Poilievre defends Truth and Reconciliation Day post, calls criticism 'appalling politicization'
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is defending the caption on photos he posted to social media on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation after Liberal cabinet minister Marc Miller accused him of misidentifying Inuit people as Algonquin.
On Saturday, Poilievre posted two photos to X, formerly Twitter, of himself meeting with three Inuit people wearing traditional clothing, with the caption that he was “honoured to join the Algonquin Elders and leaders at the eternal flame to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.”
The photos were taken near the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hil.
Miller, former Crown-Indigenous relations minister and now federal immigration minister, was quick to point out the people in the photo were not Algonquin, but rather Inuit, “including Elder Manitok Thompson, who is very well known.”
- Capital Dispatch: Sign up for the latest in federal politics and why it matters
- Top headlines on Canadian politics, all in one place
“We are all learning some difficult truths, particularly today, and mistakes can happen,” Miller wrote.
The online exchange led to other MPs and politics watchers weighing in. The Canadian Press reported Saturday that Poilievre was facing online criticism for the post.
However, Poilievre says the caption was not an error, but rather misrepresented by Miller. He told reporters Tuesday he knew the people in the photo were Inuit, but the ceremony he attended was hosted by Algonquin leaders, who did not wish to be photographed.
“The reason we didn't put pictures of that ceremony (online), is because based on their traditional custom, photography is not allowed,” Poilievre said. “So out of respect for them, we did not photograph that ceremony.”
“Instead, we photographed other Inuit leaders, an Inuk knowledge keeper in particular, who was present and who also participated in the Algonquin ceremony,” he added.
Poilievre hit back at Miller for his “appalling politicization” of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. He also criticized the Canadian Press reporting from the weekend, accusing it of “regurgitating a false tweet from a Liberal minister.”
Hundreds of people marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Parliament Hill Saturday, including residential school survivors, various Indigenous leaders, current Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon.
Honoured to join the Algonquin Elders and leaders at the eternal flame to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) September 30, 2023
The path of truth and reconciliation is long but together we can begin to mend what has been broken and find true healing. pic.twitter.com/a4eJ3hMQn1
IN DEPTH
Billions for home building back-loaded, deficit projected at $40B in 2023-24: fall economic statement
The federal government's fiscal update presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Tuesday includes billions of dollars in new spending and targeted policy measures aimed at increasing Canada's housing supply in the years ahead.
Canada doubling carbon price rebate rural top-up, pausing charge on heating oil: Trudeau
The Canadian government is doubling the pollution price rebate rural top-up rate, and implementing a three-year pause to the federal carbon price on deliveries of heating oil in all jurisdictions where the federal fuel charge is in effect, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
As it happened: Zelenskyy visits Canada, addresses Parliament as PM pledges $650M in Ukraine aid
During his historic visit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered repeated thanks to Canada for its continued support for his country as it continues to defend itself from Russia's invasion. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada will be making a $650 million 'multi-year commitment' for further Ukraine aid. Recap CTVNews.ca's minute-by-minute updates.
ANALYSIS
ANALYSIS What do the policies Poilievre's party passed say about the Conservatives' future?
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre spent the summer speaking about housing affordability, a core focus that attendees at the party's Quebec City convention were quick to praise him for. But by the end of the weekend, delegates opted to instead pass policies on contentious social issues. What does that say about the Conservatives' future?
Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau separating, after 18 years of marriage
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife are separating after 18 years of marriage, and while they plan to co-parent their children, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau will no longer be considered the prime minister's spouse in any official capacity.
Opinion
OPINION
OPINION Don Martin: For squandering their hard-earned income tax, we owe our kids an apology
'Its bi-annual work of fiscal fiction rolled out Tuesday as the fall update staged a desperate bid to reverse the Liberals' downward spiral in the polls while trying to soften its drunken-sailor-spending image.'
OPINION
OPINION Don Martin: Life in Trudeau's brain defies imagination
Getting inside Justin Trudeau's head these days requires a vivid imagination. The prime minister's bizarre statement on the Middle East war this week reflects a distorted view that human-shielded resistance by Hamas terrorists can be overcome with "maximum restraint" by Israel's military.
