Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Donald Trump signed an executive order today hiking steel and aluminum tariffs to 50 per cent, an escalation of his global trade war the White House says will disproportionately hit the Canadian economy.
The order specifies that the new rate will take effect at 12.01 a.m. ET Wednesday.
The U.S. President imposed 25-per-cent tariffs on both metals in March as part of the trade war that he has since expanded.
Adrian Morrow reports that Canada’s Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc rushed to Washington today for a last-minute meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
The Canadian government said today it would hold off discussing retaliation until officials could read Trump’s new executive order.
Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, speaking ahead of Trump’s announcement, said Canada will fight for its steel and aluminum workers.
He said Canada will put in place rules to promote the use of Canadian steel.
Meanwhile, the U.S. ambassador to Canada held out hope for the Canadian auto sector despite Trump’s talk of cutting it out of the American market.
Pete Hoekstra told a Toronto audience Canada may still be able to work together with U.S. automakers under an industrial strategy focused on the threat from Chinese vehicle makers.
The ambassador was asked whether Canadians should be worried about the future of their auto and auto parts industries, which are almost entirely reliant on exports to the United States.
Hoekstra said Canadians need not worry.
“Our chief competitor is China,” he said.
“How do we use the strengths of the U.S. auto industry, how do we use the strengths, the capabilities of Canada, and how do we bring those together in such a way that we’re beating China and not each other?”
And Marie Woolf reports that the federal government is proposing to restrict the ability to claim asylum in Canada, while giving authorities new security powers to combat organized crime and fentanyl smuggling.
Legislation tabled today would prohibit anyone who has been in Canada for more than a year from having refugee claims heard by a tribunal.
It would also give the government the power to halt or cancel the processing of immigration applications en masse if it is deemed in the public interest.
Rolls of coiled, coated steel await shipment at a steel plant in Hamilton in 2018.Peter Power/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
Canadian steel tycoon backs Trump, takes aim at Carney in escalating trade war: Barry Zekelman is blaming Canada for bringing the problem on itself by failing to crack down on foreign dumping into the domestic market.
Federal officials drafted travel warnings in response to Trump executive orders: Internal documents shed some light on the warnings, which included suggestions Canadians consider returning home if they do not have proper documents to stay in the U.S.
Carney lays out federal criteria for fast-tracking infrastructure projects: At the end of a meeting with premiers and territorial leaders this week, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the criteria include strengthening the economy, offering economic benefits and having a high likelihood of successful execution.
Olympic champion kayaker Adam can Koeverden takes the helm of Canadian sport: The MP for Burlington North-Milton West in Ontario is the new Secretary of State for Sport, making him the latest politician to step into the leadership of sport in Canada.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Day: In Ottawa, Mark Carney chaired a cabinet meeting and later attended Question Period.
Party Leaders: Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet participated in Question Period. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May attended Parliament and, in the evening, attended a reception held by the National Council of Canadian Muslims. No schedules released for other party leaders.
McGuinty in Brussels: Defence Minister David McGuinty is scheduled to be in Brussels to attend a Wednesday meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group – an alliance of countries supporting Ukraine in light of Russia’s invasion – and a Thursday meeting of NATO Defence Ministers at the organization’s headquarters.
Quote of the day
“Yes, it was a big love in because all the premiers want to work hard and to keep working hard for our country and for our economy” - Prime Minister Mark Carney, in Question Period, responds to a question from Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet suggesting this week’s first ministers’ meeting was a “love in.”
Question period
In which year did Canada join the G6, a group of six nations that had assembled to deal with economic concerns?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
‘Every vote counts’ is not just a slogan.
Freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly: all are important but can be limited using the notwithstanding clause. But not the right to vote, because the power of democracy ultimately underpins all other rights.
— The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
The risks of bird flu are real. We can’t bury our heads in the sand, even for the love of ostriches.
The “let them live” pleas are emotionally appealing. But no, the ostriches should not live. Not any more than any other bird in a flock where H5N1 is present.
— André Picard, Columnist
Should Canada build a pipeline to the West or the East?
And the Prime Minister certainly made it sound like he sees that pipeline going to the West Coast. “The opportunity is there. The market is there, in Asia,” Mr. Carney said.
— Campbell Clark, Chief Political Writer
Go deeper
- Follow along for our stories on Canada-U.S. relations as news develops
- Take a look at the history of immigration reporting and great political scandals from A Nation’s Paper, a book about The Globe and Mail’s role in Canadian history
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The answer to today’s question: in 1976, Canada joined France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States to form the G7. The other six countries had united in 1975 over economic concerns. Canada is hosting this year’s G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta., from June 15-17.