India has summoned Canada’s top diplomat to protest at comments by Justin Trudeau on recent mass protests by farmers in the country. Indian officials warned that continued “interference” in domestic affairs could harm relations between the two countries.
Related: Indian farmers march on Delhi in protest against agriculture laws
Continue reading...Conservative government says agreement paves the way for new bespoke deal with Canada
The UK and Canada have agreed to continue trading under the same terms as the current EU agreement after the Brexit transition period ends.
The Conservative government said the agreement paved the way for negotiations to begin next year on a new comprehensive deal with Canada, which has long been trumpeted as one of the benefits of the UK leaving the EU.
Continue reading...Britain may lack ‘bandwidth to move forward’ as Brexit transition nears end, say PM
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.
Continue reading...European commission president says key issues are level playing field and fisheries
Trade and security negotiations between the UK and the EU are making good progress, Ursula von der Leyen has said in the most optimistic comments to date on the state of the Brexit talks.
As the negotiations moved to Brussels after seven days in London, the European commission president said: “We’re making good progress but [there are] two critical issues: level playing field and the fisheries, [where] we would like to see more progress.
Continue reading...PM’s message a stark contrast to dismissive or overly optimistic tone set by some other world leaders, such as Donald Trump
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
Continue reading...Canada's prime minister Justin Trudeau has said the Covid pandemic 'really sucks' but said 'we do get to control how bad it gets' as the second wave continues to wash over the country. Speaking from Ottawa, Trudeau admitted that the virus could jeopardise family gatherings over the Christmas holidays.
The country's case numbers have been rising, triggering new restrictions to public gatherings and indoor activities in several provinces. On Monday, Canada recorded 4,109 new cases, and there have now been nearly 10,000 deaths
PM says government will invest billions in housing, health and jobs, but dismissals from rival parties prompt election speculation
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
Continue reading...Brothers who founded influential organisation will also stand down, blaming Covid and damage to its brand
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.
Continue reading...Move to ‘reset’ government due to coronavirus comes amid committee investigations into WE charity affair
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.
Continue reading...Opposition parties have called for Bill Morneau’s resignation over allegations he had a conflict of interest
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.
Continue reading...Justin Trudeau has told parliament he did not intervene to make sure a charity his family did paid work for would win a government contract.
Related: Justin Trudeau faces calls for criminal investigation into family's charity links
Continue reading...Canadian prime minister faces third conflict-of-interest investigation in just over three years
Justin Trudeau has apologized for taking part in a cabinet decision to use a charity he and his family have worked with to administer a C$900m (US$663m) student grant program.
The Canadian prime minister is facing a third investigation for conflict of interest in a little over three years after his government tapped WE Charity Canada on 25 June to manage the program. The charity backed out about a week after the contract was announced.
Continue reading...WE Charity, which was awarded multimillion-dollar government contract, paid PM’s mother and wife for appearances at events
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.
Continue reading...The US president stokes division as the virus rages, while the prime minister of Canada – where the outbreak appears to be stabilizing – has fostered a shared sense of duty
Donald Trump marked the Fourth of July with an apocalyptic speech at Mount Rushmore in which he stoked partisan grievance and deployed racist dog whistles, ignoring calls for unity as coronavirus cases surge.
Three days earlier, Justin Trudeau chose a more low-key location to celebrate Canada’s own national holiday. The prime minister and his family were photographed harvesting vegetables at an Ottawa food bank farm.
Continue reading...A military reservist who allegedly crashed his truck through a gate on the grounds where the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, lives was armed with two shotguns, a rifle and a revolver, and threatened Trudeau, according to prosecution documents made public on Monday.
Police allege that Corey Hurren brought a prohibited M-14 rifle, plus the shotguns and a revolver when he entered the grounds on 2 July. He is also accused of having a prohibited high-capacity magazine.
Continue reading...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 Obradoris due to meet Trump in Washington on Wednesday, and had urged Trudeau to attend the meeting.
Continue reading...Canadian police confirm man had ‘several’ weapons and will face multiple charges
Canadian police say the armed man who rammed a truck through the gates of the prime minister’s residence was loose for 13 minutes before authorities finally spotted him.
Media reports have identified the intruder as Corey Hurren, a reservist in the Canadian Rangers, a branch of the military that typically operates in remote and coastal regions.
Continue reading...Beijing denounces ‘megaphone diplomacy’ over jailed Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, and arrest of Huawei executive
China has sharply criticised Canada over its comments about two Canadians charged with spying, blaming its leaders for “irresponsible” statements and calling on Ottawa to end its “megaphone iplomacy”.
Chinese prosecutors this month charged Canadians Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a businessman, over allegations of espionage and providing state secrets.
Continue reading...Second failed attempt to win seat raises questions about messaging and clarity in Canada’s foreign policy, experts say
When Justin Trudeau was first elected in 2015, he promised that his victory would help Canada vault back on to the world stage, and reclaim a global influence that had eroded in previous years.
“To this country’s friends all around the world, many of you have worried that Canada has lost its compassionate and constructive voice in the world,” Trudeau told a raucous crowd on election night. “Well, I have a simple message for you. On behalf of 35 million Canadians: we’re back.”
Continue reading...Canadian PM attends Ottawa rally but would not be drawn on new policies to tackle racism
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.
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