Darren Major

Darren Major

Auditor general to investigate all government payments to ArriveCan contractor GC Strategies

Canada's auditor general will conduct a full audit of all government contracts awarded to GC Strategies, the company at the centre of the ArriveCan controversy.In a letter sent to the House of Commons on Monday, Karen Hogan confirmed that her office will look at all government contracts awarded to GC Strategies, its predecessor Coredal and other companies incorporated by the two co-founders. She will also examine related subcontracts.

Darren Major

Why won't Trudeau release classified names — and why won't Poilievre get a security clearance?

Trudeau told public inquiry that some Conservative politicians are involved in foreign interference. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made waves Wednesday by turning what started as an examination of his government's response to foreign interference into a pointed criticism of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre."I'm getting a little more partisan than I tried to in this case, but it is so egregious to me that the leader of the Official Opposition, who is certainly trying very hard to become prime minister, is choosing to play partisan games with foreign interference," Trudeau told the public inquiry into foreign interference on Wednesday.

Darren Major, Kate McKenna

Liberal backbencher calls on Justin Trudeau to resign as Liberal leader

P.E.I. MP Sean Casey says voters in his riding have 'tuned Justin Trudeau out.' A Liberal backbencher is publicly calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as party leader as other MPs co-ordinate their efforts to force him out.Sean Casey, the MP for Charlottetown, told CBC News Network's Power & Politics that Trudeau's leadership has become one of the main topics of conversation when he speaks to voters in his riding.

Darren Major

Poilievre blames Liberals for rising antisemitism in remarks at Oct. 7 commemoration ceremony

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre marked the one year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by speaking against rising antisemitism in Canada during a ceremony in Ottawa on Monday night.But while Trudeau spoke about the need to fight rising antisemitism in general, Poilievre largely offered a pointed criticism of the Liberal government.

Darren Major

Minister demands apology after Poilievre accuses her of pandering to 'Hamas supporters'

Tensions flared on Parliament Hill Monday as MPs marked the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks — and as Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly demanded an apology from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre after he accused her of pandering "to Hamas supporters."The tense exchange began early in question period when Poilievre rose to denounce what he called "genocidal chants from hateful mobs," and called on the government to do the same.

Darren Major

RCMP says it already has the documents at the centre of a debate bogging down the Commons

The RCMP says it already has the documents at the centre of a debate that has brought government business in the House of Commons to a halt.The governing Liberals have been unable to move forward on any legislation since Speaker Greg Fergus ruled last week that the government "clearly did not fully comply" with an order from the House to provide documents related to a now-defunct foundation responsible for doling out hundreds of millions of federal dollars for green technology projects.

Darren Major

CRA scrambled to announce 11th-hour 'bare trust' reporting pause, internal emails suggest

A last-minute decision to pause "bare trust" reporting requirements left officials at Canada's tax agency scrambling to inform the public about the changes, internal emails suggest.The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced in March — with just days to go before the filing deadline — that Canadians with bare trusts would not be required to file a T3 tax return form under new reporting rules for trusts that took effect this past tax season.

Darren Major, Nick Murray

Conservative MP withdraws 'bathtub' comment at Speaker's request

Conservative MP Garnett Genuis has withdrawn a comment he made last week that the Liberals claimed was homophobic.Earlier Tuesday, Speaker of the House of Commons Greg Fergus asked Genuis to retract the comment, which was made during a heated exchange in the Commons over the government's controversial purchase of a luxury apartment for its consul general in New York.While Genuis rejected the claim that what he said was meant as a homophobic remark, he withdrew it Tuesday evening.

Darren Major

By the numbers: Here's what it would take to bring down the Liberals in a confidence vote

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government survived a confidence vote this week with the help of the NDP and the Bloc Québécois — but the Liberals will be facing another one very soon.The Conservatives have said repeatedly they want to bring down the government as soon as possible and have put forward another non-confidence motion already. It's expected to go to a vote next week.

Darren Major

Poilievre penalized for not withdrawing comments that set off question period fracas

House Speaker Greg Fergus docked questions from Pierre Poilievre on Thursday after the Conservative leader declined to withdraw comments he made in the House of Commons last week."The chair has offered the leader of the Official Opposition the opportunity to make amends regarding the words he used," Fergus said just before question period."Having not received such a commitment on his part and the member having not withdrawn his comments, I will therefore remove three questions from the leader of the Official Opposition."

