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‘Not just a bunch of whiny cowboys’: at least four former Conservative MPs support Alberta’s separation from Canada

‘Not just a bunch of whiny cowboys’: at least four former Conservative MPs support Alberta’s separation from Canada

Alberta’s long-standing grievances will never be addressed within Canada, which means leaving is the only option, say four ex-Conservative MPs, including former Harper-era cabinet minister Jay Hill who now lives in Alberta. At least four former Conservative MPs, including a former chief government whip, are backing the Oct. 19 referendum in the hopes that a majority of Albertans will support...

Facebook is paying people overseas promoting Alberta separatism

Facebook is paying people overseas promoting Alberta separatism

CBC uncovers 14 accounts from India, Pakistan, Indonesia posting on popular Alberta separatist groups. You might think, based on the volume of her Facebook posts, that Nieta Aqila is an Albertan who supports separation. "I signed the Alberta independence petition" because "Canada is not a great country anymore," an account in her name wrote in a popular Facebook group called...

Ottawa to direct CRTC to scrap demands for streamers to fund local news, niche broadcasters

Ottawa to direct CRTC to scrap demands for streamers to fund local news, niche broadcasters

Ottawa will direct the broadcasting regulator to scrap its requirements for foreign streaming platforms to fund local news and niche broadcasters in Canada, according to two senior government sources. The federal government is planning a series of steps that would require the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, to roll back key decisions it has made implementing the controversial...

Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour says learning from differences key to strong society

Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour says learning from differences key to strong society

Extreme polarization and consensus are dangerous and a better Canada can only be built through the "peaceful management" of our differences, Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour said Monday, in her first speech as the King's representative in Canada. The former Supreme Court justice said our ability to coexist peacefully, despite our differences, is critical to maintaining a lawful, rules-based society. "It...

Former PM Chretien ‘not too worried’ about Alberta separation referendum, cautions against complacency

Former PM Chretien ‘not too worried’ about Alberta separation referendum, cautions against complacency

Former prime minister Jean Chretien says while he’s “not too worried” about the independence movement in Alberta and fall referendum with a question on separation, he would caution officials against being too complacent with the issue. Chretien spoke with CTV News senior political correspondent Mike Le Couteur ahead of the installation of Canada’s 31st Governor General Louise Arbour — who...

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Surging Conservatives Tie New Democrats in British Columbia

Surging Conservatives Tie New Democrats in British Columbia

Almost half of residents (47%) think the province needs a centre-right party to serve as an alternative to the two dominant ones. Vancouver, BC [June 6, 2026] – British Columbia’s political scene has tightened following the conclusion of the Conservative Party of BC’s leadership race, a new Research Co. poll has found. In the online survey of a representative provincial...

Federal Tracker: Liberals Lead by 8 as Carney Approval Hits Tracker Low

Federal Tracker: Liberals Lead by 8 as Carney Approval Hits Tracker Low

The Liberals lead the Conservatives 40% to 32%, while Mark Carney’s approval falls to 55%, its lowest point in Liaison’s federal tracking. The latest Weekly Federal Tracker from Liaison Strategies shows the Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, holding an 8-point lead over Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives. The Liberals stand at 40% among decided and leaning voters, followed by...



Opinion

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Will it be AI vs the people? Or AI for all? Companies must build the social license they'll need.

Will it be AI vs the people? Or AI for all? Companies must build the social license they'll need.

AI needs data centres. Lots of them. But as the race to build them is gathering momentum, so too is opposition. A Washington Post poll found voter "comfort with a new data centre in your community" was cut in half from 69% to 35% in just 3 years. Unusually, Trump voters and Democrats are mostly on the same page expressing...

Mark Carney says we have to embrace this ‘inevitable’ change. He hasn’t explained why

Mark Carney says we have to embrace this ‘inevitable’ change. He hasn’t explained why

“Do you thank your AI?” It’s a question I’ve heard asked more than once in recent weeks. It’s not just Canadian politeness: The trend of users trading niceties with their chatbot has become so prevalent that OpenAI oligarch Sam Altman has asked users to stop, as it’s wasting compute power.

