While National Newswatch does not keep an archive of external articles for longer than 6 months, we do keep all articles written by contributors who post directly to our site. Here you will find all of the contributed and linked external articles from Raisa Patel.
Nearly two weeks after a bitter election defeat, the Conservative party has turned its sights to its next chapter: rolling out tone shifts, a renewed media strategy, and the reintroduction of its leader to start courting voters who turned elsewhere at the ballot box. Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives — for supporters have, at least publicly, united around him — are keen...
There are plenty of questions the party will need to address including how he can lead the party from outside Parliament. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is not the prime minister. As of Tuesday morning, he was not even an MP. At the nexus of those two outcomes, which just months ago would have been nearly unthinkable, is a maelstrom of...
A Pierre Poilievre-led government would maintain all existing government agreements for the auto sector, the Conservative leader said Thursday. “We will honour all agreements for the auto sector that the government has made, but we will not force Canadians to pay a $20,000 tax on automobiles,” Poilievre said at a news conference in Halifax, referencing the Trudeau government’s target that...
The federal Conservatives are funnelling resources into Pierre Poilievre’s local campaign, shoring up volunteer support in the leader’s Ottawa-area riding over concerns that winning his seat is not guaranteed, the Star has learned. One Conservative source involved in Poilievre’s campaign told the Star that the leader appears to be in trouble in Carleton, the sprawling riding Poilievre has held since...
An internal Conservative party strategy document viewed by the Star shows how the party uses parliamentary committee meetings to maximize social media exposure and advance its political narratives. A “torture chamber” for the government. “Social media content generators.”
On Sunday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre unveiled a bold plan: he wanted to save 50,000 lives that could be lost to Canada’s toxic drug and overdose crisis, and he was ready to explain how. He chose that number because it was close to 50,928 — the number of people who have died in Canada between 2016 and 2024 due to opioid abuse.
Canadians will decide their next government, Carney said at a Friday news conference, adding any trade talks will only come after the U.S. president shows respect for Canada’s sovereignty.
The grand chief of a group of northern Ontario First Nations is blasting Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over his promise to fast-track approvals and pump money into the Ring of Fire mineral region. Poilievre made the pre-campaign pledge Wednesday in Sudbury, promising to green light all federal assessments for the area within six months if his Conservatives form the next...
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called for the federal government to send Canadian soldiers to bolster the Canada-U.S. border, hours after Mexico staved off U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff plans Monday by agreeing to deploy thousands of troops to its own shared border. Poilievre first issued the demand on social media, posting on X that to “take back control of the...
The high-stakes race for the job of Liberal leader and prime minister has prompted a deluge of misinformation online about the contest’s two front-runners. A new report illustrating that finding comes as the race to crown Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s successor now has a pared-back field of five candidates, many of whom spent the past week unveiling their campaigns in...
Liberal leadership hopeful Mark Carney is viewed more favourably than fellow front-runner Chrystia Freeland, new polling data shows, while the party itself appears to be reaping some benefits from its race to replace outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. New numbers from Abacus Data show that 33 per cent of respondents view the former Bank of Canada governor positively, compared to...
New polling shows that Justin Trudeau’s impending resignation has done little to immediately reverse the Liberals’ sliding electoral fortunes, as the Conservatives enjoy one of their most sizable leads despite the exit of their chief political target. The latest numbers from Abacus Data shared with the Star come from a survey conducted between the evening of Jan. 6 — the...
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is fighting once again for his political life, behind closed doors. At an emergency meeting Monday evening — called after Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau’s now former top deputy and one-time “minister of everything” quit as finance minister — the prime minister came face to face with Freeland along with an angry and bewildered caucus before he planned...
A Liberal MP said he was threatened with unspecified “consequences” if he votes against the government’s proposed $250 cheques, an affordability measure that continues to face an uncertain path through the House of Commons. Hamilton MP Chad Collins said earlier this week that he would vote against the government’s cash rebates because they leave out seniors and people with disabilities...
A New Democrat MP was warned Monday that her decision to don a watermelon pin — a symbol of the Palestinian cause — could be construed as a political “prop” that has no place in the House of Commons. During question period, Edmonton-Strathcona MP Heather McPherson took to the floor of the lower chamber to castigate Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government...
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on Tuesday vowed to blacklist all journalists belonging to one of the country’s largest news networks after an incident in which his remarks were manipulated. The editing of the CTV news broadcast item created the erroneous impression that Poilievre wanted to introduce a motion declaring lost confidence in Justin Trudeau’s minority government because the Opposition leader...
Inside the world of Jagmeet Singh, things are looking pretty swell. The NDP leader prematurely withdrew from his increasingly perilous alliance with Justin Trudeau’s minority Liberals — after extracting almost everything he wanted from him.
