Politics

By Jack Farrell The Canadian Press Posted November 26, 2025 6:07 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her United Conservative Party caucus isn’t afraid to defend its record as its faces more than a dozen recall petition campaigns. Smith says that’s especially true for two of her ministers, saying their accomplishments speak for themselves.She says Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides has overseen more funding for schools than any government in history, while Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally has made doing business easier by cutting red tape. ...

A new oilsands pipeline to the northern B.C. coast is a non-starter as long as oil tankers are forbidden there, but experts say a removal of the federal ban would only lift one of many obstacles deterring the private sector from such a project. Media reports say the federal and Alberta governments are poised to announce a memorandum of understanding Thursday, affirming support for a pipeline alongside emissions-reducing measures.The agreement reportedly includes exemptions to the tanker ban, which has been law since 2019.Warren Mabee, director of the Queen’s University Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy, said the possible MOU would be a “policy document” of sorts that’s subject to change and non-binding, but nonetheless significant.“The fact that … the prime minister is throwing...

Descrease article font size Increase article font size The federal government is giving $500 million in loan guarantees to softwood lumber industry and placing limits on imported foreign steel as the two sectors reel under tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday. Ottawa is cutting back on steel imports from countries that do not have a free trade agreement with Canada from 50 per cent to 20 per cent of last year’s levels.“This will open up more than $850 million in new domestic demand for Canadian steel,” Carney said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when ...

The prosecutor who recently took over the Georgia election interference case against President Donald Trump and others said in a court filing Wednesday that he has decided not to pursue the case further. Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, took over the case last month from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who was removed over an “appearance of impropriety” created by a romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she chose to lead the case.After Skandalakis’ filing, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee issued a one-paragraph order dismissing the case in its entirety.It was unlikely that legal action against Trump could have moved forward while he is president. But 14 other defendants still faced charges, in...

Canadians understand that energy security, economic security and national security are linked, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Wednesday when asked about Ottawa’s proposed energy agreement with Alberta. “Canada can be an energy superpower, both in conventional and clean energy. But I would let the major project office do its work. That’s why they’re there. There’s well-established process,” Champagne said, referring to the new federal entity overseeing major infrastructure projects.“I think that Canadians understand better now than ever the nexus between energy security, economic security, national security. I think we can do that as a nation in consultation, respecting jurisdiction, and at the same time looking at what’s in the best interest of Canada,” he said.When aske...

Descrease article font size Increase article font size Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday his recent reply to a question about the state of trade talks with the U.S. — “Who cares?” — amounted to “a poor choice of words.” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre hammered the prime minister over his comment during question period in the House of Commons Tuesday.“Before the election he promised ‘elbows up.’ After, it was, ‘Who cares?’ Before the election, he said the tariffs were an ‘existential crisis.’ Now he says they’re not a burning issue,” Poilievre said.“Why is the prime minister before the election so much different than the one after?”Carney walked back the comments he made over the weekend in response.“On the night of the election … I ...

A growing number of recall efforts against sitting MLAs in Alberta is raising pressure on Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party. Elections Alberta on Monday approved recall petitions for six more UCP caucus members, bringing the total number of MLAs facing potential removal to nine.The group includes members of Smith’s cabinet and the Speaker of the Alberta legislature.Although the petitioners face an uphill battle to successfully get the MLAs removed from office, the fact it’s happening at this volume speaks to the populist groundswell in Alberta and around the world, political experts say, combined with anger at Smith’s government in particular.It may also make other jurisdictions think twice about following in the footsteps of Alberta and B.C., which are the only two provin...

Pierre Poilievre has tapped a veteran Conservative campaigner to help steer the party through the next federal election. Steve Outhouse, an affable Nova Scotian with deep roots in the federal Conservatives as well as provincial Tory parties, will serve as Poilievre’s campaign manager in the next federal campaign. It will be Outhouse’s first time running the national campaign.Outhouse replaces Jenni Byrne, who publicly announced in August she would not continue in the role after last April’s election loss. Byrne told Global News Monday that she will remain as an adviser to both Poilievre and the party, and that she has spoken to Outhouse.He joins Poilievre’s team at an interesting time for the party — still polling near 40 per cent support, but lagging behind the Liberals. Poilievre has als...

For a project he says “doesn’t actually exist,” there was a lot British Columbia Premier David Eby had to say about a potential pipeline from Alberta to B.C.’s northern coast, in a phone call with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday. There should be a ban on public spending on the project, he said. Or a cap. Or, if it goes ahead with taxpayer money, then B.C. should also get a “$50-billion federally funded project.”Eby also said he told Carney “how unacceptable” it was for Alberta and Saskatchewan to talk with the federal government about the proposal without input from his province.“This is not something that would happen to Quebec,” Eby said Monday at an unrelated news conference in Victoria.“This is not something that would happen to other provinces in the federation. I don’t know why ...

Nine members of Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party caucus are now facing recall petitions – enough to potentially tip the balance of power in the legislature. Elections Alberta confirmed Monday that signature collection efforts can begin for six more UCP members, including cabinet ministers Rajan Sawhney, Myles McDougall, Dale Nally and R.J. Sigurdson.Petitions were also issued for Ric McIver, Speaker of the house, and Muhammad Yaseen, associate minister for multiculturalism.The approvals follow petitions recently approved for Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, backbencher Nolan Dyck and deputy Speaker Angela Pitt. 1:50 3rd Alberta legislature member, Nolan Dyck, target of...