Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the issue of a no-fly zone for Ukraine is “extraordinarily difficult” because of images of the impact of Russian bombs and cruise missiles falling on hospitals, schools and Ukrainian civilians.
“It is heartbreaking to see these images every day of Vladimir Putin’s violence against innocents across Ukraine,” Mr. Trudeau told a news conference in Alliston, Ont., on Wednesday that he attended with Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
“This is an extraordinarily difficult issue,” Mr. Trudeau said.
But the Prime Minister said the NATO alliance is looking at ways to help support and protect Ukrainians, and prevent the war from expanding elsewhere.
“These are heartbreaking decisions and choices we have to make,” he said.
In a speech to Canadian parliamentarians on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his call for a no-fly zone over Ukraine as the Russian invasion continues. Story here.
On Wednesday, Mr. Trudeau was responding to a journalist’s question about whether there was anything Mr. Zelensky said in his speech that made Mr. Trudeau reconsider Canada’s opposition to a no-fly zone.
Mr. Trudeau noted that in the early days of the conflict Ukrainians were far more successful than Russians expected at shooting down Russian aircraft.
“We’ve seen an emphasis away from aircraft flying into Ukrainian space and more bombs and cruise missiles launched from a distance, which is a challenge in terms of closing the skies.”
Asked Wednesday about the issue of a no-fly zone, Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly expressed concerns about the consequences of the measure.
“My answer has been, since the beginning, we need to make sure that we’re not triggering an international conflict. And, at the same time, we’re in creative mode and we’re willing to talk with allies to see how we can further support Ukraine,” she told journalists on Parliament Hill.
Mr. Trudeau also said he will be attending a March. 24 NATO summit at the organization’s headquarters in Brussels.
In a tweet, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he had convened the “extraordinary” summit to address Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, support for Ukraine, and “further strengthening NATO’s deterrence & defence.”
Of the summit, Mr. Trudeau said it will allow for continued conversations on the best way to help Ukraine.
Mr. Trudeau was in Alliston, about 100 kilometres north of Toronto, to announce a $131.6-million federal investment to help Honda Canada retool its manufacturing operations in the town to launch the next generation of hybrid-electric vehicles. The Ontario government is matching the investment.
Please check here for live Globe and Mail updates on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
NEW INFLATION HIGH – Canada’s inflation rate hit a new three-decade high in February as consumers paid sharply more for gasoline and groceries, highlighting the tough task ahead for central bankers looking to calm the situation. Story here.
O’TOOLE WAS PUSHED TO VACATE STORNOWAY – Erin O’Toole was pushed to vacate Stornoway, the residence of the Official Opposition leader, by new interim leader Candice Bergen within weeks of being turfed by Conservative MPs, according to three sources. Story here.
EXPANDING FIELD OF VANCOUVER MAYORAL CANDIDATES – After the already-crowded field of candidates in Vancouver’s mayoral election grew even larger earlier this week, Adriane Carr, a popular Green Party councillor, says she is seriously considering a run because she thinks Mayor Kennedy Stewart is unreliable on climate-change issues. Story here.
JEAN WINS ALBERTA BYELECTION – Brian Jean, the co-founder of the governing United Conservative Party, is back in the Alberta legislature, setting up a showdown with his fellow founder turned political foe, Premier Jason Kenney. Story here.
TOUGH FEW DAYS, SAYS MOE – Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says it’s been a tough couple of days since a pickup truck registered in his name was impounded in British Columbia. Story here.
CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP RACE
TRANSCRIPT OF POLIEVRE INTERVIEW – Maclean’s magazine has posted the transcript of a one-hour interview with MP Pierre Poilievre, one of the contenders for the leadership of the federal Conservative party. The transcript is here.
HUAWEI ON CHAREST DUTIES – Huawei, the Chinese telecom company, says former Quebec premier Jean Charest, now running for the leadership of the federal Conservatives, focused on 5G issues when working with the company. Story here from Global News.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS -The House of Commons is not sitting again until March 21.
