Achi news desk-
Hello,
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is sending her deputy minister, David Morrison, to China soon in an effort to thaw relations with Beijing’s Communist Party, sources said.
It remains unclear whether this is a prelude to Joly visiting China, a country that has been dominating discussions in Canada’s public inquiry into foreign interference in Ottawa.
Guy Saint-Jacques, Canada’s former ambassador to China, said he believed Morrison’s visit could pave the way for a trip to Beijing by the Foreign Minister.
“It is part of trying to find some kind of accommodation because at the moment there is almost no exchange,” said Mr. Saint-Jacques.
“This is the usual pattern,” he said of Morrison’s planned trip. “You send the deputy minister and he will be tasked with finding enough to put together to justify the minister’s visit.”
Full story here from Senior Parliamentary Correspondent Steven Chase and Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife.
This is the daily Politics Briefing newsletter, written by Ian Bailey. It is only available to our digital subscribers. If you’re reading this on the web, subscribers can sign up for the Politics newsletter and more than 20 more on our newsletter sign up page. Do you have any feedback? Let us know what you think.
TODAY’S HEADS
Economists warn that tax rises are on the table in Tuesday’s budget: Given the tendency of the minority Liberals to spend, their history of breaking previous fiscal goals, and past challenges to find efficiency savings in the federal purse, many expect that the government will have to raise taxes. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland bought a new pair of Canadian-designed shoes today, before presenting the federal government’s 2024 budget.
Canada announces more sanctions on Belarus as opposition leader visits Ottawa: As the Eastern European country’s exiled opposition leader visits Ottawa, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has imposed sanctions on 21 people accused of human rights violations in Belarus since its 2020 presidential election, which was denied’ n widely as fraudulent.
Canada’s top soldier is pushing a renewed Arctic strategy amid China and Russia’s push to deepen ties: General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defense Staff, acknowledged that the $8.1 billion over all committed by the government to defense spending over the next five years falls short of NATO’s spending target of 2 percent of annual economic output. Still, he says that the new money will help military long neglected by governments of various political stripes. Story here.
Parti Québécois leader promises referendum, claiming Ottawa poses an ‘existential threat’: Quebeckers have one “ultimate” chance to secure their language and culture amid what he called an “existential threat” from Ottawa and the province’s declining pressure within the federation, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said.
Ottawa focuses on French-speaking economic immigrants – and often avoids stronger candidates: “What is the objective here? If it’s about economic growth, then this is not smart policy,” said Mikal Skuterud, professor of economics at the University of Waterloo. “But obviously, that’s not what this is about. They use economic class programs to achieve different objectives.”
BC formally recognizes Haida Nation Aboriginal title to Haida Gwaii: In a decades-in-the-making agreement reached outside of the courts or the FC treaty process, the provincial NDP government formally accepted that the Haida Nation has Aboriginal title to every million hectares of the Haida Gwaii islands, west of the coast northern British Columbia. .
The first 2024 Canadian carbon rebates to be deposited today for: Canadians living in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and all four Atlantic provinces will receive the first of four installments today if they file their 2023 taxes by March 15.
Ottawa is funding affordable rental projects that aren’t really affordable: An analysis of rental data reveals that 87 of 177 rental projects approved through the Ottawa Apartment Construction Loan Program are more than what a typical rental household can actually afford to pay.
POLITICAL QUOTES TODAY
“Please take the victory and make sure we can work together to bring peace back to the region” – Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly, during a news conference on Parliament Hill today, describing her message to her counterpart in Israel following Iran’s missile and drone attack on the country at the weekend.
“We don’t want to underestimate the municipalities. They know best. The federal government and the state government do not know best. The municipalities know best and we are going to work with them. … But let’s all work together. I want to be cooperative.” – Premier of Ontario, Doug Fordduring a news conference in Milton today, on federal plans to make billions of dollars available on housing.
“Comfort. A little heel. A smaller person, perhaps, is helped by that, and very comfortable.” – The Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland on the new shoes from Maguire Shoes that he received today before the presentation of the federal budget on Tuesday in Ottawa.
