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☆ Canada says Alberta leaving CPP would add to economic uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Susana Vera/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - If the Canadian province of Alberta carries out a threat to withdraw from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) it would add to economic uncertainty and hurt everyone in the country, federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Friday. The so-called Alberta Pension Protection Act would require Albertans to vote in favor of a pension plan for the province during a public referendum before the provincial government would seek to withdraw assets, said the statement. But when asked whether she found it realistic that Alberta was entitled to 53% of CPP assets in 2027, according to a study commissioned by the Alberta government, Freeland said she did not. Freeland also cautioned that the Alberta government would need to negotiate how Canadians could live and work anywhere in Canada without jeopardizing their retirement. "Alberta would need to negotiate complex time-consuming portability agreements with the CPP and with the Quebec pension plan," she said.

Persons: Finance Chrystia Freeland, Susana Vera, Chrystia Freeland, Freeland, Danielle Smith's, Smith, Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre, Maiya Keidan, David Ljunggren, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Finance, IMF, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, Canada, federal, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Canadian, Alberta, Canada, Quebec, Toronto, Ottawa

☆ Hesse, Bavaria votes highlight discontent with Scholz's government, exit polls show
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Hesse State Premier Boris Rhein of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party gestures after the first exit polls for the Hesse state elections were published, in Wiesbaden, Germany, October 8, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Germany's opposition conservatives were on track to win state elections in Hesse and Bavaria on Sunday, according to exit polls by state broadcaster ARD, highlighting discontent with the Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-left federal government. In Hesse, the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) looked set to take 35.5% of the vote compared to 16% for Scholz's Social Democrats, dealing a personal blow to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser who ran as the SPD's lead candidate in the state. The SPD, which is traditionally weak in Bavaria, trailed with 8.5% of the vote. Meanwhile the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) made gains, rising to 16% in Hesse and 15% in Bavaria compared to 13.1% and 11.6% respectively in 2018.

Persons: Hesse State Premier Boris Rhein, Kai Pfaffenbach, Olaf Scholz's, Nancy Faeser, CDU's, Sarah Marsh, Thomas Escritt Organizations: Hesse State Premier, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, REUTERS, Rights, ARD, Christian Democrats, Scholz's Social Democrats, Christian Social Union, CSU, Free Voters, SPD, Greens, Free Democrats, Thomson Locations: Hesse, Wiesbaden, Germany, Bavaria

☆ Germany mulls possible aid suspension to Palestinians after Hamas attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israel supporters protest, following Hamas' biggest attack on Israel in years, next to the Brandenburg Gate, in Berlin, Germany, October 8, 2023. "We will now review our entire engagement for the Palestinian territories." But pushback came from the opposition Left party and the Greens, junior partner in the federal coalition. Hamas, and not all Palestinians, were responsible for the attack, said Gregor Gysi, a prominent member of the Left party. "These funds above all gave suffering people in the Palestinian territories access to food provisions and health care."

Persons: Israel, Liesa, Svenja Schulze, Armin Laschet, Mahmoud Abbas, pushback, Gregor Gysi, Luise Amtsberg, Markus Wacket, Sarah Marsh, Ros Russell, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian, Hamas, . Development, Social Democrats, West Bank, Left, Greens, Palestinian Authority, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Israel, Brandenburg, Berlin, Germany, Palestinian, Europe

☆ Tens of thousands protest against possible Catalan amnesty deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Graham Keeley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Unionist supporters protest against amnesty of separatist leaders and activists involved in the 2017 failed independence drive at Passeig de Gracia in Barcelona, Spain, October 8, 2023. Pedro Sanchez needs the support of Catalan separatist parties Junts and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, which want the unpopular amnesty in exchange for votes in parliament. An amnesty would put the government above democracy and the rule of law," said Javier Tapia, 55, a chemicals worker. The amnesty could potentially cover more than 1,400 people involved in the independence bid that came to a head in 2017, pro-separatist Catalan group Omnium estimates. Around 70% of respondents - 59% of them Socialist supporters – said they were against the idea of an amnesty in a poll in mid-September.

