U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says there are no plans to re-evaluate the makeup of AUKUS — a trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States — to include Canada.
The creation of AUKUS was announced in September 2021 to help Australia develop nuclear-propelled submarines, as Indo-Pacific countries worked on plans to deal with an increasingly adversarial China.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada is not in the market for nuclear-powered submarines. Despite this, Defence Minister Anita Anand said last month the federal government would be interested in co-operation with AUKUS members on matters involving quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and other technology, The Canadian Press has reported.
But in an interview with CTV’s Question Period airing Sunday, Kirby told host Vassy Kapelos that “people are kind of looking at AUKUS in the wrong ways,” by describing it as an alliance, or “some sort of club” as opposed to simply a “consortium to help Australia develop this particular military capability.”
“We’re simply focused on making sure that (Australia) can get nuclear-powered submarines,” Kirby insisted. “That’s where our focus is … and there really aren’t discussions right now or plans to modify the AUKUS arrangement in the future.
“I can’t be perfectly predictive of where things are going in the Indo-Pacific, but that’s what this is focused on,” he added. “And that’s where our heads are right now.”
Kirby added that while the U.S. recognizes “Canada as an Indo-Pacific power,” and that “there’s a key role for Canada clearly in addressing Indo-Pacific challenges,” that does not include membership in AUKUS at this point.
“I just don’t have anything to say on that,” Kirby said. “In terms of what AUKUS could look like going forward, again, we’re really tailoring it towards this nuclear-propelled submarine capability.”
He added the security pact is “just not there yet” in deciding whether it will ever be expanded to include other technologies and capabilities.
Former Canadian national security adviser Vincent Rigby told CTV News that Kirby’s comments are “surprising,” in light of media reports that both Canada and New Zealand would be interested in joining a “second (non-nuclear) pillar of AUKUS” focused on other capabilities, namely in cyber and tech.
Rigby has raised concerns about Canada’s lack of membership in the security pact.
“It begs the question whether Kirby was only referring to the first pillar, focused exclusively on nuclear-powered subs,” Rigby wrote in an email to CTV News on Friday.
“If it turns out that the U.S. has shut the door completely to possible future Canadian membership in AUKUS, it will mean Canada will continue to be left out of a major partnership among Five Eyes Allies while also being denied access to advanced defence technology,” he also wrote. “On both counts, this would be a major blow to Canada.”
With files from CTV’s Question Period Senior Producer Stephanie Ha and The Canadian Press
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
