Hey,
The federal Ethics Commissioner is stepping down later this month attributable to persistent well being points, ending a five-year run within the submit.
Mario Dion introduced his exit in a press release issued on Tuesday. There are two years left in his seven-year time period.
Tuesday’s announcement got here quickly after he issued a report wherein he discovered that Liberal MP Greg Fergus breached the Battle of Curiosity Act by writing a letter to Canada’s broadcast regulator to help a tv channel’s utility for necessary carriage. Story right here.
“The position of Commissioner is a becoming one from which to retire after 43 years of public service. Regrettably, I can not proceed to discharge the tasks of the place due to persistent well being points,” Mr. Dion stated in his assertion.
In 2019, Mr. Dion took a go away of absence over “medical causes.”
He stated he’ll go away on Feb. 21.
“It’s my hope that I’ve contributed in some measure to transparency and accountability in help of Canadian democracy,” Mr. Dion stated in his assertion.
“These in public workplace have a sacred responsibility to at all times act within the curiosity of the general public they serve. I commend regulatees for taking their obligations below the battle of curiosity regimes significantly and dealing with the Workplace to attain and preserve compliance.”
Mr. Dion’s time within the submit included assessments of the conduct of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former finance Invoice Morneau and others. His studies are right here.
Mr. Dion started his work within the submit in 2018 after a profession that included posts on the Justice Division, the Privy Council Workplace and the Nationwide Parole Board the place he was chairperson. Previous to his appointment as ethics commissioner, he was chairperson of the Immigration and Refugee Board.
In a press release, Melanie Rushworth, the communications director for the ethics commissioner, stated Mr. Dion suggested the Privy Council late final 12 months of the necessity to retire for medical causes.
She stated that she couldn’t touch upon information that can be left open with Mr. Dion’s departure.
That is the day by day Politics Briefing publication, written by Ian Bailey. It’s out there solely to our digital subscribers. For those who’re studying this on the internet, subscribers can join the Politics publication and greater than 20 others on our publication signup web page. Have any suggestions? Tell us what you suppose.
TODAY’S HEADLINES
TORIES CLARIFY BILL 21 OPPOSITION – The federal Conservatives are attempting to reassure the World Sikh Group of Canada that the get together stays against Quebec’s secularism regulation after its MPs voted in help of a provision the province used to make it into regulation. Story right here.
ABUSE, THREATS PROMPT END TO COMMENTS ON GOVERNOR-GENERAL SOCIAL-MEDIA ACCOUNTS – The workplace of Canada’s Governor-Normal says it’s turning off feedback on all of its social media accounts attributable to an inflow of abusive feedback and “violent threats.” Story right here from CBC.
INCREASED DETECTION FINDING MYSTERY OBJECTS – The invention of a string of mysterious airborne objects over Canada and america in latest days is partly the results of elevated detection capabilities that NORAD put in place after the looks of a Chinese language high-altitude spy balloon final month, the White Home says. Story right here.
TORONTO MAYOR’S OFFICE DENIES POLLING PUBLIC FOR TORY SUPPORT – The Workplace of the Mayor has denied polling Toronto residents on whether or not John Tory ought to resign and whether or not the general public would help him in a 2023 mayoral byelection. Story right here from CTV. Additionally, Mr. Tory received’t resign his submit till town funds is finalized, leaving unclear how lengthy he’ll stay at metropolis corridor after admitting an affair with a subordinate and saying he would saying he would step down. Story right here. In the meantime, there’s a TVO historical past right here of Toronto mayoral resignations.
POSSIBLE OTTAWA `CONVOY ACTIVITY’ PROMPTS PARKING RESTRICTIONS – The town of Ottawa says parking can be restricted downtown Tuesday due to potential “convoy exercise” on the anniversary of the invocation of the federal Emergencies Act. Story right here from CTV.
TURPEL-LAFOND LOSES DEGREE – The College of Regina says it has rescinded the honorary physician of legal guidelines diploma it awarded to Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond in 2003 as she faces questions on her Indigenous heritage. Story right here.
TORIES BACK BQ ON NOTWITHSTANDING VOTE – Conservatives sided with the Bloc Québécois in voting for the precise to provinces to pre-emptively use the however clause. Story right here from the Nationwide Publish.
MPS CALL GROCERY STORE BOSSES ON PRICES – Members of Parliament have summoned the heads of Canada’s largest grocery retailer chains to testify about rising grocery costs. Story right here.
DEBT COLLECTORS DEPLOYED TO DEAL WITH MAROUF – The federal Heritage Division has employed debt collectors to get again $122,661 it paid an advocacy physique using Laith Marouf, an anti-racism guide who posted derogatory tweets about “Jewish White Supremacists,” francophones and Black and Indigenous public figures. Story right here.
NENSHI URGES POLITICIANS TO SUPPORT ELGHAWABY – Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi, throughout a Senate listening to, urged politicians to again Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s first particular consultant on combating Islamophobia. Story right here from CBC.
PREMIERS ACCEPT FEDERAL HEALTH OFFER – Premiers agreed on Monday to simply accept a federal supply that may add $46-billion in new well being care funding over 10 years regardless that it falls far in need of what they are saying they want. Story right here.
