The Liberals were stunned by the gains they made in Quebec's hostile ridings
'This wasn't in our forecast. We didn't think she would win,' admitted a Liberal source
Antoine Trépanier
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Carney's Quebec honeymoon could turn into a 'hangover' in a province with high expectations
While Quebec Premier François Legault is 'happy' with Carney's victory, his expectations are high. Mark Carney didn’t even know how many MPs the Liberals would have in Quebec on Tuesday morning when he got a taste of what awaited him.
This Quebec battleground has an incumbent fighting for his life
In the three-party battle for Trois-Rivières, the Bloc Québécois MP will be on the ballot, but not the campaign trail. On Friday morning, René Villemure filed his candidacy with Elections Canada. He went to the book fair to meet his constituents, attended a few meetings, and returned home to rest. Villemure, first elected in 2021, will not campaign, deliver any...
Conservatives pitch 'shovel-ready zones' in campaign preview announcement
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he will “unleash hundreds of billions of dollars of investment” by pre-approving areas for companies to build mines, data centres, pipelines, LNG plants and other large infrastructure in Canada. The “shovel-ready zones” will be areas that are already permitted for development before applications are even submitted.
Poilievre has been called 'too blunt' and 'grating' in Quebec. Now, he's owning it
The Conservative party launched its biggest radio, TV and online ad campaign to date in Quebec. A new French-language advertisement starring Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre begins uncharacteristically for a campaign ad, with Poilievre offering an admission that his style of politics can seem brusque at times, especially to Quebecers.
Carney's campaign admits to muddled messaging on pipelines, spending cuts
The Liberal leadership candidate is facing scrutiny for saying one thing in English and something different in French. Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney’s campaign said it needs to “tighten up” his message after he said in English that he would use federal emergency powers to push major energy projects through traditional roadblocks if he were prime minister, but then told...
Trudeau to meet with cabinet as Trump renews threat of tariffs on Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet with his cabinet on Tuesday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump took office and renewed his threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian goods. Trump told reporters on Monday evening that he will levy the tariffs on Canada for allowing “vast numbers of people to come in and fentanyl to...
Why Quebec's No. 1 separatist is spoiling for a fight with Pierre Poilievre
Pierre Poilievre’s recent interview with Jordan Peterson was popular with a lot of people, judging by its nearly four million YouTube views. But Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon didn’t like what he heard, and he’s spoiling for a fight with the federal Conservative leader in what looks like a preview of what Poilievre can expect as he faces off...
Clark and Champagne bow out of Liberal leadership race, as Gould prepares to launch
Former B.C. Premier Christy Clark and Industry minister François-Philippe Champagne both announced they won’t run to become leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. Meanwhile, Government House leader Karina Gould is expected to launch her leadership campaign later this week. Clark, who was one of the most prominent potential candidates, announced to supporters Tuesday morning that she won’t run because...
Speak French, understand Quebec or don’t run for party leadership, some Liberals say
A day after many Liberal MPs argued that their next leader must speak French and understand Quebec, one of their caucus colleagues — who doesn’t speak the language — announced his candidacy in the party’s leadership race.
Poilievre would be a 'catastrophe' for Quebec, Trudeau's lieutenant warns Legault
Jean-Yves Duclos accused Poilievre of being against several agreements and transfers worth billions of dollars that are favourable to Quebec
As Liberals hemorrhage support in Quebec, it's every MP for themselves
It was a beautiful evening in Old Montreal. The sun wasn’t quite setting and the temperature was a perfect 25 degrees Celsius. Article content Article content But that was outside the swanky Place d’Armes Hotel. Inside, the atmosphere was chillier. Gathering only 87 people in a ballroom for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly wasn’t exactly...
Canadians agree with Trump on border, lack confidence in Trudeau on tariffs: poll
Justin Trudeau may have had a positive meeting with the U.S. president-elect last week in Mar-a-Lago, but Canadians’ confidence in his ability to handle Donald Trump is low. A majority of Canadians also agreed with the president-elect that “Canada should take significant measures to increase border security,” according to a new Léger poll. Just, 29 per cent of the poll’s...
The Conservatives are gaining ground among young voters in Quebec. Will it translate to seats?
A poll showing the Conservatives leading among young voters struck the Quebec political scene like lightning this week. And it’s all the more remarkable in a province that remains generally wary of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. In October, all eyes were on the Bloc Québécois and its leader Yves-François Blanchet, who had threatened to overthrow the Trudeau government if two...
Quebec Liberals take shots at Pablo Rodriguez and Justin Trudeau over economic record
The race for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party has not yet officially begun, but Canada’s economic performance under Trudeau’s liberals is already being used as an attack against the front-runner. And the feds don’t like it. For months, provincial Liberal parties across the country have been distancing themselves from Trudeau’s Liberals. The Quebec Liberals are the latest. And...
The Bloc Québécois is getting into 'bring down the government' mode as its deadline looms
The Bloc's decision will put the spotlight back on the NDP, which propped up the Liberal government for more than two years before tearing up their deal in September
'People just don't like us anymore': Quebec is turning on Trudeau's Liberals
Over the course of just a few days, the Liberals lost a former stronghold in Montreal, their Quebec lieutenant jumped ship, and the premier of Quebec called on MPs to bring down the federal Liberal government. The Liberal Party of Canada has had bad weeks before. This past week was one of the worst.
Loss of Pablo Rodriguez could leave Liberals 'heading towards an iceberg' in Quebec
Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez is expected to launch a campaign for the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party soon, Liberal sources say, leaving the party without a vital operator in the province. Nothing is set in stone yet, but Rodriguez is assessing the level of support he could obtain from the QLP members and caucus, according to sources familiar with...
BQ shows agitation as Poilievre's Conservatives drive a wedge into Quebec's politics
Yves-François Blanchet's recent raving about his party's poll numbers is unusual in Canadian politics, analysts say.
Poilievre is sharpening knives to take out Housefather and another safe Liberal seat
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is said to be sharpening his knives to take on a Liberal fortress in Quebec’s largest city in the next general election. And after the party’s stunning byelection victory in a formerly safe Liberal seat on Monday, the Conservatives seem more confident than ever.