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 Robert Benzie.
As first ministers gather against the backdrop U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war, a new poll suggests Alberta’s Danielle Smith has the highest negatives of any premier. The Pollara Strategic Insights survey also found Ontario’s Doug Ford is the country’s most popular premier — thanks largely to his stance against Trump’s tariffs.
Four sources close to Mendicino confirmed Friday that he is eyeing a mayoral bid to replace incumbent Olivia Chow in next year’s municipal election. Marco Mendicino, the former Liberal cabinet member and chief of staff to Prime Minister Mark Carney, is considering a run for mayor of Toronto, multiple sources say. Four sources close to Mendicino confirmed Friday that he...
One of Premier Doug Ford’s closest former aides has been sanctioned by the legislature’s ethics watchdog for breaking Ontario lobbying rules. Amin Massoudi, who was on the infamous 2020 Las Vegas trip with Greenbelt developer Shakir Rehmatullah that cost former Ford minister Kaleed Rasheed his job in cabinet, received a slap on the wrist from integrity commissioner Cathryn Motherwell.
The remarks referenced the tensions between Ontario’s PC premier and the federal Tories, who accused Ford of “sabotaging” their campaign. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is reaching out to Premier Doug Ford in the wake of the Tories’ latest electoral defeat. But there is one piece of advice Ford, who works closely with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals, isn’t about to...
Premier Doug Ford is firing back at federal Conservative charges that the provincial Tories “sabotaged” Pierre Poilievre’s campaign in Ontario. “I shouldn’t interfere in the federal election,” Ford told reporters in Mississauga on Wednesday when asked why he didn’t help Poilievre.
As the federal Conservatives assess a campaign that saw leader Pierre Poilievre lose his Ottawa-area seat of Carleton, they are pointing fingers at the most powerful Tory in Ontario. Let the blame begin. As the federal Conservatives assess a campaign that saw leader Pierre Poilievre lose his Ottawa-area seat of Carleton, they are pointing fingers at the most powerful Tory...
As the federal campaign enters its final days, Mark Carney’s Liberals appear set to win a majority Monday, according to the Star’s poll aggregator, the Signal. While Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives have closed the gap nationally in terms of voter preference, that does not seem to be translating into additional seats for the official opposition party.
The federal Conservatives are funnelling resources into Pierre Poilievre’s local campaign, shoring up volunteer support in the leader’s Ottawa-area riding over concerns that winning his seat is not guaranteed, the Star has learned. One Conservative source involved in Poilievre’s campaign told the Star that the leader appears to be in trouble in Carleton, the sprawling riding Poilievre has held since...
John Mutton — the Greenbelt lobbyist known as “Mr. X” — has been banned from lobbying government for two years. Mutton, a former mayor of Clarington, gained notoriety when integrity commissioner J. David Wake dubbed him “Mr. X” in a 2023 report on the $8.28-billion Greenbelt land swap scandal.
Doug Ford insists he has no interest in succeeding Pierre Poilievre as federal Conservative leader. “You know something, I have the greatest job in the world,” the recently re-elected Progressive Conservative premier told reporters Wednesday when asked about his federal ambitions.
On a campaign stop in Milton, a reporter asked if Poilievre would “respect the results of the election no matter the outcome.” Trailing in every major public-opinion poll, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he will respect the results of the April 28 election win or lose. But Poilievre — some of whose supporters have been sporting gear saying “Do You...
Ford’s campaign manager warns that unless the Tories “get on it quick, they are going to get obliterated.” Internal polling for Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives suggests Mark Carney’s Liberals lead Pierre Poilievre’s federal Conservatives by double digits in Ontario, the Star has learned. A new Campaign Research survey found Carney’s Liberals at 48 per cent while Poilievre’s Tories were...
Voters in Ontario and Quebec are propelling Mark Carney’s Liberals deep into majority government territory, polls suggest. The Star’s election predictor, the Signal, says the Liberals have widened their lead over Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives in the April 28 vote.
Premier Doug Ford is reminding Progressive Conservative cabinet ministers and MPPs they will be too “swamped” with their day jobs to help Pierre Poilievre in the federal election campaign. Asked at the first ministers’ meeting in Ottawa on Friday if he would “let your MPPs campaign with Mr. Poilievre,” Ford did not mince words.
