The head of an organization representing automakers said he's "cautiously optimistic" after meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney to urge him to repeal the electric vehicle sales mandate. Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association CEO Brian Kingston joined the CEOs of Ford Canada, Stellantis Canada and GM Canada in a meeting with the prime minister on Wednesday in Ottawa. Along with discussing...
Barely any of the fentanyl seized in the United States originates from Canada, according to a new report from U.S. think tank the Manhattan Institute. Published on Canada Day, the study examined thousands of large-scale fentanyl seizures across 80 U.S. counties along the Canadian and Mexican borders. They found that by weight, about 99 per cent of fentanyl pills, capsules...
CAF says members involved with 'Blue Hackle Mafia' could be punished. The Canadian Army is investigating members who allegedly shared what the country's top soldier called "abhorrent" content within a private Facebook group. According to a statement from Lt.-Gen. Mike Wright, the "Blue Hackle Mafia" group featured "racist, misogynistic, homophobic and antisemitic comments and images."
A new law meant to protect supply management might not be enough to shield the system in trade talks with a Trump administration bent on eliminating it, trade experts say. "It's certainly more difficult to strike a deal with the United States now with the passage of this bill that basically forces Canada to negotiate with one hand tied behind...
Thanks to Mark Carney, AI is finally on Canada’s radar—which is good news. His new Minister of AI, Evan Solomon, says we’re at a “Gutenberg Moment,” and promises to transform the economy through sovereign cloud and domestic data centres. It’s a worthy goal. But AI sets its own agenda—which can shift in a heartbeat. Just ask Mark Zuckerberg...
When Mark Carney became Prime Minister earlier this year, he introduced a new way of governing – one that sought to bring strategic discipline to a sprawling federal government. Instead of issuing dozens of separate mandate letters, Carney delivered a single, unified set of seven national priorities to guide every department and minister in his government. The signal was clear...
The Weekly Nanos Tracking is produced by the Nanos Research Corporation, headquartered in Canada, which operates in Canada and the United States. The data is based on random interviews with 1,000 Canadian consumers (recruited by RDD land- and cell-line sample), using a four-week rolling average of 250 respondents each week, 18 years of age and over. The random sample of...
The C.D. Howe Institute predicts Ottawa's recently announced spending plans -- which include a much bigger defence budget -- will drive its deficits markedly higher in the coming years. In a new analysis released Thursday, the think tank said it expects Canada's deficit to top $92 billion this fiscal year, given Prime Minister Mark Carney's plan to meet NATO's defence...
The first political pancakes have been flipped as party leaders from around Canada gather for the Calgary Stampede. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek led an early morning crowd through a series of "Yahoos" to herald the start of the rodeo that dubs itself The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Eby's government speaking out of both sides of its mouth when it comes to fast-tracking energy projects of national significance
At this pivotal moment for our country, Canadians are looking for leadership that is focused, collaborative and ready to meet the moment. And there’s no clearer test of that leadership than the housing crisis. Families across this country are struggling with rising rents, impossible mortgages and an uncertain future. But we have a chance to turn things around. To build...
The U.S. immigration system is collapsing before our eyes and the Canadian government remains wilfully blind to the dangers this poses to Canadian citizens, residents and asylum-seekers. Now that a Canadian man has died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, Canada can no longer justify its misplaced U.S. exceptionalism.
Ontario’s child welfare sector has been subjected to frequent financial audits – reviews that track spending and revenues in a bid to ensure fiscal accountability. However, these audits rarely address systemic issues that directly affect the well-being of the children in the provincial system. Instead, the Progressive Conservative government should create a comprehensive child protection system that engages diverse communities...
When we talk about the “national interest,” we tend to picture steel, not soil. Transmission towers, deep ports and export corridors are emblematic of a nation on the move. It’s understandable. Big projects have always held weight in this country: the railway, the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Trans-Canada Highway. Now, with the passage of Bill C-5 – the One Canadian...
Last week Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said that Albertans’ desire to go their own way and separate from the rest of Canada has never been higher. That’s a strange thing to proclaim when only two days before the separatist party got a shellacking in three by-elections, one of them in the heartland of what used to be the independence movement...
The mercenary spyware industry develops and sells advanced tools that can covertly gain complete access to a cellphone’s microphone, camera, messages, photos and historical data – all without its user clicking any malicious links. The technology notoriously facilitates human rights abuses worldwide. In Canada, NSO Group’s Pegasus was forensically identified in 2018 on the phone of a Canadian permanent resident...
To more than a few Canadians, he was as irritating as a neighbour’s leaf-blower, or a yapping dog next door, or a crying baby across the aisle in a plane, or a pneumatic drill on local sidewalks. His voice hit the ear like an assault, a whining, scolding, hyperpartisan blast of relentless grievance.
