Ashley Burke

Ashley Burke

Minister lacked details about CSIS operation linked to asset who reportedly smuggled teens

A federal watchdog agency found a breakdown of ministerial accountability after reviewing a clandestine operation abroad connected to claims a CSIS operative smuggled teenage girls into Syria to join ISIS. The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) released a heavily redacted version of a top-secret report last week. CBC News has now learned the case involving smuggling claims triggered...

Catharine Tunney, Ashley Burke

Carney meets with caucus ahead of jam-packed spring sitting

Liberal MPs will vote on whether they want the power to oust the new leader if he loses their trust. Liberal caucus members are meeting today ahead of the return of Parliament, this time under the direction of a leader known for his high expectations and ambitious agenda. Sunday's gathering will likely touch on the big-ticket items Prime Minister Mark...

Ashley Burke

Why some Liberal MPs want to reserve the right to oust Mark Carney

Caucus will vote Sunday on whether to adopt Reform Act. Some Liberal MPs say they plan on voting to adopt the Reform Act on Sunday so caucus has more power and can reserve the right to trigger a vote to topple Prime Minister Mark Carney as party leader. CBC News spoke to half a dozen MPs who say they're pleased...

Ashley Burke

Why Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre moved out of his office, but not Stornoway

It's up to his party to manage who lives in the official residence. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre closed his constituency and Parliament Hill offices following his election defeat in Carleton, but is expected to stay in Stornoway — Canada's residence for the leader of the Official Opposition — despite losing that title. While Poilievre remains the leader of the Conservative...

Ashley Burke

Prime Minister Carney to name new cabinet Tuesday that could include tiered structure

Sources say PM is considering a smaller group of core ministers. Prime Minister Mark Carney's new cabinet is expected to be larger than his first, but could include a tiered structure with a secondary ring of ministers. Rideau Hall announced Friday that Carney and his cabinet will be sworn in Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. in Ottawa by Gov. Gen. Mary...

Ashley Burke

Conservative MPs attack Carney for his work at Brookfield. They also invested in its companies

Deputy leader Melissa Lantsman held an undisclosed number of shares in 2024, documents show

Ashley Burke

Liberal candidate Paul Chiang withdraws from race after suggesting people claim China's bounty on Conservative

Move comes after RCMP announced probe into comments made about Conservative candidate Joe Tay. Embattled Toronto-area Liberal candidate Paul Chiang is dropping out of the race just hours after the RCMP told CBC News it's looking into whether he broke the law by suggesting people turn a Conservative candidate running in a nearby riding into the Chinese consulate to collect...

Ashley Burke

PM Carney's smaller cabinet is facing pushback from advocacy groups

Carney downsized cabinet to focus on trade war and economy.Canada's new prime minister is facing growing criticism from advocacy groups upset that ministers solely dedicated to their issues are no longer around the cabinet table. Mark Carney announced his slate of 23 ministers on Friday, which he described as a much smaller cabinet focused on protecting workers during a trade...

Ashley Burke

Military now accepting recruits with asthma, ADHD and other conditions amid staffing shortage

Surgeon general says 'any and all conditions are on the table.' As the Canadian Armed Forces continue to try and dig out of a deep recruitment hole, they're starting to give new recruits with medical conditions a shot at joining the military rather than automatically turning them away. Maj.-Gen. Scott Malcolm, the military's surgeon general, says the forces will now...

Ashley Burke, Olivia Stefanovich

Trudeau warns Vance about impact of U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance that punishing tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum will hurt his home state Ohio, a senior Canadian official said. The two leaders met on the sidelines of an international summit in Paris, as the Trump administration moves forward with its threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and...

Olivia Stefanovich, Ashley Burke

Trudeau heads to Europe to shore up alliances in face of Trump threats

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will try to strengthen Canada's trade and security ties over the next five days with European allies also facing threats from U.S. President Donald Trump over their economy and sovereignty. Trudeau is heading to Paris and Brussels starting Saturday — just days after Trump agreed to pause tariffs on Canada until March 4.

