Pfizer to deliver first vaccine doses to Canada this month: Trudeau

OTTAWA — Pfizer and BioNTech will deliver the first doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to Canada this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday, with inoculations to start as early as next week.

Another vaccine candidate developed by Moderna could also be shipped "as soon as December," the American company said.

At a news conference, Trudeau said a deal was signed with Pfizer and BioNTech "to begin early delivery of doses of their vaccine candidate." 

"We are now contracted to receive up to 249,000 of our initial doses of Pfizer BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine in the month of December," he said.

Pending regulatory approval expected this week, the prime minister said the first shipments to 14 sites across Canada could be delivered next week, with millions more doses to follow in 2021.

Health care workers and vulnerable populations including the elderly would be the first to receive it.

Major-General Dany Fortin, who is leading Canada's COVID-19 vaccine rollout, said it will take only one or two days after the doses arrive to "unpack, thaw, decant, mix" and inject them into the arms of Canadians. 

He and his team are doing a "dry run" to test the ultra-cold storage delivery chain, flying boxes this week from Belgium and handing them off to health care workers.

The federal government has concluded pre-orders with several pharmaceutical companies -- including AstraZeneca, Pfizer and BioNTech, Sanofi and GSK, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson, Medicago and Moderna -- for 400 million doses, to ensure it eventually gets what it needs for its population of 38 million.

The vaccine developed by US giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech is at the most advanced stage, having proved 95 percent effective in late-stage clinical trials and already secured approval in Britain where its world-first rollout is to begin Tuesday.

In August, Ottawa signed a deal with Pfizer for 20 million doses plus options for more.

Agence France-Presse

Canada PM's wife tests positive for new coronavirus

OTTAWA - The wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tested positive for the new coronavirus, his office said late Thursday.

"Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau was tested for COVID-19 today. The test came back positive," the Prime Minister's office said in a statement.

"Following medical advice, she will remain in isolation for the time being. She is feeling well, is taking all the recommended precautions and her symptoms remain mild," it said.

"The Prime Minister is in good health with no symptoms. As a precautionary measure and following the advice of doctors, he will be in isolation for a planned period of 14 days," but will not be tested.

"The Prime Minister will continue to fully assume his duties and will address Canadians tomorrow."

Trudeau and his wife had announced earlier Thursday they were self-isolating while she underwent tests for the COVID-19 illness after returning from a speaking engagement.

Gregoire-Trudeau's symptoms, after returning from Britain, had included "a low fever late last night," an earlier statement said. She immediately sought medical advice and testing.

bur-it/jah/rbu

Agence France-Presse

Canada's Trudeau says evidence indicates Iran shot down Ukraine jet

OTTAWA—Canada has intelligence from multiple sources indicating a Ukrainian airliner that crashed on Wednesday near Tehran was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday.

US officials had earlier said the airliner was most likely brought down accidentally by Iranian air defenses. All 176 people on board, including 63 Canadians, were killed.


"We have intelligence from multiple sources, including our allies and our own intelligence. The evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile," Trudeau told a news conference in Ottawa.

"This may well have been unintentional. This new information reinforces the need for a thorough investigation into this matter," he continued.

Trudeau said his government would not rest until it had obtained closure, transparency, accountability and justice.

He also said he had spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who told him that Iran would allow investigators from Kiev into the country.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Victorious but weakened, Trudeau needs help to form government

OTTAWA - A weakened Prime Minister Justin Trudeau set out Tuesday to secure the support of smaller parties he will need to form a government after winning Canada's nail-biter general election but falling short of a majority.

Trudeau's Liberals took 157 seats in the 338-member House of Commons, down from a comfortable majority of 184 in the last ballot (and from 177 at the dissolution of parliament), official results showed.

The standard-bearer for progressivism will now have to seek some kind of accommodation with the Bloc Quebecois or the New Democratic Party (NDP) to consolidate his position.

Before launching talks with their leaders Trudeau greeted people at a subway station in Montreal and posed for selfies.

He was scheduled to address the nation on Wednesday.

Monday evening Trudeau received congratulations from US President Donald Trump and on Tuesday from European Council President Donald Tusk.

"From coast to coast to coast, tonight Canadians rejected division and negativity," Trudeau said in his victory speech. 

"And they rejected cuts and austerity and voted in favor of a progressive agenda and strong action on climate change."

VINDICATION AT A COST

The win, after a horse race with the Tories, was a vindication for Trudeau, amid a campaign in which his Liberals lost support across Canada.

Going into the elections his golden-boy image had already been damaged by ethics lapses in the handling of the bribery prosecution of engineering giant SNC-Lavalin. His popularity took a further hit with the emergence during the campaign of old photographs of him in blackface makeup.


The scandals, which also included his bullying of his attorney general, could still be investigated by federal police.

Defeated Conservative leader Andrew Scheer warned that Canada's oil sector, which is struggling with low prices and a lack of pipeline capacity, is "under attack" from climate activists and government policies.

He said the environmental protections of the Trudeau Liberals, who campaigned for tougher climate action, could be further devastating.

Trudeau "must be willing to change course, to stop his attacks on the energy sector, and to recognize when western Canada succeeds all of Canada succeeds," said Scheer.

The Conservatives won 121 seats but beat the Liberals in the popular vote, taking 34.4 percent to their 33.1 percent. 

Although Trudeau did better than expected, Scheer issued a warning to the prime minister, saying Canadians had "passed judgment" on him and the Liberals. 

"We have put him on notice, his leadership is damaged and his government will end soon and when that time comes, the Conservatives will be ready and we will win!"

Trudeau, a 47-year-old former school teacher, dominated Canadian politics over the four years of his first term, but faced a grilling during the 40-day election campaign, which he described as one of the "dirtiest and nastiest" in Canadian history.

