Politics

U.S. President Joe Biden heads to Northern Ireland at delicate political juncture

Published

1 year ago

April 10, 2023

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks while hosting a virtual St. Patrick’s Day meeting with Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheal Martin in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 17, 2022. Photo by LEAH MILLIS /Reuters files

BELFAST — U.S. President Joe Biden arrives in Belfast on Tuesday at a delicate political time in Northern Ireland as he helps mark the 25-year anniversary of a peace deal that largely ended 30 years of bloodshed there.

Biden, known for decades for his pro-Irish views, will need to tread carefully as pro-British unionists loyal to London continue to boycott the devolved power-sharing government that was a fundamental part of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Biden was expected to meet representatives from five Northern Irish parties in advance of his speech at Ulster University but was not planning to pressure them, a senior administration official said.

“The president will have the opportunity to engage with the political parties of Northern Ireland before his speech, and as we’ve said, he looks forward to continuing to engage them as we work to improve the lives and livelihoods of all communities there,” said John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson.

Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has said Biden’s visit – the first by a U.S. president in 10 years – will not pressure it to end its protest at post-Brexit trade rules that treat the province differently to the rest of the United Kingdom.

Biden, who will float the possibility of closer investment ties between the U.S. and Northern Ireland to try to encourage an end to the impasse, clashed with the British government at times during the Brexit talks, drawing a rebuke from the DUP.

“The American involvement here has been a positive and a constructive one and fair in respect to the protocol issues,” Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin told national broadcaster RTE, referring to the trade barriers that the European Union and UK agreed to ease in a recent deal endorsed by Biden.

“I think the president is anxious that the restoration of the (power-sharing) executive would pave the way for an economic agenda. That would be an important dividend of the visit.”

Biden, who will meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on his arrival late on Tuesday and make his an address at Ulster University in Belfast on Wednesday, will use the trip to underscore the United States’ readiness to support Northern Ireland’s “vast economic potential,” the White House said last week.

However, the latest political stalemate is set to overshadow the visit and the anniversary of the peace deal the U.S. helped broker between Irish nationalists seeking a united Ireland and pro-British unionists wanting to remain part of the UK.

There is still sporadic violence by small groups opposed to peace and police were attacked with petrol bombs at a parade opposing the agreement in Londonderry on Monday.

Britain’s MI5 intelligence agency recently increased the threat level in Northern Ireland from domestic terrorism to “severe” – meaning an attack is highly likely. It has been mostly at that level since its introduction in 2010.

Biden, who speaks proudly of his Irish roots and frequently quotes Irish poets such as Seamus Heaney, will then spend three days in Ireland where he will address the parliament in Dublin and visit his ancestral homes on either coast.

He will meet distant cousins in County Louth on Wednesday and give a public address in the western county of Mayo, where his great-great-grandfather Edward Blewitt grew up, before departing on Friday.

“Since (Jonh F.) Kennedy there hasn’t been as Irish American a president as Joe Biden and we’re really looking forward to welcoming him home,” Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Sunday. (Additional reporting by Steve Holland in Washington; Writing by Padraic Halpin in Dublin; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

Source link

Politics

New Brunswick election candidate profile: Green Party Leader David Coon

Published

4 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

FREDERICTON – A look at David Coon, leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick:

Born: Oct. 28, 1956.

Early years: Born in Toronto and raised in Montreal, he spent about three decades as an environmental advocate.

Education: A trained biologist, he graduated with a bachelor of science from McGill University in Montreal in 1978.

Family: He and his wife Janice Harvey have two daughters, Caroline and Laura.

Before politics: Worked as an environmental educator, organizer, activist and manager for 33 years, mainly with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick.

Politics: Joined the Green Party of Canada in May 2006 and was elected leader of the New Brunswick Green Party in September 2012. Won a seat in the legislature in 2014 — a first for the province’s Greens.

Quote: “It was despicable. He’s clearly decided to take the low road in this campaign, to adopt some Trump-lite fearmongering.” — David Coon on Sept. 12, 2024, reacting to Blaine Higgs’s claim that the federal government had decided to send 4,600 asylum seekers to New Brunswick.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

Source link

Politics

New Brunswick election profile: Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs

Published

4 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

FREDERICTON – A look at Blaine Higgs, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.

Born: March 1, 1954.

Early years: The son of a customs officer, he grew up in Forest City, N.B., near the Canada-U.S. border.

Education: Graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1977.

Family: Married his high-school sweetheart, Marcia, and settled in Saint John, N.B., where they had four daughters: Lindsey, Laura, Sarah and Rachel.

Before politics: Hired by Irving Oil a week after he graduated from university and was eventually promoted to director of distribution. Worked for 33 years at the company.

Politics: Elected to the legislature in 2010 and later served as finance minister under former Progressive Conservative Premier David Alward. Elected Tory leader in 2016 and has been premier since 2018.

Quote: “I’ve always felt parents should play the main role in raising children. No one is denying gender diversity is real. But we need to figure out how to manage it.” — Blaine Higgs in a year-end interview in 2023, explaining changes to school policies about gender identity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

Source link

Politics

Climate, food security, Arctic among Canada’s intelligence priorities, Ottawa says

Published

4 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

OTTAWA – The pressing issues of climate change and food security join more familiar ones like violent extremism and espionage on a new list of Canada’s intelligence priorities.

The federal government says publishing the list of priorities for the first time is an important step toward greater transparency.

The government revises the priorities every two years, based on recommendations from the national security adviser and the intelligence community.

Once the priorities are reviewed and approved by the federal cabinet, key ministers issue directives to federal agencies that produce intelligence.

Among the priorities are the security of global health, food, water and biodiversity, as well as the issues of climate change and global sustainability.

The new list also includes foreign interference and malign influence, cyberthreats, infrastructure security, Arctic sovereignty, border integrity and transnational organized crime.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

Source link