Presented by

Send tips | Subscribe here | Follow Politico Canada

Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. I’m your host, Nick Taylor-Vaisey. This week, we're watching the Hill's response to increasing anxiety about Chinese foreign interference in federal elections. We've also noticed a feisty trend in Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU's rhetoric. Speaking of which, Google is on the heritage committee's Tuesday agenda.

CALL IN A JUDGE — We're starting to get the sense that a public inquiry is likelier than not as a nonpartisan solution to nonstop allegations of Chinese foreign interference in the two most recent federal votes.

What seemed unlikely before the weekend gained some prominent backers among the Liberal-friendly crowd after yet another stunner of a news report from Global's SAM COOPER on Friday evening.

Cooper's story claimed a sitting Liberal MP, HAN DONG, was aided by China's Toronto consulate when he ran for the party nomination in 2019.

"CSIS asked the PM's senior staff to rescind Dong's nomination, per sources," tweeted Global's MACKENZIE GRAY.

POLITICO has not verified Global's reporting, which had eyes popping in Ottawa.

— Momentum is building: The first voice we heard calling for an inquiry was MITCH HEIMPEL, an Enterprise Canada GR guy who once advised ERIN O'TOOLE and tracked the signs of interference on the 2021 campaign. A former chief electoral officer, JEAN-PIERRE KINGSLEY, voiced support for a commission.

Neither man persuaded Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU, who swatted down the notion of an inquiry during a Friday news conference.

Fair enough.

But might GERRY BUTTS have more sway? What about former CSIS boss DICK FADDEN?

Fadden told Global's West Block that Parliament isn't an ideal venue for investigation: “It has become so partisan that I think that this particular kind of topic would be almost impossible for them to look at objectively,” he told MERCEDES STEPHENSON.

Butts, a driving force behind Trudeau's rise to power who last week gave the Globe and Mail a hard time for its reporting, is all in on supporting an inquiry.

"Terms would be extremely challenging but it’s worth doing," he tweeted.

BRUCE ANDERSON recommended the Liberals switch tack.

"It doesn’t seem tenable for the government to say foreign interference is real and worrying, but trust us nothing happened, we can’t answer questions or share information and no to a public inquiry," he wrote on the bird app. "I don’t believe the politics of that works."

Also in favor of an inquiry: ALEX MARLAND, ARTUR WILCZYNSKI

— A critical view: The reporting has its doubters. "I am embarrassed for media and our bureaucrats working at CSIS today for this absolute [nonsense] allegation and story," tweeted Mainstreet Research CEO QUITTO MAGGI.

"Thing I can't help but circle back to: since when does CSIS have the right to tell the Liberal Party who they can and can't nominate?" wonderedEVAN SCRIMSHAW.

Playbook called up STEPHANIE CARVIN, the Carleton prof and former national security analyst who asked hard questions of government in last Thursday's Playbook.

Carvin reinforced the seriousness of the foreign interference allegations, but reminded us of major caveats in successive bombshells on foreign interference.

→ Details matter: "It strikes me as unlikely that CSIS would tell either a political party or Prime Minister's Office specifically to get rid of a candidate," she said. "I think that goes above and beyond what their mandate allows them to do."

"They can't ask, and they can't tell."

→ Intelligence is not evidence: Cooper wrote that CSIS "relied on surveillance and wiretap evidence, as well as human-source reporting." Carvin urged caution in drawing conclusions.

"Human sources have their own agendas, and they can be wrong," she said. "We have to remember that just because something's in an intelligence assessment or report, doesn't necessarily mean it's true. It is information that has been gathered that may be pointing to a serious national security problem. Or not."

→ The best solution: There's no doubt in Carvin's mind of the best forum to sort this all out.

"I firmly believe that Canada does have an issue with foreign interference, not just from China, but multiple countries. And I do believe an inquiry into that would be appropriate."

— The last word: That goes to the Tories, who want Trudeau's chief of staff, KATIE TELFORD, to answer to the procedure and House affairs committee.

PICKING FIGHTS — Every time the PM was in front of a mic last week, he seemed poised to spout fighting words. Trudeau dismissed PIERRE POILIEVRE's demand for an end to Roxham Road as Trump-ian. He attacked a Tory MP trio who mugged for the cameras with a far-right European politician. He took an unprompted potshot at Google. And he shouted down a protester at a pro-Ukraine rally on the first anniversary of Russia's invasion.

Exactly what is personal chef CHANTHY YEN feeding this man? A sound bite reminder:

— Build that wall: "Could somebody put up barricades and a big wall? Yes. If Pierre Poilievre wants to build a wall at Roxham Road, someone could do that. The problem is we have 6,000 kilometers worth of undefended, shared border with the United States, and … people will choose to cross elsewhere."

— Far-right friends: "Consistently, we see Conservative parliamentarians and people who should know better associating themselves with folks responsible for a particularly vile level of rhetoric and hatred, and their answer is all the same: 'Oh, we didn't know.'

"At one point, Canadians need to stop being treated like fools, and the Conservatives need to own up and either really dissociate themselves from hateful, vile intolerant rhetoric or tell the truth and explain that they actually have room for those rhetorics and that intolerance within their party."

