Prime Minister Mark Carney is at the Vatican today, leading a Canadian delegation attending the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV. Carney, a devout Catholic, will be among a number of world leaders and heads of state in attendance who will all have a brief meeting with the pontiff inside Saint Peter's Basilica after the mass. Carney met a number...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Prime Minister Mark Carney on Saturday to add Canada's weight behind global pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to sit at the negotiating table and agree to "an unconditional ceasefire." During the first face-to-face meeting between Zelenskyy and Carney, who secured a mandate in last month's federal election, the Ukrainian president said the pressure on...
Spare parts for Canada’s fleet of F-35 fighter jets will be owned by the U.S. until the moment they are installed on Canadian aircraft. With the U.S. becoming an increasingly unpredictable ally, some defence experts are expressing concerns about the deal to upgrade Canada’s air force. “One of the main selling points of the F-35 was that we would have...
Prime Minister Mark Carney reaffirmed Canada's "steadfast and unwavering support" for Ukraine in his first meeting with the country's president on Saturday in Rome. His meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy was one of several sitdowns with world leaders taking place in the Italian capital, where Carney -- a devout Catholic -- has travelled to attend the inaugural mass of Pope Leo...
After a delay due to a blizzard, Elections Canada has validated the results in Nunavut and confirmed NDP incumbent Lori Idlout has prevailed over Liberal challenger Kilikvak Kabloona. The results were posted on Elections Canada's website Friday evening. Validation is a procedure in which Elections Canada double-checks and verifies the numbers reported on election night.
Between April 16 and 21, 2025, Abacus Data conducted a national survey of 1,920 Canadian adults (18+), on behalf of the University of Toronto, to understand what Canadians believe is needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world. The findings reveal a country at a turning point: confidence in long-term stability is wavering, yet support for bold, forward-looking action is...
The research gauged the opinions among Canadians on the impact of tariffs on purchase of US-made goods and the US-Canada relationship. Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land- and cell-lines) hybrid telephone and online random survey of 1,055 Canadians, 18 years of age or older, between May 5th and 8th, 2025 as part of an omnibus survey. The margin of...
What does Alberta Premier Danielle Smith want? What does Smith want right now? What does she want from Prime Minister Mark Carney? Article content Smith presented Carney with nine demands. She wants Carney to roll back the harmful Liberal laws and regulations attacking Alberta and Alberta’s oilpatch.
It's a quick trip to a place he's been 19 times before. In a few days, King Charles will arrive in Canada. As the country's head of state, he will deliver the speech from the throne to open the new session of Parliament in the shadow of U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated taunts that the country could become the 51st...
It's only been a few days since the election but already some signs of discontent on Parliament Hill. Conservatives sure, that's expected. But some Liberals who thought they should be in cabinet aren't, and they aren't happy either. Is this all meaningless inside the Ottawa bubble stuff or is it something Mark Carney should watch out for? That and a...
Since U.S. President Donald Trump began threatening Canada with tariffs, I’ve heard from many people and businesses about the intense anxiety they’re feeling. Ontarians are already struggling in the face of an ongoing affordability crisis and are now facing potential layoffs and staring down the face of an impending recession. But instead of uniting people to push back against Trump...
It's apparent that a fourth Liberal victory has triggered a surge in anti-Ottawa sentiment in Alberta, but have things changed so much that a populace long opposed to pulling the province out of the Canada Pension Plan now supports it? One reading of fresh polling commissioned by the Premier Danielle Smith's government argues as much.
One of the most consequential responsibilities of any new Prime Minister is the selection of their cabinet. It reveals priorities, defines how government will operate and sets the tone for how competing regional, political and public interests will be managed. It is also a delicate balancing act — between rewarding loyalty, introducing new talent and signalling fresh purpose
For an action-oriented new government about to reinvent the Canadian economy, find new trade and defence partners and withstand the onslaught of President Donald Trump and his tariffs and territorial ambitions, this week was not an auspicious beginning. Instead of appearing as a crack, recently elected team of men and women ready to redefine Canada, the first meeting of Prime...
He's the King's first minister, which means he has no business making Trumpian executive-order signing performances
Here’s a puzzle: How do you make homes more affordable without making them cost less? It’s a riddle that ex-Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson is promising to solve in his new role as federal housing minister. But I’m here to tell you it’s no ordinary brainteaser, but a paradox.
For nearly a decade, young Canadians have been drowning in a sea of economic pain. The rising tides of housing and inflation threaten to drown them as older Canadians, safely aboard sturdy boats bought decades ago, mostly float on by. In such circumstances, the only lifesaver is a relatively stable, and occasionally even healthy, job market. Now that’s gone, too...