MOUNTIES FACE SUIT OVER PIPELINE DETENTION – A photojournalist and The Narwhal media outlet are suing the RCMP over her arrest and detention whereas protecting the Moist’suwet’en pipeline standoff in 2021. Story right here.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS – Projected Order of Enterprise on the Home of Commons, Feb.14, accessible right here.
JOLY IN KYIV – International Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has travelled to Ukraine to fulfill with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, a visit confirmed right here on Mr. Zelenskyy’s official web page..
MINISTERS ON THE ROAD -Worldwide Improvement Minister Harjit Sajjan, in Richmond, B.C., offered particulars on two tasks to be delivered by the British Columbia Institute of Know-how.
CABINET VALENTINES, ACCORDING TO REMPEL GARNER – Federal Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner has provide you with potential Valentine’s Day playing cards from varied federal cupboard ministers. Consequently, we get an Atmosphere Minister Steven Guilbeault card with the slogan, “Be Mine. No Affect Evaluation Required.” There’s additionally, from Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, “I Deficit-ly Select you Over Disney+” – a reference to remarks Ms. Freeland made about reducing prices by giving up the streaming channel. (There’s a narrative right here from World Information.) The remainder are here.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Mississaugua, held non-public conferences and, with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, attended the funeral of for Mississaugua mayor Hazel McCallion. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland additionally attended. Mr. Trudeau additionally delivered remarks. Later, in Ottawa, Mr. Trudeau chaired the cupboard assembly and spoke with New Zealand’s new prime minister, Chris Hipkins.
LEADERS
NDP Chief Jagmeet Singh met with representatives of the Canadian Producers & Exporters, and later took media questions earlier than attending Query Interval.
No schedules launched for different get together leaders.
THE DECIBEL
On Tuesday’s version of The Globe and Mail podcast, senior parliamentary reporter, Steven Chase talks in regards to the latest takedown of 4 flying objects over North America by U.S. fighter jets within the span of 9 days. The scenario has each Canada and the U.S. on excessive alert with hypothesis of Chinese language spying. The Decibel is right here.
TRIBUTE
McCALLION FUNERAL – Hazel McCallion, a political powerhouse and the longtime former mayor of Mississauga, Ont., is being remembered at a state funeral on Tuesday. Story right here.
PUBLIC OPINION
HEALTH CARE TOPS CONCERN – A brand new Nanos Analysis ballot has discovered the significance of well being care as a high nationwide concern is up 5 factors in 4 weeks. Particulars right here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how builders at Doug Ford’s daughter’s wedding ceremony solely deepen the thriller over his Greenbelt determination: “For a premier who as soon as billed himself as the pinnacle of Ontario’s “first ever Authorities for the Individuals,” Doug Ford has some quite kingly instincts. How else do you describe a premier whose sprawling Etobicoke dwelling was opened final August to Progressive Conservative courtiers bearing coin of the realm to assist ease the monetary burden of his daughter’s impending betrothal? It’s like one thing out of a distant period, when princelings bearing items and flattery rode gilded carriages to Versailles Palace in France on the summons of that different well-known man of the individuals, Louis XIV. Among the invitees who attended had been land builders.”
André Picard (The Globe and Mail) on how Ottawa just isn’t coming to your private well being information: “Cue premiers Scott Moe of Saskatchewan and Danielle Smith of Alberta, and their vow to struggle the “digital ID.” In latest days, each Western premiers have warned ominously that the well being deal may result in the creation of a “digital identification” for every Canadian, and vowed they won’t share any of their residents’ “non-public well being data” with the federal authorities. These issues, apparently, stem from some pretty innocuous wording within the federal supply to the provinces – a dedication to “modernizing the well being care system with standardized data and digital instruments.” However let’s be clear: Will increase within the Canada Well being Switch should not contingent on some nefarious “digital ID.” Nor will Canadians’ private well being data be shared with politicians, bureaucrats or the general public.”
Susan Colbourn, Simon Miles and Timothy Andrews Sayle (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how Canada’s leaders know the worth of utilized historical past so why received’t they set it free?: “The previous can inform us an ideal deal in regards to the current – and it will probably inform how we put together for an unsure future. However for these like Gen. Eyre who wish to study from the previous to make higher coverage within the right here and now, the historical past books to which we frequently flip – the works that may assist us perceive how Canada approached the world within the final half-century or extra – have confronted huge obstacles. A damaged system of declassification and archival entry is stopping Canadian historians from researching and writing about enormous swaths of their very own previous. However it is usually stopping Canadians – and the Canadian authorities – from studying from that historical past.”
Christian Leuprecht (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how the mysterious flying objects are proof that North America is formally susceptible: “North America is safe when we’re not caught unexpectedly. We’re greatest in a position to shield ourselves once we perceive our adversaries’ capabilities and intent, and Canada and the U.S. have lengthy performed so with nice success. But, the interception of a rising variety of unidentified objects of varied sizes and shapes in Canadian and U.S. airspace – a few of that are believed to be of Chinese language or Russian origin – reveals that we’re, actually, susceptible. And this can be a game-changer.”
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