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U.K. pauses trade talks with Canada, claims ‘progress is not being made’ – Global News

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The United Kingdom is hitting pause on negotiations for a new free trade agreement with Canada, with the British government claiming “progress is not being made.”

The statement shared by Susannah Goshko, the British high commissioner to Canada, on Thursday came less than a month before the next round of talks towards a permanent trade deal was expected to take place.

“We have always said we will only negotiate deals that deliver for the British people,” said the statement, attributed to a British government spokesperson. “And we reserve the right to pause negotiations with any country if progress is not being made. We remain open to restarting talks with Canada in the future to build a stronger trading relationship that benefits businesses and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Trade Minister Mary Ng’s office said in a statement of their own that London’s “unwillingness to reach a mutual agreement has only stalled negotiations,” accusing the U.K. of maintaining “market access barriers for our agricultural industry.”

The office said Ng has been in touch with her British counterpart Kemi Badenoch to express Canada’s “disappointment” over the stalled negotiations.


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Canada and the U.K. formally opened talks on an updated free trade deal in 2022. But sticking points have emerged on both sides of the negotiations.



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New trade deal with U.K. will help digital start-ups break into new markets: Ng


A special quota for U.K. cheese imports, which offered the same low-tariff access to the Canadian market as the European Union has, expired at the end of last month.

Canada has also decided not to extend country-of-origin rules set to expire at the end of March, which will likely drive up the price of U.K. goods such as luxury cars.

Both temporary measures were enacted after Brexit, and the U.K. had pushed for them to remain in place.

At the same time, Canada’s cattle sector has been lobbying against a deal with the U.K. over a long-standing dispute on hormone-treated beef and pork.

The U.K. has held back on importing meats treated with certain hormones that are widely used by Canadian ranchers, who argue the Brits’ concern isn’t grounded in science.

Ng’s office said Canada “will not negotiate an agreement that is not good (for) Canadians — and not good for our Canadian businesses, farmers and workers.”

The pause is the latest trade setback for Canada, after talks over an agreement with India were put on ice over accusations agents connected to the Indian government were behind the murder of a Sikh nationalist and Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in British Columbia last year.

Canada has also been facing a more protectionist trading partner in the United States. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this week that Ottawa was preparing for further “unpredictability” if former president Donald Trump returns to the White House next year.

— With files from the Canadian Press

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RCMP arrest second suspect in deadly shooting east of Calgary

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EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.

Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.

Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.

Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.

Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.

RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.

Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.

“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.

But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.

“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.

While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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26-year-old son is accused of his father’s murder on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast

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RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.

Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.

The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.

It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.

Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.

The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART strike continues after talks break with no deal

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VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.

Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”

However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.

McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”

About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.

McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.

He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.

The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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