Good morning,
A nationwide strike by federal public servants has led to the suspension of some critical services as both the union and the government continue talks at the bargaining table.
The labour action is one of the largest in Canadian history and has given life to the labour movement as it fights for higher wages during a period of high inflation.
The strike has caused significant delays in a variety of public services – passport and immigration processing, tax filings submitted by mail, and an overall increase of waiting times on the phone and at Service Canada centres.
- Federal workers’ strike to slow immigration process
- Strikers take dogs to picket lines, dress as Winnie the Pooh
- John Ibbitson: Federal workers’ strike shows how far Ottawa has come from sunny ways
Picketers march on Parliament Hill after more than 155,000 public sector union workers with the Public Service Alliance of Canada began a strike, April 19, 2023.BLAIR GABLE/Reuters
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Trudeau told NATO Canada would never meet defence spending target: report
According to a leaked Pentagon document obtained by the Washington Post, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told NATO officials privately that Canada would never meet the 2-per-cent defence spending target that is required of all members of the military alliance.
The leaked assessment said “widespread defence shortfalls hinder Canadian capabilities while straining partner relationships and alliance contributions.” Canada spends only 1.29 per cent of gross domestic product, according to NATO’s assessment of 2022-23 numbers.
Trudeau declined yesterday to confirm whether he had in fact said this to NATO officials.
Glencore willing to increase its offer for Teck, CEO says
Swiss mining giant Glencore said it is willing to increase its US$22.5-billion offer for Teck Resources as it tries to persuade class B shareholders to reject the Vancouver miner’s plans to split the company in two.
The board and management of Teck and its class A shareholders have repeatedly rejected Glencore’s offer, saying a takeover would be disastrous for shareholders.
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Also on our radar
Canadians trapped in Sudan: Hundreds of Canadians are trapped in Sudan as fighting between the military and militia groups rages in the capital, Khartoum. Foreign governments are trying to evacuate their citizens, but the main airport in Khartoum is badly damaged and still caught in the crossfire between the two warring sides.
Alberta aims for net-zero economy by 2050: Long criticized for its environmental record, Alberta announced yesterday that it is setting a goal of creating a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. However, the province’s plan depends on technology that is not yet viable, regulations that do not yet exist and interim targets that have not yet been set.
- Kelly Cryderman: Alberta releasing new climate plan based on the idea that it, not Ottawa, is best-positioned to implement policy
Senator testifies over Afghan documents: Senator Marilou McPhedran said yesterday at the House of Commons immigration committee that she lost track of how many travel documents her office sent people escaping Afghanistan, but that all of it was authorized by the federal government. The Globe reported Tuesday that 163 Afghans are stranded in Albania because Ottawa will not accept documents issued by McPhedran’s office, saying they are inauthentic and invalid.
Fewer Canadians believe in value of childhood vaccines: A new report by Unicef reveals that the percentage of Canadians who believe in the importance of childhood vaccines has dropped since the beginning of the pandemic. The report warns that preventable infectious diseases are rising because of slow vaccination uptake.
CBC criticizes Musk on journalistic independence: Elon Musk, the chief executive of Twitter, is treating journalistic independence “as a game,” the CBC said after it was labelled “government-funded media” by the social-media platform. News organizations around the world are reconsidering their use of Twitter amid its volatile moves and declining users.
Morning markets
World stocks pulled further away from 2½-week highs touched earlier this week, with sentiment dampened by expectations for further rate hikes from big central banks, and with the focus fixed on the earnings season. The pan-European STOXX 600 index, which hit 14-month highs on Tuesday, was down a third of a percent in early trade, while U.S. stock futures were broadly weaker in a bearish sign for the Wall Street open. The Canadian dollar was down at 74.26 US cents.
What everyone’s talking about
David Parkinson: “Until we start to see slack in the labour market that will temper wage demands, and a cooling in food inflation and service-sector prices, the risk remains that declining inflation will stall. That’s the focus of the Bank of Canada. The happy headlines are welcome. They’re just not enough.”
Lawrence Martin: “Mr. Poilievre is a career politician with precious little experience in the real world. There’s a problem with many of these guys. They’ve been immersed in political combat since day one. That’s about all that turns their crank. They can’t think outside the box because they’ve forever been in the box.”
Today’s editorial cartoon
Editorial cartoon by Brian Gable, April 19, 2023.Brian Gable/The Globe and Mail
Living better
Top 6 blunders to avoid when filing your tax return
Every year, taxpayers make mistakes on their tax returns and the Canada Revenue Agency releases the most common adjustments they make to those returns. Tax columnist Tim Cestnick shares the top six mistakes to avoid.
Moment in time: April 20, 1966
Centennial Coin, Alex Colville, 1 cent, Canada, 1967.Gord Carter/National Currency Collection, Bank of Canada Museum
Alex Colville is announced as winning designer of all six Canadian centennial coins
“The power and beauty of these designs,” Finance Minister Mitchell Sharp observed, “reflects the character and spirit of our people.” Mr. Sharp was talking about the results of a two-year competition – for $9,000 in total prize money – to design six coins for Canada’s 1967 centennial celebrations. It was the first full redesign of the reverse side of Canada’s currency, from the penny to the dollar, since 1937. And in the judgment of the selection committee, there was really no competition. The winning designs for all six coins were submitted by artist Alex Colville of Sackville, N.B. Mr. Colville had worked up clean yet elegant animal drawings: a Canada goose in flight for the silver dollar; a howling wolf for the 50-cent piece; a roaming bobcat on the quarter; a mackerel for the dime; a running rabbit on the nickel; and a dove for the penny. Each coin design was accompanied by a brief note about the Canadian attributes and values Mr. Colville associated with his animal choices. The bobcat, for example, was “expressive of a certain independent intelligence and a capacity for formidable action.” The coins, with the words “Canada 1867-1967,” would go into circulation in January, 1967. Bill Waiser
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