A Liberal government uninterested in fighting culture wars? This could be it
Religious and scriptural books will also be exempt.
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Kathleen Wynne, a former Liberal premier of Ontario, said the order would send Alberta down '(T)he slipperiest of slopes.' She also shared an article calling the order a 'blatant act of cultural vandalism.'
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Alberta Senator Kristopher Wells said he was worried about the order limiting access to sex-ed materials, but added he was relieved that there was nothing in its plain text preventing students from learning about LGBTQ identities.
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Wells, a 2024 Trudeau appointee, accused the Alberta government last month of playing to an 'old homophobic trope' by singling out LGBTQ-themed books as pornographic.
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So far, Carney and his cabinet have not commented on the policy.
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His predecessor, Trudeau, blasted New Brunswick in 2023 over its policy requiring schools to disclose student pronoun changes to parents, calling the policy 'far-right.' The policy enjoyed the support of the vast majority of New Brunswickers and their fellow Canadians at the time.
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Then minister of women, gender equality and youth Marci Ien was an equally vocal critic of similar parental disclosure policies rolled out in Saskatchewan and Alberta, saying at one point that these policies put transgender and nonbinary children in a ' life-or-death situation.'
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Trudeau also accused Alberta's plan to restrict medical transitioning for children of being 'anti-LGBT,' opposed Ontario's changes to its sex-ed school curriculum, and criticized Quebec for rules barring religious symbols being worn by public servants.
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Chrystia Freeland, a senior minister under Trudaeau would later argue that Trudeau's loud championing of LGBTQ rights and other culture war issues were part of the reason he fell out of favour with Canadians.
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'Liberals … lose when people think that we are focused on virtue-signalling and identity politics,' Freeland said in an interview earlier this year.
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Carney looks to be taking this lesson to heart, treading lightly on cultural issues. The women and gender equality portfolio was conspicuously absent from Carney's maiden cabinet, although he assigned former minister of small business Rechie Valdez to the role shortly after April's election.
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Carney said in a post-debate media scrum that he believed there were two biological sexes, but also believed that transgender individuals should be accommodated where possible.
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'This is Canada (and) we value all Canadians for who they are,' said Carney.
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Tyler Meredith, a longtime Liberal insider and former senior adviser in the Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Finance, said that attacking the Alberta school libraries order would be a bad use of Carney's time and political capital.
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Vancouver Sun
3 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Half of Canadians would volunteer to fight if war breaks out, and fewer young people, poll finds
As Canada ramps up defence spending in an effort to meet its NATO commitments, a pollster suggests the military may struggle to find the people it needs. According to a new Angus Reid Institute poll, just under half of Canadians say they'd be willing to serve if war broke out, and younger adults were the least likely to say they would volunteer. The survey asked Canadians if they would be willing to fight in a war. Only 49 per cent of respondents said they would volunteer for military service in a combat role. Nineteen per cent said, 'Yes, if my country called on me,' while 30 per cent said, 'Yes, but only if I agreed with the reasons for fighting.' More than a third (39 per cent) said they would not be willing to volunteer to fight, while another 12 per cent were not sure. In 1985, when asked if they would be willing to fight for Canada, 61 per cent said 'yes,' while 15 per cent said 'it depends.' 'One of the things that's becoming very clear, and very evident is that the conversation around military readiness, security, defence, is certainly having a moment. We're seeing a 30-year high in terms of willingness to spend more on defence,' said Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, in an interview with National Post. 'We wanted to understand the size and the scope of the willingness (to volunteer for the armed forces) among Canadians.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. For years, the Canadian Armed Forces has been dealing with a recruitment crisis and public pride in the military has taken a hit following concerns about underfunding and the lingering impact of the 2021 sexual misconduct scandal. In 2019 nearly 80 per cent of Canadians said they felt proud of the armed forces, today that has dropped to 52 per cent. Willingness to serve was highest among men over the age of 54, with 69 per cent saying they would be willing to volunteer (35 per cent unreservedly and 34 per cent if they agree with the war) and only 21 per cent saying they would not. However, since the army's retirement age is 60, this willingness is of limited practical use. Meanwhile, younger Canadians, who are more sought after by the armed forces, were less willing to volunteer. 