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Politics Briefing: Poilievre ejected from House for refusing to withdraw Trudeau insult – The Globe and Mail

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Hello,

Pierre Poilievre was kicked out of the House of Commons by Speaker Greg Fergus today over remarks he made about the Prime Minister.

Fergus ordered the Conservative Leader out after he refused to withdraw comments calling Justin Trudeau a “wacko” and an extremist.

Not only was the Official Opposition Leader ordered to go, but Fergus barred him from participating virtually in proceedings.

Earlier, Fergus ordered out Conservative MP Rachael Harder after she declared that Fergus, himself, was “acting in a disgraceful manner.”

Eventually, the entire Conservative caucus left the Commons.

The turmoil erupted after a tempestuous Question Period that featured queries to the government over how it was handling British Columbia’s request to recriminalize the use of drugs in public spaces such as hospitals, parks and transit.

Please watch globeandmail.com for updates on this story.

This is the daily Politics Briefing newsletter, written by Ian Bailey. It is available exclusively to our digital subscribers. If you’re reading this on the web, subscribers can sign up for the Politics newsletter and more than 20 others on our newsletter signup page. Have any feedback? Let us know what you think.

TODAY’S HEADLINES

Foreign agent registry urged: MPs from all parties in the House of Commons joined a coalition of diaspora community groups today, calling on the federal government to immediately table legislation setting up a foreign agent influence registration.

Capital gains tax changes not included in Freeland’s motion to introduce budget bill: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland intends to ask Parliament to approve proposed changes to capital gains tax rates in a stand-alone bill.

Toronto police chief apologizes for comments made after Zameer acquitted in officer’s death: Chief Myron Demkiw told the Toronto Police Services Board today that he should have been more clear that he supports and accepts the verdict.

Canadian economy loses steam after strong start to year, grows 0.2% in February: The Canadian economy lost momentum after a roaring start to the year, reinforcing economists’ expectations that the Bank of Canada is on track to cut interest rates in the coming months.

Talks on treaty to tackle plastic pollution end without agreement on curbing production: The talks, in Ottawa, were supposed to conclude on Monday but continued overnight as countries wrangled over whether the treaty should address how to tackle the overproduction of plastic.

McGill requests ‘police assistance’ to remove pro-Palestinian encampment on campus: “Police representatives, who have expertise in skillfully resolving situations such as these, have now started their own process,” the university said in a statement today. “We continue to work with them to resolve the matter.”

Spy watchdog warns of ‘significant legal risks’ if cyberops breach international law: A report by the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency says the Communications Security Establishment and Global Affairs Canada should provide an assessment of the international legal regime applicable to such operations. Story here.

Trudeau confronted with unions’ concerns about sidelining of Canadian workers at Windsor EV plant: In a keynote discussion with the Prime Minister at the annual conference of Canada’s Building Trades Unions in Gatineau, Que., this week, union leader Sean Strickland told Trudeau that the concerns that emerged last year about the hiring of hundreds of South Korean and Japanese workers at the electric-vehicle factory have yet to be resolved.

International students to have working hours cut to 24 a week from 40: Speaking at a press conference, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said the new time limit for off-campus work will help ensure that international students come to Canada to receive an education rather than find a job.

CSIS director says China’s concerted effort to steal Canadian technology is ‘mind-boggling’: David Vigneault told MPs on the Canada-China committee that Chinese hacking and other espionage activities have become a serious threat since Xi Jinping became president in 2012.

Time to overhaul how Ottawa hires contractors, procurement watchdog tells MPs: Alexander Jeglic, the Procurement Ombud, said that after years of expressing concern through various reports, he is now deliberately using stronger language to underscore the importance of the issue.

NDP candidate apologizes for comments about health of federal Green Party leader: Colin Plant, nominated as the NDP candidate for Saanich-Gulf Islands, has expressed regret about a news release sent out by a volunteer, and retracted, making comments about the health of the ridings’ current MP, Elizabeth May. The Times Colonist reports.

Ford’s pick to head government’s new Ottawa office panned as ‘patronage appointment’: In Ottawa this week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford named Sean Webster, who unsuccessfully ran for the Progressive Conservatives in Kanata–Carleton in a by-election last year, to head a regional office intended to “support better services for the people of Ottawa and the surrounding region.” CBC reports.

TODAY’S POLITICAL QUOTES

“The chair is acting in a disgraceful manner” – Conservative MP Rachael Harder in comments in the Commons today that prompted Speaker Greg Fergus to ask the MP to withdraw from the House for the day.