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith absolutely, unequivocally does not want to see a cockfight. She’s merely provoking these specially bred roosters and will soon release them together in a pen. Whatever happens, happens. She has been adamant in her opposition to forest fires. “They’re dangerous,” she says, as she gingerly places a pack of matches on a pile of dry leaves...
There have been concerns about the “presidentialization” of the Canadian prime ministership for years — worries that have been exacerbated by Mark Carney’s tendency to sign Trump-style legislative orders to grant tax cuts.
Canada’s federal ridings range in population from 26,665 in Labrador to 134,415 in Kingston and the Islands
One vote. That’s all that separated the Liberal and Bloc Quebecois candidates in the riding of Terrebonne after a judicial recount that moved the Liberals one seat closer to a majority government. Unfortunately, it’s also apparently all that separated some Conservative Party of Canada candidates from flirting with election conspiracy theories — the very sort that now defines the MAGA...
Let Trudeau be our guide: How provincial power can break Ottawa’s grip In 1961, Pierre Elliott Trudeau published an essay, The Practice and Theory of Federalism, that remains among the most intellectually coherent and politically subtle defences of Canadian federalism. Trudeau did not merely justify, in abstract terms, the peculiar geometry of our constitutional order; rather, he advanced a bold—albeit...
When the federal election campaign was underway, the Star invited two eminent pollsters — David Coletto of Abacus Data and Allan Gregg of Earnscliffe Strategies — to discuss what they’ve learned from the election results. Here’s what they had to say:
James Moore is a former federal cabinet minister under prime minister Stephen Harper, and a columnist for CTVNews.ca. Perhaps the three most important words spoken by Prime Minister Carney during the campaign came after all the ballots had been cast and the results were known. During his victory speech on election night in Ottawa he said to Canadians: “Build, baby...
As the new prime minister reflects with pride on his unsullied cabinet, he should remember the words of P.G. Wodehouse’s Bertie Wooster: “It’s always when a fellow is feeling particularly braced with things in general that Fate sneaks up behind him with a bit of lead piping.”
If there was ever a pipeline that was not going to get built, it was the Northern Gateway project to construct an oil conduit near some of the most cherished, pristine forest and marine areas of British Columbia’s north. The possibility of oil spills from the 1,170-kilometre line to carry oilsands bitumen from Alberta to a tanker terminal on the...
As the dust settled on election night, things immediately got off on the wrong foot for the defeated Conservative Party. Older voters had instructed Tory candidates that they wanted to see a “more conciliatory tone,” according to Calgary Centre MP Greg McLean, yet Bowmanville–Oshawa North MP Jamil Jivani weaponized what should have been a perfunctory election-night interview to settle personal...
In his second term as president of the United States, Donald Trump is forcing the Canadian body politic —every level of government and every party — to recalibrate. There is the threat not just of tariffs and economic upheaval but, for the first time since the 19th century, of annexation. Prime Minister Mark Carney set the record straight in the...
Standing outside Rideau Hall on Tuesday, Mark Carney said his new cabinet — the first real cabinet of his time as prime minister — was "purpose-built for this hinge moment." Carney has long been fond of thinking of this current moment as a hinge — even before its real depths were clear. The Hinge was the title of the book...
Most cabinet shuffles unfold with a flurry of attention on all the new faces, and Mark Carney’s first ministry after the election has plenty of them. But this was a shuffle with an unusual amount of attention on who and what wasn’t there — big names from Justin Trudeau’s time in office and of course, Trudeau himself.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled his new cabinet, and he has tasked his team with changing government. Not “small change,” he insisted, but “big change.” Applying the measuring tape to his new government, however, we can conclude that the freshly-elected prime minister is exaggerating just how radically different his new team really is. And in his medium-sized change cabinet...
Barely two months after he and his cabinet were first sworn in and two weeks after his election, Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall Tuesday during which two dozen new people joined his shuffled, culled and expanded ministry. More than half of them are newly elected MPs, which brings many new faces to the fore...
At the beginning of the year, CBC was facing the very real prospect of being defunded by a Conservative government. But after the political winds shifted in favour of Mark Carney's Liberals, the public broadcaster was granted a reprieve -- giving the minority Liberal government what could be a short runway to implement its proposed changes. "I do think that...
AI appears in PM Mark Carney's campaign platform in many key areas. Canada has its first-ever minister of artificial intelligence in veteran broadcaster and newly elected Toronto Centre MP Evan Solomon. So what does that job exactly entail? When asked what Solomon's mandate and responsibilities will be, a spokesperson from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) pointed to the Liberal platform...
