Robert Benzie

While National Newswatch does not keep an archive of external articles for longer than 6 months, we do keep all articles written by contributors who post directly to our site. Here you will find all of the contributed and linked external articles from Robert Benzie.

Doug Ford warns of the perils of protectionism on the eve of U.S. election

Doug Ford warns of the perils of protectionism on the eve of U.S. election

Ahead of Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election, Premier Doug Ford is warning that protectionism would hurt Ontario, America’s third-largest trading partner...

Doug Ford spending nearly half of Ontario’s tax windfall on $200 ‘rebate’ cheques

Doug Ford spending nearly half of Ontario’s tax windfall on $200 ‘rebate’ cheques

Premier Doug Ford is spending nearly half of a $6.9-billion tax windfall on $200 pre-election “rebate” cheques. Bolstered by higher...

Doug Ford poised to send out pre-election cheques to 16 million Ontarians

Doug Ford poised to send out pre-election cheques to 16 million Ontarians

Premier Doug Ford is poised to send cheques to 16 million Ontarians to offset rising costs as a possible early...

Is Justin Trudeau fated to lose just like Kathleen Wynne’? We asked MPs who were there for the last days of her government

Is Justin Trudeau fated to lose just like Kathleen Wynne’? We asked MPs who were there for the last days of her government

Is it déjà vu all over again? That’s a loaded question for the half dozen Liberal MPs who were part...

Doug Ford has faced controversy after controversy — yet remains as popular as ever. Here’s why Ontarians say they still like him

Doug Ford has faced controversy after controversy — yet remains as popular as ever. Here’s why Ontarians say they still like him

Premier Doug Ford appears to be the Teflon Tory. In his lucky seventh summer as Ontario premier, Ford is emerging...

Bonnie Crombie embraces prominent critics of Justin Trudeau as she distances her Ontario party from the federal Liberals

Bonnie Crombie embraces prominent critics of Justin Trudeau as she distances her Ontario party from the federal Liberals

Justin who?Bonnie Crombie is distancing her provincial party from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s struggling federal Liberals.

Doug Ford names new education minister after Todd Smith resigns just 10 weeks into the job

Doug Ford names new education minister after Todd Smith resigns just 10 weeks into the job

Todd Smith’s surprise resignation after just 10 weeks as education minister has forced Premier Doug Ford to shuffle his cabinet...

‘We have nothing to hide,’ Doug Ford says as RCMP interviews potential witnesses linked to Ontario government in Greenbelt criminal probe

‘We have nothing to hide,’ Doug Ford says as RCMP interviews potential witnesses linked to Ontario government in Greenbelt criminal probe

RCMP detectives investigating the $8.28-billion Greenbelt land swap scandal are interviewing witnesses linked to Premier Doug Ford’s government. As first...

Doug Ford’s football friend Tim Walz is Kamala Harris’s running mate

Doug Ford’s football friend Tim Walz is Kamala Harris’s running mate

Two months ago, Premier Doug Ford was talking trade and tossing a football around his Queen’s Park office with Minnesota...

LCBO strike seems to have given Doug Ford’s Tories a boost, but government’s poor approval rating is a warning sign, survey shows

LCBO strike seems to have given Doug Ford’s Tories a boost, but government’s poor approval rating is a warning sign, survey shows

Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives will drink to that. The first strike in LCBO history appears to have boosted the...

Internal poll for Doug Ford finds strong support for booze liberalization plan — and striking LCBO workers

Internal poll for Doug Ford finds strong support for booze liberalization plan — and striking LCBO workers

Ontarians overwhelmingly support more liberalized alcohol sales even though a majority back the LCBO strikers, according to internal government polling...

Doug Ford would upset nearly half of all Ontarians with an early $150M election, poll suggests

Doug Ford would upset nearly half of all Ontarians with an early $150M election, poll suggests

Nearly half of all Ontarians would be “unhappy” or “very angry” if Premier Doug Ford called an early $150-million election...

Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives managed to breach Fortress Toronto. Here’s how they did it — and what it might mean for the party

Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives managed to breach Fortress Toronto. Here’s how they did it — and what it might mean for the party

Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives began campaigning for the Toronto—St. Paul’s byelection with the goal of rattling the foundations of Fortress Toronto...

