The Russian government slapped sanctions on 61 Canadians Thursday, prohibiting them from entering Russia in what Moscow called retaliation for measures enacted against its own people.
The sanctions targeted politicians, government officials, journalists, military leaders and academics.
The measures come as Russia’s military assault on Ukraine nears two months in duration. Canada has hit Russia with a slew of punitive sanctions over the aggression and has sent $110-million in military aid to Kyiv with another $500-million promised including heavy artillery.
Those targeted include Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem, Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae and Katie Telford, chief of staff to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A number of Canadian premiers were also named including Ontario’s Doug Ford, Manitoba’s Heather Stefanson, Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe, Alberta’s Jason Kenney and B.C.’s John Horgan.
Among the journalists named are The Globe and Mail’s editor-in-chief David Walmsley and Globe senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon, as well as Catherine Tait, president of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Radio Canada and Michael Melling, head of CTV News.
Read the story, which includes the full list of sanctioned Canadians, from senior parliamentary reporter Steven Chasehere.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
OTTAWA SCALES BACK DRUG PRICE REFORMS THAT WOULD HAVE COST BIG PHARMA BILLIONS – Ottawa is dramatically scaling back regulatory changes to reduce the cost of drugs, five years after heralding them as a once-in-a-generation effort to cut costs and shave billions off industry profits. Story here.
WIFE OF JAILED RUSSIAN HUMAN-RIGHTS ACTIVIST ASKS CANADA AND ALLIES TO PRESS FOR HIS RELEASE – The wife of Russian human-rights activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was jailed this month after a CNN interview in which he condemned Moscow’s war on Ukraine, is urging Canada and other Western countries to press the Kremlin to release him and other prisoners of conscience. Story here.
NEW POLICY WILL PROVIDE FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS A ‘BASELINE OF KNOWLEDGE’ ON INUIT HOMELAND, HISTORY – A new policy set to apply across federal government departments will fundamentally change how business is done with Inuit in Canada, says the president of a national advocacy organization. The policy, which has the support of Mr. Trudeau’s cabinet, is expected to be formally endorsed on Thursday at the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee, which is designed to advance work on shared priority areas between Inuit and the federal government. Storyhere.
CANADA-WIDE ACTION NEEDED TO CRACK DOWN ON HANDGUNS, ADVOCATES TELL FEDERAL MINISTER – Prominent firearm-control advocates are urging the Liberal government to abandon plans to allow provinces to ban handguns, saying regional measures will lead to a disastrous patchwork across Canada. In a new letter to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, several high-profile groups call instead for countrywide measures to phase out the private ownership of handguns. Story here from The Canadian Press.
PIERRE POILIEVRE AMONG THE DOZENS OF MPS WITH RENTAL PROPERTY AMID HOUSING CRUNCH – Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre is among the dozens of MPs who own rental property even as he blasts the unfairness of Canada’s housing market for young Canadians, Global News reports. Mr. Poilievre, the perceived frontrunner in the party’s leadership race, has made housing unaffordability a central part of his campaign so far, and has frequently criticized what he calls the “gatekeepers” keeping homes out of reach for home-buying hopefuls. Story here from Global.
‘SOAP OPERA’: ALBERTA PREMIER SAYS HE’S BEEN TOO TOLERANT OF OPEN DISSENT – Premier Jason Kenney says Albertans don’t appreciate the intraparty fighting “soap opera” of his United Conservative government and, if anything, he has been too soft on public dissenters. Kenney made the comments while taking questions on a Facebook town-hall meeting. Story here from The Canadian Press.
SENIOR SOLDIER ONCE TASKED WITH ARMY COMMAND RETIRED WHILE FACING SEXUAL MISCONDUCT PROBE – The senior military leader who was poised to take command of the Canadian Army retired from the military earlier this month as an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him continued. Retired lieutenant-general Trevor Cadieu was set to be sworn in as the head of the army in a ceremony last fall. Story here from CBC.
CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP RACE
The newsletter reached out to the Conservatives leadership campaigns to see what they were up to Thursday.
Pierre Poilievre is in Toronto, where he made an announcement about his proposed housing policy. He will later hold meet and greets with party members in Fergus and St. Catharines, Ont.
