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These are the 30 most read items on National Newswatch, from the last seven days.

‘It was just a completely regular Monday’: Liberal staffer and PPS save Conservative staffer’s life after he collapses from a cardiac arrest on the Hill

‘It was just a completely regular Monday’: Liberal staffer and PPS save Conservative staffer’s life after he collapses from a cardiac arrest on the Hill

Conservative staffer Stefan Kapuran doesn’t remember how he ended up in the hospital. “It was just a completely regular Monday. The night before was my birthday,” he recalled, having not done “anything crazy” to celebrate. The 25-year-old said he remembers starting his workday on March 9, picking up the dry cleaning as he headed into the office of Conservative MP...

  • 2026-03-31
  • — Hill Times
Cabinet shuffle talk intensifies as Carney’s Liberals look to a majority

Cabinet shuffle talk intensifies as Carney’s Liberals look to a majority

Prime Minister Mark Carney's cabinet is due for an overhaul, say several Liberal MPs, cabinet staffers, and political insiders, and a potential shift to a majority government would significantly change the political dynamics and would likely be reflected in cabinet. As the Liberals surge to a comfortable double-digit lead in public opinion polls and edge closer to majority territory with...

  • 2026-03-30
  • — The Hill
‘Not a PMO incubator’: Young Liberals push national chair candidates to reject government jobs

‘Not a PMO incubator’: Young Liberals push national chair candidates to reject government jobs

Ahead of the Liberal Party’s national convention next month, members of its youth wing are urging candidates for national chair of their body to remain independent from government, warning against treating the role as a stepping stone to high-profile Hill jobs. Speaking with The Hill Times on a not-for-attribution basis, supporters of the third-party “Young Liberals for Change” pledge say...

  • 2026-03-25
  • — Hill Times
Nate Erskine-Smith urges Liberal rivals to step aside in Scarborough Southwest byelection

Nate Erskine-Smith urges Liberal rivals to step aside in Scarborough Southwest byelection

The Liberal leadership front-runner is vying for the the Ontario party’s nomination. Make way for the Nate juggernaut. That’s the message from the apparent front-runner in the Ontario Liberal leadership race to rivals hotly contesting the party’s nomination in Scarborough Southwest.

  • 2026-03-28
  • — Toronto Star
Carney commits to not proroguing Parliament after April 13 by-elections

Carney commits to not proroguing Parliament after April 13 by-elections

Prime Minister Mark Carney has committed to not proroguing Parliament in order to take control of House of Commons committees if the Liberals win three upcoming by-elections and form a slim majority.

  • 2026-03-31
  • — The Globe and Mail
Liberals ahead by 16; Approval of Carney government hits 68%

Liberals ahead by 16; Approval of Carney government hits 68%

Liberals lead everywhere except Saskatchewan and Alberta and the gap has closed there. A few weeks shy of the first anniversary of the election of a Mark Carney led government finds the country broadly endorsing his leadership. Our latest Spark Insights national survey (4000, online, field work between March 22-26, 2025) finds Liberal support at 46% compared to 30% for the Conservatives.

  • 2026-03-28
  • — Substack
Stephen Lewis, former politician and lifelong social activist, dies at 88

Stephen Lewis, former politician and lifelong social activist, dies at 88

Human rights. Equality for women. The plight of African families decimated by HIV-AIDS. Stephen Lewis spent a lifetime fighting for causes close to his heart -- and his weapons of choice were words. Lewis died on Tuesday, at the age of 88, after an eight-year battle with stomach cancer. "Stephen spent the last eight years of his life battling cancer...

  • 2026-03-31
  • — Canadian Press
Poilievre calls for cancellation of multibillion-dollar high-speed rail project

Poilievre calls for cancellation of multibillion-dollar high-speed rail project

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on the federal government to cancel a proposed high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City. Speaking to reporters in Peterborough, Ont., on Tuesday, Poilievre called the project a "boondoggle" that would waste taxpayer dollars. "Carney Liberals will confiscate farmland and private property, disrupting communities and harming the quality of life of local residents...

  • 2026-03-31
  • — Canadian Press
'It's ridiculous': U.S. closing historic Border Road to Canadian traffic

'It's ridiculous': U.S. closing historic Border Road to Canadian traffic

Amid the howling winds of the Sweet Grass Hills lies Border Road, a 14-kilometre ribbon of manicured gravel stretching between the United States and Canada. The shared road is on the Montana side, but Alberta maintains it. North of the road lives Ross Ford. On the south, it's Roger Horgus.

  • 2026-03-29
  • — Canadian Press
Alberta premier's constitutional affairs lead supports separatist petition

Alberta premier's constitutional affairs lead supports separatist petition

Premier Danielle Smith's parliamentary secretary for constitutional affairs is encouraging Albertans to sign a petition that calls for a vote on separation from Canada. Jason Stephan, a United Conservative Party legislature member, penned his opinion for the online conservative media outlet "Western Standard." In it, Stephan argues signing the petition to have a referendum on separation is different from signing...

