Feds unlock another $20 billion for low-cost rental construction financing: Freeland
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the federal government is unlocking another $20 billion in low-cost financing for the construction of rental housing across Canada. The federal government had an annual limit of $40 billion on its Canada Mortgage Bonds program, which raises funds for residential mortgage financing.
It’s messy days in world affairs. Now, some say Canada has egg on its face
A warning to any Canadian thin-skinned about seeing the nation being portrayed in a negative light: There is no safe haven, right now, on international news sites. Not after the veteran of a Nazi unit being celebrated in the House of Commons snowballed into a major global news story.
Here’s how a man who fought for the Nazis got honoured in the House of Commons
Anthony Rota, the Speaker of the House of Commons, has been unequivocal that the blame for the spectacle of a packed Canadian Parliament applauding a man who fought for the Nazis in the Second World War should fall on him and him alone. More than once, in writing and from his seat in the Commons, […]
Tensions flared in the House of Commons on Monday over opposition calls for House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota to resign after apologizing to the House of Commons for inviting, recognizing and leading the chamber in a standing ovation for a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War. The incident […]
Read MorePolice have launched an investigation into a poster inviting “proud parents of European children” to participate in racially segregated playtime in B.C.’s Lower Mainland. The invitation advertises “whites-only” gatherings for mothers in the Tri-Cities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody who are “looking for somewhere your children can play with others that look like […]
Read MoreCanada’s industry minister made a point of calling out Pepsi and Coca-Cola for not sending representatives to a meeting he convened on Monday with manufacturing companies to discuss stabilizing grocery prices. François-Philippe Champagne singled out the two companies when asked by a journalist what the consequences would be if major industry players did not succeed […]
Read MoreHere’s what we know about the hottest issue in Canadian politics. Two out of three Canadians see housing affordability as a “crisis”. Even most Liberals (59%) agree. But expensive houses don’t affect everyone the same way. Rising prices have been only bad news for half the population, but only good news for 17%. Others see […]
Read MoreWithout commenting on whether or not the suddenly embattled House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota should step down over his ill-advised, albeit allegedly entirely inadvertent, decision to pay a very public tribute to a constituent who fought in a Ukrainian military unit under the command of the Nazis during World War II, Process Nerd can, […]
Read MoreThe national Liberal caucus that met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau behind closed doors two weeks ago in London, Ont., for its summer retreat “blasted” senior staff in the Prime Minister’s Office, some cabinet ministers, and their chiefs of staff for their attitude toward backbenchers, and expressed disappointment that the party has not defined Conservative […]
Read MoreFeatured Ink
Rota’s gavel falls — the undeniable case for the speaker to resign
In the typically calm domain of Canadian politics, the unsavoury spectacle orchestrated by House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota has jolted the political and public conscience. The misstep of inviting and acknowledging a World War II veteran for fighting against the Russians, only to later unveil that his fight was as a member of the […]
Canada embarrassed itself when it honoured a man who fought for the Nazis. But that’s hardly the worst part
It is clear a price will have to be paid for the spectacle of Canadian parliamentarians standing and applauding last Friday for a man who fought with the Nazis during the Second World War. The man who should not pay that price is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Attempts to erase the lauding of a Nazi veteran from Canada’s records are shameful.
On Monday, Liberal Government House Leader Karina Gould attempted to move a motion to erase all records of the Speaker of the House of Commons recognizing a veteran of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (a Nazi division), during the address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s to Canada’s House of Commons. This decision […]
The Speaker isn’t supposed to be a problem — and that’s a big problem for Anthony Rota
The Speaker of the House of Commons is not supposed to be the problem. The Speaker of the House is the individual chosen by their fellow members to preside over their business, check their behaviour, protect their privileges and represent the institution. The Speaker is the officer in robes overlooking the proceedings from his throne, […]
Trudeau’s handling of Rota affair has very real implications for Ukraine
Putin’s propaganda about “denazifying Ukraine” thus got a major boost, complete with slo-mo video footage of our MPs rising to their feet to applaud a beaming Yaroslav Hunka, who served in the SS 14th Waffen Division, which committed numerous atrocities against Poles during the Second World War. Article content Meanwhile, our Five Eyes allies are […]
Canada’s shame is Ukraine’s disaster
Up until the fiasco of Parliament giving a standing ovation to a 98-year-old Ukrainian-Canadian named Yaroslav Hunka, who, it turned out, had fought with the Waffen SS against the Soviets in the Second World War, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s North American tour had gone reasonably well.
