Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sharply criticized the Conservative Party’s policy on Ukraine today, suggesting the Official Opposition is siding with a global trend in favour of right-wing populism.
“The real story is the rise of a right wing, American MAGA-influenced thinking that has made Canadian conservatives who used to be among the strongest defenders of Ukraine, I’ll admit it, turn their backs on something Ukraine needs in its hour of need,” Trudeau told a news conference in St. John’s where he was meeting with European Union leaders.
MAGA refers to the “Make America Great Again” slogan of former U.S. president Donald Trump.
Trudeau was responding to a question about the Conservatives voting against a free-trade deal between Canada and the Ukraine, citing concerns that the deal supports carbon pricing which is at odds with their policies.
The Conservative Party voted en masse Tuesday against the enabling legislation for a revised Canada-Ukraine free-trade agreement and Poilievre explained that his MPs could not support a deal that imposes a “carbon tax” on Ukraine.
However, Ukraine’s embassy in Canada says the upgraded free-trade agreement between Ottawa and Kyiv does not contain “taxation instruments” to reduce carbon emissions. Senior Parliamentary reporter Steven Chase reports here on the dispute.
Canada also announced another $60-million contribution of military aid for Ukraine today, including nine million rounds of ammunition and around 11,000 firearms, The Canadian Press reports. That’s part of a $500-million package of aid that was announced during the summer.
Canada has committed more than $2.4-billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country began in February 2022.
On another note, Trudeau said this week’s deal in the Israel-Hamas war to temporarily halt hostilities so some hostages can be releasedis a sign of progress.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
Top AI researcher launches new Alberta lab with Huawei funds despite Ottawa restrictions – Richard Sutton says the Openmind Research Institute will fund researchers following the Alberta Plan, a 12-step guide he co-authored last year that lays out a framework for pursuing the development of AI agents capable of human-level intelligence. Story here.
Watchdog report on Global Affairs unit named in Michael Spavor’s case still unreleased three years after its completion – John Davies, executive director of the National Security Intelligence Review Agency, told The Globe and Mail that the agency finished the report in 2020, but “at the time there were high sensitivities with detailing anything to do with GAC’s security reporting program.”
Tory Senate Leader Don Plett makes tearful apology for yelling at female senators – Choking back tears, Plett said he “never intended to cause harm or discomfort” when he approached senators Bernadette Clement and Raymonde Saint-Germain and shouted at them on Nov. 9 after moves to adjourn a debate on a bill that the Conservatives supported.
B.C. Energy Minister’s dropped memo ends up in hands of Opposition BC United – Josie Osborne says she dropped the document, but cannot say where. “That’s my mistake,” she said. “This is something that can happen from time to time. It’s not great.”
Trade Minister says panel rules ‘clearly in favour of Canada’ in dairy-imports dispute with U.S. – A settlement panel has rejected complaints from the U.S. Trade Representative’s office over how Canada is allocating its dairy import quotas. Story here.
Victims in Rainbow Bridge border crash identified as New York couple – The Niagara Falls Police Department named the couple as Kurt P. Villani and Monica Villani, both 53, of Grand Island, a leafy Buffalo suburb close to the falls.
Up to 900 foreign workers to assemble and fit flagship Canadian EV battery plant, company says – The disclosure by NextStar Energy follows an outcry by MPs and local unions that jobs at the factory could go to temporary workers from Korea, stripping promised employment from Canadians. Story here.
Mayors push for more funding after disappointing government fall economic statement – Mayors are working Parliament Hill’s backrooms this week, urging cabinet ministers and MPs to move more aggressively on infrastructure than what Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland unveiled in this week’s statement. Story here.
Protesters held back by police as Canada-EU summit kicks off in St. John’s brewpub – As some of the wealthiest and most influential people in Newfoundland and Labrador welcomed world leaders inside a St. John’s bar this week, dozens of police officers held back an equal number of protesters outside.
.THIS AND THAT
Staff changes in PMO – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is getting a new communications executive. Max Valiquette will be joining Trudeau’s office in early December as executive director of communications. Valiquette, who has had a 25-year plus career in communications and marketing, is joining the office to oversee the communications, digital, research, and advertising teams. He previously worked on Trudeau’s 2015 election campaign.
Meanwhile, there will be other shifts in the PMO communications team. Vanessa Hage-Moussa, acting communications director since June, becomes the permanent communications director. Ann-Clara Vaillancourt becomes media relations director, and Astrid Krizus is now the deputy communications director as well as climate adviser.
Today in the Commons – Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, Nov. 24, accessible here.
Deputy Prime Minister’s Day – Private meetings in Ottawa.
