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 Spencer Van Dyk.
The decision to cull more than 300 ostriches at a B.C. farm last November cost the federal government more than $6.7 million across three agencies, according to newly released data. After Universal Ostrich Farm, located near Edgewood, B.C., reported it had lost dozens of birds following an avian flu outbreak in late 2024, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) ordered...
Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government “focused on results for Canadians,” and is not considering a snap election. On Monday, Carney announced a boost to the GST credit, as part of a suite of new affordability measures, in a grocery-store press conference reminiscent of election-time campaign stops. Longtime cabinet minister and former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland also resigned...
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest actions in Venezuela and ramped up rhetoric about acquiring Greenland, both of which have renewed speculation from some about Trump’s American expansionism goals, experts say an attempt to annex Canada using military force is “far-fetched.” On Jan. 3, Trump launched a military operation in Venezuela, during which U.S. troops captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro...
Following the historic signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Ottawa and Alberta to lay the groundwork for a new oil pipeline — and the resignation of longtime cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault over the issue — Environment and Climate and Change Minister Julie Dabrusin insists the federal government is not rolling back its climate policy. On Thursday, Prime Minister...
Ontario’s representative in Washington says he’s signed his Christmas card to U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra, and hopes the two are moving forward after an altercation last month. “I’ve met Ambassador Hoekstra several times, I actually kind of like the guy,” David Paterson told CTV Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an interview airing Sunday. “He’s different.” “I’ve had...
The U.S. ambassador to Canada invoked the longstanding bilateral defence partnership between Canada and the United States on Wednesday, as Canada considers diversifying its fighter jet fleet procurement.
Sweden’s deputy prime minister says Saab is prepared to fill any gap in Canada’s capability needs if the federal government decides to deviate from its American Lockheed Martin deal and purchase fighter jets from several companies. “Saab would be the ones that would have to answer for details of that sort,” Ebba Busch said in an exclusive interview on CTV...
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s minority Liberal government narrowly survived its third confidence vote in as many weeks on Monday, passing the federal budget by a vote of 170-168 and staving off a holiday election. The vote was a make-or-break one for the Liberal government, which is two seats shy of a majority. Leading up to the vote, both the Bloc...
Defence Minister David McGuinty says Canada isn’t ruling out diversifying its fighter-jet purchases from more than one company in order to fulfil capability requirements. “We’re grateful for any forthcoming offer that comes forward,” McGuinty told CTV Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an interview airing Sunday. “If anybody walks into Canada tomorrow from a sovereign wealth fund or with a...
In his first media availability since two MPs announced they’re leaving his caucus, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he plans to continue leading the party as he has been. When asked by a reporter to respond to comments by former Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont — who last Tuesday announced he was crossing the floor to the Liberals and later blamed...
Canadians’ concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump and the state of relations with our southern neighbour are once again on the rise, according to new data from Nanos Research. Nearly 18 per cent of respondents in Nanos Research’s weekly issues tracking said Trump and Canada-U.S. relations are their greatest concern, doubling from 8.8 per cent last month. The next issue...
The second round of major so-called nation-building projects will be announced this Thursday in Prince Rupert, B.C., Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday. Carney confirmed the date during a press conference in Fredericton, following a meeting with New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt. “We’ve got big strategies that then also have implications for provinces across the country,” Carney said, when...
With a looming confidence vote on Mark Carney’s highly anticipated first budget as prime minister, Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon says he believes the opposition parties should support the document because it is “squarely in the middle of Canadian politics.” The Liberals, two seats shy of a majority government, have already survived two confidence votes in the House related to...
A former national security advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump says it was a mistake for Prime Minister Mark Carney to apologize for the anti-tariff ad that angered Trump and prompted him to terminate trade talks with Canada. “I think that showed weakness, and I think that will be in Trump’s consciousness as he looks to see what the next...
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson is downplaying the U.S. government’s ownership stakes in two Canadian critical minerals companies, saying Canada is embracing a multilateral approach to securing critical minerals supply chains. In early October, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the White House had purchased ownership stakes in the Vancouver-based mining companies Trilogy Metals Inc. and Lithium Americas. Both...
