The Russian government slapped sanctions on 61 Canadians Thursday, prohibiting them from entering Russia in what Moscow called retaliation for measures enacted against its own people.
The sanctions targeted politicians, government officials, journalists, military leaders and academics.
The measures come as Russia’s military assault on Ukraine nears two months in duration. Canada has hit Russia with a slew of punitive sanctions over the aggression and has sent $110-million in military aid to Kyiv with another $500-million promised including heavy artillery.
Those targeted include Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem, Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae and Katie Telford, chief of staff to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A number of Canadian premiers were also named including Ontario’s Doug Ford, Manitoba’s Heather Stefanson, Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe, Alberta’s Jason Kenney and B.C.’s John Horgan.
Among the journalists named are The Globe and Mail’s editor-in-chief David Walmsley and Globe senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon, as well as Catherine Tait, president of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Radio Canada and Michael Melling, head of CTV News.
Read the story, which includes the full list of sanctioned Canadians, from senior parliamentary reporter Steven Chasehere.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
OTTAWA SCALES BACK DRUG PRICE REFORMS THAT WOULD HAVE COST BIG PHARMA BILLIONS – Ottawa is dramatically scaling back regulatory changes to reduce the cost of drugs, five years after heralding them as a once-in-a-generation effort to cut costs and shave billions off industry profits. Story here.
WIFE OF JAILED RUSSIAN HUMAN-RIGHTS ACTIVIST ASKS CANADA AND ALLIES TO PRESS FOR HIS RELEASE – The wife of Russian human-rights activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was jailed this month after a CNN interview in which he condemned Moscow’s war on Ukraine, is urging Canada and other Western countries to press the Kremlin to release him and other prisoners of conscience. Story here.
NEW POLICY WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS A ‘BASELINE OF KNOWLEDGE’ ON INUIT HOMELAND, HISTORY – A new policy set to apply across federal government departments will fundamentally change how business is done with Inuit in Canada, says the president of a national advocacy organization. The policy, which has the support of Mr. Trudeau’s cabinet, is expected to be formally endorsed on Thursday at the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee, which is designed to advance work on shared priority areas between Inuit and the federal government. Storyhere.
CANADA-WIDE ACTION NEEDED TO CRACK DOWN ON HANDGUNS, ADVOCATES TELL FEDERAL MINISTER – Prominent firearm-control advocates are urging the Liberal government to abandon plans to allow provinces to ban handguns, saying regional measures will lead to a disastrous patchwork across Canada. In a new letter to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, several high-profile groups call instead for countrywide measures to phase out the private ownership of handguns. Story here from The Canadian Press.
PIERRE POILIEVRE AMONG THE DOZENS OF MPS WITH RENTAL PROPERTY AMID HOUSING CRUNCH – Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre is among the dozens of MPs who own rental property even as he blasts the unfairness of Canada’s housing market for young Canadians, Global News reports. Mr. Poilievre, the perceived frontrunner in the party’s leadership race, has made housing unaffordability a central part of his campaign so far, and has frequently criticized what he calls the “gatekeepers” keeping homes out of reach for home-buying hopefuls. Story here from Global.
‘SOAP OPERA’: ALBERTA PREMIER SAYS HE’S BEEN TOO TOLERANT OF OPEN DISSENT – Premier Jason Kenney says Albertans don’t appreciate the intraparty fighting “soap opera” of his United Conservative government and, if anything, he has been too soft on public dissenters. Kenney made the comments while taking questions on a Facebook town-hall meeting. Story here from The Canadian Press.
SENIOR SOLDIER ONCE TASKED WITH ARMY COMMAND RETIRED WHILE FACING SEXUAL MISCONDUCT PROBE – The senior military leader who was poised to take command of the Canadian Army retired from the military earlier this month as an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him continued. Retired lieutenant-general Trevor Cadieu was set to be sworn in as the head of the army in a ceremony last fall. Story here from CBC.
CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP RACE
The newsletter reached out to the Conservatives leadership campaigns to see what they were up to Thursday.
Pierre Poilievre is in Toronto, where he made an announcement about his proposed housing policy. He will later hold meet and greets with party members in Fergus and St. Catharines, Ont.
Jean Charest is in Toronto, where he released his plan to end COVID-19 lockdowns and get the Canadian health care system off “life support.”
Leona Alleslev will host a meet and greet in Kingston Thursday evening.
Marc Dalton will hold a rally in Pitt Meadows, B.C. Thursday evening.
The other campaigns did not reply.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS – The House is adjourned until Monday, April 25, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. ET.
