Politics

Canada has introduced legislation that would expand on who can become a Canadian citizen on the basis of descent, saying holding citizenship “lies at the heart of what it means to be Canadian.” The federal government introduced Bill C-3 on Thursday, which it says will extend citizenship by descent beyond the first generation.The new bill tackles issues that surrounds Canada’s current first-generation limit.Under that limit, a child born outside the country to a parent also born or adopted by a Canadian citizen while not in Canada does not receive citizenship upon birth, even though the grandparent was from Canada. While the parent could receive citizenship, their child could not.Bill C-3 would change that, the government says, by automatically giving Canadian citizenship to anyone who woul...

Darren Robinson had some very important news to tell U.S. president George Bush and José María Aznar, the prime minister of Spain: the pro shop was open. Aznar had told Robinson, general manager of the Kananaskis Country Golf Club in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, that he wanted to visit it.True to his word, Robinson walked over to the two world leaders on a patio and interrupted their conversation.“What was probably only 10 seconds felt like 10 minutes,” Robinson recalled of the G8 leaders’ summit in 2002 in Kananaskis.He said the pair paused their discussion, and Bush waved over British prime minister Tony Blair. The four then talked about golf, running, the mountains, as the other leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, chatted ahead of a dinner at the golf club. Story ...

As wildfires continue to devour buildings and force thousands from their homes in Saskatchewan, the Opposition NDP is calling on Premier Scott Moe to ask for help from the military. NDP Leader Carla Beck, in a letter to Moe Thursday, questioned what the premier was waiting for.“Every available resource in our country must be deployed to fight these fires. We cannot afford to leave help on the table,” Beck wrote.“I still remember the wildfires of 2015 and then-premier Brad Wall’s decision to bring in the military and call for a co-ordinated national response.”Moe has not ruled out asking for federal aid but has said Saskatchewan does not need Ottawa’s assistance.Provincial fire officials say the abilities of federal firefighters are limited and usually only brought in to battle blazes that ...

Descrease article font size Increase article font size The Canadian Steel Producers Association and union group leaders are visiting Ottawa on Thursday to “urge” the federal government to respond to higher steel and aluminum tariffs from the U.S. with “immediate action.” This comes just after U.S. President Donald Trump doubled down on his tariff policy by increasing levies from 25 per cent to 50 per cent on Wednesday, specifically targeting imports of steel and aluminum products.Prime Minister Mark Carney called the escalation “illegal.” 2:00 How will Carney respond to Trump’s steel and aluminum tariff hike? ...

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she has invited Prime Minister Mark Carney to watch an Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup final game. Speaking to The Canadian Press in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Smith said she’s waiting to see if Carney will join her for Game 5, which could take place next weekend ahead of the G7 conference in Kananaskis, Alta.Carney, who grew up in Edmonton, made his allegiance to the home team clear when he stopped at Rogers Place to skate with the Oilers in March. That was his first visit to the city after being sworn in as Liberal leader, replacing Justin Trudeau. 0:25 PM Carney practices with Edmonton Oilers “I am pleas...

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said on Wednesday there’s been a “breakthrough” in conversations with Americans on Canada’s role in the United States’ quest for energy dominance as President Donald Trump’s tariffs continue to cause uncertainty for the bilateral relationship. “We’ve managed to make a breakthrough on the discussion about energy dominance and how Canada can lend itself to that, whether its our oil, our gas, critical minerals, uranium from Saskatchewan, electricity from many of our provinces,” Smith said in an interview with The Canadian Press at the embassy in Washington, D.C.“I feel like there’s a real understanding of that.” Trump returned to the White House set on boosting America’s energy production. Smith said that while the energy argument has seen success, conversat...

Marc Garneau, who served as a federal cabinet minister after becoming the first Canadian astronaut to go to space, has died at the age of 76. His former chief of staff Marc Roy said he was “saddened beyond words” to share the “gut wrenching news” in a post that included a statement from Garneau’s wife confirming his death.“It is with deep sadness that I share the news of my husband Marc Garneau’s passing,” the statement from Pam Garneau says.“Marc faced his final days with the same strength, clarity and grace that defined his life. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family. We wish to express our heartfelt thanks for the outpouring of support, concern and kind words received over the past few days.”Pam Garneau also thanked the medical team that cared for her husband d...

Safeguards have been written into the government’s border bill to ensure civil rights and due process are upheld in proposed immigration regulations, Immigration Minister Lena Diab said Wednesday. Critics and advocacy groups are calling the wide-ranging border security legislation a threat to civil liberties in the immigration and asylum system.One proposed change in the legislation would prevent people from making asylum claims if they’ve been in Canada for more than a year.That change would not affect applications that have been submitted already but would be retroactive to June 3, assuming the bill becomes law.Diab said there would still be opportunities for asylum seekers who have been in Canada for more than a year to make their case through measures like pre-removal risk assessments....

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Wednesday defended the doubling of steel and aluminum tariffs by claiming the United States “can’t fight a war” without domestic production of those materials. Lutnick made the comments while denying the immediate real-world implications that steep tariffs will have on U.S. manufacturing during testimony in front of the U.S. Senate appropriations committee that focused in part on U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policy.“The big issue is, you can’t fight a war without steel and aluminum production in America,” Lutnick said during an exchange with Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, who was asking if he or Trump consulted with the Pentagon before raising those tariffs.“If you don’t have the ability to make your own steel and alu...

Justice Minister Sean Fraser apologized Wednesday for comments he made about the government’s duty to consult with Indigenous leaders on major projects. Fraser said Tuesday that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples requires consultation but does not amount to “a blanket veto power” over projects.Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Fraser said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak called him Tuesday night to express her frustration with his comments, and he apologized.“Despite innocent intentions, I think my comments actually caused hurt and potentially eroded a very precarious trust that has been built up over many years to respect the rights of Indigenous people in this country,” Fraser said.“I’ve come into a position that I think is essential in ...