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 Sarah Ritchie.
OTTAWA -- An expert in Canada's assisted dying laws is warning that the committee of MPs and senators tasked with studying whether the country is ready to allow people with mental illness to access MAID has "gone off the rails."
OTTAWA -- An expert on Canada's assisted dying laws says a parliamentary committee studying MAID in cases of mental illness is not focused on its mandate and has not been balanced in its approach.
The last Conservative leader to be ousted by his party says he's advised his replacement to forget the floor crossings and social media trends as speculation heats up over Pierre Poilievre's future at the party's helm. "My advice to him has always been to put the country first and look at the long term," Erin O'Toole said in an interview...
The Liberals are moving to take control of House of Commons committees now that they've secured a majority government. House leader Steven MacKinnon says in a social media post that the Liberals will seek to change the standing orders, the rules that govern the Commons, to ensure they have the most votes on committees. Majority governments traditionally hold a majority...
OTTAWA -- Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne will appear before the House ethics committee next month to answer questions about his connection to the Alto high-speed rail project, after a lengthy Liberal filibuster.
Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne will appear before the House ethics committee to answer questions about his connection to the Alto high-speed rail project. The Liberal members of the committee dragged out debate for hours over whether Champagne and the ethics commissioner would be called in for questioning. The minister recused himself from decisions about the high-speed rail project last September...
A new poll from the Angus Reid Institute suggests a growing number of Conservative voters want to replace Pierre Poilievre as the party's leader. The poll surveyed 1,640 Canadians, including 590 who voted Conservative in last year's election and asked people if they believe Poilievre should lead the Tories into the next election. Almost 60 per cent Tory voters polled said he sho
OTTAWA -- A new poll from the Angus Reid Institute suggests a growing number of Conservative voters want to replace Pierre Poilievre as the party's leader.
OTTAWA -- The Conservatives are accusing the Liberals of blocking a House of Commons committee from questioning Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne about his personal connection to the Alto high-speed rail project.
OTTAWA -- The Conservatives are accusing the Liberals of blocking a House of Commons committee from questioning Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne about his personal connection to the Alto high-speed rail project.
The Conservatives are accusing the Liberals of trying to block a committee from questioning Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne about his connection to the high-speed rail project. Champagne's partner Anne-Marie Gaudet is a vice-president at Alto, the Crown corporation responsible for the rail project that would connect Toronto and Quebec City. Champagne says he recused himself from decisions involving Alto and...
OTTAWA -- Most Wednesday mornings, a lineup of Conservative MPs stroll past journalists on their way into the weekly caucus meeting on Parliament Hill with little more to say than, "Good morning."
Most Wednesday mornings, a lineup of Conservative MPs stroll past journalists on their way into the weekly caucus meeting on Parliament Hill with little more to say than, "Good morning." This week, around a dozen stopped in front of the cameras to deliver a message. "Our caucus is united behind Pierre Poilievre," said House leader Andrew Scheer, who did not...
OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canadians can expect Parliament to be more substantive and less performative now that the Liberals have a majority government.
OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canadians can expect Parliament to be more substantive and less performative now that the Liberals have a majority government.
The morning after the Liberals secured a majority government, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canadians can expect Parliament to be more substantive and less performative. "There's a difference between real testimony, real substance, getting to issues, debating aspects of law, advancing -- that's the job of parliamentarians -- and showboating," he said. The governing party held seats in three byelections...
It took nearly a full year and a handful of byelections and defections for Prime Minister Mark Carney to assemble enough members of Parliament to turn his minority government into a majority -- a feat that has never happened in Canadian politics before. The Liberals won in three byelections Monday, giving them 174 seats in the House of Commons. That...
OTTAWA -- It took nearly a full year and a handful of byelections and defections for Prime Minister Mark Carney to assemble enough members of Parliament to turn his minority government into a majority -- a feat that has never happened in Canadian politics before.
OTTAWA -- Tatiana Auguste is returning to the House of Commons after winning a hotly contested byelection in the Quebec riding of Terrebonne, Elections Canada reported.
