Spencer Van Dyk

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 Spencer Van Dyk.

Transport minister won’t guarantee prices won’t go up after airport privatization, promises fees will be ‘partially regulated’

Transport minister won’t guarantee prices won’t go up after airport privatization, promises fees will be ‘partially regulated’

Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon won’t guarantee the cost to fly won’t go up for travellers if the federal government follows through on its plan to privatize Canada’s four largest airports but does promise an improved experience and partial regulation. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the federal government is seeking private investment to run Canada’s four major airports: Toronto-Pearson...

Time for people, governments to ‘wake up’ to AI existential threat: Bengio

Time for people, governments to ‘wake up’ to AI existential threat: Bengio

Yoshua Bengio, one of the “godfathers” of artificial intelligence, says there’s an urgent need for the world to “wake up” to the existential risks posed by AI technology, and urge governments to act. “The whole world is waking up to something that sounded like science fiction to most people,” said Bengio, the founder and scientific director of the Montreal Institute...

‘We should all be concerned’: Canada’s new ambassador to the EU says of increased Russian aggression in Europe

‘We should all be concerned’: Canada’s new ambassador to the EU says of increased Russian aggression in Europe

As alarm grows across Europe about growing Russian aggression towards NATO countries, Canada’s ambassador-designate to the European Union says Canada is right to be concerned because of its stake in the continent’s defence and security. “Canada is an ally through NATO and increasingly working with the European Union, and obviously we have a strong stake in this as well,” Jonathan...

‘I don’t need to do this’: Barton ‘compelled’ to help PM Carney land investment during inaugural summit - “I feel compelled, it’s a mission to drive and build this forward”

‘I don’t need to do this’: Barton ‘compelled’ to help PM Carney land investment during inaugural summit - “I feel compelled, it’s a mission to drive and build this forward”

Amid criticism from Conservatives over his appointment to chairperson of the federal agency responsible for attracting foreign investment to Canada, Dominic Barton says he felt “compelled” to help the prime minister ahead of his investment summit. “I’m volunteering for this, I don’t need to do it,” Barton said in an exclusive interview on CTV Power Play with Vassy Kapelos airing...

‘I welcome the president’s comments’: PM Carney responds to Trump update on Canada-U.S. trade deal

‘I welcome the president’s comments’: PM Carney responds to Trump update on Canada-U.S. trade deal

Amid comments from U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend that his administration could reach a trade deal with Canada “fairly soon,” Prime Minister Mark Carney says he still has hope. In an interview with Bloomberg on Monday, when asked for an update on negotiations with the U.S., Carney reiterated what he has said several times in recent weeks: that...

‘I don’t think so’: Smith says referendum won’t handicap her at investment summit

‘I don’t think so’: Smith says referendum won’t handicap her at investment summit

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith insists the upcoming referendum in her province — with a question on the possibility of separation from Canada — will not impede her ability to pitch investors at the prime minister’s upcoming summit. Mark Carney’s two-day inaugural Canada Investment Summit is being pitched as a way to court $1 trillion in investment over the next five...

‘Start being serious’: Carney message to Trump administration amid ramped-up rhetoric

‘Start being serious’: Carney message to Trump administration amid ramped-up rhetoric

Prime Minister Mark Carney is calling on U.S. officials to quit the online attacks and take trade discussions more seriously, amid broken-down talks and increased acrimony between the two countries. Carney made the comments in Ottawa on Tuesday when answering reporters’ questions following a trio of byelection victories Monday night. “And when the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade...

Jason Kenney on Conservative leadership aspirations as MPs doubt Pierre Poilievre’s future

Jason Kenney on Conservative leadership aspirations as MPs doubt Pierre Poilievre’s future

Former federal Conservative cabinet minister and Alberta premier Jason Kenney is throwing cold water on the possibility of a party leadership run, as Conservative MPs privately question Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s future at the helm. Asked in an interview on The Graham Richardson Show on Friday whether he would run to replace Poilievre is the opportunity arose, Kenney said: “No.”...

Canada reveals newly added items to list of U.S. counter-tariffs

Canada reveals newly added items to list of U.S. counter-tariffs

The federal government is replacing its counter-tariffs on seafood with 50 per cent levies on a series of other American goods, according to Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s office. “This decision was made in the interest of strengthening Canada’s sectors and our tariff response — and to better match the American tariffs dollar for dollar, rate for rate,” Champagne’s press secretary...