OPINION
OPINION Don Martin: As much as Poilievre wants it, he will not get his election wish for 2023
It’s been 100+ hours of brutal aftermath since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau turned carbon pricing from a national principle into regional graft by lifting the tax on home heating oil and using free heat pumps to buy back the Liberal loyalty of Atlantic Canada voters.
OPINION
OPINION Don Martin: It's flip-flop or die as Trudeau retreats on universal carbon pricing
With this week’s flip-flop lifting on carbon pricing for heating oil until 2027 (pushing increases beyond the next election) and a doubling of the rural tax rebate, the severely rattled Liberals are chipping away at the load-bearing wall beneath their environmental platform, Don Martin writes.
Opinion
Opinion Don Martin: Trudeau frolics with unicorns amid the pounding drums of war
There's a parallel Canadian universe that exists only on Justin Trudeau's social media feed, writes political columnist Don Martin in his latest column for CTVNews.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Mother of 2 and 4 exchange students identified as victims killed in crash in Huntsville, Ont.
The woman killed in a head-on collision in Huntsville over the weekend that also claimed the lives of four teenagers has been identified.
How Western Canada's sugar shortage is affecting bakeries, chocolatiers
Amid an ongoing strike at Western Canada's largest sugar refinery, bakery owners and chocolatiers are finding it hard to locate the amounts of sugar they need to keep their businesses going as we head into the holiday season.
Danielle Smith invokes sovereignty act on green electricity, concedes it's for symbolic effect
Premier Danielle Smith invoked Alberta’s sovereignty act on Monday to implement new measures in her fight against Ottawa’s looming clean electricity rules while conceding she didn't need the act to put the changes in place.
Sandy Hook families offer to settle Alex Jones' US$1.5 billion legal debt for a minimum of US$85 million
Sandy Hook families who won nearly US$1.5 billion in legal judgments against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for calling the 2012 Connecticut school shooting a hoax have offered to settle that debt for only pennies on the dollar -- at least US$85 million over 10 years.
Trump says he will renew efforts to replace 'Obamacare' if he wins a second term
Former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened over the weekend to reopen the contentious fight over the Affordable Care Act after failing to repeal it while in the White House, saying he is "seriously looking at alternatives" if he wins a second term.
Six teens in court in connection with beheading of French teacher
Six teenagers go on trial behind closed doors on Monday in connection with the beheading of French history teacher Samuel Paty in 2020, a murder that shocked the country.
No injuries after plane destroyed in airport crash in Wawa, Ont.
The Transportation Safety Board has sent a team of investigators to northern Ontario following a crash on Monday that destroyed an aircraft.
B.C. boy dies by suicide after online sextortion: RCMP
Mounties in northern British Columbia are investigating after a 12-year-old boy died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following an apparent case of online sextortion. Warning: This story is about a child who died by suicide and may be distrubing to readers.
The Last of Us named the 'largest series ever filmed in Canada'
The monumental effort it took to bring the first season of The Last of Us to the small screen paid off big time for Alberta, a new report says.
Canada
-
Mother of 2 and 4 exchange students identified as victims killed in crash in Huntsville, Ont.
The woman killed in a head-on collision in Huntsville over the weekend that also claimed the lives of four teenagers has been identified.
-
Danielle Smith invokes sovereignty act on green electricity, concedes it's for symbolic effect
Premier Danielle Smith invoked Alberta’s sovereignty act on Monday to implement new measures in her fight against Ottawa’s looming clean electricity rules while conceding she didn't need the act to put the changes in place.
-
B.C. boy dies by suicide after online sextortion: RCMP
Mounties in northern British Columbia are investigating after a 12-year-old boy died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following an apparent case of online sextortion. Warning: This story is about a child who died by suicide and may be distrubing to readers.
-
How Western Canada's sugar shortage is affecting bakeries, chocolatiers
Amid an ongoing strike at Western Canada's largest sugar refinery, bakery owners and chocolatiers are finding it hard to locate the amounts of sugar they need to keep their businesses going as we head into the holiday season.