The premier told him he would be too busy governing Ontario, the Star has learned. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called Doug Ford to ask for his help in the upcoming federal election campaign, but the premier told him he would be too busy governing Ontario, the Star has learned. Federal and provincial Tory sources said Poilievre phoned the premier on...
As Premier Doug Ford gets set to appoint his new cabinet, the Progressive Conservatives’ top priority is dealing with the Trump trade war. Ford, whose executive council will be unveiled Wednesday, is already working closely with new Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney on a “Team Canada” approach to combating U.S. tariffs.
The tone has changed, but the threats remain. While Doug Ford says “the temperature is being lowered” in the trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump, the premier is reserving the right to reinstate his 25 per cent surcharge on Ontario’s electricity exports stateside.
It was a small aside, but perhaps a surprising one given the often contentious relationship between politicians and journalists. In an impromptu scrum with reporters in the corridor at Queen’s Park last Wednesday, Premier Doug Ford earnestly expressed gratitude to them for their coverage of U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada.
Canada offered to delay its second phase of counter-tariffs against the U.S. if Donald Trump drops tariffs on all Canadian products — not just in the auto sector — that are covered by and comply with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Free Trade Agreement, the Star has learned. High-stakes talks continued between Canadian and U.S. officials with no word about whether there would...
Bonnie Crombie is endorsing Mark Carney to be federal Liberal leader, the Star has learned. The Ontario Liberal chief will make it official Tuesday in Toronto, sources say.
Doug Ford took his tough-on-crime talk to new heights in a campaign speech where he pushed for a return to capital punishment, the Star has learned. Musing about stiffer penalties for home invaders who kill victims, the Ontario Progressive Conservative leader called for changes in the federal Criminal Code that would empower judges to “send ‘em right to sparky.”
Doug Ford’s campaign fumble is getting the Super Bowl spotlight. Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie will be airing two different 30-second commercials during the NFL championship game Sunday night between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Doug Ford’s ”hot mic” gaffe about wanting Donald Trump to win the U.S. presidency may not have damaged the Progressive Conservatives, but it has exposed potential risks for their campaign, a new poll suggests. The Abacus Data poll for the Star found Ford’s Tories with 46 per cent support, well ahead of Bonnie Crombie’s Liberals at 24 per cent, Marit...
Doug Ford‘s hot mic admission that he “100%” wanted Donald Trump to win the U.S. presidential election has jolted the snap Ontario vote. That’s because Ford framed the Feb. 27 campaign as a referendum on who could best deal with Trump’s threatened tariffs against Canada.
A defensive Doug Ford insists it was not reckless to call a provincial election against the spectre of a trade war that could devastate Ontario’s economy. That came as Ford was caught on a hot mic Monday saying that he “100 per cent” wanted Donald Trump to win the American presidency last November.
The onset of a U.S.-led tariff war with Canada, Mexico and China triggered turmoil in global markets and prompted Ontario to cancel its contract with Elon Musk‘s Starlink satellite company and to ban American companies from provincial contracts. “We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy,” said PC...
Doug Ford is taking a veiled shot at federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, saying whoever is the next prime minister must continue Canada’s supports for the auto industry — particularly in electric vehicles. On the second day of Ontario’s Feb. 27 election campaign, the Progressive Conservative leader, who is seeking a third term in office, said Ontario would maintain its...
Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives are in the poll position as the governing party revs up for a snap election call Wednesday, a new public opinion survey suggests. The Abacus Data poll for the Star found Ford’s Tories at 47 per cent support, far ahead of Bonnie Crombie’s Liberals at 24 per cent, Marit Stiles’s New Democrats at 19 per cent...
Canada would not immediately match any U.S. tariffs with “dollar for dollar” penalties on American products coming into Canada — an approach that Ontario Premier Doug Ford views as not “proportional” or strong enough to counter Donald Trump’s threats, the Star has learned. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told premiers “everything is on the table” as he met them behind closed...
When Dominic LeBlanc once confided to Doug Ford that he used to babysit Justin Trudeau as a child, the Ontario premier quipped: “Dom, you still do.” LeBlanc — now, literally, the embattled Trudeau’s minister of everything with responsibilities for finance, intergovernmental affairs and border security — enjoys an especially warm rapport with Ford.
