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

Liberal MP Erskine-Smith loses nomination battle for Ontario provincial byelection

Liberal MP Erskine-Smith loses nomination battle for Ontario provincial byelection

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith lost a provincial nomination race Saturday, failing to clear the first of several hurdles toward the leadership of the Ontario Liberals. Ontario Liberal members in the riding of Scarborough Southwest selected business owner Ahsanul Hafiz as their candidate for an upcoming byelection. Erskine-Smith, who represents the neighbouring federal riding of Beaches-East York, had indicated he was...

  • 2026-05-09
  • — Canadian Press
Ottawa to pull plug on Arctic naval facility

Ottawa to pull plug on Arctic naval facility

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government is shuttering a trouble-plagued Arctic naval facility, two government sources say – a project from the Stephen Harper era that was originally conceived as a major demonstration of Canadian sovereignty in the North. The Nanisivik Naval Facility on northern Baffin Island was first promised in 2007 by the Harper government, but cost-cutting later resulted in...

  • 2026-05-07
  • — The Globe and Mail
Former B.C. premier Gordon Campbell back in the political game

Former B.C. premier Gordon Campbell back in the political game

By the time Gordon Campbell began his 10-year run as premier of B.C. in 2001, he had already been a mayor of Vancouver and a member of the legislature as leader of the BC Liberals. But the former premier said Friday that he does not think a lack of elected experience should be an impediment to Caroline Elliott, a former...

  • 2026-05-09
  • — The Globe and Mail
Liberals Lead But Carney Approval Continues Slide

Liberals Lead But Carney Approval Continues Slide

The latest Weekly Federal Tracker from Liaison Strategies shows the Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, holding an 11-point lead over Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives but the Prime Minister's approval rating has fallen to 58%. If a federal election were held today among decided and leaning voters, the Liberals would receive 44% of the vote, followed by the Conservatives...

  • 2026-05-11
  • — Liaison Strategies
Pierre Poilievre encounters nothing but jerks, all day long

Pierre Poilievre encounters nothing but jerks, all day long

There’s an expression I heard years ago that I try to keep in mind for perspective on days when it feels like everyone in the world has been sent specifically to annoy and oppose me. The original version used naughty language, but I’ll clean it up for the sake of this venerable newspaper. It goes like this: If you wake...

  • 2026-05-09
  • — The Globe and Mail
U.S. ambassador cancels speaking appearance in Ottawa due to ‘important’ meetings with White House officials

U.S. ambassador cancels speaking appearance in Ottawa due to ‘important’ meetings with White House officials

U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra has cancelled a planned speaking engagement in Ottawa. Just over one hour before Hoekstra was scheduled to be a featured speaker at the 2026 Canada Strong and Free Networking Conference in Ottawa, organizers announced the ambassador’s fireside chat had been cancelled. “Today’s programming has been adjusted as Ambassador Hoekstra was called to D.C. for urgent meetings,”...

  • 2026-05-08
  • — CTV News
The buzz in Conservative circles this week isn’t about Pierre Poilievre

The buzz in Conservative circles this week isn’t about Pierre Poilievre

Pierre Poilievre’s speech to the conservative Canada Strong and Free Network conference in Ottawa on Thursday was a perfectly acceptable Opposition leader’s address. Modestly delivered and modestly received, it had much to be modest about. The problem was, it sounded like a reheated version of one of his speeches from last year’s election, a campaign in which he was rejected...

  • 2026-05-08
  • — National Post
Former Progressive Conservative justice minister joins the Nova Scotia Liberal Party

Former Progressive Conservative justice minister joins the Nova Scotia Liberal Party

Becky Druhan, Nova Scotia's former justice minister and Independent member of the legislature, has joined the provincial Liberals and plans to run for party leadership. Druhan represents the Lunenburg West riding in Nova Scotia's South Shore and was elected twice as a member of Premier Tim Houston's Progressive Conservatives. She left the party in the fall citing differences with the...

  • 2026-05-11
  • — Canadian Press
Travel to the U.S. is down even more dramatically than we thought, data shows

Travel to the U.S. is down even more dramatically than we thought, data shows

Visits by Canadians have cratered by 42% over the last year, cell phone data reveals. The boycott by Canadians of travel to the U.S., driven largely by an aversion to President Donald Trump, his industry-wrecking tariffs and 51st state taunts, has actually been more effective than previously thought, according to new data. While official Statistics Canada figures show a roughly...

  • 2026-05-14
  • — CBC News
'It has been devastating,' U.S. spirits group says about Canadian alcohol boycotts

'It has been devastating,' U.S. spirits group says about Canadian alcohol boycotts

Distilled Spirits Council of the United States says global exports decreased in 2025 partly because of Canada. Whether at the grocery store or the NSLC, Martha Reynolds pays attention to where products are from. "I'm doing my very best to not buy American," she said outside a Halifax location of the province's Crown-run alcohol retailer. For alcohol, this means bourbon...

