Interim NDP leader pushing for resources after party loses status in Parliament

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OTTAWA — The interim leader of the federal NDP says that while the door may be shut to the party being granted official status in the House of Commons, he hopes other parties will grant it resources.
Don Davies says that while he has not spoken to Prime Minister Mark Carney, federal New Democrats are having 'fruitful discussions' and looking to see what is possible through the Board of Internal Economy, which manages the House of Commons' resources.

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National Post

an hour ago

• National Post

Letters: 'This is how one-man rule starts'

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Readers weigh in on the PM's C-5 'power grab,' Canada's dairy cartel, the Israel-Iran conflict and more in the letters to the editor Prime Minister Mark Carney shares a laugh at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alta., on June 17, 2025. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Thanks to Jamie Sarkonak for scrutinizing Bill C-5 and exposing it for what it is: a power grab that tramples normal parliamentary procedure. Who knew that maintaining our sovereignty would require imitating Trump-style executive decrees — bypassing existing laws, Charter rights and environmental regulations? What a way to kick off regime change by the Liberals. Mark Carney was elected specifically to stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump, not to channel his anti-democratic impulses. His mandate was to defend Canada's sovereignty — not surrender it to appease America's paranoia over its porous northern border. Yet Bill C-2, the so-called Strong Borders Act, reads like a blueprint for a police state: mass surveillance of mail and the internet, data collection, arbitrary detention and the erosion of refugee protections. Critics warn that it opens the door to mass deportations and erodes civil liberties, all to appease U.S. demands. This isn't leadership. It's betrayal. Carney was supposed to confront authoritarian foreign threats with strength and integrity, not imitate them. This newsletter tackles hot topics with boldness, verve and wit. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays) By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again Now comes the attack on our land and democracy: Bill C-5, the Building Canada Act. Part of the One Canadian Economy Act, C-5 fast-tracks 'national interest' projects by gutting critical environmental laws like the Impact Assessment Act, the Fisheries Act and the Species at Risk Act. It gives Cabinet sweeping powers to exempt projects from these protections, slashing public and Indigenous consultation. Environmental groups warn that it invites ecological disaster, legal challenges and democratic erosion. Those who believe in maximum deregulation might temper their enthusiasm because it disempowers local autonomy — a bedrock conservative principle. Our communities deserve a voice in projects that reshape our land — Bill C-5 silences that voice. Clearly what Bill C-2 does to citizens' rights, Bill C-5 does to environmental protections. It's a double blow to the rule of law that exists to protect us from government overreach —from doing what it wants instead of what the people will. Bills C-2 and C-5 undermine that protection. Bill C-5 usurps Parliament's approval to legitimize the prime minister's policies. This is how one-man rule begins. I pray the Post has the courage to publish Dr. Jordan Peterson's experience being 'coached.' Being an American living in Canada most of my life, it amazes me how the woke have taken over this wonderful country. Most of my Canadian friends don't agree with what is happening (and I could make a long list). Yet they are afraid of saying so. With more censorship coming down the line from the Liberals, things can only get worse. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. I watched highlights of the June 14 military parade that U.S. President Donald Trump said he wanted to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, which coincidentally fell on his 79th birthday. I also watched highlights of his arrival in Calgary the next day to attend the G7 meeting in Kananaskis. Is it just me or were there more people to greet him at the Calgary airport than there were watching his parade in Washington D.C.? Just a question. Murray Edworthy, Cochrane, Alta. It never ceases to amaze me how the Canadian political process can embrace diametrically opposed policies that purport to support goals to strengthen the nation. The most egregious illustration of this process is revealed in the Bloc Québécois' support for supply management for 4,200 Quebec dairy farms while the Liberal government is focused on the creation of 'one economy' instead of 13 provincial economies. While many political observers appear to be able to handle the contradictions of democracy, there appears to be no attempt to integrate an element of logic into overlapping policies. A similar contradiction is evident in the constitutional obligation to provide equalization payments to Quebec, with funds largely generated by the province of Alberta. Fifty-one per cent of national equalization funds are being allocated to a province dedicated to an ongoing attack on a sizeable portion of its English speakers as well as the creation of obstructionist environmental policies aimed primarily at the province that contributes so heavily to the equalization funds. Unless the primary purpose is to pay Quebec to remain inside Confederation, the evaporation of logic seems paramount. Perhaps there is a world out there where chickens would happily vote for Colonel Sanders. If so, that world would be Canada. Defence Minister Anita Anand and Prime Minister Mark Carney should invite the families of the three Afghan interpreters seeking