Revived talk of tensions between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland prompted new questions Tuesday, about how big the federal deficit will be in next week's economic update. "She wants a large deficit of $40 billion. He on the other hand, wants an even larger deficit on steroids, bigger than $40 billion. We know that Canadians are going to lose from all this inflation, but which one of those two is going to win?" asked Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during question period. Poilievre's prodding came amid a new report from The Globe and Mail, citing unnamed sources that suggested the two are at odds over the economics of measures such as the two-month GST/HST pause and the in-limbo $250 workers' benefit cheques. The holiday affordability package, if fully enacted, is slated to cost an estimated $6.3 billion. One senior government source CTV News spoke to Tuesday said that there is tension and some frustration, but not to a degree that makes the working relationship untenable. Another senior Liberal disagreed with the characterization of the two being "at odds" and said that in their view, Trudeau and Freeland's offices have a healthy working relationship and that tough conversations are a natural part of building a policy document such as a fall economic statement. After being accused in question period by Poilievre of losing control of his cabinet, Trudeau responded by saying that Canadians lose when Poilievre's party votes against support measures such as dental care and the school food program. "Every single time the Leader of the Opposition gets up in this House, he stands against supports for Canadians, against growing the economy, against supporting a better future for all Canadians, because he's only in it for himself," Trudeau said. "It's not clear that the finance minister is actually in it with him," Poilievre shot back. Leader of the Conservative Party Pierre Poilievre rises during Question Period, Tuesday, Dec 10, 2024 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press) This is not the first time there's been rumblings about friction between the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Freeland's Office. This summer, senior officials in the PMO were reportedly concerned about Freeland's economic communications chops. At the time, Trudeau asserted he still had "full confidence" in Freeland, but noted he'd been in talks with Mark Carney about entering federal politics. A few months later, the Liberal Party announced that the former Bank of Canada governor was joining as a special adviser to serve the chair of a leader’s task force on economic growth. On Tuesday, Freeland sought to downplay the suggestions that her and Trudeau are butting heads over spending. She said, in French, that her job is a "great privilege” and she was not focused on "political chicanery," when asked about the reporting, and whether it affected the content or timing of the fall economic update. The renewed look at the federal books is slated to be tabled Monday , just a day before MPs are scheduled to break for the year. Asked about the tension and whether Canadians should be concerned, Government House Leader Karina Gould said her focus was on passing the supplementary estimates and ensuring the Liberals "deliver effectively for Canadians over the holidays and into the new year." Freeland won't commit to meeting deficit target Earlier in the day, Freeland faced questions from reporters about whether she would meet one of her key fiscal guardrails as set out in the spring budget – maintaining the 2023-24 deficit at or below $40.1 billion – in next week's economic update. "I am not going to comment on anonymous rumours out in the town right now," Freeland said. "The debt to GDP ratio is our fiscal anchor." In repeated follow-ups, Freeland said the fiscal anchor that will be maintained in the fall economic statement will be reducing the federal debt as the share of the economy. "I chose my words with care, because it is important to be clear with Canadians. It is important to be clear with capital markets," Freeland said. "If your debt is declining as a share of the economy, by definition your fiscal position is sustainable and that is really important." Signalling the Liberals may be blowing through her deficit target in exchange for offering up additional affordability measures, and potentially putting up big spending for new border measures, has sparked some concern among economic observers. Robert Asselin, a senior vice-president at the Business Council of Canada and a former budget director to former finance minister Bill Morneau, called it a sign the current government is "making it up as they go." "This is the third time in four years that the finance minister will miss her own fiscal target," Asselin said. "They keep changing their own fiscal target. It sends a terrible message to Canadians, to investors, and to debt markets who are looking for stability in a time of instability, frankly." He said that not keeping within targets at a time where the economy could be weakening, and U.S. president-elect Donald Trump is threatening major tariffs suggests "the rainy days are here, and we're not prepared for it." As for whether Trudeau's latest affordability package could be seen as the kind of spending that could justify a bigger deficit, Asselin said the measures aren't the kind to have "structural effects on the economy." "It's like sugar pops. You know it's good when you have it. It feels good, but then an hour after, you're still hungry. It's the same with our economy. We need more productivity, more innovation, and this spending will do nothing to achieve that." With files from CTV News' Vassy Kapelos and Spencer Van Dyk
TRAVERSE CITY — Dozens of city and county employees returned to work at the Governmental Center on Tuesday following a failure in the building’s heating system. That outage forced officials to close the facility late Monday morning. About 27 hours later, heating was restored. “I’m happy to say we’re up and running,” said Nate Alger, Grand Traverse County administrator. “The issue has now been fixed and the temperature is moving back up toward normal.” The trouble was caused by a broken valve in the building’s water-based heating and cooling system, preventing hot water from flowing through the facility. Temperatures in some parts of the building dropped into the low 40s on Monday morning, prompting city and county officials to send most employees home at about noon. By Tuesday afternoon, technicians from the county’s facilities department and Johnson Controls, Inc., were able to repair the aging HVAC system. “I’m really proud of our facilities staff,” Alger said. “They worked long hours to get this to a positive outcome.” The Governmental Center was built in 1978-79 when Jimmy Carter was president and the musical “Grease” was the top box office movie. Now, 46 years later, the concrete building’s age is starting to show. “We did get the parts we needed, but the real challenge was with the infrastructure itself,” Alger said. “Some of the technology they used back then is not what we use today.” IMPACT ON MEETINGS Monday evening’s meeting of the Traverse City Commission was canceled because of the heating outage. It is tentatively rescheduled for Monday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. Interested citizens are urged to check the city’s website for official updates at traversecitymi.gov . Now that heat has been restored, Wednesday morning’s meeting of the Grand Traverse County Commission will take place as usual at 9 a.m. in the