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The Lead
A more fiery prime minister than Canadians have become accustomed to during the COVID-19 pandemic re-emerged when asked about hiccups in his party’s plans for Parliament.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blamed opposition parties for playing “political games” – slamming the Conservatives specifically, and rejecting their call to return to semi-regular sittings of the House of Commons.
Trudeau’s Liberal government tried, and failed, on Wednesday to swiftly move Bill C-17 through the House, but could not secure unanimous consent to restart the chamber, which is required in the rules it passed to operate under during the pandemic. The bill would introduce fines and jail time for Canada Emergency Response Benefit fraudsters, tweak the federal wage subsidy, suspend various court deadlines and authorize one-time payments of $600 to Canadians that receive the disability tax credit.
Trudeau, in frustration, lashed out at the Conservatives, who along with the Bloc Québécois, were overruled two weeks ago by Liberal, Green and NDP MPs in agreeing to temporarily restructure the House’s functionality.
“The Conservatives didn’t like that. They wanted something else,” he said. “So because they didn’t get their way two weeks ago, they continue to complain and play politics and they blocked help to Canadians with disabilities because they’re still trying to argue something they lost the debate on two weeks ago.”
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer responded in the chamber on Thursday during a meeting of the COVID-19 committee, where Trudeau was absent.
Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer. Andrew Meade/iPolitics
“The mistake yesterday was Liberals shamefully saying no to allowing Parliament to deal with that legislation and then disgustingly today trying to play petty politics on the backs of people with disabilities,” said Scheer. The Globe and Mail has more details.
Also on Thursday, Trudeau backed RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki, while also contradicting her comments on systemic racism in the federal police force.
“Systemic racism is an issue right across the country, in all our institutions, including in all our police forces, including in the RCMP. That’s what systemic racism is,” Trudeau said when asked about the comments made yesterday by Lucki, who said over a series of interviews that “unconscious bias” exists in the RCMP but that “if systemic racism is meaning that racism is entrenched in (the RCMP’s) policies and procedures,” then she would not agree it exists in the force. That was reported by CBC News.
On another note: two-thirds of Canadians believe discrimination is common in Canada, while another 61 per cent think systemic or institutional racism exists in the country. Those findings are from an Abacus Data poll, which examined how Canadians see racism as anti-Black protests continue around the globe in response to the killing of George Floyd. CityNews provides more findings.
In Canada
Back on the topic of unjustness in police forces, Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Thursday conceded to the presence of systemic racism amongst Ontario’s cops.
The premier said there may be a need for improvements from training to “awareness,” but kept up with his earlier comments, saying that he wouldn’t consider defunding the police. Victoria Gibson reports.
In the meantime, New Democrat MP Matthew Green wants tear gas, which police in Canada are allowed to use in “very rare” circumstances, as Public Safety Minister Bill Blair put it on Thursday, banned in the country. To note, tear gas was recently used on protestors in Montreal on May 31, and previously by Toronto police for the first time during the 2010 G20 protests, when Blair ran the city’s police department. Our Jolson Lim spoke to Green about the petition he’s heading, which has collected more than 3,500 signatures in less than two days.
There was news in the Quebec courts today – the federal government appointed Manon Savard as the new chief justice for Quebec’s Court of Appeal; and the federal government filed a motion requesting extension of the Superior Court of Quebec’s Truchon ruling that struck down parts of Canada’s medical assistance in dying law. Marco Vigliotti and Charlie Pinkerton provide more details.
The speed the new coronavirus jumped from 100,000 to 200,000 confirmed cases in Africa shows just how quickly the pandemic is accelerating on the continent, the World Health Organization said Thursday. (AFP)
American states are rolling back lockdowns, but cases are still rising in nearly half the states, a worrying trend that could intensify as people return to work and venture out during the summer. (Associated Press)
Hong Kong’s security chief has announced that a dedicated police unit is being set up and would be ready to enforce controversial new national security laws from day one. (The Guardian)
The Pentagon’s top general apologized on Thursday for appearing alongside President Trump near the White House after authorities forcibly removed peaceful protesters from the area, saying that it “was a mistake that I have learned from.” (Washington Post)
In a broadside against the International Criminal Court, President Donald Trump on Thursday authorized economic and travel sanctions against court workers investigating American troops and intelligence officials and those of allied nations, including Israel, for possible war crimes in Afghanistan and elsewhere. (AP)
Zoom Video Communications temporarily shut the account belonging to a group of U.S.-based Chinese activists after they held an event to commemorate the 31st anniversary of China’s Tiananmen Square crackdown, the activists said on Thursday. (Reuters)
Stocks on Wall Street suffered their sharpest daily decline in months on Thursday as investors’ confidence was rattled by grim new economic forecasts, another 1.5 million weekly unemployment claims and a worrisome uptick in cases in parts of the United States. (NYT)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his daily media availability in mid-May. Andrew Meade/iPolitics
The Times writes that Trudeau’s hair “has long been a subject of fascination, ridicule and adulation in Canada.” The piece says “commentary on his mane has become a national sport.”
It really hasn’t. And many Canadians were quick to dunk on that line on social media.
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.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.
Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.
They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.
However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.
Her statement on X is closed to comments.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
