Latest news with #It'sPolitical
Toronto Star
a day ago
- Business
- Toronto Star
Our Defence Minister on threats, bigger budgets, and Canada's new relationship with the U.S.
Canada's Minister of National Defence David McGuinty joins It's Political to discuss increases to the country's defense budget and what the relationship looks like with the U.S. going forward. The conversation follows Prime Minister Mark Carney's announcement this week that Canada will greatly increase military spending to 2 per cent of GDP just as NATO allies get together later this month to discuss raising the bar to 5 per cent. We also speak to industry experts about just how integrated the Canadian and American militaries are, and what it would mean to become less reliant on the U.S.
Toronto Star
09-05-2025
- General
- Toronto Star
The world reacts to Pope Leo XIV + Unpacking Carney's ambitious housing goals
Good morning. This is the Friday, May 9 edition of First Up, the Star's daily morning digest. Sign up to get it earlier each day, in your inbox. NOBODY MOVE! The Maple Leafs might not disappoint us this year. Have you been paying attention to their playoff prowess? Test your knowledge with our quiz. Here's the latest on global reaction to Pope Leo XIV, Mark Carney's ambitious housing goals, and a Star investigation into the lack of oversight at fertility clinics. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW DON'T MISS The many different views of the Catholic Church's new pontiff Robert Francis Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV — was the surprise pick. Here's how people are reacting. Who is Pope Leo? The politics and background of Robert Prevost Michael Coren: The new Pope's reign should give us all hope. Mark Carney blocks out time for Pope's installation, but unclear if he will attend Unpacking Mark Carney's ambitious housing goal Builders, analysts and academics alike are skeptical about whether Carney's promises are feasible. Here's why. Carney, Poilievre want to turn back the clock on housing — but 2025 is not your parents' market. Here's what their plans could mean for you Toronto-area home prices finally start to fall as buyers gain negotiating power Disturbing errors are allegedly taking place at Ontario fertility clinics As more aspiring parents turn to IVF and other procedures, allegations of disturbing clinic errors are mounting. WHAT ELSE Harold Lusthouse, 76, died last year after a man jumped off the Leaside Bridge and landed on the car he was a passenger in on the Don Valley Parkway on June 16, 2024. Justin Smirlies Provided by Lust The city is facing a lawsuit from a family whose father was killed by a man falling from Leaside Bridge. A construction company is also suing the city after a tunnel boring machine got stuck underground. Is it rude to recline your seat on a flight? Here's what experts say about airplane etiquette. Business traveller anxiety is rising as tales of U.S. border harassment and delays emerge. This episode of It's Political hears from Conservatives about what's happening after their election loss. Still looking for a Mother's Day gift? Consider these beautiful local products they'll actually use. Afternoon tea is a classic Mother's Day treat. Here are the best options in Toronto. Canadian immigrants have introduced generations to new food — and now their stories are being told. These shows won big at the 2025 Toronto Theatre Critics' Awards. The Sceptres' promising start in playoffs mirrors their progress in building a toehold in a giant market. POV I am a former minister of foreign affairs. This is what's at stake in the tension between India and Pakistan. CLOSE UP Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost at the central loggia balcony of St. Peter's Basilica for the first time, after the cardinals ended the conclave, in The Vatican, on May 8, 2025. TIZIANA FABI AFP via Getty Images VATICAN: Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, appears on the main central loggia balcony of the Saint Peter's Basilica for the first time, after the cardinals ended the conclave. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at firstup@ Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.
