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 Peter Zimonjic.
Deal means tariffs on agricultural and seafood products paused until end of 2028. The federal government announced on Wednesday that China will extend its soon-to-expire tariff-free treatment for some Canadian agricultural and seafood products for another two years. After Prime Minister Mark Carney's January trip to Beijing, China struck a deal with Ottawa that saw it pause its 100 per...
Comments come as Trump administration accuses Canada of U.S. election interference. While he's fully engaged in a tight midterm election battle in his own country, U.S. President Donald Trump is still finding time to step into politics north of the border by congratulating the newly elected premiers of Quebec and British Columbia. Praise for the sovereignist premier of Quebec, Paul...
Source familiar with discussions tells Radio-Canada 'we are not on the verge of an agreement just yet.' With the U.S.-Canada trade war dominating the final days of the U.S. midterm campaign, trade discussions between the two countries have intensified. But sources tell CBC News and Radio-Canada that doesn't mean a deal is imminent. A source familiar with the discussions told...
PM criticizes 'whoever' decided to limit Ukraine's ability to track Russian strikes. Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday criticized a decision to restrict Ukraine's access to Elon Musk's military-grade satellite network, saying the move is costing lives. "I search for the right adjective to describe whoever took this decision, or a group of people took this decision, against a country...
Trudeau first asked Freeland to run in 2013. He fired her over Zoom 11 years later. In Unreliable Boyfriend, one-time finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland digs into how her political relationship with Justin Trudeau went from a warm face-to-face invite into public service to a cold Zoom call where he booted her from the finance role years...
Rebate program targets homeowners with heating systems that have broken down or are nearing end of life. The federal government is launching a $2-billion rebate program that it says will help homeowners in Canada lower their annual heating costs while reducing emissions when they install heat pumps in their homes. The funding will provide rebates for up to 820,000 homeowners...
'I'm not going to attack my prime minister on foreign soil,' Conservative leader says. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is telling Americans their northern neighbours are feeling "wounded" and "confused" over how Canada and its economy became a key target for U.S. President Donald Trump. "I think we feel a little bit wounded," Poilievre told reporters on the U.S. network CNBC...
Bessent says Carney's 'doing what is best for the Liberal party, what's best for Mark Carney' not Canadians. United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent insisted his country is "not at war" with Canada, then proceeded to mock the threat Canada could pose to his country with "submarines from the Edmonton mall." The secretary also suggested Prime Minister Mark Carney was...
A volatile and unpredictable U.S. administration makes it difficult to know which levers to pull. With the Trump administration's promise to impose more tariffs on us in January, many Canadians are asking: What leverage should we use to get them to change course? The question suggests that there are actually real things we can do to change U.S. President Donald...
Prime Minister Mark Carney told his negotiators to walk away from the table after the Trump administration introduced late unacceptable demands on culture, autos and sovereignty that, when taken in concert with their overall approach to talks, revealed the U.S. was not interested in a "true economic partnership" with Canada. In a departure from his usual diplomatic language, Carney suggested...
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and his American counterpart are aiming to present U.S. President Donald Trump a potential trade deal as early as Monday, CBC News has learned. Sources who were recently briefed on the matter say the hope is the joint proposal can be presented to Trump at least a day before the president's latest tariff deadline. That...
A national report documenting antisemitism on Canadian university and college campuses has found an "alarming prevalence" of the prejudicial behaviour across the country along with a widespread failure to address the problem. "The findings indicate that many Jewish students experience widespread and persistent antisemitism on Canadian campuses as a defining feature of post-secondary life that shapes their behaviour, their ability...
The federal government has announced almost $2 billion in funding to modernize Via Rail's passenger fleet with 45 new hybrid battery-diesel passenger locomotives. Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon made the announcement in Montréal on Wednesday, highlighting that 36 of the 45 new locomotives built by Swiss rail manufacturer Stadler will be assembled in Canada. "Today, for the first time in more...
'Mexico and Canada need us, we don't need them,' president tells Fox News. Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is back in Washington this week where he's continuing his search for a breakthrough in trade negotiations with the U.S. administration. LeBlanc's office confirmed to CBC News that chief trade negotiator to the U.S. Janice Charette is with the minister as they...