OTTAWA -- It took nearly a full year and a handful of byelections and defections for Prime Minister Mark Carney to assemble enough members of Parliament to turn his minority government into a majority -- a feat that has never happened in Canadian politics before.
OTTAWA -- The Canadian Press projects Liberal candidates Doly Begum and Danielle Martin have both won byelections in the Toronto ridings of Scarborough Southwest and University -- Rosedale, securing a narrow majority government for Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Pierre Poilievre was defiant on Thursday in the face of questions about his leadership of the Conservative party after a fourth member of his caucus defected to the Liberals this week. He reminded reporters that a "record-smashing 8.3 million Canadians" voted Conservative last year. "Our mandate, and my leadership, does not come from dirty backroom deals. It comes from the...
A former top aide to Stephen Harper says Marilyn Gladu's decision to leave the Conservative party for the Liberals is raising questions about Pierre Poilievre's leadership. "I think this floor crosser, more than the previous ones, weakens his leadership," said Dimitri Soudas, who was former prime minister Stephen Harper's director of communications. "Not just because of the fact that it's...
OTTAWA -- Thousands of Liberals will be in Montreal this weekend for the party's annual convention just as voters in the suburban riding of Terrebonne, about 40 km north, get ready to cast ballots in a key byelection on Monday.
Ontario MP Marilyn Gladu left the Conservative caucus to join Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals on Wednesday, pushing the government closer to a majority ahead of three byelections next week.
OTTAWA -- Thousands of Liberals will be in Montreal this weekend for the party's annual convention just as voters in the suburban riding of Terrebonne, about 40 km north, get ready to cast ballots in a key byelection on Monday.
OTTAWA -- Thousands of Liberals will be in Montreal this weekend for the party's annual convention just as voters in the suburban riding of Terrebonne, about 40 km north, get ready to cast ballots in a key byelection on Monday.
OTTAWA -- The Conservatives are calling on the Liberals to give Canadians some relief at the pumps by suspending federal taxes on gas and diesel for the rest of the year.
OTTAWA -- The federal government is giving Ukrainians who fled the Russian invasion another year to apply for work permit extensions.
OTTAWA -- The federal public health agency is taking over administration of a program that compensates people who have been injured by vaccines, months after Health Minister Marjorie Michel ordered an audit of the program following complaints about its administration.
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he isn't worried Mexico will sign a trade agreement with the Americans that excludes Canada. LeBlanc says the Mexicans are also committed to a trilateral deal as the countries work to renew the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade. Mexico and the U.S. have started formal talks ahead of a July deadline, and earlier this month...
The Liberal government is proposing new legislation to strengthen electoral integrity by banning digital deepfakes of candidates, cracking down on unduly long ballots and protecting nomination and leadership contests. The government says the Strong and Free Elections Act responds to recommendations from an inquiry into foreign interference and from others, including the chief electoral officer. The new bill would also...
OTTAWA -- A House of Commons committee is calling on the government to make it harder for protest groups to sign up dozens of candidates in a single riding, after Elections Canada announced Wednesday that voters in an upcoming byelection in Quebec will use a write-in ballot because of the high number of candidates.
A House of Commons committee is calling on the government to make it harder for protest groups to sign up dozens of candidates in a single riding, after Elections Canada announced Wednesday that voters in an upcoming byelection in Quebec will use a write-in ballot because of the high number of candidates.
OTTAWA -- A House of Commons committee is calling on the government to make changes to the Elections Act that would make it harder for protest groups to sign up dozens of candidates in a single riding.
OTTAWA -- Members of Parliament continued debate on the government's contentious hate crimes bill Monday after they returned to Ottawa following a break week that saw both the Liberal and Conservative leaders on international trips.
OTTAWA -- Members of Parliament are back in the House of Commons today, where the government is expected to face tough questions about new auditor general reports and the ongoing war in Iran.
Three byelections are being held on April 13 and the results could have an impact on both the makeup of Parliament and how long it lasts. Here's a primer on how things could change.
