Try the political quiz
 @ISIDEWITHNewsForeign policyelectionsCanadapoliticsDebate•••2 days ago

Canadian Leaders Clash Over Foreign Aid, Immigration, and Trump in Heated Debate

Canada's political leaders engaged in a spirited debate, tackling contentious issues such as foreign aid, immigration, and relations with the United States. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre pledged to cut funding to UNRWA, citing alleged involvement of its employees in attacks on Israel, a claim challenged by NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. The debate also saw the Green Party contesting their exclusion from official debates and unveiling their platform focused on climate action and tax reform. Mark Carney, a former central banker, emphasized his crisis management skills as key for dealing with figures like Donald Trump. The exchanges highlighted deep divisions on foreign policy and domestic priorities ahead of the upcoming election.

8 Replies

 @7HNYR2VSocial Democracyfrom Saskatchewan  commented…2 days2D

Honestly, it’s frustrating to see Poilievre jumping at the chance to cut foreign aid over unproven claims—supporting humanitarian agencies like UNRWA is vital for global stability and reflects Canadian values. Singh was right to challenge him; we shouldn’t let fearmongering dictate our foreign policy or turn our backs on people in crisis. On immigration, I wish more leaders would emphasize how newcomers actually help our economy and enrich our communities instead of using them as a political wedge. The Greens being shut out of debates is a shame, too—they offer important perspectives, especially on climate action and economic justice. All in all, debates like this just show why we need social democratic voices pushing for compassion, fairness, and evidence-based decisions in government.

 @ShamefulEgalitarianSocialismfrom Ontario  commented…2 days2D

Funny how the conservatives are quick to slash foreign aid and scapegoat immigrants, while ignoring the root causes of global inequality and how Canada actually benefits from solidarity and fairer policies.

 @63YBN3FLibertarianfrom Ontario  commented…2 days2D

How about we focus on shrinking government and keeping our tax dollars at home instead of arguing over which foreign programs or big government schemes to fund next?

 @ISIDEWITHlinked…2 days2D

Carney clashes with chief rival for first time during Canada debate

https://freemalaysiatoday.com

The former central banker says his crisis management experience makes him best to negotiate with Donald Trump.

 @ISIDEWITHlinked…2 days2D

Live from the trail: Greens appealing decision to boot party from French, English debates

https://ipolitics.ca

Rounding out the lineup, Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault will start the day with a mid-morning media availability at his campaign office in Outremont, Que., where, as per the advisory, the party will “unveil its election platform,” which “outlines bold policy on climate action, reform to the tax system, defence policy.”

 @KindChoughConservatismfrom Alberta  commented…2 days2D

Glad to see Poilievre calling out wasteful foreign aid and putting Canadians first for a change. Cutting funding to groups with questionable ties just makes sense, and it’s about time we had a leader who’ll stand up to the UN and focus on our real priorities.

 @CamelAriaRight-Wing Nationalistfrom Ontario  commented…2 days2D

It’s about time someone stands up to all this reckless spending on foreign aid and puts Canadians first—Poilievre is the only one who actually gets it.

 @ISIDEWITHlinked…2 days2D

RECAP | French leaders’ debate draws out spirited exchanges on pipelines, immigration — and Trump

https://ici.radio-canada.ca

Responding to a question about what foreign aid he would cut, Poilievre said he would eliminate funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), one of the only aid groups on the ground in Gaza. Poilievre accused UNRWA employees of being involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. Singh took issue with the allegation.

Engagement

The historical activity of users engaging with this general discussion.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Demographics

Loading the political themes of users that engaged with this discussion

Loading data...

More conversations

Join in on more popular conversations.

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…3mos3MO

Supreme Court Clears The Way For Trump Sentencing

Donald Trump will face sentencing over his New York “hush money” conviction on Friday, after the US Supreme Court declined to grant him a last-minute reprieve.The decision will force the president-elect to face public proceedings in the criminal case that he has fought strenuously to avoid. His lawyers had appealed to the high court on Wednesday to postpone the proceeding, claiming that allowing it to go ahead days before his inauguration would create a “constitutionally intolerable risk of disruption to national security” and interfere with his efforts to get his 34 felony convictions overturned.In a 5-4 decision handed down just hours before the sentencing was set to go ahead in a state court in lower Manhattan, a majority of the justices declined to do so, saying “the burden that sentencing will impose on the president-elect’s responsibilities is relatively insubstantial” especially as Trump was unlikely to face any prison time. They added that any issues with the evidence presented at trial — some of which Trump’s lawyers have claimed was inadmissible — “can be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal”.Trump-appointed Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined Chief Justice John Roberts and the three liberals on the bench in refusing to grant Trump’s appeal.Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he appreciated the Supreme Court’s time but vowed to continue fighting the case. “For the sake and sanctity of the Presidency, I will be appealing this case, and am confident that JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL,” he said.Lawyers representing Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Trump’s sentencing was repeatedly postponed while he mounted his third campaign for the White House and pursued various appeals against his conviction. Last week Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw the “hush money” trial in New York earlier this year, finally set a firm date, in order to bring what he called “finality to this matter”.Trump will probably not face any punishment when he is sentenced, however, as the judge previously indicated he would not impose a fine or condemn Trump to prison time.