Persons: Passeig de Gracia, Albert Gea, Sanchez, Spain's, Pedro Sanchez, Junts, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Santiago Abascal, Javier Tapia, Isabel Martinez, Feijoo, Francisco Franco, –, Graham Keeley, Joan Faus, Horaci Garcia, Guillermo Martinez, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Passeig, REUTERS, Barcelona, BARCELONA, Spain's, Socialist, People's Party, Vox, Sale, AMNESTY, European Union, Thomson Locations: Barcelona, Spain, Catalan, Catalonia

☆ Voters in Hesse, Bavaria Seen Dealing Mid-Term Blow to Scholz's Coalition
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Sarah MarshBERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's opposition conservatives are expected to win another term in the Hesse and Bavaria state elections on Sunday, seen dealing a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left coalition and attesting to the rise of the far-right. So too has frustration with infighting in Scholz's heterogeneous three-way coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) mid-way through its term. "The coalition is suffering the mid-term blues and must reckon with losses," said Stefan Marschall, political scientist at the University of Duesseldorf. "The FDP in particular must reckon with falling out of both state parliaments which could bring greater tensions into the coalition. More striking is the fact the populist Free Voters (FW) party, which governs Bavaria in coalition with the CSU, has seen a bump in poll support of several percentage points to 15% since being swept up in an anti-semitic scandal.

Persons: Sarah Marsh BERLIN, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Stefan Marschall, Nancy Faeser, Sarah Marsh, Nick Macfie Organizations: Social Democrats, Greens, Free Democrats, University of Duesseldorf, Christian Social Union, CSU, Christian Democrats, CDU, Free Voters, FW, SPD, ARD Locations: Hesse, Bavaria, Germany, Bavarian

☆ Hesse, Bavaria Votes Highlight Discontent With Scholz's Government Exit Polls
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's opposition conservatives were on track to win state elections in Hesse and Bavaria on Sunday, according to exit polls by state broadcaster ARD, highlighting discontent with the Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-left federal government. In Hesse, the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) looked set to take 35.5% of the vote compared to 16% for Scholz's Social Democrats, dealing a personal blow to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser who ran as the SPD's lead candidate in the state. In Bavaria, CDU's sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) looked set to take 37% of the vote - its worst result since 1950 albeit likely enough to continue its coalition with the populist Free Voters on 14%. The SPD, which is traditionally weak in Bavaria, trailed with 8.5% of the vote. Meanwhile the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) made gains, rising to 16% in Hesse and 15% in Bavaria compared to 13.1% and 11.6% respectively in 2018.

Persons: Olaf Scholz's, Nancy Faeser, CDU's, Sarah Marsh, Thomas Escritt Organizations: BERLIN, ARD, Christian Democrats, CDU, Scholz's Social Democrats, Christian Social Union, CSU, Free Voters, SPD, Greens, Free Democrats Locations: Hesse, Bavaria, Germany

☆ Germany increases protection of Israeli, Jewish institutions
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Oct 8 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned on Sunday against violence spreading like wildfire "with incalculable consequences for the whole region" following the biggest attack on Israel in years by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. "The security of Israel is Germany's reason of state and we will act accordingly," he said. Scholz said he had already spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and also aimed to speak with the Egyptian president about possible mediation efforts. He added that authorities had increased the protection of Israeli and Jewish institutions in Germany in view of the attack on Israel and condemned reported celebrations of the violence on German streets. Reporting by Andreas Rinke, Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Toby Chopra and Ros RussellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Rishi Sunak, Scholz, Benjamin Netanyahu, Andreas Rinke, Sarah Marsh, Toby Chopra, Ros Russell Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, British, Israeli, Thomson Locations: Israel, Germany

The FDP looked on track to fail to reach the 5% threshold to enter parliament in Bavaria, and possibly Hesse too. They and the AfD were the only parties to make gains in the Bavaria election. Still, coalition parties were likely to continue to follow increasingly separate paths to focus on issues relevant to their core electorate in response to the bad results, he said, while all taking a tougher stance on migration. "We must in the future better communicate SPD projects and be more visible," SPD lawmaker Sebastian Roloff told German outlet Handelsblatt. Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Nick Macfie, Ros Russell and Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Scholz, Thomas Kemmerich, Jens Spahn, Spahn, Nancy Faeser, Markus Soeder, Philipp Koeker, Sebastian Roloff, Sarah Marsh, Nick Macfie, Ros Russell, Mark Porter Organizations: Social Democrats, Greens, Free Democrats, Christian Democrats, CDU, ARD, Christian Social Union, CSU, DRUBBING, Free Voters, University of Hanover, Thomson Locations: Hesse, Bavaria, BERLIN, Germany, Ukraine, Frankfurt