haven in Canada to come and live on a Canadian Army base alongside the people they served so well and lived with for years. There is no reason they should suffer or face death because of the lame-brained antics of our civil service (an oxymoron) and our equally ridiculous legal system. R.W. Labbett, Oakville, Ont. Sharon Kirkey's report highlights still more evidence that the legalization of cannabis is producing more harm to Canadians. This is in addition to many other studies on its deleterious effects on developing adolescent brains, among other things. As a biochemist with a focus on neurochemistry and a professional with nearly 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, I have been scratching my head on how this drug was approved by Health Canada. I spent many of my years in the regulatory affairs area and in order to get any drug approved in Canada you must submit a large amount of data to prove the quality, safety and efficacy of the drug. What data package was submitted to Health Canada in order to approve cannabis for Canadian consumption? And how is that Canadians are not outraged by this? Don D. Wallar, Newmarket, Ont. Jewish Canadians have long been supporters of the Liberal party. Some of the wealthiest in the Jewish community have been the party's major financial backers. Their loyalty has never been reciprocated. The Liberals have, at best, equivocated over support for Israel and have often turned a blind eye to antisemitism in Canada. Conservatives have long been staunch allies of Israel and intolerant of antisemitism, yet the Jewish community has been slow to rally behind them. While support for Liberals is waning among Canadian Jews, it is still significant. Hillel Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch, is quoted in Dave Jordan's report as saying that the RCMP probe into whether Canadians serving with Israeli forces in Gaza have committed war crimes, 'turns Canadian values upside down.' Unfortunately he is wrong; under the Liberals, anti-Israel and antisemitic values have been normalized. Noah Shack is quoted in the same article as saying the probe 'fuels the violent hatred faced by Israelis and Jews in North America.' That violence is as prevalent in Canada as it is in the US. It is likely only a matter of time until we have our own Washington or Colorado type of attacks. Former prime minister Justin Trudeau always responded to violence against Jews by saying 'this is not who we are.' Unfortunately he was as wrong about this as he was on most other issues. That is who we have become, due in large part to the tacit tolerance of the Liberal governments. Now it is incumbent upon our leaders to change the tone. As a Canadian citizen who immigrated to Canada in 2000, I strongly support a thoughtful reset of our immigration system — not to close doors, but to better manage them. Immigration has fuelled Canada's growth, but it must be strategic. Many highly skilled newcomers are underemployed, and temporary workers and students, while beneficial, are overwhelming infrastructure without a coherent plan. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's call to tighten immigration is not xenophobic — it's practical. The 11.6 per cent unemployment rate among newcomers, double the national average, reflects a system that invites people without ensuring they can thrive. Canada should always welcome talent and diversity — but we must also ensure housing, health care and jobs are available. Strategic immigration protects everyone: new Canadians, established Canadians, and future generations. Dr. Haroon Rashid Khan, Ajax, Ont. The hypocrisy of those leading the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is beyond belief. CUPE Ontario President Fred Hanh and his supporters know of the horrors perpetuated by Iran, but their hate for Israel is so virulent that they choose to support a regime that has murdered its own citizens, funded terrorism for years, calls for the demise of the western world, and would willingly use nuclear weapons on us and our allies. It is time for CUPE members to stop paying their dues until there is a leadership change. It is also time for a government review of the roles and responsibilities of union leaders. I am positive that fostering a culture of hate and division is not one of them. Christopher Dummitt's characterization of how Harvard University is being forced to face penalties for turning a blind eye to antisemitism belies a problem for academics everywhere. Donald Trump is described as a thug. The same could be said of university presidents who defend violent and hateful activities on their campuses. But Trump is not a mafioso — he is akin to the district attorney who confronts and prosecutes the Mafia. Unfortunately, few of the fine folks in academia are innocent in this. Very few have been courageous enough to speak up. It takes a heavy hand to force the universities to abandon this dangerous quest for testing the boundaries of civilization. Sophistry cannot conceal the bad motives. 'Social justice' is the label that has been cleverly used to disguise the destruction that activists actually pursue. Harvard has now been forced to confront its own behaviour. Our Canadian institutions might learn something in the process. Let's hope that is the case. Barbara Okun, Scarborough, Ont. Please acknowledge Chris Lambie's second paragraph from his article about shark alerts (printed on Friday the 13th). One assumes the journalist was thinking we readers would enjoy '… Nova Scotia is only 265 nautical miles away from Boston, as the shark swims …' — and he would be correct. Audible guffaws are a rarity and a treat when reading newspapers today. Valerie Moretti, London, Ont. National Post and Financial Post welcome letters to the editor (250 words or fewer). Please include your name, address and daytime phone number. Email letters@ Letters may be edited for length or clarity.

