Blog

In the lead-up to most elections, pollsters and pundits usually have a good idea of what is most likely to happen. We rely on signals beyond the popular vote race to form our assessments — signals like historical precedent, the mood of the electorate, economic performance, incumbency, inertia, and the desire for change.If these all point in the same direction and are reinforced by popular vote polling, the election is generally easier to call. The recent Ontario election is a good example of this: beyond the double-digit lead for the Progressive Conservatives in the polls at the outset of the campaign, 46 per cent believed the Ford government deserved re-election, 57 per cent approved of Doug Ford’s performance as premier, and Ford was named as best to lead on all the issues that mattered ...

Some former members of Edmonton city council are speaking out about the mayor of Alberta’s capital taking a leave of absence to attempt a political comeback at the federal level. Amarjeet Sohi’s term as mayor does not end until municipal elections are held in the fall, but he is temporarily stepping away from that job to run federally for the Liberal Party of Canada in the Edmonton-Southeast riding.In 2015, Sohi stepped away from his role as an Edmonton city councillor to make a successful run at getting elected as a Liberal MP, eventually being named to former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet. However, he lost his seat in 2019 and then ran a successful campaign to become mayor in 2021.Stephen Mandel, who from 2004 to 2013 served three terms as mayor of Edmonton before becoming a pr...

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that he “may give a lot of countries breaks” from the so-called “reciprocal” tariffs he’s set to impose on foreign trade next week. Trump made the comment after Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal reported Monday that what is meant to be a global matching of tariffs imposed on U.S. goods starting on April 2 — which Trump has touted as “Liberation Day” — may be far narrower and exempt some countries and specific sectors.“I may give a lot of countries breaks,” Trump said at an announcement at the White House when asked about the reports, but did not say specifically which ones.“We’ll be announcing some additional tariffs over the next few days, having to do with automobiles, cars, and having also to do with lumber down the road — lumber and (semicond...

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Danielle Smith is “free” to express her opinions on the U.S.-Canada trade war after the Alberta premier was accused of soliciting Donald Trump’s intervention in the federal election. Speaking to reporters in Brampton, Ont., Monday, Poilievre was asked if Smith’s recent comments to U.S. right-wing network Breitbart were “appropriate.”“People are free to make their own comments. I speak for myself,” Poilievre said before launching into an attack on the Liberals under Mark Carney.Smith provoked controversy on the eve of the federal election campaign after the audio of her appearance on a Breitbart podcast made the rounds on social media. In the clip, Smith seemed to suggest she asked the Trump administration to pause tariffs during Canada’s federal el...

Officials monitoring Canada’s federal election for foreign interference say they are focused on covert and deliberate efforts to interfere in the campaign — and that doesn’t include the public opinions shared by U.S. billionaire Elon Musk on social media. This year’s general election is the first to be held since revelations of foreign interference efforts in past campaigns led to new safeguards and procedures to monitor for, and warn the public about, attempts to meddle in elections.While officials say they are monitoring attempts to sow discord through social media, they made clear in a briefing Monday there’s a difference between that and individual free expression — no matter how influential that individual may be.“Mr. Musk, or anyone else working under him, does not fall into the cate...

Canadians are set to vote in a spring federal election on April 28 and, in addition to the threat of U.S. tariffs, taxes are top of mind for many voters amid a bigger cost of living strain. According to a recent Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News, nine per cent of respondents said taxes ranked as the top election issue for them.That’s in addition to 23 per cent who said affordability and the cost of living were the top issue for them. Another 15 per cent said relations with other countries, including concerns over trade, war, and global conflict, are the top issues. Healthcare ranked as the third most important issue for Canadians, with 14 per cent.Here’s what Canada’s federal political parties are promising for your taxes.Liberal Leader Mark Carney kicked off his party’s 202...