logo
Kent MacDonald acclaimed as federal Liberal candidate in P.E.I.'s Cardigan riding

Kent MacDonald acclaimed as federal Liberal candidate in P.E.I.'s Cardigan riding

CBC18-03-2025
Social Sharing
For the first time in nearly 40 years, the federal Liberals have a new candidate in eastern P.E.I.'s Cardigan riding.
Kent MacDonald, a seventh-generation dairy farmer from Little Pond, was acclaimed as the party's candidate for the riding this week.
"The Liberal party's platform is what I believe in," MacDonald is quoted as saying in a news release.
"The federal Liberals have put millions into our communities through school lunch programs, health care for Island seniors, and low-interest loans for housing. This is supporting families and working people."
MacDonald will look to hold the seat for the Liberals after Lawrence MacAulay announced he would not seek re-election after a 36-year political career and 11 straight election wins in Cardigan.
MacDonald is a past director, vice-chair and chair of Dairy Farmers of P.E.I., and was a director and vice-chair of the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture.
He is the current president of Pondsedge Farms, his family's dairy and beef operation.
The race to succeed MacAulay as Cardigan's MP also includes Conservative nominee James Aylward, a former MLA and provincial cabinet minister; and former educator Lynn Thiele, who's running for the NDP.
On Tuesday, the Green Party of Canada told CBC News that it has candidates for three of the four federal ridings on P.E.I. and intends to announce their names "later this week or at the beginning of next week."
The next federal election is supposed to be held on Oct. 20 under Canada's fixed election date system.
However, it is widely expected to be triggered this spring — by the minority Liberal government under new Prime Minister Mark Carney calling a snap general election, or by the opposition parties voting against a motion on a supply bill or a specific motion of no confidence.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Canadian home prices could drop 2% from Trump trade war, CMHC says
Canadian home prices could drop 2% from Trump trade war, CMHC says

Global News

time19 minutes ago

  • Global News

Canadian home prices could drop 2% from Trump trade war, CMHC says

U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war will continue to hit Canada's housing market, with a recovery in prices unlikely until 2026, a new report from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said on Thursday. 'Canada's housing market will continue to cool in 2025 due to trade tensions, economic uncertainty, slower population growth and increasing unemployment. Home prices are expected to fall around 2%,' the CMHC's summer housing market outlook said. The largest drops in home prices will be in Ontario and British Columbia, which are both home to some of Canada's most expensive housing markets. 'Trade tensions and slower population growth are contributing to a likely modest recession in 2025, dampening business and consumer confidence and slowing housing activity,' the report said. Homebuyers and developers alike will continue to take the 'wait-and-see' approach to the housing market amid the impact of the tariffs and economic uncertainty, it added. Story continues below advertisement 'Affordability remains a major issue and new construction is slowing. Rental markets are easing slightly as more supply comes online and demand softens,' the report said. 4:11 Liberal minister jokes Conservatives are confused by the words 'affordable' and 'housing' together What will happen next year? The housing market is likely to remain cool for the rest of 2025, the report predicted. A gradual recovery is only expected to begin by 2026. Story continues below advertisement The CMHC said the negative impact from trade tariffs will 'peak in the second half of 2025' but will begin to abate by 2026, along with the Canadian GDP. During this time, Canada's housing market will remain in a 'period of adjustment.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'We expect conditions to stabilize more in 2026 as trade tensions ease, mortgage rates moderate and demand slowly recovers. As the economic environment improves, the housing market should gradually return to a more balanced trajectory,' the report said. Canada started building slightly more homes in June than it did in May, the CMHC said in a report last week. Compared with May, the annual rate of housing starts was largely flat, with a 0.4 per cent increase, but it rose 14 per cent compared with this time last year.