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Louise Arbour becomes Canada's 31st Governor General

Louise Arbour becomes Canada's 31st Governor General

Former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour added the title of Governor General to her distinguished resume Monday in one of the most important ceremonies in Canadian democracy -- the act of naming a new representative for the King in Canada. Arbour, 79, replaces Mary Simon, who became Canada's first Indigenous viceregal in 2021. The official duties of a governor general...

Canadian businessman accused of aiding Russia sanctioned by EU, but not Ottawa

Canadian businessman accused of aiding Russia sanctioned by EU, but not Ottawa

Guerman Goutorov, a Canadian businessman who operates an armoured vehicle manufacturing company, has been hit with sanctions by the European Union for allegedly helping Russia in its war on Ukraine. The Canadian government, however, has not penalized or sanctioned Mr. Goutorov or his company, which is headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, though Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand’s spokesperson told...

Politician's Pen

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Regulatory Predictability, Not Government Favouritism, Will Get Major Projects Built

Regulatory Predictability, Not Government Favouritism, Will Get Major Projects Built

Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon’s recent acknowledgment that new legislation may be needed to accelerate approvals for major projects is an admission of long-standing failure. Canada’s regulatory system for infrastructure and resource development has become slow, uncertain, and politicized. While Ottawa now speaks of one or two year approval windows and continues expanding entities like the Major Projects Office, deeper...

To be or not to be (partisan)?  that is the question facing the Prime Minister on the Senate


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The future of America hangs in the balance

The future of America hangs in the balance

The big question in American politics is whether the country will deal with United States President Donald Trump’s moral bankruptcy or be destroyed by it. The latest atrocity committed by the malignant narcissist who is running America is the debacle on the grounds of the White House.

The Carney government cut health-care funding for refugees. Here’s what that looks like to Olivia

The Carney government cut health-care funding for refugees. Here’s what that looks like to Olivia

A non-verbal 11-year-old girl who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and severe scoliosis that is repositioning her organs could be the face of the Carney government’s recent cuts to refugee and asylum-seekers’ care. The girl and her mother — who will be identified here as “Emma” and “Olivia,” because Olivia fears using their real names will put them in danger —...

A little yelling seems to come with the job of being prime minister

A little yelling seems to come with the job of being prime minister

One of the basic skills of being a politician revolves around how to avoid an unwelcome question. Some are pretty good at it, either deflecting or changing the subject, frustrating though it may be to journalists. Some, less expert, are visibly awkward. Others, the ones who can master charming candour, simply say, “I can’t answer that question.”

Mark Carney notches some wins

Mark Carney notches some wins

Regular readers know that this column has not been an inexhaustible source of flattering reflections on the Carney government. This makes it a particular pleasure to support a number of the prime minister’s initiatives last week. The tenor of his speech to the Economic Club of New York was a complete change from the antagonism of his confected Churchillian defiance...

With independence movement going nowhere, Alberta separatists blame Danielle Smith

With independence movement going nowhere, Alberta separatists blame Danielle Smith

The poll numbers sting. The numbers should sting, if you are for Alberta splitting from Canada. Article content It appears, in this early snapshot in time, the Alberta separatists are spinning their wheels.

Pete Hoekstra is the perfect U.S. ambassador to Canada. Here’s why

Pete Hoekstra is the perfect U.S. ambassador to Canada. Here’s why

If there is one common theme in much of the Canadian commentariat of late that I cannot understand, it’s the hostility to Pete Hoekstra, the United States ambassador to Canada. How do you guys not realize he is perfect? We could not ask for a better American ambassador to our country at this time.



Can Mark Carney get Canadians to trust AI?

Can Mark Carney get Canadians to trust AI?

Mark Carney's Liberal government wants Canada to embrace the arrival of artificial intelligence technology. It apparently believes that, for the country's economic sake, Canada needs to embrace AI. But it, quite reasonably, sees Canadians' lack of trust in AI as an obstacle. "Trust is the North Star of this strategy," the Carney government said in the AI strategy it released...

The myth of the ‘Liberal recession’ and how political spin distorts Canada’s economic data

The myth of the ‘Liberal recession’ and how political spin distorts Canada’s economic data

Words matter in politics. Few carry the weight of ‘recession’, a term that doesn’t just describe an economic condition, but conjures one in the public imagination. Mass layoffs. Shuttered businesses. Families in crisis. You don’t even need to prove a recession is happening to cause harm with the word. You just need to say it loudly enough, often enough, that...

