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Good evening, iPolitics readers.
The federal government announced a suite of new electric vehicle policies Thursday, including the reintroduction of the popular rebate program and the elimination of the EV sales mandate in favour of new emission standards.
Speaking at an auto parts manufacturer in Woodbridge, Ont., Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa is restoring the rebate program with $2.3 billion to help Canadians cover the cost of a new EV, and $1.5 billion for EV infrastructure like charging stations.
Government officials at a technical briefing Thursday were unable to say exactly what impact these new measures will have on Canada’s overall emissions, and promised to publish modelling in the months to come.
Ottawa’s target is to have a 75 per cent EV adoption rate by 2035 and a 90 per cent rate by 2040. The sales mandate Carney is eliminating would have required that 100 per cent of new passenger vehicle sales be electric by 2035.
Sydney Ko has more.
She said Montreal should serve as the headquarters of a new international defence bank because of its unique blend of cultures, experience hosting global institutions, skilled workforce and concentration of aerospace businesses, including Bombardier.Ferrada was in Ottawa for meetings as part of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Big City Mayors’ Caucus, and while those talks were focused on infrastructure funding, she also used the opportunity to make her case for Montreal as the host of the Defence Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB).
She told iPolitics that Montreal has a uniquely strong resume, pointing to its experience hosting international organizations like the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization, as well as its status as a major centre of aerospace manufacturing.
Montreal officially launched its bid earlier this week, and faces competition from Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver.
Marco Vigliotti reports.
He said McPherson’s ability to connect with voters and her broad knowledge of issues can help the NDP get back to recognized party status in the House of Commons.“There’s only seven NDP MPs that made it through in the last election.
This wasn’t a small feat. This was a challenge for all seven of us… We’ve proven that we can win in the most difficult circumstances and Heather’s proven that,” Johns said.“This wasn’t an election for the weak, and certainly she is a strong person.”
Former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh lost his own seat and announced his resignation after last year’s election.
Canadian Press reports.
In other headlines
Internationally
You might need to skip the cherry blossoms viewing if you’re making a trip to Japan this time of the year.
Japanese authorities in a town near Mount Fuji have cancelled this year’s cherry blossom festival, saying a surge in tourist numbers is unmanageable for locals.
The influx of tourists to the town of Fujiyoshida has led to chronic traffic congestion and litter, while some residents say they’ve experienced tourists trespassing or defecating in private gardens.
The area is a popular destination during spring because Japan’s world-renowned cherry trees are in full bloom, and can be admired with Mount Fuji in the background.
But Fujiyoshida’s picturesque scenery threatens “the quiet lives of citizens,” the city’s mayor explained, adding: “We have a strong sense of crisis.”
“To protect the dignity and living environment of our citizens, we have decided to bring the curtain down on the 10-year-old festival,” Fujiyoshida mayor Shigeru Horiuchi said when making the announcement on Tuesday.
BBC has more.
Elsewhere, Ukraine and Russia have concluded a second day of United States-brokered negotiations in the United Arab Emirates without achieving a breakthrough towards ending Russia’s war.
The two sides agreed to each hand over 157 prisoners of war with officials from Ukraine and the US as well as Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirming on Thursday that the exchange had taken place.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff – who led the American mediation team alongside Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law – said that while “significant work remains” in peace negotiations to end the war, the prisoner swap showed that “sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.”
Progress was also reached towards strengthening US-Russian engagement. According to the US military’s European Command, the two sides agreed to re-establish high-level military-to-military dialogue, which has been suspended since 2021.
The channel “will provide a consistent military-to-military contact as the parties continue to work towards a lasting peace”, the European Command said in a statement.
Read more on Al Jazeera.
In other international headlines
A pre-Covid vibe is set to return to downtown Ottawa this summer. The federal government is expanding its return-to-office mandate and requiring public servants to be in office a minimum of four days per week.
For those who are distraught by the news … We apologize for making it our kicker.
