🇨🇳 China’s ambassador calls for more trade with Canada amid U.S. trade war

Beijing’s ambassador to Canada says China is interested in stepping up trade with Ottawa, arguing the U.S. is pursuing a trade war that will hurt the global economy.

Wang Di says Washington should not force Canada to choose between the U.S. and China.

The international community should stand up together against this kind of behaviour.

Wang was speaking on the sidelines of a trade-promotion event today hosted by the Chinese embassy in Ottawa.
#China #US
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🇪🇺🇨🇳 Mark Carney rejects boosting trade ties with China, points to Europe

Liberal Leader Mark Carney Wednesday rejected accusations from his Conservative rival that he’s beholden to Beijing and said he thinks Canada’s trade-diversification strategy should prioritize boosting commerce with “like-minded countries” in Europe instead of China.

We want to diversify with like-minded partners. That’s why I went to Europe in my first days as Prime Minister. There are partners in Asia with whom we can build deeper ties. But the partners in Asia that share our values don’t include China.

#EU #China
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Canada will react to Trump's 'attack' soon, could impose tariffs, says Carney

Canada will soon respond to new tariffs on imported vehicles announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and could impose retaliatory measures against the United States, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday.

Carney said Trump's move was "a direct attack" and told reporters he would be convening a high-level cabinet meeting on Thursday to decide on a response.
#US #Carney
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Poilievre pledges to keep Radio-Canada alive after 'defund the CBC' promise

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre committed to preserving Radio-Canada services across the country in a Quebec platform released on Wednesday evening.

Poilievre has already promised to “defund the CBC,” and it would require legislative changes to keep one half of the public broadcaster in existence.
#Poilievre #Quebec
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Airline demand between Canada & US collapses, down 70%+

#US
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The old relationship we had with the United States—based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation—is over.

#Carney #US
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🇺🇸 Ford says he and Carney agreed not to impose counter measures till April 2

Ontario premier Doug Ford on Thursday told reporters he had just spoken to Prime Minister Mark Carney and the two men agreed not to impose counter measures against U.S. imports until April 2.
#US #Ford #Carney
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Top Conservative strategist says Poilievre needs to urgently pivot or he will lose

Kory Teneycke, one of the country's top Conservative strategists who just helped Ontario Premier Doug Ford win a sizable majority government, says Pierre Poilievre urgently needs to make a pivot and start talking more about the issue voters care about most — the U.S. threat — or he risks losing the federal election.
#Poilievre
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🪖Canadian general who recommended F-35 deal now calls for purchase of other jets

The air force general who recommended Canada buy the F-35 fighter jet now says the purchase should no longer go forward as planned because the U.S. has become so untrustworthy.

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📊🇺🇸🇨🇦 Fewer Americans now see Canada as a US ally as Trump strains a longtime partnership

Americans are less likely to see Canada and the U.S. as close allies than they were two years ago.

The U.S. shift in viewpoint comes primarily from Democrats, though Republicans are less likely to see Canada as America’s ally now too, according to a new poll.

🔹While about 7 in 10 Democrats saw Canada and the U.S. as close allies before Trump returned to office, now that number is down to about half. For Republicans, the number dropped from 55% to 44%.
#US
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🚙 Canadian Tesla protests part of ‘day of action’ amid fractured U.S. relationship

Hundreds of protests at Tesla showrooms around the world took place Saturday as part of what has been dubbed the Tesla Takedown’s Global Day of Action.

That includes events in Canadian cities such as Ottawa, Montreal, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Halifax, as well as multiple protests in B.C.’s Lower Mainland on Saturday and Sunday.

Demonstrators say they want people to sell their Tesla vehicles and dump any stock in the company as Tesla contends with recent declines in sales.

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Pierre Poilievre aligns with Bloc Québécois just as Jagmeet Singh says he ‘will never support’ Conservatives

Pierre Poilievre would not contest Quebec’s French-language law in a Supreme Court challenge if the Conservatives form government, he said Saturday, as he declared “provinces have the right to make their own laws.”

Poilievre’s announcement came the same day his path to power narrowed as NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh ruled out propping up a Conservative government in a minority Parliament, but left open the prospect of supporting Mark Carney’s Liberals.
#Poilievre #Quebec
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Liberal candidate Paul Chiang withdraws from race after suggesting people claim China's bounty on Conservative

Embattled Toronto-area Liberal candidate Paul Chiang is dropping out of the race after suggesting people turn a Conservative candidate running in a nearby riding into the Chinese consulate to collect a bounty.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney said on Monday that Chiang could stay on after apologizing for his "deeply offensive comments" and "terrible lapse of judgment."

Pressure mounted from opposition parties and more than 40 organizations demanding Carney immediately drop Chiang and for police to investigate.

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🏠 Carney vows to revive Canada's wartime-era homebuilding strategy

Carney announced Monday that a re-elected Liberal government would create a new entity called “Build Canada Homes,” which would act as a developer to build affordable housing, including on public lands.

The entity would also provide more than $25 billion in financing to prefabricated-home builders in Canada, including those using Canadian technologies and resources, such as softwood lumber, Carney said at a campaign stop in the Toronto area. It would offer an additional $10 billion in low-cost financing and capital to affordable-home builders.
#Carney #housing
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🪖🇺🇸 Canadian generals discuss military co-operation with U.S.

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan met with Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Christopher Grady on March 20 in Washington to discuss defending North America as well as the Arctic.

Royal Canadian Navy Vice Adm. Angus Topshee also travelled to Washington on March 21 to meet with Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby to discuss how to better integrate Canada’s maritime forces into American operations, particularly in the Arctic.
#US
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🪖🇺🇸📊 Majority of poll respondents support Ottawa cancelling contract for U.S. warplanes

A majority of Canadians support cancelling a $19-billion contract to buy American warplanes and instead opting for European alternatives, according to a new poll.

62 per cent of Canadians surveyed support, or somewhat support, scrapping a federal government deal to buy 88 F-35 Lightning planes from U.S. defence contractor Lockheed Martin. It also found 18 per cent oppose, and 3 per cent somewhat oppose, such a measure. Another 17 per cent were undecided.
#US
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💸 Carney pledges $150M boost to 'underfunded' CBC

Liberal Leader Mark Carney said on Friday that his government would provide an initial $150-million annual funding increase to CBC and Radio-Canada as part of a new mandate for the public broadcaster.

Who doesn't like government-funded propaganda?

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Canada loses 33,000 jobs, most since 2022

Canada’s labor market unexpectedly weakened in March, shedding the most jobs in more than three years.

Employment fell by 33,000 positions last month, pushing the jobless rate up 0.1 percentage point to 6.7%, Statistics Canada reported Friday.

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🇺🇸 Canada updates travel advice to warn of U.S. border officers' power to search electronic devices

The federal government has quietly updated its online travel advice to remind Canadians to "expect scrutiny" from border patrol officers if they travel to the United States.

A website with official advice for travellers heading south was updated with a paragraph about the "significant" discretion officers have when it comes to deciding who enters their country — including the power to search phones and laptops.
#US
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3 Ontario businesses fined for illegally employing hundreds of foreign workers, police say

Three Ontario businesses have pleaded guilty and been fined after a federal investigation into unauthorized employment uncovered more than 700 illegal foreign nationals.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirmed that CDA Landscape Services based in Ajax, Ont. was fined $400,000 after pleading guilty to 20 counts of employing foreign nationals without authorization.

The other businesses, TDA Landscape Services and SDA Services, pleaded guilty to two counts each and were both fined $25,000.
#Ontario
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