The nation is deeply divided. There is a resurgence of Quebec nationalism and a growing sense in the western provinces of oil-rich Alberta and Saskatchewan of alienation within the federation.

For now Trudeau faces the tough task of forming a government, for which he will have to take into account the demands of minority parties.

'OPEN MINDS' 

Yves-Francois Blanchet, head of the Bloc Quebecois, a down-and-out party that scored a big comeback on Monday, said he can work with the new government if the interests of French-speaking Quebec are preserved.

"Our top consideration is Quebec," said Blanchet, whose party will have 32 seats in the next parliament.

"We will do things on a case-by-case basis. If it helps Quebec, we'll be in favor. If it doesn't, we won't," he said.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Blanchet signalled that he would push back against federal challenges of a new Quebec secularism law.

"I also don't like our money being invested in oil because it's destroying the climate," he said, knocking Trudeau's nationalization of an Alberta-to-British Columbia pipeline last year in order to increase crude exports.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, a leftist former criminal defense lawyer and the first non-white leader of a federal political party in Canada, promised to be constructive.

"We'll approach building the new parliament with open minds and open hearts," Singh said Tuesday, listing priorities such as affordable housing, "help for students" and "real action on climate justice."

He also said he would continue to resist Ottawa's support for the Trans Mountain pipeline project connecting Alberta's oil sands to the Pacific coast, for shipping overseas.

And, he said, he will press Trudeau to take a second look at election reforms promised in the 2015 ballot but abandoned in office, to get rid of Canada's first-past-the-post system in favor of proportional representation.

bur-amc/bfm

source: news.abs=cbn.com

Canada's Trudeau clings to power, but loses some of his luster

TORONTO -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held on to his job in Monday's election, securing his spot as one of the world's few high-profile progressive leaders, but tarnished by scandal and with his power diminished.

The man former US President Barack Obama privately anointed as a successor in global diplomacy survived a blackface scandal and the disclosure that he sought to interfere with a federal corruption prosecution, but just barely.

Trudeau's Liberals, who won power four years ago with a strong parliamentary majority, were projected by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp to form a minority government after a tight election battle with the Conservative Party led by Andrew Scheer. That would leave Trudeau needing the support of smaller opposition parties to govern.

"The hype was so great when he ran before, it would be hard to match that," said Jonathan Rose, a political science professor at Queen's University. "The burden of governing both wore him down and wore voters down."

Alternately charming and awkward, the former teacher and snowboard instructor swept to power in 2015 at the age of 43. Born on Christmas Day in 1971 to a sitting Canadian prime minister, Pierre Trudeau, the younger Trudeau grew up in the spotlight.

On taking over as prime minister, Trudeau said he would tackle climate change, overhaul the electoral system, legalize marijuana and have Canada take in 25,000 Syrian refugees. He proclaimed himself a feminist, and unveiled a gender-balanced Cabinet. Mobbed for selfies, Trudeau brought style to an office that is usually dour, and broadcast much of it on social media.

But before long, key allies turned hard to the right - the UK voted to leave the European Union, and the United States elected Republican Donald Trump as president.

In time, Trudeau concentrated power in the prime minister's office and abandoned electoral reform. His government bought the troubled Trans Mountain oil pipeline, infuriating environmentalists, even as it moved to put a price on carbon, alienating the energy industry.

The run-up to the campaign was marked by high-profile Cabinet defections, and a watchdog report that found Trudeau and his team tried to undermine a federal prosecutor's decision to put construction firm SNC-Lavalin Group Inc on trial for corruption.

Then, as the campaign began, a 2001 photograph emerged that showed Trudeau, then 29, at a party, his face covered in dark makeup. More photographs of him in blackface quickly followed, as Trudeau apologized. The images, which briefly dented the Liberals' popularity, ran counter to a carefully managed public persona.

Trudeau also promised "reconciliation" with Canada's indigenous peoples, who make up about 5 percent of the country.

Ahead of Monday's election, the indigenous political group Assembly of First Nations (AFN) said there had been "concrete action and investments" but "we have considerable ground to make up to ensure First Nations and Canadians share an equal quality of life."

'VOICE TO BE NEEDED MORE'

On the eve of the election, the race looked close. Trudeau had a shot at a dispiriting honor: the first prime minister since 1935 to lose power in the next election after winning a first-term majority.

"It was inevitable that some of that shine was going to come off, and I think we've seen that," said Andrew MacDougall, who was spokesman for former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose Conservative government was ousted by Trudeau's Liberals in 2015. "But he's not that far away from where he was when he was elected."

The friendship Trudeau forged with Obama in another era seems to endure. The two were spotted dining together in Ottawa earlier this year, and the former president tweeted his endorsement last Wednesday of Trudeau's re-election.

In a recent book, former Obama adviser Ben Rhodes described a 2016 meeting between the two leaders.

"Justin, your voice is going to be needed more," Obama said, according to Rhodes. "You're going to have to speak out when certain values are threatened."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Obama tweets support for Canadian PM Trudeau in re-election campaign

Former US President Barack Obama voiced his support on Wednesday for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who faces a tough battle for re-election next week.

"I was proud to work with Justin Trudeau as President," Obama said in a tweet. "He's a hard-working, effective leader who takes on big issues like climate change. The world needs his progressive leadership now, and I hope our neighbors to the north support him for another term."

The two progressive leaders formed a close friendship that has remained a popular topic on social media since Obama, a Democrat, left the White House in January 2017. They were spotted having dinner together at an Ottawa restaurant earlier this year.

"Thanks my friend," Trudeau responded on Twitter. "We're working hard to keep our progress going."

Trudeau was the first Canadian prime minister the United States honored with a state dinner in almost two decades when Obama invited him and his wife to Washington in March 2016 after Trudeau won power the previous October.

Trudeau has had a rockier relationship with Obama's Republican successor, Donald Trump.