Darren Major

'I wasn't thinking about sex': MP responds to claim that he made homophobic comment

Trudeau had accused Conservative MP of making 'casual homophobic comments' during Wednesday's question period.Conservative MP Garnett Genuis is denying claims that comments he made in the House were homophobic.During Wednesday's question period, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused a Conservative MP of making "casual homophobic comments" during a debate over the government's controversial purchase of a luxury apartment for its consul general in New York. Trudeau didn't name Genuis.While listing off features of the condo, including "a handcrafted copper soaking tub," Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre asked Trudeau if he visited Consul General Tom Clark at the new residence on his recent trip to the U.S.

Darren Major

House won't hold priority debate on MPs implicated in foreign interference report: Speaker

NDP MP Jenny Kwan had argued that by withholding names, the report had cast suspicion on all MPs. MPs will not hold a priority debate on how to release the names of politicians implicated in a foreign interference report released earlier this year.House Speaker Greg Fergus ruled Monday that the question of privilege raised by NDP MP Jenny Kwan in June didn't rise to the level of a "prima facie" violation of MPs' privilege, which would have given it priority over all other House business.

Darren Major

MP says he was 'pushed' by a Parliament Hill protester

Several MPs say they've been harassed and called 'traitors' by protesters on the Hill.A Liberal MP says he was pushed by one of the protesters who have been gathering on Parliament Hill for the first week of the fall sitting.Several MPs say they have been harassed throughout the week by protesters who have been shouting and calling politicians and their staff "traitors."Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed told CBC Radio's The House that one of the protesters shoved him as he was leaving Parliament Hill earlier this week.

Darren Major

Elections Canada head suggests candidacy rules should be reviewed after byelection delays

Canada's chief electoral officer says it's time to review candidacy rules after a massive ballot caused delays in declaring byelection results for the second time this year.Ballots for Monday's byelection in the Montreal riding of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun included the names of 91 candidates.Special ballots nearly a metre in length had to be printed to accommodate all the names. The overly large ballots caused delays in vote counting and a final result wasn't announced until after 2:45 a.m. ET Tuesday.

Darren Major

Bloc Québécois won't support non-confidence motion based solely on carbon tax, MP says

If the Conservatives want to bring the Liberal government down over the carbon tax, they won't have the help of the Bloc Québécois, one Quebec MP says.Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been pressuring the other opposition parties to help him force a "carbon tax election" this fall. To do that, Poilievre would need both the NDP and the Bloc caucuses to vote for a non-confidence motion against the Liberals.

Darren Major

Poilievre amps up pressure on other parties to bring down Liberals as Tories plan fall agenda

Pierre Poilievre is amping up the pressure on other opposition parties to bring down the Liberal government as Conservatives met Sunday to map out the party's strategy ahead of the fall sitting of the House of Commons.MPs are returning to Ottawa on Monday, and the Conservative leader has said he would trigger a non-confidence vote at the earliest opportunity.

Darren Major

What would have to happen in Parliament to trigger an early election?

MPs return Monday to a House of Commons that promises to be even more volatile than it was when they left it in June.The end of the Liberal-NDP governance agreement makes an early election more likely but not inevitable.A party can only continue governing as long as it has the "confidence" of the House — the support of a majority of MPs.

Darren Major

Liberal MPs call for probe into Canadian connections to alleged Russian propaganda scheme

Liberal MPs are calling for a committee investigation of Canadian connections to U.S. allegations that Russia has used state-run media, unwitting influencers and websites to spread disinformation.Last week, the U.S. Justice Department unsealed an indictment against two Russian nationals accusing them of setting up a conservative media outlet as a front for pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Darren Major

Upcoming federal byelections will put Singh and the NDP brand to the test

NDP looking to both hold a Winnipeg seat and pull another away from the Liberals in Montreal. While an upcoming byelection in Montreal is being viewed as a test of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, the same could be said for NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh — whose party is trying to hang on to one seat while fighting to take another away from the Liberals.The NDP is holding a caucus meeting in Montreal on Tuesday. New Democrats likely will use the opportunity to discuss plans for the upcoming parliamentary session in the wake of the party's move to pull out of its confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals last week.The NDP pulled the plug on its pact with the Liberals just over a week ahead of two bye

Darren Major

Recent bot campaign backing Poilievre shows AI easily accessible for political messaging: report

A suspected bot campaign surrounding a recent Pierre Poilievre event shows that generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are easily accessible to anyone looking to influence political messaging online, researchers have found.In July, the social media platform X was inundated with posts following the Conservative leader's tour of Northern Ontario.

