Canada column for
Sunday, June 30/19
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
There is no word on
whether any progress was made at the G20 summit in Japan to have China release
two Canadians being “arbitrarily held” in detention.
Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau was seen having several informal discussions with China’s
President Xi Jinping but he hasn’t indicated if the case was discussed.
President Donald
Trump and other world leaders have offered their support to Canada as the
Chinese have refused to talk to any senior Canadian government officials.
It was felt the
detentions of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor and the resentencing of Canadian
Robert Schellenberg to death for a drug conviction is in
retaliation.
The events happened
soon after Canada placed China’s Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou
under house arrest in Vancouver.
The U.S. asked
Canada to make the arrest to seek extradition on allegations of fraud in
violating Iran sanctions.
Relations have been
further strained when China banned the import of Canadian meat and other agricultural
products.
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Ontario’s top court
has ruled the Canadian government’s controversial carbon pricing scheme is
constitutionally sound for fighting climate change.
Canada has the
jurisdiction to legislate matters of “national concern,” Chief Justice George
Strathy said.
The Ontario
government, which brought the action, plans to appeal.
Premier Doug Ford
said the carbon charge against major polluters is an illegal tax in violation
of the Constitution.
---
News in brief:
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford has sent fellow politicians off for an
extra-long summer break – until Oct. 28 after the federal election. As he adjourned
the legislature, the Conservative leader faced slumping popularity after his
first year in office. To regroup, Ford demoted several major cabinet members to
form a new team.
- A jump in Canadian inflation has pushed Canada’s dollar higher. Consumer
prices accelerated in May by 2.4 percent from a year ago. This prompted
economists to say it appears Canada is coming out of an economic slowdown.
There were higher prices in all major groups including food, transportation and
housing.
- Air Canada has reached a $520-million takeover of the travel company
Air Transat. The Transat name will remain and its head office stays in Montreal.
“Travellers will benefit from the merged companies’ enhanced capabilities in
the highly competitive, global leisure travel market and from access to new
destinations, more connecting traffic and increased frequencies,” Air Canada
chief executive Calin Rovinescu said.
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Facts and figures:
The Canadian dollar
is higher at 76.19 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.312 Canadian before
exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s
key interest rate is steady at 1.75 percent while the prime-lending rate is 3.95
percent.
Stock markets are lower, with the Toronto
exchange index at 16,382 points and the TSX Venture index at 585 points.
The average price for gas in Canada is higher at
$1.21 a liter or $4.59 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto 6/49: (June 26) 4, 10, 17, 24, 26 and 33; bonus 2.
(June 22) 15, 16, 34, 35, 38 and 44; bonus 43. (Lotto Max: (June 25) 2, 14,
15, 23, 27, 44 and 45; bonus 8. (June 21) 11, 16, 17, 20, 42, 44 and 50; bonus 31.
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Regional briefs:
- Mandarin restaurants,
an Ontario-based restaurant chain, is being criticized for offering a side of
discrimination on its Canada Day special. To mark the chain’s 40th anniversary
in Canada, the 29 restaurants are offering free dining on Monday to anyone
showing proof of their Canadian citizenship. The offer is to “show our
appreciation for Canada,” said James Chiu, president and co-founder. “It seems
a case of putting dim sum before dignity,” said attorney Ted Flett.
- In a patriotic
nod to Canada Day, July 1, the country’s birthday, a Saskatoon man paid for an
$800 canoe with Canadian Tire money. Tomas Terfloth gathered up a suitcase full
of the automotive chain’s cash-back bills. It started as a joke when Terfloth
spread the word of his goal and he received many large donations. He was last
seen heading off to Emma Lake for the Canada Day long weekend.
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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