Opinion polls strongly suggest Trudeau will lose his parliamentary majority in Monday's election. 

It is not the first time Obama has endorsed a foreign leader. He tweeted his support for Emmanuel Macron ahead of France's 2017 presidential election.

The US Embassy in Ottawa declined to comment on the endorsement on the grounds that Obama is a private citizen.

The Conservatives and left-leaning New Democrats - the two main opposition parties contesting the election - did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Elections Canada, the country's nonpartisan elections administrator, said Obama's tweet did not contravene regulations on foreign interference.

"It's free speech. The only issue would be if Mr. Obama started to spend money on Mr. Trudeau's campaign," spokesman Pierre Cadieux said by phone.

"A foreign citizen tweeting, or speaking at an event organized in Canada, does not by itself constitute an instance of undue foreign influence," he later clarified by email.

"Whether expenses were incurred, who incurred them and for what reason would be among the factors that need to be considered before determining if undue foreign influence has taken place."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Canada's Trudeau wore 'brownface' makeup: Time

WASHINGTON - Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a fervent advocate of the multiculturalism integral to Canadian identity, wore brownface makeup to a party at a school where he taught 18 years ago, Time magazine reported Wednesday.

The report comes a week into a federal election campaign with Trudeau's Liberal Party in a tight contest against the Conservatives led by Andrew Scheer.

Trudeau, 47, whose party won a landslide victory in 2015, has already been under attack for an ethics lapse and other controversies.

US-based Time published a photograph, which AFP has not independently verified, that it said showed Trudeau, then 29, wearing a turban and robes with his face, neck and hands darkened at an "Arabian Nights" gala in 2001.

The picture appears in the 2000-2001 yearbook of West Point Grey Academy, a private school where Trudeau taught at the time, the magazine said.

It cited Zita Astravas, of the Liberal Party's media relations division, as confirming Trudeau was in the photo "at the school's annual dinner which had a costume theme of 'Arabian Nights.'"

Trudeau said he "deeply regrets" having worn "racist" brownface makeup to a party at a school where he taught 18 years ago.

"Now I recognize it was something racist to do," he told a televised news conference on his campaign aircraft. "This is something I deeply regret having done."

Politicians in Canada's southern neighbor the United States, with its history of slavery and segregation, have been embroiled in scandal this year over their alleged wearing of "blackface."

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam refused to resign after first admitting he appeared in a yearbook photograph showing a person in blackface and another wearing Ku Klux Klan robes, only to deny a day later that either individual was him.

Half of Trudeau's cabinet are women, and at least six members have Asian or African heritage.

Accusations of political meddling in a bribery case against engineering giant SNC-Lavalin plunged support for Trudeau at the beginning of the year.

The scandal broke when two members of his own cabinet accused him and his aides of meddling in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin to save jobs.

Both the ministers were women and one was Canada's first indigenous attorney general. They were expelled from the party.

The episode cost Trudeau support among women, indigenous people and young people -- constituents that helped propel him to victory in 2015.

Trudeau is the son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, who is considered the father of modern Canada.

The younger Trudeau's stint as a teacher belonged to a colorful past that also included working as a snowboard instructor, a bartender and a bouncer.

bur-it/bgs

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Trudeau says China uses detentions as political tool

OTTAWA - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday accused Beijing of using "arbitrary detentions" as a tool in pursuit of political goals -- the latest broadside in a diplomatic and trade row with China.

Western allies, he said, have expressed concerns about the tactic that observers described as "hostage diplomacy."

Canada's relations with China soured after its arrest of Chinese Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on a US warrant last December.

Nine days later, Beijing detained two Canadians -- former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor -- accusing them of espionage in a move widely viewed as retaliation.

They are among a string of foreign nationals arrested in China and charged with espionage or attempting to steal state secrets.

"Using arbitrary detention as a tool to achieve political goals, international or domestic, is something that is of concern not just to Canada but to all our allies," Trudeau told the Toronto Star editorial board.

He said nations including Britain, France, Germany and the United States "have been highlighting that this is not acceptable behavior in the international community because they are all worried about China engaging in the same kinds of pressure tactics with them."

Trudeau added that "we need to figure out how to engage with them, but we also have to be clear-eyed about it, that China plays by a very different set of rules and principles than we do in the West."

In a sign this week that Ottawa and Beijing may be ready to dialogue, Ottawa and Beijing -- which had been without representation for months -- nominated new ambassadors.

The latest foreigner to be held by China was Australian academic Yang Jun, who also goes by his pen name Yang Hengjun.

He was detained in January shortly after making a rare return to China from the United States, and Beijing announced last week that he had been formally arrested on suspicion of spying.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the suggestion that Yang acted as a spy for Australia was "absolutely untrue" and Canberra expects "his human rights to be respected."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Canada's Trudeau accepts he breached ethics rules, refuses to apologize

OTTAWA - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday accepted a watchdog's report that he breached ethics rules by trying to influence a corporate legal case but refused to apologize, saying he had been trying to defend jobs.

Independent ethics commissioner Mario Dion said Trudeau and his team attempted last year to undermine a decision by federal prosecutors that construction company SNC-Lavalin Group Inc should face a corruption trial.

Dion's scathing 58-page assessment could hurt Trudeau's chances of retaining power in a general election in October.

"I fully accept this report ... I take full responsibility. The buck stops with the prime minister," said Trudeau, adding that he nevertheless disagreed with some of Dion's conclusions.

The scandal over SNC-Lavalin, which erupted in early February, battered Trudeau's image as a youthful progressive at the helm of a government that had vowed to be open and transparent. He is the first Canadian prime minister found to have broken federal ethics rules.

The firm, a major employer in the politically important province of Quebec, wanted to take advantage of a 2018 law allowing it to escape with a fine rather than be prosecuted for bribing officials in Libya.

