We made it. Happy Friday.
In today’s edition:
→ DOMINIC LEBLANC isn’t waiting by the phone.
→ A guide to floor-crossing for MPs.
→ TikTok warnings aside, Liberal MPs are posting anyway.
SO LAST YEAR — One day they’re in. The next day they’re out.
Finance Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE told a Toronto business audience on Thursday that trade agreements just aren’t trendy anymore.
“I don’t think trade agreements are going to be much in fashion in the coming weeks or years because the world is going in a very different direction,” Champagne told a Canadian Club Toronto luncheon at the Fairmont Royal York.
— Beg your pardon: After his speech, Playbook asked Champagne to elaborate.
“There doesn’t seem to be a lot of talks around other countries engaging in multilateral trade agreements,” he said.
The minister leaned on a familiar message track, trumpeting Canada for being in an “enviable place” with trade deals to help double non-U.S. exports over the next decade. Prime Minister MARK CARNEY has said that boost will amount to C$300 billion in “new orders for Canadian resources, technologies and expertise.”
— New talking point: “Nostalgia is not a good strategy — the world is never going to be the same,” Champagne said about hopes to return to the before times when the United States was actually interested in free trade. Every country now needs to pay to sell to the U.S., he said.
Carney used a similar line at Canadian Club Toronto last Friday in a post-budget speech.
“Nostalgia is not a strategy. The U.S. has changed. That’s their right. But we must respond. That is our imperative,” Carney said.
— Spotted at the luncheon: LESLIE CHURCH, FRANCESCO SORBARA, KARIM BARDEESY and ALEX WELLSTEAD.
— What’s next: Champagne will tour CFB Valcartier today, a base outside of Quebec City. Defense investment is set to drive Canada’s growth, Champagne said, with critical minerals, AI and quantum leading the way.
NOT WAITING AROUND — Canada-U.S. Trade Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC says he’s ready to go back to the negotiating table with American counterparts when the president feels up to it.
But he’s in no particular rush.
“We’re not going to wait around and look at our phones and turn up the notifications to make sure we don’t miss a ding, because somebody sent us a text message at 9:30 at night,” LeBlanc told reporters in Montreal on Thursday.
“We’re going to get on with building the Canadian economy that’s more resilient, that’s more diversified, do deals with new trading partners, with long standing trading partners in parts of the world where we can expand opportunities for Canadian businesses and Canadian workers.”
— Behind the scenes: LeBlanc said the trade talks were called off at a point when the two sides “were making considerable progress.”
“We were at a level of exchange, of documents, of drafts that we hadn’t seen for previous months,” he said. “We have said to our American interlocutors that we’re absolutely ready to resume those conversations when President Trump gives them the authority to do so.”
NO ‘I’ IN TEAM — Thinking about switching parties? You’re not alone. Over 300 federal and provincial politicians have done it before.
Political scientist ALEX MARLAND, who co-wrote the perfectly timed “No I in Team: Party Loyalty in Canadian Politics”, which explores party discipline, floor crossers, and why some MPs remain more loyal than others — gives us his dos and don’ts.
— Case study: CHRIS D’ENTREMONT, who joined the Liberal caucus last week shortly after acknowledging to POLITICO that he was considering the move.
“The way everything unfolded, it might have worked out for the Liberals’ benefit, but I’m not so sure that it worked out in his benefit,” Marland said. “It was very sloppy in how it was handled.”
Marland argued it’s better for MPs to talk to their constituents first, ahead of musing about their intentions with reporters
— Timeouts are useful: Marland co-wrote the book with JARED WESLEY and MIREILLE LALANCETTE. Their conclusion: outright floor crossing should be banned in the House of Commons and provincial legislatures.
Force politicians to complete a cooling-off period, Marland said, “so that you can leave your caucus, sit as an independent, and then after a prescribed period of time, that’s when you can join another caucus.”
Here’s the authors’ proper guide to floor-crossing.
Step 1: Go indy
Switching party loyalties is a complex, often emotionally taxing process. Voluntarily leaving a party to become an independent is generally less controversial than being expelled.
“The problem is, when you cross the floor, what people perceive is you are doing things that are in your own self-interest, and that’s not good for democracy,” Marland said.
Step 2: Bargain
Bargaining with another party is a high-stakes dance of persuasion, trust, and political strategy but can collapse over ideology, ambition or optics.
But keep in mind, exploring those talks will already be seen by some as “a massive betrayal.”
Step 3: Close the deal
A verbal agreement for an MP to join another caucus is reached when interests align with those of the leader of the party they want to join, Marland writes.