A pair of byelections on Monday are poised to serve as a referendum on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — and his chief opposition leaders. One will see the Liberals fighting to spare a Montreal fortress from the fate that befell Toronto—St. Paul’s: a surprise byelection loss in a longtime stronghold.
An incumbent facing tough questions. A governing partner who exited an alliance with him. And everyone’s firebrand rival. The stakes are getting higher for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the NDP’s Jagmeet Singh, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre at the start of this fall’s parliamentary session, as an election campaign could now be triggered any time under a minority Liberal government...
The front window of the NDP’s campaign office in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun features a small selection of flags. Some represent countries, like Ukraine and Sudan, that are currently mired in conflict. Others represent Indigenous rights and LGBTQ2+ causes.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is refusing to say whether he will trigger the downfall of Justin Trudeau’s minority government at his first opportunity, despite delivering a searing assessment of a Liberal leader he says is too “weak,” “selfish” and beholden to corporate interests to serve Canadians.
On the face of it, Ahnaf Zahin and Taylor Stuart don’t have much in common. Zahin, who arrived in Canada from Bangladesh when he was a child, just turned 20 and is about to start his third year as a neuroscience and physiology major at the University of Toronto. Stuart is 37, grew up in Kamloops, B.C., and is an...
Meta launched its Canadian news ban one year ago today — and a new report offers a bleak picture of its impact on the country’s journalism sector. A grim report has found that news organizations in Canada have lost nearly half of their online engagement in the year since Meta launched its news ban for Canadian users of Facebook and...
Last week’s tiny cabinet change did nothing to appease those in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s caucus who think a broader shuffle of key government ministers would help save the Liberal party from electoral defeat. Several MPs who spoke to the Star in recent days said they still want to see a cabinet shuffle before Parliament returns for the fall session...
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he is concerned about threats against his family and at one point sought increased security which they received, but rejected any notion Monday that politicians should tone down criticism of their rivals. Poilievre was among Canadian leaders who condemned political violence in the wake of the weekend shooting at a Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania...
When it comes to housing, finding it — and affording it — is one of the most pressing issues facing Canadians today. That’s probably why the subject has become the focus of much political mudslinging in the House of Commons, with party leaders each trying to stake their claim as the person best suited to tackle the crisis.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been working the phones to tamp down any caucus discontent, as his team convened a call Tuesday with national caucus representatives, following a week of pressure on him to relinquish the Liberal leadership. Senior government officials expressed optimism that, after a long weekend in which Trudeau told the CBC is he “committed” to his job...
In some ways, the relationship between the NDP’s Jagmeet Singh and newly elected Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi is starting to feel a little one-sided. Nenshi, the former Calgary mayor who on Saturday succeeded Rachel Notley to take the party’s helm, ran his campaign, in part, on his desire to divorce his party from its federal roots.
The heads of several dental groups are rejecting a Liberal minister’s framing that the federal Conservatives are to blame for oral health providers’ opposition to aspects of Ottawa’s dental care plan. The dismissal of Health Minister Mark Holland’s comments, which were made earlier this week, are the latest source of friction between Canada’s dental associations and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s...
It’s an inevitability that is perhaps even more certain than the Edmonton Oilers’ fate against the Florida Panthers: when it comes to Canada’s public broadcaster, the Liberals and Conservatives will always be at odds. So when the Oilers emerged as the sole Canadian team left standing in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs — and then clinched their place in the...
It’s possible that the clearest path to identifying the unknown MPs a recent report alleges covertly worked with foreign governments could begin with the leaders of the Green Party and the NDP. The New Democrats’ Jagmeet Singh told reporters Monday that once he receives a briefing that could reveal those names, he would immediately eject any member of his caucus...
The Liberal government is set to announce two new pathways that would give caregivers from abroad permanent residence upon arriving in Canada, a step intended to update and replace existing pilot programs that will wind down later this month. Immigration Minister Marc Miller will announce two new pilot programs on Monday afternoon as part of the federal government’s efforts to...
You’ve probably heard him say it: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre claims Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government “legalized hard drugs” in British Columbia, a move he believes will unleash “chaos and carnage” across Canada. He’s referring to B.C.’s three-year pilot program, which attempts to tackle the province’s drug toxicity crisis by decriminalizing the use of small amounts of certain illegal drugs to...
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of impeding progress toward a two-state solution between Israel and a Palestinian state, saying Canada “fundamentally” disagrees with his government’s position on achieving peace.
The Liberals and New Democrats are slamming the federal Conservatives for failing to show up for most of a cross-country study of Canada’s toxic drug crisis, an issue leader Pierre Poilievre has heavily politicized in recent weeks. MPs from all major political parties embarked on a weeklong, three-province, multi-city tour last week as part of the House of Commons health...
