By Zi-Ann Lum and Nick Taylor-Vaisey

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In today's edition:

→ GREG FERGUS organizes a run — the first step in a campaign to make Hill climbers feel less like strangers.

→ Beijing disputes Canada's interpretation of an aerial confrontation over the East China Sea.

→ Highlights from the lobbyist registry.

BABY STEPS — Any runner will tell you that 5K in the morning can set the tone for the day.

Good luck then to House Speaker GREG FERGUS, who invited MPs, Hill staffers and journalists to join him this morning on a group run starting on Parliament Hill.

Clocking klicks will be easy, but the rest of the day may still be an uphill slog, judging by Tuesday's question period circus.

— Tuesday in the House: The gallery was filled by delegates from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs’ (CIJA) sold-out conference at the nearby Shaw Centre.

The viewers caught what House cameras don’t pick up for broadcast.

— Spooky season: When Liberal MP RACHEL BENDAYAN claimed Montrealers are “scared” about Conservatives rolling back Liberal programs, Tory MP PIERRE PAUL-HUS threw out his hands, wriggled his fingers and howled “Oooooooo!” across the aisle.

“People are so disrespectful,” said a member of the public seated next to your Playbooker.

While speaking in the House on the Israel-Hamas war, Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU was shouted at from the opposition benches. “Call for a ceasefire,” they cried.

— Political points: Bloc Québécois MP MARTIN CHAMPOUX spent time on his feet railing against CBC News over a leaked memo that advised caution in using the word “terrorist” to describe Hamas. The politician asked if the heritage minister will remind the broadcaster’s top brass that “newsrooms must remain free of political and ideological interference.”

Roughly 15 Conservative leapt up to applaud Champoux’s point — an issue Tories have wrapped in a social media campaign and want studied by parliamentary Committee.

— Elsewhere in Ottawa: The CBC News attack turned into an applause line during Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE’s evening keynote at the CIJA conference.

“We must ensure that we do not base our actions and our words on moral equivalence between a terrorist organization and a legitimate state protecting itself, and we must ensure that we know all of our facts rather than instantaneously believing false and misleading headlines in publications like the CBC,” Poilievre said, knocking both the public broadcaster and Trudeau’s early reaction to a Gaza hospital strike.

Poilievre received a bigger and louder applause than Trudeau, who spoke first.

— Mideast reality check: U.S. President JOE BIDEN arrives in Israel today to demonstrate America’s “ironclad” solidarity with the country — and to perform some high-level statecraft while preventing his own nation from being sucked back into the Middle East.

— In Ottawa: Poilievre’s Conservatives are calling on Trudeau to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

At the CIJA conference, where roughly 900 people registered as delegates, Poilievre repeated a charge he made in the House on Monday that Tehran is behind Hamas terrorism.

“Consider the way in which [Hamas] deliberately organize themselves to hide behind civilians … How its chief leader is not even in Gaza, but is hiding away in one of the wealthiest places on planet Earth, safely and comfortably in a world-class hotel watching it all on his phone,” the Conservative leader said.

“These are not the actions of people who care about Palestinian civilians, or the future of Muslims around the world. These are the actions of sadistic criminal terrorists who can only be defeated and not negotiated with them,” he said to a standing ovation.

The government has been more cautious in connecting Iran to the Hamas attacks.

Down the street, hundreds of people gathered in solidarity with Palestine outside the Israeli embassy without the company or words from federal leaders.

— Stretch goals: Across Canada, politicians are voicing concerns the war could drive spikes in violence. DEBORAH LYONS, Canada’s new special envoy on combating antisemitisim, is urging political leaders to forgo the adrenaline rush of scoring political points.

“Unite us,” Lyons said earlier this week. “Unite us and inspire us through your actions to continue to build that diverse and inclusive Canada which all your constituents deserve.”

— In related reading: Deteriorating relations with India, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the Israel-Hamas war are overlapping crises that have become tests in domestic and international leadership for Foreign Affairs Minister MÉLANIE JOLY.

