Abbas Rana

Abbas Rana

Idlout’s floor-crossing to Liberals takes pressure off in Terrebonne byelection, but managing caucus could be challenging for Carney in a slim majority, say politicos

Nunavut MP Lori Idlout’s defection from the NDP to the Liberal caucus has almost guaranteed a majority for Prime Minister Mark Carney, provided the Liberals win two of the three upcoming byelections. But governing with a slim majority would pose a significant challenge for the prime minister, as the loss of even one or two MPs could bring the government...

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

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

Abbas Rana

Carney should have consulted Grit caucus before supporting U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, say some Liberal MPs: ‘what the hell’

Some Liberal MPs told The Hill Times that Prime Minister Mark Carney should have consulted his caucus before declaring Canada's support for the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. But B.C. Liberal MP Parm Bains says he's received positive feedback from Iranian-Canadians in his riding. Prime Minister Mark Carney declared his support for the deadly American-Israeli attack on Iran shortly after it...

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Prime Minister Carney and his cabinet should rely on deputy ministers—not political staff—for fearless policy advice, say leading governance experts

Ongoing public service cuts—and the fear senior officials have about their own job security—are throwing a wrench into the Liberal government’s ability to receive evidence-based and fearless public policy advice, say some public policy experts who also say this advice should be coming from deputy ministers and not political staff. “Politicians will turn to that source [political staff] of advice...

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‘Everyone should feel the hit’: ministerial offices and PMO should be cut, too, say some leading public policy experts

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government has eliminated thousands of positions from the public service, but no cuts have been made to political staff in ministers’ offices or in the Prime Minister’s Office. Some with expert knowledge in the mechanics of government say that, in the interest of fairness, civil service cuts should be matched with reductions in the PMO...

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A snap election still possible, despite potential Liberal byelections wins and more rumoured floor-crossings, say some pollsters

Even if Prime Minister Mark Carney secures a slim majority through more floor-crossings and upcoming byelection wins, the governing Liberals could still call an early election this year in an effort to obtain a stronger mandate to deal with challenges such as the ongoing trade war with the United States, say pollsters. “The longer they wait for an election, the...

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Preparing for a possible early election, Conservatives closing first batch of 16 riding nominations this month: sources

In preparation for a potential early election, the Conservative Party recently sent notices to 16 ridings in five provinces informing them that anyone interested in seeking the party’s nomination should file their papers by Feb. 25, according to Conservative sources. Of these, nine are in Ontario, three in Nova Scotia, one in New Brunswick, two in British Columbia, and one...

Abbas Rana, Jesse Cnockaert

Alberta Conservative MPs ‘walking a fine line’ on politically explosive referendum issue, and don’t want to give it more oxygen, say politicos

Nearly all Alberta Conservative MPs are declining to comment on the province's separation talk, saying they do not want to give it more oxygen, and don't want to undermine Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's chances of forming government in the next election. Pollsters say the issue should be taken very seriously. Most Alberta Conservative MPs aren’t talking publicly about a push...

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Election buzz ramps up with Liberals poaching candidates from opposition parties and Conservatives starting nomination process

The Conservative Party of Canada has started the candidate nomination process across the country, according to an internal memo. Ottawa is buzzing with election speculation as Elections Canada lines up offices and recruits staff, Liberals poach candidates and MPs from opposition parties, and the Conservatives have formally launched nomination contests. “In a minority government context, the election could be called...

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With Liberals trying to ‘manufacture’ a reason for a snap spring election, election readiness top of mind for Conservatives, says campaign director Outhouse

After receiving a “strong mandate” from the rank-and-file party members in yesterday’s leadership review, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will be making election readiness a top priority in the event the governing Liberals trigger a spring election, says the Conservative Party’s national campaign director. “Right now, the Liberals are looking for an excuse to call a spring election,” said Steve Outhouse...

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Conservatives to elect members of powerful national council today: Canada needs ‘Pierre Poilievre as the next prime minister, we’re united’

The more than 2,600 delegates congregating in Calgary for the party’s three day convention will elect the powerful 20-member national council today and the newly elected councillors will elect the party president tomorrow. The Conservative Party’s biennial policy conference, which began on Jan. 29, wraps up this evening after three days of policy debates, a vote on Pierre Poilievre’s (Battle...