Recession or technical recession — does it matter?

Recession or technical recession — does it matter?

This week, there were competing political messages regarding the state of the Canadian economy: the Conservatives labelled it a full-blown recession, while the Liberals and economists pushed back on that notion. Political insiders Greg MacEachern, Mélanie Richer and Fred DeLorey stop by Power & Politics for the Political Pulse Panel, where they also weigh in on everything from the challenges...

Why we should embrace, not deport, U.S. ambassador Pete Hoekstra

Why we should embrace, not deport, U.S. ambassador Pete Hoekstra

Donald Trump’s man in Ottawa, Pete Hoekstra, managed to achieve the trifecta of Canadian journalism this week: he had pundits from three leading papers across the political spectrum calling for his head. On the left, more or less, John Lorinc argued in the Star that the Carney government “should kick Hoekstra out” for retweeting a Trump jibe about Canada being...

Alberta separatists trounced in poll, Smith's UCP up 9 points on Nenshi NDP

Alberta separatists trounced in poll, Smith's UCP up 9 points on Nenshi NDP

The latest. The freshest numbers. Let's go straight to the math of the Postmedia-Leger poll on the October referendum question. The envelope please. Alberta should remain a province of Canada. 68 per cent. The government of Alberta should commence the legal process required to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada. 24 per cent.

A Prime Minister who has changed government rapidly but a country not yet transformed

A Prime Minister who has changed government rapidly but a country not yet transformed

One day, Steven Guilbeault, Justin Trudeau’s activist environment minister, quit Mark Carney’s Liberal caucus. The next, the Prime Minister was in New York to sell CEOs and fund managers on investing in Canada, touting this country as an energy superpower that could help “make America great again.” Things have changed. The style is a long way from Mr. Trudeau’s era...



Donald Trump’s New Conflict of Interest: The Canadian Economy

Donald Trump’s New Conflict of Interest: The Canadian Economy

Yes, Donald Trump and Pete Hoekstra’s tag-team 51st-state trolling this week was symptomatic of just how insane our bilateral relations with the United States have become. But what’s truly worth noting is what started out Monday as the subtext of Trump’s revived annexation threat — pegged to Canada’s now-notorious “technical recession” as all the more reason to capture the country...

Why not Both? A Possible Way Out of Canada’s Procurement Dilemmas

Why not Both? A Possible Way Out of Canada’s Procurement Dilemmas

As Canada seeks to rearm and move to a modern, effective military capable of defending this country and meeting its treaty obligations to allies, the procurement choices underway by the Carney government will have implications far beyond the type of submarines and jet fighters necessary to meet those goals. The government is committed to buying new jet fighters to replace...

Alberta separatists are not ‘deplorables,' says province's former finance minister

Alberta separatists are not ‘deplorables,' says province's former finance minister

Jim Dinning tells the Post’s John Ivison why he is sympathetic to Premier Danielle Smith’s push to give separatists the chance to express their strongly held sentiments in a referendum

A prime minister’s top two responsibilities are a weakness for Poilievre

A prime minister’s top two responsibilities are a weakness for Poilievre

Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney had a concise way of describing the job’s main responsibility. Of all the files that land on a prime minister’s desk, he liked to say, two can never be delegated to anyone else: national unity, and the relationship with the United States.

Is a technical recession technically a problem for Mark Carney?

Is a technical recession technically a problem for Mark Carney?

The political significance of 2 consecutive quarters of bad GDP data. Pierre Poilievre popped up before reporters who were waiting outside a cabinet meeting on Tuesday and in the span of 10 minutes the Conservative leader managed to use the word "recession" more than two dozen times. "Mr. Trump's policies are affecting all G7 countries, and none of them are...

Canadians should hit back at renewed 51st state insults

Canadians should hit back at renewed 51st state insults

We recall last year when U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra said that annexation talk was over. “From my standpoint, from the President’s standpoint, 51st state’s not coming back,” he said. “It’s done.” Yeah, sure. This week Donald Trump posted “51st State” on Truth Social. It came with a link to an article about the Canadian economy dipping into a recession, the...



