Ottawa's AI guy

Politico

a day ago

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In today's edition:
→ EVAN SOLOMON maps out his plan for Canada's AI future.
→ Canada's top judge totally wasn't subtweeting the U.S. in his annual presser.
→ The auditor general dropped her semi-annual headaches on the Liberals.
THE FIRST THING
MR. AI — Canada's first AI minister, EVAN SOLOMON, has been dodging Hill journalists since he got a Cabinet gig — and he owns it.
'It is significantly harder to have answers than it is to ask questions,' the former journalist told a Canada 2020 crowd in Ottawa Tuesday. 'Even if you use AI, it turns out it's a little trickier.'
(Solomon's chief of staff, ANSON DURAN, has also lightheartedly flicked at using AI in his own social media comms.)
— Into the limelight: In his first high-profile speech since his swearing-in nearly a month ago, Solomon revealed the Liberal government's sweeping vision: ensure Canada doesn't get left behind in the global AI race.
'Essentially we are at a Gutenberg-like moment,' Solomon said.
He pointed to four pillars under Prime Minister MARK CARNEY's AI industrial policy.
→ Scale: Fund and champion Canadian AI companies.
→ Adoption: Encourage businesses to adopt AI, including by offering them tax credits, in an effort to turbocharge productivity.
→ Trust: Bring in regulations to protect Canadians' privacy and data.
→ Sovereignty: Build data centers and invest in quantum computing for national defense and security.
— But first, context: AI is more than just a tool that brings our ideas to life, Solomon told the crowd. It's not all about planning vacations, writing resumes or meal planning. AI has the ability to shape culture, economies and warfare.
— China vs. the West: On Tuesday, DONALD TRUMP's AI czar DAVID SACKS said China is three to six months behind the U.S. in artificial intelligence.
In January, the sudden emergence of the China-based DeepSeek AI model R1 led to U.S. stocks dropping significantly — and gave Western governments a new sense of urgency to act.
— Competitive spirit: As competition heats up, Canada wants in.
Solomon said Canada is a leader in AI research, but has 'become the farm team for bigger places to take our best researchers and commercialize it.'
Canada also lacks digital infrastructure, forcing governments and companies to rely on data storage in other countries, binding them to foreign laws — and preventing them from retaining full sovereignty over the data.
— It's the economy, stupid: AI is viewed by the Liberal government as a 'key to our economic destiny.'
— Problem is: Just 11 percent of Canadian firms are planning to integrate AI into their operations, Solomon said, creating a large barrier for economic growth.
— Simply put: Economies that master AI will grow. Those that don't will fall behind, which is 'an existential threat to our future,' Solomon said.
'Canada cannot be left behind. We need to marshal our resources and advance our position in this high-stakes digital arena. So we've got to act now.'
— Team player: Solomon has been meeting with AI firms and leaders such as NextAI co-founder AJAY AGRAWAL. He's also working with Government Transformation Minister JOËL LIGHTBOUND to boost productivity; Industry Minister MÉLANIE JOLY to attract investment; and Defense Minister DAVID MCGUINTY to integrate AI and quantum computing.
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For your radar
'DEMOCRATIC SUPERPOWER' — A year ago, Supreme Court Chief Justice RICHARD WAGNER used his annual press conference to chide the Trudeau government for judicial vacancies.
Tuesday's presser brought a different vibe. Wagner reported back on what he's heard during a year's worth of cross-Canada travel meant to build awareness of the country's highest court among Canadians of all stripes.
— 2025's angst: 'Throughout the world, autocratic regimes are attacking the media, judicial powers and national institutions. Canadians are seeing this regression in democracy, and are wondering if that could happen here,' Wagner told reporters.
— Hmm, what about?: The CBC's OLIVIA STEFANOVICH was first out of the gate to ask what the elephant in the room was pondering. Was any of that angst tied to U.S. President DONALD TRUMP's attacks on the American judiciary?
— Nice try: 'I will not aim at a specific country,' Wagner replied.
'When you see governments attacking the media, attacking the judges, attacking the lawyers and universities, of course, that means that there's a good chance that you are in front of a dictatorship, autocratic government.'
— Not here: 'While Canada is not a superpower in [the] traditional sense of the word, it is a democratic superpower. In this country, the rule of law is non-negotiable,' Wagner said.
THE ROOMS THAT MATTER
— It's caucus day on Parliament Hill.
— Prime Minister MARK CARNEY will attend caucus and question period.
— Carney will join Press Gallery journalists at a garden party outside Rideau Cottage.
— At 6 p.m., Navigator hosts its annual summer kickoff party at the Métropolitain.
— Alberta Premier DANIELLE SMITH will deliver a keynote address at the Global Energy Show in Calgary.
ON THE HILL
— Liberal MP CHRIS BITTLE was elected chair of the Procedure and House Affairs Committee. The vice chairs are Conservative MP MICHAEL COOPER and Bloc Québécois MP CHRISTINE NORMANDIN.
