Hello,
Justin Trudeau marked the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by praising the will of the Ukrainian people and announcing that Canada will send four additional Leopard 2 tanks to the country, as well as an armoured recovery vehicle and 5,000 rounds of ammunition.
The federal government also will apply new sanctions on 129 individuals and 63 entities, including Russian parliamentarians, military members and those involved in the production of artillery and weapons used by Russia in Ukraine, Mr. Trudeau told reporters on Friday, speaking at the Fort York Armoury in Toronto.
“Vladimir Putin made a grave miscalculation when he launched his war of aggression,” Mr. Trudeau said, flanked by Liberal MP Yvan Baker and Defence Minister Anita Anand.
“He underestimated Ukrainians, and he underestimated the solidarity of their friends around the world. He wanted to threaten and weaken NATO and democracies around the world. But today, we are stronger and more unified than ever.”
Alexandra Chyczij, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, said in a statement that Mr. Trudeau’s announcement “again demonstrates that the Ukraine can rely on Canada. These weapons will help the courageous Ukrainian people liberate their territory from brutal Russian occupation.”
On Friday, leaders from the Group of Seven nations released a joint statement reiterating their support for Ukraine and condemning Russia’s “illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked” war. “Russia started this war and Russia can end this war. We call on Russia to stop its ongoing aggression and to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from the entire internationally recognized territory of Ukraine,” the leaders’ statement added.
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TODAY'S HEADLINES
PROBE CHINA ELECTORAL INTERFERENCE: KINGSLEY – Former chief electoral officer Jean-Pierre Kingsley is calling for an independent inquiry into China’s sophisticated strategy to interfere in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Story here.
TORY MPs MET WITH FAR-RIGHT GERMAN PARTY – Three Conservative MPs are playing down their photo with a member of a far-right German party that has espoused anti-immigrant rhetoric, saying they did not know about her politics when they met her during her visit to Canada this week. Story here.
UKRAINE COULD WIN WAR WITHIN THE YEAR: ZELENSKY – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he believes his country could win its war against Russia within the coming year if his country’s Western partners maintain their level of support. Story here.
HEALTH DEAL WITH MANITOBA – The federal government says in a news release that it has signed an agreement in principle with Manitoba to invest more than $6.7 billion in the province’s health care system over 10 years. Story here.
FUREY-LEGAULT TALKS – The meeting lasted less than two hours, but Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey and Quebec Premier François Legault emerged Friday from their sit-down about Churchill Falls agreeing on a few things. Story here from CBC.
RECORD YEAR LOOMS FOR FEDERAL OUTSOURCING – Federal outsourcing is on pace to set another record this year – $21.4-billion – and the growing expense faces increasing public scrutiny over whether the billions spent each year on outside help is providing good value for taxpayers. Story here.
FEDERAL DRUG-PRICING AGENCY BOARD MEMBER RESIGNS – A board member of the federal agency that has the task of creating new rules to rein in high drug prices has resigned, saying Ottawa has undermined the process and appears to be caving to pharmaceutical industry interests. Story here.
GOOGLE ASKED TO EXPLAIN NEWS BLOCKS – Liberal and NDP MPs say Google should be forced to explain to a House of Commons committee tests blocking thousands of Canadians’ access to news sites using its search function, in response to the federal government’s online news bill. Story here.
$5.5-BILLION DEFICIT POSTED – The federal government posted a $5.5-billion deficit during the first nine months of its 2022-23 fiscal year. Story here.
MARK EXIT RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT WELCOMING INDIGENOUS POLITICIANS – Following MLA Melanie Mark’s announcement she plans to resign from elected office, her colleagues and First Nations leaders are calling for structural change to make the legislature more welcoming for Indigenous people and women. Story here from the Vancouver Sun.
FOR THE FIRST TIME: NO CANAL SKATING – The Rideau Canal Skateway will not open for skating this winter. Mild temperatures this winter will prevent the world’s largest skating rink from opening for the first time in its 53-year history. Story here from CTV.
THIS AND THAT
ON A BREAK – Both Parliament and the Senate are on breaks, with the House of Commons returning on March 6 and the Senate on March 7.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER’S DAY – Chrystia Freeland, also the Finance Minister, in Bengaluru, India, attended the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting, and met with G20 partners through the day.
