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CTV News
35 minutes ago
- CTV News
CTV National News: Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' set to become law as it passes Congress
Watch Adrian Ghobrial breaks down the final passage of U.S. President Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' in Congress despite its unpopularity among voters.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Russian billionaire loses bid to remove name from Canada's sanction list
A Russian billionaire has lost a legal bid to remove his name from the list of individuals and companies targeted by Canadian sanctions after Moscow's 2022 assault on Ukraine began. Andrey Melnichenko and his wife, Aleksandra, were hit with Canadian sanctions in 2023. He first applied directly to then-foreign-affairs-minister Mélanie Joly for reconsideration, and after being turned down, he filed a request for judicial review in 2024. In his legal action, Mr. Melnichenko said he was advised by the Department of Global Affairs that he was listed because 'there were reasonable grounds to believe he was an associate of President Putin or the government of Russia.' Among the reasons given by the department were his role as former owner of fertilizer producer EuroChem and Siberian Coal Energy Company (SUEK), that he was a board member of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), and that he attended a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and members of the RSPP after the start of the 2022 attack on Ukraine. Mr. Melnichenko, who said he hasn't lived in Russia in more than a decade and has resided in Switzerland for more than 15 years with his family, alleged that Global Affairs has ignored evidence he presented to it to dispute its characterization of him. He argued he built his wealth without the help of the Russian state and 'as such does not meet the definition of 'oligarch.'' Mr. Melnichenko said he has not been an owner of EuroChem or SUEK since 2006. He said he has no personal relationship with Mr. Putin or the government of Russia 'and does not belong to the inner circle of President Putin.' Federal Court Judge Catherine Kane on Thursday dismissed Mr. Melnichenko's application, saying Ms. Joly did not err when she added his name to the sanction list 'based on being satisfied that there were reasonable grounds to believe that he is an associate of senior officials of the Russian regime.' Canada, like many other Western countries, applied sanctions to hundreds of individuals and companies in Russia and close ally Belarus over Moscow's February, 2022, attack on Ukraine – which continues to this day. Mr. Melnichenko and his wife were among a diverse group of more than 100 targeted by Canadian sanctions in 2023. Ottawa said at the time the group comprised 'parliamentarians and officials, their family members, the oligarchs, and the businesses that fund them,' all of whom continued to do Mr. Putin's bidding. Canada announces $4.3-billion in new Ukraine aid and sanctions on Russia's 'shadow fleet' Mr. Melnichenko's wife was subsequently removed from Canada's sanctions list. As The Globe and Mail reported in 2024, the fact she was a Serbian citizen with a Serbian passport played a role in her removal. Justice Kane said the foreign minister did not need to determine that Mr. Melnichenko was close to Mr. Putin to classify him as an associate of the Russian President. 'Evidence that he is not part of the inner circle or not in a position of influence does not detract from or contradict the Minister's finding that he is an 'associate.'' Justice Kane said the RSPP, the business lobby group Mr. Melnichenko associated with, and his presence at two of its meetings with Mr. Putin since 2022 were vital evidence. 'Excerpts of the transcript of the February 2022 meeting reveals that the meeting focused on the invasion, and President Putin addressed the attendees as 'colleagues' and 'friends', commended their role in preparing for sanctions, and urged their continued support,' she noted. 'While this does not confirm that Mr. Melnichenko regarded President Putin in the same way, it remains evidence relevant to and supporting the Minister's view that he is an 'associate.'' Justice Kane added: 'The second meeting, on March 16, 2023, was President Putin's first in-person address to Russia's business elite since the invasion. The evidence before the Minister described the meeting as President Putin's encouragement of Russian billionaires to prioritize national interests over profit and help stabilize the economy in response to Western sanctions. Some RSPP members chose not to attend the March 2023 meeting or had left the organization; however, Mr. Melnichenko did attend.' Adult entertainment industry payments used to evade Russian sanctions in Canada A memorandum submitted by Global Affairs during this legal action noted that Mr. Melnichenko remains sanctioned by Canada's allies, including the United States, Britain, European Union, Switzerland, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. William Pellerin, a partner with McMillan LLP's international trade group, said petitioning to