— The House voted down a non-binding Conservative opposition motion meant to shame the government into presenting a 'fiscally responsible budget' before the Commons rises for the summer. New Democrats joined the Liberals in voting against the motion.
For your radar
CHECKING THE BOOKS — Auditor General KAREN HOGAN dropped her spring reports Tuesday — a semi-annual batch of nearly guaranteed headlines. Here were the headaches she gave the Liberal benches, in order of attention from major newsrooms:
— Canada's incoming fleet of CF-35 fighter jets will be more expensive than anticipated, efforts to build infrastructure required to support the aircraft are years behind schedule, and the Royal Canadian Air Force still faces a stubborn shortage of fighter pilots.
Headline: F-35 program facing skyrocketing costs, pilot shortage and infrastructure deficit
— The AG flagged serious concerns with contracts awarded to GCStrategies, the firm embroiled in the high-profile ArriveCAN scandal. Hogan pointed to a lack of security clearance documentation in 21 percent of cases, and a lack of records related to 'which contracted resources performed the work, what work was completed, and whether the people doing the work had the required experience and qualifications.'
Headline: Feds awarded ArriveCan firm nearly $100 million in contracts, despite issues
— Indigenous Services Canada is frequently missing a six-month target for processing applications for on‑reserve housing, financial aid for post-secondary education, and certain health benefits.
Headline: Ottawa failing to meet timelines for First Nations registration: Auditor General
— The federal procurement department has revised down a pledge to reduce office space by 50 percent — now on track for only 33 percent.
Headline: The federal government has been slow to offload office space: auditor general
MORNING MUST-CLICKS
— Top of POLITICO this morning: GAVIN NEWSOM gains a step in brawl with DONALD TRUMP: 'It'll help Gavin — especially if he gets arrested'
— PIERRE POILIEVRE's take on population growth, via Global News: 'We want severe limits … to reverse the damage the Liberals did to our system.'
— The New Republic visits Point Roberts, Washington — aka 'The Tiny Border Town Getting Battered by Trump's Tariffs on Canada'
— National Post's STEPHANIE TAYLOR poses a question with no obvious answer: In Carney's Cabinet, who's responsible for online harms?
— From the Toronto Star: 'Toronto police turn to AI tool to investigate the murders of Barry and Honey Sherman'
PROZONE
Our latest Pro PM Canada subscriber newsletter by MIKE BLANCHFIELD: Ethical judges 'not the case in many countries'.
Other headlines for Pro subscribers:
— Lawmakers push Hegseth on Golden Dome plan.
— US oil production will fall by end of 2026, EIA predicts.
— International students contributed $44B to the US economy in 2023.
— Trump energy adviser slams renewables, says focus is on fossil fuels.
PLAYBOOKERS
Birthdays: HBD to Ontario Cabmin CAROLINE MULRONEY, former Liberal MP MARIO SILVA, former NDP MP and current commentator FRANÇOISE BOIVIN, and McMillan partner TIMOTHY CULLEN and the Toronto Star's SUSAN DELACOURT.
HBD+1 to Playbook trivia regular RODDY MCFALL (60!).
Noted: Canadians driving to the U.S. dropped by about 38 percent in May compared to the same month last year, a new Statistics Canada report shows. It's the fifth-straight month of decline.
— U.S. Secretary of State MARCO RUBIO condemned sanctions levied against Israeli government officials by Canada, the U.K., Norway, Australia and New Zealand.
Spotted: Prime Minister MARK CARNEY, raising the Pride flag on Parliament Hill alongside MPs from all parties.
Movers and shakers: Sen. MARY JANE MCCALLUM has joined the Senate Conservative caucus.
Lobby watch: Agnico Eagle Mines posted meetings in May with Energy and Natural Resources Minister TIM HODGSON, Deputy Minister MICHAEL VANDERGRIFT, as well as senior political aides and public servants … The Explorers and Producers Association of Canada posted a May 23 meeting with Hodgson, Vandergrift and Liberal MP COREY HOGAN (now also Hodgson's parlsec).
TRIVIA
Tuesday's answer: Former NDP MP SVEND ROBINSON, who won seven elections — and was Canada's first openly gay MP — lost comeback bids in 2006 and 2019.
Props to SVEND ROBINSON (the one and only), CHRISTINA DE TONI, BRENNAN GOREHAM, JOHN PEPPER, LUCAS MALINOWSKI, JOHN ECKER, ALEXIS CONRAD, CHRIS RANDS, JOSEPH PLANTA, TIM MCCALLUM, LORETTA O'CONNOR, BRANDON RABIDEAU, NANCI WAUGH, MARCEL MARCOTTE, ALEX BALLINGALL, PATRICK DION, MATTHEW DUBÉ, BARRY MCLOUGHLIN, DAVE PENNER, PAUL PARK, DAVID LJUNGGREN, MARC LEBLANC, MICHAEL POWELL, JOHN DILLON, MATT CONLEY, BOB PLAMONDON, SCOTT MCCORD, RAY DEL BIANCO, GREG MACEACHERN, MARJORY LEBRETON, DAN ALBAS, CULLY ROBINSON, ELIZABETH BURN, GREG LYNDON, RALPH LEVENSTEIN, SUSAN KEYS, MALCOLM MCKAY, RODDY MCFALL, BOB ERNEST, AVIGAIL RUCKER, COLIN MCKONE, JEFFREY VALOIS, CHRIS LALANDE, ANTHONY CARRICATO, EDDIE HUTCHINSON, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, DARRYL DAMUDE, YAROSLAV BARAN, STEPHEN HAAS, BOB GORDON, RONALD LEMIEUX, ANNE MCGRATH and FRANCIS DOWNEY.
Wednesday's question: Which world leader delivered a speech in the House of Commons on this day in 1996?
Answers to [e-mail]
Writing tomorrow's Playbook: NICK TAYLOR-VAISEY and MICKEY DJURIC.
Canada Playbook would not happen without: Canada Editor Sue Allan, editor Willa Plank and POLITICO's Grace Maalouf.