GOVERNOR-GENERAL MEETS WITH QUEEN – On Tuesday, Governor-General Mary Simon met in person with Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle. According to a statement from Rideau Hall, the meeting was intended to share Canadians’ best wishes in this year of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. The Governor-General and her husband, Whit Fraser, also met with the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. This was the Governor-General’s second encounter with the Queen after a virtual meeting on July 22, 2021.
THE DECIBEL
On Wednesday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, business reporter Joe Castaldo talks about meme stock investors who got caught up in the momentum around stock price hikes for companies like GameStop and AMC. While the heights of the craze have passed, a lot of retail investors who got caught up in the momentum are still advocating for their stock picks – and risking a lot of money on their convictions. The Decibel is here.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
In Alliston, Ont., the Prime Minister had private meetings, spoke with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and then, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford, visited the production facilities of Honda Canada Manufacturing. The Prime Minister then made an announcement with the Premier and held a media availability.
LEADERS
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Brampton, held a news conference and was scheduled, Wednesday evening, to meet with volunteers for the Ontario NDP.
No other schedules released for party leaders.
PUBLIC OPINION
CANADIAN VIEWS ON HELPING UKRAINE – A new study from the Angus Reid institute finds 48 per cent of Canadians are inclined to send more weaponry to the frontlines in Europe, with this representing a near tripling of support for Canada supplying Ukraine with lethal aid in the last six weeks. Details here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Boardon when and how the war in Ukraine will end: “Starting a war is easy, as Vladimir Putin showed on Feb. 24. But ending a war, and ending it when it has reached a point where neither side has the strength to claim total victory, is a puzzle. The goal of the Western alliance is ending the war in Ukraine. That does not mean accepting any outcome that stops the fighting. But if and when Canada and its allies escalate in response to Moscow’s continued aggression – whether through more sanctions on Russia or more weapons transfers to Ukraine – we have to be sure that our actions aim at limiting the conflict, and bringing it to a conclusion, not expanding it.”
Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail)on how answering Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call to create a no-fly zone would be an unthinkable mistake: “Mr. Zelensky essentially tells Western allies that a Third World War has already begun. There are level-headed experts in Western capitals that believe that may be true. But even if that’s so, it doesn’t mean the best course is to accelerate it to an end. It does mean that Canada and its allies should continue to arm and aid Ukraine, even when Mr. Putin responds with threats. It means preparing to confront further Russian aggression, defend NATO allies in Europe and accept new NATO allies. It means expanding sanctions to weaken Russia’s economy and preparing secondary sanctions in case China provides war matériel to Moscow. Yet responding to Mr. Zelensky’s heart-rending pleas for a no-fly zone means an unthinkable step across the line that risks global war.”
Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail)on the possible method to Pierre Poilievre’s nastiness: “For the moment, however, Mr. Poilievre bestrides the Conservative Party. The only way his rivals can dislodge him is by selling new memberships wholesale – tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands – in effect remaking the party. It’s a long shot. The day we see Mr. Poilievre launch a charm offensive, we will know it is beginning to work.”
Gary Mason (The Globe and Mail)on how the spectre of Donald Trump hangs over the federal Conservative leadership race:“Make no mistake: Mr. Poilievre is going after those CPC supporters who would pick a Trump ticket over a Biden one. If you’re looking for them, many can be found at any of these pop-up “freedom” rallies you see across the country. They were the ones flying Trump flags at the trucker convoy that squatted in the city of Ottawa for three weeks before being forced out. It’s why Mr. Poilievre reached out to them to offer his encouragement and support at the time, despite the havoc and hardship they were causing to residents of the capital. A large percentage of these folks can be found in Alberta and Saskatchewan, two provinces Mr. Poilievre hopes to own come the convention. He likely will. His angry, divisive style of politics sells well on the Prairies, where hatred for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau runs high.”
