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 Kate McKenna.
B.C. MPs Chak Au and Tako van Popta tasked with Asia Pacific strategy, property rights. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has announced two new roles for members of his caucus, aimed at developing a strategic plan for the Asia Pacific and responding to a B.C. Supreme Court ruling that some fear threatens property rights.
Measures will impact the federal fuel excise tax according to senior government source. A day after sweeping three byelections in Ontario and Quebec that gave him a majority in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Mark Carney will try to give voters a reason to be reassured with the rising cost of living Tuesday by announcing new affordability measures. According...
Brian Masse says the law needed to be modernized — but more regulation is needed. The former MP who spent more than a decade pushing to legalize single-event sports betting says he doesn't regret it — but says its implementation is in some ways "sad" and "deplorable." He also says more regulation is required to curb the volume and methods...
Conservative leader told multiple outlets he's forged a 'respectful' relationship with PM. They may be bitter rivals in the House of Commons, but outside the chamber, recent events may have led to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Prime Minister Mark Carney forging a bond. In recent interviews, Poilievre has said he is communicating regularly with Carney to present a united...
Nunavut MP reimbursed House of Commons, says purchases made in error Nunavut MP Lori Idlout says she has reimbursed the House of Commons for items bought from her own shop "in error." Idlout is the sole proprietor of the gallery Carvings Nunavut, which sells Inuit-made carvings and artwork. Publicly available expenditure reports show that on four occasions in 2025, Idlout...
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...
Veterans and their advocates are urging the Carney Liberals to change course and amend a bill before the House of Commons to remove sections that they say unfairly target people who served Canada. Buried inside the more than 600-page Budget Implementation Act are sections that would, advocates say, retroactively amend a law that governs how veterans’ benefits are calculate
Mike Dawson says some of his colleagues are angry he's trying to forgo wage hike. The Conservative MP who went public with his intent to refuse a pending parliamentary pay increase was called out by the party whip in front of his colleagues and heckled as he tried to defend his decision, CBC News has learned. In a letter to...
Potential deals on legislation could keep the Liberal government in power. Liberals and Conservatives are working out a path that could keep the government in power, sources tell CBC News, while Prime Minister Mark Carney continues to downplay the likelihood of a spring election. Asked on Monday whether an election was coming, Carney demurred. “It’s time to do a lot...
Jenni Byrne says the messaging on the trade dispute with the U.S. should stay adaptable and evolving. Former Conservative campaign manager Jenni Byrne says her party's messaging on the relationship between Canada and the United States is evolving, and should continue evolving as the situation shifts. Byrne, who is a looming figure in Conservative politics, says linking the trade war...
Carney Liberals return to House of Commons still short of a majority. Depending on who you ask, the Carney Liberals could be on the cusp of securing a majority — or triggering a general election. Senior Liberal sources say the upcoming sitting of the House of Commons has no clear outcome, as they try to advance their legislative agenda in...
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre offered some rare praise for the prime minister’s speech in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this week, calling it "well-crafted and eloquently delivered" — but in a six-page statement released Thursday, he also criticized Mark Carney’s record on reducing Canada's reliance on the United States. Poilievre said Carney is right to restate that Canada must become more self-reliant...
New Conservative campaign manager Steve Outhouse made calls to both premiers' offices in December. The federal Conservative Party is seeking to make amends with some provincial leaders after tensions with both Ontario and Nova Scotia's Progressive Conservative premiers played out in public last year, sources say.
The federal Conservatives are accusing the Liberals of rewarding "Beijing's intimidation" after some parliamentarians on a trip to Taiwan decided to return earlier than planned. Two Liberal MPs say they are leaving Taiwan "informed by advice from the government." The parliamentary delegation to Taiwan, which includes MPs from multiple parties, overlaps with the prime minister's trip to China.
In wide-ranging interview, Jamil Jivani discusses DEI, trade and Pierre Poilievre. Conservative MP Jamil Jivani says he's ready to lend a hand and do what he can, if Prime Minister Mark Carney says he wants help restarting trade negotiations with the United States. The MP for Bowmanville-Oshawa North is a longtime friend and former Yale Law School classmate of U.S...