Darren Major, Marina von Stackelberg, Raffy Boudjikanian

Is urban flooding becoming a more pressing threat as Canada's infrastructure ages?

After multiple water main breaks and floods across the country this summer, municipalities and experts are warning that urban flooding could become more common as Canada's infrastructure ages."We have good infrastructure in Canada. The challenge is it's aging and we're not keeping up," John Gamble, president of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of Canada, told CBC News.

Darren Major

Liberals making changes to capital gains rules, but business advocates still concerned

The Liberal government is making some changes to a capital gains tax exemption applied when a business owner sells their shares, but advocates say it doesn't go far enough.April's federal budget announced an increase to the taxable "inclusion rate" on capital gains — the profits that individuals or businesses make from selling an asset like a stock or a second home.

Darren Major

New human rights commissioner on leave after review, minister says

Justice Minister Arif Virani says he has received the review of online comments made by incoming human rights commissioner Birju Dattani, and that Dattani has "agreed to take a leave" just one day before he was set to begin serving in his new role."While I carefully consider this matter, Mr. Dattani has agreed to take leave," Virani said in a statement Wednesday night."I will have more to say in the coming days."

Darren Major

Public servant named in ArriveCan controversy denies responsibility for contracting issues

Diane Daly told a committee of MPs she fears she could lose her job for testifying truthfully. A public servant who has been named multiple times in parliamentary hearings on the ArriveCan controversy is denying responsibility for the project's contracting issues.Diane Daly, an employee with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), appeared Wednesday before the House public accounts committee, which has been investigating ArriveCan's soaring costs.

Darren Major

Criminal networks are shifting from fentanyl imports to Canadian-made product

Organized crime groups have shifted their efforts away from importing the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl and are now producing it primarily on Canadian soil.A briefing note prepared for the deputy minister of Health Canada — obtained by CBC News through an access to information request — lays out the changes law enforcement agencies have observed in the illegal market for the drug.

Darren Major

Does Canada need a national emergency response agency?

Questions swirl amid federal response to the Jasper wildfire. The federal minister responsible for emergency preparedness hasn't ruled out the possibility of creating a national emergency response agency, which at least one expert says Canada desperately needs.Harjit Sajjan, the minister of emergency preparedness, was asked Thursday if Canada needs to form a federal emergency response organization, similar to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Darren Major

Canada might struggle to rein in surge of temporary residents, Bank of Canada projects

The Bank of Canada is projecting that the federal government could fall short of its goal to shrink temporary residents' share of Canada's population over the next three years.Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced in March that Ottawa would attempt to reduce their share of the population from 6.2 per cent to five per cent by 2027.

Darren Major

Justice minister deletes capital gains video that contained inaccurate information

Justice Minister Arif Virani has deleted a video about the Liberal government's capital gains tax changes that contained inaccurate information.Virani posted a video Monday on social media that was meant to explain to his constituents how the tax changes work. But the video contained a number of errors about what happens when someone gives a secondary residence to a family member, and about the tax rate itself.

Darren Major

MP Housefather denounces antisemtic poster telling him to 'get out of Canada'

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather is speaking out against an antisemtic poster that called him a neo-Nazi and saying he should "get out of Canada."Housefather shared a photo of the poster on the social media platform X on Tuesday night. The photo shows the poster taped to a concrete lamppost in Montreal. A Nazi flag and an Israeli flag with the star replaced by a swastika are displayed on the sign alongside the words "Housefather = Neo-Nazi" and "get out of Canada."

Darren Major

With questions swirling about his future, Trudeau largely stays on message in speech to donors

In his first address to party faithful since Monday's byelection loss, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged the defeat but didn't seem to waver from his usual message."We have a time where people are facing huge challenges and huge uncertainty around the world. We saw that on Monday night in Toronto-St. Paul's," Trudeau told Liberal supporters at a fundraiser with Liberal donors in Brampton, Ont., on Thursday evening.

