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Trudeau launches China election meddling probes

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at a news conferenceCPAC

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that an independent special rapporteur will probe alleged Chinese interference in their recent elections.

The appointed investigator will review classified reports about the 2019 and 2021 federal elections and will make recommendations for future contests.

Rival political party leaders have called for a public inquiry.

China has denied any election interference, calling the claims “purely baseless and defamatory”.

Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, Mr Trudeau said the reports challenging Canada’s “sovereignty” are alarming, and “strike us to our very core as Canadians”.

“I will be appointing an independent special rapporteur, who will have a wide mandate and make expert recommendations on combating interference and strengthening our democracy,” Mr Trudeau said.

The rapporteur has not yet been chosen, he said, adding that the appointment will be made in the coming days.

Mr Trudeau also said he would ask members of parliament and senators in the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (Nsicop) to begin a review of foreign interference and to report its findings to parliament.

He added that Canada has long been aware of meddling attempts by China, as well as Iran and Russia.

The countries, as well as several other non-state actors, “have attempted to interfere not only in our democracy, but our country in general”.

“This is not a new problem,” he said

A series of reports in the Globe and Mail newspaper and broadcaster Global News in recent weeks, based on leaks from Canadian intelligence sources, detailed alleged attempts by China’s Communist Party to interfere in the last two federal elections.

Chinese officials have dismissed the reports as “purely baseless and defamatory” and as “hype”.

Conservative politicians have said publicly they were aware of interference in 2021 race, and believe it had cost them several seats – though not enough to change the election result, which Mr Trudeau’s Liberals won with a 41-seat lead.

A federal public report last week found that efforts to meddle in the 2021 federal election did not affect the results.

Federal opposition parties – the New Democrats and the Conservatives – have been pushing for an “independent and public” inquiry into the accounts.

In response to Mr Trudeau’s announcement, the New Democrats criticised the Nsicop committee probe, arguing it was not an “acceptable substitute for a public inquiry”.

“The way to stop foreign actors from acting in secret is to refuse to keep their secrets,” said New Democrat MP Peter Julian.

The leader of the Conservatives, Pierre Poilievre, called Mr Trudeau’s announcement a “cover up” by Liberals “to avoid accountability”.

The rapporteur will have the authority to recommend a public inquiry, Mr Trudeau said in response to critics.

“We will abide by their recommendation,” he said, calling the decision one of the official’s first tasks after being appointed.

“I know there are people out there who don’t believe this is enough,” Mr Trudeau continued. “I get that. This is why we’re entrusting further work to someone impartial.”

Also on Monday, the federal Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they had opened an investigation into how information about the alleged meddling was leaked to Canadian news outlets.

A poll released last week by the Angus Reid Institute found that around 65% of Canadians say they believe that Beijing attempted to meddle in both recent federal elections.

Two-thirds of Canadians also said that the federal government should do more to combat election meddling.

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End of Manitoba legislature session includes replacement-worker ban, machete rules

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WINNIPEG – Manitoba politicians are expected to pass several bills into law before the likely end of legislature session this evening.

The NDP government, with a solid majority of seats, is getting its omnibus budget bill through.

It enacts tax changes outlined in the spring budget, but also includes unrelated items, such as a ban on replacement workers during labour disputes.

The bill would also make it easier for workers to unionize, and would boost rebates for political campaign expenses.

Another bill expected to pass this evening would place new restrictions on the sale of machetes, in an attempt to crack down on crime.

Among the bills that are not expected to pass this session is one making it harder for landlords to raise rents above the inflation rate.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Father charged with second-degree murder in infant’s death: police

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A Richmond Hill, Ont., man has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his seven-week-old infant earlier this year.

York Regional Police say they were contacted by the York Children’s Aid Society about a child who had been taken to a hospital in Toronto on Jan. 15.

They say the baby had “significant injuries” that could not be explained by the parents.

The infant died three days later.

Police say the baby’s father, 30, was charged with second-degree murder on Oct. 23.

Anyone with more information on the case is urged to contact investigators.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Ontario fast-tracking several bills with little or no debate

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TORONTO – Ontario is pushing through several bills with little or no debate, which the government house leader says is due to a short legislative sitting.

The government has significantly reduced debate and committee time on the proposed law that would force municipalities to seek permission to install bike lanes when they would remove a car lane.

It also passed the fall economic statement that contains legislation to send out $200 cheques to taxpayers with reduced debating time.

The province tabled a bill Wednesday afternoon that would extend the per-vote subsidy program, which funnels money to political parties, until 2027.

That bill passed third reading Thursday morning with no debate and is awaiting royal assent.

Government House Leader Steve Clark did not answer a question about whether the province is speeding up passage of the bills in order to have an election in the spring, which Premier Doug Ford has not ruled out.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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