Patrick Brown, the former leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, has settled a lawsuit with CTV News, and says he is now close to deciding whether to run for the leadership of the federal Conservatives.
At issue is a 2018 story alleging sexual misconduct by Mr. Brown, who quit his post as Progressive Conservative leader amid the resulting controversy.
Mr. Brown is now the Mayor of Brampton, the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area.
At his weekly news conference on Wednesday, he thanked his family for their support following news of a settlement.
“I am looking with optimism towards the future,” he said.
As for seeking the leadership of the federal Conservatives, Mr. Brown said he will quickly decide whether or not to enter the race.
”I’m going to make a decision very soon, and I certainly believe that I need to make a decision in the coming days given that the race has already started,” he said.
The Conservative Party has confirmed that the results of the leadership race will be announced by Sept. 10. Prospective candidates have until April 19 to enter. Voters require party membership, and they have until June 3 to get it.
If Mr. Brown enters the race, he would join a group of competitors that includes MPs Pierre Poilievre and Leslyn Lewis. Former Quebec premier Jean Charest is expected to enter the race on Thursday.
Roman Baber, a former Progressive Conservative member of the Ontario legislature, was expected to announce on Wednesday that he would enter the race.
There’s a Globe and Mail overview here on who’s running for the Conservative leadership, with candidates and dates to watch.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
UKRAINE
TRUDEAU PROMISES MORE AID TO UKRAINE – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday and promised to send more military equipment to Ukraine, including Canadian-made cameras that can be mounted on surveillance drones. Story here.
NO LIMIT TO UKRAINIAN REFUGEES WE WILL TAKE: SASKATCHEWAN – Saskatchewan says it will welcome as many refugees from Ukraine as the federal government is willing to resettle in the province. Story here.
WHERE DOES THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT LEAVE THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION – For nearly a quarter century, the International Space Station has circled the globe un-buffeted by political winds down on Earth. But the orbiting facility has never had to weather a schism as bad as the one that now divides Russia from the rest of the station’s partners, including the United States, Canada, Japan and the 22 member countries of the European Space Agency. Story here.
Please check here for live updates on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
OTHER HEADLINES
NEW MASK MANDATE RULES IN ONTARIO – Ontario is lifting its mask mandate in most public settings, including schools, and ending isolation requirements in most circumstances, even if individuals are unvaccinated, the province’s chief medical officer of health announced on Wednesday. Story here.
ONTARIO PLAN FOR CHILD-CARE DEAL – The federal government says Ontario submitted its spending plan for billions of dollars in proposed child-care funding “late last week.” Story here.
CONCERNS ABOUT MANITOBA DEBATE ON WOMEN IN POLITICS – A Manitoba MLA says some of her colleagues ruined what was supposed to be a respectful discussion about the achievements of women politicians. Story here from CBC.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS – The House of Commons is not sitting again until March. 21.
ARMED FORCES READINESS TO MEET THREATS TO CANADA – The Standing Committee on National Defence on Wednesday held a meeting on the threat analysis affecting Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces’ operational readiness to meet those threats. The witnesses are Major-General Paul Prévost, staff director for the strategic joint staff, from the national Defence department; Kevin Hamilton, director-general of international security policy from the Foreign Affairs department; and, from Global Affairs Canada, Heidi Kutz, senior Arctic official and director-general, Arctic, Eurasion, and European Affairs. More details, including webcast information are here for the meeting which begins at 2:30 p.m. ET and runs until 4:30 p.m.
THE DECIBEL – On Wednesday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Dr. Andrew Boozary – the executive director of social medicine and population health at the University Health Network in Toronto – talks about why homelessness is a failure of policy – not individual choice – and how he’s working to fix it. According to Statistics Canada, more than 235,000 people experience homelessness in any given year, with 25,000-35,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night. The Decibel is here.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
In Berlin, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended private meetings and then visited the Platform 17 Memorial. The Prime Minister held a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and then held a media availability with the Chancellor. Mr. Trudeau also delivered remarks and participated in a question-and-answer session with members of Atlantik-Brucke and the Munich Security Conference.
LEADERS
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Burnaby, B.C, virtually attended the NDP national caucus meeting, visits local businesses in his Burnaby South riding and meets with B.C. blueberry producers.
No schedules provided for other party leaders.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how the world needs more Canadian oil and gas: “The U.S. was happy enough to keep on buying Russian oil until an invasion of Ukraine forced a turning off of the tap. Now, the U.S. is courting Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela to fill the gap. Hey, America, look up north. In the hypothetical world of what might have been, Keystone XL oil could have been flowing today. The pipeline was first spiked by Barack Obama back in 2015. More than six years later, Europe and the U.S. have suddenly realized why they need to kick their addiction to Russian fuel. As the world’s fifth-largest producer of gas, fourth-largest producer of oil, and repository of the third-largest oil reserves, Canada can help. Or at least it can help, if given years to ramp up. Had Keystone XL opened several years ago, oil companies might have increased production to match the export capacity. But Canada’s industry has no gushing spigot that it can instantly turn on.”
Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail)on how we have already called Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bluff: “The better approach might be a strategy of gradualism, neither ruling out a no-fly zone nor ruling it in, but reserving the right to intervene in proportion to the gravity of the situation on the ground. Mr. Putin’s position is weakening by the day. What might not be possible today might be possible a week from now. In a game of nuclear poker, best to keep your cards close to your chest.”
John Ibbitson (The Globe and Mail) on why Canada should open its doors, without limit, to Ukrainians fleeing war: “Canada is about to face a humanitarian challenge different from any in this country’s history. Thousands of Ukrainian refugees, mostly women and children, could soon be seeking asylum. They won’t want to be here and they won’t want to stay and God willing they will soon return home. But if the war in Ukraine goes badly, then they could be with us for a long time, perhaps forever. The 1.4 million Canadians of Ukrainian descent – the largest Ukrainian diaspora outside Russia – are ready and willing to welcome this latest wave of newcomers. But they will need help from federal and provincial governments and from other Canadians. It’s on all of us to rise to the occasion.”
Fen Hampson and Janice Gross Stein (Contributed to The Globe and Mail)on how the West is feeling pressure to act in Ukraine – but that would make things even more dangerous: “So far there is no evidence that Russian nuclear forces have taken steps to increase their readiness, and skeptics insist that Mr. Putin and his colleagues are bluffing in order to deter NATO. But Russia’s military doctrine sets a lower threshold for the use of tactical weapons than does NATO, in part because Russia’s forces are vastly outnumbered by NATO’s collective military manpower and firepower. Mr. Putin knows that he is outgunned, and is frustrated that the invasion of Ukraine is proving to be a much tougher battle than he was led to believe, due to the extraordinary bravery of Ukrainian fighters and the massive airlift of supplies by the United States and its allies to Ukraine. If Mr. Putin is backed into a corner, it is possible that he may resort to using tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield. This would break through a long-standing taboo against the use of nuclear weapons any time, anywhere, for any reason. And no Western leader is willing to take the risk of calling Mr. Putin’s bluff that a war with Russia would be nuclear, because no one has any confidence any longer that they know what he might do next.”
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HALIFAX – Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says it’s “disgraceful and demeaning” that a Halifax-area school would request that service members not wear military uniforms to its Remembrance Day ceremony.
Houston’s comments were part of a chorus of criticism levelled at the school — Sackville Heights Elementary — whose administration decided to back away from the plan after the outcry.
A November newsletter from the school in Middle Sackville, N.S., invited Armed Forces members to attend its ceremony but asked that all attendees arrive in civilian attire to “maintain a welcoming environment for all.”
Houston, who is currently running for re-election, accused the school’s leaders of “disgracing themselves while demeaning the people who protect our country” in a post on the social media platform X Thursday night.
“If the people behind this decision had a shred of the courage that our veterans have, this cowardly and insulting idea would have been rejected immediately,” Houston’s post read. There were also several calls for resignations within the school’s administration attached to Houston’s post.
In an email to families Thursday night, the school’s principal, Rachael Webster, apologized and welcomed military family members to attend “in the attire that makes them most comfortable.”
“I recognize this request has caused harm and I am deeply sorry,” Webster’s email read, adding later that the school has the “utmost respect for what the uniform represents.”
Webster said the initial request was out of concern for some students who come from countries experiencing conflict and who she said expressed discomfort with images of war, including military uniforms.
Her email said any students who have concerns about seeing Armed Forces members in uniform can be accommodated in a way that makes them feel safe, but she provided no further details in the message.
Webster did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
At a news conference Friday, Houston said he’s glad the initial request was reversed but said he is still concerned.
“I can’t actually fathom how a decision like that was made,” Houston told reporters Friday, adding that he grew up moving between military bases around the country while his father was in the Armed Forces.
“My story of growing up in a military family is not unique in our province. The tradition of service is something so many of us share,” he said.
“Saying ‘lest we forget’ is a solemn promise to the fallen. It’s our commitment to those that continue to serve and our commitment that we will pass on our respects to the next generation.”
Liberal Leader Zach Churchill also said he’s happy with the school’s decision to allow uniformed Armed Forces members to attend the ceremony, but he said he didn’t think it was fair to question the intentions of those behind the original decision.
“We need to have them (uniforms) on display at Remembrance Day,” he said. “Not only are we celebrating (veterans) … we’re also commemorating our dead who gave the greatest sacrifice for our country and for the freedoms we have.”
