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Politico
19-02-2025
- Business
- Politico
Anything to declare?
Presented by TikTok Sparks Good Canada Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. Let's get into it. In today's edition: → Back and forth with border mayors. → Trump vs. North America's integrated and intertwined automobile supply chain. → Hockey night in Beantown. DRIVING THE DAY OVER THE RIVER — The closer Canadians live to the United States, the likelier it is they take the border for granted. In many places, Canadians don't even talk about crossing the border. They just go 'over the river' to see friends and family, get in some outlet shopping or catch a football game. — Tight knit: Niagara Falls Mayor JIM DIODATI says his family is evenly split between both sides. His best friend lives in western New York. Windsor Mayor DREW DILKENS obtained an MBA in Michigan. His kids were born in Detroit. In steeltown Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Mayor MATT SHOEMAKER tells Playbook the identically named town across the St. Marys River — a community about one-fifth the size of its Ontario counterpart — lacks a public swimming pool. If Michiganders want to take a dip, many just cross the bridge. Border towns make for essential economic nodes within massive supply chains, but their interconnectedness is often more human than widget. — Watch the skies: Which is why the whirring of Black Hawk helicopters, dispatched in recent weeks as part of Canada's C$1.3 billion promise of beefed-up borders to DONALD TRUMP, might sound out of place to locals. The bolstered RCMP and Ontario Provincial Police chopper fleets are visual signals of a deeply uncertain moment in Canada-U.S. relations. As the choppers have taken to the air, Trump has launched repeated threats to kill Canada's auto sector, freeze out dairy and lumber imports, slap tariffs on everything and annex his northern neighbor by economic force. — Top of the agenda: Needless to say, these days border residents are feeling their feelings — and thinking twice about crossing over. Take ALLAN MACEACHERN's residents in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, a small town across the St. Croix River from Calais, Maine. 'They're upset. It's a punch in the gut, so to speak, from our neighbors. I'll say neighbor,' he said, referring to Trump. 'That's the problem. Our neighbors are taking the heat for it.' In Windsor, Dilkens points to another factor in any Canadian reluctance to visit Detroit: the weak exchange rate as the loonie struggles against the greenback. 'The high U.S. dollar makes me second guess going over there and spending any money, because it's just not worth it,' he says. — How to make friends influence people: Dilkens chairs an upstart Border Mayors Alliance, a fledgling group of three-dozen-plus mayors — and counting — that grew out of an Ontario-only group that formed during the Covid era. You know, back when the border shuttered and Canadians were suddenly very aware of their inability to leave. The alliance's primary goal is to find municipal allies across the border who can influence U.S. lawmakers — a trickle-up effort that feeds Canada's provincial and federal efforts. They report their interactions to Canada's embassy and consulates, contributing to a database of key American contacts who could possibly speak up for Canada. Dilkens is looking to maximize speaking engagements in the Detroit area. He says the embassy is 'doing very targeted research so that mayors are empowered with all the right information' when they have the ear of Americans. — Key reading: In Niagara Falls, Diodati says he bought Trump's 'The Art of the Deal' when it hit bookstores in 1987: 'I was a young entrepreneur. I was intrigued by Donald Trump, and I liked his personality and the way he negotiated deals.' Diodati's take on Trump's talk of tariffs and annexation? 'He's negotiating,' he said. 'I get his MO. It didn't offend me, but I can see how a lot of people are hurt by it, because they think we're too close for someone to take a shot like that.' — What's new is old: In Cornwall, Ontario, Mayor JUSTIN TOWNDALE says the sound of chopper blades is likely to become just another part of border life. 