Alex Ballingall

While National Newswatch does not keep an archive of external articles for longer than 6 months, we do keep all articles written by contributors who post directly to our site. Here you will find all of the contributed and linked external articles from Alex Ballingall.

Mark Carney ridicules Pierre Poilievre’s budget plan: ‘These numbers are a joke’

Mark Carney ridicules Pierre Poilievre’s budget plan: ‘These numbers are a joke’

Liberal Leader Mark Carney says there is a realistic chance his economic plan could eliminate the federal budget deficit within five years, but that he refrained from putting the claim on paper because it is irresponsible to make assumptions about growth during U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade crisis.

Pierre Poilievre offers voters change — with a big side order of righteous grievance

Pierre Poilievre offers voters change — with a big side order of righteous grievance

The Conservative leader’s plain sense of righteous grievance will help determine whether his lifelong project as a career politician leads to the Prime Minister’s Office, or to the ignominy of an electoral defeat.

Poilievre stands by B.C. candidate after Indigenous leaders urge Conservatives to drop him over ‘horrific’ online posts

Poilievre stands by B.C. candidate after Indigenous leaders urge Conservatives to drop him over ‘horrific’ online posts

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is defending one of his candidates in British Columbia who was accused of making “horrific and offensive” comments on social media about the harms perpetrated against Indigenous Peoples in Canada. At a campaign stop in Osoyoos, B.C., Poilievre rejected calls from Indigenous leaders and others for the Conservatives to drop Aaron Gunn, a documentary filmmaker running...

Pierre Poilievre holds investments in Brookfield — the same company he attacks Mark Carney over

Pierre Poilievre holds investments in Brookfield — the same company he attacks Mark Carney over

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre holds personal investments that include the same company his party has repeatedly criticized in its attacks on Liberal Leader Mark Carney, his campaign revealed. In the opening days of the federal election, Poilievre and the Conservatives have hammered Carney over his former role as chair of Brookfield Asset Management, a major part of the global investment...

Why Pierre Poilievre has suddenly gone silent on defunding the CBC

Why Pierre Poilievre has suddenly gone silent on defunding the CBC

Pierre Poilievre wants you to know: if he’s prime minister, taxes will get axed. Red tape will get slashed. Crime will get smacked down.But there is another long-standing Poilievre priority that the party has not highlighted in the same way over the opening stretch of the campaign this week.

Mark Carney’s corporate connections are under attack in the Canadian election campaign. Here’s what we know

Mark Carney’s corporate connections are under attack in the Canadian election campaign. Here’s what we know

In the opening days of the federal election campaign, one thing has united the Conservatives and New Democrats in their opposition to Liberal leader Mark Carney: that he was chairman of a massive investment firm called Brookfield Asset Management. Carney’s corporate and banking pedigree is an asset in itself, Liberals argue, since it highlights his experience and economic credentials at...

Mark Carney claps back at Donald Trump’s claim he changed Canada’s political landscape

Mark Carney claps back at Donald Trump’s claim he changed Canada’s political landscape

Canadians will decide their next government, Carney said at a Friday news conference, adding any trade talks will only come after the U.S. president shows respect for Canada’s sovereignty.

Pierre Poilievre blasted over pledge to fast-track Ring of Fire permits

Pierre Poilievre blasted over pledge to fast-track Ring of Fire permits

The grand chief of a group of northern Ontario First Nations is blasting Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over his promise to fast-track approvals and pump money into the Ring of Fire mineral region. Poilievre made the pre-campaign pledge Wednesday in Sudbury, promising to green light all federal assessments for the area within six months if his Conservatives form the next...

Mark Carney risks getting ‘hammered’ for prickly response to questions about his finances, experts say

Mark Carney risks getting ‘hammered’ for prickly response to questions about his finances, experts say

Pressure over Mark Carney’s personal finances isn’t going away.At this point, he might be making it worse.

Trouble awaits the next Liberal leader. Here’s what they’ll be up against — and when they could face an election

Trouble awaits the next Liberal leader. Here’s what they’ll be up against — and when they could face an election

Call it the end of the beginning.When Liberals choose their next leader on Sunday, Canadian politics will enter a new era. The long denouement of Justin Trudeau’s prime ministership — which started, officially, when he announced his resignation on Jan. 6 — will give way to the opening act of whatever comes next.