NDP Leader Claudia Chender said that while Remembrance Day is an important occasion to honour veterans and current service members’ sacrifices, she said she hopes Houston wasn’t taking advantage of the decision to “play politics with this solemn occasion for his own political gain.”
“I hope Tim Houston reached out to the principal of the school before making a public statement,” she said in a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
REGINA – Saskatchewan Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck says she wants to prove to residents her party is the government in waiting as she heads into the incoming legislative session.
Beck held her first caucus meeting with 27 members, nearly double than what she had before the Oct. 28 election but short of the 31 required to form a majority in the 61-seat legislature.
She says her priorities will be health care and cost-of-living issues.
Beck says people need affordability help right now and will press Premier Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government to cut the gas tax and the provincial sales tax on children’s clothing and some grocery items.
Beck’s NDP is Saskatchewan’s largest Opposition in nearly two decades after sweeping Regina and winning all but one seat in Saskatoon.
The Saskatchewan Party won 34 seats, retaining its hold on all of the rural ridings and smaller cities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia‘s growing population was the subject of debate on Day 12 of the provincial election campaign, with Liberal Leader Zach Churchill arguing immigration levels must be reduced until the province can provide enough housing and health-care services.
Churchill said Thursday a plan by the incumbent Progressive Conservatives to double the province’s population to two million people by the year 2060 is unrealistic and unsustainable.
“That’s a big leap and it’s making life harder for people who live here, (including ) young people looking for a place to live and seniors looking to downsize,” he told a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Halifax.
Anticipating that his call for less immigration might provoke protests from the immigrant community, Churchill was careful to note that he is among the third generation of a family that moved to Nova Scotia from Lebanon.
“I know the value of immigration, the importance of it to our province. We have been built on the backs of an immigrant population. But we just need to do it in a responsible way.”
The Liberal leader said Tim Houston’s Tories, who are seeking a second term in office, have made a mistake by exceeding immigration targets set by the province’s Department of Labour and Immigration. Churchill said a Liberal government would abide by the department’s targets.
In the most recent fiscal year, the government welcomed almost 12,000 immigrants through its nominee program, exceeding the department’s limit by more than 4,000, he said. The numbers aren’t huge, but the increase won’t help ease the province’s shortages in housing and doctors, and the increased strain on its infrastructure, including roads, schools and cellphone networks, Churchill said.
“(The Immigration Department) has done the hard work on this,” he said. “They know where the labour gaps are, and they know what growth is sustainable.”
In response, Houston said his commitment to double the population was a “stretch goal.” And he said the province had long struggled with a declining population before that trend was recently reversed.
“The only immigration that can come into this province at this time is if they are a skilled trade worker or a health-care worker,” Houston said. “The population has grown by two per cent a year, actually quite similar growth to what we experienced under the Liberal government before us.”
Still, Houston said he’s heard Nova Scotians’ concerns about population growth, and he then pivoted to criticize Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for trying to send 6,000 asylum seekers to Nova Scotia, an assertion the federal government has denied.
Churchill said Houston’s claim about asylum seekers was shameful.
“It’s smoke and mirrors,” the Liberal leader said. “He is overshooting his own department’s numbers for sustainable population growth and yet he is trying to blame this on asylum seekers … who aren’t even here.”
In September, federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller said there is no plan to send any asylum seekers to the province without compensation or the consent of the premier. He said the 6,000 number was an “aspirational” figure based on models that reflect each province’s population.
In Halifax, NDP Leader Claudia Chender said it’s clear Nova Scotia needs more doctors, nurses and skilled trades people.
“Immigration has been and always will be a part of the Nova Scotia story, but we need to build as we grow,” Chender said. “This is why we have been pushing the Houston government to build more affordable housing.”
Chender was in a Halifax cafe on Thursday when she promised her party would remove the province’s portion of the harmonized sales tax from all grocery, cellphone and internet bills if elected to govern on Nov. 26. The tax would also be removed from the sale and installation of heat pumps.
“Our focus is on helping people to afford their lives,” Chender told reporters. “We know there are certain things that you can’t live without: food, internet and a phone …. So we know this will have the single biggest impact.”
The party estimates the measure would save the average Nova Scotia family about $1,300 a year.
“That’s a lot more than a one or two per cent HST cut,” Chender said, referring to the Progressive Conservative pledge to reduce the tax by one percentage point and the Liberal promise to trim it by two percentage points.
Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Houston announced that a Progressive Conservative government would make parking free at all Nova Scotia hospitals and health-care centres. The promise was also made by the Liberals in their election platform released Monday.
“Free parking may not seem like a big deal to some, but … the parking, especially for people working at the facilities, can add up to hundreds of dollars,” the premier told a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Halifax.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.