— Going after Google: “They’d rather prevent Canadians from accessing news than actually paying journalists for the work they do. I think that’s a terrible mistake, and I know Canadians expect journalists to be well-paid for the work they do.”

— STFU: "Hey sir, I think Ukrainians can tell you a little bit about freedom and liberty, so why don't you settle down? This is a night for them not for you. This is a night for Ukrainians, not for you. If you want to stand and cheer with Ukraine, do that. You want to wave that Ukrainian flag, please do. But let people celebrate that Ukraine is still standing and Canada stands with it."

Not that an election is anywhere near the PM's radar. Uh-uh. Nope.

GOOGLE IN THE HOT SEAT — "Saw that coming," was Conservative MP RACHAEL THOMAS's response to Google blocking news content on its platforms for a small percentage of Canadian users last week.

Google says its "test" was a potential reaction to a proposed federal law that would force content-sharing giants to compensate news organizations for using their work.

The House heritage committee will meet Tuesday at 11 a.m. to discuss the "censoring" of news content by Google. But it's not the Tories who want this on the agenda.

It's everyone else on the committee.

In a letter to chair HEDY FRY, seven MPs wrote: "Intimidation of this sort has become commonplace as tech giants push back against global accountability." They want to "summon leadership from Google to explain this damaging and reckless behavior."

— Those were the days: It was five years ago, though it feels like a thousand, when PM Trudeau shared a Toronto stage with ERIC SCHMIDT, then executive chair of Alphabet (Google's parent company). At the time, Trudeau was a fan of Sidewalk Labs, an Alphabet subsidiary pitching a smart-city proposal.

— Further reading: The Bill C-18 Reality: Everyone loses when the government mandates payments for links, by the persistent MICHAEL GEIST

DONOR CIRCUIT — The PM and a handful of Cabinet ministers are spending the second half of a two-week break from Ottawa packing their party's eventual campaign war chest.

Not that an election is imminent. No way, no how. That's crazy talk.

Natural Resources Minister JONATHAN WILKINSON is in Thunder Bay–Rainy River tonight to raise money for Liberal MP MARCUS POWLOWSKI. 338Canada's latest projection pegs the northern Ontario riding as a three-way dogfight.

On Tuesday, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC is raising dough for his parliamentary secretary, JENNIFER O'CONNELL, in her 905-area riding of Pickering–Uxbridge. Donors can gain admission at 1,000 bucks a pop.

At the same time on the other side of the GTA, Transport Minister OMAR ALGHABRA is celebrating 10 years as an MP alongside special guest ANITA ANAND. Attendees are required to donate at least C$5 to the party and C$25 to Alghabra's riding association.

On Thursday, Trudeau caps the week with a Winnipeg fundraiser hosted by local MP TERRY DUGUID, the parlsec to Environment Minister STEVEN GUILBEAULT who reps the safe-ish Winnipeg South riding last held by Tories during the Harper years.

— Meanwhile: Tory leader PIERRE POILIEVRE is in London, Ont., on Thursday to fill the Lamplighter Inn's Crystal Ballroom with party donors. The hotel sits in NDP MP LINDSAY MATHYSSEN's relatively safe London–Fanshawe riding, but Tories held the city's other two districts in the Harper majority years. 338Canada has them both in play.

— Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is in Ontario's Peel Region.

— Deputy PM CHRYSTIA FREELAND is in Toronto for private meetings.

1 p.m. Trudeau will make an announcement with Ontario Premier DOUG FORD. Health Minister JEAN-YVES DUCLOS and Seniors Minister KAMAL KHERA will join.

7 p.m. (6 p.m. CT) NDP leader JAGMEET SINGH will attend a meet and greet with MP DANIEL BLAIKIE.

SURVEY SAYS — Playbook sorted through a small pile of government-commissioned polling, unearthing a reality check, a warning sign and an advertising choice.

— Brand non-recognition: Parks Canada tasked Advanis with quizzing Canadians on the agency's beaver logo. The pollster asked respondents to match the logo to one of several notable brands they served up as options. The results weren't inspiring.

About 35 percent correctly named Parks Canada. Almost one-third didn't know what they were looking at. A sizable chunk — 14 percent — picked the visually similar Roots. Another 6 percent selected the defunct, but jaunty, Beaver Lumber. And 2.8 percent went with BeaverTails.

The pollster asked a different group to identify the logo without any prompts. Approximately six of those respondents thought they were looking at a nickel. Like, the coin.

— The paradox of aging: Veterans Affairs Canada hired Forum Research to survey clients who seek out the department's services. The pollster found general satisfaction, but with a key caveat. Veterans under 65 were the least satisfied, a "striking pattern" that "holds throughout much of the survey."

Forum offers an explanation: "This is consistent with the paradox of aging, in which older respondents report higher levels of life satisfaction despite declining health and income."

The survey also found Indigenous and visible minority respondents "are generally less satisfied and less well-off compared to their counterparts," and female respondents were "more likely to give positive responses about their satisfaction with VAC programs, experience with VAC staff, and their relationship with others."

