Bankrupt Electric Bus Maker Lion Rescued by Quebec Investors
An investor group that includes Montreal real estate tycoon Vincent Chiara will take over the Saint-Jerome, Quebec-based company using a complex legal process called a reverse vesting order. The order keeps keep Lion's certifications intact while eliminating liabilities and unwanted assets.
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Politico
13 minutes ago
- Politico
Deadline vs. deal
Presented by Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Canada Playbook | Follow Politico Canada Thanks for reading Canada Playbook. Happy Friday! In today's edition: → Canada's quiet push to shape Trump's next trade deal. → The U.S. billionaire fighting to save 400 B.C. ostriches. → Pentagon ghosts the Halifax International Security Forum. MORNING MONEY: CAPITAL RISK — POLITICO's flagship financial newsletter has a new Friday edition built for the economic era we're living in: one shaped by political volatility, disruption and a wave of policy decisions with sector-wide consequences. Each week, Morning Money: Capital Risk brings sharp reporting and analysis on how political risk is moving markets and how investors are adapting. Want to know how health care regulation, tariffs or court rulings could ripple through the economy? Start here. Trade war HIGH-PRESSURE SYSTEM — Canada-U.S. Trade Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC says he'll be back in Washington next week as 'complex negotiations' toward a new trade and security deal inch toward that Aug. 1 deadline. LeBlanc had a 'productive, cordial meeting' with U.S. Commerce Secretary HOWARD LUTNICK in D.C. on Wednesday night. — Like the PM: The minister is emphasizing that Canada plans to 'take the time necessary to get the best deal.' — Rinse and repeat: Canada's Ambassador to the U.S., KIRSTEN HILLMAN, told reporters Thursday that negotiations will continue 'until the deal is the right deal.' — Deadline pressure: DONALD TRUMP has set an Aug. 1 deadline for reaching agreements or setting steep new tariffs on more than 100 countries. The president said all the reciprocal tariffs coming Aug. 1 will range from 15 percent to 50 percent, Bloomberg reports. — On Capitol Hill: Trade reporter DANIEL DESROCHERS reports Republican lawmakers are sounding upbeat after back-to-back meetings with U.S. Trade Representative JAMIESON GREER, praising the agreements the administration has notched and projecting optimism that there's more to come. — Not everyone's cheering: Desrochers and CHRIS MARQUETTE report that Trump's 'massive' deal with Japan is giving U.S. automakers heartburn. — Over in Europe: The European Union is eyeing a Japan-style deal that sets a 15 percent U.S. baseline tariff — but is ready to retaliate if no agreement can be reached by the Aug. 1 deadline, POLITICO's KOEN VERHELST, ANTONIA ZIMMERMANN and NETTE NÖSTLINGER report. CONVERSATION STARTER CHECK-IN WITH TRUMP 1.0 — WILBUR ROSS, who served as U.S. Commerce secretary from 2017 to 2021 and was a key figure in the Trump administration's first-term trade agenda, told POLITICO's ARI HAWKINS that his former boss is now acting with even greater brashness to impose an agenda that hammers American adversaries. This exchange stood out from where we sit. Here's Ross in his own words: What do you think is Trump's biggest achievement overall in the trade arena since taking office? 'The biggest achievement is not having a trade war. 'Think about it — Trump has changed the rules of the game. Let's say SCOTT [BESSENT] is right that [the U.S. is drawing in] $300 billion a year. What president has ever extracted [that value] from foreign countries? 'And it's not just directly through trade. 'Look at the deal he made with the NATO countries on Ukraine. Here, we get credit for selling them some of the most advanced weapons in the world — and yet it's not costing us anything. 'The other fascinating thing is that countries are now thrilled to end up paying us a 15 percent tariff. Think about it — when Trump made his first announcement, if he had said, 'We're going to insist on 15 percent from everybody,' the world would have been in an uproar. Now people say, 'Oh, only 15 percent? Thank you very much, Mr. President.'' Pro subscribers can read the interview here. THE ROOMS THAT MATTER — PM Carney has no public events on his schedule. TALK OF THE TOWN BIRDS OF A FEATHER — U.S. billionaire and Republican megadonor JOHN CATSIMATIDIS is personally appealing to Prime Minister MARK CARNEY to spare a flock of about 400 British Columbia ostriches from government-ordered slaughter following exposure to avian flu. Catsimatidis, a longtime friend of President DONALD TRUMP, wrote to the PM, asking him to save the ostriches — or else ship them to the United States. He's also reached out to Alberta Premier DANIELLE SMITH, Ontario Premier DOUG FORD and former Prime Minister STEPHEN HARPER. 'I spoke to Donald Trump about it,' Catsimatidis said. 'He knows about it.' — State of play: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has offered to test the ostriches after they survived a bird flu outbreak on a British Columbia farm. And MEHMET OZ, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, has said he'll house the ostriches on his Florida ranch. The challenge to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency cull order is now before the Federal Court of Appeal in Ottawa. A decision is expected this month. 