Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Invokes The Emergencies Act

[Rick Plant]

Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and Secretary Austin Visit NORAD
https://www.c-span.org/video/?520895-1/canadian-prime-minister-trudeau-secretary-austin-visit-norad

[Rick Plant]

Canada, California to partner on climate action and nature protection

LOS ANGELES - Canada and California are kindred progressive spirits on climate change, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday as he and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled a new blueprint for working together to stave off the worst consequences of a warming planet.

The framework signed by Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and Environmental Protection Secretary Jared Blumenfeld, their respective bosses standing behind them, includes modest expansions on a similar 2019 agreement.

It also advances policy and regulatory steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants in both jurisdictions, as well as conservation measures and dealing with the worsening threat of wildfires.

And it will stand the test of time, Newsom said — regardless of who is in power in the California governor's mansion, the White House or the Prime Minister's Office.

California is a $3.3-trillion a year economy, he said — the fifth-largest in the world, and a "stable partner" whose efforts to address climate issues and pollution standards have been influencing other states and countries, including Canada, for decades.

"We punch above our weight," Newsom said, describing the state as a "stable partner" whose regulatory reforms have stood the test of time and the political whims of the electorate.

"We carry a lot of weight as it relates to low-carbon green growth, as it relates to efforts to change the way we produce and consume energy — regardless of who's in the White House."

Trudeau said Canada will always find favour with a partner that's willing to make progress on issues of shared significance.

"Canada has always been a country that engages in the world, and whether it's engaging with like-minded countries or like-minded states like California, we're just there to get things done," Trudeau said.

"When we find alignment on so many things — as we always have with California, but as we specifically have under Gavin Newsom's administration — we jump on it."

Trudeau delivered an impassioned defence of his government's efforts to rebrand Canada, a country economically dependent on its fossil-fuel resources, as a champion of tackling climate change.

It's precisely because of that reputation as an oil-producing nation that Canada has extra credibility on climate issues, Trudeau said.

"Moving forward on climate change is really hard for us. We have a thriving fossil fuel industry in our country at a time where the world continues to run on fossil fuels and will for a number more years," he said.

"The fact that we have that means it's all the more important for us to step up and show real leadership on fighting climate change, and that's exactly what we've done."

Guilbeault later described taking part in a Summit of the Americas meeting to document progress on the Global Methane Pledge, an international effort to target one of the most powerful greenhouse gases.

Canada has committed to reducing methane emissions, which can be between 20 to 80 per cent worse for the atmosphere than CO2, by 30 per cent by 2030, Guilbeault said.

"We can get a big bang for our buck in terms of emissions reduction and in terms of preventing increases in temperatures," he said.

"If we reduce global emissions of methane by 30 per cent between now and 2030, it's 0.5 C that we're basically sucking out of the atmosphere. Less warming means less climate change."

The fellowship between Newsom and Trudeau, two progressive leaders in their early 50s who cut a similar silhouette, was evident from the moment they met on the front steps of the California Science Center.

The pair chatted and laughed out loud at each other's jokes as they sat down for a brief luncheon meeting before their joint news conference, where Newsom joked about Trudeau's popularity with his staff, a lack of term limits in Canada and how he himself is a "future ex-governor of California."

The bonhomie gave way to a more sombre meeting later Thursday between Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden at the Summit of the Americas.

Biden agreed during that meeting that he would finally pay an in-person visit to Canada in the coming months, his first since becoming president in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With Trudeau seated next to him, Biden delivered the standard White House greeting about the U.S. having "no better friend in the world than Canada" and said he and the prime minister share a similar vision for the hemisphere.

"I think we both share the same sense that the possibilities for our hemisphere are unlimited," Biden said, calling it the "most democratic hemisphere in the world."

Trudeau responded by saying it's "extraordinarily important" for close partners like Canada and the U.S. to be there for each other and for allies around the world.

"The work that we can do on supporting and projecting and sharing our values is a way of actually supporting and impacting citizens around the world," Trudeau said.

Doing so, he said, helps make the case "that democracy is not just fairer, but it's also better for citizens, putting food on the table, putting futures in front of them."

The federal government's official readout of the meeting mentioned their mutual support of Ukraine in its fight against Russia, and that Trudeau also brought up Canada's support for NATO and the plan to modernize the continental defence system known as Norad.

Trudeau also "expressed his support" for Biden's proposed hemispheric "Partnership for Economic Prosperity," but the readout did not mention whether Canada has been invited to take part.

Trudeau also committed to working closely with the U.S. and other partners "to respond to the current humanitarian, protection, and irregular migration challenges in the region."

They also discussed supply chains and co-operating on securing critical minerals.

The White House readout went further, saying the two "discussed the potential of developing critical minerals in both countries," as well as "joint efforts" to protect supply chains from "external shocks."

Trudeau also made the point that U.S. duties on Canadian softwood lumber "are placing further pressure on home prices and affordability."

Trudeau also sat down Thursday with the president of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, before sitting down with Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company.

Argentina and Canada have a lot of "common ground" on shared values, including climate change and gender equality, Fernández said.

"Canada is a great country and has a great prime minister," he said. "There's a lot for us to do together."

