At a news conference Friday, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, gave an update on the coronavirus pandemic and the emergence of monkeypox, saying she is “cautiously optimistic” about the current trajectory of COVID-19, with most epidemiological indicators continuing to decline, but that there are signs of growth in several emergent Omicron sub-lineages.
“COVID-19 has shown us over the past few years that there may be more surprises ahead,” she said. “Maintaining readiness for a potential resurgence that could result in severe impact is our best advantage.”
Dr. Tam said that COVID-19 readiness means maintaining awareness of local disease activity, staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, wearing a well-fitting mask, and improving ventilation. She also said that staying home if you are symptomatic can help prevent other infections, including monkeypox.
As of June 17, there have been 168 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Canada, including 141 in Quebec, 21 in Ontario, 4 in Alberta, and 2 in British Columbia. Many cases, Dr. Tam said, stemmed from sexual contact between men, but said the risk is not limited to any one gender or sexual orientation.
Citing upcoming Pride celebrations, Dr. Tam spoke about the need to raise awareness about transmission – in “non-stigmatizing ways” – and thanked the dating app Grindr, which is popular among gay, bisexual and queer people, for helping get the message out.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
MÉLANIE JOLY’S OFFICE MISSED E-MAIL – The Foreign Affairs Minister’s office staff did not read an e-mail notifying them that the department was sending a representative to the Russian embassy party. It was sent to Ms. Joly’s chief of staff, as well as four other staff members. Story here.
LONG-TERM LOANS FOR INDIGENOUS INFRASTRUCTURE – The federal government says it is considering a recommendation for Ottawa to work on a pilot project that would involve Indigenous communities using long-term loans to finance new infrastructure, instead of annual federal funds. Story here.
VACCINE MANDATE LIFTED – On Thursday, the House of Commons unanimously agreed to lift its current mandate for MPs, staff and visitors. It would take effect on Monday, the same day that vaccine mandates will be lifted for domestic and outbound international flights and rail travel. Story by CBC News here.
BILL TABLED ON EXTREME INTOXICATION DEFENCE – Justice Minister David Lametti tabled a bill Friday seeking to eliminate “self-induced extreme intoxication” as a defence against serious crimes, following a Supreme Court decision which allowed for such a defence. Story here.
TURMOIL WITHIN THE ASSEMBLY OF FIRST NATIONS – AFN National Chief RoseAnne Archibald is facing an external investigation over accusations of bullying and harassment. National Chief Archibald released a statement Thursday saying that this is the second time she’s faced a “smear campaign” and called for a “forensic audit and an independent inquiry” into the AFN’s conduct. Story by CBC News here.
TOO MANY VENTILATORS – Thousands of ventilators are sitting unused in a federal stockpile, with figures from the Public Health Agency of Canada showing that of the 40,000 ventilators ordered by the feds, 27,687 have been received, and of those, just 2,048 were deployed. Story by POLITICO here.
CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP RACE
THE CALM BEFORE THE VOTE – Campaign organizers in the Conservative Party leadership race say that they have entered a short lull between membership cut-off on June 3 and the date they receive membership lists, which will likely be in early July, but that are gearing up for a final “persuasion phase” this summer. Story here.
PIERRE POILIEVRE TAKES AIM AT PATRICK BROWN – Poilievre’s campaign team has issued a formal complaint accusing Patrick Brown’s team of “paid-for party membership fees and other undeclared expenditures.” Story by the National Post here.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS – Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, June 17, accessible here.
MONEY FOR GREEN HOMES – On Friday morning, Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, announced a new stream of the Canada Greener Homes Loan program. It will provide $4.4-billion in interest-free loans for Canadian homeowners to make energy efficiency retrofits. Press release here.
DEBATE OVER INTERNET STREAMING BILL – MPs butted heads over C-11, the Online Streaming Act, in the House of Commons on Friday morning.
SENATOR APOLOGY FOR DIAL-IN FROM U.S. – A senator has apologized for dialling into a senate committee hearing from the United States, violating rules in the motion concerning hybrid sittings about participating in such events from a designated office or residence in Canada. “I do recognize, dear colleagues, my mistake and my ignorance of this rule is not an excuse,” Rosa Galvez, appointed to the senate in 2016 representing Quebec (Bedford), said this week. “I commit to being more careful and attentive to the details of rules we have adopted to ensure the fair and good functioning of the Senate and its committees.” At issue was Ms. Galvez using her Senate laptop to dial in for committee work while she was in Los Angeles participating in the Summit of the Americas. The senator’s comments are in a transcript here.