BERLIN, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Germany's opposition conservatives are expected to win another term in the Hesse and Bavaria state elections on Sunday, seen dealing a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left coalition and attesting to the rise of the far-right. So too has frustration with infighting in Scholz's heterogeneous three-way coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) mid-way through its term. "The coalition is suffering the mid-term blues and must reckon with losses," said Stefan Marschall, political scientist at the University of Duesseldorf. "The FDP in particular must reckon with falling out of both state parliaments which could bring greater tensions into the coalition. More striking is the fact the populist Free Voters (FW) party, which governs Bavaria in coalition with the CSU, has seen a bump in poll support of several percentage points to 15% since being swept up in an anti-semitic scandal.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Stefan Marschall, Nancy Faeser, Sarah Marsh, Nick Macfie 私 Organizations: Social Democrats, Greens, Free Democrats, University of Duesseldorf, Christian Social Union, CSU, Christian Democrats, CDU, Free Voters, FW, SPD, ARD Locations: Hesse, Bavaria, Germany, Bavarian

☆ In Australia's Outback, Indigenous Voice Proposal Struggles to Inspire
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +9 min

Experts have partly attributed the slump to misinformation, along with a lacklustre "Yes" campaign and conservative opposition. That's something I have been wondering about," he said, referring to laws allowing Indigenous Australians to claim rights to land based on traditional occupation. Reaching out to Aboriginal Australia can be challenging, as communities are scattered over vast distances and speak more than 150 languages. Votes from the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory count toward only the former. Visiting Alice Springs last month, Reuters saw "Yes" campaign posters on walls in the town centre and in government office complexes.

Persons: Praveen Menon AREYONGA, Tarna Andrews, Andrews, Sarah Gallagher, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Albert Namatjira, Patrick Oliver, Oliver, Conrad Ratara, Ratara, Les Turner, Turner, it's, Lidia Thorpe, Nampijinpa Price, Price, Kathy Coulthard, Alice Springs, Natasha McCormack, Bill Yan, Praveen Menon, Jill Gralow, David Crawshaw Organizations: Aboriginal, Torres Strait, Reuters, Labor, Voice, New, Central Land Council, Australian, Victoria Locations: Australia, Alice Springs, Areyonga, Northern Territory, New Zealand, Canada, U.S, Hermannsburg, Canberra, Northern

☆ Canada's Trudeau Apologizes After Nazi Veteran Praised in Parliament
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By David LjunggrenOTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday formally apologized after the speaker of the House of Commons praised a Nazi veteran in the chamber while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was present. Trudeau also said Ottawa had already reached out to Kyiv and Zelenskiy through diplomatic channels to apologize. Hunka, 98, was a Polish-born Ukrainian who served in one of Adolf Hitler's Waffen SS units during World War Two. Trudeau said the Liberal government had no responsibility for vetting who the speaker had invited. The official opposition Conservatives say Trudeau was ultimately responsible for what happened, given he had invited Zelenskiy to address the Canadian parliament, and accused him of negligence.

Persons: David Ljunggren OTTAWA, Justin Trudeau, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trudeau, Anthony Rota, Yaroslav Hunka, Adolf Hitler's Waffen, Zelenskiy, Hunka, David Ljunggren, Alison Williams, Paul Simao Organizations: Canadian, Wednesday, Commons, Nazi, Ottawa, Adolf Hitler's Waffen SS, Ukrainian, Liberal Locations: Kyiv, Polish, Ukrainian, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, Western, Rota's