It’s something every federal party knows: the GTA is one of the most seat-rich parts of Canada, and if you win it, you might just win the election, too. It’s also a region campaign strategists are scrutinizing closely after a years-long effort to redraw Canada’s riding boundaries officially came into effect this week.
A House of Commons committee has ruled that an “intimidation campaign” targeting Ontario MP Michael Chong “unequivocally” constitutes a contempt of Parliament — and called for changes to ensure Canada’s spy agency is more forthcoming about its foreign meddling intelligence. “In carrying out their parliamentary duties and functions, no member is to be threatened, challenged, intimidated, or otherwise obstructed. Such...
Proposed changes to Canada’s election law could see the country’s next federal contest pushed back by one week — meaning dozens of MPs could access tens of thousands of dollars in annual pension payments if Justin Trudeau’s minority government lasts that long. Under the Canada Elections Act, federal elections — if not triggered earlier — must be held on the...
Political tensions were high on Parliament Hill Monday as weekend talks to adapt a controversial NDP resolution to recognize Palestinian statehood carried on in the final hours before a key vote Monday evening. Despite proposed changes to the resolution, it was unclear at midday whether the Liberal government — or a big chunk of its backbench MPs — would back...
Some of the Liberal government’s proposed efforts to crack down on hate speech and hateful conduct has some experts wondering whether Ottawa has gone too far in introducing legislation that was initially meant to address dangerous content on social media. Last week, Justice Minister Arif Virani introduced Bill C-63, a sweeping piece of legislation largely aimed at regulating how social...
It was January, and it was the closest the New Democrats had ever come to ditching the deal that keeps Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority government alive. It had been just a few weeks since the NDP had agreed to extend the deadline for a core priority of the parliamentary accord: a long-sought plan to establish a universal, national drug...
In the lead-up to the next federal election, the Star is taking a look at the leaders of Canada’s major federal parties and fact checking some of their most common political slogans and talking points. Today, the Star is diving into a claim often touted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: that eight out of 10 Canadian households get more money...
In the lead-up to the next federal election, the Star is taking a look at the leaders of Canada’s major federal parties and fact checking some of their most common political slogans and talking points. Today, the Star is analyzing a claim Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has made multiple times over the past year: that 40 offenders in Vancouver were...
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh made his second appearance at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Democracy Forum on Friday, speaking to Star columnist and TMU Senior Fellow Martin Regg Cohn about the state of federal politics today. Here are five things the New Democratic leader revealed during the discussion.
At the dawn of a new year that could see the federal Conservatives continue to outpace the slumping Liberals, fresh polling suggests Justin Trudeau and his government are entering 2024 with some of its worst-ever levels of support. The newest numbers from Abacus Data, shared exclusively with the Star, show that Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives reversed their five percentage point drop...
Are the days of multibillion-dollar government subsidies over in Canada for international automakers making the hot new thing — electric vehicle batteries? That question lingers as Honda holds talks with federal officials this week on a potential $18.4-billion auto assembly and electric vehicle battery factory at its complex in Alliston, Ont., which now makes piston-powered Civics and CR-Vs.
There are two things you’ll never, ever find in Judson Simpson’s kitchen. One is parsnips. The other is politics.
Asked whether she’s ever had COVID-19 or lost someone to the virus, it takes Dr. Theresa Tam a couple of minutes to answer the question. She talks about the early days of the once-in-a-lifetime pandemic: the political unity, the exhaustion, the mental health check-ins from her provincial and territorial counterparts.
An effort to modernize Canada’s free trade deal with Ukraine has handed Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre his latest line of attack against Justin Trudeau’s Liberals: that the treaty would allegedly impose a carbon tax on a country grappling with recovering from the ravages of war. Poilievre’s rationale prompted the opposition Conservatives this week to vote against government legislation that would...
When New Democrats convene in Hamilton this week for their national policy convention, party faithful will be marking a bevy of firsts. It’s the first time party delegates will gather under one roof since the NDP’s 2018 convention, after the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the party’s 2021 affair to a virtual format beset by technical glitches.
The federal NDP is preparing for a national convention that could see the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict overshadow the party’s first in-person membership gathering in five years. A pair of policy resolutions focused on support for Palestinians — which were submitted to the party for consideration before Saturday’s deadly attack on Israel by Hamas militants — could potentially hit the convention...
Google says the draft plan to implement Ottawa’s fraught online news law worsens rather than calms its concerns about the legislation, as the clock ticks on the global web giant’s threat to wipe Canadian news from its search engine. “Unfortunately, while well intended, the act is built upon a fundamentally flawed premise yielding an unworkable framework and process that the...