Much is being said about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s determination to turn around the massive vessel known as the federal bureaucracy to overcome built-in inertia and achieve faster, more efficient results helped along by digital innovations. Aside from the deeply ingrained risk aversion of senior managers themselves, the biggest challenge may be bringing the federal public service into the modern...
Prime Minister Carney’s attempt to make good on his election promise to build one Canadian economy and get things built — Bill C-5 — has been written and rushed through Parliament at breakneck speed. And it shows. Aimed at streamlining interprovincial trade and fast-tracking major projects, Bill C-5 has been heavily criticized by Indigenous peoples, environmental groups and legal experts...
Recently, I was a panellist at the Canadian Association of Journalists conference in Calgary. The session was titled, “Local Journalism in the Age of Cutbacks.” A great headline, sure, but that’s not why I was there. I was there to talk about our $8-billion class-action lawsuit against digital advertising giants Google and Facebook.
The federal government wants to supercharge productivity by launching artificial intelligence (AI) “at scale.” This includes modernizing the public service with AI tools. In principle, this is welcome. Predictive AI models could anticipate shifts in health care trends, enhance fiscal forecasting and help detect tax fraud, among other applications. Natural language processing tools could enable larger consultations on government decisions...
The idea that Olivia Chow was going to be Toronto’s housing champion was always a fantasy. Many voters, especially younger ones, pinned their hopes on her after years of inaction by John Tory, which they wrongly ascribed to his more conservative ethos. In a quick election, Chow’s long-standing brand as a “progressive” helped carry her to victory. When it comes...
Lisa Raitt, Scott Brison and Frank McKenna sit in their Bay Street investment banker offices, and they have rural Canada on their minds. We’d say “finally,” but these three grew up in those communities. To many, though, especially those living in urban centres, we are entering a new era. Lisa, Scott and Frank know that to build and do big...
Last week Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said that Albertans’ desire to go their own way and separate from the rest of Canada has never been higher. That’s a strange thing to proclaim when only two days before the separatist party got a shellacking in three by-elections, one of them in the heartland of what used to be the independence movement...
Just before Parliament recessed for its summer break, it passed Bill C-5: The One Canadian Economy Act. The bill, passed by the Senate and now law, gives Ottawa the power to remove internal trade and labour barriers between provinces and territories if a project is deemed in the national interest. I can’t help but notice how this nation-building legislation, shaped...
Maybe Prime Minister Mark Carney’s elbows were getting tired. He kept them up the entire campaign, and well, that was enough to get the job done (the job, notably, being winning the election – not standing up to U.S. President Donald Trump). And now that the election is over, Mr. Carney has allowed himself some moments of rest.
For a while there, things were going so well. Prime Minister Mark Carney — aka “the Trump whisperer” — had morphed from critic to texting buddy of the U.S. President. Over the past three months, Carney had been chatting with Donald Trump, building backchannel goodwill. After the successful G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta., hopes were high that Ottawa would strike...
The federal government needs to stop hiring generalist policy writers and start hiring experts in their field, and then hire managers and leaders with people and management expertise. That’s how we modernize this government.
Canada's efforts to broaden trade beyond the United States appear to be bearing fruit, but economists warn it will be a long road before Canadian exporters settle at a new status quo. Statistics Canada said Thursday that the country's merchandise trade deficit — the difference between how much we ship out and how much we bring in — narrowed to...
Multiple “bomb threats” were made at Canadian airports Thursday morning, spurring flight delays, evacuations and investigations into the source, says NAV Canada and local authorities. “Early this morning, NAV CANADA was made aware of bomb threats affecting facilities in Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver. Employees at impacted locations are safe, and a temporary ground stop has been implemented...
On Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney set the date for the federal byelection in the Alberta riding of Battle River–Crowfoot, which Conservative MP Damien Kurek vacated in order to provide a seat for Pierre Poilievre. There’s little doubt that Poilievre’s bid will be successful when voters go to the polls on August 18 — only one riding in the country...
Election promises and massive defence spending increases promised by Prime Minister Mark Carney at a NATO summit last month will fuel huge annual federal budget deficits averaging more than $77-billion a year, a new report predicts. A fiscal forecast released by the C.D. Howe Institute Thursday said the combined cost of Liberal Party election platform pledges, plus a June 2...
Former Liberal foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy is accusing Prime Minister Mark Carney of taking a "bootlicking" approach to U.S. President Donald Trump at the expense of Canadian values. "You have to be principled, you have to be tactical, you have to be pragmatic. But you also have to be tough and know what you stand for," Axworthy said in...
