Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured May 2, 2019, talking to the national Liberal caucus on the Hill. Liberal MPs say their regional and national caucus meetings are now focusing 'completely' on election readiness, starting last week. The House is adjourning for the summer recess on June 21, and will return after the October federal election. The Hill Times file photograph
‘They should be nervous’: Liberals now focusing ‘completely’ on election readiness in regional, national caucus meetings
The Liberals will be under attack from all sides in the next election campaign, but Liberals say they have a good story to tell and some say they need to sharpen up their communications strategy before it's too late.
Conservatives say they’re ‘confident’ Mark Norman will expose more Liberal wrongdoing
Peter MacKay says if Vice-Admiral Mark Norman speaks out about his ordeal, 'I don’t think it will mean good things for the Liberal government.'Senate compromise on government’s signature impact assessment bill would put maligned regulators back in charge on environmental review panels
Plus, a ban on importing shark fins is now steps away from law.Politics This Morning
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Ford’s cuts in social programs could be opening for federal Liberals to campaign against federal Conservatives in October, say Liberal MPs
Conservative MP David Tilson says it’s too early to jump to any conclusion about the impact of the Ford government’s policies on the next federal election outcome.Remains of old barracks, guardhouse focus of ‘significant’ archaeological dig on Parliament Hill
MPs learned about the archaeological finds through a briefing from officials at the House Affairs Committee last week, during which new details about proposed work plans for Centre Block were shared.Trade Committee MPs tell U.S. lawmakers clock is ticking to ratify new NAFTA
MPs said many American members of Congress were not aware of Canada's looming election and the timeline for Canada to ratify the renegotiated trade pact. Ethics czar ‘confident’ Trudeau SNC report to come before election
Mario Dion told MPs that he’s ‘confident’ his investigation into the prime minister will be ready in the next few months, though not before the House rises. Advocates warn of unintended consequences in bid to regulate hate speech, some could ‘cast themselves as martyrs for free speech’
Efforts to hold big tech accountable through hefty fines could meet some resistance at home from some advocates.‘Unprecedented’ technical challenge to Centre Block renos means losing familiar spaces, says PSPC
‘All the rooms that aren’t heritage won’t necessarily be there,’ says Sen. Scott Tannas, as plans to cut 2,500 square metres coalesce. ‘Veterans probably won’t vote Liberal for a very long time’: Norman case reflects Grits’ failed promises to vets, say advocates
Veterans advocates say the Liberals' election promises have gone unfulfilled. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured May 2, 2019, talking to the national Liberal caucus on the Hill. Liberal MPs say their regional and national caucus meetings are now focusing 'completely' on election readiness, starting last week. The House is adjourning for the summer recess on June 21, and will return after the October federal election. The Hill Times file photograph
‘They should be nervous’: Liberals now focusing ‘completely’ on election readiness in regional, national caucus meetings
The Liberals will be under attack from all sides in the next election campaign, but Liberals say they have a good story to tell and some say they need to sharpen up their communications strategy before it's too late.
Whales are calling, but no one’s answering, including the federal government
The Trudeau government should ban seismic blasting in Canadian waters. The stakes are high if nothing changes—the likely extinction of the North Atlantic right whale.Trudeau needs to convince progressive voters that Liberals are the only antidote to a Scheer shift
Tory growth appears to be slowing. Canadians are asking about Andrew Scheer’s right-wing alliance with Doug Ford and Jason Kenney. That leaves an opening for the Liberals.
Trudeau won’t say sorry
Justin Trudeau is quite fond of apologies when he is not the wrongdoer. 
Goodale: Answering the tough questions on Bill C-83 and reforming our approach to corrections
A Senate committee has raised number of questions about the bill, and they merit serious responses.Privacy watchdog proposing rule change that could see firms revise data-use policies
The privacy commissioner's office is considering changes that could mean getting a person's explicit okay in all cases when their data is to be transferred across the border.‘Worrying’ transparency gap in sponsored travel, say critics after lobbying czar report
‘Of course sponsored travel is about lobbying, it’s about gaining influence,’ says NDP MP Charlie Angus, and needs more oversight.
