trudeau.csv

id,type,sectionId,sectionName,webPublicationDate,webTitle,webUrl,body,dateTimeLocal
world/2018/jan/09/justin-trudeau-joshua-boyle-hostage-meeting-arrest,article,world,World news,2018-01-10 01:10:55+00:00,Trudeau suggests meeting with Joshua Boyle before arrest raised no red flags,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/09/justin-trudeau-joshua-boyle-hostage-meeting-arrest,"Justin Trudeau has suggested that security and intelligence officials in Canada raised no red flags over his decision to meet Joshua Boyle and his family in December, less than two weeks before the former hostage was arrested on more than a dozen charges including sexual assault, forcible confinement and uttering a death threat.  During an interview with a Halifax radio station on Tuesday, the Canadian prime minister was asked whether he regretted the meeting. Trudeau pointed to the work his government had done to support Canadians caught in difficult situations abroad.    Related: Former hostage Joshua Boyle remains in jail after Ottawa court appearance    His office is often directly engaged in these cases, said Trudeau, resulting in him meeting with a number of people who have been freed after overseas ordeals. “So these kinds of things are something that I do, I always try to defer to meeting with more people rather than fewer people, in particular people for whom we’ve been working hard over the past years,” he said. “I think that’s something that’s important to do.”     Today was a wonderful experience for my family, and Ma'idah Grace Makepeace seemed truly enamoured. Incidentally, not our first meeting with @JustinTrudeau, that was '06 in Toronto over other common interests, haha. pic.twitter.com/Aj2eVGJoux— The Boyle Family (@BoylesVsWorld) December 19, 2017    The interviewer then asked whether the meeting had perhaps been the result of a lack of judgment or bad advice from his staff. Trudeau replied: “We make sure that we follow all the advice that our security professionals and intelligence agencies give us and that’s exactly what we did in this case.” Boyle was rescued in late 2017 in Pakistan, along with his American wife, Caitlan Coleman, and their three young children, all of whom were born during the couple’s five years in captivity. The couple – who were more than six months pregnant at the time – were backpacking through Afghanistan when they were abducted.  Last week, after news broke of Boyle’s arrest on 15 charges, including eight counts of assault and two counts of sexual assault, questions began swirling over the family’s December meeting with Trudeau at the prime minister’s office on Parliament Hill. Some columnists raised red flags over Boyle’s previous, brief marriage to Zaynab Khadr, whose father was a senior al-Qaida financier with links to Osama bin Laden, arguing the link should have been enough to discourage Trudeau from granting the meeting.      Justin Trudeau: ‘We make sure that we follow all the advice that our security professionals and intelligence agencies give us and that’s exactly what we did.’ Photograph: Adrian Wyld/AP    Others cited the many unanswered questions about why Boyle and Coleman were travelling in Afghanistan in the first place. “In various expositions, Boyle has claimed they unwittingly crossed into Afghanistan from Pakistan while backpacking through Central Asia, that they’d gone to Afghanistan as ‘pilgrims’ on a humanitarian mission to help civilians living in Taliban-control regions, and also that he’d hoped to get himself ‘embedded’ as a journalist with the Taliban. Take your pick,” noted one Toronto Star columnist.   Related: Canadian American family on surviving Taliban captivity: 'We tried to make it fun'    Opposition politicians also took aim. “How can a politician be taken like this? Even in the opposition we had information that was setting off alarms,” Conservative MP Pierre Paul-Hus wrote on social media.  Police have not disclosed whether Boyle was under investigation at the time of his meeting with Trudeau. News of the encounter emerged after the family published photos on social media showing Trudeau holding the couple’s youngest child in mid-December. A government official told the Guardian that the meeting had taken place at the request of the Boyle family.  Boyle remains in detention awaiting a bail hearing. The incidents are alleged to have taken place following the family’s return to Canada. A publication ban prevents the alleged victims from being identified. None of the allegations have been proven in court. Speaking to the Guardian last week, his lawyer stressed that Boyle is presumed innocent and has no criminal record.",2018-01-10 02:10:55+01:00
world/2018/jan/13/us-canada-trump-trudeau-trade,article,world,World news,2018-01-13 11:30:00+00:00,Trump-Trudeau love-in threatened as Canada attacks US over trade,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/13/us-canada-trump-trudeau-trade,"The charm offensive was already under way before Donald Trump moved into the White House. By inauguration, Justin Trudeau’s top advisers had fostered close contacts with Trump’s inner circle, setting the stage for a Washington visit peppered with smiles, handshakes and photo ops. But this week relations between Canada and the US seemingly struck a different note, as news broke that Ottawa had launched an all-out trade war against Washington. In a wide-ranging complaint, filed in December and made public on Wednesday by the World Trade Organization, Canada has taken aim at Washington’s use of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties. The complaint listed nearly 200 cases spanning two decades, alleging wrongdoing not only against Canada but dozens of other countries, such as Brazil, China and India. Canadian officials portrayed the filing as a clear message that Canada was standing up for its industries and workers. “When people see that you’re firm, you get respect,” François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s international trade minister told reporters.   Related: Canada v Mexico: Trump seeks to divide and conquer in Nafta negotiations    Looming over Ottawa message are the high stakes renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Amid Trump’s repeated threats to pull out of the decades-old pact, the Canadian government has been scrambling to hammer out a reasonable update that would safeguard the roughly 2.5m Canadian jobs and 75% of Canadian exports tied to the pact. Some pointed to the tough talk as a plan B by the Trudeau government. “By dropping the gloves in such a public way, Canada is acknowledging that playing nice with Mr Trump on trades has failed miserably,” noted a columnist for the Globe and Mail. Whether the approach had yielded results was a matter of debate: while much of Trump’s rhetoric has been aimed at Mexico, his initial actions were aimed at Canada. A series of aggressive trade actions saw steep tariffs and duties levied on Canadian softwood lumber, Bombardier CSeries aircraft and, just this week, newsprint. Trump paired these with a broad attack. “We can’t let Canada or anybody else take advantage and do what they did to our workers and to our farmers,” he told reporters in April. The WTO complaint suggests the Trudeau government has evolved in its approach , said John Weekes, Canada’s former WTO ambassador and chief Nafta negotiator. “This is really about sending a signal to the Americans that we’re prepared to be tough.” The timing of this signal suggests the Canadian government sees the sixth round of Nafta negotiations – slated to begin later this month in Montreal – as a vital opportunity to determine whether the US is willing to find common ground on the thorny issues such as the rules governing the auto industry and trade dispute mechanisms, said Weekes. On Wednesday US trade representative Robert Lighthizer made clear his belief that Canada’s WTO complaint would simply exacerbate trade tensions. “Canada’s new request for consultations at the WTO is a broad and ill-advised attack on the US trade remedies system,” Lighthizer said in a statement. “Canada’s claims are unfounded and could only lower US confidence that Canada is committed to mutually beneficial trade.” But in the transcript of an interview with the Wall Street Journal published Thursday, Trump struck a more upbeat tone, saying that there was a chance of making a reasonable deal, and hinting his administration would be open to extending the timeline of Nafta talks. This week saw headlines suggesting that Canada is readying for Trump’s imminent withdrawal from Nafta, but Canadian officials have long been prepared for the possibility, said Colin Robertson of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Canada has shown no sign of slowing its outreach plan that has sent representatives from the Canadian government and businesses on hundreds of trips across the US to talk up trade with Canada.  Relations between Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s foreign minister and Rex Tillerson remain close, and other channels of communication remain open. “I think that conversations are still taking place between the prime minister and Mr Trump,” he said.",2018-01-13 12:30:00+01:00
business/2018/jan/23/justin-trudeau-tells-davos-tackle-inequality-or-risk-failure,article,business,Business,2018-01-23 18:44:05+00:00,Justin Trudeau tells Davos: tackle inequality or risk failure,https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jan/23/justin-trudeau-tells-davos-tackle-inequality-or-risk-failure,"Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has challenged leaders of the world’s biggest corporations to hire more women and to tackle sexual harassment as he warned that a business-as-usual approach to tackling inequality would lead to failure for everyone. 
In a keynote speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trudeau said hiring, promoting and retaining more women was the key to narrowing the “staggering” gap between rich and poor. 
Business leaders at the annual WEF meeting in Switzerland have enjoyed an increase in wealth in the past year as a result of rising stock markets but the Canadian premier asked whether they wanted “to live in gated enclaves while those around them struggle”. 
 
  Related: Cate Blanchett urges Davos to give refugees more compassion  
 
He said: “Too many corporations have single-mindedly put the pursuit of profit before the wellbeing of workers. All the while, companies avoid taxes and boast record profits with one hand while slashing benefits with the other.” 
Trudeau said that employing more women was the smart thing to do, adding that it would lead to a greater diversity of ideas, more innovation and fewer disputes. 
He said there needed to be a critical discussion about the the rights, equality and power dynamics of gender. “Sexual harassment in business and government is a systemic problem and it is unacceptable,” Trudeau said, giving his support to the #MeToo campaign that started after the revelations about the Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. “As leaders, we must recognise and act to truly show that time is up.” 
 
  
 
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Trudeau used his speech to announce that the 10 remaining members of the Trans Pacific Partnership would go ahead with a free trade agreement despite Donald Trump’s decision to pull the US out of the deal. 
The US president is due to speak in Davos on Friday but, before his arrival, the heads of some of the world’s leading financial institutions were warning that the stock market boom since his election victory could be threatened by systemic IT failure, political crisis or a failure to remember the lessons of the recent past. 
Concerns that the recent rise in share prices that has taken markets around the world to record highs might be too good to last dominated the first full day of the Davos event. 
Anne Richards, the chief executive of the UK’s M&G Investments, said a collapse of IT systems that put markets out of action for several days could be the trigger for a crash. “We all have businesses which are absolutely reliant on a very small number of people who provide the [IT] pipes that effectively we all put our business though,” she said. 
Jes Staley, the chief executive of Barclays, said the mood reminded him of how Davos had been in the year before the biggest financial meltdown in recent history, noting that it was “a little bit like 2006 when we were all talking whether we’ve solved the riddle of economic crises”. 
David Rubenstein, the co-founder of the Carlyle Group, a US private equity and asset management company, said: “Generally, when people are happy and confident, something wrong happens.” 
The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, warned that globalisation was under attack from the “forces of protectionism ... who want to reverse its flow”. He cited climate change and terrorism as major threats to the global economy. 
 
  Related: Davos 2018: Justin Trudeau blasts gender inequality; Modi warns against protectionism; Blanchett on refugees - as it happened  
 
“Everyone talks about reducing climate emissions, but there are very few countries who back their words with their resources to help developing countries to adopt appropriate technology,” Modi told delegates. 
The rise of technology giants also came under scrutiny. David Autor, the Ford professor of economics at MIT, pointed out that companies that appear all-powerful can actually fade pretty fast, either because regulators act or markets change. 
Walmart was considered indomitable 15 years ago, now it faced enormous competition from Amazon, Autor said, adding: “I would guess that Facebook will be almost non-existent 20 years from now.”",2018-01-23 19:44:05+01:00
world/2018/feb/07/justin-trudeau-tells-woman-to-say-peoplekind-not-mankind,article,world,World news,2018-02-07 03:42:33+00:00,Justin Trudeau tells woman to say 'peoplekind' not 'mankind',https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/07/justin-trudeau-tells-woman-to-say-peoplekind-not-mankind,"The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has come under fire for “mansplaining” and being too politically correct after he interrupted a woman and lightheartedly corrected her for saying “mankind” not “peoplekind” at a town hall event in Canada on Friday.  His correction came at the conclusion of a longwinded question from anaudience member that, over the course of three minutes, included a discussion of her church and the special power of “maternal love”.   Related: Justin Trudeau tells Davos: tackle inequality or risk failure    The questioner ended by asking Trudeau to look at laws surrounding the charitable status of religious organisations, saying , “maternal love is the love that’s going to change the future of mankind”. To which Trudeau said: “We like to say ‘peoplekind’, not necessarily ‘mankind’, because it’s more inclusive.” His comments have drawn ridicule from conservative media who have seized on them to accuse him of “virtue signalling”, being too politically correct and for “mansplaining”, a term coined by a feminist author and popularised by feminist discourse.  The Australian conservative commentator Rita Panahi said Trudeau’s use of “peoplekind” was an attempt to “appease those desperate to find offence where none exists”. Fox News dedicated a segment to the controversy, enlisting the help of Jordan Peterson, a Canadian professor who has found fame after arguing against “political correctness”, especially the use of preferred pronouns.  However, some have suggested that the rightwing furore surrounding his comments has been manufactured in bad faith.  Daniel Dale, Washington correspondent for the Toronto Star, said that the “pile-on” was misleading as Trudeau was “lightly ribbing a woman who was rambling about the power of women” and accused it of omitting important context.     The US-right-wing pile-on re Trudeau's "peoplekind" is pretty misleading. He was lightly ribbing a woman who was rambling about the power of women, "God the Mother," and how the world needs womanly love. Fox excluded her response to him: "There you go, exactly. Yes. Thank you." pic.twitter.com/Wl4QIumWrA— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 6, 2018    The woman did indeed thank the prime minister for his correction and Trudeau allowed her a considerable time to speak.  The prime minister has made comments in the past that have come under fire for their seeming facetiousness.",2018-02-07 04:42:33+01:00
world/2018/feb/07/justin-trudeau-apologises-joke-personkind-viral,article,world,World news,2018-02-07 18:19:48+00:00,Justin Trudeau apologises for 'dumb joke' after 'peoplekind' quote goes viral,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/07/justin-trudeau-apologises-joke-personkind-viral,"The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has apologised for making a “dumb joke” after he interrupted a woman and lightheartedly corrected her for saying “mankind”, not “peoplekind”.  His comments last week drew ridicule from critics who variously accused Trudeau of mansplaining and excessive political correctness.  “You all know that I don’t necessarily have the best of track records on jokes. I made a dumb joke a few days ago that seems to have gone a little viral,” he said on Wednesday.   Related: Justin Trudeau tells woman to say 'peoplekind' not 'mankind'    “It played well in the room and in context. Out of context it doesn’t play so well and it’s a little reminder to me that I shouldn’t be making jokes even when I think they’re funny.” His original comment came during a town hall meeting in Edmonton on Friday, at the conclusion of a longwinded question from an audience member. The questioner ended by asking Trudeau to look at laws surrounding the charitable status of religious organisations, saying: “Maternal love is the love that’s going to change the future of mankind”.  To which Trudeau replied “We like to say ‘peoplekind’, not necessarily ‘mankind’, because it’s more inclusive.” His comments drew ridicule from members of the conservative media who have seized on them to accuse him of “virtue signalling”. However, some have suggested that the furore was manufactured in bad faith.  Daniel Dale, Washington correspondent for the Toronto Star, said that the “pile-on” was misleading as Trudeau was “lightly ribbing a woman who was rambling about the power of women” and accused it of omitting important context.     The US-right-wing pile-on re Trudeau's "peoplekind" is pretty misleading. He was lightly ribbing a woman who was rambling about the power of women, "God the Mother," and how the world needs womanly love. Fox excluded her response to him: "There you go, exactly. Yes. Thank you." pic.twitter.com/Wl4QIumWrA— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 6, 2018    Political opponents and commentators have in the past complained that Trudeau lacks the gravitas needed to be a national leader.  In his first public remarks after a devastating wildfire ripped through an Albertan oil-producing region in 2016, he began with a quip about the Star Wars movie franchise.  In October 2014, when he was still in opposition, Trudeau criticised the then Conservative government for joining the coalition against Islamic State. He said humanitarian aid was better than “trying to whip out our [fighter jets] and show them how big they are”.",2018-02-07 19:19:48+01:00
environment/true-north/2018/feb/09/trudeau-government-welcomed-oil-lobby-help-for-us-pipeline-push-documents,article,environment,Environment,2018-02-09 07:52:47+00:00,Revealed: Trudeau government welcomed oil lobby help for US pipeline push,https://www.theguardian.com/environment/true-north/2018/feb/09/trudeau-government-welcomed-oil-lobby-help-for-us-pipeline-push-documents,"The Trudeau government treated Donald Trump’s election as “positive news” for Canada’s energy industry and welcomed the help of Canada’s main corporate oil group in lobbying the US administration, documents show.  Meetings conducted by senior government officials with TransCanada and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) reveal an one-sided approach more reminiscent of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s secret oil advocacy than Justin Trudeau’s green electoral promises. The Liberal government has strongly backed the export of Alberta tar sands via the Keystone XL pipeline, which was initially rejected by the Obama administration on climate grounds but approved by Trump in March 2017. The documents, obtained through access-to-information, show the Parliamentary Secretary to Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister met around the same time with TransCanada’s CEO Russ Girling and CAPP to discuss the continued promotion of the pipeline and oil exports.  The briefing note states that the oil lobby group “specifically will be interested to hear the outcomes of the recent visits by Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Freeland to the United States, as well as volunteering their services (or those of members) in the Government’s U.S. engagement efforts.”  The Parliamentary Secretary was advised to respond by saying “we welcome your engagement offer and would like to stay in touch.” The Guardian asked CAPP what kind of services they had volunteered but the lobby group declined to answer. CAPP shares many members with its US-counterpart, the American Petroleum Institute, whose lobbying of the Trump administration has resulted in cuts to environmental regulations and the speed-up of permits for oil and gas drilling.  The briefing documents appear to present Trump’s approach to energy policy as an improvement over that of Obama’s. “The swearing in of a new administration in the United States that recognizes the strategic importance of Canada’s role in North American energy security is, so far, positive news for the Canadian energy sector with regard to a potential increase in energy trade,” a document from May 2017 reads.  “The main guiding principle of President Trump’s energy policy is U.S. energy security independence through increasing domestic production of all energy forms (oil, gas coal and nuclear).” The words “climate change” do not appear anywhere in the government documents. Stephen Harper’s Conservative government had previously worked closely with the oil industry lobby to undermine clean policy measures and encourage massive oil exports in the U.S. and Europe. In contrast, Prime Minister Trudeau promised in his election platform to achieve an “ambitious North American clean energy and environment agreement” that would make the continent the “world’s most efficient and responsible energy producer.” “Canadians who voted for Trudeau probably didn’t expect him to use Trump’s election as an opportunity to bypass concerns over environmental protection and Indigenous rights,” said Keith Stewart, a senior energy analyst at Greenpeace who obtained the documents. “The Trudeau government’s abandonment of ambitious climate policy in dealing with Trump and their backroom outreach to oil lobbyists has more in common with the Harper government than the actions of a self-proclaimed climate champion.”   The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to requests for comment.  Trudeau has unreservedly supported Keystone XL, but the documents acknowledge that it faces opposition along its potential route, as protests and several lawsuits threaten to trip up TransCanada’s construction.  “Major resistance to the KXL project is occurring in South Dakota and Nebraska where farmers, indigenous groups, environmental groups and land owners are taking issue with the project,” one document says. The Obama Administration rejected Keystone XL after a “climate test” found the shipping of 800,00 barrels of tar sands a day would undercut efforts to combat climate change. Last week the British Columbia government moved to block the proposed west-ward Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion by introducing new oil-spill regulations, to which Alberta’s premier responded by announcing a boycott of B.C.’s wine. Yesterday the Canadian government tabled legislation to overhaul environmental reviews of major resource projects. It has been praised for creating a new energy regulator and more opportunities for public participation, but concerns have been raised about restrictive assessments and a lack of safeguards against industry interests continuing to trump other considerations.  This investigation was supported by the Corporate Mapping Project ",2018-02-09 08:52:47+01:00
environment/true-north/2018/feb/19/a-less-timid-version-of-justin-trudeau-wont-cut-it-the-ndp-must-be-bolder,article,environment,Environment,2018-02-19 23:29:48+00:00,A less timid version of Justin Trudeau won’t cut it. The NDP must be bolder | Martin Lukacs,https://www.theguardian.com/environment/true-north/2018/feb/19/a-less-timid-version-of-justin-trudeau-wont-cut-it-the-ndp-must-be-bolder,"At the New Democratic Party’s convention this weekend in Ottawa, their new leader Jagmeet Singh declared “the time to be timid was over.” For a party whose shambling meekness in the last election let Justin Trudeau claim the mantle of progressive champion, such a shift could not come sooner.  That an opportunity exists to capitalize on enormous hunger for change is apparent. Trudeau harnessed it for his route to power, only to betray it in office. The environmental Adonis transformed into an oil barons’ salesman. An electoral reform promise was broken with a shrug. Instead of a peace offensive, we’ve gotten a military spending spree; instead of novel social programs, novelty socks.  The agenda the NDP began unveiling this weekend, however, needs to become a whole lot bolder. Expanding healthcare to cover drugs and dental-care, stopping pension theft and new privatizations, closing tax loopholes, and building affordable housing: this is an end to the disastrous right-wing slide of past NDP leaders, but it’s not nearly ambitious enough. For years they’ve seemed to believe success depended on becoming indistinguishable from centrist, corporate-friendly Liberals: the point now is to become demonstrably different. One problem is that the Liberals can claim they are already pursuing many of these policies – or, as in the case of pharma-care, that it may soon be in their platform. But the main problem is this: it doesn’t truly break with the neoliberal economic consensus in Canada that has devastated peoples’ lives and turned so many off politics.  Massive tax cuts for the rich, deregulation, privatization, corporate trade deals, and more money for prisons and police: this elite agenda has dominated for nearly four decades. It is why two billionaires own as much as wealth as the bottom third; why wages for a majority have not budged; why corporations have been unshackled to treat the atmosphere like a sewage dump. And yet the population seems more clued in than any of the political parties: “Trickle-down economics has been laid bare as a cruel hoax, in the view of many Canadians.” That’s not a line from an issue of the Socialist Worker but from mainstream pollsters. None of neoliberalism’s consequences is more insidious than the structural timidity it has entrenched. As the state’s capacity for positive intervention has been shrunk, political parties have withdrawn from proposing solutions that match the scale our crises. Policy has been eclipsed by a fixation on personality. It is folly to think Singh can succeed by playing into this trend, rather than bucking it. Dapper suits, boasts about boxing or wrestling skills, hopey slogans, making a show of public access to candid private moments: all of these are already found in Justin Trudeau’s playbook. And while the discrimination Singh has faced is vital to share to show the need to combat racism in Canada, his individual story can’t become a stand-in for a collective vision: he has to be a pitchman, not the product.  What is firing people up around the world are not flashy personalities but far-reaching policies. It’s a good start that Singh has rejected balanced budgets – a destructive neoliberal mantra that has transfixed the NDP for a generation, and allowed them to be out-flanked by Trudeau. So too is the refreshing fact that Singh has begun arguing the case for taxation. A bold and transformative agenda funded by taxes and historic government spending, as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has demonstrated in the UK, is not a risk in elections. It is a sure-fire recipe for success.   A dramatic challenge to neoliberalism would be just as popular in Canada. The NDP could propose not merely to close tax loopholes, but to hike the rates paid by the corporations and ultra-rich – which haven’t been lower since WW2. To expand healthcare, but also create new public services: free tuition, universal childcare, and a public bank to supplant the predatory loansharks. To defend our deteriorating public infrastructure, and to move to publicly own other sectors: energy, railways, or telecoms providers. To go beyond symbolic support for reconciliation to amplify concrete Indigenous demands for land restitution.  And it is not the moment to address the crisis of climate change with prevarication and platitude. That is already the method of the governing Liberals. People are ready to vote for a clean and cooperative economy that unleashes good-paying jobs in renewable energy instead of stop-gaping an oil industry that is on the way out. The surest way to tell that a NDP agenda could massively lift ordinary people’s prospects and electrify the public? A backlash from the media and political class. As organizers from the Corbyn and Bernie Sanders campaigns shared on the outskirts of the convention, backlashes only underlined their anti-establishment bonafides. The elite aren’t too worried, going by their current response: a murmur of self-serving approval for Singh’s plans. The NDP has yet to realize that the howls of out-of-touch pundits would not be a mark of its failure but a guarantee of its promise.  It’s also how the party could inspire people to go door-knocking for it across the country. What was on display at the Ottawa convention - while larger, younger and more diverse than ever - was a party still bent on controlling and managing the energy of its grassroots, rather than empowering and channeling it. Widely-supported resolutions on free tuition and more democratic decision-making were resisted and could end up ignored; another on Palestinian rights was stifled completely. There was a similar dynamic when members voted in 2016 to study and engage with the Leap Manifesto: it generated a flood of enthusiasm and revived interest in the party, before it was buried by the establishment. The vibrancy of a new generation of activists should not be squandered.  If the NDP wants to revive their chances, becoming a less timid version of Justin Trudeau won’t cut it. They can’t hem and haw within Canada’s neoliberal consensus – they have to overthrow it. Twitter: @Martin_Lukacs",2018-02-20 00:29:48+01:00
us-news/2018/mar/15/donald-trump-admits-made-up-facts-justin-trudeau,article,us-news,US news,2018-03-15 05:23:11+00:00,Donald Trump admits making up 'facts' in trade meeting with Justin Trudeau,https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/mar/15/donald-trump-admits-made-up-facts-justin-trudeau,"Donald Trump bragged that he made up facts in a meeting with the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, according to an audio recording obtained by the Washington Post.  The US president – notorious for making false claims on countless issues – admitted he told Trudeau that America has a trade deficit with its neighbour when he “had no idea” if that was true. The office of the US trade representative states that the American goods and services trade surplus with Canada was $12.5bn in 2016. According to the recording, Trump told guests at a fundraising dinner in Missouri: “Trudeau came to see me. He’s a good guy, Justin. He said, ‘No, no, we have no trade deficit with you, we have none. Donald, please.’ “Nice guy, good-looking guy, comes in – ‘Donald we have no trade deficit.’ He’s very proud because everybody else, you know, we’re getting killed … So he’s proud. I said, ‘Wrong Justin, you do.’ I didn’t even know … I had no idea. “I just said, ‘You’re wrong.’ You know why? Because we’re so stupid … And I thought they were smart.”   Related: Why fire Tillerson now? Unshackled Trump making more unilateral decisions    Trump went on: “I said, ‘You’re wrong Justin.’ He said, ‘Nope, we have no trade deficit.’ I said, ‘Well, in that case I feel differently,’ I said, ‘but I don’t believe it.’ I sent one of our guys out, his guy, my guy, they went out, I said, ‘Check because I can’t believe it.’ ‘Well, sir, you’re actually right. We have no deficit but that doesn’t include energy and timber … And when you do, we lose $17bn a year.’ It’s incredible.” The Office of the United States Trade Representative has said the US has a trade surplus with Canada, the Post reported. Trump and Trudeau, 25 years apart in age and polar opposites in temperament, have projected warm relations so far. Last year, in honour of Canada Day, the president used Twitter to praise his “new found friend” north of the border. Trump defied critics in his own Republican party last week to announce stiff import taxes on steel and aluminium, risking a trade war with China and the European Union. His top economic adviser Gary Cohn quit over the tariffs, while secretary of state Rex Tillerson, who also disagreed with them, was fired earlier this week. On Wednesday, the Post report says, the president again lambasted the EU, China, Japan and South Korea, which he claimed were taking advantage of America. He also described the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) as a disaster and appeared to threaten to pull US troops out of South Korea if the country does not come up with a satisfactory trade deal. “We have a very big trade deficit with them, and we protect them,” Trump was quoted as telling donors. “We lose money on trade, and we lose money on the military. We have right now 32,000 soldiers between North and South Korea. Let’s see what happens.” He added: “Our allies care about themselves. They don’t care about us.” After visiting a Boeing factory in St Louis earlier in the day, Trump was headlining a fundraiser for Republican US Senate candidate Josh Hawley, who is running for the seat held by Democrat Claire McCaskill. But as is his wont, the president boasted about his 2016 presidential election victory, derided cable news anchors and mocked his predecessors, George W Bush and Barack Obama, for failing to achieve what he has done by setting up a meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. “It’s called appeasement: please don’t do anything,” he reportedly said. Trump made 2,140 false or misleading claims in his first year as president, according to a Washington Post count.",2018-03-15 06:23:11+01:00
world/2018/mar/21/justin-trudeau-defends-canada-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia,article,world,World news,2018-03-21 21:11:03+00:00,Justin Trudeau defends Canada's arms sales to Saudi Arabia,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/21/justin-trudeau-defends-canada-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia,"Justin Trudeau has defended his government’s decision to sign off on the sale of more than 900 armoured vehicles – including dozens described as “heavy assault” and equipped with cannons – to Saudi Arabia, arguing that the deal is in line with Canada’s foreign and defence policies. The C$15bn ($11.63bn) deal – struck by the previous Conservative government in 2014 and given the green light after Trudeau became prime minister – has been in the spotlight in recent years amid growing concerns about Riyadh’s human rights record.  Documents obtained recently by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation offered a glimpse into the opaque 2014 agreement involving General Dynamics Land Systems based in London, Ontario. The initial order was for hundreds of light armoured vehicles, including 119 described as “heavy assault” with 105-millimetre cannons. Another 119 of the vehicles were configured as “anti-tank” while 119 featured a two-man turret and 30mm chain gun and were designated as “direct fire” support.  The agreement may have been modified since it was drawn up in 2014, the CBC noted. Delivery of the vehicles was slated to begin in 2017.  The revelations were put to Trudeau by opposition politicians on Tuesday in the House of Commons. Hélène Laverdière of the New Democratic party pointed to reports of the kingdom’s attacks on its own civilians as well as the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen, where conflict has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced more than 3 million.  “So I am asking the prime minister, what does he think about Canada potentially being complicit in international human rights violations?” Laverdière asked. “How can we say Canada’s foreign policy is progressive and feminist when we continue to sell arms to Saudi Arabia?”  Trudeau responded by arguing that his government had little choice but to respect the contract signed by the previous government. “Permits are only approved if the exports are consistent with our foreign and defence policies, including human rights,” said Trudeau. “Our approach fully meets our national obligations and Canadian laws.”  Cesar Jaramillo of Project Ploughshares, a Canadian disarmament group, described Trudeau’s response as “flawed logic”, as it is up to his government to set out the parameters of Canada’s foreign and defence policy. “We also think it flies in the face of this feminist agenda of the Canadian government, which is now being sold as the centrepiece of Canadian foreign policy. Yet at exactly the same time we are arming one of the most repressive regimes on the planet for women,” said Jaramillo. “So I think there’s a clear gap between the rhetoric and the action of the Canadian government.”   Related: Saudi Arabia reportedly using Canadian military trucks against its own civilians    The deal came under renewed scrutiny last summer, after videos and photos posted on social media allegedly showed Riyadh using Canadian-made equipment in a violent crackdown on minority Shia dissidents in eastern Saudi Arabia. After launching an investigation, Canada’s foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, said in February that no conclusive evidence had been found to suggest that vehicles made in Canada were being used to violate human rights in the kingdom. The government has since refused to release a copy of the investigation, despite campaigners’ questions over how it arrived at its conclusion.  As the international organisations that track human rights continue to rank Saudi Arabia among the world’s worst violators, countries such as Germany and Belgium have denied export applications for arms headed to Saudi Arabia. In 2015, Sweden cancelled a longstanding defence agreement with the Saudis, citing similar concerns.  In contrast, Britain has pushed forward with arms sales to Saudi Arabia, with government data showing sales climbing to £1.1bn ($1.56bn) in the first half of 2017. On Tuesday Donald Trump touted US arms sales to Riyadh as he welcomed Saudi Arabia’s crown prince to Washington. “Saudi Arabia is a very wealthy nation, and they’re going to give the United States some of that wealth, hopefully, in the form of jobs, in the form of the purchase of the finest military equipment anywhere in the world,” the US president told reporters.",2018-03-21 22:11:03+01:00
world/2018/mar/26/justin-trudeau-chiefs-exonerate-canada-indigenous-people,article,world,World news,2018-03-26 20:03:43+00:00,Justin Trudeau exonerates six indigenous chiefs who were executed,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/26/justin-trudeau-chiefs-exonerate-canada-indigenous-people,"Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has exonerated six indigenous chiefs, more than 150 years after they were executed by the colonial government of British Columbia. Members of the Tsilhqot’in Nation have long argued their ancestors were tricked by the promise of peace talks to end a conflict with white road construction workers building a road through their territory – only to be arrested and convicted by the colonial government. In a statement to the House of Commons, Trudeau offered the government’s “profound regret” for the killings. “As much as it is in our power to do so, we must right the wrongs of the past,” he said. “We are truly sorry.”   Related: Canada confronts colonial past as Halifax removes statue of city's founder    The executions followed the deaths of 14 white road workers who had entered Tsilhqot’in territory without permission.  “Our warriors defended our women, our children, our lands,” said Chief Joe Alphonse in a video posted to Facebook. “To come into Tsilhqot’in territory, you had to have Tsilhqot’in permission.” Five chiefs – Telloot, Klatsassin, Tah-pitt, Piele, and Chessus – met colonial officials after receiving assurances of friendship, but were arrested, convicted and executed in the city of Quesnel shortly after the deadly encounter. A sixth chief, Ahan, was hanged the following year in the British Columbia city of New Westminister. The British Columbia government placed a commemorative plaque at the location of the hangings in 1993 and formally exonerated the chiefs in a 2014 speech by the then premier, Christy Clark. “I still feel their spirit. I still hear those songs. I still speak their language,” said Peyal Francis Laceese in the same Facebook video. The move by the Trudeau government comes amid a tense relationship – both federally and provincially – with the Tshilhqot’in Nation.  The Nation made headlines in 2014 after a victory against the British Columbia government when the supreme court of Canada granted them title rights to land that was slated for logging. “The first order of business is to exonerate our war chiefs – and then we’ll get to work to bring back our lands to the way they were before [European] contact,” said Alphonse. “It’s time for Canada to step up to the plate. It’s time to get this done. It’s time to make this a better Canada.”",2018-03-26 22:03:43+02:00
world/2018/apr/13/canada-mosque-shooter-alexandre-bissonnette-trudeau-trump-refugees-travel-ban,article,world,World news,2018-04-13 19:19:42+00:00,Canada mosque shooter says he was motivated by Trudeau welcoming refugees,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/13/canada-mosque-shooter-alexandre-bissonnette-trudeau-trump-refugees-travel-ban,"The man who shot and killed six men at a Canadian mosque told police that his attack was motivated by Justin Trudeau’s message of welcome to refugees following Donald Trump’s travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries.  Alexandre Bissonnette pleaded guilty last month to six charges of first degree murder and now faces up to 150 years in prison for the attack in which 19 other people were injured.  In video footage of his police interrogation shown during a sentence hearing on Friday, Bissonnette told officers that he had grown increasingly preoccupied by the the threat of terrorism.    Related: Quebec community rallies for mosque attack hero: 'He sacrificed his legs for us'    But the former social sciences student said the final motivation for his attack was Trudeau’s response to Trump’s travel ban, when he became convinced his family would be threatened if more refugees came to Canada.  “I was, like, sure that they were going to come and kill my parents also, and my family,” he said.  A day after Trump’s travel ban unleashed chaos and uncertainty at airports across the US and the world, Trudeau made international headlines with a series of tweets highlighting the contrast with his own government’s stance. “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada,” he tweeted on January 29, 2017.     Alexandre Bissonnette. Photograph: Handout/Reuters    The following day, Canada announced it would offer temporary residence to those left stranded by Trump’s ban. “I was watching TV and I learned that the Canadian government was going to take more refugees who couldn’t go to the United States, and they were coming here,” Bissonnette told police.  “I saw that and I, like, lost my mind. I don’t want us to become like Europe. I don’t want them to kill my parents, my family,” he said. “I had to do something, I couldn’t do nothing. It was something that tortured me.” Bissonnette said that he became obsessed with the 2014 attack in which an Islamist gunman killed a soldier at the national war memorial and then stormed parliament, and the 2016 truck attack that killed 86 people in the French resort city of Nice.  He also told police he had struggled with depression, and hoped medication would quell his anxiety.  “I haven’t felt well for months and months and months and I don’t know what to do,” he told the officer during the interrogation.  He had previously researched the Quebec City Islamic cultural center online and knew its prayer schedule when he drove to it on 29 January 2017, armed with a rifle and handgun.  More than 50 people were at the mosque when the shooting began during evening prayers. The attack, which lasted less than three minutes, killed six men and injured 19 others. After the shooting, Bissonnette was apprehended by officers six miles from the mosque. Over the last week, the court saw for the first time the methodical nature of Bissonnette’s attack on the mosque, in which he paused a number of times to reload his semi-automatic Glock handgun and shoot injured people on the ground. Video footage also shows the quick reactions of mosque attendees sheltering children and what prosecutors called the “heroism” of Azzeddine Soufiane, a grocer who was killed by Bissonnette as he attempted to tackle the gunman. ",2018-04-13 21:19:42+02:00
world/2018/apr/16/canada-trudeau-transcanada-pipeline,article,world,World news,2018-04-16 17:37:23+00:00,Canada: Trudeau vows to push ahead with pipeline plans in spite of protests,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/16/canada-trudeau-transcanada-pipeline,"Justin Trudeau has said Canada’s government is prepared to use taxpayer dollars to push forward plans for a controversial pipeline expansion, despite protests and efforts by a provincial government to halt the project on environmental grounds.   Related: Canada quarrel pits British Columbia against Alberta in battle of oil and wine    For months, the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia have been locked in a standoff over plans, spearheaded by Texas-based Kinder Morgan, to expand an existing pipeline and lay nearly 1,000km of new pipe from Alberta’s oil sands to the Pacific coast. While the project could allow Alberta to get its landlocked bitumen to markets in Asia and reduce its reliance on the US market, it has encountered opposition in British Columbia over the potential for oil spills and the impact that a dramatic rise in tanker traffic could have on the region’s southern resident killer whales, a population already on the knife edge of extinction.  The political stalemate over the C$7.4bn project catapulted into the national conversation last week after Kinder Morgan Canada announced it would walk away from the project unless it saw a clear path to completion by the end of May. Their project has now become a crucial test for Trudeau and his Liberal government, who swept into office in 2015 on promises of striking a balance between economic growth, environmental concerns and repairing the country’s fraught relationship with indigenous peoples. “While governments grant permits for resource development, only communities can grant permission,” noted the Liberal party’s 2015 platform. The pipeline expansion has put this sentiment to the test, with Vancouver and nearby Burnaby launching court actions against the project along with several First Nations communities. After taking power in 2017, the provincial government of British Columbia – a left-leaning coalition which relies on support from the Green Party – vowed to use all the tools available to them to halt the project.   Map   Recent weeks have seen indigenous-led protests against the project heat up, sending thousands into the streets. About 200 people have been arrested for blocking the entrance of facility belonging to Trans Mountain, including two federal MPs. On Sunday, Trudeau interrupted a foreign trip to meet the premiers of Alberta and British Columbia, reiterating his government’s determination to see the project completed. “The Trans Mountain expansion is a vital strategic interest to Canada − it will be built,” he told reporters after the meeting. The prime minister said the project – which would nearly triple the flow of Alberta’s bitumen to the west coast – is in the national interest. “It means good jobs in Alberta, they’ve suffered tough times. It means good jobs in BC, thousands of them as the pipeline is built.”  The uncertainty looming over trade relations between Canada and the US as well as waning investor confidence in Canada’s ability to complete big projects reinforce why this expansion needs to go forward, he added. Trudeau said his government would launch formal financial discussions with Kinder Morgan and potentially use taxpayer dollars to ensure the project goes forward. As interprovincial pipelines are the federal government’s jurisdiction, his government may also pursue legislation to assert Ottawa’s authority over the project, he said.    Related: Who’s defending Canada’s national interest? First Nations facing down a pipeline | Martin Lukacs     Approving the project in 2016, Trudeau said: “I’ve said many times that there isn’t a country in the world that would find billions of barrels of oil and leave it in the ground while there is a market for it.” After meeting Trudeau on Sunday, John Horgan, the premier of British Columbia, showed no sign that his government would drop its opposition to the project. “My obligation is to the people of BC, and I will defend that until I am no longer premier,” he said.  Alberta’s premier, Rachel Notley, said she would move to introduce legislation on Monday that would allow her province to scale back its oil and gas exports to British Columbia, potentially driving up prices in the province.",2018-04-16 19:37:23+02:00
commentisfree/2018/may/03/justin-trudeau-phony-war-against-inequality,article,commentisfree,Opinion,2018-05-04 03:00:11+00:00,Justin Trudeau is waging a phony war against inequality | Luke Savage,https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/03/justin-trudeau-phony-war-against-inequality,"Last month, in a speech to France’s National Assembly, Justin Trudeau raised one of his favourite themes: inequality. This, he declared, was “eroding not only the standard of living of the middle class, but also the confidence of the population in world trade, international cooperation and liberal democracy”.   Related: Sign up for the Guardian US opinion email    It wasn’t the first time Canada’s 23rd prime minister had raised these issues with an international audience. Last year Trudeau made similar remarks to a dinner for civic and business leaders in Hamburg. “When companies post record profits on the backs of workers consistently refused full-time work – and the job security that comes with it – people get defeated,” he said. “And when governments serve special interests instead of the citizens interests who elected them – people lose faith.” While not exactly the stuff of Woody Guthrie songs, rhetorical maneuvers such as these have successfully convinced many observers that the Trudeau government is serious about reducing economic inequality from a leftwing, anti-austerity position.     Trudeau’s carefully choreographed crusade against inequality has always been more affectation than reality    “A lurch to the left” was how the Atlantic’s David Frum described Trudeau’s victory in 2015, going so far as to compare him to socialists Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn. This sentiment has largely been echoed within Canada, where commentators have variously gushed about the return of progressive government, or warned about the impending injection of “populism” into the Liberal agenda. Despite such bluster, though, Trudeau’s carefully choreographed crusade against inequality has always been more affectation than reality. Consider the disjuncture between Trudeau’s rhetoric and his actions. In 2015, the Liberals promised to raise taxes on “the wealthiest 1% while cutting them for the middle class”. The pledge sounds attractive enough in principle, but in practice amounted to a small tax increase for top earners and a corresponding tax cut, the major gains of which went to people making between $89,200 and $200,000 a year. With a median family income in 2015 of $70,336, the beneficiaries are not exactly Canada’s “middle class”, let alone its working poor. Some of the country’s wealthiest corporate executives, meanwhile, got to keep a lucrative tax loophole allowing them to pay a 50% lower rate on compensation earned through stock options – despite the Liberal campaign pledge to cap it. His embrace of Keynesian economics has been equally ethereal. In 2015, apparently rebelling against the prevailing economic orthodoxy of austerity, the Liberal leader pledged to stimulate the economy through modest, deficit-financed social investment.  Upon implementation, however, some $15bn was channelled into an “infrastructure bank”, geared to attract private financing. The promises of “socially useful, non-commercial projects like childcare or affordable housing to cash-strapped cities” will take a back seat to those with “revenue-generating potential”. And while investors are likely to see big returns, it is the public who will shoulder much of the risk.   Related: Justin Trudeau deploys the politics of hype. Jeremy Corbyn offers politics of hope | Martin Lukacs    Trudeau has also remained ambivalent towards the kind of big programs that could actually redistribute wealth in a meaningful way. On childcare, for example, he favours a means-tested approach, rather than the universal, public provision of a desperately needed service. And in a 2016 conversation with a low-wage worker he dismissed the prospect of raising the minimum wage, echoing the talking points of the Canadian business lobby: “Maybe everything just gets more expensive or we have jobs leaving. We have to be very careful about that.” (A 2011 University of California, Berkeley study found the effects of raising the minimum wage on prices to be negligible at best. And the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has argued that service sector jobs that tend to pay the minimum wage are by their very nature immobile, which suggests the threat of mass job flight is a myth.) Besides the obvious disjunctures between record and rhetoric, a closer scrutiny of Trudeau’s actual attitude towards economic inequality is perhaps even more instructive. In a 2013 article for the Globe and Mail, “Why it’s vital we support the middle class”, he issued a warning to Canadian elites:  “National business leaders and other wealthy Canadians should draw the following conclusion, and do so urgently. If we do not solve [the problems facing the middle class and low-income earners], Canadians will eventually withdraw their support for a growth agenda. We will all be worse off as a consequence.” Rising inequality, he said, could lead to “deepening divisions” such that Canadians might “begin to vote for leaders who offer comforting stories about who to blame for our problems, rather than how to solve them”. This is plainly the language of technocratic management, not moral urgency; first and foremost an appeal to the self-interest of elites rather than a coherent political demand directed at the powerful. In Trudeau’s war, it seems, inequality is a faceless and abstract enemy – a puzzle to be solved rather than an injustice to be stamped out.  And while the prime minister calmly informs struggling workers that raising the minimum wage may have unintended consequences, the country’s wealthiest corporate executives get to keep their cushy tax advantages. The phony war rages on.",2018-05-04 05:00:11+02:00
world/2018/may/08/canada-trudeau-government-migrant-asylum-seekers,article,world,World news,2018-05-08 21:36:04+00:00,Canada: Trudeau government cools on asylum seekers as numbers from US rise,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/08/canada-trudeau-government-migrant-asylum-seekers,"The Canadian government has sharpened its tone towards asylum seekers, warning that simply making it across the border is not a “free ticket” to Canada as the number of migrants crossing from the US continues to rise. Since the election of Donald Trump, growing numbers of asylum seekers have been entering Canada by foot, driven by fears over the US president’s approach to immigration.  Last year more than 20,000 people entered Canada at remote, unguarded locations along the border, sometimes braving freezing temperatures, fields of waist-deep snow and icy ditches. Doing so allows migrants to skirt a longstanding pact that bars most refugee claimants in the US from applying for asylum in Canada.   Related: US immigrants make sub-zero trek for slim chance at asylum in Canada    The flow of people shows little sign of abating, with 7,300 people entering Canada irregularly this year – more than double the number of those who made the journey in the first four months of 2017. This week, Canadian officials sought to tone down the welcoming image they have cultivated since coming to power, offering instead a blunt warning to those considering making the crossing into Canada. “Coming across the border in a way that seeks to circumvent the law or defy proper procedure is no free ticket to Canada,” Ralph Goodale, the country’s public safety minister, said on Monday. Officials said they believe that more than 90% of those entering Canada do not meet the criteria to be considered refugees. “They must prove they need Canada’s protection to keep them safe,” said Goodale. “Seeking asylum is not a shortcut to get around normal immigration rules and procedures.” After rising to a high of about 250 people a day earlier this year, the flow of migrants – many of them Nigerian nationals – has stabilised to around 70 or 80 per day, said Goodale. Canada’s immigration minister, Ahmed Hussen, said he would travel to Nigeria in the coming days to address the issue. Canada has been working with the United States to crack down on Nigerians who obtain tourist visas to the US solely for the purposes of walking into Canada to claim asylum, said Hussen. The federal government has been under pressure to stem the flow of migrants across the border. Last month the opposition Conservatives – who have linked the rise in asylum seekers to Trudeau’s viral tweet welcoming refugees – tabled a motion in the House of Commons urging the government to take “immediate action” on the issue.  Canadians across the political spectrum are generally supportive of immigration, but the Conservative MP behind the motion argued that the issue, if not properly addressed, could cause Canadians to lose confidence in the system.  “My concern is that if the government does not take steps to rectify [its] failure to manage our borders, we are going to rapidly see Canadians lose that social licence for immigration, because there will be a lack of faith in the ability of the government to ensure planned and orderly migration,” said Michelle Rempel. The New Democratic party and organisations such as Amnesty International have long urged the federal government to suspend the pact with the US that forces Canada to turn away most asylum seekers who attempt to enter the country at official border crossings.   Related: Montreal turns stadium into welcome centre for asylum seekers from US    Halting the Safe Third Country Agreement would allow asylum seekers to make claims at official ports of entry, reducing the dangers faced by migrants and allowing Canada better control over the process, they argue. The province of Quebec – where the bulk of asylum seekers have arrived after crossing into Canada from the US – has called for more resources to help with the increase in refugee claimants. David Heurtel, Quebec’s immigration minister, said last month: “This is not about money. This is about saying that Quebec can do its part, but our resources are completely saturated and we can’t do more.”",2018-05-08 23:36:04+02:00
world/2018/may/17/canadian-doctor-wounded-gaza-israel-palestinians-gaza,article,world,World news,2018-05-17 16:04:08+00:00,'Appalled' Trudeau calls for inquiry after Canadian doctor wounded in Gaza,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/17/canadian-doctor-wounded-gaza-israel-palestinians-gaza,"Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, has deplored the shooting of a Canadian doctor by an Israeli sniper on the Gaza border and added his voice to calls for an independent investigation into Israeli fire that killed 60 Palestinians and injured thousands more during mass border protests. The violence erupted during demonstrations at the Gaza border fence on Monday, coinciding with a ceremony to mark the transfer of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.    Related: Israeli airstrikes target militant sites in Gaza    Most of the Gazans who died were shot by Israeli snipers, according to Gaza’s health ministry. They included eight children under the age of 16, it added. At least 2,700 people were wounded. Trudeau described the reported use of excessive force and live ammunition as “inexcusable” in a statement. “Canada deplores and is gravely concerned by the violence in the Gaza strip that has led to a tragic loss of life and injured countless people,” he said. “We are appalled that Dr Tarek Loubani, a Canadian citizen, is among the wounded – along with so many unarmed people, including civilians, members of the media, first responders, and children.” Loubani, who works as an emergency physician in southern Ontario, said he was treating injured Palestinians on the Gaza Strip when he was shot in both legs on Monday. He was in Gaza as part of a medical team that is field testing 3D-printed medical tourniquets. The shooting happened during a lull in the protests, said Loubani. He was wearing a green surgeon’s outfit and was standing with orange-vested paramedics about 25 metres from the protesters. There were no fires or smoke and he was within clear lines of sight to three fortified sniper posts. “It’s very hard to believe I wasn’t specifically targeted, considering that there was a lull in activity, considering the fact that I was so clearly marked,” he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation earlier this week as he recovered from the shooting. Another 16 paramedics were injured. The doctor who rescued Loubani, Musa Abuhassanin, was later killed as he was trying to reach another patient. Trudeau said his government is working with Israeli officials in an attempt to determine how Loubani was injured. While Trudeau’s statement ranked as his government’s strongest criticism of Israel to date, it did not mention Israel by name. The prime minister said Canada will work closely with international partners and institutions to address the situation. “It is imperative we establish the facts of what is happening in Gaza,” said Trudeau. “Canada calls for an immediate independent investigation to thoroughly examine the facts on the ground – including any incitement, violence, and the excessive use of force.”  The killings have prompted international condemnation with Theresa May, the British prime minister, and the United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, among those calling for an independent investigation. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, joined the US in blaming Hamas for the deaths. Netanyahu defended his country’s use of force, saying: “Every country has the obligation to defend its borders.”",2018-05-17 18:04:08+02:00
commentisfree/2018/may/29/justin-trudeau-world-newest-oil-executive-kinder-morgan,article,commentisfree,Opinion,2018-05-30 06:00:43+00:00,"Say hello to Justin Trudeau, the world's newest oil executive | Bill McKibben",https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/29/justin-trudeau-world-newest-oil-executive-kinder-morgan,"In case anyone wondered, this is how the world ends: with the cutest, progressivest, boybandiest leader in the world going fully in the tank for the oil industry. Justin Trudeau’s government announced on Tuesday that it would nationalize the Kinder Morgan pipeline running from the tar sands of Alberta to the tidewater of British Columbia. It will fork over at least $4.5bn in Canadian taxpayers’ money for the right to own a 60-year-old pipe that springs leaks regularly, and for the right to push through a second pipeline on the same route – a proposal that has provoked strong opposition.   Related: Stop swooning over Justin Trudeau. The man is a disaster for the planet | Bill McKibben    That opposition has come from three main sources. First are many of Canada’s First Nations groups, who don’t want their land used for this purpose without their permission, and who fear the effects of oil spills on the oceans and forests they depend on. Second are the residents of Canada’s west coast, who don’t want hundreds of additional tankers plying the narrow inlets around Vancouver on the theory that eventually there’s going to be an oil spill. And third are climate scientists, who point out that even if Trudeau’s pipeline doesn’t spill oil into the ocean, it will spill carbon into the atmosphere. Lots of carbon: Trudeau told oil executives last year that “no country would find 173bn barrels of oil in the ground and just leave it there”. That’s apparently how much he plans to dig up and burn – and if he’s successful, the one half of 1% of the planet that is Canadian will have awarded to itself almost one-third of the remaining carbon budget between us and the 1.5 degree rise in temperature the planet drew as a red line in Paris. There’s no way of spinning the math that makes that okay – Canadians already emit more carbon per capita than Americans. Hell, than Saudi Arabians.  Is this a clever financial decision that will somehow make Canada rich? Certainly not in the long run. Cleaning up the tar sands complex in Alberta – the biggest, ugliest scar on the surface of the earth – is already estimated to cost more than the total revenues generated by all the oil that’s come out of the ground. Meanwhile, when something goes wrong, Canada is now on the hook: when BP tarred the Gulf of Mexico, the US was at least able to exact billions of dollars in fines to help with the cleanup. Canada will get to sue itself. No, this is simply a scared prime minister playing politics. He’s worried about the reaction in Alberta if the pipe is not built, and so he has mortgaged his credibility. His predecessor, Stephen Harper, probably would not have dared try – the outcry from environmentalists and First Nations would have been too overwhelming. But Trudeau is banking on the fact that his liberal charm will soothe things over. Since he’s got Trump to point to – a true climate denier – maybe he’ll get away with it. But it seems like a bad bet to me. Faced with the same situation – a revolt over the Keystone XL pipeline – Barack Obama delayed for several years to avoid antagonizing either side. He ultimately decided he couldn’t defend the climate cost of building it, and so became the first world leader to explicitly reject a big piece of infrastructure on global warming grounds. Trudeau has made the exact opposite call, and now we’ll see if pipeline opponents cave.      Sign up to receive the latest US opinion pieces every weekday   I was in Vancouver two weeks ago to help activists raise money for lawyers, and I would guess that the civil disobedience will continue – so far, two members of parliament have been arrested, an escalation we’ve never seen even in the States. Coast Salish elders have built a “watch house” along the pipeline route and, as at Standing Rock, other native activists have been pouring in – I’m guessing that making this petro-colonialism officially state sponsored will only harden people’s resolution. The showdown will be powerfully symbolic: kayaktivists, for instance, have paddled peacefully around the pipeline’s terminal, at least until Kinder Morgan put up an ugly razor wire barrier in the middle of the harbor. Now it’s Trudeau who owns the razor wire, Trudeau who has to battle his own people. All in the name of pouring more carbon into the air, so he can make the oil companies back at the Alberta end of his pipe a little more money. We know now how history will remember Justin Trudeau: not as a dreamy progressive, but as one more pathetic employee of the richest, most reckless industry in the planet’s history. ",2018-05-30 08:00:43+02:00
world/2018/jun/03/justin-trudeau-donald-trump-tariffs-insulting-us-canada-alliance,article,world,World news,2018-06-03 15:41:43+00:00,Trudeau calls Trump's tariffs 'insulting' to longstanding US-Canada alliance,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/03/justin-trudeau-donald-trump-tariffs-insulting-us-canada-alliance,"Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, on Sunday described US tariffs as “insulting” to the shared history of the US and Canada as the fallout over Donald Trump’s tariff moves continued. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Trudeau reiterated his appeal to President Trump to remember “there are no two countries that are as interconnected, interdependent … You sell more things to us every year than to UK, Japan, and China combined.” Later this week, Trump is due to visit Canada for the Trudeau-hosted G7 summit, which will take place at a remote luxury resort in La Malbaie, Quebec, and where he will meet with leaders of Germany, Italy, France, UK and Japan. Trudeau said on Sunday that he is having “a lot of trouble getting around” that Canada has abruptly become “a national security threat to the United States”. The Canadian prime minister went further, saying US and Canadian soldiers “who had fought and died together on the beaches of World War II, on the mountains of Afghanistan and have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in some of the most difficult places in the world, that are always there for each other, this is insulting to that.” Trudeau said the US has a $2bn surplus on steel with Canada, and the two countries are “very much aligned” on the issue of China. Speaking on CNN, the foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, said Canada was “sad and insulted” to be labelled a national security threat. “I would say to our closest ally, please think hard about the message you are sending,” Freeland said. Freeland said Canada’s reciprocal tariffs, outlined last week, were “the strongest trade action Canada has taken since the second world war”. The tariffs would, she said, be a “dollar-for-dollar retaliation … this is going to hurt America and the American consumer first and foremost.” The White House economics adviser, Larry Kudlow, described the administration’s confrontation with Canada as a “family quarrel”. He told Fox News Sunday the situation could still be resolved through negotiations. “These tariffs may go on for a while or they may not,” he said. Speaking on Face The Nation,Governor John Kasich of Ohio said he was struck by how little push-back Trump had received from Republicans who consider themselves free-traders.   “I have been frankly shocked at the fact that our leaders think they have to ask permission from the president to do anything. I think they ought to make it very clear that they’re not going to just sit back and tolerate this.”  The administration’s actions also triggered unusual signs of division among the club of wealthy nations, with the six other G7 member countries issuing a statement calling on asking the US treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, to convey their “unanimous concern and disappointment” about the tariffs to Trump.  The statement also called for “decisive action” to resolve the tariff dispute at a G7 leaders’ summit.  But senior Republicans in Congress rejected the notion the US is headed toward a trade war. “I don’t think anybody wins a trade war. But we are not in a trade war,” the House majority leader, Kevin McCarthy, said on CNN’s State of the Union. “We are in a trade discussion to renegotiate Nafta.”  Canada’s expressions of disappointment came as China warned that any trade dispute deals reached at talks in Beijing “will not take effect” if Trump’s threatened tariff hike on Chinese goods goes ahead. The statement came as Wilbur Ross, the US commerce secretary, and China’s top economic official, Vice-Premier Liu He, wrapped up a meeting on Beijing’s pledge to narrow its trade surplus. Ross had said the delegations had discussed specific US exports China might purchase to ease the $337bn trade imbalance, but the talks ended with no joint statement and neither side released details. • This article was amended on 4 June 2018. An earlier version described the US as having a $2bn surplus on steel “with the US”. ",2018-06-03 17:41:43+02:00
us-news/2018/jun/06/donald-trump-justin-trudeau-burning-down-white-house-tariffs,article,us-news,US news,2018-06-06 21:01:59+00:00,Trump to Trudeau in testy tariff call: 'Didn't you guys burn down the White House?',https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/06/donald-trump-justin-trudeau-burning-down-white-house-tariffs,"He has criticized Canada’s trade polices as “unfair” and dismissed its dairy policy as “a disgrace”. Now, Donald Trump has reportedly added a 200-year-old battle to his litany of complaints against the United States’ northern neighbor.  During a tetchy phone call last month to discuss looming steel and aluminum tariffs, Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, reportedly asked how Trump could justify the new duties on national security grounds.  In reply, Trump asked, according to CNN: “Didn’t you guys burn down the White House?” The White House did not respond to a request for comment and Canadian officials declined to comment on the record. The White House was burned by British troops in 1814 as part of a failed invasion of the mid-Atlantic, more than 50 years before the signing of Canada’s confederation paved the way for the founding of modern-day Canada.  Although the British successfully took Washington and burned much of the city, they failed in their major goal of taking Baltimore when their forces were rebuffed at the battle of Fort McHenry. Canada was a major battleground during the conflict – known as the war of 1812 – which played a significant part in the creation of the Canadian national identity. Trump’s comments come at a time of increased tensions between the US and Canada, shortly before the US president unilaterally announced increased tariffs without congressional approval, citing national security needs.  The border between the US and Canada has been demilitarized for two centuries. Trump’s justification for the new duties has provoked outrage from Canadians.    Related: Trudeau calls Trump's tariffs 'insulting' to longstanding US-Canada alliance    Trudeau said in an interview with NBC on Sunday: “One of the things that I have to admit I’m having a lot of trouble getting around is the idea that this entire thing is coming about because the president and the administration have decided that Canada and Canadian steel and aluminum is a national security threat to the United States.” Trudeau also noted the long history of military and diplomatic partnership between the countries. “Our soldiers had fought and died together on the beaches of world war two and the mountains of Afghanistan and have stood shoulder to shoulder in some of the most difficult places in the world, that are always there for each other, somehow – this is insulting to that,” said Trudeau. “The idea that the Canadian steel that’s in military vehicles in the United States, the Canadian aluminum that makes your fighter jets is somehow now a threat.” Trump travels to Canada on Friday for the G7 summit in Quebec.",2018-06-06 23:01:59+02:00
world/2018/jun/10/g7-in-disarray-after-trump-rejects-communique-and-attacks-weak-trudeau,article,world,World news,2018-06-10 02:26:16+00:00,G7 in disarray after Trump rejects communique and attacks 'weak' Trudeau,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/10/g7-in-disarray-after-trump-rejects-communique-and-attacks-weak-trudeau,"Donald Trump has left the G7 network of global cooperation in disarray after he pulled the US out of a previously agreed summit communique, blaming the Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau whom he derided as “dishonest and weak”. 
 