Despite refusing to say whether next Tuesday’s budget has been finalized, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne signalled the document will show the size of the public service has grown too large. “We need to bring back the civil service to a sustainable level,” Champagne told reporters following a funding announcement on Wednesday, adding that the federal government is looking for efficiencies...
Canada Post has laid off dozens of managers amid its restructuring plan and ongoing labour dispute with employees, a source confirmed to CTV News. “These changes are a continuation of our corporate-wide restructuring efforts to better align our management team with the future needs of the organization,” wrote Canada Post president and CEO Doug Ettinger in a memo to employees...
The U.S. ambassador to Canada doesn’t foresee a new security and economic deal between Canada and the United States — which could see the reduction or full removal of tariffs amid an ongoing trade dispute — before the new year. “We have stopped negotiations with Canada,” Pete Hoekstra said in a keynote address to the Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and...
Several Liberal MPs downplayed the possibility of another general election coming sooner rather than later, when asked by reporters on Wednesday if they’re worried the government will fall over the upcoming budget. Three seats shy of a majority, the Liberals need the support of MPs from other parties to pass the upcoming budget, or the government will fall and Canadians...
Prime Minister Mark Carney confirms there’s a possibility for a new sectoral tariff deal with the United States by the end of this month, but is cautioning against being overly optimistic. Asked by CTV News’ Judy Trinh on his way into a cabinet meeting Tuesday morning whether Canada can expect a deal with the United States on sectoral tariffs by...
A former CSIS director and national security adviser to two prime ministers says India never provided evidence to Canada when it would raise concerns about Sikh separatist activity on Canadian soil. Richard Fadden made the comments as part of a panel interview with fellow former NSIAs Jody Thomas and Vincent Rigby on CTV Power Play with Vassy Kapelos on Monday...
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his accusations of political interference by the RCMP during former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s tenure were directed at the national police service’s former commissioner, not the institution itself. “I stand shoulder to shoulder with the brave men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve,” Poilievre...
Amid efforts to rebuild the long-fraught relationship with India, that country’s new high commissioner says Canada is “not yet” a reliable supplier of conventional energy, namely oil and gas. The diplomatic relationship between Canada and India soured more than two years ago, when former prime minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” that agents of the Indian government were...
Following assurances from China’s ambassador to Canada that China would drop its tariffs on Canadian canola products if Canada scraps its levies on electric vehicles (EVs), Prime Minister Mark Carney won’t say whether that’s a move he’s ready to make. Ambassador Wang Di made the comments in an exclusive interview with CTV Question Period last week, telling host Vassy Kapelos...
Ontario Premier Doug Ford came out hard against the idea of Canada lifting its tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) on Tuesday, voicing his disagreement with two western premiers who are calling on Ottawa to do so. “(Saskatchewan Premier) Scott (Moe) called me up and said, ‘Hey, I’ve got to protect my province’. I get it. I get why (Manitoba...
Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan says the Canadian military is moving ahead with its preparations for F-35 fighter jets despite an ongoing government review of the purchase. “We’re not currently in the position where we are waiting,” Carignan told CTV Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an exclusive interview airing Sunday. “We are working towards this acquisition.”...
China will remove its tariffs on Canadian agriculture — including on canola products — if Canada scraps its levies on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), that country’s ambassador says. “If Canada removes the unilateral unjustified tariffs on Chinese products, China will also reciprocate accordingly,” Wang Di said through a translator in an exclusive interview with CTV Question Period airing Sunday. “And...
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is dismissing any prospect of a comprehensive auto deal with Canada, according to three sources in the room when he made the comments. Lutnick made the comments during a discussion under Chatham House Rules at the Eurasia Group’s Canada-U.S. Summit in Toronto on Wednesday, one day after the second in-person meeting in Washington between U.S...
Former U.S. ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft has a message for Prime Minister Mark Carney ahead of his highly anticipated meeting with the U.S. president: it’s no use trying to compete with Donald Trump. Carney is set to meet with Trump in Washington on Tuesday amid a protracted trade war and an unmet, self-imposed deadline to reach a security and...
Canada’s Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr says there is no new timeline for the government to make a decision about the purchase of F-35s from the United States, and that the prime minister will make a decision “when he’s ready.” Following years of delays, Canada and the United States inked a deal in 2023 for Canada to...