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...
Bloc Québécois leader says Liberals agreed to remove religious exemption to hate crime laws. The future of the federal government’s anti-hate Bill C-9 is unclear after Justice Minister Sean Fraser’s office brokered a deal with the Bloc Québécois without getting it approved by the Prime Minister’s Office, sources tell CBC News. Bill C-9 proposes new Criminal Code offences, including one...
Deal to be formally announced on Thursday. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith have agreed to the broad outlines of a memorandum of understanding that would give Alberta special exemptions from federal environmental laws and offer political support to a new oil pipeline to the B.C. coast, CBC News has learned. The deal is set to be...
‘I’ve never seen anything like this,’ says lawyer representing veterans. The Carney government’s budget legislation contains an amendment that lawyers representing veterans say is a bid to cover up a decades-long error that led to overcharging for long-term care. “Instead of owning up to their error, they are trying to change the rules after the fact,” said Malcolm Ruby, partner...
Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to make announcement in Prince Rupert, B.C., on Thursday. Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to announce a second set of “nation-building projects,” including at least two focused on critical mineral extraction, one for exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) and at least one transmission project, sources told CBC News. They said there will be...
Conservative MPs were told Wednesday to avoid criticizing NDP for now, sources said. The Conservative and NDP caucuses are grappling with what to do about the upcoming federal budget and whether they want to be part of an effort to trigger an election by voting it down, multiple sources told CBC News. Senior Conservative sources say the party's leadership does...
Prime Minister Mark Carney said negotiations were progressing until Ontario's anti-tariff ad aired. Canadian officials may have said they were caught off guard last week when U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was cutting off trade negotiations with Canada over Ontario's anti-tariff advertisement, but sources say Premier Doug Ford’s bad cop act— and tough words for Trump — has been...
Jamil Jivani’s campus tour puts a spotlight on struggling young men. With one guiding question, Conservative MP Jamil Jivani hopes to expand a movement and ignite a national conversation. “How do we restore the North? ” Jivani asked roughly 50 people at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) last Friday. “How do you make sure we restore the promise of...
Move comes as opposition parties say they won't back existing bill. The federal Liberals are set to introduce a new bill expected to mirror much of what's in their already tabled border legislation — but with some clauses that sparked concerns from opposition parties and civil liberties groups removed. The new bill, which is expected to be tabled this week...
Conservative leader says current bill includes violations of Canadians’ freedom, privacy. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the federal Liberals must either heavily amend their border bill or introduce a new piece of proposed legislation if they want support to pass it into law. "We've told Liberals that their current Bill C-2 will not pass unless they remove the violations of...
Trade lawyer says Canada's approach is an 'exercise in bureaucratic restraint.' The federal government quietly removed more counter-tariffs on American goods than initially advertised, according to an order-in-council published online. The notice published last month indicates that, with the exception of sectoral tariffs for the steel, aluminum and auto industries, all Canadian retaliatory tariffs have been removed — in apparent...
Former U.S. transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks to rapt Ottawa crowd, hints at 2028 run. Potential U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg says he did not imagine a "moment like this" between Canada and the United States and "outrages" directed at Canada and the Canadian government do not reflect the will of the American people. Buttigieg was the keynote speaker...
Lametti is the 2nd Trudeau-era minister set to depart government in coming weeks. Former Justice Minister David Lametti will be leaving his job as principal secretary to Prime Minister Mark Carney after just a couple of months on the job, sources tell CBC News. Lametti, who played hockey alongside Carney at the University of Oxford, announced his appointment in July...
PBO says Finance Department is in 'early days' of budget process. In his first committee appearance, interim Parliamentary Budget Officer Jason Jacques told MPs his office has been consulted ahead of the fall budget but described the process as being in "early days." Speaking to the government operations and estimates committee on Tuesday, Jacques was asked by Conservative MP Kelly...
Government says list of major projects would grow over time. The initial tranche of major projects the federal government will help get off the ground quickly include expanding liquefied natural gas production in B.C., and upgrading the port in Montreal, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday. As CBC News first revealed Wednesday evening, Carney unveiled a list of five "nation-building"...