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Amid election speculation and Liberals’ rise in polls, Poilievre’s Conservatives congregate in Calgary for high-stakes leadership review

Against the backdrop of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals rise in public opinion polls following his recent Davos speech and ongoing federal election speculation, rank-and-file Conservatives from across the country are gathering in Calgary to conduct Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s leadership review, debate party policies, and elect a new national council, the most powerful elected decision-making body within the party...

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Ontario national councillor Mitas expected to challenge Barber for Conservative Party presidency

Senior Conservative sources tell The Hill Times that current party president Stephen Barber and Christina Mitas have been strategizing and reaching out to potential supporters ahead of the national council election at the end of this month. If re-elected for a second term at the Conservative Party’s Jan. 29-31 biennial policy convention in Calgary, Ontario national councillor Christina Mitas is...

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‘We’re in real trouble’: Carney faces historic crisis amid trade war, U.S. annexation threat, and two potential separatist referendums, say politicos

With the ongoing trade war with the United States, frequent annexation rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump, and the potential for two separatist referendums at home, Prime Minister Mark Carney is facing some of the most serious challenges confronted by any prime minister. Still, his performance is receiving mixed reviews from some political players who say Carney’s handling of the...

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Conservative national council confirms Kurek as candidate in Battle River-Crowfoot, Poilievre to run in a different riding in next election

The Conservative Party’s national council chose to pass a motion formally declaring that the riding's former MP would return even though Damien Kurek had publicly stated that he planned to run in his home riding in the next federal election. In an unusual move, the Conservative Party’s powerful national council passed a motion at its December quarterly meeting confirming former...

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Holding two elected positions, B.C. Conservative MP Au is the highest paid backbencher in the House

Conservative MP Chak Au is estimated to be earning a total of $314,757 as both an MP and British Columbia City Councillor. British Columbia Conservative MP Chak Au, the only person in the House of Commons holding two elected offices simultaneously—as an MP and a municipal councillor—is expected to earn $314,757 in his first year in federal office from both...

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To trigger a nomination election in a Conservative-held riding in the next election cycle, 51 per cent of the membership must vote for one, according to Conservative sources

According to new nomination rules, if a Conservative candidate lost two consecutive elections, they will no longer need a waiver from the party to take a third run, say Conservative sources. It would take the support of 51 per cent of local members to trigger a nomination contest in a Conservative-held riding, according to new nomination rules approved by the...

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In precarious economic times, Carney goes all in on oil pipeline, leaving some B.C. Liberal MPs nervous

With United States President Donald Trump threatening to end the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement and imposing tariffs on goods and services from this country, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s high-stakes decision to sign a memorandum of understanding for an oil pipeline with Alberta is risky. It could also give a political opening to the federal NDP and Green Party in British Columbia...

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New rules authorize Poilievre to appoint eight candidates next election in ‘substantially revamped nomination process,’ say Conservative sources

In a break from its tradition, and for the first time in its history, the Conservative Party’s national council has authorized the party leader to appoint eight candidates in ridings across the country for the next election, say Conservative sources. “The council has agreed to eight appointments [by the leader],” a senior Conservative told The Hill Times. “Basically [there is]...

Abbas Rana

Hundreds of application packages from prospective nomination candidates, actual candidates, and MPs said to be compromised in recent cyber hack, say Conservative sources

The Conservative Party must release the findings of its internal investigation, including how the data breach occurred, who was responsible, and what accountability measures have been taken, say some victims of last month’s cyber security incident. Conservative sources say that a data breach initially reported to have impacted 15 MPs could actually extend to hundreds of potential nomination candidates and...

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Women hold powerful roles in Carney’s cabinet and PMO, but none are in prime minister’s inner circle, say some Liberals

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet and senior ministerial staff ranks include a significant number of women, but there aren’t any women in the prime minister’s inner circle on whom he relies for top-level, day-to-day strategic advice, say some Liberals. “It’s not as though there aren’t any women with senior-ish titles in the Prime Minister’s Office—of course [there are],” said Supriya...