Canada outlines U.S. counter-tariffs on products like makeup, smartphones, changes to EI

Canada outlines U.S. counter-tariffs on products like makeup, smartphones, changes to EI

From makeup to smartphones to kitchen appliances, the federal government is laying out its plan to hit the U.S. with dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs that will impact around 700 different American products, while also announcing supports for Canadian workers and businesses, such as temporary changes to employment insurance. The tariffs will be imposed on $27.6 billion worth of U.S. imports with tariffs...

EU again delays proposed travel requirements for Canadians. What you should know

EU again delays proposed travel requirements for Canadians. What you should know

After years of delays, the European Union has once again pushed back a new travel requirement. The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) — a new travel authorization for visa-exempt travellers to 30 European countries — no longer has an official launch date, according to the latest update. “The European Union has pushed back the previous late-2026 launch and...

LeBlanc heading to Washington this week amid tense Canada-U.S. relations

LeBlanc heading to Washington this week amid tense Canada-U.S. relations

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is headed to Washington, D.C., this week for meetings, a spokesperson for his office tells CTV News. He’ll be joined by Canada’s chief trade negotiator to the United States, Janice Charette. The trip comes amid new tensions in the nearly 18-month trade war, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening another slate of tariffs last week...

Canadians divided over Alto high-speed rail as government priority: Nanos survey

Canadians divided over Alto high-speed rail as government priority: Nanos survey

Canadians are evenly split on whether they believe the proposed Alto high-speed rail project should be a government priority, according to the latest data from Nanos Research, commissioned by CTV News. The multi-billion-dollar infrastructure project would connect Quebec City to Toronto and promises to cut travel times between those cities in half. The federal government recently concluded its 100-day public...

‘Not looking for my pen’: Carney not expecting resolution or ‘any drama’ on CUSMA deadline

‘Not looking for my pen’: Carney not expecting resolution or ‘any drama’ on CUSMA deadline

Prime Minister Mark Carney says he doesn’t expect any resolution Wednesday to the ongoing talks about whether to renew or review the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. “We’re expecting a constructive exchange,” Carney told reporters in Kuujjuaq, Que. on Tuesday ahead of an Inuit–Crown Partnership Committee meeting. “I wouldn’t expect any drama tomorrow. I’m not looking for my pen.”...

‘I think it’s up to you’: Hunter Biden on whether Canada-U.S. relationship tension is permanent

‘I think it’s up to you’: Hunter Biden on whether Canada-U.S. relationship tension is permanent

Hunter Biden says the ball is in Canada’s court when it comes to the state of the country’s relationship with the United States going forward. Former U.S. president Joe Biden’s son is back in the spotlight, but this time, for his sometimes-brutal honesty and no-holds-barred social media presence, including social media posts about Canada.

Canada’s top soldier says missile technologies from Russia are the country’s biggest threat

Canada’s top soldier says missile technologies from Russia are the country’s biggest threat

Asked what she believes is the primary threat Canada faces moving forward, the country’s top soldier is pointing to missiles developed with new technology coming from Russia. “The threat to our continent is mostly related to the new missile technologies and the new vehicles of delivery that Russia is developing,” Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan told CTV...

Hoekstra says Canada, U.S. ‘not anywhere near’ a deal ahead of CUSMA deadline

Hoekstra says Canada, U.S. ‘not anywhere near’ a deal ahead of CUSMA deadline

With little more than a week before the July 1 deadline to either renew or review the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra says officials are nowhere near the finish line. “We’re not anywhere close to announcing any type of a framework or an interim agreement,” Hoekstra told CTV News chief political correspondent Vassy Kapelos in a wide-ranging...

Canada unveils nuclear strategy, promises to become energy superpower

Canada unveils nuclear strategy, promises to become energy superpower

Promising to “unlock (Canada’s) full potential as an energy superpower,” the federal government unveiled its new Nuclear Energy Strategy on Monday. The 23-page strategy is structured around four pillars: enabling new builds, being a supplier and exporter of choice, expanding uranium production and nuclear fuel opportunities, and developing new nuclear innovations. The Liberal government signalled earlier this year that the...

‘A deep reverence for Parliament’: MacKinnon defends PM Carney’s no-shows in question period

‘A deep reverence for Parliament’: MacKinnon defends PM Carney’s no-shows in question period

Government House leader Steven MacKinnon is defending the prime minister’s commitment to parliamentary procedure, as Conservatives highlight Mark Carney’s lack of attendance during question period in the House of Commons this year. On Tuesday, Conservative MPs held a press conference on Parliament Hill to present a cake marking Carney’s 100 missed question periods. According to the Conservatives, of the 10...

