Hello,
A prisoner exchange with China is not happening, Justin Trudeau says.
The idea has been floated by Chrétien-era Liberals such as John Manley and Eddie Goldenberg, who say it would solve the vexing problem of how to improve Canada-China relations.
Those relations became a problem when Canadian police – on the request of U.S. authorities – arrested Chinese businesswoman Meng Wanzhou at the Vancouver airport on Dec. 1, 2018, for possible extradition to the United States, where she is wanted on charges of fraud related to alleged skirting of the sanctions on Iran.
Ms. Meng is among the business elite in China. The Chinese government decided the best way to secure her release was to punish Canadians by arresting two – Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig – and taking economic measures, such as the banning of some Canadian agricultural products.
Those who disagree with Mr. Manley, Mr. Goldenberg and others say that by giving into China’s demands, Canada would be tacitly endorsing the taking of hostages to resolve diplomatic spats.
Mr. Trudeau told reporters in Winnipeg this morning that for him the decision to proceed as normal is not a difficult one.
“We are a country of the rule of law and we will abide by the rule of law,” Mr. Trudeau said.
Ms. Meng’s extradition hearings continue this week.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says gun-control measures will be introduced in stages. First up is funding for communities affected by gun violence, which can be done in the next budget. Further down the line are legislative changes that create bans, such as barring sales of assault-style rifles and allowing cities to ban handguns. Beyond that will be a buyback program for firearms already out in the public.
Opposition parties won their bid to call Dominic Barton, the Canadian ambassador to Beijing, to testify at a special committee about the decline of the Canada-China relationship.
Seven years ago, The Globe and Mail analyzed voting records and found that MPs voted with their parties nearly 99 per cent of the time. Now the Samara Centre of Democracy has done a count of the last Parliament (2015-2019) and found that the party solidarity has gotten even more, well, solid: MPs now vote with their whip 99.6 per cent of the time.
Some people are criticizing Mr. Trudeau for eating locally made Winnipeg donuts.
Canadian hospitals and airports are girding for the arrival of a new virus from China that is similar to SARS.
And Prince Harry has arrived in Canada. He is joining his wife Meghan and son Archie on Vancouver Island. Mr. Trudeau said this morning he has not talked to the Queen about having Meghan and Harry living in Canada part-time, nor has there been any updates about what the security costs to the government would be.
Globe and Mail editorial board on objecting to royals living in Canada: “This isn’t about ditching the monarchy. It’s about protecting it. The Queen’s decision announced on Saturday, under which Harry remains a member of the Queen’s biological family, but is no longer a member of the Royal Family, is a neat bit of splitting hairs, and heirs. It answers the concern about a Royal resident changing Canada’s distant, yet solid relationship to the Crown. Harry is no longer a Royal. Problem solved.”
Cynthia Reyes (The Globe and Mail) on the relentless British attacks on Meghan and Harry: “One only has to read a week’s worth of any British tabloid’s royal coverage to realize that attacking the Royal Family and other famous people is a key plank in its business model. If bad new sells, salacious news about famous people is a gold mine. Harry and Meghan provide the richest vein.”
André Picard (The Globe and Mail) on the coronavirus spreading from China: “So, the burning question becomes: Is another global public health disaster inevitable? Thankfully, the answer to that is ‘No.’ The world learned a lot from its missteps during the SARS crisis – no country more so than Canada.”
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