Darren Major

Meet the first federal candidate in Canadian history to lose an election with zero votes

For most people, receiving the fewest votes in an election would be devastating.Most people aren't Félix-Antoine Hamel, who achieved a first in Canadian electoral history on Monday: he received no votes at all in a contested riding.Hamel was one of a few dozen independent candidates in Toronto-St. Paul's who put their names forward to protest Canada's first-past-the-post electoral system. The 45-year-old musician from Montreal said he wasn't surprised by his poor showing.

Darren Major, Sarina Mohan

Conservative MP shares inaccurate, ChatGPT-generated stats on capital gains tax rate

An Ontario Conservative MP's use of ChatGPT to share incorrect information online about Canada's capital gains tax rate offers a cautionary tale to politicians looking to use AI to generate messages, one expert says.MP Ryan Williams posted last week on X (formerly known as Twitter) an AI-generated ranking of G7 countries and their capital gains tax rates.

Darren Major

Proposed legislation would ensure flight attendants are paid for pre- and post-flight duties

Conservative MP Lianne Rood has put forward a private member's bill that would ensure flight attendants are paid for their pre- and post-flight duties.Flight attendants have been advocating for changes to the labour code because they don't start getting paid until their plane is in motion — and their compensation ends when the plane stops at the gate after landing.

Darren Major

NDP MP says interference report has cast suspicion on all MPs, calls on House to release names

Darren Major

Asked about low polling numbers, Trudeau says Canadians are not in 'decision mode' yet

When asked whether his own low approval rating could be hurting his party, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday Canadians aren't in "decision mode" yet.The governing Liberals have been trailing the opposition Conservatives in the polls for quite some time. A recent Abacus survey gave the Conservatives a 20-point lead over the Liberals.Trudeau's own approval rating hasn't fared much better. The same Abacus poll found that 59 per cent of those surveyed had a negative opinion of the prime minister, while 33 per cent have a positive view of him.

Darren Major

NDP leader says Han Dong shouldn't be allowed back into Liberal caucus

After reading an unredacted report from one of Canada's intelligence oversight bodies, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he now thinks that Independent MP Han Dong shouldn't be allowed back into the Liberal caucus.Last week, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP), a cross-party committee of MPs and senators with top security clearances, released a heavily blacked-out document alleging, based on intelligence, that some parliamentarians have been "semi-witting or witting" participants in the efforts of foreign states to interfere in Canadian politics.

Darren Major

Here's why voters in an upcoming byelection will be casting ballots nearly a metre long

When voters in Toronto-St. Paul's go to the polls later this month, they might be wishing the ballot had a search function.A record 84 people have put their names forward as candidates for the June 24 byelection, making it the longest ballot ever in a federal election.Dozens of independent candidates have entered the race as part of an organized protest against Canada's first-past-the-post voting system.

Darren Major

Thousands of 'bare trust' tax forms filed despite eleventh hour pause on reporting requirement

More than 40,000 Canadians filed "bare trust" tax forms this year, despite the government hitting the pause button on the new reporting requirements at the last minute.A bare trust relationship is one where a person has legal ownership of a property or asset but doesn't hold beneficial ownership. While some bare trust relationships can be complex, others can be rather simple — such as a shared bank account or a parent being named on the title of a child's house in order to help them qualify for a mortgage.

Darren Major

Very few pardons for pot possession have been granted since 2019

A program meant to expedite pardons for cannabis possession is still experiencing low uptake — and the federal government says it doesn't know how many possession records have been "sequestered" under a different program.When the expedited pardon program was launched in August 2019, the federal government estimated that 10,000 Canadians would be eligible for it. Nearly five years later, the Parole Board of Canada says only 845 pardons for cannabis possession have been granted under the program.

Darren Major

Getting rid of daily mail delivery is not on the table, Canada Post CEO says

Getting rid of daily mail delivery is not an option Canada Post is considering, the Crown corporation's president and CEO told MPs on Wednesday night.Canada Post has been asking for changes to its governing regulations, including around how often it has to deliver letter mail.

