White Feather event focuses on healing by educating public on Regina's history
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National Post
15 minutes ago
- National Post
Jesse Kline: Air Canada strike brought to you by the Liberal government
For years, the Liberals have worked to increase the power of Canada's labour unions, and the monster they created is now coming back to bite them as Air Canada's flight attendants walk off the job, grounding hundreds of flights. But Ottawa can start to fix the mess it created by opening the airline market to more competition, thus lessening the impact that strikes have on consumers. Article content Article content It's no coincidence that the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents more than 10,000 Air Canada employees, chose this moment to go on strike and throw the country's air transportation network into chaos. Article content Article content Article content The contract between the airline and its flight attendants ended in March, but the union waited until the height of the summer travel season to walk off the job, in a move that has so far affected around 500,000 travellers. Article content Thanks to legislation passed last year that banned the use of replacement workers in federally regulated industries, including air travel, the union knew the airline would have little recourse if its members hit the picket line. And given the Liberals' penchant for intervening in labour disputes, CUPE could also be fairly certain the government would try to order the striking flight attendants back to work, after doing so in disputes involving Canada's major railways and postal service last year. Article content And so it was that after Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu ordered the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to force the flight attendants back to work and send the parties to binding arbitration on Saturday, Mark Hancock, CUPE's national president, tore up the back-to-work order and vowed to challenge it. Article content Article content On Monday morning, the CIRB declared the strike 'unlawful' and ordered workers back on the job 'immediately.' As of this writing, it's unclear whether the union intends to continue to defy the mandate. Article content Article content The situation highlights the catch-22 the Liberals now find themselves in: their interventionist, pro-labour policies have reduced the incentive for unions to settle disputes at the bargaining table, forcing Ottawa to step in to alleviate the resulting political headache caused by major disruptions in markets that are dominated by a few large players. Article content It's a classic case of the state stepping in with Big Government policies to fix problems caused by other interventionist measures. But it's also an opportunity for the Liberals to read the room and enact reforms that will attract foreign investment, make the country more competitive and reduce prices for consumers. Article content To do that, the government should follow the advice of its own Competition Bureau, which released a report in the spring advocating for more competition in Canada's airline market. Article content To be sure, there have been some noticeable improvements in recent years. According to the competition watchdog, thanks to upstart airlines like Porter and Flair, market concentration dropped by 10 per cent between 2019 and 2023. Article content But Air Canada and WestJet still account for between 56 and 78 per cent of all domestic passenger traffic departing from Canada's major airports. This is a direct result of government policies that favour incumbent carriers, increase costs and limit foreign ownership and competition. Article content One of the major barriers faced by new airlines, according to the Competition Bureau, is the high cost of government taxes and fees that are tacked onto ticket prices. Article content Some of them are designed to ensure the cost of running Canada's air transportation network is paid by travellers, which makes perfect sense. But ticket prices are also affected by fuel taxes and high airport fees, which Ottawa simply treats as a cash cow. Article content This assertion is backed up by research released Monday by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), which found that the exorbitant rents the federal government charges airport authorities is significantly driving up the cost of air travel. Article content Article content According to MEI, airports sent Ottawa close to $500 million in rental fees last year, which is up 68 per cent since 2014. Article content All told, the think tank found that the average airport improvement fee paid in Canada is four times higher than in the United States. Airport security charges and fuel taxes are also far higher in Canada than in peer countries, such as the U.S. and Australia. Article content These costs make it harder for discount carriers to compete based on price. The Competition Bureau says that taxes and fees constitute 30 per cent of the ticket price on major carriers, but that those 'costs take up an even higher share of what passengers pay for flights on ultra-low-cost carriers,' which makes them less profitable. Article content New carriers are also constrained by airport procedures, which often favour incumbents. Smaller, secondary airports in major cities can provide consumers and airlines with more options, but are hamstrung by the size of their runways and legal restrictions that only allow one international airport in certain regions. Article content Article content A good example is Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport, which is often cheaper and more convenient than Pearson Airport, but was prevented from hosting long-haul flights when the Liberals kiboshed plans to extend its runway to accommodate passenger jets in 2015. Article content Yet the biggest impediments to airline competition are the government's restrictions on foreign ownership and its prohibition on foreign carriers flying domestic routes. Article content In 2018, Ottawa increased the share of Canadian airlines that foreigners are allowed to own, but the Competition Bureau doesn't think it went far enough. Article content It recommends the rules be changed so that a single foreign investor can own up to 49 per cent of a Canadian carrier, and that the government create a new class of airline that can only serve domestic routes but can be fully owned by non-Canadians. Article content The competition watchdog also suggests Ottawa start allowing 'airlines from partner countries to fly domestic service within Canada.'