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to media outside his office on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday formally apologized after the speaker of the House of Commons praised a Nazi veteran in the chamber while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was present. Trudeau also said Ottawa had already reached out to Kyiv and Zelenskiy through diplomatic channels to apologize. The Kremlin earlier in the day said the whole Canadian parliament should publicly condemn Nazism. The official opposition Conservatives say Trudeau was ultimately responsible for what happened, given he had invited Zelenskiy to address the Canadian parliament, and accused him of negligence.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Blair Gable, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trudeau, Anthony Rota, Yaroslav Hunka, Adolf Hitler's Waffen, Zelenskiy, Hunka, David Ljunggren, Alison Williams, Paul Simao Organizations: Canada's, REUTERS, Rights, Canadian, Wednesday, Commons, Nazi, Ottawa, Adolf Hitler's Waffen SS, Ukrainian, Liberal, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Kyiv, Polish, Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Western, Rota's

☆ 40,000 march in Spain against plans to grant amnesty to Catalan separatists
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Waving Spanish flags, supporters of the opposition conservative People’s Party (PP) traveled from across Spain to attend the rally in Madrid. Puigdemont, wanted in Spain for attempting the region’s secession, has demanded that legal action be dropped against fellow separatists as a condition for his support. Withdrawing criminal cases against the separatists would amount to granting an amnesty to “coup plotters,” he told supporters at the Madrid rally. He did not mention an amnesty but said the Socialists wanted to heal social divisions over the Catalan crisis. “We are trying to turn the page,” he told supporters.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Sanchez, Carles Puigdemont, Puigdemont, Jesús, AP Alberto Nunez Feijoo, ”, Gregorio Casteneda, “, Feijoo Organizations: CNN, Sunday, People’s Party, Authorities, Europa Press, AP, Reuters, Socialists Locations: Madrid, Spain, Catalonia, Catalunya, Santander, Spain’s, Gava, Catalonia’s, Barcelona

[1/6] A person holds a placard that reads "No to amnesty" during a rally against a possible amnesty for Catalan separatist leaders in Madrid, Spain, September 24, 2023. Waving Spanish flags, supporters of the opposition conservative People's Party (PP) travelled from across Spain to attend the rally in Madrid. Puigdemont, wanted in Spain for attempting the region's secession, has demanded that legal action be dropped against fellow separatists as a condition for his support. Withdrawing criminal cases against the separatists would amount to granting an amnesty to "coup plotters", he told supporters at the Madrid rally. He did not mention an amnesty but said the Socialists wanted to heal social divisions over the Catalan crisis.

Persons: Susana Vera, Pedro Sanchez, Sanchez, Carles Puigdemont, Puigdemont, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Gregorio Casteneda, Feijoo, Graham Keeley, Silvio Castellanos, Michael Gore, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Sunday, People's Party, Authorities, Reuters, Socialists, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain, Rights MADRID, Catalonia, Catalunya, Santander, Spain's, Gava, Catalonia's, Barcelona

BERLIN, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Germany's interior ministry is planning to force telecoms operators to slash the use of equipment from Huawei (HWT.UL) and ZTE in their 5G networks after a review highlighted an over-reliance on these Chinese suppliers, a government official said. Huawei currently accounts for 59% of Germany's 5G RAN networks, according to a survey by telecommunications consultancy Strand Consult. The interior ministry wants to present its approach to cabinet from next week but could face resistance from the ministry for digital affairs due to concerns it might affect Germany's already slow progress with digitalization. Germany is considered a laggard in implementing the European Union's toolbox of security measures for 5G networks. The interior ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Persons: Nancy, Faeser, Reinhard Brandl, Andreas Rinke, Sarah Marsh, Sabine Wollrab, Mark Potter Organizations: Huawei, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Germany's, Strand, ZTE, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, China

TORONTO, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Canada's plan to bring down food prices by tightening regulation could backfire and fail, raising the cost of doing business in the country without providing relief to consumers, lawyers and economists said. Canada's weak competition law has been long blamed for allowing a few players to dominate industries ranging from banks to telecoms and groceries. The proposed amendment will drop the so-called efficiencies defense provision, giving Canada's antitrust regulator - the Competition Bureau - the power to block deals it deems as increasing market concentration, irrespective of any cost efficiencies. Trudeau's move comes as many Canadians reel under an affordability crisis with food prices jumping 25% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Food inflation stood at around 35% in Germany and the United Kingdom - well above the 25% level of food inflation in Canada since the start of the pandemic, Scotiabank research showed.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre, Omar Wakil, Torys, Wakil, Derek Holt, Denny Thomas, Deepa Babington Organizations: Competition, Liberal, Conservative, Loblaw Co, Co, Metro Inc, Scotiabank, Antitrust, Rogers Communications, Shaw Communications, Thomson Locations: Canada, Ukraine, Germany, United Kingdom

