Conservative strategist: 'I think they'll stick with Poilievre as leader'
Conservative strategist: 'I think they'll stick with Poilievre as leader'
Conservative strategist Laryssa Waler talks Poilievre's future, party divisions, Trump's recent comments regarding the new PM, and Carney's U.S. ties.
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Winnipeg Free Press
11 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
UK leader Starmer waters down planned welfare cuts after revolt in his Labour Party
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave way to political pressure on Friday, watering down planned welfare reforms to avoid defeat by his own party's lawmakers. It's the latest forced U-turn for a center-left government caught between conflicting goals of cutting spending and improving public services. The government planned to bring a bill to Parliament next week that would tighten eligibility for a key disability benefit, removing the Personal Independence Payment from hundreds of thousands of people with long-term physical or mental health conditions. Another health-related benefit received by people on low incomes would also be reduced under the plans. The government said the proposed changes would help people find jobs while preserving a safety net for those who can never work. It would also save an estimated 5 billion pounds ($7 billion) a year from a welfare bill that has ballooned since the COVID-19 pandemic. But many Labour lawmakers balked at the changes, which the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank estimated would cut the income of 3.2 million people by 2030. More than 120 of the 403 Labour legislators signed a motion that would effectively kill the bill if it were to be passed. Defeat at the hands of his own party in the vote planned for Tuesday would have seriously damaged Starmer's authority. To avoid that, the government said it would ensure no one who currently receives the PIP benefit will lose it. Starmer was elected a year ago in a landslide victory, winning a commanding majority of seats in the House of Commons. Since then his popularity has plunged as a sluggish economy and stubbornly high inflation resist efforts to raise living standards and ease a cost-of-living squeeze. Even as Starmer enjoyed success on the world stage – charming U.S. President Donald Trump and securing a trade deal to exempt Britain from some U.S. tariffs – Labour lawmakers have grown restive at the party's sagging poll ratings and the rise of the hard-right Reform U.K. party led by Nigel Farage. Starmer has been forced into several U-turns. In May the government dropped a plan to end winter home heating subsidies for millions of retirees. Last week Starmer announced a national inquiry into organized child sexual abuse, something he was pressured to do by opposition politicians — and Elon Musk. The government insists that major changes to welfare are needed to deal with a 'broken' system inherited from the previous Conservative government. It says the spending cuts it is making will be balanced by new money and support to help people who are able to work find jobs. The government wants to reduce the number of working-age people who are economically inactive through long-term sickness, which it says stand at 2.8 million, the highest rate of any G7 nation. At a NATO summit on Wednesday, Starmer dismissed griping about the welfare plans as 'noises off.' But the next day, he insisted he was listening to party rebels. 'All colleagues want to get this right, and so do I,' Starmer said. 'We want to see reform implemented with Labour values of fairness,' he told lawmakers. 'That conversation will continue in the coming days, so we can begin making change together on Tuesday.'
Vancouver Sun
12 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Electric vehicle mandate risks being next carbon tax without 'adjustments,' EV industry warns
OTTAWA — The head of a national association representing the electric transportation industry says the federal government, and provinces with a zero-emission vehicle sales mandate, should make 'short-term adjustments' to their programs at the risk of the policy going the way of the now-cancelled consumer carbon tax. Electric Mobility Canada President Daniel Breton's comments come as auto-makers and others in the industry express a fresh round of concerns about the Liberals' sales mandate, which has set a target of reaching 100-per-cent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035, beginning with initial targets of hitting 60 per cent by 2030 and at least 20 per cent by 2026. 'We believe that B.C, Quebec, and the federal government should make short-term adjustments, because between now and 2030 we don't know yet what's going to happen south of the border. We don't know yet what's going to happen between Canada and the U.S.,' Breton told National Post in an interview Thursday. 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. 'Lowering the targets between now and 2030 would be a reasonable path.' With Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre ratcheting up his efforts in demanding that the mandate be scrapped, arguing it removes 'choice' from consumers, Breton, a former Quebec environment minister, says the risk of not making short-term adjustments at the federal level is that, 'this is going to become a political hot potato.' 'Like the carbon tax was.' The consumer carbon tax was a signature climate policy of the Liberals until March, when Prime Minister Mark Carney cancelled it, saying it had become 'too divisive.' That followed a years-long campaign by Poilievre, who criss-crossed the country, promising to 'axe the tax,' blaming it for forcing consumers to pay additional costs amid a cost-of-living crisis. Breton, whose association represents 180 members in the electric transportation industry, including those who sell electric cars, says 'we have to find a pathway' that will allow people and those in the traditional automotive industry to buy credits and 'ease into this regulation.' A credit system is at the heart of the federal policy, which the Liberals finalized in 2023 as part of their plan to reduce Canada's overall greenhouse gas emissions, taking aim at the transportation sector, one of the top emitters. The government says manufacturers can earn credits by either selling or making zero-emission vehicles, which Ottawa defines as either a battery-powered vehicle or a plug-in hybrid, or by purchasing credits from an electric vehicle maker, or putting money towards building out charging infrastructure. Companies that fail to comply could face penalties under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. While manufacturers have long expressed opposition to the government mandating the sale of electric vehicles, Ford Canada CEO Bev Goodman recently called for the regulation to be scrapped in light of falling sales of these vehicles. Back in March, Statistics Canada reported a nearly 45-per-cent drop in the sale of new zero-emission vehicles from the same month the year before. The agency reported in April that the sales of these vehicles fell to around 7.6 per cent. Leading automotive associations have pointed to these decreases as evidence that hitting the 20 per cent sales target is unrealistic and creates additional burden on Canada's auto-sector at a time when it is dealing with a trade war with the U.S., which under President Donald Trump has dropped the electrification goals introduced by former president Joe Biden. A spokesperson for Ontario Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli called on the federal government to respond to the concerns from automakers. 