Québec solidaire member faces rebuke for saying fellow politicians target minorities

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The leaders of coalition parties in the Dutch government dominated by hard-right leader Geert Wilders gathered Friday for crisis talks following reports that the finance state secretary was resigning over what she saw as denigrating comments on immigrants after Israeli fans were assaulted after a soccer game in Amsterdam.

Wilders last Wednesday blamed Moroccans for attacks on Israeli soccer fans, claiming that “we saw Muslims hunting Jews” and added it was fueled by ”Moroccans who want to destroy Jews.” He said those convicted of involvement should be deported if they have dual nationality.

Dutch media said that Morocco-born Nora Achahbar of centrist New Social Contract party would announce her resignation as finance secretary later Friday. The news couldn’t immediately be independently confirmed.

While lawmakers condemned antisemitism and agreed that perpetrators of the violence should be prosecuted and handed harsh punishments, opposition legislators accused Wilders of pouring oil on the fire. Wilders, whose party became the biggest in last year’s election, also sowed some dissent within the four-party coalition with his comments.

Late Friday, video and photos appeared of party leaders arriving at the Catshuis residence of Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

The leader of the Green-left-Socialist opposition, Frans Timmermans, lauded Achahbar even before any move was announced.

“In this government, racist remarks are the order of the day. This government is not for all Dutch people,” he said.

Violence erupted in the Dutch capital before and after last week’s soccer match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Fans from both sides were involved in unrest. A number of Maccabi fans chanted anti-Arab slogans and ripped a Palestinian flag off a building, while some men carried out “hit-and-run” attacks on Maccabi fans and people they thought were Jews, according to a 12-page report on the violence issued by Amsterdam authorities.

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WHITEHORSE – Yukon says its Communicable Disease Control and the territory’s chief medical officer have confirmed a case of whooping cough on a flight from Whitehorse to Vancouver earlier this month.

The territory says it is advising any passengers who took the Air North flight that left at 11:45 a.m. on Nov. 6 to monitor for symptoms, which may show up seven to 10 days after exposure.

It says whooping cough may create a range of outcomes from mild cold-like symptoms to severe coughing fits.

The territory says the respiratory disease can pose serious risks to pregnant individuals in their third trimester and infants under one year of age.

It says those who were seated in rows 17 to 22 may be at greater risk of exposure.

High-risk individuals who sat in that area of the plane are also being asked to contact their health care providers or Yukon disease-control authorities for guidance on antibiotics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.

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HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s Liberal and NDP leaders highlighted platform pledges related to housing and support for small businesses Friday, as Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston campaigned outside of Halifax.

During an announcement at party headquarters in Halifax, Zach Churchill confirmed that the Liberals’ plan to get 80,000 homes built in order to ease a provincial housing shortage by 2032 would not include the construction of more public housing.

Churchill said he isn’t philosophically opposed to public housing, but he thinks it costs more and takes longer to build.

“We have to build more quickly,” he said. “We have to empower the private sector to develop market housing and we have to lean on the models that are working the best in our province, and that is the not-for-profit model … and co-op options.”

As of May this year, the Progressive Conservative government had committed to building 273 new public housing units — the first to be built since 1993 — with the intent of housing 700 people.

“We are not going to adjust the current plan for public housing that this (Tory) government has initiated, but we know that government housing is not the answer,” Churchill said.

The Liberal plan, which was previously announced in the party’s platform, would build homes faster and make them more affordable, he argued.

Churchill said a Liberal government would establish provincewide municipal zoning standards and spur housing innovation through the use of modular and factory-built housing. It would also offer $37.5 million a year to build more non-profit housing and $20 million over four years to build and support co-operative housing.

Churchill said there would also be a review with the intent of lowering property taxes in order to encourage the building of more housing or additions to homes.

The Tory platform has few measures to address the province’s housing crisis aside from a plan to make more vacant land available to communities and reduce the minimum down payment for a home to two per cent.

The NDP meanwhile, has promised to build 30,000 new affordable rental homes as part of a plan that will also expand public housing stock by giving priority to the use of prefabricated housing.

Also in the Halifax area on Friday, NDP Leader Claudia Chender discussed her party’s promise to cut the small business tax to 1.5 per cent from 2.5 per cent. Chender said the move is important because the money spent at small businesses helps drive Nova Scotia’s economy.

“People have been working harder but they are often falling further and further behind,” Chender told reporters, adding that small businesses can often not afford to hire the workers necessary to expand their companies.

She said the NDP would also work with local businesses to build a program that would encourage Nova Scotians to buy local.

Houston had no announcements planned on Friday and spent most of the day campaigning in Colchester and Pictou counties.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2024.

— With files from Cassidy McMackon in Halifax.

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