Politics
Conservatives want to know if Liberal ‘lied’ about Kneecap entry ban – National TenX News
Federal Conservatives say they want the Liberal government to clearly explain whether the controversial Irish hip-hop group Kneecap is barred from entering Canada or not as questions swirl about the case.
Liberal MP Vince Gasparro, the parliamentary secretary for combating crime, announced nearly two weeks ago “on behalf of the Government of Canada” that the band’s members had been deemed ineligible for entry ahead of scheduled concerts this month.
Yet the group says it has still not received official notice about being barred or any rejection of their electronic travel authorizations, which Irish citizens require in order to enter Canada and which the group says they obtained.
Gasparro and other cabinet officials have refused to provide clarity in the days since the announcement.
“He either lied or he has no clue how it works,” Conservative Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman told Global News in an interview. “And I find it hard to believe that he has no clue how it works.”
Lantsman suggested Conservatives would support an investigation into whether Gasparro’s announcement was made without knowledge of other government departments, including the Prime Minister’s Office and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
“We have a parliamentary secretary that, again, either doesn’t know what’s what’s happening within his own government or clearly lied,” she said. “I would suspect that in any other workplace you would be reprimanded for that. And in this case, you wouldn’t be a parliamentary secretary anymore.
“We certainly want to know if the parliamentary secretary lied to Canadians. That’s part of our job as the opposition: not only to oppose the government where it makes sense … but also to expose what they are not telling us.”
In his video announcement on Sept. 19, Gasparro cited a U.K. terrorism-related charge against Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh as a reason for denying entry to Canada. A British judge tossed out the criminal case last Friday, but Gasparro has not said if the apparent entry ban remains in place.
A spokesperson for Gasparro’s office said he had “no further comment” in an email Wednesday and deferred questions to IRCC, after making a similar comment on Friday.
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Immigration Minister Lena Diab did not stop to answer questions from reporters on Kneecap’s case while heading into the Liberal caucus meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday.
An IRCC spokesperson told Global News on Monday it could not comment on Kneecap’s specific case due to privacy reasons and did not confirm whether a formal entry ban was put in place, or if one remains.
The department’s statement said that applicants for electronic travel authorizations “are informed of their visa status through the email provided on their applications.”
That line was added to the department’s official messaging on Kneecap’s case by a spokesperson for Diab’s office, Global News learned after being included on an internal email exchange Monday.
Asked Wednesday by Global News if Kneecap’s members or its team have heard anything from the Canadian government on its entry status beyond Gasparro’s announcement, band manager Daniel Lambert replied in an email: “Not a thing.”
In a social media message responding to Gasparro’s video, Kneecap said its members had already been issued valid electronic travel authorizations.
“It would be nice to hear from the government on what their position is,” Lantsman said. “Clearly, that they’re not coordinated on this and they don’t have an answer.”
The Prime Minister’s Office has not responded to questions about Gasparro or Kneecap’s immigration case.
A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree’s office declined to comment Monday when asked by Global News if Gasparro consulted with the minister before his announcement, and also deferred questions to IRCC.
Lantsman said the confusion has undermined the Liberals’ commitment to fighting antisemitism and hate speech.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and Jewish advocacy organization B’nai Brith Canada, which had advocated for the ban, have praised the government for Gasparro’s announcement.
“Conservatives have been crystal clear on our position on antisemitism, and clearly the Liberals have not,” Lantsman said. “We’ve maintained a strong stance, including on the refusal (of Kneecap) to enter the country, and we ask where the Liberals stand on this.”
Kneecap has accused critics of trying to silence the band because of its support for the Palestinian cause throughout the Israeli military’s destruction of Gaza.
The U.K. terror charge, which was dismissed after a British court said it had been laid too late, came after authorities had alleged Óg Ó hAnnaidh waved a flag of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah during a London concert last year.
Hezbollah is a listed terrorist organization in both the U.K. and Canada.
The band says it doesn’t support Hezbollah and Hamas, nor condone violence.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
A trip to the world’s most-visited museum is about to cost Canadians significantly more.
France has hiked ticket prices at the Louvre by 45 per cent for visitors from outside the European Union, a move that is fuelling debate over so-called dual pricing and the growing backlash against overtourism.
Starting this week, adult visitors from non-EU countries, including Canada, must pay €32 to enter the Paris landmark, up from €22. That’s an increase from about $35 to $52 Canadian.
Visitors from EU countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, will continue to pay the lower rate.
The price hike comes as the Louvre grapples with repeated labour strikes, a high-profile daylight jewel heist last October that prompted a costly security overhaul, and years of chronic overcrowding. The museum attracts roughly nine million visitors annually.
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Some Canadian tourists told Global News they feel unfairly targeted.
“We didn’t cause the robberies or some of the other issues that happened and we are paying the consequences,” said Allison Moore, visiting Paris from Newfoundland with her daughter. “[In] Canada we don’t discriminate over pricing like that.”
Others argue tourists already shoulder higher costs simply by travelling long distances.
“In general for tourists, I think things should be a little cheaper than for local people, because we have to travel to come all the way here,” said Darla Daniela Quiroz, another Canadian visitor. “It should be equal pricing, or a little bit cheaper.”
Even some Europeans question the two-tiered system. A French tourist interviewed outside the museum said there was “no reason” to charge non-Europeans more and that the fee should be the same for everyone.
Tourism experts say the Louvre’s financial pressures help explain the decision.
“The Louvre is really cash-strapped right now and needs to do something,” said Marion Joppe, a professor at the University of Guelph. “It can’t really look to the government, which is already struggling with its own budget.”
