Latest news with #Gerretsen
Global News
2 days ago
- Business
- Global News
Opposition MPs back non-binding call for spring economic update
Government whip Mark Gerretsen insists nothing went wrong Monday evening when opposition parties successfully amended the throne speech to call on the government to table an economic update before Parliament breaks for the summer. The Liberals were defeated 166 to 164 after four Liberal MPs did not vote because of paired abstentions. Paired abstentions happen when parties agree to have a member sit out a vote because someone from another party is not able to attend. Gerretsen told reporters on his way into a cabinet meeting Tuesday morning that everything went according to plan. 'Every single person who was supposed to vote yesterday voted,' he said. The amendment, tabled by House of Commons Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer, added a passage to the throne speech calling for a spring economic update. Story continues below advertisement The amendment said that update should include the government's plan to 'unleash Canada's economic potential' and explain how it will respect provincial jurisdiction and Indigenous rights. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The amendment includes language inserted by the Bloc Québécois and the NDP, and all three opposition parties voted to support it. 2:11 King Charles outlines federal government's vision in throne speech Government House leader Steven MacKinnon said on Tuesday the vote that really matters is the confidence motion on adopting the throne speech, set for Wednesday. 'It was a non-binding advisory resolution of the House of Commons. I suspect you're going to see a lot more of them,' MacKinnon said. The minority Liberal government has 169 MPs, including House Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia, who does not vote, except in the event of a tie. That leaves the Liberals four votes shy of a majority, meaning they have to work with other parties to pass legislation and survive confidence motions. Story continues below advertisement The NDP, which had a supply-and-confidence agreement with the previous Liberal government, has said it will not enter a formal arrangement to support Prime Minister Mark Carney's government. The party was reduced to seven MPs in the recent election but still can hold the balance of power. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said his party's 144 MPs will not 'reflexively oppose' the government and will support measures that improve the status quo. But the Conservatives also have been highly critical of the government's plan to delay introducing a budget — traditionally released in the spring — until this fall. — With files from Sarah Ritchie
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Opposition MPs defeat Liberals on vote calling for a spring economic update
OTTAWA - Government whip Mark Gerretsen insists nothing went wrong Monday evening when opposition parties successfully amended the throne speech to call on the government to table an economic update before Parliament breaks for the summer. The Liberals were defeated 166 to 164 after four Liberal MPs did not vote because of paired abstentions. Paired abstentions happen when parties agree to have a member sit out a vote because someone from another party is not able to attend. Gerretsen told reporters on his way into a cabinet meeting Tuesday morning that everything went according to plan. 'Every single person who was supposed to vote yesterday voted,' he said. The amendment, tabled by House of Commons Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer, added a passage to the throne speech calling for a spring economic update. The amendment said that update should include the government's plan to 'unleash Canada's economic potential' and explain how it will respect provincial jurisdiction and Indigenous rights. The amendment includes language inserted by the Bloc Québécois and the NDP, and all three opposition parties voted to support it. Government House leader Steven MacKinnon said on Tuesday the vote that really matters is the confidence motion on adopting the throne speech, set for Wednesday. 'It was a non-binding advisory resolution of the House of Commons. I suspect you're going to see a lot more of them,' MacKinnon said. The minority Liberal government has 169 MPs, including House Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia, who does not vote, except in the event of a tie. That leaves the Liberals four votes shy of a majority, meaning they have to work with other parties to pass legislation and survive confidence motions. The NDP, which had a supply-and-confidence agreement with the previous Liberal government, has said it will not enter a formal arrangement to support Prime Minister Mark Carney's government. The party was reduced to seven MPs in the recent election but still can hold the balance of power. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said his party's 144 MPs will not 'reflexively oppose' the government and will support measures that improve the status quo. But the Conservatives also have been highly critical of the government's plan to delay introducing a budget — traditionally released in the spring — until this fall. — With files from Sarah Ritchie This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Market Square hunger strike aims to garner Gerretsen's attention on Palestinian plight
