House says it didn’t alert MPs targeted in Chinese hack because there was ‘no cybersecurity impact’

Members of Parliament targeted in a suspected China-backed espionage campaign weren’t informed because the attack was thwarted and didn’t affect them, says a spokesperson for the Speaker’s office. The statement comes a day after parliamentarians called out the government for not informing them that they had been targeted for a pixel reconnaissance cyber attack launched … Read more

In videos and podcasts, Poilievre and Trudeau are eager to explain themselves — at length

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, the Liberal MP who made a name for himself as a backbencher with his own voice, posted a nine-minute video to YouTube this week about the federal government’s carbon pricing policy. It would be an exaggeration to say the video is setting the internet on fire. As of Friday afternoon, it had a … Read more

Elon Musk’s X, Australia government clash over order to take down church stabbing video

Elon Musk lashed out at Australia’s prime minister on Tuesday after a court ordered his social media company X to take down footage of an alleged terrorist attack in Sydney, and said the ruling meant any country could control “the entire internet.” At a hearing overnight, Australia’s Federal Court ordered X, formerly called Twitter, to … Read more

Liberal and NDP MPs lament departure of longtime Tory MP as status of women chair

Liberal and NDP MPs are lamenting the loss of the longtime Conservative chair of the parliamentary committee on the Status of Women, saying they hope the change doesn’t hurt their ability to work together across party lines. Members of the committee said they were disappointed to learn that Karen Vecchio, lauded as a collaborator, would … Read more

For its next trick, Ottawa must unload the $34B Trans Mountain pipeline. It won’t be easy

In her budget speech to the House of Commons on Tuesday, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland took a moment to celebrate the finishing touch on expansion of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline. The controversial project has been plagued by delays and massive cost overruns, but Freeland instead focused on its completion, highlighting the: “talented tradespeople and the brilliant … Read more

Liberals pledge $9B in new money for Indigenous communities in 2024 budget

The Trudeau government is promising $9 billion in new cash for Indigenous communities over the next five years, a smaller spend than some past budgets but one the government says builds on past investments and maintains an upward trend. The plan sparked mixed reviews from Indigenous leaders, with some immediately panning it as a failure and others … Read more

Bell Canada CEO Mirko Bibic defends job cuts in Commons committee testimony

As members of Parliament accuse Bell Canada of corporate greed, the head of the company is defending its decision to cut thousands of jobs, citing a shift in Canadians’ viewing habits away from traditional TV. Liberals, Conservatives and New Democrats grilled CEO Mirko Bibic during often combative exchanges at a meeting of the House of … Read more

Why the Conservatives and NDP are headed for a clash over Canada’s working-class votes

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s path to power may be by prosecuting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s past eight years in government, but his road to victory is painted NDP orange. Appealing to working-class voters in rural and northern ridings — like those held by New Democrats across British Columbia and Liberals in northern Ontario — is … Read more

Federal government to launch $1.5B fund to protect affordable rentals

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a new $1.5-billion housing fund will help non-profit organizations acquire more rental units across Canada and make sure they remain affordable. The new Canada Rental Protection Fund will be included in the upcoming federal budget, to be tabled on April 16. The fund will provide $1 billion in loans and … Read more

Poilievre calls on Trudeau to meet with premiers opposing federal carbon price

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should convene an emergency meeting with the country’s premiers to discuss the federal carbon price, Conservative Pierre Poilievre wrote in a letter Tuesday. Poilievre circulated the letter following the $15-per-tonne increase to the consumer carbon price that kicked in on Monday. The scheduled increase added about 3.3 cents to the carbon … Read more