Lack of flexibility, questions about long-term funding have been stumbling blocks in signing pharmacare deals, say some premiers

Seven provinces and two territories don’t yet have deals even though Prime Minister Mark Carey said last fall that his government is committed to signing more agreements.

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt, left, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, centre, and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe say they are all interested in discussing a pharmacare deal with the federal government, but any deal would have to respect each individual province’s unique needs and realities. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Lack of flexibility, questions about long-term funding have been stumbling blocks in signing pharmacare deals, say some premiers

NewsBY TESSIE SANCI

Seven provinces and two territories don’t yet have deals even though Prime Minister Mark Carey said last fall that his government is committed to signing more agreements.

Lack of flexibility, questions about long-term funding have been stumbling blocks in signing pharmacare deals, say some premiers

NewsBY TESSIE SANCI

Seven provinces and two territories don’t yet have deals even though Prime Minister Mark Carey said last fall that his government is committed to signing more agreements.

THE LATEST

With Liberals trying to ‘manufacture’ a reason for a snap spring election, election readiness top of mind for Conservatives, says campaign director Outhouse

NewsBY ABBAS RANA

Two new polls by Ekos Research and Leger are suggesting that the Liberals are ahead of the Conservatives by nine to 15 points.

With Liberals trying to ‘manufacture’ a reason for a snap spring election, election readiness top of mind for Conservatives, says campaign director Outhouse

NewsBY ABBAS RANA

Two new polls by Ekos Research and Leger are suggesting that the Liberals are ahead of the Conservatives by nine to 15 points.

Delegates tap eight new Conservative Party national councillors, as 10 incumbents are re-elected or acclaimed

NewsBY ABBAS RANA

All national councillors serve on a volunteer basis, but their roles are extremely influential as they are responsible for overseeing the management of the party’s affairs with the exception of fundraising and spending, which is overseen by the powerful Conservative Fund.

All national councillors serve on a volunteer basis, but their roles are extremely influential as they are responsible for overseeing the management of the

‘The best is yet to come’: Poilievre takes Conservative leadership vote with 87 per cent support after final pitch

NewsBY PETER MAZEREEUW

The Conservative leader promised that 'the best is yet to come' in his keynote address to an enthusiastic party faithful in Calgary ahead of the results.

The Conservative leader promised that 'the best is yet to come' in his keynote address to an enthusiastic party faithful in Calgary ahead of

Conservatives ‘ready to go’ in case of a snap election, says Conservative Fund chair Staley and MP Cooper

NewsBY ABBAS RANA

Conservatives are preparing for an election in case one is called this year, says Lionel Loganath, an Ontario candidate of record.

Conservatives are preparing for an election in case one is called this year, says Lionel Loganath, an Ontario candidate of record.

POLITICS THIS MORNING

Poilievre gets his verdict from the grassroots

The Conservative leader promised that 'the best is yet to come' in his keynote address to an enthusiastic party faithful in Calgary last night. He got the approval of more than 87 per cent of delegates at the convention to carry on as party leader.

BY PETER MAZEREEUW

OPINION & COLUMNISTS

Carney’s grand political plan

Mark Carney is both energizing his Liberal legions in the Eastern Canada while potentially making friends and allies in the Western Canada. It could all add up to a massive political power play. The Conservatives had better be ready to respond.

BY GERRY NICHOLLS

Opinion

BY JANICE MYERS

Solving Canada’s housing crisis starts with a reality check

Opinion

BY GWYNNE DYER

Iran an active case study on whether massacres work

Opinion

BY ANDREW CADDELL

Bravo to Carney for speaking the truth

Opinion

BY TIM POWERS

Learning to exhale when dealing with Trump

PODCAST: THE HOT ROOM

Rob Batherson debriefs on Poilievre’s leadership win and what’s next for Conservatives

NEWS

Conservatives to elect members of powerful national council today: Canada needs ‘Pierre Poilievre as the next prime minister, we’re united’

NewsBY ABBAS RANA

The newly elected 20-member national council will elect party president at its first meeting tomorrow.