'It's going to get old, in a sense, really quickly, because it's there day to day,' he said. 'It's one of those things that you eventually tune out.' For your radar TODAY IN PARIS — European and other world leaders — including the PM via videoconference — will hold a second emergency summit as pressure grows to forge a cohesive response to DONALD TRUMP's divisive plan to end the war in Ukraine. Foreign Minister MÉLANIE JOLY said Tuesday that she wants Canada to play a role in keeping the peace in Ukraine after Russia's war ends. — The latest headline: Trump snaps back at President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, blaming Ukraine for the war. — Meanwhile in Riyadh: Russia and the United States met for 'a very serious conversation,' according to Russian leader VLADIMIR PUTIN's top aide YURI USHAKOV. The talk lasted about 4.5 hours. POLITICO's CSONGOR KÖRÖMI reports: 'Ukraine's future was on the agenda — Russia has been waging a full-scale war there for three years and the U.S. is determined to claim swaths of the country's mineral wealth — though Kyiv was left out of the discussions.' Trump said the first day of talks were 'very good' and 'I think I have the power to end this war.' — Culture shock: POLITICO's JONATHAN MARTIN was at the Munich Security Conference where foreign ministers were working to make sense of the nonsensical. 'The deeper, and more consequential, question here was what if anything can be done to placate Trump,' he wrote. 'The immediate solution was a familiar one, often heard during his first time as president: spend more on defense.' Where the leaders are — Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is in Montreal and will make an announcement with Transport and Internal Trade Minister ANITA ANAND. The Star scoops that the PM will announce plans for a high-speed rail line from Toronto to Quebec City. The PM will also virtually participate in a meeting on Ukraine and European security hosted by the French President EMMANUEL MACRON. — Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE headlines an evening party fundraiser at a private residence in Woodbridge, Ontario. — Bloc Québécois Leader YVES-FRANÇOIS BLANCHET has not released his itinerary. — NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH is in Edmonton where he will join the CUPE Local 3550 picket line with MPs BLAKE DESJARLAIS and HEATHER MCPHERSON, along with NDP candidate for Edmonton Centre TRISHA ESTABROOKS. — Green Co-Leader ELIZABETH MAY is heading to a Guelph Greens fundraiser with ANNE-MARIE ZAJDLIK. Co-Leader JONATHAN PEDNEAULT will attend private meetings in Ottawa before heading back to Montreal later in the day. DULY NOTED — Liberal leadership contender MARK CARNEY headlines a pair of evening campaign fundraisers in the Greater Toronto Area: first at The Quay on Toronto's waterfront; and later at the Montecassino Event Venue in Woodbridge, a short drive from Poilievre's event. — PAT KING, one of the organizers of the 2022 convoy protest in Ottawa, will be sentenced in an Ottawa courtroom today. HALLWAY CONVERSATION SO MANY QUESTIONS — President DONALD TRUMP's tariffs would wallop automotive production across North America, industry reps told our pal ARI HAWKINS on the trade team. FLAVIO VOLPE of Canada's Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association spoke with Hawkins about the impact of the tariffs on North America's highly integrated and deeply intertwined automobile supply chain. Members of Volpe's APMA control about 90 percent of independent parts production in Canada. Here are some takeaways from the conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity. Why is the automotive sector especially at risk in terms of these tariffs? It's the most highly integrated transnational industry in the world. … Two million cars [are] made in Canada a year. One million are American cars. Fifty percent of the parts that go in all 2 million cars come from American parts suppliers or plants. Fifty-five percent of the raw materials that go into all these parts and cars come from American sources, like steel from Pennsylvania and residents from Texas. It sounds like there will be an effort to shift manufacturing away from the U.S., but because of the nature of the industry, that'll be