“Usually, these things also don’t make it to the prime minister unless a deal is imminent. So you have agents negotiating. Bringing the person to meet the PM is when you’re ready to seal the deal,” Marland said.
Step 4: Frame it
The element of surprise is critical when an MP switches parties, because whoever defines the story first usually wins, Marland said.
Behind the scenes, staff closely manage every detail, “which can include sending a car to pick up the recruit and assigning an escort to ensure that everything goes to plan” before the big reveal.
— So you’re gonna be a floor-crosser: Marland breaks down the dos and don’ts of floor crossing — and why timing, tactics and perception matter.
Do: Sit first as an independent, then knock on doors, talk to constituents. Make a show of it that you’re listening.
Do: A householder survey (a questionnaire sent to homes in a riding). “Make it seem that you’re very much listening to constituents, and then eventually have your decision that’s being made,” Marland said.
Do: Put constituents at the forefront. Maybe point to a key policy issue at play.
And whatever you do …
Don’t make your argument about the leader.
Don’t make it about the fact that you’ve personally been marginalized or left out.
Don’t make it about you. Make this about your constituents.
— Prime Minister MARK CARNEY is in Montreal where he will deliver remarks on infrastructure and public transportation. Later in the day he will deliver remarks at the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montréal.
— Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE is in Calgary, touring a Sunder Building Supplies facility and meeting with workers.
Up: Political mudslinging (which is saying something).
Down: Canada’s measles-free status (as in, it’s gone).
DO IT FOR THE CONTENT — Some high-profile Liberal MPs are embracing TikTok, despite the federal government’s ongoing national security concerns and a new criminal probe in France over the app’s impact on kids’ mental health.
— Clocked: NATHANIEL ERSKINE-SMITH, COREY HOGAN and WILL GREAVES frequently upload videos that cover government policies and priorities.
— Wait a minute: In 2023, the Liberal government banned the TikTok app on all government-issued devices over national security concerns, and Canada’s spy agency has warned Canadians that China can use TikTok to spy on them.
Then last year, Ottawa ordered TikTok to wind up its business operations in Canada, a decision currently facing a legal challenge.
— Nothing to see here: Even as some Liberals join the popular video-sharing app, Ottawa insists the official policy on the app is the same.
“The Government of Canada’s use and choice of digital tools are reviewed on an ongoing basis to address the ever-changing risk environment and to ensure government networks and data remain secure and protected,” Treasury Board Secretariat spokesperson MATTHIEU PERROTIN told Playbook.
Perrotin reaffirmed: “Currently, the TikTok application is still barred from use and downloading on government-issued mobile devices.”
— Meanwhile: President DONALD TRUMP has been trying to show progress on a deal to divest ownership of TikTok, currently owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, to U.S. buyers in order to comply with a law that would otherwise ban it stateside over national security concerns.
Trump met with Chinese leader XI JINPING last month, saying a deal was “finalized” and will be resolved in the coming weeks or months. But that deadline keeps getting punted.
— Zooming out: Beijing recognizes that Trump is far more eager for a TikTok deal than China, and is using that leverage as broader trade talks between the two countries drag into 2026.
— Workaround: It’s unclear how Liberal MPs are safely using the app. Public Safety, the Treasury Board and Erskine-Smith didn’t respond to our request for comment.
Then-NDP Leader JAGMEET SINGH told Playbook last November that CSIS gave him recommendations on how to use the app safely. CSIS did not meet our deadline for comment.
— Place to be: Online apps are becoming increasingly popular in the news ecosystem. Even the White House has a TikTok account.
— Further reading: A recent report by the The Media Ecosystem Observatory, a joint research hub by McGill University and the University of Toronto, shows influencers now drive most online political engagement in Canada — outpacing both media outlets and politicians combined.
— PM CARNEY talks texting with Trump, the housing crisis and perils of AI with MALCOLM JOHNSTON, editor-in-chief of Toronto Life.
— Canada’s spy chief warns of increasing violent radicalization of Canadian children, National Post’s CHRIS NARDI reports.
— From The Globe and Mail: Where Carney’s latest major projects stand and what it will take to complete them
— iPolitics reports: Conservative MP GAÉTAN MALETTE posed for photos alongside Energy Minister TIM HODGSON at the press event in Timmins, Ontario, for a “major project” designation.
— The Canadian Press reports Alberta Premier DANIELLE SMITH is supportive of Canada’s new major projects, saying pipeline negotiations are ongoing.
