The Buzz Nov 7 2026: Beyond the Budget Day Noise

The Buzz Nov 7 2026: Beyond the Budget Day Noise

Welcome to the weekend and welcome to The Buzz.

For most Canadians, the hope in the government’s budget Thursday was to find some relief for the affordability crisis. Did they find it? Liberals claimed it was there, through many specific areas. Conservatives and the other opposition parties riddled the budget with their views that the government had failed in its mission.

If that sounds familiar to most budget day reactions, you would be correct in that thinking. I don’t recall a budget in the many I’ve covered where the opposition leapt to its feet and hollered “That’s a great budget!”

But put the politics aside for a moment and consider a couple of pieces that try to assess this budget on its merits and shortcomings. First up, a brief rundown of the highlights from the Canadian Press:

Budget 2026: Liberals pin tax changes, billions in spending on 'economic sovereignty'

Okay, now some analysis of what’s behind the budget thinking.

What are Mark Carney and his majority government trying to achieve with this document full of billion-dollar promises? Aaron Wherry of the CBC puts his mind to that:

Mark Carney's quiet revolution rests on investment and affordability

The other big story of the past week was, of course, the U.S. midterm elections.

Modest observers had come to the conclusion before the vote was counted that it was going to be a good night for the Democrats and a bad one for Trump’s Republicans. But it was a lot more than that. Trump was beaten so badly that even he had to admit he lost.

Here’s how Lisa Van Dusen wrote it in Policy:

It’s Morning in America. By all Means, Blame Canada.

So, what happens now?

Interesting take from former Harper cabinet minister James Moore in this piece he did for CTV News:

James Moore: Trump and tariffs had a bad night. A tariff deal makes little sense now

How did Trump and his party lose and lose so badly?

When did the collapse begin and what was going on behind the scenes? The New York Times had a great piece by two of its star journalists — yes, it’s behind a paywall, but as I’ve said many times, good journalism costs money to produce, and this is good journalism:

🔒 ‘I Have Seen the Enemy, and It Is Us’: Inside Team Trump’s Historic Collapse

Anyway you cut it, Trump is now a lame duck, but what could that mean for America and the world?

Foreign Affairs had this take:

The Dangers of a Lame-Duck Trump

Another former politician was writing this week as well.

Tom Mulcair used to be the NDP leader – he’s got byelections and Pierre Poilievre on his mind. He wrote this in the Montreal Gazette:

Mulcair: Poilievre faces existential test in December byelections

Time to promote our Bridge YouTube podcast from yesterday. That means Good Talk with Chantal Hebert and Bruce Anderson, which you can find here.

If you’ve been watching the constant demonstrations and protests taking place in Europe, and especially France, you’ve probably noticed that a lot of those taking part are young people.

But just how united are they in their cause? Is there a common goal amidst the shouting and bottle throwing? The BBC took a look at that:

Europe's youth is on the march - but does anything actually unite them?

It wasn’t just a bad night for Donald Trump the other night; it was also a tough one for his favourite TV Network, Fox News.

In fact, it’s been a difficult time for Fox for a while now. Why? The LA Times decided to try to find out:

Lachlan Murdoch says ‘viewer fatigue’ is cutting into Fox News ratings

We all know the difference generic drugs can make when they are available.

They’re cheaper, in some cases a lot cheaper than the original. There’s a process for releasing generics, but the question is, how long should the wait period be? The generic industry is trying different ways to make their case, including this opinion piece by the industry’s president in National Newswatch:

Canada can’t afford to keep lower-cost medicines off the market

Have you ever taken one of those ocean cruises in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean?

COVID scared me away from the idea, but tens of thousands are dedicated cruisers. Now, if you’re really dedicated, then you have probably heard about the cruise that lasts a lifetime. Sell your house, car, and everything else. Instead, book your room on the cruise that never ends. Or not. Check this out in The Guardian:

The cursed cruise: how the dream of never-ending luxury at sea became a nightmare

I can hear Celine Dion already. “My Heart Will Go On”.

That does it for this week. I was on the road a lot this week promoting my new book co-authored with Mark Bulgutch, “A Noble Profession”.

That was in Oakville Thursday night after stops in London and Toronto. The book is about teachers, and I’m back on the road again this morning – off to Winnipeg tonight, then Montreal, Halifax, Ottawa and Calgary in the days ahead.

The Canada Healthwatch report on Budget 2026 is in. You can read it here.

Meanwhile, The Buzz will be back in seven days. Stay safe.

The Buzz is a weekly publication from National Newswatch that shares insights and commentary on the week’s developments in politics, news and current affairs.