By Andrew Thomson | UPDATED 2:55pmET
Trudeau meets NATO, G7 leaders in Brussels
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a news conference after he and other NATO leaders confirmed more military aid to Ukraine and the creation of four additional battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia.
Speaking with reporters in Brussels following meetings of NATO and G7 leaders, PM Trudeau announces new measures in response to Ukraine crisis, including sanctions on 160 additional Russian individuals and prohibiting exports of certain goods and technologies to Russia.#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/b4oVF9jfbv
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) March 24, 2022
"The agreement with the NDP is very much about delivering on specific things for Canadians, but doesn't in any way impact on the choices we make in areas not covered by that agreement," PM Trudeau tells reporters in Brussels when asked about increasing defence spending.#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/9Yflhn53pR
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) March 24, 2022
Watch the full news conference:
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg maintained today that the alliance continues to work against escalation to a full-scale conflict with Russia, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again pleaded for a no-fly zone and stronger NATO response.
“You have thousands of fighter jets! But we haven't been given any yet. We asked for tanks. So that we can unblock our cities that are now dying - Mariupol, Berdyansk, Melitopol, others," Zelenskyy told NATO leaders.
"Cities where Russia is keeping hundreds of thousands of people hostage and artificially creating famine - no water, no food, nothing there. You have at least 20,000 tanks! Ukraine asked for a percent, one percent of all your tanks to be given or sold to us! But we do not have a clear answer yet. The worst thing during the war is not having clear answers to requests for help."
WATCH: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Ed Broadbent
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh had a predecessor -- Ed Broadbent -- join him in Ottawa to discuss the health-care aspects of his supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberal government, namely dental care and pharmacare.
“In my years of political experience, this is by far the most significant—both in detail and principle—agreement that has ever been reached between a governing party and the NDP,” former NDP leader Ed Broadbent tells reporters when asked re: party's deal with Liberals.#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/5IV4rGzVuG
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) March 24, 2022
Here's their news conference:
In the House
Watch question period:
The Conservatives have an opposition day motion demanding an immediate end to federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The full motion:
That, given that Canada has one of the world's highest vaccination rates and every province across Canada has lifted or has a plan to lift vaccine mandates, the House call on the government to immediately lift all federal vaccine mandates in order to:
(a) protect the jobs of federally regulated employees;
(b) enable Canadians to travel unimpeded;
(c) ensure Canada's tourism industry recovery; and (d) allow for the free flow of goods across the Canadian border.
“Every day I’m hearing from folks in my community and from across this country who are aching to get back to normalcy,” says Conservative health critic Michael Barrett as he discusses his party’s motion calling for an immediate end to federal #COVID19 vaccine mandates.#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/s0jmSzPxUO
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) March 24, 2022
Watch the full news conference: Conservative deputy leader Luc Berthold and party critics Michael Barrett (health), Melissa Lantsman (transport), and Michelle Ferreri (tourism) discuss the call for an immediate end to federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
MPs will vote on the motion later in the day along with supplementary estimates and interim supply.
MPs also debate a Bloc Québécois bill that would amend the Constitution to mandate Quebec never fall below a 25-per-cent share of seats in the House of Commons.
This follow's today's introduction of a government bill that would ensure no province loses any seats during the coming redistrubution process
This week's Liberal-NDP confidence agreement included a commitment to "ensuring that Quebec’s number of seats in the House of Commons remains constant."
Alberta is currently slated to receive three new seats when the House of Commons map is redrawn based on new census numbers. B.C. and Ontario receive one seat each, while Quebec would lose a seat if the Elections Canada plan proceeds unchanged.
Electoral boundary commissions have been established for each province. But the new maps won’t likely be ready until April 2024.
In Committee
Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly appears at the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT
Also today at 11am ET / 8am PT:
MPs on the public safety committee will seek answers about the police response to February's "convoy" occupation of downtown Ottawa. Witnesses include Ottawa interim chief Steve Bell and Ontario Provincial Police Commander Thomas Carrique. (The special joint committee on the declaration of the Emergencies Act holds a planning meeting today at 6:30pm ET / 3:30pm PT.)
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and a large number of department officials go before the environment committee as part of the estimates process.
Fisheries and Oceans Minister Joyce Murray is at the fisheries committee for questions on estimates.
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser faces questions at the immigration committee on his department's decision-making process.
Today in Politics Podcast: Mark Sutcliffe and Kristy Kirkup
Speaking to the European Parliament, Justin Trudeau warns democracy faces a ‘defining moment.’ NATO leaders consider their options to address the crisis in Ukraine. And the Liberals and NDP fight back against opposition claims that their new deal will cost Canadians billions.
Here's your morning update with Mark Sutcliffe:
