Quebec Liberal MP Anthony Housefather says he is ‘reflecting’ on his future in the Liberal party after a heavily amended NDP motion on Palestinian statehood passed in the House of Commons on Monday.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
The Liberal government’s decision to support a softened NDP motion on the Israel-Hamas war is drawing sharp criticism from its Israeli ally and from within the governing caucus, with one MP saying he’s considering leaving the party over the vote.
On Parliament Hill Tuesday, Quebec Liberal MP Anthony Housefather told reporters he is reflecting on his next steps and, with his voice cracking, said the result of the vote left him feeling isolated by his own party.
“I truly felt last night that a line had been crossed,” Mr. Housefather said, adding it was the first time he has been in such a position.
“When my party members got up and cheered and gave a standing ovation to Heather McPherson and the NDP, I started reflecting as to whether or not I belonged.”
During the vote, Ms. McPherson and several NDP MPs were wearing the black and white keffiyeh scarf – a symbol of the pro-Palestinian protest movement.
Mr. Housefather said he would make a decision in the next few days, adding “for the moment, I’m still there.”
Late on Monday, the NDP opposition motion on the Israel-Hamas war passed the House thanks to the governing Liberals’ support from most of caucus and cabinet. Mr. Housefather and backbench MPs Ben Carr and Marco Mendicino voted against it.
The vote in favour of the motion came after intense negotiations that went down to the wire and included an emergency cabinet meeting. Ultimately, the Liberals convinced the NDP to remove the most controversial element of the motion, which called for the recognition of a Palestinian state, and to temper much of the other language.
Israel’s Ambassador to Canada Iddo Moed speaks in Ottawa, on Jan. 26.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Mr. Housefather, who is also a parliamentary secretary in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, said that while the motion’s amendments improved its content, it was still flawed and he would have preferred to see Liberals vote against the original motion, rather than agree to changes.
He also said that changes to the motion, which were announced 20 minutes before the vote was scheduled, didn’t give parliamentarians time to properly consider and understand them.
His colleague, Mr. Carr, told The Globe and Mail that he had consulted with his Winnipeg constituents – which include the largest Jewish community in Western Canada – before deciding to vote against the original motion and said in order to change his vote he would have needed time to consult on the changes. Still he said he views the Liberal caucus as a microcosm of society and he is “very comfortable being in the Liberal caucus.”
The motion from the NDP originally called on the government to recognize the Palestinian state and included no language condemning Hamas or calling for its surrender. The final version removed the statehood call and said Hamas should surrender, but still fell short, according to Israel’s Ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed.
In an interview, Mr. Moed said the motion failed to grasp the threat Israel faces and the reason why the war is still continuing – the more than 100 hostages still held captive by Hamas.
In particular, Mr. Moed said the clause that called on Canada to “cease the further authorization and transfer of arms exports to Israel” would weaken its right to self-defence and is counterproductive.
“The motion’s language is there to weaken Israel’s ability to defend itself,” Mr. Moed said.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz weighed in on social media. “History will judge Canada’s current action harshly. Israel will continue to fight until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages are returned home,” he said.
Such a motion is usually non-binding, but in this case Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters that her government intended to “follow what is written in this motion.”
Canada has already said that it stopped issuing military export permits to Israel – but the Department of Global Affairs said it is still reviewing applications for permits to export military goods to Israel “on a case-by-case basis,” despite the fact it has not issued new ones since Jan. 8.
This means Canada has not closed the door to future exports of military goods to the Israeli government.
Canada does not typically export full systems to Israel but does export military end-use components on an annual basis. Waterloo, Ont.-based Project Ploughshares, an arms-control advocate, says by its count Canadian companies exported more than $21-million in defence equipment to Israeli customers in 2022, the latest year with complete data.
“The department continues to review export permits requests on a case-by-case basis. The rapidly evolving situation affects GAC’s review process under our rigorous export regime,” Global Affairs spokesman Jean-Pierre Godbout said in an e-mailed statement.
Canada “supports Israel’s right to defend itself, in accordance with international law,” Mr. Godbout said. “In defending itself, Israel must comply with applicable international humanitarian law.”
Canada doesn’t typically release many details on defence exports to Israel or other countries.
Since 2015, however, the largest annual categories of shipments to Israel fall into three categories: bombs, torpedoes, missiles and other explosive devices; aircraft, drones, aero engines, aircraft equipment for military use and electronic equipment; and spacecraft and components.
Two sources said one of the export applications in the Global Affairs pipeline is a request to ship armoured vehicles to Israel. The Globe is not naming the sources because they were not authorized to comment on the matter.
Lior Haiat, the head of the Israel Foreign Ministry’s North America division, said his government is in talks to try to get Canada to reverse restrictions on arms exports.
He predicted the NDP-sponsored resolution will be celebrated by Hamas and said curbing arms exports to Israel inhibits its ability to defend itself. “What Israel is doing is exactly that: We’re fighting against a terror organization that’s main goal is to destroy the State of Israel and kill all the Jews in this world.”
Kelsey Gallagher, a researcher at Project Ploughshares, said he believes Ottawa’s obligations under arms-control law require it to stop exports to Israel because of the country’s conduct in the war.
“Canadian officials cannot authorize the transfer of military goods if such exports pose a substantial risk of facilitating serious human-rights violations,” Mr. Gallagher said. “In considering Israel’s conduct throughout its operation in Gaza, this threshold has evidently been met.”
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
