Parliament gridlock continues amid Canada Post strike
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and some members of his cabinet are not in Ottawa for the first half of the week, as they attend the G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Parliament is nearing its eighth week of deadlock over a privilege motion, with Canada Post workers on strike and growing calls to exclude Mexico from upcoming trade negotiations.
While question period continues, other parliamentary activities have stalled due to a Conservative privilege motion demanding that the government release unredacted documents related to a green technology fund.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several cabinet members are out of Ottawa for the first part of the week, attending the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Lima, Peru, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly revealed that many countries have approached Canada for advice on how to engage with the incoming administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Canada-U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement, originally signed during Trump’s first term, is set for review in 2026. Ontario and Alberta’s premiers have proposed removing Mexico from the deal, citing concerns that Mexico has not aligned its tariffs on imports, such as electric vehicles, with those of Canada and the U.S. While Trudeau maintains that Mexico is a “solid partner,” he has acknowledged the concerns.
Back in Canada, Canada Post employees began their strike on Friday. Labour Minister Steve MacKinnon has ruled out early government intervention but recently ordered binding arbitration to resolve disputes at ports in Montreal and British Columbia.