Trudeau has admitted he tried last year to persuade former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to reconsider the prosecutor's decision to press ahead with a trial.

"What we did over the past year wasn't good enough. But at the same time I can't apologize for standing up for Canadian jobs," he told a televised news conference in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

The affair marked the low point of Trudeau's almost four-year tenure and prompted the resignation of two high-profile female cabinet ministers, his closest personal aide Gerry Butts, and the head of the federal bureaucracy.

The case proved politically harmful and Trudeau's Liberals trailed the official opposition Conservatives for several months in opinion polls ahead of the election. Recent surveys, however, showed the center-left Liberals edging in front of their right-leaning rivals.

Dion found Trudeau had contravened conflict of interest rules forbidding public office holders from trying to improperly further another person's private interests.

"Because SNC-Lavalin overwhelmingly stood to benefit from Ms. Wilson-Raybould's intervention, I have no doubt that the result of Mr. Trudeau's influence would have furthered SNC-Lavalin's interests. The actions that sought to further these interests were improper," he said.

Wilson-Raybould refused to overrule the prosecutor's decision, and was demoted in a cabinet shuffle in January. She resigned the next month.

She later told legislators she had been subjected to inappropriate pressure over SNC-Lavalin and was particularly critical of the role played by Butts, who has rejoined Trudeau's team to focus on the election.

"The report confirms critical facts, consistent with what I shared with all Canadians, and affirms the position I have taken from the outset," Wilson-Raybould said in a statement on Wednesday. "There were multiple attempts to improperly influence my decision."

Trudeau sidestepped questions as to whether he would fire Butts and other senior aides.

Conservative leader Andrew Scheer described Trudeau's behavior as "unforgivable" and said a police investigation was warranted.

"He has stated so many falsehoods that no one can believe anything he says," Scheer told a televised news conference in Regina, Saskatchewan.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it was examining the matter carefully and would take appropriate action as required.

The report marks the second time Trudeau has fallen afoul of conflict of interest rules. In December 2017, former ethics commissioner Mary Dawson said Trudeau acted wrongly by accepting a vacation on the Aga Khan's private island.

On that occasion, Trudeau apologized.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

New Quebec law stresses migrants' skills, thousands must reapply

MONTREAL - The Quebec provincial legislature on Sunday approved a controversial immigration bill that will replace a first-come, first-served standard for accepting migrants with one tied to an applicants' skills.

The law is similar to a proposed plan from US President Donald Trump that would shift his country's visa system from family-based immigration towards bringing in more skilled workers.

The law will attempt to more closely match the skills offered by would-be immigrants with the needs of the labor market in Quebec, Canada's second most-populous province.

Under the new law, some 18,000 applications now on file will be shredded, affecting as many as 50,000 people, many of whom already live in the province.

The 18,000 existing applicants will have to restart the immigration process.

The provincial government promised to expedite processing of their new applications, saying qualified workers would have answers within six months rather than the current 36 months.

The 62-to-42 vote on the bill took place around 4 am (0800 GMT) at the end of a marathon session convened by the governing center-right Coalition Avenir Quebec, immigration minister Simon Jolin-Barrette announced on Twitter.

"We are modifying the immigration system in the public interest because we have to ensure we have a system which meets the needs of the labor market," Jolin-Barrette told the National Assembly.

All three opposition parties opposed the measure, calling it "inhuman" and saying the government did not justify dropping the 18,000 pending applications.

"Honestly, I don't think this bill will be seen positively in history," Liberal Party MP Dominique Anglade said, according to the Montreal Gazette. "It's the image of Quebec which gets tarnished."

Premier Francois Legault's government resorted to a special parliamentary procedure to limit debate over the proposal.

His party won power in October with a promise to slash by more than 20 percent the number of immigrants and refugees arriving each year in Quebec.

The assembly reconvened on Sunday and after sometimes-acrimonious debate passed a bill banning the wearing of religious symbols by public servants including police officers, judges, lawyers, prison guards and teachers.

However the new law will only apply to new recruits, with existing employees unaffected.

The proposal, also backed by Legault, puts the premier at odds with the multiculturalism advocated by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

jbe-et/elm/bbk/cs/sah

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Canada's Trudeau under pressure as MP quits, budget criticized

OTTAWA/TORONTO -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remained under pressure over a corruption scandal on Wednesday as a legislator quit his party's caucus and a pre-election budget aimed at swaying key voters appeared to offer too little to stem the tide of negative news.

The budget - the last before federal elections in October - lavished new spending on middle-class voters but ignored corporations. It also provided a little for key groups such as millennial voters who backed Trudeau in droves in Canada's 2015 election.

The decision by a legislator, who had defended a former minister at the center of a political scandal, to quit the ruling Liberal Party and sit as an independent dealt a fresh blow to Trudeau's embattled government.

Trudeau has been on the defensive since Feb. 7 over allegations top officials working for him leaned on the then justice minister to ensure construction firm SNC-Lavalin Group Inc avoided a corruption trial.

The political crisis threatens the government's chances of re-election. Polls have shown that Trudeau's Liberals could lose the vote as the damage from the scandal spreads.

The latest defection overshadowed Tuesday's budget which divided money between a large number of new initiatives and left few Canadians satisfied.

"It's just too broad," said Norman Levine, managing director at Portfolio Management Corporation. "They wanted to please lots of people and ... when you try to please everybody you end up pleasing nobody, because you spread it too thin."

Rob Edel, chief investment officer at Nicola Wealth Management, said the government did not commit to reducing a budget deficit that is much larger than the Liberals promised. This was "a political rather than an economic decision," he said.

The Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada as well as the Canadian Chamber of Commerce complained about the lack of tax reform. But the center-left Liberals may not care too much as their core supporters are progressive thinkers, women and younger voters.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau said budget measures to help first-time home buyers, including allowing people to withdraw up to C$35,000 from a retirement savings account.