THE DECIBEL
On Friday’s episode of The Decibel, Mykola Kuleba, the former children’s ombudsman of Ukraine and now the head of an organization called Save Ukraine, spoke about his work co-ordinating evacuation missions all over Ukraine, particularly for children, the elderly and people with disabilities.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
The Prime Minister participated in a meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, convened by United States President Joe Biden. The Prime Minister also spoke with the President of Senegal Macky Sall and the President of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as well as Caroline Cochrane, the Premier of the Northwest Territories.
PUBLIC OPINION
A recent survey by the Prosperity Project found that if asked to return to the office full-time, nearly half of Canadian women say they would quit their jobs – and even more would turn down a promotion to continue working from home. Story by CP24 here.
OPINION
Kelly Cryderman (The Globe and Mail)on how women make up the most compelling candidates in the UCP leadership race: “The confirmation of her long-discussed interest in the UCP race will rile some party members wary of federal heavyweights moving to provincial politics as a second act, as Jim Prentice and Jason Kenney did. But the entry of the high-profile MP who is difficult to pin down politically – being both a vocal advocate of LGBTQ rights and supporter of Alberta autonomy and Western Canada’s oil and gas sector – would add a big name to a contest that already stands out for the number of women vying for the top job. If you want to look at where the UCP contest is going, and who is leading the break from the leadership of Alberta’s current Premier, look at the four women who’ve already stated their interest in running in the Oct. 6 contest. They account for half the declared candidates. And they represent a broad range of political views within Alberta’s conservative movement, with each distancing herself from the outgoing Mr. Kenney in one way or another.”
Gary Mason (The Globe and Mail) on what the crypto crash says about Pierre Poilievre’s judgment: “From the moment he entered the race to become the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre has been up front about the job he really wants. “I’m Pierre Poilievre and I’m running to be prime minister,” he says in campaign videos. Becoming the new leader of the CPC would be a mere stop along the way. Yes, prime minister is the job he wants, with all the attendant seriousness and responsibility the position demands. But since the outset of his campaign, Mr. Poilievre has mostly invited questions about his judgment and suitability for such an office with a series of bizarre policy pronouncements. Somehow, he hasn’t really had to answer for many of his more outlandish positions, such as his vow to fire the Governor of the Bank of Canada. However, he can and should be questioned today about his enthusiasm for, if not outright promotion of, cryptocurrency.”
Lawrence Stevenson (Contributed to The Globe and Mail)on why Canada should not close its military colleges: “But there is a legitimate reason that all serious armed forces in the world have military academies: They not only cover academics but also train young officer candidates in the military skills that will prepare them to serve as officers. Canada’s militarycolleges have a long legacy in this country, having been founded in 1876; the RMC flag was the basis for the modern Canadian flag. And over the course of nearly 150 years, Canada’s royal military colleges have graduated outstanding alumni, including Marc Garneau, Chris Hadfield, and Captain Nichola Goddard, a graduate of the RMC class of 2002, who valiantly gave her life in Afghanistan in 2006 so that we could be free from terrorism here at home. I suspect that the families of other RMC soldiers, sailors and airmen who have made the ultimate sacrifice in all our wars, including most recently in Afghanistan, would also strongly object to Ms. Arbour’s recommendation.”
Bill Waiser (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on the history behind the 1935 On-to-Ottawa Trek:“Earlier this year, a trucker convoy descended on Canada’s capital to complain about federal policies and what it saw as government inaction. But going to Ottawa to protest was a Canadian tradition long before that. In December, 1910, for example, 500 Prairie farmer delegates marched up Parliament Hill and into the House of Commons, where they took over proceedings. The next year, a small delegation representing Saskatchewan Treaty 4 bands brought their grievances directly to senior Indian Affairs officials. But perhaps the most popular protest to take to the capital and capture the Canadian imagination was the On-to-Ottawa Trek, in 1935 – even though the intended cross-country demonstration never actually made it beyond Regina.”
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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.
