Highlights from Crestview Strategy’s weekly newsletters:
Alberta
Take Back Alberta could plunge UCP into another disastrous blow-up
Political pressure group Take Back Alberta (TBA) is once again raising alarms for internal UCP affairs. TBA president David Parker has waged a public attack on UCP president Cynthia Moore – stating that “this power-hungry tyrant has become a liability to [the] party.” He alleges Moore is trying to rule the party by decree, making her leadership “illegitimate and anti-democratic.” He subsequently called for her removal as president. Moore has yet to respond to Parker’s attacks. When asked about the allegations, Premier Danielle Smith defended the legitimacy of the executive board, but noted that posts would be available at the party’s fall convention. Take Back Alberta was instrumental in getting their candidates elected to the UCP board at last year’s AGM – and are likely to again have significant influence when executive board elections take place in the fall.
Atlantic Canada
The federal government is working with provincial governments (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island) to finalize the delivery of hundreds of millions of dollars through the Low Carbon Economy Fund. Funding is being allocated to programming to support low-income homeowners as they transition off home heating oil, and for initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help reach Canada’s net-zero goal by 2050.
British Columbia
Port Workers on Strike
On Saturday, July 1, about 7,400 members of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU) walked off the job, disrupting Canada’s largest port – the Port of Vancouver – as well as other ports across British Columbia (Prince Rupert, Nanaimo, and Port Alberni). The strike action will disrupt supply chains and global shipping and could have an inflationary impact in Canada if prolonged.
Negotiations are currently at a stalemate. The union has listed three main concerns: automation, contracting out and cost-of-living wage increases. But the employers’ association says it has made fair offers already and is pessimistic about the union’s position: “ILWU Canada needs to decide if they are going to continue this strike with no hope of settlement, or significantly modify their position so a fair and balanced deal can be reached.”
Ontario
Byelections called in Scarborough and Kanata
Provincial byelections will be held on July 27th in Scarborough–Guildwood and Kanata–Carleton. Kanata–Carleton MPP and former Minister Merrilee Fullerton announced her resignation in March of this year. Public affairs executive Sean Webster is running for the Ontario PCs against Ontario Liberal candidate and former MP Karen McCrimmon, as well as the Ontario NDP’s Melissa Coenraad. In Scarborough, Mitzie Hunter resigned her seat in May to run in the Toronto mayoral election. Toronto Councillor Gary Crawford is running as the PC candidate against Ontario Liberal candidate Andrea Hazell, president of the Scarborough Business Association. The Ontario NDP have yet to nominate a candidate in Scarborough–Guildwood.
Ottawa
CRA issuing one-time grocery rebate payments July 5 – July 2, 2023
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will be issuing the long-promised “grocery rebate” payments to eligible Canadians on July 5. The food-inflation focused affordability measure is set to roll out to approximately 11 million low- and modest-income Canadians
Toronto
Mayor-elect Olivia Chow names chief of staff, sets priorities ahead of taking office – June 29, 2023
Michal Hay, a seasoned City Hall professional who led Chow’s election campaign, has been appointed her chief advisor. Hay previously served as chief of staff for councillor Mike Layton and was recently the executive director of Progress Toronto.
Chow has announced her plan to prioritize three immediate goals when she takes office on July 12, using a “people-focused” approach to transition.:
· Affordable housing and economic opportunities
· Community crisis response
· Supportive housing and wrap-around services
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