Immigration status is one of many factors considered during sentencing: law professor. The Conservatives want to change the Criminal Code to eliminate what they say is a double standard in the justice system that allows non-citizens to get lighter sentences than Canadians who have been convicted of the same crime. "When it comes to sentencing non-citizens, Canada has essentially adopted...
An Alberta Conservative MP is blaming the Liberal government for a pair of contentious provincial bans on outdoor activities, saying federal officials didn’t do enough to stave off tinder dry conditions in Atlantic Canada. Michelle Rempel Garner told reporters in Ottawa that years of Liberal inaction on wildfire preparedness forced Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to take the unprecedented action...
'What we saw last week, by the minister's decision, is more reminiscent of old Trudeau era, superficial policies,' said Cogeco’s CEO Frédéric Perron. The uproar is coming first and foremost from her hometown of Montreal, where three major telecommunication companies are headquartered and where the frustration is still intense. “I am in shock. In shock. I am profoundly disappointed,” said...
The foreign ministry’s new dissent channel offers diplomats the option for partial anonymity when criticizing the trajectory of Canadian external relations, but bars users from attempting to “undermine leadership,” according to a departmental memo. A dissent channel has been used by the United States’ State Department since the early 1970s. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched its own version...
Prime Minister Mark Carney met today with the "Coalition of the Willing," a group of nations who've agreed to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion, ahead of the ceasefire negotiations set for Friday. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska on Friday to talk about ending the war. Today's meeting...
A new Liaison Strategies poll for the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada finds Mark Carney's Liberals with a strong 9 point national lead over the Conservative Party while Carney himself enjoys a 64% approval rating. Conducted from August 6-8, 2025, using interactive voice response technology, the poll surveyed 1,000 Canadians. The margin of error for the poll...
When we think about the future, our expectations shape more than our conversations — they influence how we plan, spend, save, vote, and adapt. In public opinion research, understanding what people believe is likely to happen matters because expectations can be as powerful as reality in driving behaviour. We plan our careers, make investments, choose where to live, and even...
Canada’s productivity problem starts at the top – the ever-declining number of corporate head offices that call this country home. Many Canadian companies have either relocated their corporate headquarters to the United States or mused about making such a move. The list includes Brookfield Asset Management Ltd., which shifted its head office to New York, and Barrick Gold Corp., which...
When an Ontario court found, two weeks ago, that Bill 212, provincial legislation ordering the removal of bicycle lanes from three major streets in Toronto, was a violation of cyclists’ Charter right to “life, liberty and security of the person,” conservatives were apoplectic. It was judicial activism run amok, they agreed. Canada’s ever-inventive courts had discovered a “right to bicycle...
Farmer Bill Prybylski says China's planned tariff on canola seed wasn't factored into his business equations this year. The president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan says the 75.8 per cent preliminary duty, announced Tuesday, has already caused canola prices to fall by $1 per bushel. That translates to a loss of about $200,000 for his farm. "That's a...
OTTAWA -- Former Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler has joined thousands of Jews calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war and starvation in Gaza.
In an increasingly divided world, it is worth remembering that Canada is still among friends — and that we face the challenges of the day together. In July 2025, I had the privilege of attending sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). First conceived as a forum for dialogue between the West...
Minister Anandasangaree showed courage in advocating for the safety and dignity of his community. That is not a scandal. That is leadership.
It’s the dog days of summer and most Canadians are soaking up the final moments of the break before back-to-school shopping ramps up, out-of-office replies disappear, and the fall busy season officially kicks into high gear. Political news has largely taken a back seat, including the byelection of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. For those not following closely, Poilievre is poised...
Ongoing events in the Middle East are converging with longstanding vulnerabilities in Canada’s immigration and security systems, and producing an alarming reality: Individuals tied to Iran’s oppressive regime are gaining safe haven, and in some cases citizenship, in this country. A recent CBC investigation revealed that Mahdi Nasiri, a former senior Iranian official, arrived in Canada in April and boasted...
Mark Carney told Canadians that he knew how to deal with Donald Trump. April’s federal election results showed that voters wanted to believe him. But now, more than three months in and with the latest economic data starting to show signs of tariff-driven deterioration, Canadians are starting to wonder whether his handling of our relationship with America is going according...
I realized how dry the woods are in Nova Scotia when I stopped my car by the side of the road the other day and briefly stood on the gravel shoulder. The woods smelled dry, almost smoky, like they wanted to be on fire. It’s not how this typically soggy peninsula normally smells. But we have had less than half...
