Ford override to slash council ‘disappointing’: federal minister
The federal Liberals say they are disappointed the Ontario government will resort to the Constitution’s notwithstanding clause to forge ahead with plans to cut the size of Toronto city council.
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc warns that Ontarians “will ultimately judge the actions of their provincial government.”
The notwithstanding clause gives provincial legislatures or Parliament the ability to usher in legislation that effectively overrides provisions of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but only for a five-year period.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford took the rarely used step Monday after a judge said it was unconstitutional to slash the number of city council seats in the middle of a municipal election without consultation.
Toronto Mayor John Tory called the move a “gross overreach” of the province’s powers and said in a tweet Monday night he had met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was in the provincial capital for a women’s summit, to discuss his concerns.
In a statement, LeBlanc said the notwithstanding clause is an extraordinary part of the Constitution that should be used only in the most exceptional of cases, after serious and sober consideration. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers remarks the Fortune Global Forum dinner in Toronto Monday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is sounding a cautionary note about the recreational use of marijuana, saying that consuming it could have consequences for Canadians crossing the border into the United States.
Trudeau made the comment during an interview on CBC Manitoba hours before a visit to Winnipeg.
He was posed a question from a listener, who wanted to know what he would say to a U.S. border guard if he was asked if he had ever tried cannabis.
Trudeau replied that while he’s never told a fib while crossing the border, Canadians who have used marijuana will have to consider how they would respond.
The recreational use of marijuana
in Canada officially becomes legal on Oct. 17, and the prime minister says his government is working with the American officials to ensure that travel to the U.S. does not become a problem as a result of the change.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection office said in a statement earlier this year that medical and recreational marijuana may be legal in some U.S. states, but it remains illegal under U.S. federal law.
“I’ve never lied to a border guard,” Trudeau told the CBC on Tuesday, while also noting that every country has the right to decide who crosses their borders.
“I certainly won’t work to assume or impress upon the U.S. who they have to let in or not. They have legalized marijuana in a number of their states and we’re trying to
make sure that travel between our two countries is not disrupted.”
But Trudeau also said it’s important to remember that marijuana is a controlled substance that’s being legalized to protect children and communities.
“It’s not a health food supplement. Choosing to partake of marijuana has consequences for individuals, for lives in different ways, and we’re not encouraging that.”
The legalization issue is expected to be on the agenda when Trudeau meets with Progressive Conservative Premier Brian Pallister during his visit to the Manitoba capital. The federal government has pushed to have homegrown pot allowed, but Manitoba and Quebec have fought the move and insisted the provinces have the right to restrict it.