Politics This Morning: Peter MacKay to sit out next election

Good Tuesday morning, Failed Conservative leadership candidate Peter MacKay said he's made the "difficult decision" to sit out the next election, saying he wants to focus on his family and his job as a lawyer. Mr. MacKay had hoped to make a comeback as leader of the Conservatives after leaving office in 2015. For much of the race, his victory appeared to be inevitable, but Erin O'Toole handily trounced him in the race, casting doubt on his political future. In a statement, Mr. MacKay said he remains committed to "doing everything I can to ensure that the next election results in a Conservative victory." In the last election, the Conservatives won the popular vote, but failed to pick up enough seats to prevent the Trudeau government from forming government. All eyes will be fixed on the United States tonight—and perhaps into the wee hours of tomorrow morning—for the election. Unlike previous years, many will be planning for a low-key night, thanks to the pandemic, which has forced the shuttering of indoor dining in cities like Ottawa and Toronto and has led public health officials to discourage large gatherings. Non-affiliated Senator Dennis Dawson told The Hill Times he isn't breaking a years-long tradition of holding a watch party, and instead, will be hosting a virtual gathering with his friends. Concerns about legal disputes aside, Sen. Dawson said he's expecting Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to be the clear winner—and is prepared to "eat humble pie" if he's wrong. Senator Donna Dasko, a former pollster, said she's reticent to call the election in Mr. Biden's favour after 2016, when the polls underestimated Donald Trump's support. After 2016, Sen. Dasko said she's planned for a quiet evening with a friend, and isn't planning on popping any champagne, regardless of the outcome. Former U.S. president Barack Obama gave a shoutout to Canada during a stump speech for Mr. Biden at a drive-in rally in Michigan. He pointed to the U.S.' neighbour as an example of how to manage the pandemic, saying Canada has managed to avoid needless deaths. “If we had handled this pandemic like Canada did, 140,000 of our fellow Americans might still be alive today. Think about that,” he told supporters. According to HuffPost Canada, the U.S.' mortality rate is about two and a half times higher than Canada's. Last week, Canada's death toll surpassed 10,000, while the U.S. has had more than 200,000 deaths. There's no word yet on when 100 Wellington, the Indigenous space and former U.S. embassy, is scheduled to open, a year after renovations wrapped up. “This work is ongoing, and the opening of the short-term use of the Indigenous Peoples’ Space is yet to be determined," Crown-Indigenous Relations Canada told The Hill Times. In scheduled events, Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault will hold a presser at 1 p.m. at the Sir John A. Macdonald Building after a technical briefing for reporters at 10:30 a.m. He's expected to table a bill updating the Broadcasting Act, including its plans for dealing with web giants. Facebook Canada's Kevin Chan could reportedly be back in the hot seat over his company's attempt to recruit federal public servants through an email chain circulated at the Heritage Department. Per Toronto Star, the NDP is planning to bring forward a motion Thursday to summon Mr. Chan, who previously worked as a Liberal staffer, to appear before the Heritage Committee. Several committees are also scheduled to meet, including House Affairs, which is expected to hear from election officials in Saskatchewan and British Columbia on their administration of the provincial elections. The Justice Committee also kicks off its first day of hearings at 11 a.m. on changes to the medical-assistance-in-dying legislation. The government is staring down a court deadline in December to make changes to the legislation after part of it was ruled unconstitutional. It'll be a triple ministerial affair, with Justice Minister David Lametti, Disability Inclusion Minister Carla Qualtrough, and Health Minister Patty Hajdu among those poised to testify ahead of departmental officials and stakeholders. There could be more partisan wrangling over the WE Charity affair at Ethics Committee after a third attempt to launch a probe into the government's dealings with the group failed. The committee is expected to pick up where it left off, debating NDP MP Charlie Angus' motion to open a probe examining conflicts of interest in general. Over at the Public Accounts Committee, Auditor General Karen Hogan has been invited back to testify, though her testimony will be in camera. She appeared before the committee last week to say there are encouraging signs that the government could meet her funding request. The Hill Times

Politics This Morning

Politics This Morning: Peter MacKay to sit out next election

Plus, the Ethics Committee will mark its fourth attempt to initiate a study on conflicts of interest.

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Politics This Morning

Politics This Morning: Peter MacKay to sit out next election

Plus, the Ethics Committee will mark its fourth attempt to initiate a study on conflicts of interest.

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