Canada and the United Kingdom have said they will recognize Palestinian statehood during the United Nations General Assembly in September, provided certain conditions are met. Canada’s position is premised on seeing political and military reform from the Palestinian Authority, the governing body responsible for the autonomous Palestinian territories.
We don’t often get a look at a potential prime minister’s detailed policy proposals. But in 2021 Mark Carney published a book that laid it all out for us. ”Values: Building a Better World for All,” states in no uncertain, and often very complicated, terms what we must do to build a better world. But one of the key themes...
We should know by now that Donald Trump does not really negotiate trade deals; he stages shakedowns in broad daylight. His “buy‑down” approach is less about the painstaking give‑and‑take of traditional diplomacy and more about extracting imperial tribute under the glare of klieg lights. Tariffs are his weapon of choice, aimed even at America’s closest allies, and relief only comes...
When observing governments and political leaders, it is always wise to heed the counsel of the great poet and wordsmith Maya Angelou when she suggested that “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Regarding President Trump and his belief in tariffs, we must never forget that his belief in tariffs is not a bug of...
On Monday evening, the governing Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) lost its third byelection in a row, this time with a catastrophic defeat in the provincial riding of Arthabaska. Receiving barely 7% of the votes in total, the CAQ finished in fourth place in a riding they had won by more than 50% of the vote less than three years ago...
The United States holds tremendous economic leverage over us. For now, Canada is protected by the existing North American trade agreement and most of our exports to the U.S. are tariff-exempt. But the agreement will soon be renegotiated and that’s when the U.S. will apply real pressure.
MANY OF US are familiar with the meme that goes: “Finally did the thing that I put off forever, and it took five minutes.” The line resonates because the aversion to starting something that seems big or complex tends to be irrational. The hardest part is simply getting started.
So now we see how the takeover by US President Donald Trump will unfold. It will happen one city police force at a time, perhaps slowly, or not, depending on the extent of the blowback elicited by this latest power grab. The US president started Monday by ordering the National Guard to displace the local police force in the nation's...
Bad faith from politicians has always been a feature of democracy. What politician hasn’t made a promise while running for office, only to break it when elected? Scandal is as much a part of everyday governance as talking points and taxes. From Brian Mulroney’s pasta payoff to Jean Chrétien’s ad sponsorship rip-off, leaders of all parties stray from the straight...
May their memories be a blessing. Because the hostages still held in Gaza have been condemned to die. By starvation, by Israeli bombardment, or by execution.
Monster wildfires tear through vast stretches of territory and force entire communities to flee. Thick smoke chokes urban centres hundreds of kilometres away. It’s an all-too-common summer scenario for Canadians today. However, even as climate change fuels more frequent and intense wildfires, governments can reduce the damage and protect lives and livelihoods with proactive, targeted actions. That means strengthening policies...
Why would a woman offer herself up to a group of men she doesn’t know if she wasn’t actually “into it”? I drove from Ottawa to London three times during the now-infamous “hockey players trial” to find the answer to this question.
Canadian hockey fans raised in the Connor McDavid era, and even those like me who fondly recall the Wayne Gretzky era, may not know much about Maurice (the Rocket) Richard, but he was a “fiery force on ice” during his 18 NHL seasons. He was the first player to score 50 goals in a season, the first to reach 50...
The Carney government’s promise to speedily build infrastructure and other projects in the “national interest” per the provisions of the One Canadian Economy Act is running into the predictable opposition and potential delays. The government’s fast-track infrastructure program combines the nationalist appeal of bolstering Canada’s economic and trade infrastructure — ports, transportation, pipelines, hydro, clean energy, critical minerals among others...
“The worst thing you can do in a deal is seem desperate to make it.” Donald Trump may have written that bit of wisdom, in his 1987 book “The Art of the Deal,” but he’s not practising it. Ever since his administration vowed “90 deals in 90 days,” the president has been scrambling to ink trade deals before the full...
The lifetime maintenance budget was supposed to be around $250,000, but that is now $1 million, National Capital Commission documents show. The National Capital Commission is warning that the cost of long-term maintenance of the Victims of Communism memorial has increased four-fold to at least $1 million, according to internal commission records. Article content The lifetime maintenance budget of the...
Economists are urging the government to factor in the estimated 500,000 undocumented residents in Canada as it consults on its forthcoming immigration levels plan. Immigration Minister Lena Diab is consulting on targets for the number of temporary and permanent residents Canada plans to allow in the next three years, in what some consider a litmus test of Prime Minister Mark...
