Amid the Conservative party’s unanimous rejection of a bill seeking to update the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement over carbon tax wording concerns, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Canada Yuliya Kovaliv says that while she understands there are “differences” in political opinion in this country about climate policies, she hopes support for Ukraine remains steadfast.
“Each country decides, there are many options, and many countries have different policies on how to deal with climate change… What’s important for Ukraine, is this free trade agreement,” she said in an interview on CTV News Channel’s Power Play with Vassy Kapelos.
The issue sparked controversy earlier this week, when Conservative MPs united in voting against advancing the legislation, known as Bill C-57, the modernized Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA). The bill still passed on to the next stage of legislative review, with Liberal, Bloc, NDP, and Green votes, but not without Liberals expressing dismay over Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s decision.
Reporters asked Poilievre for the second day in a row to explain why his caucus voted the way it did. He doubled down, in stating his position that it was about the carbon pricing wording within the bill seeking to implement an updated version of the two-country agreement, and not the trade deal itself.
“We didn’t vote against a free trade agreement, we brought in the free trade agreement. We voted against Justin Trudeau forcing a carbon tax into that pre-existing agreement,” Poilievre said.
Poilievre said it was “cruel” for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to expect Ukrainians, in their post-war rebuild, to pay a carbon tax.
While the text of the trade deal does include a commitment that both countries would both, bilaterally and internationally “promote carbon pricing and measures to mitigate carbon leakage risks,” the legislation does not include provisions to force a pollution pricing plan.
Kovaliv said Ukraine is looking forward to working on further policies to address its carbon footprint, in line with European Union membership requirements.
On Thursday, Liberal MPs continued to decry the Conservatives’ decision to oppose the revised deal.
Government House Leader Karina Gould accused Poilievre of importing “American style right-wing politics” to Canada with this vote, pointing to politicians in the U.S. that have taken “a hard turn against Ukraine,” voicing calls to stop helping fund the country’s war efforts against Russia.
Asked if she was worried about what is transpiring in the U.S. in regard to support for Ukraine, happening in Canada, Kovaliv said “we do hope that it will not happen.”
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.
