Canada

Matthew Lau: Trimming foreign aid would be good Canadian policy

Research suggests even foreign aid that isn’t outright wasted or sent to dictators fails to achieve the development goals held out for it

Consistent with the Conservative party’s “Canada First” message and its criticism of Liberal overspending, in recent days Pierre Poilievre has reiterated his plans to “dramatically cut” foreign aid. Earlier this month, he vowed to reallocate foreign aid money to expand Canada’s military presence in the Arctic. Then at his rally in Ottawa he said, “We must bring home our money by ending wasteful aid to dictators, terrorists and global bureaucracies — like the Asian Infrastructure Bank and UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East).”Consistent with the Conservative party’s “Canada First” message and its criticism of Liberal overspending, in recent days Pierre Poilievre has reiterated his plans to “dramatically cut” foreign aid. Earlier this month, he vowed to reallocate foreign aid money to expand Canada’s military presence in the Arctic. Then at his rally in Ottawa he said, “We must bring home our money by ending wasteful aid to dictators, terrorists and global bureaucracies — like the Asian Infrastructure Bank and UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East).”

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada, Foreign aid

What’s in a Poll?

Several polls indicate that the Liberal Party has made a recovery in support in the last two months. The polls suggest differing results, with some showing the Liberals catching up to the Conservatives or in one case even surpassing them, while another shows the Conservatives still maintaining a two-digit lead despite the Liberals gaining more ground since December.

While different methodologies or even formations of questions could account for the wide-ranging results, two major changes have occurred since last year when the Tories held a steady two-digit lead over the Liberals. One is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Jan. 6 announcement of his intention to resign, and the other is the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, along with his tariff policies and comments about wanting Canada to be part of the United States.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada

The facts on fentanyl and the northern border

Trump’s White House is using misleading data about drug seizures and their links to Canada, a Globe investigation finds

The Trump administration is using misleading fentanyl figures to justify tariffs against Canada, relying on a dataset that includes drugs traced to Mexico, a Globe and Mail investigation has found.

Citing U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, the White House has asserted that 43 pounds of fentanyl was intercepted at the border last fiscal year, marking a “massive 2,050 per cent increase” compared with the year prior, when two pounds of the deadly synthetic drug was seized.

Not sure an ex-dealer/addict is the most reliable of sources.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada, USA

Donald Trump doubles down on threat to slap tariffs on Canada next week, Trudeau vows to retaliate

OTTAWA—The tariff threat tightrope drew tauter Thursday.

U.S. President Donald Trump doubled down on his threat to slap all-encompassing tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China next week, despite signals Wednesday from his officials that it was still open to negotiation.

In Montreal, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also doubled down on his vow to retaliate.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada, USA

‘All fentanyl, all the time’: How the deadly drug became Canada’s public enemy No. 1

Nestled between two mountains in British Columbia’s southern interior, the tiny town of Falkland used to be known mainly for its mammoth Canadian flag, perched on a hill 500 feet above the community.

On a chilly day in October 2024, a team of RCMP officers clad in hazardous-material suits descended on a compound in the forest they would later describe as the biggest fentanyl “super lab” ever discovered in Canada.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada

White House official threatens to redraw Canadian border

Peter Navarro is pushing negotiators to discuss reworking country’s boundaries, The Telegraph can reveal

A top White House official has threatened to redraw the Canadian border amid Donald Trump’s ambition to turn the country in America’s “51st state”.

Peter Navarro, one of Donald Trump’s closest advisers, is pushing US negotiators to discuss reworking the border with their Canadian counterparts, The Telegraph can reveal.

“Navarro recommended revising the Canada-US border, which is just crazy and dangerous,” a source close to negotiations told The Telegraph.

Grain of salt time … The article propagates the ‘Kick Canada Out Of 5 Eyes’ rumour, also attributed to “unnamed sources.”

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada, USA, WTF?

John Ivison: Why Conservatives say they aren’t sweating the Liberals’ Lazarus-like revival

The Conservatives first recorded a 20-point lead in public opinion last June and pundits concluded that the Liberals coming back from such a deficit was as likely as growing flowers in the desert.

Yet, a mere eight months later we have the first poll to suggest the governing party, which is not even under new management yet, has overhauled Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, according to Ipsos findings released Tuesday.

