The newest Tory senator is a Trudeau appointee. What to know about about David Adams Richards
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In November 2019, he was one of the founding members of the new Canadian Senators Group (CSG), which was established in part to address centralization within the Senate, particularly in the ISG, and to reinforce senators' roles as regional representatives.
He remained with the second-largest ensemble in the upper house until May 21 this year, when he left to again sit as a non-affiliated member. He's the only Liberal-appointed Senator to have joined the Conservative caucus, which now counts 12 s enators.
As of Thursday, ISG leads the way with 45 members, CSG follows with 21, the Progressive Senator Group has 18, and there are eight non-affiliated. There's one vacancy — the seat left behind upon Don Plet's mandatory retirement at the age of 75 earlier last month.
He'll soon be joined in retirement by Richards, who turns 75 on Oct. 17.
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Vancouver Sun
6 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
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Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The move away from the fisheries minister makes it both likely easier for the CCG's budget to be included in Canada's defence spending in the eyes of NATO and is part of Carney's desire to pivot the 63-year-old civilian agency towards a more security-oriented role. 'Canadians elected our new Government on a strong mandate for change — to protect our borders and defend our sovereignty with increased focus and investment. To that end, the Prime Minister will soon initiate the process of moving the Canadian Coast Guard to the leadership of the Minister of National Defence,' PMO spokesperson Emily Williams said in a statement. 'The change will permit the Coast Guard to fulfill better both its civilian and security responsibilities.' The statement did not say when the changeover would happen, with Williams promising that 'more details will come in due course.' 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Calgary Herald
6 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Liberals considering arming the Coast Guard amid significant pivot towards new security mandate
Article content OTTAWA — The Liberal government is mulling arming the Canadian Coast Guard as it launches a significant reform of the civilian maritime agency to give it a bigger role in the country's security apparatus. Article content The move is one of many significant changes that the Liberals are planning for the chronically underfunded Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) that Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised to equip with new gear and a new security mandate. Article content Article content Article content On the same day Carney announced his plan to accelerate defence spending this year, his office told National Post Monday that the CCG — which currently reports to the minister of fisheries — would shift to the minister of national defence's portfolio. Article content Article content The move away from the fisheries minister makes it both likely easier for the CCG's budget to be included in Canada's defence spending in the eyes of NATO and is part of Carney's desire to pivot the 63-year-old civilian agency towards a more security-oriented role. Article content 'Canadians elected our new Government on a strong mandate for change — to protect our borders and defend our sovereignty with increased focus and investment. To that end, the Prime Minister will soon initiate the process of moving the Canadian Coast Guard to the leadership of the Minister of National Defence,' PMO spokesperson Emily Williams said in a statement. Article content Article content 'The change will permit the Coast Guard to fulfill better both its civilian and security responsibilities.' Article content Article content The statement did not say when the changeover would happen, with Williams promising that 'more details will come in due course.' Article content A senior Liberal source also told National Post that the government is considering arming the CCG, though they stressed that no decision has been made yet as officials continue to chart the reform. Article content Arming the CCG, which would be a massive — and costly — change for the special agency that has always been an unarmed civilian organization.
Toronto Sun
6 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
GST relief on new homes could save 1st-time buyers up to $240 on mortgages: Report
Published Jun 09, 2025 • 3 minute read The Liberal plan to give first-time homebuyers a tax break on a newly built home could have substantial impacts on housing affordability, a new analysis finds. Photo by Shutterstock OTTAWA — The Liberal plan to give first-time homebuyers a tax break on a newly built home could have substantial impacts on housing affordability — with a few caveats — a new analysis finds. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Liberal government introduced legislation on June 5 to eliminate the GST portion from new home sales of up to $1 million for first-time buyers, which works out to as much as $50,000 off the cost of a new build or a substantially renovated unit. For homes sold above $1 million, the GST relief is phased out as the price tag nears $1.5 million. Desjardins Economics said in a report released Monday that first-time Canadian homebuyers could save up to $240 on their monthly mortgage payments if they were to buy a new home with an all-in, tax-included price of $1 million. The required down payment would also be somewhat smaller. Some developers charge the sales tax upfront, so it's not rolled into the mortgage principal at the time of purchase. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'For these homes, eliminating the GST will help prospective buyers reduce upfront closing costs, helping them get their foot in the door sooner,' said the report, authored by Desjardins economist Kari Norman. Read More She argued the impact on housing affordability will be 'particularly strong' for buyers in Canada's more expensive markets, like Toronto and Vancouver, where homes are routinely priced above the $1-million mark. The new policy takes a big step beyond the existing New Housing Rebate, which is open to more than just first-time buyers but has long been capped at homes priced up to $450,000. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Norman estimates that nearly 85% of new builds in Canada would quality for the full $50,000 GST relief in the new proposal. Roughly 92% of new builds in Toronto are expected to qualify for full or partial tax relief for homes priced up to $1.5 million. Only 75% of new units in Vancouver would qualify, however, as many top out of the qualifying price range. Desjardins recommends that the new policy index the price of qualifying homes to inflation to avoid future erosions in affordability. The federal government predicts the GST rebate will cost about $3.9 billion over five years, while the parliamentary budget officer estimates the price tag is closer to $2 billion over the same time frame. Desjardins said the discrepancy between the figures could indicate the federal government anticipates more new buyers taking advantage of the rebate, and a bigger boom in homebuying and construction as a result. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It's possible that increased demand spurred by the policy also leads to a surge in new building in Canada, the report said. The rebate also comes at a time when the Canadian construction industry faces serious obstacles to getting shovels in the ground: High financing and construction costs, regulatory delays, an aging workforce and uncertainty among buyers and builders tied to Canada's trade war with the United States. The report also warns that some developers, foreseeing increased buying power, could raise their own costs for materials and labour in response to the policy, which would undermine any gains in affordability. Higher demand for housing tied to the GST break could, in the near term, push up home prices if not coupled with other efforts to boost supply and the pace of construction, the report said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This might be the ideal time to introduce a policy that stokes demand for new builds, however, as Desjardins noted a particularly soft condo market in cities such as Toronto could benefit from an increase in buyer appetite. Parliament has yet to pass the legislation, which would apply to homes bought between May 27 through to 2031. Construction on qualifying homes would need to start before 2031 and finish by 2036. The measure, one of a suite of proposals included in the Liberal platform during the spring federal election, is packaged in the same legislation as the promised income tax cut, which is set to take effect July 1. Toronto Blue Jays Olympics Columnists Toronto & GTA Editorial Cartoons
