(Bloomberg) — The Kuomintang, the political party that ruled China and then Taiwan for much of the 20th Century, is at risk of losing its position as the island’s main opposition as a relative newcomer cements its position as the second most popular force in domestic politics, a new poll shows.
The Taiwan People’s Party, established in 2019, has an approval rating of 22.2% compared to 20.4% support for the KMT, traditionally one of Taiwan’s biggest parties, according to a poll released Thursday by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party received an approval rating of 24.6%.
This is the first time that three political parties in Taiwan have received approval ratings of over 20%, the foundation said, calling it a potential “super bombshell” for the 2024 elections.
The survey was conducted June 12-13 and has a margin of error of about three percentage points.
Taiwanese voters will choose their next president and a cohort of lawmakers in January, with the results helping set the course for both cross-strait and US-China relations for years to come.
Why Taiwan’s 2024 Election Matters From China to US: QuickTake
The election is shaping up to be a competitive three-way race between the ruling DPP, which is determined to maintain Taiwan’s effective political independence; the KMT, which seeks closer ties with China; and the TPP, which advocates for dialogue with China while presenting a middle-of-the-road alternative to the other two parties.
The polling results represent a “severe crisis” for the KMT, which has lost almost 3 million supporters over the past four years due to factional infighting, according to the foundation.
But the outcome is by no means a win for the DPP. The numbers are “a serious warning” to President Tsai Ing-wen’s ruling party, showing it has lost the support of over 3 millions voters since the last presidential election in 2020, the foundation said in a statement.
While the poll is sobering news for the KMT, for now the party remains a more influential force in Taiwan’s politics than the TPP. The KMT governs 14 out of Taiwan’s 22 counties and municipalities. It has 37 lawmakers in the 113-seat legislature, compared to five for the TPP.
Thursday’s results showed the TPP’s highest support rating since its founding four years ago, the foundation said, highlighting that Taiwanese voters are keen for a “meaningful third choice” other than the two traditionally largest parties.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
