Politics This Morning: Census kicks off amid third wave as agency strives for 98 per cent response rate

Good Monday morning, It's Census Day! Today, more than 15 million households across the country will start to receive a yellow envelope to take either the long- or short-form survey. Three quarters of homes will get the latter. Statistics Canada has set up new protocols in response to the pandemic, aiming for an uptick in online responses over the 68 per cent last census to make this year’s effort as contact-free as possible. Reaching 98 per cent—on par with the 98.4 per cent in 2016—is the goal. It’s also constrained the agency’s ability to send people to the territories from other parts of the country to carry out the census. As of last week, the agency was still on the lookout for enumerators in rural and remote areas and is expected to hire throughout the process, until July. Read more about the seven-year undertaking at The Hill Times. Conservatives in former deputy leader Lisa Raitt’s Milton, Ont., riding are at odds with each other. Some are furious that the decade-long MP was booted from being on her riding association, The Toronto Star reported, citing sources that told the paper her removal came after a disagreement between the board and the riding’s new candidate, Nadeem Akbar, over bringing in an Alberta-based organizer to run the campaign. At the following AGM, Mr. Akbar used his supporters to vote to stack the board and strip Ms. Raitt and other longtime volunteers of their positions. Some in the board resigned in protest and said the move would make it harder for the party to try and win back the seat from Liberal MP Adam van Koeverden. In interviews with several outlets this weekend, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan dodged questions about what he knew in 2018, when allegations were first raised against then chief of defence staff, Jonathan Vance. He declined to answer five attempts by Global News to confirm whether he knew the sexual nature of the misconduct allegation, which the former military watchdog brought directly to him. Mr. Sajjan testified before several parliamentary committees that he declined to view evidence or learn of any details, asserting that would be tantamount to political interference. He told CTV News that the nature of the complaint “does not matter;” rather it was important the government take “immediate action.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, meanwhile, said last week no one in his office knew “it was a MeToo complaint.” Today the House Defence Committee will continue debating whether to bring Mr. Trudeau’s chief of staff, Katie Telford, to testify. The Conservatives brought that motion forward Friday, arguing she can help reveal who in the government knew what and when, in 2018, about allegations raised against Gen. Vance. A former PMO aide previously testified that Ms. Telford raised the matter with him, and Mr. Trudeau has vigorously defended her as opposition pressed to bring her forward. As of Sunday evening, today's meeting was marked as in camera under the old business of considering a draft report, but on Friday after almost an hour of extended consultations about whether debate could adjourn and return after the weekend, the chair seemed to signal the same motion would proceed. Up until that point the Liberals on the committee had successfully stalled a vote for two hours. The commander of Canada's Special Forces, Peter Dawe, is on leave indefinitely with pay following reporting by CBC, that he wrote a letter in support of a soldier found guilty of sexual assault. In a statement Sunday, acting chief of the defence staff Wayne Eyre apologized for how he handled the matter. after it became public Maj.-Gen. Dawe submitted a character reference four years before at the soldier’s sentencing. Maj. Jonathan Hamilton was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault and sentenced to probation, but the following year was sentenced to three years in prison on an unrelated sexual assault. There are 12 other House committees meeting today. The Heritage Committee will continue clause by clause consideration of broadcasting Bill C-10. On Friday, Liberals quashed debate on a Conservative motion to review whether an amendment that allows regulation of social media content violates charter rights, per The National Post. Over at the Health Committee, Dr. Timothy Evans, the executive director of the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, will be one of several witnesses on deck. The Natural Resources and Public Safety committees have made it to the draft report stage, the latter for its study on systemic racism in policing in Canada. In scheduled events, at 1:15 p.m. the PM will livestream a conversation with seniors from Résidence Memphrémagog in Magog, Que., joined by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. At 2:30 they’ll head east, virtually, and join residents in Miramichi, N.B. Seniors Minister Deb Schulte will also be present, fresh off her own virtual chat, at 12:30 p.m., promoting the recent budget as part of a virtual event with the Canadian Association of Retired Persons where she’s also expected to highlight the government’s support for seniors amid COVID-19. On the funding announcement circuit, at 11 a.m. Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna is taking part in a virtual Montreal announcement about recreational and sports infrastructure in the region. At 11:30 a.m. she’ll make an announcement closer to home, supporting seniors in Ottawa. The Hill Times

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Politics This Morning: Census kicks off amid third wave as agency strives for 98 per cent response rate

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