Geoff Russ: Canada's populist movement will have its day
Canada's populist moment did not come to pass — at least not yet.
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Having deluded themselves into believing that the status quo is tenable, many on the left celebrated the result of the recent federal election as proof that Canada could withstand the wave of anti-establishment politics that has swept the West in recent years.
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The Trump trade war overtook the many other crises affecting Canada as one of the top election issues, but it did not extinguish them. If anything, Trump's attempt to reshape the global economic order will only exacerbate the problems this country is facing. Canadian cities remain mostly unaffordable and riddled with drugs and petty crime, and the broken immigration system will not repair itself.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney has portrayed himself as an agent of change. While he still deserves the benefit of the doubt, his new cabinet does not. The most glaring of these is Gregor Robertson, the former mayor of Vancouver and the new minister of housing.
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In one of his first media appearances as minister, Robertson asserted that it is not his intention to bring down house prices. Robertson's words were in keeping with the Liberal government's track record.
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Ahmed Hussen, who served as housing minister from 2021 to 2023, infamously tried to explain the federal government's at-best lackadaisical effort to address the cost of housing by asserting that ' mom and pop ' landlords would be at risk if home prices fell too drastically.
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Following the Conservative party's seizure of affordability as their key issue, the Liberals made a show of shuffling Hussen out of the housing portfolio and replacing him with Sean Fraser. Formerly the most incompetent and damaging immigration minister in living memory, the choice of Fraser spoke volumes about Hussen's ability to run the file.
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With Fraser in charge, the government made a series of announcements related to the housing supply, but to little avail. He, too, explicitly said that the government's 'goal is not to decrease the value' of homes.
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This all occurred in 2023 when the Liberals began tanking in the polls. When Trump started rambling about annexing Canada and launching a trade war, the Liberals seized the opportunity. The American president was all they needed to activate their base and garner the support necessary to remain in office.
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For millions of older voters, the Canadian election became an opportunity for them to stick it to Trump by voting for Carney, the guy they thought would put his elbows up and hopefully catch Trump on the nose. The Liberal party has evidently taken its victory as a validation of its decade in office, in which the country went into perceptible decline.
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The Liberal vision of Canada's social contract involves redistributing wealth to the top of the age pyramid. Whether it's enlarged pension payments, maintaining the exorbitant rent charged by 'mom and pop' landlords or providing cheap labour to big businesses through mass immigration, the Liberal economic platform can only be described as 'gerontocratic.'
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Article content TORONTO — Sherritt International Corporation ('Sherritt' or the 'Corporation') (TSX:S) today announced the voting results of its 2025 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders held June 10, 2025, the appointment of John Ewing to the Board of Directors (the 'Board'), the appointments of Leon Binedell as Executive Chairman and Shelley Brown as Lead Independent Director, respectively, and other governance updates. Article content Article content 2025 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders Voting Results Article content A total of 283,623,833 common shares or 57.15% of Sherritt's issued and outstanding common shares were represented in person or by proxy at the meeting. A majority of the votes were cast in favour of all items of business put forth at the meeting, including the re-appointment of Deloitte LLP as external auditors, amendments to the Corporation's stock option plan and the non-binding advisory resolution known as 'Say on Pay.' 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Article content The Board intends to continue the Board renewal process with the appointment of at least one additional independent director, preferably with mining engineering expertise and the potential to assume a leadership position on the Board, by December 31, 2025. Article content All directors are independent within the meaning of applicable securities laws, other than Leon Binedell who also serves as President and CEO of the Corporation. John Ewing is the nominee of Sherritt shareholder Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners Ltd. ('Ewing Morris'), and Richard Moat is the nominee of Sherritt shareholder Kyma Capital Limited. Article content Board Leadership and Committee Updates Article content In connection with the reconstitution of the Board, the Corporation announces that Leon Binedell has been appointed Executive Chairman, following the retirement of former Chairman Sir Richard Lapthorne. Shelley Brown, an independent director of Sherritt since August 2024, has been named Lead Independent Director. Article content The Board committees have also been reconstituted to better align with the expertise of the new directors, including the appointment of Mr. Ewing to the Reserves, Operations and Capital Committee and Mr. Moat to the Audit Committee. Article content Additionally, the former HR Committee and the former Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee have been consolidated into a single committee. This streamlining reflects the Corporation's commitment to enhancing Board efficiency, while reducing management's administrative burden to support a greater focus on operational priorities. Article content Sherritt shareholders SC2 Inc. ('SC2') and Ewing Morris have expressed their alignment with the Corporation's ongoing Board renewal process and have committed to supporting Sherritt's director nominees through the 2026 annual meeting of shareholders. Article content 'I believe in Sherritt's potential,' said John Ewing, Sherritt Director and Co-Founder of Ewing Morris. 'I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues on the Board to help Sherritt achieve new milestones and deliver long-term value for all stakeholders.' Article content 'We are encouraged with the progress in Sherritt's Board renewal process,' said Casey McKenzie, President, SC2. 'We recognize the Corporation's potential and look forward to supporting management in driving continued improvements in performance.' Article content Leon Binedell, Sherritt Executive Chairman added: 'On behalf of Sherritt, I would like to thank Ewing Morris, SC2, and our broader shareholder base for their engagement and ongoing support. In addition, Sherritt and Seablinc look forward to re-establishing a normal commercial relationship. Over the past few years, we have worked with determination to position Sherritt for sustainable growth and value creation. I am confident that John will make valuable contributions to the Board and the Corporation as we continue to strengthen and build upon this foundation.' Article content About John Ewing Article content Mr. Ewing is Chief Investment Officer of Ewing Morris & Co. Investment Partners. He co-founded the firm in June 2011 with Darcy Morris. Mr. Ewing graduated with distinction from the University of Guelph with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree and a Minor in Business Administration. Article content About Sherritt Article content Sherritt is a world leader in using hydrometallurgical processes to mine and refine nickel and cobalt – metals deemed critical for the energy transition. Sherritt's Moa Joint Venture has an estimated mine life of approximately 25 years and is advancing an expansion program focused on increasing annual MSP production by 20% of contained nickel and cobalt. 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