Even before the G7 summit officially got underway, prime minister Mark Carney had his bilateral meeting with Trump, and it was this somewhat awkward situation where Trump defended having a “tariff concept” and said that Carney had a “more complicated” plan (how could “free trade” be more complicated?”) but there was word that talks were “accelerating,” and later in the day, we got a readout from that conversation that said that they were aiming to get a trade deal within 30 days, so no pressure there (not that you could really accept such a deal for the paper it’s written on because this is Trump and he doesn’t honour his agreements). Trump also claimed to have signed a trade deal with the UK (which he called the EU at the time), and held up a blank page with his signature on it. So that…happened.
Holy crap. The US-UK trade deal is a blank sheet of paper and only Trump signed it. (Genuine screen grab).
— Justin Wolfers (@justinwolfers.bsky.social) 2025-06-17T00:13:56.113Z
The rest of the summit took place, and then suddenly Trump decided he needed to leave early, right after the Heads of Government dinner, citing important business in Washington, with allusions to the Israel-Iran conflict, but he did wind up signing a joint communiqué that calls for de-escalation in said conflict, so we’ll see how that holds up. Trump leaving early does mean that he won’t be around the arrival of either Volodymyr Zelenskyy or Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, who had hoped to have bilateral meetings with Trump on the sidelines of the summit, so that does blow a hole in what they expected to come for, particularly for Sheinbaum who rarely travels.
Meanwhile, here are some of the highlights of the day. Tsuut’ina Nation council member Steven Crowchild spoke about his meeting with Trump during his arrival in Calgary. EU officials confirmed that Carney is likely to sign a defence procurement agreement with them during his visit to Brussels in two weeks.
Ukraine Dispatch
A Russian drone and missile attack struck Kyiv in the early morning hours, wounding at least twenty. Ukraine received another 1,245 bodies, ending this repatriation agreement, bringing the total to over 6000 war dead.
Good reads:
- The government passed the closure motion on Bill C-5 with Conservative support, and it is being rammed through before the end of the week.
- While the Henry VIII clause in Bill C-5 is a very huge problem for parliament, it is unlikely to be found unconstitutional if past precedent is any indication.
- The “Canada Strong Pass” that gives discounts on VIA Rail and to certain national sites and museums goes into effect on Friday.
- Coast Guard union leaders say their membership remains in the dark over what the government meant by giving them a bigger “security mandate” as part of defence.
- Indigenous leaders all want the government to slow down the process of Bill C-5 to allow for more consultations (which the government won’t do).
- Citizen Lab is sounding the alarm about the cross-border data-sharing provisions in the government’s Border Bill, and could pose a threat to human rights.
- Karina Gould was voted in as the new chair of the finance committee, which is a damned interesting choice.
- Pierre Poilievre will undergo a leadership review vote at the party’s policy convention in January.
- Jagmeet Singh apologised to Drake for going to a Kendrick Lamar concert, and you could not find better proof as to why he was never a serious political leader.
- The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal declined to answer the reference question about who controls the Chignecto Isthmus so as not to provide political ammunition.
- New Quebec Liberal leader Pablo Rodriguez says he won’t seek a seat immediately, but will wait for the 2026 provincial election.
- In Peel Region in the GTA, there was a massive police crackdown on violent gangs who were embedded in the towing industry that also perpetrated fraud.
- BC Conservative leader John Rustad says the breakaway MLAs from his caucus have been engaging in blackmail of his party members and staff.
- Marty Patriquin gives the more hagiographic version of Michael Sabia’s appointment as Clerk of the Privy Council.
- Patrick Lennox calls out Danielle Smith’s referendum legislation as a welcome mat for foreign interference.
- Althia Raj correctly points out that Bill C-5 is a naked power grab and Carney or his Cabinet won’t actually justify why they need it.
Odds and ends:
My Loonie Politics Quick Take points to the “lawful access” provisions in the Border bill, why the Supreme Court said they’re unconstitutional.
Looks like it's time to post @clareblackwood.bsky.social's masterpiece again.Because American governors' crocodile tears are just not cutting it. www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/business/dro…
— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2025-06-17T03:12:32.852Z
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I’m having a hard time listening to Trudeau’s liberals defend those two bills. Such a betrayal.
Process arguments seem a bit odd to square with your usual critiques of delay games from opposition MPs. They won over the press gallery and the very online crowd, but time for the sake of time isn’t that compelling to the public as opposing it for specific reasons and also silly to turn a total blind eye to the usual critique that opposition parties rarely, if ever, bother to read bills thoroughly.
While he does represent Nepean, the PM is a longtime resident of Rockcliffe Park and I’d like a bit of putting your money where your mouth is by allowing a bridge over the Ottawa River at the end of Aviation Parkway as was always the plan as opposed to having large trucks driving through the downtown core ripping up the street pavement, congesting traffic and even leading to pedestrians hit by these truck, even fatally. Rockcliffe Park homeowners have led the “not in my backyard” blocking of any bridge to have the transport trucks out of the downtown core because it would be noisy. Pricey residential areas are usually the biggest hotbeds of opposition to developments and the residents often get their way.