Hello,
A plane chartered by the Canadian government to pick up Canadians in Wuhan, China, is standing by, and another could soon be on its way.
The federal government says it is just waiting on final approval from Chinese authorities to be allowed into the country’s air space and evacuate dozens of Canadians who are worried about contracting the novel coronavirus.
Given the high number of Canadian citizens there who have requested the airlift, the Canadian government is currently preparing to send in a second plane.
Canada defied the United States and other countries that imposed total travel bans on China. Public health research appears to back up the government’s position that a ban would not be warranted to stop the spread of the virus.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
The investigation into the Ukrainian flight shot down by the Iranian military has broken down because of a dispute between Iran and Ukraine. Iran has apparently offered $80,000 per victim in compensation, which the Ukrainian President says is too low.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government has no plans to require journalists to get licenses to do their work.
Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says he welcomes Teck Resources’ pledge to become net-zero on greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050, but he wants to see more details from the company before deciding how that will weigh in on federal approval for a new oil sands mine.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer says most Canadians will receive more back from the carbon-tax rebates than they pay into it.
The communications team for Peter MacKay, the presumptive front-runner in the Conservative leadership race, shut down an interview with a journalist after Mr. MacKay was asked about a tweet making fun of the Prime Minister’s interest in yoga.
Mr. MacKay has reportedly already deposited the $300,000 entry fee required in the Conservative leadership race that kicked off last month. Meanwhile, in the Green Party’s leadership race, many possible candidates are claiming the Greens’ $50,000 entry fee is too much. “It’s like they’re looking for candidates who hang out in country clubs,” Alex Tyrrell said.
Senator Lynn Beyak, who is again facing suspension for allegations of racism, told anti-racism instructors that she was Métis because her parents had adopted a child who was Indigenous. “Stay away from our nation. Identity theft is a crime," Manitoba Métis Federation president David Chartrand told CBC in response.
And it remains unclear who won the Democratic caucuses in Iowa last night. The party was not able to report who won the most delegates in the first official contest to decide the presidential nominee. Democratic operatives say there were problems with an app used to record votes.
Margaret McCuaig-Johnston (The Globe and Mail) on Canada’s looming decision on Huawei and 5G: “Britain’s attempt to let Huawei into a kind of souped-up 4G system is very instructive for the decision that Canadian ministers will make on the same question. The classic structure for a cabinet submission, of which I have seen thousands over 37 years in government, is to present three options for any given proposal: full acceptance; complete rejection; and a recommended compromise that does not completely satisfy any stakeholder but grants each some piece of it. Britain has gone with the third option and Canada should resist the temptation to do the same.”
Adam Radwanski (The Globe and Mail) on federal-provincial climate negotiations: “How much leeway Ottawa is willing to give Ontario – which, with its large manufacturing and metal-processing sectors, accounts more than any other province for Canada’s industrial emissions outside oil and gas extraction – will be telling of how Mr. Trudeau’s government is now approaching its climate agenda.”
John Ibbitson (The Globe and Mail) on opportunities for the Conservatives: “The carbon tax, lack of progress on pipelines, the Jody Wilson-Raybould affair, tension with China: For one reason or another, Canadians are not impressed with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s performance at home or abroad. Remember, in last October’s election, the Liberals won the seat count but lost the popular vote. The Grits are vulnerable.”
Conservative MP Garnett Genuis, in the National Post, on the leadership race: “If you only focus on winning, then you look narrow and transactional to voters who would rather hear an inspirational vision. But if you dial back the focus on winning and talk instead about what is true and good and beautiful, then voters will respond and victory will follow. I hope that, in addition to talking about beating Justin Trudeau, candidates will actually talk about policy and vision.”
Scott Gilmore (Maclean’s) on the Iowa caucuses: “The United Nations has deployed election monitoring missions to better organized countries. If this is harbinger for the year ahead, we need to brace ourselves for utter chaos. We were worried that the Russians might meddle in the election, when we should have been more concerned that the Americans would get involved.”
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