  Related: 'My touch, my feel': Trump shows his contempt for G7 allies  
 
The US president, who arrived at the summit in Canada late and left early to fly to Singapore to prepare for his summit with Kim Jong-un, shocked fellow leaders with a bellicose press conference on Saturday in which he attacked the trade policies of other countries. 
The US had nevertheless appeared to agree a form of words on contentious issues thanks to an all-night negotiating session by officials from all sides. 
But after leaving for Singapore, Trump tweeted personal attacks on Trudeau and said that he had told his representatives not to sign the summit communique, turning what had already been a tense meeting of the world’s leading industrialised democracies into a fiasco.  
“PM Justin Trudeau acted so meek and mild,” he tweeted. “Only to give a news conference after I left saying that ‘US tariffs were kind of insulting’ and ‘he will not be pushed around’. 
“Very dishonest and weak” he claimed, adding in a separate tweet: “I have instructed our US reps not to endorse the communique.” 
 
 
  Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our U.S. farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our U.S. Reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. Market!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 
  June 9, 2018
  
 
 
 
  PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, “US Tariffs were kind of insulting” and he “will not be pushed around.” Very dishonest & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 
  June 9, 2018
  
 
Journalists traveling on Air Force One to Singapore with Trump had been told that the US had decided to be part of the joint communique, which represented a minimal show of unity amid deep disagreements between Trump and the other six leaders over trade. The reporters only discovered when the plane landed on the Greek island of Crete to refuel that the president had changed his mind. 
Even for a presidency as capricious as Trump’s, his action marked a new blurring of lines between his personal feelings towards other leaders, and US government policy. It was also the latest example of Trump’s use of much harsher language towards fellow democratically-elected leaders of allied countries than to strongmen leaders of enemy and adversary nations. 
A few minutes before Trump sent out his inflammatory tweets, his hawkish national security security adviser, John Bolton, appeared to anticipate them by sending a tweet of his own, deriding the G7 summit he had just attended. 
“Just another G7 where other countries expect America will always be their bank. The President made it clear today. No more,” Bolton said.  
Bolton has been sidelined in talks with the North Koreans, but the last-minute turnaround on the G7 represents a win for his unilateralist approach to US foreign policy. 
The tweets also represent a blow to the French president Emmanuel Macron and the German chancellor Angela Merkel, who believed they had brokered a deal to smooth over tensions on US-European trade. 
 
  
  
  G7 leaders in La Malbaie. 
  Photograph: IAN LANGSDON/POOL //EPA 
  
 
The communique said the leaders of the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Italy, Germany and Japan agreed on the need for “free, fair, and mutually beneficial trade” and the importance of fighting protectionism. 
“We strive to reduce tariff barriers, non-tariff barriers and subsidies,” the statement said.  
Like last year, the communique made it clear that the US had a different view on climate change and how to fight it from the other six leaders, increasingly being referred to informally as the G6. 
Governments tried to shore up the damage late on Saturday with statements backing the form of words they thought had been agreed. 
 
  Related: Trump to Trudeau in testy tariff call: 'Didn't you guys burn down the White House?'  
 
“We are focused on everything we accomplished here at the #G7 summit,” a spokesman for Trudeau tweeted. “The prime minister said nothing he hasn’t said before – both in public, and in private conversations with the president.”  
A senior UK government source said it stood by the commitments made in the communiqué, while a European Union official at the summit said it would “stick to the commitments made by all participants”. 
The sensitive trade issue was the subject of Trump’s unscheduled press conference on Saturday morning. After slapping tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, the European Union and Mexico last week, Trump threatened at the summit to cut off trade with countries that treated the United States unfairly.  
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
“We’re like the piggy bank that everybody is robbing,” he told reporters.  
But Trudeau, in the media conference that irked Trump, rejected a US demand for a sunset clause in the North American trade agreement, Nafta, that would allow a member nation to withdraw after five years.  
“There will not be a sunset clause ... we will not, cannot sign a trade deal that expires automatically every five years,” he said. 
Trudeau said he had told Trump that the talks had been made more complicated by last week’s imposition of tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, ostensibly for national security reasons. Canada has promised retaliatory measures on 1 July.  
“I highlighted directly to the president that Canadians did not take it lightly that the United States has moved forward with significant tariffs,” said Trudeau. “Canadians, we’re polite, we’re reasonable, but we will also not be pushed around.”",2018-06-10 04:26:16+02:00
us-news/2018/jun/10/justin-trudeau-donald-trump-tariffs-g7-north-korea-summit,article,us-news,US news,2018-06-11 12:27:26+00:00,"Trudeau 'stabbed us in back' on trade, says Trump chief economic adviser",https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/10/justin-trudeau-donald-trump-tariffs-g7-north-korea-summit,"Donald’s Trump’s chief economic adviser said the US pulled out of a G7 communique because the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, “stabbed us in the back” and accused the leader of one America’s most important allies of playing a “sophomoric political stunt for domestic consumption”.  
 
  Related: Donald Trump arrives in Singapore for summit with Kim Jong-un  
 
In an extraordinary interview with CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, Larry Kudlow, who was present for negotiations at the G7 summit in Quebec over the weekend, said Trudeau had instigated “a betrayal” and was “essentially double-crossing President Trump”. 
Trudeau used a media conference on Saturday to reject a US demand for a sunset clause in the North American trade agreement, Nafta, that Trump has at different times pressed to abolish or renegotiate. The prime minister also said Canada would “move forward with retaliatory measures” in response to the Trump administration’s move to impose tariffs on aluminium and steel imports from the European Union, Mexico and Canada. 
 
  
 
  Sign up to receive the top US stories every morning 
  
 
The move enraged Trump, who branded his Canadian counterpart “dishonest and weak” in a furious tweet, announcing the US would pull out of an agreed communique.  
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
The G7 communique said the leaders of seven of the most powerful countries in the world agreed on the need for “free, fair and mutually beneficial trade” and the importance of fighting protectionism. 
Kudlow added that Trump had made the decision to pull out of the agreement in an attempt to save face ahead of his historic summit with North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, in Singapore.  
“Potus [the president of the United States] is not going to let a Canadian prime minister push him around – push him, Potus around, on the eve of this,” Kudlow said. “He is not going to permit any show of weakness on the trip to negotiate with North Korea. Nor should he.”  
 
  
  There’s a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J Trump 
   
   Peter Navarro 
   
  
 
Trump continued the onslaught against Trudeau on Monday, tweeting from Singapore. 
 
 
  Fair Trade is now to be called Fool Trade if it is not Reciprocal. According to a Canada release, they make almost 100 Billion Dollars in Trade with U.S. (guess they were bragging and got caught!). Minimum is 17B. Tax Dairy from us at 270%. Then Justin acts hurt when called out!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 
  June 11, 2018
  
 
Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro appeared on Fox News Sunday and said Trudeau deserved “a special place in hell”. 
“There’s a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door, and that’s what Bad Faith Justin Trudeau did with that stunt press conference,” Navarro said, adding that his comments had come “right from Air Force One”. 
Kudlow, a staunch conservative who regularly pounded his fists on the desk throughout his interview on CNN, argued that Trudeau’s comments were “a great disservice to the whole G7”.  
A representative of Trudeau did not respond to a request for comment but Canadian foreign minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters in Quebec City: “Canada does not conduct its diplomacy through ad hominem attacks … and we refrain particularly from ad hominem attacks when it comes from a close ally.” 
Leaders of other G7 member states hit back at the Trump administration’s decision to pull out of the joint statement. The office of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, issued a statement saying cooperation on the international stage “cannot be dictated by fits of anger and throwaway remarks”. 
The statement continued: “We spend two days working out a [joint] statement and commitments. We are sticking to them and whoever reneges on them is showing incoherence and inconsistency.” 
 
  
  
  A photo released on Twitter by the German government spokesman, Steffen Seibert. 
  Photograph: Jesco Denzel/AFP/Getty Images 
  
 
The office of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, published a suggestive photograph showing Trump surrounded by other leaders. German foreign minister Heiko Maas wrote on Twitter: “You can destroy an incredible amount of trust very quickly in a tweet. That makes it all the more important that Europe stands together and defends its interests even more offensively.” 
Merkel later told ARD television: “The withdrawal, so to speak, via tweet is of course ... sobering and a bit depressing.” 
Donald Tusk, president of the European council, sent a tweet in rebuke of Navarro’s comment. There was “a special place in heaven”, Tusk said, for Trudeau, whom the former Polish prime minister thanked for the “perfect organization” of the summit. 
 
  Related: Why Canadian milk infuriates Donald Trump  
 
The Trump administration’s move also received domestic criticism, from both moderate Republicans and Democrats.  
In a statement published on Twitter the Republican Arizona senator John McCain said: “To our allies: bipartisan majorities of Americans remain pro-free trade, pro-globalization & supportive of alliances based on 70 years of shared values. Americans stand with you, even if our president doesn’t.” 
Dianne Feinstein, the senior Democratic senator from California, told CNN that “to walk away from our allies in this way” was “a mistake”.  
“[The] rules-based international order is being challenged,” she said. 
 
 Additional reporting by Ashifa Kassam in Toronto 
",2018-06-11 14:27:26+02:00
us-news/2018/jun/12/trump-trudeau-navarro-apology-special-place-insult-trade,article,us-news,US news,2018-06-12 17:29:39+00:00,Trump's trade adviser apologizes for saying Trudeau has 'special place in hell',https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/12/trump-trudeau-navarro-apology-special-place-insult-trade,"White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has apologized for saying Justin Trudeau earned “a special place in hell” with his response to Donald Trump’s complaints about US-Canada trade.   Related: Trump says Trudeau's criticism of him will cost Canada 'a lot of money'    Speaking at a conference in Washington on Tuesday, Navarro said his “job” in appearing on Fox News Sunday in the chaotic aftermath of the G7 summit in Quebec had been “to send a signal of strength”. “The problem was that in conveying that message I used language that was inappropriate,” he said. “I own that. That was my mistake, those were my words.” On Sunday, Navarro told Fox host Chris Wallace he was communicating “the sentiment that was on Air Force One”. Canada’s prime minister earned Trump’s ire by giving a press conference, after the US president left La Malbaie, in which he spoke critically of US trade policy and said Canada would “move forward with retaliatory measures” in response to Trump’s move to impose tariffs on aluminum and steel. Trump was by then on his way to his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore, having left the G7 early and after a press conference of his own in which he complained about trade. He reacted to Trudeau’s remarks by withdrawing the US from a G7 communique and criticising the prime minister fiercely by tweet. The next morning, Navarro and chief economics adviser Larry Kudlow were deployed to the Sunday talk shows. In a display of calculated aggression, Kudlow thumped the table as he told CNN’s State of the Union Trudeau had “stabbed us in the back” and instigated “a betrayal”. Navarro then appeared on Fox News Sunday.   Related: Canada and America are cousins. We don't stab each other in the back | Margaret MacMillan    “There’s a special place in hell,” he said, “for any foreign leader that engages in bad-faith diplomacy with President Donald J Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door.” Deploying distinctly Trumpian nicknames for the Canadian leader, Navarro said: “And that’s what Bad Faith Justin Trudeau did with that stunt press conference. That’s what Weak Dishonest Justin Trudeau did and that comes right from Air Force One.” Responding, Wallace said: “You used some very strong words, ‘stab in the back’, ‘a special place in hell’. You said that that came from Air Force One. Are those the …words of the president towards Trudeau?” Navarro said: “Those were my words but they’re the sentiment that was on Air Force One.”",2018-06-12 19:29:39+02:00
world/commentisfree/2018/jun/19/salish-sea-pipeline-indigenous-salish-sea-canada-trans-mountain,article,world,World news,2018-06-19 10:00:09+00:00,"Justin Trudeau promised to protect indigenous rights. He lied, again | Khelsilem",https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2018/jun/19/salish-sea-pipeline-indigenous-salish-sea-canada-trans-mountain,"The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project is no ordinary pipeline. This project, which the government of Canada has just decided to nationalise, will travel more than 1,000km from northern Alberta through unspoiled wilderness to end at the port of Vancouver. The port is on the Salish Sea, part of the hereditary territory of the Squamish People. The Salish Sea is home to some of the world’s largest wild salmon runs. Majestic orcas swim in the waters and feed on the abundance.   Related: You may think all First Nations are against pipelines. Think again    You might remember Vancouver from the 2010 Winter Olympics: beautiful mountains, clear water and clean air. Is this a location you would choose to turn into an oil port, exporting up to a million barrels of crude oil per day? It defies common sense. So why is it even proposed, you ask? Because there is an existing, much smaller pipeline there. That’s the entire rationale. Because someone built a pipe more than 50 years ago, let’s build a new one three times as large. The decision by the government of Canada to take over the Trans Mountain pipeline Expansion Project is yet another example of indigenous rights being ignored in Canada. The prime minister, Justin Trudeau, promised to do things differently than his predecessors. He promised indigenous peoples that our rights would be respected, and he has broken that promise, yet again. He promised us he would put pipeline expansion through a brand-new review, and instead the government is spending billions of dollars to buy it and, if necessary, complete and operate it over our objections.    Of the 117 indigenous groups who were a part of the consultation by the government, nearly two-thirds did not agree    By the way, the original pipeline carried 150,000 barrels of oil per day, which was primarily for domestic use. Today it carries 300,000 barrels, achieved by adding more pumping stations and pushing through more oil. So when the megapipe, with an estimated daily load of 800,000 barrels, is built, that capacity is only the beginning: it could double in capacity, with very little anyone could do about it. If this pipeline is completed, these pristine waters will become the sailing grounds for more than 21,000 huge oil tankers over the next 50 years, carrying the world’s most toxic oil – diluted bitumen – from the Alberta tar sands. That is the minimum number of oil tankers; it could be more. A single incident would render the beautiful beaches of the city, surrounding islands and Vancouver Island uninhabitable. It would kill the Salish Sea and destroy our Squamish territory. All it takes is just one incident – and no one, from industry experts to the government, can guarantee that won’t happen.  Why risk it? We are told that “world-class” measures will be in place to prevent a spill and deal with one if it happens. A “world-class” standard for oil spill cleanup is that 10% to 15% is successfully recovered from the ocean. Of the remaining 85% to 90%, what doesn’t evaporate will destroy the beaches or sink to the bottom of the ocean to kill everything that now lives there, forever. That is the reality no one wants to talk about. It will destroy the Salish sea.   pipeline   Why risk it? Alberta is already able to sell its oil through pipelines to the US. That oil is already being exported around the world, in ever-growing amounts, through US oil ports.  We know that, if built, this is a 50- to 60-year risk. Can we trust governments, or a corporation, to have the best interests of Squamish people and the residents of our province and city at heart through that whole time?  We know that financial constraints could make government or companies cut back on spill mitigation or prevention. In Canada we have seen cash-strapped governments close coast guard bases, lighthouses and weather stations, and allow search and rescue fleets and aircraft to age without being properly replaced. Governments cut back on oversight of all industries on a regular basis, only to express surprise when something goes wrong. And those are just the things we can control. What about the quality of the mega-tankers which will now enter our port? Will they be in top mechanical order? Who knows? Certainly, the Canadian government will never inspect them.  If you know this port, it has a very narrow opening, aptly called First Narrows. Medium-sized cruise ships barely fit. The current is powerful and unpredictable. For a mega-tanker it is exceedingly tight – and then they have to go through the Second Narrows before arriving at the terminal. Can they do that 21,000 times without a single incident? Why take the risk?     Indigenous leaders demonstrate against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project in Burnaby, British Columbia, in March. Photograph: Jason Redmond/AFP/Getty Images    The decision to risk billions of taxpayer dollars and to pursue completion of a pipeline that threatens Squamish Nation territory and our people is appalling, and a continued betrayal of promises made to us by Trudeau. He told Canada’s indigenous people that our rights would be respected and upheld. He has broken that promise. He promised us he would put the pipeline expansion through a brand-new review. He has broken that promise as well. And this same government promises it will have our best interests in mind if the pipeline proceeds. You can see why we don’t trust them.    A single oil spill could destroy Squamish territory, and no one can guarantee it won’t happen    While proponents of the pipeline will say that 43 First Nations have agreements with Kinder Morgan, it’s important to dig deeper. A First Nation has rights in their territory, but not in mine – and so free, prior, and informed consent is required in all indigenous territories. We’re also hearing from First Nations such as Upper Nicola and Yale First Nation that, while agreements are in place for their First Nation, it doesn’t equal enthusiastic consent for the project. Out of the 117 indigenous groups who were a part of the consultation by the federal government, nearly two-thirds do not have any agreements with the company at all.   Related: What if Canada had spent $200bn on wind energy instead of oil?    The Squamish Nation will continue to fight to protect our inlet, our communities and our economy. Regardless of who owns the project, our position has not changed. An expanded Trans Mountain pipeline would triple the capacity of diluted bitumen and is expected to increase the number of tankers from five to 35 each month. The tankers pass by three Squamish Nation communities on the Burrard Inlet. A single diluted bitumen marine spill would be catastrophic for our communities, our economy and our home as a Squamish people. We have a right to practice our culture, our way of life, and to continue our right to self-determination in our territories. This is a right that we have never surrendered, and it is a right we will continue to defend. Khelsilem is a councillor for Squamish Nation",2018-06-19 12:00:09+02:00
world/2018/jun/21/canadas-trudeau-says-cannabis-will-become-legal-in-mid-october,article,world,World news,2018-06-20 23:26:21+00:00,Canada's Trudeau says cannabis will become legal in mid-October,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/21/canadas-trudeau-says-cannabis-will-become-legal-in-mid-october,"Marijuana will become fully legal in Canada on 17 October, prime minister Justin Trudeau has said, ushering in a landmark change that he expects will take significant chunk out of profits flowing to organised crime. 
 
  Related: Goodbye counterculture: what will happen when weed goes corporate?  
 
Speaking to reporters for the first time since the senate set the stage for Canada to become the first country in the G7 to fully legalise cannabis, Trudeau said: “Obviously the current approach – the current prohibition of marijuana – has not worked to protect our kids, to keep the money out of the pockets of organised crime and that’s why we’re bringing in a new legalised framework around marijuana,” he said on Wednesday. 
Trudeau’s Liberal government introduced legislation last year in a bid to make Canada the second country in the world to legalise cannabis, after Uruguay. Medical marijuana is already legal in Canada. 
Trudeau expected that the end of 95 years of prohibition would immediately begin to curtail the estimated C$6bn ($4.5bn) in profits pouring into the black market. “And over the following months, and indeed years, we will almost completely replace the organised crime market on that,” he said. 
Initially the federal government had hoped to launch retail sales by July this year. Trudeau said: “One of the things that we heard very clearly from the provinces is that they need a certain amount of time to get their bricks-and-mortar stores and their online sales ready. 
“Producers need time to be able to actually prepare for a regimented and successful implementation of the regime ... This is something that we want to get right.” 
 
  Related: What do you think about legalising cannabis in the UK?  
 
Once legalisation goes into effect, Canadians will be able grow up to four plants in their home and carry up to 30 grams of dried cannabis for personal use. They’ll be able to prepare edibles at home for personal use and share up to 30 grams between adults. Those caught with more than this amount, or who supply marijuana to minors, will face stiff penalties. 
Sales of cannabis will vary widely across the country. In Alberta, recreational cannabis will be available at more than 200 private retailers while in New Brunswick, the provincial government will operate a chain of stores called Cannabis NB.  
Many questions remained unanswered, however, such as how police will test motorists suspected of driving under the influence, whether provinces will be able to ban home cultivation and how legalisation will interact with the roughly 400,000 people a day who cross the US-Canada border. 
The federal government is also under renewed pressure to pair legalisation with pardons for the hundreds of thousands of Canadians with prior marijuana convictions. On Wednesday Trudeau said it would be “illogical” to consider the issue before the new law comes into effect.  
“We’ve said that we will look at next steps once the coming-into-force happens but between now and then the current regime stays.”",2018-06-21 01:26:21+02:00
world/2018/jul/02/justin-trudeau-denies-groping-reporter-music-festival-2000-british-columbia,article,world,World news,2018-07-02 12:23:19+00:00,Justin Trudeau 'does not remember' groping reporter at festival,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/02/justin-trudeau-denies-groping-reporter-music-festival-2000-british-columbia,"Justin Trudeau has publicly addressed allegations that he groped a reporter at an event 18 years ago, saying he does not recall any “negative interactions” taking place that day. The allegation has dominated political discussion in Canada in recent days after it was highlighted by a blogger last month. At the time, Trudeau was a 28-year-old teacher and had been attending a music festival sponsored by a beer company in British Columbia. The festival was raising money to support avalanche safety, a cause Trudeau had become involved with after his brother Michel died in an avalanche in 1998.   Related: Trump, Twitter and the art of constructive disagreement    Days after the event, an unsigned editorial appeared in the Creston Valley Advance, a local newspaper, accusing Trudeau of “groping” and “inappropriately handling” an unnamed female reporter who was covering the event. While the editorial offered no specifics on what had happened, it claimed the woman felt “blatantly disrespected” and Trudeau had apologised for his behaviour. “I’m sorry,” the editorial alleged Trudeau to have said. “If I had known you were reporting for a national paper, I never would have been so forward.” On Sunday, Trudeau was asked about the allegations for the first time since becoming Canadian prime minister. “I remember that day in Creston well,” he told reporters. “I had a good day that day. I don’t remember any negative interactions that day at all.” The reporter behind the allegations has not responded to interview requests from the Guardian. The then publisher of the newspaper told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) she remembered the reporter being “distressed” after her interaction with Trudeau. “My recollections of the conversation were that she came to me because she was unsettled by it,” said Valerie Bourne. Bourne believed the reporter was talking to Trudeau when he touched her. “It was a brief touch,” she said. “I would not classify it or qualify it as sexual assault.” The editorial was likely written by the reporter, Bourne suggested. “She didn’t like what had happened. She wasn’t sure how she should proceed with it, because of course we’re talking [about] somebody who was known to the Canadian community,” she said. The paper’s then editor, Brian Bell, said he believed the reporter’s account. “I don’t recall that the reporter was coming across as having been traumatised or distraught about it, but definitely that whatever physical touch or whatever had occurred in that moment was definitely not welcome and definitely inappropriate,” he told the CBC. “I certainly believe that it happened; this reporter was of a high character in my opinion and was professional in the way she conducted herself, and there’s no question in my mind that what was alluded to, written about in that editorial, did happen.” Trudeau’s comments on Sunday echoed a statement his office made last month that he “doesn’t think he had any negative interactions” at the music festival.",2018-07-02 14:23:19+02:00
world/2018/jul/03/doug-ford-scraps-carbon-tax-plan-and-sets-up-climate-fight-with-trudeau,article,world,World news,2018-07-03 20:11:03+00:00,Doug Ford scraps carbon tax plan and sets up climate fight with Trudeau,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/03/doug-ford-scraps-carbon-tax-plan-and-sets-up-climate-fight-with-trudeau,"Ontario’s new rightwing government has ended a carbon pricing policy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Canada’s most populous province.  The move to scrap the cap-and-trade program puts the provincial Conservative government – led by Doug Ford – directly at odds with the federal government’s bid to ensure provinces have a price on carbon in place by the end of 2018.    Related: Canada's largest national park risks losing world heritage status    Days after he was sworn in as premier, Ford – the brother of former Toronto mayor Rob Ford – expressed his opposition to the idea. “Cap-and-trade and carbon tax schemes are no more than government cash grabs that do nothing for the environment, while hitting people in the wallet in order to fund big government programs,” Ford said in a statement.  Ending the program will help Ford deliver on a campaign promise to reduce gasoline prices by 10 cents per litre. “Cancelling the cap-and-trade carbon tax will result in lower prices at the gas pump, on your home heating bills and on virtually every other product that you buy,” Ford added. In the leadup to last month’s Ontario election, Ford – who has elicited comparisons to Donald Trump – explained in a televised debate that while he believed in man-made global warming, he does not believe in “putting an artificial tax called the carbon tax, the cap-and-trade, that does absolutely nothing to help the environment”. He continued: “The carbon tax is the single worst tax anyone – not just in Ontario – Canada could ever have.”  In place since 2017, the policy limits greenhouse gas emissions for large companies, allowing those who are below or above the threshold to sell, buy or trade credits in a carbon market that includes Quebec and California. The decision to end the program puts Ontario, home to a third of Canada’s population and the country’s economic engine, in line for a climate showdown with the federal government, led by Justin Trudeau.  Shortly after Ford’s election, Canada’s minister of environment and climate change, Catherine McKenna, said in a statement that her government would consider imposing carbon pricing on the province if Ford carried through on his promise to scrap cap-and-trade.  On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the minister said work would continue to tackle climate change. “By cancelling Ontario’s cap-and-trade plan, the premier is making it clear that he is not interested in taking climate action, and is effectively withdrawing from Canada’s national climate change plan.”  Ford’s government has earmarked C$30m to fight Ottawa in court over the issue. The move could prove to be a costly one for the new Conservative government, said Keith Brooks of Environmental Defence. The economic impact will be felt across sectors as the program helped fuel demand for energy efficiency and propel Ontario’s clean tech sector into the largest and fastest-growing in the country.   Related: Tiny bird threatens one of Canada's biggest music festivals    There’s also the question of the more than C$2.8bn in permits bought by Ontario businesses through the program – an issue the Ford government has yet to address. “The Ontario government will need to find billions of dollars to buy back those permits, or risk being sued,” said Brooks.  Mike Schreiner – who made history last month after he was elected as Ontario’s first provincial parliamentarian from the Green party – slammed the government’s decision, calling it “reckless and irresponsible”, in a statement. “Ontario can address the climate crisis in a way that creates jobs, benefits our economy and leaves a livable planet for our kids and grandkids,” he added. “Instead, Premier Ford is gambling with our future.”",2018-07-03 22:11:03+02:00
world/2018/jul/06/trudeau-i-apologised-at-once-to-reporter-behind-groping-claim-canada-2000-music-festival,article,world,World news,2018-07-06 10:29:49+00:00,Trudeau: I apologised to reporter behind groping claim,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/06/trudeau-i-apologised-at-once-to-reporter-behind-groping-claim-canada-2000-music-festival,"The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has for the first time publicly acknowledged that he apologised in 2000 to a reporter who alleged he groped her, but said he was very confident he did not act inappropriately. 
The accusation first appeared in a local newspaper a few days after a music festival in British Columbia that Trudeau, then a 28-year-old teacher, was attending.  
 
  Related: Justin Trudeau 'does not remember' groping reporter at festival  
 
The unsigned editorial in the Creston Valley Advance accused Trudeau of “groping” and “inappropriately handling” an unnamed reporter who was covering the event. 
While the editorial offered no specifics on what had happened, it claimed the reporter felt “blatantly disrespected” and Trudeau had apologised for his behaviour. “I’m sorry,” the editorial alleged Trudeau to have said. “If I had known you were reporting for a national paper, I never would have been so forward.” 
The festival had raised thousands of dollars to support avalanche safety, a cause Trudeau had become involved with after his brother Michel died in an avalanche in 1998. 
The allegation has dominated political discussion in Canada in recent days after it was highlighted by a political commentator last month. 
The reporter behind the allegation – who is also believed to be the author of the editorial – has not responded to interview requests from the Guardian. 
Trudeau addressed the allegation briefly on Monday, describing the day of the event as a “good day” and one in which he did not recall any “negative interactions”.After calls for an independent investigation into the claim and opposition criticism of his initial response, Trudeau addressed the issue at length on Thursday. 
“I’ve been reflecting very carefully on what I remember from that incident almost 20 years ago,” he told reporters. “I do not feel that I acted inappropriately in any way. But I respect the fact that someone else might have experienced that differently.”  
When asked about why he had apologised to the woman after the alleged incident, Trudeau said: “If I apologised later, it would be because I sensed that she was not entirely comfortable with the interaction that we had.”  
Pressed further, he acknowledged he had atoned for his actions at the time. “I apologised in the moment,” he said, without giving details.  
Trudeau said he had not attempted to contact the woman, nor had anyone from his team. “We don’t think that would be appropriate at all.” 
He said the issues surrounding sexual assault and other behaviours had been something he had been actively engaged in since his early 20s. He characterised the allegation against him as part of an “awakening” currently taking place in society. 
“I don’t want to speak for her, I don’t want to presume how she feels now,” Trudeau said. “I’m responsible for my side of the interaction, which certainly – as I said – I don’t feel was in anyway untoward.”  
He continued: “But at the same time, this lesson that we are learning – and I’ll be blunt about it – often a man experiences an interaction as being benign, or not inappropriate, and a woman, particularly in a professional context can experience it differently. And we have to respect that, and reflect on it.”",2018-07-06 12:29:49+02:00
world/2018/jul/06/canada-justin-trudeau-groping-case-reporter,article,world,World news,2018-07-06 22:55:03+00:00,Reporter who accused Trudeau of groping says she won't pursue incident,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/06/canada-justin-trudeau-groping-case-reporter,"The woman who accused Justin Trudeau in 2000 of groping her at a music festival in British Columbia has spoken out, saying that the incident took place as described and that she is not interested in pursuing the matter further. 
On Friday – a day after the Canadian prime minister acknowledged he had apologised to her – the woman, identified as Rose Knight, issued a statement saying that she was “reluctantly” addressing the issue in the face of mounting media pressure. 
Knight offered no additional details on what had happened. “The incident referred to in the editorial did occur, as reported,” she said. “Mr Trudeau did apologise the next day.” 
 
  Related: Trudeau: I apologised to reporter behind groping claim  
 
At the time of the allegation, Trudeau was a 28-year-old teacher. The festival had raised thousands of dollars to support avalanche safety, a cause Trudeau had become involved with after his brother Michel died in an avalanche in 1998. 
Days after the event, an unsigned editorial appeared in the Creston Valley Advance, a local newspaper, accusing Trudeau of “groping” and “inappropriately handling” an unnamed female reporter who was covering the event.  
While the editorial offered no specifics on what had happened, it claimed the woman felt “blatantly disrespected” and Trudeau had apologised for his behaviour. “I’m sorry,” the editorial alleged Trudeau to have said. “If I had known you were reporting for a national paper, I never would have been so forward.” 
The editorial read: “But shouldn’t the son of a former prime minister be aware of the rights and wrongs that go along with public socializing? Didn’t he learn, through his vast experiences in public life, that groping a strange young woman isn’t in the handbook of proper etiquette, regardless of who she is, what her business is or where they are?” 
The accusation has dominated Canada’s political conversation after it was highlighted by a political commentator last month. 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
After initially telling reporters that he did not remember any “negative interactions” on the day of the event, Trudeau conceded on Thursday that he had apologised to the woman at the time. “I do not feel that I acted inappropriately in any way,” he told reporters. “But I respect the fact that someone else might have experienced that differently.” 
In her statement, Knight said she had not had any subsequent contact with Trudeau, either before or after he became prime minister. “I did not pursue the incident at the time and will not be pursuing the incident further.” 
The former reporter said that she had initially avoided speaking out in order to protect her and her family’s privacy and noted that she did not intend to issue any further statements or grant interviews. “The debate, if it continues, will continue without my involvement,” she said.",2018-07-07 00:55:03+02:00
world/2018/jul/10/rump-trudeau-meeting-nato-summit-tariffs-clash,article,world,World news,2018-07-10 20:55:31+00:00,Trudeau and Trump set for face-to-face rematch following G7 clash,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/10/rump-trudeau-meeting-nato-summit-tariffs-clash,"The last time the two North American leaders crossed paths, they started off with a warm handshake. But within hours Donald Trump had lashed out at Justin Trudeau, calling the Canadian prime minister “meek and mild” and accusing him of dishonesty.    Related: Europeans brace for worst from Trump at stormy Nato summit    On Wednesday Trudeau and Trump will again meet at the Nato summit in Brussels, for the first time since the last month’s ill-tempered G7 gathering in Quebec.  While they have spoken by phone since then, there’s little to suggest tensions have abated. This month, Canada launched tit-for-tat tariffs against the Americans in the first volley of a trade war between longstanding allies, while on Tuesday Trudeau asserted that Canada had no intention of meeting Trump’s demands that it meet Nato’s benchmark for defence spending. “We’ve got ourselves in a knife fight with a real estate billionaire and we’re not equipped for that,” said John Higginbotham, a senior fellow at Ottawa’s Carleton University and the Centre for International Governance Innovation. “Relations are at as negative a time as I have ever seen, and I’ve been involved in Canada-US relations for about 40 years.” Domestic politics is fuelling some of this confrontation, said Higginbotham, describing Trump’s attacks on Canada and Trudeau as “raw meat” for his Republican base.  But Trudeau has also benefited from the clash, with a recent poll suggesting that the majority of Canadians approved of Trudeau’s assertion after the G7 that Canada “will not be pushed around” by the US on trade, despite Trump citing the remarks as the source of his anger.    Related: 'Prepare for the worst': souring Canada-US relations fuel worries of trade war    While the Brussels summit will focus on Nato, every interaction between Trump and Trudeau will be interpreted in the context of the tense renegotiations of Nafta, said Dan Ujczo, an Ohio-based trade lawyer with Dickinson Wright. “We can ill afford a bad moment at the Nato summit between Prime Minister Trudeau and President Trump,” said Ujczo. “We don’t need any awkward handshakes or snubs or anything like that.” When it comes to Nafta, much is at stake for Canada; the agreement underpins the three-quarters of Canada’s exports that go to the US and roughly 2.5m Canadian jobs that depend on American trade. The Bank of Canada warned earlier this year that uncertainty over Nafta has dampened business investment in Canada. “I really hope Prime Minister Trudeau resists the temptation to join in with European allies and elsewhere to scold the United States,” said Ujczo. “Because we predict that this is going to be a pretty heated atmosphere.” Canada’s approach to the Trump administration to date has sought to strike a balance between pursuing a constructive approach to negotiations while also defending Canadian interests, said Roland Paris, a University of Ottawa professor who served as foreign policy adviser to Trudeau during the prime minister’s first months in office.   Related: Canada and America are cousins. We don't stab each other in the back | Margaret MacMillan    “It’s obviously difficult with such an irascible partner in the White House, who can launch off on Twitter attacks seemingly without provocation,” he said. “I think that every country in the world is trying to figure out how to manage this unpredictable man.” Canada’s approach to the Trump administration, which has also included an outreach campaign to a wide-ranging network for political and industry contacts, continues to be the right one, he argued.  “It’s not just a matter of a charm offensive and win him over and secure a deal – and then it hasn’t happened so it has failed – it’s a matter of managing a very complicated and difficult situation that is changing,” he said. “And the current situation is not good for Canada, but preventing it from getting worse should be the priority.” ",2018-07-10 22:55:31+02:00
world/2018/aug/08/saudi-arabia-canada-latest-egypt-russia,article,world,World news,2018-08-08 21:37:55+00:00,Trudeau defies Saudi Arabia and says Canada will stand up for human rights,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/08/saudi-arabia-canada-latest-egypt-russia,"Justin Trudeau has defied Saudi Arabia’s demand to withdraw Canada’s calls for the release of jailed civil rights activists and insisted that Canada will continue to defend human rights around the world, suggesting that the escalating diplomatic row between the two countries is set to continue.   Related: A tweet, then a trade freeze: latest row shows Saudi Arabia is asserting new rules    In his first public comments since the spat began, Canada’s prime minister said his government has been speaking directly to the kingdom in an effort to resolve what he called “a diplomatic difference of opinion”. Trudeau said Canada’s foreign minister had held a long conversation with her Saudi counterpart on Tuesday, but offered no details as to what the pair had discussed. “We continue to engage diplomatically and politically with the government of Saudi Arabia,” Trudeau told reporters on Wednesday. “We have respect for their importance in the world and recognise that they have made progress on a number of important issues.” He insisted, however, that his government would continue to press Saudi Arabia on its human rights record. “We will, at the same time, continue to speak clearly and firmly on issues of human rights at home and abroad wherever we see the need.” Trudeau’s comments came hours after Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister described the row as a “matter of national security,” telling reporters that the kingdom was still considering additional measures against Canada. He did not elaborate on what these measures could entail. “Canada needs to fix its big mistake,” Adel al-Jubeir told a news conference in Riyadh. “There is nothing to mediate. A mistake has been made and a mistake should be corrected.” In recent days, several countries have expressed support for Saudi Arabia, including Egypt and Russia, which both told Ottawa that it was unacceptable to lecture the kingdom on human rights. “We have always said that the politicisation of human rights matters is unacceptable,” Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry, told reporters on Wednesday. “What one probably needs in this situation is constructive advice and assistance rather than criticism from a ‘moral superior’,” she added. Meanwhile, the United States – one of Canada’s closest allies – has so far refused to wade into the row, describing both countries as close allies in a written statement from the state department. “It’s up for the government of Saudi Arabia and the Canadians to work this out,” said Heather Nauert, a spokesperson for the state department, on Tuesday. “Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We can’t do it for them.” The United Kingdom was similarly muted in its response, with a foreign office spokesperson saying: “Canada and Saudi Arabia are both close partners of the UK, and we urge restraint during the current situation,” a foreign office spokeswoman said. When asked whether Canada was prepared to apologise to Saudi Arabia, Trudeau – who in recent years has come under fire for signing off on the sale of more than 900 armoured vehicles to Riyadh – skirted the question. “Canadians have always expected our government to speak strongly and firmly, clearly and politely, about the need to respect human rights around the world. We will continue to do that,” he said. He also dodged a question about the perceived reluctance of the US administration to back Canada in the dispute. “We recognise that every country has the right to make their own decisions when it comes to diplomacy and international relations,” he said. “I’m never going to impose on another country what their reactions should be or what their response should be.” The spat appeared to have been sparked last week when Canada’s foreign ministry expressed its concern over the arrest of Saudi civil society and women’s rights activists.    Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in #SaudiArabia, including Samar Badawi. We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful #humanrights activists.— Foreign Policy CAN (@CanadaFP) August 3, 2018    Saudi Arabia shot back on Sunday, expelling the Canadian ambassador and freezing new trade with Canada. In the days following the kingdom has continued to pile on measures against Canada, including plans to remove thousands of Saudi students and medical patients from Canada and the suspension of flights to and from Canada on Saudi Arabia’s state airline. Saudi Arabia’s main state wheat buying agency, the Saudi Grains Organization, has also told grains exporters it will no longer accept Canadian-origin grains in its international purchase tenders, while the Saudi central bank instructed its asset managers overseas to dispose of Canadian equity, bonds and cash holdings, regardless of the cost, according to the Financial Times. Analysts and regional officials say that Riyadh’s actions have little to do with Canada; instead, the kingdom’s actions are a broader signal to western governments that any criticism of its domestic policies is unacceptable. As Saudi-Canadian trade hovers around $4bn, the country was likely seen as an easy fall guy in the kingdom’s bid to reinforce this message, said Bessma Momani, a political science professor at Canada’s University of Waterloo. “Canada is an easy target because our bilateral economic ties are limited.” Saudi Arabia’s actions likely had the tacit support of Washington, particularly as they targeted Trudeau – a self-declared feminist who has loudly championed progressive policies, she said. “And let’s be honest, the Trump administration, particularly Donald Trump, who has shown animosity to Justin Trudeau, is probably not too sad to see having this government be in the international limelight and be rebuked by the Saudis.”   Related: Saudi group posts photo of plane about to hit Toronto's CN tower amid Canada spat    Others have contexualised the kingdom’s actions as part of a bold new foreign policy unleashed by the country’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Projecting strength has become a central concern of the 32-year-old heir to the throne. So has upsetting allies, and starting rows without an apparent follow-up plan. Meanwhile state-run media in Saudi Arabia said the country had executed and “crucified” a man from Myanmar convicted of killing a woman and carrying out other crimes. When asked on Wednesday about its decision to arrest the activists at the heart of the diplomatic row, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said that charges against them would be made public once their cases reach the courts and repeated earlier allegations that they had been in touch with foreign entities. This article contains material from Reuters",2018-08-08 23:37:55+02:00
world/2018/aug/29/nafta-latest-news-canada-trump-mexico-deal-deadline,article,world,World news,2018-08-29 22:58:12+00:00,Trudeau: Canada will aim to meet Nafta deadline but 'no deal is better than a bad deal',https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/29/nafta-latest-news-canada-trump-mexico-deal-deadline,"Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday that it may be possible to reach a deal on Nafta ahead of Donald Trump’s Friday deadline. “We recognize that there is a possibility of getting there by Friday, but it is only a possibility, because it will hinge on whether or not there is ultimately a good deal for Canada,” the Canadian prime minister said at a press conference in northern Ontario. “No Nafta deal is better than a bad Nafta deal.” The Canadian prime minister’s optimism was echoed later on Wednesday by Trump, who told reporters at the White House “I think Canada very much wants to make the deal”. But, Trump warned, “it probably won’t be good at all if they don’t”.  The US and Canadian leaders’ comments came hours after trade officials resumed negotiations in Washington on US-Mexico drafted revisions, dubbed The United States-Mexico Trade Agreement by the US president. Canadian negotiators must complete that process by Friday so the revised trade pact can come into effect before Mexico’s change of government later this year.   Related: Global stocks soar on US-Mexico trade breakthrough as Canada is sidelined    Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s foreign minister, said ahead of meetings with US trade representative Robert Lighthizer on Wednesday in Washington DC that she was “optimistic” about the prospects for “productive conversations”. Freeland, who cut short a trip to Europe to meet with US officials after Canada was blindsided by news of the US-Mexico accord earlier this week, and in particular that Mexico was prepared to go ahead with a bilateral deal, said she had already met Ildefonso Guajardo, the Mexican economy minister. “This is going to be a full-steam ahead effort,” she said after arriving in the US capital. “We will … stand up for the Canadian national interest, and for Canadian values, while looking for areas where we can find a compromise.” Separately, Trudeau told reporters on Tuesday that Canada would “engage in a positive and constructive way, as we always have been, and look forward to ultimately signing a deal as long as it’s good for Canada,” the Canadian prime minister said, adding “and good for middle-class Canadians”. Trudeau added that negotiations had made progress on the key issue of cars and automotive components to the US – an area that Donald Trump identified as a Canadian pressure point for US negotiators. “It will either be a tariff on cars, or it will be a negotiated deal,” the US president said on Monday. “And, frankly, a tariff on cars is a much easier way to go, but perhaps the other would be much better for Canada.” Auto exports to the US are worth $56bn, or £43bn, to the Canadian economy, or around 20% of Canada’s total exports to its southern neighbor. Other areas of dispute include Canada’s quota system for dairy products, which the US and other nations have often demanded be opened up to greater competition, changes to Nafta’s dispute settlement process known as chapter 19, and a “sunset” provision giving the deal a 16-year lifespan. But on the US side, the Trump administration has been put on notice by the US Chamber of Commerce that Canada remains the United States’ largest export market. “In order to do no harm to the 14 million US jobs that depend on trade with Canada and Mexico, the agreement must remain trilateral,” the body said on Monday.  The Trump administration’s trade position with Canada has also drawn criticism from Republican lawmakers, with the Pennsylvania senator Pat Toomey warning that the administration would not be able expedite congressional approval if the deal excluded Canada. Nafta, Toomey noted, was a tri-party agreement. “The administration … must reach an agreement with Canada.”",2018-08-30 00:58:12+02:00
world/2018/sep/26/trudeau-romeo-saganash-indigenous-rights-parliament,article,world,World news,2018-09-26 15:34:44+00:00,Canadian MP says Trudeau 'doesn't give a fuck' about indigenous rights,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/26/trudeau-romeo-saganash-indigenous-rights-parliament,"A Canadian member of parliament has said that Justin Trudeau “doesn’t give a fuck” about the rights of indigenous people, amid mounting tensions between the country’s First Nations and at the federal government. 
Romeo Saganash, a Cree lawmaker, made the comments in parliament during a discussion of the the Trans Mountain pipeline project that was recently halted after the federal court of appeals ruled that the government had failed to adequately address the concerns of some First Nations. 
The Liberal government insists that the pipeline will go ahead. 
“When the prime minister says that this pipeline expansion will be done no matter what, and his minister adds that Canada will not be able to accommodate all indigenous concerns, what that means is that they have decided to willfully violate their constitutional duties and obligations,” said Saganash. “Mr Speaker, sounds like a most important relationship, doesn’t it? Why doesn’t the prime minister just say the truth and tell indigenous peoples that he doesn’t give a fuck about their rights?” 
Saganash was quickly admonished by the speaker of the House, Geoff Regan, for the use of the language and was given the opportunity to withdraw his comment. 
“Mr Speaker, what is happening is so insulting, it makes me so angry, but I do withdraw the word,” Saganash said. 
His outburst resonated on social media, with several prominent indigenous voices expressing support. 
“I’m team F-bomb, I heard not a single lie,” tweeted academic Chelsea Vowel. 
“Colonial respectability politics in canada is: a history of violently disciplining Indigenous folks into ‘polite’, ‘civil’ subjects of a state actively dispossessing us & destroying our homelands. Fuck that,” said writer Erica Violet Lee on Twitter. 
 
 
  Colonial respectability politics in canada is:a history of violently disciplining Indigenous folks into “polite”, “civil” subjects of a state actively dispossessing us & destroying our homelands.Fuck that. 🔥 https://t.co/yGYD1ypwMZ— Erica Violet Lee (@EricaVioletLee) 
  September 25, 2018
  
 
“A clear sign that our collective frustration with a real lack of progress on our life and death issues is mounting. We need action, not tired platitudes about reconciliation,” wrote professor Pam Palmater. 
Others argued that the use of profanity was insignificant when set against the numerous challenges facing indigenous communities across the country. 
“And if the F-word offends you, wait until you hear about the state of potable water on First Nations communities across the country,” wrote one user, in a reference to the more than 50 indigenous communities that are required to boil their water due to health and safety concerns. 
 
  Related: Canada indigenous leaders divided over Trudeau's pledge to put them first  
 