Jean Charest is in Toronto, where he released his plan to end COVID-19 lockdowns and get the Canadian health care system off “life support.”
Leona Alleslev will host a meet and greet in Kingston Thursday evening.
Marc Dalton will hold a rally in Pitt Meadows, B.C. Thursday evening.
The other campaigns did not reply.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS – The House is adjourned until Monday, April 25, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. ET.
THE DECIBEL
On Thursday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Dr. Ken Fry tells us why it’s so hard to get rid of mosquitoes – and why learning to live with the pesky bloodsuckers is the better solution. Warmer weather means summer, picnics, camping … and mosquitoes. Edmonton is particularly famous for their mosquito season. But with a focus on environmental sustainability, the city is ditching the pesticide spraying they’ve used for years to control mosquitoes, instead turning to a more natural solution – bats and dragonflies. Dr. Fry is an entomology instructor in the School of Life Sciences & Business at Olds College in Alberta, and grew up in Edmonton. He studies pest control management and mosquitoes. The Decibel is here.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
The Prime Minister is in Ottawa, where he will co-chair a meeting of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee with President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Natan Obed. They will hold a media availability Thursday afternoon, where they will be joined by Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller.
LEADERS
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is in Toronto Thursday, where he will address the Canadian Club on “making the very rich and wealthiest corporations pay their fair share to invest in Canadian families.”
The Bloc Québécois is holding a forum on forests and climate change Thursday in Trois-Rivières, Que., here leader Yves-François Blanchet will deliver a speech.
People’s Party of Canada Leader, Maxime Bernier, is in Ottawa Thursday to announce the appointment of “regional lieutenants” who will represent the party in four areas of Canada: western Canada and the territories, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada.
No other schedules released for party leaders.
PUBLIC OPINION
CANADIANS MORE OPEN TO CUTTING TIES WITH MONARCHY, BUT STILL SUPPORT QUEEN: POLL – Canadians are growing more open to severing ties with the British monarchy, a new poll suggests, despite an ongoing affection for Queen Elizabeth herself. The new Angus Reid poll — released Thursday on the Queen’s 96th birthday — found while 51 per cent of Canadians are against continuing as a constitutional monarchy, nearly two-thirds still view Elizabeth favourably. Story here from Global.
ONTARIO PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVES LEAD BY FOUR AS DOUG FORD’S IMAGE AND PERFORMANCE RATING IMPROVES – When asked how they would vote if an election was held today, 36 per cent of Ontarian respondents said they would vote PC followed by the Ontario Liberals at 32 per cent and the NDP at 23 per cent. The Greens are at 6 per cent while four per cent would vote for another party. The poll was conducted by Abacus Data, which is conducting regular surveys to gauge public opinion and reaction to the Ontario election campaign. Poll here.
So if you are still wondering: Yes, this is a thing. Mr. Poilievre has hit a nerve, and has some people responding in a rare way in Canadian politics: expending shoe leather to hear a politician speak.”
Konrad Yakabuski (The Globe and Mail)on how Patrick Brown dives dangerously into diaspora politics: “At 43, Brampton, Ont., Mayor Patrick Brown is too young to have pioneered diaspora politics. But he has emerged as one of its most adept practitioners, and it may just be his secret weapon in his below-the-radar bid to win the Conservative Party of Canada leadership. He aims to sell thousands of party memberships to members of targeted ethnic groups, who can swing the vote in critical urban and suburban ridings, by promising to pay special attention to their concerns.”
Don Martin (CTV) on how an unlikely Conservative rock star takes the stage in the heart of Liberal-owned Toronto: “And in the here and now, it must be acknowledged that Pierre Poilievre is attracting impressive crowds to large halls in very unlikely locations. He is getting euphoric reactions from the base to his quip-filled policies, even if they are politically problematic. And his team is undoubtedly selling hundreds of loyal Poilievre memberships at every pitstop of the tour.”
The platforms themselves have taken some initiatives to self-regulate, partly in an attempt to get out ahead of regulation. But Musk’s push to take over Twitter suggests even the tendency toward self-regulation goes too far.”
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.
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.