Toronto Star
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
The biggest winners and losers from the 2025 Canadian election
It was a stunning reversal of political fortunes in this country, and not just for central bankers born in the Northwest Territories. Watching results pour in, you'd be forgiven for thinking Canada was a two-party race. But a race it was, ultimately won by Mark Carney's party. Expectations had been upended when U.S. President Donald Trump mused about making Canada the 51st state and began unrolling punishing tariffs, swiftly reordering electoral priorities. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Results are about more than just the winning party, so based on early results here is who else looks to have won and lost out. The day after a very late Canadian election, Toronto Star Ottawa deputy bureau chief Alex Ballingall and Ottawa bureau reporters Ryan Tumilty, Raisa Patel and Mark Ramzy, sit down with host Althia Raj on the It's Political podcast. Listen to the whole episode and subscriber at WINNERS Wayne Long The Liberal representative from Saint John-Kennebacasis in New Brunswick was the first MP to publicly criticize Justin Trudeau, and Monday he was enthusiastically voted back into office. In an email he sent to caucus last summer he called for the now-former leader to step down 'for the good of our country,' after the party lost a loyally Liberal Toronto-area riding in a byelection. Long was one of the first flakes in what would become an avalanche. Trudeau would eventually quit, paving the way for a major change in fortune for the Liberals under Carney. Danielle Smith If the combative premier of Alberta was spoiling for a fight, she may get one. After meeting Carney shortly after he became leader, she vowed that the prairie province would 'no longer tolerate' the way it had been treated by the federal Liberals and released a list of demands, from pipeline access to plastic straws, that would have to be met by the new PM to avoid an 'unprecedented national unity crisis.' Coupled with the lack of the Liberal breakthrough some predicted in her province's biggest cities, it looks like game on. Mark Carney Besides the obvious, Carney gets an honourable mention for winning his first election and landing in the top job. (He also narrowly avoids becoming the shortest serving prime minister. Had he not been re-elected he would have beaten Charles Tupper, who held the office for 69 days in 1896.) LOSERS The NDP As voters polarized between the Liberals and the Conservatives, it was the NDP who saw support wither — they were only leading in seven seats by the end of the night — far enough to put their official party status in jeopardy Monday night. Partway through the campaign, leader Jagmeet Singh abandoned the pretence that his party had any chance of winning and pivoted to arguing that just having NDP MPs in government in any capacity would force the government to keep promises on dental care and daycare. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Still, it's a collapse that will prompt big questions about the party's future, and on Monday evening, as he trailed in his own riding, he announced he would be stepping down. The NDP struggled to win or lead the vote count in fewer than 10 seats, a devastating result for the party that held 24 seats before the election and held the balance of power in a minority Parliament. Maxime Bernier In an election shaped by Trump, it appears that voters tired of one of Canada's most Trump-like figures. As results came, the one-time Conservative party hopeful turned People's Party leader, who echoed Trump's anti-immigrant and transphobic beliefs, floundered with single-digit support in his home riding of Beauce, Que. U.S.-Canadian relations Life comes at you fast and, in the age of Trump, so does politics. While the election began under the shadow of Trump's tariffs, the president stayed surprisingly silent for much of the campaign. Until its last days. The morning of election day, Trump took to Truth Social to implore Canadians to become the 'cherished' 51st state so that there is 'no more artificially drawn line from many years ago.' In one of his strongest rebukes of Trump, Pierre Poilievre told him to 'stay out of our election' on X. Carney was more cryptic, tweeting 'Elbows up, Canada.' The Elections Canada website Nothing rankles on election night like technical difficulties. While the vote itself seemed to be progressing smoothly, the website did go down for some users as the results began to pour in. ('Are you kidding me?, read one comment on social media. 'How?!!!') Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? 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Toronto Star
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Mark Carney has already proven he's smarter than Donald Trump. Now he needs to be more ruthless