Arctic Sovereignty and Potential: Ignore the Community, Lose the Opportunity
Donald Trump has found another way to keep Canadians up at night

Donald Trump has found another way to keep Canadians up at night

Dominic LeBlanc, Mark Carney’s point minister on Canada-U.S. relations, was no doubt feeling the pressure as he landed in Washington on Tuesday to kick-start trade talks with Donald Trump’s administration. But it’s less pressure than he was facing last year, according to some new polling from Abacus Data. Canadians’ anxiety about Trump’s trade war has declined sharply from 2025, Abacus...

The Carney paradox — as Canada swirls down the drain, his popularity goes through the roof

The Carney paradox — as Canada swirls down the drain, his popularity goes through the roof

Are Canadians worried? Apparently not. So what's wrong with us? Has 'elbows up' gone to our heads?

The crucial words Carney left out of his antisemitism speech

The crucial words Carney left out of his antisemitism speech

In the course of researching my biography on Irwin Cotler, I spoke with his old McGill debating partner, Moses Znaimer, the CityTV and MuchMusic founder. In typically unfiltered Znaimer fashion he wondered aloud what the former Liberal party justice minister thought about his old party, “which betrayed the Jewish community, in favour of the huge Muslim influx, of which they...

Plus ça Change? Reflections on the Alberta Referendum from a Veteran of 1995

Plus ça Change? Reflections on the Alberta Referendum from a Veteran of 1995

Watching Canada slide toward another episode of national unity trauma has been profoundly saddening for those of us who lived through the country’s last, near-death encounter with a secession crisis. In 1995, I was serving as assistant secretary of constitutional affairs in the Privy Council Office, responsible for generating policy arguments and messaging for the federalist coalition. The last stage...

Alberta separatist leaders imagine a grand alliance with Quebec separatists. Not happening.

Alberta separatist leaders imagine a grand alliance with Quebec separatists. Not happening.

There’s a fantasy among some Alberta separatists that Quebec separatists are their friends. Not likely. They are risky company for an Alberta politician of any stripe. As Premier Danielle Smith visits Quebec for friendly talks with the new premier, Christine Frechette, she knows who to avoid. It’s much noted in Quebec that the separatist Parti Quebecois could win a provincial...

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Carney government testing use of AI in prisons to create profile reports of offenders

Carney government testing use of AI in prisons to create profile reports of offenders

The Canadian government is considering the use of artificial intelligence to save time creating influential assessment profile reports of offenders as they go to federal prisons, and is running a small-scale trial to test it, the Star has learned.

In Alberta, Poilievre to argue new federal direction can ease separatist concerns

In Alberta, Poilievre to argue new federal direction can ease separatist concerns

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is expected to argue a change in federal policies would ease separatist concerns in Alberta when he makes a speech in Calgary on Monday. In an excerpt of that speech shared with The Canadian Press, Poilievre says separatist voices do not have an issue with their fellow Canadians, "they have a problem with the federal government."...

Poilievre to call for ‘different government policies’ as he kicks off campaign to keep Alberta in Canada

Poilievre to call for ‘different government policies’ as he kicks off campaign to keep Alberta in Canada

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is set to kick off his campaign to promote a “stronger Alberta within a united Canada” in a keynote speech in Calgary on Monday. In an excerpt shared with CTV News ahead of the speech, Poilievre is expected to promote Alberta staying in Canada, while also calling for new government policies to address separatist concerns. “We...

PM Carney travelling to Ireland and France for G7 summit

PM Carney travelling to Ireland and France for G7 summit

Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Europe on Thursday, visiting Ireland and France for the G7 summit. The summit is running from June 15 to June 17 in Evian-les-Bains and France says the focus will be on reducing global inequalities. The summit was delayed by a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the White House would host...

Parties can’t have it both ways: either appoint candidates or hold transparent nomination elections, say political players

Parties can’t have it both ways: either appoint candidates or hold transparent nomination elections, say political players

Political party leaders should make up their minds and either outright appoint candidates, or hold transparent nomination elections, because when parties manipulate the process to get the results they want, it dampens morale and undermines the confidence of grassroots members, say party players. In an interview with The Hill Times, former national director of the Liberal Party Jamie Carroll said...

Most Albertans disapprove of Smith as premier and her handling of separatism: Ipsos poll

Most Albertans disapprove of Smith as premier and her handling of separatism: Ipsos poll

38% of Albertans approve of Smith's job as premier and 33% like how she's handled separatism. A majority of Albertans disapprove of both Danielle Smith’s performance as premier and of her handling of the separatism issue, according to a new Ipsos poll that also found Albertans on both ends of the debate believe Smith supports the opposite side of their...