'It's one thing to just talk about, we're going to spend money, it's another thing to commit the dollars and spend the money, but the money is going to be spent on people. So how do you square that circle, knowing, for example, that among the least amount of willingness … is among that 18 to 34 cohort,' said Kurl. The poll found that 45 per cent of men aged 18 to 34 were willing to volunteer to fight (21 per cent unreservedly and 34 per cent if they agree with the war) while 36 per cent of men said they were not willing to volunteer. Women in that age group were far less willing to serve, despite efforts to recruit more women to the armed forces. Only 31 per cent said they would volunteer (10 per cent unreservedly and 21 per cent if they agree with the war) while 58 per cent said they would not. Overall, Canadians older than 54 are more willing to serve (55 per cent) than men and women aged 18 to 34 (43 per cent). The poll also showed that political affiliation played a role in willingness. Nearly six in 10 past Conservative voters said they would volunteer, compared to just over four in 10 Liberal voters. A majority of NDP (54 per cent) and Bloc Québécois (52 per cent) supporters declined to volunteer at all. 'We've seen through extensive study at the Institute on other related areas, such as where should Canada's international priorities be, Conservative voters do tend to say they should be more on defence,' said Kurl. 'It's notable, again, in terms of some of those who are most willing are older male conservative voters,' which again, is not the demographic the forces' are looking for. As Canada recommits to its role in NATO, the question isn't just how much the country is willing to spend on its military, but who is willing to serve in it. 'We don't have robot armies yet, so there's also a human aspect to this,' said Kurl. The national online survey was conducted from June 2 to 23 among a randomised sample of 1,619 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. It was weighted to represent Canadian adults nationwide, according to the census. Traditional margins of error do not apply to online surveys, but, for comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
3 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Half of Canadians would volunteer to fight if war breaks out, and fewer young people, poll finds
As Canada ramps up defence spending in an effort to meet its NATO commitments, a pollster suggests the military may struggle to find the people it needs. According to a new Angus Reid Institute poll, just under half of Canadians say they'd be willing to serve if war broke out, and younger adults were the least likely to say they would volunteer. Article content The survey asked Canadians if they would be willing to fight in a war. Only 49 per cent of respondents said they would volunteer for military service in a combat role. Nineteen per cent said, 'Yes, if my country called on me,' while 30 per cent said, 'Yes, but only if I agreed with the reasons for fighting.' More than a third (39 per cent) said they would not be willing to volunteer to fight, while another 12 per cent were not sure. In 1985, when asked if they would be willing to fight for Canada, 61 per cent said 'yes,' while 15 per cent said 'it depends.' Article content Article content Article content 'One of the things that's becoming very clear, and very evident is that the conversation around military readiness, security, defence, is certainly having a moment. We're seeing a 30-year high in terms of willingness to spend more on defence,' said Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, in an interview with National Post. 'We wanted to understand the size and the scope of the willingness (to volunteer for the armed forces) among Canadians.' Article content Article content For years, the Canadian Armed Forces has been dealing with a recruitment crisis and public pride in the military has taken a hit following concerns about underfunding and the lingering impact of the 2021 sexual misconduct scandal. In 2019 nearly 80 per cent of Canadians said they felt proud of the armed forces, today that has dropped to 52 per cent. Article content Willingness to serve was highest among men over the age of 54, with 69 per cent saying they would be willing to volunteer (35 per cent unreservedly and 34 per cent if they agree with the war) and only 21 per cent saying they would not. However, since the army's retirement age is 60, this willingness is of limited practical use. Meanwhile, younger Canadians, who are more sought after by the armed forces, were less willing to volunteer. Article content Article content 'It's one thing to just talk about, we're going to spend money, it's another thing to commit the dollars and spend the money, but the money is going to be spent on people. So how do you square that circle, knowing, for example, that among the least amount of willingness … is among that 18 to 34 cohort,' said Kurl. Article content Article content The poll found that 45 per cent of men aged 18 to 34 were willing to volunteer to fight (21 per cent unreservedly and 34 per cent if they agree with the war) while 36 per cent of men said they were not willing to volunteer. Women in that age group were far less willing to serve, despite efforts to recruit more women to the armed forces. Only 31 per cent said they would volunteer (10 per cent unreservedly and 21 per cent if they agree with the war) while 58 per cent said they would not. Article content Overall, Canadians older than 54 are more willing to serve (55 per cent) than men and women aged 18 to 34 (43 per cent).
