Latest news with #quotas
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Carney confirms possibility of lumber quotas in trade deal with the United States
Prime Minister Mark Carney said any future trade deal with the United States could include quotas on Canadian softwood lumber exports, a sector that has been a sore point in cross-border trade relations long before U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war. "There is normally some element of managed trade that comes out of any agreement, " Carney said Wednesday in Hamilton, Ont., where he spoke to steelworkers to announce measures to support that industry. He said "that can include quotas," among a "variety of trade factors." Carney's comments come after B.C. Premier David Eby told Bloomberg News that the federal government had been speaking with the provinces about quotas to resolve the softwood lumber dispute as part of a larger deal. "What the premier is saying that we are putting the option of quotas on the table as part of those discussions," Ravi Parmar, B.C.'s Forest Minister said in an interview Wednesday. Parmar acknowledged that neither government nor industry have historically supported such quotas. "But this is a really important time," Parmar said. "We are looking for the federal government to ensure that softwood lumber is just as important as steel or aluminum and auto in those conversations." Carney said he had been in close contact with Eby about the softwood file, adding that resolving the conflict is a "top priority" as the United States prepares to double various duties to 34.45 per cent. Canada and the United States have been without a softwood lumber agreement since 2015, and Eby has previously said that resolving the dispute could "build momentum" for a larger, more comprehensive trade deal. Trump's latest threat is to impose 35 per cent tariffs by Aug. 1 on Canadian goods currently not compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Carney said he agreed with Eby's idea of resolving the softwood lumber dispute as part of a larger trade deal, but added that both issues are unfolding along different times lines. British Columbia accounts for about 40 per cent of Canada's softwood lumber exports to the United States, according to the BC Lumber Trade Council, but the industry has been struggling, and artificial export limits could further damage it. Kurt Niquidet, president of the B.C. Lumber Trade Council, said in a written statement that the industry represents a "cornerstone" of B.C.'s forest economy, and a "vital part" of Canada's trading relationship with the U.S. "Resolving this long-standing dispute is essential to protecting jobs, supporting communities, and ensuring a stable, competitive future for our forest sector." That statement did not directly comment on the quota proposal. — with files from David Baxter This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2025. Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Frontbencher proposes alternative to quotas as Liberal party agonises over gender imbalance
The Liberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh has called for the party to consider gender-balanced candidate pools as an alternative to quotas, as close to 100 women took part in a nearly three-hour meeting on Wednesday night on building gender diversity in the opposition. Party insiders in New South Wales say support for quotas is building, but any major reform to match Labor's rules first introduced in the mid-1990s is likely to take years. McIntosh, the shadow women's minister, wrote to the NSW Women's Council president, Berenice Walker, this week, urging the discussion not be reduced to a yes or no on quotas. 'Strong systems help open the door, but it is the party's culture that determines whether women stay, thrive, and reach the heights of leadership and success,' McIntosh wrote. She said she was open to quotas or some other mechanism for change, but warned addressing the party's culture needed to come first. 'A structural re-design might consider gender-balanced candidate pools to ensure equality of opportunity – consistent with our values – rather than prescribing outcomes. 'We should also examine leadership pipelines, mentorship initiatives, and other evidence-based mechanisms that reflect our principles. Culture and structure must evolve together.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email A candidate pool model would be similar to the 'A-list' of candidates for preselections introduced in Britain's Conservative party by the former prime minister David Cameron. Cameron put a freeze on candidate selection and introduced a priority list, with half of the list to be female and a large number to be from minority backgrounds. At Wednesday's meeting the council did not settle on a model for change or next steps, but participants said there was majority support for quotas and other significant changes. The NSW Young Liberals have called for a candidate pool model, and reiterated their support for it at their last meeting in May, following the federal election. Before this week's meeting, Walker said there would be an 'open discussion' of quotas. Those in the meeting said a majority of the participants, diverse in age, were in favour of quotas, with only a few speaking against them. One senior party member said there was 'no rush' to put forward a model. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion They said it was unlikely that quotas, which would need to be added to the NSW Liberal constitution, and voted on by its state council, would be in place by the next state election in 2027. 'We're a long way away from it, because the structure is difficult,' they said. The federal leader, Sussan Ley, has said she is 'agnostic' on the party's approach to change, but told the National Press Club in June she was a 'zealot' on recruiting more women. The frontbencher Angus Taylor, who Ley defeated for the leadership, has publicly opposed quotas, and said it would 'subvert democratic processes', pointing instead towards more mentorship within the party. Vocal supporters for quotas, including the NSW senator Maria Kovacic, have called for more immediate action. Kovacic said she would support temporary quotas with a sunset period, and firm expiry date, to get more Liberal members over the line. 'Achieving this goal will likely take two election cycles … Once that balance is reached, we can return to the existing system with confidence that equity has been successfully embedded,' she said. 'A sunset clause would be an appropriate mechanism to ensure the temporary nature of a quota system.'