UN court opinion on climate change could boost scrutiny of major projects: expert
UN court opinion on climate change could boost scrutiny of major projects: expert

Winnipeg Free Press

timean hour ago

  • Winnipeg Free Press

UN court opinion on climate change could boost scrutiny of major projects: expert

OTTAWA – A warning from the United Nations' top court that failing to address climate change could violate international law could lead to greater public scrutiny of major projects in Canada, one expert says. The International Court of Justice opinion, released Wednesday, said everyone is entitled to a habitable planet. The non-binding opinion applies to all countries and paves the way for legal actions. Those actions could include states challenging other states before the International Court of Justice, lawsuits and legal instruments like investment agreements that have to conform with international law. Sabaa Khan, the David Suzuki Foundation's climate director, said the court explicitly stated that any move to expand the fossil fuel industry could be seen as a breach of international legal obligations. 'For a country like Canada that has had historically high emissions, that has the means necessary to accelerate its decarbonization, I think that it's clear more than ever that our government really has to eliminate any sort of public support of fossil fuels,' she said. 'I think there's going to be much greater public scrutiny when it comes to nation-building projects.' The Liberal government has passed controversial legislation granting cabinet the power to fast-track major projects it deems to be in the national interest, and is set to open its major projects office by Labour Day. Projects qualifying for accelerated approval could include ports, railways, mining projects and pipelines. Governments have been encouraging First Nations leaders to support such projects through loan guarantees and promises of financial incentives. But many First Nations leaders fear their ways of life could be irreparably harmed if governments evade environmental standards. Many Indigenous leaders have also argued elements of the law could be used to undermine their rights. Khan said she expects the court opinion will affect the work being done on major projects. 'There's no way to look at this without seeing clearly that investment in fossil fuels is a breach of human rights law,' she said. 'I think that it lays down a legal foundation that can really create that certainty for investors where if you start funding or you continue funding fossil fuel developments, then you are at risk of being held responsible.' Khan said Bill C-5 states that approved major projects have to meet Canada's climate change objectives. She said the government will have to take the court opinion into consideration. 'If it doesn't, then it could open up just more legal challenges to the way that law now is being implemented,' Khan said, adding that Canada should be investing in things like renewable energy and interprovincial electricity grids. Khan said that while the opinion is non-binding, it has a 'very strong interpretive power.' Supreme Court of Canada decisions often cite advisory opinions from the International Court of Justice, she said. Fraser Thomson, a lawyer at Ecojustice, said International Court of Justice advisory opinions are viewed as authoritative interpretations of international law around the world and have influenced court decisions in Canada. 'Canadian courts at every level have to look to these opinions when they are faced with interpreting what is international law and how it impacts Canadian domestic law,' he said. Thomson said it's reasonable to assume the court opinion will open the door to more climate litigation in Canada. 'All governments are now on notice that they cannot continue to put our future at risk,' he said, adding that Canada could be asking for legal trouble if it decides to build more pipelines. Keean Nembhard, a spokesperson for the office of Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin, said the government recognizes the 'crucial role' Canada plays in contributing to the global fight against climate change and remains committed to that work. The court opinion also said that some countries or individuals suffering from the effects of climate change could be eligible for compensation. The judges acknowledged that financial compensation might be difficult to calculate. The case was led by the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu and backed by more than 130 countries. All UN member states are parties to the court. — With files from Alessia Passafiume, Dylan Robertson and The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.

Why Canada's supply management is a sticking point for Trump in trade talks
Why Canada's supply management is a sticking point for Trump in trade talks

