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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expects the newly appointed particular consultant to combat in opposition to Islamophobia to make clear remarks she has made about Quebeckers and the difficulty.
Heading right into a Liberal caucus assembly on Friday, Mr. Trudeau stated he didn’t agree with the remarks of human rights activist Amira Elghawaby and he anticipated them to be clarified.
Mr. Trudeau’s feedback got here after La Presse reported that Ms. Elghawaby has beforehand written that Quebeckers appear “influenced by anti-Muslim sentiment,” referring to a 2019 column in The Ottawa Citizen. The LaPresse story is right here.
La Presse reported that Ms. Elghawaby stated, in an interview, that she doesn’t imagine the overwhelming majority of Quebeckers are Islamophobic, and that her column had been misunderstood.
Requested concerning the situation, federal Variety Minister Ahmed Hussen advised journalists that the place is unbiased, and the consultant will cope with media questions on the difficulty.
“Our authorities’s place could be very clear. We acknowledge the management of Quebeckers and Canadians in opposition to Islamophobia,” he stated. “We acknowledge Quebec as a welcoming society.”
In response to a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s workplace on Thursday, Ms. Elghawaby is to function “a champion, adviser, skilled, and consultant to assist and improve the federal authorities’s efforts within the combat in opposition to Islamophobia, systemic racism, racial discrimination, and non secular intolerance.”
Additionally Friday, Mr. Trudeau and federal Conservative Chief Pierre Poilievre criticized one another in duelling speeches.
In remarks to the Conservative caucus, Mr. Poilievre accused Mr. Trudeau of being oblivious to the struggling of Canadians.
“Let me inform you one thing, Justin. There may be ache within the faces you don’t see. There may be struggling within the voices you don’t hear. And there may be misery, and even chaos, within the locations you don’t go,” Mr. Poilievre stated.
“We all know what you’ll do on this session of Parliament. You’ll divide to distract. You’ll attempt to make individuals afraid of one another since you assume that, if a median Canadian is afraid of his neighbour, he’ll overlook that he can’t feed himself or pay the hire.”
Mr. Trudeau advised his caucus that Mr. Poilievre has been advocating for investments in bitcoin to choose out of inflation after he watched movies on YouTube about it. “All of us like YouTube, however it issues what content material you watch, and what you select to amplify” Mr. Trudeau stated.
Of the parliamentary session forward, he stated, “This can be a pivotal world, not only for our nation, however the entire world and as we head into this new sitting of Parliament, we, all of us. We should be prepared to fulfill this second. We should keep in mind to all the time put Canadians on the centre of every thing we do.”
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
BARTON TO APPEAR BEFORE COMMONS COMMITTEE – McKinsey & Firm’s former international managing accomplice Dominic Barton, who can also be a former senior coverage adviser to the Trudeau authorities, will seem Wednesday earlier than a parliamentary committee reviewing the spike in federal outsourcing to the New York-based consulting big. Story right here.
ABOUT 500 EXPECTED AT FREEDOM CONVOY ANNIVERSARY GATHERING – The Parliamentary Protecting Service expects 500 individuals to assemble this weekend to mark a 12 months for the reason that so-called Freedom Convoy occupied downtown Ottawa. Story right here.
MANITOBA FINANCE MINISTER STEPPING DOWN TO SEEK COMMONS SEAT – Manitoba’s finance minister is stepping right down to run for a seat within the Home of Commons. Cameron Friesen stated he knowledgeable Premier Heather Stefanson on Friday morning of his plan to go away cupboard. Story right here.
FEDERAL DEFICIT AT $3.6-BILLION – The federal deficit stood at $3.6-billion as of November with simply 4 months left in 2022-23 fiscal 12 months, suggesting federal funds are outperforming official projections. Story right here.
SMITH WRITES TO TRUDEAU – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who received assist from United Conservative Social gathering members by treating the federal authorities as an adversary, on Thursday deployed a extra diplomatic strategy: writing a letter to the Prime Minister arguing the setting can be higher protected if Canada elevated its fossil gasoline output. Story right here.
LIBERAL MP DENOUNCES GOVERNMENT ACTION ON ABUSE IN SPORT – A Liberal MP and former sport minister, Kirsty Duncan, is once more calling for a public inquiry into abuse in sport – and is accusing her personal authorities of not doing sufficient to sort out the issue. Story right here from CBC.
CALLS FOR MORE EDUCATION ON HOLOCAUST – Friday marks Worldwide Holocaust Remembrance Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau focus camp. However educators say Holocaust remembrance should even be built-in into elementary college curriculums, as a result of instilling that information in younger college students is a solution to fight antisemitism throughout colleges. Story right here.
DATA LEAK PROMPTS GREEN REVIEW – Elizabeth Might says the Inexperienced Social gathering will examine and conduct a “root to department evaluate” of all of its data-retention programs after member data was mistakenly posted on-line. Story right here.
THREE-QUARTERS OF CANADIANS HAVE HAD COVID-19: BLOOD DATA – Virtually three-quarters of Canadians have now had COVID-19, though far fewer seniors have caught the coronavirus, checks of blood donations present. Story right here.
GUILBEAULT RAISES PROSPECT OF ONTARIO GREENBELT ACTION – Federal Atmosphere Minister Steven Guilbeault says he may attempt to cease a few of the growth that would outcome from Ontario’s plans to permit housing on once-protected Greenbelt lands, warning that the province’s transfer defies efforts to arrange for local weather change. Story right here.
