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U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra on Thursday said Canada’s response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and rhetoric has not been “constructive” toward securing a new trade and security deal with the U.S. Speaking at a lunch event hosted by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Hoekstra said the phrase “elbows up,” used by Canadian politicians and the public to protest the U.S., is “anti-American” and took issue with the phrase “trade war” to describe the economic tension.“It is very, very difficult to find Canadians who are passionate about the American-Canadian relationship,” he said. “You ran a campaign where it was anti-American, ‘elbows up,’ ‘me too.’ It was an anti-American campaign. That has continued. That’s disappointing.“If you think that America is at war with Canada? No,...

The Conservatives introduced a law in the House of Commons on Thursday that would classify the killing of an intimate partner as a first-degree murder. The private members’ bill was introduced as the Conservatives signalled tackling crime will be a key part of their agenda this fall, with a motion also tabled on Thursday calling for a “three strikes” law to deny bail to repeat offenders.The motion, the first from the Conservatives this fall, says people convicted of three “serious” offences should not be barred from receiving bail, probation, parole or house arrest.Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre blamed the Liberals for laws he said “turn criminals loose on our streets so that they can offend and offend and reoffend with no consequences.”“...

The federal government’s request to Canada’s top court for limits on the notwithstanding clause isn’t only about Quebec’s secularism law, Justice Minister Sean Fraser said on Thursday. In a media statement, Fraser said he hopes the Supreme Court’s eventual decision “will shape how both federal and provincial governments may use the notwithstanding clause for years to come.”On Wednesday, Ottawa filed a factum — a written statement of fact and law — to the top court in the landmark case on Quebec’s Bill 21, better known as the secularism law. The law prohibits public sector workers in positions of authority — including teachers and judges — from wearing religious symbols on the job.Quebec invoked the notwithstanding clause — Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms — when it...

By Kyle Duggan The Canadian Press Posted September 18, 2025 3:02 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Prime Minister Mark Carney is appointing his principal secretary and former justice minister David Lametti as Canada’s next ambassador to the UN. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Lametti will replace former Liberal leader Bob Rae, who has held the role since 2020.The Prime Minister’s Office says Carney will also appoi...

Descrease article font size Increase article font size British Columbia Premier David Eby is in Ottawa to push the federal government for more investment in major infrastructure projects in the province, and it included dinner with the prime minister on Wednesday. The premier’s office said in a statement that Eby is leading a mission to Ottawa that will last until Thursday, and the itinerary includes a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney on priorities for B.C.’s economic growth.Eby said in the statement that while 40 per cent of the federal government’s nation-building projects are located in B.C., he will be talking with the federal government on other projects that should be considered in the next round of funding.Carney hosted Eby for a...

Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to sign a strategic partnership agreement with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum during his visit to Mexico, which starts Thursday. The agreement will cover infrastructure, trade, health, agriculture, emergency preparedness and security, senior government officials say.Carney’s two-day visit to Mexico City is happening as Ottawa seeks more trade with Mexico in response to the United States’ trade war, and as both countries brace for the renegotiation of the continental trade deal linking all three economies.It follows an August trip to Mexico by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne to discuss economic growth, security and trade. They were joined by a delegation of Canadian and Mexican business leaders...