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True representation of constituents requires MPs to take principled positions even if it risks caucus expulsion or floor crossing, says Bill Casey

MPs are in the House of Commons to represent their constituents, and if they believe their party's positions run counter to those interests, they should speak up, even if it means leaving the party or being kicked out, says former Conservative-turned-Liberal MP Bill Casey. Crossing the floor, or even voting against one’s own party, is one of the hardest decisions...

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Bloc Leader Blanchet’s expletive about government’s budget negotiation strategy ‘not suitable for work,’ says Government House Leader MacKinnon

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet’s colourful characterization of the government’s strategy on last week’s budget vote was inappropriate and not suitable for a professional work environment, says the government House leader. “That’s not suitable for work, is it?” said Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon (Gatineau, Que.) in an interview with The Hill Times.

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Poilievre should take a page out of Brian Mulroney’s playbook on caucus management, say political players: ‘an absolute master,’ it was his ‘secret sauce’

David McLaughlin says building and maintaining trust requires two-way communication. It's also political capital that leaders can draw upon in tough times. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre needs to reach out to his MPs individually, rather than through the House leader and the whip.

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House Speaker Scarpaleggia residing at an Ottawa hotel instead of official residence, ‘The Farm,’ for family reasons

It’s more economical for the Speaker to live at a hotel than at the official residence in Gatineau Hills, says spokesman Olivier Duhaime. Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia, who was elected as House Speaker in May following the last general election, has chosen not to reside at “The Farm,” the Speaker’s official residence in the Gatineau Hills in Quebec, opting instead...

Abbas Rana

Conservative MP Bragdon ousts Liberal MP Duguid as co-chair of ‘influential’ Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group: Grits are ‘kicking ourselves’

In a stunning upset that has left the Liberal caucus “kicking ourselves,” the Conservatives have ousted a senior Liberal MP as co-chair of the powerful Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group. At the Oct. 29 meeting held to elect a new co-chair, Conservative MP Richard Bragdon (Tobique-Mactaquac, N.B.) defeated four-term Liberal MP and cabinet minister Terry Duguid (Winnipeg-North, Man.) for the position. The...

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‘Things are crumbling’: changing caucus landscape, external pressures spell bad news for Poilievre’s leadership review, say Conservatives

If the Liberals were to gain majority status amid the ongoing floor-crossing speculation, it would spell bad news for Pierre Poilievre’s leadership review, says Keith Beardsley, former deputy chief of staff to then-prime minister Stephen Harper. With one MP already gone to the Liberals, another one resigning, and more rumoured to be leaving the Conservative fold, the rapidly shifting political...

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If Poilievre goes down as party leader, it will be due to external pressure, not caucus dissent, say senior Conservatives

To stop outside sniping, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will have to get more than 80-per-cent support in the upcoming leadership review, says Keith Beardsley, a former high-level staffer in Stephen Harper's PMO. If Pierre Poilievre is ever forced out of his role as Conservative leader, it won’t be due to internal caucus dissent, but rather mounting criticism from outside the...

Abbas Rana

‘Game of chicken’ Amid ongoing election speculation, Liberal and Conservative MPs are preparing, just in case

There’s no ‘appetite’ for a Christmas election, says Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux. With election speculation intensifying, some Liberal and Conservative MPs are preparing for the possibility that a vote could be called in the coming days if the government loses the confidence vote that will follow the reading of the budget on Nov. 4. “We can go into an election...

Abbas Rana

Conservative B.C. riding association launches confidential survey to gauge Poilievre’s support

The survey, launched three days after Pierre Poilievre’s controversial remarks, is ‘Just to confirm the support that I know is already there,’ EDA president James Barlow told The Hill Times. Amid criticism from both within and outside Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s caucus following an interview with a YouTube channel, the Conservative electoral district association of Abbotsford-Langley South in British Columbia...

