Canada
What led to Freeland's sudden resignation?
Chrystia Freeland's sudden resignation from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet has sent political shockwaves across Canada. On Global National, Mercedes Stephenson looks at what may have caused Freeland to quit, and what Trudeau has cancelled following her decision.
Freeland's departure leaves Liberals divided over Trudeau's future
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing the biggest test of his political career after Chrystia Freeland unexpectedly resigned from her roles as deputy prime minister and finance minister. On Global National, David Akin looks at how Liberal MPs are divided over Trudeau's future.
Post-Freeland resignation, Trudeau's net favourability drops to -43
If an election were held today, 45% of committed voters would vote Conservative, while 20% would vote forLiberal, and 18% for the NDP. The BQ has 39% of the vote in Quebec. All of the movement from the last survey is within the margin of error but this represents the largest Conservative lead in our tracking history and the lowest Liberal vote share since 2015
Liberal MP is calling on Freeland to run for party leadership
P.E.I. MP Sean Casey reiterated his call for Trudeau to step down as Liberal leader and praised Freeland, who was deputy PM and finance minister until she quit this week
Canada commits $1.3B to tighten border security after Trump tariff threat
With Canada staring down the barrel of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's tariff threat, the federal government is committing $1.3 billion to tighten its side of the Canadian-American border. on Global National Mackenzie Gray explains the details of Canada's plan, why it's being criticized, and what's complicating the situation.
Always leave them wanting more: Fraser tops All Politics Poll as he exits Liberal cabinet
The results of The Hill Times’ 2024 year-end poll are in. Liberal MP Sean Fraser scores a hat trick and takes the ‘Most Valuable Politician’ title for the second year in a row, while Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre divides respondents.
Review of the Exercise of Powers and the Performance of Duties and Functions Pursuant to the Declaration of Emergency that was in Effect from February 14, 2022, to February 23, 2022
The 3rd report of the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency.
I took the PDF of the committee report cited above, gave it to ChatGPT and asked that AI bot to churn out a 500-page story. It took a couple of tries but here's what it did which I offer up for your consideration.
A Canadian parliamentary committee has recommended amendments to the Emergencies Act following its first use during the “Freedom Convoy” protests in February 2022. The Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency, which presented its findings Monday, highlighted issues related to oversight and consultation during the crisis.
The convoy protests, which opposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates, led to blockades of downtown Ottawa and critical border crossings, disrupting residents’ lives, businesses, and trade. The federal government invoked the Emergencies Act on February 14, 2022, granting powers to clear blockades and freeze financial accounts linked to protest organizers. The declaration ended on February 23, after police dismantled the protests.
The committee, established in March 2022, reviewed the use of emergency powers and presented 21 recommendations to Parliament. These include appointing a parliamentary review committee within 48 hours of a declaration, consulting provinces and Indigenous leaders more effectively, and clarifying jurisdictional roles in multijurisdictional crises.
The report described significant economic impacts, particularly from the Ambassador Bridge blockade, which halted $390 million in daily trade between Canada and the United States. Businesses across Canada reported financial losses, and Ottawa residents described the blockades as disruptive and traumatic.
The committee also examined the challenges faced by law enforcement, noting delays in clearing the protests and difficulties in coordination among agencies. It recommended creating a national intelligence coordinator to improve information sharing and prevent similar disruptions in the future.
Provincial consultation was another point of contention. Several provinces, including Alberta and Saskatchewan, argued that the federal government did not adequately consult them before invoking the Act. Alberta’s government asserted that the measures were unnecessary for its jurisdiction.
The committee acknowledged public criticism of overlapping reviews by parliamentary committees and the Public Order Emergency Commission, which was tasked with assessing the circumstances leading to the Act’s invocation. It recommended streamlining review processes to enhance public trust and ensure clarity in findings.
The Emergencies Act, enacted in 1988, had never been used before 2022. The committee’s findings emphasize the importance of balancing swift government action during national crises with rigorous oversight and accountability. -ChatGPT 3.5, edited by DA
The Provinces
Premiers should take over tariff fight from hopeless Trudeau Liberals
Don Braid Their group is the Council of the Federation, under the working title Canada’s Premiers. They’ve been meeting for years to sound off about irritants such as shortfalls in federal funding for health care. The group always annoys centralists who don’t think premiers should meddle in national matters. But today, they’re arguably more effective with the Americans than the federal government. Also that is a great pic by CP's Nathan Denette. Well done!
Alberta readies court challenge to finalized clean electricity rules
The final version of the regulations was released Tuesday and pushes back the net-zero timeline to 2050 but prompted a promise of a court challenge from Alberta.
Exit surveys show what drove votes in four provincial elections, and priorities for new governments
Pollara’s mandate surveys in BC, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia explain what happened in this fall’s provincial elections
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill breached conflict-of-interest rules, penalty recommended
Saskatchewan's conflict of interest commissioner has found Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill breached rules when a window company with family ties did business with the government.
Media
Fact checkers at increasing risk of abuse, report says
In an age of increasing distrust in mainstream media, fact-checkers, who are tasked with clarifying and debunking misleading claims, now also find themselves the targets of that same distrust.
Science and tech
Logging Off: The Tech That Died in 2024
Out with the old, and in with the new. From the Ring Car Cam and Fossil smartwatches to ICQ and Twitter's 'like' tab, this is the tech that bowed out this year.
The Calendar
The House of Commons has paused for its holiday break and that has come none too soon for the governing Liberals. Their leader --- and prime minister -- is 'reflecting' on his future. And, as I reported for Global National last night, many members of his caucus and cabinet will also spend the Christmas season "reflecting" on their leader.
Unusually, our newsroom has no advisories for any events today from the Prime Minister, any minister, or any MP. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was in the GTA yesterday and may be there again today -- but his office rarely provides media advisories of his next day's whereabouts.
The House of Commons calendar says MPs will be back in action on January 27. In the meantime, I hope we'll find enough clippings to continue publishing this newsletter most days until then :). - DA