Articles by Alex Boutilier

Jul 16 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — Canada’s electronic espionage agency warned the Liberal government in 2016 that foreign states have developed more sophisticated methods to mask their presence in Canada’s private sector. The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) told Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan in October 2016 that “foreign state actors” are adapting their methods to hide their involvement with — and in […]

Jun 25 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — Regional differences in voting intentions across Canada are masking a close federal election race, according to the latest polling data from Forum Research. The opposition Conservatives still maintain a national edge in voting intentions, with 34 per cent of respondents to Forum’s late June poll saying they’d vote for Andrew Scheer’s party. The Liberal government […]

Jun 23 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — Andrew Scheer is not setting out to remake the country. In a series of five “vision” speeches over the last two months, Scheer has charted a moderate course aimed at blunting Liberal suggestions he’s a radical. He’ll axe the Liberal government’s carbon tax, sure. But he’ll replace it with a hard cap on industrial emissions […]

Jun 19 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — Federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer will pitch his climate change plan as Canada’s best chance to achieve the Paris climate agreement’s targets despite abandoning the Liberal government’s carbon tax. Scheer will announce his long-awaited “vision” for the environment in a speech in picturesque Chelsea, Quebec on Wednesday. Conservative sources, who spoke to the Star on […]

Jun 11 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — Canadians are broadly dissatisfied with their options for prime minister in the lead up to October’s federal election, according to a new poll by Forum Research shared with the Toronto Star. The leaders of the three major political parties have a net disapproval rating, with just 34 per cent of respondents saying they approve of […]

Jun 7 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal party ran a series of fundraising ads targeting American and U.K. audiences on Facebook despite it being illegal to accept donations from foreign citizens. The party used its official Facebook account, as well as Trudeau’s, to solicit donations from the U.S. and U.K. for a week in March […]

Jun 6 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer missed the ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy on Thursday so he could attend a University of Regina graduation where his family members received honorary degrees. Scheer’s office confirmed that the Opposition leader declined an invitation to be part of the official Canadian delegation in Normandy so that […]

Jun 5 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — Federal political parties may soon face a challenge over the near-total lack of rules governing how they collect and use Canadian voters’ personal information. The Star has learned that British Columbia’s privacy commissioner, Michael McEvoy, is studying whether provincial privacy law could apply to federal parties operating in B.C.

May 27 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — A left-wing pressure group has launched a month-long advertising blitz painting Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer as a “yes-man” to the wealthy. Engage Canada, a union-backed progressive coalition, is pushing out television and digital ads suggesting Scheer would cut taxes for wealthy Canadians and cut public services. The ads also try and tie Scheer to Ontario […]

May 21 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — The federal government’s new “digital charter” will emphasize Canadians’ control over their own personal information and promises “strong enforcement” of transnational internet giants that break the law. The Liberal government will not take any immediate steps to impose regulation on companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon, according to a copy of the digital charter obtained […]

May 16 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says social media platforms and tech giants have failed Canadian users and it’s time the government stepped in. According to prepared remarks obtained by the Star, the Liberal government is set to unveil a framework for reining in tech giants like Facebook, Google and Amazon. The so-called “Digital Charter” will outline […]

May 8 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — A Conservative government under Andrew Scheer would ban Chinese telecom giant Huawei from participating in Canada’s next generation wireless networks, the Star has learned. Scheer’s office confirmed Wednesday that the Conservatives would ban Huawei products from Canada’s 5G infrastructure if they form the government after this fall’s federal election.

May 7 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — Gerald Butts, the former principal secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is working with a global consulting firm to advise private sector clients on risks associated with climate change. Butts, who resigned from his position in the Prime Minister’s Office in the wake of the SNC-Lavalin scandal, will work with the Eurasia Group to develop […]

May 7 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — Andrew Scheer is taking aim at China and Russia in his first major foreign policy speech, while advancing cautious criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump for pulling back from traditional alliances in a new era of “Great Power” rivalry. In a speech in Montreal today, Scheer will lay out the broad strokes of a Conservative […]

May 6 2019 — Alex Boutilier — Toronto Star — Andrew Scheer will announce tomorrow that a Conservative government would start talks with the Trump administration to join the U.S. continental missile defence program, the Star has learned. While the U.S. has sought the Canadian government’s co-operation on a missile defence program since the early 2000s, successive governments — both Liberal and Conservative — have […]