Hello,
A delegation of five Ukrainian members of Parliament are in Ottawa Friday for meetings with governmental and parliamentary officials.
Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill Friday morning, the Ukrainian MPs urged Canada to quickly provide military assistance, saying the country needs lethal weaponry to defend itself against Russian forces.
The delegation met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland this week and said that while they appreciate the support the Canadian government has provided so far, they need more. Yevheniya Kravchuk, one of the visiting Ukrainian MPs, said her husband is a police officer and fighting Russian forces. She said the Ukrainian army has been liberating villages in key regions and said she wanted to “get this message really straight: We cannot do this with rifles. We have to have heavy weaponry to kick Russians from our territory.”
“The time is crucial for us. To be slow means to fail, so we ask for the support to be in time, to be fast, and we will win,” said Ms. Kravchuk.
For more, read parliamentary reporter Janice Dickson’s report here. The MPs’ press conference was also streamed lived and can be viewed here.
The Ukrainian delegation is accompanied by Canadian MPs who sit on the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group.
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TODAY'S HEADLINES
POPE FRANCIS APOLOGIZES TO INDIGENOUS DELEGATION FOR RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL ABUSE IN CANADA - The Pope has apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in the tragedy of residential schools – a move that residential school survivors have been awaiting for decades. Story here. Read the full text of the apology here.
TRUDEAU SAYS RUSSIA CANNOT BE CONSTRUCTIVE PARTNER AT G20 TABLE - Mr. Trudeau said on Thursday that Russia cannot be a constructive partner in the G20, a group composed of most of the world’s largest economies, because of its invasion of Ukraine. Reuters reports here.
CARBON PRICE RISING TO $50 A TONNE IN MOST PROVINCES TODAY, ADDS 2.2 CENTS TO A LITRE OF GAS - The national price on pollution will go up another $10 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions as scheduled today in most provinces. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is withstanding political pressure to delay or cancel the increase as fuel prices surge due mainly to the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Story from The Canadian Press here.
CANADA’S SPORT SYSTEM MUST CONFRONT GROWING COMPLAINTS OF ATHLETE ABUSE, SPORT MINISTER SAYS - Canada’s sport system is in the midst of a crisis and the problems need to be confronted, federal Minister of Sport Pascale St-Onge says, after calling a high-level meeting in Ottawa to discuss the growing number of complaints from athletes about abuse and maltreatment. Story here.
PIERRE POILIEVRE’S ‘AXE THE CARBON TAX’ RALLY DRAWS HUNDREDS OF SUPPORTERS IN OTTAWA - Conservative Party leadership hopeful Pierre Poilievre drew hundreds of supporters at his “Axe the Carbon Tax” rally in Ottawa, mere hours away from the criticized hike that will make carbon cost $50 a tonne and add some extra cents at the gas pump. The National Post reports the story here.
CONSERVATIVE PARTY SAYS MEMBERSHIP DATA IS SAFE AFTER REPORTS OF ALLEGED HACK -The Conservative Party of Canada says it’s confident data about its members has not been compromised following reports of an alleged breach. Story from The Canadian Press here.
THIS AND THAT
TODAY IN THE COMMONS – Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, April 1, accessible here.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly delivered the opening remarks at the Canada-CARICOM Foreign Ministers’ Group Meeting Friday morning. CARICOM is a Caribbean alliance of 15 countries.
THE DECIBEL
On Friday’s Decibel podcast, Globe climate change columnist Adam Radwanski talks about what is required from companies and from the government to meet goals set out in its latest climate change plan, and whether it is ambitious and feasible enough to give people hope that Canada can actually meet its targets for once. Listen on your favourite podcast platform. More information can be found here.
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY
Mr. Trudeau virtually attended an infrastructure announcement with Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok and Iqaluit Mayor Kenny Bell Friday morning. Mr. Trudeau will later chair a meeting of the Incident Response Group on the war in Ukraine.
LEADERS
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh joined Deputy Leader Alexandre Boulerice at a press conference in Gatineau Friday, where they called on the Liberal government to implement a 3 per cent surtax on the excess profits big businesses and banks that are making record profits while Quebecers struggle to get by.
No schedule released for the other party leaders.
PUBLIC OPINION
ADVANTAGE POILIEVRE BUT CHAREST COULD BE COMPETITIVE - A new Abacus Data poll shows that one in five voters across Canada say they have a positive impression of Pierre Poilievre and Jean Charest. Neither has particularly high negatives, with Poilievre at 21 per cent and Charest a few points higher, at 24 per cent. Patrick Brown and Leslyn Lewis are less well known, and both have an equal mix of positive and negative impressions. The details are here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on politicians acting like the pandemic is over as COVID-19 is on the rise again - “Welcome to the sixth wave of the pandemic, brought to you by a government near you.
April Fool’s joke? If only. Rising infection and hospitalization rates seen in many provinces this week are entirely due to provincial governments lifting most, if not all, of their indoor capacity limits, proof-of-vaccination mandates and mask mandates in March.”
Robyn Urback (The Globe and Mail) on how Chrystia Freeland, the Minister of Everything, must tell Liberals they can’t have it all - “The Chrystia Freeland this country needs is the one who took the microphone on the day Russia invaded Ukraine and spoke with personal conviction about the role Canada plays in the international order. Yet it’s unlikely that when she presents her budget next week, that’s the one the country will get.”
Gary Mason (The Globe and Mail) on how politicians are poisoning Canada’s democracy - “Something rather remarkable happened in the House of Commons earlier this week: A sitting MP accused this country’s Prime Minister of running a jackboot dictatorship.”
Maria Popova (Policy Options) on how Canada can help Ukraine by leading on the world stage - “In sum, it is time for Canada to lead at the international stage. We need to help Ukraine win this war. We also need to salvage the international rules-based order from Russia’s attack and make it stronger and safer for democracies.”
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Ian Bailey