone name with U.S. President Joe Biden in December, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has secured his first face-to-face assembly with the brand new resident of the White Home. However, in contrast to his immediately historic state go to to Washington on the invitation of then-president Barack Obama, he’ll be firing up his webcam this time, as an alternative of the prime ministerial jet.
“Each Trudeau’s workplace and the press secretary for President Joe Biden issued statements saying the 2 leaders plan to convene nearly on Tuesday,” the Canadian Press reported on Saturday.
In accordance with the newest dispatch from the Star’s Susan Delacourt, Trudeau and Biden “will meet on their very own for one portion of the session, after which be joined by different cupboard members for a wider dialogue.” Delacourt predicts that may “possible” embrace Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, though “your complete listing of members has not but been lastly decided by the PMO.”
In accordance with Delacourt’s sources, “three large themes are on the agenda, the place Canada and the U.S. can co-operate within the weeks and months forward.” The official White Home assertion suggests the pair will “assessment joint efforts in areas of mutual curiosity, such because the COVID-19 response, local weather change, and the financial ties that bind our nations.”
Entry to medical help in dying, pandemic-election protocols, and price range measures prime Liberal to-do listing
With the Senate-initiated rewrite of his proposal to increase entry to medical help in dying now formally again on the Home of Commons docket, Justice Minister David Lametti will current MPs together with his authorities’s really helpful response to the putative amendments on Tuesday morning, setting the stage for a vote that would set off an prolonged standoff between the 2 chambers.
In accordance with the newest legislative enterprise assertion from Liberal Home chief Pablo Rodriguez, he’s blocked off simply at some point to go over the positive print of Lametti’s proposed reply to the Senate.
That seems to point the federal government is both relying on the assist of a minimum of one opposition get together to wrap up the following debate by finish of day — or, alternatively, it’s resigned itself to lacking the present court-imposed deadline to have the brand new legislation in place no later than Feb. 26. (Because the Star’s Chantal Hebert famous in her weekend column, Lametti already appears ready for the latter, as he’s filed a proper request for a one-month extension.)
For its half, the Senate isn’t scheduled to take a seat in any respect till Friday, which suggests it’s not anticipating to have the revised invoice again on the ground earlier than then. Because the be aware from the Senate Speaker factors out, nonetheless, “with applicable consultations,” the crimson chamber may very properly hasten its return to common programming.
Additionally on Rodriguez’s to-do listing as soon as once more is Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s mini-budget invoice, which has been stalled at second studying for the reason that Home reopened for enterprise in January. The invoice will now return to the ground on Monday morning, though there was nonetheless no phrase at press time on whether or not the Liberals have struck a cross-aisle deal to finish the deadlock.
In the meantime, the federal government’s try and briefly rewrite the foundations for federal elections to permit using pandemic protocols within the occasion a vote is named earlier than the present public-health disaster has handed is on the agenda for each Monday afternoon and Wednesday. Friday is tentatively reserved for the primary spherical of debate on the Liberals’ newest transfer to tighten the federal firearms regime.
Lastly, Thursday is booked as an opposition-designated provide day. It’ll possible go to the Bloc Québécois, as the primary two go-rounds of the yr had been allotted to the Conservatives.
MPs to vote on whether or not China’s remedy of Uighur minority constitutes “genocide”
On prime of an more and more time-crunched legislative agenda, the minority Liberal authorities can also be dealing with a doubtlessly divisive vote on an more and more politically charged query, specifically: Does China’s remedy of its Uighur minority represent genocide? The Conservatives have initiated an opposition movement to have the Home formally acknowledge that it does, whereas concurrently urging the federal government to “formally undertake this place.”
Whereas the movement — put ahead by Conservative Overseas Affairs critic Michael Chong final week — isn’t legally binding on the federal government, the prospect of the Home formally signing on to such a declare has already triggered a pre-emptive rebuttal from China’s lead emissary to Canada, in response to the Canadian Press.
“Cong Peiwu, the Chinese language ambassador to Canada, reiterated his authorities’s view that there isn’t a mistreatment of Uighurs, labelling accusations from the United Nations and others that thousands and thousands of individuals in detention camps are being subjected to pressured labour and sterilization as unfounded China-bashing,” the information service reported on Saturday. It additionally famous that the Chinese language embassy had “proactively supplied the interview on Saturday forward of the scheduled vote,” which is anticipated to occur on Monday.
As of final week, it wasn’t clear whether or not the Liberals would vote in favour of the Conservatives’ proposed decision, however the movement will possible move with or with out the federal government’s endorsement, since all three opposition events are anticipated to assist it.
