Claims that Prime Minister Mark Carney said he would invoke the Emergencies Act to quash Alberta independence appeared online last week. It was said Carney made the comments while addressing steelworkers at a March 29 event in Hamilton, Ont. A video from Hamilton in which Carney is seemingly heard referring to the use of emergency powers in fact uses spliced...
Premier Danielle Smith's government says Albertans will soon be ditching twice-a-year clock changes. Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally confirmed Monday the province plans to stick with daylight time year-round. "We'll be moving forward with having an extra hour of daylight in the evenings," he told reporters in the legislature. That means Albertans would stay on the current time and no...
Ottawa has announced an increase in the number of direct flights permitted to bring passengers and cargo to and from China. Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon says there will be "an incremental increase" in flights between the countries in response to Prime Minister Mark Carney's outreach visit to Beijing in January. Canadian and Chinese airlines will be allowed to boost the...
A new poll from the Angus Reid Institute suggests a growing number of Conservative voters want to replace Pierre Poilievre as the party's leader. The poll surveyed 1,640 Canadians, including 590 who voted Conservative in last year's election and asked people if they believe Poilievre should lead the Tories into the next election. Almost 60 per cent Tory voters polled said he sho
Prime Minister Mark Carney would likely keep — and possibly enlarge — his new-found Liberal majority if a general election was held today, according to the latest projection from The Signal polling aggregator. Prime Minister Mark Carney would likely keep — and possibly enlarge — his new-found Liberal majority if a general election was held today, according to the latest...
Defence Minister David McGuinty is still without a timeline for the now-yearlong review into the purchase of dozens of F-35 fighter jets, telling reporters in Ottawa Monday that it’s ongoing. “What it says, I hope, for Canadians, is that we’re being very responsible,” McGuinty said, when asked whether the review is being delayed because the Canadian government is worried about...
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday he feels he’s being held to a “double standard,” when it comes to an outcry over the government’s purchase of a $30-million private jet for his use, but said he’s nevertheless heard “loud and clear” that the public isn’t happy about the purchase. “I heard loud and clear from the people that this was...
Conservative and Bloc Quebecois MPs are calling on the Liberals to follow through on a trade co-operation framework with Taiwan after the territory's envoy to Canada said Ottawa halted the process suddenly. A senior Canadian diplomat said last week it's up to cabinet to decide how to move forward on the agreement, which he suggested is almost ready for a...
Number of past Conservative voters calling for a new leader has risen significantly since last year. The erosion of the standing of the Conservative Party in the House of Commons has raised questions of the leadership of Pierre Poilievre to a new volume. The Liberals may have earned a majority government through three byelection victories, but the path to majority...
The Canadian military just had a banner year for recruitment -- but not enough for the defence minister to declare an end to what his predecessor called a personnel "death spiral." Military recruitment hit a three-decade high when the Canadian Armed Forces brought in 7,310 new members over the past year, Defence Minister David McGuinty said Monday. That's roughly 60...
Canada's annual inflation rate rose to 2.4 per cent in March, Statistics Canada said on Monday. High prices for energy, especially gas, due to the war in Iran drove inflation higher. Energy prices were 3.9 per cent higher compared to a year ago, and the data agency said March's 21.2 per cent monthly increase in the price of gasoline was...
The federal government is unveiling $25 million to support 14 projects meant to boost advanced manufacturing in Canada. The new spending adds to $38 million allocated by industry, for projects ranging from more efficient battery production to using artificial intelligence in packaging cosmetics. Other projects include converting methane gas into stored energy and automated manufacturing for small nuclear reactors.
With the United States acting more like an economic foe than an ally under the presidency of Donald Trump, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada’s former strength, built on our bond with America, has become a “weakness” that must be corrected. In a pre-recorded address released Sunday morning, Carney said his intention was to talk “directly and regularly” about his...
Ford 'felt the heat' after purchase publicized, now 'scrambling' to sell, says interim Ontario Liberal leader. Ontario is looking to sell the $28.9 million private jet that was recently purchased for Premier Doug Ford's use "as quickly as possible." It comes just days after the purchase of the Bombardier Challenger 650 was publicized and confirmed by the province. The decision...