  • 2026-05-12
  • — CBC News
Judge quashes Alberta separation petition in favour of First Nations

Judge quashes Alberta separation petition in favour of First Nations

A judge threw out an Alberta separatist petition Wednesday, ruling the province had a duty to consult with First Nations — a decision quickly declared "anti-democratic" by Premier Danielle Smith. Justice Shaina Leonard also said Alberta's chief electoral officer should never have issued the referendum petition. The premier promised an appeal. "This is a decision by one judge," said Smith...

  • 2026-05-13
  • — Canadian Press
Carney government planning changes to speed approvals for pipelines, resource projects

Carney government planning changes to speed approvals for pipelines, resource projects

Changes coming as Alberta MOU negotiations drag on. The Carney government is planning to propose changes to make it easier for natural resource projects — including pipelines — to be approved and built faster. Two federal sources say an announcement is planned for later this week that could shift the regulatory framework for all natural resource and federally regulated major...

  • 2026-05-06
  • — CBC News
Separatist leader accused of misusing Alberta electors list refuses to co-operate with investigators

Separatist leader accused of misusing Alberta electors list refuses to co-operate with investigators

The leader of the separatist organization accused of misusing Alberta’s list of electors by providing hundreds of supporters with access to private information belonging to 2.9 million residents is refusing to co-operate with investigators. David Parker, the political organizer behind the Centurion Project, is stonewalling Elections Alberta, according to a statement from the head of the agency. “I can confirm...

  • 2026-05-12
  • — The Globe and Mail
Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith to resign federal seat this summer following GTA nomination loss

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith to resign federal seat this summer following GTA nomination loss

Despite losing a nomination contest to run for the Ontario Liberals over the weekend, federal Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith says he plans to follow through on his plan to resign his seat in the House of Commons before MPs rise for the summer. “I am going to resign my seat by the end of the parliamentary session to ensure that...

  • 2026-05-12
  • — CTV News
New House of Commons design proposes benches, cinema-style seats and desks for the front bench

New House of Commons design proposes benches, cinema-style seats and desks for the front bench

Government ministers and opposition critics can add a new perk to their frontbench roles when the House of Commons moves back to Centre Block: desks. A mock-up of the proposed future House of Commons seating in Centre Block is on display in the Parliamentary precinct to allow Members of Parliament to comment on the design before it’s finalized.

  • 2026-05-08
  • — National Post
If Erskine-Smith says nomination was unfair, prove it: Interim Ontario Liberal leader

If Erskine-Smith says nomination was unfair, prove it: Interim Ontario Liberal leader

The interim leader of the Ontario Liberal Party says a nomination race this weekend to select a byelection candidate was fair, and if the unsuccessful contestant -- Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith -- wants to call that into question, he should "prove it." Erskine-Smith was vying to represent the provincial party in the upcoming Scarborough Southwest byelection ahead of an intended...

  • 2026-05-11
  • — Canadian Press
Liberal MP Erskine-Smith challenges provincial nomination loss

Liberal MP Erskine-Smith challenges provincial nomination loss

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith filed a notice of appeal Tuesday to the provincial Liberals, challenging the result of a nomination race that he lost. Erskine-Smith was vying to represent the provincial party in the upcoming Scarborough Southwest byelection ahead of an intended bid for the leadership of the party. He lost Saturday to Ahsanul Hafiz by a slim margin then...

  • 2026-05-12
  • — Canadian Press
Government documents reveal barrage of threats against Mark Carney

Government documents reveal barrage of threats against Mark Carney

Prime Minister Mark Carney faced near-daily threats over his first 100 days in office, according to newly released government documents that show how a wave of threats against top political leaders carried over from the Justin Trudeau era. Obtained under the federal Access to Information system, the documents list hundreds of “direct” and “indirect” threats recorded against the prime minister...

  • 2026-05-08
  • — Toronto Star
Carney unveils new electricity strategy, noncommittal on 2030 climate targets

Carney unveils new electricity strategy, noncommittal on 2030 climate targets

Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled Canada's long-awaited new electricity strategy Thursday, placing a heavy emphasis on expanding the role of natural gas in powering the grid as he seemed to distance the government from its 2030 Paris climate commitments. The new strategy looks to double Canada's electricity grid by 2050 and would adjust the clean electricity regulations to provide more...

  • 2026-05-14
  • — Canadian Press
Carney, Smith to announce oil pipeline update Friday: sources

Carney, Smith to announce oil pipeline update Friday: sources

Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Alberta on Friday to meet with Premier Danielle Smith and announce an update on the memorandum of understanding to build an oil pipeline to the British Columbia coast, Global News has learned. While sources tell Global News the details of what will be announced aren’t yet finalized, the expected public announcement comes after...

