Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Monday he has no plans to remove from his caucus three members of Parliament who recently met with a German politician from a far-right party.
Speaking to reporters Monday in Ottawa, Poilievre otherwise ducked questions about the luncheon between Ontario MPs Leslyn Lewis, Dean Allison and Colin Carrie and Christine Anderson.
Anderson visited Canada as part of a tour organized by supporters of last year’s “Freedom Convoy” protests near Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa, which she publicly supported.
Anderson is a member of the European Parliament representing the Alternative for Germany party, which has been under surveillance as a suspected extremist group in Germany and is accused of downplaying Nazi crimes, opposing immigration and pushing anti-Muslim ideology.
After photographs of the meeting emerged, Poilievre’s office released a statement condemning Anderson’s views as “vile” while insisting his three MPs were unaware of her politics and regretted the meeting.
Carrie, who represents the riding of Oshawa, expressed his regret on social media more than a week ago. Neither Allison nor Lewis has responded to multiple requests for comment.
On Monday, Poilievre took a different tack when asked about the issue by trying to turn the tables on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rather than reiterating his earlier comments.
“Right now, what I’m more concerned about is the vile and racist views of the prime minister,” he told reporters, pointing to reports during the 2019 federal election campaign that Trudeau had worn blackface several times before entering politics. Trudeau apologized on the campaign trail after the news came out.
When asked directly on Monday whether he intends to remove Lewis, Allison or Carrie from caucus, the Conservative leader answered: “No.”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre points to take a question from another journalist during a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Monday, March 6, 2023. Poilievre said during the news conference that he would not expel three MPs who met with a German politician from a far-right political party from the Conservative caucus. (Justin Tang/Canadian Press)
Under rules established by the 2014 Reform Act, which the current Conservative caucus voted to adhere to after the 2021 election, a vote would be required to expel an MP.
That was the case for former representative Derek Sloan, whose ouster before the last election was initiated by former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole.
O’Toole triggered a vote in response to reports that Sloan had accepted a political donation from a known white nationalist, citing a “pattern of destructive behaviour.”
The caucus turfed the former leader himself under a similar Reform Act provision.
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.