There's a new cost-of-living crisis unfolding around the world. And it's clear Canada will not be immune. Gas prices are already shocking drivers. But they're just the beginning. Inflation numbers this week will assuredly show the cost of living has sharply increased since the war in Iran began at the end of February.
Eight years after Canada launched free trade negotiations with the Mercosur bloc of nations, a Brazilian official says an agreement is on track to be signed by the end of the year. Paula Barboza, director for extra-regional negotiations and economic governance at Brazil's ministry of foreign affairs, told The Canadian Press the talks have been propelled by a "political push"...
Ottawa's temporary suspension of some fuel taxes kicks in today, with Canadians likely to save 10 cents per litre on regular gasoline, and four cents on a litre of diesel. Prime Minister Mark Carney had announced last week a pause on those fuel excise taxes up until Labour Day.
A former Mountie has pleaded not guilty to a charge under Canada's Security of Information Act as his trial gets underway in British Columbia Supreme Court. William Majcher stood as he entered his plea in the Vancouver courtroom, charged with one count of committing "preparatory acts" to commit an offence, with the Crown alleging that he was prepared to coerce...
Mark Carney's Liberals risk repeating the Pierre Poilievre Conservatives’ past mistake by bypassing contested nominations, say Liberal sources. With Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals now in a majority government and holding a double-digit lead in public opinion polls, the governing party is drawing strong interest from potential nomination candidates for the next election cycle. But some long-time Liberals are concerned...
But young people are more tempted by the idea, and federalists should concentrate on narrowing that generation gap. In 1980, 40% of Quebecers voted to separate. Fifteen years later, 49% took that position in a second referendum. Fast forward 30 years, and the Parti Quebecois is promising a third referendum if they win the next election, a promise that is...
Canada Post workers start voting today on a five-year contract agreement that follows labour strife and their union leader urging they reject the deal. The 55,000 employees represented by Canadian Union of Postal Workers can vote starting today until May 30 on whether to ratify an agreement with the Crown corporation.
Critics of the government’s anti-hate bill now working its way through the Senate are concerned about possible infringement on “fundamental freedoms” due to vague wording, but legal experts argue the bill won’t criminalize Bible passages or legitimate displays of symbols. “The bill has some explicit removal of the ‘good faith’ defence in religious speech, but that doesn’t mean that there’s...
An eastern Canadian logistics, trucking and courier company with a fleet of more than 200 vehicles says Monday's federal tax break on fuel should provide relief to hard-hit customers. Karanjeet Singh, owner of Dartmouth, N.S.-based NovaExpress, said his company's fuel bill has doubled since the war in Iran began spiking prices. The company previously offered some clients all-in-one rates, but...
Two First Nations leadership sources say British Columbia Premier David Eby is backing down again on the suspension of key parts of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, scrapping plans to table legislation on Monday. One of the sources says the suspension bill -- which was already delayed last wee
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he plans to regularly update Canadians with a frank assessment of efforts to diversify away from the U.S. In a 10-minute video posted this morning, Carney says Canada's deep economic ties with the U.S. used to be a major strength, but are now a weakness. Carney says it would be wrong to try waiting for...
A former Bank of Canada governor is predicting Canada has about a 30 per cent chance of falling into a recession, amid growing global economic pressures. The ongoing war in the Middle East — with blockades in the Strait of Hormuz and damage to production facilities — is taking a striking toll on the global economy, sending fuel prices soaring...
Alexander Stubb was in Ottawa to talk international relations with Mark Carney amid a shifting global order. Alexander Stubb has been called Europe’s "Trump whisperer" in some circles, but according to the Finnish president, that’s not quite accurate. "President Trump has very much his own mind. If I get one idea out of 10, I'm very happy, but quite rarely...
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is defending her government's upcoming motion that, if passed, will establish a new commission to take another shot at redrawing provincial riding boundaries. Smith says the proposal to establish a new panel, that will reassess a previous bipartisan panel's recommendations on new boundaries, is about securing effective representation for rural Alberta. "Back in the olden days...