Negative feelings about Pierre Poilievre pushing some voters toward Liberals, poll suggests

Negative feelings about Pierre Poilievre pushing some voters toward Liberals, poll suggests

Worsening feelings for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre are helping push Canadian voters towards the federal Liberal party, a new poll suggests.In an online survey published Wednesday, Pollara Strategic Insights found that 34 per cent of respondents were more open to voting for the governing Liberals by mid-February than at the end of last year.

Mark Carney’s been branded a ‘globalist’ — and he’s just fine with that. Inside the world of the man who could be Canada’s next prime minister

Mark Carney’s been branded a ‘globalist’ — and he’s just fine with that. Inside the world of the man who could be Canada’s next prime minister

Can Carney’s vision save his party from losing power after almost 10 years in office? Not long after the Iron Curtain fell, Mark Carney found himself in the goalie crease of a Soviet-era hockey arena, taking professional-calibre shots from a cadre of Russian speedsters. It was January 1993, and the young Canadian was in net for the Oxford Blues. The...

‘Terrible judgment’: Liberals slam obstacles to voting in leadership race

‘Terrible judgment’: Liberals slam obstacles to voting in leadership race

Liberal supporters, former MPs, and one leadership campaign say problems with the party’s voter verification process could prevent people from casting their ballots in the race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The party is using Canada Post’s Identity+ app or visits to post offices to verify that registered Liberals are Canadian citizens who can vote in the leadership race...

Trudeau government to announce high-speed rail plans from Toronto to Quebec City: sources

Trudeau government to announce high-speed rail plans from Toronto to Quebec City: sources

The federal government is set to announce plans on Wednesday for a high-speed rail line from Toronto to Quebec City, the Star has learned.Two sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the anticipated project will be unveiled in Montreal, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Transport Minister Anita Anand were slated to make an announcement Wednesday.

Is Mark Carney the frontrunner for the Liberal leadership? Conservatives are acting like he is

Is Mark Carney the frontrunner for the Liberal leadership? Conservatives are acting like he is

The federal Conservatives are amping up criticism of Mark Carney, the Liberal leadership contender they appear to assume will replace Justin Trudeau as their chief opponent in the next federal election. The criticism comes as the party stages a “Canada First” rally in Ottawa on Saturday, aimed at pitching Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as the best answer to U.S. President...

Mark Carney won’t rule out calling early election if he wins leadership, as NDP memo warns candidates to prepare

Mark Carney won’t rule out calling early election if he wins leadership, as NDP memo warns candidates to prepare

Liberal leadership contender Mark Carney is not ruling out calling a general election if he wins the party’s leadership and replaces Justin Trudeau as prime minister on March 9. At a press conference in Vancouver on Thursday, the former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor said he “will do” what is best for the country as it faces...

Liberal leadership hopefuls are turning away from some of Justin Trudeau’s policies. Here’s what they say they’ll actually support

Liberal leadership hopefuls are turning away from some of Justin Trudeau’s policies. Here’s what they say they’ll actually support

Defence spending is hot. The consumer carbon price is not. And at least two “czars” are on offer to help solve the nation’s problems. With little over a month left before Liberals choose Canada’s next prime minister, the candidates to replace Justin Trudeau are starting to fill out their policy visions. There is broad agreement on issues like the desire...

Mark Carney outlines vision for protecting Canada against American ‘aggression’ and spurring the economy

Mark Carney outlines vision for protecting Canada against American ‘aggression’ and spurring the economy

Decrying American “aggression” towards Canadian prosperity, Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney outlined his vision Wednesday to spur economic growth and protect the country in an uncertain world where Canada can no longer rely on its partnership with the United States. It was the latest sign of how U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and talk of annexing Canada have taken...

Canada is gearing up to counterattack Trump’s tariff threat, Justin Trudeau says. ‘Everything is on the table.’

Canada is gearing up to counterattack Trump’s tariff threat, Justin Trudeau says. ‘Everything is on the table.’

Canada would not immediately match any U.S. tariffs with “dollar for dollar” penalties on American products coming into Canada — an approach that Ontario Premier Doug Ford views as not “proportional” or strong enough to counter Donald Trump’s threats, the Star has learned. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told premiers “everything is on the table” as he met them behind closed...

Stephen Harper has ‘a real problem’ with Donald Trump’s claims about Canada

Stephen Harper has ‘a real problem’ with Donald Trump’s claims about Canada

The former prime minister described Trump’s recent statements as incorrect and out-of-sync with the longstanding friendship between Canada and the United States. Former prime minister Stephen Harper says he has “a real problem” with some of Donald Trump’s recent statements about Canada, describing them as incorrect and out-of-sync with the long-standing friendship between this country and the United States...