POLITICO’s KYLE DUGGAN reports the potential Liberal leadership contender is now facing a major challenge in an area of the world where Canada has a small diplomatic footprint.

8:30 a.m. Innovation Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE will make an announcement at Ottawa’s Canadian Museum of Nature that promises to “define future satellite Earth observation capabilities for Canada.”

10:30 a.m. The Assembly of First Nations holds a press conference in West Block to launch its national climate strategy.

11 a.m. (10 CDT) Manitoba Lt.-Gov. ANITA NEVILLE will swear in Premier-designate WAB KINEW.

4:15 p.m. Families Minister JENNA SUDDS will be at the Senate social affairs committee to take questions on Bill C-45 related to early learning and child care.

6:45 p.m. Parliamentary Budget Officer YVES GIROUX returns to the Senate national finance committee for the second day in a row as senators shift their focus to Bill S-258.

Acting House Speaker Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) on Tuesday. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

HOT MESS — The most difficult job in Washington is still up for grabs.

Rep. JIM JORDAN (R-Ohio), an ally of former president DONALD TRUMP, lost a first-ballot vote Tuesday, falling short by 20 votes of the 217 needed to clinch the House speaker’s gavel.

POLITICO’s Inside Congress Live team reports the GOP opposition to Jordan’s speakership bid could give oomph to private bipartisan talks to put acting Speaker PATRICK MCHENRY (R-N.C.) into the chair full-time.

Republicans warned that Democratic support could imperil any intraparty desire to push McHenry as a more permanent option. And not everyone in the GOP conference, even ardent backers of former Speaker KEVIN MCCARTHY, are ready to sign on to an enhanced set of powers for McHenry.

“You’ve got to run out of options first,” said Rep. GARRET GRAVES (R-La.), who shook his head when asked if he’d back more powers for McHenry.

— Top of POLITICO this hour: Jim Jordan’s allies tried strong-arming his GOP critics. It backfired.

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FIGHTIN' WORDS — The Chinese foreign ministry lashed out Tuesday at Canada's interpretation of a startling aerial confrontation over the South China Sea. The dispute comes down to what counts as international airspace.

— The Canadian view: A CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft conducted a surveillance run over international waters in an effort to enforce U.N. Security Council sanctions against North Korea. HMCS Vancouver is patroling the East China Sea until next month as part of the same mission, styled Operation NEON.

The Aurora crew, which monitors the sea for oil shipments to North Korea, claimed to be monitoring a "vessel of interest" when a Chinese fighter jet flew within meters of the Canadian plane's wing. Maj.-Gen. IAIN HUDDLESTON told a Global News crew that happened to be onboard that the jet's conduct was "very aggressive, and to a degree we would deem it unsafe and unprofessional."

Defense Minister BILL BLAIR told reporters Monday that the Chinese encounter was "unacceptable, and put our aircraft and their mission at significant risk."

— The Chinese view: A spokesperson for the foreign ministry was blunt.

MAO NING called the Aurora flight an "illegal intrusion" into Chinese airspace.

Mao reiterated China's claim to a series of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea that go by different names depending on who you ask. They're the Senkaku Islands in Japan, the Diaoyu Islands in China, and the Tiaoyutai Islands in Taiwan.

Whatever their name, the tiny islands sit at the heart of a renewed Canada-China spat.

"The Canadian side has sent warplanes halfway around the world to stir up trouble and make provocations at China’s doorsteps," Mao said. "China urges Canada to see the gravity of the incident and refrain from taking any adventurist or provocative moves."

Tension is the rule, not the exception, in the region. Last month, three Chinese warships shadowed HMCS Ottawa during a 17-hour crossing of the contested Taiwan Strait. Another Canadian frigate, HMCS Montreal, transited the same waters earlier this year.

— More from POLITICO: Pentagon releases new footage showing uptick in Chinese jets harassing U.S. aircraft.

