logo
Why a bad deal on tariffs with Trump is worse than no deal

Why a bad deal on tariffs with Trump is worse than no deal

Toronto Star3 days ago
Donald Trump's tariff ultimatums move around a lot, earning him the hated nickname TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out). His latest deadline is to reach trade 'deals' (actually, non-binding memoranda, not conventional treaties) with more than 100 countries, including Canada, by Aug. 1.
Whether he sticks to that timeline or not, our federal government is already preparing Canadians to accept a deal that does not remove Trump's tariffs on Canada. Those tariffs currently target autos, steel, aluminum, and copper, as well as a threatened across-the-board 35 per cent tariff on everything else.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship restrictions in third ruling since high court decision
Judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship restrictions in third ruling since high court decision

Winnipeg Free Press

time3 minutes ago

  • Winnipeg Free Press

Judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship restrictions in third ruling since high court decision

BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from ending birthright citizenship for the children of parents who are in the U.S. illegally, issuing the third court ruling blocking the birthright order nationwide since a key Supreme Court decision in June. U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin, joining another district court as well as an appellate panel of judges, found that a nationwide injunction granted to more than a dozen states remains in force under an exception to the Supreme Court ruling. That decision restricted the power of lower-court judges to issue nationwide injunctions. The states have argued Trump's birthright citizenship order is blatantly unconstitutional and threatens millions of dollars for health insurance services that are contingent on citizenship status. The issue is expected to move quickly back to the nation's highest court. Lawyers for the government had argued Sorokin should narrow the reach of his earlier ruling granting a preliminary injunction, arguing it should be 'tailored to the States' purported financial injuries.' 'The record does not support a finding that any narrower option would feasibly and adequately protect the plaintiffs from the injuries they have shown they are likely to suffer,' Sorokin wrote. Sorokin acknowledged his order would not be the last word on birthright citizenship. Trump and his administration 'are entitled to pursue their interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment, and no doubt the Supreme Court will ultimately settle the question,' Sorokin wrote. 'But in the meantime, for purposes of this lawsuit at this juncture, the Executive Order is unconstitutional.' The administration has not yet appealed any of the recent court rulings. Trump's efforts to deny citizenship to children born to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily will remain blocked unless and until the Supreme Court says otherwise. An email asking for the White House's response to the ruling was sent Friday. A federal judge in New Hampshire issued a ruling earlier this month prohibiting Trump's executive order from taking effect nationwide in a new class-action lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Joseph LaPlante in New Hampshire had paused his own decision to allow for the Trump administration to appeal, but with no appeal filed in the last week, his order went into effect. On Wednesday, a San Francisco-based appeals court found the president's executive order unconstitutional and affirmed a lower court's nationwide block. A Maryland-based judge said this week that she would do the same if an appeals court signed off. The justices ruled last month that lower courts generally can't issue nationwide injunctions, but it didn't rule out other court orders that could have nationwide effects, including in class-action lawsuits and those brought by states. The Supreme Court did not decide whether the underlying citizenship order is constitutional. Plaintiffs in the Boston case earlier argued that the principle of birthright citizenship is 'enshrined in the Constitution,' and that Trump does not have the authority to issue the order, which they called a 'flagrantly unlawful attempt to strip hundreds of thousands of American-born children of their citizenship based on their parentage.' They also argue that Trump's order halting automatic citizenship for babies born to people in the U.S. illegally or temporarily would cost states funding they rely on to 'provide essential services' — from foster care to health care for low-income children, to 'early interventions for infants, toddlers, and students with disabilities.' At the heart of the lawsuits is the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which was ratified in 1868 after the Civil War and the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision. That decision found that Scott, an enslaved man, wasn't a citizen despite having lived in a state where slavery was outlawed. The Trump administration has asserted that children of noncitizens are not 'subject to the jurisdiction' of the United States and therefore not entitled to citizenship. ____ Associated Press reporter Mark Sherman in Washington contributed.

Insured losses from Jasper wildfire rise to just under $1.3 billion
Insured losses from Jasper wildfire rise to just under $1.3 billion