More Liberal MPs eyeing Justin Trudeau’s job as party prepares to set contest rules

More Liberal MPs eyeing Justin Trudeau’s job as party prepares to set contest rules

The field of potential candidates to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader is growing, ahead of a key caucus meeting Wednesday where Liberals MPs are expected to debate the rules and shape of the coming contest. According to a source familiar with her thinking, Burlington MP Karina Gould, the current House leader, is actively considering a leadership race...

Mark Carney calls dozens of Liberal MPs as he considers leadership bid

Mark Carney calls dozens of Liberal MPs as he considers leadership bid

Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney is seriously thinking about running for the Liberal leadership if Justin Trudeau resigns, a source close to him says, as the government grapples with uncertainty over the prime minister’s future in the face of the threat of American tariffs and a snap federal election. The leadership development comes after the heads of the...

‘There’s chaos at the centre’: Business leaders, MPs push Trudeau to decide on his future

‘There’s chaos at the centre’: Business leaders, MPs push Trudeau to decide on his future

Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to finally decide whether to resign or cling on, with some Liberal MPs urging him to quickly make up his mind, and one major business group raising concerns about “chaos” at the centre of Canadian political power. The uncertainty over who will lead the country into the new year comes barely three...

Inside Chrystia Freeland’s surprising resignation — and the fallout that has Justin Trudeau fighting for his political life

Inside Chrystia Freeland’s surprising resignation — and the fallout that has Justin Trudeau fighting for his political life

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is fighting once again for his political life, behind closed doors. At an emergency meeting Monday evening — called after Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau’s now former top deputy and one-time “minister of everything” quit as finance minister — the prime minister came face to face with Freeland along with an angry and bewildered caucus before he planned...

Poilievre’s Conservatives say they would adopt Trudeau government’s military spending plan

Poilievre’s Conservatives say they would adopt Trudeau government’s military spending plan

The opposition Conservatives say they will maintain defence budget increases planned under the current Liberal government if they take power, without making equivalent cuts under their proposed “dollar-for-dollar” spending cap.

Trudeau government’s carbon price has had ‘minimal’ effect on inflation and food costs, study concludes

Trudeau government’s carbon price has had ‘minimal’ effect on inflation and food costs, study concludes

Carbon pricing — including the Liberal government’s carbon levy-and-rebate scheme — had a small impact on the rate of inflation over the past five years, when the climate policy was responsible for a “small fraction” of the surge in consumer prices, according to a new study. Published Thursday, the report from University of Calgary economists Trevor Tombe and Jennifer Winter...

Donald Trump claims Canada is ripping the U.S. off. Here’s a reality check

Donald Trump claims Canada is ripping the U.S. off. Here’s a reality check

In Donald Trump’s world, it’s all rather straightforward. If a country — like, say, Canada — exports more to the United States than it imports from America, the U.S. is getting ripped off.It’s called a trade deficit. And Trump doesn’t like it.

Liberal MP says he was threatened with ‘consequences’ for opposing $250 cheque proposal

Liberal MP says he was threatened with ‘consequences’ for opposing $250 cheque proposal

A Liberal MP said he was threatened with unspecified “consequences” if he votes against the government’s proposed $250 cheques, an affordability measure that continues to face an uncertain path through the House of Commons. Hamilton MP Chad Collins said earlier this week that he would vote against the government’s cash rebates because they leave out seniors and people with disabilities...

Justin Trudeau’s top security adviser warned of RCMP’s struggles to meet demand as threats rise against politicians

Justin Trudeau’s top security adviser warned of RCMP’s struggles to meet demand as threats rise against politicians

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s top national security adviser warned earlier this year that the RCMP’s personal protective service was facing “unsustainable pressure” amid a surge of threats against public figures, a government document shows.

160,000 Ontario kids will get a chance to eat for free under new school food program

160,000 Ontario kids will get a chance to eat for free under new school food program

The new funding is set to be unveiled Friday, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce that Ontario is the third province to sign on to its emerging National School Food Program. Ontario is set to get more than $108 million from the federal government to expand existing school food programs and start feeding an extra 160,000 kids...

Give us housing money before Pierre Poilievre can block it, GTA mayors tell Trudeau government

Give us housing money before Pierre Poilievre can block it, GTA mayors tell Trudeau government

Several GTA mayors say they support a new request from Mississauga for the federal government to provide all funds in a major housing program now, as the Liberals ring the alarm over Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s plan to scrap the initiative to help pay for his proposed tax cut to boost home construction.