Conservative MP accelerates resignation, stepping down this summer

Conservative MP accelerates resignation, stepping down this summer

Longtime Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall will be stepping down at the end of August, fast-tracking her leave from Parliament after she announced last summer she wouldn’t run in the next election. “Although my intent when I first announced my plans to step down as the MP for Yorkton-Melville was to continue to represent the wonderful people of our riding until...

‘It’s all going to be OK,’ Canada’s U.S. ambassador says ahead of CUSMA deadline

‘It’s all going to be OK,’ Canada’s U.S. ambassador says ahead of CUSMA deadline

With the deadline for Canada, the United States and Mexico to either renew or review their trilateral trade deal just two weeks away, Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Mark Wiseman is urging people not to stress. “Everybody take a deep breath, relax, it’s all going to be OK,” he said Monday during a fireside chat with BMO Financial Group CEO...

‘Kids just aren’t on the bargaining table’: Miller insists Canada won’t capitulate to Trump on social media ban

‘Kids just aren’t on the bargaining table’: Miller insists Canada won’t capitulate to Trump on social media ban

Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller insists the federal government will not capitulate to the U.S. administration and back down on the legislation he says is aimed at protecting children from the potential harms of the internet. “Kids just aren’t on the bargaining table. Hard stop,” Miller told CTV Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an interview airing Sunday...

WestJet ‘strongly opposes’ Ottawa’s loan proposal amid rising fuel costs

WestJet ‘strongly opposes’ Ottawa’s loan proposal amid rising fuel costs

A WestJet spokesperson says the company “strongly opposes” the federal government’s offer to dole out loans to airlines, amid the still-ongoing conflict in the Middle East and resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz causing a spike in fuel prices. “The government faces a choice: continue with costly and market distorting subsidies or build a sustainable future for Canadian aviation,”...

‘It’s not a real referendum’: Former PM Chretien on Alberta separation question ahead of October vote

‘It’s not a real referendum’: Former PM Chretien on Alberta separation question ahead of October vote

Former prime minister Jean Chretien says while he’s “not too worried” about the independence movement in Alberta and fall referendum with a question on separation, he would caution officials against being too complacent with the issue. Chretien spoke with CTV News senior political correspondent Mike Le Couteur ahead of the installation of Canada’s 31st Governor General Louise Arbour — who...

‘The story is wrong’: Liberal caucus chair defends Carney amid reports of yelling at MPs

‘The story is wrong’: Liberal caucus chair defends Carney amid reports of yelling at MPs

Liberal Caucus Chair James Maloney is vehemently denying the prime minister has a caucus management problem, pushing back on reporting from this week citing unnamed Liberal MPs accusing Mark Carney of being dismissive of the concerns they were raising, and yelling. Several MPs told the Toronto Star this week that Carney has a penchant for lashing out at caucus members...

‘This agreement is highly beneficial’: LeBlanc wants CUSMA renewed as Trump revives 51st state threat

‘This agreement is highly beneficial’: LeBlanc wants CUSMA renewed as Trump revives 51st state threat

In a letter to his counterparts in the United States and Mexico, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he wants to renew the countries’ trilateral trade deal for another 16 years and opt out of an annual review process. “This agreement is highly beneficial to each of our countries and to the integrated North American economy,” LeBlanc wrote in a...

Sweden’s PM jokes about Canada joining the EU, says it’s a ‘very welcoming club’

Sweden’s PM jokes about Canada joining the EU, says it’s a ‘very welcoming club’

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson joked there may be a place for Canada in the European Union to join “like-minded” nations as “the most Nordic country in the world outside the Nordics.” “European Union is obviously a matter of geography, you can hear that from the name,” Kristersson told CTV Question Period host Vassy Kapelos when asked for his opinion...

Hillman doesn’t think CUSMA will ‘go away,’ says scrapping it would be ‘phenomenally disruptive’

Hillman doesn’t think CUSMA will ‘go away,’ says scrapping it would be ‘phenomenally disruptive’

Former Canadian ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman doesn’t think CUSMA is going anywhere, despite the fast-approaching deadline to review the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement and the rhetoric employed by Trump administration trade officials. “I personally do not believe that the agreement will go away, and (the U.S. trade representative) has said that,” Hillman told CTV Question Period host Vassy Kapelos...

