The West Block: Latest News

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20.02.2023 / 04:07

Mendicino mum on if election integrity panel saw reports on Chinese interference

China’s alleged attempts to interfere in the vote.Speaking to Mercedes Stephenson on The West Block Sunday, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino pointed to the panel’s findings that the 2019 and 2021 elections were free and fair. But he didn’t clearly answer whether the panel ever saw intelligence that recent media reports have said warned of attempts by China at election interference.“We’ve always been up front with the fact that there is foreign interference, that we need to be eyes wide open and vigilant about (it),” he said.“Did that panel have access to these intelligence reports? Were they aware of what CSIS was aware of?” Stephenson asked.“Our nonpartisan, professional public servants look at the information that they need to make the assessment around the integrity of the election,” Mendicino replied.

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How the Pentagon leaks could help Russia fix vulnerabilities in Ukraine war

The recent Pentagon leaks that have rocked the United States and its allies could help Russia patch up its vulnerabilities in the Ukraine war, a former U.S. NATO envoy says.

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No foreign agent registry timeline as Australia warns of ‘unprecedented’ interference

foreign interference by hostile actors, including China and Russia.After announcing the launch of public consultations for the registry on Friday, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino did not say whether he will meet calls from security experts who say Canada could have the measure in place as soon as this summer when pressed by Eric Sorensen on The West Block Sunday.“We’ve committed to having a very focused conversation around how it is that we want to inform the creation of this foreign registry,” the minister said. “I also want to be sure that we get the threshold right.“We want to foster transparency around legitimate activities of foreign actors.

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Ahead of queen’s funeral, governor general says King Charles ‘committed to reconciliation’

Canada’s governor general says she believes King Charles III is committed to working on reconciliation between the Crown and Indigenous Peoples as he takes over as monarch from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

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‘Threat still exists’: Emergencies Act to remain as long as required, Bill Blair says

The federal government will continue to implement never-before-used powers under the Emergencies Act as long “as they are required” to help end the illegal blockade of the national capital, Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair has said.

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Canada’s defence minister won’t say if he told PM, cabinet about Vance allegations in 2018

Harjit Sajjan refused to say whether he told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or his cabinet of allegations of inappropriate behaviour levelled at former chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance after he was alerted to the military chief’s alleged behaviour in 2018.During an interview with The West Block’s Mercedes Stephenson, Sajjan said he was unable to discuss what was said between him and an ombudsman in 2018 for confidentiality reasons, adding that he didn’t want to “undermine” the trust of the women who had already come forward with allegations.

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Canada didn’t start Keystone XL dispute — the president did, Kenney says in rebuke of Biden

Keystone XL pipeline, going so far as to accuse him of showing “disrespect for America’s closest friend and ally.”In an interview with The West Block’s Mercedes Stephenson, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney criticized newly inaugurated president Joe Biden’s decision to block the US$8-billion cross-border energy project on his first day in office. Trudeau expresses ‘disappointment’ over Keystone XL in 1st phone call with Biden “Look, we didn’t start this dispute,” Kenney said.

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New business rent relief program will address gap in promised funds, minister says

coronavirus.To help compensate for this, last week the federal government unveiled several new and revamped COVID-19 relief programs, one of which will filter $2.2 billion into the hands of commercial tenants, as well as an extended wage subsidy program that is expected to foot the bill for up to 65 per cent of eligible costs for business owners through December.They also included a boost to the existing Canadian Emergency Business Account (CEBA), which will provide interest-free loans of up to $20,000, on top of the original $40,000 CEBA loan.

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Green Party policies would have made ‘all the difference’ in pandemic, new leader says

Green Party has only three seats in the House of Commons, but newly elected Leader Annamie Paul says she wants to connect with voters to build on that support.“We have been heading in the right direction for a very long time and it’s just time to make that link with people in Canada in terms of who they’re choosing to vote for,” she said in an interview with Global News’ Mercedes Stephenson on The West Block.“We are the party that has been talking about the policies that had they been in place when the pandemic hit, would have made all the difference in the world,” she said, referencing universal pharmacare, long-term care reform and a guaranteed livable income.Paul, an activist and lawyer who once served as an adviser to the International

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Newfoundland needs help as coronavirus cuts off tourism, fishing work: premier

Newfoundland is facing troubling economic times because of the coronavirus pandemic and without help from the federal government, things will likely only get worse, says the premier.In an interview with The West Block‘s Mercedes Stephenson, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball said the province is struggling under the combination of low oil prices, a border shutdown cutting off vital tourism and coronavirus restrictions crippling the fishing season and processing plants.“It’s been a tough start to 2020 for Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Ball.“What we need right now, is support from the federal government.”Newfoundland is one of several provinces with rich natural resources that are not eligible for transfer payments under the

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1 in 10 Canadian businesses may never recover from coronavirus, industry group says

novel coronavirus restrictions and reopening, but some Canadian business groups are concerned that many enterprises won’t be able to bounce back.“We’re hearing from our members directly that about 10 to 12 per cent of them have serious questions about whether they will ever reopen at this stage, that they are looking at this point to either winding down their businesses or potentially going bankrupt,” Canadian Federation of Independent Business president Dan Kelly said in an interview with Global News Ottawa Bureau Chief Mercedes Stephenson on Sunday’s episode of The West Block.“If you extrapolate that for the full economy, that means that we could have 100,000 businesses or more permanently closing their doors, leaving huge gaps on every

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Canada to allow seasonal foreign workers but they must self-isolate, minister says

Seasonal farm workers coming from foreign countries will be permitted to return to Canada, but they will have to self-isolate for 14 days in order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, Immigration and Citizenship Minister Marco Mendocino said Sunday.

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United States	Cases: 46 252 513 Deaths: 750 423 Recovered: 0
India	Cases: 34 321 025 Deaths: 459 652 Recovered: 0
Brazil	Cases: 21 835 785 Deaths: 608 235 Recovered: 0
United Kingdom	Cases: 9 215 683 Deaths: 141 607 Recovered: 0
Russia	Cases: 8 494 589 Deaths: 237 619 Recovered: 0