It’s time to categorically reject the Norse-god inspired far right in Canada
We need to make it clear that groups of this ilk do not enjoy official sanction and that we as Canadians universally reject their views.We should keep doors open and continue dialogue with China
If Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer wins, the outlook could be even worse given his embrace of the Trump administration’s economic war with China, as set out in his recent foreign policy speech.
Despite opposition pressure, lack of ambassador to China likely hasn’t made much difference, say ex-diplomats
‘Even if we were to have an ambassador in Beijing, the person would have little access,’ says ex-envoy Guy Saint-Jacques.
Federal laws on toxic chemicals not serving consumers
Our ask of lawmakers mirrors the key areas addressed by the committee, including strengthening the labelling regime for cosmetics, writes Gregg Renfrew, founder and CEO of Beautycounter.If businesses want to stop being seen as the enemy, they need to up their advocacy game
Corporate leaders need to play a consistent, open role in daily political discourse, like smart unions and environmental bodies do. And that’s not as simple as aligning with one party.When making transport policy, don’t forget how it affects company vehicles
The push for emissions reduction and shift to greener fuel sources will boost the cost of doing business for fleets. That’s why government support to industry is important. 
Changes in PMO, including a promotion and Ben Chin joins the team
The Prime Minister’s Office also has a new correspondence writer on board, among other recent political staffing moves.
Book on toxic masculinity takes top prize at 2019 Politics and the Pen
Rachel Giese's book, Boys: What it Means to Become a Man, won the $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen prize at the 2019 Politics and the Pen event in Ottawa.
‘There is no greater guy in this place’: MPs celebrate outgoing Liberal MP Eyking
Plus, ITK's Taste of the Arctic takes to the NAC, and the Grits are fundraising after 12 Tory MPs attended an anti-abortion rally.
New Quebec desk in the PMO, as more join Liberal Party headquarters ahead of election
Former PMO Quebec regional affairs adviser Marie-Laurence Lapointe has joined Liberal Party headquarters as chief Quebec organizer. Scribes, politicos to rub elbows at Politics and the Pen
Plus, newsroom cuts expected at CTV, and the Globe and Mail, and Mulroney whip and Harper mentor Jim Hawkes dies at 84.Foreign Affairs Minister Freeland promotes Vincent Garneau as her new chief of staff, Broadhurst exits for top job at Liberal HQ
Plus, National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is in need of a new director of policy, and former PMO principal secretary Gerald Butts has a new gig. 
Social media companies that violate new political ad rules, even inadvertently, will be fined, minister suggests
Firms are taking different approaches to a new political ad registry regime meant to protect against interference in the next election.
DND data shows thousands given antimalarial drug that veterans are suing the feds over
The government should reach out to veterans about the military’s policy change and Health Canada warning for mefloquine, which deserves more study, says Tory MP Cathay Wagantall.
Canada should weigh in on the crisis in Central America
While the U.S. debates aid cuts, Canada should talk about the need to do more—not less—to improve the conditions that are forcing Central Americans to flee north.
‘Inappropriate’ or not, disregard for the rules shouldn’t be put on parade
The Armed Forces has clearly defined guidelines on how weapons should be carried on parade—and they need to followed.Government ‘closely monitoring’ tenfold spike in Mexican asylum claims
Mexico’s new ambassador says he’s been speaking to Canadian officials and his government is launching education campaigns to deal with what he says is a ‘shared challenge.’Annual Features
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Politics This Morning: Trudeau flies back to Ottawa; homecoming for Hussen
It'll be a homecoming of sorts for Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen today as he plans to share his story of coming to Canada as a 16-year-old Somali refugee with students at his former school in Hamilton, Ont. 
The B.C. coast is a single system where the land and ocean blend. What befalls the ocean, befalls the species of the land. It is no place for oil tankers.