In February, Trudeau announced an overhaul of the federal government’s relationship with indigenous peoples. “We have listened and learned and we will work together to take concrete action to build a better future and a new relationship,” he said. 
But in its August ruling on the Trans Mountain pipeline, the appeals court admonished the government for an inadequate consultation with First Nations. 
Saganash, a parliamentarian representing northern Quebec for the progressive New Democratic party, was forcibly taken from his home at age seven to attend a residential school – part of a policy later described by the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission as “cultural genocide”. 
“I can never be normal,” Saganash testified before the commission. ‘‘And none, none of those kids who were sent to residential schools can claim to be normal today. It’s impossible.” He is the first Cree to receive a law degree from Quebec and is the first indigenous person to run for leadership of a federal party. 
Trudeau, who was not present during the session in the House, is no stranger to the use of “unparliamentary” language. 
Last week, he apologized for saying “damn” during question period. In 2011, prior to leading the Liberal party, he apologized to the environment minister, Peter Kent, after an outburst in which he called Kent a “piece of shit”.",2018-09-26 17:34:44+02:00
world/2018/oct/10/justin-trudeau-canada-climate-change-fossil-fuels,article,world,World news,2018-10-10 10:00:45+00:00,Canada: Trudeau on back foot as frustration builds over PM's climate strategy,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/10/justin-trudeau-canada-climate-change-fossil-fuels,"When Justin Trudeau swept into power in 2015, he pledged to make fighting climate change a top priority for his government. Three years later, Canada’s prime minister is on the defensive, scrambling to both revive his party’s unravelling climate strategy as a growing number of provinces refuse to participate in national carbon tax – and to temper frustrations over his government’s continued investment in the fossil fuel industry. “From the beginning, [the government] decided they were going to try to thread the needle on the need for climate policy and fossil fuel resource development. They even made the two interdependent,” said Matthew Hoffman, a political science professor at Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs. But on the surface, the strategy appears to be quickly falling apart.   Related: What if Canada had spent $200bn on wind energy instead of oil?    Trudeau’s political foes have already seized on the carbon tax in anticipation of the upcoming federal election – still a full year away – but the prime minister has shown no signs of backing down. “Pollution should not be free anywhere across this country,” he said last week.  The political infighting comes as the UN’s intergovernmental panel on climate change warned that drastic changes are needed to offset the impacts of global climate change. As part of a strategy to reduce Canada’s emissions, provinces are required to introduce a tax of at least $20 per tonne on emissions from January 2019, with increments of $10 each year until 2022. In provinces which fail to produce an adequate carbon pricing plan, the federal government would implement its own tax, or “backstop”. Last week, Manitoba became the fifth province to publicly opt out of carbon pricing, arguing that its own plans to combat climate change were sufficient. Saskatchewan, which still relies heavily on coal for its power, has called the carbon tax a “ransom note”. In Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, the rightwing premier, Doug Ford, has vowed to rally opposition to the measure, which he described as “the worst tax ever”. Alberta, home to the country’s oil sands, announced it would leave the plan after the federal government failed to push through construction of the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline – a project Alberta argued was critical to its economy. “Until the federal government gets its act together, Alberta is pulling out of the federal climate plan,” said Premier Rachel Notley in August. “And let’s be clear, without Alberta, that plan isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.” Only two provinces, British Columbia and Quebec, have signalled a willingness to remain in some form of carbon pricing agreement. When the original agreement was laid out, many of the provinces had Liberal politicians in power. Now, a conservative wave across the country has changed the party in power – and the political calculus.     Construction on the Kinder Morgan pipeline was halted over the summer. Photograph: Ben Nelms/Reuters    “This is a political move by the provinces. It’s conservatives wanting to give the Liberals a black eye,” said Nelson Wiseman, a professor of Canadian studies at the University of Toronto. “If you ask people, ‘Should the government do something about climate change?’ they’ll say yes. If you ask them, ‘Are you prepared to pay higher taxes?’ they’ll say no.” The recent stumbles, however, could end up being a benefit for Trudeau, argued Mark Cameron, director Clean Prosperity, an environmental thinktank. “If anything, this may end up making the carbon price backstop more effective,” he said. “Instead of one or two provinces that are going to be falling under it, there will be four or five. You’ll be getting a more coherent national carbon pricing system.” Carbon taxes are supposed to be revenue neutral, meaning any increase a person pays are offset elsewhere. With its own carbon tax, the federal government could circumvent antagonistic provincial governments and deliver cheques – as high as $600 per year– to individual households. “The [upcoming federal] election is going to be in October,” said Wiseman. “Imagine, in July, people start getting cheques in the mail!” Experts agree that any plan to fight the tax is probably a losing battle: courts have repeatedly affirmed the right of the government to impose a tax on provinces. “Whether that court victory leads to political victory is another question altogether, said Hoffman. “[Trudeau’s] got to build popular support for this.” As he grapples with carbon pricing, Trudeau is also engaged in a delicate task of placating his environmental supporters over frustrations that oil development is detrimental to emissions reductions.   Related: Hellfire: this is what our future looks like under climate change    Construction on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, which the government purchased from Texas-based Kinder Morgan, was halted over the summer by a federal court order, largely the result of inadequate consultations with indigenous communities. The government remains committed to pushing the pipeline through – and recently hired a retired supreme court justice to buttress its consultations with First Nations. “The idea that the environment and the economy are not opposing goals, is a great framing,” said Hoffman. “But it’s tough to do when you’re framing the economy not as a transformed economy in a low-carbon world, but as further exploitation of fossil fuel resources.”",2018-10-10 12:00:45+02:00
world/2018/nov/12/trudeau-says-canada-has-received-turkish-tape-of-khashoggi,article,world,World news,2018-11-12 14:09:41+00:00,Trudeau says Canada has heard Turkish tape of Khashoggi murder,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/12/trudeau-says-canada-has-received-turkish-tape-of-khashoggi,"Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has become the first western leader to confirm Turkish claims that an audio recording of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder exists and has been passed to intelligence agencies. 
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said he had given recordings “to Saudi Arabia, to America, to the Germans, the French, to the British, to all of them”, but initially there was no independent confirmation from any country that they had heard it. 
Speaking at a press conference in Paris, where he attended a peace forum after armistice ceremonies, Trudeau said Canadian intelligence had listened to the audio tape provided by Turkish intelligence, but he had not done so. 
“Canada’s intelligence agencies have been working very closely on this issue with Turkish intelligence and Canada has been fully briefed on what Turkey had to share,” he said. 
“I had a conversation with Erdoğan a couple of weeks ago, and here in Paris we had brief exchanges and I thanked him for his strength in responding to the Khashoggi situation.” 
In contrast, the French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said recordings related to Khashoggi’s murder were not to his knowledge in France’s possession, directly contradicting Erdoğan. 
Asked on France 2 television why the Turkish president had made the claim, Le Drian replied: “It means he has a political game to play in these circumstances. If the Turkish president has information to give to us, he must give it to us.” 
His remarks were seized on by the Saudi press to imply Erdoğan was misleading the world about the extent of his knowledge of Khashoggi’s killing in an attempt to undermine the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. 
Turkey said the French remarks were unacceptable and not a reflection of the facts. “Let us not forget that this case would have been already covered up had it not been for Turkey’s determined efforts,” said Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish presidency communications director. 
It is thought the British officials have listened to a tape, but not been given possession of it, a state of affairs that would square with Le Drian’s claim that France does not possess the tape. 
Altun said: “I confirm that evidence pertaining to the Khashoggi murder has also been shared with the relevant agencies of the French government.” 
A representative of French intelligence listened to the audio recording and detailed information including a transcript on October 24, he added. “If there is miscommunication between the French government’s various agencies, it is up to the French authorities — not Turkey — to take care of that problem.” 
Steffen Seibert, the spokesman for the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, was asked about the existence of a tape and said: “ I can tell you that there has been an exchange of intelligence service information on that.” He declined to give any further details. 
British sources previously said they had been briefed on the contents of an alleged tape, but due to the sensitivity of intelligence exchanges, they have refused to elaborate. 
Canada has taken a tough line on Saudi Arabia’s human rights record for months, provoking reprisals from Riyadh, including the withdrawal of investment. 
The dispute over the tape is important as it concerns Erdoğan’s credibility. He has been pushing for the west to demand Saudi Arabia hand over the alleged culprits behind the admitted killing. He has also implied that Prince Mohammed was aware of the plot to kill Khashoggi and that it was not a rogue operation undertaken by Saudi intelligence without his knowledge or permission. 
It is not known whether any tape implicates the crown prince or instead simply provides gruesome details of the murder.",2018-11-12 15:09:41+01:00
world/2018/dec/17/canada-saudi-arms-deal-justin-trudeau,article,world,World news,2018-12-17 17:53:41+00:00,Justin Trudeau says Canada is looking to pull out of Saudi arms deal,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/17/canada-saudi-arms-deal-justin-trudeau,"Canada is looking for a way to end a multibillon-dollar deal to sell armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia, according to the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, but the country hasn’t yet figured out how to leave the agreement. “We are engaged with the export permits to try and see if there is a way of no longer exporting these vehicles to Saudi Arabia,” Trudeau told CTV’s Question Period on Sunday, in the latest signal that his government is increasingly likely to terminate the contract.   Related: 'Yemenis are left so poor they kill themselves before the hunger does'    Following the killing of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and mounting civilian deaths from the war in Yemen, Trudeau has been under increasing pressure from rights groups, academics and policy advisers to cancel the arms deal. Both Germany and Sweden have cancelled arms contracts with Saudi Arabia following public outrage over the brazen killing of the dissident journalist, but Trudeau has previously said that cancelling the contract would cost the Canadian government billions. Trudeau’s unwillingness to cancel the deal has frustrated arms control activists. “The government has clearly gotten to a point that its most pragmatic staffers and advisers must be convinced that this is too costly for Canada’s reputation,” said Mark Kersten, deputy director of the Wayamo Foundation and author of Justice in Conflict. “But there needs to be a degree of healthy skepticism here. We’ve seen this before with the Trudeau government: they say one thing and either do nothing, or the exact opposite.” The arms deal, initiated under the previous Conservative government in 2014 but continued under the Liberals, supplies the Saudis with light armoured vehicles and is worth C$14.8bn ($19.8bn). At the time, it was the largest export deal in Canada’s history, making the country the second-largest arms exporter to the Middle East.  Kersten called Trudeau’s previous public statements on the deal – that it couldn’t be cancelled and that the deal represented part of Canada’s global reputation – a “comedy of cop-out excuses”. Earlier this year, the Trudeau government was forced into a U-turn on another weapons deal after news broke that an order of helicopters sent to the Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, could be potentially used against civilians. The Canadian government has previously approved export licences for military goods to China and Algeria, both nations with poor human rights records. After videos of security forces attacking civilian protesters began circulating in August 2017, the government temporarily suspended permits for armoured vehicles exported to Saudi Arabia. “It comes down to a deceivingly simple question,” said Kersten. “Do we want to be a country that has an arms trade with very unsavoury states, who may actually end up using these very same weapons to commit the kinds of atrocities and rights abuses that Canada has proposed to stand up against?”",2018-12-17 18:53:41+01:00
world/2019/jan/15/china-canada-trudeau-strong-dissatisfaction-detained-man,article,world,World news,2019-01-16 05:14:56+00:00,China expresses 'strong dissatisfaction' with Trudeau as countries spar,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/15/china-canada-trudeau-strong-dissatisfaction-detained-man,"China has expressed “strong dissatisfaction” with Justin Trudeau after he criticised the death sentence passed on a Canadian man convicted of drug trafficking, as the two countries continued to spar over detained citizens. The Canadian prime minister should “respect the rule of law, respect China’s judicial sovereignty, correct mistakes and stop making irresponsible remarks”, a foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said on Tuesday. A day earlier, Trudeau said that the death sentence had been applied “arbitrarily” in the case of Robert Lloyd Schellenberg when it was upped from a 15-year prison sentence on appeal. “We express our strong dissatisfaction with this,” Hua said.   Related: 'Hostage' diplomacy: Canadian's death sentence in China sets worrying tone, experts say    But on Tuesday, Canada showed little sign of backing away from its condemnation of the verdict. “Canada’s position when it comes to the death penalty is consistent and very longstanding,” the foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, told reporters. “We believe it is inhumane and inappropriate, and wherever the death penalty is considered with regard to a Canadian we speak out against it.” She said Canada’s ambassador, John McCallum, had petitioned China for clemency on behalf of Schellenberg. Schellenberg’s lawyer has said his client plans to appeal. If the appeal is rejected, then the court’s verdict will go to the supreme people’s court in Beijing. If they approve it, the execution could happen within seven days, but the court could also reduce the sentence. Relations between the two countries – which only months before had been in pursuit of a large free trade agreement – turned icy in early December when Canadian authorities arrested Meng Wanzhou, a senior Huawei executive and Chinese citizen, for extradition to the US. On Tuesday, hours after Ottawa issued a travel warning for Canadians in China, Beijing published a similar advisory telling its citizens to “fully evaluate the risks” of traveling in Canada and detailed the “arbitrary detention” of a Chinese national. Chinese state media have defended their government’s actions and penalties for drug smugglers. A Xinhua-affiliated editor posted on his public Wechat account: “Indeed, those who commit sins should not survive. When it comes to drug traffickers, no matter where you come from there is bound to be a bullet waiting for you!” Critics say Beijing is using Schellenberg’s case to exert pressure on Ottawa. But analysts have been confounded by the dramatic deterioration in relations. “I’m mystified by the lack of restraint in the Chinese response. It’s not what I would expect to have from such a serious strategic country, and the Chinese are highly strategic,” said Michael Byers, a political science professor at the University of British Columbia. “In this instance it seems that are allowing anger to get the better of their strategic foresight.” While China has been vocal about Canada’s arrest of Meng on 1 December, Trudeau’s comments in recent days have also been “unhelpful”, said Byers. “He suggested a few days ago that one of the Canadians who has been detained has diplomatic immunity, which is patently false,” he said, adding that Trudeau’s comments that Schellenberg’s detention was “arbitrary” did little to remedy a fraught situation. “This public posturing on both sides is therefore misguided by both governments.” Domestically, Trudeau has faced growing criticism from opposition parties for his reluctance to speak directly with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping. Said Byers: “I think the avoidance of direct leader-to-leader is a good policy. We have diplomats for a reason and our embassy enables us to communicate messages – outside of the public spotlight.”",2019-01-16 06:14:56+01:00
world/2019/feb/22/canada-jagmeet-singh-faces-existential-byelection-on-road-to-challenge-trudeau,article,world,World news,2019-02-22 15:58:25+00:00,Canada: Jagmeet Singh faces existential byelection on road to challenge Trudeau,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/22/canada-jagmeet-singh-faces-existential-byelection-on-road-to-challenge-trudeau,"The leader of Canada’s left-of-centre New Democratic party is facing a key byelection on Monday which will decide whether or not he is able to challenge Justin Trudeau in October. Jagmeet Singh, the first non-white leader of a major political party in the country’s history, must win the byelection in Burnaby, a city east of Vancouver, in order to get a seat in parliament and be in position to go up against the PM in this year’s general election. While parties often decline to challenge a leader seeking a seat, both the Liberals, Conservatives and the newly formed People’s party are running candidates in Burnaby South. Singh, the former human rights lawyer-turned-politician surprised his party – and the country – when he wrapped up the leadership race with a decisive first ballot win more than a year and a half ago. His quick rise in federal politics has excited voters across the country. “His leadership can be seen as refreshing. People saw him as this very telegenic, easy-to-like guy, who might be able to compete on the celebrity level with Trudeau,” said Lori Turnbull, the director of Dalhousie University’s school of public administration. But since his leadership win in late 2017, he and his progressive party have fallen into disarray. Sitting parliamentarians have resigned; others have indicated they won’t seek re-election. To make matters worse, the plurality of the seats currently held by the NDP are in Quebec, a province where support for the party has plummeted. “He’s going to get wiped out completely in Quebec,” said Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto. The current situation is a far cry from the the party’s “orange wave” success in Quebec under former leader Jack Layton. Even as recently as the summer of 2015, multiple polls had the NDP on the verge of winning their first federal election, only to have their dreams dashed by a late surge by Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party. The NDP currently sit a distant third in national polling. With party veterans fleeing, haemorrhaging finances and weak poll numbers, the rookie leader has the daunting task of salvaging and reconstituting the left-of-centre party, ensuring a battle-ready machine for the country’s election later this year. Some of Singh’s challenges can be attributed to his absence in the House of Commons: despite leading the party, he remains seatless. “Because he doesn’t have a seat, he hasn’t really been given a lot of opportunity to indicate what his message is. He’s not in the house with the rest of the [leaders],” said Turnbull. While touring across the country seems like a good idea, she said, Singh can’t be seen trading barbs with other party leaders. Some feel that Singh’s status as the first non-white leader of a major political party has also prompted unfair criticism of his tenure. While newly minted political leaders in Canada get “put through the wringer”, the treatment of Singh has been disgraceful, said Rick Smith, executive director at the progressive Broadbent Institute and a former NDP staffer. “What doesn’t get nearly the amount of focus that it deserves in the media is the daily a torrent of racist nonsense that gets thrown his way,” he said. At the same time, the problems gripping the party are not Singh’s alone. “The NDP has always had a bit of an existential crisis, maybe even more than other parties. At some point, a party has to decide, is it their goal to win an election?” said Turnbull. “Or is to set out principles and be true to those principles, even if sometimes they’re not politically popular?” The broader weakness of the party also raises questions about the future ambitions of the party in Canada’s left-of-centre politics. Long seen as the “conscience” of the country’s political system, the party increasingly has to compete against the Liberals to its right – and the Green party to its left. But Smith isn’t convinced the party’s prospects are dire. “Over my adult life, the NDP has grown much stronger everywhere across the country,” he said, calling it a “much more sophisticated political machine” than it was even a decade ago. He sees Singh as a deeply capable, charismatic leader – pointing to his ability to drive high turnout in key races – and his ability to flip regions, like the Toronto suburbs, to the NDP. For Smith, there is little to fret over in the upcoming byelection: “He was always going to win in Burnaby … This is a guy who is very warm, likeable, engaging and knowledgeable.” Monday’s test will be politically existential for Singh: as he canvasses neighbourhoods, party members have said Singh’s continued leadership is unlikely if he fails to win.",2019-02-22 16:58:25+01:00
world/2019/feb/26/canada-jagmeet-singh-gets-chance-to-take-on-trudeau-after-byelection-win,article,world,World news,2019-02-26 07:15:24+00:00,Canada: Jagmeet Singh gets chance to take on Trudeau after byelection win,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/26/canada-jagmeet-singh-gets-chance-to-take-on-trudeau-after-byelection-win,"Jagmeet Singh, the leader of Canada’s New Democratic party, has won a critical byelection and a seat in parliament, ensuring he will lead the left-of-centre party in the country’s October federal election. Singh, the first non-white leader of a major party in Canada, was under immense pressure to win the highly anticipated race in Burnaby, a city east of Vancouver. “Friends, we made history today,” he told supporters. “When I was growing up, I could have never imagined someone like me running to be prime minister.” Calling the victory “incredible”, Singh pledged to fight for Canada’s middle class and took direct aim at growing fears of xenophobia in the country. The rookie leader, who has been seen as an energising force in Canadian politics, will have a place in the House of Commons, allowing him to spar with other leaders and the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, ahead of the election.   Related: Canada: Jagmeet Singh faces existential byelection on road to challenge Trudeau    The victory was critical for the party leader: amid sagging poll numbers nationally and fundraising difficulties for the party, senior members had cast doubts over his future leadership had he not secured the win. “Jagmeet Singh has always been underestimated,” his brother Gurratan Singh tweeted as results were reported. “And he always proves them wrong.” Typically, leaders of federal parties in Canada decline to run competitive candidates when another leader is seeking a seat. The Liberal party, as well as the Conservatives and the People’s party, all ran candidates in the Burnaby South electoral district. The Green party chose not to run a candidate. The closely watched byelection was not without controversy. In January, Liberal candidate Karen Wang was forced to step aside after making racially charged remarks about Singh.  “If we can increase the voting rate, as the only Chinese candidate in this riding, if I can garner 16,000 votes I will easily win the by-election, control the election race and make history!” she wrote on WeChat. “My opponent in this by-election is the NDP candidate Singh of Indian descent!”   Related: Justin Trudeau’s image of transparency threatened by scandal    The text was widely condemned by both the NDP and the Liberals. Wang stepped down at the request of Trudeau. While the win is a relief for Singh, the electoral district of Burnaby South is widely viewed as an NDP stronghold. In two other byelections across the country, the NDP lost Outremont, handing over the Quebec seat once held by its former leader to the Liberal party candidate, Rachel Bendayan. In the Ontario seat of York-Simcoe, won by Conservative Scot Davidson, independent candidate John “The Engineer” Turmel, who holds the world record for the most contested elections, kept his streak going, notching his 96th loss –with less than 1% of the vote.",2019-02-26 08:15:24+01:00
us-news/2019/feb/27/us-briefing-michael-cohen-medicare-for-all-and-trudeau-scandal,article,us-news,US news,2019-02-27 11:12:50+00:00,"US briefing: Michael Cohen, Medicare for All and Trudeau scandal",https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/feb/27/us-briefing-michael-cohen-medicare-for-all-and-trudeau-scandal,"Good morning, I’m Tim Walker with today’s essential stories. Cohen to call Trump a ‘racist’ and ‘conman’ at public hearing Michael Cohen is set to describe his former boss Donald Trump as a “racist”, a “cheat” and a “conman” in prepared remarks at the opening of his public testimony to the House oversight committee on Wednesday. The president’s former lawyer also intends to make the bombshell claim that he witnessed Trump speaking to the adviser Roger Stone about Stone’s contacts with WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential campaign – and that Stone told Trump of WikiLeaks’ plan to publish emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign.  Key claims. Josephine Tovey breaks down the most explosive extracts from Cohen’s prepared testimony, including details of the Moscow Trump Tower project, his payoff to the adult film star Stormy Daniels and Trump’s private racism.  House Democrats unveil Medicare for All bill     Senator Bernie Sanders speaks with other Democrats during their previous attempt to introduce a ‘Medicare for All Act’ in 2017. Photograph: Yuri Gripas/Reuters    House Democrats are making an ambitious new attempt to overhaul US healthcare by introducing the Medicare for All Act of 2019 on Wednesday. Once embraced only by the party’s left wing and promoted by Senator Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential run, the idea of Medicare for All is now close to being Democratic orthodoxy. The plan will, for the first time, be subject to congressional hearings, despite having no chance of passing the GOP-controlled Senate.  Emergency blocked. The House has passed a resolution to revoke Trump’s national emergency declaration, to block the president from funding a border wall without congressional approval. Several Senate Republicans have indicated they may vote for the resolution, which would mark a direct challenge to the president’s power from his own party.  Pioneering ex-minister to testify over Canada scandal     Jody Wilson-Raybould with Justin Trudeau during her swearing-in ceremony in 2015. Photograph: Adrian Wyld/AFP/Getty Images    Jody Wilson-Raybould, who was Canada’s first indigenous attorney general, will testify to the Canadian parliament’s justice committee on Wednesday, addressing in public for the first time allegations that she was pressured to drop prosecutions targeting a major engineering firm by aides from the office of the prime minister, Justin Trudeau. The pioneering former minister of justice was demoted to the role of veterans affairs minister last year and resigned from the cabinet earlier this month.  Election year. The growing scandal comes as Trudeau prepares for a federal election in October, where he will face Jagmeet Singh of the New Democratic party, whose byelection win this week has cemented his position as the first non-white leader of a major party in Canada.  Plastic waste found even in the world’s deepest waters     A green turtle eats a plastic bag resembling a jellyfish. Photograph: Alamy    Plastic waste is contaminating the Mariana Trench and at least five more of the deepest spots on Earth, scientists have found, concluding in a study that “it is highly likely there are no marine ecosystems left that are not impacted by plastic pollution”. The researchers found evidence of microplastic ingestion by organisms even at depths of more than 6,000 metres, suggesting the problem of plastic waste is far more profound than was previously known.  Reproductive problems. In shallower waters and on land, plastics are being blamed for reproductive problems among wildlife. Another report found, for example, an orca pod facing high levels of pollutants that has failed to produce a single calf in 25 years.  Crib sheet  Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have arrived in Vietnam for their Hanoi summit, set to begin on Wednesday. Julian Borger explains the stakes of the meeting, which you can follow via the Guardian’s live blog. Pakistan says it has shot down two Indian jets as hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours escalated on either side of their disputed border in Kashmir. India has yet to confirm the claims. The FBI is struggling to attract new recruits, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal, which said the number of applicants for special agent positions had plummeted from 68,500 in 2009 to just 11,500 last year. Eight rescuers including firefighters have taken part in the rescue of an overweight rat from a sewer grate in Bensheim, Germany, where the fat rodent had got stuck after piling on the ounces over the winter.  Must-reads     A dog awaits surgery in the operating theatre at Battersea Dogs & Cats home in London. Photograph: Jill Mead/The Guardian    The surgeons keeping pugs and bulldogs alive They may look cute on Instagram, but flat-faced dogs are prone to serious breathing problems, and more and more are undergoing surgery to save their lives. Simon Usborne steps into the operating theatre to see the gory results of an unchecked pet trend. The Grand Canyon ranger who’s older than the park Rose Torphy is 103 years old: three years older than the Grand Canyon national park, which is celebrating its centenary in 2019 and where she was recently sworn in as a junior park ranger. The canyon is “the most marvelous thing”, she tells Eric Lutz. Behind a landmark documentary about Apollo 11 Half a century after humans first went to the moon, the film-maker Todd Douglas Miller has worked with Nasa to restore remarkable unseen footage from the Apollo 11 mission. The result, says Adrian Horton, is this year’s first must-see documentary. The artist collecting America’s neighbourhood murals Camilo Jose Vergara, the Chilean-born photographer and MacArthur Fellow, has spent four decades travelling the US, photographing the work of anonymous local muralists and street artists in poor, segregated communities. Opinion The world is waking up to the unchecked power of Big Tech. But to truly enfranchise those excluded from the digital economy, says Evgeny Morozov, the left must think more radically than the neoliberals and technocrats who currently represent them.  How could digital technologies help redesign core political institutions, including representative democracy and its bureaucratic apparatus, and make them more decentralized and participatory?  Sport It’s 100 days until the Women’s World Cup kicks off in France on 7 June. As Team USA prepare to defend their title, Louise Taylor tells you everything you need to know about the tournament. With MLS returning this weekend, the Guardian’s soccer writers make their predictions for the season, which ought to be a big one for former European stars Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Sign up The US morning briefing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.     Sign up for the US morning briefing ",2019-02-27 12:12:50+01:00
world/2019/feb/27/canada-trudeau-snc-lavalin-jody-wilson-raybould,article,world,World news,2019-02-28 01:42:30+00:00,Justin Trudeau refuses to resign over claims officials interfered in bribery prosecution,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/27/canada-trudeau-snc-lavalin-jody-wilson-raybould,"Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has rejected calls to resign over a scandal that is engulfing his administration, saying he and his staff always acted properly and that Canadians will get to have their say on the matter at the federal election in October. His comments came after Canada’s former minister of justice and attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould described a consistent, sustained and inappropriate effort by senior officials close to the prime minister who were attempting to dissuade her from prosecuting a Canadian engineering company accused of bribery. In searing testimony to the justice committee on Wednesday, Wilson-Raybould said the pressure on her included “veiled threats” if she did not acquiesce. “I experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people within the government to seek to politically interfere in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion in my role as the attorney general of Canada in an inappropriate effort,” she said in her opening statement. Wilson-Raybould’s appearance before the committee marked her first public comments on the scandal, which has become the biggest crisis of Trudeau’s administration.   Related: The pioneering ex-minister at the centre of a Canadian scandal    In early February, the Globe and Mail reported that aides close to the prime minister had lobbied Wilson-Raybould to abandon plans to prosecute Quebec-based engineering company SNC Lavalin over accusations of fraud and bribery. Instead, they requested she pursue a “deferred prosecution agreement”, which allowed the company to pay a fine. Wilson-Raybould said she was “barraged” and subjected to “hounding” by members of the government. According to contemporaneous notes taken after each interaction, Wilson-Raybould recalled 10 phone calls and 10 meetings regarding the case. Wilson-Raybould also detailed a meeting with Trudeau, in which the prime minister said that – as a member of parliament from Quebec – he was concerned by the issue of SNC Lavalin jobs in the province, and asked her to “help out” with the case. “Are you politically interfering with my role as attorney general? I would strongly advise against it,” Wilson-Raybould recalled telling the prime minister. “No, no, no, we just need to find a solution,” she said, recalling the prime minister’s answer. On Wednesday night, Trudeau said it had been a “difficult few weeks” because of internal disagreements in his party, but rejected opposition calls to resign. He said he completely disagreed with Wilson-Raybould, saying that the decision to avoid prosecuting SNC-Lavalin was hers and hers alone. Wilson-Raybould also described a conversation with the government’s top civil servant, Michael Wernick, who advised her the prime minister wanted to “find a way to get it done, one way or another. She characterized the discussions as “treading on dangerous ground”. Last week, Wernick told the same committee that no improper pressure was applied to Wilson-Raybould. Trudeau’s government has been on the defensive since the Globe and Mail newspaper reported on 7 February that Trudeau or his staff pressured her to try to avoid a criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin over allegations of corruption involving government contracts in Libya. Wilson-Raybould refused to abandon the prosecution, and four months later, she was abruptly demoted to the position of veteran affairs minister – a move which she saw as a direct consequence. “I can’t help but think this ha[d] something to do with a decision I would not take,” she told the committee. Following her demotion, she had “thoughts of the Saturday Night Massacre,” Wilson-Raybould testified, in a reference to Richard Nixon’s purge of US justice department officials during the Watergate scandal. Under growing pressure, Trudeau denied that his office had “directed” Wilson-Raybould, and said her presence in his cabinet was proof of their amicable relationship. She resigned hours later and retained the former supreme court justice Thomas Cromwell as her counsel.   Related: Justin Trudeau’s image of transparency threatened by scandal    Opinion polls show the allegations are starting to hurt the Liberals ahead of what looks set to be a tightly contested federal election against the official opposition Conservative party in October. Opposition lawmakers accuse Trudeau of trying to cover up an attempt by officials to help SNC-Lavalin, which could be banned from bidding for federal contracts for a decade if found guilty. “Justin Trudeau can no longer hide the fact that he was at the center of an attempt to interfere in a criminal prosecution. He must come clean with Canadians,” Conservative leader Andrew Scheer said on Wednesday before the testimony. Scheer called on Trudeau to stand down and demanded a police inquiry. “He can no longer, with a clear conscience, continue to lead this nation,” he said. The scandal has already cost Trudeau his closest adviser: Gerald Butts resigned earlier this month, but denied he had or others had improperly pressured Wilson-Raybould. “What I hear today should make Canadians upset,” Murray Rankin, a member of the New Democratic party, told Wilson-Raybould during the committee hearing. Wilson-Raybould was granted a partial waiver of solicitor-client privilege in order to testify on Wednesday, but remains unable to speak about the content of her communications with Trudeau. Wilson-Raybould, a Kwakwaka’wakw lawyer from British Columbia, was Canada’s first indigenous attorney general, and her inclusion in the cabinet was initially seen as proof of Trudeau’s attempt to reset its relationship with indigenous peoples. “I was taught to always hold true to your core values, principles and to act with integrity,” said Wilson-Raybould at the conclusion of her statement. “I come from a long line of matriarchs and I am a truth-teller in accordance with the laws and traditions of our big house. This is who I am and who I always will be.”",2019-02-28 02:42:30+01:00
world/2019/feb/28/justin-trudeau-canada-jody-wilson-raybould,article,world,World news,2019-02-28 18:26:16+00:00,Trudeau denies wrongdoing and says ex-minister could be ousted from party,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/28/justin-trudeau-canada-jody-wilson-raybould,"Canada’s former attorney general, whose testimony against the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, and his aides has placed his administration firmly on the defensive, could find herself ejected from her party after refusing to confirm she has confidence in his leadership, it emerged on Thursday. 
 
  Related: Justin Trudeau refuses to resign over claims officials interfered in bribery prosecution  
 
Trudeau acknowledged that his former attorney general, Jody Wilson-Raybould, could be removed from the Liberal party, telling reporters on Thursday that he would have to review fully her recent testimony on the deepening scandal before making a decision. 
“My team and I have always acted in a professional manner,” Trudeau told reporters on Thursday morning, rejecting suggestions he or his staff overstepped in their numerous conversations with Wilson-Raybould about their view that an engineering company facing bribery and fraud charges should not be prosecuted. 
On Wednesday, Wilson-Raybould highlighted the extent to which she alleges the prime minister’s closest aides “hounded” her in order to secure a politically beneficial outcome for the party – and Trudeau himself. 
Wilson-Raybould, the first indigenous minister of justice and attorney general in Canadian history, had described a sustained effort by government officials to influence her judgment. Nearly four months after she said the pressure began, she was removed from her job as the country’s top prosecutor – and instead was named minister of veterans affairs. She has repeatedly said she will run again in the federal election as a Liberal party candidate, a move experts view as difficult given her public spat with the prime minister. 
Her characterization of Trudeau’s conduct – and of his aides’ behaviour – is particularly troubling for the Trudeau administration, given the recent controversy over the detention of the Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. Trudeau had repeatedly said that Canada’s justice system is immune from political interference amid calls by the Chinese for her release. 
On Thursday, Trudeau reaffirmed his belief that all discussions over the matter were proper. 
“I totally disagree with the former attorney general’s characterization [of discussions] in her testimony,” said Trudeau. He denied Wilson-Raybould was removed as attorney general for her refusal to back down. 
Political rivals jumped on Wilson-Raybould’s testimony. Opposition leader Andrew Scheer of the Conservative party said Trudeau had “lost the moral authority to govern” and called for his resignation. Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic party, said the prime minister was not on the side of Canadians but stopped short of calling for his resignation. 
 
  
  
  Jody Wilson-Raybould waits to testify before the House of Commons justice committee on Wednesday. 
  Photograph: Chris Wattie/Reuters 
  
 
The scandal first began 7 February, after the Globe and Mail reported the prime minister’s office had improperly pressured Wilson-Raybould to abandon the prosecution of a large engineering company, SNC Lavalin, for fraud and bribery. 
The Quebec engineering giant SNC Lavalin, which paid C$48m (US$36.5m) in bribes to Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in Libya between 2001 to 2011, is lobbying for a remedy known as a deferred prosecution agreement instead of a trial and criminal prosecution. But federal prosecutors are uninterested in pursuing an agreement – a reality Trudeau’s inner circle had struggled to change. 
Wilson-Raybould’s testimony marked the first instance in which the prime minister was directly implicated in efforts to dissuade her from pursuing prosecution. 
“Are you politically interfering with my role as attorney general? I would strongly advise against it,” Wilson-Raybould recalled telling the prime minister, after he reminded her he was a member of parliament from Quebec – and asked her to “help out” in the case. 
“No, no, no, we just need to find a solution,” she said was the prime minister’s answer. 
On 12 February, Wilson-Raybould resigned. The country’s ethics commissioner is currently investigating the accusations.  
Drawing on text messages and contemporaneous memos, she described 10 meeting and 10 telephone calls over the issue, which began in mid September of 218. Wilson-Raybould also testified about the extent of the pressure she faced, including aides promising a flurry of positive op-eds in Canadian papers to provide her political cover if she backed down. The efforts–and threats to undermine her position evoked “thoughts of the Saturday Night Massacre”, the infamous resignations of high-ranking US justice department officials during the Watergate investigations. 
While the scandal has damaged the prime minister’s image of transparency and openness, damage appears to be minimal in Quebec, where support for SNC Lavalin is strong, given the 3,400 people it employs in the province. 
Wilson-Raybould’s testimony marked the first time she has spoken at length about the pressure on her office. Questions still remain about the content of her discussions with the prime minister, which are protected by solicitor-client privilege.",2019-02-28 19:26:16+01:00
world/2019/mar/01/explained-the-case-that-could-bring-down-canadas-justin-trudeau,article,world,World news,2019-03-01 02:19:18+00:00,Explained: the case that could bring down Canada's Justin Trudeau,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/01/explained-the-case-that-could-bring-down-canadas-justin-trudeau,"What is going on in Canada? 
Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is facing the biggest political scandal of his administration. The affair centres around allegations that his former attorney general, Jody Wilson-Raybould, was improperly pressured by some of his closest advisers to prevent the prosecution of a large Canadian engineering firm over accusations of fraud and bribery. Thus far, the scandal has been politically costly; Gerald Butts, a longtime friend of Trudeau’s, and his closest adviser, resigned two weeks ago. Wilson-Raybould had quit a week earlier, within hours of the prime minister denying she was unhappy. A handful of polls are showing the scandal is politically unpopular for the governing Liberals – which is worrying for them, given there is a federal election in October. 
What is the company accused of? 
SNC-Lavalin, based in Montreal, is accused of paying C$48m worth of bribes in Libya to Muammar Gaddafi’s family, in order to secure lucrative contracts. The bribery is alleged to have occurred between 2001 and 2011. If found guilty, the company would be barred from bidding on federal projects for a decade. SNC-Lavalin employs nearly 50,000 people worldwide, with 3,400 in Quebec.  
 
  Related: Trudeau denies wrongdoing and says ex-minister could be ousted from party  
 
Company executives have been lobbying for a “deferred prosecution agreement”, which in effect allows them to pay a fine in lieu of a criminal prosecution, with no ban on bidding for contracts. But federal prosectors have decided to pursue a trial. 
This is where the scandal is centred: the prime minister and his aides, along with the finance minister, have been accused of pressing Wilson-Raybould to intervene and asking prosecutors to accept a deferred prosecution agreement. Wilson-Raybould declined to override the judgment of her top legal team. 
What does the former attorney general say? 
In searing testimony in front of parliament’s justice committee, Wilson-Raybould detailed “consistent and sustained” efforts to change her mind. Despite repeated assertions by Wilson-Raybould that she would not bend, she told a justice committee on Wednesday the pressure intensified – and included “veiled threats” by aides that she was on course for a clash with the prime minister. She said that while it was proper for ministers and their staff to consult her about protecting jobs, it was inappropriate for her to make decisions based on “partisan political considerations”. Her testimony also marked the first public assertion that Trudeau lobbied her – to the point that she felt obliged to warn him what he was asking was improper. 
She also told parliamentarians she suspected her refusal to back down lay behind her move to the Veterans’ Affairs portfolio in a mid-January cabinet reshuffle.  
What does Trudeau say? 
Trudeau has not denied that he and his team spoke to Wilson-Raybould and her staff about SNC-Lavalin. He says all of their discussions were respectful and within the bounds of the rules. On Thursday, he reiterated his belief that as prime minister, it is his job and duty to protect the jobs of Canadians – likely a reference to the potential for job losses in the event of a conviction.  
Is it a big deal? 
The leader of the opposition, Andrew Scheer, has called on Trudeau to resign –something Trudeau has rejected. Other political leaders have called for more investigations into the affair – and the country’s ethics commissioner is investigating. But at the justice committee hearing on Wednesday, members of Trudeau’s Liberal party appeared as unified; there have been no high-profile shows of public support for Wilson-Raybould within the party since Wednesday. 
What is local media saying? 
 
  Related: Justin Trudeau’s disgrace is like watching a unicorn get run over | Leah McLaren  
 
On Thursday, Wilson-Raybould’s testimony was on the front page of every major paper in the country, with most running large, dramatic photos of the defiant former attorney general. “I Said ‘No’, My Mind Had Been Made Up,” said the National Post. “Wilson-Raybould Speaks Her Truth,” said the Toronto Star. “Wilson-Raybould points accusing finger at PM,” said the Vancouver Sun. And the Globe and Mail, which broke the story, ran with the headline: “An effort to politically interfere.” 
What happens next? 
A number of figures have requested to testify before the justice committee, including Gerald Butts, Trudeau’s former adviser and Michael Wernick, the country’s top public servant. Both were present in many of the discussions – and both have publicly stated previously they did nothing wrong. The prime minister has also said he would consider the future of Wilson-Raybould in the party. While the scandal will likely not damage him in Quebec, where his support of SNC-Lavalin is viewed positively, it could prove damaging in the rest of the country. 
• This article was amended on 4 March 2018 to include a reference to Wilson-Raybould’s change of cabinet portfolio.",2019-03-01 03:19:18+01:00
world/2019/mar/07/justin-trudeau-says-erosion-of-trust-at-centre-of-political-scandal,article,world,World news,2019-03-07 16:57:50+00:00,"Trudeau expresses regret over scandal, but does not apologise",https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/07/justin-trudeau-says-erosion-of-trust-at-centre-of-political-scandal,"Justin Trudeau has expressed regret for his handling of a political scandal that has cost him two cabinet ministers and a close adviser – but stopped short of apologising, insisting no laws had been broken and that neither he nor his staff had taken any unethical actions. “This has been a tough few weeks,” the Canadian prime minister said on Thursday. “Canadians expect and deserve to have faith in their institutions and the people who act within them … I have taken – and will continue to take – many lessons from these recent days and few weeks.”   Related: Explained: the case that could bring down Canada's Justin Trudeau    Trudeau and his close aides are accused of improperly pressuring the country’s former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to abandon the prosecution of the engineering company SNC-Lavalin, which is alleged to have bribed the Libyan government to secure lucrative construction contracts. He said: “There are conversations that were experienced differently. I regret that.” The firm, which employs 9,000 people in Canada, is based in the province of Québec, where Trudeau’s Liberals need to pick up seats to win a federal election set for October. The scandal has cast a shadow over Trudeau’s domestic image as someone who is committed to transparent government. His conciliatory remarks in front of reporters on Thursday were an attempt to shift public attention away from the scandal. “He’s trying to strike a kind of tone that is reasonable, acknowledging that this could been handled better,” said Lori Turnbull, a professor of political science at Dalhousie University. “[He’s saying] essentially this is a communications issue. This is a political competence issue at worse, but this is not a corruption issue and nobody pushed anybody around.” But the prime minister’s statement did little to placate political rivals. “What we heard from Justin Trudeau was an attempt to justify and normalise corruption. It’s clearer than ever that, inside his government, political interference and contempt for the rule of law are a matter of course,” tweeted the Conservative leader, Andrew Scheer. “This is a PM who has lost the moral authority to govern.” Jagmeet Singh, leader of the leftwing New Democratic party, repeated calls for a full public inquiry into the issue. Trudeau said he had made mistakes and acknowledged an “erosion of trust” between his office and Wilson-Raybould, who was removed from her post as attorney general in January and resigned from the cabinet in mid-February. He denied that his involvement in the case was for partisan or political reasons – but admitted he asked Wilson-Raybould to “revisit her decision” after she told the prime minister’s office it was her intention to proceed with prosecution of the company. His comments also marked the first time the prime minister had directly spoken about the allegations, following the testimony of Wilson-Raybould and the surprise resignation of the Treasury Board president, Jane Philpott, who said she no longer had confidence in the government. Trudeau indicated the two were likely to remain part of the Liberal caucus, despite their public repudiation of the prime minister’s handling of the scandal. Trudeau, typically eager to speak with reporters, cancelled media availability at two events, instead returning to Ottawa for private meetings on how to navigate the troubles facing his government. Gerald Butts, the former principal secretary to the prime minister, testified in front of the parliamentary justice committee on Wednesday and rejected the idea that anyone within Trudeau’s office pressured the attorney general – suggesting he and Wilson-Raybould had divergent interpretations of the same events. Butts, a close friend of Trudeau, resigned from his post shortly after Wilson-Raybould exited cabinet. On Thursday, the prime minister confirmed that SNC-Lavalin’s presence in Québec would be in jeopardy if the government secured a conviction, which would bar it from bidding for federal contracts for a decade. While the government is eager to move forward from the crisis, Wilson-Raybould has expressed interest in returning to the justice committee to further testify – a move the Liberals on the committee have so far blocked. In a statement to media on Wednesday, Wilson-Raybould said  her testimony “was not a complete account but only a detailed summary” and said she looked forward to giving a fuller picture of the events that led to the current political crisis.",2019-03-07 17:57:50+01:00
world/2019/mar/13/trudeau-liberal-party-jody-wilson-raybould-emergency-meeting,article,world,World news,2019-03-13 21:09:11+00:00,Trudeau scandal: PM's party blocks ex-attorney general from testifying again,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/13/trudeau-liberal-party-jody-wilson-raybould-emergency-meeting,"Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party has come under fire for preventing the former attorney general from testifying again to parliament, further intensifying a political crisis that has engulfed the Canadian prime minister and his government. The Liberal-dominated justice committee convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday to determine if they should hear further testimony from Jody Wilson-Raybould over allegations that senior officials tried to interfere with the prosecution of an engineering firm accused of bribery.   Related: Explained: the case that could bring down Canada's Justin Trudeau    Conservative and New Democratic members had called on Wilson-Raybould to return to the committee. But less than 30 minutes into the emergency meeting, a Liberal member called for a vote amid shouts of disapproval from opposition members. Peter Julian, a member of leftwing New Democratic party, called the vote “disgusting”. Colleague Tracey Ramsay said she was “shocked at the behaviour” of Liberal members. Last month, Wilson-Raybould told the committee that she had experienced sustained and inappropriate pressure from senior Trudeau aides to abandon the prosecution of engineering company accused of bribing Libyan officials. The company, SNC-Lavalin, has lobbied for a deferred prosecution agreement, meaning it would pay a fine in lieu of criminal prosecution. Wilson-Raybould exhaustively chronicled meetings with senior government officials, but she remains unable to speak about events following her removal as attorney general. She resigned from cabinet on 12 February and is also prohibited from speaking about her decision to step down. On 6 March, Trudeau’s former adviser, Gerald Butts, testifiedhe had never acted in an improper manner and suggested the dispute was a misunderstanding. Following his testimony, Wilson-Raybould said in a statement that her previous testimony “was not a complete account but only a detailed summary” and expressed her readiness to provide a fuller recollection of events. After Wednesday’s vote, Conservative member Pierre Poilievre accused the Liberal party of “trying to silence the former attorney general”. “Canadians deserve to know what those event were. So far the prime minister has kept in place a partial gag order preventing them from finding out,” he said. Opposition members will try once more to recall Wilson-Raybould on 19 March, but that vote is also likely to fail, given Liberal control of the committee.",2019-03-13 22:09:11+01:00
world/2019/mar/18/trudeau-scandal-michael-wernick-privy-council-clerk-retire,article,world,World news,2019-03-18 19:20:22+00:00,Canada's top civil servant resigns over role in growing Trudeau scandal,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/18/trudeau-scandal-michael-wernick-privy-council-clerk-retire,"Canada’s top civil servant – a central figure in the political crisis that continues to damage the prime minister, Justin Trudeau – has resigned from his post, following allegations of political bias from parliamentarians.   Related: Trudeau scandal: PM's party blocks ex-attorney general from testifying again    In a letter to the prime minister, Michael Wernick announced his plans to retire as clerk of the privy council, the most powerful non-elected position in the federal government. Wernick had previously held numerous senior government positions and had served under multiple prime ministers over nearly four decades. “Recent events have led me to conclude that I cannot serve as clerk of the privy council and secretary to cabinet during the upcoming election campaign,” he wrote in the letter, referring to the political scandal that has already cost the Trudeau government two cabinet ministers and adviser. Trudeau is battling allegations that he and his aides – including Wernick – improperly pressured the country’s attorney general to abandon the prosecution of SNC Lavalin, a large Montreal-based engineering company. SNC Lavalin is believed to have bribed the Libyan government for lucrative construction projects between 2001-2011 and is facing criminal charges. In recent weeks, Wernick, who has twice publicly testified to the parliamentary justice committee, has been dogged by allegations from members of the Conservative and New Democratic parties that he acted in a partisan manner, following denials that he pressured former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould in the SNC Lavalin case. New Democrat Charlie Angus had previously called Wernick “deeply compromised” and demanded his resignation. “It is now apparent that there is no path for me to have a relationship of mutual trust and respect with the leaders of the opposition parties,” wrote Wernick in his letter. Trudeau has named Ian Shugart has Wernick’s replacement.  Trudeau also used Monday to fill a new vacancy in his cabinet, prompted by the surprise resignation of treasury board president Jane Philpott, who exited after publicly castigating the Liberal government for its handling of the SNC Lavalin scandal. Trudeau appointed Joyce Murray as the new head of the country’s treasury board.",2019-03-18 20:20:22+01:00
world/2019/mar/21/hes-not-a-bad-person-but-justin-trudeau-voters-lament-scandal,article,world,World news,2019-03-21 10:00:07+00:00,"'He's not a bad person, but …' scandal-hit Justin Trudeau turns voters off",https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/21/hes-not-a-bad-person-but-justin-trudeau-voters-lament-scandal,"Nicola Papadakis says he is done voting for Justin Trudeau. 
The decision clearly bothers the retired cleaner, 76. Like many Greeks in the Montreal neighbourhood of Park Extension, Papadakis has a nearly unshakable loyalty to Trudeau’s father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau. “He gave us hope, he kept us together,” says Papadakis of the elder Trudeau. 
But his son? Perched on a stool in a tobacco-tinged community centre, Papadakis flips a set of worry beads and considers his answer. “He is a movie star,” Papadakis says. “I voted for him before. He’s not a bad person, but he’s just not ready to be leader.” 
Papadakis’s harsh assessment of Canada’s 23rd prime minister is particularly damning, coming as it does from a voter in Papineau, the electoral riding that Justin Trudeau has represented since 2008. 
 
  Related: Explained: the case that could bring down Canada's Justin Trudeau  
 
The reason behind Trudeau’s sudden fall from grace is the government’s handling of a scandal involving the Quebec-based engineering firm SNC-Lavalin. Former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould alleged last month that she was subject to a “consistent and sustained effort” on the part of senior members of Trudeau’s Liberal government to secure a deal for the company that would have seen it avoid criminal prosecution on bribery charges – against which the company has said it will “vigorously defend itself”. 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
Wilson-Raybould says she refused to do so, noting that the country’s prosecution office had already declined to drop the charges against SNC-Lavalin, which stem from the company’s Libyan operations between 2001 and 2011. She said was shuffled out of her cabinet position after she resisted this “political interference”. 
Though positively genteel compared with the myriad political scandals south of Canada’s border, what has become known as “Lavscam” has nonetheless shaken the Trudeau government. 
A recent Campaign Research poll says it trails the opposition Conservative party by six points – the largest gap in nearly a year. Another poll, by Leger Marketing, suggests Lavscam has been particularly damaging in Trudeau’s home province of Quebec, which is a crucial political battleground in the general election this fall. 
Nowhere is that clearer than in Papineau. The multi-ethnic neighbourhood of 111,000 is home to recent immigrants and burgeoning gentrification and in many ways reflects Trudeau’s conspicuous liberalism. It is also a crucial piece of his political narrative. Trudeau has won three elections in Papineau, home to one of the country’s poorest postal codes – a contrast with neighbouring Mont-Royal, the wealthy riding where his father held a seat. 
 
  Related: Stop running from the truth: Justin Trudeau is playing us with his PR stunts  
 
Prompted by a desire to see an end of the Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper’s reign, many Papineau progressives voted en masse for Trudeau, helping him to achieve a double-digit victory over his closest rival in the 2015 election. 
Yet while they appreciate Trudeau’s pro-immigration stance – which contrasts dramatically with that of the current Conservative party leader, Andrew Scheer – some of those voters are experiencing buyer’s remorse over Lavscam. 
“SNC-Lavalin has done some very, very bad things,” says Bob Moore, a film-maker who lives in Papineau. “How do you defend what SNC-Lavalin has done when you are also defending human rights around the world? Trudeau has a certain arrogance, and it’s becoming less and less effective as his tenure goes on.” 
 
  
  
  The charges against SNC-Lavalin stem from its operations in Libya between 2001 and 2011. 
  Photograph: Christinne Muschi/Reuters 
  
 
And it’s not just in Libya. Montrealers are uniquely aware of SNC-Lavalin’s misdeeds, which are etched into the city’s landscape about a 15-minute drive from Trudeau’s riding. In 2014, SNC-Lavalin executives were accused of having given upwards of $23m in bribes to hospital officials to secure the contract to build the McGill University health centre. Two employees pleaded guilty in 2018 plea deals. 
Among the hospital’s features is an “underground” parking lot that is actually many storeys above ground ground – a cost-saving measure. This enduring visual curiosity, secured by a well-placed SNC-Lavalin consultant, is a daily reminder of the company’s scandal-ridden recent past. 
It is perhaps why Québécois in Papineau and beyond are particularly wary of Trudeau’s relationship with SNC-Lavalin. “We were with him because of his father,” says Christos Manikis, editor of the Greek-language newspaper BHMA. “But he’s not his father yet, and when we look at how he handled the SNC case, we realize we can’t vote for him with closed eyes any more.” 
Still, even his rivals acknowledge Trudeau’s enduring ability as a politician. In 2015, Sasha Dyck campaigned in Papineau for the New Democratic party, which sits well to the left of Trudeau’s Liberals. Along with Lavscam, Dyck faults Trudeau for ignoring many of Papineau’s pressing housing needs. (More than one in three dwellings in the riding are cockroach- or rodent-infested, according to a 2011 city report.) 
Yet Dyck is under no illusions about an NDP victory in Trudeau’s domain. “He’ll win the next election,” says Dyck, somewhat begrudgingly. “People feel like he’s a good man, so it doesn’t really matter what he does.”",2019-03-21 11:00:07+01:00
commentisfree/2019/mar/25/justin-trudeau-dumbing-down-foreign-news,article,commentisfree,Opinion,2019-03-25 10:00:07+00:00,Why the silence around the scandal threatening Justin Trudeau? | Jack Bernhardt,https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/25/justin-trudeau-dumbing-down-foreign-news,"It must be great being Canadian. Instead of Greggs, they’ve got Tim Hortons. Instead of the cartoonist Matt, they’ve got Kate Beaton. Instead of an economy on the edge of a cliff edge and the prospect of mass chaos, they’ve got moose. And best of all, instead of a malfunctioning robot who veers between doing impressions of insurance-obsessed mongooses and Mussolini, they’ve got Justin Trudeau! Perfect, beautiful Justin Trudeau, the woke Ken doll of the G8 – who last week apologised for eating a chocolate bar in the Canadian parliament! What a little scamp! While we have to deal with warring MPs and a failing democracy, the worst scandal the Canadians have to deal with is over a Twix!   Related: Justin Trudeau’s disgrace is like watching a unicorn get run over | Leah McLaren    Oh, and a huge corruption case that threatens to bring down the prime minister, the government and one of the biggest contractors in the country. If you actually look at Canadian politics, and try to ignore the UK media’s perception of Justin Trudeau – they see him as a Calvin Klein model who’s pretty good at Sporcle quizzes – a darker picture emerges. In February the Canadian attorney general, Jody Wilson-Raybould, quit her post after allegations that she was improperly pressured into dropping charges against SNC-Lavalin, a major Canadian engineering firm. A string of resignations followed – including former cabinet minister Jane Philpott, who said last Thursday that there was “much more to be told” on the scandal, with the implication that Trudeau himself had personally lobbied the attorney general to drop the case. As Canadian stories go, it’s steamier and meatier than a bucket of poutine – but at the time of writing the only reference to the scandal (or indeed any Canadian politics) on the front page of the BBC US & Canada section is a video of Trudeau apologising for the incident I will henceforth refer to as Chocogate. I understand why Chocogate was a popular story, as it combines two of Canada’s greatest loves – chocolate and apologising – but really it seems like the BBC has buried the lede. It’s like reporting the assassination of Abraham Lincoln with the headline “Mrs Lincoln’s enjoyment of Mars bar ruined by nearby gunshot”. Part of this is to do with Trudeau’s own handling of the media: he uses them in a similarly cynical way to Donald Trump or Theresa May. That’s not to say he’s as bad or as dangerous – indeed, no MP in Canada has said they’ve received death threats because of the way Trudeau ate a Caramac – but he can distract the media just as effectively. What Trump does through outrage and May does through abject fascinating incompetence, Trudeau does through charm, and it’s a charm that works best on the outside world. I’m not suggesting this is some big cover-up – a global conspiracy to make sure that Justin Trudeau is remembered as the guy with silly socks rather than a corrupt politician who bullies his cabinet on behalf of big business. It’s more that, in the UK, Canada – and, indeed, most other countries – doesn’t seem to be worth talking about, unless we’re using it to compare with ourselves. Since 2016 Trudeau has been one of the go-to “good guys”, held up as the perfect political antidote to everything that is wrong with our own politicians. While Michael Gove was doing down experts, Trudeau was explaining quantum computing in a painfully staged press conference. While Donald Trump refused to visit a cemetery because of a few showers, Trudeau was giving a speech without an umbrella. While Boris Johnson was, well, being Boris Johnson, Trudeau was declaring himself a feminist and promoting women to key positions in his cabinet. Canada gets lazily portrayed as a utopia with perfect politics because flaws aren’t useful to the narrative. Canada exists in our imagination only through a series of superficial, shareable videos of Trudeau hugging pandas, just so we can look at them and complain that our prime minister never hugs a panda. The upshot of this means that when serious allegations emerge, we ignore them – because if we have to engage with them, it shatters our simplistic concepts of Good Politics (Obama! John Oliver! That Gillette Advert!) and Bad Politics (Brexit! Trump! That Pepsi Advert!).   Related: 'He's not a bad person, but …' scandal-hit Justin Trudeau turns voters off    It’s a trend we tend to repeat with global stories– look at the binary attitude some remainers have towards Emmanuel Macron or Angela Merkel, extolling their virtues while ignoring the former’s brutal austerity policies, or the latter’s startling political decline. New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has been rightly praised for her response to the Christchurch terrorist attack, but the instinct of the media has still been to compare her actions to our own leaders, rather than to analyse what she did right on her own terms. There’s a danger that we don’t see other countries and other leaders as anything other than funhouse mirrors to reflect ourselves – distorting stereotypes and eradicating nuance to define our own identity, a kind of British and American exceptionalism that appears deferential to other countries but is actually oddly insulting. At times like these, it’s tempting to cherrypick the best aspects of the politicians of the rest of the world and build a Frankenstein prime minister – the cheekbones of Justin Trudeau, the tech-savviness of Emmanuel Macron, the dancing ability of anyone but Theresa May. But the real world doesn’t work like that. Life isn’t a stage-managed photoshoot. There are always bigger scandals than chocolate. • Jack Bernhardt is a comedy writer and occasional performer",2019-03-25 11:00:07+01:00
world/2019/mar/28/justin-trudeau-indigenous-activist-apology-thank-you-donation,article,world,World news,2019-03-28 16:10:28+00:00,"Trudeau apologizes for 'smug, mean' jibe at indigenous activist",https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/28/justin-trudeau-indigenous-activist-apology-thank-you-donation,"Justin Trudeau has apologized for a sarcastic response to indigenous activists protesting against the contamination of drinking water, admitting on Thursday that he handled the situation poorly.   Related: 'He's not a bad person, but …' scandal-hit Justin Trudeau turns voters off    “From time to time I’m in situations where people are expressing concerns … I always try to be respectful [but] I didn’t do that last night. I lacked respect towards them and I apologize for that,” the Canadian prime minister told reporters. Trudeau was widely criticised for his reaction when the woman interrupted his speech at a party fundraising event to demand compensation for an indigenous community that has suffered mercury poisoning for more than 50 years. “Prime Minister Trudeau, people in Grassy Narrows are suffering from mercury poisoning,” said the woman, who also attempted to unfurl a banner in front of the podium. “You committed to addressing this crisis,” she shouted as she was pushed out by event security. Trudeau responded by saying: “Thank you very much for your donation tonight. I really appreciate it,” prompting cheers and laughter from the donors in attendance. Fellow parliamentarians quickly took him to task over social media. “Just another telling episode about how he really doesn’t … care about Indigenous Rights and people. And the Liberals in the room found his ‘thank you for your contribution’ funny? It isn’t arrogance or a renewed relationship, this is a huge ‘We Lied To You Again!’,” tweeted MP Romeo Saganash.   Related: Canadian MP says Trudeau 'doesn't give a fuck' about indigenous rights    Saganash, a member of the leftwing New Democratic party, has been a vocal critic of Trudeau, saying last year that  he “doesn’t give a fuck” about the rights of indigenous people. Charlie Angus, another NDP member, described Trudeau as a “smug, mean, aloof ass”. “When #grassynarrows asked @JustinTrudeau to see for himself the poisoning of the people he refused. He sneered at them for crashing his $1,500 fundraiser for liberal elite “thank you for your donation,” he tweeted. Trudeau told reporters on Thursday morning that he would ensure the protesters – who paid $1,500 to attend the event – would receive a refund. Conservatives – whose prospects in the fall general election have improved in recent weeks – also took aim at Trudeau. “We all have a long way to go in building meaningful relationships with First Nations; reconciliation, and more. This is not a step in that direction. Also – this is what I look at and deal with every day in the House; the smug grin, the arrogant laughs, the dismissiveness,” tweeted Conservative parliamentarian Michelle Rempel. The incident comes amid more dismal polling for Trudeau, which show support for him continues to fall: Trudeau’s approval levels are now below those of the US president, Donald Trump, according to polling data from Ipsos Reid. The erosion of support for Trudeau is largely attributed to a continuing scandal in which the prime minister and his staff are accused of pressuring the former attorney general to abandon the prosecution of engineering company accused of committing fraud and bribery.",2019-03-28 17:10:28+01:00
world/2019/apr/03/justin-trudeau-canada-liberal-mps-scandal-snc,article,world,World news,2019-04-03 17:33:38+00:00,Trudeau fails to halt scandal as twin expulsions damage PM's feminist image,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/03/justin-trudeau-canada-liberal-mps-scandal-snc,"Justin Trudeau is facing fresh criticism for expelling two former ministers from his party, dashing any hopes that a scandal which has dogged his government for nearly two months will disappear any time soon. 
The scandal began with allegations of political interference with a corruption investigation, but it has now grown into an all-out crisis for the Liberal party, producing numerous political casualties and casting doubt over Trudeau’s prospects in this autumn’s general election. 
On Tuesday evening, Liberal MPs voted to eject former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould and former treasury board president Jane Philpott, citing a lack of confidence in the two women. 
 
  Related: Explained: the case that could bring down Canada's Justin Trudeau  
 
“The trust that had previously existed between these two individuals and our team has been broken,” Trudeau told reporters on Tuesday evening. 
But the expulsion of Wilson-Raybould, a Kwakwaka’wakw lawyer and regional chief, and Philpott, a family doctor with extensive experience working in impoverished nations, threatens to tarnish the carefully crafted image of Trudeau and his government. 
When he first took power in 2015, Trudeau made a show of producing a gender-balanced cabinet “that looks like Canada” – a position which some have now questioned after his decision to eject two rookie politicians widely viewed as rising stars. 
At an event promoting women’s participation in politics on Wednesday, dozens of young women turned their backs on Trudeau as he addressed them in the parliament. Delegates also walked out of a speech by Conservative leader Andrew Scheer. 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
Daughters of the Vote, the organization which organized the event, sent Trudeau a stark message: “Respect the integrity of women and indigenous leaders in politics. Do better.” 
Liberal MPs, however, saw the two women’s continued presence was increasingly untenable after they both made high-profile criticisms of the prime minister. 
“Civil wars within parties are incredibly damaging because they signal to Canadians that we care more about ourselves than we do about them,” Trudeau said on Tuesday. “Our political opponents win when Liberals are divided. We can’t afford to make that mistake.” 
The current scandal began when Wilson-Raybould alleged that the prime minister and his aides had pressured her to abandon the prosecution of an engineering company facing criminal charges for bribing Libyan officials. 
 
  Related: Why the silence around the scandal threatening Justin Trudeau? | Jack Bernhardt  
 
Montreal-based SNC Lavalin denies accusations of corruption and bribery to secure lucrative construction contracts. But in February, Wilson-Raybould testified that she came under pressure to reach a civil settlement with the firm. 
She said she resisted the pressure out of respect for constitutional norms – and a desire to shield the prime minister from accusations of impropriety. Trudeau has denied any wrongdoing, but has argued that action against SNC Lavalin could jeopardize thousands of jobs. 
Amid what she described as “constant and sustained” pressure from Trudeau and his aides, Wilson-Raybould secretly recorded a phone call with the country’s top bureaucrat – a step too far for the prime minister. 
“If a politician secretly records a conversation with anyone, it’s wrong,” he said. “When that cabinet minister is the attorney-general of Canada secretly recording the clerk of the privy council, it is unconscionable.” 
Wilson-Raybould has defended taping the conversation, although she admits it was an “extraordinary and otherwise inappropriate step”. 
Philpott’s undoing came after a bombshell magazine interview, in which she suggested there was more to the scandal that Canadians deserved to hear. 
The scandal – which already led the resignation of the former clerk of the privy council, Michael Wernick, and Trudeau’s close adviser Gerald Butts – has also fractured relationships between Trudueau and indigenous Canadians. 
 