Breached data includes information about government employees, devices. The House of Commons and Canada's cybersecurity agency are investigating a significant data breach caused by an unknown "threat actor" targeting employee information. According to an internal email obtained by CBC News, the House of Commons alerted staff on Monday that there was an information breach. It said a malicious actor was...
Although streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video weren't straining the government's network, federal officials decided to block them because they were perceived to be a "people management" issue, according to internal documents obtained by CBC News. Last December, the agency responsible for IT services, Shared Services Canada (SSC), blocked access to paid subscription streaming sites, including Netflix, Hulu...
Canada's premiers arrived in Ontario cottage country on Monday eager to discuss Canada's ongoing trade crisis with the United States and settle into a plan for how they can work together with Indigenous leaders to strengthen the country's economy. On his way into the summit, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said it's becoming obvious Prime Minister Mark Carney's warning that it's...
Competitor warns criteria for night-vision binoculars dramatically limit who can bid. The federal government is set to proceed with awarding a major defence contract despite industry concerns that its requirements are written in a way that all but assures a single American company is eligible. A tender for night-vision binoculars — worth more than an estimated $100 million — is...
Caller claims 'media liberals' seek to 'scrutinize' the result of confirmed recounts. A caller raising money for the Conservative Party cast doubt on the validity of the recount process in the recent federal election, according to a recording obtained by CBC News. In the fundraising call, which happened on Saturday, an official identifying herself as being from the Conservative Party's...
PM served as Bank of Canada governor when Harper was in power. During a visit to Ottawa to watch the King deliver the speech from the throne, former prime minister Stephen Harper met privately with Prime Minister Mark Carney, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The Prime Minister's Office declined to comment on the meeting, with spokesperson Audrey...
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's team has reached out to Ontario Premier Doug Ford's office to arrange a call between the two, an apparent bid to ease tensions after Poilievre's party lost the federal election. The move follows weeks of conflict within Canada's conservative movement, including public criticism from Ford. "I think he's asked everyone across the country for a meeting...
Sources say a top Conservative adviser reprimanded Houston’s team last year. For the first time this campaign, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made a stop in Nova Scotia on Thursday — the second province he's visited led by a Progressive Conservative premier conspicuously absent from the federal party's events. Poilievre's sole campaign trip to Nova Scotia ended without meeting Premier Tim...
Conservatives eye NDP seats, but Trump threatens to upend everything. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre spent much of the first week of this election campaign targeting NDP-held ridings that could be up for grabs now that polls suggest New Democrat support is in free fall — but the recent Liberal surge has upended those plans. The big political story of the...
How did Canada's premiers end up hiring a Washington lobbying firm for $85,000 US a month? The story involves a meeting with Donald Trump Jr. It was at an encounter with the president's son that one of them met the head of a lobby firm that helped organize the premiers' visit to Washington this week.
Senior government sources expect the reprieve will be short-lived. Despite winning a month-long reprieve from potentially devastating U.S. tariffs, there is a deep sense of anxiety hanging over some of the most senior Canadian government officials who manage the relationship with President Donald Trump.
Jenni Byrne, an influential Conservative organizer who worked in the Harper PMO, is a key Poilievre strategist. Some of Canada's most prominent Conservatives are defending Pierre Poilievre adviser Jenni Byrne for criticizing former party leader Erin O'Toole on social media. On Sunday, O'Toole wished Liberal MP and cabinet minister Anita Anand well, following her announcement that she would not run...
Federal government employees are no longer able to stream Netflix, Disney+ and other streaming services while at work. The government agency responsible for providing IT services, Shared Services Canada (SSC), confirmed in an email that it blocked the streaming sites on all networks it manages late last year. Though there are some exceptions, Shared Services Canada oversees the majority of...
From coining "Justinflation" to saying Justin Trudeau is "not worth the cost," Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been unafraid to target the prime minister directly in his messaging. But following Trudeau's bombshell resignation, it will now be a different Liberal leader facing off with Poilievre in the federal election, which is likely to be held sometime this spring.