Former parliamentary budget officer (PBO) Yves Giroux says it’s likely too early to tell whether Canada’s fiscal outlook is as precarious as his successor is warning. “I would probably, personally, wait until we see what’s in the budget before making such a statement,” Giroux said during a panel discussion airing Sunday on CTV Question Period. “I think, for my part...
With five weeks to go until the federal government’s highly anticipated budget, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet says it’s unlikely his party will support it. Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill Wednesday, Blanchet said the Liberals haven’t consulted with him at all on the budget’s contents. “The government did some private pre-budget consultations, and like in anything else, they will...
Despite criticisms from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre that the Liberals are failing to achieve tangible results from their international trips, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand insists Canada is leveraging those trips to diversify its trading partners. “Let me be clear, I don’t begrudge anyone as a leader for reaching out and building ties, but it’s just that you don’t get...
Just weeks before the federal government is set to table the budget, the country’s fiscal outlook has Canada “at the precipice,” according to interim parliamentary budget officer Jason Jacques. In the latest economic and fiscal outlook, Jacques estimates the Liberals will post an annual deficit of $68.5 billion this year, up from $51.7 billion dollars last year. The interim PBO...
Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations had a simple reason why he didn’t walk out of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the General Assembly: It’s his job. Dozens of diplomats reportedly walked out of Netanyahu’s speech at the UN Friday morning, during which the presiding official had to call for order multiple times. Rae, however, remained seated...
Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig says scrapping tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EV) would be a mistake, and that it could give China too much leverage in future negotiations and domestic policymaking. Canada has had 100 per cent tariffs on all EVs imported from China since last October. In response, China has levied taxes on Canadian canola imports. Kovrig was...
The federal government is kicking off its voluntary gun buyback program for individuals with a pilot project in Nova Scotia starting Tuesday, with full rollout of the program coming later this fall, according to Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree. “We are serious about removing assault-style firearms from our streets, limiting the devastating effects of firearms violence and helping make Canada...
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Canada’s recognition of a Palestinian state is just a step toward peace in the Middle East, and that “work is ongoing.” “Will that be achieved tomorrow? No,” Anand said of a two-state solution. “Will that be achieved in the medium-to-long term? That is what we are working towards.” “I’d like to stress that our...
Amid a protracted trade war with the United States, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Canada shouldn’t settle for a deal that includes sectoral tariffs. “I would seek a tariff-free deal,” Poilievre told CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an interview airing Sunday, when asked whether he would accept a deal from the Americans that includes a base level of...
The government’s plan to reduce the size of the public service through attrition is “highly unlikely” to be enough to meet the fiscal targets it outlined in the election, according to interim parliamentary budget officer (PBO) Jason Jacques. “For the order of magnitude that you’re looking at, it would be highly unlikely that you’d be able to close a deficit...
Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer says there are some issues which his party is already onside and will work with the Liberals on as MPs return to Ottawa for the first day of the fall sitting. Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill Monday morning, Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon called on Conservative MPs to “work together” and to “help pitch...
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola says there is a market in Europe for Canadian oil and gas, and signalled European Union (EU) nations may be willing to pay a higher price for Canadian conventional energy, as member states work to divest further from Russian energy. In an interview on CTV Question Period that aired Sunday, when asked directly by host...
As Prime Minister Mark Carney announces he’s pausing yet another cornerstone environmental policy laid out by his predecessor Justin Trudeau, Industry Minister Melanie Joly won’t say whether the federal government will maintain its 2030 and 2035 emissions reduction targets. Carney announced Friday that his government will pause the 2026 electric vehicle (EV) target, launch a review of the overall mandate...
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Minister Evan Solomon says Canada’s decision to remove the bulk of its counter-tariffs on U.S. goods — amid the protracted trade war between the two countries — was not a capitulation. Solomon’s comments come less than two weeks after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada will be dropping many of its counter-measures by exempting goods...
Trans Mountain CEO Mark Maki says the federal government’s focus should be on maximizing TMX’s existing capacity first, before greenlighting any new pipeline projects. “My personal belief is that you look at the optimization of your existing pipelines, it’s the first thing you do, because it’s the easiest thing to do,” Maki said in an interview with CTV News Chief...
