Hiya,
Alberta is pushing again at federal gun-control efforts.
Saying “Albertans have had sufficient,” provincial Justice Minister Tyler Shandro introduced Thursday his authorities is intent on defending firearms house owners from what he described as “an more and more hostile federal authorities.”
He mentioned Ottawa’s strategy to firearms administration will criminalize many Canadians, largely in Western Canada.
“It’s changing into more and more clear that the federal Liberal authorities is pursuing a method to ban all authorized firearms possession,” Mr. Shandro advised a information convention in Edmonton.
“Their actions are concentrating on western Canadians for a cause. That is about shoring up their very own political assist.”
At concern are amendments to Invoice C-21, the federal gun-control laws, that may make many firearms generally utilized by hunters unlawful. The amendments embrace a authorized definition of assault-style weapons that may be routinely banned. Critics say the proposed definition catches many weapons used for searching.
Mr. Shandro mentioned that, as of Jan. 1, the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, and never federal prosecutors, will cope with fees associated to the federal Firearms Act.
He additionally mentioned a brand new protocol has been issued to Crown prosecutors outlining learn how to deal with fees associated to the federal firearms ban that gives steerage on evaluating the general public curiosity on whether or not to pursue fees.
The actions come as Alberta’s United Conservative Get together authorities has handed a sovereignty act, which says the federal government can act in responding to what it designates as federal overreach into provincial areas of authority. There’s an explainer right here on the act.
In Ottawa, Justice Minister David Lametti mentioned Thursday afternoon that he had not seen Mr. Shandro’s feedback.
However, when leaving the weekly cupboard assembly, Mr. Lametti mentioned it was professional for provinces to problem federal jurisdiction after they assume the federal authorities has gone too far.
“We actually do the identical factor with provinces,” he mentioned. “There’s nothing flawed in and of itself for each the federal authorities and the provinces to say their jurisdiction or to check the parameters of assertions of the opposite ranges of presidency on jurisdiction.”
As senior political reporter Marieke Walsh and reporter Marsha McLeod report right here, the federal authorities mentioned Wednesday it’s open to fine-tuning the invoice.
That is the each day Politics Briefing e-newsletter, written by Ian Bailey. It’s accessible solely to our digital subscribers. If you happen to’re studying this on the internet, subscribers can join the Politics e-newsletter and greater than 20 others on our e-newsletter sign-up web page. Have any suggestions? Tell us what you assume.
TODAY’S HEADLINES
PUBLIC SERVANTS BEING CALLED BACK TO WORK – Ottawa is mandating that federal public servants return to the workplace at the very least two to 3 days in every week, or 40 to 60 per cent of the time they spend working, in an try and deliver extra uniformity to a hybrid work setup that has assorted broadly throughout totally different federal departments since September. Story right here.
MUSLIM ORGANIZATION TARGETED BY FORGERIES – Canada’s largest Muslim neighborhood group has been rocked by meticulous forgeries of RCMP and Canada Income Company information, which weave an elaborate fiction about federal investigators utilizing paid informants to construct a terrorist-funding case towards the charity. Story right here.
PM DEFENDS TRADE MINISTER – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended his Commerce Minister on Wednesday after the Ethics Commissioner dominated that Mary Ng broke federal legal guidelines in awarding two media coaching contracts to a detailed good friend. Story right here.
ANTI-ORGAN TRAFFICKING BILL PASSED – MPs have handed laws that may block foreigners from coming into Canada in the event that they have been concerned in organ trafficking – an accusation levelled at China by United Nations consultants in 2021 – and adopted a movement urging Beijing to grant Tibet extra autonomy. Story right here.
CANADA FALTERS IN TRADE WITH AFRICA – Senators are warning Commerce Minister Mary Ng that Ottawa could also be falling behind its friends in establishing deeper commerce ties with Africa. Story right here.
NEW APOLOGY FOR SMITH – Premier Danielle Smith says she is sorry if anybody misinterpreted her remarks this week to conclude she was equating Ottawa’s therapy of Alberta to the systemic and horrific abuse of Canada’s First Nations. Story right here.
MONTREAL POLICE OFFICERS AFOUL OF BILL 21 – Montreal police have requested officers to cease carrying non secular symbols whereas on the job because the provincial regulation, Invoice 21, prohibits the carrying of spiritual symbols by representatives of the state ready of authority. Story right here from CBC.
MP MACKENZIE STEPPING DOWN – Dave MacKenzie, the long-time Conservative MP for the southwestern Ontario driving of Oxford, has introduced he’s stepping down. Story right here from the Strathroy Age Dispatch.
ENGLISH SAFE IN QUEBEC: LEGAULT – English will not be the language in peril in Quebec, Premier François Legault mentioned Wednesday, calling on Ottawa to do extra than simply speak in relation to defending French. Story right here from The Montreal Gazette.
FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY FINDS TROUBLE – Efforts by Canada’s monetary intelligence company during the last three years uncovered exercise associated to homegrown terrorism, the bankrolling of worldwide terrorist teams and makes an attempt by Canadians to participate in extremism overseas. Story right here.
THIS AND THAT
HOUSE ON A BREAK – The Home of Commons is on a break till Jan. 30.
TRUDEAU AT CHRISTMAS PARTY – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in a Christmas spirit on Wednesday night time, extending vacation cheer to Conservatives. “Allow us to keep in mind. Conservative Canadians will not be our enemies. They’re their neighbours, our uncles and cousins and our co-workers. We have to take heed to them,” Mr. Trudeau advised greater than 2,000 individuals attending the social gathering’s nationwide Christmas social gathering in Ottawa.
However the Liberal chief didn’t maintain again in pictures at Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative chief, taking concern along with his rhetorical declare that Canada is damaged. “That’s the place we draw the road,” he mentioned. “I don’t settle for Canadians and politicians that speak down our nation. Let me be very clear for the file: Canada will not be damaged.”
