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 Darren Major.
Government will have to balance new legislative priorities with bills leftover from spring. MPs are heading back to Parliament Hill on Monday to pick up where they left off in June. While the break is usually a quiet time in the political world, this past summer seemed anything but. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs in July (including over...
Carney set to address the elected body on Thursday. The European Parliament, a key institution of the European Union, is set to open an "antenna" office in Canada's national capital as Prime Minister Mark Carney looks to deepen ties with the 27-member bloc. "Europe and Canada share values, interests and a commitment to the same rules-based international order. Our new...
Conservative MP Jamil Jivani posted a video on social media bemoaning a lack of "an alternative to the Liberals" on Thursday, the same day that his party's leader, Pierre Poilievre, launched a U.S. tour to argue for tariff-free trade. "You have people who should be offering an alternative to the Liberals, instead going out there to appease people in positions...
The federal government is moving ahead with changes that will exempt a number of energy projects from a layer of its environmental assessment process. Projects including pipelines and transmission lines that cross international or provincial borders, as well as offshore renewable energy projects, will no longer be subject to an environmental review by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC)...
Carney being 'very strategic in grouping the byelections,' says political scientist The Liberals are taking a victory lap after scoring a hat trick of byelection wins on Monday night — but there are still a batch of seats that need to be filled and will serve as another temperature check of the electorate in the months to come. Prime Minister...
Major disagreements still need to be resolved before any deal, sources say. The federal government has told the provinces to be ready as soon as possible to put American alcohol back on the shelves in case a tariff deal is reached before U.S. President Donald Trump's latest deadline, according to sources. The sources said the federal government doesn't believe a...
Canadian and American negotiators have exchanged a number of offers in recent weeks. As the clock ticks toward U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff deadline, Canada and the U.S. aren't at a point where a tariff deal can be reached — and Canadian officials are not satisfied with the latest U.S. offer, according to two sources with knowledge of the...
The Canadian government is preparing to meet some U.S. demands — including ending bans on American alcohol sales — as trade talks heat up ahead of the latest tariff deadline, according to sources. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened a new 50 per cent levy on hundreds of Canadian imports by Aug. 19, citing complaints about provincial booze bans, dairy...
Trade representative in Washington says talks have picked up in past week. The Ontario government's representative in Washington says U.S. President Donald Trump's latest threat to levy 50 per cent tariffs on hundreds of Canadian goods is an indication that the administration is taking notice of the effect Canada's retaliatory trade action is having on the American economy. Speaking to...
Ontario premier says he has confidence in PM, rejects that Team Canada is fraying. Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he would like to see his fellow premiers and Prime Minister Mark Carney be "a little more vocal" in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff threat. As the premiers gathered in Charlottetown this week, Ford was the most...
Mexico's foreign secretary says his country isn't looking to cut a deal with the U.S. if it means abandoning the trilateral trade pact with Canada. When asked Friday if Mexico would go it alone on a trade deal with the U.S., Roberto Velasco Álvarez shook his head and said all three countries that make up the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) have...
The United States took one step closer to abandoning the practice of changing the clocks every spring and fall, raising the question: how would such a move down south impact Canada? This week, the U.S. Congress voted in favour of a bill that would put an end to twice-yearly time change and stay on daylight saving time year-round. The bill...
Over 300 Canadians have served in both chambers, only a handful were appointed by a PM from a different party. Prime Minister Mark Carney shook up the party standings in the House of Commons again this week, this time by appointing Conservative MP Richard Martel to the Senate. Carney built his majority government with the help of four former Conservatives...
U.K. party policies play a factor, and MPs are more likely to rebel. Despite having nearly identical parliamentary systems, Canada has avoided the kind of prime ministerial parade that has befallen the U.K. in the past decade. Political watchers point to the Brexit vote as the key moment that led to half a dozen leaders occupying 10 Downing Street in...
Liberals would need to win 1 of 6 upcoming races to maintain control of the House. The countdown for half a dozen byelections is on as MPs who have signalled they won't be returning to Ottawa in the fall begin to vacate their seats. Six MPs say they intend to resign over the summer. While voters in those ridings wait...