Another Tory MP wants Liberal housing money that Pierre Poilievre has pledged to cut

Another Tory MP wants Liberal housing money that Pierre Poilievre has pledged to cut

Federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser is exposing another Opposition Conservative MP who has voiced a desire for federal money from a program the party promises to cut, as the Liberals and Tories dashed off duelling letters over housing policy to mayors and premiers across the country.

Justin Trudeau rejected ‘strong call’ to quit too quickly, Liberal MP charges

Justin Trudeau rejected ‘strong call’ to quit too quickly, Liberal MP charges

One of the dissenting Liberal MPs calling for Justin Trudeau to resign is expressing disappointment over how quickly the prime minister trumpeted his intention to stay on after this week’s high stakes caucus meeting over his leadership.

‘Code Red’ petition from Liberals urges secret ballot on Justin Trudeau’s leadership

‘Code Red’ petition from Liberals urges secret ballot on Justin Trudeau’s leadership

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was all smiles as he walked into a Liberal caucus meeting Wednesday morning, where dissidents in his own ranks were prepared to challenge his leadership while his supporters harshly condemned the damaging show of disunity. At the same time, a grassroots petition describing an “existential crisis” in the Liberal party was demanding an urgent secret ballot...

Behind the scenes, anxious Liberals wonder if Justin Trudeau has a plan for re-election: ‘The status quo is leading us to obliteration’

Behind the scenes, anxious Liberals wonder if Justin Trudeau has a plan for re-election: ‘The status quo is leading us to obliteration’

With no new campaign director, no new ad campaign rollout, no major cabinet shuffle, and no change at the top amid grim polling data for Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, anxiety and dread amongst MPs and insiders about their electoral prospects has ramped up, sources tell the Star. Most MPs head out Friday — some fled Ottawa earlier — into a Thanksgiving...

Liberal MP says he shouldn’t be silenced in the House of Commons for linking Conservatives to Vladimir Putin

Liberal MP says he shouldn’t be silenced in the House of Commons for linking Conservatives to Vladimir Putin

A Liberal MP from Toronto says he has been unfairly blocked from speaking in the House of Commons for seven months since he refused to apologize after declaring that a pro-Russian “Putin wing” had “taken over” Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative party. The federal Tories have expressed outrage over the claim they dismiss as a lie, but Yvan Baker argues he shouldn’t...

Documents reveal why Trudeau government needs to speed up NORAD modernization, expert says

Documents reveal why Trudeau government needs to speed up NORAD modernization, expert says

The federal government is off to a slow start on its 20-year plan to improve Canada’s contribution to the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) that it shares with the United States, new documents show. Tabled in Parliament last week in response to a written question from Conservative MP Bob Zimmer, the documents detail how much money was spent over...

‘He’s been wasting his time:’ Liberal MPs slam Doug Ford’s stand on bike lanes

‘He’s been wasting his time:’ Liberal MPs slam Doug Ford’s stand on bike lanes

Premier Doug Ford’s push to limit the construction of bike lanes in Ontario municipalities is facing criticism from some Liberal cabinet ministers and MPs.Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi, a former Ontario attorney general, told the Star on Wednesday the controversial plan was an “unacceptable” distraction from a premier who “doesn’t want to do his job.”

Justin Trudeau’s Liberals reverse course and will allow fundraising in private homes, source says

Justin Trudeau’s Liberals reverse course and will allow fundraising in private homes, source says

In an effort to catch up to the Conservatives’ dominant fundraising machine ahead of the next federal election, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals plan to resume holding fundraisers in private homes. A party source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed to the Star that the Liberals have ditched a policy adopted in 2017 to only hold political fundraisers in public spaces...

Justin Trudeau will let the Conservatives try to topple his minority government next week: sources

Justin Trudeau will let the Conservatives try to topple his minority government next week: sources

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could see his government fall next week after the Liberals offered the Conservative Official Opposition the first chance at presenting a motion of non-confidence in the House of Commons, despite the Liberals’ loss Monday of a key Montreal-area seat, the Star has learned.

Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre spar as Parliament returns and one party leader says an election is not far off

Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre spar as Parliament returns and one party leader says an election is not far off

One of the first things many MPs saw when they returned to Parliament Hill on Monday was a large, flapping “F—k Trudeau” flag. As if they needed a reminder about the mood in Canadian politics. The flag, one of several, was raised at the familiar anti-establishment demonstration that is often stationed on the sidewalk in front of West Block, where...