Former top soldier warns against pivot to China amid tensions with the U.S.

Former top soldier warns against pivot to China amid tensions with the U.S.

As this country seeks to diversify trade partners amid strained relations with the United States, a former top Canadian soldier is warning the Canadian government against pivoting to China at the expense of Ottawa’s relationship with Washington. “Geography matters,” said retired Gen. Wayne Eyre, former chief of the defence staff, said in an interview on CTV’s Question Period airing Sunday...

As Carney faces pressure to deliver, some Liberal MPs question his leadership style

As Carney faces pressure to deliver, some Liberal MPs question his leadership style

Behind the closed doors of a Liberal caucus meeting this spring, things grew heated between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Nova Scotia MP Jaime Battiste. The two traded responsibility for the government’s shaky relationship with Indigenous groups, in an intense exchange that played out in front of all the other Liberal MPs gathered on the second floor of West Block...

Premier Smith makes case for Canada to sold-out crowd of UCP supporters

Premier Smith makes case for Canada to sold-out crowd of UCP supporters

Leader's dinner held in Calgary Friday night was largest in party's history. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith spoke to a sold-out crowd of more than 2,000 United Conservative Party (UCP) supporters Friday night, where she made her pitch on why Alberta should remain in Canada. "I still believe Canada can work. I believe it's working better every day, and it can...

Good Talk - Carney Sees ‘Some Progress’ on U.S. Trade as AI Plans Emerge and the CBS '60 Minutes' Disaster

Good Talk - Carney Sees ‘Some Progress’ on U.S. Trade as AI Plans Emerge and the CBS '60 Minutes' Disaster

First up this week, Prime Minister Carney summed up a critical week in the Canada-US trade discussions with the phrase, "some progress". So what does that mean? Plus the AI strategy. Then both Bruce Anderson and Chantal Heebert discuss the fall of an iconic broadcast network -- CBS and the "60 Minutes" debacle.

Quebec Liberal Party pitches itself as sole federalist option

Quebec Liberal Party pitches itself as sole federalist option

- Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard is pitching his party as the only resolutely federalist option in Quebec as it will likely face off against the separatist Parti Quebecois in the general election scheduled for October. "On the referendum issue, the (Coalition Avenir Quebec) is indecisive. Some say they are in the 'No' camp. Others are proud sovereigntists," he told...

‘The story is wrong’: Liberal caucus chair defends Carney amid reports of yelling at MPs

‘The story is wrong’: Liberal caucus chair defends Carney amid reports of yelling at MPs

Liberal Caucus Chair James Maloney is vehemently denying the prime minister has a caucus management problem, pushing back on reporting from this week citing unnamed Liberal MPs accusing Mark Carney of being dismissive of the concerns they were raising, and yelling. Several MPs told the Toronto Star this week that Carney has a penchant for lashing out at caucus members...

Stephane Dion says Canada needs more diplomats to build ties with Europe

Stephane Dion says Canada needs more diplomats to build ties with Europe

Former foreign affairs minister Stephane Dion says Canada needs to substantially staff up its embassies in Europe and set deadlines for following through on the flurry of agreements Brussels has signed with Ottawa. Dion's comments come after Canada's former military chief said Ottawa must stop cutting back on diplomats to boost defence spending. "These agreements and partnerships must not remain...

Ottawa's mixed fleet of F-35s and Gripens could total more than 100 aircraft, sources say

Ottawa's mixed fleet of F-35s and Gripens could total more than 100 aircraft, sources say

GlobalEye supply chain could be used for major Gripen project as negotiations continue. The federal government is looking at expanding the military's fighter fleet beyond its original plan for 88 jets, according to industry and government sources. Negotiations are underway for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to acquire a larger mixed fleet of American-made Lockheed Martin F-35s and Saab Gripen-E...

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is 'essentially complete.' The fight over it is not

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is 'essentially complete.' The fight over it is not

The Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Windsor, Ont., and Detroit has been "essentially complete" since February, but a major lawsuit challenging Canada's decision to build it may not reach trial until 2027 or 2028, according to a newly obtained federal briefing note. The information was contained in the heavily redacted briefing note prepared for federal Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor...