Stop 'chirping' about wildfire smoke and send help like Canada has, Premier Ford tells Republican politicians. U.S. President Donald Trump is adding his voice to the chorus of Republican politicians who are blaming Canada for wildfire smoke drifting across the border. Hundreds of active wildfires, most in northwestern Ontario, have triggered air quality warnings for states close to the Great...
'Hopefully on a number of these issues we reach resolution sooner rather than later,' U.S. ambassador said. The U.S. envoy to Canada says 14 months of trade talk between Canada and the Trump administration has resolved few issues, but insists the Americans will keep talking in the hopes of striking an agreement on the future of CUSMA, as well as...
Canada can 'deliver significant additional capacity,' G7 leaders say. Canada is poised to become a key and reliable supplier of energy to the G7 after leaders meeting in France embraced this country's potential to deliver "significant additional capacity" to global markets to reduce dependence on oil and gas coming through the Strait of Hormuz. "We commit to accelerate the diversification...
Funding will be used to buy drones, spy tech and boost intelligence gathering. Canada will pump $816 million into maritime security over the next seven years to strengthen the coast guard's capabilities from the high Arctic to the country's southern coast lines, Defence Minister David McGuinty announced Friday. "This is an investment in Canada's Arctic security," McGuinty said in Iqaluit...
Arbour has overseen public inquiries, UN agencies and the International Criminal Tribunal at The Hague. Former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour is perhaps Canada's most accomplished jurist, having served in a number of highly influential roles both at home and abroad that sometimes earned her criticism for the principled positions she took. Born to a low-income, single-parent family in Montreal...
The federal government's strategy to protect more than $100 billion worth of key infrastructure from the destructive impacts of climate change has significant gaps, with three key departments well behind where they need to be. That's the verdict of an audit by Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jerry V. DeMarco of the federal government's Greening Government Strategy. "As...
The Liberal government's House leader says he's committed to ensuring parliamentary committees operate in public, after Conservatives cried foul this week when Liberals used their new majority to move several committees behind closed doors. "The fundamental role of parliamentary Commons committees, standing committees, is to hold the government accountable, to probe government spending, indeed to approve government spending in advance,"...
Jamil Jivani returned to the U.S. capital this week to carry 'the Conservative party's Team Canada message.' Prime Minister Mark Carney dismissed Conservative MP Jamil Jivani's recent trade trip to Washington D.C., saying on Thursday that Jivani can go where he wants, but he won't learn anything Carney doesn't know already. "It has not been our experience that people have...
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...
The Canadian economy lost more jobs in February than it has in four years — but Prime Minister Mark Carney says when compared to the United States, we're doing pretty good. "If you look at the performance of the labour market over the last six months we've created over 80,000 jobs," he said in Norway on Friday. "The United States...
Majorities shouldn't come from backroom deals in Ottawa, interim leader says. Interim NDP Leader Don Davies said Prime Minister Mark Carney was working to overrule the wishes of voters in the pursuit of a majority in the House of Commons on Wednesday. In a short scrum with journalists after Nunavut MP Lori Idlout quit his party, Davies said Canadians still...
During his short tenure as Canada's interim parliamentary budget officer, Jason Jacques endured accusations of partisanship, criticism over his message delivery and, in the end, praise for representing an institution now ranked first among its international equals. Appointed in September by Prime Minister Mark Carney to sit in the chair until a permanent parliamentary budget officer (PBO) could be appointed...
Conservative leader warns 'China is not a substitute for the United States.' In a speech laying out the details of how Canada should respond to the Trump administration, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre directly attacked U.S. President Donald Trump's trade and tariff policies, urging Canadians to focus on what they can control. Quoting Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, Poilievre said Canadians have...
Canada is expanding its Express Entry immigration stream so it can bring in a range of skilled workers the Liberal government says are critical to growing the economy and defending the country. The new categories for Express Entry are giving priority to workers who classify as: researchers and senior managers, pilots, aircraft mechanics and inspectors as well as skilled military...
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre may have secured the overwhelming support of his party in a recent leadership vote, but cautioned that elections are not won on the convention room floor. Poilievre secured 87 per cent of the delegates in Calgary last month at the party's convention, pulling in more than what former prime minister Stephen...