really tough? Yeah. And also, the biggest competition is China, not Canada. And the American auto sector, which is heavily invested in Mexico, relies on Mexico. … So, if the objective is to compete with China, I couldn't draw up a worse playbook than the one that he's proposing. What do you think is sort of the most interesting aspect of all this? Or do you think the media isn't covering any part of this correctly? We have to do a better job in the auto industry of explaining how inelastic all this car making capital is, so you understand that not only will it not move, it will actually shut down immediately. And, unfortunately, I think with Trump, he may have to go past the brink to learn that lesson. Talk of the town IT'S ALL POLITICS — None of the Canadian or American hockey players who played in Saturday's emotional 4 Nations Face-Off showdown pointed to the politics of the day when they reflected on the astonishing three fights in the game's first nine seconds. But Team USA's general manager acknowledged during a Monday interview with Fox News that on-ice theatrics don't exist in a vacuum. Check out this exchange between anchor BILL HEMMER and guest BILL GUERIN: Hemmer: 'Was there bad blood prior, was it the booing of the anthem, or do you think it had something to do with the politics of the day between our two countries?' Guerin: 'I think a little bit of everything. Canada-U.S. is a huge rivalry in hockey. I think there was a little bit of a political flare to it. It's just the time that we're in. I think our guys used that as inspiration. If you let it get the better of you, then you're in trouble. But I really do think the players used it as inspiration.' — Thursday night fireworks: The championship rematch tomorrow in Boston isn't some winner-take-all exercise in nationalist fervor whipped up by DONALD TRUMP's musings about his largest trading partner's lack of viability as a nation. Except, yeah, it sort of is, for legions of Canadian hockey die-hards and some Americans, too. The guy who assembled Team USA said it out loud. — The big question: Will Trump show up at TD Garden tomorrow? (Yes, the arena's naming rights belong to a Canadian bank — until 2045, at least.) MEDIA ROOM — The Tuesday edition of 'The Daily' pod serves up a timely primer on Trump loyalist and trade adviser PETER NAVARRO. — The New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal's ADAM HURAS scooped the province's decision to pay a U.S.-based lobbyist to make its case in Washington. — POLITICO's MEGAN MESSERLY and BOB KING report that Trump has signed a sweeping executive order bringing independent agencies under the control of the White House — RAISA PATEL, TONDA MACCHARLES and MARK RAMZY interrogated Trump's growing list of Canada gripes. — ADRIAN HUMPHREYS of the National Post explains what the 'Treaty Between the United States of America and the United Kingdom Concerning the Boundary Between the United States and the Dominion of Canada From the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean' really is, what it means, and why Trump might be trying to weaponize it. — From the Star's ALLAN WOODS: Why U.S. peace talks with Putin are sparking panic in Europe (and why that may leave Canada to face Donald Trump alone). PROZONE For POLITICO subscribers, our latest policy headlines: — Trump floats 25 percent tariffs on autos, other goods. — China, US tangle at WTO over Trump's tariffs. — Researchers pull plug on project to save sea ice. — Trump's oil ambitions face harsh economic and geologic realities. — Europe's peace offerings to Trump: Gas, cars and guns. PLAYBOOKERS Birthdays: HBD to uOttawa prof and podcaster ELIZABETH DUBOIS and JESS SPINDLER, director of policy to Justice Minister ARIF VIRANI. Retired MP BILL CASEY is 80 today. Got a document to share? A birthday coming up? Send details our way. Noted: The Conservatives sent us an updated count of nominated federal candidates: 234. Find our candidate tracker in Tuesday editions of Ottawa Playbook. Spotted: Trade Minister MARY NG, trade missioning in Australia … A full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal, paid for by the Ontario government to promote the province's energy exports and critical minerals. Movers and shakers: Heritage Minister