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The Port of Vancouver, in British Columbia, where the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 members are locked out amid a labor dispute.
Port strike puts trade at risk – and Liberals in awkward position
The economic costs of the deadlock will add up quickly. Roughly US$800 million in goods pass through the West Coast ports every day, including a fifth of cross-border US-Canada trade. Past port strikes have snarled exchange, gummed up supply chains, and frustrated businesses and consumers alike. This one threatens to do the same.
The strike puts the governing Liberals in an awkward position. The government wants to keep commerce flowing but is hesitant to step in and force a resolution, perhaps with legislation ordering workers back to work. The New Democratic Party, on whom the Liberals rely to remain in power, is against circumventing the collective bargaining process, which means the port strike isn’t the only showdown to watch.
For now, Labour Minister Steve MacKinnon is urging the parties to strike a deal at the bargaining table and says federal mediators are “on site, ready to assist the parties.”House of Commons in the Canadian Parliament building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Green fund controversy halts government business in Ottawa
The government has provided initial documents on the program, but the Conservatives want more handed over to the Commons so they can share them with federal police. The government argues sharing more documents would be illegal and prefers that the matter be studied by a House committee.
Why it matters? Since the Conservative demand falls under parliamentary privilege, most House business is on hold until it’s resolved. But the government can’t end the stalemate without the support of at least one other opposition party, the NDP or Bloc Quebecois, to join them in ending the showdown. But neither wants to do so.
The Conservatives are happy to let the scandal drag on, delaying the government’s agenda and painting them as crooked ahead of a federal election that’s due by October 2025. The showdown indicates an increasingly dysfunctional legislature and weak government, and it suggests that the coming months won’t be as productive as the Liberals would hope – and the country would expect.
When is criticizing Israel antisemitism?
Is it easier to be antisemitic today? Tragically, yes, says Israeli-American actor and activist Noa Tishby, who served as Israel’s Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism before Prime Minister Netanyahu dismissed her for speaking out against his controversial judicial reform agenda. She joins Ian Bremmer on GZERO World for a wide-ranging conversation on the ancient roots and modern resurgence of anti-Jewish sentiment. And it's not just coming from the right, says Tishby.
"It's totally fine to criticize Israeli politicians, Israeli policies, whatever.. But there's a strong sense in the political left right now, more accepted than it used to be, of denying Israel's right to exist," says Tishby. "Where it used to be, 'Let's just rid the world of the Jew and everything's gonna be fine.' Right? Nobody says that in a polite society today, but what they do say is, "Let's just rid the world of the Jewish State, and then everything will be fine."
Watch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer at gzeromedia.com/gzeroworld or on US public television. Check local listings.