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       This is the daily Politics Briefing newsletter, written by Ian Bailey. It is available exclusively to our digital subscribers. If you’re reading this on the web, subscribers can sign up for the Politics newsletter and more than 20 others on our newsletter signup page. Have any feedback? Let us know what you think.

       Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government is looking at enacting mandatory vaccinations for federal workers and in federally regulated industries.

       Mr. Trudeau raised the point in a lively news conference Thursday with Quebec Premier Fran？ois Legault, which saw developments in vaccine passports and billions of dollars in support for Quebec childcare.

       Amidst concerns about a fourth pandemic wave, the Prime Minister said he has asked the clerk of the Privy Council, responsible for the federal public service, to look at the mandatory vaccinations for federal employees.

       “And we’re also looking at federally regulated industries to encourage or perhaps even to mandate vaccinations for those industries,” he said.

       “[To] those who are hesitant, it’s time to get your vaccine,” he said.

       Also, Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Legault announced the federal government will transfer $6-billion to Quebec over five years to bolster the early learning and child-care system in the province, with Quebec clear to spend the money as it sees fit.

       Details here on that announcement.

       And Mr. Legault said Quebec will be implementing a vaccine passport, with details on the plan to be unveiled in coming days. It comes amidst a rise in COVID-19 vaccinations in the province.

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       He said the idea is to allow people who have made the effort to get fully vaccinated to come back to a “normal life” with non-essential services being only available to vaccinated people.

       There are more details here on the Premier’s passport announcement.

       TODAY’S HEADLINES

       HAJDU WARNS ALBERTA - Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu has written her counterpart in Alberta to warn that the decision to end routine COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and mandatory isolation at a time of increased transmission could put children at risk, as she urged the province not to declare victory over the virus too early.

       CHARGES IN LAB EQUIPMENT EXPORT TO IRAN - An Iranian man who resides in Montreal has been charged in the United States for allegedly exporting lab equipment to Iran of the kind that can be used in nuclear-weapons development.

       MENDICINO MUM ON REFUGEE DETAILS - Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino says the federal government won’t share details on the numbers and whereabouts of Afghan refugees who landed in Canada yesterday and those who will arrive later to protect the evacuees and the security of the operation. Story here.

       JOB ACTION BY BORDER WORKERS - About 9,000 Canadian Border Service Agency workers are preparing to begin job action across the country on Friday and say travellers should expect long lineups and lengthy delays at border crossings and airports.

       FREELAND MISSES MEETING - Canada’s Finance Minister did not attend a committee meeting to address why the government tried to delay new tax legislation even after she was asked to do so by members. Chrystia Freeland was invited to answer questions about Bill C-208 within two weeks from the finance committee’s last meeting on July 20.

       $13.7B NEEDED TO BOLSTER LTC - Making a set of improvements to Canada’s long-term care system in response to the pandemic would require $13.7-billion in new annual spending, according to a report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer.

       TURNABOUT IN MINISTER’S VIEW - Manitoba’s recently appointed Minister for Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations, who previously suggested residential schools were founded with good intentions, has once again said he believes the schools Indigenous children were forced to attend were part of a genocide. Story here. From CBC.

       UPDATE ON COUNTERING RACISM - CBC looks at government progress in acting on 40 calls to action to confront racism issued by the Parliamentary Black Caucus after a June, 2020 Black Lives rally on Parliament Hill. Story here.

       PRIME MINISTER'S DAY

       In Montréal, the Prime Minister attends private meetings. With Quebec Premier Fran？ois Legault, federal Families Minister Ahmed Hussen and others, the Prime Minister makes an announcement and holds a media availability.

       LEADERS

       Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Fran？ois Blanchet visits the Magdalen Islands as part of a summer tour.

       Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole - No schedule provided by Mr. O’Toole’s office.

       Green Party Leader Annamie Paul hosts a virtual roundtable on recent transportation news and public transportation.

       NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh - No schedule provided by Mr. Singh’s office.

       THE LOOMING ELECTION - PUBLIC OPINION

       The Liberal Party holds a five-point lead over the opposition Conservatives, according to a new poll from the Angus Reid Institute. At the same time, pandemic management is rising as a concern among voters. Details here.

       OPINION

       John Ibbitson (The Globe and Mail) on poll showing the majority of Canadians support barring the unvaccinated from public gatherings: “An overwhelming majority of Canadians want people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 banned from gatherings in public places, a new poll has found – proof of this country’s solidarity in limiting the rights of those who refuse to be inoculated. Unlike the United States, where attitudes to vaccination cleave along political and geographic lines, Canadians are virtually united in their message to the vaccine hesitant or skeptical: Stay home.”

       Lawrence Martin (The Globe and Mail) on Canada being reduced to a guinea pig on the border opening with the United States: “Even with Mr. Biden replacing Donald Trump, there has been no progress for Canada on its priorities, including the border, the continued detention of two Canadians in China in retaliation for executing the U.S.’s extradition request of a Huawei executive, and the strong Buy America laws Mr. Biden is dead serious about implementing. Bruce Anderson, chairman of Abacus Data, said he doesn’t expect U.S. relations to figure prominently in the upcoming Canadian election. That said, Mr. Trudeau would have appreciated the like-minded liberal President throwing him a bone or two before the election is called.”

       Dr. Deena Hinshaw (The Calgary Herald) on the need to live with COVID without extraordinary measures: “We will not eliminate COVID, which means we need to learn how to live with it. Testing every person with a runny nose or sore throat is an extraordinary measure that we cannot sustain, particularly through the respiratory virus season. Legally mandating everyone to stay home for 10 days if they have any symptoms is also an extraordinary measure. It was necessary before vaccines, but it is also incredibly disruptive; it could only be justified when the risk was unchecked by vaccine protection.”

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