EDMONTON -- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's former chief of staff is suing the fired CEO of the province's front-line health agency and the newspaper that first reported allegations of corruption in multimillion-dollar health contracts.
'I have no intention to move into the residence and so we expect the family will just remain there through this short transition phase,' Scheer said
Three of the seven members of the federal NDP caucus say they were not properly consulted about the appointment of the party’s interim leader. Last week, the NDP announced that its national council had chosen Don Davies, a veteran MP from Vancouver and the party’s former finance critic, to temporarily lead the NDP, a decision made with input from its...
The Alberta separatist movement presents a danger to the federal Conservative party, said former Tory member of Parliament Stockwell Day. "I'll lose friends saying this: — it will only split the vote and only strengthen the Liberal position," he said in an interview from Edmonton. In the most recent federal election, more than 1.4 million Albertans voted for a Conservative...
The Industrial Inquiry Commission report on the labour dispute at Canada Post recommends phasing out daily door-to-door letter mail delivery for individual addresses, while daily delivery to businesses should be maintained. It also says the moratoriums on rural post office closures and community mailbox conversions should be lifted.
'There appeared to be a lack of discipline, sloppiness, and we did have some ministers off message, displaying their traditional biases rather than toeing the party line as articulated by the prime minister,' says the Pendulum Group's Yaroslav Baran.
First-time cabinet minister Shafqat Ali is assuming the role of Treasury Board president at a “delicate moment,” with trust frayed between the federal public service and its employer, says Canadian Association of Professional Employees President Nathan Prier. “Repairing the relationship between his workers and management in the federal public service has to be a top priority right off the bat...
The Conservatives know more today about when their leader could return to the House of Commons, now that Damien Kurek has been officially declared the member of Parliament for Battle River--Crowfoot. Kurek, who won the election in the rural Alberta riding with more than 80 per cent of the vote, has promised to step aside to give Pierre Poilievre a...
David L. Cohen, the previous US Ambassador to Canada, credits new Prime Minister Mark Carney with a strong start resetting the country’s relationship with President Donald Trump. That’s partly why Cohen, a former Comcast executive and ambassador during the Biden administration, remains optimistic about the countries’ friendship, and an eventual cooling off in their trade war.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to task two senior ministers with boosting economic co-operation across the country suggests he remains keen to keep pushing Canada to get out of its own way—even if his picks might remind voters of his unpopular predecessor. “We need to balance experience and new perspectives,” Carney said Tuesday after his new cabinet was sworn in...
Hill office assignments are handled by respective party whips, and start with the party with the most seats in the House. New Liberal Whip Mark Gerretsen was named to the role on May 14.
Prime Minister Mark Carney named Sean Fraser minister of justice and attorney general this week, marking a comeback for someone who had decided to retire from politics. The Nova Scotia MP announced in December that he would not seek re-election, but changed his mind shortly before the election after a call with Carney in March. "It's an opportunity to demonstrate...
Liberal Kristina Tesser Derksen says she found out just before midnight on May 15 that a judicial recount had confirmed her victory in the federal Ontario riding of Milton East--Halton Hills South. The margin narrowed from 29 votes to 21 with the recount. Elections Canada ordered the recount last week after the vote validation process showed Tesser Derksen won the...
The Canadian military has launched a new online recruitment portal to try to modernize the application process and address a personnel crisis. But technical glitches emerged during the launch, prompting concerns that frustrated applicants may be discouraged from joining at a time when the ranks are short more than 14,000 troops and U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened Canadian sovereignty.
OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Mark Carney is flying to Rome today to attend the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday.
Economist says lack of budget could slow down promised stimulus. The recently re-elected Liberal government isn't planning to release a budget this year, opting instead for an economic statement later this fall. But experts warn that not providing a fiscal snapshot could erode economic confidence and delay the government's agenda.
As the first Indigenous person ever to lead the federal department responsible for delivering services to First Nations, Inuit and Metis, Mandy Gull-Masty knows she has a daunting task ahead. But the newly-appointed Indigenous services minister also knows what it's like to sit at both sides of the table -- as a cabinet minister now and, until recently, as the...
Canadian members of Parliament spent a record $187.8 million in 2024, including $32 million on travel. That’s an increase of $12.7 million over 2023, according to proactively disclosed expenditure records. The $187.8 million in taxpayer money also included $114.1 million for MP staff salaries, $39.8 million for third-party contracts and $1.9 million for hospitality expenses.
Attrition rate for new recruits more than double the average across Forces. The Canadian military insists it's getting a handle on its recruiting crisis, but a new leaked internal report obtained by CBC News suggests many of those who come through the door quickly leave in frustration over the inability to get trained and into the job they want.