But asked on Wednesday how many younger first-time buyers actually had that much money available, he replied "that will help some people in the middle income range ... not everyone, for sure."

The main opposition Conservative Party has relentlessly attacked Trudeau over the SNC-Lavalin affair and described the budget as a bribe.

Conservative leader Andrew Scheer has continuously demanded Trudeau's resignation, which some Conservatives privately worry is the wrong approach.

Two strategists with deep ties to the party said given the complexity of the affair, and former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould's statement that no one involved had broken any laws, Canadians would not necessarily agree that Trudeau should quit now.

Conservative over-confidence or missteps could be the Liberals' best hope for reversing their slumping poll numbers, pollster Nick Nanos said.

On Tuesday, opposition lawmakers delayed Morneau's budget presentation for an hour.

Conservatives initially drowned out his speech in the House of Commons with shouts and jeers and then walked out en masse, a tactic that did not sit well with some Canadians on social media. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'More work' to get a continental trade deal: Trudeau

WASHINGTON - There is still a way to go to reach a new North American Free Trade Agreement, Canada's prime minister said Wednesday, brushing off US pressure for a quick deal as high-level talks resumed in Washington.

Canada's top diplomat Chrystia Freeland met twice with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington on Wednesday, and called some of the issues involved "fiendishly complex."

Negotiators have been in talks nearly non-stop for a month as they try to overcome hurdles and agree on a NAFTA rewrite.

The goal is "to see if we can get a good deal for Canada, a good deal for everyone," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"We remain confident that there is always a deal possible, but it will take more work."

US President Donald Trump, who called NAFTA "one of the worst trade deals in history," spoke to Trudeau late Tuesday by telephone, and "the two leaders discussed trade," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Trump demanded the 1994 accord between Canada, the United States and Mexico be revised, and the talks started a year ago. Trump has blamed the trade pact for sending many manufacturing jobs -- notably in the auto sector -- to Mexico.

As the sides continue work towards a rewrite of the 25-year-old pact, Freeland told reporters on Wednesday they already have tackled "a fiendishly complex set of issues and economically absolutely core to the North American economic relationship."

Now officials are working on the remaining disagreements, centering on Canada's managed dairy sector, and the dispute resolution provisions.

However, Freeland declined to discuss specifics on the status of the talks or whether any progress had been made in overcoming those differences.

"Our negotiators have been really hard at it including an all-night session last night of one team. So we are working very, very hard," she said earlier in the day.

In between meetings with US trade officials, Freeland huddled at the Canadian Embassy with Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the Conservative leader of the province home to much of Canada's automotive industry.

The United States and Mexico sealed their own two-way deal at the end of August, after reaching agreement on auto content requirements. They plan to sign the accord by December 1, and since then Trump has ramped up pressure on Canada to accept his terms.

But Ottawa has seemed reluctant to give in to Trump's push to agree to a deal before US midterm elections in November, and the transfer of power December 1 to Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Trudeau's Liberals also need a win to hold up to voters when they return to the polls in one year.

DAIRY FARMERS ON EDGE

Ottawa and Washington remain at odds over Canada's protected dairy sector and cultural subsidies, as well as Canada's demand for an international system for resolving disputes.

Dairy farmers publicly urged Trudeau not to cave to demands for increased access to the nation's dairy market, noting that the US already sells five times more milk to Canada than Canada sells to the US.

"We call on the government to ensure that any final NAFTA deal has no further negative impact on our dairy sector," Pierre Lampron, the president of the Dairy Farmers of Canada, said at a news conference.

Flanked by dairy farmers from all of Canada's 10 provinces, he said Ottawa had given milk and cheese carve-outs to the EU and 10 member nations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact in order to secure free trade with those blocs.

This cost Canada Can$250 million (US$193 million) in lost milk production, he said. The Canadian industry is valued at Can$19 billion.

That also hurts associated industries, Lampron said. "Enough is enough."

The government controls production and prices of milk, eggs and poultry, resulting in higher prices for consumers but a stable income for farmers.

"We will continue to defend supply management," Trudeau said. "This is a system that works for Canadians. It works for our agricultural industry."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

US, Canada leaders upbeat on progress in NAFTA talks

WASHINGTON - Canada and the United States appeared to be moving closer to a new regional free trade pact, as US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday touted the progress being made.

As the crucial phase of talks continued in Washington to try to bridge the differences on a rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the optimism raised hopes NAFTA would continue as a three-nation pact with Mexico, despite Trump's threat to leave Canada on the sidelines.

"I think they're going really well," Trump said when asked about the Canada talks at a White House event. "I think Canada very much wants to make the deal."

He again raised the possibility of doing a separate deal with Canada alone but for the Friday deadline, "I think we're probably on track. We'll see what happens."

Trudeau also said the agreement could happen by the end of the week -- the deadline the United States has set to have at least the broad accord completed.

"There is a possibility of getting to a good deal for Canada by Friday," Trudeau said. But any agreement "will hinge on whether or not there is ultimately a good deal for Canada," Trudeau said at a student rally in northern Ontario.

"I have said from the very beginning no NAFTA deal is better than a bad NAFTA deal," he added, echoing Trump's words.

After Mexico paved the way by agreeing to a NAFTA 2.0 with the United States on Monday, Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said "a lot has been accomplished" in her two meetings so far with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

The United States and Canada are now engaged in "an extremely intense period in the negotiations," she told reporters on Wednesday, adding that trade officials had worked late into the night outstanding issues.

Freeland declined to get into specifics on what issues remained, saying she and Lighthizer agreed not to discuss the details in public.

'HIGH LEVEL' AGREEMENT

Lighthizer said he would officially notify the US Congress on Friday of the intention to enter into a new trade pact in 90 days. The White House then would have until September 30 to present Congress with the final NAFTA agreement.