second-floor commission chambers at 400 Boardman Ave., officials said. BUNDLING UP Before the heat came back on Tuesday afternoon, many county and city staffers came to work bundled up in coats, hats and winter boots. Some even wore snow pants and heavy snowmobile boots. “I’ve got three layers on to stay warm,” said Teresa Nichols, administrative assistant in the Traverse City engineering department. “I think most people are back after we were sent home on Monday afternoon.” Those on the third floor, which was a bit warmer, made do with sweaters and thick socks. Despite the heating challenges, the overall mood was upbeat in most departments. The first-floor customer service area was festooned with holiday décor and colorful lights as citizens entered the building for in-person services. A visitor told family-friendly Christmas jokes to the clerks on duty, who responded with broad smiles and a few chuckles. OTHER WEATHER EFFECTS The county jail and court system were not affected by the heating outage because they are in separate buildings at the governmental campus. However, the 911 dispatch center was without heat Monday. Those essential service employees continued to work with the help of temporary heating equipment. On the education front, all Traverse City Area Public Schools were closed Monday and Tuesday because of the inclement weather, including both in-person and virtual classes. Looking forward, the National Weather Service said a winter storm watch remains in effect for the Traverse City area from Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7 a.m. until Thursday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. Go to weather.gov for the latest forecast information.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's decision to break his word and pardon his son Hunter has spurred a broader discussion about what else he should be doing with the broad clemency powers of the presidency before he leaves office in January, including whether he should be pardoning Donald Trump. Biden on Tuesday ducked questions about his son, ignoring calls for him to explain his reversal as he was making his first presidential trip to Angola . He dismissed shouted questions about the matter with a laugh during a meeting with Angolan President João Lourenço at the presidential palace, telling the Angolan delegation: “Welcome to America.” Biden was not scheduled to take questions from the press during his trip to Africa, and he has largely avoided interactions with reporters since President-elect Trump’s victory last month. Biden’s decision to offer his son a blanket pardon for actions over the past 11 years has sparked a political uproar in Washington, after the president repeatedly had said he would not use his extraordinary powers for the benefit of his family. Biden claimed that the Justice Department had presided over a “miscarriage of justice” in prosecuting his son, using some of the same language that Trump uses to describe his own legal predicaments. Biden's reversal drew criticism from many Democrats , who are working to calibrate their approach to Trump as he prepares to take over the Oval Office in seven weeks. There is concern the pardon — and Biden's claims that his son was prosecuted for political reasons — will erode their ability to push back on the incoming president’s legal moves. And it has threatened to cloud Biden's legacy as he prepares to leave office on Jan. 20. Hunter Biden is the closest presidential relative ever to be granted clemency, but other leaders have pardoned family members and close friends. Bill Clinton pardoned his brother Roger for drug charges after Roger Clinton had served his sentence. By the time Trump left office after his first term, he had issued 144 pardons, which included Charles Kushner , the father of his son-in law, Jared Kushner. He also pardoned fervent supporters Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn and other people convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. In the months after the 2020 election, Trump and his allies were trying to overturn his loss, a failed effort that culminated in the violent riot by his supporters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. There were discussions at the time over whether Trump would preemptively pardon some of those involved in the effort — and maybe even himself — before he left office. But that never happened. Now, Democrats are having similar discussions about preemptive pardons on their side because of Trump's rhetoric on the campaign trail. He's made no secret of his desire to seek revenge on those who prosecuted him or crossed him. He talks about "enemies from within." He's circulated social media posts that call for the jailing of Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer. He's also taken aim at Liz Cheney, a conservative Republican who campaigned for Harris, promoting a social media post that suggested he wanted military tribunals to punish her because she was guilty of treason. Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said last week on Boston Public Radio that Biden might consider broad pardons to protect people against whatever wrath Trump may seek, but also as a way to move the country past this acrimonious and divided time. “I think that without question, Trump is going to try to act in a dictatorial way, in a fascistic way, in a revengeful first year at least of his administration toward individuals who he believes harmed him,” Markey said. Presidents enjoy expansive pardon powers when it comes to federal crimes . That includes granting clemency to people who have not yet been charged, as President Gerald Ford did in 1974 when he pardoned his predecessor, Richard Nixon, over the Watergate scandal. The decision at the time caused an uproar but has been seen in the ensuing decades as a move that helped restore order. Markey cited Ford's pardon as a way for the country “just to close that chapter and move on to a new era.” Biden could do the same, Markey said, to help the country move on “to an agenda that deals with the ordinary families.” Sen. Joe Manchin, the Democrat-turned-independent from West Virginia, took it a step further and suggested Biden should even pardon Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, federal charges that are now evaporating with Trump's upcoming return to the White House. “Why don't you go ahead and pardon Donald Trump for all his charges?" he said in an interview with CNN. “It would have gone down a lot more balanced. I'm just saying, wipe them out.” At the same time, Democratic lawmakers and criminal justice reformers are pushing Biden to grant pardons to broad groups of Americans. Democrats Ayanna Pressley, Jim Clyburn and Mary Gay Scanlon wrote to Biden on Nov. 20, asking him to use his clemency powers to "address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration.” The letter, also signed by 61 others, suggested Biden could use his powers to send a powerful message of criminal justice reform and "rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges.” “We encourage you to use your clemency powers to help broad classes of people and cases, including the elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers,” they wrote. So far, Biden has pardoned 25 people. Most presidents tend to grant a flurry of clemency requests at the end of their terms, and it's likely Biden will do the same. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has said Biden is “thinking through that process very thoroughly.” Weissert reported from Luanda, Angola.Girl hit by car while crossing road in Larkin