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Anand says Indo-Pacific strategy will have economic focus but maintain values
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The Trudeau government put language on environmental protection, labour standards and gender equality in its trade agreements. Goldy Hyder, head of the Business Council of Canada, said that made Canada appear 'a bit preachy' to other countries. He said Canada has to be respectful in the way it stands up for democratic values. A focus on the economy is quickly becoming a defining trait of the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney, a former central banker who is intent on building up Canada's domestic capacity and reshaping its trade and security plans to rely less on the United States. Carney has been mostly focused on Europe so far; he has visited the continent three times since March. Anand's visit this week 'sets the stage' for Carney's planned visits this fall to the Association of South East Asian Nations leaders' summit in Malaysia and the APEC forum in South Korea, said Vina Nadjibulla, research vice-president for the Asia Pacific Foundation. Anand visited Tokyo to sign an information-sharing agreement that could lead to defence procurement deals, before heading to Malaysia for a meeting of the Association of South East Asian Nations, or ASEAN. Her visit also comes as Canada tries to restore ties with India after two years of diplomatic chill following the 2023 shooting death of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver — a crime Ottawa linked to agents of the Indian government. The RCMP said last year it had evidence of New Delhi playing a role in acts of homicide, coercion and extortion targeting multiple Sikh-Canadians. Canada subsequently expelled six senior Indian diplomats; New Delhi expelled six Canadian diplomats in response. India claims Canada is enabling a separatist movement that calls for a Sikh homeland — Khalistan — to be carved out of India, and calls that a violation of its sovereignty. Carney began to thaw the relationship in June. He invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta and the two leaders agreed to reinstate their high commissioners. The two countries are also starting security talks. As the world's most populous country, India is seen as a critical partner as Carney pushes to disentangle Canada from its heavy reliance on trade with the U.S. The two countries have engaged in on-and-off negotiations on a trade deal since 2010, with frequent pauses — including Ottawa's suspension of talks after the Nijjar assassination. Hyder said India's corporate sector has been urging Canadian corporations to continue expanding trade in spite of the tensions between Ottawa and New Delhi. 'One day this is all going to be resolved, and we don't want to have lost all that time,' he said. He said the reduced number of Canadian diplomats has made it more challenging for members of his council to engage in India, because there are fewer trade commissioners in India to help Canadians connect companies with contacts and opportunities on the ground. Hyder, who spoke just before leaving for a fact-finding mission to India, said the appointment of high commissioners will set the tone for eventual trade talks. He said a trade deal would be helpful but is not 'a precondition' for boosting trade, and suggested Ottawa should focus on scaling up the roads and ports needed to meet Asia's demand for Canadian commodities. Vijay Sappani, a fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said an India trade deal could come quite soon. 'If we put in the right efforts on our end, I feel like we could probably get a free-trade agreement done before the end of this year, if not (the first quarter) of next year,' said Sappani. 'There is no Indo-Pacific without India, and if we want to play in the global markets, where we've been kind of shunned … then we need to step up to the plate.' Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Sappani said Ottawa should seek assurances from India that it will never play a role in violence in Canada. In turn, he said, Ottawa could commit to not having politicians show up at any event where there are displays commemorating those who took part in violence in support of the Khalistan movement. 'That is the biggest thing that we Canadians can do to stop some level of irritants within the Indian side, and trade definitely will come on back on the table,' he said. Anand would not say how soon Canada and India could appoint top envoys, or start trade talks. 'We will take the relationship with India one step at a time,' she said Thursday. 'That timeline will be steady, not immediate.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2025.
