REGINA —
A first-of-its-kind initiative is pushing for more Black Canadians in western and northern Canada to run for office, with the possibility of a federal election on the horizon.
“We have something like two fifths of the black population in Canada but we have less than 1/5 of the candidates that run. We think that there’d a particular need here for us to kind of serve and to focus on,” Petros Kusmu, the Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter Canada said.
In last November’s election, Juliet Bushi was the first Black woman elected as a School Board Trustee in the Regina Catholic School Division.
A lack of Black representation in all levels of Saskatchewan government is what inspired her to get involved.
“It is very important for children, for everybody to see themselves represented, especially in politics, and also in tables where decisions are made,” Juliet Bushi, the Saskatchewan representative and co-founder of Black Voters Matter Canada, said.
In the last federal election there were less than 0.01 percent of Black candidates running in Saskatchewan, according to Black Voters Matter Canada
“You see a lot of the parties say the same thing over and over again and you’re really tuning into hear them point at something you’re really dealing with and you don’t hear those things.” Bushi said. “So it is discouraging because you don’t really know who to vote for.”
Throughout March, Black Voters Matter Canada west and north is hosting online forums with Black politicians from all federal parties to talk about their experiences and challenges.
“Giving them direct face time with Black members of parliament’s volunteers organizers to shed some light about dented demystify the process of seeking a nomination of, you know, what are some pro tips to run a successful campaign. In the hopes that we can get way more candidates, you know, just in-case an election is called,” Kusmu said.
While the focus is on getting more awareness and people involved, the group is trying to inspire the next generation of Black voters and politicians in Canada.
“We may not see a candidate, next time, but it’s again giving people that idea as well, planting that seed in their mind, and as well as where they can see themselves in the future and know that we have a community here that can support that,” Bushi said.
Black Voters Matter Canada will host a Black Women in Politics Panel Discussion on March 21.
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.
