‘Campaigns do matter’: Wexit’s Jay Hill votes in Conservative leadership race, resigns CPC membership

Political veteran Jay Hill, interim leader of the newly emerged Wexit Party, left his former party, the Conservatives, with one last hurrah by voting in its recent leadership race. Speaking to CBC's West of Centre podcast, Mr. Hill said he did so "for my grandchildren and the well-being of Canadians in general." "I felt, in fact, it was a civic duty, having been involved in the Conservative Party from its very birth when was a merger between Reformers and the Progressive Conservatives; that I owed it to the past and future to participate and cast a ballot," he said. Mr. Hill confirmed he will be resigning his CPC membership "because of course I feel that going forward, it would be unethical, to say the least, to belong to two federal parties." While he noted that he announced early on in the race that he was supporting Erin O'Toole, "all I will say is my opinion changed. Campaigns do matter, and I was convinced to choose someone else as my first choice." He did not directly say who he supported, but when pressed, added he was "a bit turned off by the constant negativity of the O'Toole campaign directed at Mr. MacKay." Mr. O'Toole, who was named the victor last week after a six-hour delay because of glitches with the ballots, asked the police to investigate the alleged hacking of private campaign information from Mr. MacKay's team during the race. He took 57 per cent of the votes on the third and final ballot to Mr. MacKay's 43 per cent. Mr. Hill, who served in the House for 17 years (1993-2010) under the Reform Party, the Canadian Alliance, and then Conservative Party as MP for Prince George-Peace River, B.C., was tapped to lead the separatist Wexit Party in June. The party is looking to run candidates in the next election, which could come in the fall if all opposition parties vote against a Throne Speech that will be delivered upon Parliament's return in September. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prorogued Parliament until Sept. 23 amid the government's ongoing WE Charity controversy this month, framing it as a decision to reset his agenda in an updated response to COVID-19. Peter Downing, Wexit's former leader, said in 2019 the group was planning to run candidates in B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta. Docs 'game' to join TikTok Could Canada's two top doctors be coming to TikTok? In a moment of levity during a briefing on the county's fight against COVID-19 earlier this month, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam and her deputy, Dr. Howard Njoo, were asked by CBC national politics reporter David Thurton about that possibility. Speaking about the need for Ottawa to better reach younger audiences in their messaging about the virus, especially as schools reopen and Canadians adjust to living under the "new normal," neither doctor ruled it out. "To your question, or maybe a challenge at the end, I'm pretty game for all sorts of things," smiled Dr. Tam. Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, and her deputy, Dr. Howard Njoo, are both game to be featured on TikTok if it helps the government reach younger audiences. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade "I think if people think I'm the kind of person that they would want to see on TikTok, absolutely. But I'll also depend on my communications experts colleagues to tell me . Dancing is probably not something that I would engage in, but who knows. I don't have coordination, but other exercise, yes." Dr. Njoo noted he and Dr. Tam had already done outreach videos for the Public Health Agency of Canada in the earlier days of the pandemic. "Both of us are game," he laughed. It wouldn't be the first time TikTok has made its way onto the federal scene; NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh used it extensively during the 2019 election campaign in a bid to pull in younger voters. Lakhani sworn in as first Muslim-Canadian lieutenant governor In a historic move, Alberta welcomed its first Muslim-Canadian lieutenant-governor last week when Salma Lakhani was sworn in on Aug. 26. A small, COVID-friendly ceremony marked the beginning of her five-year term in the post, which was previously filled by Lois Mitchell. “I have been passionate about women’s health, education relating to human rights and, in particular, making higher learning accessible to newcomers and others who have been marginalized by life’s unpredictable challenges," Ms. Lakhani said in her address. "Helping those in need take that first step up the ladder to better opportunities is one way of making a lasting difference in the lives of so many. It ensures that these individuals become even more productive members of the community and much better able to provide for their entire families going forward.” Longtime Edmonton advocate Salma Lakhani was sworn in as Alberta's first Muslim-Canadian lieutenant-governor last week. Photograph courtesy of Nicholas Milliken's Twitter In 1977, Ms. Lakhani came to Edmonton from her hometown of Kampala, Uganda, after all Ugandans of Asian background were expelled from the country. She planned to only stay for a couple of years with her partner, Zaheer Lakhani, an accomplished cardiologist who was named a member of the Order of Canada in 2006. But 43 years later, the pair have two daughters, Ms. Lakhani has proven her entrepreneurial chops by owning and operating an early childhood education centre, and she's earned herself the vice-regal role on top of accolades like the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal. Among the politicos on hand for the ceremony were Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, his aide Zain Velji, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux, and Liberal MP Dan Vandal. CTV's Molly Thomas eyes move to Toronto Hillites learned last week that they will lose Molly Thomas, a national correspondent who joined CTV's Ottawa bureau last year, to the network's investigative W5 program. What's a loss for Ottawa will be a gain for Toronto, as Ms. Thomas takes her passion for social justice stories to The Big Smoke, where she will be aided by CityNews alum Avery Haines in her new role as investigative correspondent. "What a whirlwind year and a half in Ottawa! Fed election, minority mandate, global pandemic, largest $ programs in history, race realities," tweeted Ms. Thomas on Aug. 26. "BUT...it's time to move on." Outgoing CTV national correspondent Molly Thomas, who joined the Ottawa bureau in 2019, will be heading to Toronto for the network's investigative W5 program. Photograph courtesy of Molly Thomas' Twitter Ms. Thomas previously worked with CPAC and CTV in Regina, and has covered stories in Somalia, Bangladesh, Haiti, France, and Iraq. Though she joined the Hill fairly recently in 2019, she will be remembered (by this rookie reporter, at least) for always sporting a smile and willing to offer a helping hand at committees. Choquette joins Crestview Crestview Strategy scooped up experienced Liberal strategist Jackie Choquette last week, the firm announced in an Aug. 27 release. "Jackie is a proven strategist who understands how to build and lead successful public affairs engagements on both a national and a local level,” said Ginny Roth, the group's national practice lead for government relations, in the release. Liberal strategist Jackie Choquette is joining Crestview Strategy, the firm announced last week. Screen capture courtesy of Hill and Knowlton Strategies Ms. Choquette, now a vice-president with the group, was previously vice-president of public affairs with Hill and Knowlton Strategies, and served as chief of staff to Ontario Liberal cabinet minister Yasir Naqvi from 2014 t0 2016. She has advised premiers, ministers, and CEOs, and has help run more than a dozen campaigns, including former Dalton McGuinty-aide John Fraser's successful 2013 provincial run in Ottawa South. The Hill Times

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Heard On The Hill

‘Campaigns do matter’: Wexit’s Jay Hill votes in Conservative leadership race, resigns CPC membership

Plus, Canada's chief public health officer and her deputy may take their message to TikTok.

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