CTV News

an hour ago

• CTV News

‘Count me as skeptical': Eby open to conversations with Smith on pipelines, doubtful private proponent will come forward

Premier David Eby speaks to reporters from his office following the throne speech at the legislature in Victoria, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito As the federal government passes its contentious bill to streamline approvals of so-called nation-building projects, B.C. Premier David Eby says he's doubtful he can be convinced of the need to build a new pipeline through his province. The Liberals' Bill C-5 — dubbed the Building Canada Act — passed 306 to 31 on Friday, just minutes before the House rose for the summer break. The bill — aimed at giving government sweeping new powers to approve major projects of national interest — is now headed for the Senate, where it's expected to pass. Amid opposition to the bill, Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised that he won't impose a project on a province that doesn't want it, and that all projects will require consensus to go ahead. The condition prompted Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to say during an interview on CTV Question Period earlier this month that she would 'convince' Eby to support building a pipeline to transport oil from her province, through his, to tidewater. Eby has said he won't support a new pipeline built with any public dollars, arguing the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX) is already in place. In an interview on CTV Question Period airing Sunday, Eby told host Vassy Kapelos the priority should be getting TMX operating at capacity before greenlighting new projects. 'There's no fight here,' Eby said, of the potential standoff between the two premiers. 'The concern that I have is a matter of priorities.' '(TMX) is owned by Canadians. It's not operating at capacity,' Eby also said. 'There's 200,000 additional barrels of capacity in that pipeline. Let's start there.' The B.C. premier added he doesn't think a new pipeline should be subsidized by government, arguing there are other energy projects being proposed by private companies, which should be prioritized. When pressed by Kapelos on the positive impact of TMX on Canada's GDP, and whether the two are mutually exclusive — if the government can at once create an environment through Bill C-5 to encourage private investment in major projects so they don't need to be federally funded, while other energy projects Eby listed also move ahead — Eby pointed to his signing of an agreement with the Prairie and other Western provinces for a 'port-to-port' energy corridor. 'If Premier Smith is able to come up with this (pipeline) project, that's what the corridor will be for,' he said. 'Count me as skeptical, and count me as opposed to the idea of tens of billions of dollars of additional federal subsidy when we have a pipeline that is not currently at capacity in our province operating right now,' he added, when asked by Kapelos whether he can be convinced by Smith that a new pipeline project could have merit. The B.C. premier said he would prefer to focus on projects that can be delivered on 'in the here and now.' He also said that if Smith can conceive of a pipeline project that doesn't require 'significant federal subsidy,' then 'more power to her.' 'If the premier of Alberta is able to deliver it, then let's have that conversation,' he said. 'But I don't see that.'

CBC

2 hours ago

• CBC

Carney heads to Europe with military spending on the agenda

Social Sharing Prime Minister Mark Carney departs Sunday to meet with European and NATO allies amid heightened tension in the Middle East and mere hours after the United States joined Israel's war with Iran. The first stop will be in Brussels on Monday, where the prime minister is expected to sign a comprehensive security and defence partnership with the European Union. U.S. President Donald Trump bailed early on last week's G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta., saying he was needed at the White House to deal with the evolving war where Israel is attempting to not only destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities, but to instigate regime change. Early Sunday, the U.S. military bombed three sites in Iran. Addressing the nation from the White House, Trump claimed Iran's key nuclear sites were "completely and fully obliterated." He also warned Tehran against carrying out retaliatory attacks against the United States, saying Iran has a choice between "peace or tragedy." Following his meeting with EU leaders, Carney heads to The Hague, in the Netherlands, for a slimmed-down NATO summit. Janice Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, said Western allies are unlikely to formally discuss the war in the Middle East because it is outside of the Euro-Atlantic sphere. But, in an interview before the U.S. strikes occurred, she said the war is a "very dynamic situation that could easily escalate." It may not be on the agenda, but leaders "will spend a huge amount of time talking about it" informally, Stein said. WATCH | What does Europe have to gain from Canada?: Why Europe would consider inviting Canada into a defence pact 3 months ago Duration 5:07 With the Western Alliance eroding under U.S. President Donald Trump, could Canada's defence support shift to Europe? As CBC's Evan Dyer explains, the country's understrength military doesn't offer much in the way of troops presence, but it does have other things Europe needs. Most of the formal agenda at the NATO summit will focus on the U.S. demand that allies up defence spending to five per cent of their gross domestic product (3.5 per cent on direct military spending and 1.5 per cent on defence infrastructure). Recent data published by NATO shows the U.S. was projected to have spent 3.38 per cent of its GDP on defence in 2024. Interestingly, the Pentagon recently published a chart that projected U.S. defence spending in 2024 — as a share of its economy — at 2.7 per cent. While those calculations were released prior to the Trump administration's recent budget proposals to Congress, defence experts suggest the proposals won't make much of a difference. "I will highlight that U.S. defence spending itself is low," said Seth Jones, who heads up the defence and security wing of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. He says the next U.S. budget's defence spending will likely be lower, as a share of the country's economy, than the Carter administration in the 1970s.