Today's letters: Justin Trudeau does not deserve his rich pension
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Trudeau's incompetence reaped rewards
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Re: Trudeau to earn more than $8 million in pensions, severance, May 21
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So happy for Justin Trudeau, as I am sure all Canadians are (that's sarcasm of the highest level, in case any one thought otherwise).
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This for the guy that lowered our standard of living by somewhere between $4,200 and $5,500 per year for the average Canadian wage earner? I'd say he owes us money.
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Our standard of living is now lower than the poorest states in the U.S. It was not that way when Trudeau was elected in 2015. It became that way under his watch, along with the Liberal crew that is mostly still there.
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It's pretty sad when total incompetence is rewarded at such a high level.
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Brian Clark, Barrhaven
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The Canadian Taxpayers Federation thinks Canadians will be outraged. I think not. This is a tiny fraction of what some sports leaders get, but a prime minister has to steer us through recessions and pandemics, be focused on us 24-7, often at great cost to themselves and their families. I would rather pay that money for a prime minister or any other elected official who has committed to work for us all.
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I have read very little about Justin Trudeau since his resignation, aside from him visiting Canadian Tire and buying a plastic potato masher.
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This said, it seems that this trivial news is not the end of his last 10 years of being PM. His influence on Canadians will continue. He is obviously absent, yet still his presence remains.
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Saskatchewan and Alberta are both toying with separatism issues as a result of Trudeau policies since 2015 regarding resource development in the West.
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CTV News
40 minutes ago
- CTV News
Premiers heap praise on meeting with Carney, but no specific projects identified
From pipelines to critical minerals, Canadian provinces and territories presented arguments for championing different projects. Judy Trinh reports. From pipelines to critical minerals, Canadian provinces and territories presented arguments for championing different projects. Judy Trinh reports. SASKATOON — Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday's gathering of the country's premiers to talk over nation-building projects with Prime Minister Mark Carney was the 'best' they have had in the last decade. The comments amount to a lightly veiled jab at former prime minister Justin Trudeau, who frequently had frosty relations with the group, especially prairie premiers looking to build out their energy sectors. Ford said the premiers, and the whole country along with them, stand united as Canada comes under attack from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs -- even as some in the group scrapped over well-worn pipeline politics. Provincial and territorial leaders sat down with Carney in Saskatoon on Monday and each premier came armed with wish lists of major projects they hope the federal government will deem to be in the national interest, then fast track for approval. 'The point is to build the certainty, the stability and the ambition that builders need to catalyze enormous investment -- investment to make Canada into an energy superpower,' Carney said at the closing news conference. While the group mulled over a number of potential 'nation-building' natural resource and infrastructure developments in private, they did not release a final list afterward that would show they accomplished something concrete. Still, Ford said there is no reason to take that as a bad sign. 'Nothing was carved in stone at this meeting,' he said, adding he had no expectations the prime minster would approve specific projects at this meeting. 'I described him today as Santa Claus. He's coming and his sled was full of all sorts of stuff. Now he's taking off back to the North Pole and he's going to sort it out and he's going to call us.' The federal Liberals have yet to reveal in Parliament their promised legislation to speed up approvals for select projects to a maximum of two years. That could be tabled as early as this week. When he was pressed on the lack of specifics after the meeting, Carney told reporters he could name lots of examples of contenders. He then rattled off a list that included the Grays Bay Road and Port, which would connect southern Canada to the Arctic by road, along with the Ring of Fire mining project in northern Ontario. Notably, he name dropped the Pathways Alliance oilsands project, though he did not commit to any. Carney said the group would refine what should count as priority projects over the summer months and touted that as 'private proponents become aware of the opportunity here, we're going to see more projects coming forward.' He said the upcoming federal legislation will also mandate meaningful consultation with Indigenous Peoples, including in which projects get picked and how they are developed. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith went into the meeting warning that any list that doesn't include new pipelines would send a bad message to her province. She left the meeting on a positive note, saying it's up to political leaders to find a proponent for a new pipeline and that she's willing to give this process a chance. 'I'm encouraged by the immediate change of tone that we've seen from recent months,' she said. 'When we hear the prime minster talking about being an energy superpower, we haven't heard that language for some time.' Carney made a point to specify that 'decarbonized' barrels of oil would be 'within the broader context of national interest.' 'Yes, there's real potential there,' he said. 'It took up a good deal of our time in discussions with potential to move forward on that. If further developed, the federal government will look to advance it.' Smith touted the Pathways Alliance project, a group of major Canadian oilsands companies that argues it can fight climate change through using carbon capture and storage to reduce emissions, as a way to do that. 'There's lots of ways to decarbonize, but the Pathways project is an expensive project,' she said. 'It would cost anywhere from $10 to $20 billion to get built. And to make the economic case for that, having more egress with more barrels to be sold to Asia is going to pay for it. If we had a million-barrel-a-day pipeline going to the northwest B.C. coast, that would generate about $20 billion a year in revenues, and so that seems like a pretty good value proposition.' But headed into the meeting, B.C. deputy premier Niki Sharma said Smith's proposal for a bitumen pipeline to B.C.'s northern coast, such as by reviving the stalled Northern Gateway, has 'no proponent' at this stage. 'We are focusing on these shovel-ready projects, not theoretical projects with no proponents,' Sharma said in a statement sent afterward. 'There is also an existing, underused pipeline Canadian taxpayers paid $34 billion for, with capacity to spare.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
42 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Premiers, PM talk about ‘generational change' after high-stakes meeting
SASKATOON — Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said the nation-building projects discussed by the premiers and Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday present a 'generational opportunity for Canadians,' especially those who live in poorer communities. Provincial and territorial leaders sat down with Carney in Saskatoon and each premier was armed with wish lists of major projects they hope the federal government will deem to be in the national interest, then fast-track for approval. 'The point is to build the certainty, the stability and the ambition that builders need to catalyze enormous investment — investment to make Canada into an energy superpower,' Carney said at the closing news conference. Premier of Manitoba Wab Kinew, left to right, Prime Minister Mark Carney, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs of Canada Dominic LeBlanc, Premier of Québec François Legault, Premier of New Brunswick Susan Holt, and Premier of the Northwest Territories R.J. Simpson during the First Minister's Meeting in Saskatoon on Monday, June 2, 2025. (Liam Richards / The Canadian Press) Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the gathering was the 'best' they have had in the last decade — a light jab at former prime minister Justin Trudeau, who frequently had frosty relations with the group, especially prairie premiers looking to build out the energy sector. Ford said the premiers, and the whole country along with them, stand united as Canada comes under attack from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs — even as some in the group scrapped over pipeline politics. While the group mulled over a number of potential natural resource and infrastructure developments in private, they did not release a final list. 'Nothing was carved in stone at this meeting,' Ford said, adding he had no expectations the prime minster would approve specific projects at the meeting. 'I described him today as Santa Claus. He's coming and his sled was full of all sorts of stuff. Now he's taking off back to the North Pole and he's going to sort it out and he's going to call us.' The federal Liberals have yet to reveal in Parliament their promised legislation to speed up approvals for select projects to a maximum of two years. That could be tabled as early as this week. When he was pressed on the lack of specifics after the meeting, Carney said he could name lots of examples of contenders. He rattled off a list that included the Grays Bay Road and Port, which would connect southern Canada to the Arctic by road, along with the Ring of Fire mining project in northern Ontario. Notably, he mentioned the Pathways Alliance oilsands project, though he did not commit to any. Carney said the group would refine what should count as priority projects over the summer and touted that as 'private proponents become aware of the opportunity here, we're going to see more projects coming forward.' He said the upcoming federal legislation will also mandate meaningful consultation with Indigenous Peoples, including in which projects get picked and how they are developed. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith went into the meeting warning that any list that doesn't include new pipelines would send a bad message to her province. She left the meeting on a positive note, saying it's up to political leaders to find a proponent for a new pipeline and that she's willing to give this process a chance. Premier of Saskatchewan Scott Moe, left to right, Premier of Manitoba Wab Kinew, and Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador John Hogan during to the First Minister's Meeting in Saskatoon on Monday, June 2, 2025. (Liam Richards / The Canadian Press) 'I'm encouraged by the immediate change of tone that we've seen from recent months,' she said. 'When we hear the prime minster talking about being an energy superpower, we haven't heard that language for some time.' Before the meeting, Kinew was asked how confident he was that one of his pet projects — modernizing the Port of Churchill — would get the green light from Ottawa. 'We need to get our natural resources in Canada to tidewater. I think, in time, you'll see that Hudson Bay is probably the most tenable course towards hitting international tide waters.' He was asked about the challenges of building a heavy-traffic rail line to the northern port. 'We have tidewater. We've got communities who are ready to engage in northern Manitoba to bring these natural resources to market. So let's use the private sector to figure out the engineering, the best route and how to energize the Western Canadian engine that's going to power the Canadian economy,' he said. In April, Kinew and Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok signed a statement to work together to push for an energy corridor to the North. Akeeagok said Monday he sees the potential to strengthen Canada's sovereignty and the North, for a change. 'The infrastructure gap between north and south is something that, I think, we're all taking note of, and that this is our moment as a country where we're unified around wanting to see us prosper and to become stronger and very much look forward to seeing actual infrastructure built to ensure that our communities are healthy,' Nunavut's premier said. When asked how he'd like to see fellow premiers react if their projects don't make the cut, Kinew used a hockey metaphor. 'This is Team Canada and it doesn't matter if you're the first shift for the initial puck drop or if you're there killing the penalties. At the end of the day, everyone's going to have their time on ice and everyone's going to have a role in building up this great country,' he said. On the issue of Chinese tariffs on Canadian agriculture and seafood products, the prime minister said he plans to work urgently to have them removed. Carney called it a top priority and said Ottawa is speaking with Chinese officials at the ministerial level. Premier of Manitoba Wab Kinew speaks to media prior to the First Minister's Meeting in Saskatoon on Monday, June 2, 2025. (Liam Richards / The Canadian Press) A statement released after the meeting said premiers want Canada's trading relationship with China to improve. Beijing imposed retaliatory tariffs of 100 per cent on Canadian canola oil and meal, peas and seafood after Ottawa slapped levies on Chinese-made electric vehicles, steel and aluminum. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has said China's tariffs threaten his province's canola industry. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Kinew agreed it's a major priority for Manitoba. 'I think it speaks to the fact that we're trying to solve this complex, multi-variable equation: We have the Trump administration on one side and then we have an ascendant People's Republic of China on the other side,' he said. 'I think that this meeting here today of the first ministers… is an important step forward for us being able to have that showdown with China, have that showdown with the Trump administration and make sure that you and your jobs come out on top.' — with files from The Canadian Press Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
42 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Hard to look at the bright side'
Lost sales, higher prices and material shortages have recently hit Manitoba businesses reliant on steel and aluminum — and it could get worse. U.S. President Donald Trump announced last week he'd raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50 per cent, a doubling of the current levy. As of Monday afternoon, the change is proposed to begin Wednesday. Current tariffs already have a 'deep and profound' impact across the supply chain, said Catherine Cobden, president of the Canadian Steel Producers Association. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Steel in various forms wait to be shipped to customers. Premier Wab Kinew and Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson speak flanked by employees and in front of a giant Canadian flag hanging in one of the buildings at the Gerdau Manitoba Steel Mill, 27 Main St., Selkirk, Thursday morning. Reporter: Gabrielle Piche 250327 - Thursday, March 27, 2025. Gerdau SA's Selkirk steel plant is a CSPA member. A majority of the company's steel is exported to the United States; it employs upwards of 500 Manitobans. Gerdau previously directed a reporter to the CSPA for comment. Across Canada, steel shipments to the United States dropped roughly 30 per cent in April, Cobden said. Twenty-five per cent tariffs came into effect in March. 