Global News

time4 hours ago

  • Global News

Why Canada's supply management is a sticking point for Trump in trade talks

The target date for a new trade deal between Canada and the United States is a little over a week away, but one issue continues to be a sticking point between both nations: Canada's supply management. Supply management, which Canada uses in the dairy, poultry and egg sectors, has been a frequent target of criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump throughout his threats of tariffs and claims that Canada is 'ripping us off.' Last month, while demanding Canada repeal its digital services tax, Trump said Canada was 'a very difficult Country to TRADE with,' claiming on his social media platform Truth Social that the country charges 'tariffs' of up to 400 per cent on dairy products. Canada uses a quota system that allows a set amount of some foreign dairy products into the country, and high tariffs only apply if countries try to exceed that allowed quota coming into Canada. Story continues below advertisement Canada's supply management system, which dates back to the 1970s, has restricted foreign access to the Canadian dairy market in order to protect domestic producers and set quality standards for products. Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed in the Liberal election platform that he will 'keep Canada's supply management off the table in any negotiations with the U.S.' So how does it work? What is supply management? The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) — which Trump re-negotiated to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) during his first term — narrowly expanded U.S. access to Canada's dairy market, which is protected under supply management rules. The rules, established in the 1970s, set production quotas for Canadian farmers, guarantee minimum prices, and maintain import and quality controls. Story continues below advertisement 'Producers have a licence to produce that's determined by their quota. Producers will only produce as much as the quota says they are allowed to produce or in fact to sell,' said Sven Anders, a resource economist at the University of Alberta. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Under CUSMA, the U.S. gets access to less than five per cent of the market. But the U.S. has launched multiple disputes claiming Canada is intentionally bottlenecking those U.S. imports through tariff rate quotas, which put limits on how many exporters qualify for the cheaper duties. The issue of supply management for farmers might end up being an issue both sides are unwilling to move on. For one, most Canadian politicians are staunchly in support of the policy. 'We saw during the leaders' debate that all of the leaders, specifically in French, said that supply management was a red line in any negotiations with the Trump administration over tariffs,' said Moshe Lander, an economist at Concordia University. 'It seems that they were willing to even accept tariffs and damage to the Canadian economy rather than put dairy and supply management on the table.' The policy is aimed at protecting Canadian dairy farmers from the much larger American dairy industry and keeping prices and supplies stable by controlling the amount of product available. Story continues below advertisement Anders said Canadian politicians are reluctant to alienate dairy farmers. 'They have a lot of political clout. So, if I was a politician in Ontario or Quebec, among my constituents would be many dairy farmers. I certainly would want to fight for them,' he said. That political influence is particularly strong in Quebec, one expert said. 'In 17 ridings provincially in Quebec, people under supply management are strong enough to change the outcome of the election,' said Vincent Geloso, senior economist at the Montreal Economic Institute. 'Having influence over 17 ridings makes you a very powerful interest group.' As Canada's premiers were meeting for a three-day summit in Ontario, Quebec Premier François Legault said supply management was a hard line in the U.S. trade negotiations for him. 'There's no question about negotiating the supply management for dairy and other products,' Legault told reporters. Lander said supporters of Canada's dairy industry see the policy as necessary to protect them from the much larger American dairy industry. 'Wisconsin alone produces more milk than Canada consumes in a year,' he said. He said small Canadian dairy farms would be unable to withstand the pressure of open competition from the U.S. Story continues below advertisement 'These farms would have to merge their way up into these mega farms like you see in Wisconsin or in Minnesota to try and remain competitive. That would push a lot of farmers off their traditional land,' he said. Dairy Farmers of Canada declined Global's request for comment. 1:51 U.S. may be looking to remove non-tariff barriers, report shows However, Trump and the Republicans have their own political calculus in pushing Canada on supply management, he said. 'In the midterm elections, which are next year, maintaining Wisconsin is going to be very important for the Republicans if they want to maintain control of the House (of Representatives). If you vocally support farmers, this is one way to maybe keep that base solidified,' he said. One prominent Canadian voice who is opposed to the present system of supply management is Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who said recently that she was considering 'creating our own Alberta version of supply and management, maybe as a pathway to a market system.' Story continues below advertisement 'We do not get our share of quota, I think we have 12 per cent of the population and we only get seven per cent of the quota,' she told reporters last week. One consequence of supply management is that Canadians end up paying more for dairy products, Anders said. 'There's plenty of research that says or that has documented that an average Canadian household pays several hundred dollars more in food in dairy product cost on an annual basis just because of supply management,' he said. However, the same system has also been credited with helping Canadian consumers avoid the price shocks seen by U.S. consumers over the past year, as egg prices south of the border soared. Trump's criticisms aren't historically abnormal for U.S. presidents, either. 'Biden and Obama both had objections to it and voiced it,' Lander said. 'The more I say I dislike it, and the more you insist you're not going to remove it, then the more that I can say I want my way on these other things. It could be that he (Trump) just sees it as a tactic, where the Democratic presidents who had opposed it in the past merely just saw it as an annoyance.' — with files from Global's Sean Boynton and Touria Izri

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store