Author: Troy Patterson

Donald Trump suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the United States “foolishly” ceded to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged “ridiculous” fees to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Panama’s conservative president José Raúl Mulino, who was elected in April on a pro-business platform, roundly rejected that notion as an affront to his country’s sovereignty.The Republican president-elect’s comment came during his first major rally since winning the White House on Nov. 5. He also used his comments to also bask in…

Descrease article font size Increase article font size Unifor said on Sunday that its members at Canadian National Railway CNR.TO have ratified a new four-year collective agreement, averting a potential strike action. Unifor, which represents more than 3,000 members at the railroad’s Council 4000 and Local 100 committees, said the agreement includes improvements to wages and benefits as well as job protections for members working in CN terminals and headquarters across Canada.The railroad earlier this month had reached a new tentative four-year collective agreement with the union.“This agreement secures important gains that reflect the critical contributions of Unifor members to CN’s operations,” Unifor National President…

Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down, with a growing number of Liberal MPs joining calls for his resignation after a chaotic week for his party. More than 50 of the 75 Liberal MPs from Ontario held a one-hour meeting on Saturday to talk about their party’s leadership, Global News has learned.At the caucus meeting, few MPs spoke in favour of Trudeau’s continued leadership but many spoke about the desirability that he leaves, saying his brand has now become “toxic”.Details of the Ontario caucus meeting were first reported by The Toronto Star and CBC News and those…

A Liberal MP who has called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign says the “vast majority” of caucus colleagues he’s spoken to feel the same way. Trudeau’s leadership has been on shaky ground for months, but it became more unstable Monday after his longtime ally Chrystia Freeland resigned from cabinet, throwing the government into chaos.A growing number of Liberal MPs have since publicly called on Trudeau to step aside and make way for a new Liberal leader ahead of a likely early election.One of those MPs is Anthony Housefather, who says there’s “a number of reasons” why he feels…

In the wake of recent shootings at Jewish schools, the federal government is planning to hold a national forum to combat antisemitism in the country. The forum will be held in Ottawa in February of 2025 to “discuss the growing public safety threat of antisemitism,” the Department of Justice Canada announced on Friday.“Canada has seen a troubling rise in antisemitic incidents, threats, and hate crimes,” the department said.“The Government of Canada recognizes the urgent need for national leadership to ensure Jewish Canadians feel safe in their synagogues, schools, and communities.”The justice minister, attorney general, and the minister and associate minister…

Facing a government shutdown deadline, the Senate rushed through final passage early Saturday of a bipartisan plan that would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, dropping President-elect Donald Trump’s demands for a debt limit increase into the new year. House Speaker Mike Johnson had insisted Congress would “meet our obligations” and not allow federal operations to shutter ahead of the Christmas holiday season. But the day’s outcome was uncertain after Trump doubled down on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal — if not, he said in an early morning post, let the closures “start now.”The House approved Johnson’s new bill overwhelmingly, 366-34. The Senate worked…

Canada’s former ambassador to the United States says he’s confident Ottawa can avoid the worst of the tariff threats proposed by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, but that Canada won’t be completely unscathed. Frank McKenna, who is now deputy chair at TD Securities, said he believes the incoming president is looking to use money from tariffs to lower American taxes but that Trump’s 25 per cent tariff is likely “a throwaway number” meant to act as a bargaining tactic ahead of his inauguration.“If he were to actually put 25 per cent tariffs against all Canadian goods and all Mexican goods, that…

As the Liberal government grapples with political upheaval following the exit of Chrystia Freeland from the federal cabinet, a new Ipsos poll shows most Canadians now want an early election. That comes as support for Conservatives is surging and support for the Liberals is at a near-historic low this week — putting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just one point above the record-low support seen by former Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff in 2011.​Ignatieff led the party to its worst defeat in history in 2011, which  saw the Liberals reduced to third-party status behind the NDP as official opposition and the Conservatives…

Chrystia Freeland’s resignation as Canada’s finance minister and deputy prime minister triggered a week of political turmoil, with continuing calls for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign. If you missed the week’s news, here’s a timeline of what played out politically in Ottawa.On Monday, less than one hour before the scheduled start of a lock-up of journalists set to read the fall economic statement, Chrystia Freeland announced that she had stepped down as finance minister. Story continues below advertisement She was not the only minister to leave cabinet as Sean Fraser announced he would not be seeking re-election next year and…

Days after he called for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “to resign,” NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will put forward a “clear motion of non-confidence” in the next sitting of the House of Commons that could bring down the Liberal government. “The Liberals don’t deserve another chance. That’s why the NDP will vote to bring this government down, and give Canadians a chance to vote for a government who will work for them,” Singh wrote in a letter shared publicly on Friday morning.The NDP leader’s letter goes on to criticize Trudeau and his government, saying the prime minister “can’t…