Mark Carney must have mixed emotions today. He is ecstatic after winning Monday's election. When the calendar flipped to 2025, the Liberal Party of Canada seemed more doomed than Romeo and Juliet. Justin Trudeau was less popular than gonorrhea. The early prediction markets called for a Pierre Poilievre landslide. That poor bastard ended up losing his own seat. That's like choking to death on a macaroon at your bake sale. But this Canadian election was always a reflecting pool into America. Carney emerged as something of a national security blanket, an avuncular fellow who would stare down the erratic gargoyle in the White House. He came across as our best bet in a time of unnatural orange disaster. The day after a very late Canadian election, Toronto Star Ottawa deputy bureau chief Alex Ballingall and Ottawa bureau reporters Ryan Tumilty, Raisa Patel and Mark Ramzy, sit down with host Althia Raj on the It's Political podcast. Listen to the whole episode and subscriber at As for the mixed emotions, the PM is probably on a group chat with world leaders of countries who once believed they were also U.S. allies. It's like discovering a BFF is trying to sleep with your wife and embezzle your RRSP. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW So now comes the hard part: Carney must pilot Canada through the extreme turbulence of the Most Idiotic Trade War in History and, as he put it in his acceptance speech, this 'American betrayal.' 'As I have been warning for months, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country,' said Carney, at risk of getting on a U.S. no-fly list. 'But these are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us. That will never ever happen.' His resolve is admirable. Now Ottawa should take the fight to Washington. On Tuesday, Trump celebrated the first 100 days of the most ghoulish sequel since 'Hellraiser: Revelations.' President Pinhead marked this milestone with the worst approval rating of any president in 80 years. And, somewhere, a half-soused Pete Hegseth was sharing classified military plans by belting them out at a karaoke bar as Kristi Noem twerked in Madonna cosplay while pantomiming a chihuahua shooting at point-blank range. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party won the federal election, but a historian said the issues swirling around the nation's southern neighbor persist. (AP video: Mike Householder / April 29, 2025) Here's the cliché I want Carney to embrace: the best defence is a good offence. During a recent podcast interview, he jokingly invited host Scott Galloway to move to Canada. This is actually a great idea. Carney should assemble a Brain Drain Task Force and put out a giant welcome mat for American scientists, professors, influencers, researchers, entertainers and anyone else who wants out of a banana republic that is about to triple the price at Banana Republic. I hear from Americans every week. They are apologetic and in disbelief. They can't believe how quickly everything went sideways. They view their president as a Komodo dragon that keeps biting toddlers at a birthday party. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW News Analysis Why Mark Carney's election win sends strong message to Washington Allan Woods But this Trump poison is an opportunity for Canada. The parent company of CBS is meddling with '60 Minutes' to protect a desired corporate merger? Fine, CBC should hire everyone at that venerable newsmagazine and start a new '90 Minutes.' You think Trump hasn't instructed his lapdogs at the IRS to target Taylor Swift? She should move to Toronto. This is something several American luminaries have already done, including Yale historian Timothy Snyder, author of the brilliant 'On Tyranny.' Hollywood is mired with regulatory snafus in California? We should offer new tax credits and incentivize migration to create an enduring Hollywood North. Trump wants our resources? Let's take America's brightest minds, the ones who hate his guts. Trump's war on expertise means 99 per cent of the Harvard org chart would gladly relocate to Montreal or Vancouver. Invite them. Make it easy-peasy. Fight America by co-opting America. Why are we letting Trump dictate the terms of our breakup? We didn't sign a prenup with this abusive spouse. If he wants to ramble incoherently about turning Canada into 'the 51st state,' let's poach America's top cancer researchers and experts in climate change. As he tanks today's global economy, let's draft America's captains of industry to help build our tomorrow. Everyone from Mark Zuckerberg to Jeff Bezos clearly now has buyer's remorse after sucking up to a dipstick who turned out to be bad for business. I bet you Melania dreams of starting over in Manitoba. At this point, even Elon Musk must regret leaving Canada. The best defence is a good offence. Carney should dangle opportunities and passports and the promise of fast-tracked citizenship to every American mover and shaker. They'd all prefer to live under Carney instead of a carny barker. Roll out the red-and-white welcome mat. After just 100 days, Trump has turned America into the Bay: the closing sale is here and Carney should scoop up discounted buys. Trump is selling the next generation of whiz kids? We'll take some. Trump has no use for culture that does not blindly cheer on his incompetence? We'll take some. He can keep Fox News and we'll take some of everything else. Mark Carney is already smarter than Donald Trump. Now he needs to be more ruthless.