Federal law says House must vote on whether separation referendum question is clear. Prime Minister Mark Carney says the House of Commons won't be weighing in on Alberta's fall referendum question that could pave the way for a vote on the province's separation from Canada. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith pledged last week that her province would hold a referendum in...
Legal process for leaving Canada is laid out in a 1998 Supreme Court ruling and subsequent Clarity Act. With the possibility of two separation referendums on the horizon, Canadians could be forgiven for wondering what would happen if voters in one province or another decide they no longer want to be a part of Canada. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has...
Streaming companies launched legal challenge against initial requirements that's still before courts. Large online streaming providers like Disney+, Netflix and Prime Video will be expected to contribute more of their revenue to Canadian content, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced Thursday. The Online Streaming Act, which passed in 2023 under the former Trudeau government, enabled the broadcast regulator...
U.S. pointing to agricultural tax exemptions as justification for countervailing duties. The U.S. is about to slap countervailing duties on fresh mushrooms grown in Canada, as Canadian growers warn of broader risks to the farming sector on both sides of the border. A U.S. Commerce Department fact sheet released this week and shared with CBC by the Canadian Mushroom Growers'...
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday he will "take into account" the advice of an independent advisory body to fill a number of vacancies in the Senate — though he didn't say explicitly how that will impact his decisions on appointments. Former prime minister Justin Trudeau upended 150 years of Canadian parliamentary tradition when he dumped Liberal senators, named Independents...
The federal government says it will quadruple the maximum fine that can be levied against airlines for repeated violations of the air passenger bill of rights from $250,000 to $1 million. Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon made the announcement during a news conference on Friday. The regulations, formally known as the air passenger protection regulations (APPR), came into force in 201...
Prime minister points to other countries he suggests are unhappy with agreements reached with U.S. Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada and the U.S. could resolve the ongoing tariff dispute within "days" if the U.S. side had the "bandwidth and the inclination to go through with it." The U.S. has maintained hefty import levies on a number of Canadian goods...
Mexico has an official start date for trade talks with U.S., but Canada does not. Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday as the two countries are gearing up for the North American trade agreement review this year. The two leaders touched on a number of topics, including the upcoming review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement...
Agreement sets July 1 as day countries can signal intention to exit pact, but it still remains in place. Canada's chief trade negotiator says the July 1 date to review the North American trade pact shouldn't be viewed as a hard deadline — noting that some trade points won't be entirely hashed out by that date. "There's a lot of...
Current advisory board was struck by former prime minister Justin Trudeau. Prime Minister Mark Carney will name a new advisory council on Canada and U.S. trade on Tuesday, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The council will replace the one previously set up by former prime minister Justin Trudeau in early 2025. CBC News is not naming the...
Poilievre remarked earlier this week that Carney is 'badly educated in economics.' With talk of economics lessons and passing exams, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre engaged in a heated debate Wednesday that might have been pulled from a university seminar. Instead the sharp exchange took place during question period — the first time the two faced...
Poilievre says Carney needs to 'get things done … without blaming others.' The morning after the Liberals secured a thin majority government, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Prime Minister Mark Carney has no more excuses if he doesn't deliver for Canadians. "The Liberals wanted a majority — well, absolute power comes with absolute responsibility," the leader of the Official Opposition...
After losing another of his MPs to the Liberals, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he personally supports recall petitions — a way for constituents to remove a representative if they garner enough local support. "When a member of Parliament goes back on the word they made to their constituents and switches parties, constituents should be able to petition to throw...
Winner will take over a party that only elected 7 MPs — then lost 1 to Liberals. The NDP will have a new leader by Sunday afternoon — and whoever comes out of the party's convention in Winnipeg with the top job will be tasked with bringing the party back from a historic low. Five candidates — MP Heather McPherson...
Nearly 50 candidates running in April 13 vote in Terrebonne. The head of Elections Canada said voters will have to write in their pick in next month's byelection in an off-island Montreal suburb due to the long list of protest candidates running in the riding. Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault told a committee of MPs on Tuesday that the write-in...
