Canadians are too smart to fall for Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday.
Trudeau made the remark after he was asked about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent interview with Tucker Carlson.
In it, Putin mocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for taking part in a tribute on Parliament Hill that included a veteran with Nazi ties.
Canada made international headlines last fall for accidentally inviting Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian-born Canadian who fought with an SS unit during the Second World War, to Parliament and then giving him a standing ovation.
“The president of Ukraine stood up with the entire Parliament of Canada and applauded this man. How can this be imagined?” Putin said through a translator in an interview shared Thursday evening.
Putin has claimed that he invaded Ukraine to defeat neo-Nazis — something Western counties have dismissed as propaganda.
Trudeau told reporters on Friday Putin will use “whatever propaganda he can” to try and justify the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
“But I can tell you, Canadians will not be fooled,” he said at a news conference in King City, Ont.
“Canada stands with Ukraine, not just because we are friends to Ukraine, but because the rules-based order and the system of laws and the UN Charter protect all of us, not just Ukrainians.”
He added his government will continue to support Ukraine.
“Unfortunately, we see the lengths to which Russian propaganda will go to try and impact public opinion, to try and twist things.”
For weeks, Trudeau has slammed Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and singled out many of his members of Parliament for voting against an updated free trade agreement with Ukraine.
Poilievre says while his party supports Ukraine’s in the war against Russia, it opposes consumer carbon prices and stands against the revised agreement because the text mentions that both Ukraine and Canada agree to “promote carbon pricing.” Ukraine has had a price on carbon for years.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress was among the groups to voice their disappointment over the Tories’ position.
Trudeau accused Poilievre of mimicking the position of some U.S Republicans, who are signalling less support for assisting the Ukrainian war effort.
Poilievre has pushed back against that accusation. Some of his MPs have begun calling on the Liberals to send more weapons to Ukraine after they began voting against the free-trade bill.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2024.
MONTREAL – Quebec’s ombudsperson is warning that public services are becoming “dehumanized” in the province amid a rise in demand for them.
Marc-André Dowd released his annual report today, which highlights several examples of people receiving inadequate care across the health network in the 12 months leading to March 31.
One dying man who lived alone was denied help cleaning his cat’s litter box by his local health clinic, a service Dowd says should have been given for “humanitarian reasons.”
Dowd also describes staff at a long-term care home feeding residents “mechanically” and talking among each other — despite health ministry guidelines directing staff to maintain eye contact with residents.
The ombudsperson says his office received a record number of problems to investigate across the province’s public services — 24,867 compared with 22,053 last year.
He says his office investigated 13,358 cases between April 2023 and March of this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
OTTAWA – French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Canada next week after a planned trip in July was cancelled amid political turmoil in France.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in a statement today that Macron will be in Canada Wednesday and Thursday after the leaders attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Trudeau will welcome Macron in Ottawa on Wednesday, where they are expected to discuss collaboration on geopolitical issues including their ongoing support for Ukraine.
They are also expected to discuss ways to strengthen the response to emerging threats, such as disinformation.
In Montreal, Trudeau intends to show off the city’s artificial intelligence sector, while both countries reaffirm their commitment to work with counterparts on responsible use of AI.
The leaders will also discuss promoting the French language ahead of the Francophonie summit being held in France next month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Health Canada has authorized Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus.
The protein-based vaccine, called Nuvaxovid, has been reformulated to target the JN.1 subvariant of Omicron.
It will replace the previous version of the vaccine, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron.
Health Canada recently asked provinces and territories to get rid of their older COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the most current vaccine will be used during this fall’s respiratory virus season.
Earlier this week, Health Canada approved Moderna’s updated mRNA COVID vaccine.
It is still reviewing Pfizer’s updated mRNA vaccine, with a decision expected soon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously described the Novavax vaccine as an mRNA shot.
