Dec 10 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci said the federal equalization program needs fixing, because the way it is now doesn’t work for Albertans. Speaking in a scrum with reporters in Ottawa on Monday, Ceci said the current formula used to deem provinces either “have” or “have nots” has continually failed to help Alberta deal with significant […]
Dec 9 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — The arrest in Vancouver earlier this week of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou will put Canada in the “penalty box” with China for months to come. David Mulroney, former Canadian ambassador to China, told the West Block’s Mercedes Stephenson that while he expects the arrest will put a chill on Sino-Canadian relations, it likely will not […]
Dec 8 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — Divide and conquer. That seems to have been the strategy Saudi Arabia used to muzzle allies from speaking out in support of Canada in a diplomatic crisis that broke out in August over a tweet calling for the release of detained civil and women’s rights activists.
Dec 7 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — Canadian officials had no idea what hit them. As Saudi Arabia launched an unprecedented attack against Canadian interests in response to a tweet calling for the release of detained women’s rights activists including Samar Badawi, diplomats and foreign service officials were left scrambling and trying to confirm for themselves the media reports that the Canadian […]
Dec 6 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — Canadian representatives spent months working diplomatic back channels over Saudi Arabia’s arrest of civil rights and women’s rights activists. But it appears it was the arrest of Samar Badawi that specifically prompted the Canadian embassy in Riyadh to recommend the government tweet out its concern.
Dec 3 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is coming under fire from some critics after a weekend tweet in which he appeared to offer up a $50-million aid pledge offhand. But according to one government spokesperson, the money pledged in a tweet to Trevor Noah, who is hosting the Global Citizen Festival in honour of former South African […]
Dec 2 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — Questions continue to swirl around exactly what and when the Liberals knew about reports of an RCMP probe into the gambling activity of their colleague, Raj Grewal, but there is no “clear answer.” In an interview with the West Block’s Mercedes Stephenson, the parliamentary secretary for organized crime said he couldn’t answer questions about where […]
Nov 30 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — The relationship between Canada and Saudi Arabia is “fractured” and the kingdom has ordered its ministries to look for alternatives to existing deals it has with Canadian businesses. That’s the determination of officials at Global Affairs Canada in their briefing notes prepared for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland ahead of her Oct. 15 phone call […]
Nov 28 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — The decision to move now-beleagured Liberal MP Raj Grewal off the House of Commons finance committee two months prior to the news that he plans to resign because of “gambling problems” was apparently unrelated to ongoing reports of a police investigation.
Nov 27 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — Liberal MP Raj Grewal has not yet followed proper parliamentary procedure for resigning his Brampton East seat. Because of that, he remains the MP for the riding. Elections Canada confirmed the update to Global News following a series of questions posed by opposition MPs in the House of Commons on Tuesday regarding whether Grewal, who […]
Nov 25 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — Western countries, including Canada, are caving to what one Middle Eastern journalist calls economic “blackmail” by refusing to act against Saudi Arabia for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by a hit squad with ties to the Crown Prince.
Nov 25 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — If the Alberta oil sector was any other industry, the federal government would be rushing to help. Instead, Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci said the Liberals have been proving again and again that they just don’t understand the crisis facing the province’s oil industry and are doing exactly the opposite of what they would be […]
Nov 22 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — Parliamentarians are making arrangements for extended sitting hours to quickly pass legislation to end the rotating Canada Post strikes. Senate sources confirmed to Global News that the Red Chamber has passed a rare motion to sit on both Saturday and Sunday in order to deal with back-to-work legislation tabled by the Liberals on Thursday morning.
Nov 22 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — The government is laying the groundwork for a rapid end to the rotating Canada Post strikes. Employment Minister Patty Hajdu has also just tabled back-to-work legislation that could force an end to the strike more quickly than would normally be the case for most bills thanks to a motion expediting the legislative process.
Nov 16 2018 — Amanda Connolly — Global News — Striking Canada Post workers will not get to vote on a pair of offers put forward by the Crown corporation this week before the deadline on them expires. Global News has confirmed the union representing striking postal workers will not take the latest offers, made by Canada Post on Nov. 14, to the membership for […]