A Conservative MP arriving for Wednesday’s party caucus meeting promised debate behind closed doors on the Quebec secularism law, suggesting the party should challenge it in court.
Mark Strahl, the MP for Chilliwack–Hope, said the Conservatives need to take a different approach to Bill 21, which has been in the spotlight since it was used to justify the removal of a third-grade teacher in Quebec because she wears a hijab.
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, in response, last week said that he personally opposes the law, which bans teachers and some other public-sector workers from wearing religious symbols on the job, but added that Quebecers should be allowed to deal with such issues themselves.
Mr. Strahl disagreed. “I personally think when people are being targeted because of their religion or the things they wear because of their religion, we should speak out against that as Canadians,” he told journalists.
On Mr. O’Toole’s view, Mr. Strahl said, “I think some issues transcend jurisdiction, and I think Bill 21 is one of them.”
Asked if the Conservatives should commit to challenging the legislation in court, Mr. Strahl said, “We can’t let laws like that go unchallenged. So yes, that would be my position.”
He added that his view is shared by “many, many of my colleagues” and that the issue would be brought up during the caucus meeting.
There’s a story here outlining some views on the issue among members of the Conservative caucus.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he disagrees with Bill 21 and his government has not ruled out intervening in a legal battle against the law. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has said he would support federal intervention in a court challenge – a position detailed in a story here.
Departing the caucus meeting, Conservative MP Garnett Genuis also expressed concerns about Bill 21.
“Well, I’ve been very clear always that I’m very opposed to Bill 21. I’ve tabled petitions in the House opposing Bill 21 and I will always stand with my Muslim, Sikh and Jewish brothers and sisters who are concerned about how this bill’s affecting them,” he told journalists.
Asked about federal intervention, the MP for Sherwood Park–Fort Saskatchewan said, “I’m not a lawyer,” and that he would leave it to others with more expertise.
Of Mr. O’Toole’s position, Mr. Genius said the Conservative leader has made it clear that he personally opposes the legislation.
Upon leaving the caucus meeting on Wednesday, Mr. O’Toole repeated his views on the Quebec law
“I do not approve of Bill 21. I would not introduce legislation like that at the federal level. We will continue to talk about important issues in Quebec and across the country,” he said.
“We must speak as a team, but it is also important to recognize provincial jurisdiction and the judicial process in Quebec.”
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
BREAKING – The federal government is advising against all non-essential international travel in the face of the rapidly spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos made the announcement at a 1:30 p.m. EST news conference in Ottawa, following a Tuesday evening meeting between premiers and the Prime Minister. There’s a story here on where things stand now. Watch The Globe and Mail for updates.
FALL FISCAL UPDATE – Ottawa’s bottom line is benefitting from billions in new tax revenue since the April budget, with the Liberal government opting to divert about half of that substantial gain toward new spending, the fall fiscal update shows.
INFLATION HITS THREE-DECADE HIGH – Canadian inflation hit a three-decade high in November as the economy now deals with rapidly increasing infections tied to the Omicron variant of COVID-19, threatening to exacerbate supply disruptions that have pushed up prices and become a top concern for households. Story here.
B.C. WELCOMES OTTAWA FLOOD-DISASTER AID – British Columbia’s finance minister says the federal government’s $5-billion contribution to flood recovery efforts in the province is a historic amount of cash that reflects the extreme nature of the disaster. Story here.
RALLY TO PROTEST REMOVAL OF QUEBEC TEACHER – Nearly 200 people gathered this week outside the Gatineau constituency office of the Quebec MNA whose riding includes the school where a third-grade teacher was told she couldn’t continue to teach her class so long as she wears a hijab, because of Quebec’s secularism law. Story here from The Ottawa Citizen.
CANADIAN PRIVACY OFFICIALS ACT – Privacy officials in Canada have formally ordered a U.S. facial-recognition software company to delete images of Canadians in its database and are preparing to take steps, which could include large fines, if the order is refused.
NO PUBLIC DISCUSSION ON RYERSON NAME CHANGE – Ryerson University will not hold a public discussion about possible options for its renaming. Instead, the Toronto postsecondary institution will be guided primarily by a survey of public opinion and the recommendations of a committee. Story here.
SLOAN JOINS NEW PARTY – Former Conservative MP Derek Sloan has been appointed to lead a new party. Details here from Global News.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS – Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, Dec. 15, accessible here.
CAUCUS MEETINGS – Wednesday is caucus day in Ottawa, but there was a twist this week as the Liberals and the NDP held their meetings virtually due to concerns about the Omicron variant. However, the Conservatives gathered in person across the street from the House of Commons. “We’re following all the rules as we always have,” party leader Erin O’Toole said as he arrived for the meeting. CBC reports here Omicron’s impact on House business.
