Jaspal Atwal is photographed with Sophie Gregoire Trudeau at a reception in Mumbai on February 20, 2018.
Good morning,
When you're a popular figure, you don't know the strangers who come up to you for photographs.
That's what Sophie Grégoire Trudeau told CTV's Power Play when asked how she got into a photo with Jaspal Atwal. Mr. Atwal, convicted of attempting to murder an Indian cabinet minister in Canada in the 1980s, had a photo taken with the wife of the Canadian Prime Minister during a reception in India last month.
"When we stand in a photo line or when people come up to ask [for] pictures, it's always a moment where I remind myself, it is their moment, and it is my moment because these people are showing me trust and confidence. So I stand there with all my presence and I take a picture with pleasure, then something shocking comes along," she said.
"That's life, right?"
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TODAY'S HEADLINES
The national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls has officially requested an extra two years to complete its study.
The RCMP's civilian watchdog has launched a review of the investigation into Colten Boushie's death — a case that became a breaking point in Indigenous people's mistrust of police and the justice system. Gerald Stanley's acquittal in the fatal shooting of Mr. Boushie, a 22-year-old Cree man, prompted advocates and politicians to call for legislative changes, as well as complaints about how police handled the investigation.
The federal government is looking at legislation to further restrict who can get their hands on guns. The issue will be discussed at a summit today bringing together all levels of government to discuss rising gun violence.
Ontario has passed a law designed to protect amatuer athletes from concussions.
Government-commissioned opinion research suggests Canadians aren't enthused about the Liberals' deficits.
Bill Nye the Science Guy is taking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to task for the government's approval of Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain expansion project, using a public panel to argue Canada doesn't need fossil fuels at all. Mr. Trudeau responded that there's tremendous potential in renewable energy, but right now Canada still needs oil — and needs to get its oil to market.
B.C.'s children's advocate is slamming provincial child-welfare officials for how they handled the apprehending of an Indigenous child that is now the centre of a court case. Bernard Richard, the Representative for Children and Youth, says the decision to take the child without allowing the mother sufficient time to breastfeed and bond was based on a racist, paternalistic approach.
The B.C. government is giving non-profit housing agencies a temporary reprieve from skyrocketing property tax bills, but advocates say they need a permanent fix to protect the province's poorest tenants from a worsening housing crisis.
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on minimum sentences: "Mandatory minimums elide much-needed context from individual sentencing decisions, constrain judicial independence and, as the courts have said, can amount to cruel and unusual punishment."
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on Andrew Scheer in London: "This looks more like one of those times when a Canadian party leader ventures onto foreign soil solely for partisan benefit."
John Ibbitson (The Globe and Mail) on Trudeau's popularity: "But was this simply a bad week that the Liberals will get over, or a tipping point? It's far too soon to say. But what is interesting about the poll is where the Liberals are doing badly."
Tim Powers (Hill Times) on Trudeau's staff: "The time might be right to have a look at how Team Trudeau is functioning. As noted, some changes are happening, but might others be needed? The prime minister has talented people working for him, but even the best can tire and get caught in predictable patterns of behaviour. Is a refresh needed?"
Jayne Stoyles (OpenCanada, along with nine other writers) on feminist foreign policy: "A feminist foreign policy is the lawful thing to do to uphold international human rights standards. It is the smart thing to do to promote global peace and security, given that research shows peace processes are more lasting when women are involved. It is the prudent financial thing to do to address root causes, rather than perpetual band-aid solutions that address only the symptoms of inequality."
Alicia Wanless (CBC) on Canadian cyber security: "An uninformed electorate is a democracy at risk, particularly since there is now a constant loop of participatory propaganda in which people are both consumers of persuasive counter-narratives and propagators of divisive content. The only thing that might stop this cycle is increased awareness."
Help The Globe monitor political ads on Facebook: During an election campaign, you can expect to see a lot of political ads. But Facebook ads, unlike traditional media, can be targeted to specific users and only be seen by certain subsets of users, making the ads almost impossible to track. The Globe and Mail wants to report on how these ads are used, but we need to see the same ads Facebook users are seeing. Here is how you can help.
U.S. President Donald Trump told a joint news conference that he still backs the idea of adding tariffs to steel and aluminum imports, linking them to a new NAFTA deal. Trump said he will straighten out trade in a "loving, loving" way.