India’s decision to expel a Canadian diplomat and strip the diplomatic immunity of dozens of other envoys was retaliatory and based partially on “an emotional element,” but relations between the two countries are better than they were two months ago, India’s High Commissioner to Canada says.
Sanjay Kumar Verma told CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, in a wide-ranging exclusive interview airing Sunday, that things have improved between the two countries since September thanks to ongoing “constructive” discussions.
This, after he said “the emotional element was a factor” in India’s decision to expel a Canadian diplomat.
He insists, however, that the move to strip the diplomatic immunities from dozens of other envoys in October was largely for the sake of parity, to have the same number of Canadian diplomats in India as there were Indian diplomats stationed in Canada.
It’s been a tense two months between Canada and India, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in the House of Commons in September there were “credible allegations” the Indian government may have been involved in the killing of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in B.C. in June.
India has denied the allegation — with Verma insisting India was “absolutely” and “decidedly” not involved — but has thus far refused to cooperate with any investigation.
Verma said India’s “main concern” in its relations with Canada remains that “some Canadian citizens are using Canadian soil to launch attacks on (India’s) sovereignty and territorial integrity,” referring to the Sikh separatist movement. He added from that “core issue” come “security concerns” for Indian diplomats and officials working in Canada, himself included.
Later, when asked by Kapelos whether he is overblowing the risk Sikh separatists pose for domestic political advantage in India, the high commissioner said his government has presented “documentation” to the Canadian government “through a mutually agreed channel” to prove Sikh separatists living in Canada are engaging in criminal activity in both countries.
When pressed on the timing of relations between the two countries going sour, and the quid-pro-quo expulsion of diplomats taking place shortly after Trudeau’s allegation in the House of Commons, Verma said “emotions became very high” at that time.
“Since one of our principal diplomats was expelled from here as persona non grata, so yes, we did retaliate on that,” he said. “Any action will have reaction, and similarly, we declared persona non grata on one of the Canadian diplomats who was at the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi, and others are in a process of evaluation.”
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, in a statement at the time, called India’s actions “completely unreasonable and escalatory.”
When asked why having parity in terms of the number of diplomats in both countries did not seem to be an issue prior to September, Verma said Trudeau’s allegations impacted the Indian government’s assessment.
“The emotions became very high once the statements were made from Ottawa,” he said. “And a bit of emotional elements will be there, and the decisions are taken.”
“The events which unfolded after the (prime minister’s) statements were made, we did not feel it was very friendly,” he also said.
Verma also said, however, that Canada and India are working on “more dialogue” to sort out how to “facilitate a better diplomatic presence” in both countries.
And when asked whether he sees a path to some form of solution and improved relations between the two countries, Verma said “of course.”
“I would say that, yes, the relationship is better than what it was a couple of months back,” he also said, in response to a question about what should be inferred from India’s decision to reinstate electronic visa applications for Canadians.
Verma in his interview also discussed that decision this week to reinstate some visa applications for Canadians, why India is cooperating with an American investigation but not Canada’s, and the Sikh separatism movement in Canada more broadly.
Watch the full interview on CTV’s Question Period Sunday at 11 a.m. ET.
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.