-
'Absolutely no talk' of moving Paul Bernardo to minimum security: corrections head
The commissioner of Correctional Service Canada says there is 'absolutely no talk' of moving notorious serial killer and rapist Paul Bernardo to an even lower security level, following his transfer into a medium-security prison.
-
Police search for suspect in Winnipeg shooting as fourth victim confirmed dead
Winnipeg police have confirmed a fourth person is dead after a shooting on Langside Street over the weekend. Investigators have yet to make an arrest but say the suspect is considered dangerous.
World
-
Suspect in shooting of 3 men of Palestinian descent near the University of Vermont pleads not guilty
Three college students of Palestinian descent out for a walk in Vermont were seriously injured over the weekend when a man shot them at close range on a city street, an attack being investigated as a possible hate crime, authorities said Monday.
-
Rescuers use hand-held drills to free 41 workers trapped in an Indian road tunnel for over 2 weeks
Rescuers in India began digging manually Monday in hopes of reaching 41 construction workers who have been trapped in a collapsed mountain tunnel in the country's north for over two weeks.
-
Six teens in court in connection with beheading of French teacher
Six teenagers go on trial behind closed doors on Monday in connection with the beheading of French history teacher Samuel Paty in 2020, a murder that shocked the country.
-
Blinken will return to Israel as the U.S. hopes to see further extensions of the Gaza ceasefire
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return this week to the Middle East as the U.S. hopes to find a way to extend a ceasefire in Gaza and get more hostages released, the State Department said Monday.
-
Ukraine has a new way to get its grain to the world despite Russia's threat in the Black Sea
More grain is getting unloaded from overcrammed silos and heading to ports on the Black Sea, set to traverse a fledgling shipping corridor launched after Russia pulled out of a UN-brokered agreement this summer that allowed food to flow safely from Ukraine during the war.
-
Trump says he will renew efforts to replace 'Obamacare' if he wins a second term
Former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened over the weekend to reopen the contentious fight over the Affordable Care Act after failing to repeal it while in the White House, saying he is "seriously looking at alternatives" if he wins a second term.
Politics
-
If Liberals need more time to deliver pharmacare bill, 'more results' expected: NDP
If the federal Liberals need more time to make good on their commitment to pass pharmacare legislation this year, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh will be expecting 'more results,' in exchange.
-
Danielle Smith invokes sovereignty act on green electricity, concedes it's for symbolic effect
Premier Danielle Smith invoked Alberta’s sovereignty act on Monday to implement new measures in her fight against Ottawa’s looming clean electricity rules while conceding she didn't need the act to put the changes in place.
-
'Absolutely no talk' of moving Paul Bernardo to minimum security: corrections head
The commissioner of Correctional Service Canada says there is 'absolutely no talk' of moving notorious serial killer and rapist Paul Bernardo to an even lower security level, following his transfer into a medium-security prison.
Health
-
Britain detects first human case of flu strain similar to pig virus
Britain said on Monday it had detected a first human case of flu strain A(H1N2)v, which is similar to a virus currently circulating in pigs, and that the individual concerned had experienced a mild illness and fully recovered.
-
B.C. in court against pharma companies in bid to certify opioid class-action lawsuit
B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma says a court hearing today in Vancouver represents a “new step” in the battle against opioid makers and marketers as the province seeks to certify a class action on behalf of other Canadian governments.
-
Official start of flu season will likely be declared this week: PHAC
Flu season is just around the corner, according to new data from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s FluWatch reprort.
Sci-Tech
-
Google will start deleting 'inactive' accounts in December. Here's what you need to know
Under Google's updated inactive-account policy, which the tech giant announced back in May, accounts that haven't been used in at least two years could be deleted. Accounts deemed inactive will be erased in a phased-approach beginning Friday.
-
Elon Musk visits Israel to meet top leaders as accusations of antisemitism on X grow
Elon Musk, who's been under fire over accusations of antisemitism flourishing on his social media platform X, paid a visit Monday to Israel, where he toured a kibbutz that was attacked last month by Hamas militants and was set to meet with top leaders.