Darren Major

Conservatives put forward motion to oust Greg Fergus as Speaker of the House

Conservatives are asking the House of Commons to vote to remove Speaker Greg Fergus from the role over partisan language that appeared in an ad for an event in his riding.Conservative MP Chris Warkentin moved a motion Monday afternoon that, if passed, would find Fergus in contempt of Parliament and declare the Speaker's chair vacant."This Speaker has demonstrated countless times that he is unfit to be a non-partisan speaker," Warkentin said in the House chamber.

Darren Major

Minister suggests Canada is considering tariffs on Chinese EVs following U.S. move

Canada's industry minister says Ottawa is "considering all measures" after the U.S. announced it would be hiking tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and other related goods.François-Philippe Champagne wouldn't rule out Canada imposing similar tariffs during an interview with CBC News Network's Power & Politics on Friday.

Darren Major

Are Tim Hortons' new lids 'woke'? One Conservative MP thinks so

Conservative MP Lianne Rood says she has no time for Tims after the fast food chain began testing new lids in certain locations.Over the past year, Tim Hortons has been replacing plastic coffee lids with fibre ones as part of a pilot project in some cities.

Darren Major

MPs vote unanimously in support of designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist group

The House of Commons has voted unanimously in support of a motion to add Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps to an official list of terrorist organizations.The motion came from a House justice committee report that, among other things, called on the government to designate the IRGC as a terrorist entity in Canada. MPs voted 327 to 0 to accept the report on Wednesday.

Darren Major

Liberals accuse Poilievre of planning to override charter rights with notwithstanding clause

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of seeking to override constitutional rights following comments he made to the Canadian Police Association on Monday."Poilievre just proposed to override the fundamental freedoms and protections of Canadians, override the charter that is there to protect women, minorities, 2SLGBTQI+ communities," Trudeau told reporters on his way into question period on Tuesday."That's not right and it's not responsible."

Darren Major, Tom Parry

Poilievre hints to police he would use notwithstanding clause to change justice laws

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre says he would use "whatever tools the constitution allows" to pass criminal justice laws if his party forms the next government.Speaking to the Canadian Police Association on Monday, Poilievre promised to implement more stringent requirements for bail and make it harder for convicted murderers to transfer out of maximum security prisons.

Darren Major

Watchdog finds 'strong perception of favoritism' toward McKinsey in some government contracts

The federal procurement watchdog says the government has created a "strong perception of favouritism" in awarding certain contracts to the consulting firm McKinsey & Company.A report released by Canada's procurement ombudsman Alexander Jeglic last month examined government contracts awarded to McKinsey between April 2011 and March 2023.

Darren Major

Trudeau challenges premiers opposed to carbon tax hike to suggest alternatives to federal levy

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling on premiers opposed to increasing the carbon tax to propose credible alternatives to the federal measure.On Tuesday, Trudeau wrote to seven premiers who have been calling on Ottawa to pause an imminent hike to the federal levy or scrap the program altogether.In his letter, the prime minister suggested that the governments of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador haven't put forward suitable replacements to the federal backstop.

Darren Major

Government falling short on promise to roll out automatic tax filing pilot, experts say

The government is falling short on a 2023 budget commitment to pilot a new automatic tax filing program this year, experts say.Last year's federal budget said that in 2024, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) would "pilot a new automatic filing service" that would help hundreds of thousands of low- and fixed-income Canadians access benefits that are paid only to people who file tax returns.

Darren Major

GC Strategies partner pleads ignorance while being questioned by MPs looking into ArriveCan

One of the partners at GC Strategies said Thursday he didn't know the answers to a number of questions posed by MPs on a parliamentary committee studying the ArriveCan controversy.GC Strategies was one of the contractors that worked on the pandemic-era project, which the auditor general estimates cost just under $60 million.

Darren Major

What is GC Strategies? A closer look at the company linked to the ArriveCan controversy

GC Strategies, the largest contractor to work on the ArriveCan app project, is facing heightened scrutiny after the auditor general cited excessive reliance on contractors as a major factor contributing to the project's ballooning costs.After releasing her report on the controversial project, Auditor General Karen Hogan told MPs on the House public accounts committee that the government "paid too much" for the app.Hogan estimates the project cost at roughly $59.5 million. She also noted in her report that the total cost is "impossible to determine" due to poor financial record-keeping.