Ashley Burke

Mark Carney committing to hit 2% NATO defence spending benchmark in 2030

Trudeau government's deadline to meet target is 2032, but defence minister's goal is ASAP. Liberal leadership contender Mark Carney is expected to announce on Wednesday that if he becomes prime minister he's committed to reaching NATO's military investment benchmark of two per cent of gross domestic product by the end of 2030, CBC News has learned. Carney's commitment to defence...

Ashley Burke

Accessibility commissioner resigns after suing federal government

Canada's first accessibility commissioner has resigned during a legal battle with the federal government involving an external investigation into allegations he mistreated staff. The lawyer representing Michael Gottheil said the commissioner submitted his notice last week that he wished to leave his job effective Tuesday.

Ashley Burke

Defence minister accelerates 2% NATO spending timeline to 2027 amid pressure from Trump

Blair says accelerated timeline for defence spending 'absolutely achievable.' Facing U.S. President Donald Trump's ongoing criticism about military spending, Defence Minister Bill Blair says it's "absolutely achievable" within two years for Canada to meet NATO's military investment benchmark of two per cent of gross domestic product. That timeline is about six years earlier than what the prime minister announced and...

Raffy Boudjikanian, Ashley Burke

Endorsements start rolling in for Liberal leadership contestants from caucus

Liberal MPs, especially those who for months had called for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation both publicly and behind closed doors, have started backing two of his potential successors. Twenty-two members of caucus have weighed in, endorsing either former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney or former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, the presumed front-runners in the...

Ashley Burke

Trudeau and Modi come face to face amid tension over murder case in Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he had a "brief exchange" with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a summit in Laos a year after he accused India's government of involvement in the killing of a Canadian Sikh activist in B.C. It's the second time Trudeau's come face-to-face with Modi since relations went cold in September 2023 after Trudeau rose in...

Olivia Stefanovich, Ashley Burke

Canada could help balance the scales with China as tensions rise in South China Sea, experts say

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has an opening during this week's summit with regional leaders in Laos to step up Canada's efforts to help Southeast Asian countries facing escalating threats from China, experts say. Southeast Asian countries want to stop China from using its navy, Coast Guard and merchant vessels to bully them during territorial disputes, and they need stronger protection...

Ashley Burke, Olivia Stefanovich

Trudeau heads to Southeast Asia as Israel-Hamas war promises to overshadow trade talks

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau heads to Laos this week to advance trade and political ties in the region as violence in the Middle East dominates public opinion in Southeast Asia. Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president of research and strategy for the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said Canada and other western nations have taken a "reputational hit" in Muslim-majority countries — including...

Ashley Burke

Accessibility commissioner suing Ottawa, staff for $2.3 million following claims he mistreated staff

After facing an external investigation into claims he mistreated staff, Canada's first accessibility commissioner is suing the federal government and unnamed employees for more than $2.3 million in damages. According to his statement of claim, filed last week, Michael Gottheil was ordered by the justice minister to undergo "certain training and take courses" in response to an 18-month workplace investigation...

Kate McKenna, Ashley Burke

Conservatives are targeting Singh over his pension — but Poilievre's is three times larger

First elected in 2004, Poilievre is set to receive more than $200K annually when he turns 65, experts say. For weeks, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been accusing NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh of supporting the government until February so he can become eligible for his MP pension. But experts estimate the size of Poilievre's own pension at more than three...

Ashley Burke, Kate McKenna

As Trudeau cabinet meets, Liberal MPs look for signs of change following byelection loss

Multiple Liberal MPs told CBC News that more needs to be done to salvage the party’s electoral hopes. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet with his ministers in Halifax on Sunday for the annual cabinet retreat, a gathering that comes after a year of dire polling for the government and disquiet among some Liberal MPs. Some of those MPs are...

Ashley Burke

Canada was 'highly confident' it heard man-made noises during search for Titan submersible, documents show

Canada's military was "highly confident" for days in June 2023 that bangs heard underwater while searching for the missing Titan submersible were man made — by an object striking the hull of a vessel — near the famous Titanic wreck site, CBC News has learned. Those noises helped keep hope going that the five wealthy explorers on board the missing...

