❌Provinces decry Ottawa's plan to resettle asylum seekers across the country

Provincial leaders across Canada are taking turns criticizing the federal Liberal government's proposal to alleviate immigration pressure on Quebec and Ontario by resettling asylum seekers more equitably across the country.

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs said Ottawa was proposing the province take in 4,600 asylum seekers without providing financial assistance.

How many of this 4,600 that is being proposed … how many are actually, actual genuine asylum seekers? Because they haven't gone through the process.

Higgs said.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said her government was also opposed to having more asylum seekers in her province.

We are currently supporting approximately 22 per cent — over 70,000 — of Ukrainian evacuees who arrived in Canada. We are informing the Government of Canada that until further notice, Alberta is not open to having these additional asylum seekers settled in our province.

Smith said.

#immigration
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🪖Canadian Army says new military sleeping bags not suitable for 'typical Canadian winter'

Despite the defence department spending more than $34.8 million on new sleeping bags, the Canadian Army asked late last year that hundreds of soldiers headed to a joint northern exercise in Alaska with the Americans be issued with old, 1960s-vintage bedrolls.

Troops who had used the recently issued General Purpose Sleeping Bag System (GPSBS) late last fall in a preparatory exercise found "several critical issues."

The "critical issues" discovered by the soldiers "related to lack of warmth with the new GPSBS," said the briefing note, written on Dec. 5, 2023.

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Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Ottawa 'could open up a hotel in any particular province and ship people there' amid a dispute over the distribution of asylum seekers.

There's only so far the federal government can actually be nice and say, "Please, please."

#immigration
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🇺🇦🇷🇺Trudeau "fully supports" Ukraine using long-range weaponry against Russia.

Trudeau fully supports World War III.

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🩺 B.C. signs national pharmacare deal with Ottawa, promises to expand drug coverage

British Columbia has become the first province in Canada to sign a pharmacare agreement with the federal government that would help the province fund hormone replacement therapy and diabetes expenses.

Federal Health Minister Mark Holland says B.C.’s portion of the $1.5-billion national plan is estimated to be $195 million, and under the memorandum of understanding funding could begin by April once the legislation makes it through the senate.

#healthcare #BritishColumbia
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The Ohio jokes in the comments are spot on.

💸Quebec introduces bill to rein in excessive tipping amid cost-of-living concerns

Quebec has introduced legislation to curb excessive tipping, a growing concern among consumers faced with high prices and increased demands to top up their bills.

Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, who is responsible for consumer protection, tabled a bill Thursday that would force businesses to calculate suggested tips based on the price before tax and regulate how grocery stores display the price of food.

#Quebec
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🪖Bill Blair says he’s ‘optimistic’ about Canada joining expanded AUKUS

Canada is in discussions about joining an expanded AUKUS deal between the U.S., Britain, and Australia formed to counter China’s growing military influence in the Asia Pacific region, Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair said.

Canada has said it wants to join a second pillar of AUKUS that will collaborate on new military technologies, including artificial intelligence and quantum computing, but has not so far revealed any details of those talks.

#US #UK #Australia
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🤝Air Canada strikes last-minute deal with pilots' union, averting strike

Air Canada has reached a tentative, last-minute deal with its pilots' union over a new four-year collective agreement, the airline said on Sunday, ending a stand-off over pay and benefits and averting a near-term strike or lockout.

The airline was preparing to progressively cancel flights over three days and to completely shut down its operations as early as Sept. 18.

The Air Line Pilots Association said the deal would mean an additional $1.9 billion in value for members over its four-year term, representing a 46% increase over the previous contract that expired in September 2023.

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❌‘Drop the idea’: N.S. premier says province won’t accept thousands of asylum seekers

Nova Scotia’s premier doubled down Friday on his position that he will not accept any attempt by Ottawa to resettle thousands of asylum seekers in the province.

In a statement issued by his office, Tim Houston said the federal government wants to send nearly 6,000 asylum seekers to Nova Scotia, something he called “simply unacceptable.”

He also repeated that Nova Scotia is focused on its plan for population growth and doesn’t have the capacity to accept that many would-be refugees.

#NovaScotia #immigration
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B.C. to open 'highly secure' involuntary care facilities

B.C. will be opening “highly secure facilities” for people with concurrent addiction and mental health issues, as well as brain injuries, officials said Sunday.