Rita Trichur (The Globe and Mail) on how Canada is an international haven for financial crime and the only antidote is transparency: “There’s a reason that dirty money from around the world washes up on Canadian shores. International consultants are promoting Canada as an ideal place to set up anonymous shell companies because Ottawa is unable to unmask their true owners, according to a new report. Published by Transparency International Canada, a non-governmental anti-corruption organization, the report is titled Snow-washing, Inc: How Canada is marketed abroad as a secrecy jurisdiction. The research in its pages provides a startling glimpse into how shell companies established in this country can be readily exploited by kleptocrats, money launderers, tax dodgers and other crooks.”
Don Braid (The Calgary Herald)on where Brian Jean winning a provincial byelection in Alberta leaves Alberta Premier Jason Kenney: ” So, Brian Jean will go to Edmonton, again. But will he even be admitted to Premier Jason Kenney’s UCP caucus? There is talk that he might be excluded. This would be another unlikely first, but in practical terms it is possible. Jean says Kenney isn’t fit for the premier’s office and should quit. That was the whole point of his campaign to return to the legislature. Allowing Jean into caucus would be like Abel inviting Cain into the family living room.”
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HALIFAX – Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says it’s “disgraceful and demeaning” that a Halifax-area school would request that service members not wear military uniforms to its Remembrance Day ceremony.
Houston’s comments were part of a chorus of criticism levelled at the school — Sackville Heights Elementary — whose administration decided to back away from the plan after the outcry.
A November newsletter from the school in Middle Sackville, N.S., invited Armed Forces members to attend its ceremony but asked that all attendees arrive in civilian attire to “maintain a welcoming environment for all.”
Houston, who is currently running for re-election, accused the school’s leaders of “disgracing themselves while demeaning the people who protect our country” in a post on the social media platform X Thursday night.
“If the people behind this decision had a shred of the courage that our veterans have, this cowardly and insulting idea would have been rejected immediately,” Houston’s post read. There were also several calls for resignations within the school’s administration attached to Houston’s post.
In an email to families Thursday night, the school’s principal, Rachael Webster, apologized and welcomed military family members to attend “in the attire that makes them most comfortable.”
“I recognize this request has caused harm and I am deeply sorry,” Webster’s email read, adding later that the school has the “utmost respect for what the uniform represents.”
Webster said the initial request was out of concern for some students who come from countries experiencing conflict and who she said expressed discomfort with images of war, including military uniforms.
Her email said any students who have concerns about seeing Armed Forces members in uniform can be accommodated in a way that makes them feel safe, but she provided no further details in the message.
Webster did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
At a news conference Friday, Houston said he’s glad the initial request was reversed but said he is still concerned.
“I can’t actually fathom how a decision like that was made,” Houston told reporters Friday, adding that he grew up moving between military bases around the country while his father was in the Armed Forces.
“My story of growing up in a military family is not unique in our province. The tradition of service is something so many of us share,” he said.
“Saying ‘lest we forget’ is a solemn promise to the fallen. It’s our commitment to those that continue to serve and our commitment that we will pass on our respects to the next generation.”
Liberal Leader Zach Churchill also said he’s happy with the school’s decision to allow uniformed Armed Forces members to attend the ceremony, but he said he didn’t think it was fair to question the intentions of those behind the original decision.
“We need to have them (uniforms) on display at Remembrance Day,” he said. “Not only are we celebrating (veterans) … we’re also commemorating our dead who gave the greatest sacrifice for our country and for the freedoms we have.”
NDP Leader Claudia Chender said that while Remembrance Day is an important occasion to honour veterans and current service members’ sacrifices, she said she hopes Houston wasn’t taking advantage of the decision to “play politics with this solemn occasion for his own political gain.”
“I hope Tim Houston reached out to the principal of the school before making a public statement,” she said in a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
REGINA – Saskatchewan Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck says she wants to prove to residents her party is the government in waiting as she heads into the incoming legislative session.
Beck held her first caucus meeting with 27 members, nearly double than what she had before the Oct. 28 election but short of the 31 required to form a majority in the 61-seat legislature.
She says her priorities will be health care and cost-of-living issues.
Beck says people need affordability help right now and will press Premier Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government to cut the gas tax and the provincial sales tax on children’s clothing and some grocery items.
