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CBC
24-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Maxime Bernier says PPC would cut foreign aid to shrink government spending
Social Sharing Maxime Bernier and the People's Party of Canada launched their official campaign from Saint-Georges, Que., on Monday, focused on slashing government spending while halting immigration. "We need to stop that to preserve our culture, our standard of living, our economy," Bernier said. The former Conservative MP for Beauce is pitching his party — which strongly opposed COVID-19 lockdowns — as the "real conservatives" in this federal election. In a scorched-earth exit from the Conservative Party of Canada in 2018 to found the People's Party of Canada (PPC), Bernier accused his former party of being too "intellectually and morally corrupt" to be reformed. Bernier outlined on Monday the four pillars of the PPC platform: pausing immigration, ending what he described as "woke" policies, boosting the economy by cutting spending and implementing policies related to national security. "Our country is broken," Bernier said, noting that he would withdraw Canada from United Nations commitments, such as The Paris Agreement, the World Health Organization and the Global Compact for Migration. "We won't fight in Ukraine. We will also cut foreign aid and bring that money home," the Saint-Georges native said. Bernier devoted parts of his speech to take aim at Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre for changing their positions on carbon pricing and for supporting carbon capture and storage, which the PPC leader described as costly and "inefficient technology." Cutting federal funding for CBC/Radio-Canada is another key element of Bernier's plan to reduce government spending, he said. "If CBC is going bankrupt, that's OK. We're in a capitalist system," he said. Abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion Shortly before his departure from the Conservative Party, Bernier made controversial comments online, criticizing the Trudeau government for allegedly pursuing " extreme multiculturalism," statements which several commentators have called xenophobic and racist. In 2019, he faced criticism for tweets describing then 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg as "mentally unstable," although he later softened his comments. Bernier vowed on Monday that his party would fight to ensure Canadian citizenship remains a "privilege." He invoked the dog whistle"woke-ism" — a catch-all term used pejoratively to describe everything from support for anti-racist measures and progressive policies to virtue-signalling. He said on Monday that his party would have "concrete policies" to fight the ambiguous notion but stopped short of explaining what those policies would be, beyond halting government spending related to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. "Diversity, equity and inclusion — it is not in line with our Western civilization values," Bernier said. "We need to promote unity, equalization of rights and meritocracy." Bernier has been accused of courting far-right, conspiratorial racists, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and appeared on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's podcast as recently as March 22. The PPC has denied that people with " extreme views" are welcome in the party.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nation adopts aggressive new pollution policy in wake of court ruling — here are the bold new objectives
Switzerland is stepping up its efforts to cut emissions, approving new climate targets. Reuters reported that the goal is to reduce emissions by 2035 to at least 65% of 1990 levels. Last year's European court ruling that Switzerland was not doing enough to protect the environment prompted this more aggressive approach to combating rising global temperatures. These new objectives coincide with the country's commitment to The Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty adopted by 196 parties in 2015 at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, France. Do you think more places of worship should embrace clean energy? Yes — it sets a positive example Only if it saves money No opinion Absolutely not Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. In contrast, President Trump is withdrawing the United States from The Paris Agreement, as he did during his first term, citing that it poses an unfair economic burden on the U.S. Environmental groups have criticized the decision. As NPR reported, Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation and an architect of the Paris Agreement, was unhappy about losing U.S. support but said that international climate action "has proven resilient and is stronger than any single country's politics and policies." Despite policies and politics, we can still take steps as individuals to combat the warming of the planet. Upgrading your appliances can reduce energy usage in your home, resulting in cost savings. Installing solar panels is another way to combat the warming of the planet, and community solar programs allow you to tap into clean energy without the need to install rooftop panels. By adopting new climate targets, Switzerland is taking a more aggressive approach to the climate crisis. The country had previously committed to cut emissions in half by 2030 from where they were in 1990. The new amendment is part of a long-term climate strategy focused on the important role of renewable and clean energy. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cook Islands PM aims to boost trade ties during China visit
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown will visit China next week, the first visit by a leader of the small South Pacific state in a decade, to help improve ties ranging from trade, climate and investment to tourism and infrastructure. The visit comes as Beijing aims to increase its influence in the Pacific region and after some Pacific island nations raised concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump's freezing of foreign aid, crackdown on illegal migration, and withdrawal from The Paris Agreement on climate change. Brown said in a statement on Thursday that his visit to China is part of a broader strategy to strengthen relations with all its key partners including New Zealand, Australia and China. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. "This visit is about expanding economic opportunities while ensuring our sovereignty and national interests remain at the forefront," Brown said. The Cook Islands, a grouping of 15 islands and atolls in the South Pacific, has been a self-governing nation in free association with New Zealand for nearly 60 years. The democratically elected government controls domestic and international affairs but the population of 15,000 has New Zealand citizenship. Nearly 100,000 people who identify as Cook Island Maori live in New Zealand currently. According to New Zealand's foreign ministry, New Zealand has a constitutional obligation to respond to requests for assistance with foreign affairs, disasters and defence. A proposal in December by the Cook Islands to allow the creation of its own passports was rejected by New Zealand but Wellington said it could discuss independence. Brown said "a joint action plan for comprehensive strategic partnership will be agreed upon" with China during his trip from February 10 to 14 though he did not elaborate the plans. A spokesperson for New Zealand's foreign ministry said it expected the Cook Islands government to fully consult Wellington on any major agreements it planned to enter that could "have major strategic and security implications."
Reuters
06-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Cook Islands PM aims to boost trade ties during China visit
SYDNEY, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown will visit China next week, the first visit by a leader of the small South Pacific state in a decade, to help improve ties ranging from trade, climate and investment to tourism and infrastructure. The visit comes as Beijing aims to increase its influence in the Pacific region and after some Pacific island nations raised concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump's freezing of foreign aid, crackdown on illegal migration, and withdrawal from The Paris Agreement on climate change. Brown said in a statement on Thursday that his visit to China is part of a broader strategy to strengthen relations with all its key partners including New Zealand, Australia and China. "This visit is about expanding economic opportunities while ensuring our sovereignty and national interests remain at the forefront," Brown said. The Cook Islands, a grouping of 15 islands and atolls in the South Pacific, has been a self-governing nation in free association with New Zealand for nearly 60 years. The democratically elected government controls domestic and international affairs but the population of 15,000 has New Zealand citizenship. Nearly 100,000 people who identify as Cook Island Maori live in New Zealand currently. According to New Zealand's foreign ministry, New Zealand has a constitutional obligation to respond to requests for assistance with foreign affairs, disasters and defence. A proposal in December by the Cook Islands to allow the creation of its own passports was rejected by New Zealand but Wellington said it could discuss independence. Brown said "a joint action plan for comprehensive strategic partnership will be agreed upon" with China during his trip from February 10 to 14 though he did not elaborate the plans. A spokesperson for New Zealand's foreign ministry said it expected the Cook Islands government to fully consult Wellington on any major agreements it planned to enter that could "have major strategic and security implications."