All of the facilities will provide involuntary care under the B.C. Mental Health Act for people certified as requiring that care.

a news release accompanying the announcement said.

In addition to dedicated, stand-alone facilities, the province will also be establishing “secure treatment” within B.C. correctional facilities.

#BritishColumbia
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🗳Another Liberal stronghold falls as BQ wins Montreal byelection squeaker

In another stunning upset for the Trudeau Liberals, Bloc Québécois candidate Louis-Philippe Sauvé has won the byelection in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun by more than 200 votes over the Liberals’ Laura Palestini, with all polling stations reporting.

The Bloc Québécois, the Liberals and the NDP were locked in a tight battle for the Liberal stronghold until early Tuesday morning. With the count so close, no candidate had yet conceded the loss after 2 a.m. local time. There were fewer than 600 votes between the winning Bloc candidate and third-place NDP candidate Craig Sauvé.

#Quebec
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Liberal House leader calls Poilievre a 'fraudster' and a 'bully' as Commons returns

Liberal House leader Karina Gould kicked off the fall sitting of Parliament Monday by calling Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre a "fraudster" and a "bully" and accusing him of holding a secret agenda that Canadians won't like.

She said the Conservative leader's attacks on carbon pricing are an effort to "distract Canadians from his real agenda … because he knows that they won't like it if they find out."

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📉As Parliament returns, support for Trudeau at ‘new low’: poll

As the House of Commons gets back to business for the fall session, support for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government has hit a “new low,” new polling shows.

Just over one-third of Canadians (33 per cent) approve of the Trudeau government, according to an Ipsos poll. That approval rating is down by four points since the last time Ipsos did a similar poll in June.

#Trudeau
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🏠Freeland allowing more 30-year mortgages, higher values for insured mortgages

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Monday Canadians will be able to borrow for longer, while also increasing the maximum value for insured mortgages, potentially giving buyers more money in the housing market.

Freeland announced that starting on Dec. 15, the cap for insured mortgages will rise to $1.5 million from the $1-million cap today. This would allow buyers to qualify for larger mortgages without putting 20 per cent down.

On the same day, the government is also expanding the availability of 30-year mortgages. In the spring budget, the government expanded the eligibility of those long-term mortgages to new buyers who were purchasing new builds.

But now the 30-year availability will apply to both new buyers and people buying new construction homes.

#housing
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Trudeau is a narcissist.

#Trudeau
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Trudeau’s government could face confidence vote next week

The first confidence test of Justin Trudeau’s government this fall could take place next week, and if the government falls, the country could be thrust into an election.

The Government House Leader’s office has informed the Conservatives their first opposition day motion is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, with a vote taking place on Wednesday Sept. 25.

Since the New Democrat Party ripped up their supply deal with the minority Liberal government, the Conservatives vowed to force a non-confidence vote at the earliest opportunity. The NDP has said it will now decide whether or not to prop up the government on a case-by-case basis.

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🎓More than 200,000 international student work permits to expire by 2025, making transition to permanent residency harder

More than 200,000 international students will see their work permits expire by the end of 2025 – many of them might not successfully obtain permanent residence status in that time frame because of recent changes in immigration policy.

No more easy ways to stay.

#immigration
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🎓Canada imposes further cap on international students and more limits on work permit eligibility

Canada will reduce the annual cap on study permits by another 10 per cent in 2025 and restrict eligibility for international graduates’ work permits to better meet labour market needs, amid continuing public pressure to tame the country’s runaway population growth.

Two days after losing a seat in a byelection in Quebec, the Liberal government said it will cut the study permit application intake from 485,000 in 2024 to 437,000 next year, and keep it at that level for 2026. Changes will also be coming this fall to the post-graduation work permit program to align immigration goals and labour market needs.

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📚Alberta announces $8.6B plan to build new schools amid surging population growth

Premier Danielle Smith has launched an ambitious school construction plan to help relieve pressure created by a population boom.

The School Construction Accelerator Program will cost $8.6 billion over three years. It adds $6.5 billion to the previously announced amount of $2.1 billion.

Smith said the plan aims to create an additional 150,000 student spaces in the four years after the initial three-year push, for a total of 200,000 over seven years.

#Alberta
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