A local woman says she is on a hunger strike until Member of Parliament Mark Gerretsen agrees to meet with local pro-Palestinian supporters. In an email to Kingstonist early on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, Lindsey Pilon expressed her intentions to sit in Springer Market Square for the duration of her public hunger strike. During this strike, she will take nothing by mouth, 'no food, no drink, no medicine,' until Gerretsen, the MP for Kingston and the Islands, meets with the local constituents and supports a two-way arms embargo between Canada and Israel. On Thursday, May 22, 2025, Pilon remained in her seat at the square, rain-soaked but smiling and energetic. She explained she has many friends in Palestine, but she also counts herself among many Palestinian supporters in the Kingston area. 'We are a collective; it is a groundswell. And there are many different organizations tethered in,' Pilon said. She feels that Gerretsen doesn't understand or is actively ignoring the large number of his constituents who are Palestinian and Palestinian supporters. 'We've been trying to get his attention and to get him to sign on to the Vote Palestine platform , which is pretty rational. And he has refused meetings consistently,' Pilon asserted. Vote Palestine, a grassroots organization with support from groups and individuals across Canada, contends that '[a]rms dealers in Canada export weapons (including parts and components) as well as military and security technology to Israel, both directly and via the United States. The Canadian military and defence industry also purchase Israeli weapons and parts, which are field-tested on Palestinians, thus directly funding Israel's war efforts and economy. These military imports and exports make Canada complicit in Israel's atrocities carried out in the illegally occupied Palestinian territory.' Their platform states that the Canadian government should impose a full and immediate two-way arms embargo on Israel that includes ending military trade with Israel through the US or any other third-party state. Pilon said there have been many requests for Gerretsen's attention to the matter, some polite and some more assertive, 'but regardless, he'll call the police [on protesters outside his office], has refused to meet with us, and is just giving stock and boilerplate responses.' 'I don't personally want to meet with them,' she shared. 'I am just showing my solidarity with the movement. I'm acting as a symbol for the movement at the moment [to draw his attention]. And this is easy and accessible for me to do.' Being outdoors in the elements helps her endorphin levels, Pilon explained. It's 'like I'm seeing a cousin or a mother,' she explained, looking around at the wind and rain. 'I'm full of fire. My body's made for this. My papa was a Mohawk, my mom's father was a Mohawk, and my mom's mother was Oneida. So we have the rebellious spirit and just [a] love for life.' Market Square is her ideal location, she said, because anyone who cares to look can see her on the City's web cam . Also, the space is potent in an Indigenous historical context, Pilon said: 'This was a meeting place. This was a bloody battleground. The Peacemaker came across Lake Ontario in the stone canoe. This place is profound.' The legend of the Great Peacemaker and Hiawatha in Mohawk tradition centres on a journey of peace and unity, starting from Lake Ontario and extending to the Iroquois Confederacy. The Peacemaker, also known as Deganawidah, travelled across Lake Ontario in a white stone canoe, bringing a message of peace to the warring Haudenosaunee nations. Hiawatha, a Mohawk warrior, was initially seeking revenge, but the Peacemaker convinced him to embrace peace instead. She likened this struggle for peace and resilience in turmoil to the Palestinian people. 'Palestinians have shown us — the journalists and the doctors —time and time again about courage and nobility and the grandfather teachings. I see my grandfather teachings in them,' Pilon expressed. 'I know that the dogma is fraught, the rhetoric is fraught. Still… we have the power as a society, as a humanity, to stop children from dying and starving. We could do that in the snap of a finger, and it needs to be done… let's get that done, and then we can figure out the rest. We'll figure out the partisanship after.' Pilon added, 'Palestinian history is being erased, and entire families [are being removed] from the Civil Registry. They feel like their memories are being trampled and they feel hopeless... There's a pervading hopelessness, a feeling like they have no future. And I very much care for these people.' 'And the bombardments of the so-called Gideon's Chariots are devastating. They are munitions testing, and [the munitions are] being launched with propellant exported from Turtle Island. And that, as an Indigenous mother, a social activist, human being... is unacceptable.' Pilon said the level of access to imagery and stories that Palestinian journalists have provided on social media is an alarming call for urgency: 'What we're seeing is devastating every day, all day.' 'If you're at all able to take some time, following the journalists in Palestine means the world to them. It gives them purpose because they feel it. They feel like they're helping to show injustice. I highly recommend you follow , he is a phenomenal journalist,' she said. 'Tuesday night was the first time that I announced that I was going to stop food and water. Honestly, it's a lot easier than I thought it was, so I feel it's not going to be so dramatic. Still, I won't stay... Mark Gerretsen has to meet with the constituents before Friday. After all, the meeting of the House is on the 26th, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he will meet with them before Friday, and if not, I will then retire to prepare for other actions, because there will be no rest,' she asserted. 'Gaza is under the rubble; it's a dire time, and we were socialized out of caring for each other. Our manners hold us to these prescribed postures that are not going to help us. And so I love showing people that a different world is possible.' This is why she sits at a table with two chairs. She says she wants people to engage in conversation with her. 'Come, sit down, let's chat about it all.' Kingstonist reached out to MP Gerretsen for confirmation of the allegations he's refused to meet with the pro-Palestinian constituents, as well as for comment on this situation and whether he might agree to meet with the constituents in the future. No response was received by time of publication.