THE DECIBEL
On Thursday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Dr. Ken Fry tells us why it’s so hard to get rid of mosquitoes – and why learning to live with the pesky bloodsuckers is the better solution. Warmer weather means summer, picnics, camping … and mosquitoes. Edmonton is particularly famous for their mosquito season. But with a focus on environmental sustainability, the city is ditching the pesticide spraying they’ve used for years to control mosquitoes, instead turning to a more natural solution – bats and dragonflies. Dr. Fry is an entomology instructor in the School of Life Sciences & Business at Olds College in Alberta, and grew up in Edmonton. He studies pest control management and mosquitoes. The Decibel is here.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
The Prime Minister is in Ottawa, where he will co-chair a meeting of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee with President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Natan Obed. They will hold a media availability Thursday afternoon, where they will be joined by Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller.
LEADERS
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is in Toronto Thursday, where he will address the Canadian Club on “making the very rich and wealthiest corporations pay their fair share to invest in Canadian families.”
The Bloc Québécois is holding a forum on forests and climate change Thursday in Trois-Rivières, Que., here leader Yves-François Blanchet will deliver a speech.
People’s Party of Canada Leader, Maxime Bernier, is in Ottawa Thursday to announce the appointment of “regional lieutenants” who will represent the party in four areas of Canada: western Canada and the territories, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada.
No other schedules released for party leaders.
PUBLIC OPINION
CANADIANS MORE OPEN TO CUTTING TIES WITH MONARCHY, BUT STILL SUPPORT QUEEN: POLL – Canadians are growing more open to severing ties with the British monarchy, a new poll suggests, despite an ongoing affection for Queen Elizabeth herself. The new Angus Reid poll — released Thursday on the Queen’s 96th birthday — found while 51 per cent of Canadians are against continuing as a constitutional monarchy, nearly two-thirds still view Elizabeth favourably. Story here from Global.
ONTARIO PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVES LEAD BY FOUR AS DOUG FORD’S IMAGE AND PERFORMANCE RATING IMPROVES – When asked how they would vote if an election was held today, 36 per cent of Ontarian respondents said they would vote PC followed by the Ontario Liberals at 32 per cent and the NDP at 23 per cent. The Greens are at 6 per cent while four per cent would vote for another party. The poll was conducted by Abacus Data, which is conducting regular surveys to gauge public opinion and reaction to the Ontario election campaign. Poll here.
So if you are still wondering: Yes, this is a thing. Mr. Poilievre has hit a nerve, and has some people responding in a rare way in Canadian politics: expending shoe leather to hear a politician speak.”
Konrad Yakabuski (The Globe and Mail)on how Patrick Brown dives dangerously into diaspora politics: “At 43, Brampton, Ont., Mayor Patrick Brown is too young to have pioneered diaspora politics. But he has emerged as one of its most adept practitioners, and it may just be his secret weapon in his below-the-radar bid to win the Conservative Party of Canada leadership. He aims to sell thousands of party memberships to members of targeted ethnic groups, who can swing the vote in critical urban and suburban ridings, by promising to pay special attention to their concerns.”
Don Martin (CTV) on how an unlikely Conservative rock star takes the stage in the heart of Liberal-owned Toronto: “And in the here and now, it must be acknowledged that Pierre Poilievre is attracting impressive crowds to large halls in very unlikely locations. He is getting euphoric reactions from the base to his quip-filled policies, even if they are politically problematic. And his team is undoubtedly selling hundreds of loyal Poilievre memberships at every pitstop of the tour.”
The platforms themselves have taken some initiatives to self-regulate, partly in an attempt to get out ahead of regulation. But Musk’s push to take over Twitter suggests even the tendency toward self-regulation goes too far.”
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PHOENIX (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent proponent of debunked public health claims whom Donald Trump has promised to put in charge of health initiatives, said Saturday that Trump would push to remove fluoride from drinking water on his first day in office if elected president.
Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.
Kennedy made the declaration Saturday on the social media platform X alongside a variety of claims about the heath effects of fluoride.
“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy wrote. Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, “want to Make America Healthy Again,” he added, repeating a phrase Trump often uses and links to Kennedy.
Trump told NBC News on Sunday that he had not spoken to Kennedy about fluoride yet, “but it sounds OK to me. You know it’s possible.”
The former president declined to say whether he would seek a Cabinet role for Kennedy, a job that would require Senate confirmation, but added, “He’s going to have a big role in the administration.”
