Interim Opposition leader Andrew Scheer welcomes and warns the new Speaker of the House
Interim Opposition leader Andrew Scheer congratulated the newly elected Speaker of the House Francis Scarpaleggia on Monday. Scheer jokingly provided Scarpaleggia with historical instances of speakers losing their heads under the command of the King in the 14th and 16th centuries.
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Globe and Mail
10 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Canada plans to hit NATO spending target early and reduce reliance on US defense, Carney says
TORONTO (AP) — Canada will meet NATO's military spending guideline by early next year and diversify defense spending away from the United States, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday, asserting that Washington no longer plays a predominant role on the world stage. The announcement means Canada will achieve NATO's spending target of 2% of gross domestic product five years earlier than previously planned. 'Our military infrastructure and equipment have aged, hindering our military preparedness," Carney said. 'Only one of our four submarines is seaworthy. Less than half of our maritime fleet and land vehicles are operational. More broadly, we are too reliant on the United States.' According to NATO figures, Canada was estimated to be spending 1.33% of GDP on its military budget in 2023, below the 2% target that NATO countries have set for themselves. Canada previously said it was on track to meet NATO's target by the end of the decade. 'Our goal is to protect Canadians, not to satisfy NATO accountants,' Carney said. Canada is about to host U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders at a summit of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations in Alberta on June 15-17, and before the NATO summit in Europe. NATO allies are poised to increase the commitment well beyond the 2% target. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said last week that most U.S. allies at NATO endorse Trump's demand that they invest 5% of gross domestic product on their defense needs and are ready to ramp up security spending even more. Carney has said he intends to diversify Canada's procurement and enhance the country's relationship with the EU. 'We should no longer send three-quarters of our defense capital spending to America,' Carney said in a speech at the University of Toronto. 'We will invest in new submarines, aircraft, ships, armed vehicles and artillery, as well as new radar, drones and sensors to monitor the seafloor and the Arctic.' Canada has been in discussions with the European Union to join an EU drive to break its security dependency on the United States, with a focus on buying more defense equipment, including fighter jets, in Europe. Carney's government is reviewing the purchase of U.S. F-35 fighter jets to see if there are other options. 'We stood shoulder to shoulder with the Americans throughout the Cold War and in the decades that followed, as the United States played a predominant role on the world stage. Today, that predominance is a thing of the past,' Carney said in French, one of Canada's official languages. He added that with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the United States became the global hegemon, noting that its strong gravitational pull became virtually irresistible and made the U.S. 'our closest ally and dominant trading partner.' 'Now the United States is beginning to monetize its hegemony: charging for access to its markets and reducing its relative contributions to our collective security,' Carney said. Trump's calls to make Canada the 51st U.S. state have infuriated Canadians, and Carney won the job of prime minister after promising to confront the increased aggression shown by Trump. The prime minister said "a new imperialism threatens.' 'Middle powers compete for interests and attention, knowing that if they are not at the table, they will be on the menu," Carney said. Carney said the long-held view that Canada's geographic location will protect Canadians is increasingly archaic. European allies and Canada have already been investing heavily in their armed forces, as well as on weapons and ammunition, since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
30 minutes ago
As new U.S. travel ban arrives, some Canadian dual nationals are worried
Christian Kodia is accustomed to visiting the United States on a weekly basis, but with a new travel ban coming into effect on Monday, he's not sure if that will continue. Kodia is a dual national with citizenship from both Canada and the Republic of Congo, one of 12 states whose citizens U.S. President Donald Trump has now banned from entering that country. I travel to the United States of America, I would say, every weekend. I go to visit my family, I go for business, I go for friends, said Kodia, president of the Congolese-Brazzaville Community of Ottawa-Gatineau. Even though Kodia has a Canadian passport, he's unsure of what kind of welcome to expect from U.S. customs. It's going to be difficult, he told Radio-Canada, predicting that the ban would have a huge, negative impact for many people. Citing national security, Trump said Thursday (new window) his administration would block entry for citizens of Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Trump also announced restrictions to limit the entry of nationals of seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. In the case of the Republic of Congo, Trump cited high rates of overstaying among citizens visiting the United States: 29.6 per cent of those on temporary business or tourism visas, and 35 per cent of students and exchange visitors. Darlène Lozis, an organizer with the Haitian community in Gatineau, Que., worries that with much of her homeland controlled by gangs, Haiti's government won't be able to push back against the U.S. travel ban. (Boris Proulx/Radio-Canada) Photo: (Boris Proulx/Radio-Canada) For other countries he cited links to terrorism, failure to accept deportees or a lack of central authority as justification for barring their citizens. If we had a government, a strong one, one that we elected, they [would] be able to deal with [Trump], said Darlène Lozis, a Haitian community organizer in Gatineau, Que. Lozis said with much of her home country controlled by armed gangs, she doesn't think Haiti's government will be able to advocate for the rights of its citizens. Whatever we do won't change anything. That man is a fool, she said, referring to Trump. He will continue doing and saying whatever he wants. Entering 'the lion's den' Dual nationals like Kodia are now trying to establish whether they can still legally enter with their Canadian passports. But Ottawa immigration lawyer Betsy Kane suggests that given the potential risks, it's not even about what's legal. Kane said she's asking her business clients whether it's worth risking the well-being of their staff by sending them to the United States, especially if they are dual nationals from one of the banned countries. It's about putting yourself in the lion's den, said Kane, stressing that she's not a U.S. immigration specialist. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have wide discretion whether to admit travellers to the United States — even if they have a valid visa. They also have the power to detain people for questioning and to search their electronic devices. In April, Global Affairs Canada updated its travel advisory (new window) for the United States, warning Canadians to expect scrutiny, which could include those devices. It also warned that Canadians denied entry could be detained while awaiting deportation. In an interview with the Canadian Press on Friday (new window) , U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra said if a Canadian faced device searches, or detainment at the border, it was an isolated event and not a pattern. Campbell MacDiarmid (new window) · CBC News
CTV News
31 minutes ago
- CTV News
Halifax Cycling Coalition to hold rally against motion to stop bike lane construction
The Halifax Cycling Coalition is holding a rally to voice its opposition to Mayor Andy Fillmore's motion that, if passed, would immediately halt the construction of new bike lanes in the municipality. The rally will be held at City Hall at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. The motion calls for a pause on awarding any contracts for new bike lane designs or construction capital projects. The pause would continue until a staff report assessing the 'feasibility of alternative network solutions' that could reach active transportation goals while maintaining or improving the flow of traffic is complete. 'This motion is not about stopping progress,' said Fillmore in an open letter. 'It's about sequencing progress properly. Right now, we're seeing road space reduced before alternatives like reliable transit or safe, connected bike routes are in place.' The Halifax Cycling Coalition called Fillmore's motion 'politically motivated, not good transportation policy' in its post about the upcoming rally. 'Halifax enjoys the second highest rate of people cycling and walking of all Canadian cities,' the post reads. 'Do we want to jeopardize that? 'Cycling and walking make for a healthier population, reducing pressure on the healthcare system. At the same time we reduce greenhouse gases, particulate emissions, noise, and road violence.' Council will vote on the motion at their meeting on Tuesday. More to come… Halifax Bike Lane A green bike lane marker is pictured in Halifax, N.S. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
