Politics

The Bank of Canada lowered its key interest rate once again on Wednesday, cutting it by 25 basis points to stand at three per cent. The quarter-point drop is smaller than what the central bank delivered in its previous two interest rate decisions, where it cut the rate by 50 basis points each time.Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem, in his remarks following the cut, said the move was part of its effort to restore price stability.But he also cautioned that proposed tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump create “major uncertainty” going forward.Here’s what he had to say.Tiff Macklem: Good morning. I’m pleased to be here with senior deputy governor Carolyn Rogers to discuss our policy decision and the Monetary Policy Report (MPR). Story continues below advertisement ...

Bureaucrats working for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had diplomats push Denmark to speed up the appointment of former cabinet minister Carolyn Bennett as ambassador to that country — a change most embassy staff learned of through a media leak. The government has not offered a rationale for asking Denmark to expedite its approval of Bennett’s appointment, which came a week before her resignation as MP. In a major upset, the Liberals lost Bennett’s former seat of Toronto-St. Paul’s in a byelection last year.The Canadian Press obtained emails through an access-to-information request showing the Privy Council had Global Affairs push Canadian diplomats multiple times to have Bennett accepted by Denmark and installed months ahead of schedule.Bennett announced in July 2023 that she would not see...

By Kelly Geraldine Malone The Canadian Press Posted January 29, 2025 7:28 am 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is back in Washington, D.C., Wednesday to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as Canada faces the threat of devastating tariffs landing as early as Saturday. Joly said Monday that she still believes diplomacy can fend off President Donald Trump’s plan to slap Canada with 25 per cent across-the-board duties.Joly spoke with Rubio by phone last week and described the new secretary of state as a “good interlocutor.” ...

“I cried,” it was “like being kept in captivity.” That’s how Rose Roll of Taber described her stay at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge after she says she was moved to a bed in a storage closet.Roll claims she was also forced to find her own bedding, food, water from a vending machine and had to use a public washroom.“Inmates get treated better,” said Roll in an interview with Global News.“At least inmates get a toilet, sink and are treated with dignity.” Rose Roll, a cancer patient from Taber, Alta., says being given a bed in a storage closet at Chinook Hospital in Lethbridge was inhumane and inmates get better treatment. Global News She was admitted to the hospital on Jan. 19 so she could be closely watched while underg...

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh on Tuesday suggested he could work with the Liberal government and other opposition parties to discuss plans to support workers impacted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s looming tariffs, but said he still plans to bring down the government at the earliest opportunity. Singh called on the Liberals to present a support plan to opposition leaders and then recall Parliament, which is currently prorogued until March 24, to pass legislation before that date.He pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic when Parliament held emergency sessions to pass relief and other financial supports.But Singh said “nothing is on the table” at the moment and currently, his position has not changed on voting non-confidence in the government quickly after Parliament returns from prorogation.“I have...

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...

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says she believes a diplomatic solution to preventing U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods is possible, but noted the “unpredictable” administration of U.S. President Donald Trump makes that far from certain. Joly made the comments Monday after a meeting with the federal cabinet committee on U.S.-Canada relations and ahead of her trip this week to Washington, where she will meet with new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss Trump’s tariff threat.“When it comes to preventing tariffs, this is our number one priority and we’re working on it every day,” she told reporters in Ottawa.“Now, we believe that diplomacy can work, and that’s why we’re having private conversations … I’ve had numerous conversations where the reaction was actually very positive, ...