Plans continue for the Pope’s visit to Canada this summer even as the pontiff has cancelled a trip to Africa on doctors’ orders.
Pope Francis is expected to deliver an apology to Indigenous people for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in residential schools during the much-anticipated visit. He made an initial apology after First Nations, Métis and Inuit delegations met with him at the Vatican earlier this year.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is in regular contact with Vatican officials about the trip set for next month, said Neil MacCarthy, a spokesman for the papal visit and the archdiocese of Toronto.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
BARTON AMONG MEMBERS ON NEW INDO-PACIFIC COMMITTEE – Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has recruited an Indo-Pacific advisory committee that includes several pro-China advocates, among them Dominic Barton, Canada’s former ambassador to Beijing. Story here.
LIBERALS REJECT CONSERVATIVE OFFER ON GUN BILL – The Liberals have dismissed a Conservative offer to quickly pass parts of the federal government’s new gun-crime bill, provided that the legislation is split in a way that sets aside more contentious elements for a thorough review. Story here.
TRUDEAU AT SUMMIT OF AMERICAS – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is planning a big finish for his last day, on Friday, at the Summit of the Americas in California. Story here.
GOODBYE TO THE B.C. LIBERALS? – B.C. Liberal members will vote Saturday on whether the party should change its name, a key plank of Leader Kevin Falcon’s promise to renew a party criticized as out-of-touch with everyday voters in the 2020 election. Provincial Liberals in B.C. include a mix of federal Conservatives and federal Liberals. B.C. Story here from The Vancouver Sun.
COMMANDER UNDER INVESTIGATION – The Department of National Defence says Commander Dale St. Croix has been temporarily removed from his position as commanding officer of HMCS Halifax and is under investigation. Story here.
MAJORITY OF LIBERAL CAUCUS WANT TRAVEL VACCINATION DROPPED – With provincial and international jurisdictions easing COVID-19 restrictions, some Liberal MPs say the vast majority of their caucus want the federal government to drop travel vaccination requirements, allowing unvaccinated Canadians to board domestic flights. Story here fromThe Hill Times.
QUEBEC MINISTER DEFENDS DELETING TEXT MESSAGES WITH LEBLANC – Quebec’s minister responsible for relations with Canada is defending her decision to erase text messages between herself and her federal counterpart, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc. Story here. Meanwhile, the Quebec legislature is concluding its session Friday ahead of a fall election. Story here.
NEW HEARING ORDERED IN SENATE DISMISSAL SUIT – A federal court judge has ordered a new hearing into a wrongful dismissal claim made by the first visible minority executive at the Senate. Story here from CBC.
MARRIAGE CERTFICATES IN FRENCH ONLY IN QUEBEC – As of last week, Quebec will only issue marriage certificates in French, according to a letter sent to wedding officiants in the province. The change, the latest to come out of new language law Bill 96, is also one of its first concrete shifts that were rumoured but not well understood by the public, even as the bill was adopted on May 24. Story here from CTV.
CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADERSHIP
WON’T RUN IF POILIEVRE WINS: BROWN – Brampton, Ont. Mayor Patrick Brown says he won’t run for the federal Conservatives if his main rival for the leadership, Pierre Poilievre, wins the party’s top job in the September leadership election. Story here from the CBC.
PARTY WILL GET MEMBERSHIP LIST TO CANDIDATES – Despite a record number of potential voters, the Conservative Party of Canada’s National Council President says the party has “a good time-frame” to get a preliminary membership list out to the candidates. Story here from CTV.
CHAREST INTERVIEWED – Jean Charest is interviewed here at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy by Peter Loewen, a professor and director at the school.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS – Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, June 10, accessible here.
NEW SNIPER RIFLES FOR MILITARY – The Canadian Army is getting 229 new multicalibre, bolt action sniper rifles, according to a statement from the defence ministry. A $2.9-million contact was awarded to Stoeger Canada to deliver the new weapon systems, including the 229 C21 sniper rifles and associated accessories such as suppressors and cleaning/maintenance kits. Deliveries of the C21 are expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
THE DECIBEL
On Friday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Decibel producer Sherrill Sutherland, a ballet fan, talks to Siphe November, one of the most talented ballet dancers of his generation. At just 23, he’s the National Ballet of Canada’s youngest principal dancer and only the second Black principal dancer in the company’s 70-year history. With his popularity on Instagram, his move into choreography where he weaves together different genres of dance, his rise in the ballet world signals an art form that’s evolving. Ms. Sutherland’s interview covers his latest role in the National Ballet’s production of Swan Lake, the importance of Black representation in ballet and where he wants to take his career and the art form in the future.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
In Los Angeles, the Prime Minister participated in the leaders’ second plenary session of the Summit of the Americas, and met with Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the United States House of Representatives, then participated in a presentation ceremony for the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection. The Prime Minister was also scheduled to participate in the official family photo of the Summit of the Americas, attend a leaders’ retreat and working lunch hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden, and participate in the leaders third plenary session. The Prime Minister was also set to meet with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, and also meet with Luis Abinader, the Dominican Republic prime minister, and hold a media availability.
LEADERS
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet will be in the ridings of Abitibi—Témiscamingue and Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik- Eeyou from Friday to Sunday as part of a trip with an itinerary that includes meeting business people from Rouyn-Noranda, the president and director of the Val-D’Or Native Friendship Centre, and attending the eighth edition of the POW-WOW Abitibi Winni.
No schedules released for other party leaders.
OPINION
Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail)on why Marco Mendicino has to go if he misled Parliament: “But the habits of this government are so ingrained, it seems, that they can’t help themselves. Rather than accept responsibility – yes, we made the decision, and we stand by it – their response is in every case the same: deny, deflect, and dissemble. Even when they do the right thing, they do the wrong thing.”
Elizabeth Renzetti (The Globe and Mail)on why women’s rights are worth fighting for, even 30 years later: “This will be my last Globe column. After nearly 30 years, it’s time for a new chapter in my life. I will be eternally gratefully to those who read this column, or spoke with me for stories, or sent me e-mails or letters. Every one of them spurred me on (except for the ones written in all capital letters). I know you’ll continue the fight, and so will I. Don’t make me come back here in 30 years and write this column again.”
Robert Jago (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how RCMP inaction after the Mission, B.C. hit and run shows police are failing Indigenous people once again: “Canadians “allegedly” don’t want this to be a racist country. To show that they need to speak up against institutions like the RCMP when they don’t treat Indigenous people fairly. We’re not asking for the RCMP to lower a flag, or wear a pin. They don’t need to put an orange sticker on their car, or say a land acknowledgment. All we want is for them to do the thing that cops do – arrest bad guys, no matter what colour the victims are.”
Rick Bell (The Calgary Sun)on why the UCP would be unwise to ignore the political challenge presented by Rachel Notley: “Notley says Kenney being out of the picture doesn’t make any difference to her, though he sure did make a wonderful punching bag. The NDP leader says her party can win the next election but, of course, doesn’t say they will win. Notley says in 2019 when the NDP lost in a big way, she walked up and down the street and “there was a smell in the air.” “I walk up and down the street now and it’s different.” She acknowledges in government, the NDP didn’t do everything right. She admits they didn’t always take the time to stop and listen to people enough.”
Sharon Burke (Divergent Options)on Canada as the last superpower amidst climate change:“Again, no country will be immune to the negative effects of climate change, but with a stable, migrant-friendly political culture, Canada has the potential to manage this transition better than any other nation. As a high north country, Russia should enjoy these relative advantages, too, but the rigidity of their authoritarian form of government, the opportunity cost of their bellicosity, proximity to highly affected populations, lack of preparation for climate change, including the disruption to infrastructure built on permafrost, and unwelcoming culture for migrants all suggest a declining power.”
Martine St-Victor (The Montreal Gazette) on feeling as broken as her “beloved” Quebec due to Bill 96: “I’m a francophone and a francophile and, as such, I can’t digest the idea that such a beautiful language and culture are being used as weapons. The content of Bill 96, including its “learn French in six months or else” edict for new arrivals, sends the message that Quebec is looking for a fight. Bill 101 and its requirement that children of immigrants attend school in French, which I continue to support, never came across that way to me. Now, there seems to be a “either you’re with us or you’re not” vibe in the province that makes it seem, to my eyes, broken and almost unrecognizable.”
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NEW YORK (AP) — In a new video posted early Election Day, Beyoncé channels Pamela Anderson in the television program “Baywatch” – red one-piece swimsuit and all – and asks viewers to vote.
In the two-and-a-half-minute clip, set to most of “Bodyguard,” a four-minute cut from her 2024 country album “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé cosplays as Anderson’s character before concluding with a simple message, written in white text: “Happy Beylloween,” followed by “Vote.”
At a rally for Donald Trump in Pittsburgh on Monday night, the former president spoke dismissively about Beyoncé’s appearance at a Kamala Harris rally in Houston in October, drawing boos for the megastar from his supporters.
“Beyoncé would come in. Everyone’s expecting a couple of songs. There were no songs. There was no happiness,” Trump said.
She did not perform — unlike in 2016, when she performed at a presidential campaign rally for Hillary Clinton in Cleveland – but she endorsed Harris and gave a moving speech, initially joined onstage by her Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland.
“I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother,” Beyoncé said.
“A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in, a world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we’re not divided,” she said at the rally in Houston, her hometown.
“Imagine our daughters growing up seeing what’s possible with no ceilings, no limitations,” she continued. “We must vote, and we need you.”
Harris used the song in July during her first official public appearance as a presidential candidate at her campaign headquarters in Delaware. That same month, Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, publicly endorsed Harris for president.
Beyoncé gave permission to Harris to use the song, a campaign official who was granted anonymity to discuss private campaign operations confirmed to The Associated Press.
Outside of sports and a “Cold front coming down from Canada,” American news media only report on Canadian events that they believe are, or will be, influential to the US. Therefore, when Justin Trudeau’s announcement, having finally read the room, that Canada will be reducing the number of permanent residents admitted by more than 20 percent and temporary residents like skilled workers and college students will be cut by more than half made news south of the border, I knew the American media felt Trudeau’s about-face on immigration was newsworthy because many Americans would relate to Trudeau realizing Canada was accepting more immigrants than it could manage and are hoping their next POTUS will follow Trudeau’s playbook.
Canada, with lots of space and lacking convenient geographical ways for illegal immigrants to enter the country, though still many do, has a global reputation for being incredibly accepting of immigrants. On the surface, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver appear to be multicultural havens. However, as the saying goes, “Too much of a good thing is never good,” resulting in a sharp rise in anti-immigrant sentiment, which you can almost taste in the air. A growing number of Canadians, regardless of their political affiliation, are blaming recent immigrants for causing the housing affordability crises, inflation, rise in crime and unemployment/stagnant wages.
Throughout history, populations have engulfed themselves in a tribal frenzy, a psychological state where people identify strongly with their own group, often leading to a ‘us versus them’ mentality. This has led to quick shifts from complacency to panic and finger-pointing at groups outside their tribe, a phenomenon that is not unique to any particular culture or time period.
My take on why the American news media found Trudeau’s blatantly obvious attempt to save his political career, balancing appeasement between the pitchfork crowd, who want a halt to immigration until Canada gets its house in order, and immigrant voters, who traditionally vote Liberal, newsworthy; the American news media, as do I, believe immigration fatigue is why Kamala Harris is going to lose on November 5th.
Because they frequently get the outcome wrong, I don’t take polls seriously. According to polls in 2014, Tim Hudak’s Progressive Conservatives and Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals were in a dead heat in Ontario, yet Wynne won with more than twice as many seats. In the 2018 Quebec election, most polls had the Coalition Avenir Québec with a 1-to-5-point lead over the governing Liberals. The result: The Coalition Avenir Québec enjoyed a landslide victory, winning 74 of 125 seats. Then there’s how the 2016 US election polls showing Donald Trump didn’t have a chance of winning against Hillary Clinton were ridiculously way off, highlighting the importance of the election day poll and, applicable in this election as it was in 2016, not to discount ‘shy Trump supporters;’ voters who support Trump but are hesitant to express their views publicly due to social or political pressure.