OTTAWA -- Three byelections are being held on April 13 and the results could have an impact on both the makeup of Parliament and how long it lasts.
OTTAWA -- The group that recruited hundreds of people to run against Pierre Poilievre in last spring's election and last summer's byelection says it's now targeting the vote in Terrebonne.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he's planning to pitch a "realistic proposal" to end U.S. tariffs on the Canadian auto industry this weekend. He says his proposed auto pact would align regulations between Canada and the U.S. and remove the GST from Canadian-made vehicles. He told reporters his plan, which he intends to roll out on Sunday, is "literally the...
OTTAWA -- Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he's planning to pitch a "realistic proposal" to end U.S. tariffs on the Canadian auto industry this weekend.
OTTAWA -- The Conservatives are pushing for changes to the Criminal Code they say would offer new protections to people who use force to defend themselves during a home invasion -- but the government says Canadians already have the right to self-defence.
OTTAWA -- The Conservatives are pushing for changes to the Criminal Code they say would offer new protections to people who use force to defend themselves during a home invasion -- but the government says Canadians already have the right to self-defence.
The Conservatives are pushing for changes to the Criminal Code they say would offer new protections to people who use force to defend themselves during a home invasion -- but the government says Canadians already have the right to self-defence. Ontario MP Sandra Cobena introduced a private member's bill on Thursday that would change Section 34 of the Criminal Code...
OTTAWA -- The federal Conservatives have nominated candidates in two of the three byelections set for April 13.
The federal Conservatives are pushing to allow Canada Post to ship alcohol between provinces, saying the Liberals have failed to live up to their pledge to remove interprovincial trade barriers. B.C. MP Dan Albas, whose riding includes the Okanagan wine region, has introduced a private member's bill that would amend the Canada Post Corporation Act to remove restrictions on direct...
OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Mark Carney was absent from a debate on the U.S.-Israel war on Iran as opposition parties continued to question the government's position on the conflict.
OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Mark Carney was absent from a debate on the U.S.-Israel war on Iran as opposition parties continued to question the government's position on the conflict.
OTTAWA -- Opposition parties from across the political spectrum are demanding the Liberal government clarify its position on the U.S.-Israel war on Iran as they prepare for a debate in the House of Commons Monday evening.
Canada's secretary of state for defence procurement says the government is planning to choose just one company to build the country's next fleet of submarines. Stephen Fuhr says the Canadian position has not changed, despite media reports this week suggesting the government might split the contract. Two companies are in the final stages of a heated competition for a multi-billion...
OTTAWA -- Canada's secretary of state for defence procurement says the government is planning to choose just one company to build the country's next fleet of submarines.
OTTAWA -- Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand touted Canada's new commitment to defence spending and the domestic defence sector and called for a NATO policy pivot to the Arctic at a major defence and security conference in Ottawa on Wednesday.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says NATO needs to focus on the North as the global security environment changes and new threats emerge. Anand spoke at the Conference of Defence Associations Institute's annual gathering in Ottawa today. She said the government's "singular task" is to defend Canada's sovereignty and strengthen its alliances.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is set to speak at the Conference of Defence Associations Institute's annual gathering in Ottawa today. This year's event is focused on how NATO allies will achieve their pledge to spend the equivalent of five per cent of GDP on defence by 2035. Speakers at the two-day event also include Stephen Fuhr, the secretary of...
OTTAWA -- Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is set to speak at the Conference of Defence Associations Institute's annual gathering in Ottawa today.
OTTAWA -- Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for Canada to deepen its trade and security ties with the U.K., Australia and New Zealand in the face of an increasingly unpredictable world.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is set to speak at a think tank in London, England, today. He is on his first official trip abroad as Opposition leader with stops planned in both the U.K. and Germany. In London today he will deliver the Margaret Thatcher Lecture at the Centre for Policy Studies, after meeting this morning with U.K. Conservative Leader...
OTTAWA -- Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is set to speak at a think tank in London, England, today.
OTTAWA -- The competition to build the Canadian navy's next fleet of submarines is heading into a new phase after a deadline for both finalists to submit their final proposals to the federal government on Monday.