The Canadian government has selected Lockheed Martin Corp., the American manufacturer of the F-35 fighter jet, as its preferred bidder in a $19-billion search for a new warplane.
Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi and Defence Minister Anita Anand announced the decision at a news conference Monday afternoon.
This development means Canada starts negotiating solely with Lockheed Martin on a contract to supply 88 combat aircraft, they said.
If negotiations are successful, Canada could start taking delivery of new fighters as early as 2025.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed he will release government’s new climate-change targets in Vancouver on Tuesday. At a news conference in Brampton, Ont., Mr. Trudeau suggested the turmoil around Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has morphed into a heightened urgency for the transformation of the energy mix toward lower carbon emissions in coming years “Canadians will see a plan that remains extremely ambitious when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions while at the same time will ensure a proper transition for workers,” Mr. Trudeau said. Globe climate-change columnist Adam Radwanski looks here at the fragile sense of co-operation between Ottawa and the oil patch to reduce emissions.
The Williams Lake First Nation in British Columbia also announced that Mr. Trudeau will be visiting this week. The visit follows a January announcement that 93 potential graves have been found at a former residential school. “This trip has been a long time in the making, and we have much to discuss about the St. Joseph’s Mission investigation, the Government of Canada’s role in residential school investigations and Canada’s commitment to the goals of Reconciliation,” said a statement from Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars released Monday.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
ONTARIO AND OTTAWA HAVE A CHILD-CARE DEAL – Ontario families will start reaping the benefits of a new child care deal with Ottawa next month, Premier Doug Ford announced Monday. At a joint news conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Brampton, Ont., the two leaders released the details of the long-delayed deal to make Ontario’s sky-high daycare costs more affordable for families. Story here.
JOLY PRESSED TO ACT ON CASE OF CANADIAN JAILED IN CHINA – Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is facing calls from members of her own Liberal caucus to appoint a special envoy to China who could pursue the release of a Canadian citizen jailed by Beijing in controversial circumstances for more than 15 years. Story here.
MÉTIS DELEGATION OPTIMISTIC AFTER MEETING WITH POPE – The Métis delegation to the Vatican emerged from an hour-long meeting with Pope Francis convinced that he was becoming more fully aware of Indigenous peoples’ suffering in the long, dark era of Catholic-run residential schools. But he did not apologize to them for their suffering. Story here.
ONTARIO LIBERAL LEADER PROMISES $16/HOUR MINIMUM WAGE – Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca is promising that his party will increase the minimum wage to $16, work to set regional living wages and compensate businesses for legislating 10 paid sick days if they win the June election. Story here.
HILLIER FACING CHARGES IN OTTAWA PROTEST – Randy Hillier, an independent member of Ontario’s legislature, surrendered to Ottawa police on Monday to face nine charges related to his involvement in the protest that seized the core of the national capital last month. Story here.
ELECTIONS BODY SURPRISED BY GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITMENTS – The body in charge of administering Canada’s elections was taken by surprise by this week’s announcement that there could be major reforms coming to the way people vote, including a three-day-long polling day. Story here.
MENG WANZHOU DELIVERS PUBLIC ADDRESS – Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou has delivered her first public address since resuming her duties last fall at the Chinese technology giant. Story here.
GYMNASTS CALL FOR FEDERAL INVESTIGATION OF TOXIC CULTURE IN THEIR SPORT – A group of more than 70 current and former elite Canadian gymnasts are calling on the federal government to investigate what they say are abusive practices and a toxic culture inside their sport. Story here.
CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP RACE
SEEBACK BACKS BROWN – Ontario MP Kyle Seeback has announced his support for Patrick Brown.
POILIEVRE CAMPAIGNS – Pierre Poilievre is campaigning Monday in London, Ont., where he will buy lunch using Bitcoin and deliver remarks on Bitcoin and the blockchain economy. He is later holding a rally in the Southwestern Ontario community of Oldcastle.
PATZER BACKS LEWIS – Saskatchewan MP Jeremy Patzer (Cypress Hills-Grasslands) has announced his support for Leslyn Lewis. In a statement, he cites four reasons for backing her, including “She was one of the very few who joined me in challenging the central COVID narrative from the very beginning, demonstrating courageous leadership in a time when our country is in desperate need of it.”
CHAREST POSITIONED TO WIN ELECTION: POLL – A plurality of Canadians surveyed see former Quebec premier Jean Charest as the Conservative leadership candidate best able to win the next general election, a new poll suggests. Story here.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS – Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, March 28, accessible here.