— U.S. tourism faces $5.7 billion loss as Canadians continue to stay home, CBC reports.
Birthdays: HBD to Conservative MP TIM UPPAL and former NDP MP CHARLIE ANGUS.
HBD+1 to journalist PHILIP LING.
Saturday: HBD to JOHN (J.D.) ROBERTS, Usher of the Black Rod J. GREG PETERS, former Alberta Finance Minister TRAVIS TOEWS and former MPs FRANK BAYLIS and JONATHAN TREMBLAY.
Sunday: JORDAN PAQUET, vice president at Bluesky Strategy Group.
Spotted: NDP leadership candidate ROB ASHTON, releasing his “Good Jobs Promise”, his first piece of policy that vows to give “A Job For Everyone Who Wants One” … former NDP MP LISA MARIE BARRON endorsing HEATHER MCPHERSON for leader.
Noted: Outgoing U.N. Ambassador BOB RAE recited Shakespeare’s 25th sonnet as he delivered his final remarks from the General Assembly’s dais. Rae read the same words into the official record when he resigned his seat at Queen’s Park nearly 30 years ago. Rae wore a tie that featured a Norval Morrisseau design, he told Playbook — his favorite of several ties gifted by Indigenous groups over the years
LOUIS, Parliament’s cutest dog and the pet of Liberal MP KODY BLOIS, is now representing Canada in a global “cutest pets” competition
Movers and shakers: NICHOLAS LOVRICS has joined the Prime Minister’s Office as an adviser for issues management and parliamentary affairs … KEVIN ACQUAH is the PMO’s new digital adviser.
ALLAN GREGG is now a senior fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute.
Our daily check-in on federal lobbyist registrations and notable meetings around town:
— Rubicon’s MICHELE CADARIO is lobbying for Ontario Shipyards, which is advocating for “Project Vigilance” — a proposal to replace the navy’s Kingston-class coastal defense vessels.
— Crestview’s SARA GANGBAR registered on behalf of the Walt Disney Company. Top priorities are Canada-U.S. trade and broadcasting policy, including those related to “expenditures, online undertakings, new media [and] the internet.”
— StrategyCorp’s BRONTË CAMPBELL is lobbying for Capital Sports Development, the Ottawa Senators-led group proposing a new hockey arena and events center at LeBreton Flats.
— Catalyze4’s JIM PIMBLETT is lobbying for Fidelity Investments Canada. Among the priorities: “policy options to strengthen retirement security of Canadians and to build a vibrant investment industry.”
Our latest Pro policy newsletter: Carney reveals Major Projects 2.0
For POLITICO Pro subscribers, here’s our latest policy news:
— Canadian steel association ‘concerned’ by Chinese tariff remissions
— Republicans in Congress lukewarm on Trump idea of tariff rebate checks
— WTO pitches its own reform as core focus of next ministerial conference
— Sheldon Whitehouse heading to Brazil as sole US federal official at COP30
— Maryland Gov. Moore takes aim at vets in Trump’s Cabinet
Thursday’s answer: On Nov. 13, 1984, former Prime Minister PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU was awarded the Albert Einstein International Peace Prize.
Props to PETER SZABO, NANCI WAUGH, RAY DEL BIANCO, SARA MAY, MAIA EASTMAN, RODDY MCFALL, RALPH LEVENSTEIN, DOUG RICE, ANDREW SZENDE, BOB ERNEST, JEFFREY VALOIS, BOOTS TAYLOR-VAISEY, ASHLEY THOMSON, RUSSELL MORROW, MAY JANE ALLAN, SEBASTIAN HANNA, BOB GORDON, JOHN ECKER, RAY PENNINGS, JOHN PEPPER, MARC HUMBERT, MARC SHAW, MARCEL MARCOTTE, PATRICK DION, JUSTIN DE BEAUCAMP, ALEK PETRIC, MICHAEL ROSS, CAMERON RYAN, DON SCOTT, LEON POLITANO, GANGA WIGNARAJAH, BRUCE JOHNSTON, MALCOLM MCKAY, JOHN G ALHO, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, GREG MACEACHERN, DOUGLAS HEATH and CULLY ROBINSON.
Today’s question: What song did the Green Party’s ELIZABETH MAY sing at the JUNOs earlier this year?
Send your answer to [email protected]
Writing Monday’s Playbook: MICKEY DJURIC.
Canada Playbook would not happen without: Canada Editor Sue Allan, editor Willa Plank and POLITICO’s Grace Maalouf.