The Lazarus-like revival suggests the Liberals have gained 10 points of support since Ipsos’s last poll in January. For a brief moment before Justin Trudeau resigned, it looked as if they were on track to lose official party status after the next election; now it’s the NDP that is facing that prospect.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada

Trump: EU was formed to screw USA – and they’ve done a good job of it

The European Union was formed in order to screw the United States, Donald Trump has declared.

Speaking during his first cabinet meeting, the US president said: “The European Union was formed in order to screw the United States, that’s the purpose of it. And they’ve done a good job of it. But now I’m president.”

The president says his administration planned to impose tariffs on the EU very “very soon”.

Full meeting.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada, Europe, European Union, President Trump, USA

No, a CBC call-in show did not commit treason (or bad journalism)

It’s nice to see people getting passionate about public broadcasting, but what went on this past weekend was something else. Some Canadians were losing their minds over a CBC call-in show.

Cross Country Checkup, hosted by Ian Hanomansing, teamed up with U.S. radio show The Middle to simulcast a live two-hour show on CBC, NPR stations and C-SPAN. The idea was to hear from listeners on both sides of the border about U.S. President Donald Trump’s offensive comments regarding his desire to see Canada become the 51st state.

Donald Trump says Mexico, Canada tariffs now set for April 2

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada would take effect on April 2, about a month later than an earlier deadline for the levies to take effect.

Trump’s remark came during his first cabinet meeting.

Earlier this month the administration had set March 4 as the effective date for 25% duties on goods from Mexico and non-energy goods from Canada.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada, USA

Jamie Sarkonak: P.E.I.’s Dennis King was the only premier with the guts to tackle immigration

In a country loaded with conservative leaders who are shy about combating over-immigration, former Prince Edward Island premier Dennis King was a rarity. He saw that numbers were too high, so he lowered them — and he didn’t cower when cries of protest broke out afterwards.

When he resigned on Friday, ending his six-year premiership on a high note, he left the world of Canadian conservatism a model to emulate when it comes to standing one’s ground: be honest, be frank and, above all, don’t be a coward.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted in"Societally Destructive Immigration Policy", Canada

Canada looks to shift intelligence sharing from U.S. as Washington diverges on foreign affairs

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Ottawa wants to deepen intelligence sharing with European partners, as longtime ally Washington diverges from Canada on issues like Ukraine.

“We’re now living in a much more dangerous and complicated world,” Joly told reporters Monday. “It’s in full display.”

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada, WTF?

CHARLEBOIS: Nova Scotia smashes food trade barriers, will the rest of Canada follow?

The federal government can talk endlessly about eliminating interprovincial trade barriers, but ultimately, it is up to the provinces to take real action. Canada now has a clear front-runner in this effort: Nova Scotia.

Premier Tim Houston and his government have recognized the steep cost that interprovincial trade barriers have imposed on their province and the Atlantic region. Being geographically distant from major markets has already put Nova Scotia at a disadvantage, making it difficult to compete against larger provinces unless a sector has developed a unique competitive edge — such as the province’s thriving wine industry. However, with trade barriers limiting access to larger provincial markets, growth in the food sector has been stifled.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada

Doug Ford: rightwing populist becomes Canada’s anti-Trump figurehead

The day Donald Trump won the United States presidential election was a happy one for Doug Ford.

The conservative politician who oversees Canada’s most populous province – and its largest economy – made the admission to caucus and supporters, in off-the-cuff remarks accidentally caught by a nearby microphone.

But, Ford said, after Trump announced tariffs on Canada, he was devastated.

“The guy pulled out the knife and fucking yanked it into us,” Ford said. “We’re supposed to be his closest allies, his closest friend. It’s terrible.”

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada, USA

Trump adviser rules out Canada’s expulsion from Five Eyes, but experts warn of risks

A report that Canada could be ousted from the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance was publicly denied by a senior adviser to Donald Trump Tuesday, but experts say the risk remains that Canadian assumptions about security co-operation with the United States will be tested in the months ahead.

The U.S. President’s installations of loyalists – including director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who is accused of repeating Russian propaganda, and FBI director Kash Patel, who has spoken positively of the QAnon conspiracy-theory movement and supported the Jan. 6 Capitol attack – have thrown his country’s intelligence community into upheaval, and spread uncertainty among its allies.

Canada should be tossed out for this TDS laden article alone.

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by Blazingcatfur••0•Posted inCanada, USA