  Related: The pioneering ex-minister at the centre of a Canadian scandal  
 
Wilson-Raybould was the first First Nations person to hold the position of attorney general and minister of justice, and her appointment stirred hopes that the government could make good on Trudeau’s promise to renew Canada’s relationship with aboriginal people. 
But as the scandal gained pace, Trudeau was forced to apologize for failing to condemn “sexist and racist” slurs directed at his attorney general by anonymous party insiders. 
Indigenous leaders have unequivocally condemned Trudeau’s handling of the crisis. 
“He’s toast, absolutely toast,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs told Global News following news of Wilson-Raybould’s expulsion. 
“Once again he has demonstrated his arrogance and did absolutely the worst thing he could possibly do. There’s going to be an enormous backlash across the country in terms of indigenous people.” 
While the government has announced a new budget and environmental policies, the scandal has sucked the air from the national debate and emboldened Trudeau’s opponents. 
With an election just six months away, recently polling shows the Liberal party trailing the Conservatives by up to six percentage points. 
“By kicking Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott out of the caucus, the Liberals have sent Canadians a clear message: if you tell the truth, there is no room for you in the Liberal party of Canada,” said the Conservatives’ Scheer.",2019-04-03 19:33:38+02:00
world/2019/may/24/trudeau-exonerates-cree-leader-130-years-after-wrongful-conviction,article,world,World news,2019-05-24 08:39:23+00:00,Trudeau exonerates Cree leader 130 years after wrongful conviction,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/24/trudeau-exonerates-cree-leader-130-years-after-wrongful-conviction,"The Canadian government has formally exonerated a prominent Cree leader, the revered Chief Poundmaker— known to his people as Pîhtokahanapiwiyin— nearly 130 years after he was falsely accused and convicted of treason. Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, absolved the chief of any crime in an emotional ceremony at Poundmaker Cree Nation in Saskatchewan province on Thursday, “Today, our government acknowledges that Chief Poundmaker was a peacemaker who never stopped fighting for peace. A leader who, time and time again, sought to prevent further loss of life in the growing conflict in the Prairies,” Trudeau said, acknowledging the “profound impact” the conviction of Poundmaker had on the community. “I am here today, on behalf of the government of Canada, to confirm without reservation that Chief Poundmaker is fully exonerated of any crime or wrongdoing.”   Related: ‘They’re not property’: the people who want their ancestors back from British museums    Milton Tootoosis, headman and councillor at Poundmaker Cree Nation, went into the day expecting an “emotional, sad and exciting” event. “An apology like this is certainly a century overdue,” he said before the ceremony. The story of Poundmaker has been a difficult one for the community. Colonial governments labeled him a criminal, but the Cree knew him as a thoughtful diplomat, and a leader maligned by an unjust court verdict. As Poundmaker tried to make peace and negotiate with government officials while the Cree suffered mass hunger as a result of government policies in the region, his people were attacked by a group of police, militia and soldiers on 2 May 1885. During the Battle of Cut Knife, government forces deployed cannon and a Gatling gun on a camp of men, women and children, before retreating in defeat after nearly seven hours. Warriors attempted to chase after them until Poundmaker stopped them. “He should also go down in history as a hero, as one who saved a lot of lives … He, as a peace chief, stopped the warriors, which is unprecedented according to our oral history, because a peace chief in times of war had no authority,” Tootoosis said. In the aftermath of the battle, Poundmaker travelled to speak to government officials, but instead he was arrested and convicted. He was released after less than a year in jail because of his poor health and died four months later. Despite community leaders’ previous efforts to obtain an apology from the government, little progress was made on a formal exoneration. The recent attempt took nearly two years, and Tootoosis described a winding process of committees and paperwork at the regional, provincial and federal level. “Advancing reconciliation is a priority for the prime minister and our government, and a vital part of that work is addressing the injustices of past colonial governments,” Trudeau’s spokeswoman, Eleanore Catenaro, said before the exoneration. Trudeau has made a priority of publicly apologising for events his government feels are historical wrongs. In March 2018 he exonerated six Tsilhqot’in Nation chiefs who had been wrongly convicted and executed. “This is one small but very important step for us,” said Tootoosis. He said the community welcomed the correction of a historical wrong, but that he hoped it would renew focus on what he said was inadequate compensation for their 121,000 square miles of land and sustained poverty. “We need to elevate the conversations about our treaties. If we’re going to improve relations, there’s got to be more frank, open, and honest discussion,” he said. “There are just so many negative outcomes that have resulted from a lack of implementation of the treaty and its promise of economic livelihood.”",2019-05-24 10:39:23+02:00
world/2019/may/27/justin-trudeau-ousted-ministers-stand-as-independents-run-parliament-canada,article,world,World news,2019-05-27 22:20:11+00:00,Ex-Trudeau ministers to run as independents after Liberal scandal,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/27/justin-trudeau-ousted-ministers-stand-as-independents-run-parliament-canada,"Two former ministers in Justin Trudeau’s administration will run as independent candidates in this year’s federal election, reopening wounds from a recent political scandal that has damaged the prime minister’s popularity and cast doubt on the Liberal party’s ability to form a government in October. In separate events held on either side of Canada on Monday, former ministers Jane Philpott and Jody Wilson-Raybould announced they would hold no party affiliation as they run for parliament. In February, Trudeau’s office was accused of interfering in the prosecution of the engineering giant SNC Lavalin. Trudeau denied the allegation, saying there was no wrongdoing in the case. Philpott and Wilson-Raybould publicly rebuked Trudeau, and in April they were expelled from the Liberal party. “It’s for those young girls I want to say there is a future; don’t ever be afraid to speak the truth,” Philpott said of her decision to stay in politics. “What lesson would it be for those young girls if I walked away?” Philpott and Wilson-Raybould were rising stars in the Liberal party and held top ministerial positions. Wilson-Raybould was attorney general and later minister of veterans affairs; Philpott started as minister of health and was later moved to minister of indigenous services. She was president of the Treasury Board when she resigned. At their separate events, the two spoke of the importance of maintaining independent voices in government, and acknowledged they had remained in close contact while choosing their new political paths. The former ministers also spoke about the need for bold action on fighting climate change as a top priority; both had previously been rumoured to be considering joining the Green party. Their decision to run as independents could damage the Liberal party once campaigning begins, with Liberals worried the two could inadvertently help the Conservatives form a government in October. At at her announcement in Markham, Ontario, Philpott did not criticise the prime minister directly. The election of independent members of parliament in Canada is rare – the last one in Philpott’s constituency of Markham-Stouffville, Ontario, was in 1984. But Wilson-Raybould and Philpott remain popular among their constituents. “She’s got a moral compass. She acted from principle,” said Steve Borlak, a voter in Markham-Stouffville. “It’s so refreshing … The idea of a politician having a moral compass and doing the right thing. It’s stunning.”",2019-05-28 00:20:11+02:00
world/2019/jun/18/canada-trans-mountain-pipeline-expansion-approved-trudeau,article,world,World news,2019-06-18 21:57:57+00:00,Trudeau approves contentious Trans Mountain pipeline expansion,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/18/canada-trans-mountain-pipeline-expansion-approved-trudeau,"Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister,has once again approved a hotly contested proposal to expand the crude oil pipeline it bought last year, providing hope for a depressed energy industry but angering environmental and Indigenous groups that have fiercely opposed the project. Construction on the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline is planned to start this year, Trudeau told a news conference on Tuesday. A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said earlier that Ottawa expected legal challenges to the approval. The project would triple Trans Mountain’s capacity to carry 890,000 barrels a day from Alberta’s oil sands to British Columbia’s Pacific coast, alleviate congestion on existing pipelines and diversify exports away from the US.   .   Trudeau, who faces a close election scheduled for October, has been under pressure from both western Canadian politicians who accuse him of doing too little for the struggling oil industry, and from environmental groups that fear spills. “This isn’t an either/or proposition. It is in Canada’s national interest to protect our environment and invest in tomorrow, while making sure people can feed their families today,” he said, adding he knew some people would be disappointed. The Liberal government previously approved the expansion in 2016 but that decision was overturned last year after a court ruled the government had not adequately consulted Indigenous groups. The approval was widely expected as the government spent C$4.5bn ($3.4bn) to buy the 66-year-old pipeline from Kinder Morgan last year to ensure that the expansion proceeded. Western Canada’s oil production has expanded faster than pipeline capacity, causing a glut of crude to build up and pressure on Canadian prices. The pipeline would allow Canada to vastly increase exports to Asia, where it could command a higher price. Canada has the world’s third largest oil reserves, but 99% of its exports now go to refiners in the US, where limits on pipeline and refinery capacity mean Canadian oil sells at a discount. “It’s really simple. Right now, we basically have one customer for our energy resources, the United States. As we’ve seen over the past few years anything can happen with our neighbors to the south,” Trudeau said. Trudeau said every dollar Canada earns from the project will be invested in clean energy. The court said the government needed to be better, Trudeau noted. “And you know what? They were right.” The government’s latest approval can be appealed. Trans Mountain also requires various permits and route approvals in British Columbia, where that province’s left-leaning New Democratic party government opposes the project. The BC government also plans to appeal a recent British Columbia appeal court ruling that the provincial government cannot restrict the flow of oil on pipelines that cross provincial boundaries.   Related: Big oil v orcas: Canadians fight pipeline that threatens killer whales on the brink    Many indigenous people see the 620 miles (1,000km) of new pipeline as a threat to their lands, echoing concerns raised by Native Americans about the Keystone XL project in the US. Environmentalists say it also raises broader concerns by enabling increased development of the carbon-heavy oil sands. Mike Hurley, mayor of Burnaby, where the pipeline terminates in a tank farm near the Westridge Marine Terminal on Burrard Inlet, said his city was “absolutely against” the pipeline expansion. “It brings too much extra risk into our community and we don’t believe the risk is worth the rewards. There’s risk of fire, explosion, chemical releases, a natural disaster for our First Nations people who use the inlet so much, and for business. We have been kept in the dark.” Construction is expected to take two and a half years. This article includes material from Reuters and AP",2019-06-18 23:57:57+02:00
world/2019/aug/14/trudeau-broke-ethics-law-in-snc-lavalin-case-watchdog-rules,article,world,World news,2019-08-14 18:21:19+00:00,Justin Trudeau violated law by urging that case be dropped – watchdog,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/14/trudeau-broke-ethics-law-in-snc-lavalin-case-watchdog-rules,"Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau violated the country’s ethics laws when he urged his attorney general not to prosecute an engineering company in a conflict of interest case, a watchdog ruled on Wednesday. According to a bombshell report by Canada’s ethics commissioner, Trudeau engaged in “flagrant attempts to influence” his attorney general and minister of justice, Jody Wilson-Raybould. The ruling marks a major blow to Trudeau’s governing Liberal party less than 10 weeks before a general election.  Trudeau and his aides are accused of pressuring Wilson-Raybould to abandon prosecution of Montreal-based construction giant SNC-Lavalin.  In the report, independent ethics commissioner Mario Dion said Trudeau and his officials attempted to circumvent, undermine and discredit a decision by federal prosecutors that the firm should face trial on corruption charges.   Related: Explained: the case that could bring down Canada's Justin Trudeau    While senior prosecutors sought criminal charges against the company for fraud and bribery in Libya from 2001 to 2011, Trudeau and his team instead lobbied for the deferred prosecution agreement, in essence allowing SNC-Lavalin to pay a fine in lieu of a criminal prosecution, with no ban on bidding for lucrative federal contracts. After Wilson‑Raybould refused to overrule the prosecutor’s decision, she was shuffled out of her roles as attorney general and minister of justice. The prime minister has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the affair. Trudeau, who said he was worried about potential job losses should the trial go ahead, admitted he tried to persuade Wilson-Raybould last year to reconsider the decision but insisted he did nothing wrong. Dion disagreed, saying Trudeau had contravened conflict of interest rules forbidding public office holders from trying to improperly further another person’s private interests. “The evidence showed there were many ways in which Mr Trudeau, either directly or through the actions of those under his direction, sought to influence the attorney general,” Dion wrote. “Because SNC-Lavalin overwhelmingly stood to benefit from Ms Wilson-Raybould’s intervention, I have no doubt that the result of Mr Trudeau’s influence would have furthered SNC-Lavalin’s interests. The actions that sought to further these interests were improper,” he said in his decision.   Related: Justin Trudeau’s disgrace is like watching a unicorn get run over | Leah McLaren    “The prime minister, directly and through his senior officials, used various means to exert influence over Ms Wilson‑Raybould. The authority of the prime minister and his office was used to circumvent, undermine and ultimately attempt to discredit the decision of the director of public prosecutions as well as the authority of Ms Wilson‑Raybould as the crown’s chief law officer,” Dion said. In addition to a fall in the polls for Trudeau, there were several other political casualties of the scandal. Trudeau lost his closest adviser, Gerald Butts, and expelled Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott from the Liberal caucus for their vocal criticism of his handling of the case. Canada’s top civil servant, former privy council clerk Michael Wernick, also resigned.  In his report, Dion determined discussions between Trudeau and Wernick over the political fallout of SNC-Lavalin’s prosecution were “improper”. Dion concluded that Trudeau, in his lobbying of Wilson-Raybould, breached a doctrine aiming to discourage improper political interference of the attorney general by the executive. It is not the first time Trudeau has run afoul of the country’s conflict of interest laws. In 2017, then ethics commissioner Mary Dawson found that the prime minister violated the law a year earlier when he took two all-expenses-paid family trips, including a helicopter ride, to a private residence in the Bahamas owned by the Aga Khan. Trudeau has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The scandal, which has been politically costly for the governing Liberals, had largely faded from view in recent months. But Dion’s findings are likely to reinvigorate criticism of Trudeau by his political rivals. Charlie Angus, a member of the leftwing New Democratic party, who joined initial calls for an ethics investigation, called Dion’s report “disturbing” and Trudeau’s actions “unacceptable”. To blunt Dion’s findings, Trudeau is expected to release a report by former Liberal cabinet member Anne McLellan on the SNC-Lavalin affair, which the prime minister described earlier as “great”. But Dion’s findings, released two months before the federal election, are likely to reinvigorate criticism of Trudeau by other party leaders. “This is a bombshell report,” said Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the leftwing New Democratic party, adding that Trudeau’s actions were outrageous and unacceptable. The Conservative party leader, Andrew Scheer, who is jockeying with Trudeau as frontrunner in the polls, described his actions as “unforgivable”. “He has used the power of his office to enrich himself, to reward himself and to punish his critics,” said Scheer.",2019-08-14 20:21:19+02:00
world/2019/aug/22/justin-trudeau-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-political-brand,article,world,World news,2019-08-22 05:00:54+00:00,Justin Trudeau: the rise and fall of a political brand,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/22/justin-trudeau-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-political-brand,"On the last night of March 2012, Justin Trudeau climbed into a boxing ring in downtown Ottawa, the Canadian capital, intent on rescuing his public image. He was clad in a lustrous red robe, the colour of the Liberal party, for which he was then a junior member of parliament. In the opposite corner, wearing Tory blue, was a young aboriginal leader and Conservative senator named Patrick Brazeau, who is a former navy reservist and a second-degree black belt in karate. Bookies had given the lanky Trudeau, a former high school teacher, three-to-one odds against. The televised match was ostensibly a fundraiser for cancer research, but in Ottawa it became a sensation – a display of partisan pageantry rarely seen in the staid world of Canadian politics, where “bland works” had been the watchword of one long-serving provincial premier. The fight’s symbolism was lost on no one: in recent years, the Conservatives had battered the Liberals, turning a narrow lead in the 2006 election into a majority government by 2011. The Liberal party, which had governed Canada for much of the 20th century, had been reduced to a historically low number of seats.   Related: Justin Trudeau: the rise and fall of a political brand – podcast    Trudeau ranked among the best hopes for resuscitating the Liberals and leading them back into power. But his political career, which began in earnest four years earlier, had been dogged by criticisms that he lacked substance and was riding on the coattails of his father, Pierre Trudeau, one of Canada’s longest-serving prime ministers. Barbra Streisand, a former lover of Pierre’s, once described him as a blend of “Marlon Brando and Napoleon”. In contrast, one critic had memorably dubbed Justin “the Paris Hilton of Canadian politics”. A triumphant bout in the ring could help erode this perception, Trudeau figured. “Never underestimate the power of symbols in today’s world,” he told a documentary film crew chronicling the fight. Within seconds of the opening bell, Brazeau pinned Trudeau against the ropes with an onslaught of heavy jabs. But the Conservative senator soon exhausted himself. Early in the second round, Trudeau seized on the opening, raining down blows on Brazeau. Less than a minute into the third round, as the Liberal MP continued to pummel his opponent, the referee halted the fight and declared Trudeau the winner. That victory was one of the first major triumphs in a branding campaign that helped to transform Trudeau from a politician widely derided as a lightweight into a global political superstar. “It wasn’t random,” Trudeau told Rolling Stone in 2017, referring to the boxing match. “I wanted someone who would be a good foil, and we stumbled upon the scrappy, tough-guy senator from an Indigenous community … I saw it as the right kind of narrative, the right story to tell.”           Justin Trudeau and Senator Patrick Brazeau face off in 2012 boxing match    In the weeks after the fight, the Canadian media, which had previously portrayed the Liberal MP as a “reed-thin, pedigreed Dauphin”, began lauding Trudeau as a public figure of “toughness, strength, honour and courage”, noted Elise Maiolino, then a PhD candidate in sociology at the University of Toronto, after analysing hundreds of news articles. That change in perception electrified Trudeau’s career, helping to set him on a path to become leader of the Liberal party the following year. Two years after that, in 2015, the Liberals made an unprecedented leap from third-party status to a majority government – and Trudeau became, like his father before him, the prime minister of Canada. The sort of potent spectacle that characterised his fight with Brazeau was, until recently, a hallmark of Trudeau’s tenure as prime minister. Like Barack Obama, Trudeau seemed to understand better than other politicians how to adapt the old ideas of political marketeering to the new realities of social media. He was a master of the viral video clip or poignant photo that seemed to express the worthiness of his government and the virtue of his politics. He became, as a flurry of academic research has put it, the first prime minister of the Instagram age. “I think he’s probably the best national leader since Ronald Reagan at projecting a certain image,” says Warren Kinsella, a former Liberal strategist. Trudeau has championed a vision of Canada as a nation friendly to allies, open to immigrants and just to its people. According to this image, Canada is a paragon of progressivism in an era marked by strains of authoritarian populism – as if crossing the border that separates Canada from Donald Trump’s US means travelling through a political looking-glass. And yet, Trudeau was never exactly anti-populist: he cultivated an impression that he both serves the masses and is adored by them. Ironically, but perhaps inevitably, Trudeau’s efforts to depict himself in this way have now helped to set the stage for his potential unmaking. Some of the policies enacted by Trudeau’s government have made his political identity seem hollow, even disingenuous. Compounding this has been the ongoing fallout from the most significant controversy of his tenure: Canada’s ethics watchdog recently found that Trudeau broke the country’s conflict of interest law in the hopes of allowing a giant engineering and construction firm to avoid a corruption trial. The company is facing charges in connection with millions of dollars in bribes allegedly paid to officials in Libya, including members of the Gaddafi regime, between 2001 and 2011. Far from the progressive, transparent government that Trudeau sold to Canadians and the global media, the scandal suggests that, like previous Canadian governments, Trudeau’s administration remains in thrall to the “Laurentian consensus” – the web of political, business and intellectual elites in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal whose collective name is a nod to eastern Canada’s mighty St Lawrence river. Ahead of a federal election in October, Trudeau’s approval ratings have plunged from a high of 65% in 2016 to about 32% in July, leaving him vulnerable to becoming the first Canadian prime minister since the 1930s to lose a bid for re-election after winning only one majority mandate. “Brand Trudeau was squeaky clean and fresh and new and a different kind of politics,” says Shachi Kurl, a pollster from the Angus Reid Institute. “And it’s turned out that Brand Trudeau is: ‘Welcome to the new politics, just like the old politics.’” * * * In an age of constant and intimate exposure to celebrities, it may seem unsurprising that the head of government of a country containing less than half of 1% of the world’s population should be so familiar. But how many other Canadian prime ministers have been profiled in the New York Times Magazine, Vogue and Rolling Stone? How many other Canadian prime ministers can most non-Canadians even name, let alone call to mind an image of?  One of the extraordinary things about Trudeau is that he is famous in part because he is Canadian – a remarkably rare kind of fame. Most Canadians who are famous outside of the country have been processed through Hollywood or the US-dominated recording industry. Part of Trudeau’s appeal within Canada, then, is that he assuaged a dual sense of cultural insecurity and superiority, especially with regard to the country’s belligerent southern neighbour. (The majority of Canadians see Trudeau’s fame as a net benefit to the country, according to the Angus Reid Institute.) On the global stage he presented a sort of ideal form – likable, handsome, virtuous – in which the country could see its best self.     Get the Guardian’s award-winning long reads sent direct to you every Saturday morning   Trudeau’s distinctly Canadian appeal goes even deeper. The prime minister represents a potent idea of Canada and what it means to the world. This idea is perhaps best summed up by a campaign motto of Trudeau’s father, from the late 1960s: “The just society.” The idea was sold to Canadians as encompassing the protection of civil rights, economic opportunity for all, scientific remedies to environmental problems, greater autonomy for Indigenous people in Canada, and a country in which the language rights of both French and English were enshrined. A great deal of Trudeau’s political cachet within Canada has been inherited from his father. Pierre is a towering figure in Canadian history, who liberalised laws on abortion and homosexuality, entrenched a charter of universal rights and instituted official bilingualism. The Canadian mass media guru Marshall McLuhan, a friendly adviser to Pierre throughout the 15 years he was prime minister, believed that Canada had no fixed identity, giving Pierre an opportunity to act as its “unifying image”. Canada could, in a sense, become what Pierre made it. Even if few Canadians subscribe to McLuhan’s view, it captures something central to how Pierre framed his own tenure as prime minister.     The Queen with Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau, father of Justin, in London in 1977. Photograph: Jeff Goode/Toronto Star via Getty    The craze for Justin Trudeau during the first years of his prime ministership echoed the “Trudeaumania” of his father’s ascent to power. Pierre, too, captured attention around the world by staging moments of spectacle – whether it was sliding down a bannister during his 1968 campaign for Liberal leader or pirouetting behind the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 1977. Pierre was “packaged and presented as a debonair anti-politician who drove sports cars and spent time with pretty women”, writes Alex Marland, a scholar of Canadian political branding at Memorial University. “To cultivate an image of a pop culture phenomenon” during Canada’s 1968 federal election, he adds, “Liberal strategists recruited young Liberal women to behave as obsessed fanatics” when Pierre was in the presence of reporters. Justin’s attempts to recreate Trudeaumania have involved wading through crowds to allow fans to snap selfies with him – while his official photographer captures the moment at a slight distance. The results, posted on Instagram, feel like a record of spontaneous adulation, but are actually tightly controlled. As Marland puts it, Trudeau is executing a “similar playbook” to his father’s, but “in different technological terrain”. Outside the country, Trudeau has played to the world’s eagerness to imagine Canada as a northern utopia untouched by the forces of nationalism and xenophobia. Within the country, however, there are many who think that Liberal Canada has never been the progressive place that Pierre and Justin tried to make it seem. The question now is whether voters believe his son has delivered more than just a good narrative. * * * When a political brand becomes as powerful as Trudeau’s has, it is tempting to read a person’s entire biography as a branding exercise. Things the politician did in their life before politics become plot points in a success story devised by a canny political operator. Ian Capstick, a political commentator who has worked for the Liberals as well as their rivals to the left, the New Democratic party, believes that Trudeau and his longtime friend and adviser Gerald Butts “have been carefully calculating every single entree of Mr Trudeau into Canadian public life for the past 30 years”. He adds: “There is not a single action that he took publicly that wasn’t considered, reconsidered and put out there in an attempt to eventually build the base that he would require to be prime minister.” Even if this view is a little too cynical, there is no doubt that living his entire life in the public eye has endowed Trudeau with an instinctive, if not infallible, sense of political optics. The beginning of his rise to power has usually been dated to 3 October 2000, when the 28-year-old delivered a dramatic televised eulogy at his father’s state funeral, closing with the words “Je t’aime, papa”, before resting his head on his father’s flag-draped coffin, his tears falling freely. Switchboards at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation lit up with more than 1,000 requests to replay the tribute.     Justin Trudeau and other family members at his father Pierre Trudeau’s state funeral in Montreal in 2000. Photograph: Shaun Best/Reuters    Immediately, there was talk of the younger Trudeau entering politics, but many observers felt he lacked gravitas. He had spent his mid-20s drifting between stints as a bar bouncer and snowboard instructor before becoming a schoolteacher. He even admitted, or pretended, to an ignorance of current affairs. “I don’t read the newspapers, I don’t watch the news,” he wrote in the Globe and Mail the year after his father’s death. “I figure, if something important happens, someone will tell me.” Trudeau finally entered politics in 2007, when he began running for parliament in the riding of Papineau, a multicultural district in Montreal, which was represented at the time by a Quebec-nationalist party. During the election in 2008, he grasped something in miniature that Obama demonstrated on a larger scale that same year: that a political brand is not sufficient in and of itself – you also need a political operation. (Trump, who may not have had much of a grassroots campaign by comparison, is proof of how far such operations have moved to social media.) Trudeau won after mounting a year-long effort to knock on doors and shake hands in the district. It was an impressive start, but Trudeau’s subsequent four years as an MP were generally seen as insipid. It wasn’t until his rout of the Conservative senator Brazeau in the boxing match in 2012 that the larger political tide began to turn for him. Three years later, Trudeau’s fight to become prime minister made his father’s brand his own. In the 2015 general election, Trudeau married the values of the just society with the electoral approach pioneered by Obama, building the infrastructure for a grassroots effort while mounting an aggressive social media campaign. But Trudeau relied more heavily than Obama could on images. “Obama’s use of social media was, for lack of a better term, pre-visual,” says Tamara Small, a political science professor at Ontario’s University of Guelph. The election pitted Trudeau against Stephen Harper, a dour Conservative who had governed Canada for nearly a decade. Few expected much of Trudeau, the neophyte leader of Canada’s third-ranked party. “I think that if he comes on stage with his pants on, he will probably exceed expectations,” a Conservative spokesperson told reporters before the first debate. In one famous attack advert, Conservatives labelled Trudeau as “just not ready”, while mockingly conceding that he has “nice hair, though”. But many Canadians already felt a deep connection to Trudeau. “He has grown up in the public eye. He was literally born while his father was prime minister,” Marland told me. “He was a celebrity before he even became prime minister.” This made Trudeau seem regal, yet familiar – a brand you knew and could trust. Trudeau’s team did everything they could to encourage this intimate connection with their candidate. “It was probably Canada’s first celebrity politics federal election,” says Huguette Young, a veteran Ottawa journalist and author of Justin Trudeau: The Natural Heir. “They had Dinner with Justin, just like Dinner with Obama, and contests and you could win a date with Justin. He was almost commodified as a product.”     Trudeau at an election rally in Ottawa in 2015. Photograph: Patrick Doyle/Reuters    “Trudeau really built his brand in order to counter the brand of Harper,” says Vincent Raynauld, a professor at Boston’s Emerson College who studies Canadian politics. In contrast to his opponent, who was seen as icy and remote, Trudeau promised a return to “sunny ways” – the motto of a much-admired prime minister from the turn of the 20th century. While Harper mooted banning the niqab at Canadian citizenship ceremonies and launching a hotline to ferret out what his party called “barbaric cultural practices”, Trudeau made a passionate defence of multiculturalism and immigration. These were only two of the areas in which Trudeau promised to “do politics differently”. In a country where women make up just 26% of MPs, he promised to usher in a new age of gender equality – beginning by naming a cabinet comprised of as many women as men. In what would have constituted a direct challenge to his own party’s dominance, Trudeau pledged to make space for smaller political parties by reforming Canada’s first-past-the-post electoral system. He vowed to reset the country’s relationship with its disproportionately disadvantaged Indigenous peoples. All in all, the Liberal manifesto made 353 specific policy promises. After almost a decade of Harper, there was a widespread desire for change. Presented with two very different images of Canada’s future, voters responded with a clear answer. On 19 October 2015, the Liberal party swept back to power by picking up 148 seats on top of the 36 they already held in Canada’s 338-member parliament. It was the largest increase in seats in Canadian history. * * * As Trudeau took office, his focus on optics was on full display. The often sedate swearing-in of a new government was thrown open to the public and turned into a highly stage-managed, live-streamed event. Trudeau was due to arrive by coach at the prime minister’s official residence, 24 Sussex Drive, where he spent his childhood. (The house has been under renovation since Trudeau took office, and he and his family have been living in a 22-room guest house nearby.) To avoid any inelegant photos or video – “Getting off a bus is such an ugly shot,” Trudeau told his communications director that morning, in comments captured by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Trudeau’s team misled the media about where they should meet the new prime minister, ensuring that the first images the press got were of him strolling from 24 Sussex to the governor general’s official residence, Rideau Hall, where the ceremony would take place. At another point that morning, Trudeau and his team were preparing to respond to the question of why he was appointing a gender-balanced cabinet. “I think just calling people’s attention to the year is all you really need to say,” Gerald Butts, Trudeau’s right-hand man, told him. The advice yielded one of Trudeau’s most internationally famous lines: “Because it’s 2015.” Around the same time, Trudeau’s team was courting international attention, prioritising interviews with the New York Times and a sultry photoshoot for Vogue with his wife, Sophie, over interviews with Canadian media. “That was very, very deliberate,” said Susan Delacourt, a journalist at the Toronto Star. “There was a sense that Canadians would like that.” Many Canadians initially did, interpreting the attention as a sign of Trudeau’s place among progressive world leaders at a time when Obama was still president and Hillary Clinton seemed poised to succeed him, Delacourt added. Trudeau moved his official photographer into an office two doors down from his own. A mix of intimate and public photo ops – of the prime minister cuddling with pandas, greeting Syrian refugees as they landed on Canadian soil, throwing punches in a Brooklyn boxing gym – transformed Trudeau from a politician into a series of memes. During his first year in power, barely a week went by without some sort of viral moment from the prime minister that found its way into people’s daily lives as they scrolled through Snapchat on the bus or perused Instagram in bed. As Trudeau content appeared on social media shorn of context, it created new realities: a rehearsed explanation of quantum computing became a show of Trudeau’s intellectual prowess; an innocuous cough on a visit to Washington DC became an example of Trudeau trolling the president.     Trudeau posing with high school students while out jogging in Vancouver 2017. Photograph: Reuters/Instagram    A vital part of Trudeau’s brand was the contrast between him and the far-right politicians gaining ground around the world. In the US, Trump was on a journey that in some ways echoed Trudeau’s, parlaying his celebrity status into political power. When it came to optics, though, “Trump was a gift” for Trudeau, says Philippe Garneau, a corporate branding executive whose brother Marc ran against Trudeau for the Liberal leadership and is a minister in Trudeau’s cabinet. “I remember being worried. I said: ‘How can we put a man who has a degree in teaching and [who taught] drama, sit him down with Angela Merkel and across from Putin?’ And in walks Potus and upsets the whole apple cart,” Garneau went on. “So Trudeau got lucky. He was never shown to be the youngest, newest, greenest member at the table, but rather some sort of version of youthful exuberance, enthusiasm, optimism and a lack of cynicism.” When Trump pushed through his ban on travellers from a number of Muslim-majority countries, Trudeau tweeted that Canada would welcome those fleeing persecution, regardless of their faith. As accusations of sexual misconduct piled up against Trump, Trudeau proclaimed his own feminism in the pages of Marie Claire. As Trump vowed to put America first, Trudeau said Canada was “back” as a global player. Trudeau’s contrast with Trump was successfully memefied when the two leaders met in February 2017. Trump’s opening salvo with other world leaders had been an uncomfortably long, domineering handshake. Days earlier, Shinzō Abe, Japan’s prime minister, had been left reeling after a grip that dragged on for 19 seconds. Trudeau agonised for weeks about finding a technique that could show he was capable of holding his own, but which wouldn’t antagonise the man now at the helm of Canada’s largest trading partner. Eventually, he and his team decided on a combination handshake and shoulder grab. According to Politico, Trudeau and his senior aides spent part of their flight to Washington DC practising it. The rehearsal paid off: Trudeau was hailed around the world for the handshake he unleashed on Trump. Viral videos of the seconds-long power struggle overshadowed a visit in which Trudeau stood by silently – later telling reporters that it was not his place to lecture another country – as Trump unapologetically defended his controversial travel ban. It was part of a pattern in which Trudeau and his team produced globally viral images that starved important political issues of oxygen. In 2017, at the height of an opioid epidemic that had claimed a record number of overdose victims in Vancouver, Trudeau’s official photographer took an opportunistic photo of the prime minister running past a crowd of high schoolers on their prom night. Criticisms that the Trudeau government had not done enough to address the opioid crisis were buried by viral photos of the prime minister in running shorts and a T-shirt surrounded by students in suits and floor-length gowns. In politics, however, reality has a way of catching up with you. Eventually, the scandal, instead of the photo op, is what goes viral. * * * In retrospect, it seems predictable that a brand so well-devised, so symbolic and emotive, would encourage idealisations that in reality no politician could match. In 2018, some three years after Trudeau took power, cracks began showing in Trudeau’s glossy veneer. In February, Trudeau and his family made an eight-day visit to India that was described to me by his former foreign policy adviser, Roland Paris, as perhaps “the worst trip that a Canadian prime minister has ever taken abroad”. Although Trudeau sat down with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, and attended a handful of other bilateral meetings, what gained traction on social media were photos of the prime minister flouncing around in traditional Indian outfits. The result was a trip that seemed heavy on Bhangra moves but light on official business. “India crystallised a lot of misgivings that liberals had that he was perhaps not as mature as we would like, he was not as prime ministerial as we would like, he was a little gimmicky and not taking it seriously with the world’s largest democracy,” Warren Kinsella, the former Liberal strategist, told me. Months later, Trudeau’s feminist credentials took a hit after an allegation resurfaced that he had groped a reporter at an event in 2000. While acknowledging that he did apologise at the time to the reporter after she confronted him, Trudeau has said he is confident that he did not act inappropriately. Criticism grew that Trudeau’s government was merely tinkering around the edges of change, masking their political inaction with a steady diet of unexpected moments and big talk.     Trudeau with his wife and children in Amritsar, India in 2018. Photograph: Narinder Nanu/AFP/Getty    “We’ve done check box, check box, check box,” says Celina Caesar-Chavannes, an MP and former parliamentary secretary to the prime minister who resigned from the Liberal caucus after a dispute with Trudeau. “But how does it really transform the lives of people who don’t have Trudeau’s privilege, who don’t have my privilege?” Caesar-Chavannes argues that Trudeau’s government has made small changes but consistently shies away from the bold, transformational work he promised in a campaign built around the slogan, “Real Change”. “I think there were some decisions around our ability to be re-elected as opposed to doing politics differently,” she says. Caesar-Chavannes gave me a number of examples of this sort of policymaking. Trudeau’s government legalised marijuana but rebuffed a call to expunge the records of those convicted of simple possession, even though prosecutions had disproportionately targeted people with low-incomes and Canadians of colour. Trudeau appointed a gender-balanced cabinet, but refused to reform the country’s electoral system, which would have paved the way for more female lawmakers. He promised a “total renewal” of Canada’s relationship with Indigenous communities, but his government has done little to address the mould-ridden housing and lack of clean drinking water that has left many Indigenous communities living in “Haiti at -40C”, as a politician from the New Democratic party has put it. After vowing to prioritise the fight against climate change and criticising Saudi Arabia’s treatment of human rights advocates, Trudeau’s government bought a C$4.5bn (£2.8bn) pipeline to better transport Alberta’s landlocked bitumen to international markets and signed off on the sale of more than 900 armoured vehicles to Riyadh. And, after much of the international hype over its welcoming stance on refugees had died down, the government quietly introduced legislation this April that makes it harder for some migrants to seek asylum. Despite Trudeau selling himself as an open and transparent leader, several sources within the government described the centralisation of power in his office, with the prime minister’s inner circle playing the role of his gatekeepers. This is typical of highly branded politicians – the pressure to keep the whole government on message encourages top-down control – but Trudeau may have taken it to an extreme. Stéphane Dion served as Trudeau’s foreign minister for 14 months, and during that time he didn’t manage to land a single one-on-one meeting with the prime minister despite multiple requests, says Jocelyn Coulon, a former senior policy advisor to Dion. (Dion declined my request for a comment.) Trudeau’s supporters point to the ways in which he has lived up to his promises. Since 2015, more than 44,000 Syrian refugees have been settled in Canada, compared with the 2,300 that Stephen Harper’s government took in between 2013 and 2015. Trudeau’s tenure so far has seen 278,000 children lifted out of poverty, a feat credited to the country’s buoyant economy as well as a marquee child-benefit programme that provides direct funds to the country’s poorest families. The government raised taxes on the top 1%, while cutting income tax for those in the middle bracket. And, while Canada is expected to fall short of its target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2030, Trudeau and his government have taken fledgling steps towards tackling climate change with legislation mandating a price on carbon in every province.     Trudeau facing questions from journalists in Ottawa in 2018. Photograph: Lars Hagberg/AFP/Getty    Perhaps Trudeau’s shortcomings wouldn’t have dominated public discussion in Canada for much of this year if a single large scandal hadn’t focused Canadians on the gap between Trudeau the brand and his actions while in government. In February, Trudeau was accused of trying to bully his justice minister, Jody Wilson-Raybould, into helping SNC-Lavalin, a Quebec-based engineering and construction company, avoid a corruption trial. Wilson-Raybould testified to a parliamentary committee earlier this year that Trudeau and his staff were worried that, if prosecuted, the company would move its head offices out of Montreal, potentially killing thousands of jobs and alienating voters in Quebec, home to a large number of strategically important parliamentary seats. Alongside the suggestion that Trudeau wanted to put his electoral success ahead of the integrity of the legal process, there was another layer to the scandal. Wilson-Raybould herself had once been a potent symbol of the Trudeau brand: she was the first Indigenous person and only the third woman to hold the post of justice minister. But the way she had been pressured by Trudeau and his team included “undeniable elements of misogyny”, she told the committee. Earlier this month, Canada’s ethics commissioner concluded Trudeau had violated the country’s ethics rules when he used his office to “circumvent, undermine and ultimately attempt to discredit” Wilson-Raybould. * * * When Canadians head to the polls in October, a central question will be whether Trudeau’s image is so badly tarnished that the Liberal party’s vision of Canada will seem less appealing, and less realistic, than the vision on offer by the parties to its right and left. As things stand, Trudeau’s main opponent is the Conservative leader, Andrew Scheer. Scheer has vowed to roll back carbon taxes, opposed UN efforts to promote global cooperation on migration and wants to move Canada’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He has also appointed a former board member of Rebel Media, a far-right website that has been described as Breitbart North, as his campaign manager. In order to hang on to votes in the diverse suburbs that ring Toronto, which have proven decisive in recent elections, Liberals have been highlighting Scheer’s divisiveness on issues of race and immigration. Trudeau has also drawn attention to the Conservative party’s poor record on the climate crisis, and there are signs that he will continue using Trump’s presidency to reinforce his own image as a champion of the just society. His government recently struck a deal with California to reduce vehicle emissions, while Trudeau has vocally criticised new restrictions on abortion access in a number of Republican-controlled US states. The prime minister is also trying to repair the damage done to his reputation by the SNC-Lavalin scandal, and by the fact that he subsequently forced Wilson-Raybould and another cabinet minister, Jane Philpott, out of the Liberal caucus. “We worked really hard to try and see if there wasn’t a way of continuing to move forward together,” Trudeau told the audience at a Liberal fundraiser in June. “That’s completely incompatible with facts,” Philpott told me. “Between 4 March when I resigned from cabinet and 2 April when I was booted out of caucus, I didn’t have a single conversation with the prime minister. And I had only one phone call from someone in his office.” She added: “There are times where the image and the narrative that the prime minister’s office wants to put out there is more important than accuracy.” Philpott likened this to another element of Trudeau’s brand that had rung false to her as a former cabinet member: “The whole listening to women, ‘diversity is our strength’, that kind of image,” she said. “And yet I didn’t feel listened to, and my diverse views didn’t feel like they had a place – those kinds of things were disappointing.” Philpott is planning on running as an independent in the October election, and said she now had a “lovely freedom” from the message control that had coloured all aspects of her job as a Liberal MP. Those behind Trudeau roundly reject the idea of the prime minister as a highly managed brand. “At the end of the day, he’s not a Nike sneaker,” says Kate Purchase, his executive director of communications and planning, whose responsibilities include vetting posts for his social media accounts. “He is a leader.”   Related: Orbiting Jupiter: my week with Emmanuel Macron    Purchase pointed to the issues Trudeau addresses, from the anxiety of the middle class to diversity and inclusion, to explain his meteoric rise on the world stage. “Those are things that many governments are struggling with,” she said. “People will always describe what they believe the brand to be, and what their version of the brand is, but at the end of the day, I think our brand is what we’ve delivered.” In recent weeks, polls suggest the Liberals have halted their plunge, and are slowly regaining some support. Still, an extraordinary challenge lies head for Trudeau and his team as they head into the October election, says the pollster Shachi Kurl. “How do you course-correct from something that is less about an event or a policy that people disagree with, and more about a broken brand?” • Follow the Long Read on Twitter at @gdnlongread, and sign up to the long read weekly email here.",2019-08-22 07:00:54+02:00
world/2019/sep/04/justin-trudeau-seeks-to-repeat-2015-surge-as-canada-braces-for-election,article,world,World news,2019-09-04 10:00:36+00:00,Justin Trudeau seeks to repeat 2015 surge as Canada braces for election,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/04/justin-trudeau-seeks-to-repeat-2015-surge-as-canada-braces-for-election,"With the aura of his star power fading, the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, and his governing Liberal party are aiming to extend their parliamentary majority for another four years.   Related: Justin Trudeau: the rise and fall of a political brand    As summer winds down, all party leaders are effectively in campaign mode and the prime minister is expected to officially call the election in the coming days. Under current rules, opposition parties will have less than two months to shake the incumbent Liberals from government as they travel the country to woo voters. The election is predicted to be an acrimonious affair, say pollsters. And as Canadians prepare for the mudslinging, a number of issues are expected to dominate the campaign. The environment A spring of intense flooding in eastern parts of the country and wildfires raging in the west has brought new urgency to Canada’s response to the climate crisis. “For the first time in at least the last 10 years, the environment is actually coming out as the top, unprompted national issue of concern, said Nik Nanos, head of the Canadian polling firm Nanos Research. “[It’s] outstripping both jobs and the economy and healthcare, which are the two traditional issues.” In addition to a spate of natural disasters, Nanos credits a pitched battle in the country over carbon taxes for keeping the environment as a key electoral issue. Trudeau is likely to position himself as the leader best equipped to meet the country’s climate obligations, despite the government being far off track for its Paris accord commitments. While the rival Conservative party has been widely panned for its lack of substantial environmental policies, Trudeau has also received vigorous pushback from climate activists. In late June, the government declared a climate emergency in the country – and then approved a multibillion-dollar oil pipeline expansion the following day. “For the Trudeau government to approve this pipeline after declaring a climate emergency makes about as much sense as pouring gasoline on a burning fire,” said Greenpeace campaigner Mike Hudema. Populism Amid rising tides of far-right populism in the US and Europe, the election will mark the first country-wide appearance of the People’s Party of Canada – a rightwing splinter party led by the former Conservative minister Maxime Bernier. Ever since its formation, the party has railed against immigration and Canada’s multiculturalism policies. Like many countries, Canada has witnessed a growing intolerance for immigrants and racial minorities among conservative-identified voters, although analysts are unsure how much support a far-right populist party can expect. Bernier’s low polling numbers have so far disqualified him from the two leader’s debates held in October. The country’s electoral system typically rewards parties that cater to the centre, said Tamara Small, a political science professor at University of Guelph, where the plurality of votes are up for grabs. But analysts also see intolerance and xenophobia becoming increasingly concentrated in parties on the right. This recent shift speaks to a hardening of political views across all parties, said Frank Graves, president of the political polling company Ekos Research. “We’re seeing radical polarization on issues like climate change and … immigration in general,” said Graves. “We’re talking about stuff we’ve never seen before.” The Green party The real beneficiaries of any populist wave could be the Green party, said Graves and Nanos. “The Greens, in my polling, are ahead of the [leftwing New Democratic party], which has never happened,” said Graves – signalling what could prove to be a fundamental reshaping of Canadian politics. If an election was held in the coming days, he said, “the Greens are very close to the point where they could be the power-broker that kept to a minority government in play.” Recent electoral success in local and provincial elections has buoyed support for the party and polling also suggests that Elizabeth May, the Green leader – and most seasoned politician currently in federal politics – remains the most popular leader in the country. Much of the party’s appeal lies in its strong environmental stance, but also its position at the fringes of mainstream politics. Polling shows the Greens drawing support not just from disaffected Liberal voters, who feel the prime minister has not acted decisively on the environment, but also from the NDP – and even the Conservatives, said Graves. “It looks like the Green[s] … are Canada’s kind of ‘friendly response’ to populism,” said Nanos. “People that are dissatisfied or disenchanted with the system and are disappointed with the mainstream parties are now looking at the Greens as a protest vote against the system.” On Tuesday, 14 frustrated members of the NDP in the province of New Brunswick announced they would be leaving the party for the provincial and federal Greens. The wild card In the summer of 2015, Trudeau was polling a distant third before the autumn election. Seemingly out of nowhere, he surged ahead and secured a robust parliamentary majority. While surprises could – and probably will – pop up domestically, Nanos predicts a major disruption could come south of the border, from the US president. “Donald Trump will probably say something that could materially shape the outcome of the election. It could be on purpose. It could be by accident,” said Nanos. Trump has repeatedly broken with traditional taboos against commenting on foreign elections, weighing in on the UK Conservative leadership race and publicly supporting Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election campaign as Israeli prime minister. Any barbs lobbed at Trudeau by the president could rally Canadians around the prime minister, said Nanos, and any endorsement of a Conservative candidate would probably be a “stake in the heart of the Conservative party”, he said. “Canadians are especially tuned into Donald Trump, whether they love or hate him because, realistically, Canada is hostage to geography.” The election is likely to be held on 21 October.",2019-09-04 12:00:36+02:00
world/2019/sep/05/justin-trudeau-china-canada-beijing,article,world,World news,2019-09-05 22:08:43+00:00,Canada: Trudeau accuses China of using 'arbitrary detentions' for political ends,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/05/justin-trudeau-china-canada-beijing,"Justin Trudeau has accused Beijing of using “arbitrary detentions” as a tool in pursuit of political goals in the latest broadside in a diplomatic and trade row with China.   Related: Canadian man held hostage by Taliban denies assaulting wife after release    “Using arbitrary detention as a tool to achieve political goals, international or domestic, is something that is of concern not just to Canada but to all our allies,” Trudeau told the Toronto Star editorial board. He said nations including Britain, France, Germany and the United States “have been highlighting that this is not acceptable behaviour in the international community because they are all worried about China engaging in the same kinds of pressure tactics with them”. Canada’s relations with China soured after its arrest of Chinese Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on a US warrant last December. Nine days later, Beijing detained two Canadians – former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor – and accused them of espionage in a move widely viewed as retaliation. They are among a string of foreign nationals arrested in China and charged with espionage or attempting to steal state secrets. Trudeau added that “we need to figure out how to engage with them, but we also have to be clear-eyed about it, that China plays by a very different set of rules and principles than we do in the west”. His comments may further inflame tensions between the two countries, which had appeared to be trying to move on from the row. This week both Beijing and Ottawa nominated new ambassadors, although a spokesman for the Chinese foreign minstry this week urged Canada to “reflect on its mistakes” and immediately release Meng. “At present, China-Canada relations are facing serious difficulties,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily briefing. Geng said China hopes the new Canadian envoy Dominic Barton can play an active role in returning ties to a “normal track”. The previous Canadian ambassador, John McCallum, was fired in January after he said it would be “great” if the US dropped its extradition request for the Huawei executive. She is wanted by the US on fraud charges and is currently out on bail in Vancouver and living in her multimillion-dollar home awaiting extradition proceedings.",2019-09-06 00:08:43+02:00
world/2019/sep/11/canada-general-election-campaign-start-trudeau,article,world,World news,2019-09-11 15:45:03+00:00,Justin Trudeau fires starting gun for Canada's general election,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/11/canada-general-election-campaign-start-trudeau,"Campaigning for Canada’s federal election on 21 October formally began on Wednesday, as Justin Trudeau seeks a second parliamentary majority from an increasingly divided electorate. The prime minister met the governor general, Julie Payette, to officially request the dissolution of parliament, and formally start the election campaign, which will see party leaders crisscrossing the vast country to pitch to voters. “We’ve done a lot together these past four years, but the truth is, we’re just getting started. So Canadians have an important choice to make. Will we go back to the failed policies of the past, or will we continue to move forward?” Trudeau told reporters gathered outside Payette’s residence, Rideau Hall. The prime minister also used his speech to make sharp distinctions between his administration and a potential government led by the Conservative party. “It’s going to be different from elections we’ve seen over the last couple of decades. There’s deep polarisation in the country,” said Frank Graves, president of the polling company EKOS Research. “On issues such as climate change, immigration and attitudes towards public institutions, the divisions have never been starker.”   Related: Justin Trudeau seeks to repeat 2015 surge as Canada braces for election    The upcoming campaign will last nearly six weeks: half the length of the marathon campaign of 2015, when voters endured almost 80 days of mudslinging by political leaders – a brief dash compared to US elections, but a marathon for Canada. Trudeau, who swept to office in November 2015 promising “sunny ways” and stressing the importance of gender equality and the environment, faces an electorate which will be much more focused on the economy. The country’s 43rd election also comes against the backdrop of protracted political scandal for the incumbent prime minister. For months, Trudeau has faced accusations – including from the country’s ethics commissioner – that he acted improperly when he requested his attorney general to halt criminal prosecution of the Quebec-based engineering giant SNC Lavalin. Trudeau and his Liberals are widely expected to use the election to shore up support for his government’s climate change policies, including a nationwide carbon tax. His main opponent, the Conservative leader, Andrew Scheer, has pledged to repeal the Liberals’ marquee environmental legislation. Scheer, the youngest federal leader and running in his first federal campaign as head of the party, has consistently used the prime minister’s ethical lapses to paint the government as unable to govern effectively. Polling suggests Trudeau and Scheer are deadlocked in the popular vote, but the Liberals hold an edge when it comes to winning seats in parliament. Jagmeet Singh, leader of the leftwing New Democratic party, is also running his first federal campaign as a party leader. Despite initial excitement around his role as the first major party leader from a racial minority, the NDP’s finances have collapsed and the party is likely to sustain heavy electoral losses throughout the country. “They are in danger, if they were to slip any more – which I would not rule out – of not forming official party status,” said Graves. Meanwhile, the Green party, led by Elizabeth May, has experienced a surge in support as the climate crisis increasingly rates as an important issues for voters. The official start of the campaign comes a day before a highly anticipated leaders’ debate, in which Scheer, Singh and May will spar for the first time on stage. But the televised debate, hosted in Toronto, will have a glaring omission: Trudeau has opted to skip the event, leaving his rivals without a foil.",2019-09-11 17:45:03+02:00
world/2019/sep/19/justin-trudeau-brownface-canada-pm-apologises-after-image-emerges,article,world,World news,2019-09-19 02:29:35+00:00,Justin Trudeau brownface: Canada PM apologises after image emerges,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/19/justin-trudeau-brownface-canada-pm-apologises-after-image-emerges,"Justin Trudeau has apologised for wearing brownface makeup to a party when he was a teacher in 2001, saying “it was a racist thing to do” – and marking a potential turning point in next month’s tightly contested general election. 
A photograph of Trudeau with brown makeup on his face, neck and hands and dressed in a turban and robes was published by Time magazine on Wednesday. It appeared in a school yearbook, while Trudeau, then 29, was working as a teacher at West Point Grey Academy. 
 
  Related: Justin Trudeau: the rise and fall of a political brand  
 
“I apologise profoundly,” said the Canadian prime minister on Wednesday night after the photograph was published. “I regret it deeply. I’m deeply sorry I did that, I should have known better.” 
 
 
  Exclusive: Justin Trudeau wore brownface at 2001 ‘Arabian Nights’ party while he taught at a private school, Canada's Liberal Party admits https://t.co/j3UobfYNIF— TIME (@TIME) 
  September 18, 2019
  
 
“It was something I should not have done. I didn’t think it was racist at the time, but now I see, it was a racist thing to do.” 
Trudeau did not answer a question about whether he had considered resigning. 
“In 2001, when I was a teacher in Vancouver, I attended an end-of-year gala, the theme was Arabian nights. I dressed up in an Aladdin costume and put makeup on. I shouldn’t have done it. I should have known better, but I didn’t and I’m really sorry,” Trudeau said. 
Political rivals seized on the opportunity to attack the prime minister, issuing scathing condemnations following revelations of the damning image. 
Andrew Scheer, the Conservative leader and Trudeau’s main opponent, said he was “extremely shocked and disappointed” at the actions of the prime minister, calling his rival “unfit” to lead Canada. “It was racist in 2001, it’s racist now,” he said. 
 
  Related: Justin Trudeau: the rise and fall of a political brand  
 
Scheer has consistently used the prime minister’s ethical lapses to paint the government as unable to govern effectively. But the Conservative leader has also faced calls to eject his own party members for racist or homophobic statements in recent weeks. He told reporters he would stand by candidates who showed genuine remorse for previous actions. 
After issuing an initial condemnation of the image, Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic party, released a second video, in which he emotionally described the racism he and many others faced growing up in Canada. 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
“Seeing this image today – the kids that see this image the people who see this image – are going to think about all the times in their life that they were made fun of, that they were hurt…that they were insulted, that they were made to feel less, because of who they are,” said Singh, the first non-white leader of a major federal party. 
“Please reach out to loved ones. Please reach out to people who are suffering in silence right now. Please let them know they are loved. And they are celebrated for who they are.” 
The Green party leader, Elizabeth May, said she was “deeply shocked by the racism shown in this photograph of Justin Trudeau”. 
“He must apologize for the harm done and commit to learning and appreciating the requirement to model social justice leadership at all levels of government,” she said in a statement. “In this matter he has failed.” 
The National Council of Canadian Muslims said his appearance in brownface was “disgraceful”, but later thanked the prime minister for apologizing. 
In his apology, the prime minister also confirmed that this was not the first time he had done something like this, saying that when he was in high school he dressed up at a talent show and sang Day O, a traditional Jamaican folk song, “with makeup on”. 
“Obviously I regret that I did it,” he said. “I’m pissed off at myself, obviously.” 
He told reporters he had made numerous calls to friends and colleagues – and expected to make more on Thursday. 
The incident comes as Trudeau is locked in a fight to maintain his parliamentary majority. Canadians vote on 21 October, in what many expect to be a tight race. 
Polling suggests Trudeau and Scheer are deadlocked in the popular vote, but that the Liberals hold an edge when it comes to winning seats in parliament. 
The election will be fought against the backdrop of a protracted political scandal for the incumbent prime minister, with accusations – including from the country’s ethics commissioner – that Trudeau acted improperly when he requested his attorney general to halt criminal prosecution of the Quebec-based engineering giant SNC Lavalin. 
After his election in 2015, Trudeau was hailed for naming a young and ethnically-diverse cabinet, with a ministerial team that for the first time in the country’s history was equally balanced between men and women. 
His cabinet included Maryam Monsef, who fled Afghanistan as a refugee 20 years ago and will oversee the democratic reform portfolio, as well as two Indigenous members of parliament and three Sikh politicians. 
“It’s important to be here before you today to present to Canada a cabinet that looks like Canada,” Trudeau said after he was sworn in. 
However, the Canadian leader has also been criticised for his treatment of Indigenous peoples, particularly in relation to the Trans Mountain pipeline project that the Liberal government has supported despite environmental and Indigenous groups fiercely opposing the project. 
It is unclear how the image will impact the prime minister, who has cultivated a tightly-controlled social media image. When asked by reporters if he would eject a member of his own party for a similar image, he said he wouldn’t entertain “hypotheticals” and that each incident would be viewed on a “case-by-case basis”. 
When asked why he should stay on as leader, Trudeau responded: “I’m asking Canadians to forgive me for what I did.”",2019-09-19 04:29:35+02:00
world/2019/sep/19/thursday-briefing-trudeau-apologises-for-brownface-picture,article,world,World news,2019-09-19 05:20:28+00:00,Thursday briefing: Trudeau apologises for 'brownface' picture,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/19/thursday-briefing-trudeau-apologises-for-brownface-picture,"Top story: Trudeau unfit to govern, says rival 
Good morning briefers. I’m Martin Farrer and I’m bringing you the top news stories this morning from home and abroad. 
Justin Trudeau has apologised after a photograph emerged of him wearing brownface makeup at a fancy dress party when he was a young teacher. The Canadian prime minister said he “deeply regrets” the incident at the school in Vancouver in 2001. “It was something I should not have done,” he said. “I didn’t think it was racist at the time, but now I see, it was a racist thing to do.” He also admitted to doing the same on another occasion to sing the Harry Belafonte song, Day O. “Obviously I regret that I did it,” he said. “I’m pissed off at myself, obviously.” He told reporters he had made numerous calls to friends and colleagues – and expected to make more on Thursday. 
The timing of the picture’s release by Time magazine comes as Trudeau seeks reelection next month in what was already a very tight race. His conservative opponent, Andrew Scheer, has consistently used the prime minister’s ethical lapses to attack Trudeau and he seized on the blackface picture, saying his rival was “unfit to govern”. 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
* * * 
Royal eyebrow – David Cameron has admitted that he sought the Queen’s intervention when polls showed that Scottish nationalists might win the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. The former prime minister says in the BBC’s The Cameron Years documentary next week that he had not asked for anything improper, “just a raising of the eyebrow, even you know a quarter of an inch, we thought would make a difference”. Shortly afterwards, the Queen was reported as telling churchgoers near Balmoral that people should “think carefully” about voting to split from the UK. 
* * * 
‘An emergency’ – A majority of the public believe the climate crisis is the gravest problem facing the world and that politicians are not doing enough to tackle it, according to a survey carried out in eight countries. As millions of people around the world prepare to flock to what are expected to be the biggest climate protests ever seen tomorrow, the survey shows that the climate breakdown is ranked above migration, terrorism and the global economy in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Brazil and Canada. Only in the US does it not have top billing, coming in behind terrorism and affordable healthcare. It comes as the teenage activist, Greta Thunberg, urged US Congress to “listen to the scientists” and take some action. 
 
  
  
  Greta Thunberg at the US Congress. 
  Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters 
  
 
* * * 
Brexit catchup 
> The EU has given Boris Johnson two weeks to formulate a plan to overcome the Irish backstop problem or “it’s over”. Although it is still not clear what the backstop solution might be, we were given a clue of sorts when it emerged that Johnson, on his chaotic visit to Luxembourg on Monday, had allegedly been surprised at how many border checks would be needed in Ireland. Add that to the homework list. 
> Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster indicated yesterday that she might accept a bespoke border solution for Northern Ireland to overcome the backstop problem. Her party has previously resisted having different rules from the rest of the UK. 
> There was a neat soundbite at the second day of the supreme court hearing into the prorogation of parliament. Aidan O’Neill QC, a Scottish advocate opposed to the suspension, said Johnson’s government is unworthy of trust because it conspired to ensure that “the mother of parliaments” was closed down by “the father of lies”. It’s the last day of the hearings today. 
> Labour MPs and activists are set for their own Brexit battle at next week’s conference in Brighton. Many are unhappy about Jeremy Corbyn’s plan to try to stay neutral on the issue in any election campaign and want the party to commit to a remain stance. The party is also reportedly going to review the language of Tony Blair’s landmark Clause IV reforms next week. 
* * * 
The last harrumph – Mornings will never be the same again when rottweiler-in-chief John Humphrys steps down from the Today programme after an epic 32-year stint. Colleagues share their memories of the presenter whose gladiatorial style has earned him as many brickbats as plaudits, but who has defined an era of more confrontational journalism. James Naughtie says working with Humphrys was “never dull and always exhilarating” while former Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer says the 76-year-old’s “fearlessness” had been “of incalculable value”. And finally, here are some of harrumphing Humph’s famous highs and lows. 
* * * 
China’s Loch Ness monster? – There was great excitement in China this week after pictures circulated on social media showing what appeared to be some sort of giant sea creature in the Yangtze river. There was speculation that a Loch Ness-style monster could have been spawned by pollution in the giant waterway. But, alas, the reality is more prosaic after it was established that the “creature – dubbed the Three Gorges Water Monster” – was actually a 20m-long industrial airbag. 
Today in Focus podcast: Teenagers trapped by the county lines 
Aamna Mohdin tells Anushka Asthana how county lines gangs are stepping up their operations by using short-term holiday flats and recruiting local teens to sell drugs in small towns around Britain. Plus Owen Jones on Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘neutral’ stance on Brexit. 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
Lunchtime read: Turbot? Okra? What’s your least favourite food? 
 
  
 
Despite the explosion in exotic dishes and ingredients available at British restaurants in recent years, it seems there are some that not even our leading chefs like that much. We’ve spoken to some of them and gleaned an idea of how people on the other side of the kitchen divide feel about globe artichoke (“faffy”), turbot (“that mucus is absolutely disgusting”) and even coriander (“it gets everywhere”). For Jason Atherton, chef-proprietor of the Social Company restaurants, okra is the worst of the lot. “Okra is the most foul thing ever grown,” he says. “I refuse to work with it. If I see it in a dish, I ask for it to be removed.” 
Sport 
Mauricio Pochettino accused his Tottenham players of lacking fight in the 2-2 Champions League draw at Olympiakos and suggested that they needed to work harder on the psychological side of their game. Ilkay Gündogan scored the pick of the goals as Manchester City eased to a 3-0 away victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, while Ángel Di María scored twice against his former club and Gareth Bale had a goal ruled out by VAR as Paris St-Germain beat Real Madrid 3-0. Wales have a readymade replacement for Rob Howley, who has left Japan after a suspected breach of World Rugby’s betting regulations, but pre-World Cup upheaval rarely bodes well, writes Paul Rees. The culture secretary has called for top women’s sport to be added to televised sport’s “crown jewels” list, which would guarantee them exposure to potentially mass audiences on free-to-air television that men’s tournaments currently enjoy. And the death of Fernando Ricksen, the former Rangers and Netherlands player, has brought to a close a six-year battle with motor neurone disease. 
Business 
Asian markets have edged higher after the decision by the US Federal Reserve to cut its main interest rate by 0.25%. The widely expected move was largely priced in by investors. The FTSE100 is seen opening down this morning while the pound is buying £1.248 and €1.130. 
The papers 
 
  
 
The Express leads with “EU demands: show Brexit plan in 12 days or ‘it’s over’”, the Telegraph says “Rees-Mogg urges Farage supporters to return to the Tory fold” and the Times reports on debates around Labour’s constitution: “Labour starts to reverse Blair’s Clause 4 reforms”. 
The Guardian has: “Saudis to Trump: here’s our proof – now world must respond to Iran”, while the FT says: “Fed rate cut follows second bid to ease overnight lending squeeze”. The Mirror claims the murders of four women resemble the killings committed by Christopher Halliwell: “Confession killer: ‘4 more victims’” and the Sun has: “Loch yes monster!”, reporting that a huge “eel-like creature” has been filmed which the paper says experts believe “really is the monster”. 
The i leads with a story that there has been a surge of HIV tests after former rugby star Gareth Thomas went public with his condition: “‘Have the courage to speak out. Don’t be afraid’”, the paper quotes him as saying. 
Sign up 
 
  
 
The Guardian morning briefing is delivered to thousands of inboxes bright and early every weekday. If you are not already receiving it by email, you can sign up here. 
For more news: www.theguardian.com",2019-09-19 07:20:28+02:00
us-news/2019/sep/19/us-briefing-greta-thunberg-justin-trudeau-trump-whistleblower,article,us-news,US news,2019-09-19 10:09:07+00:00,"US briefing: Greta Thunberg, Justin Trudeau and a Trump whistleblower",https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/19/us-briefing-greta-thunberg-justin-trudeau-trump-whistleblower,"Subscribe now to receive the morning briefing by email. 
Good morning, I’m Tim Walker with today’s essential stories. 
Climate ‘seen as most important political issue’ by public 
The climate campaigner Greta Thunberg has urged US lawmakers to “listen to the scientists” as she joined other young activists in testifying before Congress on Thursday, before Friday’s global climate strikes and the UN climate summit in New York. The Swedish teenager told the hearing she had prepared no remarks of her own, and instead submitted last year’s landmark IPCC report, which warned of an imminent climate catastrophe. 
 
 Global poll. A majority of the public in eight countries including the US and UK sees the climate crisis as the most pressing political issue of the day, ahead of migration or terrorism, according to a poll. 
 Halving emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions could be halved by 2030 if a small number of trends and renewable energy technologies are adopted more widely, according to a report by an international group of experts. 
 
Trudeau apologises after brownface photo emerges 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
The Canadian prime minister has apologised for wearing brownface to a party when he was a teacher in 2001, admitting “it was a racist thing to do”. A photograph of the then-29-year-old Justin Trudeau, dressed as Aladdin for an Arabian Nights-themed gala at a private school in Vancouver, originally appeared in a school yearbook and was republished this week by Time magazine. “I regret it deeply. I’m deeply sorry I did that, I should have known better,” he said. 
 
 Election campaign. The controversy could prove a turning point for Canada’s general election campaign, in which Trudeau is battling for his political life. His main opponent, the Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, said the photo proved Trudeau was “unfit” to lead Canada. 
 
Whistleblower’s ‘urgent concern’ over Trump pledge – report 
 
  
  
  The president reportedly made a troubling promise to a foreign leader in a phone call. 
  Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA 
  
 
Donald Trump made a promise to a foreign leader in a phone call that so troubled a US intelligence official that they filed a whistleblower complaint deemed of “urgent concern”, according to a report by the Washington Post. The newspaper did not identify the official, the foreign leader nor the president’s alleged pledge. But the complaint was considered sufficiently pressing by the intelligence community inspector general, Michael Atkinson, to be shared with congressional oversight committees. 
 
 Intelligence committee. However, the acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, refused to share details about the complaint with lawmakers, the Post reported. He and Atkinson are due to discuss the matter with the House intelligence committee. 
 
How US senators invest in firms they are meant to regulate 
 
  
  
  Democrat Joe Manchin, the ranking member on the Senate energy and natural resources committee, has investments worth millions in his family coal business. 
  Photograph: Mary Calvert/Reuters 
  
 
An investigation by the Guardian in partnership with the news website Sludge has revealed millions of dollars of investments by US senators in sectors on which they set policy. The analysis of recent personal financial disclosure data found that 51 senators and their spouses have up to $96m personally invested in corporate stocks in defense, communications, health, finance, real estate and energy, which together represent a staggering conflict of interest. 
 
 Banking investments. Senators have investments in more than 300 firms, including Apple, ExxonMobil, Verizon and Boeing. Ten members of the Senate banking committee, including Republicans and Democrats, are personally invested in the financial companies they oversee. 
 
Cheat sheet 
 
 A weakened Benjamin Netanyahu has invited his main political rival, Benny Gantz, to join him in forming a unity government, after Gantz’s Blue and White party gained one more seat than Netanyahu’s Likud at Tuesday’s Israeli election. 
 Three former executives at the firm that runs the Fukushima Daiichi power plant have been acquitted of failing to prevent its 2011 nuclear meltdown, after arguing they could not have foreseen the tsunami that triggered the disaster. 
 Contaminated tap water causes 100,000 cancer cases in the US over a lifetime, according to a study. It says most of the risk comes from naturally occurring arsenic, byproducts of chemicals used to disinfect water, and radioactive contaminants. 
 Ten women have now accused the Walt Disney Company of gender discrimination, as part of a lawsuit alleging various divisions of the company systematically fail to promote women and pay them lower salaries than men doing equivalent work. 
 
Must-reads 
 
  
  
  Emmy contenders Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep), Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Jared Harris (Chernobyl). 
  Illustration: Erum Salam/The Guardian 
  
 
Predicting the winners of the 2019 Emmys 
Will Game of Thrones clean up at the Emmys on Monday despite a divisive final season? Could Phoebe Waller-Bridge make history with wins for Fleabag and Killing Eve? Adrian Horton predicts who will win what, and who ought to win instead. 
Why can’t we agree on what’s true anymore? 
Technology encourages us to believe we can all have first-hand access to the facts. Instead, it has left us more uncertain than ever of the truth. William Davies says it’s not all about foreign trolls, filter bubbles or fake news – we have simply become incapable of agreeing on objective reality. 
The war on unwanted dick pics 
When the web developer Kelsey Bressler found an unwanted “dick pic” in her Twitter DMs, she solicited hundreds more and used them to build a filter that recognises a penis and prevents it reaching her inbox. Adrienne Matei asks why tech firms haven’t done the same. 
The 50 best video games of the 21st century 
From karaoke to car theft, the Guardian’s round-up of the greatest culture of the past two decades nears its end with our experts’ selection of the 50 best video games of the era. What, no Candy Crush? 
Opinion 
When some of the world’s wealthiest people attended a climate conference in Sicily in July, they arrived in 114 private jets and a fleet of mega-yachts. Even when they mean well, says George Monbiot, the ultra-rich cannot help but trash the environment. 
 
 Perhaps the most radical thing we can now do is to limit our material aspirations. The assumption on which governments and economists operate is that everyone strives to maximise their wealth. If we succeed in this task, we inevitably demolish our life support systems. 
 
Sport 
Spurs threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Olympiakos in the first game of their Champions League campaign, while Manchester City got off to a winning start with a 3-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk. Real Madrid lost out to a dominant PSG, but their local rivals Atlético came back to draw 2-2 with Juventus. 
The district attorney’s office in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County, which encompasses Pittsburgh, has said it will not prosecute the Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown over sexual assault accusations because of the statute of limitations. Brown’s former trainer is bringing a civil lawsuit against the player, claiming he assaulted her in 2017, when he was with the Steelers. 
Sign up 
The US morning briefing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now. 
 