Darren Major

PM won't say whether MP who attacked government's Gaza policy will stay in current role

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau skirted the question Thursday when he was asked whether one of his key MPs should stay in his parliamentary secretary role after railing against the government's approach to the conflict in the Gaza Strip.Rob Oliphant, parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, was recorded in a Zoom call with a constituent sharply criticizing the Liberal government's response to the genocide case against Israel and the decision to defund a UN relief agency in the middle of a famine. Oliphant also said he's considered stepping down from his parliamentary secretary role.

Darren Major

Commons staff would not have screened Yaroslav Hunka for 'reputational risks,' MPs told

House of Commons staff members are not tasked with screening guests for "reputational risks," MPs on a committee looking into the Yaroslav Hunka affair were told Tuesday.Hunka, a veteran of the Waffen-SS Galicia Division — a voluntary unit under the command of the Nazis during the Second World War — was given a standing ovation during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Parliament last fall.

Darren Major

Total cost of ArriveCan 'impossible to determine' due to poor record-keeping, AG report finds

The final cost of the controversial ArriveCan app is impossible to determine due to poor financial record-keeping, a new auditor general report has found.It is just one of a slew of findings that Canada's Auditor General Karen Hogan highlighted in a damning report about the pandemic-era tool.Overall, Hogan found that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Public Services and Procurement Canada "repeatedly failed to follow good management practices in the contracting, development and implementation of the ArriveCan application."

Darren Major

Putin uses Tucker Carlson interview to take shots at Zelenskyy over Hunka affair

Yaroslav Hunka, a Nazi-aligned war veteran, was given a standing ovation in the House during Zelenskyy's visit.Russian President Vladimir Putin used an interview with U.S. media personality Tucker Carlson to take a shot at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for joining in a standing ovation for a veteran of a Second World War Nazi unit during his visit to Canada.

Darren Major

Justice minister's government car stolen for the third time in as many years

Politicians and law enforcement officials are confronting a rising number of auto thefts — and it appears that the office of Canada's justice minister is also a popular target for thieves.Justice Minister Arif Virani's government-owned Toyota Highlander XLE was stolen last November but was later recovered, according to documents tabled in the House of Commons last week.It's the same car that was stolen and recovered last February when David Lametti was justice minister. Another 2019 Toyota Highlander was stolen during Lametti's tenure in February of 2021 — making this latest incident the third time a federal justice minister's car has been stolen in the past three years.

Darren Major

House of Commons passes new Ukraine free trade deal over Conservative opposition

The House of Commons passed an updated free trade agreement with Ukraine on Tuesday over the objections of Conservative MPs, who have attacked the bill for containing a reference to "carbon pricing."The legislation passed with support from the Liberals, Bloc Québécois and NDP. It will now go to the Senate for review.

Darren Major

Federal government seeking another pause on planned expansion of medical assistance in dying

The federal government has announced it is seeking another pause on medical assistance in dying (MAID) provisions that would cover those suffering solely from mental illnesses.This is the second time the government has sought to delay the expansion of MAID since the Superior Court of Quebec struck down the government's original 2016 MAID legislation because it was limited to those whose deaths were "reasonably foreseeable."

Darren Major

There's no formal mechanism to make Trudeau face a leadership review — even if MPs wanted one

Last week, Liberal MP Ken McDonald walked back comments suggesting he would like to see the Liberal Party consider a leadership review of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.But even if a substantial number of Liberal MPs wanted such a review, there's no formal way to make it happen — not while Trudeau is prime minister.The Liberal Party doesn't have a leadership review mechanism built into its constitution. It does allow for "leadership endorsement" ballots, which allow registered Liberals to vote on whether they still support the current leader.

Darren Major

Liberal MPs voice support for Trudeau after caucus member suggests a 'leadership review'

A number of Liberal MPs are saying they still have confidence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after one of their caucus colleagues publicly questioned whether he should lead the party into the next election.MP Ken McDonald, who represents the riding of Avalon in Newfoundland, recently told Radio-Canada that he has heard from constituents who have expressed frustration or even "hatred" regarding Trudeau. He suggested the Liberal Party should hold a leadership review.