On the day the House of Commons adjourned for the holidays, hundreds of Liberals packed the annual caucus party to hear what could be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's last public speech until the new year — but many partygoers left the event talking about another star guest. Wearing Liberal red, the now-former finance minister Chrystia Freeland strode into the gathering...
Employment minister says he’s not Indigenous — experts say past statements appear contradictory. Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault is set to face a new round of questions over his business dealings and family history at a parliamentary committee in the wake of a report that his former company claimed to be "Indigenous owned" when bidding for federal contracts in 2020. The...
More than a dozen Conservatives wrote to the federal government on behalf of communities in their ridings calling for them to receive funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund — a program Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has promised to cut. Poilievre's office released the names of the 17 Conservative MPs on Tuesday after Housing Minister Sean Fraser said about a dozen...
‘I am writing to ask you to match my common sense sales tax cut,’ Conservative leader says in letter. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on Canada's premiers to match his pledge to remove the federal sales tax on new homes under $1 million by doing the same with provincial sales taxes. "This is a significant step in fixing what...
A misinterpretation of federal rules may have caused tens of thousands of Canadian veterans to be overcharged for long-term care since at least 2005. Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) says it's investigating — and some lawyers have filed a new class-action lawsuit application — after an analysis by CBC News uncovered a possible error in how the department calculates what veterans...
Poilievre has said that if he's elected, his government would not support any legislation to regulate abortion. A former Conservative MP who says he left the party because of his "convictions" claims that the number of anti-abortion Conservative members of Parliament is growing, and that anti-abortion activists have influence within the party apparatus. Richmond-Arthabaska MP Alain Rayes made the comments...
CBC president and CEO Catherine Tait today refused to rule out accepting personal bonuses for the last two fiscal years if they're approved by the Privy Council Office. Speaking before the House of Commons heritage committee, Tait said Canadians expect CBC to honour its commitments to non-union managers and executives if they meet key performance indicators.
As rumours swirl around Parliament Hill about efforts within the Liberal caucus to urge Justin Trudeau to resign as party leader, Liberal MPs are saying publicly that it's still an internal matter for the party. Members of Parliament returned to Ottawa on Monday following a week-long pause in the House of Commons calendar. The Liberal caucus is set to meet...
P.E.I. MP Sean Casey says voters in his riding have 'tuned Justin Trudeau out.' A Liberal backbencher is publicly calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as party leader as other MPs co-ordinate their efforts to force him out. Sean Casey, the MP for Charlottetown, told CBC News Network's Power & Politics that Trudeau's leadership has become one...
The government's pharmacare legislation has survived a key step on the way to becoming law and could pass the Senate next week. Bill C-64, a framework for the implementation of national pharmacare, passed through the Senate's social affairs, science and technology committee without amendments on Thursday. It now proceeds to a final vote on the floor of the Senate.
Ethics Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein says he has reviewed Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault's records and — in the absence of any evidence that Boissonnault broke the conflict of interest law — has again closed a probe into the minister's business dealings. The commissioner expressed new concerns following a July ethics committee meeting, when additional text messages from Boissonnault's former business...
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...
On the same day the Liberal government's House leader told reporters she was "confident" her party's governance agreement with the NDP would last until June 2025, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was busy recording a video in front of Parliament saying he was killing the deal. "I'm fairly confident that agreement is a good agreement, it's a strong agreement and we'll...
Canada's second-longest serving MP Lawrence MacAulay won't say whether he's planning to run in the next federal election. MacAulay, who will turn 78 next month, has represented the eastern P.E.I. riding of Cardigan for 35 years, first elected in 1988. He is currently the longest-serving Liberal member, having won 11 consecutive elections. When asked whether he's going for number 12...
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...
A longtime conservative radio host and journalist has thrown his hat into the ring to win the Conservative Party of Canada's nomination in a London, Ont.-area riding, one day after the incumbent announced she was not seeking re-election. "An opportunity arose, and I reflected on it with family, I prayed on it, and I've reached the decision I'm sharing with...