Alberta cabinet minister won't say if he supports keeping province in Canada

Alberta cabinet minister won't say if he supports keeping province in Canada

Other cabinet members lining up behind Smith's pledge to vote to stay. But Devin Dreeshen avoids answering. Alberta’s transportation minister declined on Friday to say whether he’d vote for or against his province remaining in Canada, becoming the first cabinet minister to publicly avoid taking what Premier Danielle Smith says is the anti-separation stance of her cabinet, caucus and party...

Already-low Alberta separatism support drops sharply from early 2026: Ipsos poll

Already-low Alberta separatism support drops sharply from early 2026: Ipsos poll

Support for Alberta separatism has declined since the beginning of 2026, according to a new Ipsos poll conducted for Global News. The survey conducted between May 28 to June 1 found 19 per cent of Albertans said they would vote this fall to hold a separate binding separation referendum, while 72 per cent would check off the box to remain...

Liberal MP Erskine-Smith confirms plans to leave federal politics in supporter email

Liberal MP Erskine-Smith confirms plans to leave federal politics in supporter email

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith has sent an email to supporters confirming he will resign his seat in the House of Commons and inviting volunteers to an event to celebrate his decade of public service. He was elected in Beaches-East York in 2015 and briefly served as housing minister in Justin Trudeau's final cabinet and Mark Carney's first cabinet. Erskine-Smith's email...

Alberta's Smith says law will be enforced if separation vote spurs civil disobedience

Alberta's Smith says law will be enforced if separation vote spurs civil disobedience

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the law will be enforced if First Nations communities engage in civil disobedience over her government's separation referendum. At an unrelated news conference in Calgary Friday, she said: "I hope it doesn't come to that." On Oct. 19, Albertans will vote on whether they want to stay in Canada or start the process to hold...

Too soon to call recession, rules Canadian authority on economic downturns

Too soon to call recession, rules Canadian authority on economic downturns

The unofficial authority on recession calls in Canada says it's too soon to use that word to describe the sluggish economy. Debate has raged on Parliament Hill over whether the country is in a recession since Statistics Canada reported last week that the economy contracted for two quarters in a row. The C.D. Howe Institute's Business Cycle Council is traditionally...

Solid May jobs report 'should silence the recession crowd': BMO economist

Solid May jobs report 'should silence the recession crowd': BMO economist

A surprisingly strong May jobs report has reinforced many economists' views that the Canadian economy is not in a recession. Statistics Canada reported Friday that the economy added 88,000 jobs in May, topping economists' expectations for a gain of 10,000 positions. The agency said the unemployment rate fell to 6.6 per cent last month, down from 6.9 per cent in...

Sunwing Vacations, WestJet Vacations indefinitely suspend Cuban operations

Sunwing Vacations, WestJet Vacations indefinitely suspend Cuban operations

Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Vacations will indefinitely suspend operations in Cuba “until further notice.” Sunwing Vacations Group, which includes Sunwing Vacations, WestJet Vacations, and WestJet Vacations Québec, announced it would cut Cuban operations temporarily back in April but said they would resume in October. In a statement to CTV News, media representatives did not provide specifics as to why they...

Economy adds 88,000 jobs as unemployment rate falls to 6.6%: StatCan

Economy adds 88,000 jobs as unemployment rate falls to 6.6%: StatCan

The labour market rebounded with a surprise gain of 88,000 jobs in May, partially offsetting a bigger drop in employment since the start of the year, Statistics Canada said Friday. The agency said the unemployment rate fell to 6.6 per cent in May, down from 6.9 per cent in April. StatCan said May’s gains were the first significant increase in...

Carney’s marks - How close is the Prime Minister to achieving his top promises? Here’s a primer on Ottawa’s progress

Carney’s marks - How close is the Prime Minister to achieving his top promises? Here’s a primer on Ottawa’s progress

Announcements are coming fast and furious from the Liberal government, on everything from major projects to immigration to foreign trade and defence. But Canadians want to see actual action. We look at Mark Carney’s promises and progress in 16 areas, plus where the Trudeau government left things. And we’ll be checking in periodically to see how much progress has been...

Businesses 'desperately in search of certainty' on trade deal -- but at what price?

