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Group calls on Ottawa to restore seniors minister position in cabinet

Group calls on Ottawa to restore seniors minister position in cabinet

CBC15-05-2025

The Nova Scotia chapter of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons says a secretary of state for seniors doesn't fully represent the interest of seniors in Canada. Watch Vern Ramesar's interview with CARP spokesperson Bill VanGorder.

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Post-Mulroney, the Conservatives' brand is ‘loser.' It's time for an overhaul
Post-Mulroney, the Conservatives' brand is ‘loser.' It's time for an overhaul

Globe and Mail

time31 minutes ago

  • Globe and Mail

Post-Mulroney, the Conservatives' brand is ‘loser.' It's time for an overhaul

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Quebec names mediator as Montreal public transit strike in third day
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time32 minutes ago

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Quebec names mediator as Montreal public transit strike in third day

Quebec's labour minister says he has named a mediator in a labour dispute between Montreal's public transit authority and its maintenance workers that has limited bus and metro service across the city. About 2,400 maintenance workers have been on strike since Monday after more than a year of negotiating. As a result, buses and metros are only operating during morning and afternoon rush hours and late at night. Labour Minister Jean Boulet said Wednesday on social media that the mediator will be tasked with easing tensions between both sides and restoring a dialogue 'conducive to negotiations.' One day earlier, he urged the union and the transit authority to jointly seek mediation to bring them closer to a deal. In a news release on Wednesday, the transit authority — Société de transport de Montréal — said negotiations with the union extended late into the prior night before the two sides agreed on the conditions governing mediation. Both sides filed a joint application for mediation to the Labour Department. 'Meetings with the union continue and are still scheduled several times a week,' the transit authority said. The mediation deal is a 'step in the right direction,' said Marie-Claude Léonard, general director of the agency. But she said, 'we are not one meeting away from reaching a solution.' The agency noted it had proposed mediation as early as May 29. Bruno Jeannotte, president of the maintenance workers union, said in an e-mailed statement that mediation will hopefully accelerate negotiations 'to quickly resolve the issues that separate us.' As part of an agreement reached with Quebec's labour tribunal, regular service will be maintained from Friday to Sunday for the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, but operations will be restricted on other days until the strike is set to end on June 17. Earlier this week, Jeannotte also said his team is in talks with the union representing bus and subway drivers — who have also voted for a strike mandate — on ways to increase pressure on the transit authority. In a post on the X platform, Mayor Valérie Plante thanked Boulet for getting involved. 'This is an important step that will help move things forward,' Plante wrote. 'Our wish is clear: that the dialogue accelerates to reach an agreement.' She also sympathized with Montrealers who've been affected by the service cuts. 'The situation is difficult and complex for thousands of us. Public transit is essential and must resume quickly,' Plante said.

Canada, U.S. exchanging potential terms on economic and security deal
Canada, U.S. exchanging potential terms on economic and security deal

Globe and Mail

timean hour ago

  • Globe and Mail

Canada, U.S. exchanging potential terms on economic and security deal

Canada and the United States are exchanging potential terms of agreement in closely held talks on an economic and security deal, The Globe and Mail has learned, but these do not represent the draft text of an actual pact. These exchanges are an effort to spell out what both sides might be able to agree upon as Ottawa and Washington try to find enough common ground to end their damaging trade war, sources said. The Globe is not naming the sources because they were not authorized to speak publicly. It's also far from clear whether a deal will be landed anytime soon as the United States is negotiating with close to 20 other countries that are seeking relief from tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed on their products. One government official compared the documents being exchanged to term sheets in the corporate sector, which outline the ingredients of a possible deal and serve as the basis for negotiations. Canada and the U.S. are engaging in talks on a new economic and security relationship that could amount to the first phase of talks with a second phase being the renegotiation of the trilateral United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement possibly to follow as already scheduled in 2026. ArcelorMittal laying off 153 workers in Hamilton as Trump tariffs hammer the steel industry Opinion: Carney was right to not retaliate against Trump's latest tariffs The economic-defence talks are being conducted among a very small circle of officials including International Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Jamieson Greer, the United States Trade Representative. It's possible this deal may be an executive-handshake agreement such as the one the British government signed with the White House in May. Sources said Canada and the United States are talking about working together to counter China's unfair trade practices, a topic that could affect U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, and further border security arrangements to stop the illegal distribution of the opioid fentanyl. The United States also wants Canada to take a great role in securing the Arctic and join Mr. Trump's ambitious Golden Dome missile shield project – a project Prime Minister Mark Carney has publicly said would make sense for Canadians to be part of. They said each side is putting ideas on paper and sharing them as part of the talks. CBC News on Friday reported it had learned of the existence of a working document outlining details of a potential deal. CBC, citing an unidentified source, said the working document states that Canada is willing to participate in the Golden Dome security program, and it also mentions Canadian commitments to build more infrastructure in the Arctic, Canada's pledge to meet its NATO defence spending targets, as well as previously announced border security investments.

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