MINISTERS ON THE ROAD – Mental Health Minister Carolyn Bennett, in Toronto, and Women’s Minister Marci Ien announced support to mental-health programs for Black communities. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, in Napierville, Que., announced investments for projects in Quebec aimed at the adoption of clean technologies by the agricultural-sector. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, in Quebec City, made an announcement on behalf of International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan. Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, in Toronto, participated in a discussion on economic security, supply chains, the green economy and Canada’s digital future. at the Canadian Club in Toronto with author and podcaster Amber Mac. National Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, in Vancouver, announced support for electric-vehicle charging infrastructures.
PRIME MINISTER'S DAY
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Toronto, spoke with G7 leaders, met with elementary school students and delivered remarks and, with Defence Minister Anita Anand, held a media availability to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On Friday evening, Mr. Trudeau was scheduled to attend a vigil to pay his respects and mourn victims of the war in Ukraine, and deliver remarks.
LEADERS
No schedules released for party leaders.
THE DECIBEL
On Friday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast: Since Russia invaded one year ago, eight million people have left Ukraine. Olena Tsebenko, Sonya and Oliver Hawes and George Fedorov all left behind their homes on Feb. 24, 2022. From births to deaths and marriages, they share their stories of how their lives have carried on in the wake of the war. The Decibel is here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on the Liberals playing the Trump card on election interference, and losing: “Mr. Trudeau has had every opportunity to be forthright about Beijing’s meddling. When the latest news broke last week, he could have promised a tough response that included the expulsion of Chinese diplomats and a call for investigations into the fraud CSIS says took place in some ridings. And he could have immediately announced legislation to create a much-needed foreign-agent registry. Instead, he and his acolytes have played the Trump card and said that opposition MPs who raise questions about his government’s handling of this grave matter will be playing into the hands of malevolent foreign actors.”
Kelly Cryderman (The Globe and Mail) on how the prospect of a stand-alone pension plan in Alberta should be on voters’ minds: “The question of Alberta breaking away from the CPP to establish a stand-alone provincial pension isn’t likely to figure prominently in the upcoming election campaign. But it should still be on voters’ minds, as the United Conservative Party says a province-wide referendum on the issue could come as soon as next year – if they win government again. While the opposition NDP has committed to keep the province’s workers and retirees within the Canada Pension Plan, there’s no assurance Albertans will have more information about the UCP’s thinking on the matter before voting day in May.”
Tanya Talaga (The Globe and Mail) on how Ottawa is undercutting its own reconciliation efforts: “When Canada appoints an Indigenous lawyer to independently lead consultation efforts on how to go about searching for and reclaiming what could be thousands of lost Indigenous children and unmarked graves and burial sites, Canadian leaders should not second-guess her – they do not have that right. Yet the federal government appears to have done just that.”
Eileen Dooley (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on why we can’t normalize elected officials behaving badly. Goodbye John Tory: “We tend to hear about politicians who have affairs all the time, mostly out of the United States. John Edwards, Matt Gaetz, Anthony Weiner, Van Taylor, just to name a few. Sometimes they resign, but sometimes they do not, usually taking time off to reflect and be with their families to heal (and let’s not forget how they throw religion into the mix). They make it seem like an honest mistake. Remember the “men have certain needs” quip used in Three’s Company, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and more? Let us not normalize this behaviour among our elected officials, even if other countries do, or tend to not give it the attention it deserves.”
Pamela Jeffery (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how a generation of Canadian women poised for leadership roles is disappearing: “As the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill in 2020, we worried that women would be disproportionately affected, careerwise. Turns out, we were right to worry. In fact, it’s worse than we expected. Even as signs of economic recovery take hold, one trend is deeply alarming. The Prosperity Project’s 2023 Annual Report Card on Gender Diversity and Leadership presents a stark reality: The pipeline of Canadian women moving toward corporate leadership roles has effectively dried up. Corporate Canada must take action – right now – to help promote gender equality, not just for its own sake but also for that of the wider economy. Studies have suggested that such a move could provide substantial increases to Canada’s GDP growth every year.”
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