Donald Tusk flashes the victory sign at rally in Warsaw on Oct. 1, 2023. | Wojtek Radwanski/AFP/Getty Images

— From MATTHEW KAMINSKI, POLITICO’s editor-at-large: What Poland’s surprise election winner means for the world.

— The Globe's LINDSAY JONES scoops: ARTHUR IRVING has stepped down as chairman of Irving Oil. His daughter SARAH IRVING has also resigned.

— POLITICO's KYLE DUGGAN reports: Contender to replace Trudeau faces first real test.

— SOPHIE GRÉGOIRE TRUDEAU is back on the public speaking circuit. GLEN MCGREGOR reports two agencies are now promoting her speaking events.

— The Liberals, NDP and Bloc shot down a Conservative bid to force the public accounts committee to study CBC News’ coverage of Hamas, CATHERINE LÉVESQUE reports for National Post.

— CBC News’ editor-in-chief BRODIE FENLON penned a lengthy blog post about the leaked memo: “I do hope that my explanation has reassured you of our good faith in this work, based on our mandate as an independent public service news organization — even if you disagree with the outcome here.”

— As the NDP ratchets up pressure on single payer pharmacare, Health Minister MARK HOLLAND is spending his week stressing fiscal prudence, writes iPolitics’ TERESA WRIGHT.

Our latest policy newsletter for Pro subscribers from KYLE DUGGAN and ZI-ANN LUM: To DST, or not to DST.

In other news for Pros: 

— Gavin Newsom’s China trip to include Hong Kong, Tesla stops.

— USTR reacts cautiously to report on expanding Covid-19 IP waiver.

— Canada could earn C$7.2B from DST, federal watchdog says.

— U.S. Commerce tightens chip rules to limit China's AI capabilities.

— EU countries call for phaseout of ‘unabated’ fossil fuels.

Birthdays: Former PIERRE TRUDEAU-era Cabinet minister (and B.C.’s first woman lieutenant-governor) IONA CAMPAGNOLO celebrates her 91st birthday today.

Trudeau Sr. was also born on this day 104 years ago in Montreal.

Is there an upcoming birthday we should know about? Email us: [email protected]

Spotted: Conservative MP MICHELLE FERRERI asking ELON MUSK if he’s interested in being a witness in a parliamentary committee’s study of AI.

Musk replied: "Unfortunately, I have too many obligations."

Justice FREDERICA SCHUTZ, a Harper-era appointee to the Appeal of the Court of Appeal of Alberta, has resigned and stands to collect an annuity of C$255,800.

Movers and shakers: Ontario Premier DOUG FORD’s ex-labor minister MONTE MCNAUGHTON is joining the Woodbine Racetrack as an executive. (h/t RICHARD SOUTHERN of CityNews.)

Playbook sorted through the mid-month dump of communications reports in the lobbyist registry. BlackBerry filed a pair of meetings with JUSTIN TRUDEAU. The company also met with CHRYSTIA FREELAND, MARY NG, KATIE TELFORD, FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE and his policy adviser JAXSON KHAN, and Canadian High Commissioner to Malaysia WAYNE ROBSON. (BlackBerry hopes to expand into the Southeast Asian nation.)

— PMO senior adviser BEN CHIN popped up in meetings with the Pathways Alliance, Enbridge, Ford Canada, FCA Canada, General Motors Canada, Honda, Ring of Fire Metals, Canada Fortescue Future Industries, Trigon Pacific Terminals, CN, Canadian Microelectronics Corporation, Bombardier, Tourmaline Oil, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, Greater Toronto Airports Authority, and Centre de recherche informatique de Montréal.

— MIODRAG JOVANOVIC, the Department of Finance's assistant deputy minister for tax policy, has a full dance card during budget season. These days, he is taking more meetings. Jovanovic and a phalanx of senior bureaucrats met reps of Low Carbon Eco2 Energy, which wants biomass covered under a nascent clean investment tax credit.

Send Playbookers tips to [email protected] .

— It’s caucus day on the Hill.

— The Canada-CARICOM summit continues in Ottawa for its second and last day.