  • 2026-03-27
  • — Canadian Press
Avi Lewis is a first-ballot lock. The provincial NDP should be terrified.

Avi Lewis is a first-ballot lock. The provincial NDP should be terrified.

Sunday's coronation won't revive a dead federal party, but his extremist agenda will absolutely tank their provincial success stories. Pundits love to overcomplicate politics, but the math for this Sunday’s NDP leadership vote is painfully simple. For Avi Lewis to be denied a first-ballot victory, the other four candidates on the ballot need to somehow scrape together 50% plus one...

  • 2026-03-27
  • — Substack
Meet Charles Milliard, the man who could spare Canada a third Quebec referendum

Meet Charles Milliard, the man who could spare Canada a third Quebec referendum

As soon as he stepped inside the café, Charles Milliard began turning heads. Among those enjoying their coffee who spotted the new Quebec Liberal Party leader as he made his way through Café Hubert Saint-Jean, located in the province’s Eastern Townships, was Normand Duval.

  • 2026-03-25
  • — National Post
Global Affairs laying off its most skilled diplomats, union says

Global Affairs laying off its most skilled diplomats, union says

The union representing staff at Global Affairs Canada says the foreign service is laying off dozens of its most skilled diplomats, while asking other envoys moving across continents to wait months for their personal items. The cuts come as Global Affairs Canada sets out its plans to meet budgetary belt-tightening requirements laid out by Prime Minister Mark Carney last year...

  • 2026-03-25
  • — Canadian Press
Avi Lewis is the new NDP leader, as Alberta, Sask. leaders say his polices can 'hurt'

Avi Lewis is the new NDP leader, as Alberta, Sask. leaders say his polices can 'hurt'

Filmmaker Avi Lewis has been elected as the NDP's new leader, defeating his four rivals on the first ballot with nearly 40,000 votes, from almost 71,000 ballots cast. This victory signals a shift toward the party pushing big, unabashedly left-wing policies like government-owned and operated grocery stores as grassroots members pushed for change after a devastating election result last year...

  • 2026-03-29
  • — Canadian Press
Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney to participate in separation debates

Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney to participate in separation debates

Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney is taking up the Canadian cause as he's set to participate in two debates about separatism against a lawyer pushing for the province to go its own way. The first debate will take place in Edmonton in May at a member's only conference put on by Civitas Canada, a conservative non-profit organization.

  • 2026-03-25
  • — Canadian Press
‘We control our destiny’: Canada officially hits NATO defence spending target

‘We control our destiny’: Canada officially hits NATO defence spending target

After more than a decade of plodding progress, Canada has officially hit the NATO spending target of two per cent of GDP set during the Wales Summit of 2014. According to data in the NATO Secretary-General’s annual report released this morning, Canada spent more than $60 billion on defence in 2025 – an amount that adds up to two per...

  • 2026-03-26
  • — CTV News
G7 meets on the Iran war as Rubio tries to sell US strategy to skeptical allies insulted by Trump

G7 meets on the Iran war as Rubio tries to sell US strategy to skeptical allies insulted by Trump

Group of Seven foreign ministers met on Friday in France to discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with deep divisions apparent over the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated complaints that America’s allies have ignored or rejected requests for help in the military operation and in confronting Iran’s retaliatory attacks, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz...

  • 2026-03-27
  • — The Associated Press
Key figure in Phoenix public service pay transition says he's leaving the team

Key figure in Phoenix public service pay transition says he's leaving the team

The public servant leading the transition away from the federal government's error-prone Phoenix pay system says he's stepping down because the team no longer needs him. Alex Benay, associate deputy minister at Public Services and Procurement Canada, says in a LinkedIn post the backlog of Phoenix cases older than a year and the overall queue of complaints are at their...

  • 2026-03-26
  • — Canadian Press
How much Pierre Poilievre’s byelection could cost Canadians

How much Pierre Poilievre’s byelection could cost Canadians

The byelection that returned Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to Parliament cost taxpayers more than $2.3 million, according to estimates released by Elections Canada. When Poilievre’s Conservatives were defeated in the April 2025 federal election, the Conservative leader also lost his Ottawa-area riding by more than 4,500 votes to Liberal newcomer Bruce Fanjoy. After more than two decades in Parliament, the...

  • 2026-03-31
  • — CTV News
'Never even entered my thinking': Carney says he's not considering prorogation

'Never even entered my thinking': Carney says he's not considering prorogation

Prime Minister Mark Carney says he has "absolutely not" been considering proroguing Parliament if he gains a majority in a series of upcoming byelections. Speaking at a news conference with reporters in Wakefield, Que., today, the prime minister said the idea "never even entered" his mind. The Globe and Mail newspaper reported the Carney government is considering proroguing Parliament if...

