Travel, drug prices and the RCMP: how federal politics touched us this week
OTTAWA — Last week it was the rush of the bulging Ottawa River that swamped the national capital; this week, it was the unpredictability of the Donald Trump administration.
From news that the U.S. president had shared secret information with Russians to intimidating tweets about the former head of the FBI; from talk of impeachment to pulling the trigger on NAFTA renegotiation, American politics have once again rattled the foundations of Canada’s approach to global security, trade and foreign affairs.
But even as the American political developments hit Canada fast and furious, the week in Canadian politics was more notable for its revelations of lethargy: indefinite delays in reforming the asylum system, delaying the overhaul of the country’s defence policy, trouble in pushing ahead with the inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women and no immediate word on the government’s peacekeeping plans.
Still, there were some new measures that will impact the lives of Canadians, especially in the realm of travel, drug prices and how the country’s most prestigious police force treats its people.