Interim federal NDP Leader Don Davies is accusing Ontario NDP deputy leader Doly Begum of undermining democracy after announcing she will run federally as a Liberal for the seat vacated by former MP Bill Blair. "When Canadians see politicians betray the values and policies that they claim to believe in, I think it damages our democracy and it breeds cynicism...
Critics also call on PBO to expand use of peer review. This year, two things will happen to Canada's fiscal watchdog: Interim Parliamentary Budget Officer Jason Jacques will be replaced or made permanent, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will publish its review of the office. While the OECD report will not come out for several months...
Liberals roll out a personal support worker tax credit to run from 2026 to 2030. The coming year will see some changes to existing tax measures, the abandonment of others and some help for personal support workers. But overall changes to the taxes individuals pay will be minor in 2026. Daniel Rogozynski, an accountant and professor at the University of...
The federal government announced Friday that it's buying six new Global 6500 jets from Bombardier to replace its existing fleet of four CC-144 Challengers. A government statement said the $753-million contract includes production, training for aircrew, maintenance personnel and any military modifications that will be required. The jets will be built and maintained in Canada, where the government said it...
Government says report doesn't account for future spending, private investment. Spending on housing programs will decline by more than half over the next four years with the federal government’s $13-billion signature housing initiative leading to the construction of just 26,000 new homes, a new parliamentary budget officer (PBO) report says. The budget watchdog's report specifically looks at Prime Minister Mark...
Federal Immigration Minister Lena Diab says she’s unaware of a directive that was reportedly sent to the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa from the Trump administration ordering its envoy to press Canada to lower most immigration levels. Asked if Canada takes advice from the U.S. when setting Canada's immigration levels, Diab said she consulted for months with economists, department officials and...
U.S. vice-president takes aim at CBC and Canada's political leadership in X posts. U.S. Vice-President JD Vance made a series of posts criticizing Canada’s political leadership, public broadcaster and immigration system, saying our living standards are “stagnating” because of all the “foreign-born” people living here. In posts to his X account Friday, Vance says Canada’s elected leaders have created “immigration...
A report from Canada’s victims of crime advocate says survivors of sexual violence are being systemically betrayed by the criminal justice system as allegations are often disbelieved and cases are regularly delayed or dropped.
A watchdog that investigates the fair and humane treatment of federal prisoners is leaving his post two years early after becoming exasperated with what he says is the government’s unwillingness to address systemic human rights issues.
Some MPs will have to decide if the sweeteners merit letting the budget pass. Prime Minister Mark Carney insists the federal budget was crafted to contain a number of measures championed by MPs from other parties, and that those olive branches will become apparent in the coming days. With one MP already crossing the floor to join the Liberals, Carney...
High-level trade talks between Canadian and U.S. officials are trudging on this week in Washington, D.C., where Canada is looking to strike deals on specific economic sectors currently bedeviling trade relations between the two countries. Dominic LeBlanc, the minister of Canada-U.S. Trade, Privy Council Clerk Michael Sabia and other officials are specifically focused in the short term on securing deals...
New capital budgeting framework will also break out capital spending from day-to-day operational spending. The Liberal government is ending a long-held tradition of presenting a spring budget and will instead adopt a relatively new tradition borrowed from the U.K. that will see all future budgets delivered in the fall, Finance Canada said Monday. As a part of the change, the...
Canada Post's latest offer to the union representing 55,000 striking postal workers includes a number of measures from its last offer — while removing a signing bonus the corporation says it can no longer afford. "Due to the company's deteriorating financial situation, a signing bonus for employees is no longer on the table," Canada Post said in a statement Friday.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree says his government is not ready to announce when and for how long its gun amnesty program will be extended, six weeks before the current extension is set to expire. "More information will be forthcoming as we announce the program," Anandasangaree said on his way into the Liberal caucus meeting in Ottawa Wednesday.
Listing on market for over a year after GAC bought new apartment on 'Billionaires' Row.' After being on the market for more than a year, the former residence of Canada's consul general in New York has still not sold and is now listed with over $2 million taken off the asking price. The now empty 12-room, five-bedroom apartment on Park...