  
 
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",2019-09-19 12:09:07+02:00
australia-news/2019/sep/20/morning-mail-climate-strike-trudeau-blackface-bird-extinctions,article,australia-news,Australia news,2019-09-19 21:00:52+00:00,"Morning mail: climate strike, Trudeau blackface, bird extinctions",https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/20/morning-mail-climate-strike-trudeau-blackface-bird-extinctions,"Good morning, this is Richard Parkin bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Friday 20 September. Top stories More than 250 Australian academics have publicly backed school climate strikes around the country, telling schoolchildren civil disobedience is required to “defend life itself” in the face of political inaction. Tens of thousands are expected to march at more than 100 locations across Australia today, with professors and researchers writing that it is “unconscionable” that current and future generations will have to bear the “terrifying brunt of this unprecedented disaster”. “When a government wilfully abrogates its responsibility to protect its citizens from harm and secure the future for generations to come, it has failed in its most essential duty of stewardship,” the open letter states. Follow coverage of the strikes throughout the day on our live blog, from 8.15am AEST. A third blackface incident involving Justin Trudeau has been revealed, just hours after the Canadian prime minister apologised “profoundly” for wearing what he described as “racist” makeup to a costume party in 2001. The latest images came in a short, undated video clip published by Global News in which Trudeau – his face, arms and legs painted black – waves at the camera and sticks out his tongue. The opposition Conservative party – now neck-and-neck with Trudeau’s Liberals with an election weeks away – confirmed it had sent the video to Global News. The immigration services provider Serco has been awarded a tender worth nearly $10m by the Australian government to return non-citizens to their home countries, despite the UN already providing such a service. Costing $415,000 a month for the next two years, Serco’s assisted returns program has drawn criticism from refugee advocates, given historic allegations of mistreatment during the company’s management of offshore detention centres.  World     A burrowing owl near Calipatria, California. A study has revealed the shocking extent of bird losses in North America. Photograph: David McNew/Getty Images    The US and Canada have lost more than one in four birds since 1970 – a total of 3bn – culminating in what scientists who published a new study are calling a “widespread ecological crisis”. Britain’s supreme court has been urged to back parliament’s recall next week, as a three-day emergency hearing into the legality of Boris Johnson’s proroguing of parliament concluded. The judgment will be handed down early next week. Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponent Benny Gantz has rejected a power-sharing agreement in Israel, declaring that he should lead the next government. Lawyers in the Netherlands have been given emergency protection after the murder of a top defence lawyer, amid media claims the country is descending into a narco-state. The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has cooled rhetoric against Iran, saying Washington is seeking a “peaceful resolution” of tensions with Saudi Arabia. Opinion and analysis     An installation view of Kaws: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness at NGV International, in Melbourne. Photograph: Tom Ross    After a painting that was essentially “a riff on a riff” sold for $14.8m, the art world was quick to round on its creator as “conceptually bankrupt”. But is there more to the artist known as Kaws than just a pop culture craze, asks Steph Harmon. “The figures are often talked about as cartoon or fun or whatever … but I think he’s responding very clearly to the rise of loneliness in our society,” says the curator Simon Maidment, as the National Gallery of Victoria launches a 25-year retrospective, including more than 100 works by the artist. Brigid Delaney is travelling through Mongolia. She sits with nomads, eats their food, drinks cheap vodka and swims in lakes. Everything is going well, until ... “I’m lying … on a camp bed as hard as a door frame, when I get a sharp, stabbing pain in my abdomen. It’s like my digestive tract is studded in razor blades (similar to those rumours about razor blades on the waterslides at fun parks in the 1980s) and I’m trying to digest Mongolia’s biggest chunk of mutton. My stomach is making gurgling noises like ... like … something is trying to escape.” Sport Arsenal have demolished Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League, bouncing back from a disappointing performance in the Premier League against Watford, with their young stars spearheading a 3-0 win in Germany. The Rugby World Cup has always been a tournament that demands consistency above all else. Yet the evenness of this year’s competition throws up the real possibility of a team losing a pool game and still managing to win, writes Bret Harris. Thinking time: Pop music’s constant need for ‘new stuff’     Pop albums are being released at an explosive pace Composite: None    The studio album was once the pop industry’s most valued commodity, with the US music industry earning 92.3% of its revenue in 2000 from the sale of CD albums. While albums were released in the 1950s and 60s at the same breakneck pace as singles, driven in part by the immense commercial success of bands like the Beatles, by the 70s the rise of the LP changed “how we perceive and remember what was once the most evanescent of the arts”, according to the famed critic Robert Christgau. With stars like Ariana Grande releasing new albums just six months after their last, and even indie acts such as Foals and Big Thief producing new music at a prolific rate, quick is back. But what’s behind the explosive pace of production? Aimee Cliff takes a closer look. Media roundup Australian federal police have heard eyewitness testimony implicating special forces soldiers in murder, the Sydney Morning Herald reports, with detectives travelling to Afghanistan to investigate allegations of war crimes. The peak body representing sports players globally has called for drastic overhaul of anti-doping regulations, writes the West Australian, claiming they have a “devastating impact on players’ lives”. And the Courier-Mail says Indonesia’s new laws criminalising consensual sex between unmarried adults could put 1.2 million Australians at risk of jail terms. Coming up Students and their supporters around Australia will take part in the global climate strike. Scott Morrison arrives in the US for his official visit, which includes a state dinner at the White House hosted by Donald Trump. Sign up If you would like to receive the Guardian Australia morning mail to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here.",2019-09-19 23:00:52+02:00
world/2019/sep/19/justin-trudeau-wearing-blackface-details-emerge-third-incident,article,world,World news,2019-09-20 06:45:48+00:00,Trudeau says he can't recall how many times he wore blackface makeup,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/19/justin-trudeau-wearing-blackface-details-emerge-third-incident,"Justin Trudeau is scrambling to halt further damage to his re-election campaign after a string of racist images from his past put Canada’s image-conscious prime minister at the centre of yet another scandal. 
Less than five weeks before the federal election on 21 October, the Liberal leader’s campaign was rocked when images emerged of Trudeau wearing blackface makeup. 
On Thursday, new video emerged of a third instance of Trudeau in blackface – just hours after he had apologized for wearing what he described as “racist” makeup to a costume party in 2001. 
The latest images came in a short, undated video clip published by Global News in which, Trudeau – his face, arms and legs painted black – waves at the camera and sticks his tongue out. The opposition Conservative party – currently neck-and-neck with Trudeau’s Liberals – confirmed it had sent the video to Global News earlier in the week. 
Trudeau admitted he could not remember how often he had worn blackface makeup. “I am wary of being definitive about this because of the recent pictures that came out, I had not remembered,” he told reporters in Winnipeg. A spokesman for the prime minister said he had spent the morning calling Liberal candidates and community leaders to fully apologize for what he did “knowing how racist and hurtful this type of thing was”. 
 
  Related: Justin Trudeau brownface: Canada PM apologises after image emerges  
 
The scandal erupted late on Wednesday, when Time magazine published an image of Trudeau dressed as Aladdin – complete with dark skin makeup and a turban – at a 2001 function at a private school where he was then working as a 29-year-old teacher. 
Trudeau immediately apologized, and acknowledged that he had previously blacked up at a high school talent show, when he had sung Day-O, the traditional Jamaican song. 
“I apologise profoundly,” Trudeau told reporters aboard his campaign plane. “I didn’t think it was racist at the time, but now I see, it was a racist thing to do. 
“I’m pissed off at myself. I’m disappointed in myself,” he said. 
 
 
  ⁦@JustinTrudeau⁩ in blackface at Jean Brebeuf high school. #cdnpoli #elxn43 #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/q6v5bgYJvJ— Robert Fife (@RobertFife) 
  September 19, 2019
  
 
Opposition politicians reacted swiftly, saying the decades-old images called into question Trudeau’s judgment, his commitment to diversity – and his fitness to lead the country. 
 
  Related: How will Justin Trudeau's blackface photos affect Canada's election?  
 
“How do you look someone in the eye that has mocked the lived reality that I have lived – but, more importantly, what a lot of Canadians have lived,” said Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic party. 
The Conservative leader, Andrew Scheer – Trudeau’s main opponent – said he was “shocked and disappointed” and claimed the prime minister had “lied” in his apology to Canadians. 
But Scheer has also faced calls in recent weeks to eject members from within his own party for racist or homophobic statements. He told reporters he would stand by candidates who showed genuine remorse for previous actions – a standard he appeared unprepared to offer to Trudeau. 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
The Green party leader, Elizabeth May, said she was “deeply shocked by the racism shown in this photograph of Justin Trudeau”, saying the prime minister must commit to learning better social justice leadership at “all levels of government”. 
Greg Fergus, a Liberal MP in Quebec and member of the federal Black Caucus, said he was “hopeful” the incident could help spur “nuanced” conversations about systemic racism in Canada. 
“I think the real measure of the man, and I think the thing we need to be talking about, is all the amazing things we have done for diversity,” Fergus said. 
“What Justin Trudeau did was wrong. He has apologized. I know it is not representative of the man he is,” Mitzie Hunter, a black member of Ontario’s Liberal party, tweeted. “This is a teachable moment for all of us. I accept his apology and I hope Canadians do too.” 
 
  Related: Justin Trudeau: the rise and fall of a political brand  
 
Others, were less forgiving of the prime minister’s previous actions. 
“The privilege continues. There is no excuse for this. Apology is a first step. You should be aware of the history of #blackface and racism in this country and others. Apparently #diversityisourstrength? Deeply disappointed,” tweeted former colleague Celina Caesar-Chavannes, who left the Liberal party in March 2019. 
After his landslide electoral victory in 2015, Trudeau was praised for his apparent commitment to diversity and inclusion, as well as polices which appeared to offer an explicit rebuke to those of Donald Trump: he quickly named a young and ethnically diverse cabinet and initially welcome large numbers of Syrian refugees. 
But he is fighting for his second parliamentary majority against the backdrop of a protracted political scandal: earlier this year Canada’s ethics watchdog found that Trudeau broke the country’s conflict of interest law when he allegedly pressured his attorney general to halt the criminal prosecution of the Quebec-based engineering giant SNC Lavalin. 
Trudeau’s Liberal is effectively locked in a dead heat with rival Conservatives in terms of the popular vote, but they hold an edge when it comes to winning seats in parliament. 
It remains unclear how the images will affect the prime minister, whose political career has benefited as much from his carefully curated public persona as from his policies. 
When asked by reporters if he would eject a member of his own party for a similar image, he said he wouldn’t entertain “hypotheticals” and that each incident would be viewed on a “case-by-case basis”. 
Asked why he should stay on as leader, Trudeau responded: “I’m asking Canadians to forgive me for what I did.”",2019-09-20 08:45:48+02:00
us-news/2019/sep/20/us-briefing-climate-strike-trump-whistleblower-justin-trudeau,article,us-news,US news,2019-09-20 10:07:07+00:00,"US briefing: climate strike, Trump whistleblower and Justin Trudeau",https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/20/us-briefing-climate-strike-trump-whistleblower-justin-trudeau,"Subscribe now to receive the morning briefing by email. 
Good morning, I’m Tim Walker with today’s essential stories. 
Greta Thunberg and school students lead worldwide protest 
Students and adults across America are joining a worldwide day of protest over the climate crisis on Friday, with strikes planned at more than 1,000 schools and workplaces in the US, the country’s largest ever mass climate demonstration. The global movement’s young figurehead, Greta Thunberg, will speak at a march in New York. The Guardian’s view: her message is simple and unignorable. In case you’re still not convinced, here is the climate crisis explained in 10 charts – and here’s how you can get involved. 
 
 Global health. The climate crisis is the biggest threat to global health over the next quarter-century, and governments are failing to prepare, according to a survey of the top medics who make up the membership of Britain’s Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 
 Waterfront woes. New York City is taking action to protect the Lower Manhattan waterfront from the looming impact of climate change. But low-income residents who live by the water in other boroughs will have to fend for themselves, as Emily Nonko reports. 
 
US and Canada have lost one in four birds since 1970 
 
  
  
  A chestnut-sided warbler perched on a branch during spring migration. 
  Photograph: Vince F/Alamy 
  
 
The US and Canada have lost more than one in four of their birds – 3 billion animals in total – since 1970, a “widespread ecological crisis” outlined by scientists from both countries in a new study. The researchers observed a 29% decline in bird populations across diverse groups and habitats, from songbirds to long-distance migratory birds and backyard birds such as sparrows. Grassland birds suffered a staggering 53% reduction in population, while spring migration has fallen by 14% in the last decade alone. 
 
 Agriculture and urbanisation. The study, published in the journal Science, did not identify a specific reason for the decline, but bird populations and their habitats are thought to have been harmed by agriculture, urbanisation, climate change and cats. 
 
Whistleblower rumours focus on Ukraine amid Giuliani claims 
 
  
  
  Trump reportedly made a troubling promise to a foreign leader in a phone call. 
  Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters 
  
 
A whistleblower complaint submitted by a US intelligence official, who was unusually troubled by a promise Donald Trump had made to a foreign leader in a phone call, was connected to Ukraine, according to reports in the Washington Post and New York Times. The foreign leader in question has not been identified, but the complaint was reportedly filed weeks before Trump spoke to the new Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. 
 
 Digging for dirt. Speaking to CNN on Thursday, the president’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, admitted asking Ukraine to investigate the former vice-president and 2020 presidential hopeful, Joe Biden, whose son once had a role in a Ukrainian gas company. 
 Iran rhetoric. The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has dialled down the administration’s aggressive rhetoric in the wake of the recent attack on a Saudi oil facility, saying Washington wants a “peaceful resolution” with Iran, whom it blames for the attack. 
 
Trudeau ‘can’t recall’ how many times he wore blackface 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
Justin Trudeau has admitted he is “wary of being definitive” about the number of times he donned blackface as a young man, as the Canadian prime minister fights for his political life following the emergence of three separate, historical images of him wearing the racist makeup. The two photographs and a video all came out within 24 hours on Wednesday and Thursday, generating merciless criticism from rival party leaders less than five weeks before Canadians go to the polls on 21 October. 
 
 Political future. The blackface images have shattered Trudeau’s carefully curated image as a progressive leader, but the controversy may not shift the election needle as much as Canada’s Conservatives hope, as Leyland Cecco reports from Toronto. 
 
Cheat sheet 
 
 Two people have died and at least 1,000 needed rescuing after the remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda brought an estimated 40in of rain to parts of Texas in less than 72 hours, making it the seventh-wettest tropical cyclone in US history. 
 The Los Angeles political activist and Democratic donor Ed Buck had at least 10 victims and preyed on gay, black homeless men, forcibly injecting them with fatal doses of drugs, according to court records released after his arrest this week. 
 A study suggests the mystery illness known as Havana syndrome, which afflicted US and Canadian diplomats in Cuba between 2016 and 2018, may have been caused by mosquito fumigation – and not, as the Trump administration claimed, by “sonic attacks”. 
 Grassroots progressive organisers in partnership with the Guardian will on Saturday host their first “people’s forum” in Iowa, featuring Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and several other Democratic 2020 candidates – though not the frontrunner, Joe Biden. 
 
Must-reads 
 
  
  
  Lilly Singh: ‘This is the new standard – take notes, Hollywood!’ 
  Photograph: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images 
  
 
Lilly Singh: from YouTube star to historic late-night host 
A Little Late With Lilly Singh launched on NBC this week, making Singh the first queer woman of colour to host a network late-night show, the first YouTuber to land a network hosting gig – and, at 30, the youngest host in late night. Adrian Horton reports. 
Man v mosquito: should we wipe out our biggest killer? 
With an almost unmatched capacity to adapt, mosquitoes have spread to virtually every corner of the globe, carrying the diseases that make them humankind’s deadliest predator by far. We might soon be able to eradicate all 110 trillion of them. Timothy Winegard asks whether we should. 
How my father gained – and then lost – unlimited free air travel 
In 1987, Caroline Rothstein’s father became one of only a few dozen people to purchase an unlimited, lifetime AAirpass, letting him fly first-class anywhere in the world on American Airlines for the rest of his life. In 2008, the airline took it away – and, in the process, took something integral to who he was. 
Can I survive with a phone that only texts and calls? 
Dominic Rushe spends more than four hours a day on his iPhone, gaming, social networking and reading. So how would he manage when he replaced it with the Light Phone, a new – albeit old-fashioned – device that does nothing but call and text? 
Opinion 
The US and Britain have long styled themselves as the custodians of global democracy, says Pankaj Mishra, while failing utterly to spot the rot of their own political spheres. 
 
 While democracy was being hollowed out in the west, mainstream politicians and columnists concealed its growing void by thumping their chests against its supposed foreign enemies – or cheerleading its supposed foreign friends. 
 
Sport 
The role of quarterback was once considered off-limits to black footballers. But, as the NFL enters its second century, the league’s most accomplished young signal-callers are predominantly players of colour, as Patrick Hruby reports. 
Frank Lampard is still hunting his first home win as Chelsea manager. Getting off the mark against Liverpool on Sunday could be a tall order. That’s one of 10 things to look out for in the Premier League this weekend. 
Sign up 
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",2019-09-20 12:07:07+02:00
world/2019/sep/20/justin-trudeau-canada-tries-to-shift-focus-from-blackface-images-to-gun-control,article,world,World news,2019-09-20 16:50:38+00:00,Trudeau tries to shift focus from brownface images to gun control,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/20/justin-trudeau-canada-tries-to-shift-focus-from-blackface-images-to-gun-control,"Justin Trudeau has tried to focus attention back on his re-election after a dramatic week in Canadian politics, in which the prime minister admitted to multiple images of him in brownface and not recalling how many times he had worn it. The embattled Trudeau spent Friday walking the streets of east Toronto, posing for photos with residents and unveiling his party’s newest campaign pledge: a move to restrict handguns, ban assault-style rifles and begin buying back military-grade weapons that were legally purchased. He made the announcement near to the site of a gun rampage last year, when Faisal Hussain shot 15 people, killing two. “As long as Canadians are losing their loved ones to gun violence, not enough has changed,” said Trudeau of the proposed ban. “We know you do not need a military-grade assault weapon, one designed to kill the largest amount of people in the shortest amount of time, to take down a deer.” The move to heavily restrict certain firearms is likely to set up a fight between the Liberals, Conservatives and the gun lobby. But after his embarrassing week, Trudeau is likely to be keen to move past the events that left his campaign team scrambling. Even Donald Trump weighed in on the scandal, telling reporters in the Oval office on Friday he was “surprised” by the “number of times” Trudeau appeared in photos. After issuing his second apology on Thursday, the prime minister was unable to say how many times he used brownface – or if more images might surface.   Related: Justin Trudeau's brownface scandal is bad. But voting him out isn't the solution | Moustafa Bayoumi    “I am wary of being definitive about this,” said Trudeau, telling reporters he didn’t admit to the third instance because he didn’t remember it occurring. “The fact is that I didn’t understand how hurtful this is to people who live with discrimination every single day. I have always acknowledged that I come from a place of privilege but I now need to acknowledge that that comes with a massive blind spot.” Two days after the first image was published by Time magazine, the Liberal party has circled the wagons around their leader; there have been no public calls for Trudeau to step down and numerous candidates have expressed support for the prime minister, while also acknowledging the offensive nature of the incident. “I think the real measure of the man, and I think the thing we need to be talking about, is all the amazing things we have done for diversity,” said Greg Fergus, a member of the federal Black Caucus and a Liberal MP, on Thursday. “The Justin Trudeau I have come to know over the past four years is a champion of diversity and inclusion,” said Amarjeet Sohi in a tweet. Following the firearms announcement, it is unclear if the policy announcement – in which Trudeau accused Conservatives of looking to “gut” the country’s gun laws – will force parties to shift gears or to continue their attack on the prime minister for the photographs. The leader of the Conservative party, Andrew Scheer, has previously said Trudeau has lost the “moral authority” to govern following the prime minister’s two apologies for the racist images. A unified party front is critical for the prime minister: as Trudeau looks to renew his parliamentary majority in an upcoming federal election, opinion polls shows him in a tight race against his Conservative rival, but the prime minister still holds in projected seats. Despite trading barbs on the campaign trail, the leaders have yet to face each other on the debate stage. Trudeau skipped the first event in mid-September, opting instead to hold a campaign rally. The leaders will meet for the first time on 7 October, in advance of the 21 October election.",2019-09-20 18:50:38+02:00
commentisfree/2019/sep/21/justin-trudeau-not-such-racist-shallow-and-ineffectual,article,commentisfree,Opinion,2019-09-21 17:19:00+00:00,Justin Trudeau – not so much racist as slight and ineffectual | Leah McLaren,https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/21/justin-trudeau-not-such-racist-shallow-and-ineffectual,"As a Canadian living in Britain, I’m pretty sure nobody on either side of the Atlantic really believes Justin Trudeau is a racist. Certainly not an afro-wig wearing, Banana Boat-singing, face-blacking one. Though, admittedly, he did do all those racist things and possibly more – it’s hard to know because he says he can’t remember. If we know one thing about Trudeau, it’s that he loves people, all people. Especially “racialised Canadians”, as he now calls them, using the parlance of the day. Trudeau admires people of colour so much that when he found himself at a party dressed as Aladdin, he was happy to throw his arms around two genuinely racialised Canadians and grin boldly for the camera. Real racists don’t do that kind of thing, even in Canada, which, for all its progressiveness, can also be backward, especially in the highest circles of its cosmopolitan elite. Feel free to Google “the history of blackface in Quebec”, Trudeau’s prosperous home province, if you’re struggling to grasp how the 29-year-old son of a Liberal party prime minister thought it a hilarious idea to smear shoe polish on his face and, what’s more, for a party at the high school where he taught. Canada is an extraordinary country, but it isn’t the progressive utopia Trudeau wants it to be. Instead, it’s a decentralised collection of sparsely populated provinces and territories, a mosaic rather than a melting pot, as all good Canadian schoolchildren are taught. The country has long struggled to find a cohesive identity beyond its extreme climate and moderate aversion to conflict. Canadians are, for the most part, a nice lot, but as Trudeau showed us last week, niceness alone won’t save us. Trudeau can’t wish away the rising tide of populism that’s about to wash away his sunny ways any more than he can those dreadful pictures. But wishful thinking and shining intentions have long been Trudeau’s shtick and, when that fails, he loves a good apology. He’s such a fan of acknowledging past wrongs it’s become cultural policy. Every morning in many Canadian schools, children listen to an acknowledgment of the indigenous people on whose stolen land they are lucky to be standing. A good idea. But impoverished indigenous youth still continue to kill themselves at an alarming rate (there were huge demonstrations about the issue last week) and 50 communities are still living on “boil water” advisories. Trudeau’s working on the issue, he really is, but in the meantime lip service will have to do. In his contrition-fest of press conferences last week, he acknowledged that he comes from “a place of privilege” and that it was this provenance that deluded him into thinking that blacking up was just goofing around. This admission, more than anything else, gets to the heart of why Canadian moderates are losing faith in the man who once delighted us by cuddling baby pandas and grooving it out with drag queens on Pride Day. There’s the feeling he’ll do anything to please an audience and consider the consequences later. In Trudeau’s words, it was only years later when he became an MP for a culturally and economically diverse Montreal constituency that he realised that blacking up was wrong. The press conference went on like this for several minutes – journalists tut-tutting, Trudeau displaying his vulnerabilities like a labrador rolling over for a tummy rub – until a reporter stuck it to him in the most politely Canadian way.    It's great you're denouncing racism, but the prime minister's job was not created so you could work through your issues    It’s great that you’re denouncing racism, the reporter said, “but the prime minister’s job was not created so you could work through your issues”. Then he plunged the blade deeper and twisted. “Maybe it’s time you realise that you are not the indispensable man.”  For progressive Canadians, the concern about Trudeau was never that he was a power-mongering closet racist, just that he was a bit too soft for the job. This despite his former attorney general’s assertion that she was inappropriately pressured by his office – another badly handled scandal that has hobbled him.  Trudeau has only two modes: empathising and grovelling. Irrespective of his mystifying youthful makeup choices, neither mode has proved an effective weapon against the blandly malignant siren call of Tory rival Andrew Sheer’s populism. And that’s the real reason he’s failing. It’s not that we don’t believe he’s sincere – it’s that his sincerity has been revealed as a form of stupidity, a blindspot of privilege that undermines his project as a whole. • This article was amended on 27 September 2019 to clarify that many, but not all, Canadian schools have a policy of routinely acknowledging the relationship to the land of indigenous peoples. • Leah McLaren is a Canadian novelist and journalist",2019-09-21 19:19:00+02:00
environment/2019/sep/27/greta-thunberg-justin-trudeau-meeting-climate-strikes,article,environment,Environment,2019-09-27 21:31:10+00:00,Greta Thunberg meets Justin Trudeau amid climate strikes: 'He is not doing enough',https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/27/greta-thunberg-justin-trudeau-meeting-climate-strikes,"The activist Greta Thunberg has urged Justin Trudeau and other world leaders to do more for the environment as she led half a million protesters in Montreal as part of a global wave of “climate strikes.” 
The 16-year-old Swede met privately with the Canadian prime minister but later told a news conference with local indigenous leaders that he was “not doing enough” to curb greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. 
“My message to all the politicians around the world is the same. Just listen and act on the current best available science,” she said. 
Thunberg generated headlines around the world earlier this week with her viral so-called “How Dare You?” speech at the UN climate summit, accusing world leaders of betraying her generation. 
The teenager has inspired millions of youths, drawn to her cause by her passion and a mature, committed rhetorical style that belies her young age. 
 
  Related: Greta Thunberg turns tables on Trump and quotes his mockery in new Twitter bio  
 
She has also drawn mockery from some, including Donald Trump, who tweeted sarcastically that “she seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future”. 
Without naming the US president, Thunberg said she didn’t “understand why grown-ups would choose to mock children and teenagers for just communicating and acting on the science when they could do something good instead”. 
“We’ve become too loud for people to handle so people want to silence us … We should also take that as a compliment.” Trudeau and other Canadian party leaders took a breather from a tight election campaign to join Thunberg at the Montreal rally – along with around 500,000 protesters, according to organizers. 
Walking with his wife and children, Trudeau mingled with a boisterous crowd that brandished placards reading “Respect Mother Earth” and “Make America Greta Again” – a riff on a campaign slogan popularized by Trump, a noted climate change skeptic. 
One man was tackled by security when he appeared to lunge at the prime minister, while 13-year-old Annabelle Vellend broke out in tears when she spotted Thunberg, telling AFP: “I really believe in Greta’s movement.” 
“She is doing amazing things and it’s great that she’s able to press politicians to act on climate change, during an election,” she said. 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
In his first term, Trudeau cast himself as a champion in the fight against global warming, but his green image was tarnished by his nationalization of an oil pipeline to salvage the construction project after years of delay. 
The prime minister said after meeting Thunberg and pledging to fund the planting of 2bn trees: “I agree with her entirely. We need to do more.” 
 
  Related: Trudeau's environmental record on the line in Canada election year  
 
Earlier this week, the Liberal leader vowed that Canada would reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, joining 66 other countries that have already signed on to the pledge. 
Last Friday, more than 4 million youths – and adults – rallied in “climate strikes” around the world. 
Turnout at events a week on was smaller, but still vocal. In Italy, hundreds of thousands of young people took to the streets while an estimated 40,000 protested outside New Zealand’s parliament. 
In Canada, events also attracted huge crowds in the capital, Ottawa; in Toronto; and in several other cities. 
In the heart of the giant Montreal march, Alexanne Lessard stood out in her tree costume. 
“I’m here for our future, to show our government that we the majority want to do something and that they can take big steps that will an impact,” she said. 
Daphnee Choquette said she came out for her baby girl, whom she carried with her. 
“It’s too late for us [older people], but not for them. We need to bring about change now,” she said. 
• This article was amended on 30 September 2019 to remove a reference to the Montreal climate marchers being predominantly children.",2019-09-27 23:31:10+02:00
world/2019/oct/04/canada-far-right-anti-muslim-propaganda-targeting-trudeau,article,world,World news,2019-10-04 09:00:19+00:00,How Canada’s far right is using anti-Muslim propaganda to target Trudeau,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/04/canada-far-right-anti-muslim-propaganda-targeting-trudeau,"The video shows a bearded imam purportedly heralding a plan by Justin Trudeau to implement sharia law in Canada, before cutting to an image of the prime minister sitting cross-legged in prayer amid a group of Muslim men. Shared widely on anti-Trudeau Facebook pages earlier this year, the clumsy montage was presented as evidence that Canada’s 23rd prime minister is bent on subverting the judicial system to please Islamists – probably because he is a closeted Muslim himself. Trudeau was pilloried when images emerged of at least three instances in which he had donned blackface. Yet as Canada heads toward a general election, the prime minister has also become the subject of racist and Islamophobic conspiracy theories. And unlike the 2016 US election – in which a significant portion of online misinformation was created on Russian troll farms – much of the anti-Muslim propaganda aimed at Trudeau is produced and disseminated by Canadians. The video of the YouTube imam, for example, was uploaded by a prominent Ontario anti-Muslim activist, and then viewed, shared and liked on at least three anti-Trudeau Facebook pages with a collective reach exceeding 185,000. Dozens of videos on these pages are a conspiratorial pastiche in which Trudeau coddles Muslim extremists and throws open Canada’s borders at the behest of George Soros. And they have been clicked almost 700,000 times. The eddies of such online outrage sometimes spread into the real world. At a town hall meeting in January, an audience member accused Trudeau of supporting Sharia law – before intimating that he should be hanged for treason.     Recent polling suggests many Canadians are a politely jingoistic bunch who are inclined to believe that immigrants in general, and Muslims in particular, are too numerous above the 49th parallel. Illustration: Guardian Design/The  Guardian    More recently, the Conservative party candidate Cameron Ogilvie stepped down after the activist group Press Progress unearthed social media posts in which Ogilvie shared a post accusing Trudeau of wanting to turn Canada into an “Islamic state”. Such conspiracies date back to Trudeau’s 2015 campaign pledge to bring in 25,000 mostly Muslim refugees from war-torn Syria by the end of the year. The move was a dramatic reversal from the previous Conservative government, which only agreed to increase the number of Syrian refugees admitted into Canada, from 1,300 to 10,000, provided Syria’s non-Muslim religious and ethnic minorities were prioritized. Soon after, the anti-Trudeau conspiracies began in earnest, echoing US “birthers” who alleged Barack Obama was ineligible for office or was secretly a Muslim. By early 2016, a Toronto-based Facebook group was already speculating that Trudeau wanted to flood Canada’s borders with immigrants from majority Muslim countries, either because he was ignorant to the dangers of radical Islam – or because he was a radical Islamist himself. “The best non-confidence statement,” one site member opined, would be for Trudeau to be shot. Neither the conspiracy-mongering nor the threats have hampered the site’s popularity. In 2016, it had 25,000 followers. Today it has nearly 235,000. The conspiracies only heightened when the Liberals introduced a non-binding motion condemning “Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination” – a move which Trudeau’s opponents on the fringe right were convinced was proof of his government’s fealty to radical Islam. Liberal MP Iqra Khalid, the motion’s sponsor, was inundated with hate mail and death threats. Meanwhile, Canada’s statistical agency, found that police-reported hate crime targeting Muslims increased by 151% in 2017. Now Muslim groups found themselves in a unique situation: criticizing both Trudeau for donning brownface, as well as his enemies on the far right who say he is secretly Muslim.     ‘Mislabeling someone as Muslim to castigate them is despicable. It engages in a longstanding hateful mythology about the Muslim community.’ Illustration: Guardian Design/The  Guardian    “It was disheartening to see the prime minister engage in blackface/brownface,” said Mustafa Farooq, Executive Director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims. “That said, mislabelling someone as Muslim to castigate them is despicable. It engages in a longstanding hateful mythology about the Muslim community.” That Canadians should be the source of this should not be a surprise: contrary to prevailing stereotypes, recent polling suggests many Canadians are a politely jingoistic bunch who are inclined to believe that immigrants in general, and Muslims in particular, are too numerous above the 49th parallel. One poll,found 41% of Canadians believe there are too many immigrants in the country – and more than 60% of self-described Conservatives say there are too many visible minorities here. Many of the far right’s most prominent provocateurs are Canadians, including Faith Goldy, Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern – who was banned from Facebook earlier this year.  A 2018 report by the country’s intelligence agency found that Canadians who hold extreme rightwing views – including Islamophobia, anti-immigration and white nationalism – actively use chat forums and social media. “These individuals leverage online chats and forums in attempt to create an online culture of fear, hatred and mistrust by exploiting real or imagined concerns,” the report found.  “We strongly expect much of this kind of content to be domestic,” said Taylor Owen, director of the Digital Democracy Project, which is monitoring instances of mis- and disinformation ahead of the election. “As in the EU parliamentary elections, domestic groups saw the tools and tactics which worked for Russia in the US election and simply co-opted them.” All of this has kept fact-checkers busy. The CBC, the country’s public broadcaster, has devoted seven journalists to fact check stories, ads, posts and other media that could have an impact on the election. Earlier this year, the Agence France-Presse news agency debunked a widely circulated story which said the Trudeau government had “pleaded” the Nigerian government to send one million immigrants to Canada. (The same site had Trudeau making similar requests of six other countries.)     Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, makes an election campaign stop in Surrey, British Columbia, on 24 September. Photograph: Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters    Yet the tide of anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant rhetoric persists, seemingly spurring the nativist impulses of some mainstream Canadian politicians. In Quebec, Canada’s second-most populous province, the government led by the populist Coalition Avenir Québec has reduced the number of incoming immigrants by 20%, despite the province’s aging population and corresponding labour shortage. The CAQ also passed a “laicity” law banning religious symbols from the bodies of certain government workers, which many see as disproportionately affecting Muslim women in the workplace. Last fall, the former Conservative MP Maxime Bernier launched a populist party that will field a full slate of candidates in the upcoming election. Bernier regularly berates Trudeau’s “cult of diversity”, wants to “make Canada great again” and shares videos from advocates of the baseless “QAnon” conspiracy theory that Donald Trump is battling a global cabal of elite liberal paedophiles. Bernier recently made the evidence-free claim that Islamic extremists have infiltrated Canadian politics, a contention pushed by one of the largest anti-Trudeau sites in the country. In less than a year, his thinly concealed dog-whistling has attracted notorious white nationalists and Canada’s alt-right movement – as well as 5% of Canadian voters, according to one poll.",2019-10-04 11:00:19+02:00
world/2019/oct/04/trudeau-appeal-could-block-billions-in-compensation-to-indigenous-children,article,world,World news,2019-10-04 21:18:24+00:00,Trudeau appeal could block billions in compensation to Indigenous children,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/04/trudeau-appeal-could-block-billions-in-compensation-to-indigenous-children,"The government of Justin Trudeau will appeal a court ruling that found Indigenous youth were “wilfully and recklessly” harmed under national child welfare policies, in a move that could block billions of dollars in compensation. In September, the Canadian human rights tribunal found that the federal government’s on-reserve child welfare system unfairly discriminated against Indigenous youth, severely underfunding their care. The tribunal ruled the federal government was required to pay compensation worth $40,000 CAD to each child removed from his or her home – the maximum allowable under the country’s human rights act. “We agree with the tribunal’s finding that there must be compensation for those who were hurt ... But the question is how to do that. We need to have conversations with partners, conversations with leaders and communities to make sure we’re getting that compensation right,” Trudeau told reporters on Friday – adding that such talks could not take place during the current election campaign. The ruling could impact more than 50,000 Indigenous children. The tribunal decision has sharply divided candidates vying for a chance to lead the country on 21 October. Both Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic party, and the Green party’s Elizabeth May pledged to honour the ruling – and compensation – if elected. But the Conservative leader, Andrew Scheer, tied with Trudeau in recent polling, told reporters he would appeal the tribunal’s decision. “This is a far-reaching decision that has major impacts on multiple levels of government,” said. ”It would be appropriate to have a judicial review.” Trudeau’s move, which comes only days before the deadline to file an appeal, was met with sharp criticism from child welfare advocates.   Related: Canada has spent $110,000 to avoid paying $6,000 for indigenous teen's orthodontics    “It is the federal government’s discriminatory conduct that needs review and reform – not the legal decision that flagged the problem and ordered the discrimination to stop,” Cindy Blackstock, the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, told the CBC. For years, Blackstock has been fiercely critical of the government’s previous refusals to implement decisions from the tribunal. “Every party leader must commit to honouring this ruling made by Canada’s own Human Rights Tribunal,” tweeted Perry Bellegarde, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations. “This is about supporting First Nations children and families, and respecting human rights. It is unconscionable that anyone would oppose this.” The outgoing parliamentarian Romeo Saganash, who previously said that Trudeau “doesn’t give a fuck” about Indigenous rights in the House of Commons, tweeted his frustration. “I never want to hear one single Liberal pronounce the word Reconciliation, ever again!”",2019-10-04 23:18:24+02:00
world/2019/oct/08/canada-leaders-debate-justin-trudeau-puts-climate-crisis-at-heart-of-election,article,world,World news,2019-10-08 02:55:53+00:00,Canada leaders' debate: tarnished Trudeau puts climate crisis at heart of election,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/08/canada-leaders-debate-justin-trudeau-puts-climate-crisis-at-heart-of-election,"On a crowded stage where debate often devolved into a cacophony of crosstalk, Canada’s federal leaders – including a fringe far-right candidate – have sought to sway voters before the country’s election. 
Over two hours, federal political leaders lobbed the majority of their attacks at the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, in the only official English language debate before 21 October. 
Held in Gatineau, Quebec, the event marked the first time leaders from all six parties – Liberal, Conservative, New Democratic, Green, Bloc Québécois and People’s party – have appeared on stage together. 
“The choice tonight is between two parties that have very different views on climate change,” said Trudeau, making his pitch for a second majority government, and positioning his re-election campaign around the looming climate crisis. 
“Please God you don’t get a majority this time around,” Green party leader Elizabeth May told Trudeau, arguing the Liberal plan was not ambitious enough. 
 
  Related: How Canada’s far right is using anti-Muslim propaganda to target Trudeau  
 
The wildcard coming into the evening was Maxime Bernier, leader of the far-right populist party the People’s party of Canada. Formed amid a feud between Bernier and the Conservative party, its platform is defined by restrictive immigration politics and climate change denial. Activist groups had protested against his presence on stage, arguing it was wrong to give his policies a highly visible platform. But the Leaders’ Debates Commission found Bernier – once a foreign minister under the Conservatives – had a “legitimate chance” of electing more than one candidate in the election. 
Throughout the evening he played the spoiler, frequently interrupting each candidate as they spoke.“I think, within a few minutes tonight, Canadians can see why I didn’t think you had a place on this stage,” Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic party, told Bernier. 
 
  
  
  NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks. 
  Photograph: Chris Wattie/AP 
  
 
Despite the number of candidates on stage, only two have emerged as clear frontrunners: Trudeau and the Conservative leader, Andrew Scheer. 
Polling suggests that while Trudeau’s Liberal party has an edge in seat projections, after weeks of campaigning the prime minister and Scheer are tied in popular opinion. 
Scheer used the opening moments of the debate to attack Trudeau for wearing blackface, reviving a scandal that damaged the prime minister’s progressive image. Scheer also accused the prime minister of wearing a “mask” when it comes to his feminist credentials and attempts at reconciliation with indigenous peoples. 
“Mr Trudeau, you are a phoney and you’re a fraud and you do not deserve to govern this country,” said Scheer in his opening remarks. 
Trudeau repeatedly attacked Scheer on perceptions of credibility, accusing the Conservative leader of dishonesty and obfuscation on taxes and abortion. 
Despite running a largely gaffe-free campaign, Scheer was put on the defensive last week after the Globe and Mail reported he held dual citizenship with the United States. Scheer’s troubles were exacerbated given his history – as well as his party’s – of criticising elected representatives who are dual nationals, including the former governor general Michaëlle Jean. 
Singh, the first non-white leader of a major political party in the country’s history, worked to cast himself as a third option for Canadian voters, accusing both Conservatives and Liberals of kowtowing to affluent donors and corporate interests. 
“You vote New Democrats, we’re going to make sure we’re going to make these things happen because we don’t work for the powerful and wealthy,” said Singh. “We work for you.” 
In a debate that often became confusing with its numerous formats and moderators, Singh scored moments of levity. After candidates – and a moderator – repeatedly called him “Scheer” by mistake, Singh objected in mock protest. “C’mon! I wore bright orange turban today. What will it take?” he said, prompting laughter from the room. 
Even before the debate began, the event was shrouded in controversy. The Leaders’ Debates Commission declined to accredit two rightwing organisations, Rebel Media and True North Centre for Public Policy. Opponents to the two organisations have argued they are far-right groups that do not produce journalism. But a last-minute injunction, ordered by a federal court only two hours before the debate, granted the two organisations access. 
Candidates will debate once more, in French, on Friday.",2019-10-08 04:55:53+02:00
world/2019/oct/18/canada-election-justin-trudeau-young-voters-jagmeet-singh-andrew-scheer,article,world,World news,2019-10-18 07:00:45+00:00,Canada election: can Trudeau excite young voters let down by broken promises?,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/18/canada-election-justin-trudeau-young-voters-jagmeet-singh-andrew-scheer,"In an election defined by mudslinging and racist dog-whistling, Justin Trudeau stood apart. 
In a country weary of nearly a decade of Conservative rule, Canada’s Liberal leader was a sunny optimist promising change. And his refusal to play dirty politics – in contrast to the veteran politicians he was facing off against – inspired young voters to come out in record numbers. 
“We were looking for a leader that would be our person,” said Aisha Pedican, a Toronto-based film-maker who was in her mid-20s the last time Canada went to the polls. “I just remember thinking, ‘Oh, this guy has a younger voice, I can relate to this.’” 
 
  Related: Jagmeet Singh: pioneering party leader could be the Trudeau Canada hoped for  
 
Pedican recalls an electricity surrounding Trudeau’s 2015 candidacy; he was a proudly progressive candidate who promised to fight climate change, repair a broken relationship with Indigenous people, resettle Syrian refugees – and do politics differently. 
But four years later, the excitement surrounding the prime minister has matured into frustration and apathy. Ahead of Canada’s general election on Monday, Trudeau has been robbed of the many tools he effectively deployed in his last campaign. 
As the incumbent prime minister, he’s no longer the underdog promising to shake up Canada for the better, nor is he even the youngest party leader. And the stunning rise of Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic party, threatens to steal away young voters at a time when Trudeau needs them most. 
Trudeau’s progressive shine is looking tarnished and shop-worn, and – despite a surprise last-minute endorsement from Barack Obama – the prime minister is now in the fight of his political life. 
Polling shows Trudeau essentially tied with his Conservative rival, Andrew Scheer. Despite spending weeks criss-crossing the country to pitch their vision of the country, neither party has successfully swayed voters. 
Facing the prospect of losing his parliamentary majority, the prime minister has been forced into attack mode, trading barbs with both Scheer and Singh. But the strategy – a far cry from his previous “sunny ways” campaign – could alienate the young voters, warned Shachi Kurl, executive director at the polling firm Angus Reid. 
 
  
  
  
 
If Trudeau hopes to emerge victorious on 21 October, he desperately needs to excite millennials, such as Pedican, who came out in record numbers for the prime minister in 2015. 
“Negative campaigns can have the effect of increasing cynicism – and can have the effect of suppressing voter turnout,” said Kurl, who argued that Trudeau’s previous optimism had clouded over in an election defined by personal attacks and an absence of any bold policy discussions. 
“Most devastatingly, [Trudeau] has failed to live up to his own standards around ethics and around doing politics differently,” said Kurl – a reference to both the recent blackface scandal and a damning ethics commissioner report which found Trudeau had broken the law when he tried to prevent a large engineering company from facing criminal prosecution. 
 
  
  
  Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, greets supporters at a campaign rally. 
  Photograph: Leyland Cecco/The Guardian 
  
 
Complicating the picture for Trudeau is Singh, who has run an unflinchingly optimistic campaign, often in the face of overtly racist incidents. The first person of color to lead a federal party, Singh’s early candidacy was marred by a series of stumbles, including the exodus of several senior lawmakers from the party. 
But after successful debate performances, he has surged in the polls and achieved something which now seems out of reach for Trudeau: inspiring young voters with the prospect of change. 
At a recent campaign visit in Toronto, Singh posed for photos as he danced his way through the crowd to an impromptu stage. 
“Together, we can build a brighter future. We’re not stuck with choosing between bad or worse. We’re not stuck having to settle for less,” he said to cheers. “Ask your friends, ask your neighbour, ask your family to dream big. Because you deserve it.” 
 
 
  I'm not a big believer in the political utility of memeing, but if I was, I'd tell you there's not a single political leader in the western world who understands Gen Z semiotics like this guy does. https://t.co/22jVR9NiYD— Spooky Rexdale Mans (@andraydomise) 
  October 17, 2019
  
 
Meanwhile, Trudeau has been forced to swap his lofty rhetoric of 2015 for centrist pleas to voters – disheartening those who supported his first bid. 
“A lot of us really saw him as like a different kind of politician and then ended up being very disappointed – almost lied to by – how he turned out” said Rayne Fisher-Quann, a youth activist in Vancouver who, at 18, will be voting in her first federal election. “He seems very performative, especially when you look at the huge discrepancies between his words and his actions.” 
 
  Related: Justin Trudeau: the rise and fall of a political brand  
 
She points to a string of disappointments: Trudeau’s nationalisation of the controversial TransMountain pipeline to ensure its construction despite opposition from environmentalists and some First Nations groups; his decision to boot out two high-profile women from his caucus; and his failure to meaningfully improve the country’s the fraught relationship with Indigenous peoples. 
These unfulfilled promises, she said, made it feel as though Trudeau was “putting on a show of being progressive” for younger voters. 
In the final days of the campaign, the prime minister has relied heavily on the slogan “Choose Forward”, warning that a vote for anyone but his party clears a path for a Conservative government. 
For voters like Pedican, the strategy has resonated. “I get that change is slow and takes time,” she said. “[Trudeau’s] not the ideal candidate. But I would prefer to see him in office than Andrew Scheer.” 
If, as predicted, neither the Liberals or the Conservatives win enough votes to command a majority of the House of Commons, all parties – including the Greens and the separatist Bloc Quebecois – could emerge as kingmakers in post-electoral negotiations. 
While pollsters caution that a split on the left could open a path for the Conservatives to emerge victorious, the idea of voting strategically is often anathema to a generation that rejects the status quo of politics. 
And for those unwilling to forgive the prime minister for broken campaign promises, Singh and the New Democrats – who could wield immense power in a minority government situation – are seen as an attractive alternative. 
“Right now a lot of people – especially young people – don’t have a whole lot of hope,” said Fisher-Quann. “It’s always very heartening to see when a candidate is able to tap into hope – and make people feel like their voices can matter.”",2019-10-18 09:00:45+02:00
commentisfree/2019/oct/18/justin-trudeau-fake-progressive-canada-election,article,commentisfree,Opinion,2019-10-18 15:13:10+00:00,Justin Trudeau is a fake progressive. Now Canada must vote for real ones | Martin Lukacs,https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/18/justin-trudeau-fake-progressive-canada-election,"How far Justin Trudeau’s star has fallen. In 2015, the rise of this hopey-changey wunderkind was supposed to usher in a bold new Canadian era: democratic reform, ambitious climate action, a plan to tackle inequality, and a new, respectful relationship with Indigenous peoples. But his Liberal party’s bid for re-election, ahead of the election on Monday, looks altogether different: this campaign is dominated by warnings, in ominous tones, about the threat posed by a resurgent, rightwing Conservative party. 
 
  Related: Canada election: can Trudeau excite young voters let down by broken promises?  
 
It’s not hard to understand why. Trudeau’s leftwing posturing has been exposed as a sham. His widely hyped tax hike on the richest 1% was actually a giveaway to the next richest 10% of Canadians. His embrace of a carbon tax became a cover for frenzied approval of fossil fuel projects, culminating in his purchase of a C$4.5bn (US$3.45bn) tar sands pipeline. He dispatched heavily armed police to violently dismantle a peaceful blockade of Indigenous land defenders. He made Canada the second largest weapons dealer to the Middle East, arming the Saudi war on Yemen. And he pressured his own justice minister to exempt a well-connected and corrupt engineering giant from a criminal trial. Beholden to powerful vested interests, Trudeau promised big but delivered small. 
And so the energy he rode to power has evaporated. Trudeaumania, as one analyst put it, has been replaced by Trudeau-meh-nia. Now that the shine has worn off the Liberals’ formula of fake progressivism, we’re being treated to the party’s perennial fall-back: exhortations to back them “strategically”, lest the Conservatives come to power. Trudeau’s pledge to “do politics differently” has devolved into straightforward moral blackmail. 
Of course, it’s true that a government under Conservative leader Andrew Scheer would be a frightening ordeal: C$35bn (US$26.6bn) in spending cuts, tax giveaways to the wealthiest, climate change denialism, and a potential erosion of abortion and LGBTQ rights. But the Liberals’ invocation of this rightwing threat is hardly in good faith. It’s something they have done time and again to muzzle the political imagination of Canada’s progressive majority of voters. Artificially shoring up the idea that the country is stuck between two parties has one main objective: scaring Canadians into settling for the pipeline-buying establishment Liberals. 
This fearmongering distracts from just how many economic policies Liberals share with Conservatives – corporate tax cuts, creeping privatisation, attacks on worker’s rights and relentless resource extraction on Indigenous peoples’ lands. The two parties’ implementation of this free market agenda has resulted in a wildly unequal social order: stagnating wages, unaffordable housing and skyrocketing corporate profits stashed away in offshore tax havens. It’s no wonder that 67% of Canadians, according to a poll last month, believe correctly that the “economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. 
The Liberals’ inflated rhetoric against the Conservatives also disguises just how comfortable they are swapping power. They consistently propped up former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper’s minority government, though they could have toppled him by forming a coalition that included the social democratic New Democratic party (NDP). And when the NDP itself contended for office in the 2018 Ontario provincial election, the Liberals attacked it ferociously, enabling victory for the reactionary Conservative leader Doug Ford. Liberals have always been more afraid of a challenge from the left than the right. 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
 But if Canadians want the kind of country that reflects their progressive views, the choice in this election is clear: vote for the NDP. The overlooked story of the election is the surge in the party’s popularity, which has come at the expense of both the Liberals and Conservatives – and in spite of the media’s efforts to write it off. 
Under the leadership of Jagmeet Singh, the NDP has finally halted its right-ward slide – which allowed Justin Trudeau to outflank it to the left in 2015 – and is offering its most progressive platform in a generation. State-funded dental care and prescriptions, 300,000 green jobs and free public transit, paid for by a wealth tax on the ultra rich: the sort of the ambitious leftwing policies that polls consistently show Canadians are hungry for. 
In an age of turmoil, it is this kind of politics, rather than establishment Liberalism, that can hope to stem the tide of an increasingly xenophobic right. Pervasive insecurity and discontent in Canada, fundamentally unaddressed by Liberal policies, have been capitalised on by rightwing politicians to scapegoat migrants and Muslims – followed closely by openly white supremacist groups, whose numbers have nearly tripled since Trudeau came to office. This week’s endorsement of Trudeau by Barack Obama underscores the dynamic: both are defenders of a bankrupt, corporate-friendly centrism that has demonstrated it is no match for rightwing faux populists such as Donald Trump. This is what gives the ultimate lie to the promise of “strategic voting”. The politics of the Liberals aren’t a lesser evil – they are the surest path to greater evil. 
The only answer to a rising right will come from a left courageous enough to take on vested interests, rather than the vulnerable – and to redistribute obscene levels of private wealth in the service of the public good. The NDP is not going to win this election. But if Canadians elected enough of its MPs, a minority Liberal government might be forced to rely on the party to pass legislation: this would provide powerful leverage in parliament to push for vital new social programs and a transformative approach to the climate crisis, with social movements pressuring from the outside. Universal healthcare, public pensions, the 40-hour work week, same-sex marriage: all were won under previous minority Liberal governments when the NDP held the balance of power. 
But for that to become possible after Monday, it will take voting from hope, not fear. In this election, Justin Trudeau isn’t Canada’s real progressive choice – nor the politician to stop the rise of an ugly right. 
• Martin Lukacs is a journalist and author of The Trudeau Formula: Seduction and Betrayal in an Age of Discontent",2019-10-18 17:13:10+02:00
world/2019/oct/22/canada-elections-justin-trudeau-wins-narrow-victory-to-form-minority-government,article,world,World news,2019-10-22 09:19:32+00:00,Canada elections: Trudeau wins narrow victory to form minority government,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/22/canada-elections-justin-trudeau-wins-narrow-victory-to-form-minority-government,"Justin Trudeau has won a second term as Canada’s prime minister after the country’s federal election, but his narrow victory means he will lead a minority government that will be forced to depend on other parties to govern. 
 
  Related: Justin Trudeau's victory is a death knell for Canada's fledgling far-right  
 
With results still trickling in on Tuesday morning, the Liberals had 156 seats, 14 short of the 170 needed for a majority in the 338-seat House of Commons. 
“We seek hardship for none and prosperity for all, and if we unite around these common goals, I know we can achieve them,” Trudeau told cheering supporters in Montreal. He said Canadians had sent a clear message of support for progressive policies. 
 
 
  Thank you, Canada, for putting your trust in our team and for having faith in us to move this country in the right direction. Regardless of how you cast your vote, our team will work hard for all Canadians.— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) 
  October 22, 2019
  
 
Despite Trudeau’s attempt to strike a conciliatory tone, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer issued a stark warning to the Liberals. “Mr Trudeau, when your government falls, Conservatives will be ready, and we will win,” Scheer told supporters at his concession speech. 
Donald Trump was quick to congratulate Trudeau for “a wonderful and hard-fought victory”. Although the two leaders have not had a warm relationship – Trump described Trudeau as “dishonest” at last year’s disastrous G7 meeting in Quebec – the US president tweeted: “Canada is well served. I look forward to working with you toward the betterment of both of our countries!” 
 
  
  
  
 
Four years after the Liberal leader swept to power promising “sunny ways” after nearly a decade of Conservative rule, Trudeau struggled to inspire voters as he campaigned for re-election. 
Trudeau, 47, was endorsed by Barack Obama in the last days of the campaign, but his standing as one of the few remaining progressive leaders in a major democracy was undermined by the emergence of blackface images, and lingering criticism of his handling of a major corruption inquiry. 
Before the vote, polls showed him neck-and-neck with Scheer. But with neither of the main parties reaching the number of seats needed for a parliamentary majority, Canada is headed towards a minority government, and Trudeau will be forced to co-operate with smaller left-of-centre parties to govern. 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
“We’re seeing a much-needed chastening of the Liberal party,” said David Moscrop, a political scientist at the university of British Columbia. “Some of [the result] is a backlash against Liberal arrogance and entitlements. The Liberals set the bar so high they’re bound to run into it.” 
In the final week of campaigning, Trudeau faced a strong challenge from the left-wing New Democratic party, led by Jagmeet Singh, which looked poised to peel away progressive votes from the Liberals. 
But despite a surge in the polls in the final weeks of the campaign, the NDP was unable to convert that success into electoral wins. The party’s 44 seats were nearly cut in half. 
The overall result laid bare the deep divisions in the country: not a single Liberal was elected in the two westernmost Prairie provinces, Saskatchewan and Alberta, which the Conservatives swept. 
 
  
  
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Trudeau lost key cabinet members, including veteran lawmaker and public safety minister Ralph Goodale, 70, who was the only Liberal MP in Saskatchewan, where the local energy industry is increasingly at odds with federal environmental policies. 
In Alberta, Amarjeet Sohi, the natural resource minister, and Randy Boissonnault lost their seats, a result that means the neither Alberta nor Saskatchewan will have representation in Trudeau’s federal government, at a time of growing frustration in the economically strapped western provinces. 
Jody Wilson-Raybould, the former attorney general and justice minister who was expelled from the Liberal party after publicly criticising Trudeau for his role in the SNC Lavalin scandal, was successful in her bid to retain her seat as an independent. 
The first Indigenous person to hold one of the most powerful positions in government, Wilson-Raybould played a central role in one of the most damaging episodes in Trudeau’s first term of office, when she testified the prime minister and his staff improperly pressured her to abandon the criminal prosecution of engineering giant SNC Lavalin. 
After she resisted, she was shuffled out of the position of attorney general and eventually ejected from the party. 
 
  
  
  Conservative leader Andrew Scheer supporters watch the election results come in at his campaign headquarters 
  Photograph: Todd Korol/Reuters 
  
 
Jane Philpott, the former treasury board president and close friend of Wilson-Raybould, was also booted from the party for criticising Trudeau. But her attempt as an independent candidate to keep her seat in Ontario failed, with a disappointing third-place finish for the one-time Liberal star. 
Monday’s result marked a clear defeat for Scheer, whose campaign pledges to quash carbon pricing legislation and cut taxes failed to resonate with voters. The Conservative party also took a heavy loss, with deputy party leader Lisa Raitt losing her race to former Olympic kayaker Adam van Koeverden. 
Meanwhile, Maxime Bernier, the leader of the populist People’s Party of Canada, which critics have called xenophobic and racist, lost his seat. It means the former Conservative minister’s newly formed party will have no presence in the House of Commons. 
After his landslide victory in 2015, Trudeau positioned himself as a progressive force in Canada and aboard: he welcomed Syrian refugees when the US and other countries were closing their doors, and he legalized cannabis nationwide. 
But in a country heavily reliant on natural resources, his efforts to strike a balance on the environment and economy have been criticized by the right and the left. His government brought in a carbon tax to fight the climate crisis – but also paid billions to rescue a stalled pipeline project. 
Monday’s result marks a significant erosion of support for the charismatic prime minister, but the narrow victory will be enough to ensure Trudeau’s marquee policies – including the national carbon tax – are likely to remain in place. 
But without his majority, Trudeau will have to reach out to other parties with a “confidence-and-supply” deal in which junior partners will support the government on individual pieces of legislation, as opposed to joining in a fully-fledged coalition. 
Such a deal will leave the leftwing NDP and the Bloc Québécois holding the balance of power a minority government. The most likely ally for Trudeau is Singh, who has made a commitment to fighting climate change and funding healthcare key requires for co-operation from the NDP. 
• The sub heading of this article was amended on 23 October 2019 to more accurately describe the outcome of the election and on 24 October 2019 because an earlier version incorrectly said “not a single Liberal was elected in the western Prairie provinces”. That should have said they won no seats in the two westernmost Prairie provinces, Saskatchewan and Alberta.",2019-10-22 11:19:32+02:00
commentisfree/2019/oct/22/the-guardian-view-on-the-canadian-election-a-win-for-trudeau-but-not-a-triumph,article,commentisfree,Opinion,2019-10-22 17:36:01+00:00,"The Guardian view on the Canadian election: a win for Trudeau, but not a triumph | Editorial",https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/22/the-guardian-view-on-the-canadian-election-a-win-for-trudeau-but-not-a-triumph,"Four years ago, Justin Trudeau promised his country “sunny ways”. This time there was no euphoria; simply relief, as the Liberals lost the popular vote but hung on as a minority government, just ahead of their Conservative rivals. It was a victory, but no triumph. This election was Mr Trudeau’s to lose – and he almost did. He rose to power as a young, charismatic idealist, cloaked in the aura of his father Pierre, the long-serving prime minister. He appointed a gender-balanced and racially diverse cabinet. While his Conservative predecessor pulled the country out of the Kyoto protocol, he pledged decisive climate action. He welcomed tens of thousands of refugees as others shut their doors. The economy has boomed. His record looked even better when Donald Trump entered the White House. The shine started to come off in 2018 as an official trip to India revived suggestions that he was a lightweight, and the government’s purchase of a pipeline angered those who had cheered his carbon tax scheme. But most Canadian governments manage a second term, and at the start of this year Mr Trudeau still looked unbeatable. Then came the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Even after Canada’s ethics watchdog ruled that Mr Trudeau violated laws by urging his attorney general – the first Indigenous person in the role – to halt the prosecution of an engineering company in a conflict of interest case, he shamefully refused to apologise. Then, weeks before the election, multiple images emerged of him in blackface. Both cases highlighted questions about his record on race and Indigenous issues. His good luck was to face a charmless and uninspiring opposition under a socially conservative leader, Andrew Scheer, who struggled to even formulate his position on abortion and same-sex marriage. Mr Scheer’s vow to scrap the carbon tax cemented Conservative support in the western oil-producing regions, but alienated voters in suburban Ontario who have kept the Liberals in power. Many of the Liberals’ lost seats were taken not by the Conservatives but the Bloc Québécois. The defeat of the Conservatives is good news, not only for Canada but for a world that needs a liberal counterbalance to a rightwing surge, and needs governments that will take action on the climate catastrophe, even if it falls short. The ignominious performance of the far-right People’s Party of Canada, which campaigned against “mass immigration” and ended up with no seats at all, is extremely welcome. Meanwhile, Canada has plenty of experience of minority governments, and their considerable achievements include universal healthcare. The Liberals’ most likely ally is the leftwing New Democratic party, despite its loss of 15 seats. There was little humility or introspection in Mr Trudeau’s speech on election night. But the Liberal win will be all the better if it is accompanied by increased scrutiny of the prime minister and a greater determination to hold him to account.",2019-10-22 19:36:01+02:00
world/2019/oct/22/justin-trudeau-canada-minority-parties-conditions,article,world,World news,2019-10-22 18:16:52+00:00,Trudeau faces rough road as Canada's minority parties lay out their conditions,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/22/justin-trudeau-canada-minority-parties-conditions,"After eking out a win in the first major test of his popularity since sweeping to power in 2015, Justin Trudeau was given his first taste of minority government on Tuesday, as rival party leaders begin laying out their conditions for the Liberal leader to remain as Canada’s prime minister. 
“Everything is on the table,” Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the leftwing New Democratic party, told reporters. 
Singh, whose party could hold the balance of power in the next parliament, outlined his policy priorities, including affordable housing and healthcare. “I’m hoping that Mr Trudeau respects the fact that there’s a minority government now, which means we’ve got to work together.” 
After winning 157 of 338 seats in the country’s general election – despite losing the popular vote to the Conservative party – Trudeau now faces a landscape that will require deft political maneuvering to strike deals and pass legislation and rivals who could unseat his government on a whim. 
The result also shows a significantly weakened prime minister straining under both the heavy baggage of incumbency and extensive damage to his personal brand. 
“We seek hardship for none and prosperity for all, and if we unite around these common goals, I know we can achieve them,” Trudeau told cheering supporters in Montreal, telling the crowd that that Canadians had sent a decisive message of support for progressive policy on climate change and Indigenous issues. 
 
