In the news today: Trudeau to meet premiers after Trump tariff threat

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Trudeau to meet with premiers today following Trump tariff threat

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to meet with the country’s premiers this afternoon, after they asked for an urgent meeting on U.S.-Canada relations ahead of the incoming Donald Trump administration. That request came on Monday before the U.S. president-elect threatened to impose a 25-per-cent import tariff on goods coming from Canada and Mexico. Trump said in a social media post on Monday night that he would keep the tariffs in place until Canada and Mexico stop illegal border crossings and prevent drugs such as fentanyl from entering the U.S. The House of Commons held an emergency debate on the threat Tuesday night, following a request by the NDP and the Conservatives. Trudeau and the premiers will hold a virtual meeting at 5 p.m. today.

N.S. Tories returned to power with majority

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said he needed a strong, fresh mandate to negotiate with the federal government on issues such as carbon pricing. And in Tuesday’s election, voters gave the Progressive Conservative leader what he wanted. With most polls reporting, the Tories were elected or leading in 42 of the province’s 55 ridings, the NDP had nine, the Liberals had three and there was one Independent. The result in Liberal Leader Zach Churchill’s riding was too close to call, flipping back and forth between him and Tory candidate Nick Hilton. Meanwhile, the Liberal vote collapsed, with the party losing official Opposition status to the New Democrats.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

NDP says Liberals must expand rebates

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says while he supports the Liberal plan to give Canadians a GST break during the holidays, he won’t back the $250 rebate proposal unless the government expands eligibility to the most vulnerable. The Liberals announced a plan last week to cut the federal sales tax on a raft of items such as toys and restaurant meals for two months, and to give $250 to more than 18.7 million Canadians in the spring. Speaking after a Canadian Labour Congress event in Ottawa, Singh said he’s open to passing the GST legislation, but the rebate needs to include seniors, students, people who are on disability benefits and those who were not able to work last year.

Alberta town over the moon for rover name game

A northern Alberta town is over the moon that it could share a name with the first Canadian rover set to explore the cold terrain of Earth’s closest celestial neighbour. Athabasca is one of four names the Canadian Space Agency has chosen for a four-wheeled rover set to scour for water on the moon in an upcoming mission. The other possible names are Courage, Glaciers and Pol-R. The agency says Athabasca refers to the Athabasca River, which begins at the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park and flows into Lake Athabasca. Mayor Robert Balay says the naming of the rover has created quite the buzz in his community, with residents encouraging one another to take part in online voting.

Canadian non-profit fields U.S. abortion pill requests

A Canadian non-profit that helps women obtain the abortion pill in countries with restrictions says it saw a fourfold increase in U.S. requests after the presidential election. The majority of inquiries came from women who were not pregnant, suggesting many want the drug on hand in case they need it, says Venny Ala-Siurua, executive director of Women on Web. Ala-Siurua, based in Montreal, says some women fear abortions could become illegal or harder to access in the U.S. after Donald Trump takes office. In the 10 days leading up to the Nov. 5 election, Ala-Siurua says the non-profit received 35 requests per day coming from the United States. In the 10 days after, they got 145 per day. Women on Web does not provide the abortion pill directly, but rather connects people to doctors and pharmacies that can prescribe and dispense the drug.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024.

The Canadian Press