National

Minister defends decision to accept Taylor Swift tickets from B.C. Crown corporation

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 04 Dec, 2024 04:09 PM

Liberal Minister Harjit Sajjan is defending his decision to accept an invitation from a B.C. Crown corporation to attend a Taylor Swift concert.

Global News first reported that Sajjan will be attending the concert on the taxpayer's dime as a guest of PavCo, a provincial Crown corporation that owns BC Place.

A spokeswoman for Sajjan says the minister only accepted the tickets after receiving clearance from the ethics commissioner.

Joanna Kanga says the minister is making a donation of $1,500 to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank as part of a fundraising effort tied to the event.

Sajjan, who is the minister of Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, will be attending the concert with his daughter in Vancouver on Saturday.

Swift is closing out her Eras Tour in the city on Sunday.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Groups say Jewish students, staff at University of B.C. face hostile environment

A coalition of Jewish organizations says it is "deeply alarmed" by a rising tide of antisemitism at the University of British Columbia in recent weeks. A joint statement sent out by six groups, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and Canadian Jewish Advocacy, says Jewish staff, students and faculty members at the university have faced "an increasingly hostile environment" since the start of the academic year.

Groups say Jewish students, staff at University of B.C. face hostile environment

Vancouver begins process of closing homeless encampment at Crab Park

Vancouver's park board says it has begun the process of closing the homeless encampment that has been in place at a local park since 2021. The park board says it is talking directly with each of the seven people still in the camp located in the designated area at Crab Park, with the goal of closing the encampment and returning the area to "general park use" by Nov. 7.

Vancouver begins process of closing homeless encampment at Crab Park

What you need to know as Trudeau fights to retain leadership of the Liberal party

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resisted calls for his resignation for more than a year now but in recent weeks those calls have grown louder and in some cases more public. The Liberal caucus met Wednesday, where MPs had a three-hour long discussion about their party's current state and whether Trudeau is the best one to keep leading it.

What you need to know as Trudeau fights to retain leadership of the Liberal party

Poll suggests more than half of Canadians unaware of gridlock in House of Commons

A debate has ground work in the House of Commons to a halt for weeks, but a new poll suggests that most Canadians are not even aware it's happening. In a new survey from polling firm Leger, 55 per cent of respondents said they had not heard about the procedural issues that have gridlocked Parliament for more than 12 sitting days.

Poll suggests more than half of Canadians unaware of gridlock in House of Commons

Oil removal work begins on 'fragile' Second World War-era wreck in coastal B.C.

The Canadian Coast Guard said the 77-metre-long Brigadier General M.G. Zalinski has been burping up "slow but consistent drops of oil" since the fall of 2022 at the shipwreck site in Grenville Channel, part of the Inside Passage off northern B.C.

Oil removal work begins on 'fragile' Second World War-era wreck in coastal B.C.

B.C. Green leader spoke with NDP's Eby, but didn't pick up when Conservatives called

Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau says the starting place to supporting whichever party comes to power in British Columbia is her party's platform. Furstenau says she has taken a call from NDP Leader David Eby, but didn't answer the phone when B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad called, adding she didn't recognize the number.