  Related: Canada elections: Trudeau wins narrow victory to form minority government  
 
Despite his lofty rhetoric, the contrast with Trudeau’s 2015 landslide was stark, especially given the immense political capital he has spent defending progressive policies. 
Early into his first term, Trudeau welcomed refugees fleeing war, appointed a gender balanced cabinet and legalized cannabis nationwide. 
But in recent months, as the prime minister has been dogged by scandal – including accusations that he improperly pressured his attorney general to abandon prosecution of a major engineering company and emergence of Trudeau in blackface – he has largely abandoned his “sunny ways” vision of government. 
No single “slam dunk” reason explains why the prime minister’s popularity has ebbed, said Lori Turnbull, a professor of political science at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. 
Turnout for the general election was lower than in 2015, meaning the “red wave” driven by first time voters flocking to Trudeau failed to materialize for a second time. 
“People took a chance on him four years ago and maybe didn’t come back for a second time,” said Turnbull. 
For those who did came back, initial excitement has largely given way to frustration. 
“The Liberal record on the environment is always been pretty horrible, and it doesn’t seem like he’s going to change that,” said Jonathan MacCalder, a Toronto voter who supported the prime minister in 2015. 
In a country heavily reliant on natural resources, Trudeau’s efforts to strike a balance on the environment and economy have been criticized by both the right and the left. His government brought in a carbon tax to fight the climate crisis – but also paid billions to rescue a stalled pipeline project. 
MacCalder said he felt Trudeau has lost much of his appeal – likening the prime minister to Barack Obama, the former US president who swapped boundless hope for a bleaker pragmatism in his second term – but he nonetheless voted for the Liberals on Monday. 
“I think: a good thing for the country and the ability to move forward,” he said of the result. 
Trudeau’s own father, Pierre Trudeau, also served his second term of office at the head of a minority government. 
But the younger Trudeau took what experts say is the weakest popular vote ever, in a result which reflects an increasingly fractured country. 
“Parties are supposed to exist to build bridges and to keep us together. They’re not supposed to exist to leverage different parts of the electorate … to never try to compromise or grow. This is bad,” Turnbull, the professor, said. 
Not a single Liberal was elected in the two westernmost Prairie provinces, Saskatchewan and Alberta, which Turnbull called a “major problem” for Trudeau. 
But while the Conservatives were able to make marginal gains, Monday’s result marked a clear defeat for Scheer, whose campaign pledges to quash carbon pricing legislation and cut taxes failed to resonate with voters. 
Scheer, who had openly mused about winning a majority in the days leading up to the election, nonetheless issued a stark warning to the Liberals on Monday evening. 
“Mr Trudeau, when your government falls, Conservatives will be ready and we will win,” he told supporters at his concession speech. 
But his own party’s poor performance is likely to raise questions about Scheer’s viability as a leader, after he failed to catalyze voter frustration and topple a wounded Trudeau. Heading into the final weeks, the incumbent prime minister was fending off attacks for his role in the SNC Lavalin scandal, as well as apologizing for images showing him in blackface. 
“If Scheer couldn’t win now – when will he?” said Turnbull, pointing out that the Tory leader failed to grow his base beyond the Prairies. 
While Monday’s result marks a significant erosion of support for the prime minister, the narrow victory will be enough to ensure Trudeau’s signature policies – including the national carbon tax – remain in place. 
Now, all eyes will be on how Trudeau reaches out to parties with a “confidence-and-supply” deal, in which junior partners support the government on individual pieces of legislation, as opposed to joining in a fully-fledged coalition. 
 
  Related: Justin Trudeau's victory is a death knell for Canada's fledgling far-right  
 
The deal-making will leave the balance of power in the hands of the New Democratic party and the nominally separatist Bloc Québécois. 
While it holds the necessary amount of seats the to prop up a Liberal government, the NDP is also cash-strapped and struggling, having literally mortgaged its office in Ottawa to help fund its national campaign. 
“The last thing the NDP want is an election,” said Turnbull. “But if the [Liberal] government wants NDP support, they will likely have to make some kind of concession for it.” 
Singh – who failed to convert immense personal popularity into electoral wins – has made a commitment to fighting climate change and funding healthcare key requirements, meaning Trudeau could steer his government further to the left. 
Since Yves-François Blanchet took over as leader in January, the Bloc has roared back into relevance– and is also keen to do business with Trudeau. With 32 seats in parliament, it has more clout than the NDP. While Blanchet vowed to fight any effort that would negatively affect the francophone province, including any pipeline projects, he also left the door open to supporting the Liberals. 
“The government has options,” said Turnbull. “As much as [Singh’s] got the numbers to be a kingmaker, so too does somebody else. This will be interesting to watch.” 
• This article was amended on 23 October 2019 because an earlier version incorrectly said “not a single Liberal was elected in the western Prairie provinces”. That should have said they won no seats in the two westernmost Prairie provinces, Saskatchewan and Alberta.",2019-10-22 20:16:52+02:00
world/2019/nov/20/justin-trudeau-cabinet-chrystia-freeland-national-unity-climate-crisis,article,world,World news,2019-11-20 21:19:34+00:00,Justin Trudeau unveils new cabinet with focus on national unity,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/20/justin-trudeau-cabinet-chrystia-freeland-national-unity-climate-crisis,"Justin Trudeau has unveiled a new cabinet that will prioritize warding off threats to national unity and combating climate change, as he attempts to navigate the fraught landscape of a minority government. As Canada’s western provinces take an increasingly combative stance against the prime minister’s environmental policies and demand support for the struggling oil and gas industry, Trudeau has tasked Chrystia Freeland with preventing a provincial feud from becoming a national crisis. Previously the foreign affairs minister, Freeland will now serve as minister of intergovernmental affairs as well as deputy prime minister, a largely symbolic role. Freeland rose to prominence leading Canada’s team at lengthy trade talks with the US and Mexico, and her skills as a negotiator will probably be a key asset as she manages the relationship between the federalgovernment, provinces and territories. Freeland will also continue overseeing the relationship between Canada and the US. Trudeau also named former trade minister Jim Carr, who is suffering from cancer, to act as his special representative for Alberta, Saskatchewan and the central province of Manitoba to ensure they had “a strong voice in Ottawa”.   Related: Canada's farmers pushed to the brink by politics, weather and banks    François-Philippe Champagne, an international lawyer from Quebec, will replace Freeland as minister of foreign affairs. Champagne’s promotion – and the appointment of Montreal’s Pablo Rodríguez as house leader, reflects the growing political heft of Bloc Québécois, a sovereigntist party whose support – and 32 parliamentary votes – will be critical for Trudeau’s ability to govern. After campaigning on a pledge to fight climate change, Trudeau moved Catherine McKenna from the environment ministry to minister of infrastructure, where she will focus on the development of low carbon projects such as public transit. Jonathan Wilkinson, the former fisheries minister, will oversee the environment portfolio. Both Wilkinson and Freeland also represent an attempt by Trudeau to address the lack of representation in western provinces after his Liberal party lost all its seats in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Despite representing Toronto, Freeland was born and raised in Peace River, Alberta. Although Wilkinson represents Vancouver, he grew up in Saskatchewan. Canada’s parliament will reconvene foe the first time since the general election on 5 December.",2019-11-20 22:19:34+01:00
world/2019/nov/21/chrystia-freeland-canada-deputy-pm-trudeau,article,world,World news,2019-11-21 10:30:00+00:00,Chrystia Freeland: Canada's new deputy PM who could prove crucial for Trudeau,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/21/chrystia-freeland-canada-deputy-pm-trudeau,"During the most important week in North American free trade negotiations last year, Canada’s top representative arrived in Washington wearing white T-shirt that read “Keep Calm and Negotiate Nafta” and “Mama ≠ Chopped Liver”. The message from her children who made the shirt, was clear: Chrystia Freeland was not to be underestimated. On Wednesday, the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, elevated Freeland, a former journalist, to the role of deputy prime minister. A largely ceremonial position, the job has not been filled since 2006. But Trudeau also made her minister of intergovernmental affairs, a job that requires her to manage the increasingly fractious relationship between Canada’s federal government, provinces and territories.   Related: Justin Trudeau unveils new cabinet with focus on national unity    The decision reflects the level of trust Trudeau has in Freeland – and the scale of the task at hand. In last month’s election, the Liberal party suffered an electoral wipeout in Alberta and Saskatchewan, amid hostility to Trudeau and his legislative efforts against climate change. A struggling oil and gas sector has hit the economies of both provinces, and anger has begun to fuel a nascent separatist movement – dubbed “Wexit” – that many fear could inflict lasting damage on Canada. In a parliament in which no party controls a majority, having a close ally to mediate feuds with angry provinces will be critical for Trudeau’s government. There is no doubt that the portfolio could be “fraught and risky”, said Lori Turnbull, a professor of political science at Dalhousie University. “[But] because of the national unity issues that are existing now – this should not be seen at all as any kind of a demotion or even a lateral move for Freeland. This is a promotion,” Turnbull said. “Because now it’s clear she’s the one that he trusts the most with the hardest file.” Freeland was born in a small farming community of Peace River and recently described herself as a “proud Albertan”. She also hails from the Ukrainian diaspora that settled, and has farmed, much of the Canadian prairies for generations. But those credentials might not be enough to make inroads in a region hostile to Trudeau. “I mean, she’s still a Liberal,” said Harvey Spak, a retired film-maker in Mundare, Alberta. A member of the Ukrainian community himself, Spak suggested the Liberal brand – and Freeland’s residence in Toronto – would erode any goodwill granted by her background. But months of tense – and ultimately successful – trade negotiations with the US, have left Freeland battle-tested. “She’s a big thinker who has a considerable understanding of the international context,” said Roland Paris, an international affairs professor at the University of Ottawa and former Trudeau adviser. “At the same time, she’s a tenacious negotiator.” Freeland’s meteoric rise from rookie lawmaker to foreign minister and now deputy prime minister has not surprised former colleagues. “Chrystia was the best in town. She was the person to beat,” said David Hoffman, a former Moscow bureau chief for the Washington Post in the 1990s, who worked alongside Freeland when she ran the Financial Times bureau. The two travelled the country together, reporting on the growing pains of a region where the rule of law was often non-existent. “I think these were, for her, life-changing events to witness. Because they made us realize how utterly difficult – and how precious – this idea of ‘market democracy’ really was.” Freeland eventually returned to North America, by way of Toronto and New York, accepting senior editorial positions at the Globe and Mail, the FT and Thomson Reuters. In 2013, Justin Trudeau, then the newly minted Liberal party leader pursued Freeland, pleading with her to leave media and enter politics, even appearing at her book signing to make his case. Eventually she accepted his offer to run for federal office in Toronto. “I think’s she’s, without question, seen as the breakaway star in the Trudeau cabinet,” said Peter Donolo, a political strategist and former director of communications for former prime minister Jean Chrétien. In her time leading the sprawling foreign affairs portfolio, Freeland cultivated a reputation for blunt charm and a sharply honed ability to read people. When, during her brief stint as international trade minister, intransigent parties in Belgium held up a huge free trade deal between Canada and Europe, Freeland simply walked away. Conservatives in Canada were outraged, calling her ploy a “meltdown” and suggesting she needed “adult supervision” on order to effectively negotiate. But the strategy worked, and she closed the multibillion-dollar deal. “She flipped it over. She did political jiujitsu on it and came away looking like a big winner,” said Donolo. While feuds within the country will differ from high-stakes international trade negotiations, they will nonetheless occupy a significant amount of Freeland’s energy and attention. “She’s got a lot of experience in trying to manage diplomacy in extremely complex environments where there are clear and distinct different interests,” said Turnbull. The position of deputy prime minister is also likely to reignite talk of Freeland as a Liberal party leader-in-waiting. Jean Chrétien remains the only person to have moved from deputy to prime minister, Freeland’s promotion will do little to tamp down speculation. “I think Freeland would be an obvious choice for a potential successor,” said Turnbull.",2019-11-21 11:30:00+01:00
commentisfree/2019/dec/10/canada-trudea-climate-crisis,article,commentisfree,Opinion,2019-12-10 11:22:14+00:00,Trudeau will fuel the fires of our climate crisis if he approves Canada's mega mine | Tzeporah Berman,https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/10/canada-trudea-climate-crisis,"This week, the Canadian government is in Madrid telling the world that climate action is its No 1 priority. When they get home, Justin Trudeau’s newly re-elected government will decide whether to throw more fuel on the fires of climate change by giving the go-ahead to construction of the largest open-pit oil sands mine in Canadian history. Approving Teck Resources’ Frontier mine would effectively signal Canada’s abandonment of its international climate goals. The mega mine would operate until 2067, adding a whopping 6 megatonnes of climate pollution every year. That’s on top of the increasing amount of carbon that Canada’s petroleum producers are already pumping out every year. The Teck mega mine would be on Dene and Cree territory, close to Indigenous communities. The area is home to one of the last free-roaming herds of wood bison, it’s along the migration route for the only wild population of endangered whooping cranes, and is just 30km from the boundary of Wood Buffalo national park – a Unesco world heritage site because of its cultural importance and biodiversity. Alberta’s oil sands produce one of the dirtiest oils on the planet, and they are the fastest-growing source of carbon emissions in Canada. The industry is expanding rapidly and is already responsible for more carbon pollution than all of Quebec. Oil and gas is now the largest climate polluter in the country, exceeding all greenhouse gases from transportation. Even without Teck Frontier, there are 131 megatonnes per year in approved tar sands projects just waiting for companies to begin construction. No wonder the industry is on track to take up 53% of Canada’s emissions budget within the next 10 years. Less than two months ago, two-thirds of Canadians voted for parties vowing to do more to fight climate change. Trudeau promised during the campaign to introduce legally binding targets for Canada to reach net zero emissions by 2050. But all the current national climate policies, including a carbon tax and coal phase-out, would be overwhelmed by this carbon juggernaut and Canada would radically fail to meet its climate commitments. Canada is not alone in this challenge. The recent Production Gap Report released by the United Nations Environment Program, the Stockholm Environment Institute and other organizations calculates the gap between planned fossil fuel expansion and Paris climate goals. The report concludes that governments are planning to produce twice as much fossil fuels than the world can safely burn. Put simply, while the world was focused on plans to reduce emissions, the oil and gas industry has been busy planning a dramatic expansion in Canada and around the world. Last year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that to give the world a 50-50 chance at safety, oil production needs to shrink by 37% in the next 10 years and by 87% by 2050. Natural gas production must decline by 25% and then 74% by mid-century. In fact the report concluded that all countries must bend the curve now – there is no room for increased emissions. There is no room for the Teck Frontier Mine. From a climate and economic perspective, Canada clearly needs a different plan than expanding oil and gas. Such a plan means standing up to the oil industry’s unrelenting lobby and recognizing the oil sands, which already produce 2.91m barrels a day and climbing, are more than big enough. The fact is that further investment in the oil sands is also an economic risk for Canada. Wrestling the oil out of the ground in Alberta is expensive and this multibillion-dollar project, like the controversial Trans Mountain pipeline in Canada are predicated on a $95 barrel of oil. A projection not shared by any major bank. In addition, these projects risk being stranded in a world that addresses climate change. Some of the world’s largest banks such as HSBC, the European Investment Bank and the World Bank have already made commitments not to fund the expansion of oil and gas due to climate risks and singled out the oil sands as being high carbon. Canada’s new environment minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, on his first day on the job, said his approach would be to support the oil and gas industry by addressing the high carbon problem, not by reducing production but by reducing emissions per barrel of oil. What he failed to mention was that by his government’s own accounting there has been no industry-wide decrease in emissions per barrel for decades. This is largely because of the shift to more high intensity in situ sands projects. In Canada and around the world the oil and gas industry is pushing “efficiency” or intensity reductions through carbon capture and storage and other technologies as the solution to rising emissions from oil and gas. We cannot afford the promise of future technologies to justify the expansion of fossil fuels that will lock the world into a high emissions future and delay the shift to renewable energy and electrification. At this moment in history it is simply not enough to plan to more efficiently burn the planet. By rejecting the Teck mega mine, the Canadian government could signal that it is committed to stopping this runaway train. That it does represent the two-thirds of Canadians who voted for increased action against climate breakdown. It could launch a serious program to help the oil and gas workers of Alberta, the people who are out of work and need a future to believe in, by redirecting the many billions of dollars for pipelines and fossil fuel infrastructure into diversifying and decarbonizing Alberta’s economy. In rejecting the Teck mega mine, Canada would be joining France, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Norway and recently California – all jurisdictions that have recently constrained expansion of oil and gas due to the urgent need to build cleaner safer energy systems and fight climate change. If our children are brave enough to call it as it is and choose to take to the streets to fight for their future, don’t you think it is time that we as adults listen and step up by committing to end the expansion of fossil fuels and to fast track low-carbon progress?  Tzeporah Berman is an adjunct professor at York University in Canada and the international program director of Stand.Earth ",2019-12-10 12:22:14+01:00
commentisfree/2020/jan/09/justin-trudeau-beard-facial-hair-one-show,article,commentisfree,Opinion,2020-01-09 07:00:02+00:00,"Dear Justin Trudeau, a beard will only make it look like something has gone wrong in your life
",https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/09/justin-trudeau-beard-facial-hair-one-show,"The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is making waves with his beard. For what it’s worth, I’m not wild about what he’s done. The very point of a beard is not to have to shave, but his arrangement plainly needs much care and attention. Pointless.   Related: I’ve shaved off my beard. I feel like an imposter | Romesh Ranganathan    Once upon a time, when I was on television every day, I too made waves with a beard. I came back to The One Show after Christmas unshaven, and the producer of the programme that day suggested a thing be made of it. For as long as a month, we informed and entertained our audience on this theme. Was it a proper beard or wasn’t it? Did it look good or terrible? And so on. Eventually we and/or the audience got bored and the subject was dropped. By now I was itching like a man on a fuzzy tree and couldn’t wait to get rid of the bloody thing. But then management told me it had to go, at which point I got very irritated and told them I’d be sticking with it, so there. This was a case of not cutting off my own beard to, quite literally, spite my face. It was agony and looked pretty terrible. Some people can look good in a beard but I’m not one of them. I just look as if something has gone wrong in my life. Eventually a compromise was reached and Lord Sugar paid 60 grand to Sport Relief to get it shaved off. Only one good thing came of it. The confidently hirsute Christopher Howse reviewed the beard in the Sunday Telegraph. It wasn’t a favourable notice but he did acknowledge I had at least passed what he called the “Yasser Arafat stage”. I remain very proud of that to this day. ",2020-01-09 08:00:02+01:00
world/2020/jan/09/iran-plane-crash-canada-victims-trudeau-investigation,article,world,World news,2020-01-09 23:12:57+00:00,Justin Trudeau: Canada 'will not rest' until it gets answers about plane crash,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/09/iran-plane-crash-canada-victims-trudeau-investigation,"Justin Trudeau has vowed that his government will not rest until it has achieved justice for the 176 people who died when a Ukrainian passenger jet near Tehran – most of whom were traveling to Canada. 
Speaking on Thursday, the Canadian prime minister called for a thorough investigation of the disaster as he endorsed mounting intelligence that the Ukrainian passenger jet was accidentally shot down by an Iranian anti-aircraft missile. 
“We have intelligence from multiple sources – including our allies and our own intelligence: the evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile,” Trudeau said. “This may well have been unintentional.” 
He said that evidence only strengthened the need for a full investigation into the disaster. 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
“It is now more important than ever to know exactly how this tragedy happens. Canadians want answers. That means transparency, accountability and justice,” he said. “This government will not rest until we get that.” 
Iran has disputed reports it accidentally brought down the plane, and suggested mechanical failure and a fire onboard the aircraft was the cause of the crash. 
News that the disaster may have been caused by a missile strike caused further distress for members of the Iranian community in Canada mourning the loss of friends and relatives. 
“This is new and incoming disturbing information – but if true, I’m not surprised; especially given the actions of the Iranian regime,” said Payman Parseyan, the former president of Edmonton’s Iranian Heritage Society. 
 
  Related: Newlyweds and family of four among 63 Canadians killed in 'devastating' crash  
 
But Praseyan said that no amount of blame would bring back the victims. “We loved our community family and – whether the Iranian government was involved or not – they’re not coming home.” 
Sixty-three Canadians were onboard the Boeing 737-800, operated by Ukraine International Airlines, when it crashed near Tehran on Wednesday. One hundred and thirty-eight of the passengers were destined for Canada, making the crash the country’s worst aviation disaster since the 1985 Air India bombing, which killed 268 citizens. 
Victims included Mansour Esnaashary Esfahani, 29, a civil engineering doctoral student in Ontario who had flown to Iran in December to get married. 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
Esfahani had been due to return on 2 January to resume studies at the University of Waterloo, but decided to extend his ticket to 8 January. 
His wife, Hanieh, had planned to begin a new life in Canada with him in February – a reunion that is now impossible. 
Roja Azadian and her husband, Mohsen Ahmadipour, had expected to travel back to Ottawa together – but when they arrived at Tehran’s bustling Imam Khomeini airport, airline staff told them a prior cancellation to part of Ahmadipour’s ticket rendered the remainder of his journey invalid. 
He planned to follow his wife on a separate flight and be reunited in Canada. 
“He couldn’t get on the plane. His wife could get on the plane, unfortunately,” Kevin Manesh, who knew the couple, told the Ottawa Citizen. “He was the lucky person who didn’t get on the plane.” 
Ontario resident Hamed Esmaeilion lost his wife, dentist Parisa Eghbalian, 42, and nine-year-old daughter, Reera, to the fatal crash. 
On Facebook, Esmaeilion posted tributes to his daughter - including a video of her playing the piano and a photo of the two reading the newspaper. 
“What should I do? What should I do?” he wrote. “What should I do with the magazine subscriptions that are coming for you?” 
 
 
  Moments before takeoff on #FlightPS752: Sahar Haghjoo and her daughter Elsa Jadidi in their seats ready to fly home to Toronto. @globalnewsto #UkrainianPlaneCrash pic.twitter.com/5InrvWhJzr— Caryn Lieberman (@caryn_lieberman) 
  January 9, 2020
  
 
Sahar Haghjoo, 37, helped settle immigrant and refugee women, working at the YWCA in Toronto – a job she held for five years. She was travelling in Iran with her only child, eight-year-old Elsa. Haghjoo’s husband was expecting to greet his wife and daughter on Wednesday at Pearson airport, but the pair never arrived. 
 
  
  
  Mourners attend a vigil for the victims of a Ukrainian plane crash in Iran at University of Toronto student housing, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on 8 January. 
  Photograph: Chris Helgren/Reuters 
  
 
Across the country on Thursday, schools flew their flags at half mast, honouring the grim news that many of the victims were students, researchers and academics. 
“It is an unspeakable loss,” said Neda Maghbouleh, a sociology professor at the University of Toronto who studies Iranian migration through the US and Canada. Four University of Toronto students were killed in the crash. 
“The people we lost in the plane truly represented the smartest young researchers in the entire world,” Maghbouleh told Reuters. 
Late Wednesday, Canada’s foreign minister, François-Philippe Champagne, spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif – a rare formal communication between countries with no diplomatic relations. The two nations severed diplomatic ties in 2012 under the Canada’s Conservative government – rendering any investigation by Canada exceedingly difficult. Despite previous pledges to revive relations, Trudeau has failed to do so. 
“The response by the Iranian government, the Iranian foreign minister, was open, was encouraging,” said Champagne, who expressed optimism that consular officials would soon receive visas to go to Iran. 
A series of vigils and memorials are scheduled to take place across the country in the next few days to honour victims of the crash.",2020-01-10 00:12:57+01:00
world/2020/jan/11/iran-must-take-full-responsibility-for-horrific-act-says-trudeau,article,world,World news,2020-01-11 19:39:18+00:00,"Iran must take full responsibility for 'horrific' act, says Trudeau",https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/11/iran-must-take-full-responsibility-for-horrific-act-says-trudeau,"Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has renewed his calls for answers from Iran following admissions that its military shot down the Ukraine Airlines flight 752 passenger jet. “What Iran has admitted to, is very serious. Shooting down a civilian aircraft is horrific,” said Trudeau, speaking to reporters early Saturday afternoon from Ottawa. “Iran must take full responsibility.”   Related: Iran's admission of guilt over plane crash sparks unrest in Tehran    The comments from Trudeau mark the strongest demand yet from the prime minister, who has repeatedly called for a thorough and transparent investigation of the crash. In a call with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani earlier on Saturday morning, he reiterated the importance of access to the crash site for Canadian officials so they can assist in the investigation – and compensation for the victims. Canadian representatives have faced barriers from Iranian authorities in accessing the crash site. Only three of its 10 visa applications have been approved, with officials due to land in Tehran on Sunday. Members of its transportation safety board are also waiting for the right documentation before travelling. But as Canada demands answers on the crash, the lack of diplomatic relations has further complicated an already difficult task. The country cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012, a move that has since caused numerous logistical headaches for its sizeable diaspora population, including direct flights between the two countries and access to consular services. Since then it has relied on the assistance of Italian diplomats to represent its interests in Iran. On Saturday, Trudeau said the plane crash had been a national tragedy. While the government has recently revised the number of citizens onboard from 63 down to 57, 138 passengers on the plane were bound for Canada. Many of those killed were students, leaving a number of schools and universities in mourning this week. “I had to chance to sit with some of the families of the victims. They are hurt, angry and grieving,” said Trudeau. “They want answers. They want justice.” Following admissions of culpability from senior members of the Iran government, some in the Iranian-Canadian community have reiterated calls for accountability. “Those who have committed this crime of shooting down a passenger airplane and those who have been responsible in releasing false information must be held accountable,” the Iranian Canadian congress said in a statement following the news. “The families of the victims of this horrible tragedy must be supported in any way deemed appropriate and desired by the families, including through restitution.” Others, however, were more blunt in their assessment of Iran’s admission. “I am burning from the inside,” an Iranian university student in Canada, who was friends with victim Mansour Asnaashary Esfahani, told the Guardian. “It’s all fury inside me.” But he also said the news provided slight relief, over fears that students had jeopardised their safety by booking a “cheap flight” in order to save money. “[Victims’] families were blaming themselves why they didn’t help their children travel with better airlines.”",2020-01-11 20:39:18+01:00
world/2020/feb/21/justin-trudeau-canada-rail-blockades,article,world,World news,2020-02-21 23:24:49+00:00,Justin Trudeau tells Canada protesters: 'The barricades need to come down',https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/21/justin-trudeau-canada-rail-blockades,"Justin Trudeau has demanded that protesters lift railway blockades that have been erected across Canada in support of Indigenous activists who are fighting a natural gas pipeline. 
“The situation as it currently stands is unacceptable and untenable,” the prime minister said on Friday afternoon. “Canadians have been patient. Our government has been patient. But it has been two weeks, and the barricades need to come down now.” 
 
 . 
 
Rail barricades – both on and outside Indigenous reserves – have sprung up across the country in solidarity with members of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation who are opposing a C$6.6bn (US$4.98bn) natural gas pipeline in British Columbia. 
The blockades have been blamed for 1,400 layoffs at Canada’s main rail companies, propane shortages in eastern Canada and economic hardship for farmers. 
Trudeau’s comments came just days after he pledged in parliament to continue dialogue with Wet’suwet’en activists leading protests against the 416-mile Coastal GasLink pipeline. Many other Nations have signed benefits agreements with the company in exchange for their green light on the project. 
After Trudeau’s press conference, the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chief Woos repeated the band’s call for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to withdraw from its land and a halt in construction before talks could begin. 
“We heard Prime Minister Trudeau just a little while ago talking about the inconvenience Canada has suffered. However, there is a difference between inconvenience and injustice,” he said. 
 
  
  
   
    
    The Wet’suwet’en nation have lived on their territories in what is now British Columbia for thousands of years. They have never signed treaties or sold their land to Canada. 
    With a population of about 5,000, the Wet’suwet’en are composed of five clans (Gilseyhu, Likhts’amisyu, Laksilyu, Tsayu and Gidimt’en), which are further divided into 13 house groups, each with its own distinct territories.  
    The Unist’ot’en, the People of the Headwaters, belong to the Gilseyhu clan. 
    Hereditary chiefs are responsible for the health and sustainability of their house group territories, and Wet’suwet’en law prohibits trespass on the territory of other the house groups. 
    Wet’suwet’en people have retained their legal traditions and continue to govern themselves through the Bahtlats (feast hall), where decisions are ratified and clan business is conducted.
    
   
  
  
 
On Thursday, the federal public security minister agreed to pull RCMP police officers out of Wet’suwet’en territory, but late on Friday afternoon, the Wet’suwet’en nation said that rather than leave, police had had actually “increased harassment, made illegal arrests, increased surveillance and monitoring of Wet’suwet’en people and their invited guests”. 
Glen Coulthard, an associate professor in political science and the First Nations and Indigenous studies program at the University of British Columbia, and a member of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, predicted that Trudeau’s comments would escalate the conflict. 
“He has placed the onus, the burden of proof, on Indigenous peoples to demonstrate their commitment to reconciliation on his terms – or on the terms of a weaponized majority – by pitting so-called ‘regular Canadians and workers’ against Indigenous peoples who have been rendered minorities on their homeland due to colonization and a history of genocide,” said Coulthard. 
 
  Related: Canadian police had 'no authority' to search pipeline activists, says watchdog  
 
In the Canadian context, the word “reconciliation” is comparable to the issue of reparations for slavery in the US and UK. It speaks to the amends Canada has agreed to make to compensate for generations of abuse, racism and other crimes against Indigenous peoples. 
Trudeau has come under increasing political pressure to end the protests. Andrew Scheer, leader of the official opposition, has branded the protesters “radical activists” and has called on Trudeau to send in the police.",2020-02-22 00:24:49+01:00
world/2020/mar/12/justin-trudeau-coronavirus-sophie-trudeau-canada,article,world,World news,2020-03-13 03:42:11+00:00,Justin Trudeau in self-isolation after wife Sophie tests positive for coronavirus,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/12/justin-trudeau-coronavirus-sophie-trudeau-canada,"The wife of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has tested positive for Covid-19 following a trip to the United Kingdom. Sophie Grégoire Trudeau announced Thursday evening that she had tested positive for the coronavirus and plans to remain in isolation for the next two weeks. Her symptoms have been described as mild. “Although I’m experiencing uncomfortable symptoms of the virus, I will be back on my feet soon,” she said in a statement. “Being in quarantine at home is nothing compared to other Canadian families who might be going through this and for those facing more serious health concerns.”   Related: Coronavirus: many infections spread by people yet to show symptoms – scientists    The prime minister remains “in good health with no symptoms” according to his office, but will work in remotely for the next two weeks. He plans to address Canadians on Friday. Fears earlier today that Grégoire Trudeau might have contracted the virus while in London prompted the prime minister to work from home, derailing a planned meeting with premiers to discuss the economic fallout from the coronavirus and the recent plunge in oil prices. As a country that relies heavily on the export of fossil fuels, concerns are mounting that Canada is precariously close to a recession. On Wednesday, his government announced a $1bn dollar plan to address mounting concerns over the virus, including additional funding for medical research. He and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland plan to speak with provincial leaders by phone tomorrow. Trudeau’s decision to self-isolate follows two members of his cabinet – trade minister Mary Ng and natural resources minister Seamus O’Regan – also choosing to self isolate in recent days. Both O’Regan and Trudeau recently attended a large mining conference in Toronto where one person was subsequently diagnosed with Covid-19. Health officials have asked all 25,000 people who attended to monitor for any symptoms of the coronavirus. New Democratic party leader Jagmeet Singh has also chosen to self-isolate after becoming ill. “I have been in contact with a doctor and they do not believe I have symptoms consistent with Covid-19. But their advice is for me to limit contact with the public until I am feeling better,” he tweeted. To date, Canada has 140 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and one death. Seventeen new cases were announced in Ontario, the most populous province, on Thursday. None of the new cases appear to have been spread through the community, said officials, and instead were found in people who recently travelled.",2020-03-13 04:42:11+01:00
us-news/2020/mar/13/us-briefing-trudeau-coronavirus-quarantined-iran-mass-graves-and-chelsea-manning,article,us-news,US news,2020-03-13 10:58:05+00:00,"US briefing: Trudeau quarantined, Iran mass graves and Chelsea Manning",https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/13/us-briefing-trudeau-coronavirus-quarantined-iran-mass-graves-and-chelsea-manning,"Good morning, I’m Tim Walker with today’s essential stories. 
Anger grows at US administration’s Covid-19 testing failures 
The coronavirus has reached the corridors of world power, with the Canadian leader, Justin Trudeau, in self-isolation after his wife Sophie tested positive, and the first case of Covid-19 at UN headquarters in New York. Donald Trump, however, has no plans to be tested for the virus, despite direct contact with at least one person later diagnosed with the disease. Anger continues to build over the administration’s bungled response. This US president, writes Julian Borger, is the worst possible man for the moment. 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
Satellite images showing mass graves in the Iranian city of Qom suggest the epidemic there has grown worse than authorities admit, while a nurse in Italy has likened the fight against the virus there to a “world war”. Here are some data visualisations to help understand the crisis, and a roundup of the latest developments worldwide. 
 
 Free prisoners. Doctors, as well as legal and health advocates, have called for low-risk US prison inmates to be freed to help curb the spread of the coronavirus outbreak in prisons. 
 Food service. The crisis has led to renewed demands for more paid sick leave in the food service industry, where only 15% of workers are supported financially if they take time off. 
 Campus closures. Universities and colleges across the US have stopped in-person classes, moved their teaching online and sent students home in response to the Covid-19 crisis. 
 
US launches retaliatory airstrikes against militia in Iraq 
 
  
  
  The body of Gunnery Sgt Diego Pongo is returned to the US after he was killed by a rocket attack near Baghdad. 
  Photograph: Steve Ruark/AP 
  
 
US forces have launched retaliatory airstrikes on what the Pentagon described as five weapons storage sites run by Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia thought to have been responsible for a rocket attack that killed two American and one British soldier near Baghdad earlier this week. The US defense secretary, Mark Esper, told reporters on Thursday: “You don’t get to shoot at our bases and kill and wound Americans and get away with it.” 
 
 Tit-for-tat. The attacks come two months after a similar escalation of hostilities threatened all-out conflict between the US and Iran. This time, however, both sides are more preoccupied tackling domestic outbreaks of the coronavirus. 
 
Judge orders Chelsea Manning released after suicide attempt 
 
  
  
  Chelsea Manning outside a courthouse Virginia last year. 
  Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA 
  
 
A federal judge has ordered Chelsea Manning be released from jail in Virginia, days after the former US army analyst attempted to take her own life. Manning has been held since May 2019 after refusing to testify to a grand jury investigating Wikileaks, to whom she leaked hundreds of thousands of documents in 2010. But Judge Anthony J Trenga wrote that “the grand jury is no longer needed, in light of which her detention no longer serves any coercive purpose.” 
 
 Previous sentence. Manning previously served six years in custody for her part in the 2010 leak. President Barack Obama commuted her 35-year sentence shortly before the end of his time in office. 
 
Cheat sheet 
 
 Chinese government records show the first case of Covid-19 was detected on 17 November last year, and that a 55-year-old from Hubei province may have been the first person to contract the virus. 
 Disney has announced it will shut down Disneyland and its other US parks over fears about the coronavirus outbreak, as well as suspending any new cruise ship departures. 
 Immigration lawyers and activists have condemned recent Ice arrests of Latino immigrants outside courthouses in California, saying courts should remain “safe spaces”. 
 Following Harvey Weinstein’s sentencing this week, actor Kate Beckinsale recalled the time the film mogul had subjected her to an expletive-filled rant, claiming she had “ruined” a film premiere by wearing a suit instead of a tight dress. 
 
Must-reads 
 
  
  
  Emily Blunt in A Quiet Place 2. 
  Photograph: Jonny Cournoyer/AP 
  
 
Emily Blunt: A Quiet Place 2 and a world ‘untethered by fear’ 
The new sequel to A Quiet Place, the harrowing self-isolation horror from 2017, is about “human beings and how they’re affected by a crisis,” its star Emily Blunt tells Aaron Hicklin. Ironic, then, that its release has been delayed by just such a crisis. 
The Sanders fans who will never vote for Biden 
Some of Bernie Sanders’ most diehard supporters say it’s Bernie or bust: they will only vote in November if they can vote for the progressive Vermont senator. Their numbers remain unclear, but their influence is undeniable. Ankita Rao reports. 
The rise of the pop-star scripted documentary 
Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga are just some of the major musical stars who, in recent years, have collaborated in and co-created documentaries about their own lives. But the best films are still the ones that show them in more spontaneous, unguarded moments, says Simran Hans. 
I was kidnapped and taken to the desert 
When she was 15, Nadine Guerrera was snatched from her home in Connecticut by strange men, and taken against her will to a desert in Utah. It turned out she had been sent on an extreme wilderness programme for difficult children – paid for by her own parents. 
Opinion 
China has been criticised for its lack of transparency about the coronavirus outbreak. Now, the Trump administration is following suit. The president’s rhetoric will make this pandemic worse, says H Holden Thorp, the editor-in-chief of Science. 
Sport 
Sporting competitions all over the globe are shutting up shop in the face of the pandemic, from March Madness to the Australian F1 Grand Prix. England’s Premier League looks likely to do the same after Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta and players from Chelsea and Leicester City in self-isolation. 
Carlos Cordeiro has quit as the president of the US Soccer Federation, days after the organization filed legal papers claiming the national team’s female players were less skilled than their male counterparts. He will be replaced by Cindy Parlow Cone, the federation’s first female president. 
Sign up 
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",2020-03-13 11:58:05+01:00
world/2020/mar/13/fears-grow-sophie-gregoire-trudeau-picked-up-virus-on-london-trip,article,world,World news,2020-03-13 14:53:42+00:00,Fears grow Sophie Grégoire Trudeau picked up coronavirus on London trip,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/13/fears-grow-sophie-gregoire-trudeau-picked-up-virus-on-london-trip,"Sophie Grégoire Trudeau tested positive for Covid-19 just over a week after a high-profile event in London where she was filmed hugging the singer Leona Lewis and kissing the former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard. 
The wife of the Canadian prime minister was also photographed at the Wembley Arena We Day event on 4 March alongside the F1 driver Lewis Hamilton and the actor Idris Elba. On the same day Grégoire Trudeau also went to an International Women’s Day conference attended by the former supreme court president Lady Hale.  
It is feared Grégoire Trudeau may have contracted the virus during her London trip. She reported feeling unwell following her return to Canada earlier this week. 
 
          View this post on Instagram           My heart is full after spending time working with my own family and the WE family. Our message in London: Show yourself love and offer that same love to the world. 💖 Mon cœur se remplit d’amour entourée par ma fée Ella, ma belle-mère Margaret, ma belle-sœur Alicia et la famille agrandie de WE. On en fait tous partie! L’amour propre nous mène vers l’amour du monde. A post shared by  Sophie Grégoire Trudeau (@sophiegregoiretrudeau) on Mar 5, 2020 at 8:45am PST ""> 
 
  Sophie Grégoire Trudeau with her daughter and mother in law at the We event in London. Idris Elba and Lewis Hamilton were among the guests. 
  
 
The 4 March event was organised by the development charity We, an organisation for which Trudeau serves as a wellbeing ambassador. 
She was introduced on stage by Lewis, who greeted her with a hug. Video of the event also shows her patting and kissing her fellow speaker, Gillard. Other celebrities at the event included the chef Jamie Oliver, the actor Alfie Allen, the singer Calum Scott and the model Adwoa Aboah. Grégoire Trudeau went to the event with her daughter Ella-Grace and mother-in-law Margaret Trudeau. 
 
  
 
Grégoire Trudeau also attended an International Women’s Day conference at Canada House hosted by the Canadian high commissioner Janice Charette. Among the guests were the former president of the supreme court Lady Hale. 
A supreme court spokeswoman said: “All justices are aware of the Public Health England guidance and are taking the necessary actions like everyone else.” 
Global Affairs Canada has been approached for comment. Four days after the conference, Charette tweeted pictures of attendees, including one of her close to Grégoire Trudeau. 
 
 
  Happy #IWD2020 from all of us at #CanadaHouse - we had an amazing celebration this week with some great surprise guests. Special thanks to all our speakers, to @ComeFromAwayUK and to Sophie Gregoire Trudeau for making it one to remember. #Inspired #IfYouCanSeeItYouCanBeIt pic.twitter.com/sSML8A84sz— Janice Charette (@JaniceCharette) 
  March 8, 2020
  
 
During her London trip, Grégoire Trudeau also went to the Oxo Tower gallery for an exhibition of women’s photography organised by the charity ActionAid. A member of staff at the gallery said the gallery was considering what steps to take following news of Grégoire Trudeau’s positive test, but declined to comment further. 
 
 
  Surprise of the day, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and my picture! She has visited our exhibition in London. pic.twitter.com/oNnAqfqr1W— Farzana Parween Wahidy (@FarzanaWahidy) 
  March 5, 2020
  
 
A woman she was photographed with at the gallery is Orla Fee, ActionAid’s communication’s director. A spokeswoman said: “She is self-isolating as a precaution. ActionAid is following all the relevant public health advice to ensure the well-being of all our staff.” 
Trudeau announced on Thursday evening that she had tested positive for coronavirus and planned to remain in isolation for the next two weeks. Her symptoms have been described as mild. 
In a statement, We said it had “not received indications of health concerns from any participants or other speakers at the event”. But it said it would continue to monitor this and was being advised by the NHS. 
As a precaution, the organisation has also asked staff to work from home and cancelled all future events. 
Hamilton, Elba, Gillard and Lewis have all been contacted for comment. None have reported symptoms of the virus. 
 
  Callout callout-coronavirus ""> 
",2020-03-13 15:53:42+01:00
world/2020/mar/13/justin-trudeau-coronavirus-response-canada-measures,article,world,World news,2020-03-13 18:19:22+00:00,Justin Trudeau announces sweeping steps to tackle coronavirus in Canada,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/13/justin-trudeau-coronavirus-response-canada-measures,"Canada has unveiled aggressive new measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak, shutting down parliament and advising against foreign travel, even as Justin Trudeau urged citizens to remain calm in a national address delivered from self-imposed quarantine. “We have an outstanding, we have outstanding public health authorities who are doing an outstanding job. We will get through this together,” said the prime minister, who has been in self-isolation after his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday.   Related: Fears grow Sophie Grégoire Trudeau picked up coronavirus on London trip    In his address on Friday, Trudeau said he remained symptom free. “Of course, [working from home] is an inconvenience and somewhat frustrating. We are all social beings after all,” he said. “But we have to do this because we have to protect our neighbours and our friends – especially our more vulnerable seniors and people with pre-existing conditions.” Officials announced a raft of new measures including closing parliament for five weeks and redirecting incoming international flights to a small number of airports as part of enhanced screening measures. The government also announced it will ban cruise ships with 500 people from docking in the country’s ports until 1 July – but stopped short of closing the borders. “Borders don’t stop travellers. Travellers find other ways into countries. Travellers become less honest,” said Patty Hajdu, the county’s health minister. “Canada’s approach from the very beginning has been to use science and evidence.” Instead, the government has asked Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside the country and to limit contact with crowds. “Social distancing is an important contribution that everyone can make to our control efforts,” said Theresa Tam, the country’s chief public health officer. “This means avoiding crowded places and non-essential gatherings, considering shopping or taking public transport in off-peak hours and greeting one another with a wave or elbow instead of a handshake, kiss or hug.” So far, Canada has conducted more than 15,000 tests and has 157 confirmed cases of the virus, most of which have been found in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia, she said. Despite the relatively low number of cases, the federal government and provinces have acted swiftly in recent days. British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec have all banned events larger than 250 people. Ontario, the country’s most populous province, will close schools for two additional weeks following spring break, as will Quebec. Late on Friday, officials in Toronto, the country’s largest city, announced the closure of all child care facilities, public libraries and community centres. They also announced the surprise cancellation of all spring break camps and urged residents to reconsider taking public transit. “The actions you take today will save lives,” Hajdu said. “This is a serious public health threat, and a crisis as well as an emergency.” Experts cautioned that no clear blueprints yet exist on now to stem the spread of the virus — but said that certain measures have shown degrees of success. “There’s no complete science behind any of it really — but it’s worthwhile to explore different ways of trying to control things,” said infectious disease specialist Dr. Susy Hota, medical director of prevention and control at Toronto’s university health network.  “That’s where the social distancing makes sense to consider doing it early and trying to reduce the overall impact on everybody.” As the country prepares for an economic slowdown, driven by both the coronavirus and a plunge in oil prices, Trudeau said his government plans to green-light a wide-scale economic stimulus plan in the coming days. “We are in the enviable position of having significant fiscal firepower available,” he said. Alberta’s premier, Jason Kenny, has called on the federal government to announce a stimulus of at least C$20bn (US$14.3bn) – roughly 1% of the country’s gross domestic product – to offset the looming economic impact of the virus. “We need to design policies that will really help liquidity and cashflow for businesses that are uniquely affected right now,” he said on Thursday. The prime minister has not yet put a figure on the stimulus plan, but said the action will target Canadians who are most vulnerable to a downturn. “No one should have to worry about paying rent, buying groceries, or additional childcare because of Covid-19. We will help Canadians financially.”",2020-03-13 19:19:22+01:00
world/2020/mar/16/justin-trudeau-closes-canada-borders-coronavirus,article,world,World news,2020-03-16 18:45:31+00:00,'Stay home': Justin Trudeau closes Canada's borders over coronavirus,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/justin-trudeau-closes-canada-borders-coronavirus,"Canada has closed its borders to all foreign nationals except for US citizens, as the country’s prime minister unveiled “increasingly aggressive” measures to contain the new coronavirus outbreak, and urged people to stay at home. “Over the past few days, we’ve seen Covid-19 spread around the world at an even faster pace. Canada is no exception,” Trudeau, speaking from outside his home where he is in self-imposed quarantine after his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau tested positive for the virus last week. “We assured you that as the situation evolved, our response would evolve too as the virus continues it spread. We’ve decided to take increasingly aggressive steps to keep you and your family safe. “All Canadians as much as possible should stay home,” he said. Trudeau said the borders will remain open for shipping, but said his government will restrict flights to Canada to airports in four major cities: Toronto Pearson, Montreal-Trudeau, Vancouver international and Calgary international. The move to close its borders contrasts with previous comments from the country’s health minister, Patty Hajdu, who rejected the idea on Friday. But in recent days, Canada has experienced a surge in cases, prompting the country’s chief public health officer, Theresa Tam, to warn residents that the chance to prevent the healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed is closing fast.   Related: Covid-19 outbreak: what do health experts mean by 'flattening the curve'?    “Our window to flatten the curve of the epidemic is narrow,” Tam said over the weekend. “We all need to act now. Covid-19 is a serious public health threat.” Canada now has 377 confirmed cases of the coronavirus – more than double Friday’s figures. On Monday morning, the province of Ontario announced 17 testing sites and a C$10m (US$7.2m) public awareness campaign, as well as emergency legislation that would bar companies from laying off employees who have to self-quarantine. “We’re facing rough waters ahead,” the premier, Doug Ford, told reporters. “We will get through this together.” His government also plans to include protections for parents at home caring for children. The province announced 32 new cases, bringing the provincial total to 177 – making it the region with the highest concentration of infections. “[The law] will be in place until this disease is defeated” said the province’s minister of labour, Monte McNaughton. “People who are infected should be able to do the right thing.” Over the weekend, the province of Alberta chose to shut down all public schools, joining a number of other provinces that have previously announced closures – and warning that the schools may stay closed for the rest of the academic year. “This pandemic will not end in a matter of weeks, and there won’t be a clear opportunity to reopen schools, likely not until September at the earliest,” said the province’s chief medical officer of health, Dr Deena Hinshaw. Other provinces have taken more extreme measures. Quebec has told all bars, clubs and gyms to close and called on residents to practice social distancing and to remain at home when possible. Despite the varied responses to the outbreak across the country, Trudeau urged unity. “The strength of our country is our capacity to come together and care for each other, especially in times of need. So call your friends, check in with your family. Think of your community,” he said.",2020-03-16 19:45:31+01:00
world/2020/mar/23/justin-trudeau-canada-coronavirus-stay-home,article,world,World news,2020-03-23 17:10:41+00:00,Justin Trudeau issues stern warning to Canadians: 'Go home and stay home',https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/23/justin-trudeau-canada-coronavirus-stay-home,"Justin Trudeau has issued a stern warning to Canadians who ignore social distancing advice, telling citizens to “go home and stay home!” – and leaving open the possibility his government could take more extreme measures as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to rise. 
 
  Related: Tokyo 2020 Olympics in doubt as Canada becomes first team to pull out over coronavirus  
 
The blunt message on Monday came after images circulated online showing groups of people congregating in parks, along streets and on playing fields over the weekend. 
“We’ve all seen the pictures online of people who seem to think they’re invincible,” the prime minister said. “Well, you’re not. Enough is enough.” 
Speaking from self-isolation after his wife tested positive for the coronavirus more than a week ago, Trudeau suggested his government could close provincial borders and use the law to ensure people respected quarantine rules and practice social distancing. 
 
 
  Trudeau’s tone was noticeably sterner today, including this warning to people who aren’t observing calls for social distancing. pic.twitter.com/HU2SySOhrm— Roland Paris (@rolandparis) 
  March 23, 2020
  
 
Trudeau’s remarks came before an evening call with provincial premiers who are expected to discuss both the possibility of closing provincial borders and levying steep fines for anyone caught congregating in a large group or ignoring orders to self-quarantine. 
Both Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island have recently taken the rare step of requiring everyone entering the province to self-isolate for two weeks, even if travelling from a neighbouring Canadian province. 
Canada closed its shared border with the US last week to all non-essential travel. 
 
  
  
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Trudeau’s comments came a day after his weekend address to the nation’s children, thanking them for their sacrifice as uncertainty and isolation weighed heavily on daily routines and social networks. 
“All of a sudden, you heard you can’t go on play dates or have sleepovers, your playgrounds and schools have closed and your March break was certainly different than what you’ve hoped for,” he said on Sunday. 
“I know this is a big change, but we have to do this not just for ourselves, but for our grandparents, our nurses, our doctors and everyone working at our hospitals and you kids are helping a lot.” 
The country has seen growing calls in recent days for the federal government to invoke the Emergencies and Quarantine Acts, two mechanisms that grant the federal government enormous power. 
Trudeau has so far been resistant to use such extreme measures – as have civil liberties groups – but he reiterated that “everything is on the table”. 
For now, he said, much of the responsibility to fight the pandemic remains with residents. 
“Fundamentally, it comes down to citizens making smart choices.” 
The country is poised to lose hundreds of thousands of jobs. Trudeau has recalled parliament for Tuesday where lawmakers are expected to pass billions in aid for unemployed Canadians and industries hard hit by the economic downturn. 
After testing more than 100,000 people, Canada has reported nearly 1,500 cases of Covid-19 – with 20 deaths attributed to the virus.",2020-03-23 18:10:41+01:00
world/2020/apr/14/justin-trudeau-coronavirus-canada-shutdown-remain-weeks,article,world,World news,2020-04-14 16:52:50+00:00,Trudeau warns Canada's coronavirus shutdown likely to remain for weeks,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/14/justin-trudeau-coronavirus-canada-shutdown-remain-weeks,"Justin Trudeau has warned that Canada’s economic shutdown is likely to remain in place for weeks, as coronavirus infections continue to climb across the country. 
“I know people are interested in when things will go back to normal. The reality is, it’s going to be weeks still,” the prime minister said on Tuesday. “It is going to be important to get our economy going – but we’re going to have to remain vigilant until such a time as a vaccine is found.” 
Trudeau’s measured comments come in stark contrast to Donald Trump, who has grown increasingly frustrated with the protracted slowdown of the American economy and has clashed with state governors over deciding when measures will ease. 
On Monday, the US president told reporters that his administration was “very close to completing a plan to open our country. Hopefully, even ahead of schedule.” 
 
  
  
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The Canadian economy has also ground a halt in recent weeks following advice from health officials to lock down much of the country, prompting the government to pass billions in temporary aid. Nearly 6 million Canadians have applied for the government’s relief measures, which provide C$2,000 (US$1,400) each month for four months. 
But while health officials are optimistic that early action by the country’s provinces may have avoided crisis-level admissions to hospital seen in New York City and much of northern Italy, Trudeau nonetheless cautioned that much of the risk was still present. 
“We must remain in this phase for some time to come,” he said. “We are not on the other side of the curve at this point. We’re not through this first wave of Covid-19.” 
 
  Related: 'We’re a part of the spread': flight attendant's guilt over Covid-19  
 
He also suggested that the border with the US would remain closed to all non-essential travel for weeks to come, calling it an “extremely important” measure of curbing the spread of the virus. 
As of Tuesday, Canada had recorded more than 26,100 cases of the coronavirus and 823 deaths, many of which happened at long-term care facilities. 
Trudeau extended his condolences to families that have lost loved ones in retirement homes. 
“We recognize the tragic and terrible stories that have come out of long-term care homes. We know we need to do more.”",2020-04-14 18:52:50+02:00
world/2020/apr/20/nova-scotia-shooting-latest-death-toll-trudeau-response,article,world,World news,2020-04-20 18:36:56+00:00,Nova Scotia shooting  death toll rises as Trudeau calls on Canadians to stand united,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/20/nova-scotia-shooting-latest-death-toll-trudeau-response,"Justin Trudeau has called on Canadians to stand unified in the face “senseless violence” as the confirmed death toll from the country’s deadliest mass shooting rose to 19 people, including the gunman. “No one man’s action can build a wall between us and a better day, no matter how evil, how thoughtless or how destructive,” the prime minister said on Monday morning. “As families grieve the loss of a loved one, all Canadians are standing with them.”   Related: Nova Scotia shooting: shock and surprise at killings by denturist    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) revised the death toll of the weekend shooting upwards on Monday and said they anticipated finding more victims from the rampage, which lasted for at least 12 hours. “I know this is a challenging time for Nova Scotians and that there are so many unanswered questions. I want to reassure you that we are working hard to find out as much information as possible in the days and weeks to come,” said Chris Leather, the RCMP chief superintendent, adding that officers were currently examining 16 crime scenes. “We will be in this for months to come.” Police said Gabriel Wortman, a 51-year-old denturist, disguised himself as a police officer before his first attack in the coastal town of Portapique on Saturday evening. The victims included a teacher, nurse, police officer, social worker and three married couples. Wortman was shot dead by police following a standoff late Sunday morning. With Nova Scotia already in lockdown in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus, Trudeau acknowledged the grieving process would be especially difficult, announcing a virtual Facebook vigil on Friday at 7pm.   graphic   “We are a country that stands united in our effort to defeat a pandemic, save lives and to help each other make it to a better day,” he said. “But yesterday we were jolted from that common cause by the senseless violence and tragedy.” The chaos began late Saturday evening, when police responded to emergency calls in Portapique. Residents told local media that Wortman set fire to numerous properties – including his own – and shot people fleeing for safety. Officers found “several casualties” inside and outside at a house in Portapique at 11.30pm, but couldn’t locate a suspect. On Monday, police said they anticipated finding additional victims in the remains of buildings that were burned down. Authorities haven’t yet determined a motivation for the attacks, but the fact that Wortman had created a replica RCM vehicle and “either a real uniform or a perfect facsimile” suggested his early actions were deliberate, said Leather. “His ability to move around the province undetected was surely greatly benefited by the fact that he had a vehicle that looked identical in every way to a marked police car,” Leather said. One resident told the Globe and Mail that Wortman arrived at his house Sunday morning, dressed as a police officer and driving what appeared to be a police car. Brandishing a pistol and rifle, Wortman began pounding on the door. “He came here to kill me,” the man told the Globe and Mail. “There’s no question about that.” The man and his wife hid until Wortman left. “He wasn’t killing enemies, he was killing his friends,” he said. “He was trying to beat down our door. It was beyond terrifying.” Wortman eventually swapped his police cruiser replica for a silver SUV on Sunday, leading police in a chase down a busy highway, culminating in a fatal shootout at a gas station in the town of Enfield. On Monday, police faced questions over why they didn’t send out text alerts to warn residents of an active shooter in the region, instead relying on Twitter to keep the public updated. Many rural communities in the province lack access to high-speed internet.     Constable Heidi Stevenson, one of the victims who had served on the force for 23 years. Photograph: Rcmp Halifax/EPA    Police said the victims included a police officer who was shot after responding to reports of the shooting on Sunday morning. Constable Heidi Stevenson, a mother of two, had served on the force for 23 years. “We have lost one of our own while she was protecting others,” said Leather. “This is the definition of a true hero.” As news of the shootings spread, family members and friends eulogized the victims on social media. Among the dead was Tom Bagley, who was killed as he rushed to help victims. “This beautiful soul was taken from me so unnecessarily. I can’t even comprehend it,” his daughter Charlene wrote on Facebook. Heather O’Brien, a nurse and grandmother from the town Truro in central Nova Scotia, was remembered for her kind spirit.   Related: Nova Scotia shooting: friends and family pay tribute to ‘beautiful souls’ lost in rampage    “The pain comes and goes in waves. I feel like I’m outside of my own body,” wrote her daughter Darcy Dobson, who described texting her mother minutes before she died – and the “monster” that killed her. “I want everyone to remember how kind she was … Let those things define her. Not the horrible way she died.” O’Brien’s niece Megan Brown remembered her aunt as a “healer” and a “bright light”. Greg and Jamie Blair, a husband and wife, were also among those killed. “I have absolutely no words for the heartache my family & many others are going through,” wrote Jessica MacBurnie on Facebook. The couple, married in 2014, leave behind their two children. Lisa McCully, a teacher and mother of two, was also killed during the rampage, according to her sister and the Nova Scotia teacher’s union. “She was somebody who taught from the heart,” said the union president, Paul Wozney. “She taught her kids not just the curriculum but teaching about virtues and personal qualities.” On the Nova Scotia Kitchen Party Facebook group – originally created for residents to connect and sing together during the coronavirus pandemic – members posted tributes to the victims and sang songs, including Amazing Grace.  The massacre in Nova Scotia is the worst of its kind in Canadian history, eclipsing the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, in which 14 women were killed in Montreal. A man driving a van deliberately ran over and killed 10 people in Toronto in April 2018 and a man shot dead six people at an Islamic cultural centre in Quebec City in 2017. In his remarks on Monday, Trudeau also addressed children living in Nova Scotia. “I know the world can seem like a mean and ugly place right now, but there’s a whole lot of good in the world too. You’ll see it in your neighbours and in Canadians in the days and months ahead,” he said. “This is a difficult time and it can be a scary time too. But we’re here for you and we’re going to get through this together, I promise.” • This article was amended on 21 April 2020. The number of women killed in 1989 at the École Polytechnique was 14, not 15 as an earlier version said. This has been corrected.",2020-04-20 20:36:56+02:00
world/2020/apr/28/canada-trudeau-coronavirus-quebec-ease-lockdown,article,world,World news,2020-04-28 16:43:35+00:00,Trudeau urges caution as Quebec plans to ease lockdown: ‘We’re not out of the woods yet’,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/28/canada-trudeau-coronavirus-quebec-ease-lockdown,"Justin Trudeau has urged caution as Canada’s most populous provinces announce plans to ease their lockdown measures, highlighting the challenge of balancing public health recommendations with a growing pressure to loosen coronavirus restrictions. “The measures we’ve taken so far are working. In fact, in many parts of the country the curve has flattened,” Trudeau said on Tuesday. “But we’re not out of the woods yet. We’re in the middle of the most serious public health emergency Canada has ever seen and if we lift measures too quickly, we might lose the progress we’ve made.” Quebec – the hardest-hit region in the country with more than 1,600 deaths – plans to reopen elementary schools and childcare facilities on 11 May. The province has opted to suspend the return of high school until autumn, fearing that 1 million students descending on schools could trigger a second wave of Covid-19 cases. But officials have acknowledged growing concerns the sustained lockdown could have on younger children.   Related: Canada's bid to beat back coronavirus exposes stark gaps between the provinces    “Life must go on,” said the premier, François Legault, adding that parents would not be required to send their children to school and that older teachers with health concerns would be permitted to work from home. On Tuesday afternoon, Quebec is set to announce plans for businesses to reopen. Ontario, in contrast, has taken a far more cautious approach, announcing what the premier, Doug Ford, called a “road map” rather than “calendar” on Monday. “The framework is about how we’re reopening – not when we’re reopening,” said Ford. Unlike Quebec, the province will not name specific dates for when activities such as going to parks or offices can return to normal. Instead, Ontario’s framework is tied to expanded testing, the ability to rapidly trace new outbreaks and a sustained drop in new Covid-19 cases in the province’s hospitals. Ontario has so far recorded nearly 900 deaths from the coronavirus. “Let me be crystal clear: as long as this virus remains a threat to Ontario, we will continue to take every precaution necessary,” said Ford on Monday. Schools will remain closed until at least 31 May, but the province’s education minister, Stephen Lecce, has signalled that closure could extend further. Both Ontario and Quebec, which shut down at roughly the same time in March, have grappled with a high rate of fatalities in long-term care homes , and have requested the federal government send the military to work in understaffed facilities. Other regions of the country, including Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, have emerged largely unscathed from the outbreak, recording five deaths in all three provinces combined. Saskatchewan plans to reopen golf courses and campgrounds in May and New Brunswick will permit physical distancing guidelines to ease in the coming weeks. Canada has recorded nearly 50,000 cases of the virus across the country, with more than 2,700 deaths. On Tuesday, federal officials said previous models had underpredicted the fatality rate of the virus, as Covid-19 takes hold in long-term care facilities in the country. Nearly 80% of deaths in the country have occurred in these facilities. By 5 May, updated forecasting suggests the country will have probably recorded between 3,300 and 3,900 death, said the chief public health officer, Dr Theresa Tam, warning that control measures like physical distancing were still required. “Relaxing controls too early could squander our efforts to date and put us at risk for another outbreak,” she said.",2020-04-28 18:43:35+02:00
world/2020/may/01/canada-assault-weapons-ban-trudeau-nova-scotia-shooting,article,world,World news,2020-05-01 15:40:24+00:00,Trudeau announces Canada is banning assault-style weapons,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/01/canada-assault-weapons-ban-trudeau-nova-scotia-shooting,"Canada has banned assault-style weapons following the murder of 22 people in the worst mass shooting in the country’s history, Justin Trudeau announced on Friday. 
“These weapons were designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time. There is no use and no place for such weapons in Canada,” said the prime minister. “Effective immediately, it is no longer permitted to buy, sell, transport, import or use military-grade assault weapons in this country.” 
After the Nova Scotia shooting last week, Trudeau said his government intended “strengthen gun control” to fulfil a campaign promise to restrict certain weapons – a plan that had initially been derailed by the coronavirus pandemic. 
 
