Canada
Pressure mounts on Poilievre to refocus Conservative campaign on Donald Trump
Poilievre and his campaign manager rejected appeals from party insiders to switch from talking about consumer carbon pricing and cost-of-living issues, sources say. (đ link)
Conservatives fear 'dysfunctional' campaign and 'civil war' in the party: sources
One source described how the campaign didn't have some "basic stuff" in place before the writ was issued. Poilievre and Byrne are not inclined to listen to outside advice, sources said, relying instead on "a tight inner circle," which is composed, in part, of people who also work at Byrne's lobby firm outside the campaign period.
American invasion of Canada would spark decades-long insurgency, expert predicts
If U.S. President Donald Trump fails in his stated goal of annexing Canada through economic force, what would happen if he ordered the world's most powerful military to invade? Some experts and academics say it's a notion too preposterous to even contemplate. But Aisha Ahmad isn't one of them.
Party vetting in B.C. raises questions in federal election
The Liberals refused former B.C. premier Christy Clark, while the Conservatives have rejected Mike de Jong and Anita Huberman.
Liberals drop Calgary candidate over failure to disclose 2005 stayed domestic assault charge
The Liberal Party of Canada has dropped its candidate in the Calgary Confederation riding, due to the candidate's failure to disclose a 20-year-old domestic assault charge that was stayed six weeks after it was laid, CBC News has learned. The area of Calgary now known as Calgary Confederation has not voted in a LIberal since 1940. But with no incumbent --- Conservative Len Webber is stepping down -- the LIberals are/were in a position to make an historic steal here.
The Provinces
B.C. Premier David Eby walking back tariff bill after 'anxiety' from stakeholders
Eby said Friday that the legislation known as Bill 7 needs appropriate "safeguards" after a wave of criticism about potential overreach. "My interest in being able to move quickly to respond to the threat that British Columbia is facing got the better of ⌠my understanding that the safeguards that people are calling for need to be there as well."
Why Doug Ford may find there's little to be gained by campaigning for Poilievre
Ford did stay out of the 2019 and 2021 federal campaigns. But some of his reluctance to campaign for a fellow conservative in this election may be motivated by friction between the two leaders, some analysts say. And it could also be rooted in the perception that the Ontario premier sees little political gain by helping out Poilievre.
Elsewhere
As world leaders grapple with instability, Trumpâs attacks are making moderates popular again
Canadaâs Mark Carney is poised to win next monthâs election by volubly rejecting President Donald Trumpâs hostile advances to make his country the 51st state. On the flip side, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has earned accolades for becoming something of a Trump whisperer, deftly responding to his tariff threats and seeing her own popularity rise accordingly. In Europe, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have received polling boosts following their widely praised Trump strategies. And the embattled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has seen his numbers rise as he has tried to cope with Washingtonâs brusque approach.
Trump pushes aides to go bigger on tariffs as April 2 deadline nears
The option viewed as most likely, publicly outlined by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this month, would set tariffs on products from the 15 percent of countries the administration deems the worst U.S. trading partners, which account for almost 90 percent of imports. Trump has also moved forward with other tariffs that apply to imports from every country, but only on specific sectors. Trump applied 25 percent tariffs to all automobile imports on Wednesday and has suggested similar measures for the pharmaceutical and lumber industries, among others. (đ link)
Tariffied!
Scotia Economics' Derek Holt A black mark on the annals of global economic history will arrive this week. âLiberation Dayâ will be a libertarianâs worst nightmare. A protectionist US wall revisits 1930, and the 1500s through 1700s. Which countries are most vulnerable to US tariffs. All the ways America heavily protects its auto sector. Expect retaliation including direct pre-commitments to do so from Canada. Four narratives on the way forward.
Media
More support continuing NPR, PBS federal funding than oppose it
Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to support ending federal funding for public media.
How Elon Musk has transformed the politics of X
According to CAPâs data, Musk has posted 10,315 times this year, and those posts have received over 91 billion views. Thatâs more than all of the other top political accounts combined.
Reader Notes
Who writes this stuff?
A welcome to many new subscribers this morning! For whatever reason, this newsletter had its single biggest day for new subscribers on Saturday. If you enjoy, please pass along and tell a friend.
This newsletter is curated by me, David Akin, the chief political correspondent at Global News, but I put it together every day independently of my employer. And there are costs associated with using this platform to deliver what amounts to about 80,000 e-mails a month.
You can help keep this newsletter going with a monthly pledge -- Just $5 would do it -- via Patreon or, if you want to make a one-time donation, send an e-transfer to jda@davidakin.com.
Many of you have already contributed and Iâm very grateful for the ongoing support. Thank you.
A reminder that: The headlines, excerpts, and photos here are generally generated by the publishers of the clipping. The publisher is at the bottom left of the clipping. If I've got a comment, you''ll see that in italics. But if I've generated the headline and the excerpt, you'll see me taking attribution by finishing with -DA in bold. The stamp stuff at the bottom are scans from my collection and, if thereâs a stamp blurb, Iâve written that bit. -DA
Science and tech
Googleâs AI Search Overhaul: Racing ChatGPT for the Webâs Future
Big changes are underway for the internetâs most popular product, and Google (and the web) may never be the same. An interesting and recommended Sunday long read -- particularly the final section where Googlers grapple with the impact their decisions are having on independent publishers and the news media.
The Calendar
- 1000 ET: North York, ON - Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks to reporters.
- 1000 ET: Danville, QC - BQ Leader Yves-François Blanchet Campaigns in the riding of Richmond--Arthabaska
- 1300 ET: London, ON - CPC candidate and incumbent Lianne Rood opens the campaign office for the CPC EDA in the riding of Middlesex--London
- 1300 ET: Port Moody, BC - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks to reporters.
- 1400 ET: Victoriaville, QC - BQ Leader Yves-François Blanchet speaks to reporters
- 1430 ET: Mississauga, ON - Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre campaigns in the riding of Mississauga Centre
- 1430 ET: Burnaby, BC - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh campaigns in the riding of Vancouver Fraserview--South Burnaby
- 1600 ET: Victoriaville, QC - BQ Leader Yves-François Blanchet Campaigns in the riding of Richmond--Arthabaska
- 1615 ET: Vancouver, - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh campaigns in the riding of Vancouver Kingsway.