45th federal election cost Canadians an estimated $570M, slightly down from 44th election. The spring federal election saw its share of misinformation and disinformation as people tried to interfere in Canada's democratic process, but Elections Canada says none of those efforts had any impact on the outcome of the 45th general election. "Neither the agency nor the Security and Intelligence...
Prime Minister Mark Carney rolled out a series of measures on Friday that he says will transform Canada's economy into a force that can withstand the trade shocks of the Trump administration. The measures announced in the strategy have been targeted to specifically help workers and businesses that have been most impacted by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and trade...
PMO says Alberta-based office will have outposts across the country. Dawn Farrell, chair of the board of directors of the Trans Mountain Corporation, has been named the CEO of the Liberal government's Major Projects Office, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Friday. "Canada has always been a nation of builders," Carney said in a statement announcing the opening of the office...
Several members, including Canada's major banks, left group after Trump's re-election. An international green banking alliance that Prime Minister Mark Carney helped establish is now suspending its activities and holding a vote to determine its future. The Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) is the industry-led banking element of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) that was created when Carney...
Immigration status is one of many factors considered during sentencing: law professor. The Conservatives want to change the Criminal Code to eliminate what they say is a double standard in the justice system that allows non-citizens to get lighter sentences than Canadians who have been convicted of the same crime. "When it comes to sentencing non-citizens, Canada has essentially adopted...
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Prime Minister Mark Carney's development agenda is stalled — and he's promising to "legalize" pipelines through new legislation to speed things up. Poilievre said his party's Canadian Sovereignty Act, if passed, would ensure two pipelines, a new LNG project and a road to Ontario's Ring of Fire will have begun construction by March 14 —...
Prime Minister Mark Carney kicked off his meeting with Canada's premiers in Huntsville, Ont., promising to battle the Trump administration at the negotiating table to ensure the country gets a good trade deal, while also doing everything he can to strengthen the Canadian economy. "We are looking for the best deal for Canada; we are only going to accept the...
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...
Clutching a teddy bear and trembling through her story in the witness box, a female former Afghan interpreter who worked for Canada in Afghanistan detailed the harrowing sexual abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of a Canadian government employee. For four days this week, the woman, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, recounted to an Ottawa courtroom...
Former privy council clerks say there are upfront costs to long-term savings. The federal government has started its comprehensive review of government spending, but what will it mean for Canada's public service, what balance will it have to strike and can the Liberals really cut so much? These are the questions facing Prime Minister Mark Carney as he embarks on...
Experts say Carney could make adjustments instead of ending mandate outright. With U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum and light-duty vehicles continuing to batter the Canadian automobile industry, the CEOs of Canada's big three automakers are asking for a break. They met with Prime Minister Mark Carney this week to lobby for the elimination of the Liberal government's zero-emission vehicle (ZEV)...
Tax cuts, European defence agreement, removing trade barriers among PM's goals. During the spring campaign, Prime Minister Mark Carney promised a re-elected Liberal government led by him would move fast to solve problems and meet challenges by Canada Day. After his victory, those promises left Carney a little more than 60 days to address issues that have bedevilled previous governments...
'I’m proud to join the Conservative caucus and be part of a strong team that stands up for Canadians.'The formerly non-affiliated New Brunswick Sen. David Richards has joined the Conservative Senate Caucus. Richards, a bestselling author and one of only a handful of writers who has received a Governor General's award in both the non-fiction and fiction categories, was appointed...
When King Charles III and Queen Camilla visit Canada later this month for the monarch's reading of the speech from the throne, it will kick off two days of pomp and ceremony across the capital. The King's visit will mark the third time a British monarch has read the speech from the throne in Canada, with Queen Elizabeth ll having...
Prime Minister Mark Carney's new cabinet has taken shape without 11 of the ministers he brought around the table barely two months ago. On the outs are former defence minister Bill Blair, former president of the Treasury Board Ginette Petitpas Taylor and former energy and natural resources minister Jonathan Wilkinson. All of those experienced ministers held numerous posts under former...
U.S. President Donald Trump said former prime minister Justin Trudeau led the effort to have Russia removed from the G8, even though the decision took place more than a year before Trudeau came to power. Speaking alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino at a World Cup event in Washington on Tuesday, Trump said Trudeau and former U.S. president Barack Obama "didn't...