And whereas it doesn’t suggest what, if any, particular actions the federal government ought to take after adopting such a place, it’s prone to spark a contemporary wave of questions on how, precisely, Canada intends to steadiness its oft-proclaimed dedication to upholding human rights all over the world with its efforts to free the 2 Canadians being detained by the Chinese language authorities, ostensibly over nationwide safety issues.
Auditor common to launch experiences on shipbuilding, IT administration, and secure ingesting water
If all that weren’t sufficient to maintain Staff Trudeau on its toes this week, Auditor Common Karen Hogan goes public along with her newest efficiency experiences, to be introduced to Parliament on Thursday, in response to the official advisory. Sections embrace Canada’s shipbuilding technique, entry to secure ingesting water in First Nations communities, the Canada Little one Profit, “procuring complicated data expertise options,” and a follow-up of a 2013 assessment of rail security.
On the Home committee circuit:
When DEFENCE members kicked off their investigation of allegations of inappropriate behaviour by now-former chief of defence workers Jonathan Vance with an prolonged cross-examination of Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, they “ran right into a brick wall of half-denials and confidentiality claims,” in response to CBC Information. Now the committee will get the prospect to query former Supreme Courtroom justice Marie Deschamps about her landmark 2015 inquiry into sexual misconduct and harassment throughout the Canadian Armed Forces, which discovered an “underlying sexualized tradition” at each stage of the navy.
Additionally on the witness listing for Monday: retired colonel Michel Drapeau, now an adjunct professor on the College of Ottawa; Canadian Forces Faculty researcher Alan Okros; Mount Saint Vincent College affiliate professor Maya Eichler; and senior Defence officers, together with Denise Preston, government director of the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre, and Brig. Gen. Andrew Atherton, director common {of professional} navy conduct. (Monday 11 AM)
In the meantime, HEALTH members proceed finding out the phrases of reference for the “emergency scenario dealing with Canadians in gentle of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic,” with professional testimony from Université Laval professor Gary Kobinger. As iPolitics reported final yr, Kobinger “resigned from a federal process pressure of high-level vaccine specialists, pleading for extra transparency within the battle in opposition to COVID-19.” Additionally scheduled to attend are Nationwide Analysis Council president Mitch Davies, CIFAR CEO Alan Bernstein, and senior Well being Canada medical adviser Supriya Sharma. (Monday AM)
Ottawa’s ongoing response to the pandemic may also come underneath the parliamentary microscope at GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND ESTIMATES, which is able to hear from COVID-19 Provide Council members Tabatha Bull and David McHattie. (Monday PM)
Over at INTERNATIONAL TRADE, a one-hour briefing with Small Enterprise Minister Mary Ng will launch a lightning-round assessment of the interim post-Brexit commerce deal between Canada and the UK. Finalized final yr, the settlement is meant as a stopgap till a everlasting deal is reached. (Monday AM)
Additionally on the Home committee circuit this week:
- CANADIAN HERITAGE members look at the federal government’s proposed overhaul of Canada’s broadcasting regime via panel discussions with representatives from the Canadian Media Producers Affiliation, the Racial Fairness Media Collective, the Canadian Affiliation of Black Journalists, the Canada Media Fund, l’Affiliation des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec, and the Indigenous Display screen Workplace. (Monday AM)
- ACCESS TO INFORMATION, PRIVACY AND ETHICS resumes its probe of Pornhub and comparable on-line platforms, particularly, the safety (or lack thereof) of privateness and popularity offered by such providers. Testimony can be heard from the Canadian Centre for Little one Safety, the Nationwide Middle For Lacking & Exploited Kids, the RCMP, and Mates of Canadian Broadcasting government director Daniel Bernhard. (Monday AM)
- Deputy Auditor Common Andrew Hayes fields questions from PUBLIC ACCOUNTS members about his workplace’s newest report on oversight of federal authorities promoting. (Tuesday AM)
- CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION holds two one-hour hearings as a part of its ongoing examine of recent measures to assist Hong Kong pro-democracy activists searching for asylum in Canada. VFS International executives Chris Dix and Jiten Vyas will communicate within the morning, adopted by College of British Columbia professor Paul Evans, Saskatchewan Stands with Hong Kong co-director Henry Chan, and Immigration and Refugee Board officers within the afternoon. (Monday AM/PM)
Out and about on the digital ministerial hustings:
Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna groups up through Fb Stay along with her Prince Edward Island counterpart, James Aylward, together with native MP Sean Casey, to announce new federal assist for “COVID-19 response infrastructure” all through the province. (Monday AM)
Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay hosts a digital unveiling of a “new method to commemorating Canadians who’ve served our nation, at house, and overseas.” (Monday AM)