CBC
29-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Kingston's mayor heading back to city hall after unsuccessful election bid for Conservative
It's back to city hall for Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson. The municipal politician took a leave from his seat at the head of the council horseshoe to run for the Conservatives in the federal election, but failed to unseat longtime Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen. Monday night's unsuccessful bid to represent Kingston and the Islands marked the first election Paterson has ever lost. "I had a lot of people at the door tell me that they weren't going to vote for me because they wanted me to stay as mayor," he said to reporters after the votes were counted. "I respect that. I respect the judgment of the community." Paterson said he wouldn't waste any time getting back to the city's top job, with a "couple of meetings" already scheduled for Tuesday. "I'm not going to go to city hall ... dejected and defeated and depressed," he told supporters. "No, not at all. I'm actually going to walk back into city hall tomorrow with a new vigor, a new passion, a new energy, because I've seen face to face just how important it is that we keep fighting for the issues that we've talked about in this campaign." Paterson was wooed into running by local Conservatives who created a "We Choose Bryan" campaign and spent months encouraging him to throw his hat in the ring. Liberals scored support from NDP voters While announcing his intention to seek the party's nomination, the mayor spoke about a need for change and promised to "build a big blue tent" where all are welcome. Instead, it appears it was Gerretsen and the Liberals who managed to capitalize on support from voters who might not have backed their party in the past, securing an estimated 63 per cent of the vote. "There are a lot of people in our riding who typically would have voted NDP that chose to vote for me this time," Gerretsen said. "I'm fully aware of that, and I am very humbled by the fact that they put their faith in me, and it is something that weighs on me, and I know that I have to bring that voice to Ottawa in what I do." Gerretsen said his local priorities include finding space for more affordable housing in the riding and ensuring a permanent replacement for the LaSalle Causeway bridge in a "timely fashion" that meets the needs of residents who rely on it. Once a mayor of Kingston himself, Gerretsen has represented the area as MP since 2015 — part of a long line of Liberals who have held onto the seat since the late 1980s. He described the riding as a "progressive stronghold" after securing his fourth straight win. With that voting record in mind, Paterson referred to himself as an "underdog" while campaigning, despite his name recognition and decade as Kingston's current mayor. Local Conservatives including Countryside district Coun. Gary Oosterhof, who ran for the party in 2021, had hoped Paterson's track record and profile might finally break the Liberal's streak. Following yet another loss, he said the party will have to "reflect" on what it's going to take to turn the riding blue. "I don't know what kind of decline is required to say there's a problem here, but there is a problem," Oosterhof said. Mayor glad he 'made the effort' Paterson said he "absolutely" believes a Conservative could win in the riding, but laughed when asked on election night if he'd consider running again. In explaining his decision to run, the mayor said he'd been frustrated by the fact so many of the problems facing the community are national issues requiring solutions from the federal level. While he's not heading to the House of Commons himself, Paterson said he's looking forward to working with Gerretsen and has no regrets. "It feels it feels right, because I made the effort," he explained. "For community members that might come to me and say, 'Why haven't you done more as mayor?' I can tell them that, you know what? I threw my hat in the ring for MP and the community chose to go in a different direction."
