Conservative Senate leader criticizes $330K rebrand of high-speed rail project
MONTREAL - The Senate opposition leader says it was 'irresponsible' for a federal Crown corporation to spend $330,000 on a rebranding exercise.
Conservative Sen. Leo Housakos says the decision to pay an outside marketing firm to help design a new name and brand for a Via Rail subsidiary was another example of wasteful spending by the Liberal government.
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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Musk calls Trump's big tax break bill a ‘disgusting abomination,' testing his influence over the GOP
WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk blasted President Donald Trump's'big, beautiful bill' of tax breaks and spending cuts as a 'disgusting abomination' on Tuesday, testing the limits of his political influence as he targeted the centerpiece of Republicans' legislative agenda. The broadside, which Musk issued on his social media platform X, came just days after the president gave him a celebratory Oval Office farewell that marked the end of his work for the administration, where he spearheaded the Department of Government Efficiency. 'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore,' Musk posted on X. 'This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.' The legislation, which has passed the House and is currently under debate in the Senate, would curtail subsidies that benefit Tesla, Musk's electric automaker. The tech billionaire followed his criticism with a threat aimed at Republicans. 'In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people,' he wrote in another X post. It's a sharp shift for Musk, the world's richest person who spent at least $250 million supporting Trump's campaign last year. He previously pledged to help defeat Republican lawmakers deemed insufficiently loyal to Trump, but now he's suggesting voting them out if they advance the president's legislative priority. However, it's unclear how Musk will follow through on his criticism. He recently said that he would spend 'a lot less' on political campaigns, though he left the door open to political involvement 'if I see a reason.' The tech titan's missives could cause headaches for Republicans on Capitol Hill, who face conflicting demands from Trump and their party's wealthiest benefactor. Alex Conant, a Republican strategist, said 'it's not helpful' to have Musk criticizing the legislation, but he doesn't expect lawmakers to side with Musk over Trump. 'Senate Republicans are not going to let the tax cuts expire,' Conant said. 'It just makes leadership's job that much harder to wrangle the holdouts.' Trump can change the outcome in Republican primaries with his endorsements; Musk doesn't wield that level of influence, Conant said. 'No matter what Elon Musk or anybody else says — and I don't want to diminish him because I don't think that's fair — it's still going to be second fiddle to President Trump,' said Republican West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito. Musk's business interests stand to take a hit if lawmakers approve Trump's bill, which would slash funding for electric vehicles and related technologies. Musk is the chief executive of Tesla, the nation's largest electric vehicle manufacturer, and SpaceX, which has massive defense contracts. Last month, Musk said he was 'disappointed' by the spending bill, a much milder criticism than the broadside he leveled on Tuesday. The budget package seeks to extend tax cuts approved in 2017, during Trump's first term at the White House, and add new ones he campaigned on. It also includes a massive build-up of $350 billion for border security, deportations and national security. To defray some of the lost tax revenue to the government and limit piling onto the nation's $36 trillion debt load, Republicans want to reduce federal spending by imposing work requirements for some Americans who rely on government safety net services. Musk's post threw another hurdle in front of Senate Majority Leader John Thune's already complex task to pass a bill in time for Trump to achieve his goal of signing it by July 4. The South Dakota Republican has few votes to spare in the GOP's slim 53-seat majority. Two of the Senate's most fiscally hawkish Republicans quickly backed Musk. 'We can and must do better,' Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul wrote on X. Utah Sen. Mike Lee said 'federal spending has become excessive,' adding that it causes inflation and 'weaponizes government.' Still, Trump enjoys fierce loyalty among the GOP base, and in the end, his opinion may be the only one that matters. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt played down Musk's criticism. 'The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,' Leavitt said, and Musk's post 'doesn't change the president's opinion.' The tension in the GOP delighted Democrats, who found themselves in the unlikely position of siding with Musk. Democrats are waging an all-out political assault on GOP proposals to cut Medicaid, food stamps and green energy investments to help pay for more than $4.5 trillion in tax cuts — with many lawmakers being hammered at boisterous town halls back home. 'We're in complete agreement,' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said of Musk. The New York Democratic lawmaker stood alongside a poster-sized printout of Musk's post during a Capitol news conference. The last time Musk weighed in significantly on legislation, the scenario was far different. His power was ascendant after the election, with Trump joining him for a rocket test in Texas and appointing him to spearhead the Department of Government Efficiency. During the transition period, Musk started whipping up opposition to legislation that would prevent a government shutdown, posting about it repeatedly on X, his social media platform. Trump soon weighed in, encouraging Republicans to back out of a bipartisan deal. Lawmakers eventually patched together a new agreement. ___ Cooper reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Joey Capelletti and Mary Claire Jalonick in Washington contributed reporting.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Senator Sandra: Long time Windsor politician now in the upper house of Canada's democracy
Sandra Pupatello gets sworn-in to the Canadian Senate on May 29, 2025. Long time Windsor politician, Sandra Pupatello, is now a Canadian Senator. Pupatello was sworn in May 29 as a Senator, and she is now a member of the Canadian Senators Group (CSG). 'I'm pretty excited,' Pupatello said Friday in studio on AM800's 'The Shift with Patty Handysides.' Pupatello said she was thrilled to see former Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty at the ceremony in Ottawa. 'I'm really in gratitude because of a lot of the roles he gave me,' she said. Pupatello was an MPP for Windsor West from 1995 until 2011, during which time she served as Minister of Education and Minister of Economic Development and Trade. The latter, Pupatello told Handysides, is where she plans to focus her work in the Senate. 'I genuinely think you use the platform of the Senate, and you move the things that you know are important at the time,' Pupatello said. She plans to focus on the U.S. tariff threat. 'It's a whole new world now just because of this existential threat wondering is our supply chain gonna hold?' Pupatello said arguing Canada went 'the easy' route by relying on the Americans for trade. 'This is actually the perfect time for me to jump into those issues, for Windsor in particular,' she said. 'This is our time. We need to put our foot on the pedal.' Pupatello also noted since former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau started to shift the Senate away from partisanship, every single piece of government legislation has been amended or 'tweaked'. 'It's called the chamber of sober second thought,' Pupatello explained. Pupatello joins Senator Sharon Burey as the second Senator to hail from Windsor. Check out the full interview by scrolling to the one-hour 15-minute mark.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Indigenous services minister says First Nations support for developments ‘critical'
OTTAWA – The federal minister of Indigenous services says she and the other Indigenous members of cabinet support their party's plan to fast-track infrastructure development — despite significant pushback from First Nations leaders. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty says Prime Minister Mark Carney has 'reaffirmed' First Nations will be included in discussions about projects the federal government could fast-track under pending legislation, and that their input is 'critical' to allowing those projects to move forward. Assembly of First Nations National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak sent a letter to Carney on Friday about legislation the federal government is developing to speed up work on certain projects with a streamlined regulatory approval process. In it, she said she fears the proposed legislation could violate the rights of First Nations people and undermine the treaties they signed with the Crown. Gull-Masty says she's 'supportive' of Woodhouse Nepinak and that she's 'pushing that conversation forward in a critical way.' Liberal MP Jaime Battiste, a member of his party's Indigenous caucus, says his understanding is that all projects being examined now already have 'buy-in' from Indigenous communities and will be the ones that are prioritized. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2025.