'Look, we're not here to fight. We think they're iconic animals. We think that there's a benefit to saving their lives,' Catsimatidis told Playbook. 'In America, we all have a heart, and the president even pardons turkey on Thanksgiving Day in the United States. So I just want the prime minister to have a heart and do the right thing,' he added. — Crickets: The Prime Minister's Office has declined a chance to weigh in. In Muskoka, Ontario, earlier this week, the PM said he wasn't going to comment. — No signs of budging: Behind the scenes, Liberal officials cite long-standing policies that call for a cull of birds exposed to avian flu, a health and safety concern in Canada. — Phone a friend: Catsimatidis, a known animal lover, continues to sound the alarm over the issue to top U.S. figures including Dr. Oz and Health and Human Services Secretary ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. — Flock together: Both Smith and Ford said this week in Huntsville that they believe the birds should be saved. 'If we can find a better way than doing mass culls in any situation like this, I think it's probably worth it to try to find a better way to do it,' Smith said. Ford said he's spoken to Catsimatidis many times about the ostriches. 'I'm an animal lover and I wanna do everything I can to help them,' the premier said this week. WHO'S UP, WHO'S DOWN Up: Anger levels in the West Wing. Down: Expectations for Aug. 1. Want more POLITICO? Download our mobile app to save stories, get notifications on U.S.-Canada relations, and more. In iOS or Android . For your radar HALIFAX HIT — The Pentagon has suspended participation in all think tank and research events, POLITICO's JACK DETSCH reported Thursday, citing an email sent to staff. The Pentagon's public affairs office is also reviewing attendance policy at major security conferences — and it explicitly banned attendance at the Halifax International Security Forum, the annual confab in Nova Scotia that gathers senior military brass, Western politicians, academics and journalists. It's unclear why that forum was singled out, Detsch reported. Canada's defense minister typically plays a major role in Halifax, taking bilateral meetings with counterparts and leading onstage discussions. DAVID MCGUINTY's office declined comment Thursday. — Canadian response: The Ottawa-based Canadian Global Affairs Institute convenes conferences on defense and security — with Americans on the agenda. CGAI president DAVID PERRY called a reduced U.S. footprint 'a shame' in such an uncertain geopolitical moment. 'The U.S. remains the lead Western security and defense ally, and particularly as America goes through a significant evolution of its global defense posture, it's more important than ever for the rest of the Western alliance to understand what the Americans are thinking,' Perry told POLITICO. MORNING MUST-CLICKS — OLLIE WILLIAMS of Cabin Radio has a report on Carney's visit to Inuvik. CBC News has more on Carney's meeting with NATAN OBED, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and other Inuit leaders. — The PM is calling for Israel to relinquish control of aid delivery to Gaza. The Globe's STEVE CHASE has the story. — FAKIHA BAIG of The Canadian Press weighs in on the upcoming federal by-election in Battle River-Crowfoot. — POLITICO's CAITLIN OPRYSKO reports that the first six months of Trump's term have produced a cash cow of historic magnitude for the lobbying industry in Washington. — CALDER MCHUGH writes on Trump's 'South Park' problem. PLAYBOOKERS Birthdays: HBD to journo PAUL PARK, senior producer of CBC's 'The House' JENNIFER CHEVALIER, former P.E.I. premier and retired Sen. CATHERINE CALLBECK, former Montreal Mayor DENIS CODERRE, B.C. Cabmin BOWINN MA (40!) and MADISON KUCHAR of McMillan Vantage. Saturday: Hill journo PAUL WELLS, Bloomberg's RANDY THANTHONG-KNIGHT, the Canada West Foundation's GARY MAR, Bluesky's JANICE NICHOLSON, Navigator's COLIN MACDONALD and Maple Leaf Strategies' DIMITRI PANTAZOPOULOS. Sunday: Former Cabmins PETER KENT and BEV ODA, retired Sens. CAROLYN STEWART OLSEN and CLAUDETTE TARDIF, and former MPs COLIN FRASER and SHAWN MURPHY. Also celebrating: JULIE CHAISSON, executive director of the Nova Scotia PC caucus office. Movers and shakers: VIRGINIA MEARNS is Canada's new Arctic ambassador. Mearns was formerly senior director of Inuit relations at the Qikiqtani Inuit Association. Send Playbookers tips to canadaplaybook@ LOBBY WATCH — Troilus Gold Corporation logged recent meetings with Prime Minister MARK CARNEY, Energy Minister TIM HODGSON, Environment Minister JULIE DABRUSIN, Industry Minister MÉLANIE JOLY, Finance Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE, Quebec Lieutenant STEVEN GUILBEAULT and Canada-U.S. Trade Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC. — Mattamy Homes posted a June 27 meeting with Housing Minister GREGOR ROBERTSON and senior staff from his office; Deputy Minister PAUL HALUCHA; and KYLE FOX, deputy policy director to Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne. — McKesson Canada, a network of pharmacies that includes Guardian, I.D.A. and The Medicine Shoppe brands, posted a July 17 meeting with ANIE PERRAULT, acting chair of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board. Earlier this month, The Globe and Mail reported on the federal regulator's new guidelines for monitoring drug prices. — Calian Group logged a July 23 meeting with Lt.