Afternoon front page: Canada-U.S. trade negotiations accelerate; complainant’s lawyer discusses Stronach mistrial; and more

It’s Wednesday, August 12. Here are the top stories we’re following today.

Trade talks have increased since last month, when Trump threatened to impose a 50 per cent tariff on $29 billion worth of Canadian goods, effective Aug. 19. Negotiators are meeting daily in an effort to get a deal done as quickly as possible, and members of Mark Carney’s advisory committee on cross-border trade have been told to be on standby for a meeting on Monday as talks heat up.

Speaking publicly for the first time, the female complainant’s lawyer, whose discussion with Stronach’s defence lawyer led a judge to overturn her own guilty verdict last month, told National Post he feels he was a pawn in the high-profile case.

Carney’s decision to vacation in Tuscany is “bizarre and tone deaf” for two reasons, Breakenridge writes. First, the PM himself stated that next week’s U.S. tariff deadline is a pivotal moment for Canada. Second, his government has a “This summer, we choose Canada!” campaign to encourage Canadians to vacation here.

Despite the Canada Carbon Rebate having been eliminated, eligible Canadians can still claim retroactive payments of up to $1,800 per family by filing any outstanding tax returns for the 2021 through 2024 tax years. Once the Canada Revenue Agency assesses those returns, any government payments not yet claimed will be issued.

Kurek argues that “Mark Carney hasn’t offered real reform… just better public relations and someone who simply isn’t Justin Trudeau.” He adds, “If Canadians allow the Liberals to define success as merely being slightly less disastrous than Justin Trudeau, our country is in deep trouble.”

Twenty-six per cent of respondents to the poll said their opinion of Islam was positive and 50 per cent said it was negative, while 40 per cent said their opinion of Judaism was positive and 32 per cent said it was negative.