Abbas Rana

Most ministers still trying to navigate how to ‘keep their jobs’ in Carney’s cabinet: Liberal sources

Ottawa lobbyists say ministerial staffers aren’t returning their calls, but Liberal sources say it’s because ministers and their political aides are still trying to find their footing and determine how to survive in the new prime minister’s cabinet. But if lobbyists want meetings, they should focus on the economy and the Canada-U.S. trade war. Five months after Mark Carney won...

Abbas Rana

PM Carney risks trouble without loyal ‘palace guard,’ say political players

Every new prime minister eventually faces turbulence, and that’s when a strong and trusted palace guard is ‘essential,’ says political historian and former Liberal MP John English. But at a critical time in Canadian history, Carney’s team is going to have to learn fast. Like other prime ministers before him, Mark Carney needs a loyal ‘palace guard’ within his office—a...

Abbas Rana

It would be ‘idiotic’ for any party to topple government on budget vote only seven months after election, say some Liberal MPs

Barely seven months after the last federal election, it would be politically unwise for any party to topple Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government over its first budget, say Liberal MPs. “It would be idiotic for any party to try to bring down the government at this stage,” said Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski (Thunder Bay-Rainy River, Ont.), in an interview with...

Abbas Rana

‘I doubt if I’ll ever cross the U.S. border again in my lifetime’: Trump’s annexation talk, Hoekstra’s remarks draw fire from former MPs, political players

Former eight-term Liberal MP and chair of Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group Wayne Easter says he’s unsure if he will ever set foot into the U.S. ever again. United States President Donald Trump’s more recent comments last week about Canada being the 51st state, coupled with his envoy’s controversial remarks at a business conference in Banff, Alta., are drawing sharp criticism from...

Abbas Rana

With confidence votes coming, it’s important to keep political strategist Pitfield in the PMO, say some top Liberals

In a minority government, it is critical to have a senior strategist with regular, direct access to the prime minister, says Greg Lyle, president of Innovative Research. In this minority government and with the budget confidence vote approaching, Tom Pitfield has chosen to remain in the Prime Minister’s Office to steer political strategy, say some top Liberals. Between July and...

Abbas Rana

Coming byelections in at least three safe Liberal ridings will mark first test of Carney government’s popularity, say political players

With at least three safe Liberal ridings expected to open soon, any byelections after this fall’s “austerity budget” will serve as the earliest measure of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s standing with voters, say political players. “If we think back to it, where did Justin Trudeau’s situation really start [to take a serious threat] when he lost the Toronto-St. Paul’s byelection?”...

Abbas Rana

At least three safe Liberal seats poised to open as high-profile contenders line up

Marco Mendicino, John Tory Jr., Mark Wiseman, and Liam Olsen are seen as some potential names to claim nominations in ridings soon to be vacated by Liberal MPs, say party sources. With at least three safe Liberal seats expected to become vacant in the coming weeks and months, prominent political figures are positioning themselves for the nominations and upcoming byelections...

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Ontario Conservative EDAs slam nomination process in last election at recent meeting, say party sources

Kicking off the Sept. 11 meeting, Ontario national councillor Christina Mitas invited all EDA presidents to share things that went well in the nomination process and there was silence, according to Conservative sources.

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High-stakes fall sitting ‘first real test’ for Carney and cabinet who have ‘zero latitude for error,’ say Liberal MPs, political players

'Carney still hasn't defined himself in the House of Commons. His style, it's going to be interesting,' said one Liberal MP. With Pierre Poilievre returning to the House as official opposition leader and challenging Mark Carney and the government for the first time since the last election, the fall sitting of Parliament will mark the first real test for prime...

Abbas Rana

Former Liberal MP Sorbara joins Finance Minister Champagne’s office

Francesco Sorbara is expected to start his new job in Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s office this week, according to Audrey Milette, Champagne's director of communications. Former three-term Ontario Liberal MP Francesco Sorbara has joined Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s office as a senior exempt ministerial staffer. “His role is caucus relations and investments,” wrote Audrey Milette, director of communications to Champagne...

