Hello,
British Columbia’s Premier is calling on the Bank of Canada to halt further interest rate hikes, urging the bank’s Governor to consider the “human impact.”
David Eby, a New Democrat sworn in as Premier last November, outlined his concerns Thursday in a letter to Tiff Macklem.
“While the role of the Bank of Canada is to make decisions about monetary policy, my role as Premier is to stand up for people in B.C. and ensure their voices are heard as decisions are made that impact them,” Eby wrote.
“People in B.C. are already hurting,” he continued. “In your role as governor, I urge you to consider the full human impact of rate increases and not further increase rates at this time.”
The Bank of Canada is set to make an interest rate decision next Wednesday. There’s a full story here on Eby’s concerns.
The B.C. Premier is not the first provincial leader to raise the issue of interest rates.
At a housing announcement earlier this month, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, a Progressive Conservative, said mortgage rates were “really heating up my backside.”
He added: “They don’t know, the Bank of Canada and the Governor doesn’t understand inflation if they continue raising these rates on the hard-working people.”
BREAKING – There is a new interim conflict of interest and ethics commissioner. Konrad Winrich von Finckenstein, a former head of the federal Competition Bureau and onetime justice of the Federal Court, has been named to the post for a term of up to six months, according to a statement issued by the office on Thursday afternoon. Mario Dion, the former ethics commissioner, retired in February. Martine Richard took over as interim commissioner, but stepped down amid concerns raised over her being the sister-in-law of Dominic LeBlanc, a federal Liberal cabinet minister. The ethics commissioner helps MPs and other public office holders meet their obligations under the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons and the Conflict of Interest Act.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
Ontario Housing Minister sorry for lack of oversight in Greenbelt saga but won’t resign – Ontario Housing Minister Steve Clark apologized Thursday for a lack of oversight regarding his office and the process of removing select lands from the Greenbelt, but he refused to resign after the province’s Integrity Commissioner found he violated ethics laws. Story here
Saskatchewan, New Brunswick naming changes means ‘life or death’ for trans students, minister says – Canada’s Minister for Women, Gender Equality and Youth says policies in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick that require parental consent before students under 16 can have schools use their preferred pronouns and names puts transgender and non-binary kids in a “life-or-death situation.” Story here.
U.S. politicians want to hear from MP Michael Chong on threats from China – Conservative MP Michael Chong is to appear at a hearing in the United States, testifying before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China on Sept. 12 in light of media reports about his family being targeted by Beijing. Story here from CBC.
Ottawa to revise how it counts non-permanent residents after economists warn of undercounting – The federal government is preparing to revise the way it counts non-permanent residents, after warnings from economists that there are around one million more of them living in Canada than official estimates suggest. Story here.
Former staff of China-led bank dispute allegations of Beijing influence – Former employees of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have come forward to publicly challenge ex-communication chief Bob Pickard’s criticism of the institution as an instrument of Beijing that is dominated by China’s ruling Communist Party. Story here.
‘Freedom Convoy’ leaders’ criminal trial goes beyond mischief charges – The leaders of the “Freedom Convoy” are preparing to answer to criminal charges next week for their part in the massive demonstration that gridlocked Ottawa last year – but the stakes go beyond the actions of two protest organizers. Story here from CTV.
Quebec Transport Minister apologizes after being photographed not wearing her seatbelt – Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault is apologizing after photos emerged of her not wearing her seatbelt while on the road. Story here.
Alberta headed for surplus, fiscal update shows -The Alberta government says it’s on track for a $2.4-billion surplus by the end of the fiscal year, despite slightly lower oil prices and wildfires that have burned through most of its contingency fund. Story here. Meanwhile, the Saskatchewan Party government is forecasting a lower surplus than budgeted this year due to decreased resource revenues and higher expenses. Story here. And British Columbia finished last fiscal year $700-million in the black, after forecasts swung between multibillion-dollar deficits and surpluses. Story here.
Woman accusing ex-NDP MP Roméo Saganash of sexual assault in Winnipeg goes public – The woman accusing former New Democrat MP Roméo Saganash of sexual assault is going public, saying she wants to support others. Story here.