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Texas Democrats return to the state as GOP pushes ahead with redistricting
(CNN) — Texas House Democrats who fled their state to stall a Republican redistricting effort returned on Monday, ending their 15-day holdout. While Democrats have vowed to keep fighting, their return allows the House to establish a two-thirds quorum necessary to advance new congressional maps in a push backed by President Donald Trump. House Speaker Dustin Burrows gaveled the House into session shortly after noon central time on Monday. He said the Democrats who'd fled the state would be 'released into the custody' of a designated Department of Public Safety officer who will ensure their return when the House reconvenes Wednesday morning. 'We are done waiting. We have a quorum. Now is the time for action. We will move quickly and the schedule will be demanding until our work is complete,' Burrows said. Now that Democrats have returned to the Texas Capitol in Austin, the GOP-dominated legislature is expected to quickly advance new congressional maps aimed at creating five more Republican-leaning seats ahead of next year's midterm elections. Democrats had fled to blue states — including Illinois, New York and Massachusetts — as they faced civil arrest warrants pushed by GOP officials in Texas to force them back into the House chamber. 'We killed the corrupt special session, withstood unprecedented surveillance and intimidation, and rallied Democrats nationwide to join this existential fight for fair representation — reshaping the entire 2026 landscape,' said state Rep. Gene Wu, who leads Democrats in the Texas House. 'We're returning to Texas more dangerous to Republicans' plans than when we left. Our return allows us to build the legal record necessary to defeat this racist map in court, take our message to communities across the state and country, and inspire legislators across the country how to fight these undemocratic redistricting schemes in their own statehouses.' Burrows told members that the House 'has been through a tumultuous two weeks,' but said it will 'remain a chamber where the majority has a right to prevail and the minority has the right to be heard.' At President Donald Trump's urging, Gov. Greg Abbott and Republicans who control the state House and Senate launched the effort to redraw the state's congressional districts mid-decade — a break from most states' typical practice of redistricting once a decade, after the completion of the U.S. Census. It's part of the party's effort to hold onto its narrow House majority in next year's midterm elections — one that also includes lobbying GOP officials in Indiana and Missouri to change their maps to turn Democratic-held seats into favorable ground for Republicans, and could see the party add more GOP-leaning seats in Ohio, which is required by state law to redistrict. The Texas effort has set off a nationwide gerrymandering arms race. In California, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has vowed retribution, proposing a measure that would trigger new maps that could help Democrats pick up five more seats in the state — but only if Texas moves forward with its redistricting plan. Texas House Democrats had laid out two conditions to return to the state. California would have to introduce its proposed new maps to neutralize the Texas effort, they said, and Burrows would have to adjourn the first special session Abbott had called. Both of those conditions were met on Friday. Abbott called a second special session, which began immediately after the adjournment of the first one. But the House was blocked from doing business until enough Democrats returned to the chamber to provide the quorum required under its rules. This week marks a flashpoint in an escalating and unprecedented fight over redistricting, with the country's two most populous states taking centre stage and control of the U.S. House during the second half of Trump's term potentially at stake. California Democratic lawmakers could take just three days to advance new congressional maps intended to offset Republican redistricting efforts in Texas. Legislation asking voters to approve the new maps is expected to be introduced Monday when lawmakers return to Sacramento from their summer recess, with final passage as early as Thursday, according to a person familiar with the Democratic planning. It will be heard in several committees along the way. In pushing Texas and other states to redraw their congressional lines mid-decade, Republicans have undertaken extraordinary efforts to preserve their unified hold on power in Washington, prompting Democrats to consider equally unorthodox countermeasures. Why are Texas House Democrats returning now? Texas House Democrats have said they plan to fight the redistricting bill on the floor, laying out their case against the measure ahead of expected legal challenges in the coming months. They argue they brought national attention to the GOP-led redistricting in Texas and helped create the momentum for California's counteroffensive and calls in New York and other Democratic-led states to redraw their maps. But their options to stop Republicans were always limited, short of staying out of Texas for the next year-plus. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott vowed that he would keep calling special sessions until the new maps passed. Once a quorum is met, the legislative process to approve the congressional maps will kick off, including consideration in the redistricting committee and debate and votes on the floor. The state Senate, which passed a redistricting bill in the first special session, will go through a similar process. The Senate's redistricting committee approved the map on Sunday night after holding a public hearing on the issue. The GOP's proposal would create five new districts friendlier to Trump and Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. It would likely force Democratic U.S. Reps. Greg Casar and Lloyd Doggett to run against each other in a redrawn district. GOP leaders have not laid out a timeline for final passage of the new map, but it could come as soon as this week. What's the situation in California? When California lawmakers return from their summer recess on Monday, Democrats there will take the first step toward redrawing congressional boundaries to give them a greater chance at winning five additional seats — an extraordinary move intended to