PASCALE ST-ONGE will not be seeking reelection … Former senior public servant GRAHAM FLACK is now a senior fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute … GRACE HALLMAN joins Sussex Strategy as marketing manager … TAYLOR KYTE is associate consultant at Global Public Affairs. TRIVIA Tuesday's answer: 'Well, welcome to the 1980s,' Prime Minister PIERRE TRUDEAU said on the night he and the Liberals won back power in Parliament on Feb. 18, 1980. More via the CBC archives. Props to MARJORY LEBRETON, JIM MUNSON, WAYNE EASTER, DAN MCCARTHY, GORD MCINTOSH, BOB GORDON, SHAUGHN MCARTHUR, MATTHEW CONWAY, MATT POIRIER, RALPH LEVENSTEIN, MALCOLM MCKAY, KEVIN COLBOURNE, BOB PLAMONDON, ELIZABETH BURN, SUSAN KEYS, ANDREW SZENDE, NANCI WAUGH, CHRIS RANDS, PAUL PARK, DOUG SWEET, KEVIN BOSCH, PATRICK ST-JACQUES, RAY DEL BIANCO, MARCEL MARCOTTE, DAVID MCLENNAN, GORDON RANDALL, ANDREW FITZPATRICK and MARK AGNEW. Also to FRANCIS DOWNEY, JOHN ECKER, STEPHEN HAAS, LAURA JARVIS, JOANNA PLATER, GREG MACEACHERN, DON PHILLIPS, ADAM SMITH, NICHOLAS GALL, FELIX BERNIER — and (of course) to ROBERT MCDOUGALL. Props + 1: BOB ERNEST, MALCOLM MCKAY. Wednesday's question: Who said the following: 'We have agreed to rationalize the production of our respective industries and to expand our production and trade through a dismantling of tariff and other barriers in the automotive field. This wasn't accomplished easily, and it could not have been accomplished at all if there had not been that mutual understanding, good will, and confidence which has grown up between our two countries.' Answers to ottawaplaybook@ Writing tomorrow's Playbook: MIKE BLANCHFIELD. Playbook wouldn't happen without: POLITICO Canada editor Sue Allan and Luiza Ch. Savage. Want to advertise in Ottawa Playbook? Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@
Politico
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Politico
That was cathartic
Presented by TikTok Sparks Good Canada Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Ottawa Playbook | Follow Politico Canada Thanks for reading Ottawa Playbook. Let's get into it. → About that hockey game … → PIERRE POILIEVRE delivered a message to DONALD TRUMP — and also shared a campaign blueprint. → MARK CARNEY revealed the big-name Conservative who tried to recruit him. TALK OF THE TOWN BARE KNUCKLES — It was almost too on the nose when Canadians and Americans dropped the gloves three times in the first nine seconds of a high-octane, best-on-best hockey showdown in one of the most electric arenas on the continent. Thousands of Montrealers had already ignored an announcer's plea to respect 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' passionately sung by the Royal Canadian Air Force Band's DAVID GRENON. The pent-up emotion was palpable on TV and in bars across Canada. — So much subtext: None of the players talks politics with reporters. Sure, this hockey rivalry has always been fierce. But whatever motivated the players, that testosterone-fueled brawling captured the emotion of this deeply uncertain moment in Canada-U.S. relations. — Spotted: Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU was in the stands. So was Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE, fresh off an afternoon of speechifying in downtown Ottawa. Even the MARK CARNEY watch party at an Ottawa South sports bar was buzzing about the tilts. (Carney didn't boo the American anthem, though he joined most of the Liberals in the room in belting out 'O Canada' in both official languages.) — Oh yeah, the result: 3-1 for the U.S., in case you missed it. — Save the date: The Canadians and Americans could renew hostilities in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game on Thursday in Boston (where the arena will be named after a Canadian bank until at least 2045). Canada will need to beat Finland today. Expect plenty of chatter if they get that far: Will the American crowd boo the Canadian anthem? Will the players keep their gloves on? Will DONALD TRUMP stir it up on Truth Social? DRIVING THE DAY NON-PIVOT PIVOT — Word was Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE had a pivot in store for a highly anticipated rally on a wintry Flag Day in Ottawa. Surely, DONALD TRUMP's tariff threats and dismissive words about Canada's viability as a nation would force a rhetorical reboot: Out with 'ax the tax,' in with 'Canada First.' In the end, the crowd got plenty of both. — Carbon crusade: Poilievre soundly rejected any notion that he's abandoning his years-long fight against the federal carbon levy. Instead, he doubled down on it. 