The move also reflects a broader global pushback against mass tourism. Anti-tourism protests have spread across parts of Spain, New Zealand has increased its entry tax, and the United States recently raised national park fees for foreign visitors.
“You take Paris — it gets about 50 million tourists a year,” said Julian Karaguesian, an economist at McGill University. “That’s roughly a million a week. The city simply wasn’t built for those kinds of numbers.”
Despite the higher price, many visitors say they will still line up to see the Mona Lisa and other of the museum’s famous artworks.
“It’s one of the main attractions. It’s on everybody’s list,” Moore said. “We’re still going to go, and hopefully it will be worth it in the end.”
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Politics
Trump calls Canada-China deal ‘good thing’ as U.S. officials voice concern – National TenX News
Canada’s new trade deal with China is getting a mixed reaction in Washington, with U.S. President Donald Trump voicing support as administration officials warned Ottawa could regret allowing Chinese EVs into the Canadian market.
The deal signed with Beijing on Friday reverses course on 100 per cent tariffs Canada slapped on Chinese electric vehicles in 2024, which aligned with similar U.S. duties. Canada and China also agreed to reduce tariffs on canola and other products.
Asked about the deal by reporters at the White House, Trump said Prime Minister Mark Carney was doing the right thing.
“That’s what he should be doing. It’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that,” Trump said.
However, members of Trump’s cabinet expressed concern.
“I think they’ll look back at this decision and surely regret it to bring Chinese cars into their market,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at an event with other U.S. government officials at a Ford factory in Ohio to tout efforts to make vehicles more affordable.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told reporters the limited number of vehicles would not impact American car companies exporting cars to Canada.
“I don’t expect that to disrupt American supply into Canada,” he said.
“Canada is so dependent on the United States for their GDP. Their entire population is crowded around our border for that reason. I’ll tell you one thing: if those cars are coming into Canada, they’re not coming here. That’s for sure.”
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Carney has said it’s necessary for Canada to improve trade ties and cooperation with China in light of Trump’s trade war and threats to let the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on free trade expire.
The trade pact is up for review this summer, and Greer reiterated that the Trump administration wants to bring more auto manufacturing back to the U.S. and incentivize companies to do so.
Under the new deal with Beijing, Carney said he expects China will lower tariffs on its canola seed by March 1 to a combined rate of about 15 per cent.
Greer questioned that agreement in a separate CNBC interview.
“I think in the long run, they’re not going to like having made that deal,” he said.
He called the decision to allow Chinese EVs into Canada “problematic” and added: “There’s a reason why we don’t sell a lot of Chinese cars in the United States. It’s because we have tariffs to protect American auto workers and Americans from those vehicles.”
Greer said rules adopted last January on vehicles that are connected to the internet and navigation systems are a significant impediment to Chinese vehicles in the U.S. market.
“I think it would be hard for them to operate here,” Greer said. “There are rules and regulations in place in America about the cybersecurity of our vehicles and the systems that go into those, so I think it might be hard for the Chinese to comply with those kind of rules.”
Trump and officials like Greer have taken aim at Chinese attempts to enter the North American car market through Mexico by bypassing rules of origin under CUSMA.
The CUSMA review set for July is expected to address those loopholes that American and Canadian officials have said are being exploited by China.
Those concerns, which were also raised by the Biden administration, in part helped spur the steep tariffs on Chinese EVs, which are heavily subsidized by Beijing.
Trump, however, has also said he would like Chinese automakers to come to the United States to build vehicles.
Both Democrat and Republican lawmakers in the U.S. have expressed strong opposition to Chinese vehicles as major U.S. automakers warn China poses a threat to the U.S. auto sector.
Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno, a Republican, said at Friday’s event at the Ford plant that he was opposed to Chinese vehicles coming into the United States, and drew applause from the other government officials.
“As long as I have air in my body, there will not be Chinese vehicles sold the United States of America — period,” Moreno said.
—with files from Reuters
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s trade mission to China is being framed as a win for British Columbia’s economy.
Carney announced a new deal with Beijing on electric vehicles and canola at the end of a high-profile trip on Friday.
“The inroads Canada has made this week are a sign that the government gets it and is showing Canadians and the world that we are open for business,” Alexa Young with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority said.
The trade deal would allow up to 49,000 Chinese EVs into Canada yearly at a tariff rate of 6.1 per cent.
An expanded auto terminal on Annacis Island will be able to handle the additional volume of cars that could be more affordable than what is currently on the market, with prices expected to be under $40,000.
The New Car Dealers Association said in a statement to Global News that, “We look forward to reviewing the full details of this announcement and engaging constructively with governments to ensure that affordability, competition, and long-term market stability remain central considerations.”
In British Columbia, the overall reaction to the news on Friday is positive.
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“China’s economy is important,” Alex McMillan with the B.C. Chamber of Commerce said.
“Having trade deals like this — and diversifying our markets — is important. Providing certainty is important.”
There are concerns with the agreement, including privacy issues and China’s human rights record. But Ottawa’s goal is to double trade with partners outside the United States, which is a goal that would be impossible without China.
“We do want to see more trade and more diversification of our markets and know that China is an important nation and important economy, so having better trade relationships with them, I think overall is going to be good,” McMillan said.
–with files from The Canadian Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Louvre raises ticket prices for non-Europeans, hitting Canadian visitors TenX News
Trump calls Canada-China deal ‘good thing’ as U.S. officials voice concern – National TenX News
Canada-China trade deal framed as a win for B.C.’s economy TenX News
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