Asked whether banning certain vaccines would be on the table, Trump said he would talk to Kennedy and others about that. Trump described Kennedy as “a very talented guy and has strong views.”
The sudden and unexpected weekend social media post evoked the chaotic policymaking that defined Trump’s White House tenure, when he would issue policy declarations on Twitter at virtually all hours. It also underscored the concerns many experts have about Kennedy, who has long promoted debunked theories about vaccine safety, having influence over U.S. public health.
In 1950, federal officials endorsed water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, and continued to promote it even after fluoride toothpaste brands hit the market several years later. Though fluoride can come from a number of sources, drinking water is the main source for Americans, researchers say.
Officials lowered their recommendation for drinking water fluoride levels in 2015 to address a tooth condition called fluorosis, that can cause splotches on teeth and was becoming more common in U.S. kids.
In August, a federal agency determined “with moderate confidence” that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. The National Toxicology Program based its conclusion on studies involving fluoride levels at about twice the recommended limit for drinking water.
A federal judge later cited that study in ordering the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen cautioned that it’s not certain that the amount of fluoride typically added to water is causing lower IQ in kids, but he concluded that mounting research points to an unreasonable risk that it could be. He ordered the EPA to take steps to lower that risk, but didn’t say what those measures should be.
In his X post Saturday, Kennedy tagged Michael Connett, the lead attorney representing the plaintiff in that lawsuit, the environmental advocacy group Food & Water Watch.
Kennedy’s anti-vaccine organization has a lawsuit pending against news organizations including The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy is on leave from the group but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.
What role Kennedy might hold if Trump wins on Tuesday remains unclear. Kennedy recently told NewsNation that Trump asked him to “reorganize” agencies including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and some agencies under the Department of Agriculture.
But for now, the former independent presidential candidate has become one of Trump’s top surrogates. Trump frequently mentions having the support of Kennedy, a scion of a Democratic dynasty and the son of former Attorney General Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy.
Kennedy traveled with Trump Friday and spoke at his rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Trump said Saturday that he told Kennedy: “You can work on food, you can work on anything you want” except oil policy.
“He wants health, he wants women’s health, he wants men’s health, he wants kids, he wants everything,” Trump added.
Americans and Canadians are cousins that is true. Allies today but long ago people were at loggerheads mostly because of the British Empire and American ambitions.
Canadians appreciate our cousins down south enough to visit them many millions of times over the year. America is Canada’s largest and most important trading partner. As a manufacturer, I can attest to this personally. My American clients have allowed our firm to grow and prosper over the past few decades. There is a problem we have been seeing, a problem where nationalism, both political and economic has been creating a roadblock to our trade relationship.
Both Democrats and Republicans have shown a willingness to play the “buy only American Made product” card, a sounding board for all things isolationist, nationalistic and small-mindedness. We all live on this small planet, and purchase items made from all over the world. Preferences as to what to buy and where it is made are personal choices, never should they become a platform of national pride and thuggery. This has brought fear into the hearts of many Canadians who manufacture for and service the American Economy in some way. This fear will be apparent when the election is over next week.
Canadians are not enemies of America, but allies and friends with a long tradition of supporting our cousins back when bad sh*t happens. We have had enough of the American claim that they want free trade, only to realize that they do so long as it is to their benefit. Tariffs, and undue regulations applied to exporters into America are applied, yet American industry complains when other nations do the very same to them. Seriously! Democrats have said they would place a preference upon doing business with American firms before foreign ones, and Republicans wish to tariff many foreign nations into oblivion. Rhetoric perhaps, but we need to take these threats seriously. As to you the repercussions that will come should America close its doors to us.
Tit for tat neighbors. Tariff for tariff, true selfish competition with no fear of the American Giant. Do you want to build homes in America? Over 33% of all wood comes from Canada. Tit for tat. Canada’s mineral wealth can be sold to others and place preference upon the highest bidder always. You know who will win there don’t you America, the deep-pocketed Chinese.
Reshaping our alliances with others. If America responds as has been threatened, Canadians will find ways to entertain themselves elsewhere. Imagine no Canadian dollars flowing into the Northern States, Florida or California? The Big Apple without its friendly Maple Syrup dip. Canadians will realize just how significant their spending is to America and use it to our benefit, not theirs.
Clearly we will know if you prefer Canadian friendship to Donald Trumps Bravado.
China, Saudi Arabia & Russia are not your friends in America. Canada, Japan, Taiwan the EU and many other nations most definitely are. Stop playing politics, and carry out business in an unethical fashion. Treat allies as they should be treated.
