Trudeau preoccupied with Turkey’s coup response, urges respect for democracy
OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada has told Turkey to respect the rule of law as it moves against the plotters of its failed coup.
Speaking in French, Trudeau says he is preoccupied with the state of Turkey’s democracy, and that has been communicated to the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Turkish leader has moved swiftly against those he believes are responsible, firing 262 military court judges and prosecutors, tens of thousands of teachers, academics, and government employees across several sectors. He also revoked the credentials of 34 journalists.
Amnesty International is accusing Turkey of mounting a crackdown of “exceptional proportions” and called on the government to respect human rights and freedom of expression.
Canadian envoy fires back against ‘inflated rhetoric’ on softwood lumber in US
OTTAWA— David MacNaughton, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., is firing back at a group of American senators who signed a public letter containing what he calls inflated rhetoric about Canadian softwood lumber.
Earlier this week, 25 senators sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman that alleged Canadian lumber is subsidized, unfairly traded, and has had decades’ worth of well-documented adverse economic impacts in the U.S.
MacNaughton shot back July 20 in a missive of his own to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, saying that despite repeated investigations and litigation over the past 35 years there have never been findings of a countervailing subsidy or of an adverse impact that has survived legal challenge.
Premiers close to agreeing on inquiry into missing, murdered aboriginal women
WHITEHORSE—Provincial and territorial premiers, in Whitehorse for their annual summer meeting, say there’s a high degree of support for an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said individual provinces may have specific concerns, but there’s significant consensus among her colleagues going forward.
Quebec’s Philippe Couillard said his province wants to ensure that allegations in his province of police sexual abuse of aboriginal women are included. He says it would be better to have one inquiry rather than two parallel investigations.
The federal government is expected to release details about the inquiry shortly.
Trudeau vows new child benefit will meet poverty reduction targets
AYLMER, Que.—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is committed to making sure its new child benefit rolled out on July 20 does lift children out of poverty.
Trudeau says the benefit, which is expected to help 300,000 children, is the most significant measure Canada has ever taken to reduce poverty rates.
During the election, the Liberals promised to lift about 315,000 children out of poverty via a benefit that would add to family income and bring them above the income cut-off used to determine poverty.
Trudeau says the $23 billion a year program will help pay for food, after-school activities, new clothes, shoes, and other things that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
Post-ISIL challenges come into focus as Canada attends Washington meeting
OTTAWA—Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan were in Washington July 20 with representatives from dozens of other countries to discuss the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant—and what comes after.
The tone from U.S. officials is that the military campaign against ISIL has been going better than expected, with the militant group on the verge of defeat in Iraq and Syria.
With military victory apparently in sight, attention is now shifting to longer term challenges. That includes stopping the spread of terrorism, and helping Iraq find its feet after years of divisive bloodshed and begin down the road of reconciliation and recovery.
Canada and others pledged more than $2 billion in emergency aid and long-term development.
No word from Cuban softball players who didn’t show at B.C. tournament
SURREY—A pair of Cuban softball players who failed to show up for the Women’s World Softball Championship in Surrey, B.C., have not had any contact with their team for three days.
Tournament spokeswoman Laura Ballance said she notified the RCMP when the women did not arrive for the first game on July 17 and that the Canada Border Services Agency is involved.
“It’s complicated because they’re actually on a six-month visitor visa so they technically haven’t done anything wrong,” she said in an interview July 20. “But they’re not with their team.”
Ballance said it’s unclear whether the women were trying to defect instead of playing in the 10-day tournament involving 31 countries.
With files from The Canadian Press