The sticking points between Ottawa and Washington likely will center on Canada's managed dairy market and how to handle some disputes among NAFTA partners.

Negotiators have worked for a year to update and rewrite the 25-year-old free trade pact. But in the last five weeks, Washington and Mexico City held talks to resolve their bilateral issues, especially on the auto industry rules, without Ottawa.

While critics said Canada had been frozen out, Freeland has repeatedly stressed to reporters that she remained in close touch with her US and Mexican counterparts throughout the summer and had already achieved "a high-level agreement with the US" on some the pending issues on autos and labor rights.

She also met late Tuesday night with her Mexican counterparts, who had remained in Washington after announcing the breakthrough with the United States.

She praised Mexico's willingness to make difficult concessions on auto trade and labor issues, which helped pave the way for a three-party agreement.

"Our workers have been concerned for a long time...about the way in which trade agreements can harm blue-collar workers in high-wage countries," she said.

The "significant compromises that Mexico was prepared to make to support Canadian workers ...set the stage for very intensive conversations" to conclude NAFTA.

Wall Street was cheered by the signs of progress, with all three major stock indices closing with solid gains, and the Nasdaq and S&P 500 both setting new records.

The outlines of the new NAFTA include a higher percentage of locally-produced components in autos, a percentage of vehicles that must come from high wage factories, tougher worker protections and a provision to review the 16-year deal every six years.

Still, Trump said he would take a tough line with Canada on dairy trade -- long a source of tension between the neighboring countries.

Trudeau has nevertheless vowed not to give in to Washington's demands to alter the system under which Ottawa sets dairy production quotas and prices, with steep tariffs on imports.

The system has been in place since the 1970s and has survived several attempts to undo it.

Trudeau faces political pressure with elections due in a year, which could make him wary of being seen as capitulating to Trump, especially on dairy.

But Ottawa could offer US dairy farmers a small increase in market share as it did with the EU in a free trade pact last year.

Canada also objects to the US call to eliminate bi-national panels to resolve trade disputes among NAFTA partners under Chapter 19, which appears to have been dropped in the deal with Mexico. Canada has used the provision to challenge US anti-dumping and countervailing duties.

But Washington also backed away from a strenuously-opposed provision to require the three nations to renegotiate the trade pact after five years. Instead, the agreement with Mexico extends NAFTA for 16 years but with a review every six years.

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Canadian PM Trudeau denies groping reporter at 2000 music festival

OTTAWA - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has responded for the first time to an allegation of sexual misconduct dating back almost two decades, saying he does not recall any "negative interactions" on the day in question. 

The avowed feminist was asked on Sunday to comment on allegations that he had groped a journalist during a music festival in the western city of Creston, British Columbia in 2000.

He was speaking to reporters in the central city of Regina on Canada's national day.

"I remember that day in Creston well, it was an Avalanche Foundation event to support avalanche safety," he said. 

"I had a good day that day," he added. "I don't remember any negative interactions that day at all."

Trudeau became involved with the charity after his younger brother Michel died during an avalanche in 1998.

A few days after the festival, an unsigned editorial appeared in the Creston Valley Advance which alleged Trudeau, who was 28-years-old at the time and not involved in politics, had apologized to the reporter in question.

It also quoted him as saying "I would not have been so forward" had he known she was a reporter.

The article did not name the journalist and did not provide further details about the alleged incident.

Broadcaster CBC on Monday said it had contacted the journalist, but she did not wish to be named and did not want to be associated with coverage of the story.

The allegation has resurfaced in recent times, but this is the first time the prime minister has commented on it publicly. 

Trudeau frequently describes himself as a feminist. When he came to power he formed a cabinet with an equal gender divide and has adopted a zero tolerance policy towards sexual misconduct in his Liberal party.

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Trump, in trade feud with allies, say won't let them take advantage of US

SINGAPORE - US President Donald Trump on Tuesday kept up his feud with America's closest allies over trade, saying he could not allow them to continue taking advantage of the United States.

Although he insisted he had a good relationship with Justin Trudeau, just days after blowing up a G7 summit the Canadian prime minister had hosted, Trump took another dig at him, saying the United States had a big trade deficit with Canada and that "a little balance" was needed.

Trump's comments after a historic summit in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were the president's most extensive on the matter since he tweeted that Trudeau was "very dishonest and weak" and raised the prospect of tariffs against auto imports, a move that would imperil the Canadian economy.

"We are being taken advantage of by virtually every one of those countries," Trump told a news conference on Tuesday. "Look, countries cannot continue to take advantage of us on trade."

Trump left a weekend Group of Seven summit in Canada early, then immediately announced he was backing out of a joint communique, torpedoing what appeared to be a fragile consensus on the trade dispute between Washington and its main allies.

The escalating clash cast a shadow over the Trump's nuclear talks with Kim and led critics to question why the president was bashing US partners while appearing to cosy up to one of Washington's bitterest long-time foes.

Trump took time at his news conference to explain a photo that went viral from the G7 summit. It showed a seemingly glowering German Chancellor Angela Merkel and several other leaders appearing to confront a seated Trump.

"We finished the meeting, really everybody was happy, and I agreed to sign something," Trump said. "And in fact the picture with Angela Merkel, who I get along with very well, where I’m sitting there like this ... we’re waiting for the document because I wanted to see the final document as changed.

"I know it didn’t look friendly," Trump said. "I know it was reported sort of nasty both ways – I was angry at her, or she. But actually we were just talking, the whole group, about something unrelated to everything, very friendly."

Trump said he decided to back out of the G7 communique after watching Trudeau's closing summit news conference, at which he warned that Canada would not be pushed around on tariffs - a point the Canadian prime minister had made several times before.

"He'll learn that's going to cost a lot of money for the people of Canada. He'll learn, he can't do that," Trump said.

