Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
The Canadian government welcomed today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down the legal justification for some tariffs Donald Trump has imposed on Canada and other countries.
Steven Chase reports that the decision does not affect levies the U.S. President imposed on Canadian steel, aluminum and autos.
The Supreme Court decision focuses on duties that were imposed using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. These include “fentanyl tariffs” imposed on Canada, Mexico and China, and the “Liberation Day” or “reciprocal” tariffs placed on the rest of the world.
The President reacted to the Supreme Court’s decision by announcing he would impose a new 10-per-cent global tariff using a different piece of legislation.
He said he would also ramp up the use of sectoral tariffs, which are imposed using Section 232 of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The U.S. Department of Commerce has already launched a number of additional Section 232 investigations into various industries, including aircraft, critical minerals and pharmaceuticals.
Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for North American trade, said the decision buttresses Canada’s arguments against the levies.
“The United States Supreme Court’s decision reinforces Canada’s position that the IEEPA tariffs imposed by the United States are unjustified,” Mr. LeBlanc said in a statement.
In other news, Canada has a new chief public health officer.
Kristy Kirkup reports that Dr. Joss Reimer is replacing Dr. Theresa Tam, who retired in June after becoming a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reimer was chief medical officer for the Winnipeg health authority, and was medical lead for Manitoba’s COVID-19 vaccine implementation task force.
She is also the past president of the Canadian Medical Association.
Reimer is set to begin her three-year term on April 1.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House on Friday.Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
What else is going on
Alberta Premier defends fall referendum plans: Premier Danielle Smith says she does not know how much newcomers cost Alberta’s health care and education systems, despite arguing that Ottawa’s immigration policies are jeopardizing her province’s finances.
Ottawa updates advice for First Nations people crossing U.S. border: First Nations people are being urged to carry a passport in addition to a status card when crossing the border.
Churchill port operator partners with Fednav to study year-round shipping: Arctic Gateway Group said today the companies will examine the operational considerations of using icebreakers to lengthen what is now a four-month shipping season because of Hudson Bay’s winter and spring ice coverage.
NDP leadership candidates pitch their plans to rebuild party: The five candidates took part in the final official debate this week, with an acknowledgment they agree on policies, but have different visions for how to rebuild the party.
Bloc Québécois proposes banks be held liable for customer fraud losses: Bloc finance critic Jean-Denis Garon made the case for an amendment to the budget bill to require banks to reimburse customers who fall victim to fraud.
Ontario community moves to rename Prince Andrew Island: Prince Andrew Island is located on the Otonabee River that runs by Lakefield, Ont., where the discredited member of the Royal Family went to school for a term.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Day: Mark Carney had no public events scheduled for today.
Party Leaders: No schedules released.
Ministers on the Road: Energy Minister Tim Hodgson has been in Warsaw and Paris this week, promoting Canadian nuclear technology in Poland and attending the International Energy Agency ministerial meeting in France.
Today, International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu is in the Ontario city of Waterloo to talk about the Defence Industrial Strategy.
In Thunder Bay, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu announced support for the city’s aviation industry and Northern Ontario’s participation in Canada’s defence sector.
In Halifax, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced $1.2-million in federal funding to reduce youth involvement in gangs and violent crime in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
In Vancouver, Housing Minister Gregor Robertson participated in an on-stage discussion at a gathering of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. Also in Vancouver, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon, also the Government House Leader, addressed the media with B.C. Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth after a meeting of the Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety.
Tonight, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne attends a federal Liberal Party fundraiser in the Quebec riding of Brome-Missisquoi.
Quote of the Day
“Canada said, ‘I hope you win this decision because if you don’t win, you’ll actually be allowed to charge us, with a little additional work, higher tariffs.’” - U.S. President Donald Trump responds to the U.S Supreme Court ruling against his use of emergency powers to impose tariffs.
Question period
On this day in 1959, the Canadian government announced the cancellation of the AVRO CF-105 Arrow interceptor jet-fighter project. The decision echoes through to today. Who was the defence minister at the centre of the debate?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Does striking down Trump’s ‘emergency’ tariffs make it better or worse for Canada?
Canada’s long nightmare over U.S. tariffs is poised to change. But whether that is for better or worse depends on who within Canada we are talking about – which industry and, by extension, which province.
— Carlo Dade, director for international policy and the New North America Initiative at the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary
Does the Conservative Party of Canada want to be a MAGA branch plant?
For the vast majority of Canadians, Mr. Trump is a unifying figure. When he credits himself for Prime Minister Mark Carney’s election, he’s not lying.
— Tony Keller, Columnist
Can the U.S. finally just shut up about Canada’s defence spending?
There has been an obsession in recent times with raw defence spending numbers, as if they are the sole criteria for gauging a country’s war-and-peace performance. It ignores so many other variables, and it has allowed Mr. Trump, whose US$1-trillion Pentagon budget is more than that of the next eight or nine NATO countries’ military spending combined, to lord it over everyone, Canada included.
— Lawrence Martin, Public Affairs Columnist
Go deeper
- Follow along for our stories on Canada-U.S. relations as news develops
- Get the latest insight and analysis from our political opinion writers
Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.
The answer to today’s question: George Pearkes, a veteran of both the First and Second World wars was an MP from B.C. who served as defence minister from 1957 to 1960.