'Before the tariff threats, we were talking about a carbon tax election. But now with these threats, I have to concede I've had to reflect on whether it is a top of mind issue,' Poilievre said. 'After much reflection, I have concluded that the carbon tax will be an even bigger issue in the coming election than we thought.' — Message for Trump: Poilievre came out hard against Trump's wayward musings about Canada joining the American union. He cautioned that an 'unprovoked attack on Canada's economy' would 'turn a loyal friend into a resentful neighbor.' — Money line: Poilievre echoed former Prime Minister STEPHEN HARPER's recent comments — at an invite-only Ottawa launch of his most recent book — about the potentially devastating cost of saving Canada. → Poilievre's version: 'We will bear any burden and pay any price to protect the sovereignty and independence of our country.' → Harper's version: 'If I was still prime minister, I would be prepared to impoverish the country and not be annexed, if that was the option we're facing … Now, because I do think that if Trump were determined, he could really do wide structural and economic damage, but I wouldn't accept that … I would accept any level of damage to preserve the independence of the country.' More from POLITICO: MICKEY DJURIC was in the room for the speech. → Carney counter: Poilievre's prepared remarks name-checked the Liberal leadership contender 23 times. Mentions of fellow contender CHRYSTIA FREELAND: zero. Where the leaders are — Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is in Skidegate, British Columbia, to participate in a community celebration of the Haida Title Lands Agreement. Trudeau will be joined by Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister GARY ANANDASANGAREE and Immigration Minister MARC MILLER. — Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE, Bloc Québécois Leader YVES-FRANÇOIS BLANCHET, NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH and Green Leader ELIZABETH MAY have not released their itineraries. For your radar PLATFORM PREVIEW — The Liberal knock against the Conservative leader is that he favors slogans over substance. MARK CARNEY constantly makes that claim. During Poilievre's rally, he laid out what sounded an awful lot like a campaign platform — and even a governing plan for his first few months in office. His 65-minute speech covered eight themes: Canada-U.S. relations, economics, natural resources, internal trade, borders, fentanyl, national defense and citizenship. Many of his pledges offered no timelines. But some did. — First moves: We already know Poilievre's first bill will likely eliminate at least the consumer-facing carbon levy (and perhaps more). He told podcaster JORDAN PETERSON that he'd also move quickly to build more homes and pursue criminal justice reform. Saturday offered more early-days hints. → Natural resources: Within 60 days, Conservatives plan to repeal the controversial federal law — passed as Bill C-69 — that overhauled resource project approval processes. They'd also 'immediately green light all federal permits for the Ring of Fire in Northern Ontario.' → Interprovincial trade: Poilievre would convene a First Ministers' Meeting within 30 days to eliminate 'carve-outs and exemptions' in the Canada Free Trade agreement — and offer a funding 'bonus' to provinces that play ball on internal trade. LEADERSHIP RACE CARNEY CLAIMS — MARK CARNEY gave his first national interview to CBC's ROSEMARY BARTON. The back-and-forth aired Sunday morning. We heard five key takeaways: — Harper calling: Last week, DAN LETT wrote in a Winnipeg Free Press column that 'various parties' had reached out to Carney over the years. The campaign did not respond to Playbook's requests for specifics, but the former central banker quietly revealed a stunning revelation to Barton: STEPHEN HARPER asked him to be finance minister in 2012. At the time, JIM FLAHERTY was still finance minister — and held the job until he died in 2014. Carney was still heading the Bank of Canada. He told Barton pursuing politics would have been 'inappropriate' at the time. DIMITRI SOUDAS, Harper's former director of communications, poured cold water on the claim. 