The tribute to a Nazi in the House of Commons is an utter disgrace that could have easily been avoided
Jews across Canada were preparing for the holiest day on the religious calendar on Sunday, as word was spreading about a major snafu in Ottawa two days earlier. Ahead of a 24-hour fast to atone for sins committed in the previous year and ask to be inscribed into the Book of Life for the year […]
Trans people must be protected across Canada
Trans people are currently in the crosshairs of some Canadians who are following a pattern set in the United States: Extreme commentators and their political enablers distort and amplify anecdotes to depict trans people as a threat to our children, and other people follow along.
Today in Canada’s Political History: John Thompson enters the Macdonald cabinet as Minister of Justice
Nova Scotia’s John Thompson, a respected jurist and past Premier of Nova Scotia, entered the cabinet of Sir John A. Macdonald on this date in 1885. He had been sent to the Commons by his province’s voters in a by-election after accepting the pleas of Sir John A. to enter federal politics. Thompson took up […]
Housing is a monster issue, but it’s not affecting everyone the same way
Here’s what we know about the hottest issue in Canadian politics. Two out of three Canadians see housing affordability as a “crisis”. Even most Liberals (59%) agree. But expensive houses don’t affect everyone the same way. Rising prices have been only bad news for half the population, but only good news for 17%. Others see […]
After the first week back in Parliament, it is obvious that all three leaders of the national parties have their work cut out for them. The prime minister has the most obvious problem. Justin Trudeau’s press these days reads like a savage review of a Broadway flop. Maybe he’s playing rope-a-dope with Conservative Leader Pierre […]
Read MoreOver the summer, something remarkable happened. Women, across every voting demographic, started migrating their voting intention away from the Liberal government. But that trend shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that economic data from that period suggests that high interest rates and sustained high inflation – particularly in the cost of fuel and groceries – […]
Read MoreProtests and counter-protests on the rights of children to use their chosen pronouns were held across the country last week. New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh led a counter-protest in Ottawa, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn “hate and its manifestations,” and reiterate his support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community […]
Read MoreI get to ask thousands of Canadians, hundreds of questions each week and I’ve been doing this for 13 years now at Abacus Data. At no point in that time have I seen the kind of shifts and surprising results in our surveys than I do today. Take for example the rapid shift in vote […]
Read MoreIt was supposed to be a parliamentary sitting about affordability and public safety but quickly became about India and allegations of a politically motivated murder. How does this all influence the political pulse of the week?
Read MoreIs there a way out of this India story or are the two sides just too entrenched in their positions? Chantal and Bruce have their thoughts on the story that has dominated the headlines all week. And Doug Ford — does saying you’re sorry clean up the Greenbelt mess?
Read MoreThe problem for the Liberals these days is that they’re trapped in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s world and it’s imploding around them. An illustration of this is an interview Immigration Minister Marc Miller did last week with The Hill Times in which he called Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre a “charlatan”, “snake-oil salesman”, “classless jackass” and […]
Read MoreDanielle Smith has always been on the side of Alberta going it alone with a provincial pension. What we didn’t know until this week is what a stunningly big chunk of the pie the Premier would seek in that separation from the Canada Pension Plan. The Alberta claim is so huge – Ms. Smith’s United […]
Read MoreON JUNE 18, Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead as he left the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, at night. The forty-five-year-old was a prominent figure in the Sikh community in BC. He had moved to Canada from the Indian state of Punjab in 1997 and worked as a […]
Read MoreSometimes a lowly travel advisory can shed light on high geopolitical drama such as the one playing out right now between Canada and India. It can show how mistrust can turn the most innocuous of moves into an act of aggression and lead to a series of escalations. This week saw Canada cause a churn […]
Read More
International
Climate Corner
Think Tanks