Businesses 'desperately in search of certainty' on trade deal -- but at what price?

When the Trump administration took aim at free trade last year, Ryan Zoehner felt like he was under fire. "Our supply chain got caught in the crosshairs," said the CEO of Algo, a Vancouver-area manufacturer whose 165 employees make speakers, strobe lights and intercoms for use in schools, hospitals and airports. The maze of tariff walls thrown up by U.S...

Oil sands, bisons and Tic Tacs: Inside provincial trade rep offices in Washington

Oil sands, bisons and Tic Tacs: Inside provincial trade rep offices in Washington

When half a dozen industry and business representatives from Manitoba walked inside the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) office Tuesday, the province’s man in Washington jokingly called them the Avengers. “This has never happened before,” Manitoba Senior Representative to the United States Richard Madan told CTV News after their meeting with USTR staff. The Avengers left feeling optimistic, despite known...

Carney says more work to do on U.S. trade talks after negotiators return from Washington

Carney says more work to do on U.S. trade talks after negotiators return from Washington

Advisory committee member says talks with U.S. are progressing. Prime Minister Mark Carney said his negotiating team made "some progress" during trade talks in Washington this week, but there's "lots more to do" to land an overall agreement. Carney's comments on Thursday came as Canada-U.S. Trade minister Dominic LeBlanc and the country's chief trade negotiator, Janice Charette, briefed a special...

Clarity Act architects Dion, Chrétien call legislation ‘perfect’ and ‘very important’ as Bloc moves to repeal it

Clarity Act architects Dion, Chrétien call legislation ‘perfect’ and ‘very important’ as Bloc moves to repeal it

Former Liberal cabinet minister Stéphane Dion says he would not change a word in the Clarity Act—which he wrote and tabled in 2000—as the legislation is once again in the spotlight over separatist movements in Alberta and Quebec. Speaking to The Hill Times on June 3, Dion, the intergovernmental affairs minister under then-prime minister Jean Chrétien, called the legislation “perfect,”...

New $2.3B federal AI strategy looks to close 'adoption gap,' build public trust

New $2.3B federal AI strategy looks to close 'adoption gap,' build public trust

Ottawa wants to increase Canadians' use of artificial intelligence -- and it plans to do so through free AI training and legislation to tackle concerns like surveillance pricing and chatbot safety. Announcing the government's new AI strategy in Toronto on Thursday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said "globally, Canada ranks near the bottom of countries in AI training, in literacy and...



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Trump dismisses idea that Iran betrays his 'no new wars' campaign message

Trump dismisses idea that Iran betrays his 'no new wars' campaign message

President Donald Trump is dismissing the idea that launching the war with Iran this year betrayed his refrain of "No new wars" that he made repeatedly as he campaigned again for the White House.

Graham Platner gets a lift from friendly Maine crowd after week of damage control in Senate campaign

Graham Platner gets a lift from friendly Maine crowd after week of damage control in Senate campaign

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- Graham Platner was met by an enthusiastic and supportive crowd Sunday at a town hall-style event in Maine as the Democrat looks to advance his Senate campaign after reports about his past treatment of women just days before the state's crucial primary.

US attorney opens investigations into California's elections, sends prosecutor to LA vote center

US attorney opens investigations into California's elections, sends prosecutor to LA vote center

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles said Friday it had opened "multiple election fraud investigations" related to California's elections and sent a prosecutor to the county's vote-counting center.

A federal judge strikes down Trump administration immigration policy affecting 39 countries

BOSTON (AP) -- A federal judge on Friday struck down a Trump administration policy enacted after the shooting of two National Guard members that made it harder for immigrants from dozens of countries to stay and enter the country.

International

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Former top soldier warns against pivot to China amid tensions with the U.S.

Former top soldier warns against pivot to China amid tensions with the U.S.

As this country seeks to diversify trade partners amid strained relations with the United States, a former top Canadian soldier is warning the Canadian government against pivoting to China at the expense of Ottawa’s relationship with Washington. “Geography matters,” said retired Gen. Wayne Eyre, former chief of the defence staff, said in an interview on CTV’s Question Period airing Sunday...