  Related: Twelve hours of terror: how the Nova Scotia shooting rampage unfolded  
 
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said on Tuesday that the Nova Scotia gunman, Gabriel Wortman, had been armed with two semi-automatic rifles and several semi-automatic pistols. 
Supt Darren Campbell said that one of the guns could be described “military-style assault rifle”. 
The new ban would probably not have stopped Wortman from obtaining his weapons: he did not have a license to possess or purchase firearms, and police have said they believe the guns were obtained illegally in Canada and the United States. 
The prime minister announced a two-year “amnesty period” to allow gun owners to comply with the law. The ban covers 1,500 models and variants of firearms. 
Canada has one of the highest per capita gun ownership rates in the world, at an estimated 34.7 firearms per 100 people, according to the Small Arms Survey in 2018. The country still trails far behind the US, which has close to 120 guns per 100 people. 
While Trudeau promised in 2015 that a Liberal government would make it more difficult for gun owners to acquire certain types of firearms, it wasn’t until the most recent election campaign that the prime minister promised a full ban on “military-style assault weapons” if re-elected. 
“As long as Canadians are losing their loved ones to gun violence, not enough has changed,” Trudeau said in September. “We know you do not need a military-grade assault weapon, one designed to kill the largest amount of people in the shortest amount of time, to take down a deer.” 
At present, the Firearms Act does not make a distinction between “military-style” weapons and other type of long guns – meaning the government would also need to add amend the law. 
Trudeau had also previously promised to ban the Ruger Mini-14 rifle, the weapon used in the 1989 École Polytechnique shooting in Montreal, in which 14 women were murdered. 
The move to heavily restrict access to certain firearms will probably prompt anger from the opposition Conservative party and Canada’s gun lobby – but a ban of certain weapons can be carried out through cabinet, bypassing the need for legislation. 
“Justin Trudeau is using the current pandemic and the immediate emotion of the horrific attack in Nova Scotia to push the Liberals’ ideological agenda to make major firearms policy changes,” said the Conservative leader, Andrew Scheer, following Trudeau’s comments. “Taking firearms away from law-abiding citizens does nothing to stop dangerous criminals who obtain their guns illegally.” 
Ken Price, whose daughter Samantha was hurt in a 2018 mass shooting in Toronto in which two people were killed and 13 injured, said he was “pleased to see movement” on the issue. 
“Having weapons that can be configured so that they inflict massive damage just doesn’t seem like the right thing to do – nor is it reflective of what the average Canadian wants,” he said. “And this still leaves plenty of choice for hunters, fishermen and sport shooters.” 
Price said Canada should also tighten controls on handguns and introduce “red flag laws” – enabling authorities to remove firearms from individuals deemed a risk to themselves or others – but said he was “pleased to see movement” on assault weapons. 
An “overwhelming majority” majority of Canadians – nearly four out of five people – support the ban, according to a poll from the Angus Reid Institute, released Friday.",2020-05-01 17:40:24+02:00
world/2020/may/29/justin-trudeau-george-floyd-reaction-racism,article,world,World news,2020-05-29 18:25:08+00:00,Trudeau: Canadians watching US unrest and police violence in ‘shock and horror’,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/29/justin-trudeau-george-floyd-reaction-racism,"Canadians are watching unrest and police violence in the United States in “shock and horror”, Justin Trudeau said on Friday – but the prime minister cautioned that his country also has entrenched problems with racism.  
The city of Minneapolis has been rocked by a third night of violent protests over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, after a white police officer knelt on his neck as he lay on the ground following arrest.  
“Many Canadians of diverse backgrounds are watching, like all Canadians are, the news out of the United States with shock and with horror,” Trudeau told reporters at a daily briefing. 
“Anti-black racism – racism – is real. It’s in the United States but it’s also in Canada and we know people are facing systemic discrimination, unconscious bias and anti-black racism every single day,” said Trudeau, calling on the country to “stand together in solidarity” against racial hate. “We have work to do as well in Canada.”  
Racial inequities continue to persist throughout the country – a grim reality that is often apparent during interactions with police.  
In December 2018, the province of Ontario released a landmark report that found black residents in Toronto – the country’s largest city – are 20 times more likely to be shot dead by the police than white residents.  
“It’s a very Canadian tradition to speak in platitudes, to refer to the underground railroad and to speak about Canada as a haven and a place that acknowledges its past mistakes,” said Robyn Maynard, author of Policing Black Lives. “But we continue to see similar structural harms and structural kinds of violence as we do in places where leaders make more overtly vitriolic statements towards black communities.” 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
Last month, 26-year-old D’Andre Campbell was shot dead by police inside his own home, north of Toronto, after Campbell himself called 911. 
Earlier this week, the family of Regis Korchinski-Paquet said a police officer shoved the young woman over the balcony of the family’s 24th-floor apartment, where she fell to her death. The case is currently under investigation by an arms-length police watchdog. 
Maynard also pointed out the coronavirus pandemic continues to have a disproportionate impact on black and indigenous residents, who are overrepresented in the country’s prison population. 
“We continue to see prisons and jails being epicentres of outbreaks,” she said. “Yet there is failure on the part of the federal government to meaningfully release to release prisoners.” 
Trudeau’s unprompted remarks marked a notable departure for a leader who has gone to great lengths to avoid irritating his US counterpart, Donald Trump. 
 
  Related: Canada is hailed for its tolerance but is it ready to confront its racism?  
 
Canadian prime ministers have traditionally refrained from discussing political and social turmoil in the US – Canada’s main ally and largest trading partner.  
Justin Trudeau has long spoken about the need to tackle racism, but his re-election campaign was marred by pictures of him in blackface as a young man. ",2020-05-29 20:25:08+02:00
world/2020/jun/05/justin-trudeau-takes-a-knee-but-is-silent-on-reforms-to-policing,article,world,World news,2020-06-05 23:15:21+00:00,Justin Trudeau takes a knee but is silent on reforms to policing,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/05/justin-trudeau-takes-a-knee-but-is-silent-on-reforms-to-policing,"Justin Trudeau took a knee in solidarity with anti-racism demonstrators on Friday, but remained silent at the event as his government faces questions over how it plans to address police violence.  
Wearing a black mask and surrounded by bodyguards, the Canadian prime minister made a surprise appearance at the No justice = No peace rally in Ottawa. 
After he knelt with protesters, a number of attendees thanked him for the gesture. But, for others, Trudeau’s actions rang hollow. 
“I’m not interested in bullshit publicity stunts, especially now,” said Andray Domise, a Toronto-based writer. “How the hell can you kneel against police brutality? When everything in your record indicates you have no problem with it. It boggles the mind to watch him turn to the camera – almost like he was confirming that he was being filmed – and kneeling.” 
The prime minister has previously received criticism for attending demonstrations. In September he joined a climate rally in Montreal, even though his government has been widely criticised by activists for bailing out a contentious pipeline expansion project.  
 
 
  Trudeau takes a knee at BLM rally in Ottawa. Nice gesture but isn't this a cop/protestor thing? Or is it a solidarity thing? Or is it a virtue-signaling thing? Because it's him, I don't know. pic.twitter.com/3c6y6PpKGr— Dean Blundell (@ItsDeanBlundell) 
  June 5, 2020
  
 
Earlier in the day, Trudeau acknowledged the country had problems within its policing systems, following a number of violent incidents – including the killing of Chantel Moore, a 26-year-old Indigenous woman shot dead by police early on Thursday morning.  
“Far too many Canadians feel fear and anxiety at the sight of law enforcement officers,” Trudeau told reporters. “Over the past weeks, we’ve seen a large number of Canadians suddenly awaken to the fact that the discrimination that is a lived reality for far too many of our fellow citizens is something that needs to end.” 
Reporters asked Trudeau to name specific policy changes his government would implement, and if he believed police officers in Canada were racist, but he declined to answer either question directly.  
Earlier in the day, Indigenous Services minister Marc Miller condemned Moore’s killing. “I’m pissed. I’m outraged. There needs to be a full accounting of what has gone on,” he said. This is a pattern that keeps repeating itself.” 
The march in Ottawa, attended by thousands, followed days of protest over police brutality and racism across the US, prompted by the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.  
But activists pointed out that Canada had its own problems with race and policing: black residents of Toronto are 20 times as likely to be shot dead as white residents. 
 
  Related: Canada police under scrutiny after two women die after encounters with officers  
 
At a march in Toronto on Friday, the city’s police chief, Mark Saunders, also took a knee with other officers near police headquarters. 
The city’s police service has come under fire in recent days, after a woman fell to her death following a police response to a mental health emergency. In light of the incident, which police are prohibited from speaking about, Saunders has pledged to expedite the rollout of body cameras on officers. 
The incident closely mirrored an event in the city of London, Ontario last month, when the mother of 27-year-old Caleb Tubila Njoko called police for help after her son displayed erratic behaviour. Police arrived at the apartment and her son fell from the balcony. He died three days later.",2020-06-06 01:15:21+02:00
world/2020/jul/06/justin-trudeau-canada-trump-nafta-mexico-tariffs,article,world,World news,2020-07-06 15:46:17+00:00,Justin Trudeau snubs Nafta meeting with Trump in Washington,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/06/justin-trudeau-canada-trump-nafta-mexico-tariffs,"The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has declined an invitation to visit the White House this week to celebrate a new North American free trade deal, amid worsening coronavirus figures in the US and lingering tensions with Donald Trump. Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is due to meet Trump in Washington on Wednesday, and had urged Trudeau to attend the meeting.   Related: Armed man who broke into Trudeau residence charged with threatening to kill or injure PM    But in a statement on Monday, Trudeau’s office said: “We wish the United States and Mexico well at Wednesday’s meeting. While there were recent discussions about the possible participation of Canada, the prime minister will be in Ottawa this week for scheduled cabinet meetings and the long-planned sitting of parliament.” Last week, however, the prime minister had cited threats of new aluminum and steel tariffs as a potential factor in his decision. “We’re obviously concerned about the proposed issue of tariffs on aluminum and steel that the Americans have floated recently,” Trudeau told reporters. American officials cited national security concerns when they imposed tariffs on imported steel and aluminum from Canada and Mexico during negotiations for the North American trade pact last year, which came into effect on 1 July. The tariffs – long a source of frustration for Canadian negotiators – were seen as a repudiation of the historically close relationship between the two countries. Had he accepted the invitation, the visit would have marked the first meeting between the two leaders since fresh details of Trump’s dislike of Trudeau emerged in a new book by the former US national security adviser, John Bolton. In one instance, after Trudeau expressed frustration over US tariffs, Trump allegedly told aides to “attack” the prime minister. “Trump’s direction [to senior economic adviser Larry Kudlow] was clear: just go after Trudeau. Don’t knock the others. Trudeau’s a ‘behind-your-back guy,’” Bolton writes in The Room Where It Happened. Soon after, the White House aide Peter Navarro went on TV and said there was a “special place in hell” for Trudeau because of the way he treated Trump. In addition to a politically fractious relationship with the president, Trudeau had cited concerns over the “health situation and the coronavirus reality that is still hitting all three of our countries” as another factor in his decision. With the outbreak worsening in the US, more than 80% of Canadians say the shared border, which temporarily closed in March, should remain off limits for travellers, according to a new poll from Nanos Research/The Globe and Mail. The US recorded more than 52,000 new cases of the virus on Sunday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as officials try to blunt large viral outbreaks in the southern and western regions of the country. There are an estimated 2.9m recorded cases, with more than 1.5m active cases. Canada, meanwhile, reported 226 new coronavirus cases and nearly 28,000 active cases on Sunday – with health officials cautiously expressing optimism that the country was past its peak.",2020-07-06 17:46:17+02:00
world/2020/jul/08/canada-trudeau-trump-coronavirus-covid-19,article,world,World news,2020-07-08 17:13:37+00:00,"Canada has handled coronavirus outbreak better than US, Trudeau says",https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/08/canada-trudeau-trump-coronavirus-covid-19,"Canada has handled the coronavirus outbreak better than many of its allies, including the United States, said Justin Trudeau on Wednesday, in a rare public comment on the faltering effort to contain the pandemic in the US. Canada – with a population a tenth of the size of the United States – has so far recorded 8,711 deaths and 106,167 cases and Trudeau said the situation was stabilizing, although some hotspots remained. In contrast, the United States on Wednesday surpassed more than 3m cases and 131,000 deaths. Authorities have reported alarming upswings of daily case loads in roughly two dozen states over the past two weeks. “We were able to control the virus better than many of our allies, particularly including our neighbor,” Trudeau told a briefing, saying this would help efforts to restart the economy. Canada and the United States have blocked non-essential travel between the two nations since March and are discussing whether to extend the ban when it expires on 21 July. In a poll this week, more than 80% of Canadians said the shared border should remain off limits for travellers. Canadian health officials said the death toll could hit 8,900 by 17 July. Deputy chief public health officer Howard Njoo said the outbreak was largely under control, while stressing measures such as contact tracing and quarantine would still be essential.   Related: 'It's like night and day': Trudeau's and Trump's Covid-19 responses fuel wildly different outcomes    “If we relax too much or too soon, the epidemic will most likely rebound, with explosive growth as a distinct possibility,” he told a separate news conference. Although Trudeau’s relations Donald Trump have been good over the last 18 months, he skipped a Washington meeting on Wednesday to herald the start of a new continental trade agreement with the US and Mexico. Trudeau, who would have had to enter a 14-day quarantine period on his return, repeated concerns about the possible imposition of US tariffs on Canadian exports of aluminum. ",2020-07-08 19:13:37+02:00
world/2020/jul/10/justin-trudeau-faces-calls-for-criminal-investigation-into-familys-charity-links,article,world,World news,2020-07-10 19:16:55+00:00,Justin Trudeau faces calls for criminal investigation into family's charity links,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/10/justin-trudeau-faces-calls-for-criminal-investigation-into-familys-charity-links,"Political rivals of Justin Trudeau are calling for a criminal investigation after it emerged that members of his family were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by a charity to which his government recently awarded a substantial contract. The multinational WE Charity confirmed on Thursday that Trudeau’s wife, mother and brother had been paid for appearances at charity events over the years. Margaret Trudeau, the prime minister’s mother and wife of the former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, has been paid nearly C$250,000 (US$182,000) since 2016 – far more than any other family member.   Related: 'I need help': Sophie Grégoire Trudeau's plea sparks anger in Canada    “That revelation raises the need for the police to take a look at it,” said the Conservative member of parliament Michael Barrett on Friday. Barrett said his colleagues believed there were “sufficient grounds” for the RCMP to investigate a violation of Canada’s conflict-of-interest laws. In a statement, the prime minister’s office said: “The Prime Minister’s relatives engage with a variety of organizations and support many personal causes on their own accord.” Scrutiny of the Trudeau family’s relationship with the charity stems from a government contract which it was awarded in June to administer a C$900m student-work program.  Under the terms of the deal, the charity was to be paid at least C$19.5m. Amid questions over a potential conflict of interest, the government and WE Charity said the cancellation of the contract was “mutually agreed” on 3 July. Yves-François Blanchet, the leader of the small Bloc Québécois party – and a legislative ally of Trudeau’s minority government – has called on the prime minister to “step aside” until the ethics commissioner completes his investigation. “The prime minister should temporarily hand over the reins of power to the deputy prime minister [Chrystia Freeland], who we would offer to work with,” Blanchet said. The Conservatives have not made a similar request. Trudeau has said he did not recuse himself from the decision to award the contract, despite his family’s ties to the charity. News that Trudeau’s brother, mother and wife all receive payments from WE Charity over the years contradicts previous statements by the prime minister’s office and the charity itself. WE Charity initially told the media outlet Canadaland that Margaret Trudeau had not been paid for appearances at charity events. The PM’s office told the Globe and Mail that Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Trudeau’s wife, never received compensation from the charity. The investigation by the ethics commissioners marks the third time the prime minister has faced queries into his conduct as leader. In August 2019, the country’s ethics commissioner, Mario Dion, determined Trudeau violated the country’s ethics laws when he urged his attorney general not to prosecute an engineering company in a conflict-of-interest case. And in 2017, the previous commissioner found that the prime minister violated conflict-of-interest laws a year earlier when he took two all-expenses-paid family trips, including a helicopter ride, to a private residence in the Bahamas owned by the Aga Khan.",2020-07-10 21:16:55+02:00
world/2020/aug/18/canada-finance-minister-resigns-bill-morneau-justin-trudeau,article,world,World news,2020-08-18 03:11:02+00:00,Canada finance minister resigns amid charity scandal and reports of tensions with Trudeau,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/18/canada-finance-minister-resigns-bill-morneau-justin-trudeau,"Canada’s finance minister has announced his resignation amid reports of differences with prime minister Justin Trudeau over spending to protect the economy during the coronavirus pandemic and allegations of conflict of interest. Bill Morneau said he is leaving politics and has put his name forward as a candidate to lead the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Trudeau thanked Morneau for his five years as finance minister and said in a statement that Canada would support his bid to lead the OECD.    Earlier today, I spoke with and accepted Minister @Bill_Morneau’s resignation. Since he was first elected and became Canada’s Finance Minister, Bill has worked tirelessly to support all Canadians and create an economy that benefits everyone.— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 17, 2020    Morneau and Trudeau have reportedly butted heads amid spending to backstop the pandemic-hammered economy. Morneau said he was not asked to resign but added that he is no longer the appropriate the person for the job. Canada’s government is predicting a historic C$343bn ($260bn) deficit for 2020-21 resulting from its economic plans to tackle the impact of Covid-19. Trudeau has called the spending a lifeline to Canadians battling to stay afloat. Recent news that Mark Carney, a former governor of both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, is advising Trudeau during the pandemic fuelled speculation that Morneau might be replaced. Carney and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland would be considered favourites to replace Morneau but a senior government official told the Associated Press Carney was not a potential candidate. Opposition parties have been calling for Morneau’s resignation over allegations that he had a conflict of interest in a controversy with WE Charity, and had to pay the organisation more than $40,000 in travel expenses it incurred on his behalf.   Related: Toronto: 550 people exposed to Covid-19 at Toronto strip club    He told MPs in July: “I expected and always had intended to pay the full cost of these trips, and it was my responsibility to make sure that was done. “Not doing so, even unknowingly, is not appropriate. I want to apologise for this error on my part.” Morneau – two of whose daughters have either worked or volunteered for WE Charity – has also said he should have recused himself from discussions on the decision to task WE Charity with running a student grant program called the Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG). “I wish that, in hindsight, that we had done things differently around the WE Charity,” Morneau said. The WE charity scandal has also touched Trudeau, who has admitted he should have recused himself from a cabinet decision to award a contract to We Charity to administer money to students having trouble finding work due to the pandemic. Trudeau’s family has worked for the organisation that won the contract to run the almost billion-dollar program. Trudeau’s wife, brother and mother have been paid a combined $300,000 Canadian (US$221,000) to speak at a number of WE events. Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, said Morneau’s resignation was not a surprise. “By firing Morneau, Trudeau is hoping to take the attention off himself,” Wiseman said. “I don’t think the departure was a product of policy differences, although the prime minister’s office would like to make it so appear”, he said. Morneau has been Trudeau’s finance minister since the prime minister took office in 2015. He is the former head of Canadas largest human resources firm, Morneau Shepell. ",2020-08-18 05:11:02+02:00
world/2020/aug/18/canada-justin-trudeau-bill-morneau-covid-19-green-recovery,article,world,World news,2020-08-18 15:34:34+00:00,Canada: departure of finance minister suggests Trudeau will pursue ‘green’ recovery plan,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/18/canada-justin-trudeau-bill-morneau-covid-19-green-recovery,"With a projected C$343bn (US$260bn) Covid-shaped deficit, a collapsing oil and gas sector, and a province on the verge of bankruptcy over a botched energy project, Canada is at a crossroads. Does it pursue an ambitious “green” post-pandemic economic recovery plan that goes against the wishes of a number of influential and powerful industries – not to mention several provincial leaders – or does the tenuous Justin Trudeau-led minority government freeze in the headlights?   Related: Canada finance minister resigns amid charity scandal and reports of tensions with Trudeau    The apparently acrimonious departure of the finance minister, Bill Morneau, late on Monday, suggests Trudeau has made his choice. Over his five-year tenure, Morneau was seen by many Canadians as taking a conservative approach to spending on environment – and more recently, on Covid relief. Trudeau, in contrast, made environmental promises a centerpiece of last year’s re-election campaign. It was inevitable that the two would eventually arrive at an impasse. Now, Trudeau’s right-hand woman Chrystia Freeland will take over the finance portfolio in addition to her role as deputy prime minister. As one of the key architects of the new Nafta agreement, Freeland has experience marrying economic objectives to broader social and environmental goals, making her better-positioned to carry out Trudeau’s environmental promises.   Related: Justin Trudeau tells MPs he did not intervene to award contract to charity    But the road ahead still won’t be easy, said Bruce Lourie, the president of the environmental thinktank the Ivey Foundation as well as a member of a taskforce advocating for a green post-Covid recovery. “When you have politicians in three or four provinces that are just emerging from climate denialism, and a system of federation where the provinces at the end of the day have almost full responsibility for environmental, resource and energy decisions, it creates a virtually unmanageable country,” he said. “That’s a bigger challenge than Morneau and finance.” Canada’s post-pandemic recovery is creating a moment of reckoning, one in which Trudeau has to decide whether to pursue his ambitious green aspirations even if they come at a political cost. For years, he has been accused of talking out of both sides of his mouth when it comes to energy, investing in solar, wind and hydro but also building new pipelines. Under the Paris agreement, Canada vowed to reduce greenhouse gases by 30% below 2005 levels by 2030 – a goal that will probably be impossible to meet with so much of the economy presently relying on Alberta’s oil sands. It will be even tougher if the Trans Mountain, Coastal GasLink and Keystone XL pipelines go ahead.   Related: What if Canada had spent $200bn on wind energy instead of oil?    Kyla Tienhaara, the Canada Research Chair in economy and environment and an assistant professor in environmental studies at Queen’s University, told the Guardian that a majority of Canadians still support federal investment in green sectors such as wind and solar energy despite the country’s deficit. Further, Tienhaara said Alberta’s recent economic hardship is not purely a consequence of Covid: companies such as Shell have been leaving the region for years. “That’s because the oil there is very costly to extract, both environmentally and economically. It’s the first type of oil that is going to go in the transition, and the transition is inevitable. Renewable energy is just becoming so much more economically sensible,” she said. Lourie, meanwhile, has briefed key Liberal caucus ministers on his taskforce’s “five bold moves” to make sure Canada’s post-Covid recovery is as sustainable and resilient as possible. The reception was positive, he said, and Trudeau is “100% committed” to acting on climate change. The challenge is rounding up the cavalry – and making a decision about Morneau is essential to a strong showing, especially in Trudeau’s minority government. This is the time, said Lourie, for the Liberals to show leadership by pitching an economic model that delivers on the country’s environmental responsibilities.",2020-08-18 17:34:34+02:00
world/2020/aug/18/justin-trudeau-scandal-prorogue-parliament,article,world,World news,2020-08-18 23:28:35+00:00,Trudeau accused of attempting to cover up scandal by proroguing parliament,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/18/justin-trudeau-scandal-prorogue-parliament,"Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is facing accusations that his decision to prorogue parliament is little more than an attempt to cover up an ethics scandal – and walk away from his duties during a pivotal moment in the pandemic. On Tuesday afternoon, Trudeau asked Julie Payette, governor general, to prematurely end the current parliamentary session. He vowed to resume on 23 September with a speech from the throne, followed by a confidence vote. The move to “reset” the government because of Covid comes amid committee investigations into the WE charity affair, in which Trudeau and former finance minister Bill Morneau face accusations of an improper financial relationship with the international development organization. Both men have apologized for not recusing themselves amid apparent conflicts of interest. Prorogation will suspend all government business, including the investigation. The Conservative leader, Andrew Scheer, called Trudeau “spineless” and said the prime minister is “walking out on Canadians in the middle of a major health and economic crisis, in a disgusting attempt to make Canadians forget about his [alleged] corruption”. Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democrats, also questioned the timing of Trudeau’s decision. “Shutting down parliament in the middle of a pandemic and an economic crisis, with a planned sitting next week and committees working hard to get answers and solutions for Canadians is wrong,” he tweeted. The timing of prorogation is questionable even beyond the WE affair, Singh pointed out. With Cerb – Canada’s $2,000-a-month emergency citizen relief benefit – ending 26 September, and with schools returning to class in the coming weeks, the country is at a particularly volatile point of its pandemic recovery. In a news conference Tuesday, Trudeau attempted to put a positive spin on the move, saying his government would use the five weeks between now and the throne speech to reset the Liberal agenda. “We are taking a moment to recognize that the throne speech we delivered eight months ago made no mention of Covid-19, had no conception of the reality we find ourselves in right now,” he told journalists in Ottawa.   Related: Canada: departure of finance minister suggests Trudeau will pursue ‘green’ recovery plan    He said his minority government would put together a new ambitious plan that took the pandemic into consideration. In a question-and-answer period with the media, he hammered home his intentions to deliver a green post-pandemic economic recovery plan. He will also be expected to reveal details of how his government will support Canadians left unemployed and underemployed by Covid. Prorogation, however, is a politically risky move no matter what he unveils in September. It has been wielded by previous prime ministers, including Stephen Harper and Jean Chrétien, to avoid scrutiny of various financial and geopolitical scandals. Ahead of the 2015 federal election, the Liberals promised to never use the measure to “avoid difficult political circumstances”.",2020-08-19 01:28:35+02:00
world/2020/sep/10/we-charity-closes-canada-operations-after-scandal-linked-to-trudeau-family,article,world,World news,2020-09-10 00:38:09+00:00,WE Charity closes Canada operations after scandal linked to Trudeau family,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/10/we-charity-closes-canada-operations-after-scandal-linked-to-trudeau-family,"The charity at the centre of a political firestorm in Canada has announced it will shutter its operations in the country, the latest in a scandal that has placed prime Justin Trudeau at the centre of a parliamentary and ethics investigation. Citing sustained damage to its brand, as well as the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger announced plans to scale down the operations of the WE Charity in Canada. The brothers, who co-founded the charity, also announced they would leave the organization. “Covid-19 disrupted every aspect of our work,” the brothers wrote in a letter on Wednesday, adding that WE was “in the middle of political battles and misinformation that we are ill-equipped to fight”.   Related: Trudeau accused of attempting to cover up scandal by proroguing parliament    The organization has extensive ties to a number of powerful figures in government, including the prime minister’s family. In July, WE confirmed that Trudeau’s wife, mother and brother had been paid for appearances at charity events over the years. Margaret Trudeau, the prime minister’s mother and wife of the former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, has been paid nearly C$250,000 (US$182,000) since 2016 – far more than any other family member. This relationship came under scrutiny after WE was selected to administer a C$900m student-work program in June. As part of its closure, the organization plans to sell its Canadian assets to help pay for existing operations around the world, including its WE Charity hospital and projects in Latin America, Asia and Africa. The for-profit affiliate, ME to WE, which generates money through retail sales and travel programs and leadership courses, will also continue to operate. “We saw what was happening to our organization, but also what could happen to our partners and sponsors. So we reached out to them to let them know that we didn’t feel they should be dragged through the process,” Craig Kielburger told CTV News. “And the simple math is now the charity is spending more than it’s bringing in.” The closure of operations in Canada represents a shocking turn of fortune for the charity. Founded 25 years ago by the Kielburger brothers, WE was initially intended to direct charitable giving to children in developing countries around the world. But in recent years, the charity has become an influential presence throughout the country, known for its high-energy “WE Days”, where students pack stadiums to hear motivational speakers and musical performances. Under the terms of the student-work program deal, the charity was to be paid at least C$19.5m. Amid questions over a potential conflict of interest, the government and WE Charity said the cancellation of the contract was “mutually agreed” on 3 July. The scandal also ensnared former finance minister Bill Morneau, who had included more than C$40,000 in travel expenses with the charity. Two of Morneau’s daughters had also either worked or volunteered for WE Charity. Both Trudeau and Morneau apologized for their conduct in the affair and say they should have recused themselves in the decision making process. “I wish that, in hindsight, that we had done things differently around the WE Charity,” Morneau said, stepping down from his post as finance minister soon after. Opposition parties say they will resume investigations into the deal between Trudeau’s government and the charity when parliament returns in late September.",2020-09-10 02:38:09+02:00
world/2020/sep/21/trudeau-canada-prime-minister-covid,article,world,World news,2020-09-21 09:55:20+00:00,Trudeau bets on strength of his Covid response in gamble to stay in power,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/21/trudeau-canada-prime-minister-covid,"He has broken ethics laws twice and is facing investigation for a third possible violation. But Justin Trudeau is betting that his government’s handling of the coronavirus the pandemic will be enough to let him remain in power as he makes the riskiest gamble in his tenure as Canada’s prime minister.   Related: Trudeau accused of attempting to cover up scandal by proroguing parliament    In late August, as summer wound down and ethics investigations into his government’s dealings with a large charity ramped up, Trudeau prorogued parliament. He argued that the government needed to “reset” its priorities to reflect the Covid-19 pandemic and efforts to rebuild the economy – but the move also had the effect of quashing politically harmful investigations and committee hearings. Opposition parties cried foul, accusing Trudeau of attempting a cover-up – and pointing out that the prime minister had once pledged to never use “legislative tricks to avoid scrutiny”. With parliament set to resume on September 23, the Liberal party leader’s throne speech will present an updated vision for the country’s future. But the speech will double as a confidence vote, meaning Canadians will see if opposition parties are serious about bringing down the prime minister – or if their outrage was merely political posturing. The uproar over prorogation marks the latest twist in the whipsawing of political fortunes for Trudeau, whose tendency to find himself at the centre of controversy – often by his own doing – has sometimes harmed his government’s ability to stay on message. Before the pandemic, the prime minister’s poll numbers were poor after a bitterly contested fall election. “To be frank, his approval rating was in the crapper,” said Shachi Kurl, the executive director at the Angus Reid Institute, a Vancouver-based polling firm. “He hadn’t got back his lustre and shine.” But when the pandemic struck , shutting down Canada’s economy and casting millions out of work, the federal government scrambled into action. Small business loans, a wage subsidy and a monthly cash payment to residents were all deployed in a bid to prevent the country from teetering into a prolonged recession.    Almost always, minority government prime ministers go to election when they want one  Lori Turnbull     Those policies – and the government’s general handling of the pandemic – have been well received by voters. A recent Pew Research Center poll found 88% of Canadians supported their government’s response – a stark contrast to the frustration and anger that many Americans expressed in response to Donald Trump’s reaction to the crisis. But in June, the prime minister again found himself at the centre of controversy. Not long after the federal government announced the multinational WE Charity would administer a C$900m student work program, the media outlet Canadaland revealed that the organisation had paid Trudeau’s mother, brother and wife to speak at its events, and had extensive ties to other prominent Liberals. “Scandal is something that’s plagued this government over and over again. Frankly, they’ve shot themselves in the foot more often than the opposition has fired at them,” said Melissa Lantsman, a conservative strategist in Toronto. Opposition parties pounced, organizing committee hearings and forcing the prime minister to testify. It soon emerged that finance minister Bill Morneau, a powerful figure in the Trudeau government, had accepted two luxury trips from the WE Charity, without paying back travel expenses. One of his daughters was directly employed by WE and another had spoken to at multiple charity events. As pressure mounted, Morneau resigned – a high-profile loss for Trudeau’s government. Despite his carefully finessed public image, the prime minister is no stranger to scandal – or the loss of high-profile cabinet members. In 2017, the previous ethics commissioner found that Trudeau had violated conflict-of-interest laws when he took two all-expenses-paid family trips, including a helicopter ride, to a private residence in the Bahamas owned by the Aga Khan. And in 2019, Trudeau violated the country’s ethics laws when he urged his attorney general not to prosecute an engineering company that had paid bribes to Libyan officials. The affair cost him former justice Jody Wilson-Raybould and health minister Jane Philpott, as well as Trudeau’s longtime friend and adviser, Gerald Butts. While the prime minister has himself shown a preternatural ability to escape sustained political damage, rivals have sensed the fallout from the WE charity scandal could be different. “Eventually, even Teflon wears thin,” said Lantsman.     Trudeau at a school in Toronto in August. Photograph: Canadian Press/Rex/Shutterstock    The Conservatives, who recently chose Erin O’Toole as their new party leader, have already started transforming the party into a campaign-ready machine. O’Toole is reaching out to groups alienated by Conservatives (and their previous leader Andrew Scheer), hoping to sell the party as an alternative to Trudeau’s Liberals. A key part of that strategy includes reminding the public the prime minister is facing his third ethics investigation. “People were paying close attention to the WE Charity story over the summer. It really had legs,” said Kurl. “Because the scandal gave people something else to talk about other than the pandemic for a change.” Trudeau has injected a level of uncertainty into opposition calculations by promoting deputy prime minister and close ally Chrystia Freeland to finance minister – and hinting she will unveil an ambitious budget in the coming weeks that addresses gender inequities of the pandemic, bolsters the country’s social safety net, and plots the course for a “green” recovery. Experts see the move as a deft political play: parties that are unwilling to support large government spending during a pandemic – or seem uncomfortable with deficits – risk being seen by voters as callous during a difficult time. “Because of the stark reality of Covid-19 and the economic and public health crises that are all wrapped up in the pandemic, it’s going to be really hard for the Conservatives to make WE scandal a valid electoral question,” said Lori Turnbull, a professor of political science at Dalhousie University. “The prime minister wants to go to the polls on how the Liberal government took care of Canadians and Canadian businesses during Covid-19.” In last year’s election, the Liberals held 157 seats, shy of the 170 needed for a majority. For a fall election, all three major opposition parties – the Conservatives, Bloc Quebecois and the left wing New Democratic party (NDP) – would have to vote down the government’s agenda. Both the Bloc and Conservatives have indicated a willingness to bring down Trudeau’s Liberals – leaving the progressive NDP and its leader Jagmeet Singh in a difficult position. Singh’s party could use its power to influence policy in the upcoming throne speech, having indicated a desire to strengthen the country’s social assistance and childcare systems. But they risk overplaying their hand, forcing an election – and then losing seats. “Depending on how the Liberal government plays its cards, there is a risk that the NDP have a serious existential crisis on their hands,” said Turnbull. “In the event that Freeland’s budget is ‘fiscally responsible and doable’, Singh will need to be able to explain to people why we need the NDP.”   Related: Canada: departure of finance minister suggests Trudeau will pursue ‘green’ recovery plan    A fall election will also test the limits of predicting turnout amid a pandemic: early research suggests nearly 30% of the population wouldn’t feel comfortable casting a vote in person, said Kurl. “That’s huge,” she said. “What does it mean if you’ve supporters of one party say ‘Hey, we’ve got no problem with this – we’ll show up,’ and supporters of another party choose to stay home. What does that mean around the ballot?” Despite talk of a fall election, none of the parties have expressed interest in heading to the polls. But they haven’t ruled it out, suggesting they’re preparing for Trudeau’s next gambit. “Almost always, minority government prime ministers go to election when they want one,” said Turnbull. “If he wants to, Trudeau will engineer an election pretty handily – and likely only when he’s ready to do it.”",2020-09-21 11:55:20+02:00
world/2020/sep/23/trudeau-canada-coronavirus-throne-speech,article,world,World news,2020-09-23 22:18:02+00:00,Trudeau pledges tax on 'extreme wealth inequality' to fund Covid spending plan,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/23/trudeau-canada-coronavirus-throne-speech,"Justin Trudeau’s government has announced ambitious plans to spend billions on childcare, housing and healthcare – partly financed by taxing “extreme wealth inequality” – as Canada braces for an economically devastating second wave of coronavirus.   Related: 'It's like night and day': Trudeau's and Trump's Covid-19 responses fuel wildly different outcomes    “We are at a crossroads, and the future is in our hands” the prime minister said in a televised address to the nation Wednesday evening. But opposition parties quickly dismissed the minority government’s proposals, prompting speculation that Canada will soon head into another general election. “Across this country, millions of Canadians have lost their jobs. Many fear losing their homes. And too many have lost hope,” said the Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, who has been self-isolating after testing positive for the coronavirus last week. “Mr Trudeau says we’re all in this together. But Canada has never been more divided.” Earlier in the day, the prime minister’s speech from the throne – which customarily starts a new session of parliament and outlines a government’s priorities – was delivered by the governor-general, Julie Payette, on Wednesday afternoon. The speech included calls for green investment and a plan to create more than 1m new jobs, but was overshadowed by the pandemic which has killed 9,241 Canadians and left 2 million unemployed. In recent weeks, the number of new cases has surged, alarming public health officials and prompting a stern warning from the prime minister. “We’re on the brink of a fall that could be much worse than the spring,” Trudeau said on Wednesday. “It’s all too likely we won’t be gathering for Thanksgiving, but we still have a shot at Christmas.” The government’s address was delivered to a sparsely populated senate chamber: only a handful of members from various parties were present as the rest participated remotely. Two opposition leaders – O’Toole and Yves-François Blanchet of the Bloc Quebecois – were absent after testing positive for coronavirus. Trudeau’s government has won broad praise for its response to the pandemic – but also criticism from the opposition for its hefty spending on recovery. But in Wednesday’s address, the government said it would do “whatever it takes” to fight the coronavirus and rebuild the economy. “This is not the time for austerity,” said Payette. “This Covid-19 emergency has had huge costs. But Canada would have had a deeper recession and a bigger long-term deficit if the government had done less.” A major element of the speech was a plan to raise revenue by finding “additional ways to tax extreme wealth inequality” including “tax avoidance by digital giants”. The speech also focused on a growing concern over the power of tech companies like Facebook. While Canada has been spared the rates of mortality seen in the neighbouring US, it has seen a surge of cases in recent weeks, and the unprecedented setting and content of the speech underscored the deep impact coronavirus has inflicted. Announcing the prorogation of parliament in August, Trudeau said his government’s previous pre-pandemic throne speech in December had “no conception of the reality we find ourselves in right now”. The prime minister had hinted his government planned a “green recovery”. But a looming second wave of the coronavirus has derailed much of that vision, instead making the immediate response to the pandemic the most pressing issue. Since the summer, cases have jumped from roughly 300 cases per day into more than 1,200 and the economy has remained in the doldrums. The plan to create a million new jobs is meant to address economic concerns. But it comes just as a C$2,000 monthly payment for residents unable to work because of the coronavirus, is set to end on 26 September. While the government plans to relax unemployment insurance rules, it is unclear if all workers will qualify for new benefits. Trudeau’s minority government will need the support of at least one opposition to survive a confidence vote in the coming weeks. While opposition parties had called for paid sick leave guarantees and more funding for provinces, neither were explicitly mentioned in the speech.   Related: Trudeau bets on strength of his Covid response in gamble to stay in power    Following the speech, the Conservative deputy leader, Candice Bergen, said her party was “very, very displeased” with the Liberals’ plan. “We believe that it is not what Canadians need,” she said The NDP leader Jagmeet Singh – whose support appears critical for the Liberal government to survive – suggested he will not support the throne speech without further protections for sick workers and a guaranteed monthly government benefit. “I’m not looking for an excuse to go to an election,” he said. “I don’t think that’s going to help people.”",2020-09-24 00:18:02+02:00
world/2020/oct/27/justin-trudeau-blunt-assessment-pandemic-really-sucks,article,world,World news,2020-10-27 21:23:39+00:00,Justin Trudeau offers blunt assessment of global pandemic: ‘It really sucks’,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/27/justin-trudeau-blunt-assessment-pandemic-really-sucks,"As countries around the world contemplate fresh lockdowns, spiraling caseloads and the inexorable surge of new Covid-19 deaths, leaders have at times struggled to capture the frustration and despair brought on by the crisis. 
 
  Related: A Trump win or a disputed result are Canadians' worst fears  
 
But Justin Trudeau probably came close to successfully channelling the global mood when he offered a blunt assessment of the situation on Tuesday. 
“We are in an unprecedented global pandemic that … really sucks,” he said. 
The prime minister’s remarks came as Canada approaches 10,000 deaths from coronavirus and a fresh leap in case numbers, and they marked a sharp departure from the uplifting tone he often reaches for in public. 
“It’s tough going through this second wave. It’s frustrating having shut down all of us – our lives through the spring – and now be forced to make more difficult choices, and knowing that it’s going to be a tough winter ahead as well.” 
Trudeau’s message also offered a stark contrast to the dismissive or over optimistic tone set by some other world leaders – such as Jair Bolsonaro who dismissed coronavirus as a “little flu”, and Donald Trump, who has repeatedly claimed that the end of the pandemic is “round the corner”. 
In a tweet on Monday, Trump falsely claimed that a recent rise in cases was actually the result of increased testing, and complained that he was the victim of a “media conspiracy” against his re-election campaign. More than 226,000 Americans have died of coronavirus. 
Lori Turnbull, a professor of political science at Dalhousie university, said that Trudeau’s comments appeared to be a plain recognition of the facts rather than the result of a media strategy. 
“We’re in the middle of a second wave. Ontario and Quebec are getting hit particularly hard. This is not where he wants to be at all. He’s commiserating with people; he feels our pain and it’s his pain too,” she said. “We’re seeing political leaders in Canada use more blunt, plain language. Not because it’s overtly strategic, but because we’re in a crisis and we’re stuck here and we hate it.” 
 
  Related: 'It's like night and day': Trudeau's and Trump's Covid-19 responses fuel wildly different outcomes  
 
Like some other nations, Canada was able to get the virus largely under control by late summer, with only a handful of new infections in major cities by August. 
But as the weather turns chilly, the rapid spread of new cases has been a difficult and frustrating setback. 
Trudeau said that his six-year-old son recently asked if Covid-19 would last forever. 
“It sucks. It really, really does,” said the prime minister, acknowledging that family gatherings over the winter holidays were likely in jeopardy. “It’s frustrating to see friends at the other end of the country doing things you’d love to be able to do but you can’t.” 
Despite his bleak assessment, Trudeau also offered a positive note. 
“We will get through this. Vaccines are on the horizon,” he said. “Spring and summer will come and they will be better than this winter.”",2020-10-27 22:23:39+01:00
world/2020/nov/12/trudeau-upbeat-over-prospects-of-trade-deal-with-uk-by-end-of-year,article,world,World news,2020-11-12 17:14:34+00:00,Trudeau: UK's lack of negotiating practice could delay Canada trade deal,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/12/trudeau-upbeat-over-prospects-of-trade-deal-with-uk-by-end-of-year,"Canada could easily negotiate a post-Brexit trade deal with the UK, Justin Trudeau has said, but he warned that talks could be delayed because British negotiators are so out of practice. Speaking at an online event hosted by the Financial Times, the Canadian prime minister said he remained upbeat about the prospect of a trade deal between the two countries before the end of the year. “We know how to negotiate trade deals,” said Trudeau, alluding to a string of recent pacts sealed by Canada. “The UK hasn’t had to negotiate trade deals in the past few decades.” Any barrier to an agreement was likely to come from the UK as its negotiators juggled talks with multiple nations, Trudeau warned. “There is an issue of not really having the bandwidth within the [UK] government to move forward on this,” he said. As the Brexit transition comes to an end, Boris Johnson’s government has the difficult task of lining up deals with key non-EU nations, including Australia, New Zealand and the United States. With the 31 December deadline rapidly approaching and a number of deals still outstanding, the shadow trade secretary, Emily Thornberry, recently condemned the Conservative government’s inability to show completed trade pacts as an “abysmal and shambolic state of affairs”. Trudeau and the UK prime minister spoke earlier this week, discussing how to strengthen trade and economic co-operation between the two allies. Trade with Canada is worth nearly £17.4bn (C$30bn), according to government figures. About 700 UK-based firms have a presence in Canada, and 1,100 businesses in the UK are owned or controlled by Canadians. Trudeau’s government has signed a number of large trade pacts in recent years. In addition to joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership with 10 other Pacific nations, Canada recently completed a bruising and unpredictable set of free trade negotiations with the United States. Currently, economic relations between Canada and the UK are governed by the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta), a broad free-trade deal recently negotiated between Canada and the European Union that eliminated a number of pre-existing tariffs. Despite the challenges, Trudeau said he remained “very optimistic” that key provisions of Ceta could form the basis of the new agreement. “I’m very hopeful that it’s going to get done, but that really is up to the UK government because we’re there for it,” said Trudeau. “I just hope they can come around to it.” ",2020-11-12 18:14:34+01:00
world/2020/nov/25/leave-nato-justin-trudeau-pranked-by-russian-duo-posing-as-greta-thunberg,article,world,World news,2020-11-25 04:17:21+00:00,'Leave Nato': Justin Trudeau pranked by Russian duo posing as Greta Thunberg,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/25/leave-nato-justin-trudeau-pranked-by-russian-duo-posing-as-greta-thunberg,"Russian comedians Vovan and Lexus have struck again, this time pranking Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau in a phone call during which he believed he was talking to climate change activist Greta Thunberg. Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov, who call themselves Vovan and Lexus, released a recording of the phone call this week, in which they counsel Trudeau about world politics and request a chance to meet some of the characters from South Park – at which point the penny drops. Previous targets of Vovan and Lexus include Elton John, who they claim to have fooled by pretending to be Russian president Vladimir Putin keen to talk about gay rights.   Related: Kremlin calling? Meet the Russian pranksters who say 'Elton owes us'    During the 10-minute call, a third person – playing the teenage climate activist – tells Trudeau she is worried about a “growing international crisis and anticipation of the world war”. “It already leads to disaster,” says fake Greta. “It’s very scary,” to which Trudeau replies: “Yes indeed.” The call was made in January, days after the Iranian government shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing the 176 people on board. “You are adults but you act like children,” she says. “We can create a world where there is a place for everyone. For white and black. Christians and Muslims. Trump and Putin. for you and me. For Boris Johnson. For Corbyn. For Terrance and Phillip, who are also known in your country.” The last two names refer to Canadian characters from the show South Park. “No, that is exactly, exactly the right perspective,” Trudeau responds. After he expresses his belief that Thunberg’s 2019 visit to Montreal ahead of the country’s federal election “helped define” the outcome in terms of climate change, Thunberg interrupts to say, “But leave Nato. Drop your weapons. Pick flowers. Smile at nature.” A diplomatic Trudeau responds without pause: “I also dream of a world in which soldiers are not necessary, but we don’t live in that world yet, unfortunately.” Fake Greta then accuses Meghan Markle of “manipulating” Prince Harry – the pair were in the process of deciding whether to live in Canada – before asking whether Trudeau can introduce her to Terrance and Phillip. “I would be happy – I’ll ask my team to try and figure out how we can connect you,” he says. “Because I don’t have their direct coordinates with me now.” The penny finally drops when she asks again whether it would be possible. “Wait, Terrance and Phillip, where they not in South Park?” he asks. “I don’t personally know them. I believe they are South Park parodies of Canadians,” he says, before politely ending the call.",2020-11-25 05:17:21+01:00
global-development/2021/feb/09/canada-coronavirus-vaccine-covax-trudeau,article,world,World news,2021-02-09 10:00:09+00:00,'We're double-dipping': Trudeau pressured to speed vaccine distribution amid Covax backlash,https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/09/canada-coronavirus-vaccine-covax-trudeau,"Justin Trudeau is facing growing pressure to speed up Canada’s sluggish distribution of the coronavirus vaccine, as the country fends off accusations that it is taking supplies of the drug meant for developing countries. The federal government drew sharp criticism last week when it announced that it would draw on Covax, a mechanism created to fairly distribute Covid-19 doses around the world, for its supply of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Canada is entitled to receive shots through the Covax program, which uses advance purchases by wealthy nations to subsidise doses for poorer countries. But it had already completed a series of direct deals with pharmaceutical companies to secure its own supply, prompting accusations of “double-dipping”.   Related: Canada takes Covid vaccines from Covax scheme despite side deals    “Turning to Covax demonstrates the desperation of the Trudeau government in terms of its vaccine policy,” said Jillian Kohler, a University of Toronto professor focused on global access to medicines. “Taking [vaccine supply] from a multilateral institution that was designed particularly to help the world’s poor is shocking and an embarrassment.” The decision prompted condemnation by other party leaders, who questioned the ethical implications of the decision and its effect on Canada’s global standing. “We should not be double-dipping into this mechanism. It’s very bad for Canadians, it’s very bad for our image,” the Green party leader, Annamie Paul, told reporters.  Trudeau and his team have defended the move, saying that half of Canada’s $C440m investment was set aside for domestic supply. “Our contribution was always intended to access vaccine doses for Canadians as well as to support lower-income countries,” the prime minister said last week. But Kohler, who previously developed global pharmaceutical policies for a number of UN organizations, said that the decision to draw on Covax reflected a broader domestic failure to secure a consistent vaccine supply. Last year, Trudeau’s government made agreements with manufacturers that gave it one of the highest per-capita supplies of coronavirus vaccines in the world. As the drugs finally roll out, however, Canada has been hit with delays. Last week, no vaccines arrived from Pfizer and the government expects a dip in Moderna’s shipments. As a result of shortages and domestic fumbles, Canada has only vaccinated 2.38% of its population, one of the lowest rates among developed nations. Many of Canada’s vaccine woes are tied to the reality that it has no domestic production capacity. Other countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Australia and South Korea, have made deals with drug companies to produce their own supply, but all of Canada’s requests to licence domestic manufacturing have been rebuffed by drug companies. The government has announced the development of a new domestic vaccine production facility, but it won’t become operational until 2022, and critics have questioned why investment in production wasn’t stepped up sooner. Even Canada’s largest trading partner, the US, appears unwilling to help. Donald Trump signed an executive order that ensured the first 100m vaccines produced at Pfizer’s Michigan plant would go to Americans. His successor, Joe Biden, does not appear interested in reversing the policy, meaning Canada’s Pfizer supply must ship from Belgium. Trudeau says Canada remains on track to get 6m doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines by the end of March and 20m in the spring. But the recent stumbles have proven costly for the prime minister, who is considering the prospect of a spring election. Until recently, Trudeau enjoyed widespread support for his government’s handling of the pandemic, scoring extra points for securing a large number of vaccine doses. But a recent poll from Angus Reid Institute found confidence in the vaccine rollout had dropped nearly 10 points over the last six weeks. Another survey found negative sentiment towards the government’s handling of the issue had jumped 19 points since mid-January. “We’re dealing with a pandemic. People are dying, we have serious variants in Canada. This is not the time to be messing up on policy,” said Kohler. “It didn’t have to happen this way. It didn’t have to be this bad and this outrageous.”",2021-02-09 11:00:09+01:00
world/2021/mar/29/china-canada-justin-trudeau-tensions-escalate,article,world,World news,2021-03-29 19:22:16+00:00,Chinese diplomat accuses Trudeau of making Canada 'running dog of US',https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/29/china-canada-justin-trudeau-tensions-escalate,"A Chinese diplomat has dismissed Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau as a “boy” in a social media attack marking a new low in the fractured relationship between the two countries. China and Canada have clashed repeatedly in recent months, and last week the two countries imposed sanctions on each other in a growing row over Beijing’s treatment of its Uighur minority. But on Sunday, Trudeau was singled out for insult by China’s consul general to Rio de Janeiro, Li Yang in a tweet blaming him for the diplomatic crisis. “Boy, your greatest achievement is to have ruined the friendly relations between China and Canada, and have turned Canada into a running dog of the US,” he tweeted. The term “running dog” , a relic of Maoist China, is often used to describe nations that are subservient to countries like the United States. Li’s twitter feed is often combative, taking aim at both gun violence, the legacy of slavery in the United States and treatment of asylum seekers, but Trudeau was the only leader the diplomat chose to single out for ridicule. Because Chinese diplomacy is typically tightly controlled, Li’s message marks a rare and “disturbing” break from public statements by government officials, said David Mulroney, Canada’s former ambassador to China. “[Li’s tweet] is a tremendous failure in Chinese digital diplomacy and soft power,” Mulroney said. “It’s as if someone has decided that it’s OK to let people off the leash – or they’re unable to keep them on the leash. The first troubling, the second is worrying.” The outburst came as Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and European Union escalated their criticism of the treatment of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang region. Last week, the group of nations imposed sanctions on Chinese officials over human rights abuses. In response, China slapped retaliatory sanctions on Canadian opposition lawmaker Michael Chong, a staunch critic of human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Chong later tweeted that he intended to “wear [the sanctions] as a badge of honour”. Canada’s foreign ministry also condemned the sanctions, calling them an “attack” on free expression. Underpinning the escalating tensions is a more than two-year effort for the release of Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who Canadian officials say are the victims of Chinese “hostage diplomacy”. Meanwhile, China has demanded the release of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Vancouver on a US arrest warrant in 2018.   Related: Path to freedom narrows for detained Canadian duo caught in US-China feud    Both Kovrig and Spavor recently faced trials for espionage in Chinese courts. No verdict was given and the closed-door trials were widely criticized by diplomats. Meng is fiercely contesting her extradition to the United States, which appears poised to drag on into the summer. Experts say China has grown increasingly frustrated over her detention and is willing to take strong actions to secure her release. In addition to attacking Trudeau, Li used Twitter to attack the independence of Canada’s judiciary and called Ottawa’s decision to honour an extradition request and arrest the telecoms executive a “dirty thing”, adding that Canada – not China – was a “hostage taker”. • The headline of this article was amended on 30 March 2021 to accurately reflect the diplomat’s words.",2021-03-29 21:22:16+02:00
world/2021/jun/17/annamie-paul-justin-trudeau-green-party-canada,article,world,World news,2021-06-17 15:50:58+00:00,"Trudeau is no feminist, says Green party leader as she battles party revolt",https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/17/annamie-paul-justin-trudeau-green-party-canada,"Justin Trudeau is “no ally and no feminist”, the head of Canada’s Green party has alleged, as she denounced a “sexist” and “racist” campaign to oust her as party leader ahead of a looming federal election. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, Annamie Paul said efforts to remove her were being led by a handful of Green party veterans “who are on their way out” and didn’t reflect the majority who elected her as leader in October. The mounting crisis within the party comes after one of the Green’s three federal MPs defected to Trudeau’s Liberal party last week.   Related: 'You have to be daring': groundbreaking leader of Canada's Greens ready to seize her moment    The New Brunswick lawmaker Jenica Atwin joined the Liberals following a dispute with Paul’s former senior aide over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many within the party – including the two remaining MPs – have blamed the defection on Paul’s handling of the situation. An internal party letter, leaked to the media, said Paul’s leadership was one of “autocratic attitude of hostility, superiority and rejection, failing to assume her duty to be an active, contributing, respectful [and] attentive” party member. The letter also alleges that Paul “displayed anger in long, repetitive, aggressive monologues and has failed to recognize the value of any ideas except her own”. This week, the party called on Paul to denounce her former aide and expressly support the remaining parliamentarians, or face a leadership vote of no confidence next month. Paul declined to address the ultimatum at her press conference on Wednesday. Instead, she accused the governing Liberals of sowing discord within her party, claiming they were “hellbent” on securing a majority in the election “at almost any cost”. She also took aim at the prime minister, who has often vaunted his feminist credentials, but also clashed with prominent female members of his cabinet. The former attorney general and justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and former health minister Jane Philpott were both expelled from the Liberals for rebuking Trudeau over a corruption scandal – and the former Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes has accused the the party of paying lip service to diversity. “How many times will we allow Justin Trudeau to get away with pushing strong, competent capable women out of politics when they are seeking to serve?” said Paul. The Princeton-educated lawyer won the Green party’s leadership race in October, making her the first Black leader of a national party in Canada – and the first Jewish woman to hold the post. Her election was celebrated as a groundbreaking moment in federal politics, but she failed to win a byelection that would give her a seat in parliament, and her tenure has been marred by allegations of racism and sabotage from within the party. “Trailblazing journeys are never easy, and breaking barriers always comes at a cost,” Operation Black Vote Canada, an advocacy group that works to get more Black Canadians elected, said in a statement, calling Paul’s experiences “inexcusable”. With a federal election widely expected this fall, Paul still faces the possibility of being removed as leader. If she fails to address the ultimatum from the party, the council is likely to hold a no-confidence vote on 21 July, followed by a meeting of all Green party members the weekend of 21 August. But on Wednesday, she remained defiant. “When people like me are elected or appointed to senior leadership roles, the rules of the game seem to change. Suddenly, there is a need for more oversight, accountability, swifter and more severe sanctions, hiving off of responsibilities previously related to the role,” she said. “Collaboration, and collegiality, does not mean bowing down. It doesn’t mean being brought to heel.”",2021-06-17 17:50:58+02:00
world/2021/jun/17/justin-trudeau-canada-supreme-court-nominate-mahmud-jamal,article,world,World news,2021-06-17 19:56:55+00:00,Trudeau nominates first judge of colour to Canada’s supreme court,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/17/justin-trudeau-canada-supreme-court-nominate-mahmud-jamal,"Justin Trudeau has nominated the first judge of colour to sit on Canada’s supreme court, a historic first in an institution which has only ever had white justices in its 146-year existence. Mahmud Jamal, who has been a judge on Ontario’s court of appeal since 2019, trained as a lawyer and appeared before the supreme court in 35 appeals addressing a range of civil, constitutional, criminal and regulatory issues. “He’ll be a valuable asset to the supreme court - and that’s why, today, I’m announcing his historic nomination to our country’s highest court,” Trudeau said on Twitter. Trudeau has frequently said there is a need to address systemic racism in Canada. Jamal, born in Nairobi in 1967, emigrated with his family to Britain in 1969 where he said he was “taunted and harassed because of my name, religion, or the colour of my skin”. In 1981 the family moved to Edmonton, where his “experiences exposed me to some of the challenges and aspirations of immigrants, religious minorities, and racialized persons”, he said in a document submitted to support his candidacy. “I was raised at school as a Christian, reciting the Lord’s Prayer and absorbing the values of the Church of England, and at home as a Muslim, memorizing Arabic prayers from the Quran and living as part of the Ismaili community,” he wrote. “Like many others, I experienced discrimination as a fact of daily life. As a child and youth, I was taunted and harassed because of my name, religion, or the colour of my skin.”   Related: Canada urged to open its eyes to systemic racism in wake of police violence    He later converted to the Bahá’í faith after marrying his wife, who immigrated to Canada from Iran. Canada is a multicultural country, with more than 22% of the population composed of minorities and another 5% aboriginal, according to the latest census. “We know people are facing systemic discrimination, unconscious bias and anti-black racism every single day,” Trudeau said last year. Jamal will replace Justice Rosalie Abella, who is due to retire from the nine-person court on 1 July. • This article was amended on 18 June 2021 to correct the spelling of “colour” in the headline and text.",2021-06-17 21:56:55+02:00
global-development/2021/jun/20/trudeau-canada-vaccine-rollout-covax,article,global-development,Global development,2021-06-20 10:00:20+00:00,Trudeau makes global vaccine pledge but how committed is Canada?,https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jun/20/trudeau-canada-vaccine-rollout-covax,"Canada has secured enough potential coronavirus vaccines to fully protect every resident nearly seven times over, even as a global shortage has forced poorer nations to wait. After initial hiccups with its vaccination plan, more than 65% of Canadians have now received at least one dose, edging ahead of early leaders Israel and the UK, and on Friday, Justin Trudeau said 68m doses will have arrived in Canada by the end of July. But a recent pledge by Canada to donate 100m doses to hard-hit countries, has highlighted persistent questions about its commitment to addressing such inequities.   Related:  Canada: vaccine rollout raises questions on what it can do for poorer nations    “We’re going to be able to share around the world as we see Canadians getting vaccinated to higher and higher levels, and we simply do not need those doses,” said Trudeau at the G7 summit last week. Details of the deliveries, however, remain unclear, and of the 100m pledged, 87m doses reflect previously announced funding commitments – not actual physical doses ready to ship. Only 13m actual new doses will be sent to nations in need. “This isn’t new money, and the vaccines don’t seem to be starting to move immediately, so it feels a little bit too little too late,” said Isha Berry, a PhD candidate in epidemiology at the University of Toronto. Although large orders from Pfizer and Moderna are arriving each week in Canada, Trudeau’s government instead offered other vaccines. Many are from Novavax, a company whose vaccine has not yet been approved for use in Canada. The remainder are doses that Canada bought through global vaccine-sharing initiative Covax: from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, the latter of which has been temporarily suspended in Canada over quality concerns. Experts say there is an urgent need to shift resources to countries to effectively combat the growing threat of more infectious variants of the coronavirus. But many argue that the existing mechanism for vaccine-sharing has fallen short. “Covax ‘was a beautiful idea, born out of solidarity. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Rich countries have behaved worse than anyone’s worst nightmares’,” tweeted the medical journal the Lancet. Canada has previously faced criticism as the only G7 nation to draw on the stockpile of donated vaccines meant for poor and middle-income countries. Trudeau’s announcement also reflected a fraught context of vaccine nationalism. According to recent polling from Abacus Data, 61% of Canadians believe that it is “morally wrong that people living in richer countries have access to vaccines before those in poorer countries”. But a survey from the Angus Reid Institute suggests nearly three quarters of Canadians also believe the government should “focus its efforts at home rather than abroad”. Berry cautions against the mentality of pitting countries against each especially when so many nations lack the ability to buy doses directly from manufacturers. “The current global vaccine gap is far worse than most Canadians probably realize,” said Berry. Officials from the World Health Organization have said the pandemic will persist until 70% of the population is vaccinated – a distant goal given current pledges by wealthy nations. Canada’s contributions come nowhere close to the 11bn doses needed globally, but Berry says Canada can nonetheless play a key role by advocating for vaccine patent waivers and helping other nations building capacity. “We all really want to end this pandemic. Everyone’s so tired. But I think there’s also a gap in our global understanding of how bad the global inequities actually are.”",2021-06-20 12:00:20+02:00
world/2021/jun/25/justin-trudeau-indigenous-residential-schools-horrified-ashamed,article,global-development,Global development,2021-06-25 19:14:53+00:00,Trudeau says Canadians ‘horrified and ashamed’ of forced assimilation,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/25/justin-trudeau-indigenous-residential-schools-horrified-ashamed,"Justin Trudeau has said that Canadians are “horrified and ashamed” by their government’s longtime policy of forcing Indigenous children to attend boarding schools where nearly 1,000 unmarked graves have now been discovered – but stopped short of launching a national investigation. 
An estimated 751 unmarked graves were recently discovered on the grounds of the former Marieval Indian residential school in Saskatchewan which operated from 1899 to 1997. Last month, 215 remains were reported at a similar school in British Columbia. 
From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend state-funded Christian schools – mostly run by Roman Catholic missionary congregations – in a campaign to assimilate them into Canadian society. 
“This was an incredibly harmful government policy that was Canada’s reality for many, many decades and Canadians today are horrified and ashamed of how our country behaved,” Trudeau said. “It was a policy that ripped kids from their homes, from their communities, from their culture and their language and forced assimilation upon them.” 
 
