Liberals pressed to reveal how much revenue U.S. tariff response has raised
OTTAWA - The Conservatives pushed the federal government on Monday to disclose how much revenue its counter-tariffs have generated so far — and accused the Liberals of putting their 'elbows down' as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to ramp up his trade war.
Conservative members of Parliament asked at least 10 questions of the government in the House of Commons on Monday about the revenue raised so far from the counter-tariffs.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
Thune's first big test as Senate leader has arrived with Trump's tax bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — Only six months into the job, Senate Majority Leader John Thune faces a massive challenge as he tries to quickly push President Donald Trump's sprawling tax and spending cuts package to passage with the support of a divided GOP conference. While most Republican senators are inclined to vote for the bill, Thune can stand to lose only four votes in the face of united Democratic opposition — and many more Republicans than that are critical of the version sent over by the House.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Trump orders investigation into Biden's actions as president and use of autopen
U.S. President Donald Trump directed his White House counsel on Wednesday to investigate whether former President Joe Biden's aides covered up alleged mental decline and unlawfully used an autopen on Biden's behalf to sign policy documents. Biden, who is fighting cancer, said he was responsible for the decisions made during his administration and suggested Trump's move was designed to distract Americans from a bill in Congress that would extend tax cuts for the wealthy. Republican Trump has long asserted that Biden, a Democrat who defeated him in the 2020 presidential election, was mentally incompetent and has suggested the use of a mechanical pen to sign memos, executive orders and grants of clemency during Biden's four-year-term may have been improper, potentially rendering them invalid. In a statement late on Wednesday, Biden dismissed those suggestions. 'Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false,' he said in a statement. Biden's team said the use of an autopen is a well established legal practice following a presidential decision. The former president, now 82, stepped aside as the Democratic presidential candidate last year after a disastrous debate against Trump underscored concerns about his age and ability to serve as commander-in-chief for four more years. Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the Democratic presidential nominee, in November. Opinion: Joe Biden's personal tragedy is also America's betrayal Biden's office said last month that the former president had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. That development and a new book that cites concerns among Democratic insiders about Biden's mental acuity as he was seeking re-election have brought renewed attention to the former president's health. While in office, Biden's aides denied that his mental acuity had dipped even as they acknowledged he had aged. Though he wished Biden well after the cancer diagnosis, Trump has continued to criticize his predecessor for a host of challenges facing the country. His move to investigate aspects of Biden's time in power took those criticisms to a new level. In a memorandum, Trump ordered his White House counsel, in consultation with the attorney general, to probe whether 'certain individuals conspired to deceive the public about Biden's mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the President.' The investigation would also look into documents that were signed by autopen, those who directed the use of that device, and any efforts to 'purposefully shield' the public from information about Biden's physical and mental health. 'In recent months, it has become increasingly apparent that former President Biden's aides abused the power of Presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden's cognitive decline,' the memo said. 'There are serious doubts as to the decision making process and even the degree of Biden's awareness of ... actions being taken in his name.' A senior official in Trump's Justice Department told staff on Monday that he has been directed to investigate whether Biden was competent and whether others had taken advantage of him through the use of an autopen when he granted clemency to members of his family and death row inmates at the end of his term.
Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Timing is everything as Ontario's MPPs wrap up for the summer
Opposition MPPs are furious at Doug Ford's rush to pass a law speeding up development projects, deeming it unseemly and undemocratic. But New Democrats and Liberals were willing accomplices when the premier rushed through their pay raises in record time — a backroom deal done in a single day without a second thought. Why the rush on both counts? Politics is all about timing. Ontario's MPPs are running out of time before the legislature rises on Thursday for its summer break. After six weeks in their seats so far this year, they're in a hurry to head home. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW On Wednesday, the premier passed his controversial legislation empowering the government to fast-track development in designated 'special economic zones' over furious objections from Indigenous leaders. Ford's Tories say there's no time to lose. Where there's a political will, there's a political way. More precisely, the premier is getting his way thanks to the majority muscle he won in the Feb. 27 election. NDP and Liberal MPPs tried to buy more time. New Democrats tried filibusters to run out the clock, to no avail. There's a legislative term for the Progressive Conservative government's squeeze play — it's called 'time allocation.' Sometimes, though, the opposition willingly marches at double time to the government's tune. Last week, MPPs from all parties came together on a matter of special interest — self-interest, you might say: More money for themselves. In a moment of unprecedented unity — unanimity, in fact — they agreed to pass legislation awarding all MPPs a 35 per cent annual increase, plus a new pension plan. They debated it without delay and enacted it in a day without a peep of protest or a whisper of dissent. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW On this issue, the entire legislature opted for unity over scrutiny. One day the opposition is in a huff, next day it's in a hurry. Haste makes waste, they say. But on this day they made hay over pay. That's not to say the opposition was wrong to go along. They did the right thing, but were afraid to be seen doing it. I've long made the case to increase MPP salaries. What other workers would put up with a 16-year wage freeze, and what other employer (which is to say, voters) would expect to attract and retain top talent for so long for so little? First imposed by a former Liberal government, then reimposed by Ford's Tories, the freeze endured year after year, election after election, despite inflation. The annual salary of an ordinary MPP was stuck at $116,550 without any increase since 2008 (ministers, party leaders and the premier make more, but they too were frozen). After falling so far behind, MPPs will earn $157,350 a year, henceforth pegged at 75 per cent of the federal rate. Meanwhile, they've been left in the dust by Toronto city councillors, who just voted themselves handsome salaries of $170,588 a year — albeit with a bit more debate. That said, if MPPs were too terrified to speak out in their own defence, that doesn't say much for their democratic instincts. And their rush to cover their tracks bespeaks bad habits. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Sometimes politicians need to take their time reconciling hard truths and difficult contradictions. For example, no matter how much Ford talks about the need to move fast on infrastructure in a time of tariff wars with U.S. President Donald Trump, he is loath to speak up about the interminable delays in opening Toronto's new light rail transit infrastructure. Under questioning, Ford finally opened up this week about the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, telling reporters it will now open this September — five years behind schedule. The week before, Speaker Donna Skelly announced that a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald on the Ontario legislature's front lawn — protected from vandals by a wooden tomb for the past five years — will be liberated for all to see after a decision by a legislative committee. Ford and his opposition counterparts, the NDP's Marit Stiles and Liberal Bonnie Crombie, belatedly came out in support of the move after largely avoiding the subject for the past five years. The 1894 statue was targeted because of Macdonald's controversial role in establishing Canada's blighted residential schools system for Indigenous students. It took all these years for the politicians to determine that times have changed, and that it is possible to re-examine Macdonald's legacy with a new plaque without removing Canada's founding prime minister from our history or reality. It took five more years to get the LRT right. MPPs were right to raise their salaries, but it shouldn't have taken 16 years. Unveiling Macdonald's statue after five years was the right thing to do. But Ford's rush to fast-track his economic zones may only cost him valuable time if it triggers more protests and legal battles. Timing is everything. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