'Mark Carney is not telling the whole story, and Prime Minister Harper certainly does not support Mr. Carney in any way,' he said in a statement to CBC News. — Part-time job: Carney downplayed his work as an economic adviser to the Liberal Party, a gig first announced last September at a summer caucus retreat. He joked to Barton that until he launched a leadership bid, he balanced three full-time jobs (U.N. envoy, Brookfield Asset Management chair, Bloomberg chair): 'How much time do you think I spent advising the government?' The strong implication: not very much. — Election timing: Conservative MP MICHELLE REMPEL GARNER recently stoked a juicy rumor: If Carney were to win the leadership, JUSTIN TRUDEAU would immediately call an election before the new Liberal leader replaced him as PM. On Sunday, Carney repeatedly assured Barton that a leadership victory would hand him the keys to the PMO, saying: 'If I am selected as the leader and therefore prime minister…" — New pipelines: Liberals are increasingly bullish on increasing pipeline capacity. Energy Minister JONATHAN WILKINSON recently opened the door to conversations about a west-east pipeline amid a more complex Canada-U.S. relationship. Carney supports the 'concept' of west-east pipeline. 'We as a nation need to build some new pipelines for conventional energy,' he told Barton, pledging to speed up approvals. — Internal trade: Knocking down interprovincial trade barriers is in vogue these days for most political leaders. Carney promised to 'quickly convene' premiers to sort out that file. LIGHTS OUT — Leadership contender CHRYSTIA FREELAND sat for an interview with MSNBC's ALI VELSHI, a Canadian journo who described the former deputy PM as an 'old friend of mine.' Freeland borrowed from Ontario Premier DOUG FORD's Playbook as she laid out her anti-tariff plan for an American audience. 'If you didn't have Canadian electricity, the lights in your building right now might not be shining,' she told Velshi. 'And Trump Tower, you know, that famous escalator, it might not be operating because you get electricity from Canada for New York.' — Policy alert: Freeland is announcing a housing platform this morning. Her plans include the elimination of the GST on new homes worth up to C$1.5 million for first-time buyers, which she claims will save them up to C$75,000. In the provinces ONTARIO LEADERS' DEBATE — Tonight during the supper hour on a debate stage in Toronto, it will be three against one as DOUG FORD squares off with NDP Leader MARIT STILES, Liberal Leader BONNIE CROMBIE and the Green Party's MIKE SCHREINER. The Toronto Star's MARTIN REGG COHN points out that Ford was thrown off his game during Friday's Northern Ontario debate. 'Not because Ford flopped, but because he was forced off his canned campaign script,' he writes of the premier who insists he needs a new mandate to fight Trump tariffs. 'Friday's debate changed the channel by challenging the agenda Ford has been foisting on voters since he triggered this absurdly early election.' COUNTDOWNS Your reminder of some key events edging ever closer. — Sitting days until summer: 49 max. — Calendar days until Statistics Canada's next inflation data: 1 … The PM's deadline to call a by-election in Halifax, N.S.: 13 … The House's scheduled return: 35. LEADERSHIP WATCH — Dates to watch in the race to replace JUSTIN TRUDEAU. — Calendar days until the candidate entry fee final payment deadline: 0 … Advance voting opens: 9 … New leader announced: 20. Which must-watch countdowns are missing from this list? Tell us! TRUMPQUAKE PEACE TALKS — Senior Trump administration officials are heading to Saudi Arabia to start peace talks with Russia in a bid to end its war with Ukraine, POLITICO's ROBBIE GRAMER and PAUL MCLEARY reported Sunday. POLITICO was first to report that Ukrainians were invited — which came as a surprise to Kyiv. News of the talks has rattled Ukrainian officials, with President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY saying, 'I do not know what it is,' in reference to the meetings. Ukraine has made it clear it will not accept a settlement imposed on it. — Today in Paris: French President EMMANUEL MACRON is convening an emergency summit of European leaders to discuss Ukraine and security in Europe. Ahead of the meeting, U.K. Prime Minister KEIR STARMER said the U.K. is 'ready and willing' to put British peacekeeping troops on the ground in Ukraine. — Later this week: G20 foreign ministers will meet in Johannesburg. U.S. Secretary of State MARCO RUBIO has announced he is taking a pass — accusing Pretoria of having an 'anti-American' agenda. MEDIA ROOM — DAVID SKOK joined 'The Herle Burly' pod to discuss the growing influence of big tech and politics. 'For years I have felt that our business community has not spoken up enough,' the editor and founder of The Logic tells DAVID HERLE. 'I am a champion of hearing it more.' The conversation picks up on reporting by CATHERINE MCINTYRE, LAURA OSMAN and MURAD HEMMADI: Inside Canadian tech's not-so-quiet shift to the right. — The New Yorker's ERIC LACH writes on conservative prosecutor DANIELLE SASSOON. 'She offered her resignation, and put her career on the line, rather than do the dirty work Washington directed her to do.' — PETER S. GOODMAN in the NYT explains how Trump's one-for-one tariff plan threatens the global economy. — 'No way this will happen,' Foreign Affairs Minister MÉLANIE JOLY says of the suggestion Russia should be reinstated in the G7. — From POLITICO's JAMIE DETTMER in Munich: 'Is this the end of NATO?' — MURRAY BREWSTER of CBC News points out that in the wake of 51st state threats, there has been no direct public condemnation by allied leaders. 'It seems — in the face of Trump — we find ourselves alone.' PLAYBOOKERS Birthdays: HBD to MP CHRIS BITTLE. JEFFREY SIMPSON, former national affairs columnist at the Globe for 32 years, also celebrates today. Got a document to share? A birthday coming up? Send it all our way. Movers and shakers: DANIÈLE HENKEL is the latest Friday-afternoon Senate pick — announced by the PM to fill a vacancy for Quebec. Noted: SABRINA NANJI shared a BINGO card for tonight's Ontario leaders' debate. SPOTTED: The PM at the closing of the Invictus Games in Vancouver. SARAH TAYLOR, Canada's ambassador to Russia, leaving flowers on the grave of ALEXEI NAVALNY, one year after his death. Podcaster and Rubicon partner DAVID HERLE and his former boss, PAUL MARTIN. Former Conservative MP ERIN O'TOOLE, campaigning in Uxbridge on behalf of Ontario Finance Minister PETER BETHLENFALVY. At the Munich Security Conference: Canadian Foreign Minister MÉLANIE JOLY at the FRAUEN100 event co-hosted at the Charles Hotel by Goals House, the Aspen Institute Germany and Gates Foundation … ALI TEJPAR, chief of staff to the foreign and defense policy adviser to JUSTIN TRUDEAU, at the POLITICO Pub … Sen. PETER BOEHM, 'waving the flag,' meeting with Belarusian democratic leader SVIATLANA TSIHANOUSKAYA, and getting a reality check on the European view of Canada-U.S. relations. PROZONE For Pro subscribers, our latest policy newsletter by SUE ALLAN and MICKEY DJURIC: Trump factor forces Conservative rethink. In other news for Pro readers: — Trump suggests he might impose auto tariffs on April 2. — White House officially launches national energy council. — Vance's week of waging war on EU tech law. — Sefcovic to visit Washington as trade war looms. — Trump Media says it lost more than $400M last year. TRIVIA Friday's answer: The maple leaf on the Canadian flag boasts 11 points. Props to JOHN ECKER, ROSS LECLAIR, MARCEL MARCOTTE, MARY JANE ALLAN, BOB GORDON, ROSEMARY CRANE, MELISSA FELD, LAURA JARVIS, GORDON RANDALL, RAY DEL BIANCO, JOANNA PLATER, PAUL PARK, BILL GARVIN, TRACY SALMON, AMY SCANLON BOUGHNER, MARK RAMZY, ALYSON FAIR, MALCOLM MCKAY, JENN KEAY, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, ETHEL FORESTER, ABHAY KATOCH and BARBARA WRIGHT. Today's question: On this date in history, who did GARRY KASPAROV defeat in the final game of a six-game match? Send your answer to ottawaplaybook@ Writing tomorrow's Playbook: NICK TAYLOR-VAISEY and SUE ALLAN. Playbook wouldn't happen without: POLITICO Canada editor Sue Allan, editor Willa Plank and Luiza Ch. Savage.
