Politics Briefing: Major decision in Meng case comes down today

Hello,

A B.C. judge is set to rule today (11 a.m. PT) on whether Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou can be extradited to the United States.

Ms. Meng’s initial arrest at the Vancouver airport in December of 2018 caused a chill in Canada-China relations. Canadian police made the arrest in response to a request by the U.S., where the businesswoman is accused of fraud in relation to U.S. sanctions against Iran. In retaliation for her arrest, China arrested two Canadians – Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor – and launched a series of trade actions, some of which have been rolled back.

The decision today will be a major milestone in the case, but not the final word. Either side will likely appeal the ruling if they lose.

For more details of the case, read our high-level explainer here. We also profiled the judge, B.C. Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes, who brings to the case decades of experience in criminal law.

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TODAY’S HEADLINES

The Canadian Armed Forces released its report this morning into the conditions it found at Quebec long-term care homes. This report raised issues, but was nowhere near as alarming as the situation revealed yesterday at Ontario facilities. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the RCMP should be called in to investigate those “appalling” conditions.

The Liberal plan to keep Parliament suspended until late September passed with the support of the NDP. Some committees will meet in the interim, including the virtual COVID-19 committee. The New Democrats supported the plan in exchange for a promise by the Liberals to work with provinces to guarantee 10 paid sick days for all workers.

The federal government is noncommittal about whether it can meet a June deadline for delivering an action plan in response to the national inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women.

Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage said she stands by her comments that now is a great time to build a pipeline, because “you can’t have protests of more than 15 people.”

Twitter has introduced a limited form of fact-checking on U.S. President Donald Trump’s tweets.

And the National Hockey League unveiled a plan for a 24-team postseason that will happen...somewhere...at...some time. Games will be played in front of empty stands. The eastern conference will play out in one hub city, while the western conference will play out in another. It is unlikely that either city will be in Canada, unless self-isolation rules are relaxed; in the U.S., however, professional athletes have been classified as essential workers and are free to travel for work.

Globe and Mail editorial board on the Liberal government’s extended suspension of Parliament: “We live in a difficult time when the federal government is working in overdrive, and will likely need to do so through the summer, but the elected body that it reports to has been jammed into neutral. That’s not Canadian-style responsible government, especially when the government in question is a minority.”

Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail) on political parties accessing the federal wage subsidy: “The issue with the parties sheltering under the umbrella of the wage subsidy isn’t just that, collectively, they raised more than $66-million last year: it is that they are already the recipients of massive amounts of federal subsidy.”

Tim Powers (Hill Times) on the party employees benefiting from the wage subsidy: “Their bosses should not be putting them in a disadvantageous position by turning CEWS into a discussion about the fate of employees; rather, they should be looking to lead with other solutions. If that means dipping into reserves or borrowing money from a financial institution, then so be it.”

John Ibbitson (The Globe and Mail) on the economic devastation of COVID-19: “It took years for Western economies to fully recover from the economic shock of 2008-09. This shock is far worse. How much worse? No one can be sure.”

André Picard (The Globe and Mail) on the horrors that the military saw in long-term care homes: “Yet, it’s only two weeks’ worth in five long-term care facilities that knew they were under the watchful eye of the military. One shudders to think what happens when the frail, demented residents don’t have soldiers looking out for them.”

Susan Braedley (Edmonton Journal) on what led to the crisis at long-term care homes: “Let’s be honest: at least part of the problem is that we are ageist. As a society, we tend to devalue and denigrate any adult who is unable to look after themselves, develops disabilities, or cannot ‘keep up’ with the onslaught of rapid social change. We do our utmost to stay ‘youthful,’ while also denying that most of us will experience some frailty before we die.”

Konrad Yakabuski (The Globe and Mail) on a looming real-estate crash and the slow action of policy makers: “Two of the most important fundamentals underlying real estate demand – household income growth and immigration – have been removed from the equation. That leaves the real estate market relying on only low interest rates to stay afloat. But low rates won’t be enough to sustain a market that had already been living on borrowed time.”

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