Politics

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s request for a review of the F-35 fighter jet contract — and opposition leaders’ calls to cancel the contract altogether — reflects the reality of souring relations and lost confidence in the U.S., some experts say, although others are worried about national security implications. Carney has asked Defence Minister Bill Blair to look into whether the deal with Lockheed Martin and the U.S. government, which would see 88 new planes purchased at a cost of roughly US$85 million each, is in the best interests of Canada.The review comes amid a growing trade war and U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Canada, which has sparked increasing retaliation from Canadian officials. There are also some concerns about having a Canadian fleet made up of U.S.-made planes...

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday it will take time to solve economic and security issues between Canada and the U.S. amid President Donald Trump’s trade war, warning no “magic” single meeting will “unlock things.” Carney is expected to hold his first conversation with Trump as prime minister in the coming days, as officials on both sides of the border continue talks on a broader trade relationship that Ottawa hopes will include exemptions from Trump’s punitive tariffs.Carney told reporters in Iqaluit those tariffs and other actions from the Trump administration have “called into question the validity” of free trade rules enshrined in the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which Trump negotiated during his first term.“That means that we should have a broader conversation ...

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Donald Trump’s threat to make Canada the 51st U.S. state is a “compliment,” but it’ll never happen. Ford shared his new take when speaking to reporters at Queen’s Park Tuesday, saying after his high-stakes meeting in Washington last week, the Americans aren’t “coming into our country to take over.”“I kind of flipped this around: what a compliment. We’ll never be a 51st state. Canada is not for sale, but isn’t it nice someone thinks we have the greatest country in the world, and they want access,” Ford said.“My simple answer to that is if you want access, let’s build an Am-Can Fortress as I’ve been saying. Let’s supply more critical minerals, let’s supply more energy that you need. We are not the enemy, they know that. Their foe is China. That’s their enemy an...

Prime Minister Mark Carney appears to have breathed new life into the Liberal party as new Ipsos polling shows the party widening its lead over the Conservatives even further since Carney’s arrival. The poll, published Tuesday by Ipsos Public Affairs exclusively for Global News, found that if a federal election were held tomorrow, the Liberals would secure 42 per cent of decided voter support, compared with 36 per cent for the Conservatives — widening their lead over the Tories by seven points in just three weeks.Polling from Ipsos last month found the Liberals topping the Conservatives for the first time in years, though the number was within the poll’s margin of error.Tuesday’s seven-point Liberal lead is beyond the 3.8 per cent margin of error.Since 2021, Ipsos polling has shown the Con...

Ontario Premier Doug Ford will push ahead with an election promise to permanently cut the provincial gas tax by 5.7 cents per litre, despite the federal government’s reversal on the controversial carbon tax. On Friday, Prime Minister Mark Carney signed an order-in-council removing the consumer fuel charge as of April 1 — a move that’s expected to reduce the price of gas in the province by roughly 17.6 cents per litre.The end of the consumer carbon price was immediately hailed by Ford, who has railed against the tax since being elected in 2018.“Good riddance to the worst tax ever,” Ford said on social media immediately after the Liberal government announced the change.The application of the federal carbon tax in Ontario, however, was a direct result of the Ford government’s policy in 2018 t...

By Staff The Canadian Press Posted March 18, 2025 7:41 am Updated March 18, 2025 7:43 am 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Prime Minister Mark Carney will be in Iqaluit on Tuesday in a bid to reassert Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic. Carney is expected to make an announcement on strengthening security along with Defence Minister Bill Blair and Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan.He is also set to meet with Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok and members of the Canadian Range...

Israel launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing at least 404 Palestinians, including women and children, according to hospital officials. The surprise bombardment shattered a ceasefire in place since January and threatened to fully reignite the 17-month-old war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes after Hamas refused Israeli demands to change the ceasefire agreement. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions.The Israeli military ordered people to evacuate eastern Gaza, including much of the northern town of Beit Hanoun and other communities further south, and head toward the center of the territory, indicating that Israel could soon laun...

Immigration lawyers say the case of a Vancouver woman detained in the United States over a denied visa is a warning to other Canadians that it’s no longer business as usual when crossing the border for work. Jasmine Mooney returned to Vancouver this weekend after she was detained for about 12 days when she tried to cross the border near San Diego, Calif.U.S. immigration lawyer Jim Hacking says Mooney’s case joins a growing list of stories over the past 10 days where people “with varying degrees of immigration status” — even one with a permanent-resident card — were either detained or deported in ways not seen before.U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement say Mooney was held in accordance with a January executive order by President Donald Trump, and Hacking says the result is a “full-tilt...

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has made it official: a future Conservative government would eliminate Canada’s carbon pricing system entirely, including for large industrial emitters. The question now is what, if anything, a Conservative government would do to address the existential threat of climate change in Canada. Poilievre’s approach would be to let provinces and territories decide their own policies, rather than the federal government leading.Poilievre told reporters Monday that the carbon price was a “bad idea” even before U.S. President Donald Trump launched his trade war against Canada and suggested Prime Minister Mark Carney would re-impose the consumer price should the Liberals win re-election. “(We) will repeal the entire carbon tax, including the federal backstop that r...

Canada’s largest city and economic capital says it will implement 10 action items to support Canadian businesses and workers in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, alongside members of her economic action team, unveiled the plan at a press conference on Monday. Chow said the short-term actions for immediate relief will cover the next 30 days.Some of the key measures include prioritizing Canadian suppliers in Toronto procurement, allowing industrial properties to defer taxes for six months for cash flow relief, as well as launching a “Love Local” campaign that will encourage people to choose Canadian-made products.“Canada is facing a senseless, harmful trade war. People are feeling anxious. They’re worried about their jobs, the cost of food, the c...