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/canada-california-to-partner-on-climate-action-and-nature-protection-1.5939445

[Rick Plant]

Trudeau aims for big finish on final day of Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles
https://www.rmotoday.com/national-news/canadas-soa-commitment-27m-on-irregular-migration-4000-more-migrants-by-2028-5464169

[Rick Plant]

Canada's SOA commitment: $27M on irregular migration, 4,000 more migrants by 2028
https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/canada-s-soa-commitment-27m-on-irregular-migration-4-000-more-migrants-by-2028-1.5941714

[Rick Plant]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden

June 9, 2022
Los Angeles, California

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, to reiterate their commitment to deepening the Canada-U.S. partnership on a wide range of bilateral, regional, and global challenges.

The leaders discussed Putin’s illegal and unjustifiable military aggression against Ukraine, the immense human grief and suffering, and stressed their unwavering commitment to continue supporting the government and people of Ukraine. The leaders agreed to continue their close cooperation on sanctions alignment, and on economic, humanitarian, military, and other forms of assistance, and to continue working with partners and allies to maintain unity in the face of Russia’s disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and the rules-based international order.

The Prime Minister noted Canada’s commitment to the defence and security of NATO Allies, and of the North American continent. He outlined Canada’s recent defence spending commitments in Budget 2022, and discussed support of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernization.

On the Summit of the Americas, the Prime Minister and the President shared their mutual commitment to the Summit theme of “Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future.” The Prime Minister noted his commitment to supporting inclusive economic growth, pandemic recovery, climate action, the green transition, and democratic resilience in the hemisphere. The Prime Minister expressed his support for President Biden’s Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, and looked forward to working together with the President and other hemispheric partners to advance the well-being of people across the hemisphere.

The Prime Minister and President discussed irregular migration and forced displacement, and reiterated their commitment to working together to address the root causes of migration. The Prime Minister expressed his support for the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, and his commitment to enhance cooperation with the U.S. and other partners to respond to the current humanitarian, protection, and irregular migration challenges in the region.

The Prime Minister and President discussed the ongoing crisis in Haiti.

The leaders noted the polarizing effects of disinformation, and the grave threat it poses to civil societies, especially in Russia.

The Prime Minister and President discussed their mutual commitment to enhancing collaboration on regional security and good governance in the Indo-Pacific region, and with regards to their respective relationships with China. They recognized Canada’s recent announcement that it intends to implement a new telecommunications security framework, and to prohibit the inclusion of Huawei and ZTE’s products and services in Canada’s 5G networks.

The Prime Minister and the President renewed their commitment to supply chain security and resilience and noted the release earlier today of the U.S.-Canada/Canada-U.S. Supply Chains Working Group Progress Report.

The leaders also noted progress made under the Joint Action Plan on Critical Minerals, and discussed the importance of taking further action bilaterally. They also stressed their commitment to working with like-minded partners to drive investment to mining, minerals processing and recycling projects, including for those critical minerals which are core inputs for electric vehicles, advanced batteries, and other clean energy technologies.

The leaders noted the recent challenges with global energy markets and reiterated the importance of working together to strengthen Canada-U.S. energy security. They recognized the opportunity that enhanced Canada-U.S. energy collaboration offers for our collective energy security, that domestic energy security and climate action are increasingly and inextricably tied together, and that the clean energy transition will deliver energy security and a sustainable future for generations to come.

The Prime Minister and the President therefore noted their shared commitment to combatting climate change and accelerating the green transition.

The Prime Minister and the President noted the importance of continuing to promote and nurture trade and investment ties. The Prime Minister noted that the imposition of duties on Canadian softwood lumber are placing further pressure on home prices and affordability. 

The Prime Minister and the President noted the uniqueness of the Canada-U.S. partnership, and the broad and deep people-to-people ties that bind us together, and stressed their mutual commitment to continuing to deepen the relationship for the benefit of all of our citizens.

The leaders agreed that the President will visit Canada in the coming months.

https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/readouts/2022/06/09/prime-minister-justin-trudeau-meets-president-united-states-america-joe

[Rick Plant]

'I don’t regret anything’: Tyson Billings (aka Freedom George) pleads guilty to convoy charge
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-press-newsalert-key-freedom-convoy-figure-pleads-guilty-to-mischief

[Rick Plant]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with President of Rwanda Paul Kagame

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, about the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali.

Prime Minister Trudeau looked forward to travelling to Rwanda next week and to meeting with President Kagame. The two leaders exchanged views on their objectives and the path forward for the modernization and renewal of the Commonwealth, noting the importance of substantive discussions on climate, youth employment, and innovation. The Prime Minister also emphasized the need for countries in the Commonwealth to promote democracy, human rights, and pluralism in line with the Commonwealth Charter.

The two leaders exchanged views on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and noted that the invasion was contrary to foundational principles of the Commonwealth. Prime Minister Trudeau reiterated that the invasion was an affront to the fundamental principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, self-determination, and international law, and expressed that it is important for the Commonwealth summit to provide an opportunity for member countries to stand up for democracy and denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The leaders discussed the impact of the resulting supply chain disruptions, price hikes, and increasing food security issues, that have hit Africa particularly hard.

The two leaders also spoke about the growing depth and scope of bilateral relations. Prime Minister Trudeau looked forward to a fulsome discussion on these issues at next week’s meetings.