VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s ejection from the House of Commons on Wednesday could spark a greater conversation about race and diversity in the highest level of Canadian politics.
That’s coming from an expert after the New Democrat was booted from the House for calling Bloc Québécois MP Alain Therrien a racist for not supporting an NDP motion to tackle systemic racism in the RCMP, and refusing to apologize for it.
“When you have this one individual, Bloc’s leader in the House, Therrien, refusing to vote for the motion, it does raise questions about racism. And I think in the heat of the moment, this is what Jagmeet Singh said,” Samir Gandesha, a political scientist at Simon Fraser University, tells NEWS 1130. “Given everything that’s been happening around the world, particularly around the world … in this country as well, it’s understandable. I think it’s an understandable response from [Singh].”
Singh stood by his comments after he was kicked out, getting visibly emotional while telling reporters he “got angry” and wondering why something couldn’t be done to “save people’s lives.”
People have asked what happened in the House today.
Gandesha says Singh’s comments directed at Therrien could be echoed by various groups across Canada. He points to other times the NDP leader has spoken out against racism, notably after the Justin Trudeau blackface scandal, when Singh reflected on his own dealings with racism growing up.
“He spoke from the heart about how he, himself, had fought racists and he acknowledged that there are those new Canadians and longstanding immigrant communities in this country that have had to deal with racism and felt really hurt by this particular episode, or there were quite a number of episodes of Justin Trudeau, let’s say, not exactly being respectful of ethnic communities,” Gandesha says.
He adds Singh’s latest response is “given credibility” by how he’s dealt with racist incidents in the past.
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“The gesture of just simply dismissing the sentiment behind the motion, Jagmeet Singh really found it hard to take. And I think there are so many of us now saying, ‘enough is enough,’” Gandesha explains, adding recent protests and calls for action against systemic racism in the U.S. are bringing to light similar issues Canadians face on this side of the border. “Similar kinds of problems that we need to address head-on. And when the other side doesn’t take it seriously, it becomes extremely frustrating.”
Singh is the first person of colour to lead a federal party in Canada. As such, Gandesha says he opens up a wider discussion on diversity and race in politics — and in our world.
Gandesha says the future of political leadership likely lies with people from diverse people, young people, and members of the LGBTQ community.
“[It’s] only going to be a good thing, in terms of ushering in a new era of equality and justice,” he says.
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.
