Politics This Morning: A baby step to save the bunnies

Good Wednesday morning, This is the part where we laugh our smuggest Canadian laugh. It’s snowing in the UK. Temperatures have dropped overnight as low as -9.8 degrees Celsius, the BBC reports. Roads are getting icy. The result has been utter chaos, with schools closing, cars crashing, and a double-decker bus overturning. The BBC has helpfully published a feature on “how to drive in snow and icy weather.” It advises drivers to pack tea and biscuits in their car in case things go badly, which is a bit too on the nose, but is otherwise actually an excellent guide on winter driving. UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs JAMES CLEVERLY won’t find much reprieve when he arrives in wintry Toronto for a visit today. He’ll be holding a press conference alongside Foreign Minister MÉLANIE JOLY at 3:30 p.m. He won’t be stopping in Ottawa this time around, which is a shame; the residents of this city could provide him with a full briefing on how to get around in harsh winter weather by car, bike, bus…anything but a train. Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister MARIE-CLAUDE BIBEAU is headed the other way. She’ll arrive in the UK today, and spend the next 48ish hours meeting with counterpart MARK SPENCER and various agriculture and food chain interest groups. The second leg of her trip will take her to Germany later this week for a conference of world ag ministers. In Parliament The House and Senate are still adjourned, but the Government Operations and Estimates Committee will meet to debate an opposition motion to launch a study of the government’s reliance—to the tune of $101-million—on consulting firm McKinsey and Company to help it make public policy. Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU has asked his ministers to look into the matter, which is a bit like asking foxes to find out why chickens have gone missing from a henhouse. DOMINIC BARTON, the erstwhile economic sounding board for BILL MORNEAU and ambassador to China, links the Trudeau inner circle with McKinsey, his former firm. So far there’s been no suggestion that McKinsey has broken any rules. Rather, the concern driving the headlines centres around the government’s apparent willingness to replace the advice of expert public servants who say “no” too often with that of private consultants, some of whom habitually rub shoulders with Liberal insiders. Conservative MP Kelly McCauley chairs the Government Operations and Estimates Committee. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade The opposition smells blood; we’ll find out today what terms they can set for their study. Legislation corner OK, we’re cheating: this is actually a “regulations corner” segment today. The government gave notice in the latest Canada Gazette that it would be taking a baby step towards reducing animal testing. You may recall that the Liberals campaigned in 2021 on a promise to “introduce legislation to end cosmetic testing on animals as soon as 2023, and phase out toxicity testing on animals by 2035.” That very specific promise had blurred a bit by the time it reached the mandate letter of Environment Minister STEVEN GUILBEAULT, which required the introduction of “legislation to protect animals in captivity.” Guilbeault has a bill currently before the House, S-5, that addresses this subject in very general terms. It’s not clear whether that is all we’re going to get, or just a warm-up to a more substantive piece of legislation that will deliver on the platform promises. S-5 would amend the preamble of the Environmental Protection Act to state that the federal government “recognizes” the importance of reducing testing on vertebrate animals. The preamble of legislation is not legally binding, but may be considered by courts seeking to discern the intent of legislation in some cases. S-5 also formally obligates the government to “encourage” a move away from animal testing, and gives the cabinet the authority to regulate animal testing procedures. That’s the background for the notice given in the Gazette on Jan. 14: that Health Canada and Environment Canada would be “considering” making animal-friendly changes to the New Substances Notification Regulations (Chemicals and Polymers). As it stands, those regulations require any business (or other entity) that plans to manufacture or import a new “substance” into Canada to first provide the government with information about the sort of harm it could cause to Canadian residents who are exposed to it. The standard way to do that at present is to test the substances on animals: in their eyes, on their skin, in their airways. Repeatedly, and at “acute” levels. Unfortunately for all involved, the most applicable information is sometimes derived from testing on animals with which humans tend to sympathize the most: dogs, rabbits, and monkeys, to name a few. The regulations already allow for some use of “alternative approaches” that don’t involve animal testing, and here the government is (gingerly) pushing for more progress in that direction. PTM spoke yesterday with CHARU CHANDRASEKERA, a former animal researcher who now leads the University of Windsor’s Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods, about the possibilities that exist on this front, and how Canada is harnessing them. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is responsible for making good on the government's promises to wind down animal testing. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade In short, not especially well at the government level. Researchers have already figured out how to bundle together existing technology and research practices to create substitutes to some tests commonly done on animals. For example, human immune cells that have been “immortalized” (sounds pretty cool) and cultured in a petri dish can be used as part of an allergy test that has traditionally been done on animals, she said. More funding for that sort of research would go a long way, but there has to be an incentive for those who do the testing—sometimes private businesses, sometimes government scientists or government-funded scientists—to switch to non-animal testing methods where they exist. That’s where regulations and legislation come into play. At present, Canada is absolutely not on track to phase out toxicity testing on animals by 2035, Chandrasekera said. Bill S-5—about which she has already testified before Parliament—is “the least we could do” to build momentum in the right direction, emphasis on the least, she said. We’ll have to wait and see what happens on the legislative front when Parliament returns. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for signs of a “Regulatory Stock Review of the NSNR (Chemicals and Polymers)”—the government’s name for its review of the aforementioned regulations—the public comment portion of which is slated to begin “in early 2023.” What else is happening today? The NDP is beginning its three-day caucus retreat in Ottawa today. We can expect plenty of talk about health care, and keeping the Liberal government to the terms agreed upon in the two parties’ supply-and-confidence agreement. Leader JAGMEET SINGH will deliver his keynote address to the caucus at 10:30 a.m. His remarks will be open to the media. What’s the cabinet up to? Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU is in Shawinigan, Que. today. He'll tour a factory that makes electric vehicle chargers, hold a press conference, and visit a seniors' centre. Industry Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE will join him on that last stop, then the two will head to Trois-Rivières, where they will pay a visit to the Université du Québec's Hydrogen Research Institute. Finance Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND is in Davos, Switzerland, where she'll participate in a panel discussion entitled "restoring peace and security" and hobnob with first-class flyers at a meeting of the World Economic Forum. Fisheries Minister JOYCE MURRAY is making an infrastructure announcement in Vancouver. Seniors Minister KAMAL KHERA is participating in what’s being described as an “unveiling event” on behalf of Natural Resources Minister JONATHAN WILKINSON in Aurora, Ont. DAN VANDAL, the minister responsible for the Prairies economic subsidy agency, will announce federal cash for businesses in Calgary. GINETTE PETITPAS TAYLOR, the minister responsible for the Atlantic subsidy agency, will announce funding for a University of New Brunswick lab in Fredericton. Families Minister KARINA GOULD will announce funding for programs “pertaining to social inclusion and well-being of vulnerable children and youth” in Ajax, Ont. Government House Leader MARK HOLLAND, the MP for Ajax, will tag along. In the news The NDP wants a “made-in-Canada” defence procurement strategy. NEIL MOSS has the details. China’s move to end its COVID-19 lockdowns will likely have a knock-on effect on global supply chains. IAN CAMPBELL has that story. Should more of the Question Period antics be shown on camera? STUART BENSON explores that subject in his latest. Benson also asked Conservative politicos what they thought of Conservative Party Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE’s recent high-priced fundraisers. You can find that story here. Finally, Moss also dug into a recently relaunched parliamentary group devoted to creating an “undivided Jerusalem.” Send your news tips to pmazereeuw@hilltimes.com Correction: A previous version of this column incorrectly stated that the Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods was affiliated with the University of Waterloo. PTM regrets the error.

Politics This Morning

Politics This Morning: A baby step to save the bunnies

Plus, the McKinsey drama ramps up today.

Canada’s aging crisis and a call for reform in eldercare

Billions from public-service pension plan surplus gives Liberals many options

New government spending request will be snared in parliamentary gridlock while privilege debate persists

Trump adds pressure to increase defence spending, but MPs and others consider U.S. NATO withdrawal unlikely

NDP won’t be ‘baited’ as Tories attack Singh amid Liberal labour moves, says MP Green

Not if, but when: Foreign Affairs Committee keys in on question of Palestinian statehood

‘Under-the-surface favouritism’: Procurement watchdog finds no evidence of political meddling in McKinsey contracts

Feds changed procurement strategies to favour McKinsey, says procurement watchdog

Fall economic statement falls short

Politics This Morning: Archibald faces her challengers

Politics This Morning: Trudeau, Blair, and other ministers to deliver wildfire update

News

Get free news updates

Opinion

Submit a guest opinion article

resources

Advertise

subscribe

get help

Get free news updates

Submit a guest opinion article

Politics This Morning

Politics This Morning: A baby step to save the bunnies

Plus, the McKinsey drama ramps up today.

Become a Political Insider