Canada’s provincial and territorial leaders are meeting Monday to discuss U.S. president-elect Donald Trump‘s threatened 25 per cent tariffs against Canadian products. Premier Doug Ford, chair of the Council of the Federation, is hosting the meeting at the Hilton Hotel near Pearson International Airport.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took an indirect dig at Donald Trump ahead of a first ministers’ meeting Wednesday on how to best handle the unpredictable incoming U.S. president-elect. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took an indirect dig at Donald Trump ahead of a first ministers’ meeting Wednesday on how to best handle the unpredictable incoming U.S. president-elect.
As Premier Doug Ford mulls gambling on an early election, a new poll suggests that might be a safe bet. The latest Abacus Data monthly tracking survey for the Star found Ford’s Tories at 43 per cent — well ahead of Bonnie Crombie’s Liberals at 25 per cent, Marit Stiles’ New Democrats at 21 per cent and Mike Schreiner’s Greens...
Released Monday, the ad will run throughout the U.S. over Christmas and into the new year ahead of Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration. As Donald Trump threatens 25 per cent tariffs on Canada, Premier Doug Ford has launched a multimillion-dollar American ad blitz touting Ontario’s importance to the U.S. economy. “For generations, this ally to the north has been by your...
It’s Show-Don’t-Tell time. The Trudeau government’s strategy in the face of Donald Trump’s latest 25 per cent tariff threat is fourfold: prove Canada is a reliable neighbour bent on securing borders against illegal migration and drugs.
Ford, chair of the Council of Federation of premiers, said “there’s a clear consensus that everyone agrees that we need a bilateral trade deal with the U.S. and a separate bilateral trade deal with Mexico.” Canada’s provincial and territorial leaders want Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to strike a separate trade deal with the United States, excluding Mexico, says Premier Doug...
Ontarians are expected to go to the polls this spring in an early election that Premier Doug Ford will contend is necessary due to the spectre of Donald Trump. Thanks to the economic uncertainty triggered by a second Trump presidency, Ford’s planned pitch to voters would be a simple one, Progressive Conservative sources told the Star.
Ahead of Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election, Premier Doug Ford is warning that protectionism would hurt Ontario, America’s third-largest trading partner. Ford — who has expressed concern about the threat by former president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, to slap hefty tariffs on foreign goods and services — underscored the importance of trade between the province and U.S. states.
Premier Doug Ford is spending nearly half of a $6.9-billion tax windfall on $200 pre-election “rebate” cheques. Bolstered by higher than projected revenue from personal income tax, corporations tax and sales tax, Ford’s Progressive Conservatives have earmarked $3 billion to send cheques to 15 million Ontario adults and children in the new year.
Premier Doug Ford is poised to send cheques to 16 million Ontarians to offset rising costs as a possible early election looms, the Star has learned. Sources say the premier’s gambit will be announced in Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy’s fall economic statement on Oct. 30.
Is it déjà vu all over again? That’s a loaded question for the half dozen Liberal MPs who were part of the doomed Kathleen Wynne government that lost to Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives in 2018 and now sit in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal caucus facing Pierre Poilievre’s surging Conservatives. Two of those veteran politicians wouldn’t touch it with a...
Premier Doug Ford appears to be the Teflon Tory. In his lucky seventh summer as Ontario premier, Ford is emerging as a politician to whom little seems to stick.
Justin who? Bonnie Crombie is distancing her provincial party from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s struggling federal Liberals.
Todd Smith’s surprise resignation after just 10 weeks as education minister has forced Premier Doug Ford to shuffle his cabinet, promoting Colleges and Universities Minister Jill Dunlop to that key post. Smith, 53, a Progressive Conservative MPP since 2011, stepped down Friday in a stunning move that will trigger a byelection in the riding of Bay of Quinte within six months.
RCMP detectives investigating the $8.28-billion Greenbelt land swap scandal are interviewing witnesses linked to Premier Doug Ford’s government. As first disclosed by the Star, current and former Progressive Conservative aides are sitting down with the Mounties to discuss Ford’s controversial 2022 decision to open up 7,400 acres of the two-million-acre Greenbelt to housing development.