Conservatives to elect members of powerful national council today: Canada needs ‘Pierre Poilievre as the next prime minister, we’re united’

NewsBY ABBAS RANA

The newly elected 20-member national council will elect party president at its first meeting tomorrow.

Industrial benefits policy needs a ‘relook,’ says ex-senior public servant, as Conservative MP pushes for contract records

NewsBY IREM KOCA

Treasury Board outlines more than 8,000 job cuts in first phases of public service revamp

NewsBY MARLO GLASS

Canada’s largest pension manager ‘backsliding’ on climate, risks being unable to pay out pensions: report

NewsBY ELEANOR WAND

Amid election speculation and Liberals’ rise in polls, Poilievre’s Conservatives congregate in Calgary for high-stakes leadership review

NewsBY ABBAS RANA

HILL LIFE & PEOPLE

Parliamentary Calendar

Conservatives converge on Calgary, cast ballots on Poilievre’s leadership at convention happening Jan. 29-31

Podcast

Sheila Copps on Greenland, a 2026 election, and the return of Parliament

feature

The Hill Times’ Top 100 Best Books in 2025

News

Who’s backing the NDP leadership contenders?

Podcast

Re-engaging with China, with Senator Yuen Pau Woo

Hill Times Tote Bag – Scribble Logo Black

Back To Parliament

Hill Times Tote Bag – Scribble Logo White

Policy Briefing – Infrastructure

HILL LIFE & PEOPLE

Return of the Parliamentarians, Part 2: PM Carney and the Hollander Fleece

FeatureBY STUART BENSON

Heated Rivalry-mania hit Ottawa on Jan. 29 to close out Day 2 of CMPA's Prime Time conference and Week 1 of 2026 parliamentary parties.

Return of the Parliamentarians, Part 2: PM Carney and the Hollander Fleece

FeatureBY STUART BENSON

Heated Rivalry-mania hit Ottawa on Jan. 29 to close out Day 2 of CMPA's Prime Time conference and Week 1 of 2026 parliamentary parties.

Artist Phil Richards calls his portrait of Stephen Harper ‘more insightful than your typical media snapshot’

FeatureBY CHRISTINA LEADLAY

POLITICS

Carney meets the premiers

FeatureBY PETER MAZEREEUW, RIDDHI KACHHELA, CHARELLE EVELYN

MPs celebrate canola tariff relief, but national security, pork, remain opposition concerns with China

NewsBY ELEANOR WAND

Federal public servants rally on Hill against job cuts

FeatureBY MARLO GLASS

Thailand throws national day party

FeatureBY SAM GARCIA

The premiers meet in Ottawa

FeatureBY PETER MAZEREEUW, RIDDHI KACHHELA

Plus, Sean Fraser defends his bail and sentencing bill at committee.

The premiers meet in Ottawa

FeatureBY PETER MAZEREEUW, RIDDHI KACHHELA

Plus, Sean Fraser defends his bail and sentencing bill at committee.

THE HILL TIMES NEWSPAPER

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

DOWNLOAD

Monday, January 26, 2026

DOWNLOAD

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

DOWNLOAD

OPINION & COLUMNISTS

Opinion

BY AMY MATYCHUK, CHARLOTTE SHEASBY

Canada’s correctional service is beyond reform

Opinion

BY WAHEED KHAN

Governments can do more to fight against Islamophobia

Opinion

BY HUGH CHOW

Empower hardtech innovators to step up to sovereignty threats

Honour Kirsty Duncan by calling a safe sport inquiry

OpinionBY EDITORIAL

Kirsty Duncan was tireless in her calls for safe sport reform, and that’s where those who wish to honour her legacy should focus.

Relinquishing one’s lunch to the schoolyard bully always only whets his appetite: letter writer

Opinion

Are programs in search of a policy or a Canadian housing system?

OpinionBY JIM DUNN, DUNCAN MACLENNAN, STEVE POMEROY

Canada’s housing crisis did not emerge overnight, and it will not be solved by any single initiative.