Beck’s NDP is Saskatchewan’s largest Opposition in nearly two decades after sweeping Regina and winning all but one seat in Saskatoon.
The Saskatchewan Party won 34 seats, retaining its hold on all of the rural ridings and smaller cities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia‘s growing population was the subject of debate on Day 12 of the provincial election campaign, with Liberal Leader Zach Churchill arguing immigration levels must be reduced until the province can provide enough housing and health-care services.
Churchill said Thursday a plan by the incumbent Progressive Conservatives to double the province’s population to two million people by the year 2060 is unrealistic and unsustainable.
“That’s a big leap and it’s making life harder for people who live here, (including ) young people looking for a place to live and seniors looking to downsize,” he told a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Halifax.
Anticipating that his call for less immigration might provoke protests from the immigrant community, Churchill was careful to note that he is among the third generation of a family that moved to Nova Scotia from Lebanon.
“I know the value of immigration, the importance of it to our province. We have been built on the backs of an immigrant population. But we just need to do it in a responsible way.”
The Liberal leader said Tim Houston’s Tories, who are seeking a second term in office, have made a mistake by exceeding immigration targets set by the province’s Department of Labour and Immigration. Churchill said a Liberal government would abide by the department’s targets.
In the most recent fiscal year, the government welcomed almost 12,000 immigrants through its nominee program, exceeding the department’s limit by more than 4,000, he said. The numbers aren’t huge, but the increase won’t help ease the province’s shortages in housing and doctors, and the increased strain on its infrastructure, including roads, schools and cellphone networks, Churchill said.
“(The Immigration Department) has done the hard work on this,” he said. “They know where the labour gaps are, and they know what growth is sustainable.”
In response, Houston said his commitment to double the population was a “stretch goal.” And he said the province had long struggled with a declining population before that trend was recently reversed.
“The only immigration that can come into this province at this time is if they are a skilled trade worker or a health-care worker,” Houston said. “The population has grown by two per cent a year, actually quite similar growth to what we experienced under the Liberal government before us.”
Still, Houston said he’s heard Nova Scotians’ concerns about population growth, and he then pivoted to criticize Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for trying to send 6,000 asylum seekers to Nova Scotia, an assertion the federal government has denied.
Churchill said Houston’s claim about asylum seekers was shameful.
“It’s smoke and mirrors,” the Liberal leader said. “He is overshooting his own department’s numbers for sustainable population growth and yet he is trying to blame this on asylum seekers … who aren’t even here.”
In September, federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller said there is no plan to send any asylum seekers to the province without compensation or the consent of the premier. He said the 6,000 number was an “aspirational” figure based on models that reflect each province’s population.
In Halifax, NDP Leader Claudia Chender said it’s clear Nova Scotia needs more doctors, nurses and skilled trades people.
“Immigration has been and always will be a part of the Nova Scotia story, but we need to build as we grow,” Chender said. “This is why we have been pushing the Houston government to build more affordable housing.”
Chender was in a Halifax cafe on Thursday when she promised her party would remove the province’s portion of the harmonized sales tax from all grocery, cellphone and internet bills if elected to govern on Nov. 26. The tax would also be removed from the sale and installation of heat pumps.
“Our focus is on helping people to afford their lives,” Chender told reporters. “We know there are certain things that you can’t live without: food, internet and a phone …. So we know this will have the single biggest impact.”
The party estimates the measure would save the average Nova Scotia family about $1,300 a year.
“That’s a lot more than a one or two per cent HST cut,” Chender said, referring to the Progressive Conservative pledge to reduce the tax by one percentage point and the Liberal promise to trim it by two percentage points.
Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Houston announced that a Progressive Conservative government would make parking free at all Nova Scotia hospitals and health-care centres. The promise was also made by the Liberals in their election platform released Monday.
“Free parking may not seem like a big deal to some, but … the parking, especially for people working at the facilities, can add up to hundreds of dollars,” the premier told a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Halifax.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.
