Ford salutes Poilievre’s leadership result, but says ‘you don’t win elections at conventions’

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre may have secured the overwhelming support of his party in a recent leadership vote, but cautioned that elections are not won on the convention room floor.

Poilievre secured 87 per cent of the delegates in Calgary last month at the party’s convention, pulling in more than what former prime minister Stephen Harper achieved at his own leadership review back in 2005.

“You don’t win elections at conventions. You win elections across the country, so let’s see what happens if the prime minister decides to call an election,” Ford said on Tuesday.


There’s really no point in the Ontario Liberal Party holding a leadership convention now.

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CBC disappointed Carney failed to arrest Netanyahu as he flew through Canadian airspace on way to meet Trump

Netanyahu again flies through Canadian airspace en route to Washington

Online flight trackers show that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew hundreds of kilometres through Canadian airspace on his way to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday — despite Prime Minister Mark Carney previously saying he would honour an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Netanyahu is wanted by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

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Hack linked to gun licensing program was biggest federal data breach in last 5 years: documents

A hack linked to the Canadian program overseeing firearm licences and registration was the largest data breach reported by a federal institution to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner in the past five years, according to documents obtained by the IJF.

The single incident accounted for more than half of all people affected by data breaches reported by federal institutions to the privacy watchdog during that period. In total, 3.7 million individuals were affected by data breaches during the time period.

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The Liberals are still blaming Conservatives for failures

Last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney answered a House of Commons question about grocery inflation by replying that the whole issue was the fault of the Conservatives.

According to Carney, the food prices were rising because of “the fall in the Canadian dollar caused by the obstructionism of the members opposite before this government came into place.”

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PM Mark Carney billed taxpayers $94Gs for in-flight catering on one trip

While Canadians continue to struggle with rising grocery bills and as lineups for food banks get longer, Prime Minister Mark Carney flies in style, even racking up a $94,000 in-flight catering bill for a short flight.

Records recently released by National Defence show Carney’s flights drew sky-high expenses, with the priciest being a four-day Rome trip in May that cost the Canadian taxpayer $93,780.

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Carney’s China Deal: Trade, Electioneering, Police Cooperation, and Risks to Canada’s Sovereignty

OTTAWA/TORONTO — In this episode, I catch up with columnist Brian Lilley to unpack Prime Minister Mark Carney’s emerging trade and cooperation agenda with the People’s Republic of China — and why I argue these agreements could accelerate Canada’s decline on multiple fronts.

Before we get into Ottawa’s electric vehicle deal — which I argue risks introducing foreign surveillance platforms onto Canadian roads while aggravating our most important trade partner, the United States — we step back and ask: what is Carney really trying to accomplish?

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Don’t tell the Elbow People! … Canada discreetly puts money down on 14 additional F-35s

Ottawa has started to make payments for key components for 14 additional U.S.-built F-35s, even as the Carney government has been reviewing future fighter-jet purchases in the context of trade tensions with Washington, sources have told CBC News.

The money for these 14 aircraft is in addition to the contract for a first order of 16 F-35s, which will start being delivered to the Canadian Armed Forces at the end of the year.

According to sources, the new expenses are related to the purchase of so-called “long-lead items,” which are parts that must be ordered well in advance of the delivery of a fully assembled aircraft.

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Matthew Lau: Carney government should scrap all damaging EV policies

As the iron door of reality slams onto the toe of even the most fervent advocates of climate change action, the Carney government has walked back its electric vehicle (EV) mandate, which would have banned the sale of new conventionally powered vehicles in Canada by 2035.

However, the government will not abandon its push to switch Canadians to EVs. It’s bringing back rebates of $5,000 for EVs under $50,000 (for vehicles made in Canada or in countries where we have free-trade agreements) and plans to offer billions in subsidies to automakers. The continued push for EVs highlights the significant discrepancy between how individual Canadians want to spend their money and how the federal government thinks they ought to spend it.

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Stop setting unrealistic ‘aspirational’ targets

One of the many ways governments deceive the public on the progress they’re making in implementing their policies is through the setting of so-called “aspirational” targets.

What that really means is that the government is setting a target it knows it can’t achieve when it announces it.

A glaring example of this was evident in the climate policies of the federal government under Justin Trudeau. Even Prime Minister Mark Carney has criticized the practice, describing it as “too much regulation, not enough action.”

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The Canadian delusion of ‘soft power’ is dead, and good riddance

Diplomats call it “thought leadership”: the triumphant achievement of being the first to propose a plan of action for an urgent international problem.

And no problem could be more urgent than how we survive in the pitiless world of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, with raw power politics trampling upon rules and laws.

The unlikely “thought leader” on this question turns out to be Mark Carney, the new prime minister of Canada. “The old order is not coming back,” he said, in a highly acclaimed speech at Davos. “We should not mourn it.”

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An era of ‘wrecking ball’ politics: What the Munich Security Report says about Canada’s moment of reckoning

Almost every foreign diplomat you run across lately simply gushes about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Davos speech, and how his remarks about middle powers banding together went viral in Europe.

As much as the speech represented a wake-up call for Canada and its allies, a new report that sets up the annual Munich Security Conference extends and sharpens Carney’s argument and delivers a series of stark warnings.

One of them is fairly straightforward — if not somewhat uncomfortable — for Canadians.

Where allies are concerned, it’s not enough to just show up. You’ve got to bring something useful.

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Carney, Ford discussed idea of an early federal election to secure majority, sources say

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have discussed the possibility of an early federal election in casual conversations about the importance of a majority mandate to deal with uncertain economic times, according to three sources.

The sources said the Progressive Conservative Premier, who has forged a close relationship with the Liberal Leader, offered his opinion that the country needs economic stability.


Hmmmm …

h/t Mauser

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Carney seems willing to throw Taiwan under the bus for his pal Xi

Ottawa May Be Delaying Taiwan Trade Deal to Avoid Upsetting China, Taipei’s Envoy Says

Taiwan’s ambassador to Canada says Ottawa may be delaying the signing of a trade agreement with the island nation as it’s seeking closer ties with Beijing.

Harry Tseng, head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada, said in an interview with CBC’s French arm Radio-Canada that Taiwan has been left with the impression that Canada is seeking to improve its relations with China at the expense of its relationship with Taiwan.

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