Conservatives to vote against PBO nominee Annette Ryan, who promised to remain independent. The Liberal government's nominee to be the next fiscal watchdog insists she'll run an independent and non-partisan ship — even though her candidacy has created a political rift. Senior public servant Annette Ryan appeared before the House finance committee Monday afternoon as part of the nomination process...
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre sat down for a more than two-hour-long interview on The Joe Rogan Experience this week. Rogan's show ranks near or at the top of podcast charts on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts — with over 20 million subscribers on YouTube alone. The episode was posted online on Thursday after the interview was recorded Wednesday.
The federal government is currently weighing whether to renew funding meant to address a massive backlog of airline passenger complaints — funding that if not extended could result in Canadians having to wait longer to have their cases heard.
Macdonald, Chrétien each saw nearly 10 opposition MPs join them during their tenures. Floor-crossing has always been a feature of Canadian politics dating back to the first Parliament — and seeing four opposition MPs jump ship to join the government in a matter of months is rare but not unprecedented. Prime Minister Mark Carney has only been in office for...
Running 1 candidate in 3 upcoming races would cede a spending advantage to Liberals. Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet is laughing at the idea of fielding "fake" candidates in Toronto — even if it means ceding a financial advantage to the Liberals in a tight Montreal-area byelection. "We at the Bloc Québécois are funded by citizens, out of pure conviction...
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre touted the importance of "free trade" between "free nations" in a speech that referenced the likes of Adam Smith, Winston Churchill and even the mythic Robin Hood. Poilievre is on his first foreign trip as Opposition leader and delivered the Margaret Thatcher lecture at the Centre for Policy Studies in London on Tuesday. "Canada must become...
ChatGPT developer banned Tumbler Ridge shooter's account but didn't flag it to police. Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon says OpenAI's recent commitments to adjust its policies in the wake of the shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., do not go far enough and plans to meet with CEO Sam Altman. "While we note their willingness to strengthen law enforcement referral protocols...
Conservative leader to unveil 'vision for Canada-U.S. relations' on Thursday. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is set to unveil a suite of policy proposals meant to address the uncertainty caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, according to a member of his senior staff. Poilievre will deliver a speech to business leaders at the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto on...
Alexandre Boulerice says he's mulling run with pro-independence left-wing party. Quebec NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice said Monday that he's seriously considering running for Québec Solidaire in this year's provincial election. French-language media had first reported last week that Boulerice was looking into running for the progressive sovereignist party this fall. "Right now I have a mandate. I am a federal...
Conservative leader says he spoke to Jivani following MP's trip to Washington. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he disagrees with how one of his MPs recently characterized Canada's reaction to U.S President Donald Trump's tariffs and taunts. Following a recent trip to the U.S. capital, Conservative MP Jamil Jivani told the right-wing U.S. media outlet Breitbart News that "we are...
China's top court has overturned the death sentence for accused Canadian drug smuggler Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian official told CBC News. The Supreme People's Court struck down the lower court's sentence on Friday. The source requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The New York Times first reported the news. Schellenberg had been found guilty...
U.S. president accuses Canada of 'illegally' blocking certification of American jets. U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to slap a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian aircraft and says his administration will "decertify" those planes, mentioning a series of jets by aerospace company Bombardier by name. In a post on his social media site, Truth Social, Trump justified his latest...
Trusted-traveller applications have halved since Trump returned to the White House. The number of Canadian applications for the Nexus trusted-traveller program has fallen off a cliff since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year. Applications had been steadily increasing following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)...
With Canadian travel to the United States in decline, one Alberta senator says it's time for Ottawa to consider a Canadian-specific program that would allow travellers to quickly pass through airport security lines. Sen. Paula Simons introduced a motion in the upper chamber last fall that, if passed, would call on the federal government to implement a trusted traveller program.
Just short of majority, Liberals will be down an MP at least until byelection is called. Former cabinet minister Chrystia Freeland is officially vacating her seat in the House of Commons on Friday, leaving the Liberal government — which is within striking distance of a majority — one MP down for the time being. Freeland's resignation adds to what was...