Two months ago, Premier Doug Ford was talking trade and tossing a football around his Queen’s Park office with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. With Walz now U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’s running-mate atop the Democratic presidential ticket, Ford is hopeful that could be good news for Ontario — and for his “Buy North America” push.
Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives will drink to that. The first strike in LCBO history appears to have boosted the popularity of Ford’s Tories, according to the latest Abacus Data tracking poll for the Star.
Ontarians overwhelmingly support more liberalized alcohol sales even though a majority back the LCBO strikers, according to internal government polling obtained by the Star. The poll commissioned by Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives found 54 per cent support the Ontario Public Service Employees Union’s “decision to go strike” while 32 per cent opposed it and 14 per cent had no opinion.
Nearly half of all Ontarians would be “unhappy” or “very angry” if Premier Doug Ford called an early $150-million election, a new poll suggests. With Ford considering a vote a year before the scheduled June 2026 provincial election, Abacus Data used its monthly tracking survey for the Star to ask how Ontarians would feel about heading to the polls early...
Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives began campaigning for the Toronto—St. Paul’s byelection with the goal of rattling the foundations of Fortress Toronto: the governing Liberals have held all of the seats in the 416 for years. They finished having knocked a brick out of the wall: Conservative Don Stewart bested the Liberals’ Leslie Church by 590 votes, a result Poilievre described Tuesday...
Canada’s EV-building strategy will cost Ottawa and provinces about $6 billion more than announced, the federal parliamentary budget watchdog says. A new report released by Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux says a total of $46.1 billion in government spending across the nascent EV supply chain has been announced. But the PBO estimates the total government support for capital and operating...
Premier Doug Ford is considering an early election call before the scheduled 2026 vote over concerns about cuts a future federal Conservative government might impose, the Star has learned. Sources say Ford is worried that if, as polls suggest, Pierre Poilievre wins an election expected in October 2025, there would be reduced transfer payments to the provinces, a scrapping of...
Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives have dipped slightly in the latest Abacus Data poll, but still enjoy a healthy lead over the Liberals and New Democrats. In the Abacus monthly tracking survey for the Star, Ford’s Tories were at 39 per cent to 26 per cent for Bonnie Crombie’s Liberals, 22 per cent for Marit Stiles’s New Democrats and nine...
Premier Doug Ford’s message to Progressive Conservative MPPs was clear. Behind closed doors last week in the second-floor government caucus room at the legislature, Ford implored his colleagues to refrain from weighing in on the Hamas-Israel conflict until after the closely fought May 2 byelection in Milton.
The Progressive Conservatives’ multimillion-dollar advertising blitz is helping Premier Doug Ford and hurting Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, a new poll suggests. In the Abacus monthly tracking survey for the Star, Ford’s Tories were at 41 per cent to 25 per cent for Crombie’s Liberals, 21 per cent for Marit Stiles’s New Democrats and seven per cent for Mike Schreiner’s Greens...
Queen’s Park and Ottawa, which have jointly pledged billions in electric vehicle manufacturing subsidies, were jolted by Ford Canada’s move to delay domestic EV production. Ford Canada announced Thursday it would postpone all electric vehicle production at its Oakville assembly plant by two years until 2027 due to softening demand.
As Premier Doug Ford rails against the "federal carbon tax," he is quietly collecting more than $146 million annually from his provincial levy on industrial greenhouse gas emitters. The Progressive Conservatives government's Emissions Performance Standards (EPS) program charges big polluters $65 per tonne of carbon they emit, rising to $80 a tonne on Jan. 1.
Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's current popularity appears to be having a halo effect on Premier Doug Ford, a new Abacus Data poll suggests. At the same time, embattled Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is proving to be a drag on provincial Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie.
Premier Doug Ford's failure to meet federal affordable housing targets is jeopardizing $357 million in funding from Ottawa, Housing Minister Sean Fraser warns. But Queen's Park counters it is being treated unfairly because its affordable housing stock is the oldest in Canada, meaning repairs to existing units have come at the expense of building new ones.
Crombie, who has pledged to not impose a provincial carbon levy if she defeats Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives in 2026, said consumers are already at their wit's end.