Politics

Canada’s premiers must take a bigger role in Canada-U.S. relations, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday on his way in to a meeting he is chairing with all 13 provincial and territorial leaders. Ford has been outspoken about the need for a co-ordinated strategy in response to a threat from U.S. president-elected Donald Trump, who has said he will impose a 25 per cent import tariff on goods coming from Canada and Mexico when he takes office.Trump has suggested that the tariffs will come into place unless both countries stop illegal border crossings and prevent drugs like fentanyl from entering the U.S.The premiers have had virtual meetings with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss the tariffs, press him for more funding on border security and plan a co-ordinated response. Monday marks ...

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is seen as Canada’s best option in dealing with an incoming Trump administration and progressive voters might be moving from the Liberals to the NDP, a new Ipsos poll suggests. Ipsos polling done exclusively for Global News and released Tuesday shows Liberal support has dropped five points, down to 21 per cent, since September and is now tied with the New Democratic Party, which saw its own share increase by five per cent in the same period.The Conservatives, down one per cent since September, are polling at 44 per cent support. The Bloc Quebecois has maintained its support at seven per cent, while the Green Party is down two per cent.“What we’re seeing here is that progressive voters are starting to make a decision to maybe reconsider the NDP. We do kn...

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says using the notwithstanding clause to shield her government’s transgender health restrictions is on the table as a “last resort.” A provincial law will ban doctors from providing gender-affirming treatment such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy for those under 16. A surgical prohibition already in effect will halt gender-affirming “top” surgeries for minors.Speaking on her radio call-in show on Corus Entertainment radio stations this weekend (Corus Entertainment is Global News’ parent company), Smith said she is willing to invoke the notwithstanding clause, a measure that allows governments to override certain Charter rights for up to five years.“Because I feel so strongly about protecting kids’ right to preserve their fertility until they’re adults,...

Housing Minister Sean Fraser will not be running in the next federal election, according to a senior government official, adding to a growing list of cabinet ministers exiting federal politics. The official, who is not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said Fraser is not seeking re-election for family reasons.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to chair a cabinet meeting on Monday.Fraser, who was a frequent target of Conservative attacks over the government’s handling of the immigration and housing files, was considered a strong communicator and rising star for the Liberals.He’s expected to address his decision to not seek re-election on Monday.Fraser was recently asked is he is planning a bid to lead the Nova Scotia Liberals after the party was decimated in last month’s pr...

A month-long Canada Post strike is set to end on Tuesday, after the federal labour relations board has ordered postal workers to return to work, the Crown corporation said. Postal operations are set to resume on Tuesday, Canada Post said in a statement Sunday night.“After two days of hearings, the CIRB has issued its ruling confirming the parties are at an impasse,” the company said.“As a result, the CIRB has ordered employees to return to work and postal operations to begin to resume at 8 am local time on December 17, 2024.”Postal service will remain closed on Monday – Day 32 of the strike.The national mailing service said it looks forward to welcoming its employees back to work and serving Canadians and businesses. It said it will share more details of its resumption in service later on ...

In churches across long-stifled Syria, Christians marked the first Sunday services since Bashar Assad’s ouster in an air of transformation. Some worshippers were in tears. Others clasped their hands in prayer. “They are promising us that government will be formed soon and, God willing, things will become better because we got rid of the tyrant,” said one worshipper, Jihad Raffoul.“Today, our prayers are for a new page in Syria’s future,” said another, Suzan Barakat.To help those efforts, the U.N. envoy for Syria called for a quick end to Western sanctions as the country’s new leaders and regional and global powers discuss the way forward.Syria has been under sanctions by the United States, the European Union and others for years as a result of Assad’s brutal response to what began as peace...

Bizarre and personal photos of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad have surfaced from his abandoned residences, sparking ridicule among Syrians who only until recently were persecuted for criticizing his leadership. The images, reportedly discovered in photo albums from Assad’s mansions in the hills of Damascus and Aleppo, painted an unflattering portrait of Bashar and his father, Hafez Assad, who had ruled Syria with an iron grip for decades. They stripped away the carefully constructed image that the Assad family had cultivated for decades.One photo featured Hafez Assad in his underwear, striking a bodybuilder-like pose. Other images showed Bashar Assad in a Speedo flexing his biceps; astride a yellow motorcycle in his briefs; perched on a handcycle, also in his briefs; and staring blan...

South Korea’s parliament on Saturday impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his stunning and short-lived martial law decree, a move that ended days of political paralysis but set up an intense debate over Yoon’s fate, as jubilant crowds roared to celebrate another defiant moment in the country’s resilient democracy. The National Assembly passed the motion 204-85. Yoon’s presidential powers and duties were subsequently suspended and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country’s No. 2 official, took over presidential powers later Saturday.The Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to determine whether to dismiss Yoon as president or restore his powers. If he’s thrown out of office, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days.It was the second National Assembly vote ...

A Canadian Navy vessel with the name HMCS Protecteur will again set sail, nearly a decade after the last supply ship with its respected legacy was taken out of service. The new joint support ship — the longest naval vessel ever to be built in Canada — was launched at a rainy ceremony at shipbuilder Seaspan’s shipyards in North Vancouver, B.C., attended by dignitaries, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 1:08 Princess Anne christens navy vessel in North Vancouver on B.C. tour It is the first of two joint support ships being built in British Columbia for the Canadian Navy, and Seaspan says work is “well underway” for a second vessel, the HM...

Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded to the burgeoning trade tension between Canada and the United States with a threat that the province could cut off energy exports to the U.S. in retaliation to president-elect Donald Trump’s threat of sweeping tariffs. But what would it look like if Ontario and other provinces carried out that threat?Some experts say Canada doesn’t have much room to work with when it comes to potential retaliation.On Wednesday, Ford along with other Canadian premiers met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss the 25-per cent tariffs Trump has threatened to impose on all Canadian imports on his first day in office, which will be Jan. 20, 2025.After the meeting, Ford offered a threat of his own: to “cut off” millions of American residents living in border states fro...