— Opioid abuse: Health Canada paid Narrative Research to focus-group an ad campaign meant to fight opioid abuse among "males in physically demanding professions."

The focus groups worried the campaign "reinforces the stigma of trade workers being tough and often unable to reach out for help." Some participants appreciated the ethnic diversity in the ads, but flagged the lack of gender balance — "despite the concept featuring a higher proportion of female actors than is actually represented in the trades workforce."

— Top of POLITICO this morning: The strengths and weaknesses of Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

— JUSTIN LING follows far-right German politician CHRISTINE ANDERSON's Canadian tour — and calls out a trio of Conservative MPs who met her and promptly distanced themselves from her extreme views.

— COLIN HORGAN's take on the Everything Feels Broken narrative: "What’s really not working is our imagination."

— In case you missed it: After George Floyd from WENDY GILLIS, is the first in a series via the R. James Travers Foreign Corresponding Fellowship.

— From JASON MARKUSOFF in Calgary: From well cleanups to Sovereignty Act, Danielle Smith's big ideas keep deflating

— Liberal MP NATE ERSKINE-SMITH dropped a few hints on his likely run for Ontario Liberal leader in interviews with CBC News and QP Observer.

— From Bloomberg: The year that redrew the energy map

— From POLITICO in Chicago: No one has a clear opening to win the mayor’s race this week — not even the person who won the job just four years ago.

For POLITICO Pro subscribers, here’s our latest policy newsletter from JOSEPH GEDEON and NICK TAYLOR-VAISEY: Loud quitting the PMPRB

Other headlines for Pro readers:
— Europe entices crypto firms burned by U.S.
— Ukraine braces for onslaught of Russian cyberattacks.
— With billions at stake, chip lobby pushes Biden to waive enviro rules.
— Planes from Europe were full of Covid last summer, CDC finds.
— Vilsack: Europe's pesticide restrictions have created "a real challenge."
— U.S. Energy Department exploring clean natural gas designation.

Birthdays: Social activist and NDP MP LIBBY DAVIES is 70 today. HBD to author and lawyer MAUREEN MCTEER. Also celebrating former MPs MARYANN MIHYCHUK, WAYNE MARSTON and former MPP CAM JACKSON.

HBD + 1 to AMY BOUGHNER.

Spotted: Foreign affairs parlsec MANINDER SIDHU, catching up with former Cabinet colleague and current banking exec NAVDEEP BAINS in Singapore … Liberal MP YASIR NAQVI, pre-campaigning for the provincial party leadership in Sudbury. On Wednesday, Naqvi is at the Pilot bar in Toronto's Yorkville neighborhood for a pre-launch fundraiser.

Tory national outreach chair, ARPAN KHANNA, campaigning for the Tory nomination in advance of the Oxford by-election alongside ANDREW SCHEER.

CATHERINE MCKENNA with a +1 for CHRIS DORNAN’s appeal to the CBC to re-air Quentin Durgens, MP, the drama series starring the late, great GORDON PINSENT as a rookie parliamentarian.

MP JAKE STEWARTcelebrating five years of sobriety … MP GARNETT GENUIS and kids watching Special Olympics Alberta Winter Games curling.

Movers and shakers: Former PMO research and advertising guy ALEX KOHUT is circumnavigating the world. Naturally, he's documenting it on the 'gram, where his beard grows with each post.

Media mentions: The Star's new Ottawa bureau chief is Hill vet TONDA MACCHARLES … The Canadian Association of Journalists published its list of awards finalists. Winners will be revealed on April 15 at the CAJ's annual conference in Vancouver.

The 2023 Joan Donaldson CBC News Scholarship recipients have been announced.

The Rover’s CHRISTOPHER CURTIS paying tribute to journos exiting the Gazette: PAT HICKEY (“legend”), ALLAN MCINNIS (“swashbuckler through and through”), KATHERINE WILTON (“tough as nails”), DAVE PETERS (“an Editor always under duress”), JOHN MEAGHER (“hilarious”) and EDIE AUSTIN (“an amazing features and opinion pages editor”).

Elsewhere at Postmedia, NICOLE FERIANCEK has been named editor-in-chief of the Ottawa Citizen and Ottawa Sun newsroom. 

Got a document to share? A birthday coming up? Send it all our way.

— Find the latest House committee meetings here.

— Keep track of Senate committees here.

Friday’s answer: The Parliamentary Black Caucus formed in 2015.

Props to LAURA PAYTON, NANCI WAUGH, KEVIN BOSCH,  GERMAINE MALABRE, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, AMY BOUGHNER and SHAUGHN MCARTHUR.

Today’s question: “Despite its demolition, its story lives on,” Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU said last week in Nova Scotia. To what was he referring?

Send your answer to [email protected]

Playbook wouldn’t happen without: Luiza Ch. Savage, Sue Allan and David Cohen.

Want to grab the attention of movers and shakers on Parliament Hill? Want your brand in front of a key audience of Ottawa influencers? Playbook can help. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: [email protected].