Canada’s EV strategy will cost $6B more than announced, watchdog says

Canada’s EV strategy will cost $6B more than announced, watchdog says

Canada’s EV-building strategy will cost Ottawa and provinces about $6 billion more than announced, the federal parliamentary budget watchdog says...

Tory insiders say fear of a Pierre Poilievre victory has Doug Ford considering an early election call

Tory insiders say fear of a Pierre Poilievre victory has Doug Ford considering an early election call

Premier Doug Ford is considering an early election call before the scheduled 2026 vote over concerns about cuts a future...

Ford’s Tories dip slightly but still lead Liberals and NDP, survey shows

Ford’s Tories dip slightly but still lead Liberals and NDP, survey shows

Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives have dipped slightly in the latest Abacus Data poll, but still enjoy a healthy lead...

‘He didn’t need to pick sides’: Behind closed doors, kaffiyeh ban exposes divisions in Doug Ford’s Tory caucus

‘He didn’t need to pick sides’: Behind closed doors, kaffiyeh ban exposes divisions in Doug Ford’s Tory caucus

Premier Doug Ford’s message to Progressive Conservative MPPs was clear. Behind closed doors last week in the second-floor government caucus...

Bonnie Crombie hurt by Progressive Conservatives’ ad blitz, poll suggests

Bonnie Crombie hurt by Progressive Conservatives’ ad blitz, poll suggests

The Progressive Conservatives’ multimillion-dollar advertising blitz is helping Premier Doug Ford and hurting Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, a new poll...

Queen’s Park and Ottawa caught off guard by Ford’s delay of EV manufacturing in Ontario

Queen’s Park and Ottawa caught off guard by Ford’s delay of EV manufacturing in Ontario

Queen’s Park and Ottawa, which have jointly pledged billions in electric vehicle manufacturing subsidies, were jolted by Ford Canada’s move...

Doug Ford criticizes Justin Trudeau's carbon levy — even as Ontario's own levy collects $146M

Doug Ford criticizes Justin Trudeau's carbon levy — even as Ontario's own levy collects $146M

As Premier Doug Ford rails against the "federal carbon tax," he is quietly collecting more than $146 million annually from...

Pierre Poilievre's popularity is giving Doug Ford's Tories a boost, poll suggests

Pierre Poilievre's popularity is giving Doug Ford's Tories a boost, poll suggests

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's current popularity appears to be having a halo effect on Premier Doug Ford, a new...

Doug Ford has made 'almost no progress' on pledge to build new homes, Trudeau government charges

Doug Ford has made 'almost no progress' on pledge to build new homes, Trudeau government charges

Premier Doug Ford's failure to meet federal affordable housing targets is jeopardizing $357 million in funding from Ottawa, Housing Minister...

Bonnie Crombie distances her Liberals from Justin Trudeau's carbon levy

Bonnie Crombie distances her Liberals from Justin Trudeau's carbon levy

Crombie, who has pledged to not impose a provincial carbon levy if she defeats Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives in...

Bonnie Crombie promises no provincial carbon tax if her Liberals defeat Doug Ford's Tories

Bonnie Crombie promises no provincial carbon tax if her Liberals defeat Doug Ford's Tories

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie says there will be no provincial carbon tax if she topples Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives...

Newly elected Tory MP slams 'liberal elites' at Queen's Park, ruffling feathers in Ford government

Newly elected Tory MP slams 'liberal elites' at Queen's Park, ruffling feathers in Ford government

There appears to be no love lost between Premier Doug Ford's governing Progressive Conservatives and Pierre Poilievre's federal opposition Conservatives...

Doug Ford's Tories are surging at the expense of Marit Stiles' New Democrats, poll suggests

Doug Ford's Tories are surging at the expense of Marit Stiles' New Democrats, poll suggests

Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives are riding high at the apparent expense of Marit Stiles' New Democrats, a new poll...

Are Doug Ford's Conservatives obsessed with Bonnie Crombie?

Are Doug Ford's Conservatives obsessed with Bonnie Crombie?