8:30 a.m. Statistics Canada releases a series of reports including on the status of First Nations people in 2021; real estate investors; and a survey of household spending from the same year. A new health report will assess the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on physical activity; another will measure screen time among adults and youths.

8:30 a.m. Innovation Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE announcement at Ottawa’s Canadian Museum of Nature.

10 a.m. The Canadian Urban Transit Association holds a press conference in West Block to release a study exploring the intersection between housing and public transit policy.

10:30 a.m. The Assembly of First Nations launches its national climate strategy.

11 a.m. House Speaker GREG FERGUS joins LINDITA NIKOLLA, speaker of the Albanian Parliament, for a photo-op and meeting in West Block.

12:30 p.m. Bloc MP ANDRÉANNE LAROUCHE holds a press conference in the foyer of West Block to discuss her private member’s legislation, Bill C-319, to amend the Old Age Security Act.

4:15 p.m. Families Minister JENNA SUDDS will be at the Senate social affairs committee.

4:15 p.m. The Senate banking committee meets to study Bill C-42.

4:15 p.m. The Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee meets to take Bill C-48 through clause-by-clause consideration with three justice department officials.

4:30 p.m. The House natural resources committee meets to continue its study of Canada’s clean energy plans in the context of North American energy transition. Polaris Strategy + Insight principal DAN WOYNILLOWICZ is a witness joining via videolink.

4:30 p.m. The House human resources committee continues its study of the Canada summer jobs wage subsidy program.

6:45 p.m. Parliamentary Budget Officer YVES GIROUX returns to the Senate national finance committee for the second day in a row as senators shift their focus to Bill S-258.

6:45 p.m. The Senate transport committee meets to study the impacts of climate change on critical infrastructure. Amherst Mayor DAVID KOGON, Tantramar Mayor ANDREW BLACK and Canadian Propane Association CEO SHANNON WATT are on the witness list.

6:45 p.m. The Senate Indigenous peoples committee meets to take Bill C-29 through clause-by-clause consideration.

7:30 p.m. The House health committee meets to continue its study of Bill C-293.

7:30 p.m. Bill C-33 is the subject of study at the House transport committee.

Behind closed doors: The House science and research committee meets to discuss two draft reports; it’s a “committee business” day for the House official languages committee; the Senate ethics and conflict of interest committee is on the clock to review a report from the red chamber’s ethics watchdog; the Senate audit and oversight committee meets to talk about “future business.”

ICYMI — Did you miss out on Playbook Trivia Night this week? Do you have FOMO? We can't turn back time and get you in the room, but we can offer you the opportunity to see how your geekiness would have withstood our degree of difficulty.

Check out every question and answer here.

Tuesday’s answer: GORD DOWNIE died Oct. 17, 2017. “He painted landscapes with his words, elevating Canadian geography, historical figures, and myths,” Trudeau said as Canadians were learning the news. Read the whole statement.

Props to WILL MARIANI, FRANCIE FORD, KELLY MACKAY, LORETTA O’CONNOR, MATT DELISLE, SUSIE HEATH, QASIR DAR, BRANDON RABIDEAU, RODDY MCFALL, JEN MACKINNON, JOSHUA ZANIN, CHRISTOPHER LALONDE, JEFF VALOIS, DOUG RICE, CAMERON RYAN, KEVIN DER HEIJER, GEORGE SCHOENHOFER, CAMERON PENNER, KATELIN CUMMINGS, BETSY AGAR, SARA MAY, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, KATHERINE FEENAN, JOHN MATHESON, MATTHEW DUBE, KEVIN BOSCH, AMY CASTLE and SHANE O’NEILL. 

Think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best.

Wednesday’s question: “Why don’t you go home and take up crocheting?” To which legal pioneer did the dean of arts at Dalhousie once offer this advice?

Answers to [email protected]

Playbook wouldn’t happen without: POLITICO Canada editor Sue Allan, Luiza Ch. Savage and Emma Anderson.

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