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Almost two weeks after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau exempted home heating oil from his carbon price plan, premiers from across the country called on the federal government to extend its exemption to all home heating fuels, not just heating oil.
The Liberals announced on Oct. 26 that home heating oil, which is most widely used in the Atlantic provinces, would be exempt from the carbon price for more than three years.
Meanwhile, on Parliament Hill, the minority Liberals again rejected the idea of introducing any further exemptions to the carbon price. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault suggested he wouldn’t stay in his role if the government made more carveouts.
After more than a week at the centre of a political firestorm over the issue, the minority Liberals, with the help of the Bloc Québécois, defeated a Conservative motion to exempt all home heating fuels from the carbon price.
David Eby, Premier of British Columbia, speaks during a press conference at the meeting of the Council of the Federation, where Canada's provincial and territorial leaders meet, in Halifax, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023.Kelly Clark/The Canadian Press
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Canadians in Gaza could soon cross into Egypt
In Canada, two women trying to help relatives leave the besieged Gaza Strip say they received information from Global Affairs that Canadians were tentatively set to start leaving via the Rafah crossing.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tokyo Tuesday for a meeting of the Group of Seven leading industrial democracies to forge consensus on how to deal with the crisis.
In an interview on U.S. television yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued to reject calls for a ceasefire despite growing international pressure, but did say he would consider “tactical little pauses” so that much-needed aid could enter Gaza and freed hostages could exit safely.
Both Israel and the Hamas militants who control Gaza have rebuffed mounting international pressure for a ceasefire. Israel says hostages taken by Hamas during its rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7 should be released first. Hamas says it will not free them nor stop fighting while Gaza is under assault.
- A post-war future for Palestinians will have to confront political and historical realities
- South Africa becomes latest country to withdraw diplomats from Israel
Ottawa paid nearly $670,000 for KPMG’s advice on cutting consultant costs
The Department of Natural Resources approved $669,650 for KPMG, a global professional services company, to provide advice on how to save money on consultants, documents show.
Treasury Board president Anita Anand is currently leading a federal effort to save about $15-billion over five years from existing spending plans. All federal departments were given a target of Oct. 2 to submit their proposed cuts to Anand’s department for review.
The Globe and Mail has reported that federal spending on outsourcing has grown sharply from when the Liberals promised in 2015 to cut back on the use of external consultants. The government has since singled out spending on outsourcing and consultants as an area of focus to find cuts.
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Also on our radar
Quebec’s English-language universities to promote French learning: Quebec’s anglophone university leaders pledged to better integrate future graduates into Quebec society with a range of new measures, including a mandatory French-language course for students from outside the province, as they tried to dissuade the provincial government from pursuing a proposed tuition hike for students from the rest of Canada.
OMERS to buy stake in MLSE: Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System has reached a US$400-million deal to buy an indirect 5-per-cent stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, from part owner Larry Tanenbaum.
WeWork files for bankruptcy: WeWork sought U.S. bankruptcy protection on Monday after its bets on companies using more of its office-sharing space soured. The move represents an admission by SoftBank, the Japanese technology group that owns about 60 per cent of WeWork, that the company cannot survive unless it renegotiates its pricey leases in bankruptcy.
Telecom says justified in withholding information: Rogers Communications said in a new court filing that it has “rational” and “justifiable” reasons for withholding some board information from two of its directors, Melinda Rogers-Hixon and Martha Rogers, who are involved in a long-standing feud between warring factions of the family that controls the Toronto-based telecom giant.
Canadians face long lineups for Indian visas: After a month-long suspension, India has resumed some visa services in Canada, but the rift between the two countries has created a backlog for appointments, and forced Canadians looking to get Indian visas to wait hours in line at processing centres.
Rice shortage causes price surge: A shortage in non-Basmati white rice is causing problems for many South Asian communities in Canada as they find the varieties of rice harder to find and much more expensive. India banned exports of all non-Basmati white rice in July, in an effort to calm domestic prices and ensure domestic availability, after heavy rainfall in the country’s north and insufficient rainfall elsewhere damaged this year’s crop.
Morning markets
World shares slide: World shares lost steam on Tuesday as investor enthusiasm about a peak in global interest rates faded. Around 5:30 a.m. ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 was down 0.06 per cent. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.22 per cent and 0.43 per cent. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei finished down 1.34 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 1.65 per cent. New York futures were negative. The Canadian dollar was lower at 72.75 US cents.
What everyone’s talking about
Kelly Cryderman: “But the makeup of Ms. Smith’s most active base of support in the party, and its members’ policy positions, suggest that trouble lies ahead for her in 2024, especially on the issue of parental rights. It’s a return to a focus on divisive social issues, and despite her reputation as a right-wing firebrand, Ms. Smith will not relish this.”
Editorial: “Canada’s working class is on the march. The place where many of them see their political home is undergoing a profound realignment, and what’s more interesting than the destination is what’s driving them there.”
Today’s editorial cartoon
Illustration by David Parkins
Living better
Three ways to be a better trail runner
There’s a growing crowd of runners participating in organized trail running events. But new trail runners soon discover that the off-road environment poses unique challenges. Three recent studies offer insights on what it takes to thrive on the trails.
Moment in time: Nov. 7, 1873
Alexander Mackenzie, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 1873 until 1880, and Canada's second prime minister from 1873 to 1878.
Liberals assume power for the first time in Canada
In early November, 1873, the Liberal opposition had the Conservative government of Sir John A. Macdonald on the ropes. Earlier that spring in the House of Commons, Quebec Liberal Lucius Seth Huntington had charged that the prime minister and his Quebec lieutenant George Cartier had accepted clandestine financial help during the 1872 general election in exchange for granting the Pacific Railway charter to a Montreal financier. The prime minister vehemently denied the accusation, insisting that there was no secret deal. “These hands are clean,” he implored. But a series of sensational revelations, including a damning telegram asking for money, had Macdonald fighting for his political life. When an electrifying five-hour speech failed to keep his government supporters in line, Macdonald abruptly resigned. The governor-general called on Liberal leader Alexander Mackenzie, a dour Scot and stonemason by trade, to form a government. Mackenzie was sworn in this day as Canada’s second prime minister. It was the first time that a federal party had formed government without winning a general election. The corruption at the heart of the scandal hardened Mackenzie’s views on government responsibility and made fiscal prudence a defining feature of the new Liberal administration. Bill Waiser
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