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

Senior PMO staffers return to Liberal caucus meetings after eight-month hiatus: ‘a huge mistake’

Senior PMO staffers return to Liberal caucus meetings after eight-month hiatus: ‘a huge mistake’

PMO staffers Andrée-Lyne Hallé and Angad Dhillon now attend national caucus meetings every week to take notes for Prime Minister Mark Carney, say Liberal MPs. Less than a year after the Liberal caucus decided that senior staffers from the Prime Minister’s Office could not attend confidential weekly meetings, two senior staffers have been invited back at the request of Prime...

Trump warns NATO to help secure Strait of Hormuz or face ‘very bad future’

Trump warns NATO to help secure Strait of Hormuz or face ‘very bad future’

U.S. President Donald Trump warned NATO allies of “very bad” consequences if the military alliance — which includes Canada — doesn’t help him secure the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran since the start of the war, in a newspaper interview published Sunday. “It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help...

Rideau Cottage 'inadequate' home for a PM as decision on 24 Sussex looms: internal memo

Rideau Cottage 'inadequate' home for a PM as decision on 24 Sussex looms: internal memo

Carney government could choose fate of official residence within months, source says. Rideau Cottage, the historic red-brick house where Canadian prime ministers have been living for more than a decade, is inadequate and comes with security risks, according to a government memorandum prepared last summer.

I spoke to over 30 sources about Mark Carney’s first year as prime minister. This is the story they told me

I spoke to over 30 sources about Mark Carney’s first year as prime minister. This is the story they told me

“Let the party begin.” That’s how Mark Carney started his first press conference after being sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister, on March 14, 2025, after a whirlwind leadership contest.

Canada Mulls Joining UK-Led Response Force as Its Military Grows

Canada Mulls Joining UK-Led Response Force as Its Military Grows

Canada is considering eventual membership in a UK-led multinational rapid response force, but its immediate priority is rebuilding its military and reducing reliance on the US, Defense Minister David McGuinty said. Canada is considering eventual membership in a UK-led multinational rapid response force, but its immediate priority is rebuilding its military and reducing reliance on the US, Defense Minister David...

Quebec Tories sour on Grapes as caucus members support Don Cherry for Order of Canada

Quebec Tories sour on Grapes as caucus members support Don Cherry for Order of Canada

Opposition is mounting among Quebec's federal Conservatives to their own party's push to award the Order of Canada to controversial hockey commentator Don Cherry. In a social media post late Thursday, the party's Quebec lieutenant Pierre Paul-Hus said he believes appointing Cherry would be "a bad idea" given his "unacceptable remarks toward the Quebec nation and francophones." The Order of...



Floor-crossing MP Idlout expensed purchases from her own business

Floor-crossing MP Idlout expensed purchases from her own business

Nunavut MP reimbursed House of Commons, says purchases made in error Nunavut MP Lori Idlout says she has reimbursed the House of Commons for items bought from her own shop "in error." Idlout is the sole proprietor of the gallery Carvings Nunavut, which sells Inuit-made carvings and artwork. Publicly available expenditure reports show that on four occasions in 2025, Idlout...

Poilievre says he used Joe Rogan podcast to argue against U.S. tariffs and 'fight for Canada'

Poilievre says he used Joe Rogan podcast to argue against U.S. tariffs and 'fight for Canada'

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is set to appear on The Joe Rogan Experience, one of the world's most popular podcasts. Poilievre revealed in a social media post on Wednesday that he had recently sat down with host Joe Rogan. "Fought for Canadian workers and Canadian interests on the world’s biggest podcast. Thank you [Rogan] for an amazing conversation. Let’s get...

'Very frustrating' — Windsor Unifor leader says Poilievre auto plan could cost jobs

'Very frustrating' — Windsor Unifor leader says Poilievre auto plan could cost jobs

A Windsor union leader representing thousands of auto workers says the federal Conservatives’ new auto strategy could end up costing jobs by allowing too many tariff-free cars into Canada. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was in the Windsor-Detroit region over the weekend, meeting with senior automotive executives. He unveiled the Official Opposition’s proposed ‘tariff-free auto pact’ in Windsor to help protect...

To chop spending, Ottawa will cut science, tourism, foreign aid programs

To chop spending, Ottawa will cut science, tourism, foreign aid programs

The federal government has tabled details of how it plans to cut billions of dollars from programs that support science, tourism, harbour improvements, journalism, foreign aid, and even the development of a Canadian-made lunar rover module. The cuts are detailed in hundreds of pages of departmental plans tabled in the House of Commons last Friday as MPs were preparing to...