-Gen. MICHAEL WRIGHT, commander of the Canadian Army. Top priority: 'Canada's plans to increase defence spending, and supporting defence / national security capability development.' PROZONE For Pro subscribers, our latest policy newsletter. From Pro trade reporter DOUG PALMER: As Trump raises tariffs, companies find ways to cheat — and risk getting caught. In other Pro headlines: — UN court declares countries must tackle climate change. — White House gives Chevron green light to resume oil production in Venezuela. — What clean energy bosses say about Trump's attacks on renewables. — Trump's AI plan meets a stressed American electric grid. — With US out of picture, EU tries to fill the climate void with China. — Trump's minerals adviser moves to inner White House circle. TRIVIA Thursday's answer: On July 24, 1984, then-federal party leaders JOHN TURNER, BRIAN MULRONEY and ED BROADBENT met in the first televised election debate held solely in French. Props to JOHN MERRIMAN, JOHN PEPPER, SHAUGHN MCARTHUR, ELIZABETH BURN, JOANNA PLATER, ROBERT MCDOUGALL, ANDREW SZENDE. Friday's question (via reader DARREN MAJOR): In 2013, HULK HOGAN arm-wrestled then-Mayor ROB FORD to help promote the Fan Expo convention in Toronto. What other 1980s wrestler challenged Ford to an arm wrestling match — but never got one? Think you know your 1980s wrestlers? Hit us back: canadaplaybook@
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Canada's trade team downplays chances of deal with Trump by Aug. 1
With the clock ticking on U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to boost tariffs on some Canadian exports to 35 per cent starting Aug. 1, Canada's top trade negotiators are downplaying the likelihood of reaching a deal by that deadline. Dominic LeBlanc, minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, and Canada's ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, wrapped up two days of meetings with Republican senators. These included a brief sit-down between LeBlanc and Howard Lutnick, the U.S. secretary of commerce and Trump's point man on tariffs. "We've made progress, but we have a lot of work in front of us," LeBlanc told reporters outside a Senate office building on Thursday. LeBlanc said he had a "productive, cordial discussion" with Lutnick and plans to return to Washington next week. He also added some caveats about the path to reaching a deal. "We're going to continue to work toward the Aug. 1 deadline,' he said. "But all of these deadlines are with the understanding that we'll take the time necessary to get the best deal that we think is in the interest of the Canadian economy and Canadian workers." Hillman, who was appointed Canada's chief negotiator with the U.S., also suggested an agreement with the Trump administration is not imminent. WATCH | Dominic LeBlanc speaks after meeting Trump's point man on tariffs: "It's important for us to recognize that there is a time when the deal is the right deal, and it's important for us to be in a position to continue negotiating until we get to that point," she said. Their comments are the latest evidence that Prime Minister Mark Carney's government is not in a rush to sign a deal with the U.S. Carney said Tuesday that his objective is "not to reach a deal whatever it costs." Following Carney's meeting with Canada's premiers earlier this week, Nova Scotia's Tim Houston said the prime minister isn't dead set on signing a deal by the deadline. Other countries reach tariff deals with Trump This comes amid Trump's announcements this week of framework agreements on tariffs struck with Japan and Indonesia, and reports the U.S. is closing in on a deal with the European Union. Canada may be less panicked than other trading partners about the Aug. 1 deadline because only a small portion of Canada's exports to the U.S. would be affected by Trump's threat of 35 per cent tariffs. That's because most goods enter the U.S. tariff-free under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, or CUSMA. Officials say LeBlanc and Hillman met with five Republican senators in Washington: Kevin Cramer (North Dakota), Roger Marshall (Kansas), Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia), Tim Scott (South Carolina) and Todd Young (Indiana). Another Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, told reporters in Washington on Thursday that the U.S. shares a lot of security and economic interests with Canada and shouldn't treat it as "just another country" when it comes to tariffs. "I wish that I could say it feels good, that this is all going to be taken care of before the first of August, but I'm not sensing that," said Murkowski, who visited Ottawa on Monday to meet Carney and some of his cabinet ministers
Hamilton Spectator
9 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Premiers praise Carney and one another as they wrap up meetings in Ontario