Are programs in search of a policy or a Canadian housing system?

OpinionBY JIM DUNN, DUNCAN MACLENNAN, STEVE POMEROY

Canada’s housing crisis did not emerge overnight, and it will not be solved by any single initiative.

Canada’s stale housing policies need renewal

OpinionBY CSG SENATOR CLÉMENT GIGNAC

Building codes are undermining the promise of modular housing

OpinionBY OLHA SOTSKA

EDITORIAL CARTOON BY DE ADDER

de Adder’s Take: 01-28-2026

de Adder’s Take: 01-26-2026

de Adder’s Take: 01-21-2026

Public Service

Treasury Board outlines more than 8,000 job cuts in first phases of public service revamp

Since the 2025 budget was tabled, more than 22,000 staff and 882 executives in 24 departments have been notified they may be affected by a workforce adjustment.

BY MARLO GLASS

Federal public servants rally on Hill against job cuts

BY MARLO GLASS

Bloc MP Perron condemns ‘ridiculous’ spending cuts that will shutter research farms across Canada

Agriculture and Agri-food Canada recently announced it’s closing several research centres that did work that farmers relied on, from developing new crop varieties, supporting pest management, and experimenting with new varieties of seeds.

BY MARLO GLASS

‘I will always be an advocate,’ says retiring Indigenous senior civil servant Gina Wilson after decades working to ‘bridge worlds’

Gina Wilson, recognized by her peers as Canada's first woman Indigenous deputy minister, often 'set the ball in motion' from behind the scenes to get action on important issues, says Senator Kim Pate.

BY ELEANOR WAND

Liberals ‘taking a sledgehammer’ to the public service, says interim NDP leader Davies

Approximately 8,500 public servants were notified this week that they may be impacted by potential job cuts, and more than 17,000 such notifications have gone out since December, public sector unions have confirmed.

BY MARLO GLASS

FOREIGN POLICY

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

PostBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

‘With or without you’: policy sovereignty in a Trumpian world

OpinionBY KEVIN LYNCH, PAUL DEEGAN

Japan salutes Canadian business ties

FeatureBY SAM GARCIA

Advancing the new China-Canada strategic partnership will need full implementation of the leaders’ consensus

OpinionBY WANG DI

Time to close the U.S. arms export loophole

OpinionBY ALEX NEVE

After Davos, Trump confronts an inflection point

OpinionBY GWYNNE DYER

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s remarkable speech at Davos said what many political and economic elites were thinking: don’t let the bullies win; fear is the mind-killer; stick together and you might win. Overnight the international mood changed.

After Davos, Trump confronts an inflection point

OpinionBY GWYNNE DYER

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s remarkable speech at Davos said what many political and economic elites were thinking: don’t let the bullies win; fear is the mind-killer; stick together and you might win. Overnight the international mood changed.

BOOKS, BIG IDEAS, Q&As

Canadian war photography historian looks into Vimy Ridge

FeatureBY KATE MALLOY

Carla-Jean Stokes' book about William Ivor Castle's work tells the stories behind the famous photographer's First World War photos, including the ones he manipulated.

Canadian war photography historian looks into Vimy Ridge

FeatureBY KATE MALLOY

Carla-Jean Stokes' book about William Ivor Castle's work tells the stories behind the famous photographer's First World War photos, including the ones he manipulated.

Reconciliation starts local, says author of guide book for non-Indigenous allies

FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY

Poilievre is a ‘classic political ripper,’ says author of new bestselling biography

FeatureBY KATE MALLOY

Bruce Fanjoy, the man who broke Poilievre’s spell on Carleton, Ont., says he won by door knocking and listening

NewsBY IREM KOCA

Pope Francis was one of the most ‘electrifying papacies in centuries,’ says author of book on pontiff’s life and influences

FeatureBY STEPHEN JEFFERY

Housing Minister Robertson ‘well regarded’ for municipal background, but needs a vision for housing, say sector experts

NewsBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

Canada is still nowhere near the level needed to make housing affordable for the middle class, and despite Robertson's municipal bonafides, the federal plan is still not well defined, say observers and critics.