Ashley Burke

Accessibility commissioner asked to address recommendations of report looking into claims he mistreated staff

Justice Minister Arif Virani has asked the country's first accessibility commissioner to address the recommendations coming out of an external investigation into claims that he mistreated staff at the Canadian Human Rights Commission. The third-party investigation into Michael Gottheil, which cost taxpayers more than $230,000, is complete and the final report has been issued to Virani, says the Department of Justice.

Ashley Burke

Canada listing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist group after years of pressure

The federal government is listing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization under Canada's Criminal Code after years of mounting pressure. Federal ministers delivered the news Wednesday afternoon, hours after CBC News first reported the government was preparing to make the announcement. "This action sends a strong message that Canada will use all of the tools at...

Ashley Burke, Raffy Boudjikanian

Canada promised an air defence system to Ukraine 18 months ago. It still hasn't arrived

Ukraine's minister of foreign affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, says his country is in urgent need of weapons and wishes the air defence system Canada promised more than a year ago was already in Ukraine. Canada announced plans in January 2023 to donate a $406-million surface-to-air missile defence system, but there's still no delivery date. "Of course, we wish the system was...

Ashley Burke

PM travels to Switzerland for peace summit as Ukraine faces setbacks on the battlefield

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau heads to Switzerland today for a peace summit as Ukraine's president works to shore up his country's defence by securing more international support. The Ukraine Peace Summit is unfolding at a time of extreme peril for Ukrainian troops on the battlefield. Russian gains have led to intense fighting northeast of Kharkiv. Russian drone and missile strikes...

Ashley Burke

Trudeau, Modi meet for first time since Canada publicly accused India of Sikh leader's assassination

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi have met for the first time since Trudeau publicly accused Modi's government of involvement in the assassination of a Canadian Sikh activist. Modi posted a photo on X, formerly Twitter, of the two leaders shaking hands on Friday on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy.

Ashley Burke

5% of women at military colleges report being sexually attacked

Five per cent of women attending Canadian military colleges surveyed in 2023 said they were sexually attacked during the previous 12 months by being threatened, held down or hurt and forced into unwanted sexual acts, according to survey results obtained by CBC News. And nine per cent of female military college students told the same survey that they had been...

Ashley Burke, Kate McKenna, Andrew Ryan

Pierre Poilievre called lobbyists 'utterly useless,' but they're still attending his fundraisers

Conservative leader headlines fundraisers at private homes and exclusive clubs, CBC News analysis finds. As Pierre Poilievre presents himself as both a prime minister in waiting and a champion of "the working-class people," he's headlined roughly 50 fundraisers at private venues since becoming Conservative leader in 2022 — some of them in Canada's wealthiest neighbourhoods and most exclusive clubs. A...

Ashley Burke

Canada targeted by same Chinese hackers the U.S., U.K. accuse of cyberespionage that hit millions

Canada's electronic intelligence agency says the same hacking group that the U.K. and the U.S. have accused of a widespread cyberespionage campaign tied to Beijing has also targeted Canada. U.S. and British officials on Monday imposed sanctions, filed charges and accused China's government of involvement in the cyber attacks that hit millions of people including lawmakers, journalists, academics and defence...

Ashley Burke

Military ditching aptitude test for some applicants, will start accepting recruits with medical conditions

The military has dropped its aptitude test from the application process for dozens of jobs and plans to start accepting recruits with pre-existing medical conditions — trial efforts meant to boost the Canadian Armed Forces' dismal recruitment numbers. Brig.-Gen. Krista Brodie, the commander overseeing military recruitment, said the new trials are meant to test out possible solutions as CAF continues...

Ashley Burke

MPs to study controversial prison transfer of killer Luka Magnotta

A parliamentary committee voted Monday to look into why convicted first-degree murderer Luka Magnotta was quietly transferred from a maximum to a medium-security prison. The standing committee on public safety and national security passed an amended motion during an emergency debate to hold one meeting about Magnotta's transfer. The committee is now calling for four witnesses to appear before it...