From Collapse to Dominance - Ekos Federal Poll: LPC 47.5, CPC 27, NDP 15.1

From Collapse to Dominance - Ekos Federal Poll: LPC 47.5, CPC 27, NDP 15.1

At the end of 2024, the Liberals trailed the Conservatives by a massive and seemingly insurmountable 25 points. Today, that deficit has flipped to a 20-point Liberal lead. That is not a normal swing. It may be the most dramatic one-year reversal in modern Canadian political history.

Premiers’ Performance: Eby falls to a new low in B.C., while Kinew continues his comfort atop the list

Premiers’ Performance: Eby falls to a new low in B.C., while Kinew continues his comfort atop the list

Ontario’s Doug Ford drops back close to record low, with just 31 per cent approving of him. As B.C. abandons the biannual tradition of changing clocks, Premier David Eby is falling back as some others spring ahead. New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds Eby’s approval rating has declined 16-points year-over-year. In March 2025, when most premiers enjoyed...

Liberals would win 200+ seats if election held today

Liberals would win 200+ seats if election held today

Just a few days out from the first anniversary of the start of the 2025 election campaign, Mark Carney’s Liberals would likely win well over 200 seats if another election were held today. That’s what The Writ’s new model shows in its inaugural projection. Yes, the vote and seat projection model is finally live!

How rare is it for a prime minister to attract 4 floor-crossers in 4 months?

How rare is it for a prime minister to attract 4 floor-crossers in 4 months?

Macdonald, Chrétien each saw nearly 10 opposition MPs join them during their tenures. Floor-crossing has always been a feature of Canadian politics dating back to the first Parliament — and seeing four opposition MPs jump ship to join the government in a matter of months is rare but not unprecedented. Prime Minister Mark Carney has only been in office for...

Submarines off the table as Carney meets with leaders of Norway, Germany

Submarines off the table as Carney meets with leaders of Norway, Germany

Prime Minister Mark Carney touched down in Norway early Friday where he will get important face time with the Nordic country’s leader and the German chancellor before taking in a major NATO wargaming exercise that includes Canadian troops. Both countries are backing a bid by German submarine-maker TKMS to sell Canada 12 new submarines — a multi-billion dollar program that...

Here's how Lori Idlout's Nunavut constituents feel about her joining the Liberals

Here's how Lori Idlout's Nunavut constituents feel about her joining the Liberals

Lori Idlout's switch to the Liberals is drawing attention across the country, and from the people she represents in the territory. Nunavut NDP supporter Joanasie Akumalik thinks the North will lose a fierce public critic of the government. “I think she will not be critical anymore with the government, and she will not be critical anymore with Liberal policies,” he...

‘Knock that s*** off’ — Poilievre uses appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast to slam Trump’s 51st state comments

‘Knock that s*** off’ — Poilievre uses appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast to slam Trump’s 51st state comments

Poilievre didn’t directly blame Trump for helping the Liberals with his comments but said he wished the president would “knock that shit off so that we can get back to talking about the things that we can do as two separate countries… that are actually friends.”

Experts say Canada can't avoid engaging with U.S. as Trump rattles NATO with insults

Experts say Canada can't avoid engaging with U.S. as Trump rattles NATO with insults

U.S. President Donald Trump is widening the cracks between the United States and European NATO members with his calls for allies to help him finish the war he started with Iran. Many NATO member countries were already grappling with the future of the alliance after a key member -- the United States -- threatened to take over Greenland, an ally's...



‘Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation’: Trump-appointed intelligence official resigns over Iran war

‘Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation’: Trump-appointed intelligence official resigns over Iran war

A senior US intelligence official appointed by President Donald Trump abruptly announced he is stepping down from his post on Tuesday, citing misgivings about the administration’s war with Iran. “After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today,” Joe Kent wrote in a post on X.

Unifor should have been consulted before release of Conservative auto plan, says union

Unifor should have been consulted before release of Conservative auto plan, says union

The Chair of Unifor’s National Auto Council is disappointed the union wasn’t consulted on the Conservative Party’s proposed auto plan. “What was most frustrating is the fact that you think you [would] go to the experts that have to deal with it every day and sit down with our leader who’s been involved,” said John D’Agnolo. While in Windsor on...