TRUDEAU WARNING – Heading to his office to dial into the virtual Liberal caucus meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a caution to Canadians about the path ahead during the holidays amid the impact of the Omicron variant. “People are going to have to be careful,” Mr. Trudeau told journalists, speaking in French. “Canadians have been paying attention for months and months. We saw the ability of people to do the right things. They will have to make careful decisions about Christmas.”
MACKLEM SPEECH – Tiff Macklem, Governor of the Bank of Canada, will be delivering an end-of-year speech at noon Wednesday to the to the Empire Club of Canada.
TORY MP TABLES BEREAVEMENT BILL – Conservative MP Tom Kmiec (Calgary–Shepard) has tabled Bill C-211: An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code, which would expand bereavement leave to eight weeks of unpaid leave for parents who have experienced a stillbirth, the death of a child under the age of 18, or the death of a disabled child in the parent’s care. The current Canada Labour Code allows for three days of paid leave and two days of unpaid leave. In June, Mr. Kmiec, who has been an MP since 2015, tabled Bill C-307 on bereavement leave, but it did not proceed due to the federal election. Mr. Kmiec’s daughter died in August, 2018, after living for 18 days. The text of his bill is here.
POILIEVRE EXPECTING A SCREAM-FILLED HOLIDAY – Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre appears to be expecting a rather noisy Christmas this year. Asked, as he left Wednesday’s caucus meeting, about whether he was changing his Christmas plans due to Omicron, the Carleton MP offered a this response: “No. My Christmas plans were already boring. I was planning to stay home with two screaming kids and now as a result of this variant, I’m planning to stay home with two screaming kids. So thanks very much.” In response, a journalist observed, “That’s the clip that everybody’s going to use, and you know it.”
THE DECIBEL – Wednesday’s episode of The Globe and Mail podcast The Decibel features guest Dr. Dalia Hasan, who started the COVID Test Finders Twitter account to share information about finding rapid tests, to raise money for those who can’t afford them, and to advocate for more equitable access to rapid testing. Listen here.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
Private meetings. The Prime Minister virtually attends the national Liberal caucus meeting, then attends Question Period. The Prime Minister was scheduled to meet with Northwest Territories Premier Caroline Cochrane, and to announce a childcare agreement with Premier Cochrane. In the evening, the Prime Minister was scheduled to virtually join members of the Liberal Party’s Laurier Club for an online iteration of the annual Laurier Club holiday appreciation event.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Private meetings. The Deputy Prime Minister virtually attends the national caucus meeting and then attends Question Period. Virtually joins federal ministers at a news conference to announce new measures to address the Omicron variant of concern.
LEADERS
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole attended the national Conservative caucus meeting.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet held a news conference on the Bloc Québécois year in review.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh attended the NDP national caucus meeting, then held a news conference and was scheduled to attend Question Period.
OPINION
Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail)on how the Charter can’t save Quebec’s religious minorities, but federal leadership can: “Let’s be clear. It isn’t the hijab, the turban or the kippa that have been banned: it’s the people who wear them. A policy of what amounts to religious segregation – No Religious Minorities Need Apply – has been imposed across much of the public sector in one of our largest provinces. And the response of most of our leaders is: none of our business. But it is “our business,” because (to borrow a phrase) Canada is our business. Every citizen of Canada is entitled to equal treatment under the law, no matter which part of the country they live in. That is a matter not only of law, but of justice, and if we fail to uphold either – if we fail to defend the Fatemeh Anvaris among us, when their rights are under attack – then we are as much implicated as those more directly responsible.”
Robyn Urback (The Globe and Mail)on politicians finally acknowledging the great shame of Bill 21: “It was mystifying to watch last week as a handful of federal politicians discovered their voices on Quebec’s 2019 religious symbols ban. It was like seeing babies discover their feet for the first time – You mean to tell me I’ve had toes this whole time?! – except these infants were seasoned politicians who had chosen to look away for years as the country’s second-most populous province actively discriminated against its own residents.”
Thomas Mulcair (The Montreal Gazette) on the necessary next step involving Bill 21: “Bill 21 can and should be referred to the Supreme Court for a clear decision. That’s what was done when the question of Quebec’s right to secede needed clarification. It was a worthwhile effort that concluded that it was not enough to have just quantitative clarity, a clear majority. The Supreme Court also required qualitative clarity: clear question, clean rules and a fair process. There was no fiddling about. It was sent straight to the Supreme Court. That’s what should happen with Bill 21. Given that it is inevitable the Supreme Court will decide its fate, the stalling is pointless and causes real harm to those being discriminated against.”
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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.