‘I’m not the only one who’s uncomfortable’: Guilbeault in his own words on why he quit
Canada to implement new border measures amid Ebola outbreak

Canada to implement new border measures amid Ebola outbreak

The federal government is putting new border measures in place to prevent Ebola cases from spreading to Canada, as the number of cases continues to rise in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan. Starting this week, people travelling from the affected regions will have to self-isolate for 21 days. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is...

Climate caucus to meet Monday amid concerns about environmental backsliding

Climate caucus to meet Monday amid concerns about environmental backsliding

The federal Liberal climate caucus will meet Monday night, amid reporting several of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s MPs are concerned he’s backsliding on environmental commitments, sources tell CTV News. Sources also say Canadian Climate Institute president Rick Smith will attend the meeting to speak with MPs. The meeting comes amid reporting from Radio-Canada that more than a dozen MPs sent...

‘Yes, I do’: Alberta Premier Smith promises not to hold later separation referendum if remain side wins October vote

‘Yes, I do’: Alberta Premier Smith promises not to hold later separation referendum if remain side wins October vote

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith promises that if the remain side of October’s referendum wins, she will “listen to the will of the people,” and not hold another later referendum on independence. < is this a quote? Smith announced this week that a question on independence will be added to the already-set Oct. 19 referendum in Alberta. It will not, however...

China ‘trying to move the goal posts’: Conservative MP visits Taiwan

China ‘trying to move the goal posts’: Conservative MP visits Taiwan

Conservative MP and parliamentary foreign affairs committee vice-chair, Michael Chong says China is attempting to “move the goal posts” by trying to prevent Canadian officials from visiting Taiwan. Chong, who is also the Conservative foreign affairs critic, is in Taiwan this week to meet with Taiwanese officials, including Lai Ching-te, president of the Republic of China Taiwan. Several delegations of...

Alberta Premier Smith open to southern route for potential pipeline to West Coast

Alberta Premier Smith open to southern route for potential pipeline to West Coast

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she’s open to a southern route — or one that runs along the Trans Mountain Expansion Project — for a potential pipeline that would transport oil from her province to the West Coast. Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Friday they’ve reached a deal on an industrial carbon price, a critical piece of their...

PM Carney to announce national electricity strategy Thursday: sources

PM Carney to announce national electricity strategy Thursday: sources

Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to announce the federal government’s long-delayed clean electricity strategy on Thursday, according to senior federal sources. The strategy -- dubbed the National Electricity Agenda -- will lay out a plan to double Canada’s electricity grid capacity by 2050, sources say, amounting to the biggest buildout of the national grid in Canada’s history. The plan...

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith to resign federal seat this summer following GTA nomination loss

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith to resign federal seat this summer following GTA nomination loss

Despite losing a nomination contest to run for the Ontario Liberals over the weekend, federal Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith says he plans to follow through on his plan to resign his seat in the House of Commons before MPs rise for the summer. “I am going to resign my seat by the end of the parliamentary session to ensure that...

‘I’m tired of being a punching bag for that crowd’: Jason Kenney on Alberta voter data leak

‘I’m tired of being a punching bag for that crowd’: Jason Kenney on Alberta voter data leak

Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney says he believes he should pursue legal options to hit back at the members of a separatist group who shared his personal information online. “Personally, I’m tired of being a punching bag for that crowd, and I think there needs to be consequences,” Kenney told CTV Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an interview airing...

PM Carney waiting on committee report before decision on MAID expansion for mental illness

PM Carney waiting on committee report before decision on MAID expansion for mental illness

Prime Minister Mark Carney says he isn’t in any rush to make a decision on access to medical assistance in dying for people whose sole condition is mental illness, after reports the federal government is prepared to table legislation to pause the expansion based on committee recommendation. Eligible Canadians have had access to MAID since 2016, with amendments made to...

Trump pipeline approval shows U.S., Canada ‘still can get things done’: Wyoming governor

Trump pipeline approval shows U.S., Canada ‘still can get things done’: Wyoming governor

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon says the potential pipeline expansion project U.S. President Donald Trump approved last week is a positive sign of “cross-border communication” and co-operation, after more than a year of tension stemming from the trade war. Last week, Trump signed an order authorizing the Bridger Pipeline Expansion, a proposed project that would revive portions of the cancelled Keystone...

‘As the rules-based order ... is rebuilt, it will be rebuilt in Europe,’ PM Carney explains focus on Europe

‘As the rules-based order ... is rebuilt, it will be rebuilt in Europe,’ PM Carney explains focus on Europe

Canada is sending more military aid to Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russia. Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, on Monday, saying Canada will contribute about $270 million toward critical military capabilities, drawn from NATO’s prioritized list of needs for Ukraine. The funding adds to more than...

