What’s happening on (and off) Parliament Hill, plus the news you need to start your day.
After facing his cross-aisle adversaries from his front-and-centre seat in the chamber yesterday afternoon, Prime Minister Mark Carney is off to Toronto today for the long-awaited reveal of what his office is billing as “Canada’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy,” which, as per his daily itinerary, will be announced at an undisclosed location somewhere in the city, and will include “new measures to ensure artificial intelligence is developed and adopted safely, securely, and to improve the lives of all Canadians.” (10:45 p.m.)
As Canadian Press notes, the announcement “comes as governments, businesses and civil society navigate the rapid development of machine learning and tools that can process information almost instantly — with varying degrees of accuracy,” and is “expected to address sovereign digital infrastructure, support for Canadian companies, international co-ordination, and training and education for Canadians.”
In a post to social media yesterday morning, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon — who, it’s worth noting, is not listed in the PMO-issued advisory — confirmed the launch of what he described as “Canada’s roadmap for the future of AI,” including “a practical plan to build trust, accelerate adoption, protect Canadians, and make sure more people and businesses can benefit from the opportunities ahead.”
For his part, Carney will follow up the announcement with a tour of an “artificial intelligence institute.” (11:55 p.m.)
He’s also booked in for back-to-back têtes-à-tête with his Barbadian and Grenadian counterparts, Mia Mottley and Dickon Mitchell, before heading behind closed doors for the Bizot Conference.
Back in the precinct, the Liberals are once again poised to use their newly-secured majority to set a deadline for a final vote on a high-priority government initiative — namely, Justice Minister Sean Fraser’s proposal to strengthen laws related to gender-based violence, boost child protection measures and address ongoing issues stemming from court delays, which began working its way through report stage yesterday afternoon.
Yesterday, the government served notice that they’re prepared to impose time limits on the remaining debate, which could be called as early as this morning, which, barring a sudden shift in the current party standings, is all but guaranteed to succeed, which would clear the way for the bill to make it onto the floor of the Senate next week.
Outside the chamber, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon will field questions on Champagne’s bid to roll out measures unveiled in his spring fiscal update during separate one-hour appearances before the FINANCE committee, with representatives from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Intentional Community Consortium, Canadian Federation of Agriculture and Labourers International Union of North America also expected to testify during the extended four-hour session. (8:15 a.m.)
Later tonight, Champagne will mingle with local Liberals at a $400-per-ticket “cocktail fundraiser” in the Montreal suburb of Saint-Léonard, with all proceeds earmarked for the Bourassa Federal Liberal Association. (6 p.m.)
Also on the docket: The opening round of debate on New Democrat MP Heather McPherson’s backbench pitch to “protect workers from employer-dominated unions,” which is set to make its second-reading debut this afternoon.
Later this morning, McPherson will team up with New Democrat labour critic Don Davies and Canadian Labour Congress executive vice-president Siobhán Vipond to outline the goal of the bill during a mid-morning media availability alongside Mike Pearson, “a spokesperson for the family of a British Columbia worker killed on the job,” as per the advisory, who will “speak to what it means when a union takes the employer’s side instead of the workers.” (11 a.m.)
ON AND AROUND THE HILL
The Parliamentary Budget Office will release its latest economic and fiscal outlook, which, as per standard practice, will be published on the PBO website this morning. (9 a.m.)
Conservative MP Dean Allison hits the West Block press theatre to promote the upcoming ‘Allison Inquiry,’ a “non-partisan” panel of MPs and senators that, as per the advisory, will provide a “neutral forum for Canadians to share their personal experiences of injuries to themselves, or to others, from the Covid-19 vaccine(s)” during four days of witness testimony that will be “broadcast live” from Parliament Hill this fall. (10 a.m.)
Former Liberal MP Jean Augustine, who, as the advisory notes, was the “first Black woman elected to the House of Commons,” joins senior representatives of the National Employment Equity Council, Canadian Black Clergies and Allies, Canadian Civil Liberties Association and Amnesty International Canada to share their reaction to the newly-announced Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion — and, more specifically, highlight the “failure to include anti-Black racism in the Council’s mandate,” as well as “theirconcerns over the lack of representation from Black communities.” (10:30 a.m.)
OUTSIDE THE PRECINCT
Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu makes the rounds at the annual meet-up of the Mining Society of Nova Scotia in Chester Basin, N.S., where, according to her office, she’s set to launch the Mining and Minerals Workforce Alliance, which is one of six strategic alliances announced earlier this year, and “will help build the workforce Canada needs to support national security and economic growth,” as well as “move the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy and major projects forward.” (9 a.m. AT)
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