'We are meeting regularly with auto companies, industry leaders, and workers as they navigate unprecedented global economic uncertainty,' wrote Jennifer Cunliffe. 'We need the federal government to do the same and address the concerns raised by industry partners about the impact that their net-zero vehicle mandates will have on investment, jobs, and supply chains.' Breton attributes the 'crash' in electric vehicle sales to the way the federal government suddenly ended the $5,000 rebate program for consumers in January, which it first introduced in 2019. He said the way Ottawa did so was the 'worst-case scenario' as compared to phasing it out more slowly and decreasing the value over time. What made matters worse, he says, was that at the same time, Quebec, which has its own zero-emission sales mandate, paused its rebate, which it has since reintroduced. Since doing so, he says, Quebec dealers have been telling him sales have been going back up. A presentation to industry by B.C.'s Energy Ministry, which was obtained by reporters , also showed the province was considering changes to its own program amid falling sales. The Liberals campaigned on reintroducing the federal rebate, which Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin's office confirmed it was working on, but has not stipulated when it will be announced. Breton said people are now waiting to see when the federal rebate will return before purchasing an electric vehicle. 'In the past two weeks, I've been getting phone calls from dealers that I know who told me, 'well, (electric vehicle) sales are stopping again because people are waiting for the federal rebate to come back.'' Breton says if it were up to him, the country would reach its overall target of having 100-per-cent new vehicle sales be zero-emission but 2030, 'but it's not me.' He declined to speculate on what lower targets should be, saying he wants to have further discussions with the government and industry. 'We have to make sure that people see a reasonable pathway, meaning some kind of compromise between some traditional automakers' issues or challenges,' he said. 'But also we need enough market certainty so that private companies will see that as more electric cars come to market, we will need more infrastructure, and then those companies want to invest in infrastructure charging.' In a recent interview, Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturing Association, said the government has the option of either abandoning its mandate or taking a look at the policy to 'have them reflect reality.' He said the government will have to adjust its program. 'Sure, you should have stretch goals, but stretch goals might be 10-per-cent (by 2026) or you can stick to what you think your ultimate goal is, 100-per-cent by 2035, and the first compliance date out to 2028.' -With files from The Canadian Press National Post staylor@ 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 .
Calgary Herald
12 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Electric vehicle mandate risks being next carbon tax without 'adjustments,' EV industry warns
OTTAWA — The head of a national association representing the electric transportation industry says the federal government, and provinces with a zero-emission vehicle sales mandate, should make 'short-term adjustments' to their programs at the risk of the policy going the way of the now-cancelled consumer carbon tax. Article content Electric Mobility Canada President Daniel Breton's comments come as auto-makers and others in the industry express a fresh round of concerns about the Liberals' sales mandate, which has set a target of reaching 100-per-cent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035, beginning with initial targets of hitting 60 per cent by 2030 and at least 20 per cent by 2026. Article content Article content Article content 'We believe that B.C, Quebec, and the federal government should make short-term adjustments, because between now and 2030 we don't know yet what's going to happen south of the border. We don't know yet what's going to happen between Canada and the U.S.,' Breton told National Post in an interview Thursday. Article content Article content 'Lowering the targets between now and 2030 would be a reasonable path.' Article content With Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre ratcheting up his efforts in demanding that the mandate be scrapped, arguing it removes 'choice' from consumers, Breton, a former Quebec environment minister, says the risk of not making short-term adjustments at the federal level is that, 'this is going to become a political hot potato.' 'Like the carbon tax was.' Article content The consumer carbon tax was a signature climate policy of the Liberals until March, when Prime Minister Mark Carney cancelled it, saying it had become 'too divisive.' That followed a years-long campaign by Poilievre, who criss-crossed the country, promising to 'axe the tax,' blaming it for forcing consumers to pay additional costs amid a cost-of-living crisis. Article content Article content Breton, whose association represents 180 members in the electric transportation industry, including those who sell electric cars, says 'we have to find a pathway' that will allow people and those in the traditional automotive industry to buy credits and 'ease into this regulation.' Article content A credit system is at the heart of the federal policy, which the Liberals finalized in 2023 as part of their plan to reduce Canada's overall greenhouse gas emissions, taking aim at the transportation sector, one of the top emitters. Article content The government says manufacturers can earn credits by either selling or making zero-emission vehicles, which Ottawa defines as either a battery-powered vehicle or a plug-in hybrid, or by purchasing credits from an electric vehicle maker, or putting money towards building out charging infrastructure.