  • 2026-03-31
  • — Canadian Press
The energy crisis has only just begun

The energy crisis has only just begun

An air bubble of about half a billion barrels of oil is set to wreak havoc on global economies. For every day the war in the Middle East drags on, the crisis in energy markets deepens. The price of everything from gas and oil to jet fuel and plastics is rising sharply. That crisis is set to get dramatically worse...

  • 2026-03-26
  • — CBC News
MP reveals Tumbler Ridge girl's heroism, and how she passed on boy's dying message

MP reveals Tumbler Ridge girl's heroism, and how she passed on boy's dying message

The MP representing Tumbler Ridge, B.C., has described how a 12-year-old girl heroically tried to save two classmates shot in the mass killing in the community last month. Bob Zimmer told Tuesday's National Prayer Breakfast in Ottawa that the girl, named Christina, had dragged both Abel Mwansa Jr. and Maya Gebala under a table after both of the 12-year-olds were...

  • 2026-03-25
  • — Canadian Press
With hindsight, former immigration minister says he would have capped international students sooner

With hindsight, former immigration minister says he would have capped international students sooner

Conservatives are calling for resignation of current minister and 2 predecessors. Justice Minister Sean Fraser, who was in charge of immigration during some of the years Auditor General Karen Hogan found instances of fraud in Canada's international student program, said with hindsight, he would have acted sooner to fundamentally change it. The Opposition Conservatives have been calling for his resignation...

  • 2026-03-25
  • — CBC News
RCMP alerted about P.E.I. cabinet minister's dealings with golf developer: premier

RCMP alerted about P.E.I. cabinet minister's dealings with golf developer: premier

P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz says the RCMP have been alerted about a former cabinet minister's possible conflict of interest involving a permitting issue for a Summerside golf course. On Saturday, Lantz removed Gilles Arsenault as economic development minister, saying the minister had shown poor judgment when he was environment minister. The next day Lantz suspended Arsenault from the Progressive Conservative...

  • 2026-03-30
  • — Canadian Press
Liberal MP Michael Ma sorry after confusion over remarks on forced labour in China

Liberal MP Michael Ma sorry after confusion over remarks on forced labour in China

MP Michael Ma, who left the Conservatives to join the Liberals, has apologized after appearing to cast doubt on reports of human rights abuses in China. Ma said he regretted making a mistake with his remarks, while pointing out that he had referred to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, and not Xinjiang, where the Communist government has been accused...

  • 2026-03-27
  • — Canadian Press
The Hill Times’ 100 Most Influential People in Politics and Government in 2026

The Hill Times’ 100 Most Influential People in Politics and Government in 2026

The Hill Times spoke with political insiders over the last month to nail down the list of people who are leading and influencing federal government policy and shaping public opinion this year. Here is our Top 100 Most Influential People in Government and Politics in 2026, organized by politicians, pollsters, political influencers, staffers, public servants, and media.

  • 2026-03-30
  • — Hill Times
Majority in the House of Commons: is the real magic number actually 173 seats?

Majority in the House of Commons: is the real magic number actually 173 seats?

Contrary to popular belief, the choice made by voters in the Montreal-area riding of Terrebonne in the April 13 byelection will have major implications on moving bills forward in the House of Commons. The rules of procedure in the Commons mean that, in this current Parliament, the magic number allowing a government to have a free hand is not 17...

  • 2026-03-27
  • — Canadian Press
Carney condemns Israel's 'illegal' invasion of Lebanon, calls for ceasefire

Carney condemns Israel's 'illegal' invasion of Lebanon, calls for ceasefire

Canada "condemns" Israel's "illegal" invasion of Lebanon as a violation of territorial sovereignty, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday. Using stronger language than his government has used to date, Carney also called for a ceasefire to end the worsening conflict as Israeli ground troops move deeper into the country. "It's an illegal invasion," the prime minister said. "It's a violation...

  • 2026-03-31
  • — Canadian Press
Trans Mountain pipeline will soon be at full capacity amid global energy crisis

Trans Mountain pipeline will soon be at full capacity amid global energy crisis

Oil pipeline system connecting Alberta to West Coast was previously expected to fill up by 2027 or 2028 The Trans Mountain oil pipeline system is expected to operate at full capacity in April and into May as a result of energy disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East. The pair of pipelines transport oil from Edmonton to a...

  • 2026-03-26
  • — CBC News
Alcohol, 'Buy Canadian' policy flagged by U.S. as trade irritants: report

Alcohol, 'Buy Canadian' policy flagged by U.S. as trade irritants: report

Provincial rules around alcohol and the federal government's "Buy Canadian" policy have been flagged in a new report citing several trade irritants between Canada and the U.S. The annual document prepared by the Office of the United States Trade Representative said market access barriers imposed by provincial liquor control boards "greatly hamper" exports of U.S. wine, beer and spirits to...

  • 2026-03-31
  • — Canadian Press