  • 2026-05-13
  • — Global News
‘I’m tired of being a punching bag for that crowd’: Jason Kenney on Alberta voter data leak

‘I’m tired of being a punching bag for that crowd’: Jason Kenney on Alberta voter data leak

Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney says he believes he should pursue legal options to hit back at the members of a separatist group who shared his personal information online. “Personally, I’m tired of being a punching bag for that crowd, and I think there needs to be consequences,” Kenney told CTV Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an interview airing...

  • 2026-05-09
  • — CTV News
Mark Carney could do the right thing and make a hero out of 23 MPs at the same time

Mark Carney could do the right thing and make a hero out of 23 MPs at the same time

As Mark Carney often reminds us, he is not, as he puts it, “a career politician.” In many ways, that is a good thing. After two decades of rancorous, often toxic uber-partisanship, Carney’s no-nonsense, low-key approach is a welcome relief and reassuring to Canadians who have been deeply unnerved by Donald Trump’s ongoing attacks on our country.

  • 2026-05-13
  • — Toronto Star
Carney says plan in the works for 24 Sussex Drive

Carney says plan in the works for 24 Sussex Drive

Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government will soon move forward with a plan to deal with 24 Sussex Dr., the long-standing residence of Canadian prime ministers that has essentially been shuttered for more than a decade because of its physical decline. The public-works department and the National Capital Commission, which manages official residences in the Ottawa region, are going...

  • 2026-05-08
  • — The Globe and Mail
Ottawa proposes suite of measures to streamline project approvals, complete review process within 1 year

Ottawa proposes suite of measures to streamline project approvals, complete review process within 1 year

Government will consult for 30 days before tabling legislation. The federal government is proposing legislative changes to streamline the review process for major projects, including energy projects such as pipelines. The changes are aimed at completing these reviews within a year.

  • 2026-05-08
  • — CBC News
Trump won by treating voters like they're stupid. It won't work in Canada.

Trump won by treating voters like they're stupid. It won't work in Canada.

Americans are impatient with their chaotic President. For a shockingly long time, they seemed willing to shrug off his juvenile framing of complex issues. Some winced, many looked away. Millions marched, and the rest of the world wondered why it wasn’t millions more. Trump will never stop being Trump. But he’s got fewer cards. He’s spending billions on a war...

  • 2026-05-13
  • — Substack
The accidental statesman: How Donald Trump saved free trade, European democracy and the free world

The accidental statesman: How Donald Trump saved free trade, European democracy and the free world

I feel perhaps I have been unfair to Donald Trump. Regular readers will know that he has been the subject of the occasional reproof in these corners. Among other things, it has been suggested that he is insane, incompetent, corrupt, treasonous, bottomlessly ignorant, easily manipulated, a Batman villain, and a modern-day Nero: possessed of every vice, devoid of every virtue...

  • 2026-05-08
  • — The Globe and Mail
The Canadian inspiration for Britain's surging right-wing Reform party

The Canadian inspiration for Britain's surging right-wing Reform party

After election victory, Reform UK leader says Canadian prairie populist Preston Manning is someone to emulate. Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage received a hero's welcome when he arrived late last week at a victory party in Chelmsford, an Essex commuter town on the outskirts of London, a world away from that city's centre of power. The silver-tongued leader of this...

  • 2026-05-13
  • — CBC News
Canada open to deeper integration with U.S. in some sectors, Carney says

Canada open to deeper integration with U.S. in some sectors, Carney says

Speaking to a room of progressive policy experts in Toronto Saturday, Prime Minister Mark Carney offered some insight into what Canada has offered up ahead of an official review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) this summer. “Canada remains open to deeper integration,” said Carney, whose government has so far signaled it is in no rush to negotiate a new deal...

  • 2026-05-09
  • — CTV News
Ontario Liberals to pick byelection candidate in heated race

Ontario Liberals to pick byelection candidate in heated race

Ontario Liberal members in the riding of Scarborough Southwest are set to select their candidate today for an upcoming byelection. Nomination races don't often generate a lot of attention outside the party, but today's vote marks a clear first test for one leadership hopeful. Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who currently represents the neighbouring riding of Beaches-East York, has made no...

  • 2026-05-09
  • — Canadian Press
Poilievre tells Conservatives he will stay on and 'keep fighting' after Carney secures majority

Poilievre tells Conservatives he will stay on and 'keep fighting' after Carney secures majority

Conservative leader says he won't listen to 'the club of liberal elites' in Ottawa who say he needs to change. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made the case for his continuing leadership to party faithful Thursday, saying he will keep fighting the Liberals even after party turbulence on his watch helped deliver Prime Minister Mark Carney a majority government. Speaking at...

  • 2026-05-07
  • — CBC News