Ashley Burke

Corrections chief briefed Mendicino's chief of staff weeks before Bernardo's prison transfer

Then-public safety minister Marco Mendicino's chief of staff was briefed by the head of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) about Paul Bernardo's upcoming prison transfer almost two weeks before it happened — but the minister wasn't told about it until after Bernardo had been moved, says an internal government email. The Privy Council Office (PCO) email, obtained by CBC...

Ashley Burke

Vast majority of permanent residents applying to join military haven't been accepted, figures show

The Canadian Armed Forces has received more than 21,000 applications from permanent residents eager to join the chronically understaffed military full time — but CBC News has learned that less than 100 of them have made it into the regular force in the year since they were allowed to sign up. In 2022, the federal government lifted a ban on...

Ashley Burke

Defence minister says he wants to change the drinking culture on military bases

Defence Minister Bill Blair says the government has no plans to ban alcohol in the military, but he will speak to senior military leaders in the coming weeks about how to improve the culture at social establishments on military bases that serve alcohol. A recent Statistics Canada survey found 33 per cent of military members who were sexually assaulted in...

Ashley Burke

Ottawa announcing process to review abuse in Canadian sports

Minister of Sport Carla Qualtrough is expected to announce Monday the process the government will use to review systemic abuse and human rights violations in sports. Qualtrough told a forum in Geneva last week that she would reveal the details of a "formal, independent mechanism" that would be "trauma-informed." "[Qualtrough] ... will announce new safe sport measures to continue to...

Ashley Burke

Sport minister to launch 'independent mechanism' to review abuse in Canadian sports

Minister of Sport Carla Qualtrough said early next week she's announcing a "formal, independent mechanism" to review systemic abuse and human rights violations in Canadian sports. Qualtrough made the comment in Switzerland at a UN forum amid ongoing calls inside Canada from athletes, coaches and MPs to launch a public inquiry into abuse in sports.

Ashley Burke

Friends of one of Bernardo's victims call on Ottawa to do more to uphold victims' rights

Canada's prison investigator, the federal victims' ombudsperson and friends of one of Paul Bernardo's victims are all calling on the federal government to do more to ensure crime victims have the same rights as offenders in the wake of the serial killer and rapist's controversial prison transfer. Three childhood friends of Kristen French, who was murdered by Bernardo, told the...

Ashley Burke

Canada moving forward with sole-source contract to replace military surveillance planes

The federal government will award a multibillion-dollar, sole-sourced contract to Boeing to replace its aging military surveillance planes, Radio-Canada has learned. Two sources confirm a decision has been made amid public campaigns to launch an open and fair competition.

Ashley Burke

Military justice officials defend handling of sexual assault cases stayed in civilian court

Senior military officials insist their investigators and prosecutors did nothing wrong and they won't be making any changes in response to two military sexual assault cases that were stayed in civilian courts. A civilian judge last month terminated the trial of now-retired Lt.-Gen. Trevor Cadieu and his co-accused after concluding there were unreasonable delays.

Ashley Burke

Liberals go online to test messages attacking Poilievre's record

The Liberal Party is beta-testing new videos attacking Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, one of which compares him to former U.S president Donald Trump. The party confirms that a video it posted online earlier this week was its first to splice together footage of both Poilievre and Trump.

Ashley Burke

Federal government was bombarded by emails from Canadians outraged by Bernardo's transfer

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and key cabinet ministers received hundreds of emails from Canadians back in the spring expressing how "horrified," "shocked" and "utterly disgusted" they felt when they learned that serial killer and rapist Paul Bernardo had been transferred to a medium-security prison. Some of those who wrote messages of protest said their own lives were forever changed by...

Ashley Burke

Families of Bernardo's victims want access to his records to prepare for parole hearings

Families of serial killer and rapist Paul Bernardo's victims are trying to convince the Supreme Court of Canada to give them access to his records in advance of future parole hearings. For years, the families have been denied copies of documents used during Bernardo's parole hearings due to privacy law. Those documents includes psychological assessments, treatment records, case management reports...