Politics This Morning: Trudeau calls attack on Muslim family an ‘act of terrorism,’ attends vigil for victims in London, Ont.

Good Wednesday morning, Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the June 6 attack on members of a Muslim family in London, Ont., an “act of terrorism,” and attended a vigil held for the victims at the London Muslim Mosque alongside a number of other federal and provincial leaders. Twenty-year-old Nathaniel Veltman has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder—with police mulling over terrorism charges, saying the attack targeted the victims because of their Muslim faith. The accused is alleged to have hit the family with a black truck while they were out for an evening walk. Salman Afzaal, his wife Madiha Salman, their teenage daughter Yumna Afzaal and Salman’s mother were all killed, with nine-year-old Fayez Afzaal seriously injured. Liberal MP Arif Virani told The Hill Times he felt shocked, outraged, fear, and “frustration at the repetition of such attacks, with Conservative Senator Salma Ataullahjan saying that “while we grieve, we are also fearing for our safety.” Independent MP Yasmin Ratansi asked “how could such a heinous crime take place in a country like Canada,” calling for more investment in education and for public figures to speak out against such acts. MPs observed a moment of silence in the House of Commons on Tuesday morning prior to party leaders addressing the tragic attack. Mr. Trudeau condemned the Islamophobia that motivated the killing of family members spanning three generations, with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh asking “how many more families will be mauled—mauled—down the streets? How many more families will be killed before we do something?” Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole said the surviving nine-year-old “deserves a Canada where he can go to a mosque and not worry about his safety,” with Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet saying “once again, lives were broken, ”invoking the 2017 Quebec City mosque attack where six were killed and 19 others sent to the hospital. “Whether through the security infrastructure program, by cracking down on online extremism, or by dismantling far-right hate groups, we will continue doing everything we can to fight violence in every form,” said Mr. Trudeau in a press conference on June 8. “The consequences of doing anything less are simply too great.” London-Fanshawe NDP MP Lindy Mathyssen, along with Mr. Trudeau, Mr. O’Toole, Mr. Blanchet, and Mr. Singh, also attended the vigil at the London mosque, along with Ontario Premier Doug Ford. In COVID-19 news, the eventual easing of travel restrictions and quarantine rules will apply to those who are fully vaccinated, as reported by CTV News, with the prime minister calling the difference between the protection of one dose of vaccine versus two doses of vaccine “quite significant.” “We need people to get the full two doses of their vaccines and that’s why easing of restrictions will be focused on Canadians who are fully vaccinated because that’s what the science dictates,” said Mr. Trudeau on Tuesday, “particularly when it comes to some of the new variants of concern like the Delta variant.” Mr. Trudeau also spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ahead of his participation in the upcoming G7 leader’s summit and NATO summit. Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Zelenskyy spoke about Russia’ destabilizing action in the Donbass and Crimea on Tuesday, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. They also discussed the latest development on the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 by Iran in January 2020, which killed all 176 people on board, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents. Mr. Trudeau will be attending the two summits in person from June 11 through June 14, his first international trip since February 2020. Today, at 8:30 a.m., the prime minister will participate in a virtual conversation at the opening of the Progressive Governance Digital Summit, and will speak alongside German Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz, former prime minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt, and president of the Italian National Innovation Fund Francesca Bria. In other scheduled events, NDP MP Leah Gazan will be speaking at 10 a.m. about the unanimous consent motion asking the government to recognize what has happened in residential schools across the country as genocide. The NDP MP will be joined by Indigenous leaders as well as a residential school survivor. At 9 a.m., Health Minister Patty Hajdu will participate in a virtual fireside chat with moderator Bruce Anderson as part of the Healthcare Outlook 2021 summit hosted by the Economic Club of Canada. Michael Green, president and CEO of Canada Health Infoway, Dr. Alan Bernstein, president and CEO of Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Juggy Sihota, vice-president of consumer health at TELUS, and Nathalie Landry, executive vice-president of scientific and medical affairs at Medicago will also be participating in the summit. The House Committee on Fisheries and Oceans is meeting at 3:30 p.m. to discuss corporate offshore licenses, with Director General, Fisheries Resource Management Adam Burns, Director General, Conservation and Protection Heather McCready, and Director, National Licensing Operations David Whorley with the Department of Fisheries scheduled to appear. Also at 3:30 p.m., the House Public Safety and National Security committee will hear from several speakers: University of Toronto professor Anthony Doob; Ryerson University professor Jane Sprott; Emilie Coyle, executive director from the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies; Catherine Latimer, executive director of the John Howard Society of Canada; and Jeff Wilkins, national president of Union of Canadian Correctional Officers. The committee will be discussing the Correctional Service Canada’s response to COVID-19, as well as the implementation and operation of structured intervention units and reports of sexual coercion and violence in federal prisons. At noon, Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson is scheduled to appear in front of the Senate Committee on Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources to discuss Bill C-12, legislation around respecting transparency and accountability in Canada’s efforts to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. And at 4 p.m., the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science, and Technology will hear from Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux, sponsor of Bill C-220, an act to amend the Canada Labour Code which would extend the period during which an employee make take compassionate care leave. mlapointe@hilltimes.com The Hill Times

Politics This Morning

Politics This Morning: Trudeau calls attack on Muslim family an ‘act of terrorism,’ attends vigil for victims in London, Ont.

Plus, NDP MP Leah Gazan will be speaking Wednesday about a unanimous consent motion asking the government to recognize what occurred in residential schools across the country as genocide.

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Politics This Morning

Politics This Morning: Trudeau calls attack on Muslim family an ‘act of terrorism,’ attends vigil for victims in London, Ont.

Plus, NDP MP Leah Gazan will be speaking Wednesday about a unanimous consent motion asking the government to recognize what occurred in residential schools across the country as genocide.

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