Back in 1965, Progressive Conservative MP Alf Hales complained that he felt buried by the burden of legislative and constituency work as a backbench MP. So he helped start the Parliamentary Internship Program.
Let's hope that the upcoming October 2019 election may help shape a better and less deceptive deal for consumers in terms of the public's right to really know what's going on and who's feeding who the outcomes.
ISED publicly stated its intention to lower wireless prices and broaden choice for consumers by offering subsidized spectrum, but the process it laid out led to a pricing contention for the remaining spectrum.
Midwives were once—and can continue to be—a cornerstone of every Indigenous community, holding an essential and deeply respected role in health and wellness. 
Bringing together all necessary partners, the government can provide the leadership to bring together the many partners required to improve care for this vulnerable population.‘We need to understand how the rules and norms of masculinity affect how boys and young men feel and behave’
The following is an excerpt from Boys: What It Means to Become a Man, by Rachel Giese, which has been shortlisted along with four other books for this year's Writers' Trust of Canada's Shaughnessy Cohen Prize, the best political book of the year. The winner will be announced in Ottawa on May 15. Wait, wait, little one: learning to connect through a story of survival
Homes: A Refugee Story, by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah and Winnie Yeung, has been shortlisted along with four other books for the Writers' Trust of Canada's 2018 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. The winner will be announced in Ottawa on May 15 at the Politics and the Pen gala.The Hill Times in print
Politics This Morning
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Ministers Joly, MacAulay, Bains hire aides
Official Languages Minister Mélanie Joly has hired a new special assistant for operations, while Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains both have new communications aides.
Rappaport lands press secretary gig in Justice Minister Lametti’s office
Plus, Infrastructure Minister François-Philippe Champagne has a new special assistant for operations and communications in his office. CBC’s de Paul retires after 35 years on the Hill
Plus, Bloomberg's Josh Wingrove feted at Brixton's, and Pamela Goldsmith-Jones will not seek re-election.Will there be a Wellington National Mall in Ottawa? Plamondon says there should be
Plus, Gerald Butts to join consulting firm, and Kelsey Johnson starts at Reuters on May 21. Teresa Wright’s vocals steal the show, while Pablo Rodriguez is a dancing king at gallery dinner
One of the more sentimental moments of the night was Toronto Star columnist Chantal Hébert's acceptance of the Charles Lynch award, saying couldn’t have done it without help from other gallery members.‘We miss you so much’: celebration of life for Gord Brown brings together politicos from all sides
Conservative MP Gord Brown had a heart attack in his office on May 2, 2018, dying shortly thereafter. He was 57.Former Swedish Speaker switches gears to become ambassador
Canada and Sweden can ‘push the agenda’ on the world stage in the fight to protect democracy, Sweden's new envoy says.Canada’s corporate ethics watchdog a ‘positive tool,’ says incoming Mexican ambassador
Mexico is ‘on the same page,’ says Juan José Gómez Camacho, with Canadian mining companies, which make up 70 per cent of foreign investment in the sector.
Beverley McLachlin this year’s honorary Riverkeeper at Ottawa Riverkeeper Gala on May 29
The Ottawa Riverkeeper hosts this annual fundraising event. This year’s gala will take place on May 29, 2019, 50 Sussex Dr., appropriately located at the convergence of three rivers, the Gatineau, the Rideau, and the Ottawa. 6-11 p.m. The 2019 Honorary Riverkeeper will be Beverley McLachlin, former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada from 2000 to 2017. Buy tickets online. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Workers excavate parliamentary grounds in the southwest corner of the Hill. The site once held a number of British military barracks and buildings that housed soldiers and families during the construction of the Rideau Canal in the early 19th century.
Comedian Rick Mercer and then-Reform Party MP Deb Grey, pictured in the late 1990s on Parliament Hill doing a shoot for CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes, which Mr. Mercer hosted at the time. The Hill Times photograph by Terry McDonald 