“Mr. Speaker. I replace the word whacko with extremist.” – Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to Fergus in the House today after the Speaker took issue with Poilievre’s description of federal government policies on harm reduction.

“That guy has never shut his mouth in his life. Who silences him? He keeps saying dumb things. I think it would be great if he shut his yap once in awhile.” – Immigration Minister Marc Miller referring to Poilievre, and commenting after the Conservative Leader was asked to leave the Commons by Fergus.

“My family, my wife, and my kids do not deserve to be harassed, nor do my neighbours. People have a problem with me. It’s my name that’s on the ballot.” – Justice Minister Arif Virani on protests at his house.

“The Prime Minister and I agree on many things. And this is one that we do not agree on. I’ve said this. I don’t think that any provincial premier and prime minister, regardless of friendship, should always agree because then I wouldn’t be doing my job and he wouldn’t be doing his.” – Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey, during a discussion today at the Empire Club of Canada in Toronto, on differences with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on carbon pricing policy.

THIS AND THAT

Today in the Commons: Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons today, accessible here.

Deputy Prime Minister’s day: Chrystia Freeland attended the weekly cabinet meeting and, later, provided a news conference update on the government’s economic plan. Later, Freeland attended Question Period.

New diplomats: Ambassadors and high commissioners from Chile, Tanzania, Malta, Cuba and Nepal are scheduled to present their credentials to Governor-General Mary Simon today at Rideau Hall.

PRIME MINISTER’S DAY

Justin Trudeau chaired the weekly cabinet meeting and attended Question Period.

LEADERS

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet took media questions at the House of Commons, accompanied by BQ natural resources critic Mario Simard and industries critic Jean-Denis Garon.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre delivered a keynote address in Gatineau, Que.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May attended a confidential preview of the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development’s spring 2024 report, then a pair of news conferences, one featuring Indigenous leaders on concerns about nuclear waste on their homelands and calls for the adoption of a Foreign Influence Transparency Registry. She also attended the House of Commons.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh addressed the annual conference of the Canada’s Building Trades Union in Gatineau, Que., and, in the evening, is to deliver the 2024 Carleton Bell Lecture.

THE DECIBEL

The Globe’s Africa bureau chief Geoffrey York is on the podcast today to explain what’s been going on in Sudan, why so little attention is being paid to this conflict among others, and what that means for the people on the ground. The Decibel is here.

PUBLIC OPINION

No budget bounce for Liberals: Nanos Research, based on new polling, says jobs and the economy are top issues among voters, and the Conservatives are leading the Liberals by 20 points.

OPINION

Only Ottawa can fix the Mounties and keep Canada safe

“The RCMP is overextended, underfunded and undermanned in a country facing a growing assortment of threats.” – The Globe and Mail Editorial Board

Jews have eyes. And they see that the antisemitism in the protests over Gaza is no aberration

“There is a point at which the gaslighting becomes genuinely insulting. When meek attempts to blame a rogue few for hateful or antisemitic speech, or the repeated insistence that such displays of bigotry have “no place in Canada,” are so disconnected from reality that they become offensive and belittling.” – Robyn Urback.

Natural resources are more important to the economy than city dwellers realize

“What is Canada’s strongest feature on the global economic stage? We don’t have the largest population on the planet. We don’t have the biggest GDP. We aren’t a financial powerhouse and we don’t have the smartest or most economically astute government. But area-wise, we are the second-largest country on Earth, which means that we have the second-largest, or perhaps even the largest, stock of natural resources on the planet – an enormous source of strength and responsibility if we would only recognize it, capitalize on it, and make its future development and stewardship a national priority.” Preston Manning

Canada, a natural-resources economy, must remember our greatest resource is our people

“Natural resources have been key to Canada’s survival and growth. Our oceans, forests, agricultural lands, mineral and energy resources support us. It is no wonder that resource companies dominate Canada’s economy. Our people have always fished and farmed, harvested timber and extracted the wealth that lies beneath our feet. Today this is no longer sufficient.” Roseann O’Reilly Runte

Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.

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‘Disgraceful:’ N.S. Tory leader slams school’s request that military remove uniform

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Saskatchewan NDP’s Beck holds first caucus meeting after election, outlines plans

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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.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Nova Scotia election: Liberals say province’s immigration levels are too high

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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.

— With files from Keith Doucette in Halifax

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