Implementation of new NAFTA will be ‘important priority’ for Liberal government as U.S. negotiations progress
With MPs set to return to Ottawa on Dec. 5, progress is being made towards implementation of the new NAFTA south of the border, highlighted by the recent visit to Parliament Hill of the chairman of the important U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. The implementation is viewed as an “important priority” by Foreign Affairs […]
Trudeau needs Freeland at foreign affairs to deal with NAFTA cliffhanger
OTTAWA—The economy always scores fairly high when voters are asked during election campaigns about the issues that matter most. But it’s debatable whether economic concerns really count for much unless the economy is in the doldrums and jobs are scarce. Among voters in the East, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals probably got some […]
Shuffling Freeland would be a ‘mistake,’ says former Liberal justice minister Cotler
A former Liberal justice minister says moving Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to a different cabinet role would be “a mistake” at a time of increasing authoritarianism around the globe. “[Ms. Freeland] has been so effective, [and] when you have the right person in the right place at the right time, it’s not the time […]
Now that the election is over, stop the digital services tax
Canadians have returned Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party to government, albeit without either a majority of the House of Commons or a plurality of the popular vote. Mr. Trudeau will therefore have to work with other parties in order to get the votes needed for any new initiatives to pass. One of the priorities […]
Ottawa needs to look at other trade options in the Middle East
With the federal elections behind us, it’s time to reexamine how the Liberal government has handled Canada’s business and trade relations with the oil-rich, Gulf Arab states. When Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland publicly denounced Saudi crackdowns on its civil right activists last year, Riyadh reacted furiously. It suspended diplomatic ties, stopped future trade and […]
U.S. lawmaker Richard Neal to travel to Ottawa to talk new NAFTA with Trudeau, Freeland
The Democratic chair of a powerful U.S. House of Representatives committee will travel to Ottawa on Nov. 6 to speak with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland about the implementation process for the new NAFTA. Richard Neal is the chair of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, which is […]
From the new NAFTA to winning a seat on the UN Security Council: the key foreign policy priorities in the next Parliament
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority government will face both lingering and new foreign policy puzzles when the new cabinet is sworn in on Nov. 20. The Canada-U.S. relationship could come under the spotlight once again as Americans head to the ballot box in just under a year. Implementing the new NAFTA, addressing the rocky relationship […]
NDP says position unchanged on renegotiation for new NAFTA, despite saying improvements ‘can and should be made to this deal’
The NDP will wait to see what changes are made by U.S. House Democrats to the new NAFTA before deciding whether they will vote to implement it in the next Parliament, says its most recent international trade critic. “We will have a full debate in the next Parliament and a vote based on whatever the […]
Education, ‘food diplomacy,’ ICAO council seat among early priorities for Malaysian envoy
Malaysia’s new high commissioner to Canada arrived just days before the federal election campaign began, but Nor’aini Binti Abd Hamid says she’ll have more than enough to keep her busy with Malaysia’s bid to keep a spot on the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization council, coupled with her efforts to promote increased trade and education […]
Canada formally joins Arms Trade Treaty as experts urge cancelling Saudi LAV deal over Yemen war
PARLIAMENT HILL—Canada formally acceded to the Arms Trade Treaty on Sept. 19, which aims to create common arms trade standards between signatories, but arms control experts from academia and civil society organizations are urging the federal government to stop exporting Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) to Saudi Arabia over the Kingdom’s war in Yemen. The deal […]
