Canada column for
Sunday, Nov. 3/19
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
There are signals
that U.S. lawmakers are preparing to vote soon to ratify a modified version of
the North American trade pact.
Democratic House
speaker Nancy Pelosi said congressional Democrats and the Trump administration
are close to resolving differences over the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Richard Neal, chairman
of the U.S. House ways and means committee, will travel to Ottawa Wednesday to
meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia
Freeland to discuss the ratification process.
Pelosi has had
misgivings about conditions concerning labor, enforcement, prescription drugs
and environmental standards.
Waiting patiently
are Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who had discussions
after the Canadian election last month.
“We agree to
maintain good relations and continue to convince U.S. congressmen about the
importance of approving the agreement for the benefit of the three nations,”
the Mexican leader said.
U.S. Trade
Representative Robert Lighthizer is working to get the deal ratified and it is
something that President Trump believes would benefit him in his re-election bid.
---
Recounts have been ordered
in three districts with close results in the Oct. 21 election.
The results in
British Columbia’s Port Moody-Coquitlam gave Conservative Nelly Shin a win by 153
votes.
In Montreal’s Hochelaga,
it will review Liberal Soraya Martinez Ferrada’s win by 328 votes.
Also to be reviewed
are the results in Quebec riding where Liberal cabinet minister Jean-Yves
Duclos won by 325 votes.
Results won’t
change the overall outcome as the Trudeau Liberals won the most seats in the
House of Commons and the Conservatives will remain the official Opposition.
---
News in brief:
- The Quebec
government has passed the most restrictive cannabis law in Canada, raising the
legal age to 21 from 18 on Jan. 1. It will also outlaw consumption of marijuana
in most public areas effective now while cities can adopt their own bylaws. The
cannabis growers association said the laws will push the most vulnerable users
to the black market.
- Canada’s central
bank left its key interest rate steady while warning the country isn’t immune
to the negative effects of slowing global growth. Bank of Canada Governor
Stephen Poloz said the Canadian economy has held up well and inflation is close
to its target. The lack of a rate change reflects the bank’s view that Canada is
an exception among advanced economies that are responding to a fading global
economy.
---
Facts and figures:
The Canadian dollar
is lower at 76.12 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.313 Canadian before
bank exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s
key interest rate remains steady at 1.75 percent while the prime-lending rate
is 3.95 percent.
Canadian stock markets are mixed with the Toronto
exchange index up at 16,594 points and the TSX Venture index lower at 541
points.
The average price for gas in Canada is lower at
$1.14 a liter or $4.33 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto Max: (Oct. 29) 10, 17, 18, 22, 23, 25 and 34;
bonus 37. (Oct. 25) 6, 11, 16, 18, 23, 26 and 40; bonus 45.
Lotto 6/49: (Oct.
30) 23, 30, 33, 34, 41 and 45; bonus 31. (Oct. 26) 4, 12, 15, 26, 43 and 44;
bonus 2.
---
Regional briefs:
- November got off
to a chilly start with a widespread sprinkling of snow to several inches north
of Toronto from lake-enhanced snow off Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. With
temperatures around freeing and high winds and showers, there were power
outages across Ontario. The Weather Network said the colder-than-normal
temperatures resulted from a “cross polar flow delivering Arctic air directly
from Siberia to central Canada.”
- The British
Columbia government is looking at eventually making daylight time permanent,
instead of the twice-yearly changes to and from standard time. The falling back
one hour this weekend will happen but a bill would look at making no changes
and calling it the Pacific Time Zone. Health and wellness were the main reasons
people gave in supporting the change.
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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