Trump fired off a volley of tweets on Monday further venting anger at NATO allies, the European Union and Trudeau. Some of Trump's aides also lashed out at the Canadian prime minister.

Trump's extraordinary outburst in recent days appeared aimed at striking a chord with voters who support his "America First" agenda. "Not fair to the people of America! $800 billion trade deficit," he tweeted on Monday.

In the same set of tweets, Trump said: "Justin acts hurt when called out!"

On Tuesday, Trump said: "We have a big trade deficit with Canada ... it’s close to $100 billion a year deal loss."

However, the office of the US Trade Representative has said the United States ran an $8.4 billion trade surplus with Canada in 2017.

Canadian officials have stressed the two countries' extensive trading relationship and pointed out that Canada is the top export destination for 35 US states and that 9 million jobs in the United States depend on trade with its northern neighbor. 

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick and David Brunnstrom, Editing by Robert Birsel, Miral Fahmy and Gerry Doyle)

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After a year of nice, Trump brings Trudeau to brink of trade war

QUEBEC CITY - In the end, the long charm offensive by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to avoid the ire of US President Donald Trump failed just hours after success seemed closest, with Trump raining insults as Trudeau closed what seemed like a triumphant global summit.

Besides the escalated risk of a trade war, Trump's blistering personal attack on Trudeau poses domestic economic and political risks for the Canadian prime minister, who has stuck to a conciliatory stance in the face of US threats on NAFTA and other bilateral trade cases.

"PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, 'US Tariffs were kind of insulting' and he 'will not be pushed around.' Very dishonest & weak," Trump tweeted as he flew to a Singapore summit on North Korea.

The attack shattered any hope that Canada could avoid US tariffs on steel and aluminum or renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement by virtue of the charm, patience or measured response it has extended to Trump since he took office.

Trudeau's office, reeling from the abrupt Trump reversal hours after the 2 men had joked and smiled their way through a fractious G7 meeting, said only that Trudeau had said nothing in his news conference that he hadn't said before.

"Canadians are polite, we're reasonable, but we also will not be pushed around," Trudeau had told reporters as he reiterated that Canada would retaliate against US tariffs on steel and aluminum, adding Trump's rationale had been insulting.

While the 2 men have had several seemingly congenial meetings and phone calls since Trump took office, they could not be more different in terms of policy, with Trudeau a progressive liberal, outspoken on feminism and the merits of diversity and who was close to former president Barack Obama.

Earlier in the day, Trudeau had sniped about Trump's late appearance at a women's empowerment breakfast, referring to "stragglers".

Trump's about-face sparked dismay and anger among Canadian and American free trade advocates alike.

"To our allies: bipartisan majorities of Americans remain pro-free trade, pro-globalization & supportive of alliances based on 70 years of shared values. Americans stand with you, even if our president doesn’t," US Republican Senator John McCain tweeted after Trump on Saturday.

Trudeau's former foreign policy adviser, Roland Paris lashed out at the US president.

"Big tough guy once he's back on his airplane. Can't do it in person, and knows it, which makes him feel weak. So he projects these feelings onto Trudeau and then lashes out at him," Paris tweeted.

Trade experts who have watched Trump negotiate with tough words on Twitter before said the bark of Trump's tweets often exceeds the bite of his policy - but that this time, Canada might struggle to respond.

"The rhetoric has far outpaced the implementation," said Geoffrey Gertz, trade analyst with Brookings think tank in Washington. "Now we might be at a turning point ... (Canadians are) a little bit at a loss right now to figure out what to do."

But while Trudeau's months-long effort to reach out to US politicians and business leaders at every jurisdiction and level may not have won over Trump, it may pay dividends if Trump's attack finally spurs support from business groups or Congress.

Republicans worry the dispute with Canada could become an issue in trade-dependent farm states ahead of November congressional elections.

"There's some movement within Congress now to rein in Trump on trade policy," Gertz said.

During the summit, Trump had changed the photo on his Twitter page to the "family photo" taken with other G7 leaders. Somewhere over the Atlantic, minutes after attacking Trudeau, he swapped that for a photo with soldiers saluting during the national anthem. 

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Canada Senate passes law legalizing recreational marijuana

OTTAWA - Canada's Senate passed a law Thursday legalizing recreational marijuana, moving it closer to becoming the first member of the Group of Seven nations to legalize the production, sale and consumption of the drug.

Bill C-45, or the Cannabis Act, passed the Senate with 52 votes for, 30 against and one abstention after months of debate over the ramifications of legalization.

The Cannabis Act will now go back to the House of Commons, which passed the bill in November 2017 but needs to sign off on changes made by the Senate.

Legalizing weed was a 2015 campaign promise of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has admitted having smoked a joint with friends "five or six times."

The initial timeline for legal pot sales called for it to be available by July 1, Canada's national day, but August or September now appears more likely.

It would then be up to Canada's provinces and territories to set up distribution networks and enforcement.

The sale of medical marijuana has been legal in Canada since 2001.

Bill C-45 would allow individuals over the age of 18 to possess up to 30 grams of marijuana for personal use.

Sales to anyone under 18 would be banned under federal law but provinces and territories could set their own age limits.

Statistics Canada has estimated that the market will be worth Can$5.7 billion ($4.5 billion US), based on last year's consumption data.

Uruguay approved the recreational usage of marijuana five years ago and nine US states have too but Canada will be the first G-7 country to do so.

'CANADA IS BEING DARING'

In an interview with AFP last month, Trudeau said the world is closely following Canada's plans and predicted several nations would follow suit.

"There is a lot of interest from our allies in what we're doing," he said.

"They recognize that Canada is being daring... and recognize that the current regime (of prohibition) does not work, that it's not preventing young people from having easy access to cannabis.