Abbas Rana, Marlo Glass

Podcast interview not enough: campaign director Byrne should speak to national council about her future role with the party, say senior Conservatives

After skipping two national council meetings, Jenni Byrne attended the Aug. 17 meeting where delegate selection rules were passed. Conservative campaign director Jenni Byrne spoke about the party’s April election campaign loss and her future plans in a podcast interview last month, but has yet to brief the national council or the caucus about the same subject. Some senior party...

Abbas Rana

Conservatives’ ad hoc nomination rules committee for next election to report back to national council in September, say sources

Saskatchewan Conservative MP Warren Steinley is a non-voting member of the national council’s subcommittee on nomination rules, say Conservative sources. Amid widespread criticism of the 2025 election cycle nominations, the Conservative Party’s national council has set up a seven-member ad hoc committee to recommend new rules for the next election cycle, say Conservative sources. Those recommendations will be submitted next...

Abbas Rana

Liberals’ shift from progressive to right of centre a ‘reflection of where people are today,’ say some Grit MPs

The national Liberal caucus retreat in September will offer a clearer picture of how caucus members are responding to their party’s shift from a progressive to a centre-right party, say Liberal MPs. Following Justin Trudeau’s exit as party leader and prime minister, Prime Minister Mark Carney has reoriented the Liberal Party, steering it from the left toward the centre-right, a...

Abbas Rana

Conservative MP Khanna mobilizing support for Poilievre’s upcoming leadership review, say Conservative sources

The Conservative ‘movement is bigger, stronger and more energized than ever’ under Pierre Poilievre’s leadership, says Conservative MP Arpan Khanna. While Pierre Poilievre is preoccupied with his August byelection and with “grumbling” about his leadership getting “louder,” Conservative MP and national outreach chair Arpan Khanna is reaching out to his party’s unsuccessful candidates from the last election, urging them to...

Abbas Rana

Chants of ‘shame’ erupt at Conservative AGM in GTA after organizer ‘unfairly’ disqualifies a slate of 30 candidates

Multiple Conservative EDA members in Mississauga-Erin Mills, Ont., want the party’s national council to annul the results of the June 25 AGM after they say a regional organizer disqualified an entire slate of board of directors candidates on an unfounded technicality. Some Conservative Party members in the Greater Toronto Area are calling out a regional party organizer for “unfairly” blocking...

Abbas Rana

Frustrated with party’s nominations process, former Alberta Conservative national councillor mulls comeback: ‘the worst I saw was in Calgary Skyview’

The national council has reduced itself to a mere ‘housekeeping’ role and has allowed itself to be ‘bullied’ by senior party and campaign officials. If the national council is unwilling to lead, it might as well ‘disband,’ says Marilyn Elliott. A former and prominent three-term Alberta national councillor is considering coming out of retirement to run for the Conservative Party’s...

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‘Very, very unhappy’ with his party’s handling of nominations, former Conservative Senate leader Plett not ruling out running for national council

Former Manitoba Conservative Senator and party president Don Plett says he’s “very, very unhappy” with his party’s conduct of nominations in the 2025 election cycle, and is not absolutely ruling out a bid for a seat on the party’s highest-elected governing body at the January 2026 biennial policy convention in Calgary. “I don’t think anybody ever says, ‘Nothing will ever...

Abbas Rana

Conservative campaign director Jenni Byrne’s absence from first national council meeting following election loss raises some eyebrows

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Poilievre is reaching out to unsuccessful candidates for feedback, say Conservatives: ‘he’s doing a post-mortem himself’

The Conservative campaign team ‘missed the moment’ rather than rising to meet it—ultimately losing the 2025 election, says an unsuccessful Conservative candidate. Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre is reaching out to unsuccessful candidates from this year’s election to get their feedback and to gauge the level of support for him within rank-and-file party members ahead of the mandatory leadership review...

Abbas Rana

Some shut-out Conservative candidates plan to press national councillors over 2025 nominations at upcoming convention

The Conservative Party's national council is scheduled to meet on June 14 for its quarterly meeting, where it will decide, among other issues, the timing and venue of the next policy convention, say Conservative sources. Incumbent Conservative national councillors seeking re-election at the party’s upcoming policy conference should expect to face tough questions from shut-out nomination candidates from the most...

