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Hello,
As China continues its security crackdown on Hong Kong, Canada says Hong Kongers are welcome here.
Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said today that the government will make it easier for Hong Kong students and graduates to come to Canada, and will expedite processes and waive fees for Canadians and Canadian permanent residents who are currently in Hong Kong to come back.
Mr. Mendicino said the Canadian government was concerned by China’s removal of four pro-democracy advocates from Hong Kong’s legislature.
The Canadian government is not yet making any changes that it would it easier for Hong Kongers to claim asylum in Canada.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
COVID-19 cases in Ontario have hit yet another record high.
Provincial governments are pursuing opioid makers in a U.S. court for US$67.4-billion in public-health-care costs.
Shell Canada is planning to offer customers the chance to pay extra at the gas pumps to fund carbon-emission-reduction programs.
And workers in Neskantaga First Nation continue to try to fix the community’s contaminated water supply, weeks after most residents had to be evacuated. The emergency is raising some serious questions about the federal government’s promise to end boil-water advisories on First Nations.
Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail) on why and how Canada should restrict foreign agents operating in the country: “This is a growth area: foreign governments trying to exert influence beyond their borders. A lot of it is benign, some of it is laudable, but a portion of it is interference. That’s why more transparency is needed, so Canadians know when people in their own country are working on behalf of foreign interests. Like the U.S. and Australia, Canada should have a registry of foreign agents.”
Robyn Urback (The Globe and Mail) on Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole: “Mr. O’Toole has made clear in just a few months that his big, bold vision for modern conservatism is quite obviously about one core principle: winning. And while that might leave some small-c conservatives feeling cheated, big C-Conservatives are hopeful about the future of the party.”
Lawrence Martin (The Globe and Mail) on why Trudeau will get along with U.S. president-elect Biden: “But like other Liberal PM and Democratic presidents, Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Biden have similarly centrist political philosophies as well as a warm personal rapport. Those are the two primary prerequisites for successful relations.”
Andrew Potter (The Globe and Mail) on why Trump will be missed when he’s gone: “For many people, fighting Mr. Trump organized their thoughts and focused their energies. War is a force that gives life meaning, and its absence or end leaves many combatants feeling aimless and lost.”
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