A trailblazer in uniform, Critchley was just 17 years old when she became the second woman ever to serve as an armoured crewman in her unit. She and dad Steve later made history as the first father–daughter gunnery crew in the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps. She’s now looking to take out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in one of the safest...
A high-stakes lawsuit involving former deputy prime minister Sheila Copps turns on a long-running debate in Ottawa over whether she lobbied during the pandemic without registering — and whether, as a result, a federal contractor is off the hook for tens of millions in allegedly unpaid commissions to her company. Copps, a Liberal heavyweight turned lobbyist, has long denied lobbying...
Prime Minister Mark Carney met with automotive sector CEOs Wednesday morning to discuss U.S. tariffs and ways to protect Canadian supply chains from the trade war with the United States. A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister's Office said the CEOs of Ford Canada, Stellantis Canada and GM Canada met with Carney, along with Brian Kingston of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers'...
The federal government’s recent moves to guard against cheap foreign steel and aluminum flooding the domestic market could help Canada secure an economic and security deal with the United States, Dominic LeBlanc said in a recent interview with The Logic.
The former boss of Manitoba Hydro was paid nearly $900,000 in compensation in 2024, despite only working 1½ months before her dismissal from the Crown corporation. The high pay earned by Jay Grewal, revealed to be $881,177.94 according to Hydro's annual compensation disclosures this week, suggests the utility bought out the remainder of her contract, according to a University of...
The Liberal government’s plan to find billions of dollars in operating efficiencies would require a 24 per cent cut in public service spending and “devastate the federal government,” according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s campaign platform included savings from “increased government efficiency,” with $6 billion in savings in 2026-27 and $13 billion a year...
Independent members seek signatures to re-register PC party that led Alberta for decades. Two Independent MLAs expelled from the UCP are bidding to resurrect the old party brand of Peter Lougheed and Ralph Klein. Peter Guthrie and Scott Sinclair are petitioning to re-register the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta — the party that governed Alberta from 1971 to 2015, before...
Companies that paid the now-defunct digital services tax will have to wait for Ottawa to pass new legislation before they can get their refund, the Canada Revenue Agency has confirmed. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced late Sunday that Canada was dropping the tax on global tech giants in a bid to restart trade negotiations with the United States. The first...
Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to meet with automotive sector CEOs this morning. The sector is a key front in the trade war between the United States and Canada. A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister's Office said the CEOs of Ford Canada, Stellantis Canada and GM Canada will be in attendance, along with Brian Kingston of the Canadian Vehicle...
The prime minister is a habitual winker. Once is once, two is a coincidence, three is a trend, and National Post counts at least four prominent public winks by Mark Carney since winning the top office — in Rideau Hall at his swearing in, in the Oval Office, and twice at the G7 in Kananaskis, Alta. — plus many more...
More than 17,500 foreigners have had their criminal convictions forgiven by the Immigration Department over the past 11 years, removing a bar to coming to Canada, federal government figures show. The disclosure has raised transparency concerns about the type of offences they committed.
According to the regulator, 'several thousand Canadian households' are already benefitting from new plans. The federal government is set to make a highly anticipated decision in the coming weeks regarding internet affordability. The CRTC recently reiterated its decision issued last year authorizing Canada’s three major telecommunications companies to resell fibre optics to internet service providers (ISP) on their respective networks...
Days after Ottawa rescinded the digital services tax aimed at tech companies to advance trade negotiations with the U.S., critics have voiced their disappointment in the government’s handling of the situation. But one expert calls this move by Prime Minister Mark Carney a “mini-win.” The play made by the federal government to hold on to the tax until the last...
The most recent federal election saw a host of first-time members of Parliament joining the political fray, including a number of high-profile candidates from across the parties. This includes Andrew Lawton, a former conservative journalist who’s now the Conservative member for Elgin—St. Thomas—London South. The Hub’s Elie Cantin-Nantel caught up with Lawton in his new Parliament Hill office during the...
The Canadian government is still aiming to get all of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs lifted as part of a deal with the White House later this month, Ottawa’s ambassador in Washington says. Kirsten Hillman, who is also Canada’s chief negotiator in the talks, told The Globe and Mail on Tuesday that she remained confident the country can get the...
The New Democrats and labour groups want the Carney government to explain what it is seeking to accomplish in trade talks with the Trump administration as they once again restart. Trade negotiations have consistently been clouded in opaqueness in Ottawa, despite the government conceding that Canadians have expressed concern over a “perceived lack of transparency” in trade talks. Prime Minister...
Government has levers it can pull in times of urgency. By anyone's measure, $150 billion a year is an eye-watering amount of money to spend on anything — let alone defence. While it pales in comparison to the inflation-adjusted appropriations of the Second World War, it is potentially, for this generation, the very definition of beating ploughshares into swords. Or is it?