Mr. Poilievre responded to Mr. Trudeau, on Thursday, with a video posted to Twitter that featured a quote from the Liberal chief, earlier than he was prime minister, saying a pacesetter takes accountability when issues go flawed. The 90-second video used clips from media stories to quote challenges raised by such points as inflation, shortages of youngsters’s fever medicine, crime and rising overdose deaths.
He additionally took concern with Mr. Poilievre not campaigning within the Mississauga-Lakeshore by-election that the Liberals gained with former Ontario finance minister Charles Sousa as their candidate. “As Liberals, we present up,” mentioned Mr. Trudeau. “We confirmed up for the individuals of Mississauga. Charles Sousa confirmed up for the individuals of Mississauga. They usually confirmed up for us.”
Mr. Trudeau additionally referred to as on the viewers to face for a second of silence in honour of former federal cupboard minister Jim Carr, who died this week. “He would have cherished to be right here tonight. He would have cherished to see this room stuffed with Liberals,” mentioned Mr. Trudeau.
Friday’s Christmas gathering was the newest in a collection of Christmas events held by the nationwide events. The NDP, Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois have already held their gatherings, which come because the Home of Commons wrapped up the autumn sitting on Wednesday. Members will probably be again on Jan. 30.
NOTLEY SPEAKING – Former Alberta premier Rachel Notley, now Official Opposition chief, was scheduled to take part in a keynote tackle and dialog on Thursday organized, in Calgary, by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Ottawa, held personal conferences, chaired the cupboard assembly and was scheduled to satisfy with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr. Trudeau was additionally scheduled to attend a Liberal Get together of Canada fundraising occasion in Gatineau, Que.
LEADERS
NDP Chief Jagmeet Singh, in Montreal, was scheduled to satisfy with representatives of the Alliance {of professional} and technical personnel of well being and social companies to speak about well being care-issues, and take media questions afterwards. He was additionally scheduled to attend the COP15 UN convention on biodiversity, meet with Quebec union leaders, meet with representatives of Nature Canada and attend the World Wildlife Basis-Canada COP15 reception.
No schedules offered for different social gathering leaders.
THE DECIBEL
On Thursday’s version of The Globe and Mail podcast, expertise reporter, Temur Durrani, talks about points round Sam Bankman-Fried, the previous CEO of cryptocurrency alternate FTX, who was arrested within the Bahamas on Monday. U.S. prosecutors charged Bankman-Fried with eight counts of fraud and conspiracy. He’s now in a Bahamian jail and could possibly be extradited to the U.S. The corporate was based in 2019 and went from being value US$32-billion to bankrupt in mid-November. Alongside the way in which, FTX constructed up plenty of hype and attracted plenty of investments worldwide. Mr. Durrani talks about what he realized about how the worry of lacking out received so many to purchase in. The Decibel is right here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on a prescription to ease the emergency in Canada’s ERs: “Difficult knots at all times look troublesome, if not inconceivable, to unsnarl. The messy state of the well being care system – with hours-long waits in emergency rooms the obvious symptom – suits that description. New knowledge from the Canadian Institute for Well being Data present that individuals admitted to hospitals in 2021 spent extra time ready within the ER than ever earlier than. There are, nevertheless, solutions to ease Canada’s well being care disaster, ones that gained’t take years to implement.”
Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail) on the way it took quite a bit for the Liberals to screw up a gun invoice this badly: “You don’t have to have a look at opinion polls too lengthy to see broad assist for gun restrictions amongst Canadians. It needs to be laborious for the Liberals to make a serious political mistake with gun management. But right here they’re standing atop a dumpster fireplace of a gun invoice. Greater than 80 per cent of Canadians supported a ban on “army assault-style” weapons, in line with an Ipsos ballot carried out in 2020. One other Ipsos ballot from 2020 discovered {that a} slim majority in cities supported banning all weapons. All of them. Polls are polls, however clearly gun management supplied Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals clean crusing down a large river of political alternative. Someway with Invoice C-21, they careened into the banks.”
Konrad Yakabuski (The Globe and Mail) on whether or not assist for Conservative Chief Pierre Poilievre has already peaked: “It’s true that voters’ urge for food for change would possibly trump all the pieces else within the subsequent federal election, particularly if the financial system continues to go south. Nonetheless, voters in Mississauga-Lakeshore had an opportunity to purchase the shiny object within the window in Mr. Poilievre’s first by-election as chief. And most of them mentioned “nah.”
Jawed Haqmal (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how his household escaped hell in Afghanistan and now they’re in purgatory: “It’s 4 o’clock within the morning in Germany as I write this, and my little ladies are sleeping round me. My eldest daughter Marwa is coping with a severe cough from the winter chilly. Each couple of minutes, she wakes up, and generally, she asks: Dad, when will you are taking me to the physician? When will you purchase me a winter coat? Please sleep now, is all I can say. There will probably be reduction quickly. That phrase once more: quickly. I don’t know what it means any extra. I have a look at my youngsters and take into consideration their darkish and unknown future, and tears roll down my face. It looks like we now have been bodily saved – however emotionally destroyed by a paperwork that doesn’t appear to care about us.”
Lisa Younger and Loleen Berdahl (Coverage Choices) on standing as much as Ottawa, with western alienation shifting into Prairie constitutional challenges: “Saskatchewan and Alberta are provincial twins, created by the federal authorities on the identical day in 1905. Within the ensuing 117 years, there was a persistent sense of alienation from the federal authorities and Central Canada. The newest twist on this lengthy story of western alienation is obvious in lately launched laws in every province. The payments have constitutional implications and the remainder of Canada needs to be paying consideration.”
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