Articles by Alex Boutilier and Mercedes Stephenson

Mar 1 2023 — Alex Boutilier and Mercedes Stephenson — Global News — The opposition New Democrats will push for a “national public inquiry” into foreign interference in Canadian elections, Global News has learned. Conservative MPs are expected to support the NDP motion at the House of Commons’ procedure and House affairs committee Wednesday. However, the Conservatives are expected to propose limiting the inquiry to allegations of foreign […]

Feb 11 2023 — Alex Boutilier and Mercedes Stephenson — Global News — Canada’s Defence Minister Anita Anand says “it’s far too early” to say whether an “unidentified object” shot down over Yukon on Saturday came from China. Anand spoke after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday afternoon he had ordered the object shot down after it violated Canadian airspace. That followed confirmation from the North American Aerospace […]

Sep 13 2022 — Alex Boutilier and Mercedes Stephenson — Pierre Poilievre is poised to make major changes to the Conservative Party’s machinery after Saturday’s convincing leadership win. Robert Staley, a Toronto-based lawyer and vice chair of the Bennett Jones law firm, is expected to become chair of the powerful Conservative Fund, multiple sources tell Global News. Staley previously served as a lawyer for former […]

Aug 11 2022 — Alex Boutilier and Mercedes Stephenson — Global News — Canada’s national police force has briefed MPs about the risk that foreign states are using sophisticated spyware to intercept their electronic communications, Global News has learned. It’s not clear which states are believed to be spying on Canadian politicians, but the RCMP’s top national security official, Mark Flynn, told the House of Commons Ethics committee […]

Jun 26 2022 — Alex Boutilier and Mercedes Stephenson — Global News — A former Conservative Senate leader is expressing concern about the direction Pierre Poilievre is taking the party, worrying the Tories might be reaching the point of “fracturing beyond repair.” In an exclusive interview with The West Block’s Mercedes Stephenson, Marjory LeBreton said Conservative leadership candidates jumping on the “grievance brigade” is doing a “disservice” not […]

Jun 21 2022 — Alex Boutilier and Mercedes Stephenson — Global News — Pierre Poilievre says he supports “all Canadians who peacefully stand up for their rights” amid reports a second so-called convoy protest is planned for Ottawa. In a statement Tuesday, Poilievre denied claims the presumptive Conservative leadership frontrunner would greet the potential protest planned for Canada Day in Ottawa. But he called vaccine mandates “unfair, unscientific […]

Jun 13 2022 — Alex Boutilier and Mercedes Stephenson — Global News — The bogus Parliament Hill bomb threat targeted organizers of a Sikh rally planned for Saturday, with four law enforcement sources telling Global News the tip was related to “Sikh extremism.” Manveer Singh and Parminder Singh, two organizers of an event to commemorate the 1984 massacre of Sikhs in India, were the two suspects detained after […]

Jan 24 2022 — Alex Boutilier and Mercedes Stephenson — Global News — Global Affairs Canada is scrambling to recover after a multi-day network disruption that security and government sources describe as a “cyber attack.” While neither Global Affairs nor Canada’s cyber security agency, the Communications Security Establishment, could immediately comment, sources tell Global News the government is concerned the attack was conducted by Russia or Russian-backed hackers.