[1/4] A person shops in the poultry section at a grocery store in Toronto, Ontario, Canada November 22, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Canada's five major grocery chains have agreed to help the government in its bid to stabilize soaring prices, a senior minister said on Monday, following talks to address an issue that is hurting the ruling Liberals. Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne made the announcement after two hours of what he said were difficult discussions with the chains. "They have agreed to support the government of Canada in our efforts to stabilize prices in Canada," Champagne told reporters, without giving details. "We're all committed to finding solutions to stabilize prices ... it's an industry issue.

Persons: Carlos Osorio, Francois, Philippe Champagne, Champagne, Eric La Fleche, We're, It's, Justin Trudeau, Karina Gould, Trudeau, Steve Scherer, David Ljunggren, Bernadette Baum, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Innovation, Metro, Walmart, Costco, Conservatives, Liberal, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Ottawa, it's

☆ Canada gov't vows draft law soon to tackle inflation, housing crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A for sale sign is displayed outside a home in Toronto, Ontario in Toronto, Ontario, Canada December 13, 2021. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week announced a tax break designed to boost the construction of new rental apartment buildings and relieve pressure on the Canadian housing market. Later on Monday, the heads of major grocery chains will meet government ministers who are demanding to see a plan to counter soaring food prices. Canadian retailers say they are not to blame for surging food prices, and instead point to food manufacturers and producers for passing on higher costs to the grocers. The grocery chains attending the meeting in Ottawa are Loblaws (L.TO), Sobeys (EMPa.TO), Metro (MRU.TO), Walmart (WMT.N) and Costco (COST.O), which together represent 80% of the Canadian market.

Persons: Carlos Osorio, Justin Trudeau, Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau, Karina Gould, Steve Scherer, David Ljunggren, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Liberal, Finance, Competition, Conservatives, Metro, Walmart, Costco, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Ottawa

☆ Canada expels Indian diplomat as it investigates India’s possible link to Sikh activist’s slaying
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a press conference following a cabinet shuffle, at Rideau Hall, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, July 26, 2023. Canada expelled a top Indian diplomat Monday as it investigates what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called credible allegations that India's government may have had links to the assassination in Canada of a Sikh activist. Trudeau told Parliament that he brought up the slaying with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G-20 last week. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said the head of Indian intelligence in Canada has been expelled as a consequence. It called on Canada to work with India on what New Delhi said is a threat to the Canadian Indian diaspora.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Trudeau, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Narendra Modi, Modi, Mélanie Joly, " Joly, Hardeep Singh, Dominic LeBlanc, Joly, Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, Pierre Poilievre, Poilievre, Jagmeet Singh, Sikh, Singh, Nijjar Organizations: Canada's, Rideau Hall, Indian, Canadian, Indian Embassy, Associated Press, Public, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, United Nations, Assembly Relations, Conservative, Opposition New, India's Ministry, External Affairs, Sikh Organization of Canada Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Indian, Surrey, British Columbia, Ottawa, India, New York City, United Kingdom, Delhi

Norway could become the first nation to make deep sea mining happen on a commercial scale if the country's parliament approves a plan to open ocean an area larger than the United Kingdom to the new industry. The mining could provide a source for such metals as copper and rare earth elements for the transition away from fossil fuels. He did not say whether SV would make support for the government's budget conditional on the issue. Still, Haltbrekken said deep sea mining was "high on our agenda" and "an important issue for us". In 2021, SV blocked the government's plans to conduct oil and gas exploration licensing round in frontier areas.