‘I’m not going anywhere’: Justin Trudeau says he won’t resign if Liberals lose Montreal byelection

‘I’m not going anywhere’: Justin Trudeau says he won’t resign if Liberals lose Montreal byelection

A combative Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday he’s not going to resign as Liberal leader if his party loses a high-stakes Montreal byelection on Monday, the same day his minority government is slated to return to Parliament without the NDP promising to prop it up. In an interview on the Montreal radio station CJAD 800, Trudeau said he will...

‘This is a significant change’: How Liberals are reacting to the resignation of their party’s campaign director

‘This is a significant change’: How Liberals are reacting to the resignation of their party’s campaign director

Trailing in the polls and suddenly facing the prospect of an early federal election, many Liberals say there is a welcome chance for renewal now that the governing party’s national campaign director is leaving his post. Jeremy Broadhurst, a veteran strategist who was set to quarterback the Liberals’ election campaign after serving as a top adviser in Prime Minister Justin...

Justin Trudeau’s Liberals blamed spiking inflation on global factors, but now take credit for its slowdown. Here’s what’s actually going on

Justin Trudeau’s Liberals blamed spiking inflation on global factors, but now take credit for its slowdown. Here’s what’s actually going on

When inflation was spiking and straining budgets after the worst months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Liberal government was eager to blame the pain on factors outside its control. “I am impressed to see the high esteem in which the member for Carleton seems to hold me, that I was able to create a global inflation crisis,” said Prime Minister...

Nuclear war would turn Canada into one of the worst places on the planet. And scientists fear we are inching closer

Nuclear war would turn Canada into one of the worst places on the planet. And scientists fear we are inching closer

In the unlikely, but unfortunately not impossible event of nuclear war, Canada would be one of the worst places on Earth to live.Or rather, to die.

Chrystia Freeland insists she has enough support to stay on as finance minister

Chrystia Freeland insists she has enough support to stay on as finance minister

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says she feels she has enough support to continue doing her job, after the Star reported that some Liberal MPs want to see a major cabinet shuffle to put the Liberal government on stronger political footing. Four sources named Freeland, who is also the deputy prime minister, as someone who should be moved in such a...

Liberal MPs snap back at anonymous Trudeau and Freeland critics: ‘I am troubled by the public smearing’

Liberal MPs snap back at anonymous Trudeau and Freeland critics: ‘I am troubled by the public smearing’

Upset over anonymous grumbling by their colleagues in the media, some Liberal MPs are demanding it stop and expressing support for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his top cabinet lieutenant, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. “I think people are looking at the polling numbers and they get skittish,” said James Maloney, the Liberal MP for Etobicoke—Lakeshore. “It’s frustrating as hell.”...

With no sign of Justin Trudeau leaving, some Liberal MPs want major changes in his cabinet: ‘Clearly, what’s happening is not working’

With no sign of Justin Trudeau leaving, some Liberal MPs want major changes in his cabinet: ‘Clearly, what’s happening is not working’

Last week’s tiny cabinet change did nothing to appease those in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s caucus who think a broader shuffle of key government ministers would help save the Liberal party from electoral defeat. Several MPs who spoke to the Star in recent days said they still want to see a cabinet shuffle before Parliament returns for the fall session...

Justin Trudeau says he has ‘full confidence’ in Chrystia Freeland after report says his senior advisers are questioning her effectiveness

Justin Trudeau says he has ‘full confidence’ in Chrystia Freeland after report says his senior advisers are questioning her effectiveness

Justin Trudeau has “full confidence” in his long-time political lieutenant, Chrystia Freeland, the Prime Minister’s Office said Thursday, in response to a report that senior advisers in the Liberal government are concerned about her performance as finance minister.The Prime Minister’s Office said the story published Thursday in the Globe and Mail contains assertions that are “not accurate.”

‘Shameful’: Justin Trudeau called out by Americans over failure to hit NATO spending target

‘Shameful’: Justin Trudeau called out by Americans over failure to hit NATO spending target

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government was still trying to figure out how to show when Canada can finally hit its decade-old NATO commitment on defence spending as the trans-Atlantic alliance opened its annual summit Tuesday, sources said.