"In many countries, especially in Canada, it is easier (as a minor) to buy a joint than buy a beer," Trudeau said. "Organized crime is making huge sums of money on the illicit sale of marijuana."

Trudeau insisted that creating a regulated market would take it out of the hands of crime groups and "better protect communities and children."

However, he added the allies he spoke with "are interested in seeing how things go... before they try it," without specifying which nations.

It would also allow the federal government and the provinces to levy taxes on legal weed sales amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Pot sales would be through authorized retail stores much like the current situation regulating alcohol sales in Quebec and Ontario.

A total of 105 businesses have been authorized to grow marijuana and offer pot-based products. Under the new law, individuals could grow up to four plants at home.

The government has also set aside funds to study the impact of legalized cannabis consumption on public health.

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Trudeau takes shot at Trump protectionism at Davos forum

DAVOS, Switzerland - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized the protectionist policies of US President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday while fervently defending the virtues of free trade.

In a speech alluding to Trump and his threat to pull the United States out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Trudeau said his administration was "working very hard to make sure that our neighbor to the south recognizes how good NAFTA is, and that (NAFTA) has benefited not just our economy, but his economy and the world's economy."

Earlier Canada agreed at talks in Tokyo to join 10 other countries in resurrecting the Trans Pacific Partnership, now called the CPTPP.

This came on the heels of a free trade deal with Europe and amid difficult negotiations with the United States and Mexico to revamp the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement.

"The agreement reached in Tokyo today is the right deal," Trudeau said, adding that the CPTPP deal marked "a great day for progressive trade around the world."

In addition to Canada, the CPTPP includes 10 countries: Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

Canada, which is the second-largest economy in the CPTPP, had walked away from a deal on the trade pact last November, holding out to maintain environmental and labor protections linked to freer markets.

A Canadian government official said "significant progress on the sticking points" had been made.

The agreement, said Trudeau, is now "more progressive and stronger for Canadian workers in the fields of intellectual property, culture and the auto industry".

At the same time, the prime minister raised concerns about a growing backlash against globalization.

"We're seeing a lot of trade skepticism around the world in general right now," he said.

"People are worried or become increasingly convinced that trade deals benefit the few, not the many, benefit a country's bottom line, benefit multinationals, but don't benefit ordinary workers."

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On rainy 150th birthday, nation celebrates the meaning of Canada

OTTAWA - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau kicked off celebrations on Saturday to mark the country's 150th birthday amid heavy security as many citizens braved incessant rains and long delays to reach the main site in the nation's capital.

About 500,000 people were expected to be in Ottawa for the long-anticipated Canada Day festivities, which features a large outdoor celebration in front of the national Parliament, complete with acrobats, fireworks and musicians including Irish singer Bono and other members of rock band U2.

Trudeau, accompanied by Britain's Prince Charles, shook hands with some of the thousands of revelers who converged on Canada's capital Ottawa.

"Canada is a country made strong not in spite of our differences but because of them," Trudeau told the gathering. "We don't aspire to be a melting pot – indeed, we know true strength and resilience flows through Canadian diversity."

Still, in the run-up to the celebrations, some controversy was stirred at home, particularly among First Nations who noted Canada's history of mistreatment of indigenous people. Activists erected a teepee on Parliament Hill on Thursday in protest.

On Saturday, about 100 indigenous protesters marched through Toronto, carrying red flags and with some holding the Canadian national flag upside down.

Some cities are celebrating in more unusual ways. Toronto, Canada's largest city, featured a giant rubber duck floating in its harbor, while Calgary planned a "living flag" composed of people wearing red and white. The yellow duck, which cost C$200,000 ($154,273) including the rent, according to the Globe and Mail, drew criticism from some who described it as a waste of taxpayer money.

Security was already ramped up in the days ahead of the celebration and partygoers contended with road closures and concrete barriers across entrances into Parliament Hill, located in downtown Ottawa.

Heavy downpours prompted Ottawa firefighters to pump water off the grounds on Parliament Hill and the Ottawa Fire Service urged citizens to follow safety instructions. Environment Canada forecast abundant rains for Ottawa on Saturday, casting doubt on some of the planned festivities.

National and local police were also out in force, with security top of mind for many Canadians in the wake of fatal attacks in London, Paris and Germany.

Saturday marks the 150th anniversary of the day Canada officially became a country. Britain had ruled it before 1867.

"Canada 150 years ago was a project, it was an idea to bring together four colonies with very different historical backgrounds," said Pierre Anctil, history professor at the University of Ottawa.

"We should celebrate but we should not be complacent. It's not a finished project," he added.

TELEGENIC PM

The nationwide party comes as Canada is enjoying an unusual amount of interest from the rest of the world, largely due to the election of charismatic and selfie-prone leader Trudeau.

"As a society, we must acknowledge and apologize for past wrongs, and chart a path forward for the next 150 years," Trudeau said in a statement ahead of the official kickoff.

Indigenous rights group Idle No More has called for a national day of action on Saturday, telling supporters to hold rallies and take to social media.

Events and installations celebrating the sesquicentennial milestone have already been held across the country this year, with the total cost to the federal government reported to be half a billion dollars.

Along with fireworks, free museums and outdoor concerts nationwide on Saturday, more than 50 special ceremonies to swear in new citizens were planned across the country.

Twitter users were sharing their favorite Canadian songs and food, along with photos of the preparations under the hashtag Canada150.

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla arrived in Canada for an official visit on Thursday. The royals began a three-day tour of Canada with a trip to the northern territory of Nunavut, home to a large number of First Nations and Inuit people.

The bash in Ottawa will culminate with a musical fireworks show that is billed as largest-ever such display for Canada Day. It will last for 20 minutes and 17 seconds to commemorate 2017.

"One hundred fifty years? Nah. Look at us: Canada is being born today," Trudeau told the crowd soaked in rains.

(Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Denny Thomas and Matthew Lewis)

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