CRA COMMISSIONER WARY ABOUT PANDEMIC WAGE BENEFITS REVIEW – Canada Income Company Commissioner Bob Hamilton says it’s not well worth the effort to conduct a full evaluate of greater than $15-billion in pandemic wage advantages the Auditor-Common has stated might have been despatched to ineligible recipients. Story right here.
TTC RESPONDS TO UNAUTHORIZED TRANSIT ANNOUNCEMENT – The TTC is responding to what they’re calling an “unauthorized” transit announcement that apparently got here from a pissed off practice operator throughout current subway delays. In a number of movies making the rounds on social media, the voice of a transit operator might be heard directing riders to handle any complaints they might have towards Toronto Mayor John Tory and TTC customer support. Story right here from CityNews.
THIS AND THAT
HOUSE ON A BREAK – The Home of Commons is on a break till Jan. 30.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Ottawa, held non-public conferences, met with visiting King Abdullah II of Jordan, and delivered remarks at an Worldwide Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony. Mr. Trudeau additionally delivered opening remarks on the nationwide Liberal caucus retreat on Parliament Hill and was scheduled to attend the retreat.
LEADERS
Conservative Chief Pierre Poilievre, on Parliament Hill, addressed the nationwide Conservative caucus. He additionally attended the Ottawa Worldwide Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemoration.
NDP Chief Jagmeet Singh, in Victoria, concluded a tour of Vancouver Island with a information convention on well being care.
No schedules offered for different occasion leaders.
THE DECIBEL
On Friday’s version of The Globe and Mail podcast, Ottawa reporter Shannon Proudfoot discusses what a few of the members within the convoy that descended on Ottawa final 12 months, give it some thought now, and whether or not one other model of this protest may pop up once more. The Decibel is right here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how we aren’t headed in the direction of U.S.-style non-public well being care: “It could be good, as Canada heaves its method by way of one other debate concerning the provision of well being care by for-profit firms, if politicians had been extra sincere about what’s being proposed. We’re taking a look at you, Jagmeet Singh.”
Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail) on how Ottawa can repair well being care: first, ship much less cash: “The Prime Minister will meet with the premiers early subsequent month. Expectations that they’ll announce a deal there after which have been performed down. However the entire noise over the previous few weeks has been to the impact that the 2 sides are edging nearer to an settlement: a large improve in federal transfers, in return for provincial acceptance of a handful of federal situations, together with – gasp – that they need to publish comparable information on the state of their respective well being care programs. Little question that might be a helpful measure, permitting the general public and consultants to trace the provinces’ progress in opposition to one another. It would even be price a federal bribe of some dimension. However one other nice dollop of federal money, on high of the will increase the provinces have already acquired, shouldn’t be solely unhelpful: it’s a catastrophe. It could be a catastrophe even when Ottawa had the cash, which it doesn’t.”
John Ibbitson (The Globe and Mail) on how Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre must cease insulting one another: “Republicans and Democrats profoundly disagree on the correct to an abortion, on the rights of sexual and gender minorities, on gun rights, on voting rights, on international warming. They disagree so strongly that it’s a marvel the nation holds itself collectively. Britain and plenty of different European international locations additionally wrestle with sharp ideological divides. However the social and financial consensus in Canada is broad and deep. Which makes it all of the extra dismaying that the leaders of the 2 largest nationwide events speak about one another the way in which they do. We’re simply not that polarized, although we may turn into so if our political leaders don’t tone issues down.”
Gary Mason (The Globe and Mail) on why it’s greatest to get used to random acts of violence: “The NDP authorities in B.C. has made historic investments in psychological well being and habit and but they haven’t had a demonstrable affect on lowering the random violence being witnessed on Vancouver streets lately. And certain received’t for years. This isn’t a comforting thought for individuals, I do know. However we should cope with actuality. ‘Individuals are terrified,’ Vancouver Provincial Court docket Choose Ellen Gordon advised her courtroom final November whereas sentencing a person for a random assault. Certainly, they’re, and sadly the perfect recommendation for a lot of, in Vancouver, Toronto or elsewhere, is just: Be in your guard. Journey in pairs when potential. Keep away from conditions the place you’re alone at instances of the day once you is likely to be most susceptible. (Many stranger assaults, nonetheless, happen in broad daylight in entrance of others.)”
Christopher Ragan, Rick Smith and Edward Greenspon (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how, with demand surging, Canada should improve its electrical energy grid. Can we overcome our distinctive challenges to take action?: “Electrical energy demand is about to skyrocket in Canada because the clear vitality transition accelerates, which implies the nation should embark on a historic build-out of its energy programs to make sure continued prosperity. By 2050, we would require much more electrical energy – maybe two to a few instances extra producing capability than is at present in operation. The federal authorities has been doing a lot to encourage the clear vitality transition; now, it wants to assist speed up the transformation of the electrical energy infrastructure on which that transition depends.”
Lori Turnbull (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how defending the Constitution by way of the courts can be a grim indictment of our democracy: “In a current interview with La Presse, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his frustration with some premiers’ reckless use of the however clause. ‘There needs to be political penalties to such a choice,’ Mr. Trudeau stated, referring to enacting the a part of the Structure that enables Parliament and provincial legislatures to cross legal guidelines that infringe on sections 2 and seven to fifteen of the Constitution of Rights and Freedoms. ‘However we’re experiencing a sure trivialization of this suspension of rights.’ It’s awkward, uncomfortable, and maybe politically hazardous for a chief minister to place the blame on voters for giving premiers a cross on Constitution compliance, however that’s his not-so-veiled message. And it’s not an unreasonable one.”
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