THIS AND THAT
Visit of the President of Poland: Andrzej Duda will be in Canada between April 18 and 23, with stops in Vancouver, the community of Esquimalt on Vancouver Island as well as Edmonton, an adviser from the Office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today. Trudeau and Duda will meet in Esquimalt for talks where the topics will include Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.’
Today in the House of Commons: Projected Order of Business in the House of Commons, April 15, available here.
Deputy Prime Minister’s Day: Private meetings in Ottawa and Chrystia Freeland, in her capacity as Finance Minister, chose a new pair of shoes ahead of the release of the federal budget on Tuesday.
Ministers on the Road: International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen is in Paris attending the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and its Neighbours.
Commons Committee Highlights: Defense Minister Bill Bair a Caroline Xavier, head of the Communications Security Institute, appearing before the defense committee as part of a defense policy update. Mark Hancock, national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employeesappeared with other witnesses before the human resources committee on Bill C-58. Jan Simpson, national president of the Canadian Postal Workers Unionamong the witnesses appearing before the government operations committee on postal service in Canada’s rural and remote communities. David Vigneault, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Servicea Nathalie Drouin, deputy clerk and national security and intelligence adviser to the Prime Minister, was scheduled to appear before the Canada-China relations committee. Heidi Yetman, president of the Canadian Federation of Teachers, was among the witnesses who appeared before the justice committee on Bill C-273 to amend the Criminal Code.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
In Ottawa, Justin Trudeau met with the visiting opposition leader from Belarus, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and was later scheduled to make remarks at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. In the evening, Trudeau will speak at an Eid al-Fitr dinner hosted by the Muslim Ahmadiyya Jama’at.
LEADERS
Green Party Leader Elizabeth Maywith Deputy Leader Jonathan Pednault and MP Mike Morrice held a news conference on expectations for the federal budget, and, later, spoke to the eighth annual Break-a-Fast (Iftar) dinner to celebrate the month of Ramadan.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singhin Ottawa, he spoke at the International Association of Firefighters Canadian legislative conference, then held a media availability before Question Period and later met with Burnaby firefighters before speaking at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Canada Iftar event.
No schedules have been released for Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet or Conservative leader Pierre Polievre.
OPINION
In Manitoba, the NDP crosses to the centre
“Manitoba’s new Premier has suspended the province’s fuel tax, is questioning the wisdom of the federal fuel charge, is aiming for a budget surplus before the next election and worries about how to close the prosperity gap with other provinces. To those outside of Manitoba, that agenda might look awkward for an NDP government. But the vision that Premier Wab Kinnew set for his first term in a discussion with The Globe and Mail’s editorial board goes back to the history and traditions of Manitoba’s centrist.” – The Globe and Mail Editorial Board.
The carbon tax is almost dead, and NDP leaders are helping to kill it
“A carbon price is a dead end tax. NDP leaders Jagmeet Singh and Wab Kinnew are both helping to kill him. We are moving towards a remarkable place where the New Democrats and the Conservatives have similar positions against the tax. Only Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ready to defend him – even to his political death.” – John Ibbitson.
New taxes would be a mistake. Freeland is still likely to raise levies on corporations and the wealthy
“Federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland knows that raising taxes would be a mistake. But she is still likely to raise levies on the country’s biggest companies and wealthiest citizens in Tuesday’s budget. Increasing government revenue is the only way to reconcile Ms constant promises. Freeland to respect the fiscal anchors he set last year and pay for the new programs that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has scattered like candy throughout the country in recent weeks. ” – Andrew Willis.
Trudeau’s pre-budget dance fails to impress the audience
“To get his country back on the dance floor, Trudeau must do three things. First, he must reassure voters that this level of spending is sustainable – an increasingly difficult case to make as debt becomes more expensive to service, and as non-members of the “ middle class” which is broadly defined for new taxes. Second, it must motivate Canadians about the direct benefits to them from all this spending. This, too, will be difficult given the timelines that sometimes last decades from publication to implementation. And third, he must persuade a sufficient number of Canadians that they need to vote Liberal again to keep all the programs that have been promised to them.” – Shachi Kurl, Ottawa Citizen
Have a news tip you’d like us to look into? Email us at [email protected]. Need to share documents securely? Reach out through SecureDrop.
Ad blocking test (Why?)
Source link
Related
