Brad Wall has a message for protestors who are aiming to thwart Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project: “If not Canada, then who?” The former premier of Saskatchewan broke his silence on BNN yesterday, speaking out in a big way for the first time since he stepped down. He urged pipeline opponents to think critically about where they’d rather see the oil come. He threw his support behind Rachel Notley and Jason Kenney’s threats to turn off the taps and took a swipe at B.C. Premier John Horgan. He also slammed Justin Trudeau for injecting “incendiary” issues into NAFTA negotiations. 

 

REX OUT

Big breaking news a bit before 9:00 a.m. ET. Rex Tillerson is out as U.S. Secretary of State. Donald Trump announced the news via tweet. Today we’re going to size up what Tillerson gave up to take the post (recall he was previously CEO of Exxon Mobil), and take a closer look at what the new look White House means for the rest of the world. 

TRUDEAU TOUR CONTINUES

Maybe today we’ll find out what Trudeau thinks of Wall’s perspective during the second stop in the PM’s tariff-exemption tour. He’s in Hamilton, Ont., today for walkabouts in the Stelco and ArcelorMittal Dofasco plants. On day one of his tour yesterday he found time for a call with U.S. President Donald Trump, when, according to the PMO, they “discussed a range of issues … [and] welcomed and encouraged the progress” in NAFTA talks.

PAPER RAIDS

Postmedia and Torstar were singing similar tunes late yesterday afternoon after Competition Bureau officials visited their respective headquarters. Both companies are arguing they didn’t contravene the Competition Act last November when they swapped 41 papers -- the majority of which were shuttered, resulting in hundreds of job losses. The Bureau, meanwhile, says the deal might have breached conspiracy provisions of its Act. Nothing has been proven; would be good to hear what a competition lawyer has to say about the process.

BANKERS’ PAY

We’ve got another year of Big 6 CEO compensation in the books. BMO was the last of the lenders to disclose its pay packages, with a total of $18.75 million flowing to Bill Downe and Darryl White last year. Watch for a detailed roundup of who’s earning what on BNN.ca later today, and why, in the case of one lender, it pays not to be the CEO.

OTHER NOTABLE STORIES:

-U.S. futures spiked at 8:30 a.m. ET on the back of inflation data showing U.S. consumer prices rose 0.2 per cent last month, bang in line with expectations. 

-The OECD has raised its global growth forecast to 3.9 per cent this year and next; it also inched up its outlook for Canada in each of the next two years to a little more than 2 per cent. 

-Qualcomm shares are falling in pre-market trading after U.S. President Donald Trump scuttled Broadcom’s hostile attempt to buy the chipmaker on national security concerns.

NOTABLE RELEASES/EVENTS

-Notable data: U.S. CPI

-9:30 a.m. ET: Trudeau visits Stelco plant

-10:30 a.m. ET: Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz delivers speech in Kingston, Ontario (remarks on BoC site at 10:15 a.m. ET, plus news conference at 11:45 a.m. ET)

-11:45 a.m. ET: Trudeau holds roundtable with steel industry leaders

-2:00 p.m. ET: Trudeau visits ArcelorMittal Dofasco plant and holds media avail

-Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland in D.C. for meetings with Robert Lighthizer, Wilbur Ross, and others. (visit continues to March 15)

-Special Congressional election in Pennsylvania 

Every morning BNN's Managing Editor Noah Zivitz writes a ‘chase note’ to BNN's editorial staff listing the stories and events that will be in the spotlight that day. Have it delivered to your inbox before the trading day begins by heading to www.bnn.ca/subscribe.