be removed from Western sanctions lists is 'part of the modus operandi of the various oligarchs and sanctioned individuals.' These targeted individuals have business interests around the world. Winning removal from a sanction list in a country such as Canada could serve as a precedent to help them succeed in delistings in other jurisdictions that matter more to them, Mr. Pellerin said. He noted that Russian oil and gas magnate Igor Makarov earlier failed to secure removal from Canada's sanctions list. The inability of two Russian billionaires to obtain delisting in Canada could discourage further efforts, Mr. Pellerin said. Being placed on Canada's Russia-related sanctions list means any assets of the named person in Canada are frozen. People in Canada and Canadians outside of this country are prohibited from providing financial services to those under sanction, or entering into or facilitating transactions with them. Those sanctioned in Canada might also face the prospect of the federal government seizing and selling off their assets with the proceeds donated to Ukraine, as Ottawa has proposed doing. People sanctioned are also banned from entering Canada. Mr. Melnichenko's counsel in Canada did not immediately return a request for comment. As of Thursday, Mr. Melnichenko sat at No. 132 on Forbes's Real-time Billionaires list with an estimated net worth of US$17.6-billion. Italian authorities seized his superyacht in 2022 as part of EU sanctions.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
‘Remain agile': General Motors president touches on U.S. trade negotiations, emissions mandate while in Calgary
Auto industry executives gathered in Calgary Thursday to discuss challenges and opportunities faced by the sector which has been hit hard by U.S. tariffs. The president of General Motors Canada is in Calgary on the heels of meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney this week amid the trade war with the United States. Kristian Aquilina is in the city for the company's partnership with the Calgary Stampede. He spoke on a panel Thursday about the future of mobility in Canada – one that remains uncertain amid the ongoing tariff discussions with the U.S. 'Uncertainty also brings opportunity,' said Aquilina ahead of the panel to CTV. 'We have to remain agile to whatever eventuates here.' Automakers, July 3, 2025 GM sales are up double digits in Calgary, GM President Kristian Aquiliana said Thursday. (CTV News) Aquilina joined other leaders in the auto industry Wednesday in Ottawa to meet with Carney, with a focus on protecting Canadian supply chains. It comes in response to U.S. President Donald Trump imposing 25 per cent tariffs on vehicles manufactured in Canada but includes a carve out for components built in the states. Aquilina wouldn't share details of the discussions with the prime minister but shared an attitude of optimism. Kristian Aquilina, GM president Kristian Aquilina, the president of General Motors, was in Calgary Thursday to discuss challenges faced by the auto industry. (CTV Calgary) 'We shared the views of our industry, and he has that in order to negotiate in the best way for all of Canada so we wish him well,' he said. 'We'll see how that pans out but at this stage we're focused on delivering for what we know today.' Zero-emission rebate Among the views shared with Carney is executives efforts to have Ottawa ditch its zero-emission vehicle rebate. By next year, 20 percent of new passenger vehicles sold in Canada must be either battery powered or hybrid. Aquilina said getting rid of the mandate wouldn't change GM's commitment to developing electric vehicles. 'An EV mandate that's currently in effect that determines or tries to pick the technology that consumers ought to have in their driveways isn't necessarily the right way to go about it,' he said. 'We're investing heavily in electrification -- we have 13 EVs available for customers and we would prefer our technology path here is driven by the customer rather than a made-up mandate.' Ottawa hasn't revealed its plans for the mandate or the trade discussions which picked back up with Trump after he pulled out over Canada's digital service tax on multinational tech firms – which was called off over the weekend. Automakers Aquilina said GM has 13 different EVs available for customers, but the company wants the federal government to ditch its zero-emission vehicle rebate. (CTV News) Despite the challenges facing the industry, Aquilina said GM has seen unprecedented growth among buyers. 'Here in Calgary we're in double digit category for growth,' he said. He looks forward to policy resolutions, so it no longer overshadows other developments happening in the industry, such as the technology to improve self-driving vehicles. 'We're focused on the innovation and development in our industry. Our industry is in the headlines for all sorts of reasons, but really what has been missed is the opportunities that are available for all of Canada once we identify the big technological shifts that are happening in our industry,' he said. 'What is being overshadowed is that there is a big technology here in this industry.'
