Canada boosts Ukrainian military training mission, but yet to match Kyiv’s ask for lethal weapons, sanctions
Canada came short of matching Kyiv’s appeals for help, announcing it is extending and expanding its military training mission to Ukraine, but defensive weapons and sectoral sanctions are not part of the assistance package. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) announced on Jan. 26 Operation Unifier would be extended for another three years. He also […]
Back in business: House Committees primed to play catch up with busy agendas
From grilling the head of Air Canada to embarking on pre-budget consultations to exploring the ethics of facial recognition technology, many House Committees will hit the ground running when Parliament returns at the end of the month. Committee work was disrupted during the previous Parliament, with many sitting dormant for six months starting in mid-March […]
In a NAFTA renegotiation team reunion, Freeland’s Finance Department adds Steve Verheul
The pair that is credited with saving Canada’s North American trade pact are reuniting in the Finance Department, as the chief negotiator of the new NAFTA, Steve Verheul, has joined Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s department. Widely praised across the partisan divide, Verheul has been called the “architect” and “brain” of Canada’s trade agenda. He left […]
RCMP union tours Alberta as province explores new police force, contract policing increasingly under microscope
The union representing nearly 20,000 Mounties is on a consultation tour of Alberta as the provincial government pushes the idea of establishing its own Alberta Provincial Police Force—one of a growing number of municipalities and provinces currently in contract policing arrangements with the RCMP examining the creation of their own local or provincial police forces. […]
Ukraine envoy ‘confident’ talks will lead to Canada meeting requests as Russian threat looms
Defensive weapons, increased sanctions, and an expansion of Canada’s training mission in Ukraine are at the top of Ukraine’s appeals to Ottawa for help in the face of a prospective Russian invasion, but for now Kyiv waits to see whether its requests will be met. However, a Conservative MP says Canada isn’t doing enough to […]
Address ‘badly funded’ WHO, build robust international institutions to tackle health and climate change, urges former PM Martin
Former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin on Tuesday called for stable, long-term funding for the World Health Organization and a greater role for health and environment ministers on the global stage, as part of a more collaborative approach to dealing with the two greatest threats facing humanity. That approach should follow the model set by […]
NDP caucus retreat brings renewed focus on health care and cost-of-living concerns ahead of House return
New Democrats ended their virtual caucus retreat with a plan for the party to push the Liberal government on cost of living and health-care capacity, a focus NDP MPs and political strategists say will resonate with Canadians but won’t replace the ground-game organizing needed to improve the party’s electoral fortunes. “You can’t just focus on […]
‘I can feel the level of anxiety in people’s voices’: Zoom fatigue, stressed-out constituents and threats, the lives of parliamentarians through the pandemic
Parliamentarians across Canada say they’ve experienced rising threats to their personal safety and increased difficulty connecting with their constituents during the pandemic. Liberal Member of Parliament Francis Drouin (Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, Ont.) said he admits he is tired of virtual work, but his own frustration pales in comparison to what he’s experienced from others who have reached a […]
Supply chain crisis and federal budget occupy agriculture sector in busy December
A supply chain crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and setting the groundwork in advance of this year’s federal budget, were among the major concerns of organizations representing the agriculture sector during one of the most advocacy-heavy Decembers on record. “There’s the labour shortage; the difficulties of accessing them up and down the produce supply […]
Upcoming carbon price increase to ‘pose some of the greatest challenges to the Trudeau government yet,’ argues Angus Reid’s Kurl
The federal carbon price is rising for a third time this April, reaching $50 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions, but amid high inflation and affordability anxiety one pollster suggests it may prove a challenge, and a test, for the Trudeau government to sell to Canadians. “The timing and amount of the upcoming federal carbon […]