Border agency 'systemic collapse' allows man found guilty of immigration fraud to walk free and sue Canada

Border agency 'systemic collapse' allows man found guilty of immigration fraud to walk free and sue Canada

Gurpreet Singh, a 40-year-old Indian national, is suing the Canadian government and employees of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), alleging they prosecuted him maliciously and violated his charter rights. It's the latest twist in a massive immigration fraud saga in Saskatchewan that has been winding its way through the justice system for many years. At the heart of that...

Poilievre’s Own Goal. Promoting Don Cherry for the Order of Canada was not a gaffe. It was a strategic choice.

Poilievre’s Own Goal. Promoting Don Cherry for the Order of Canada was not a gaffe. It was a strategic choice.

There are political miscalculations, and then there are gifts to your opponents so perfectly timed they seem almost deliberate. Pierre Poilievre’s campaign to nominate Don Cherry for the Order of Canada belongs firmly in the second category. The Conservative leader declared last week that Cherry “embodies what it means to be a proud Canadian,” throwing his personal support behind a...

Liberals are almost guaranteed a majority — but 172 seats would be a 'poison pill'

Liberals are almost guaranteed a majority — but 172 seats would be a 'poison pill'

Until last week, the federal byelection in Terrebonne was supposed to help push Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government to a majority. Now, as one Liberal operative puts it, a win in the Montreal-area riding would ensure a more “secure” majority. While NDP MP Lori Idlout’s decision to cross the floor to the Liberals has eased off some of the pressure...

Poilievre arrives late to the auto debate with a plan from 1965

Poilievre arrives late to the auto debate with a plan from 1965

There is a nostalgic, almost wistful thread that runs through Pierre Poilievre’s approach to trade with the United States, as if he still can’t believe the happy days of the past are gone and therefore thinks it’s easy to put forward a simple idea that will bring them back. On Sunday, when the Conservative Leader presented his plan to save...

Here are Canada's biggest points of leverage in tariff and trade talks with the U.S.

Here are Canada's biggest points of leverage in tariff and trade talks with the U.S.

While Canada's economy is far more reliant on exports to the U.S. than vice versa, Canadian negotiators have crucial ammunition in their efforts to land a trade deal that reduces or eliminates tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Before Trump launched his tariff war, roughly 76 per cent of Canada's exported goods went to the U.S., while just 1...

PM's office mum on Conservative Order of Canada petition for Don Cherry

PM's office mum on Conservative Order of Canada petition for Don Cherry

Prime Minister Mark Carney's office wouldn't weigh in on a push by the federal Conservatives to award the Order of Canada to controversial hockey commentator Don Cherry. Audrey Champoux, a spokesperson for Carney, declined to say whether the prime minister felt that Cherry had met the requirements for the accolade, which is awarded in recognition of exceptional achievements, extraordinary contributions...

7 key takeaways from Poilievre's Joe Rogan interview

7 key takeaways from Poilievre's Joe Rogan interview

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre sat down for a more than two-hour-long interview on The Joe Rogan Experience this week. Rogan's show ranks near or at the top of podcast charts on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts — with over 20 million subscribers on YouTube alone. The episode was posted online on Thursday after the interview was recorded Wednesday.

Trump says he’ll ‘have the honour’ of taking Cuba as massive blackouts hit island

Trump says he’ll ‘have the honour’ of taking Cuba as massive blackouts hit island

Officials in Cuba reported an islandwide blackout Monday in the country of some 11 million people as its energy and economic crises deepen and its power grid continues to crumble. The Ministry of Energy and Mines on X noted a “complete disconnection” of the country’s electrical system and said it was investigating, noting there were no failures in the units...

French foreign minister suggests Canada could 'maybe ... at some point' join EU

French foreign minister suggests Canada could 'maybe ... at some point' join EU

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is openly mulling the idea of Canada seeking membership in the European Union. Speaking at the Europe 2026 conference in Berlin today, Barrot said the European Union is attracting more candidate countries, such as Iceland, and suggested "maybe Canada at some point" will sign up.

Canada can 'manage' Trump's call for help without being drawn into Iran war: minister

Canada can 'manage' Trump's call for help without being drawn into Iran war: minister

Canada can successfully navigate President Donald Trump's call for NATO allies to secure the Strait of Hormuz without getting drawn into the war, Defence Minister David McGuinty said Monday. U.S. President Donald Trump warned in an interview with The Financial Times newspaper that it "will be very bad" for the future of NATO if alliance members fail to help secure...