Housing Minister Gregor Robertson said the Liberal government 'is making generational investments that will build our economy and make our communities stronger,' in a Jan. 19 press release announcing funds that have resulted in 59,000 housing units in communities across Canada. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Housing Minister Robertson ‘well regarded’ for municipal background, but needs a vision for housing, say sector experts

NewsBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

Canada is still nowhere near the level needed to make housing affordable for the middle class, and despite Robertson's municipal bonafides, the federal plan is still not well defined, say observers and critics.

Housing Minister Robertson ‘well regarded’ for municipal background, but needs a vision for housing, say sector experts

NewsBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

Canada is still nowhere near the level needed to make housing affordable for the middle class, and despite Robertson's municipal bonafides, the federal plan is still not well defined, say observers and critics.

Build Canada Homes is poised to make a generational investment in non-market and public housing—but will it?

OpinionBY MARC LEE

BCH’s planned 4,000 units over six sites is a good start, but falls well short of what’s needed.

Housing is reconciliation: why Canada must prioritize Indigenous housing

OpinionBY MARGARET PFOH

Housing is deeply interconnected with health outcomes, community safety, and economic participation.

Canada’s housing crisis isn’t just about building more—it’s about getting governments to talk to each other

OpinionBY ADRIAN SCHUT

Misalignment between federal, provincial, and municipal requirements causes delays that compound costs year after year.

Over the past few decades, Canada has become one of the most regulated places in the world to build housing, writes Adrian Schut. Unsplash photograph by Josh Olalde

Canada’s housing crisis isn’t just about building more—it’s about getting governments to talk to each other

OpinionBY ADRIAN SCHUT

Misalignment between federal, provincial, and municipal requirements causes delays that compound costs year after year.

Canada’s housing crisis isn’t just about building more—it’s about getting governments to talk to each other

OpinionBY ADRIAN SCHUT

Misalignment between federal, provincial, and municipal requirements causes delays that compound costs year after year.

This one policy could allow Canada to dramatically reduce land costs for affordable housing

OpinionBY COLIN O’LEARY, ACACIA PANGILINAN

An Affordable Housing Gifts program would remove barriers to companies and individuals looking to donate land to qualified Community Land Trusts.

Affordable housing is slipping away. Here’s how we get it back

OpinionBY REBECCA BLIGH

We can meet housing challenges, but only if every order of government and other key stakeholders work together with purpose and urgency.

A home is a human right: why inclusion must be built in

OpinionBY JANET FORBES, BEN ROWLEY

When the primary goal becomes building as many units as possible, as quickly as possible, the needs and rights of marginalized communities can be

THE LATEST POLICY BRIEFINGS

Housing: Modular and Affordable

DOWNLOAD

Environment

DOWNLOAD

The Hill Times’ 100 Best Books 2025

DOWNLOAD

features

Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony honours ‘debt we owe’ to victims, heroes

FeatureBY ANDREW MEADE

Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony honours ‘debt we owe’ to victims, heroes

FeatureBY ANDREW MEADE

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

PostBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

NDP MP McPherson tables bill to ban company unions

FeatureBY ELEANOR WAND

Former Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan remembered for her ‘warmth, kindness, and grace’

FeatureBY CHRISTINA LEADLAY

Carney meets Main—and maybe Captain Canada

FeatureBY PETER MAZEREEUW, RIDDHI KACHHELA

MPs return to Ottawa as Parliament resumes

FeatureBY ANDREW MEADE

Former Liberal minister Kirsty Duncan dies at 59

FeatureBY THE HILL TIMES STAFF

Cory Doctorow to talk his bestselling book, Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It, on Jan. 28 in Ottawa

FeatureBY CHRISTINA LEADLAY

Q&A | On Carney’s ‘brilliant’ speech, efforts to ‘neutralize’ China, and more with Sheila Copps