  
  
   
    Canada's residential schools 
    
    Over the course of 100 years, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were taken from their families to attend state-funded Christian boarding schools in an effort to forcibly assimilate them into Canadian society. 
    They were given new names, forcibly converted to Christianity and prohibited from speaking their native languages. Thousands died of disease, neglect and suicide; many were never returned to their families. 
    The last residential school closed in 1996.
    Nearly three-quarters of the 130 residential schools were run by Roman Catholic missionary congregations, with others operated by the Presbyterian, Anglican and the United Church of Canada, which is today the largest Protestant denomination in the country.
    In 2015, a historic Truth and Reconciliation Commission which concluded that the residential school system amounted to a policy of cultural genocide.
    Survivor testimony made it clear that sexual, emotional and physical abuse were rife at the schools. And the trauma suffered by students was often passed down to younger generations – a reality magnified by systematic inequities that persist across the country.
    Dozens of First Nations do not have access to drinking water, and racism against Indigenous people is rampant within the healthcare system. Indigenous people are overrepresented in federal prisons and Indigenous women are killed at a rate far higher than other groups.
    The commissioners identified 20 unmarked gravesites at former residential schools, but they also warned that more unidentified gravesites were yet to be found across the country.
    
   
  
  
 
The federal government has previously admitted that physical and sexual abuse was rampant in the schools, with students beaten for speaking their native languages. Thousands of children died of disease and neglect. 
The recent discoveries have fanned growing calls across the country for an independent investigation into what happened at the residential schools. Speaking to reporters on Friday, however, Trudeau made no indication his government was considering a national investigation. 
Trudeau’s government has also come under fire from opposition parties and Indigenous advocates, who have called on him to end litigation against First Nations children who suffered in foster care, and residential school survivors. 
 
  Related: ‘He was just a child’: dead of Indigenous residential schools haunt Canada  
 
The Liberal government has appealed against a 2019 Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling that ordered it to pay C$40,000 (US$32,500) to First Nations children taken from their on-reserve homes and communities. The compensation order follows a separate tribunal ruling in 2016, which determined that the federal government failed to provide the same funding to Indigenous children as welfare services elsewhere in the country, a move that amounted to discrimination. 
Trudeau’s government is also battling survivors of St Anne’s residential school in Fort Albany, Ontario, over compensation. 
“Should someone who went to a day school for a few months or a year be compensated to the exact same amount as someone who was in a traumatic situation over many, many years, where they were taken from their families and had a very, very different experience?” said the prime minister. 
“Right now, the human rights tribunal says everyone should get exactly the same amount. We don’t know that that’s entirely fair.”",2021-06-25 21:14:53+02:00
world/2021/jul/06/mary-simon-canada-first-indigenous-governor-general-trudeau,article,world,World news,2021-07-06 16:12:37+00:00,‘Historic’ step as Trudeau appoints Canada’s first Indigenous governor general,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/06/mary-simon-canada-first-indigenous-governor-general-trudeau,"Canada will have its first ever Indigenous governor general after prime minister Justin Trudeau appointed Inuk leader Mary Simon as the Queen’s representative in Canada. 
Describing the move as a “historic” step, Trudeau announced Simon’s appointment on Tuesday after coming under mounting pressure to choose a new viceregal. His previous selection resigned after allegations of bullying in January. 
“Canada is a place defined by people. People who serve those around them, who tackle big challenges with hope and determination, and above all, who never stop working to build a brighter tomorrow,” said Trudeau. “In other words, people like Mary Simon.” 
Originally from Kangiqsualujjuaq, in the Nunavik region of Quebec, Simon is a longtime advocate of Inuit rights. She previously served as the former president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the country’s national advocacy organization for Inuit. She also served as Canada’s first Inuk ambassador in Denmark and for circumpolar affairs. 
“I am honoured, humbled and ready to be Canada’s first indigenous Governor General,” she said, also giving remarks in Inuktitut, her first language. “I can confidently say that my appointment is a historic and inspirational moment for Canada and an important step forward on the long path towards reconciliation.” 
Simon’s appointment comes at a time when Canada’s rocky relationship with Indigenous nations has worsened, following the discovery of more than one thousand unmarked graves across the country. 
In her remarks, Simon spoke of the need for the country to “fully recognize, memorialize and come to terms with the atrocities of our collective past” as more is learned about the legacy of residential schools. 
 
  
  
   
    Canada's residential schools 
    
    Over the course of 100 years, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were taken from their families to attend state-funded Christian boarding schools in an effort to forcibly assimilate them into Canadian society. 
    They were given new names, forcibly converted to Christianity and prohibited from speaking their native languages. Thousands died of disease, neglect and suicide; many were never returned to their families. 
    The last residential school closed in 1996.
    Nearly three-quarters of the 130 residential schools were run by Roman Catholic missionary congregations, with others operated by the Presbyterian, Anglican and the United Church of Canada, which is today the largest Protestant denomination in the country.
    In 2015, a historic Truth and Reconciliation Commission which concluded that the residential school system amounted to a policy of cultural genocide.
    Survivor testimony made it clear that sexual, emotional and physical abuse were rife at the schools. And the trauma suffered by students was often passed down to younger generations – a reality magnified by systematic inequities that persist across the country.
    Dozens of First Nations do not have access to drinking water, and racism against Indigenous people is rampant within the healthcare system. Indigenous people are overrepresented in federal prisons and Indigenous women are killed at a rate far higher than other groups.
    The commissioners identified 20 unmarked gravesites at former residential schools, but they also warned that more unidentified gravesites were yet to be found across the country.
    
   
  
  
 
Trudeau’s previous pick for governor general, Julie Payette, resigned in January after a number of anonymous staff told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation they were berated by Payette to the point of tears. Others said that she would call their work “shit” and order them out of her office. 
 
  Related: UK faces reckoning after unmarked Indigenous graves discovered in Canada  
 
The position is largely symbolic but once formally installed, Simon will outrank Trudeau as holder of highest federal office in Canada, second only to the Queen. 
Ahead of a looming election, Trudeau had faced pressure to appoint a governor general. One of Simon’s tasks will be to dissolve parliament upon the prime minister’s request. 
Simon’s landmark appointment also comes amid growing skepticism over the role the monarchy plays in Canada. 
According to recent polling 55% of respondents believe the royal family is no longer relevant. Given the chance, 43% of respondents said they would eliminate the position of governor general. Only 22% would opt to keep the role as is.",2021-07-06 18:12:37+02:00
world/2021/aug/15/justin-trudeau-canada-snap-election,article,world,World news,2021-08-15 15:41:13+00:00,Trudeau calls for snap election in hopes of winning back voters,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/15/justin-trudeau-canada-snap-election,"Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has called a snap election, gambling that voters will reward his administration’s handing of the coronavirus pandemic with a parliamentary majority as he pulls the plug on a two-year minority government. On Sunday morning, Trudeau met with Governor General Mary Simon to request she dissolve parliament — a request she approved.  “The decisions your government makes right now will define the future your kids and grandkids will grow up in,” Trudeau told reporters after meeting with Simon. “So in this pivotal, consequential moment, who wouldn’t want a say?” For the last two years, Trudeau has relied on opposition parties – largely the leftwing New Democratic party (NDP) – to pass legislation, a budget and emergency coronavirus spending. In recent months, however, he has accused opposition parties of delaying the passage of legislation. With world-leading vaccination rates and an improved outlook for the country’s economy, Trudeau sees an opportunity to win back the majority that voters denied him in 2019. In sending Canadians to the polls, Trudeau is hoping to capitalize on the success of provincial leaders in recent elections. In all cases, voters have rewarded incumbent provincial governments with legislative majorities. But there is no guarantee for the prime minister, whose Liberals have led the country since 2015.  Recent polling puts Trudeau on the cusp of capturing the 170 seats needed for a majority government. Data from the Angus Reid Institute found the Liberals have five-point advantage over the opposition Conservatives, with the pandemic being top of mind for voters. The prime minister’s rivals have shown little interest in heading to the polls. In late July, the New Democratic leader, Jagmeet Singh, sent a letter to the newly installed governor general, Mary Simon, calling on her to reject Trudeau’s request to dissolve parliament. Singh pointed out that the country’s fixed-election law states that every general election must be held on the third Monday of October four calendar years after the last one.  While the law allows for an early election if the government has lost the confidence of the House of Commons, Singh noted that Trudeau’s Liberals have won every confidence vote they faced. “It’s not the right time to have an election,” he said earlier this week. “People might say ‘that that’s what governments do’ … I don’t think that’s what governments do when you’re in the middle of a pandemic,” he said. Constitutional experts have widely rejected the idea that the governor general would refuse the prime minister’s request. Singh is the most well-liked federal leader, and polling suggests the NDP will gain seats, but the Conservative opposition leader, Erin O’Toole, faces the prospect of his party losing a number of races. With coronavirus restrictions hampering in-person events over the last year, O’Toole has struggled make inroads with voters since winning the party’s leadership race last August. “Canadians are worried about a fourth wave of Covid-19 … Now is not the time for an election. We can all wait and go to the polls when it’s safe,” O’Toole said in a video released on social media this week. Canada’s chief public health officer, Theresa Tam, has warned that the country may be at on the verge of a fourth wave of the the coronavirus, driven largely by the quickly-spreading Delta variant. She said the scope of infection would likely be determined by vaccination rates. Elections Canada, the national body that oversees elections has said it is prepared to safely conduct a vote nationwide, but warned that counts could be delayed. Canadians will cast their ballot in five weeks September 20, the shortest election campaign allowed under federal law. ",2021-08-15 17:41:13+02:00
world/2021/sep/09/justin-trudeau-rebel-media-canada-vaccine-misinformation,article,world,World news,2021-09-09 16:22:30+00:00,Trudeau accuses far-right website of spreading vaccine misinformation,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/09/justin-trudeau-rebel-media-canada-vaccine-misinformation,"Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has slammed a far-right website in the final days of the country’s federal election, accusing it of spreading misinformation about coronavirus vaccines and contributing to the growing number of protests across the country. 
After Wednesday night’s French language debate between federal leaders, Trudeau was asked by a member of Rebel News – a website whose contributors have included Katie Hopkins and Tommy Robinson – if he would continue to exclude the group from covering the election. 
“The reality is, organizations – organizations like yours – that continue to spread misinformation and disinformation on the science around vaccines … is part of why we’re seeing such unfortunate anger and lack of understanding of basic science,” said Trudeau. “Frankly your – I won’t call it a media organization – your group of individuals need to take accountability for some of the polarization that we’re seeing in this country.” 
Video of the exchange went viral on Thursday morning, quickly racking up more than 1m views on Twitter. 
Rebel, founded by Ezra Levant, a Canadian broadcaster and political activist, sued and secured a last-minute victory in the courts after a federal judge said the group should be allowed to have a reporter present during both the French and English language debates. 
 
  Related: Canada: anti-vaxxers hit Justin Trudeau with a handful of gravel  
 
The far-right group is often accused in Canada of spreading misinformation under the guise of reported news. 
In recent weeks, anti-vaccine protesters have followed the prime minister across the country, disrupting his events and in one instance, getting close enough to the prime minister to hurl gravel at him. On another occasion, the prime minister cancelled an event, citing security concerns. 
In his response on Wednesday night, Trudeau appeared visibly frustrated with the movement to discredit vaccines. 
“I salute all extraordinary hard-working journalists who put science and facts at the heart of what they do and ask me tough questions every day, but make sure that they are educating and informing Canadians from a broad range of perspectives – which is the last thing that you guys do,” he said. 
At the same event, the New Democratic leader, Jagmeet Singh, when asked a question by Rebel, said he does not take questions from the organization.",2021-09-09 18:22:30+02:00
world/2021/sep/10/canada-election-rivals-force-justin-trudeau-on-to-defensive-in-leaders-debate,article,world,World news,2021-09-10 04:04:17+00:00,Canada election: rivals force Justin Trudeau on to defensive in leaders’ debate,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/10/canada-election-rivals-force-justin-trudeau-on-to-defensive-in-leaders-debate,"Justin Trudeau has been forced to defend his government’s plans for fighting climate change, Canada’s fractured relationship with Indigenous peoples and a growing affordability crisis in the country as the prime minister faced off with contenders ahead of the federal election. For two hours on Thursday evening, federal party leaders from the Liberal, Conservative, New Democratic, Green and Bloc Québécois parties sparred in the only official English-language debate before the 20 September vote. Party leaders debated in French on Wednesday evening. Trudeau, who has been prime minister for six years, has been on the defensive after calling an election during the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic.   Related: Canada: anti-vaxxers hit Justin Trudeau with a handful of gravel    Early polling suggests the decision for a snap election has not been popular among Canadians. On stage, party leaders hewed to that theme, accusing the prime minister of putting citizens at risk while engineering an election for his own political gain. “Leadership is about putting others first, not yourself,” said Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, pointing out that Trudeau called the election as Canada was scrambling to evacuate people from Afghanistan. Annamie Paul, the new Green leader, also questioned the prime minister’s judgment in calling the election and whether he fully grasped the deteriorating situation in Kabul. “It seems like we got better information on our smartphones [about the situation in Afghanistan] than Mr Trudeau got from our entire intelligence service,” she said. The only woman leading a federal party, Paul also repeated her attacks on Trudeau’s record on feminism, suggesting he pushes out “strong women” within his party. “I won’t take caucus management lessons from you,” responded Trudeau, a reference to strife and disarray within the Green party and a recent collapse in the polls. On Thursday, Paul likened the recent months to “crawling over a lot of broken glass”. After weeks of campaigning, the prime minister’s Liberal party holds an edge in seat projections but narrowly trails the Conservatives in the popular vote. Despite his lead, O’Toole has been forced to reckon with elements of his party who are anti-vaccine and anti-abortion. “Mr O’Toole, who says he wants to get all of Canada vaccinated to 90% in the coming two months, can’t even convince his own candidates to get vaccinated to 90%,” said Trudeau.   Related: Canada turns to satirical Indigenous website to interpret grim news    On Thursday, the Conservative leader was asked who controlled his party’s policy. “I am driving the bus,” O’Toole said, stressing that he’s personally “pro-choice”. Following a summer of record wildfires in the western region of the country, climate change was a key component early in the debate. O’Toole attacked the prime minister’s record, suggesting the Liberals have ambitious goals but have never attained any of them. “Mr Trudeau always forgets one fact: he has never made a target for climate change,” said O’Toole. “He has ambition, he doesn’t have achievement.” Jagmeet Singh, leader of the leftwing New Democratic party, accused Trudeau of having the worst climate change record of any G7 nation. Trudeau touted a recent non-partisan assessment of the parties’ climate plans, which graded the Liberals as both the least costly and most effective. “How is it that the experts that have rated our plan on climate to be an A, have rated your plan to be an F?” Trudeau said to Singh. Singh replied: “I rate your track record an F, Mr Trudeau.” The NDP leader, who hopes to improve on his party’s weak performance in the last election, also attacked Trudeau on his government’s failure to provide clean drinking water in all First Nations communities and compensation for residential schools. “You can’t take a knee one day, when you’re going to take kids to court the next day,” he said. “That’s not leadership.” With a surge in popularity this election cycle, Singh worked to cast himself as a third option for Canadian voters. “We just heard Mr Trudeau and Mr O’Toole argue about who is worse and honestly, it’s a tough question to answer,” he said. “Let me tell you, you’re not stuck with these two. Better is possible.” Absent from the stage was Maxime Bernier, leader of the far-right People’s Party of Canada. Despite being present in the 2019 election debate, Bernier did not meet the criteria for participating in the debates. Dozens of his supporters rallied outside the debate venue on Thursday evening, protesting his absence. The party, which has protested against masking and vaccine mandates, has disrupted Trudeau’s campaign events in recent days and seen a spike in polling.",2021-09-10 06:04:17+02:00
world/2021/sep/12/jagmeet-singh-the-ex-lawyer-and-tiktok-star-who-could-topple-trudeau,article,world,World news,2021-09-12 11:00:02+00:00,Jagmeet Singh: the ex-lawyer and TikTok star who could topple Trudeau,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/12/jagmeet-singh-the-ex-lawyer-and-tiktok-star-who-could-topple-trudeau,"He’s the most-liked national political leader in Canada, wears sharply tailored suits, has graced the pages of a men’s fashion magazine and is followed by starstruck fans on social media. And he’s not Justin Trudeau. With Canada heading to the polls after a snap election controversially called by Trudeau, Jagmeet Singh, leader of the progressive New Democratic party (NDP), has quickly emerged as the most affable politician in Canada – and a powerful figure who is unlikely to become prime minister. On that last point, Singh and party leaders disagree. He argues that, like the other leaders, he’s competing for a chance to govern when the country votes on 20 September. But although the former defence lawyer and human rights activist may end up a casualty of a multi-party system that rewards Trudeau’s Liberals and the Conservatives, he could gain kingmaker status. His appeal among voters comes as Trudeau has stumbled in the polls. Surveys have found up to three-quarters of Canadians disagree with holding an election during the fourth wave of the pandemic. The prime minister is trailing Conservative rival Erin O’Toole by three points. The rookie Tory leader has spent weeks closing the policy gap between his party and the governing Liberals. On the left, however, Singh is looking to widen that gap. Running on promises to make prescription drugs available to all Canadians, cutting emissions to 50% of 2005 levels by 2030, writing off student-loan debt and tackling inflated housing and rental markets, Singh’s campaign has enjoyed an uptick in support since the election was called in late August.    On TikTok, the culture is very playful and light-hearted. And Jagmeet has played into that. It makes him relatable  Wave Wyld, social media consultant     With his youth and charisma, Singh, 42, has been compared to Trudeau, a leader criticised for focusing on optics over substance and policy. But at a recent visit to Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan, Singh drew a stark line between himself and the Liberal leader: “I’m not Justin Trudeau. I’m not like him. I’ve lived a different life. I understand the pain of being not valued, not worth anything. Indigenous people have been made to feel that way for so long. And I promise you, I’ll be different.” Born in Scarborough, Ontario, Singh spent much of his early life on the move after his father Jagtaran, a psychiatrist, took jobs at different hospitals. Jagtaran became an alcoholic and was abusive towards both Jagmeet and his younger brother Gurratan. Following an incident with their father, Jagmeet, then at university, took Gurratan to live with him. Gurratan recently said: “I was getting a bit frightened, quite frankly, and anxious at home. And Jagmeet kind of, at the perfect moment, took me off to London, Ontario.” Now a provincial politician and adviser to his older brother, Gurratan added: “He didn’t want me to feel those emotions again.” The pair lived together in a small apartment, with Jagmeet taking several jobs as he juggled his university work. Jagmeet Singh’s story of persistence over adversity, and his gift for mingling with crowds, made him a strong favourite when the party voted for a new leader in 2017. But his initial honeymoon was shortlived: veterans of the New Democrats fled amid infighting and backstabbing. The party bled money, and weak poll numbers suggested Singh would need to fight hard to both win himself a seat in parliament and prevent the party from splintering nationally. His popularity soared after a powerful debate performance in the 2019 election, but the cash-strapped party could do little to capitalise on the success. Two years later, and with far more funding, Singh’s face is plastered across billboards, public transport, social media – and on newly released “Jagmeet swag”, including T-shirts celebrating “the Jagmeet UpriSingh”. He also has an immense following on TikTok, where his videos, ranging from policy critiques to clips of him skateboarding, regularly get millions of views.     Justin Trudeau on the campaign trail on Friday. He has been criticised for calling a snap election during a pandemic. Photograph: Carlos Osorio/Reuters    “It is a personality-driven app. If you have charisma and you have personality on camera, that’s going to benefit you.” said Wave Wyld, a Toronto-based TikTok consultant. “There’s aren’t a lot of politicians on TikTok.” In contrast, she points to Trudeau’s use of photo-ops, rather than videos, highlighting the different ways they engage with social media. “Trudeau’s not making entertaining, compelling videos. He’s just talking to the camera in a professional, serious tone about what he stands for,” she said. “But on TikTok, the culture is very playful and light-hearted. And Jagmeet has also played into that. It makes him relatable – you don’t take yourself too seriously on the app.” But TikTok views mean little unless Singh can convert them into votes. Under Canada’s parliamentary system, where the country elects local candidates to the house of commons instead of casting a ballot for party leaders, Singh’s favourability only takes him so far. “People often think of the NDP as a third party, not as an alternative to government,” said Lori Turnbull, professor of political science at Dalhousie University. “Singh’s ability to grow his popularity effectively maxes out because people don’t think they’re going to form a government. The electoral system is no friend to him.” Barring a political miracle, his party is set to capture far fewer than the 170 seats needed for a majority – putting the New Democrats in third place. But if polling projections prove correct and a minority government is elected, Singh could hold the balance of power in Ottawa. For the past two years, his party has propped up the Liberals. Singh claims his party got concessions on emergency coronavirus benefits – but Turnbull says he didn’t go far enough. “He should have been harder on Trudeau. He should have had more to show for the NDP support,” she said.  In the last election, Singh refused to work with then Conservative leader Andrew Scheer. But this time he has expressed an openness to collaborating with O’Toole on policies that both parties say are priorities, including childcare and housing. A shift in Trudeau’s political fortunes could produce a scenario in which the Conservatives win more seats than the Liberals, but still need another party’s support to govern. “Singh … doesn’t want to be in the back seat of the Liberal car. He wants a presence in shaping policy,” said Turnbull. “If he and O’Toole sense they can bring down Trudeau, it might be a prospect too juicy to pass up.” • This article was amended on 13 September 2021. An earlier version referred to Jagmeet Singh as a former human rights lawyer; he was a criminal defence lawyer.",2021-09-12 13:00:02+02:00
world/2021/sep/14/trudeau-anti-vaccine-protests-canada-election-campaign,article,world,World news,2021-09-14 09:00:09+00:00,Trudeau energized by anti-vaccine protests in Canada election few wanted,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/14/trudeau-anti-vaccine-protests-canada-election-campaign,"When he was pelted with a handful of gravel by anti-vaccine protesters last week, the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, joined an illustrious list of political leaders who have had things hurled at them by disgruntled citizens. His father, former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, had rocks (and tomatoes and eggs) thrown at his train car in the early 1980s. But the gravel incident – which led to charges of assault with a weapon against the protester – has thrust the image of a prime minister on the defensive to the forefront of an election that, for many, is unwanted and has so far lacked a coherent theme.   Related: Canada: anti-vaxxers hit Justin Trudeau with a handful of gravel    Trudeau called the snap election in late August, prompting grumbling that the country would be casting ballots during the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic. He defended the move, saying that after weathering a deadly pandemic, Canadians should have a say in the country’s future. “After making it through 17 months of nothing like we’ve ever experienced, Canadians deserve to choose what the next 17 months, what the next 17 years and beyond, will look like. And I know that we have the right plan, the right team and the proven leadership to meet that moment,” he said. “So to the other parties: please explain why you don’t think Canadians should have the choice? Why you don’t think that this is a pivotal moment?” The initial response was a collapse in the polls for the incumbent prime minister, who is seeking his third term after six years in office. Days before the country votes, numerous polls suggest that most Canadians don’t believe the election is necessary. And Trudeau now trails the Conservative leader, Erin O’Toole, a former air force navigator, by an average of nearly two points in national polls. O’Toole, who has run a middle-road campaign with an emphasis on workers’ rights, has argued that Trudeau’s political ambitions in parliament – not the health of the country – are the reason Canadians are facing their second federal election in two years. “Leadership is about putting others first, not yourself,” O’Toole said during the only English language debate. Despite his stumble in the polls, however, Trudeau’s political fate isn’t necessarily tied to the horse-race nature of public opinion. Conservative support is strongest in areas, like Alberta and Saskatchewan, where fewer seats can be won. The Liberals, conversely, do well in seat-rich provinces like Ontario and Quebec. In 2019, for example, the Liberal party won 157 of parliament’s 338 seats, despite losing the popular vote to the Conservatives by 1.2%, or 220,449 votes. The Conservatives won only 121 seats. And with the early days of the campaign playing out during the summer holidays, most voters have only recently started to pay attention to the blazingly short, 36-day campaign, giving Trudeau the chance to salvage his chances of a third win when Canadians go to the polls on 20 September. In recent weeks, a wave of protests – some of which have forced the cancellation of the prime minister’s public events – have drawn attention to a virulent anti-vaccine movement, as well as growing influence of the far-right People’s party of Canada, whose supporters are fixtures of the protests. Led by former Conservative cabinet minister Maxime Bernier (who himself was recently hit with an egg), the party has campaigned for years on an anti-immigrant, Islamophobic populist platform, with little electoral success. But months of public lockdowns has given the party an opportunity to channel mounting frustrations – largely among male voters. “[The People’s party] has taken this anti-vaccine, anti-lockdown, anti-mask platform and connected a more traditional, hard-right agenda. And that’s given them a lift in the polls that we haven’t really seen before,” said Andrew McDougall, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto. “Whether or not those supporting the People’s party will show up on election day is an open question. We don’t know what effect this party will have – people are still trying to make sense of it.” The PPC still has low electoral prospects even in its best-case scenario, but it has nonetheless overtaken the Green party, which is mired in political infighting. “O’Toole is likely wary that he may be losing votes on the edge to the People’s party. And that’s something he’s going to want to keep an eye on. But he’ll lose more votes if he decides to embrace the hard-right agenda.” Sensing an opportunity to shift the narratives of the campaign, Trudeau has repeatedly attacked O’Toole’s refusal to embrace vaccine mandates as Covid-19 cases rise – and tried to link the Conservative leader to the anti-vaccine protests. “Shame on you, Erin O’Toole,” Trudeau said after he was heckled by protesters. “You need to condemn those people, you need to correct them, you need to use your voice and actually add it to those of us who understand that vaccinations are the way through this pandemic.” O’Toole has repeatedly condemned the protests, but has been dogged by questions from reporters about unvaccinated members of his own party. While the party has said it encourages vaccines, it has stopped short of supporting a mandate, instead suggesting the decision should be one of personal choice. The protests have nonetheless given his campaign something that has been missing, said Aaron Wherry, a veteran political journalist at the CBC and author of Promise & Peril: Justin Trudeau in Power. After an event was cancelled due to protests, Trudeau met with reporters later that night.   Related: Trudeau accuses far-right website of spreading vaccine misinformation    “He went in front of the media and he talked about the protests. And that was the first time it felt like he got some real energy.” said Wherry. “Up until then, it felt like he’d been grasping for an idea or a narrative in this campaign. This seemed like the first time he’d hit his stride.” When Trudeau lost his parliamentary majority in 2019, party leaders gently pulled him back from the spotlight. But the shooting down of a plane full of Iranian Canadians, national anti-pipeline protests and a global pandemic meant his retreat from the public eye was short-lived. Two years later Trudeau finds himself in the same position as before the last election: facing accusations from progressive voters that his government hasn’t done enough on social issues and climate change and a vote that will probably be fought over social issues. “He called an election because he wants a majority. And he knows exactly which ridings [electoral districts] he would have to flip in order to make that happen,” said Lori Turnbull, a professor of political science at Dalhousie University. “And so the national polls don’t necessarily mean a whole lot, as long as the seats add up to the way he wants.” A weak result for the Liberals on 20 September, however, could upend the power brokering in parliament.   Related: Jagmeet Singh: the ex-lawyer and TikTok star who could topple Trudeau    In 2019, Jagmeet Singh, leader of the leftwing New Democratic party, ruled out working with the Conservatives. This time round, he has expressed more openness to cutting deals with the current leader, O’Toole, who shares a focus on affordability and workers’ rights. But Singh and Trudeau are more natural allies, and despite sparring in the most recent debate, are more closely aligned in their progressive policies. A narrow win on 20 September – even if it means losing seats in parliament – could help Trudeau cement a legacy with Singh’s help, including the delivery of low-cost expanded childcare, a long-unfulfilled promise by the party that has finally rolled out, says Wherry. Trudeau’s climate plans, despite coming under attack during the most recent debate, have won plaudits from economists – and from a former top Green party leader, who called them “bold and thoughtful”. Before his election in 2015, Trudeau was able to convert fatigue with Conservative policies – and the hope of a new, fresh way of doing politics – into a surprise parliamentary majority. Soon after, the election of Donald Trump as president offered the perfect counterpoint to Trudeau’s image as a progressive leader. But the forces that thrust him into the country’s highest office – his promises of change, his youthful appearance and his fame – could be working against him. All political leaders, especially incumbents, inevitably face voter fatigue. “You’re not just going out and making promises and talking about how great things are going to be – you have to defend whatever has happened over the past six years,” said Wherry. “Inevitably, there’s just wear-and-tear. As much as the pandemic may have boosted and reset his image, you can’t resist gravity.”",2021-09-14 11:00:09+02:00
news/2021/sep/15/the-johnson-and-trudeau-shows-inside-the-17-september-guardian-weekly,article,news,News,2021-09-15 08:00:41+00:00,The Johnson and Trudeau shows: inside the 17 September Guardian Weekly ,https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/sep/15/the-johnson-and-trudeau-shows-inside-the-17-september-guardian-weekly,"The Guardian Weekly splits its cover stories across the Atlantic this week, as we focus on prime ministers on both sides of the pond. In London, Boris Johnson began last week determined to be the leader who finally solved one of Britain’s most intractable political issues: how to fund the country’s rising social care bill. He ended it as the man who imposed a ­manifesto-busting £12bn tax rise, taking public spending to its highest-ever peacetime level – and invoked the wrath of many Conservatives and a right-wing press that once lionised him.  But Johnson’s big tax gamble also asked questions of the opposition Labour party, which seemed to have been caught entirely off guard. Toby Helm and Phillip Inman ask what Johnson’s role-reversal on tax could mean for the future of both parties, as well as for the prime minister himself. In Canada, meanwhile, the chickens may be coming home to roost for Canada’s Justin Trudeau, who announced a snap election last month. As next week’s vote looms it’s unclear as to whether the incumbent Liberal prime minister’s gamble will pay off, with polls showing him narrowly trailing his Conservative rival Erin O’Toole. Leyland Cecco sets the scene and profiles Jagmeet Singh, the progressive NDP leader who could prove to be kingmaker in a tight vote. Got cash to burn, entrepreneurial spirit and want to live in a floating tech utopia beyond the constraints of international fiscal regulation? That’s what a group of wealthy investors envisaged when they bought an old cruise liner with the intention of anchoring it off the coast of Panama. Unfortunately things only got more complicated from there, as Sophie Elmhirst reveals. There’s also a great read about the high-security messaging device beloved of international criminals, with only one problem – it was invented by the police. And we catch up with Kacey Musgraves, the reluctant liberal champion of country music. Get the Guardian Weekly delivered to your home",2021-09-15 10:00:41+02:00
world/2021/sep/17/justin-trudeau-criticism-aukus-canada-federal-election,article,world,World news,2021-09-17 17:44:24+00:00,Trudeau lambasted over exclusion from US-led military alliance as election nears,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/17/justin-trudeau-criticism-aukus-canada-federal-election,"Justin Trudeau is facing harsh criticism from political rivals after Canada was excluded from a new international defence pact, days before the country votes in a federal election. Australia, the United Kingdom and the United State on Wednesday announced a new intelligence sharing agreement meant to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.   Related: What is the Aukus alliance and what are its implications?    Canada already shares intelligence with Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand – an agreement known as the Five Eyes – but was not included in the new pact, dubbed Aukus. And ahead of Monday’s federal election, leaders of both the Conservative and New Democratic parties quickly criticized Trudeau for Canada’s exclusion, suggesting it reflected a broader failure by the Liberal government to engage with key allies – and to take a firm stand against China. “This is another example that Mr Trudeau is not taken seriously by our friends and allies around the world,” the Conservative leader, Erin O’Toole, told reporters Thursday. “Canada is becoming more irrelevant under Mr Trudeau.” O’Toole said he would seek to join the new Indo-Pacific security arrangement if the Conservatives are elected. The New Democratic leader, Jagmeet Singh, also criticized Canada’s absence from the pact, suggesting Trudeau had become too distracted by the election campaign to fully engage with allies. If Canada had become a member of Aukus, he said, it could have put pressure on China to free the two jailed Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. “The pact seems like a potential avenue to add more pressure [on China]. Canada was absent. Another reason why this election should not have been called,” said Singh. Canada’s tense relationship with China – and the plight of two jailed Canadians – has previously come up during the election, when leaders sparred during a recent debate. “Canada’s voice has been absent Mr Trudeau,” O’Toole said during the English language debate on 9 September. “We should be leaders for our values, sir. You’ve let the Michaels down and we have to get serious with China.” Trudeau fired back: “If you want to get the Michaels home, you do not simply lob tomatoes across the Pacific.” The prime minister downplayed the broader significance of the Aukus pact. “This is a deal for nuclear submarines, which Canada is not currently or any time soon in the market for. Australia is.” Despite the political point scoring ahead of the federal election, experts say Canada’s absence from the deal reflects broader concerns that the country isn’t working to improve – or even maintain– key relationships. “The Three Eyes deal is not representative of Canada’s diminished status in the world. But it is part of a broader trend of Canada simply not engaging its allies in the way it should, and as a result, is becoming less relevant,” said Stephanie Carvin, a professor of international relations at Carleton University. While Canada hasn’t had a strong defence presence in the Indo-Pacific region for decades, Australia has made a far greater effort than Canada – despite its geography – to foster a close relationship with the American intelligence apparatus, she says. “Canada has really failed to be strategic in the way it engages its allies. Because we’re not showing up, our allies and moving on and that has negative implications for our security,” she said. While it speaks to the country’s diminished foreign policy credentials, Carvin is skeptical voters will punish the Liberal government.   Related: Aukus deal showing France and EU that Biden not all he seems    “Voters have not historically punished politicians for failure in foreign policy – and in this case, there’s very little at stake.” But short-term domestic political issues can mask more troubling aspects of the country’s presence on the global stage. “Canada has been able to coast. We have a good reputation, we’re in good alliances, and we’re in a safe part of the world. It’s not surprising to me that we coast,” she said. “But, like any student not really putting in the effort, you can only do that for so long.”",2021-09-17 19:44:24+02:00
world/2021/sep/21/canada-election-result-trudeau-forecast-to-win-third-term-after-early-vote-gamble,article,world,World news,2021-09-21 05:42:47+00:00,Canada election result: Trudeau wins third term after early vote gamble,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/21/canada-election-result-trudeau-forecast-to-win-third-term-after-early-vote-gamble,"Justin Trudeau has won a third term as Canada’s prime minister, with his Liberal party set to capture the most seats in the snap election, a result he called a “clear mandate” to get the country through the pandemic. 
With results still trickling in late Monday night, Trudeau was on track for another minority government, meaning he will once again need to work with other parties to pass legislation. 
“I hear you when you say you want to get back to the things you love, not to worry about the pandemic or the election,” Trudeau said from Montreal early on Tuesday morning, acknowledging the decision to hold an early election was deeply unpopular. “You have given this government and this parliament clear direction.” 
Preliminary results indicated his Liberals had won or were leading in 156 seats – short of the 170 needed for a parliamentary majority. Erin O’Toole’s opposition Conservatives had 121. The result largely mirrored the outcome of the 2019 election. 
Elections Canada, which oversees the vote, had previously warned that some results would take days to be finalised as mail-in ballots are counted. 
The prime minister gambled by calling an election in August in the hopes that the government’s pandemic response could boost his party’s power in parliament. 
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
But rival parties quickly called foul, accusing the prime minister of conducting a “vanity project” during a fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic. 
Opposition leader O’Toole calling the election a “quick power grab” after conceding defeat early on Tuesday. 
“Five weeks ago, Mr Trudeau asked for a majority. Tonight, Canadians did not give Mr Trudeau the majority mandate he wanted. In fact, Canadians sent him back with another minority at the cost of $600m dollars,” he said. 
 
  Related: Trudeau energized by anti-vaccine protests in Canada election few wanted  
 
While the opposition Conservatives led in the national popular vote, Monday’s result nonetheless marked a defeat for O’Toole. His centrist campaign failed to persuade enough voters to toss out the Liberal party after six years in power. The last time the Conservative party won an election federally was in 2011. 
“Our support has grown, it’s grown across the country, but clearly there is more work for us to do to earn the trust of Canadians,” O’Toole told supporters, while suggesting that he planned to stay on as leader. “My family and I are resolutely committed to continuing this journey for Canada.” 
The progressive New Democratic party, led by Jagmeet Singh, was expected to pick up electoral seats, but fall short of its hope for “kingmaker” status. 
“Our fight will always continue,” said Singh, congratulating Trudeau on his win. While Singh spent much of the election attacking Trudeau, he and his party are likely to support many of the Liberals’ policies – and will try to push the government to the left. 
Heading into the race, Trudeau’s Liberals held 155 seats in parliament, the Conservatives held 119 seats, the Bloc Quebecois held 32 seats and the NDP held 24 seats. The Green party had only two seats and there were five Independent MPs. 
Despite the lack of a parliamentary majority, the prime minister is likely to find strong support in parliament for the Liberal party’s marquee policy – C$10 per day child care across the country. 
However, the Liberals lost two cabinet ministers: Maryam Monsef, who most recently held the title of minister for women and gender equality, and Bernadette Jordan, the fisheries minister. 
Green party leader Annamie Paul, who has faced numerous challenges to her leadership in recent months, was set for a bitter loss in her race in downtown Toronto. 
Maxime Bernier, the leader of the People’s party of Canada, which has run on on a platform against public health measures like vaccines and masks, and which critics have called xenophobic and racist, failed to win his race, as did all his other candidates.",2021-09-21 07:42:47+02:00
world/2021/sep/21/justin-trudeau-wins-third-election-victory,article,world,World news,2021-09-21 17:02:39+00:00,Justin Trudeau secures a third victory in an election ‘nobody wanted’,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/21/justin-trudeau-wins-third-election-victory,"Justin Trudeau has secured a third election victory, but his decision to call a snap election was criticised by political opponents – and even allies – after the Canadian prime minister failed once again to win a parliamentary majority. 
As of Tuesday morning, the Liberals had won or were leading in 158 seats – short of the 170 needed for a majority. Erin O’Toole’s opposition Conservatives won 119, a result that largely mirrored the outcome of the 2019 election. 
“It looks like nobody wanted an election and no one got what they wanted,” said the Toronto Star political columnist Chantal Hébert as results came in. 
For the second time in two years, Trudeau has been handed a minority government by Canadians, meaning he will have to reach across the aisle to work with smaller parties in order to govern. 
In his victory speech at 1.15 in the morning, Trudeau nonetheless told supporters that Canadians had given him a “clear mandate” to continue governing – but acknowledged that his election gambit had not been popular. 
“I hear you when you say that you just want to get back to the things you love, not worry about this pandemic or about an election. That you just want to know that your members of parliament of all stripes will have your back through this crisis and beyond,” he said. “The moment we face demands real important change. You have given this parliament and this government clear direction.” 
But the gamble to call a federal election during the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic is likely to produce friction among Liberals. As of Tuesday morning, three of Trudeau’s cabinet ministers had failed to win re-election. Across the country, a number of Liberal candidates were forced to compete in tightly contested races, often eking out narrow victories. 
 
  Related: Jagmeet Singh: the ex-lawyer and TikTok star who could topple Trudeau  
 
With the parliament largely mirroring the 2019 result, the progressive New Democratic party, led by Jagmeet Singh, is set to hold the balance of power – although despite earlier hopes the party could win more seats and earn “kingmaker” status in parliament, the NDP fell short of expectations. 
“Our fight will always continue,” said Singh, congratulating Trudeau on his win. While Singh spent much of the election attacking Trudeau, at one point calling the prime minister an “abject failure”, Singh and his party are likely to support many of the Liberals’ policies as they try to push the government to the left. 
“You can be sure that we will be there for you, and you can also be sure that if we work together we can build a better society, and that’s exactly what New Democrats will do,” Singh told supporters on election night. 
O’Toole accused Trudeau of engineering a “quick power grab” after conceding defeat early on Tuesday. 
“Five weeks ago, Mr Trudeau asked for a majority. Tonight, Canadians did not give Mr Trudeau the majority mandate he wanted. In fact, Canadians sent him back with another minority at the cost of $600m,” the opposition leader said. 
While the opposition Conservatives led in the national popular vote, Monday’s result nonetheless marked a defeat for O’Toole. His centrist campaign failed to persuade enough voters to toss out the Liberal party after six years in power. The last time the Conservative party won an election federally was in 2011, raising broader questions about which direction the party could be pulled – and if O’Toole had the support of his caucus. 
“Our support has grown, it’s grown across the country, but clearly there is more work for us to do to earn the trust of Canadians,” O’Toole told supporters, while suggesting that he planned to stay on as leader. “My family and I are resolutely committed to continuing this journey for Canada.” 
The Green party leader, Annamie Paul, who has faced numerous challenges to her leadership in recent months, came in a disappointing fourth in her race in downtown Toronto. That result – and a collapse of Green support across the country – was unlikely to quell a wave of infighting which has beset the party. 
Maxime Bernier, the leader of the People’s party of Canada, which has run on a platform against public health measures like vaccines and masks, and which critics have called xenophobic and racist, failed to win his race, as did all of the candidates his party ran. While the party received far more support this election than in 2019, Bernier will once again face the challenge of leading a party with no representation in parliament. 
Elections Canada, which oversees the vote, had previously warned that some results would be delayed as mail-in ballots are counted. Most results should be finalized by Wednesday.",2021-09-21 19:02:39+02:00
world/2021/sep/21/canada-justin-trudeau-election,article,world,World news,2021-09-21 18:47:40+00:00,Trudeau didn’t win the majority but still has chance to pass sweeping legislation,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/21/canada-justin-trudeau-election,"Justin Trudeau went into Monday’s federal election with one of the world’s highest Covid-19 vaccination rates, billions spent on pandemic aid and the hope that he could convert the earned goodwill into a majority government. He fell short of that aim: after a 36-day campaign and a C$610m election, the makeup of parliament remained largely unchanged, with the Liberals holding roughly 158 seats – short of the 170 needed for a majority.   Related: Justin Trudeau secures a third victory in an election ‘nobody wanted’    The Liberals received a smaller share of the popular vote than any other winning party in the country’s history – suggesting the prime minister’s popularity is waning, despite his party’s electoral advantages. And while the math in parliament remained largely the same, three of Trudeau’s cabinet ministers didn’t win re-election. Trudeau will be forced to navigate a parliament that he needs to woo in order to survive. But it may yet give him the rare opportunity to pass sweeping, legacy-defining legislation. When he called the election in mid August, Trudeau was asked about his future as party leader if the Liberals once again fell short of majority government. Trudeau declined to answer, but said that more work was required on crucial issues such as child-care and housing, adding that he is “nowhere near done yet”. Making his victory speech early on Tuesday, Trudeau showed no sign that he intends to step down, telling supporters that Liberals had won a “clear mandate” from the public to pursue sweeping policy initiatives. “I think retiring from politics would be the furthest thing from Justin Trudeau’s mind right now … it’s a four-year mandate unless the government is bought down,” Gerry Butts, Trudeau’s longtime friend and former adviser told CBC News. Despite falling short of his goal, Trudeau is unlikely to experience as severe a backlash from his own party as that facing the Conservative leader. Erin O’Toole ran a centrist campaign, hoping to pick off disaffected Liberal voters who might otherwise be put off by a socially conservative leader. But the gambit failed, and the party made no electoral gains, prompting questions about how long O’Toole can stay in power. Still, Trudeau – who ran in 2015 as a progressive candidate with promises to upend the status quo – must increasingly contend with the reality of politics: as the incumbent, he bears the weight of his government’s successes – and failures. “Even if this election hadn’t happened, he’s been prime minister for six years – and there’s only so long you can be in power before voter fatigue sets in,” said Lori Turnbull, a professor of political science at Dalhousie University. The Liberals pledged big spending initiatives, including affordable, $C10 per day child care across the country – a plan the Conservatives had said they would scrap if elected. And Trudeau’s climate plans have won plaudits from economists and were called “bold and thoughtful” by a former top Green party leader. While the parliamentary math remains largely unchanged, Trudeau has the opportunity to pass key legislation with the help of Jagmeet Singh and his left-wing New Democrats, who hold the balance of power. The NDP spent millions on the campaign and has little appetite to head back to the polls, suggesting Trudeau has a cushion of votes to keep him in power for the coming years. “If he’s willing to work with Singh, he can be prime minister who delivers a national childcare program, and be the one who delivers a real plan in place on climate change – something that has the support of multiple parties,” said Turnbull. “If he wants it, there’s a real opportunity here for Trudeau. It’s a chance for him to cement a legacy.”",2021-09-21 20:47:40+02:00
global-development/2021/sep/29/canada-indigenous-children-first-nations-trudeau,article,global-development,Global development,2021-09-29 21:08:37+00:00,Indigenous children set to receive billions after judge rejects Trudeau challenges,https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/sep/29/canada-indigenous-children-first-nations-trudeau,"A federal court in Canada has paved they way for billions in compensation to First Nations children who suffered discrimination in the welfare system, after a judge dismissed a pair of legal challenges by the government. Two years ago, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled that the federal government had “wilfully and recklessly” discriminated against Indigenous children living on reserves by failing to properly fund child and family services.   Related: Trudeau appeal could block billions in compensation to Indigenous children    The tribunal ruled the federal government was required to pay compensation worth C$40,000 to each child removed from his or her home – the maximum allowable under the country’s human rights act. But instead of paying out the compensation, the prime minister Justin Trudeau said his government would appeal the ruling to “make sure we’re getting compensation right”. On Wednesday, however, a federal judge wrote that the tribunal’s compensation ruling was not unreasonable. “No one can seriously doubt that First Nations people are among the most disadvantaged and marginalized members of Canadian society,” justice Paul Favel wrote in his decision. “The tribunal was aware of this and reasonably attempted to remedy the discrimination while being attentive to the very different positions of the parties.” The court also weighed in on a separate battle over “Jordan’s principle”, which states First Nations children shouldn’t be deprived of care while governments fight over responsibility of cost. The principle was named after Jordan River Anderson, a five-year-old child who died of a medical condition while governments fought over who should pay for his care. Favel concluded that in both cases, the government failed to establish that either of the tribunal’s decisions were unreasonable. The battle for compensation dates back 14 years, when Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society and the Assembly of First Nations argued that by underfunding child welfare on reserve, Ottawa’s actions amounted to racial discrimination. Indigenous leaders have long criticized prime minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to fight both of these rulings. Critics have said the refusal to provide compensation to children is not in line with a government committed to reconciliation. In June, New Democratic party leader Jagmeet Singh brought forward a motion asking the federal government to abandon its legal challenges. The motion passed unanimously in the House of Commons. In September’s election debate, Singh again attacked Trudeau for his government’s refusal to compensate children. “You can’t take a knee one day if you’re going to take Indigenous kids to court the next. That’s not leadership,” he said – a reference to Trudeau kneeling during an anti-racism protest last year. Wednesday’s landmark ruling was celebrated by Indigenous leaders – and by lawmakers who have long called for the government to compensate the affected children. “Today was an absolute victory for First Nation children. For six years Justin Trudeau spent millions fighting the rights of Indigenous children and trying to overturn a ruling that found his government guilty of ‘wilful and reckless’ discrimination against vulnerable Indigenous kids. The court has thrown his case out,” lawmaker Charlie Angus of the NDP said in a statement. The First Nations Caring Society called the decision a “huge win” for Indigenous children and families. “Today’s decision acknowledges the personal harm caused by Canada’s discrimination and affirms that First Nations deserve justice,” tweeted the Assembly of First Nations. “We hope that Canadians stand with us in recognizing that #EveryChildMatters.”",2021-09-29 23:08:37+02:00
world/2021/oct/26/canada-cabinet-reshuffle-melanie-joly-anita-anand-justin-trudeau,article,world,World news,2021-10-26 16:50:47+00:00,Justin Trudeau names women to top posts in Canada cabinet reshuffle,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/26/canada-cabinet-reshuffle-melanie-joly-anita-anand-justin-trudeau,"Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has carried out a major cabinet shuffle, naming women to the foreign affairs and defense posts in his gender-balanced cabinet. Trudeau named Mélanie Joly as foreign minister and Anita Anand as defence minister. Chrystia Freeland, widely considered a favorite to replace Trudeau at some point, retains her positions as deputy prime minister and finance minister.   Related: Trudeau didn’t win the majority but still has chance to pass sweeping legislation    Women make up half of the cabinet, as they have done since Trudeau’s Liberal government was first elected in 2015. Joly, 42, previously served as minister of economic development and before that as heritage minister. Anand, 54, is just the second woman to serve as Canada’s defense minister. She previously served as procurement minister and led the country’s efforts to purchase vaccines in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Harjit Sajjan, heavily criticized for his handling of sexual misconduct allegations in Canada’s military, left the defense portfolio to take up a new post in international development. Trudeau put the longtime green activist Steven Guilbeault into the environment portfolio. Guilbeault, who La Presse newspaper once dubbed Guilbeault “the green Jesus of Montreal,” worked for environmentalist groups for more than 20 years, including Greenpeace. In 2001 he climbed the CN Tower in Toronto to protest Canada’s environmental record. He entered parliament in 2019. Trudeau has said addressing climate change is a priority. His government has imposed a carbon tax and has said it will curb harmful emissions in the energy sector. Trudeau also created a new role, a minister of mental health and addictions. Carolyn Bennett has been tapped to take on the role. Trudeau, who took power in 2015, won a third term last month but had to act after he lost three ministers and another quit before the election. Fewer than 10 of the 38 ministers kept their existing positions. His Liberals hold 159 seats in parliament but do not have the 170 needed to pass legislation without the support of an opposition party. Minority governments do not usually last a full four-year term in Canada.",2021-10-26 18:50:47+02:00
global-development/2021/oct/29/trudeau-government-canada-indigenous-children,article,global-development,Global development,2021-10-29 22:34:34+00:00,Trudeau files last-ditch appeal against billions for Indigenous children,https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/oct/29/trudeau-government-canada-indigenous-children,"Justin Trudeau’s government has launched a last-minute court appeal against a ruling that would require it pay billions of dollars to First Nations children who suffered discrimination in the welfare system. Minutes before a court deadline on Friday afternoon, the government filed papers indicating it planned once again to fight a human rights tribunal decision ordering the compensation payment. Soon after, however, the government released a statement saying it would pause litigation as it negotiated with First Nations groups to determine how compensation should be paid out. The decision to fight the tribunal ruling – and the subsequent pause in litigation – was swiftly condemned by prominent Indigenous voices.   Related: Comedian had right to mock disabled teen singer, Canadian court rules    “Feds had years to sit and negotiate. Courts have told them to negotiate. Instead feds refused to abide by tribunal orders. Discrimination and harm continued to our kids. Now, before feds agree to negotiate, they wait till Friday 4.30pm and get their appeal in first. Wow,” tweeted Pam Palmater, Mi’kmaw lawyer and chair in Indigenous governance at Ryerson University. In 2019, the Canadian human rights tribunal argued the federal government had “willfully and recklessly” discriminated against First Nations children living on reserve by underfunding child and family services. Children were taken from their communities and put into government-run programs. The tribunal had ordered Ottawa to pay C$40,000, the maximum the tribunal can award, to each child as well as their parents and grandparents, but the federal government appealed the ruling. That appeal was dismissed by a federal court judge who found that the government had failed to demonstrate the tribunal’s decision was unreasonable. The battle for compensation dates back 14 years, when Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society and the Assembly of First Nations, argued that by underfunding child welfare on reserve, Ottawa’s conduct amounted to racial discrimination. Indigenous leaders have long criticized the prime minister’s decision to fight both of these rulings – but had recently expressed hope the Liberal government would end the multi-year battle. In its submission, the government says it “acknowledges the finding of systemic discrimination and does not oppose the general principle that compensation to First Nations individuals who experienced pain and suffering” – but said it found the way compensation was determined was problematic. In its statement on Friday, the government said it hoped to reach a settlement by December.",2021-10-30 00:34:34+02:00
world/2022/feb/14/canada-protests-justin-trudeau-use-rare-emergency-powers,article,world,World news,2022-02-14 22:03:27+00:00,Trudeau invokes rare emergency powers in attempt to quell protests,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/14/canada-protests-justin-trudeau-use-rare-emergency-powers,"The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has invoked legislation that gives his government sweeping powers to fight a growing number of “illegal and dangerous” blockades across the country. 
The first prime minister to invoke the Emergencies Act, Trudeau said the measures would be time-limited and only apply to specific geographic regions. “We are not preventing the right of people to protest legally,” he said, adding that the military would not be deployed. “The act is to be used sparingly and as a last resort.” 
Hours before Trudeau’s announcement, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Alberta announced that they had seized a truck full of firearms at blockade near the US border. 
 
  Related: Freedom convoys: legitimate Covid protest or vehicle for darker beliefs?  
 
The Emergencies Act, which goes into effect for a month, allows the federal government to bar people from gathering in certain locations. It could also allow officials to conscript the use of private tow trucks. The deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, said the Act would bar the use of crowdfunding websites for illegal activities and punish companies whose trucks were being used in the protests. 
The recent hack of the crowdfunding site GiveSendGo revealed substantial financial support from outside Canada, which Freeland called an attack on democracy. “This is about following the money. This is about putting an end to these illegal blockades. Consider yourself warned,” she said. 
While both the city of Ottawa and the province of Ontario have declared states of emergency, the use of the Emergencies Act is the most forceful use of government power so far in fighting the blockades. 
The act replaced the War Measures Act in 1988 but is more limited in scope. The revised act requires parliamentary oversight and all measures must comply with the country’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 
As the protests cripple trade routes and paralyse city streets, Trudeau said border officials were already turning away Americans trying to enter the country to join the demonstrations. 
The prime minister’s unprecedented move comes amid growing worry from federal officials that protesters are increasingly unwilling to leave the blockades, as well as the rising prospect of violence. 
The RCMP said on Monday that 11 people were arrested and detained and police seized 13 long guns, handguns, multiple sets of body armour, a machete, a “large quantity” of ammunition, and high-capacity magazines. For more than two weeks, protesters have blocked the border crossing near the town of Coutts, Alberta. 
In a statement, police said they recently “became aware of a small organised group within the larger Coutts protest” that had access to weapons and “was said to have a willingness to use force against police” if any attempts were made to “disrupt” the blockade. 
The Alberta premier, Jason Kenney, said the arrests and seizure of firearms “underscores the severity” of the situation. 
In Ottawa, dozens of semi-trucks remained idling in front of the prime minister’s office – the third week of an occupation by protesters from across the country. A small crowd, including a number of children, braved frigid temperatures in the nation’s capital to protest public health measures and were unfazed by news of the Emergencies Act. 
While elements of the demonstration had a festive feel, including volunteers handing out food and music blasting from a stage, other scenes evoked the dug-in mentality of the convoy. Groups guarded jerry-cans of fuel stashed at street corners amid the hum of generators in camper vans. 
On Monday, an Ontario judge granted an injunction to enforce noise and idling bylaws related to the protests in Ottawa. The injunction effectively gives police a new tool for charging protesters in violation of a court order that bars fireworks, truck horns and idling. 
Ottawa’s mayor tweeted that a number of trucks had started moving out of residential areas as part of an agreement with protest leaders, but cautioned that it could take days for many of the trucks to leave, calling it a “complex” operation. 
But at a press conference, organisers of the convoy said protesters would remain until mandates were removed. Tamara Lich said Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act was “extreme”, but that the prospect of increased federal powers to end the blockades would not deter protesters. 
“No matter what you do, we will hold the line,” said Lich. “There are no threats that will frighten us. We will hold the line.”  
• This article was amended on 16 February 2022. Tamara Lich said Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act would not deter protesters; an earlier version omitted the word “not”.",2022-02-14 23:03:27+01:00
technology/2022/feb/17/elon-musk-criticised-for-comparing-justin-trudeau-to-adolf-hitler-tweet-auschwitz,article,technology,Technology,2022-02-17 19:19:56+00:00,Elon Musk criticised for likening Justin Trudeau to Adolf Hitler in tweet,https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/feb/17/elon-musk-criticised-for-comparing-justin-trudeau-to-adolf-hitler-tweet-auschwitz,"Elon Musk has been criticised by the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum for comparing the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, to Adolf Hitler. The chief executive of Tesla tweeted a meme that showed a photo of Hitler with the words “Stop comparing me to Justin Trudeau” above the image and “I had a budget” below. The tweet was later deleted.  Musk’s use of Hitler’s image “disrespects the memory of all victims and hurts many people”, said the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum, which is on the site of the Nazi concentration camp where an estimated 1.1 million people were killed.    Using the image of Adolf Hitler & therefore exploiting the tragedy of all people who suffered, were humiliated, tortured & murdered by the totalitarian regime of Nazi Germany created by him is sad & disturbing. It disrespects the memory of all victims & hurts many people.— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) February 17, 2022    “Using the image of Adolf Hitler & therefore exploiting the tragedy of all people who suffered, were humiliated, tortured & murdered by the totalitarian regime of Nazi Germany created by him is sad & disturbing,” the museum tweeted in reply to Musk. The American Jewish Committee said the billionaire’s tweet was unacceptable and demanded he apologise. “Once again, Elon Musk has exercised extremely poor judgment by invoking Hitler to make a point on social media. He must stop this unacceptable behaviour,” it said. “Musk may believe posting a meme comparing Justin Trudeau to a genocidal dictator who exterminated millions is an appropriate way to criticise policies he disagrees with. It is not. It never is. Musk must apologise and find other ways to voice his displeasure.” Musk did not respond to the AJC or the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum, but posted another tweet that suggested his Twitter followers read a book about the economic history of Nazi Germany for “an in-depth explanation”. The world’s wealthiest person, with a $236bn (£173bn) fortune, made the original post in response to reports that Canadian authorities had ordered banks to block cryptocurrency donations to anti-vaccine protesters.   Related: Canada was warned before protests that violent extremists infiltrated convoy    Musk has frequently spoken out in favour of the Canadian trucker protests against Covid-19 mandates. Last month he posted a photo of the long line of trucks and tweeted: “Canadian truckers rule”. In another post he said: “If Canadian government is suppressing peaceful protests, that’s where fascism lies.” The Tesla boss also accused the US financial regulator on Thursday of targeting him with a “harassment campaign”, which he said was designed to “chill” his criticism of the US government. In a court filing, his lawyers accused the Securities and Exchange Commission of “targeting Mr Musk and Tesla for unrelenting investigation largely because Mr Musk remains an outspoken critic of the government; the SEC’s outsized efforts seem calculated to chill his exercise of first amendment rights”.     Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk   The filing is part of Musk’s attempt to persuade the SEC to distribute $40m (£29m) in fines that he and Telsa paid to the regulator over misleading tweets in 2018. The SEC sued Musk after he tweeted he had “funding secured” to potentially take his electric car company private at $420 a share. In reality, a buyout was not close. Tesla and Musk settled by agreeing to each pay a $20m fine, and to let the carmaker’s lawyers vet his tweets that could affect its stock price. Musk’s lawyer said the SEC had committed to returning the $40m to Tesla shareholders, but had failed to yet do so. • This article was amended on 20 February 2022 because an earlier version referred to Auschwitz-Birkenau where “960,000 people were killed”. The death toll there is estimated to be 1.1 million. The figure of 960,000 relates to those who were Jewish.",2022-02-17 20:19:56+01:00