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Chrystia Freeland’s resignation as Canada’s finance minister and deputy prime minister triggered a week of political turmoil, with continuing calls for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign. If you missed the week’s news, here’s a timeline of what played out politically in Ottawa.On Monday, less than one hour before the scheduled start of a lock-up of journalists set to read the fall economic statement, Chrystia Freeland announced that she had stepped down as finance minister. Story continues below advertisement She was not the only minister to leave cabinet as Sean Fraser announced he would not be seeking re-election next year and would step down as housing minister.Freeland announced her dramatic departure in a letter she shared on the social media website...

Days after he called for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “to resign,” NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will put forward a “clear motion of non-confidence” in the next sitting of the House of Commons that could bring down the Liberal government. “The Liberals don’t deserve another chance. That’s why the NDP will vote to bring this government down, and give Canadians a chance to vote for a government who will work for them,” Singh wrote in a letter shared publicly on Friday morning.The NDP leader’s letter goes on to criticize Trudeau and his government, saying the prime minister “can’t fix health care,” build affordable homes or lower bills, and that Singh has “always fought for the people.”Singh’s statement comes after a week in which the Liberals saw two ministers step down, including...

Descrease article font size Increase article font size A cabinet shuffle is expected on Friday, capping off a chaotic week for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals that saw two ministers step down. Trudeau is scheduled to participate in a swearing-in ceremony for the new ministers at 11:30 a.m. eastern at Rideau Hall.This comes after Chrystia Freeland, in a surprise announcement on Monday, resigned as the finance minister on the same day she was supposed to present the fall economic statement.In her letter addressed to Trudeau, Freeland noted that in recent weeks, she has found herself increasingly “at odds” with the prime minister.Dominic LeBlanc, who is the current public safety minister and also leads intergovernmental affairs, wa...

Almost a week into the GST holiday, retailers and restaurant owners appear on track for a sales boost despite some of the struggles they faced implementing the temporary break. BMV Books owner Patrick Hempelmann says he’s seen an uptick in sales since the tax break began, particularly on higher-priced items.“The first two days, I think we were definitely busier than we otherwise would have been,” he said.For two months, a slew of items including children’s toys, snacks, wine and restaurant food are GST- or HST-free, depending on the province.The vice-president of federal government relations for the Retail Council of Canada, Matt Poirier, says Boxing Day in particular is expected to get a boost.However, he says businesses, including ones with older payment systems, have faced hurdles tryin...