Ministers on the Road – In Quebec City, Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, along with Public Services Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, a Quebec MP, announced an agreement to end gender-based violence in Quebec with representatives of the Quebec government. Diversity Minister Kamal Khera, in Brampton, Ont., announced the federal contribution to support housing needs for asylum seekers in the Peel Region.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
Justin Trudeau has been in St. John’s for a summit with leaders of the European Union, concluding today. He is playing host to European Union President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He met with the leaders in the morning. Just before noon, he held a joint media availability with von der Leyen and Michel. Following that event, the leaders visited a local innovation and technology hub.
LEADERS
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, in Kitchener, Ont., participated virtually in Commons proceedings and later campaigned for Aislinn Clancy, the Green candidate in the Kitchener Centre provincial byelection.
No schedules released for Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet,Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
THE DECIBEL
On Friday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Report on Business journalist Joe Castaldo talks about Ilya Sutskever, chief scientist of OpenAI, which, in a week, went from being Silicon Valley’s dominant artificial intelligence company, to teetering on the brink of collapse, to a total board overhaul. The Decibel is here.
TRIBUTE
Norman Fetterley – The veteran Parliament Hill correspondent for CJOH and CTV News known for hosting the Gallery Talk panel of correspondents analyzing politics, has died. He was 74. Details here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Boardon how subsidies to rich seniors make no sense:“Ottawa is starting to feel the pinch of its fiscal handcuffs this year, as flagging revenue growth and surging debt costs limit the spending propensities – or at least ability – of the Liberals. But those handcuffs are going to grow much tighter through the rest of this decade. According to new projections in this week’s fall economic statement, just two categories, elderly benefits and debt servicing costs, will account for 52 cents out of every new dollar that the federal government spends in fiscal 2028-29 compared with fiscal 2022-23.”
Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail) on how, pressed on Ukraine trade deal, Pierre Poilievre is telling tales: “While Pierre Poilievre claims that the new, updated Canada-Ukraine free-trade agreement would force Ukraine to adopt a carbon tax, there is a pretty good source that says that is not so: Ukraine. For some bizarre reason, Mr. Poilievre – a Conservative leader with a 14-point lead in polls who is heading what is supposed to be a government-in-waiting – insists on using that false claim to justify voting against a trade deal that war-weary Ukraine dearly wants.”
Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail) on the Liberals’ new definition of restraint: overspending by less than they had previously: “This year’s fall economic statement, I read in the news, was all about ‘restraint.’ But then, so was last year’s statement. So was the spring budget, and the budget before that. Every time the Liberals update the country on the state of its finances, it is accompanied by pages of prose trumpeting the government’s devotion to fiscal restraint. And yet, every time, spending somehow ratchets higher. Over the years this contradiction has required ever more creative arguments to conceal.”
Peter Humphrey (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how Michael Spavor’s accusations are playing into Beijing’s hands: “It is not unusual for friends in the business and diplomatic community or journalists to trade political gossip over a drink in a bar. It is not unusual for somebody who resides in China, and does travel regularly to North Korea, to gossip with their mates about what is going on in the Hermit Kingdom – though it is unusual for anybody to frequent there. But for Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, both of whom were hostages of Beijing on false espionage charges for three years, this habit of old friends has turned toxic.”
Shachi Kurl (The Ottawa Citizen) on how Pierre Poilievre, as a potential prime minister, needs to choose his words much more carefully: “In politics, it is never too early or too late for a winning team to blow its lead. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre appears to have decided that now is the time to risk squandering his political good fortune. In the hours after an explosion killed two people at the Rainbow Bridge this week, some early reportage relied heavily on unconfirmed, unnamed sources. Networks put so-called ‘security experts’ on air to speculate about ‘terror cells’ and ‘self-radicalization.’ In the end, there was no evidence of terrorism. As Official Opposition leader enjoying a 14-point advantage, and knowing he’s being evaluated as a potential prime minister, Poilievre should also know the weight and influence of his words. But things started to unravel during Wednesday’s question period when he specifically referred to terror.”
Phil Tank (Saskatoon StarPheonix)on how the male-dominated Saskatchewan Party is unconvincing as a champion of women: “The scandal comes about a year after a government MLA invited convicted wife killer Colin Thatcher to attend the Saskatchewan throne speech, which was initially defended by the government. Moe later offered an awkward apology. Yet statements about the need to support vulnerable women would carry more weight if they did not come from the most male-dominated provincial government in Canada – one that has been in power for 16 years. Just 18 per cent of government MLAs are women, or eight out of 45 after Domotor’s removal.”
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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.