'This will close the market for Canadian exports to the United States,' Cobden said of the prospect of a 50 per cent levy. Selkirk Mayor Larry Johansson considers himself an 'optimistic kind of mayor.' '(But) it's hard to look at the bright side when they raise the tariffs another 25 per cent,' he said. For now, he's clocked activity in Gerdau's lot — plenty of semi-trucks. Gerdau employees haven't been laid off to date, the United Steelworkers confirmed. A 50 per cent tariff would be a 'massive challenge' to Gerdau and similar mills, said Scott Lunny, a United Steelworkers director. 'Who pays the price for that, often, is workers.' 'There's customers I supply in the U.S. that, when he does things like this, they just stop buying and wait six weeks.'– Richard Bobrowski, Imperial Steel owner Meantime, Imperial Steel hasn't laid off staff, despite recording a 25 per cent drop in sales year-over-year. The Winnipeg company, which makes thin-wall steel tubing, exported roughly 70 per cent of its products to the U.S. in 2024. 'You get going for a few weeks, and all of a sudden the president of the United States makes a statement,' said Richard Bobrowski, Imperial Steel owner. 'There's customers I supply in the U.S. that, when he does things like this, they just stop buying and wait six weeks.' American clients are sourcing within their home country more, Bobrowski added. Imperial Steel struggles to give consistent pricing — between tariff changes and recent steel price fluctuations — and U.S. customers are hesitant to sign on, wondering what change could occur before a shipment arrives. Imperial Steel currently splits the 25 per cent import tariff with its American patrons. It made a decision Monday: it won't swallow more than 12.5 per cent of a 50 per cent tariff. 'Which will then stress our company's ability to compete,' Bobrowski said. 'That's when the government has got to get involved.' The Manitoba government tabbed $300 million for tariff-impacted businesses and farmers in its Budget 2025 contingency plan. The funding hasn't yet been used. Evolution Wheel has avoided tariffs on both sides of the border, said owner Derek Hird. The Winnipeg-based construction-grade solid tire maker imports steel from the United States; it's exempt from Canada's reciprocal tariffs because of a carve-out for manufacturers. The company mainly ships south of the border. But the turnaround time has lengthened — Evolution Wheel hasn't been able to source the specific steel it needs. 'Companies … are just buying up huge amounts of stock, and there's no supply,' Hird said. 'You're … fighting for scraps on what's available in the market right now.' 'Companies … are just buying up huge amounts of stock, and there's no supply,' Hird said. 'You're … fighting for scraps on what's available in the market right now.'– Evolution Wheel owner Derek Hird Supply chain issues have resulted in lost sales, Hird added. Meantime, he's paying more for the steel he purchases. So, too, is Northern Steel Buildings, a steel shop enterprise in Morden. It gets steel from Canada and the United States, and it pays Canada's 25 per cent reciprocal tariff. The tariffed products can be cheaper than Canadian steel, said general manager Rick Friesen. That won't be the case if a 50 per cent fee comes online on Canada's side. 'If the Canadian government decides to retaliate … I think that will hinder the Canadian economy and growth,' Friesen said. The economic uncertainty is damaging, said Chuck Davidson, president of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. 'We continue to … move the goalposts at the whim of the (U.S.) president.' If businesses feel further tariff effects, government assistance could be needed, he added. The Canadian Steel Producers Association is calling for Ottawa to implement tariffs to incentivize domestic steel use. Local producers compete with unfairly traded international steel that retails cheaper, Cobden asserted. Manitoba is among the jurisdictions pledging to use more Canadian steel. In March, Premier Wab Kinew declared government infrastructure projects requiring steel would source Canadian. These announcements are appreciated, Cobden said, but the projects might be too late to mitigate the damage of a 50 per cent tariff. 'If the Canadian government decides to retaliate … I think that will hinder the Canadian economy and growth.'– Northern Steel Buildings general manager Rick Friesen However such a levy isn't a given, said Gary Mar, Canada West Foundation president. 'I think the best idea is to … wait and see what the president actually does first.' Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. He believes Americans will push back against tariffs as they feel pain in their pocketbooks. The impact hasn't reached its peak, Mar stated, noting hundreds of U.S. politicians will run for office again next year. Meantime, Manitoba companies are attempting to dodge tariffs. Northern Steel Buildings is consulting agencies about a reciprocal tariff exemption. It's heard of other companies being successful, Friesen said. Eascan Automation in Winnipeg, which creates robots, is tapping Canadian companies to bulk order aluminum goods from Europe for direct shipment into Canada. The goal is tricky because Eascan orders custom parts and its supplier distribution centres are in the United States, said chief executive Camila Bellon. Canada exported $20 billion worth of steel and iron to the U.S. last year and $4.1 billion in aluminum, per Natural Resources Canada data. Gabrielle PichéReporter Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle. Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