-
Court document claims Meta knowingly designed its platforms to hook kids, reports say
Facebook parent Meta Platforms deliberately engineered its social platforms to hook kids and knew -- but never disclosed -- it had received millions of complaints about underage users on Instagram but only disabled a fraction of those accounts, according to a newly unsealed legal complaint described in reports.
Entertainment
-
The Last of Us named the 'largest series ever filmed in Canada'
The monumental effort it took to bring the first season of The Last of Us to the small screen paid off big time for Alberta, a new report says.
-
'Get Ready With Me': Video genre focusing on everyday life is everywhere, and not slowing down
"Get Ready with Me" videos are everywhere these days, and they're as straightforward as the name suggests. Social media users, often influencers, invite viewers to watch them get ready to do something or go somewhere.
-
Paramount Plus Canada developing comedies about prime minister, widowed limo driver
Paramount Plus Canada says it's developing two more homegrown comedies, one centred on a widowed limo driver trying to raise his kids, the other on an A-list actor who gets the chance to become prime minister.
Business
-
Air Transat's 2,100 flight attendants adopt strike mandate
The union representing 2,100 flight attendants at Air Transat says workers have voted to approve a strike if they cannot reach a new contract with the airline.
-
Buyer beware: porch piracy set to ramp up with holiday season fast approaching
A recent FedEx survey shows porch thefts have risen over the last two years, with 28 per cent of respondents reporting they've had packages stolen by so-called porch pirates in the past. That compares to 24 per cent of respondents in 2022 and 20 per cent in 2021.
-
China's fast-fashion retailer Shein files for U.S. IPO: Reuters sources
China-founded fashion company Shein has confidentially filed to go public in the United States, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.
Lifestyle
-
What's Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2023? Hint: Be true to yourself
In an age of deepfakes and post-truth, as artificial intelligence rose and Elon Musk turned Twitter into X, the Merriam-Webster word of the year for 2023 is "authentic."
-
In the U.S., Hmong 'new year' recalls ancestral spirits while teaching traditions to new generations
For the annual fall renewal of her shaman spirit, Mee Vang Yang will soon ritually redecorate the tall altar in her living room where she keeps her father's ring-shaped shaman bells.
-
'It's a miracle': Missing B.C. cat found after almost 7 months far from home
A cat named Mucky has been reunited with his Vancouver Island family after being missing since May.
Sports
-
B.C. Place to be renamed Christine Sinclair Place for soccer star's final match
B.C. Place Stadium is being renamed 'Christine Sinclair Place' for one night only, in honour of the Canada captain's final international outing
-
Canada wins five medals on final day of Parapan Am Games in Santiago
Canada capped the Parapan American Games with five medals Sunday for a total of 52. Canada's team of 135 athletes competing in 14 sports claimed nine gold, 15 silver and 28 bronze overall in Santiago, Chile.
-
Sinner leads Italy to its first Davis Cup title in nearly 50 years with 2-0 win over Australia
Jannik Sinner capped his perfect week by leading Italy to its first Davis Cup title in nearly five decades.
Autos
-
Tesla sues Swedish agency as striking workers stop delivering licence plates for its new vehicles
Tesla on Monday filed a lawsuit against the Swedish state via Sweden's Transport Agency as striking postal workers in the Scandinavian country halted the delivery of licence plates of new vehicles manufactured by the Texas-based automaker.
-
Honda recalls select Accords and HR-Vs over missing piece in seat belt pretensioners
Honda is recalling select 2023-2024 Accord and HR-V vehicles due to a missing piece in the front seat belt pretensioners, which could increase injury risks during a crash.
-
Buyers worldwide go for bigger cars, erasing gains from cleaner tech. EVs would help
The negative impact on the climate from passenger vehicles, which is considerable, could have dropped by more than 30 per cent over the past decade if not for the world's appetite for large cars, a new report from the Global Fuel Economy Initiative suggests.
