Politics Insider: Carney recruits Hydro‑Québec CEO to head public service
Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let's look at what happened today.
Mark Carney has recruited Hydro‑Québec CEO Michael Sabia to take over as the country's top bureaucrat to help advance the Prime Minister's ambitious agenda.
Sabia had served as deputy minister of finance before he left government to serve as head of the Quebec pension plan and later Hydro‑Québec.
The current Clerk of the Privy Council John Hannaford announced today that he will leaving the government as the head of the public service and top adviser to the Prime Minister.
Robert Fife reports that Carney had sought out Sabia because he needed a Privy Council clerk with business experience, who can push through his agenda, which includes major nation-building projects, a revamped military, major housing initiatives and cost-cutting expenditures for the public service.
As Privy Council clerk, Sabia's roles include providing non-partisan advice to the Prime Minister and elected officials.
Also, Steven Chase reports that Canada and the United States are exchanging potential terms of agreement in closely held talks on an economic and security deal.
But these terms do not represent the draft text of an actual pact.
These exchanges are an effort to spell out what both sides might be able to agree upon as Ottawa and Washington try to find enough common ground to end their damaging trade war, sources said.
The Globe and Mail is not naming the sources because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Alberta working with oil companies on pipeline proposal, Alberta Premier says: Danielle Smith also says she expects Prime Minister Mark Carney to 'operate in good faith' on the pipeline issue.
Proposed GST rebate for first-time homebuyers could offer average $27,000 relief, says PBO: The Parliamentary Budget Officer says tax relief is expected to cost the government $1.9-billion, although its estimates do not take into account how the cut would affect market behaviour.
Saskatchewan Premier vows $500 per person for wildfire evacuees: Scott Moe said that money is on top of existing supports for the more than 10,000 people forced out of their homes owing to a string of wildfires in Saskatchewan's northern region.
B.C. Transport Minister raises concerns over BC Ferries construction deal with Chinese state-owned shipyard: The winning bidder on the contract to build four new passenger ferries is Chinese state-owned China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards.
What's in Kananaskis? Explore the outdoor escape where G7 leaders will gather: The G7 Leaders' Summit descends on Alberta's Kananaskis Country from June 15 to 17. Kananaskis – just an hour's drive from Calgary – isn't a national park. Rather, K-Country, as locals call it, is a 4,000-square-kilometre network of connected provincial parks, reserves and recreational zones encompassing mountains and foothills.
Prime Minister's Day: In Ottawa, Mark Carney attended the weekly Liberal caucus meeting on Parliament Hill and also attended Question Period. Carney also spoke with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and invited him to next week's G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta.
Party Leaders: At the House of Commons, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet participated in Question Period. In British Columbia, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May attended Parliament virtually and, in person she attended the blessing of new solar panels at the St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Sidney, B.C. NDP Interim Leader Don Davies, with other caucus members, held a news conference on NDP defence policy. No schedule released for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Starmer in Ottawa: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is to visit Mark Carney in Ottawa on Saturday and Sunday ahead of next week's G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis.
Quote of the Day:
'That's the thing about us New Democrats. We're like goddamned dandelions. It's like once we're on your lawn, you can't seem to get rid of us so the dandelions are coming up again.' - Former NDP MP Charlie Angus, at a Parliament Hill news conference today, on his party's resilience after a federal election result he described as an 'unmitigated disaster.' Angus said he will not seek the party leadership.
Which Russian leader attended the last G7 summit (then known as the G8summit) held in Kananaskis in 2002?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Twenty years late, Canada hits the old NATO target, just in time to fall short of the new one.
Post Mulroney, the Conservatives' brand is 'loser.' It's time for an overhaul.
Got a news tip that you'd like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.
The answer to today's question: Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the summit and appeared in a photo that included Canada's Jean Chrétien, France's Jacques Chirac, Tony Blair from Britain and U.S. President George W. Bush.
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