Politics Briefing: Premiers, territorial leaders meet in Victoria, expected to discuss health care and affordability - The Globe and Mail | Canada News Media
Canada’s premiers and territorial leaders are in Victoria for a summer meeting where health care and affordability are expected to be among the issues discussed.
Leaders gathering Monday are looking to the federal Liberal government to increase the money it provides the provinces to pay for health care.
“We have a strong group of premiers from all different political stripes, and there’s one message: We need more support from the federal government,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Sunday, speaking to the health care issue.
The premiers are hoping to press the government for increased Canada Health Transfer funding.
But meeting chair John Horgan, the premier of British Columbia, told CBC Radio’s The House, in an interview available here, that there has been little response from Ottawa to provincial and territorial concerns. “As the kids say, we have been ghosted by the federal government,” he said.
The meeting runs until Tuesday afternoon, concluding with a news conference.
Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief Bill Curry and I looked here at the health transfer issue last week.
There’s also a story here on how the affordability issue is set to crop up in talks
The premier of Canada’s most populous province talks in a story here about raising immigration and skilled labour-shortage issues.
And there will be at least one doctor in the house as the leaders meet, a premier who, according to a CBC story here, has, by professional necessity, kept his medical skills honed.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
U.S. DEFENDS CANADA’S TURBINE DECISION – The U.S. government defended Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to release Russian-owned gas turbines that had been stranded in a Montreal repair facility because of sanctions against Moscow. Story here.
INDUSTRY MINISTER MEETING WITH ROGERS AND OTHER CEOS – The chief executives of Canada’s major telecoms are scheduled to take part in a group conference call with the federal Industry Minister on Monday afternoon to discuss potential new measures aimed at enhancing network reliability after a widespread outage shut down Rogers Communications Inc.’s wireless and internet services on Friday. Story here. François-Philippe Champagne has scheduled a 4:30 p.m. ET news conference for his talks with the corporate leaders.
CALL FOR PM TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST ANTI-ABORTION GROUPS – Abortion rights advocacy groups are calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to defend reproductive rights in Canada by denying anti-abortion groups funding and revoking their charity status. Story here.
OTTAWA TOO EXPENSIVE FOR INTELLIGENCE JUNIOR STAFF – The military command responsible for collecting and assessing intelligence is trying to avoid posting junior staff to Ottawa because it has become too expensive to live in the capital region. Story here from the Ottawa Citizen.
TRUDEAU AT THE CALGARY STAMPEDE – Inch by inch. Step by step. It could be the lyrics to a country and western song featured at the Calgary Stampede, but in reality it was the progress Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was making Sunday as he attended a pancake breakfast in Calgary. Story here.
NEW AS IT HAPPENS HOST – CBC Journalist Nil Köksal is the new host of CBC Radio’s As It Happens, with her first show set for Sept. 5. Story here from CBC.
MORNEAU MEMOIRS TO BE TOUGH ON PM: GHOSTWRITER – The award-winning novelist who helped former finance minister Bill Morneau craft his memoir says the results are going to be tough on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Story here.
HURREN FACING NCC SUIT FOR RIDEAU HALL DAMAGE – The National Capital Commission is suing Corey Hurren for thousands of dollars to cover the cost of repairing the gate he damaged when he stormed the grounds of Rideau Hall in the summer of 2020. Story here from CBC.
SNAP ELECTION – The Hill Times looks here into speculation among MPs about the possibility of a snap election after the Sept. 10 conclusion of the the Conservative leadership contest, which Pierre Poilievre is expected to win.
CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP RACE
CAMPAIGN TRAIL – Scott Aitchison is in the British Columbia riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands. Roman Baber is in Edmonton, holding a meet and greet event. Jean Charest is campaigning online and in Quebec. Leslyn Lewis is in British Columbia, with stops Monday in Duncan and Nanaimo. Pierre Poilievre is in Calgary.
POILIEVRE IN STAMPEDE SPOTLIGHT – Stampede political season in Calgary this year is a homecoming for Pierre Poilievre, making his front-runner status even more conspicuous at the latest gathering of Conservative leadership candidates. Story here.
POILIEVRE RETURNS TO OLD POLITICAL HAUNTS – Pierre Poilievre returned to his old university club, where 22 years ago he feuded with disqualified leadership rival Patrick Brown. CBC looks here at Mr. Poilievre’s past in the University of Calgary’s conservative club.