The strait will not be fully reopened “until America allows full freedom of navigation for vessels traveling from Iran,” Iranian military officials indicated. Iranian military officials said Saturday that conditions in the Strait of Hormuz have reverted to "strict control," citing the continued U.S. blockade of its ports, just one day after declaring the waterway “completely open.”
Perhaps it was the widely cited speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, or maybe a so-called George Clooney-like swagger. Whatever it is, Prime Minister Mark Carney is finding himself in the international spotlight again, this time in the pages of Time magazine as part of its annual most influential people list. Championed by Christine Lagarde, president of the...
Lewis calls for 'fundamental structural changes' during first Ottawa visit on the job. While standing outside the House of Commons, Avi Lewis recalled that it has been five decades since his grandfather — former federal NDP leader David Lewis — stood inside the chamber to advocate for the Canadian left. After David, there was Avi's father, Stephen Lewis, a former...
Despite wobbly French, an oil pipeline deal with Alberta and a recent speech on Canada’s colonial history that appeared to be wildly miscalculated, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s opponents grudgingly admit that – at least for now – he can do no wrong in Quebec. Mr. Carney is in many ways an unusual choice for a province not often moved by...
After more than a decade of involvement, Canada’s special forces are dropping out of a U.S.-sponsored military exercise in Africa, with Ottawa saying it needs to reconsider where to deploy its resources. The decision to stop participating in the annual Flintlock exercise, a key Pentagon priority in Africa, could be a sign that the Department of National Defence is stretched...
The new official languages watchdog says Canada needs a governor-general who is fully bilingual in English and French, given the strong, symbolic role of the office, which involves a mix of ceremonial, constitutional and other duties. Official Languages Commissioner Kelly Burke says Prime Minister Mark Carney must follow through on his recent commitment to recommend the appointment of a governor-general...
Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) employees who came forward as part of an external study investigating mental health at the spy agency described a sometimes isolating and bleak environment "laden with stigma." One participant told researchers the "service has a fear of mental illness." Those comments are included in a first-of-its-kind research project commissioned by CSIS and published earlier this...
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says Ottawa has hinted that it wants liquified natural gas shipping out of Churchill by 2030 or federal support for an expansion of a port in the community could be off the table. Kinew met with Prime Minister Mark Carney this week in Ottawa to discuss, among other things, a plan to expand the Port of...
'Sometimes I find Canadians don’t actually realize how good they have it,' said IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department head. The International Monetary Fund lauded Canada’s fiscal position relative to its peers as Prime Minister Mark Carney prepares to give an update on his government’s finances. “Across the Group of Seven, Canada’s probably in the strongest position fiscally,” Nigel Chalk, director of...
Ontario taxpayers are footing the bill for a $29-million private jet for Premier Doug Ford's use, a purchase opposition leaders say is a waste of money. The premier's office said the province purchased a used 2016 Bombardier Challenger 650 jet for $28.9 million. It will operate out of Toronto's Pearson International Airport. "As part of the job of being premier...
The government department responsible for replacing the public service’s problem-plagued Phoenix pay system is defending its decision to shorten the timeline for bringing a new pay system online by three years, despite concerns raised by a recent report from Canada’s auditor general. Dayforce, the government’s replacement for the much-maligned Phoenix pay system, is expected to cost at least $4.2-billion, and...
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick attacked Canada's trade strategy today, adding, "They suck." Lutnick was responding to a report in the Financial Post quoting Canada's former chief trade negotiator Steve Verheul saying time is on Canada's side in trade talks because the pressures on the U.S. will only increase. Lutnick said that is "the worst strategy" and the U.S. is...
Quebec's new premier said she was "relieved" following her first meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa, after earlier promising to fight "tooth and nail" to protect the right of governments to pass laws that override the Charter. Christine Frechette said the overriding clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms must not be touched. Quebec has made...
The Conservative line of attack is questionable or inaccurate in several respects.
Canada ordered 88 F-35s in 2023, but began reassessing its options after Trump took office. Senior executives from Lockheed Martin will be in Quebec on Tuesday to confirm that they plan to service Canada's F-35 aircraft at the L3Harris facilities in Mirabel, which are currently used to maintain Canada's CF-18 fleet. The announcement will be their first major outing on...