CanadaMar 12, 2021
PM Trudeau side-stepping any responsibility for allegations of sexual misconduct against former chief of defence
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is side-stepping any responsibility for allegations of sexual misconduct against former chief of defence, General Jonathan Vance. He says it was not up to him to investigate allegations three years ago. But Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole says Trudeau did not take the proper steps when allegations against Vance were first brought to light in 2018. He says Trudeau failed to show leadership. The comments in the House of Commons today came after Trudeau revealed this week that his staff knew about the existence of an allegation of sexual misconduct by Vance in 2018
CanadaMar 11, 2021
'We will remember them': Canada marks national day of observance for Covid-19 victims
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rose in the House of Commons Thursday, one year after COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, and said March 11, 2020 will always be marked by a before and an after. Since the pandemic began, 2.5 million people around the world have died due to COVID-19, with more than 22,000 of them in Canada. ``For families and close ones, each death has a before and an after,'' Trudeau said.``Since the great wars of the 20th century, there is a sentence we often evoke, and it's a sentence that we can bring back for those that we lost this year during the pandemic: We will rem
CanadaMar 11, 2021
PMO knew existence of allegations against Vance, not specifics, in 2018: PM Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his office knew there was an allegation of sexual misconduct against then-defence chief Gen. Jonathan Vance in 2018. But Trudeau says he and others in government did not know the specifics of the allegation until a Global News report last month. The prime minister made the comments this afternoon in the House of Commons, confirming that then-military ombudsman Gary Walbourne spoke to Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan about an allegation against Vance in March 2018. Trudeau says his office knew that Sajjan had directed Walbourne to take the allegation to "indepe
CanadaMar 10, 2021
Vaccination efforts stepped up but COVID-19 still a threat
Health authorities have stepped up COVID-19 vaccination efforts as a consistent spread of new infections and related deaths continue. As a result, the Public Health Agency of Canada urges caution in the lifting of anti-pandemic restrictions. Dr. Theresa Tam, the country's chief public health officer, has repeated a warning that the vast majority of Canadians can still get COVID-19. She says infections had been declining nationally from mid-January through mid-February, but have now levelled off. She says "with the continued increase of cases and outbreaks associated with more contagious varia
CanadaMar 10, 2021
Military reservist who rammed Rideau Hall gate with truck sentenced to six years
A Manitoba man who rammed a gate at Rideau Hall before arming himself and heading on foot toward Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's home last July was sentenced today to six years in prison. Corey Hurren, a 46 year old sausage-maker and military reservist, had faced 21 weapons charges and one of threatening the prime minister. He pleaded guilty last month to seven weapons charges related to possession of prohibited or restricted firearms "for a purpose contrary to the public peace" and one charge of mischief by wilfully causing $100,000 worth of damage to the Rideau Hall gate. In delivering the
CanadaMar 10, 2021
More than two million doses of vaccine deliveries from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna expected in two weeks: Health Canada
Health Canada expects more than two million doses of vaccine to be delivered from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna in two weeks. Pfizer alone will ship more than a million doses a week itself between March 22 and April 18. Pfizer recently said it would increase its planned shipments to Canada by 1.5 million doses before the end of March, and send an extra million doses in both April and May. The company has now confirmed its delivery schedule through mid-April, shipping 1.2 million doses the weeks of March 22 and March 29, and one million doses the weeks of April 5 and April 18. To date, Canada ha
CanadaMar 10, 2021
Bank of Canada keeps key interest rate target on hold at 0.25 per cent
The Bank of Canada is keeping its key interest rate target on hold at 0.25 per cent, saying economic conditions still require it even if things are going better than anticipated.In a statement, the central bank says it expects economic growth in the first quarter of 2021 to be positive, as opposed to its previous forecast in January for a contraction to start the year.The bank's senior decision-makers say resilience in the economy has to do with consumers and businesses adapting to new rounds of lockdowns and restrictions.The statement also points to a stronger-than-expected housing market as
CanadaMar 09, 2021
Now not the time to talk about breaking with the monarchy, Trudeau says
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to comment on the Meghan and Harry interview, but said he's not interested in conversations about getting rid of the British monarchy. Asked how he reconciles his support for the monarchy with his stated desire to rid Canada of a legacy of colonialism, Trudeau said many institutions in Canada are built around colonialism and systematic racism, including Parliament, and said the answer is to listen Canadians who face discrimination so that institutions can be fixed. "The answer is not to suddenly toss out all the institutions and start over," Tru
CanadaMar 09, 2021
PM Trudeau says, pace of vaccination in Canada is "accelerating significantly"
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the pace of vaccination in Canada is "accelerating significantly." Trudeau told an Ottawa news conference the government is working tirelessly every day to acquire and distribute more doses.Trudeau says half-a-million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine were delivered last week and are being distributed to provinces. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says there's still no firm date for when Johnson & Johnson will send its COVID-19 vaccine to Canada. Health Canada approved the vaccine for use last week but the company has reported production delays could t