HUNTSVILLE, ONTARIO, CANADA - Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe wrapped three days of meetings with his fellow premiers and Prime Minister Mark Carney Wednesday with a message he admitted he wouldn't have sent over the past decade. 'We can be proud of the work our federal government is doing, in fairness,' Moe said. Moe has been one of the federal Liberal government's most vocal critics in recent years — and criticism of Ottawa is usually guaranteed when provincial leaders gather. But as the country faces down U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war, the elbows-up, Team Canada approach seems to be winning out under Carney's government. Ontario Premier Doug Ford praised the prime minister at every opportunity Wednesday, calling him a gentleman, humble and a brilliant businessman. The premiers joked around, slapped each others' backs and dined at Ford's cottage this week. Carney slept at the cottage on Monday before joining the Council of the Federation meetings in Huntsville, Ont., on Tuesday for a discussion about trade talks with the U.S. Premiers revealed little of what they learned in those discussions, with Aug. 1 fast approaching. That's the deadline Trump has set to raise tariffs on some Canadian goods to 35 per cent, and the day by which Carney has said he wants to strike a deal with the U.S. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the Americans are signalling they will not start renegotiating the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade until 2026, something she called disappointing. But Smith said Canada is working toward deals on specific sectors Trump is targeting, like vehicles, steel and aluminum, and lumber. 'If we can come up with some kind of common arrangement on those issues, those sectoral agreements by Aug. 1, we'll look at that as a win. And if it takes a little bit longer to renegotiate the Canada-U.S. free trade agreement to make sure that we get it right, then I'm supportive of that,' Smith said. The prime minister and the premiers downplayed the value of getting a deal done soon to avoid further U.S. tariffs, saying they want the best deal possible regardless of timing. A number of provinces and territories have signed agreements to open up internal trade, while others have committed to building pipelines to get oil and gas to new markets. 'No other group of premiers, as long as I can ever remember, have been able to sign 11 (memorandums of understanding),' said Ford, who is this year's chair of the Council of the Federation. The premiers did release a list of things they said they want Ottawa to address. In a statement issued Wednesday, they called on the federal government to improve Canada's trading relationship with China. 'You know what Churchill said, our enemy of our enemy is our friend, and I don't consider Americans the enemy, but right now President Trump himself is acting like the enemy,' Ford said. The friction dates back to last fall, when Canada imposed a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles — matching a move by the Biden administration in the U.S. — and levies on a range of other goods, including EV batteries and parts, critical minerals, solar panels and semiconductors. China hit back with 100 per cent tariffs on imports of Canadian canola oil and meal, and a 25 per cent levy on some pork, fish and seafood products. 'As long as China plays fair and doesn't undercut our markets, be it the auto sector or any sector, I have no problem dealing with them because we're already dealing with them,' Ford said, pointing out that Ontario imports about $40 billion worth of Chinese goods and exports back about $3 billion. The premiers say they want the federal government to work toward removing Chinese tariffs from Canadian canola, peas, pork and seafood. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said that while the relationship with China is complicated, the two countries must talk to each other. 'We have to have engagement,' he said. 'We can't turn away from the rest of the world, especially given what's going on with Mr. Trump.' New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said she's happy that Canada and China are now in active talks toward a trade deal. 'Given that we're now negotiating a completely new relationship with the U.S., we can get back to the table with China to work to remove the seafood tariffs that New Brunswickers are experiencing,' she said. Moe and Ford said they are worried about steelworkers in their respective provinces, with three major steel plants feeling the brunt of U.S. tariffs on steel and concerns about China dumping steel into the market through proxy countries. The federal government announced protectionist and anti-dumping measures targeting Chinese-made steel last week. The premiers are also asking the federal government for changes to the bail system and more money for health care. B.C. Premier David Eby insisted health care and the cost of living are perennial priorities for provincial governments, even though health didn't come up at the meeting with Carney. 'We have to be able to do multiple things at once in this country,' he said. The premiers called for more action on immigration and said they're looking at ways to exercise more authority over that file. Ford said Smith told her fellow premiers that Section 95 of the Constitution allows provinces to pass legislation related to immigration. He said nearly 100,000 asylum seekers came to Ontario alone last year, and while many people want to work, it can take years for them to obtain work permits. 'We will be issuing our own work permits,' Ford said. — Written by Liam Casey in Huntsville, Ont., and Sarah Ritchie in Ottawa with files from Hina Alam in Fredericton This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025.
