Politics This Morning: Showdown at the AFN

Good Tuesday morning, It’s nothing but rain today in the weather forecast for Ottawa. That will no doubt further cool activity in a nation’s capital that has already wound down for the summer holidays, in a way that few other cities can. On sunnier days, tourists and strolling seniors now outnumber hurried business-types at least 100 to one. The former occupy themselves with patios hawking ice cream and beer, and some modern art contraption on Sparks Street featuring golf balls in giant hourglasses. Local pre-pandemic haunts for the powerful and well-connected have become abstract curiosities for out-of-towners (bridge…Bridge-head?). Downtown advertising billboards targeting the politics and government crowd continue to pitch the merits of oil and gas, and one from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation calls for Canada to “stop wasting money on Governors General.” It’s not clear whether there are many decision-makers left passing by to read them—or to listen to the lone protester gracing Wellington Street the other day, who waved an “Every Child Matters” flag, blared a rap song espousing pandemic conspiracy theories, and shouted “God bless America!” (if indeed they could make any sense out of those mixed messages.) Rainy downtown Ottawa is not the centre of the action today; indeed, that is found more than 4,000 km away in Vancouver, which is hosting the official start of the Assembly of First Nations’ annual general assembly. You may recall that the body that aims to represent First Nations in Canada is in crisis, having suspended new National Chief ROSEANNE ARCHIBALD over allegations of workplace harassment. Archibald has claimed that she’s been sidelined because she wanted to dig too deep into the use of money within the organization, even using the word “corruption” to describe some practices within the AFN secretariat. Well, Archibald plans to attend the AFN assembly today, suspended or not. There are plans for a group of supportive First Nations women to hold a welcoming ceremony for her on the convention floor. According to the official itinerary, she is scheduled to give an opening address beginning at 8:30 a.m. local time. Today could mark the high point of the biggest crisis in the history of the AFN, says ROSE LEMAY, a former AFN employee, now CEO of the Indigenous Reconciliation Group, and a Hill Times’ columnist. The agenda for today includes the presentation of a series of reports and updates—including on financials—and more, but LeMay said she believes the Archibald-AFN stand-off will have to be addressed before any other serious business is done. That business should include making progress on climate change and natural disaster response, and continuing healing from residential schools. The Pope is visiting Canada soon, but “I’m not even sure they’ll be able to report on planning and progress for that” unless the elephant in the room is dealt with, said LeMay. Will Archibald and her supporters re-assert her legitimacy today? Will the AFN do anything to address her allegations of financial impropriety? We’ll have to wait and see. The assembly is not being live-streamed to the general public. Tamara Lich bail hearing ‘Freedom Convoy’ co-organizer TAMARA LICH will get a bail hearing in Ottawa today. Lich was arrested in Alberta a little more than a week ago, and brought back to Ottawa, after allegedly violating the terms of her last bail—according to CTV’s GLEN MCGREGOR, she apparently took part in a “Freedom Award" gala with another organizer whom she had been banned from contacting. Lich was on bail after being arrested and charged with obstructing police and other offences for helping to organize the occupation of downtown Ottawa by protesters in February. What’s cabinet up to? Gould presser on carbon rebate Families Minister KARINA GOULD is stepping in for Environment Minister STEVEN GUILBEAULT today to make an announcement about the government’s Climate Action Incentive Payments—a.k.a., carbon tax rebates. The government recently moved to split that rebate into payments made four times per year, instead of lumping it into a year-end tax rebate. That change is due to come into effect this month, which may or may not have something to do with Gould’s announcement today. Families Minister Karina Gould is in Kitchener, Ont., today to make an announcement about the government's carbon pricing rebate program, which is being split from one into multiple payments. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Splitting the payment up, and out from the tax rebate, makes political and policy sense if you want to bring the public onside with carbon pricing. Repeating the phrase “revenue neutral” may not resonate with members of the general public in the way that semi-regular deposits into their bank accounts might. Gould’s announcement is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. in Kitchener, Ontario. Hussen to fundraiser Housing Minister AHMED HUSSEN is headlining a Liberal Party fundraiser tonight in Vancouver, a city where his file most likely tops all others. The event is scheduled to run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. local time at a Croatian cultural centre in the city. Freeland in Brampton Deputy Prime Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND is holding a photo-op in Brampton, Ont., today at the facilities of a local trucking company. Wilkinson to The Rock Natural Resources Minister JONATHAN WILKINSON is in St. John’s today, where he will be giving a speech as part of a meeting of the city’s Board of Trade at a downtown hotel. Tourism, green transport money Minister PATTY HAJDU, who is responsible for the economic subsidy agency for Northern Ontario, will announce cash for electric car battery technology in Sudbury today at 10 a.m. HELENA JACZEK, who is in charge of the agency for Southern Ontario, is announcing money for “tourism and community infrastructure” in Stratford at 9:15 a.m. In case you missed it Senate Aboriginal Peoples Committee calls on government to end ‘status’ discrimination A committee of Senators has issued a report that says the government hasn’t done enough to end discriminatory policies around who is, and is not, entitled to “Indian” status. The report was released on June 27. The Senators who drew it up didn’t pull many punches, and gave it the title, Make it stop! Ending the remaining discrimination in Indian registration. “Indian status” means a person is recognized as being a member of a First Nation that the government is responsible for under the Indian Act, and thus is entitled to certain benefits and legal standing. The Indian Act dates back to 1867, and was drawn up with criteria for determining who is and is not a legal First Nations person that were, and are, discriminatory. Governments have slowly addressed some of those shortcomings over the years, including the current Liberal government, but the Senate report argued that this “piecemeal” approach has “only exacerbated the problem rather than addressing it.” According to the report, the law still strips people of their eligibility for status after two consecutive generations of mixed-status parentage, for example. Many of the remaining barriers disproportionately affect First Nations women. “The committee urges the government to restore long-overdue equality to First Nations women and their descendants,” said a press release issued by the committee, which is chaired by PSG Senator BRIAN FRANCIS. In a brief interview with PTM, Francis said the government should treat the committee report as a “roadmap” for drawing up new legislation to fix the remaining problems. He also said that he believed government decision-makers “ realize that something must be done to fix it.” OAG employees end strike The pay dispute at the Office of the Auditor General has been resolved—at least until September of 2023. Staff at the office’s Audit Services Group had been on strike or taking job actions since November of 2021, as part of a dispute over pay equity. The staff picketed the office’s media events, and also picketed in front of the constituency office of Treasury Board President MONA FORTIER, whose policies were blamed for the OAG’s inability to meet the strikers’ demands. Treasury Board President Mona Fortier, pictured at the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards in 2022. Fortier must be equally pleased to see the back of a pay equity strike at the Auditor General's office that the union blamed on Treasury Board policies. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia The government has agreed to give the workers a 7.85 per cent raise to their salaries over the previous four years, and to terms that have been agreed to in a memorandum of understanding for the present year. That MOU wasn’t disclosed in an Order in Council authorizing the new deal, which expires in September of 2023. A Public Service Alliance of Canada spokesperson confirmed that a deal had been reached and the strike was over. Send your news tips to pmazereeuw@hilltimes.com The Hill Times

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Politics This Morning: Showdown at the AFN

Plus, the strike at the Office of the Auditor General is over.

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