Call it the Conservatives' Crombie compulsion. Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives have spent the early days of the new legislative...

'Pierre is going to win': PC insiders privately fear more MPPs will abandon Doug Ford for Team Poilievre

'Pierre is going to win': PC insiders privately fear more MPPs will abandon Doug Ford for Team Poilievre

Blindsided by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre poaching one of his provincial cabinet ministers to run federally, Premier Doug Ford is...

Doug Ford's Tories are ahead, but ominous signs are on the horizon, poll suggests

Doug Ford's Tories are ahead, but ominous signs are on the horizon, poll suggests

Premier Doug Ford's governing Progressive Conservatives appear to be holding their own, but there are some potentially ominous signs for...

Internal email suggests Doug Ford's office knew Greenbelt land swap details earlier than claimed

Internal email suggests Doug Ford's office knew Greenbelt land swap details earlier than claimed

A recently discovered internal email related to the $8.28-billion Greenbelt scandal suggests Doug Ford's office "was far more involved" in...

Former Doug Ford cabinet minister in political limbo as RCMP probes Greenbelt scandal

Former Doug Ford cabinet minister in political limbo as RCMP probes Greenbelt scandal

MPP Kaleed Rasheed, ejected from Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet and caucus over the Greenbelt scandal, will be stuck in political...

Canada is fighting to get Honda's massive EV expansion. Here's why it's a tough sell

Canada is fighting to get Honda's massive EV expansion. Here's why it's a tough sell

Are the days of multibillion-dollar government subsidies over in Canada for international automakers making the hot new thing — electric...

Doug Ford's Tories set to abandon lucrative fundraiser in wake of Greenbelt scandal

Doug Ford's Tories set to abandon lucrative fundraiser in wake of Greenbelt scandal

In the wake of the Greenbelt land swap scandal, Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives are poised to scrap their most...

Bonnie Crombie smashes fundraising target as Liberals collect $1.2M

Bonnie Crombie smashes fundraising target as Liberals collect $1.2M

Rookie Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie has eclipsed her target of raising $1 million in a month for the third-place party...

Bonnie Crombie is exposing vulnerabilities in Doug Ford's Tories, poll suggests

Bonnie Crombie is exposing vulnerabilities in Doug Ford's Tories, poll suggests

Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives are comfortably ahead in the latest Abacus Data tracking poll, but a new Liberal leader...

Doug Ford poised to reverse decision to dissolve Peel Region: sources

Doug Ford poised to reverse decision to dissolve Peel Region: sources

Premier Doug Ford is poised to cancel his plan to dissolve Peel Region, breaking his deathbed promise to former Mississauga...

Doug Ford's Tories claim Bonnie Crombie is out of touch with 'everyday people' and vacations 'in the Hamptons'

Doug Ford's Tories claim Bonnie Crombie is out of touch with 'everyday people' and vacations 'in the Hamptons'

Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives are wasting no time attacking new Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, claiming the Mississauga mayor is...

Bonnie Crombie as Liberal leader would give the party a boost — but not enough to beat Doug Ford, poll suggests

Bonnie Crombie as Liberal leader would give the party a boost — but not enough to beat Doug Ford, poll suggests

Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives are weathering the Greenbelt scandal, but a storm cloud in the form of Bonnie Crombie...

Doug Ford’s Tories brace for the next wave of Greenbelt scandal

Doug Ford’s Tories brace for the next wave of Greenbelt scandal

Premier Doug Ford’s $8.28-billion Greenbelt land swap scandal — already under criminal investigation by the RCMP — is about to...

Ford government says it won’t pay legal fees for ex-staffers caught in Greenbelt probe

Ford government says it won’t pay legal fees for ex-staffers caught in Greenbelt probe

The Progressive Conservatives will not pay the legal bills for any ex-staffers caught up in the Greenbelt land swap scandal...

Tory insiders fear the RCMP’s Greenbelt probe could hinder Doug Ford’s next re-election campaign

Tory insiders fear the RCMP’s Greenbelt probe could hinder Doug Ford’s next re-election campaign

Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives believed they had weathered the worst of the $8.28-billion Greenbelt land swap scandal. The Royal...