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The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario has accepted Premier Doug Ford‘s ask to dissolve the legislature for an early election that will officially begin on Wednesday. The visit by the premier to the King’s representative to ask for dissolution is one of the final formalities before writs are issued and the campaign begins. The premier’s office said legislature’s dissolution will take effect at 4 p.m. Tuesday.The election campaign comes 16 months ahead of schedule and after close to a year of speculation that Ford would move early to capitalize on strong polling.Ahead of his visit to the lieutenant-governor, Ford confirmed he has already discussed an “economic action plan” with his cabinet — the reason he has claimed he needs to call an election.The Progressive Conservative Party leader has jus...

U.S. President Donald Trump still plans to enact 25 per cent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico starting this weekend, the White House said Tuesday. Speaking at the first press briefing of the new administration, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she had discussed the issue with Trump and does not believe the president has wavered from the Feb. 1 start date for those tariffs.“As far as I’m still tracking, and that was last night talking to the president directly, Feb. 1 is still on the books,” she said.Canadian officials have been mounting a full court press on the Trump administration to try and prevent the economically-damaging tariffs, including pitching enhanced trade and energy partnerships, while also preparing a potential response.Natural Resources Minister Jona...

Disinformation and misinformation campaigns represent an “existential threat” to Canadian democracy according to the foreign interference commission. Justice Marie-Josée Hogue’s final report on foreign interference in Canada found “information manipulation” poses the “single biggest threat to our democracy.” Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. “It is noxious, and it is powerful, it poses a major risk to Canadian democracy. If we do not find ways of addressing it, misinformation and disinformation have the ability to distort our discourse, change our views, and shape our society,” the report read.The Hogue commission’s sprawling 860...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will appoint a final group of senators to fill vacancies in the upper chamber before he resigns, his office confirmed to Global News on Monday. Parliament is currently prorogued until March 24 while the Liberals choose a new leader to succeed Trudeau, meaning the Senate and the House of Commons are not sitting and legislative business is on hold. That doesn’t prevent the appointment of new senators, however, and the Prime Minister’s Office says the selection process is underway.“The prorogation of Parliament does not affect the ability of the Governor General to appoint persons to the Senate on the advice of the Prime Minister,” the PMO said in a statement.“The Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments has provided or will provide the Prime Minister w...