CBC
31-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Battle of the mayors brewing in Kingston and the Islands as big names face off in federal election
Social Sharing Two local political heavyweights are facing off in the riding of Kingston and the Islands and while they represent different parties and ideologies, they came up through the ranks the same way — fighting and winning mayoral elections. In the red corner is Liberal candidate Mark Gerretsen, who's been the area's MP since 2015 after serving one term as the city's top municipal official. In the blue corner is Bryan Paterson for the Conservatives, who took over the mayor's chair after Gerretsen and has held onto it since. There are other challengers too — Daria Juüdi-Hope, a registered nurse who's representing the NDP and Fintan Hartnett, a professional mariner for the Green Party — both of whom are promising voters a change from the status quo. In some ways, Kingston's battle of the mayors mirrors the title bout being waged at the leadership level. But while Pierre Poilievre and Mark Carney trade barbs, Paterson and Gerretsen are quick to say they respect each other and have worked well together in the past, making their contest more of a political clash than a personal one. The riding's borders have changed over the years, but it's remained Liberal since the late 1980s, when they flipped it from the Progressive Conservatives. Paterson knows that voting history means he's facing an uphill climb, but said he's willing to work hard to win. "I think we have the makings of an incredible underdog story, based on what I'm hearing at the doors about the desire for change," he said following the opening of his campaign office last week. That desire for change is what pushed him to take an unpaid leave from his role as mayor, Paterson explained, adding he believes the Conservative plan will help tackle affordability struggles and restore the "promise of Canada" that's been broken. "That promise is that when you work hard, when you do everything you can do, that you can build a good life," he said. Paterson said if elected he'll push for a permanent replacement for the damaged LaSalle Causeway bridge and protect the Kingston Penitentiary from being developed into housing. As for those in the riding who have never voted Conservative or aren't fans of Poilievre, Paterson reminded residents that on voting day they're not choosing a leader or party, but the person who can best-represent the community. "I've had people say, 'I've never voted Conservative before, but I'm going to vote for you because I like what you've done for the city,'" he said. Traditionally a Liberal stronghold Gerretsen, his main opponent, said he's hearing the opposite message while out canvassing. "I would say at least five times a day I hear people say to me, 'I'm typically a Conservative, but I will never vote for Pierre Poilievre, and I will be voting Liberal this time," said the party's candidate. If he continues as MP, Gerretsen said he plans to focus on building more affordable housing and ensuring programs like the Canada Dental Care plan, $10 a day child care and the National School Food Program keep growing. However, he said the main concern he's hearing isn't a local issue — it's U.S. President Donald Trump, his tariffs on Canadian goods and threats to the country's sovereignty. That's where Gerretsen said the response from his party's leader, Mark Carney, seems to be resonating with voters. And while he and Paterson have a similar political past, the Liberal candidate said what sets him and his party apart is their ideology. "I'm guided by the Liberal values of inclusivity and of giving people opportunity to prosper and to have a great quality of life," said Gerretsen, adding he treats every election as if he's an underdog too. Greens think they have a fighting chance Fintan Hartnett laughed when he heard about the heavyweights referring to themselves that way. "As the actual underdog? I would say that's pretty funny," said the Green Party candidate. Still, he believes his team has a fighting chance. "The two big guys are going to be battling it out, and hopefully we can sneak up the middle and convince enough people to vote for the Greens." Harnett said both Paterson and Gerretsen are "career politicians" and while they might be good in front of the camera, that doesn't mean they're "going to do what's good for Kingston, especially if they spend all their time on the back benches." As a professional mariner, the Green candidate said he knows how important it is to replace the LaSalle Causeway lift bridge so boat traffic can resume. He also said his party will always fight for climate action. 'It's garbage in, garbage out' Juüdi-Hope, who's running for the NDP, also pointed to her work experience as health care worker and faculty member at post secondary instructions in Kingston as what sets her apart from the big names running locally. "We have been let down by our leaders, and it is time to change," she said. "I do know that I am competing against names, and that's it. I am not competing against competence. I am not competing against care for people." The registered nurse said she'll push for improvements to healthcare, replacing infrastructure that's outdated to help attract and retain staff and bring expertise when it comes to immigration and its impact on education in Canada. Juüdi-Hope also bristled at suggestions voting Liberal is the only way to defeat Poilievre's Conservatives this election, calling strategic voting a lie meant to maintain the same old two-party approach to politics. "It's garbage in, garbage out. At some point we have to stop," she said.