Stephane Dion says Canada needs more diplomats to build ties with Europe

Stephane Dion says Canada needs more diplomats to build ties with Europe

Former foreign affairs minister Stephane Dion says Canada needs to substantially staff up its embassies in Europe and set deadlines for following through on the flurry of agreements Brussels has signed with Ottawa. Dion's comments come after Canada's former military chief said Ottawa must stop cutting back on diplomats to boost defence spending. "These agreements and partnerships must not remain...

U.S. State Department looks to Canada to offer support as Trump eyes Cuba

U.S. State Department looks to Canada to offer support as Trump eyes Cuba

With United States President Donald Trump increasing pressure on Cuba, his country’s State Department is looking to Canada to build support for regime change in Havana. Foreign Affairs deputy minister Arun Thangaraj was at the U.S. State Department last week where he met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. During that meeting, the topic of Cuba came up...

Sweden’s PM jokes about Canada joining the EU, says it’s a ‘very welcoming club’

Sweden’s PM jokes about Canada joining the EU, says it’s a ‘very welcoming club’

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson joked there may be a place for Canada in the European Union to join “like-minded” nations as “the most Nordic country in the world outside the Nordics.” “European Union is obviously a matter of geography, you can hear that from the name,” Kristersson told CTV Question Period host Vassy Kapelos when asked for his opinion...

U.S. blockage on Strait of Hormuz ‘will now be lifted,’ says Trump

U.S. blockage on Strait of Hormuz ‘will now be lifted,’ says Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump says the U.S. blockade on ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz “will now be lifted.” “Ships caught in the Strait due to our amazing and unprecedented Naval Blockade, which will now be lifted, may start the process of ‘heading home!’ Say HELLO to your wives, husbands, parents, and families from me, your favorite President!” reads...

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Undermined – Bolstering supply chain resilience through a Canada–Australia resource alliance

Undermined – Bolstering supply chain resilience through a Canada–Australia resource alliance

Canada and Australia cannot afford to be passive actors in the increasingly turbulent world of resource geopolitics.

Government control of child care continues to hurt Ontario families

Substacks

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A collection of SubStack publishing within Canadian public affairs.

The Opposable Prime Minister

The Opposable Prime Minister

In 2007, Roger Martin, then dean of the Rotman School of Management at University of Toronto, wrote a book called The Opposable Mind. It argued that the most successful leaders tend to be “integrative thinkers,” by which he meant they tackled problems holistically rather than breaking them down into component parts. Instead of seeking trade-offs, they are at ease with...

Can the Ottawa Treaty banning landmines survive?

Can the Ottawa Treaty banning landmines survive?

“Despite the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel which has resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries…Lebanon moved forward with the ban on antipersonnel landmines,” said the Ottawa-based group Mines Action Canada in a statement, celebrating the new addition.

Protecting a pedophile's privacy

Protecting a pedophile's privacy

Canada’s privacy laws are supposed to protect ordinary citizens from unwarranted intrusions into their personal lives. But they can also protect pedophiles. Dead pedophiles. Dead pedophiles from America.

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A Cohere Founder on What A.I. Critics Get Wrong

A Cohere Founder on What A.I. Critics Get Wrong

Last week, Mark Carney announced his big A.I. strategy. Two billion dollars to support creating jobs, providing free A.I. literacy training, and protection against some of the potential harms and risks around A.I., especially with kids. Oh, and he wants to build a world-leading supercomputer.

Carney’s plan for AI in Canada, explained

Carney’s plan for AI in Canada, explained

The federal government released its plan for AI, and it includes a lot of new money ($2.3 billion, to be precise) towards training, adoption and supporting Canadian businesses and tech companies. There was a lot of anticipation leading up to this strategy’s release, both from those excited about how Canada plans to build and harness the technology, but also from...

Canada gets a new Governor General

Canada gets a new Governor General

Louise Arbour, a former lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, is being inducted as Canada's next Governor General. It comes at a nuanced time for Canada's global identity.

Is Carney's strategy truly 'AI For All'?

Is Carney's strategy truly 'AI For All'?

After a long wait, Canada's AI strategy has arrived — a document that encourages people to learn and adopt the technology in the hopes of creating 250,000 new jobs. Host Catherine Cullen speaks with AI experts and skeptics Jake Hirsch-Allen, Kristen Thomasen and Hamish van der Ven about what it means for employment, children’s safety and the environment. Then, Minister...