Families of Nova Scotia mass shooting victims want sincere RCMP apology, lawyer says – A lawyer representing a majority of the families affected by the April 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia says they have yet to see any “concrete change” by the RCMP. Story here.
Museum of nature visit as medical treatment – Doctors can now prescribe patients a dose of healthy learning with a trip to the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. Story here from CTV.
From Quebec Liberal leader to professor – Former Quebec Liberal leader Dominique Anglade has accepted a new job, joining the HEC Montreal business school as an associate professor. Story here from The Montreal Gazette.
THIS AND THAT
Summer break – Both the House of Commons and the Senate are on breaks. The House sits again on Sept. 18. The Senate sits again on Sept. 19.
Deputy Prime Minister’s Day – Chrystia Freeland, in Toronto, held private meetings and spoke with British Columbia Premier David Eby.
Ministers on the Road – Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, also minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, in Sudbury, announced support for the regional economy. International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen, in Columbia, concluded a four-day trip to the country that included meetings with government officials and meetings with civil-society organizations.
PRIME MINISTER'S DAY
Private meetings in Ottawa.
LEADERS
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Sooke, B.C., with NDP MP Randall Garrison, met with families on back-to-school costs, held a news conference, visited the Esquimalt Family Resource Centre, the Esquimalt farmers market, and the Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke NDP nomination meeting.
No schedules released for other party leaders.
THE DECIBEL
On Thursday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, reporter Karen Howlett talks about how the Ontario government is looking at lands owned by school boards as part of the Premier’s plan to build 1.5 million new homes in 10 years. The Decibel is here.
TRIBUTE
James Bartleman – The former Ontario lieutenant-governor, also a long-time diplomat, successful author and staunch supporter of Indigenous youth and the power of literacy, died Aug. 14, aged 83. Obituary here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how the ugly Greenbelt saga just got uglier: Thanks to a report earlier this month from the province’s Auditor-General, the Ontario public woke up on Wednesday already knowing that the 15 sites the Ford government opened for development in the Greenbelt this year were selected in “a biased process that was non-transparent to the public,” and which led to “certain prominent developers receiving preferential treatment.” Now, thanks to an equally damning report on the same subject from the Integrity Commissioner, the public knows this process was further compromised by the actions of Ontario’s Housing Minister, Steve Clark, and that it involved violations of the provincial law governing conflicts of interest and the sharing of insider information by elected officials.
Lawrence Martin (The Globe and Mail) on how the end of the free trade era leaves Canada in the lurch: “In Canada, which is heavily trade-dependent, free trade has been popular for several decades. For Conservative or Liberal governments, inking a new pact was reflexively hailed as a big achievement. In other nations, it was much the same. In keeping with the globalization drive, economic elites sought and supported highly liberalized trade agreements. But no longer. The trend has been upended by the trade-war populism of Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s nationalist industrial policy (which maintained Trump’s tariffs on China), technological change and the pandemic’s impact on supply chains. The free trade era is gone, and with it, a big Canadian advantage.”
Renze Nauta and Andreae Sennyah (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on a simple fix to help solve Toronto’s $46.5-billion budget problem: “Before the city considers increasing taxes or cutting services, it should implement one simple reform that a recent study by Cardus shows could save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars every year: open tendering. Open tendering is an approach to infrastructure procurement that allows all qualified companies to bid on a government’s construction contracts, regardless of what kinds of trade unions their workers have chosen to join, or whether they have chosen to join them at all. For workers, open tendering means freedom of choice. For the taxpayer, open tendering means more companies can bid for government contracts. More bids mean more competition. More competition means better prices – and lower costs – on construction projects.”
Bruce Deachman (The Ottawa Citizen) on not lighting a match to 24 Sussex Drive just yet: “You don’t often get such a spirited discussion about public housing, but I guess when the address is 24 Sussex Drive, people pay attention. We’ve heard in recent days that the 155-year-old building and official residence of the prime minister may have already sheltered its last PM – Stephen Harper, who vacated the premises in 2015 – and that a new residence needs to be found. Perhaps so, but we shouldn’t be too quick to light a match to the building, which, despite its present condition, is an important part of Ottawa’s and Canada’s history.”
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