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will have to hold the government accountable while showing he can appeal to a wider set of Canadian voters, as he gets ready to head back to the House of Commons following his resounding byelection win, experts say. After losing his seat in the Ottawa-area riding he’d held for two decades to a political rookie in...
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is encouraging federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to “put partisan stripes aside” if he wins back a seat in the House of Commons, amid an ongoing trade war with the United States. “Work with the prime minister,” Ford said, when asked by reporters on Parliament Hill Monday if he has any advice to offer Poilievre. “Let’s...
Despite warnings from experts that the federal government will have to make deep cuts to the public service if it hopes to meet its promises to reduce operational spending, Government Transformation Minister Joël Lightbound says the “intention” is to rely on retirements and resignations. “As the prime minister has mentioned, our intention is to go through attrition in terms of...
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson says he’s confident there’s a market for Canadian liquified natural gas (LNG), as his government gears up to start announcing approvals for nation-building projects early in the fall. But when asked whether his government is prepared to scrap some of the controversial environmental policies implemented by its predecessor, in order to move so-called...
Following a day of talks focused on domestic issues, such as bail reform and health transfers, Canada’s premiers are wrapping up their three-day gathering in Muskoka presenting a united front in the ever-looming threat of U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war. “We can walk and chew gum at the same time,” New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said during a post-meeting...
Canada’s premiers say they’re confident in the federal government as a negotiating team, following a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney Tuesday morning, during which he updated them on the state of ongoing talks with the United States, as the protracted trade war between the two countries continues. “I will say that, as you are aware, our senior ministers, my...
Industry Minister Melanie Joly says government intervention will be necessary for the Canadian steel industry’s survival, as U.S. tariffs continue to threaten it. “Survival, and I think eventually, much more than that, the fact that they can thrive,” Joly said in an interview on the Vassy Kapelos Show across the iHeart Radio network on Thursday. In March, the U.S. placed...
Dozens of independent candidates have already registered in the rural Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot byelection, where Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre hopes to win back a seat in the House of Commons. The list stems from a co-ordinated effort by electoral reform advocacy group the “Longest Ballot Committee,” which is aiming to break records during this byelection by registering hundreds...
Most countries will likely have to accept some baseline tariff rate on their goods by the United States, Prime Minister Mark Carney signalled Tuesday morning, on his way into a meeting with his cabinet on Parliament Hill. “There is not much evidence at the moment — from the deals, agreements and negotiations with the Americans, for any country or any...
The federal Liberals are leading the Conservatives by 13 points nationally, with MPs back in their constituencies for the House of Commons’ summer hiatus, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre gearing up for an August byelection. According to the most recent ballot tracking data from Nanos Research, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals are at 45.2 per cent, Poilievre’s Conservatives at 30....
The federal government is taking steps to eliminate the interprovincial trade barriers under its jurisdiction, Internal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland announced in a press release Monday. In a statement, Freeland said Ottawa has now removed all 53 federal exemptions in the Canada Free Trade Agreement that would inhibit interprovincial trade. Prime Minister Mark Carney significantly reduced the number of federal...
Several advocacy groups are voicing concerns that the federal government’s border security bill could grant law enforcement sweeping powers to surveil Canadians and invade their privacy. “It’s an extremely concerning bill,” said Matt Hatfield, executive director of OpenMedia, a community-driven organization working for a “surveillance-free and democratic internet,” in an interview with CTV News. OpenMedia was one of hundreds of...
As the federal government passes its contentious bill to streamline approvals of so-called nation-building projects, B.C. Premier David Eby says he’s doubtful he can be convinced of the need to build a new pipeline through his province. The Liberals’ Bill C-5 — dubbed the Building Canada Act — passed 306 to 31 on Friday, just minutes before the House rose...
Newly former Conservative MP Damien Kurek says he’s “feeling good” after resigning his seat in the House of Commons, and insists the move was a way to “practically serve” not just the riding, “but also our country.” Kurek officially resigned his seat on Tuesday — the first day he was able to do so, according to parliamentary procedure — to...
As negotiations between Canada and the U.S. intensify over a new economic and security deal, Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman is cautioning the federal government will have to take relations with its southern neighbour “one step at a time.” Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting the G7 leaders — along with leaders from several other countries — for...