It's up to his party to manage who lives in the official residence. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre closed his constituency and Parliament Hill offices following his election defeat in Carleton, but is expected to stay in Stornoway — Canada's residence for the leader of the Official Opposition — despite losing that title. While Poilievre remains the leader of the Conservative...
Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig says a full reset of the Canada-China relationship is not possible, and that the federal government should instead be focusing on building stable diplomatic relations with Chinese officials to mitigate any possible worsening of the relationship. “Always with a new government, there will be maybe a temptation for ministers to think that ‘I can be...
OTTAWA -- Canadians are showing a lot of enthusiasm for retaliation against the U.S. over President Donald Trump's tariffs -- even as many of them fear that the country has slid into a recession already.
A new report from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) warns fentanyl “super laboratories” in Canada are “a growing concern for the United States,” particularly as production and supply from Mexico is disrupted. The DEA’s latest annual Drug Threat Assessment says that while the flow of fentanyl from Canada into the U.S. is far lower than from Mexico, Canadian opioid...
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota assailed Donald Trump in a law school graduation speech Saturday, accusing the Republican president of creating a national emergency by repeatedly violating the rule of law.
PHOENIX (AP) -- Joe Biden's time in public office is now behind him, but his age and mental acuity have become a litmus test for the next leaders in his party.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that federal law enforcement is investigating a social media post made by former FBI Director James Comey that she and other Republicans claim is a call for violence against President Donald Trump.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard fired two veteran intelligence officials because they oppose President Donald Trump, her office said, coming a week after the release of a declassified memo written by their agency that contradicted statements the Trump administration has used to justify deporting Venezuelan immigrants.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Microsoft acknowledged Thursday that it sold advanced artificial intelligence and cloud computing services to the Israeli military during the war in Gaza and aided in efforts to locate and rescue Israeli hostages. But the company also said it has found no evidence to date that its Azure platform and AI technologies were used to target or harm...
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- President Donald Trump said Friday he's moving to set up direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as he can.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, the first such encounter between the two nations' leaders in 25 years.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- President Donald Trump in a speech in Saudi Arabia will urge Iran to take a "new and a better path" as he pushes for new nuclear deal.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- U.S. President Donald Trump signed a host of economic and bilateral cooperation agreements in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday as he kicked off a four-day Middle East trip with a focus on dealmaking with a key Mideast ally while shared concerns about Iran's nuclear program and the war in Gaza dragged on in the background.
For too long, Canada has been content to muddle in the slow lane when what is needed — now more than ever — is a breathtaking build out. Here’s how to do it.
Mortgage fraud in Canada has surged in recent years, raising deep concerns across multiple sectors. Anxiety is soaring among lenders as they face rising losses and inflated property prices. Meanwhile, organized criminal actors are overwhelming regulators and law enforcement. Several complex factors are behind the growing crisis, including pressures from housing affordability, rising interest rates, and the lingering effects of...
A collection of SubStack publishing within Canadian public affairs.
Parliament will look very different when newly-elected MPs return to Ottawa this month. There will be far less diversity of voices in the House of Commons with the demise of the NDP, and this is not good for our democracy.
Canada’s premier agency for cyber-security, which helps governments and businesses defend against bad actors, itself got scammed as part of a wide-ranging IT overbilling fraud worth several million dollars.
Some dismissed it as the “erectile dysfunction” ad. Others laughed it off as a desperate Hail Mary to salvage a faltering campaign in Southern Ontario—specifically in the all-important 905 region. Well, they can stop laughing. Call it the blue belt now. The Conservatives not only held their ground in the 905—they flipped several Liberal ridings.
Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled his new cabinet this week, but he won’t be unveiling a budget this year — a move that drew plenty of criticism from his opponents. Newly appointed Industry Minister Melanie Joly joins The House to discuss the decision and weighs in on the new government’s other economic priorities. Then, two Hill watchers offer their takes...
Mark Carney's finance minister, François-Philippe Champagne, says the government isn't releasing a budget this year. Peter Mazereeuw digs into why, what that means, and how the government gets its money, with the help of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy's Mostafa Askari.
At Issue this week: Prime Minister Mark Carney has assembled a new cabinet, but what do his choices say about his priorities? The government comes under fire for delaying its first budget. And, a Quebec riding at the centre of a recount and mail-in ballot fight. Rosemary Barton hosts Althia Raj, Aaron Wherry and Rob Russo
Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon discusses which spending priorities the Liberals will try to pass before the summer despite forgoing a budget this year. Conservative MP Adam Chambers expands on leader Pierre Poilievre's accusations that skipping the budget sends the wrong message to investors, and goes against Prime Minister Mark Carney's assertion that he has a 'plan' for the economy...