Persons: Lars Haltbrekken, Haltbrekken, SV, Victoria Klesty, Nerijus, Gwladys Fouche, Timothy Gardner Organizations: Reuters, NOAA, of Ocean Exploration, REUTERS, Rights, Labour, Centre Party, Socialist Left, SV, Conservative, Progress Party, Thomson Locations: Rights OSLO, Norway, United Kingdom

☆ Canada to remove consumption tax for new apartment buildings -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OTTAWA, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Canada will remove the federal 5% sales tax on the construction of new rental apartment buildings in a bid to boost housing supplies, a source directly familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Trudeau's Liberal government, under pressure over a lack of affordable housing, on Wednesday told cities to do more and said those who cooperated would receive federal cash. "A Poilievre government will restore the promise of Canada by building homes people can afford," he said. The deadline for the next election is October 2025 but it could come sooner. Reporting by David Ljunggren and Steve Scherer; editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre, David Ljunggren, Steve Scherer, Grant McCool Organizations: Globe and Mail, Trudeau's Liberal, Wednesday, Conservatives, Liberal, Conservative, Thomson Locations: OTTAWA, Canada

☆ Canada PM Trudeau dismisses talk of quitting, acknowledges public 'grumbling'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Polls show that after nine years in power, the left-leaning Liberals are badly trailing the official opposition Conservatives and would lose power if an election were held now. Although Trudeau has a deal with the smaller left-of-center New Democrats that will allow them to govern until October 2025, the agreement is non-binding, and could collapse earlier. I'm continuing to do my job," Trudeau told reporters in London, Ontario, when asked whether he had considered stepping down. The Conservatives accuse Trudeau of fueling inflation through what they call reckless government spending and complain that housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable. Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Chris Reese and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Trudeau, I'm, David Ljunggren, Chris Reese, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Canadian, Conservatives, Democrats, Liberal, Thomson Locations: OTTAWA, London , Ontario

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s economy is expected to remain sluggish for another two years, although the overall picture is rosier than many observers had feared, new figures released Tuesday indicate. The nation’s Treasury released the projections ahead of an election next month. Net debt as a percentage of the economy is expected to peak at 23% in 2025. Political Cartoons View All 1152 Images“I think what these books represent is a turning of the corner for the New Zealand economy,” said Finance Minister Grant Robertson. New Zealand's economy dipped into a shallow recession this year after COVID-19 recovery funds dried up and higher interest rates put the brakes on consumer spending.

Persons: ”, Grant Robertson, David Seymour Organizations: Treasury, New, ACT Party Locations: WELLINGTON, New Zealand, “

☆ Trudeau's main rival offers affordable government in first convention speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Canada's Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada April 19, 2023. "A common-sense Conservative government that frees hardworking people to earn powerful paycheques that buy affordable food, gas and homes in safe neighborhoods," Poilievre said at the convention in Quebec City. In Friday's address, Poilievre promised to balance the federal budget if the Conservatives won the next election. An Angus Reid poll on Thursday showed the Conservatives at 39% public support, with the Liberals on 27%. Additonal reporting by David Ljunggren and Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pierre Poilievre, Blair Gable, Justin Trudeau's, Poilievre, Trudeau, Angus Reid, Shachi Kurl, Kurl, it's, Stephen Guilbeault, David Ljunggren, Steve Scherer, Diane Craft Organizations: Canada's Conservative Party of Canada, REUTERS, Conservative Party, Conservative, New Democratic Party, Conservatives, Liberals, Liberal, Federal, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, Quebec City, Ottawa

☆ Canada finance minister defends central bank independence after rate comment
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Thomas White/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland defended the central bank's independence on Wednesday after her comments welcoming the Bank of Canada's decision not to increase its key interest rate raised concerns to the contrary. In a widely expected decision, the Bank of Canada held interest rates steady at a 22-year high of 5%. It is rare for Canadian government ministers to publicly back or criticize central bank policies. Like many developed economies, the Bank of Canada makes its monetary policy decisions independent of the federal government. In June, when the central bank raised rates for the first time after a four-month pause, Freeland stressed that she respected the independence of the central bank, a sentiment she repeated in a press conference later in the day.

Persons: Thomas White, Chrystia Freeland, Freeland, Derek Holt, Pierre Poilievre, Justin Trudeau's, Steve Scherer, David Ljunggren, Denny Thomas, Leslie Adler Organizations: Canadian Finance, Bank of, Bank of Canada, Conservative, Liberal, Ontario, Thomson Locations: Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Ottawa

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