Politics

Ontario Premier Doug Ford will call a general election on Jan. 29, Global News has learned, setting the stage for a Feb.  27 vote. The confirmation comes after weeks of rampant speculation Ford would head to the polls early, amidst a threat of tariffs from the United States that has allowed the premier to take a national leadership role. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Ford has repeatedly claimed he needs a fresh mandate from the electorate to potentially spend tens of billions of dollars if tariffs hit Canadian imports to the United States and hurt the provincial economy.Opposition leaders, however, have said they would suppor...

Liberal lawmakers defended their endorsements of candidates to replace outgoing leader Justin Trudeau on Thursday, after the deadline for joining the race passed. Liberal MPs said they have party unity, President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and the economy top of mind as they decide on their next leader. Most have rallied around the two presumed front runners: former finance minister Chrystia Freeland and former central banker Mark Carney.The federal Liberal caucus huddled on Parliament Hill Thursday to discuss next steps as leadership aspirants wined and dined party members at social events in Ottawa.Dozens of MPs and cabinet ministers have now announced which horses they’re backing. Roughly 20 are supporting Freeland — they include Justice Minister Arif Virani — and more than 30 have l...

By Staff The Canadian Press Posted January 23, 2025 3:28 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Nova Scotia MP Jaime Battiste has joined the Liberal leadership race, confirming Thursday that he has submitted the required documents and a $50,000 deposit to the federal party. Battiste is the only First Nations candidate in the race to replace Justin Trudeau, and the first Indigenous candidate ever to be in the running to become prime minister of Canada.Speaking in Halifax Thursday, the Mi’kmaq politician from Cape Breton was surrounded by Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqey chiefs and councillors from across Atla...

The federal government is no longer moving forward with its plan to redistribute the wealth of Nova Scotia’s baby eel harvest from large licence holders to individual fishers after receiving backlash from the industry. A statement from Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier’s office said the minister reached the decision after listening to feedback from stakeholders in consultations held by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in recent weeks.“Minister Lebouthillier is proud to have spearheaded the successful effort to add stronger regulations and enforcement mechanisms to the toolbox available to DFO for this fishery,” Lebouthillier’s acting communications director Andrew Richardson said.“However, the 2025 elver fishing season will not include the pilot program to expand commercia...

U.S. President Donald Trump took another swipe at Canada on Thursday, calling the long-standing ally “tough to deal with” and claiming the U.S. doesn’t need Canadian oil and gas. Speaking virtually to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump also said he will press NATO members to increase their defence spending target to five per cent of GDP — more than triple Canada’s current spending.Trump said his administration would be “demanding respect from other nations” that trade with the U.S. and quickly brought up his escalating feud with Canada.“Canada has been very tough to deal with over the years, and it’s not fair that we should have a [US]$200 billion or $250 billion [trade] deficit,” Trump told the Davos crowd during a discussion moderated by several financial executives. ...

Canada’s plan to reduce the number of immigrants over the next three years will result in a 1.7 per cent drop in the country’s gross domestic product  (GDP) by 2027, according to the federal fiscal watchdog. The report from the parliamentary budget officer (PBO), Yves Giroux, on Thursday also said that new immigration targets released by the federal government last fall will slash the country’s population by 3.2 per cent or 1.4 million people over the next three years.The PBO report comes days after Statistics Canada reported this week that Canada’s population could reach up to 80 million in 50 years, with migratory increase a “key driver of population growth.”The PBO report said that the federal government’s new target to reduce immigration levels would lead to 1.3 billion fewer hours wor...

While she was found guilty of storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 alongside thousands of others, Pamela Hemphill is now standing out from the crowd by saying she won’t accept the pardon that was given to her by President Donald Trump this week. Hemphill, a 71-year-old from Boise, Idaho, who was once known as “MAGA Granny” after videos of her at the Capitol circulated online, explained her reasoning for rejecting the clemency granted by Trump — offered to more than 1,500 people charged with crimes from that day — to the Idaho Statesman.“Accepting the pardon would be an insult to the Capitol Police officers, to the rule of law, to our nation,” Hemphill told the outlet. “The J6 (Jan. 6) criminals are trying to rewrite history by saying that it was not a riot; it wasn’t an insurrection. ...

The House on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that requires the detainment of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes, marking the first legislation that President Donald Trump can sign as Congress, with some bipartisan support, swiftly moved in line with his plans to crackdown on illegal immigration. Passage of the Laken Riley Act, which was named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered last year by a Venezuelan man, shows just how sharply the political debate over immigration has shifted to the right following Trump’s election victory. Immigration policy has often been one of the most entrenched issues in Congress, but a crucial faction of 46 politically vulnerable Democrats joined with Republicans to lift the strict proposal to passage on a 263-156 vo...

By Kyle Duggan The Canadian Press Posted January 23, 2025 7:44 am 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size The federal Liberal caucus is meeting today and tomorrow on Parliament Hill as the party searches for its next leader. Candidates who want to run to replace Justin Trudeau as party leader are almost out of time to confirm their bids.Leadership hopefuls face a 5 p.m. deadline to declare they will run and submit their paperwork. 6:09 Freeland launches leadership campaign, pledges ‘true Canadian response’ ...

Liberal leadership hopeful Chrystia Freeland will scrap the changes to the capital gains tax she once championed as finance minister if she wins the race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Global News has learned. A source close to Freeland told Global News on background the reversal is meant to counter U.S. President Donald Trump’s tax policies, including plans for lower capital gains and corporate tax rates.“This puts Canada at a significant risk of losing jobs and investment that will move to the United States instead,” the source said. “We must adapt, and quickly.“If Chrystia Freeland becomes Prime Minister, a government led by her will not move forward with the legislation to increase the capital gains inclusion rate.”The source added Trump’s election and Republican control of ...