Canadians took to parks and civic squares across the country Tuesday to show unity on Canada Day amid American threats, economic uncertainty and Western alienation. "We've decided not to pull apart and fight, but to come together and to build. Because that's the Canadian way," Prime Minister Mark Carney said to thousands of Canadians gathered in Ottawa. This year's festivities...
The government’s second-ever representative in the Red Chamber, Quebec Senator Marc Gold has retired. But after more than five years working to shepherd through government legislation and build up credibility and faith in the functioning of the new, modernized Senate, he says he feels good about the legacy—and track record—he leaves behind. “I’m satisfied that the vision of a more...
In his first Canada Day address as prime minister, Mark Carney emphasized Canadian unity in a "changing" world. "One hundred and fifty-eight years ago, a few provinces bet on the idea that they'd be stronger together than they ever could be apart. They were right, and so they became a new federation that's now grown into our strong, bilingual, multicultural...
WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Republicans propelled President Donald Trump's big multitrillion-dollar tax breaks and spending cuts bill to final passage Thursday in Congress, overcoming multiple setbacks to approve his signature second-term policy package before a Fourth of July deadline.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House has passed the massive tax and spending cuts package that President Donald Trump calls "beautiful," getting it to his desk a day before the July 4 deadline that he had set.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republicans muscled President Donald Trump's tax and spending cut bill through the House on Thursday, the final step necessary to get the bill to his desk by the GOP's self-imposed deadline of July 4th.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Republicans propelled President Donald Trump's $4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill to final congressional passage Thursday, overcoming multiple setbacks to approve his signature second-term policy package before a Fourth of July deadline.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. is halting some shipments of air defense missiles and other munitions to Ukraine amid concerns that its own stockpiles of such supplies have declined too much, officials said Tuesday.
Shares of electric vehicle maker Tesla, which is headed by Elon Musk, slumped Tuesday as the war of words between billionaire and President Donald Trump over the big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts heats up again, with Musk saying he may form a new political party.
A sniper ambushed firefighters responding to a blaze in a northern Idaho mountain community Sunday, killing at least two people and unleashing barrages of gunfire over several hours in an attack the governor called a “heinous” assault. The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said crews responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d’Alene around 1:30 p.m. and...
LONDON (AP) -- If world leaders were teaching a course on how to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump early in his second term, their lesson plan might go like this: Pile on the flattery. Don't chase the policy rabbits he sends running across the world stage. Wait out the threats to see what, specifically, he wants, and when possible...
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump on Friday scoffed at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's heated warning to the U.S. not to launch future strikes on Iran, as well as the Iranian supreme leader's assertion that Tehran "won the war" with Israel.
Atlantic Canada faces a substantial challenge in the realm of tax competitiveness. Across multiple dimensions of taxation, the region imposes higher tax rates than most other Canadian provinces.
The Cambodia-Thailand relationship has deteriorated since a border clash broke out on May 28 and has led to the death of one Cambodian soldier. The conflict, not the first between the two countries, stems from a longstanding dispute over the lines of demarcation, dating back to early 20th century negotiations between Thailand (then Siam) and the French colonial authorities in...
A collection of SubStack publishing within Canadian public affairs.
RCMP officers continue to break rules around investigative note-taking, despite a decade-old commitment to fix the problems.
A pioneering effort to make the federal government more transparent has been shut down. The National Capital Commission (NCC) removed hundreds of original documents from its website after an adverse ruling from the official languages commissioner.
Employees at Canada’s secretive spy agency say their open-office workspace is too noisy and visually distracting to focus on their jobs. “Auditory and visual distractions … from an open-office environment were a concern expressed by most survey respondents,” says an evaluation report from the Communications Security Establishment, or CSE.
Canadians are living through uncertain times. Our country faces interconnected challenges including a new geopolitical world order, economic headwinds, climate change, technological disruptions, shifting demographics and deepening inequality.
Prime Minister Mark Carney made big promises to transform the Canadian economy, fast track national building projects and secure a trade deal with U.S. He also set Canada Day this year as a deadline for some key goals. How has he done so far and what are we learning about what he’s willing to do to make things happen? Plus...
Prime Minister Mark Carney set a deadline of July 21 to reach an economic and security deal with the United States after last month’s G7 summit. But negotiations were derailed last week when U.S. President Donald Trump called off talks, blaming Canada’s digital services tax, which was set to come into effect on June 30. Two days later, Carney rescinded...
The whiplash news cycle around the Trump trade war continues and if you can't keep up, you're not alone. Last Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said all trade talks with Canada were off because of a new "digital services tax" that was supposed to come into effect on Monday, targeting companies like Netflix. Late Sunday night, the federal government announced...