New regulations were put forward a year ago, promised since 2023 budget. Updates to the air passenger bill of rights appear stuck on the tarmac more than two years after the federal government promised changes — something that may come as unwelcome news for Canadian air travellers facing their own delays. After promising to improve the air passenger protection regulations...
2025 saw rapid changes on the Canadian political scene. With the final days of 2025 rapidly falling to the wayside, Canadians are likely taking stock of the last 12 months. The past year has seen some rapid changes on the political scene — most notably in the prime minister's chair. At this time in 2024, Justin Trudeau was still mulling...
Prime Minister Mark Carney says U.S. President Donald Trump hasn't given him any indication that he's willing to walk away from the North American free trade deal that was struck during his first term at the White House. Carney met privately with Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in Washington during the FIFA World Cup draw earlier this month. Much...
Canada's tax agency says it doesn't expect Canadians who hold simple trusts, known as bare trusts, to file required tax forms this coming tax season — but legislative changes currently before the House of Commons means the requirements will likely be in place in 2027. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced Tuesday that it is again holding off on requiring...
Conservative MP Jamil Jivani might have the most personal reason to have a blue Christmas after Michael Ma's surprise defection to the Liberals on Thursday: he was left without a Secret Santa gift. Ma was apparently Jivani's Secret Santa for the Conservative caucus gift exchange. But it appears the Ontario MP isn't letting the incident ruin his holiday spirit and...
Issues around leaders' scrums, participation caused controversy. The head of Canada's Leaders' Debates Commission says the independent body should stop organizing post-debate news conferences and will make changes to how it decides what leaders to invite after this spring's leadership debate was surrounded by controversy. Michel Cormier, the commission's executive director, appeared before a committee of MPs on Thursday to...
Federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson says he has apologized to Coastal First Nations for what he says were a “poor choice of words” regarding a meeting he offered to have with the group on Friday. Hodgson said he would meet with the alliance of nine First Nations, who are opposed to a bitumen pipeline to the northern B.C. coast, in...
The Ontario government’s representative in Washington says the infamous ad that upset U.S. President Donald Trump and ostensibly pushed him to halt trade talks with Canada hasn’t prevented him from having productive meetings. David Paterson told CBC News chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton that the Ontario government-backed advertisement — featuring clips of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about...
Memorandum of understanding expected to include language around a new oil pipeline. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith are expected to sign an agreement on the future of Alberta's energy sector on Thursday, according to a senior federal government source. CBC News reported earlier this week that the memorandum of understanding between the federal and provincial governments...
Liberals have already survived 2 confidence votes on the budget; final vote expected Monday evening. The House of Commons is set for one final vote on the main budget motion that will determine if the fiscal policy can go ahead and if the Liberal Party can keep governing. The Liberal government tabled the budget earlier this month. It calls for...
Liberals will need co-operation of one of the opposition parties to pass budget. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government was elected just a few seats shy of a majority, meaning the Liberals will need the co-operation of one of the opposition parties to pass their budget. The budget is considered a confidence vote, meaning the government will fall if it fails...
Liberals promised to raise $20B through levies on U.S. goods this fiscal year. Canada had collected more than $3 billion through U.S. counter-tariffs before removing a swath of levies in September, according to the Finance Department — a fraction of what the Liberals had promised to rake in during the current fiscal year. The Liberals’ spring election platform estimated that...
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is questioning why Prime Minister Mark Carney promised he could handle U.S. President Donald Trump, given that the two countries have yet to finalize a trade agreement that would see Canada granted some tariff relief. Speaking to CBC’s Rosemary Barton Live, Poilievre said Carney has not delivered on what he promised during the spring election campaign...
Minister MacKinnon dismissing ‘ludicrous’ demands other parties have put forward for the budget. Liberal House leader Steve MacKinnon signalled Tuesday that he’s concerned the government’s budget might not get support from the opposition benches, while at the same time dismissing some demands other parties have laid out. The Liberal government will need the co-operation of at least one other party...
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre took aim at the RCMP’s independence in a recent interview, calling the national police force’s "despicable" leadership and accusing it of covering up for the Liberal government and former prime minister Justin Trudeau. “If the RCMP had been doing its job and not covering up for him, then he would have been criminally charged,” the Opposition...