counteract Texas' mid-decade redistricting. Unlike in Texas, the legislation under consideration will also require voter approval to override a constitutionally mandated independent redistricting commission. Lawmakers will have to move quickly; the California secretary of state's office gave the legislature a Friday deadline to make the November ballot, and bills must be in print for 72 hours before they can be voted on. Democrats are expected to formally introduce the legislation Monday, with final passage pegged for Thursday. Because lawmakers are proposing to change the state constitution, two-thirds of each chamber must vote in favour of it to pass. Democrats hold three-quarters of the seats in both chambers. The State Assembly returns at 1 p.m. PT (4 p.m. ET). The State Senate reconvenes an hour later. California legislators will consider three bills this week. One is the constitutional amendment, which would temporarily instate the proposed map for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections. It would only take effect if another state chooses to redraw its maps and it would return the commission's power after the 2030 election. The second bill describes the proposed map, while the third calls the special election, provides for state funding and makes various timing and administrative changes to accommodate the vote and the potential for new districts. The constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds vote in each chamber but doesn't need Newsom's signature before going before voters. The other two bills will need the governor's signature and, in order to take effect immediately, will also require two-thirds majorities. Can California Republicans stop Democrats in their state? California Republicans, who have little power in Sacramento to slow the redistricting push, are nevertheless closely monitoring how Democrats proceed. GOP lawmakers are anticipating Democrats will put forward a package of legislative proposals that will not only advance the new maps but also outline how they intend to hold and pay for a statewide election in less than three months, a person close to the Republican caucus told CNN. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a likely contender for the Democrats' presidential 2028 nomination, is already planning for a statewide campaign to support a referendum. A victory could help Democrats win back the U.S. House next year and give Newsom a boost in the next presidential primary. But some significant opposition to the proposed referendum is already forming. Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday posted a picture of himself working out while wearing a T-shirt that said 'F*** the politicians/Terminate gerrymandering.' The caption read: 'I'm getting ready for the gerrymandering battle.' Charles Munger Jr., the son of the late Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman, has signaled he intends to fight the Democratic-led initiative. Munger spent more than US$12 million in 2010 to entrench the independent redistricting commission in the state constitution, and he will fight any efforts to circumvent it, his spokeswoman Amy Thoma Tan said in a statement responding to California Democrats on Thursday. 'Two wrongs do not make a right, and California shouldn't stoop to the same tactics as Texas,' Thoma Tan said. 'Instead, we should push other states to adopt our independent, non-partisan commission model across the country. That's how we can protect and defend democracy.' Newsom's approach has also led to a divide among good government groups that have traditionally opposed gerrymandering. While the League of Women Voters continues to urge California lawmakers to reject the redistricting push, leaders at Common Cause have said they will not proactively reject 'counterbalancing' efforts done in response to other states. The group said Wednesday it would not oppose redistricting pushes that are proportional responses to other states, involve public participation and have a set expiration date, among other criteria. Leaders at the organization said they would determine whether to oppose the California push after the full proposal has been released and judged against its rubric. 'We welcome the governor to adopt our fairness criteria,' said Omar Noureldin, the organization's senior vice president of policy and litigation strategy. 'And if the maps that are proposed in the process that's laid out in its totality meet that fairness criteria, then we won't oppose it.'
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Dalhousie University faculty to be locked out Wednesday unless deal is made
Dalhousie University will lock out more than 1,000 faculty members Wednesday unless both parties agree to a new collective agreement. The Dalhousie Faculty Association – which represents full-time professors, librarians, counsellors and instructors – and the board of governors have been engaged in negotiations for a new deal since May. The previous three-year collective agreement expired at the end of June. Last week, Dalhousie president Kim Brooks issued the university's final offer to the union, proposing a wage increase of two per cent per year for three years. David Westwood, president of the Association, previously told CTV News Atlantic the union is looking for a seven per cent wage increase in the first year, followed by four per cent increases in the second and third years. The university, which reported a $20.6-million deficit in its 2025-2026 operating budget, previously said it had 'significant financial challenges' in meeting the Association's wage increase request. In a statement on Monday, the university put out its intention to lock out members of the union at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday unless a deal is reached. 'An August lockout would disrupt a lot of teaching,' Westwood previously said. 'It's also a top month when graduate students are defending their theses. All those defences would be terminated if there's a lockout. Our members would be unable to do the preparations to get ready for September.' The Dalhousie website says the campus would remain open during a lockout, but all classes taught by Association members would be suspended. If the lockout extends into the fall term, students will receive further instruction about possible course suspensions. All other employees outside the Association will report to work as usual. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