Colorado governor says waiting until midterms to negotiate with Trump unlikely to make difference

Colorado governor says waiting until midterms to negotiate with Trump unlikely to make difference

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis says Canada likely won’t gain much by waiting on the November midterms to ramp up trade negotiations with the U.S. administration, because it’s unlikely Congress will be able to put enough pressure on the president to make a difference. As the July 1 deadline to review the trilateral trade deal between Canada, the United States and...

What PM Carney is saying about affordability the day before the spring economic update

What PM Carney is saying about affordability the day before the spring economic update

On the eve of his first spring economic update, Prime Minister Mark Carney insists his government is focused on “doing more than one thing at one time” to increase affordability for Canadians. Carney made the comments in Ottawa Monday, speaking to reporters following his announcement that his government is creating Canada’s first national sovereign wealth fund. A sovereign wealth fund...

O’Toole says China not a replacement for U.S., disagrees with PM Carney on EV deal

O’Toole says China not a replacement for U.S., disagrees with PM Carney on EV deal

Former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole is cautioning the prime minister that despite the need to diversify trade, China is not a substitute for the United States. O’Toole has been tapped to join Prime Minister Mark Carney’s 24-member Canada-U.S. Advisory Committee, unveiled this week as a formal review of the countries’ trilateral trade deal with Mexico fast approaches. More than a...

Greer says Canada and U.S. trade systems ‘don’t fit together very well’

Greer says Canada and U.S. trade systems ‘don’t fit together very well’

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says there is a gap between the Canada and U.S. administrations’ trade philosophies. Greer made the comments at a U.S. House Ways and Means Committee hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade agenda on Wednesday. “They’ve done this, but overall they’ve indicated that they want to be trading more, they want to have more trade...

Energy, climate think tank urges PM Carney to reach industrial carbon price agreement with Alberta

Energy, climate think tank urges PM Carney to reach industrial carbon price agreement with Alberta

An energy and climate policy-focused think tank is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to deliver results on a slate of “critical” issues related to the federal government’s memorandum of understanding with Alberta, namely the industrial carbon pricing system. “This is the most important element of the (memorandum of understanding, or MOU),” wrote Chris Severson-Baker, the executive director of the Alberta-based...

LeBlanc accuses U.S. of weaponizing dependency, says feds want CUSMA to stay intact

LeBlanc accuses U.S. of weaponizing dependency, says feds want CUSMA to stay intact

Despite accusing the United States of weaponizing the deep integration of its economy with Canada’s, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he “absolutely” wants the trilateral trade deal including Mexico to remain intact. “We’ve become overly dependent on one trading partner who has turned around, as the prime minister has also said, and weaponized that very dependency or integration against...

Poilievre says PM Carney ‘squandered Canada’s leverage’ with U.S. in response video

Poilievre says PM Carney ‘squandered Canada’s leverage’ with U.S. in response video

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is again urging the prime minister to sign a tariff-free trade deal with the United States, following a video by Mark Carney Sunday calling Canada’s former strength, built on its bond with America, a “weakness” that must be corrected. In his own video released on Monday — paralleled with Carney’s address, seeing both leaders sitting in...

Still no timeline to conclude F-35 fighter jet purchase review more than a year after launch

Still no timeline to conclude F-35 fighter jet purchase review more than a year after launch

Defence Minister David McGuinty is still without a timeline for the now-yearlong review into the purchase of dozens of F-35 fighter jets, telling reporters in Ottawa Monday that it’s ongoing. “What it says, I hope, for Canadians, is that we’re being very responsible,” McGuinty said, when asked whether the review is being delayed because the Canadian government is worried about...

Canada has 30% chance of entering recession, former Bank of Governor predicts

Canada has 30% chance of entering recession, former Bank of Governor predicts

A former Bank of Canada governor is predicting Canada has about a 30 per cent chance of falling into a recession, amid growing global economic pressures. The ongoing war in the Middle East — with blockades in the Strait of Hormuz and damage to production facilities — is taking a striking toll on the global economy, sending fuel prices soaring...

Finland’s Stubb says he’s most ‘pro-American’ European leader amid Trump criticism of allies

Finland’s Stubb says he’s most ‘pro-American’ European leader amid Trump criticism of allies

Finnish President Alexander Stubb says he’s “the most pro-American president in Europe,” despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s persistent criticisms of Western allies and global trade system disruption. Stubb made the comments in an interview on CTV Question Period while he was in Ottawa for the first visit to Canada by a Finnish president in 12 years. In the interview, which...