THIS AND THAT
The House of Commons is not sitting again until Sept. 19. The Senate is to resume sitting on Sept. 20.
NEW TERM FOR CHIEF SCIENCE ADVISOR – Dr. Mona Nemer has been reappointed as Canada’s Chief Science Advisor for a term of two years, the Prime Minister’s office announced Monday. As science advisor, Dr. Nemer provides advice to the Prime Minister and other members of cabinet to inform relevant public policy decisions. Details here.
PETITPAS TAYLOR IN NEW BRUNSWICK – Official Languages Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, on behalf of Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, was scheduled Monday to make an announcement in Moncton on support for electric vehicle charging infrastructure in New Brunswick.
SIDHU IN GUATEMALA AND HONDURAS – Maninder Sidhu, parliamentary secretary to the Foreign Affairs Minister, is in Guatemala and Honduras from July 11 to 16. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said in a statement that Mr. Sidhu will engage with human rights defenders, civil society representatives, business leaders and government officials, including the foreign ministers of Guatemala and Honduras, to discuss regional priorities.
THE DECIBEL
On Monday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Globe health reporter Wency Leung talks about COVID-19, two and a half years into the pandemic, and why experts are calling for a return to indoor masking, and what we can expect from a new round of vaccines. The Decibel is here.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
In Montréal, Quebec, the Prime Minister participated in a roundtable discussion with Sun Youth and victims and survivors of violent crime, then was scheduled to visit a community leisure centre.
LEADERS
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Toronto, meets with representatives of the Ontario Nurses’ Association.
No schedule for other party leaders.
PUBLIC OPINION
A new survey suggests there is a strong relationship between a person’s political perspective and their views on free speech in Canada. Respondents who lean right were more likely to believe there should be no limits on speech, including the right to express hateful and offensive opinions. Story here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how, from airlines to hospitals, not much is working in Canada this summer: “A lot of fundamental stuff isn’t working in Canada this summer. If the pandemic was the flap of a butterfly wing turned into a tornado, its consequences have exposed a fragility in the workings of this country that is far more worrisome than a delayed flight or a lost suitcase.”
Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail)on how it’s time for both provincial and federal leaders to take responsibility for health care: “Quebec Premier François Legault was smart to fire up language and cultural issues in an election year, because he sure doesn’t want voters talking about his province’s stretched health care system. Ontario Premier Doug Ford was also keen to keep talk about health care to a minimum in the campaign that won him re-election in June. But this week, premiers gathering for a Council of the Federation meeting will point out – quite rightly – that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talked a lot about health care in last year’s election campaign, but he hasn’t done much about it since. Canada’s federal and provincial politicians are spending a lot of effort on deflecting responsibility for health care, rather than taking it on. Let’s hope we won’t get fooled again.”
Vass Bednar (contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how the Rogers outage is an opportunity to change how we think about our digital infrastructure: “Enormous advances in mobile tech have made Canada’s telecoms enormously powerful, and that power has consolidated in just five major players. That number threatens to get smaller, too, with the proposed Rogers-Shaw merger currently under review by Canada’s Competition Bureau. If the deal goes through, the company that caused so many Canadians to lose connection with each other would serve roughly 40 per cent of all households in English Canada. For me, though, the outage of Rogers cellular and wireless services was not primarily about the need for competition reform in Canada. Instead, it reinforced the idea that our telecommunication networks are vital public infrastructure that is controlled by private corporations. We’ve lost sight of that balance, despite the ways we rely on those networks.”
Bob Rae (contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how, in these trying times, I look for the works of George Orwell for inspiration: “I began reading the works of George Orwell in my early teens, starting with the allegorical novella Animal Farm and the dystopian science fiction of 1984. I was hooked, and bought every red Penguin paperback edition of Orwell I could find. I have been reading his works, and reading about him, ever since. Working at the United Nations has me thinking of Orwell and his observations more frequently these days, (I took note of what would have been his 119th birthday in late June). The UN at its best can be an institution that serves the greater good, but it has also, especially in recent months, been a place where words are twisted and lies abound. As certain state actors attempt to rewrite history and facts are turned on their heads, I often look to Orwell for guidance and wisdom.”
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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.