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Gender balance in Liberal party should be based on ‘merit' not ‘quotas', says new senator Jess Collins
Newly elected Liberal senator Jess Collins has hit out at factional bosses and leakers within the party's NSW branch, insisting a push for quotas to boost female representation is the wrong approach for trying to beat Labor at the next election. Aligned with senior frontbencher Angus Taylor and state MP and factional force Anthony Roberts, Collins was elected to the upper house on 3 May, after beating senator Hollie Hughes for preselection. A former Lowy Institute research fellow, Collins used an email to constituents on Tuesday night to describe the Coalition's election defeat as 'devastating,' arguing more women would have been elected if campaign strategists and former leader Peter Dutton had done a better job. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email As Dutton's successor Sussan Ley pushes for reform of the party, and some moderates advocate for binding quotas, Collins criticised leakers who publicised comments from party figure Alan Stockdale suggesting Liberal women were 'sufficiently assertive' and that quotas for men might need to be considered. 'I am tired of factional hacks trying to weaponise the constitution to consolidate or hold on to power,' Collins wrote in the email seen by Guardian Australia. 'We are not going to find our way out of the wilderness if we can't change the status quo.' She said the leaking of the comments made in a meeting of the NSW Women's Council was disappointing, explaining she had met Stockdale and the party's administrative committee with ideas on how to improve the outcomes for women. 'If he suggested women were sufficiently assertive perhaps I am to blame.' Collins then wrote: 'Sorry, bad joke – please don't leak it!' The only newly elected Coalition senator, she conceded she was so low on the pecking order that she has 'no one to peck'. Ahead of a discussion about quota models in a special meeting on Wednesday night, Collins said there was more work to do to encourage women to run for parliament. 'That is the ongoing and big task ahead of us all. I was fortunate to have mentors like Anthony Roberts and Angus Taylor. 'If I can help other women like they have helped me then I'm confident we can achieve gender balance with merit in parliament. Not with quotas.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Party activist Charlotte Mortlock, founder of Hilma's Network which advocates for better female representation in the Liberal party, said quotas should be considered. 'I look forward to Jess' contribution to our democracy. I am sure she will do a great job, but I disagree with her on quotas. 'I am frustrated by the continual use of the word 'merit' which never seems to come up when questioning men's capabilities.' Moderates pushing for changes to party rules have proposed gender quotas be introduced with enforceable expiry dates, in a bid to win the broadest possible support for the plan. Proponents of quotas told Guardian Australia this week sunset provisions to remove preferential treatment for women must be included in any rule change. Party sources say a shift in sentiment could be emerging towards a quota plan, provided the right model can be agreed to. A rule change would require 60% support in a vote of the NSW state council. Taylor opposes quotas. He said on Wednesday he would actively campaign on 'sensible policies in line with Liberal values' to get more women into parliament.
CBC
21-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Quebec bill would force Netflix, other streaming giants to add more French-language content
Bill 109 would impose quotas on online streaming services like Disney, Spotify and others to make French-language content more visible and accessible for users.
