SHARE ON: |
| |
| |
 |
 |
|
|
He’s rarely, if ever, been this forceful on a foreign file.
Somehow overnight Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decided to give up on China, endure the diplomatic deep freeze and face the inevitable economic backlash by soundly rejecting the Meng-for-Michaels proposal.
Gone were the usual ‘ums’ and ‘uhs’ he mutters while trying to remember talking points.
In the case of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou’s possible extradition to the U.S. and the linked-in imprisonment of Michaels Spavor and Kovrig on bogus spying charges, the prime minister unleashed his position Thursday with no hesitancy in either official language.
If the proposed swap went ahead, Trudeau warned, China would be emboldened to become unscrupulous hostage-takers, seizing foreigners for trade when one of their own gets in trouble overseas.
It was an uncharacteristically firm response for a guy who always seeks kinder, gentler reactions to global tensions involving Canada.
He could’ve simply ducked behind the explanation of this mess crawling along in a court hearing process which could ultimately free Meng in any event.
But he didn’t. And he went further.
Trudeau basically ripped and ridiculed 19 prominent Canadians advocating capitulation, flipping the bird at heavyweights from the Chretien, Martin, Harper and Mulroney governments for a proposal that would put Canadian travellers of the future in danger of being kidnapped.
It’s not clear what motivated so many big names to decide now, 18 months after the standoff began, was the right time to advocate for a hostage swap as a means to improve the China connection.
Their argument that the current justice minister or the prime minster has the power to stop the legal extradition process and simply send Meng packing for home aboard a private Huawei jet wasn’t exactly a revelation.
And they must be aware our more important U.S. relationship would be hurt by simply ditching an extradition request our courts have so far decided is legitimate and should proceed.
But, as of today, Trudeau has wisely decreed this will never happen – and it’s hard to dispute the logic behind his decision.
When China made it clear they’re game for a hostage swap, that put to rest any pretence the charges filed against Spavor and Kovrig were somehow disconnected to the Meng extradition process.
And if it this works once, why would anyone believe it wouldn’t be repeated every time a Chinese national of Communist Party value is apprehended in another country?
Today’s developments will have the Conservative opposition gasping. They’ve advocated for a tough-on-China approach generally and for Trudeau to act against China for detaining the Canadians specifically. Now they’ve got what they demanded. Gulp.
There’s going to be a hefty price to pay for this, of course.
Lumber, lobsters, just about anything heading for export to China is bound to face closer scrutiny, paperwork slowdowns and perhaps outright obstruction to avenge Trudeau’s position. New markets will need to be established to fill the trading void.
This also appears to be the kiss of death to Huawei’s plan to help develop the 5G telecommunications network in Canada, which will make bad things worse.
The Canada-China relationship is clearly in meltdown mode and there’s no stopping the damage from going radioactive now.
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
11 am |
| 22 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
WIND: ESE 27 KM/H
GUSTING TO 35 KM/H |
|
|
|
12 pm |
| 22 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
WIND: ESE 30 KM/H
GUSTING TO 38 KM/H |
|
|
 |
1 pm |
| 22 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
WIND: ESE 29 KM/H
GUSTING TO 42 KM/H |
|
|
|
2 pm |
| 22 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
WIND: ESE 26 KM/H
GUSTING TO 44 KM/H |
|
|
|
3 pm |
| 22 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
WIND: ESE 28 KM/H
GUSTING TO 45 KM/H |
|
|
|
4 pm |
| 21 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
WIND: ESE 29 KM/H
GUSTING TO 45 KM/H |
|
|
|
5 pm |
| 21 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
WIND: ESE 28 KM/H
GUSTING TO 45 KM/H |
|
|
|
6 pm |
| 20 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
WIND: ESE 28 KM/H
GUSTING TO 44 KM/H |
|
|
|
|
TODAY |
HIGH OF 22 ℃
LOW OF 14 ℃ |
| VERY HEAVY RAIN |
|
|
|
SUNDAY |
HIGH OF 23 ℃
LOW OF 14 ℃ |
| HEAVY INTENSITY RAIN |
|
|
|
MONDAY |
HIGH OF 23 ℃
LOW OF 12 ℃ |
| MODERATE RAIN |
|
|
|
TUESDAY |
HIGH OF 19 ℃
LOW OF 14 ℃ |
| MODERATE RAIN |
|
|
|
WEDNESDAY |
HIGH OF 21 ℃
LOW OF 13 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
|
|
 |
THURSDAY |
HIGH OF 25 ℃
LOW OF 12 ℃ |
| SCATTERED CLOUDS |
|
|
|
FRIDAY |
HIGH OF 28 ℃
LOW OF 17 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
|
|
|
SATURDAY |
HIGH OF 27 ℃
LOW OF 19 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
JAKE BANFIELD
OPEN BARS
11:09 AM |
|
 |
BRANTLEY GILBERT
THE ONES THAT LIKE ME
11:06 AM |
|
 |
JESSIE JAMES DECKER
I NEVER MISS HIM ANYMORE
11:02 AM |
|
 |
KENNY CHESNEY
JUST TO SAY WE DID
11:00 AM |
|
 |
HUNTER HAYES
IN A SONG
10:55 AM |
|
 |
SAM HUNT
LAST HURRAH
10:52 AM |
|
 |
JASON ALDEAN
HOW FAR DOES A GOODBYE GO
10:48 AM |
|
 |
KATE WATSON
I HAVE HAD ENOUGH
10:43 AM |
|
 |
RYAN GRIFFIN
JUST LIKE YOU SAID
10:40 AM |
|
 |
CHRIS JANSON
THE BRIDE
10:36 AM |
|
 
|