My distrust in polls aside, polls indicate Harris is leading by a few points. One would think that Trump’s many over-the-top shenanigans, which would be entertaining were he not the POTUS or again seeking the Oval Office, would have him far down in the polls. Trump is toe-to-toe with Harris in the polls because his approach to the economy—middle-class Americans are nostalgic for the relatively strong economic performance during Trump’s first three years in office—and immigration, which Americans are hyper-focused on right now, appeals to many Americans. In his quest to win votes, Trump is doing what anyone seeking political office needs to do: telling the people what they want to hear, strategically using populism—populism that serves your best interests is good populism—to evoke emotional responses. Harris isn’t doing herself any favours, nor moving voters, by going the “But, but… the orange man is bad!” route, while Trump cultivates support from “weird” marginal voting groups.
To Harris’s credit, things could have fallen apart when Biden abruptly stepped aside. Instead, Harris quickly clinched the nomination and had a strong first few weeks, erasing the deficit Biden had given her. The Democratic convention was a success, as was her acceptance speech. Her performance at the September 10th debate with Donald Trump was first-rate.
Harris’ Achilles heel is she’s now making promises she could have made and implemented while VP, making immigration and the economy Harris’ liabilities, especially since she’s been sitting next to Biden, watching the US turn into the circus it has become. These liabilities, basically her only liabilities, negate her stance on abortion, democracy, healthcare, a long-winning issue for Democrats, and Trump’s character. All Harris has offered voters is “feel-good vibes” over substance. In contrast, Trump offers the tangible political tornado (read: steamroll the problems Americans are facing) many Americans seek. With Trump, there’s no doubt that change, admittedly in a messy fashion, will happen. If enough Americans believe the changes he’ll implement will benefit them and their country…
The case against Harris on immigration, at a time when there’s a huge global backlash to immigration, even as the American news media are pointing out, in famously immigrant-friendly Canada, is relatively straightforward: During the first three years of the Biden-Harris administration, illegal Southern border crossings increased significantly.
The words illegal immigration, to put it mildly, irks most Americans. On the legal immigration front, according to Forbes, most billion-dollar startups were founded by immigrants. Google, Microsoft, and Oracle, to name three, have immigrants as CEOs. Immigrants, with tech skills and an entrepreneurial thirst, have kept America leading the world. I like to think that Americans and Canadians understand the best immigration policy is to strategically let enough of these immigrants in who’ll increase GDP and tax base and not rely on social programs. In other words, Americans and Canadians, and arguably citizens of European countries, expect their governments to be more strategic about immigration.
The days of the words on a bronze plaque mounted inside the Statue of Liberty pedestal’s lower level, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” are no longer tolerated. Americans only want immigrants who’ll benefit America.
Does Trump demagogue the immigration issue with xenophobic and racist tropes, many of which are outright lies, such as claiming Haitian immigrants in Ohio are abducting and eating pets? Absolutely. However, such unhinged talk signals to Americans who are worried about the steady influx of illegal immigrants into their country that Trump can handle immigration so that it’s beneficial to the country as opposed to being an issue of economic stress.
In many ways, if polls are to be believed, Harris is paying the price for Biden and her lax policies early in their term. Yes, stimulus spending quickly rebuilt the job market, but at the cost of higher inflation. Loosen border policies at a time when anti-immigrant sentiment was increasing was a gross miscalculation, much like Trudeau’s immigration quota increase, and Biden indulging himself in running for re-election should never have happened.
If Trump wins, Democrats will proclaim that everyone is sexist, racist and misogynous, not to mention a likely White Supremacist, and for good measure, they’ll beat the “voter suppression” button. If Harris wins, Trump supporters will repeat voter fraud—since July, Elon Musk has tweeted on Twitter at least 22 times about voters being “imported” from abroad—being widespread.
Regardless of who wins tomorrow, Americans need to cool down; and give the divisive rhetoric a long overdue break. The right to an opinion belongs to everyone. Someone whose opinion differs from yours is not by default sexist, racist, a fascist or anything else; they simply disagree with you. Americans adopting the respectful mindset to agree to disagree would be the best thing they could do for the United States of America.
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.