Insiders say Liberal MPs turned up the pressure on Justin Trudeau during a private call: ‘Some of your key players need to go’

Insiders say Liberal MPs turned up the pressure on Justin Trudeau during a private call: ‘Some of your key players need to go’

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was pushed to make serious changes to rescue the Liberals’ political prospects during a call with regional chairs from the party’s parliamentary caucus on Tuesday, according to two sources with knowledge of the conversation. According to one, Trudeau was pressed on whether he should resign the Liberal leadership during the call, but the main message was...

Justin Trudeau personally reaches out to Liberal MPs amid pressure on him to step down

Justin Trudeau personally reaches out to Liberal MPs amid pressure on him to step down

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been working the phones to tamp down any caucus discontent, as his team convened a call Tuesday with national caucus representatives, following a week of pressure on him to relinquish the Liberal leadership. Senior government officials expressed optimism that, after a long weekend in which Trudeau told the CBC is he “committed” to his job...

Some Liberal insiders worry they’re seen as too ‘woke’ under Justin Trudeau — and that it may be too late for him to go

Some Liberal insiders worry they’re seen as too ‘woke’ under Justin Trudeau — and that it may be too late for him to go

Shock and disappointment over Monday’s byelection defeat in midtown Toronto is still rippling through federal Liberal circles, with some insiders stating their party has veered too far from the political centre and gained a damaging association with the “woke” left.

Liberals grapple with stunning Toronto byelection loss and Justin Trudeau’s future: ‘The pressure will mount for sure’

Liberals grapple with stunning Toronto byelection loss and Justin Trudeau’s future: ‘The pressure will mount for sure’

Federal Liberals are now grappling with the fallout of Monday’s stunning byelection in Toronto, where Pierre Poilievre’s Tories dealt them their first loss in the 416 since Justin Trudeau became prime minister almost nine years ago. In losing Toronto—St. Paul’s, Trudeau’s team lost a seat the Liberals have held since 1993. And Poilievre’s Conservatives now have a toehold in Canada’s...

After nine election victories, a Toronto MP known for his straight talk and wit says he won’t run again

After nine election victories, a Toronto MP known for his straight talk and wit says he won’t run again

Inside the Liberal caucus meeting on Wednesday, John McKay was having a bit of a Tom Sawyer moment. The veteran MP had just told his colleagues that, after 27 years and nine straight election wins in his Scarborough riding, he would not run again in the next federal campaign. That uncorked a flow of praise from his fellow Liberals, including...

It’s common practice for MPs. But amid foreign-interference claims, some say it’s time for it to be banned

It’s common practice for MPs. But amid foreign-interference claims, some say it’s time for it to be banned

Star analysis finds it has happened more than 100 times since 2016, when foreign governments covered more than $830,000 in sponsored travel for MPs from all major parties.

China is dominating the EV market — and that means trouble no matter how Canada responds

China is dominating the EV market — and that means trouble no matter how Canada responds

Ever since the United States said it will slap steep tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles last month, attention has turned to whether the Trudeau government will follow suit. It’s a question experts and insiders say is fraught. One move either way could trigger costly trade tensions with economic superpowers in the U.S. or China. And the very issue itself pits...

Top-secret intelligence alleges some MPs aided foreign interference. This might be a way to publicly name them

Top-secret intelligence alleges some MPs aided foreign interference. This might be a way to publicly name them

MPs named by top-secret intelligence as aiding foreign interference in Canadian politics continue to go unidentified by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, despite opposition demands to say publicly who they are. But at least one constitutional expert says it’s possible — and entirely in line with long-established rules — for certain MPs to simply disclose the names from the floor...

Ottawa considering foundation to honour Brian Mulroney

Ottawa considering foundation to honour Brian Mulroney

The federal government is considering the creation of a new public foundation to honour Brian Mulroney, the former Progressive Conservative prime minister who died in February, the Star has learned.A briefing note posted online shows the department that supports Prime Minister Justin Trudeau drafted a proposal dated April 18 for a decision regarding a “legacy gift” in Mulroney’s name.

Some Liberals think Mark Carney could succeed Justin Trudeau. We talked to those who think he’d be a great leader — and others who roll their eyes

Some Liberals think Mark Carney could succeed Justin Trudeau. We talked to those who think he’d be a great leader — and others who roll their eyes

The way former Liberal cabinet minister Catherine McKenna sees it, change is coming. Either her party supplies it, or they lose power.She’s quick to say that doesn’t necessarily mean Justin Trudeau needs to go, though she observes that what’s on offer “clearly” isn’t resonating with voters.