▲  1619 replies

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…5mos5MO

Chaos in Europe: Germany’s Government Collapses As Trump Returns

Germany’s coalition government collapsed on Wednesday after Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his finance minister Christian Lindner, plunging the eurozone’s largest economy into political chaos hours after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.Scholz told reporters he would table a confidence vote in parliament on January 15, which most observers expect him to lose. That will pave the way for snap elections in March.Lindner’s sacking and the departure of his pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) from the government brings the curtain down on a deeply unpopular coalition that had become a byword for discord and acrimony.It leaves a void at the heart of Europe just as concern is growing in EU capitals over what a second Trump presidency will mean for transatlantic relations.Germany and the rest of Europe now face a long period of uncertainty they can ill-afford as they brace for a trade war with the US while trying to fend off a growing economic threat from China.In a blistering statement delivered in the chancellery, Scholz blamed Lindner for the breakdown of the government, calling him “selfish” and “irresponsible”. He said he “cared only about his own clientele and the short-term survival of his own party”.The trigger for Lindner’s dismissal was a dispute over next year’s budget. The three coalition partners — Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), Lindner’s FDP and the Greens — could not agree on how to plug a €9bn hole in spending plans ahead of a meeting of parliament’s budget committee next week.However, the conflict became overlaid with deeper ideological divisions over how to deal with Germany’s economic downturn and how much public debt the government is legally allowed to raise.Scholz said he had asked Lindner to agree to loosen Germany’s “debt brake”, a cap on new borrowing which is enshrined in the constitution and which the SPD and Greens have long wanted to reform.That would have allowed Germany to take on more debt and so boost its support for Ukraine, at a time when fears are growing Trump might cut aid to Kyiv once installed in the White House.Scholz said he had also proposed capping network charges to bring down energy prices for industrial companies, creating incentives for businesses to invest, and passing a package of measures to safeguard jobs in the car industry, which faces more competition from China.

▲  299 replies

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…6mos6MO

Trump’s Puerto Rico Problem Erupts in Pennsylvania: Latino Voters Fire Back

Donald Trump has a serious Puerto Rico problem — in Pennsylvania.Many Puerto Rican voters in the state are furious about racist and demeaning comments delivered at a Trump rally. Some say their dismay is giving Kamala Harris a new opening to win over the state’s Latino voters, particularly nearly half a million Pennsylvanians of Puerto Rican descent.Evidence of the backlash was immediate on Monday: A nonpartisan Puerto Rican group drafted a letter urging its members to oppose Trump on election day. Other Puerto Rican voters were lighting up WhatsApp chats with reactions to the vulgar display and raising it in morning conversations at their bodegas. Some are planning to protest Trump’s rally Tuesday in Allentown, a majority-Latino city with one of the largest Puerto Rican populations in the state.And the arena Trump is speaking at is located in the middle of the city’s Puerto Rican neighborhood.“It’s spreading like wildfire through the community,” said Norberto Dominguez, a precinct captain with the local Democratic party in Allentown, who noted his own family is half Republican and half Democratic voters.“It’s not the smartest thing to do, to insult people — a large group of voters here in a swing state — and then go to their home asking for votes,” Dominguez said.The timing couldn’t be worse for Trump. Almost a week before Election Day, he’s pushing to cut into Harris’ margins among Latinos, especially young men who are worried about the economy. But the comments from pro-Trump comedian Tony Hinchcliffe Sunday night, referring to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” has reverberated throughout Pennsylvania and elsewhere, prompting even the former president’s Republican allies to defend the island and denounce the comments. And with the race essentially a toss up, every vote counts — especially in Pennsylvania.“This was just like a gift from the gods,” said Victor Martinez, an Allentown resident who owns the Spanish language radio station La Mega, noting some Puerto Rican voters in the area have been on the fence about voting at all.

▲  3116 replies