FeatureBY PETER MAZEREEUW

Parliamentary Calendar

Balsillie School for International Affairs hosts lecture on President Trump’s trade policies and upcoming CUSMA review on Jan. 22

Podcast

Mark Critch on Donald Trump, Canadian politics, and being TikTok famous

News

The Hill Times’ Top 100 Lobbyists in 2025: lobbyists prepare for ‘significant reset’ as federal election begins

News

Tracking job cuts in the federal public service

Podcast

Cut, not cap? The latest on public service downsizing, with Marlo Glass

Policy Briefing – Environment

Policy Briefing – EVs and EV Infrastructure

Policy Briefing – Health

Policy Briefing – Defence

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

PostBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

PostBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

A community for political junkies

The Hill Times subscribers are not your average Canadians, they don’t just want to
read the headlines, they want the full back story, the context and the implications.

EXCLUSIVE LISTS

Take The Hill Times year-end news quiz

First-quarter expenses: MPs spent nearly $28-million

This Parliament’s ethics roundup: blind trusts, recusals, gifts, and more

Take The Hill Times politics quiz

Carney government bills: tracking their progress into law

The number of sick days claimed by bureaucrats, broken down by department

Take The Hill Times politics quiz

MPs’ annual office budgets for 2025-26

Post

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

Post

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

Post

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

Post

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

Post

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

Post

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

Finance & Budget

Canada’s largest pension manager ‘backsliding’ on climate, risks being unable to pay out pensions: report

Last year, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board invested $7.1-billion in new fossil fuel assets and ‘quietly removed’ its public net-zero commitment, which Senator Rosa Galvez says means 'Canadian pensions are gambling with the retirement of millions of Canadians.'

BY ELEANOR WAND

Three measures to tackle ‘wicked’ health policy problems

With spending projections increasing while patients struggle to access care, it is well past time to tackle our health care problems.

BY AZIN PEYROW

Liberals ‘taking a sledgehammer’ to the public service, says interim NDP leader Davies

Approximately 8,500 public servants were notified this week that they may be impacted by potential job cuts, and more than 17,000 such notifications have gone out since December, public sector unions have confirmed.

BY MARLO GLASS

MPs face a choice this Parliament: play partisan games or meet the moment

As grocery bills soar and households struggle, Parliament’s return will reveal if politicians can produce real results—or remain trapped in procedure.

BY BHAGWANT SANDHU

House winter session expected to be ‘very consequential’ with affordability issues, global trade, and possible referendums, say politicos

If an election were held today, the Liberals would capture 41 per cent of voters, while the Conservatives would take 39 per cent, according to Abacus Data survey data released on Jan. 22.

BY JESSE CNOCKAERT

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

PostBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

A national supply chain strategy will require a holistic understanding of what the supply chain is, which is often misunderstood, according to Martin Montanti, president and CEO of Supply Chain Canada.

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

PostBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

A national supply chain strategy will require a holistic understanding of what the supply chain is, which is often misunderstood, according to Martin Montanti, president and CEO of Supply Chain Canada.

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

PostBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

A national supply chain strategy will require a holistic understanding of what the supply chain is, which is often misunderstood, according to Martin Montanti, president and CEO of Supply Chain Canada.

A national supply chain strategy will require a holistic understanding of what the supply chain is, which is often misunderstood, according to Martin

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

PostBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

A national supply chain strategy will require a holistic understanding of what the supply chain is, which is often misunderstood, according to Martin Montanti, president and CEO of Supply Chain Canada.

Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez said the national supply chain office “will enhance the resilience, efficiency, and reliability of our transportation systems,” in a Transport Canada press release on Dec. 1, 2023.

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

PostBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

A national supply chain strategy will require a holistic understanding of what the supply chain is, which is often misunderstood, according to Martin Montanti, president and CEO of Supply Chain Canada.

Supply chain strategy must go beyond transportation, says Supply Chain Canada president

PostBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

A national supply chain strategy will require a holistic understanding of what the supply chain is, which is often misunderstood, according to Martin Montanti, president and CEO of Supply Chain Canada.