A former top general who led the military during the Afghanistan conflict is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney's government to revisit the files of soldiers who served there to see if any of their awards should be upgraded to the Victoria Cross. Rick Hillier said that despite the failure of recent attempts to trigger such an independent review, he thinks...
Air Canada says it will begin cancelling flights on Thursday ahead of a potential strike that could see more than 10,000 flight attendants walk off the job this weekend. The country's largest airline said the gradual suspension of flights — which would lead to more cancellations on Friday, before a complete cessation of flying by Air Canada and Air Canada...
With his political future on the line, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre says he’s leaving nothing to chance while campaigning in the rural Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot. Poilievre, who lost the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy in the April federal election, has been given a second chance at winning a seat in the House of Commons...
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson says he’s confident there’s a market for Canadian liquified natural gas (LNG), as his government gears up to start announcing approvals for nation-building projects early in the fall. But when asked whether his government is prepared to scrap some of the controversial environmental policies implemented by its predecessor, in order to move so-called...
Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to meet Monday with Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who says he plans to urge the prime minister to lower taxes in order to stimulate the economy. Ford says he'll travel to Ottawa for what he calls a "heart-to-heart" meeting with Carney, who he says is doing a good job. The premier says Carney already...
The Canada Revenue Agency’s watchdog says complaints are on the rise, while the agency forecasts a 10-per-cent reduction in staff over the next three years. Taxpayers’ ombudsperson François Boileau says his office is nearing the record-high level of complaints it received during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Canadians were scrambling to receive CERB and other emergency benefits.
ST. JOHN'S -- About 20,000 people living on the outskirts of St. John's, N.L., were preparing to evacuate their homes and businesses Tuesday as a new wildfire burned near the province's largest city.
Canada’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson holds dual Canada-U.S. citizenship and sees “no reason” to give up his American citizenship “at this time.” Hodgson confirmed his dual citizenship in an interview on The Vassy Kapelos Show on Tuesday, stating he has “no confusion about where my loyalties lie.” The rookie minister entered federal politics this year, under Prime...
Canada's canola industry is urging Ottawa to act as farmers brace for steep losses over a planned 75.8 per cent preliminary tariff from China on canola seed. "The Chinese market is effectively closed to the Canadian canola industry, and this is a market that was valued at just under $5 billion," Chris Davison, president of the Canola Council of Canada...
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Tuesday that a "famine is unfolding" in Gaza and new Israeli restrictions will only make it worse. Her comment followed a statement from her department on Monday condemning Israel's killing of several journalists in Gaza. "The humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels," Anand wrote Tuesday on social media. "Urgent action is needed...
ST. JOHN'S -- More than 13,000 people living on the outskirts of St. John's, N.L., have been told to prepare to evacuate their homes and businesses as a new wildfire burns near the province's largest city.
As wildfires rage across much of the Atlantic provinces, frustrations are increasing over government decisions in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to ban people from the tinder dry forests on crown land. The ban prevents people from enjoying a stroll through the woods, camping, fishing or driving their ATVs on trails, as part of the effort to prevent human activity...
A Nova Scotia Mountie abused his role when he pursued an intimate sexual relationship with the complainant in an assault case where he was the lead investigator, according to an RCMP code of conduct board ruling. The adjudicator overseeing the case, Gina Lévesque, said the Mountie acted inappropriately and discredited the force. "Police officers have a duty to protect vulnerable...
Major institutional investors are asking the federal government to give them a reason to invest more at home in the upcoming fall budget, says the Liberal MPs leading budget consultations across Canada. The federal Liberals are in the midst of consultations on the upcoming 2025 budget. While federal budgets typically are tabled in the spring, this one is set to...
The Parti Quebecois sailed to a third-straight Quebec byelection win on Monday, cementing the sovereigntist party's momentum ahead of the 2026 provincial election and dealing a crushing blow to Premier Francois Legault's governing party. Former journalist Alex Boissonneault handily defeated Quebec Conservative Leader Eric Duhaime in the Arthabaska riding, flipping a seat that Legault's Coalition Avenir Quebec has held since...
More than half of Canadians think the size and cost of the federal public service should be reduced in the coming years, a new Leger poll suggests. The poll indicates that 54 per cent of respondents want the federal bureaucracy cut, 24 per cent want it maintained and four per cent say it should get bigger. The poll suggests 1...
The Ontario Court of Appeal has affirmed the constitutionality of Canada's first-past-the-post electoral system. The system, laid out in the Canada Elections Act, sees the candidate who receives the most votes in a given riding or electoral district become the member of Parliament. Fair Voting BC and the Springtide Collective for Democratic Society argued the first-past-the-post voting system violates the...
OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Mark Carney's promised new entity to spur massive amounts of housing construction will prioritize the building of affordable housing and the use of Canadian materials, says a consultation document published by the government on Monday.
Expect the fall federal budget to be “very consequential” and “quite major” given the “unprecedented challenge” Canada faces from United States President Donald Trump’s volatile and often hostile administration, says Perrin Beatty, former Canadian Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer. “The government needs to give a clear indication to business as to what its plans are, and that...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he spoke with Prime Minister Mark Carney by phone today ahead of the U.S.-Russia summit on the ongoing war. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are preparing to meet in person in Alaska on Friday. The Ukrainian leader has not been invited to attend the summit and says he is instead co-ordinating...
REGINA -- The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal says a challenge of the province's school pronoun law can continue.
As federal public servants race to wrap up an expenditure review the Liberals will use to map out massive change, the Carney government is learning how hard it is to shrink and reshape a bureaucracy that’s been growing for years. Departments have several weeks left to figure out what’s essential and what’s drift: programs, roles, and spending that may be...
As the United States increases tariffs on Canadian imports to 35 per cent, former Newfoundland and Labrador premier Andrew Furey says Prime Minister Mark Carney's slow and steady approach has been the best thing for the country. "It's been a very wise and strategic, a cohesive approach on behalf of all Canadians," Furey told CBC News on Thursday.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- As the new chairman of the Kennedy Center, President Donald Trump added a highly personal stamp to this year's announcement of the recipients of the annual honors, whom he named as country music star George Strait, "Rocky" actor Sylvester Stallone, singer Gloria Gaynor, the rock band Kiss and actor-singer Michael Crawford.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Harvard University and the Trump administration are getting close to an agreement that would require the Ivy League university to pay $500 million to regain access to federal funding and to end investigations, according to a person familiar with the matter.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The director of the agency that produces the nation's jobs and inflation data is typically a mild-mannered technocrat, often with extensive experience in statistical agencies, with little public profile.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House is ordering a wide-ranging review of the Smithsonian museums and exhibitions ahead of the country's 250th birthday with a goal of aligning the institution's content with President Donald Trump's interpretation of American history.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that there will be "very severe consequences" if Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn't agree to stop his war in Ukraine after their Friday summit in Alaska, though he did not say what those consequences might be.
Less than a week after demanding his resignation, President Donald Trump is now calling the career of Intel's CEO an "amazing story."
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump extended a trade truce with China for another 90 days Monday, at least delaying once again a dangerous showdown between the world's two biggest economies.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Nvidia and AMD have agreed to share 15% of their revenues from chip sales to China with the U.S. government, as part of a deal to secure export licenses for the semiconductors.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Saturday the planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning that any peace deal excluding Kyiv would lead to “dead solutions.” The Trump-Putin meeting, scheduled for Friday in Alaska, is seen as a potential breakthrough in the more than three-year war.
Since its legalization in 2016, Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) regime has expanded rapidly. Framed as the exceptional use of euthanasia or assisted suicide at the end of life for those experiencing intolerable suffering, MAiD, of which 99.9 per cent consists of euthanasia, has since deteriorated in both law and practice. In 2021, Canada legislatively extended eligibility to individuals...
A collection of SubStack publishing within Canadian public affairs.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has removed any restrictions on Canada’s military to join President Trump’s Golden Dome, an unproven, half-trillion dollar program to try to shoot down nuclear-armed missiles launched against the United States by Russia or China. According to Ottawa Citizen reporter David Pugliese, Defence Minister David McGuinty visited the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) headquarters in Colorado...
More than half of the 3,534 Canadians polled by the federal government earlier this year said they had heard of Canada’s National Medal of Service, and most of those had some idea of why it’s awarded.
Canada’s military budget is set to grow so much, the question everyone is asking is: How will Prime Minister Carney pay for it?
To host Noor Azrieh, that seems dramatic. She says she’s actually quite productive at work. But economists Brian Lewis and Philip Cross say this isn’t about how hard you grind, it’s about how the entire economy turns work into wealth…or, in Canada’s case, doesn’t.
Stephen Marche joins this episode of World on Edge with Janice Stein to discuss the threat America poses to Canadian sovereignty, if we are prepared for Trump’s new world order, how we can learn from Ukraine and Finland, and how we can defend ourselves both economically and militarily.
David Herle, Scott Reid, Jordan Leichnitz, and Kory Teneycke provide insights on the latest in Canadian politics. Thank you for joining us on #CurseOfPolitics. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
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