Abbas Rana

Carney’s success hinges on effective caucus management, but he has struggled so far, say some Liberal MPs

At last week’s national caucus meeting, staffers were barred from attending, and Liberal MPs discussed ways to improve the structure of future weekly meetings, Liberal MPs told The Hill Times. The current 169-member Liberal caucus is largely made up of seasoned MPs who have recently experienced political upheaval in ousting Justin Trudeau, and for Mark Carney to succeed as prime...

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To advance House business, Carney’s Liberals may bypass Bloc in the Commons, but not in committees, says Bloc House Leader Normandin

The governing Liberals want to work with both the Conservatives and the Bloc in committees, say Liberal MPs Judy Sgro and Kevin Lamoureux. With only three parties holding recognized party status in the current Parliament—down from the usual four—both the governing Liberals and the opposition Conservatives must depend on the Bloc Québécois to advance any work in House committees, which...

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Top 10 most influential Liberals in Carney’s government

Gerald Butts and David Lametti hold no official roles in the Liberal government, but Prime Minister Mark Carney informally seeks their advice on key political matters, say Liberal sources. The federal Liberals owe their surprising comeback to Mark Carney who officially entered in the political arena just five months ago. A former central banker who led both the Bank of...

Abbas Rana

To limit critics’ time to organize against Poilievre, some senior Conservatives explore moving convention to this fall

If Pierre Poilievre wants to lead the party in the next election, he should resign and seek a fresh mandate through a new leadership race, says former Calgary Conservative MP Devinder Shory. To limit the time Pierre Poilievre’s critics have to organize ahead of his leadership review by party rank-and-file members and to eliminate uncertainty, some senior Conservatives are considering...

Abbas Rana

Conservatives had a ‘somewhat frank’ talk about their fourth election loss to Liberals since 2015, some want a full post-mortem: ‘there should be accountability’

The Conservative Party began its post-election review last week and talked about what happened in the April 28 election, with the process expected to continue in the coming weeks, says Rob Batherson, former Conservative Party president. The federal Conservative caucus held a full-day meeting on Parliament Hill last week—their first since the election—to discuss what went right and what went...

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Poilievre can only survive as party leader if he makes ‘seismic’ changes to his ‘inner circle’ and to his approach, say current and former senior Conservatives

The Conservative Party is scheduled to hold its convention in Ottawa next spring at the Rogers Centre, where the party membership will vote on Pierre Poilievre’s leadership. Until early January, Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives were widely expected to win a commanding majority in the 2025 election, with projections topping 200 seats, but their April 28 defeat has stunned the party. The...

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‘Historic’ election campaign a referendum on Trump tariffs and cost-of-living crisis, say political players

Pollster Greg Lyle says this election will likely be remembered as the greatest turnaround in Canadian political history. The “historic” and “substantive” election on April 28 is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in Canadian history, serving as a referendum on which party leader is best suited to manage Canada–U.S. relations and tackle the pressing cost-of-living crisis...

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Shut out from Tory nominations in Calgary, ex-Conservative joins Liberals while another runs as Independent

Ranbir Parmar, who hoped to represent the Tories in Calgary McKnight, has joined the Liberals after not being allowed to contest the nomination. Minesh Patel, who faced a similar experience in Calgary Skyview, is running as an Independent.

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‘We’re behind’: some senior Conservatives call out central campaign for failing to focus more on Trump’s tariffs

As the election campaign enters its final stretch and advance voting begins, some Conservatives are voicing concerns that the party’s messaging of focusing heavily on the cost of living and not enough on the pressing American trade war reflects a troubling disconnect. They warn that this misalignment is putting the party at risk in key strongholds, and opening the door...

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In ‘classic 905-swing riding’ of Burlington North–Milton West, Ont., Conservative and Liberal candidates going ‘all-in’ on get-out-the-vote efforts

With just nine days until election day and advance polls already open, the two leading federal parties are pulling out all the stops to get out the vote in the crucial 905-swing riding of Burlington North–Milton West. “This election is extremely close,” said Conservative candidate Nadeem Akbar in an interview with The Hill Times yesterday on the first day of...