Cision Canada

time33 minutes ago

  • Cision Canada

Insured losses from Jasper wildfire rise to just under $1.3 billion

Permitting delays slow rebuilding one year after wildfire EDMONTON, AB, July 25, 2025 /CNW/ - Insured losses from the Jasper wildfire are now estimated to be close to $1.3 billion, according to new data released today by Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). This is an increase of $80 million over the six-month estimate from CatIQ in January. "One year after the second-costliest fire event in Canadian history, many residents are still working through the process of securing the proper permits to begin reconstruction of their property," said Aaron Sutherland, Vice-President, Pacific and Western, Insurance Bureau of Canada. "Despite delays, residents can rest assured that insurers will stand with them until every claim is closed." The July 24, 2024, wildfire destroyed 358 homes and businesses in the town of Jasper. Today, only 56 (15%) are approved for reconstruction, and only two buildings are currently being rebuilt. "The federal government recently announced that it would be expediting efforts moving forward and providing up to $5 million in additional support to cover the unexpected cost of soil testing and removal. This is a positive move and one that hopefully bolsters reconstruction efforts to begin in earnest," said Sutherland. "There's still a lot of work to do and rebuilding will take time, but there is light at the end of a very long tunnel for Jasper residents who lost so much in the fire. The people of Jasper have shown tremendous resilience, and Alberta's insurers will continue to match that spirit and support their customers every step of the way." Alberta's insurers have been on the ground in Jasper since the first day of the fire and are continuing to provide financial support to residents who lost their homes. Insurers also coordinated and paid for the removal, de-gassing and proper disposal of about 2,300 fridges and freezers ruined by food spoilage due to prolonged power outages during several weeks of the evacuation. This coordinated residential bulk-debris-removal program is helping to reduce costs and speed up recovery in the community. In April, wildfire recovery efforts reached a significant milestone with the completion of the insurer-coordinated debris removal program. Insured damage caused by severe weather events in 2024 surpassed $9.2 billion for the first time in Canadian history (January 2025 estimate was $8.5 billion). Last summer was the most expensive on record in Canada for catastrophic weather events, with 228,000 insurance claims and over $8 billion in insured damage. These events are placing pressure on insurance premiums in Alberta and across the country, and are important reminders of the need to increase investments in resilience and other measures to better protect communities. Governments across Canada have a critical role to play in better protecting Canadians from natural disasters. This includes: Halting the construction of unprotected homes and businesses in high-risk flood and wildfire zones Investing in vulnerable communities to ensure they are FireSmart and better protected against flooding Helping homeowners understand the specific risks they face in their area Subsidizing home retrofits to help reduce exposure to floods and wildfires. Canada also needs a federal coordinating agency to guide emergency preparedness and recovery so that communities across the country don't have to create unique playbooks after each catastrophic event. Every other G7 country has an agency operating in this capacity – it's time for Canada to follow suit and take a proactive approach to emergency management. The amount of insured damage is an estimate provided by CatIQ ( under license to IBC. About Insurance Bureau of Canada Established in 1964, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up the vast majority of Canada's highly competitive property and casualty (P&C) insurance market. As the leading advocate for Canada's private P&C insurers, IBC collaborates with governments, regulators and stakeholders to support a competitive environment for the P&C insurance industry to continue to help protect Canadians from the risks of today and tomorrow. IBC believes that Canadians value and deserve a responsive and resilient private P&C insurance industry that provides insurance solutions to both individuals and businesses. For media releases, IN Focus articles, or to book an interview with an IBC representative, visit Follow us on LinkedIn, X and Instagram, and like us on Facebook. If you have a question about home, auto or business insurance, contact IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC. We're here to help. SOURCE Insurance Bureau of Canada

OPINION: Taxes remain largest single expense for Canadian families
OPINION: Taxes remain largest single expense for Canadian families

Toronto Sun

time33 minutes ago

  • Toronto Sun

OPINION: Taxes remain largest single expense for Canadian families

Canada Revenue Agency income tax forms and statements. Getty Images While policymakers in Canada face many issues, including U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war, few issues are more important to Canadians than the rising cost of living. And while inflation and housing costs are important, there's another even larger expense that makes it harder for families to make ends meet: Taxes. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account As the saying goes, the two certainties in life are death and taxes. But, while we all know we must pay taxes, it's more difficult to know just how much in total we actually pay. Canadians pay many different taxes to local, provincial and federal governments — income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes and payroll taxes, to name a few. And while some of these are quite visible (you can see how much personal income tax is taken off your paycheque), others are more hidden. According to a new study published by the Fraser Institute, in 2024, the average Canadian family (including single people) paid $48,306 in total taxes. Given the average family's total cash income was $114,289 in 2024, this means families paid 42.3% of their incomes in taxes levied by all levels of government. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This is much more than what families used to pay, even after adjusting for inflation. In fact, the average Canadian family paid just $17,166 in total taxes in 1961 (adjusted for inflation), which represented 33.5% of its total income that year. In other words, from 1961 to 2024, the inflation-adjusted tax bill of the average Canadian family increased by more than 180%. How does the average family's total tax bill compare with how much it spends on the basic necessities of food, shelter and clothing? In 2024, the average Canadian family spent $12,925 on food, $25,199 on shelter and $2,435 on clothing. Which means the average family spent a larger share of its income on taxes (42.3%) than on basic necessities (35.5%). This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Simply put, taxes are the largest single expense for Canadian families. Of course, Canadians receive some value from their tax dollars in the form of government services, so the total tax bill is the price Canadians pay for government services. Therefore, it's ultimately up to individuals and families to decide whether or not they get their money's worth from government. But clearly, some Canadians do not feel like they're getting good bang for their buck. For instance, according to a 2023 poll , nearly half (44%) of Canadians felt they received 'poor' or 'very poor' value from the services they receive from all levels of government. A 2025 poll found similar results — more Canadians feel they receive 'bad' value rather than 'good' value for money from all levels of government. Canadian families pay more in taxes than they spend on food, shelter and clothing combined, yet many feel they do not receive good value for their money. If policymakers want to help families make ends meet, they should lower the tax burden. Jake Fuss and Grady Munro are economists at the Fraser Institute Columnists Toronto & GTA Hockey Sports Toronto Blue Jays

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