ABC News
06-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
WA Liberal leader Basil Zempilas says 'everything on table' to increase party's female MPs
WA Liberal leader Basil Zempilas has committed to doing "whatever it takes" to increase the party's female members, not ruling out 50:50 quotas for candidate preselection at the next state election. His comments came as several elders in the Liberal Party reflected on its "women problem" in their post-mortems of the election thrashing, including retiring senator Linda Reynolds who on Monday labelled the defeat a "comprehensive failure". Linda Reynolds says the Liberal Party has a problem attracting female candidates. ( ABC News: Jake Sturmer ) Mr Zempilas admitted the party's federal problems also exist in WA. "It is very clear, it is impossible to dispute, we do not have enough women who are part of the WA Liberal Party team," Mr Zempilas told the ABC. "That is a fact that cannot be ignored." 'Looking at everything' It's something Mr Zempilas said he plans to address by "looking at everything" — including 50:50 quotas at the 2029 state election. "I understand quotas are difficult to implement with our preselection system, and I understand the view that they are 'un-Liberal like', but my view is where we are today, everything has to be on the table," he said. " That has to include a genuine and serious conversation about quotas if that's what it will take to get greater female representation. " The idea of quotas had been rejected by the party in the past, Photo shows peter dutton jacob greber piece The Liberal Party has been told it has a women problem for years now, but you only have to look at its results in Western Australia to see how it's still struggling to make progress. Mr Zempilas said he has spoken with his state Liberal colleagues who all have a "huge appetite" to increase the party's relevance, starting with its uptake of female members. "That seems to be the issue at the moment for the WA Liberal Party and for the Liberal Party more broadly: are we connecting with enough people to be able to demonstrate to them that we're speaking their language, we know what they need, we understand the sort of leadership that they want?" he said. "That is the problem at the moment, so relevance, a relevant message, relevant policy, relevant candidate selection." Mr Zempilas said that started with its uptake of female members. The Liberals currently hold seven lower house seats in the WA parliament, but only two are held by females — deputy leader of the opposition Libby Mettam being one, and Cottesloe MP Sandra Brewer the other. Sandra Brewer is one of two Liberal members in the lower house of WA's parliament. ( ABC News: Jake Sturmer ) "I want to see more female candidates, and I want to see more women elected into the parliamentary Liberal Party," Mr Zempilas said. "I would like to lead a Liberal Party in the Parliament of Western Australia that is as close to, or perhaps even past, a 50:50 gender split." Mr Zempilas did however note work has already begun to improve the party's make-up. "I do know out of the review that took place after the 2021 [state] election, there was a significant emphasis placed on recruiting more female candidates," he said. Basil Zempilas says the Liberal Party has a lot of work to do. ( ABC News: Keane Bourke ) "I know there has been a program run that's been done to identify female candidates and then to mentor them, to assist with fundraising and to assist with the preselection process." Leadership challenge 'brutal' While that is a strong commitment, there are members of the public who view Mr Zempilas himself as a contributor to the problem. Mr Zempilas took over from Ms Mettam soon after the state poll in March, following her announcement she would not seek re-election because she didn't have the support of the party. "I had private conversations with my colleagues but it is very clear that my colleagues were seeking a new direction of the Liberal Party going forward," Ms Mettam said at the time. But it wasn't the first time her leadership was challenged. Photo shows Ken Wyatt looks directly at the camera on a suburban street. A former Liberal elder who quit the party after leaving federal parliament lashes his previous colleagues, urging them to become more inclusive in the wake of another bruising election result. In November, leaked polling which showed the Liberals' primary vote could be 7 per cent higher with Mr Zempilas as leader prompted a party room challenge — something Mr Zempilas has denied being involved with. Nevertheless, the polling was something Ms Mettam described as "brutal" for the party. "All of those things can be said [that the polling undermined Ms Mettam], the fact of the matter is after the most recent state election the leader of the Liberal Party stood down … and then at that point I put my hand up and was elected unopposed," he said. Leadership tussle aside, Mr Zempilas said as leader he's "championing more women in our parliament representing the Liberal Party" as a top priority. "We need to pick great female candidates and we need to put them in seats where they can win," he said. Elders agree Mr Zempilas's comments echo "Ten years ago I was part of a review into gender … and we recommended targets and how to get there without quotas," Ms Reynolds said on Monday. "That's been the Liberal Party policy for 10 years but it's just sat on a shelf." Election fallout and analysis: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on Mr Wyatt agreed the party needs to "I have seen it in my party when I was a member, women offering ideas but the ideas not being accepted," Mr Wyatt said. "But then later, that same idea being offered up by a male and being accepted." Liberals sources told the ABC the party has a brand and image problem and needs more strong female candidates preselected for state and federal seats. Having trouble seeing this form? Try Loading
