Will Canada follow Donald Trump into Syria?
This week marked a turning point in the Syrian civil war, but where the course correction will lead to, and what direction Canada can provide, is still unknown.
This week, U.S. President Donald Trump authorized the launch of 59 cruise missiles at an air base in Syria after civilians, including children, were killed in a chemical attack.
- U.S. blasts Syria base with 60 cruise missiles
- Canada 'fully supports' U.S. missile strikes against Syria
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland called it the right decision, but the international strategy going forward, and what to do about Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who continues to hold on to power, is less definitive.
"When it comes to the role of Assad in Syria I do think the chemical weapons attack this week raises some very serious questions about his role. This is a president who has used banned weapons... that has some grave consequences," she said.
"It's time for us to all work together on next steps and above all, on ending this terrible bloodshed."
The target of the U.S. missiles was the Shayrat airbase in western Syria, but late Friday Reuters was reporting that it was back in operation.
"The point of the attacks was to have a military and strategic impact and also to send a very strong message," she said.
One of her predecessors, former Conservative foreign affairs minister John Baird, who had to grapple with the onset of the Syrian civil war while under Stephen Harper, hopes that message will act as a one-time deterrent against future chemical weapon use,.
"This should not be seen as an attempt to solve peace or to resolve the conflict, it's to send a message. It's one purpose is to send a message, don't try this again," Baird told The House.
"The actions that the president has taken send a clear message to friend and foe alike that America is back and they will take strong leadership when warranted."
Baird, who served as Canada's minister of foreign affairs from 2011 to 2015 before stepping down from cabinet, said the suffering chemical weapons inflict on civilians requires more than just condemnation.
"[Barack] Obama should have done was done this back in 2012 and then Assad would have learned his lesson but he drew a red line and it was crossed and Assad realized he could get away with it and I think Trump has done the right thing."
Free trade with an asterisk*
Canada now has its own interprovincial free trade deal, sort of.
Every province and territory, as well as the federal government, has signed on to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), a new deal to co-ordinate trade across interprovincial borders and replace limited rules put in place two decades ago that are no longer up to the job.
Regulatory duplications and discrepancies — from energy efficiency standards that don't match to packaging rules that force manufacturers to make different-sized containers for different provinces — will now be referred to an appointed reconciliation table for sorting out.
"The provinces and the territories now have a process in place to reduce red tape," Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains said.
"This is really about strengthening our home field advantage.".
But the deal that's being hailed as making Canada open by default, has a lot of exceptions, including freeing up alcohol sales. Although the provinces have agreed to look into it.
"It's a very transparent free trade agreement so when you talk about exemptions, those are now all on display," said Bains.
"Even though I don't drink, I pushed very hard in this area."
Bill Morneau heads to London to sing Canada's praises post Brexit
While the United Kingdom figures out the terms of its breakup with the European Union, Bill Morneau is jet setting off to London this week to talk up the perks of another relationship: business in Canada.
And the federal finance minister's pitch to British businesses is clear, Canada shouldn't be anyone's sloppy seconds.
- Canada in informal trade talks with U.K. ahead of Brexit
- A 'hard Brexit' creates uncertainty for Canada on what's next for trade
"Clearly people in the U.K. are very focused on their relationship with Europe and that's going to present them with some negotiation challenges over the next couple of years. That also, for many businesses, will present them with the opportunity to say, 'Where am I going to invest right now where there's a level optimism, where there's some level of certainty?' And I think Canada is a place where they can see that," Morneau told Chris Hall, in an interview for CBC Radio's The House.
"I'd like to leave London having met with investors and people in their financial markets, with people saying, 'I want to make investments in Canada. It's a place where we can find great business opportunities."
His U.K. trip comes on the heels of a trip to steel-town Gary, Indiana, where he tried to combat protectionism in the sector.
Right out of the gates, U.S. President Donald Trump went after the industry signing an executive ordeal requiring domestic steel in new pipelines, a swipe at China which he's accused of dumping steel into the United States at artificially low prices.
So far Canada has been able to avoid Buy-American provisions on the Keystone XL pipeline expansion, a major border-crossing project.
Morneau said he hopes more joint-projects will keep steel makers on both sides of the border working.
"With the kind of investments we intend on continuing to make in infrastructure, there's real opportunities for steel makers," he said.
"Our overall goal is growing the size of the pie. Making opportunity for U.S steel makers, making opportunities for Canadian steel makers.
'Harper with a smile' argues he can keep the Conservative coalition together
The Conservative coalition that came together following the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives could be at risk when Stephen Harper's successor is chosen, according to leadership candidate Andrew Scheer.
"It's not something we should take for granted," the Saskatchewan MP and former Speaker of the House told CBC Radio's The House.
"I am concerned that our coalition, the bonds that hold the different kinds of Conservatives from all the different regions in Canada is not something we can take for granted," he said.
"There is a danger that if a new leader comes in and does not appreciate that and either tries to impose a personal ideology or a focus on ignoring one part of the country or the other... that's at risk," he added, clearly taking a shot at fellow candidate Kellie Leitch over her proposed Canadian values test and perceived front-runner Kevin O'Leary for suggesting Atlantic provinces depend too heavily on transfer payments.
Scheer argued he can keep the Conservative coalition together by putting forward policies consistent with what was done under Stephen Harper, but do so in a more positive and less divisive manner.
"I've been called in the last little bit 'Stephen Harper with a smile' and I don't think it's a bad thing at all,"
In House: Senate and parliamentary procedure woes
It was another rough week for the Red Chamber.
Senator Lynn Beyak was removed from the Senate's Aboriginal peoples committee for defending the residential school system, while Senator Don Meredith appeared before the Senate's ethics committee to make the case for why he should stay on as a member of the Red Chamber after having sexual relations with a teenage girl.
- Conservative senators defend Lynn Beyak, as media called 'parasites'
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Don Meredith faces ethics hearing as Senate blocks media access
"What this underscores to some degree is that senators are still senators. We've gotten used to the idea that the Senate is somewhat reformed, looking a little more respectable in some ways but then this kind of stuff happens and you remember the fundamental thing: these people will never face the discipline and the rejection of the ballot box," said John Geddes, the Ottawa bureau chief for Macleans.
"That at the core of it is why this stuff is hard to stomach."
Globe and Mail reporter Laura Stone said there was little choice for the Conservative Party but to remove Beyak from the Aboriginal committee, but it's not clear the next leader of the Tories would have done the same.
Perceived front runner Maxime Bernier said "political correctness has gone a bit overboard," while Kevin O'Leary called her comments "unfortunate" but stopped short of saying he'd kick her out of caucus.
"I think there is this perception that you can't say anything anymore in Canada," Stone said.
Meanwhile in the other chamber, the NDP and the Conservatives are sill resisting the Liberals' attempt to re-write the rules governing how things are done on Parliament Hill.
"They look like kind of childish things sometimes, but these delaying tactics are one of the few things, few tools, in the Opposition kit," said Geddes
"The Liberals have to be careful because they're not going to be in power forever," added Stone.