Carney Liberals to table spring economic update April 28

Carney Liberals to table spring economic update April 28

The federal government is set to table its spring economic update on April 28, the one-year anniversary of the Liberals’ general election win, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne told the House of Commons Tuesday. It will be Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first since his cabinet flipped the release schedule for its budgets and fiscal updates. The document will give the latest...

PM Mark Carney’s majority is official: what it means for Parliament

PM Mark Carney’s majority is official: what it means for Parliament

Today is the first day Prime Minister Mark Carney will be heading to Parliament Hill with his newly minted majority government. Winning all three seats that were up for grabs in Monday’s byelections, the federal Liberals are entering a new era. What will this mean for federal political dynamics, the timing of the next federal election, and passing policy? Here’s...

PM Mark Carney’s Liberals win majority government after sweeping all 3 federal byelections

PM Mark Carney’s Liberals win majority government after sweeping all 3 federal byelections

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals secured a majority government after clinching all three federal byelections held on Monday night. Nearly a year after last April’s minority government win and on the heels of courting five opposition MPs to cross the floor, Carney’s grip on power just got tighter. In the Liberals’ first win of the night in University-Rosedale, Ont., candidate...

‘Light on and a door open’ for all who support ‘immutable’ Liberal principles: MacKinnon

‘Light on and a door open’ for all who support ‘immutable’ Liberal principles: MacKinnon

Following the surprise floor-crossing of longtime Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu to the Liberal benches, Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon won’t say whether there’s a red line on which defecting MPs the Liberals will or won’t bring into their caucus. On Wednesday Gladu became the fifth MP — and fourth Conservative — to cross the floor and join the Liberals in...

Plenty of ‘unhappy people’ in Conservative caucus: floor-crossing MP d’Entremont

Plenty of ‘unhappy people’ in Conservative caucus: floor-crossing MP d’Entremont

Liberal MP Chris d’Entremont, who crossed the floor from the Conservatives in November, says current Conservative MPs have “absolutely” asked him what it’s like being a Liberal. “They want to know what the caucus structure is, what we talk about, what kind of input that we have in decision making,” d’Entremont told host Mike Le Couteur in an interview on...

U.S. trade rep says unlikely CUSMA review deadline will be met

U.S. trade rep says unlikely CUSMA review deadline will be met

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says while it’s unlikely the U.S. administration will hash out all of its trade issues with Canada and Mexico by July 1, he’s optimistic they’ll be resolved as soon as possible. “I think that we aren’t probably going to be able to resolve all issues by July 1, but I think we are on track...

‘They used to think big’: transport minister slams Conservatives’ criticism of high-speed rail

‘They used to think big’: transport minister slams Conservatives’ criticism of high-speed rail

Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon is pushing back on the Conservatives’ calls to cancel the proposed high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City. Construction on the multi-billion-dollar infrastructure project, overseen by the Crown corporation Alto, is set to begin in 2029 or 2030. But, speaking to reporters this week, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called the project a “boondoggle” and...

Environment minister won’t commit to 2030 target for industrial carbon price in MOU

Environment minister won’t commit to 2030 target for industrial carbon price in MOU

Environment and Climate Change Minister Julie Dabrusin will not reveal whether the Alberta-Ottawa memorandum of understanding sets a target date of 2030 by which the province will hike its industrial carbon price to $130 a tonne. In November, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed a major new energy co-operation agreement, outlining the conditions that need to...

Carney won’t say whether Michael Ma will face consequences for China forced labour comments

Carney won’t say whether Michael Ma will face consequences for China forced labour comments

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Liberal MP Michael Ma has apologized for comments he made last week seemingly questioning the issue of forced labour in China, and would not say whether he will face consequences. “Mr. Ma has apologized for his comments, as he should have,” Carney told reporters during a housing announcement with Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto...

Canada, Saab still in ‘intensive’ talks, but no decision made on fighter jets purchase: Saab CEO

Canada, Saab still in ‘intensive’ talks, but no decision made on fighter jets purchase: Saab CEO

The CEO of the Swedish manufacturing company Saab says there are still “intensive” talks underway with the Canadian government around the potential purchase of Gripen fighter jets, but that he has no timeline for when Canada will finish its review of the American-made F-35s. The federal government launched a review a year ago of its plan to purchase dozens of...