THE DECIBEL
Monday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast looks at issues around Canada removing mask mandates in public schools as some question whether now is the right time for the move and some even challenge the shift. Sophia Alexanian, a 16-year-old high school student from Toronto, who co-founded a group called Ontario Students for COVID Safety talks on the podcast. She organized a province-wide school walkout to protest the end of the mask mandate in schools. Also on The Decibel is Caroline Alphonso, an education reporter for The Globe and Mail. She talks about how the conversation about removing the mask mandate in schools is playing out across Canada. The Decibel is here.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
In the Greater Toronto Area, the Prime Minister held private meetings, then spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, participated in an early-learning and childcare announcement with Premier Doug Ford, and travelled to Vancouver to attend a local Nowruz celebration.
LEADERS
No schedules released for party leaders.
TRIBUTE
Former Liberal MP Claudette Bradshaw, a labour minister who championed for the underprivileged and represented the New Brunswick riding of Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe for 10 years, has died at the age of 72. Story here.
PUBLIC OPINION
PUBLIC VIEWS ON LIBERAL-NDP DEAL – The Angus Reid Institute checks out public opinion on the recently announced NDP-Liberal confidence-and-supply agreement, and finds on one side overwhelming majorities of past Liberal and NDP voters either support or strongly support the agreement. On the other, a near-unanimous number of past CPC voters and half of past Bloc Québécois voters oppose it. The details are here.
OPINION
Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail)on how, with Budget 2022 coming, it’s time to distinguish between spend and invest: “A federal budget is coming, so it is time to contemplate the meaning of the word “invest.” In last year’s budget book, variations of that word – invest, investing, or investment – were used 675 times. The major English-language dictionaries all provide primary definitions of the word invest similar to the one in Merriam-Webster: “To commit (money) in order to earn a financial return.” But the 2021 budget tabled by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland repeatedly confused the word with another verb, “spend.” Merriam-Webster defines that as: “To use up or pay out: expend.” The question for the coming budget, expected in April, will be whether Ms. Freeland continues to conflate the two concepts.”
Gary Mason (The Globe and Mail)on Bob Rae enjoying his finest hour taking on Russia at the United Nations: “With each new report of babies being killed and doctors performing surgeries with kitchen knives because their hospital was destroyed by bombs, Bob Rae becomes more determined to see Russia held accountable for its crimes against the Ukrainian people. Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin, often using very undiplomatic language on social media platforms such as Twitter to convey the rage he feels over what is taking place. “I don’t know how anyone can be diplomatic when it comes to describing what Putin is doing in Ukraine,” Mr. Rae told me in an interview.”
David Parkinson (The Globe and Mail)on how postponing the federal carbon tax hike is an inflation break that Ottawa could and should deliver:“Recent calls for Ottawa to scrap its planned April 1 carbon price hike could easily be viewed as opportunistic attempts from opponents to turn back the clock on government fossil-fuel measures. Or cynical appeals to segments of the electorate who question the value of carbon taxation. Or self-serving lobbying from business interests who have a knee-jerk objection to any tax increase. Which all could be true. But delaying the increase could also be a very good, very practical idea – one that even the supporters of the federal carbon tax should embrace.”
Thomas Juneau and Bessma Momani (Contributed to The Globe and Mail)on how Canada should renew its mission to help stabilize Iraq: “As the war in Ukraine reminds us, the international political system continues to be volatile and Canada must play an active role, where it can, to support our broader alliances. One arena of conflict that continues to simmer is Iraq. Our mission there, Operation Impact, expires at the end of March. We ought to renew it, but we must do this with our eyes open to new risks and the evolution of our mission. To defeat the Islamic State, the Canadian Armed Forces have been in the region to assist in training the Iraqi security forces and to support NATO’s mission in Iraq.”
Daniel Veniez and Rick Peterson (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how Canada can do great things, but the sensible centre mustn’t be distracted by the fringes: “We are, to borrow a hockey analogy, in the centre-ice zone of Canadian politics. And we’re not alone. This middle ground – or sensible centre – is where most Canadians live. It’s where majority governments are formed and where big ideas that build the foundation for Canada’s future growth can find support. We, in this vast and rich middle ground, agree on many things: The importance of the rule of law; fairness; social justice; equal opportunity; tolerance and inclusiveness; and respect for our differences. These are our core beliefs. Our political parties, however, spend almost no time paying attention to this centre-ice zone. Instead, they patrol the edges of the political rink, the Liberals targeting support on the left while the Conservatives flirt with the right.”
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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.
