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Mark Carney Oct 23 2025

Monday by-elections will decide if Carney gets majority

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Three by-elections set for Monday night election will decide whether Mark Carney will finally get that majority government.

After five MPs crossed the floor to join the Liberals, they just need one for the required 172-seat majority. And if they can win two seats, that will let them pass legislation without the help of the speaker’s vote or any other parties.

In the spring, the Liberals flipped the riding of Terrebonne, Quebec, from the Bloc by a single vote.

But the supreme court nullified the vote, which forced a by-election, after a Bloc voter complained their mail-in ballot was not counted due to an error.

The other two ridings were held by former Liberal cabinet ministers.

Bill Blair stepped down as MP to become our country’s high commissioner to the U.K. He was elected in 2015 as a Liberal and served under several different cabinet titles, including Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister of Public Safety. From July 2023 to May 2025 he was the Minister of National Defence.

The other MP who stepped down is Chrystia Freeland.

She moved on to become an economic advisor for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Freeland was elected in 2013 and also served several key ministerial roles, including minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of International Trade, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Minister of Finance, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade.

From November 2019 to December 2024, she was also the Deputy Prime Minister.

Voting closes in all three by-elections on Monday night.

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Oil pipeline to N.B. not off the table, says Carney

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With gas prices going up, you may be wondering if it is time for an oil pipeline from New Brunswick to Western Canada.

Since war broke out in Iran and the middle east late February, gas prices have jumped, with many oil tankers getting disrupted as they try to travel through the Strait of Hormuz.

Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Halifax on March 26. When our newsroom asked if a pipeline was on the table and what else his government was doing to combat the rising oil prices, he said they have several affordability measures in place, including tax cuts.

“We will look at this as the conflict evolves, and most importantly as the impact on Canadians is there, not saying necessarily that’s the final word,” Carney said.

Later, he added, “We also have opportunities on the east coast in conventional energy, which we’ll be exploring to build that out, and across this country.”

Although he did not rule out the possibility of an oil pipeline in the future, he said Nova Scotia has tremendous energy potential with offshore wind.

He met with Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston the next day, on March 27, and signed an agreement to cut red tape for major infrastructure projects. That would include Wind West, an offshore wind initiative that would require new transmission infrastructure to move energy beyond Nova Scotia. The project has the potential to supply a significant portion of Canada’s electricity needs.

With files from Evan Taylor.

Lobster

‘A good step forward,’ N.S. MP on Chinese lobster tariffs being removed

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A Nova Scotia MP says China dropping tariffs on lobsters and crabs is a win for the seafood industry.

On Friday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a ‘landmark’ agreement with China that will see the ‘anti-discrimination’ tariffs eliminated on March 1.

Acadie-Annapolis’ Chris d’Entremont says the 25 percent tariff caused pricing problems for buyers.

“It’s a very positive development. The fishing industry has been asking for a while to try and get those tariffs changed or removed. It’s a good step forward, and gives us a year to continue discussions,” said d’Entremont.

The tariff changes are expected to last until the end of 2026, as of now.

D’Entremont says further discussions are needed on the world stage to make sure the tariff removal becomes permanent.

“There has been some talk from the minister of Export development, so he’ll continue discussions with his Chinese counterpart to make sure we can get those tariffs permanently removed.”

The changes will unlock nearly $3 billion in export orders, according to Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Mark Carney

Carney not rushing to meet with Trump, says other countries working together

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The Prime Minister is in no hurry to meet with President Donald Trump again.

Carney was in Johannesburg, South Africa, on the weekend for the G20 leader’s meeting, which included India, Australia The United States boycotted the summit.

When reporters asked about the last time he met with Trump, Carney said, “Who cares?”

“I mean, it’s a detail. It’s a detail. I spoke to him, I’ll speak to him again when it matters,” Carney said.

He added, “I don’t have a burning issue to speak with the president about right now.”

But Carney says he will gladly meet with the Trump when he wants to resume trade negotiations.

When Carney spoke, he said this G20 summit shows that, even without the U.S., the summit still had a large portion of global GDP and population.

He said it also shows a rise in countries willing to work together, and especially working with southern countries from across the globe.

The countries at the summit agreed to work together to deal with global challenges like climate change.

Mark Carney_CPAC_UK Reporter Meet

Bail reform legislation to be tabled next week, says PM

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The federal government announced that the Minister of Justice will table legislation next week aimed at bail reform.

Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement Thursday, saying that the legislation will focus on new reverse-onus bail provisions for violent and offenders of organized crime.

In the announcement, Carney says that under the new provision, the Crown will no longer have to prove why someone should remain incarcerated and it will instead by up to the accused to provide proof to the court that they can be trusted for release.

“We’re making bail stricter to keep you safer,” said Carney during the announcement. “(Currently) the Crown must prove why someone should not be released on bail, making it too easy for repeat violent offenders to quickly get back on the street.”

Carney said the legislation will apply to such offences as violent auto theft, breaking and entering, human trafficking, assault and sexual assault, and extortion involving violence or violent threats.

The proposed legislation will also allow for consecutive sentencing for violent and repeat offenders so that a “seven-year sentence and a five-year sentence can mean 12 years behind bars, not just seven,” said Carney, adding that stronger sentences for organized retail theft and eliminate conditional sentences for sexual assault will also be introduced.

He added that the risk to reoffend and the person’s past history of the previous ten years will be considered.

The legislation will also include provisions to hire 1,000 new RCMP personnel with an $1.8 billion investment over four years in frontline law enforcement.

“We are delivering the change to keep violent repeat offenders off our streets,” said Carney.

Release of Israeli hostages a ‘relief,’ says PM

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Prime Minister Mark Carney called the release of Israeli hostages Monday a “moment of profound relief” as the first phase of a ceasefire agreement went into effect.

Carney said the release must be a turning point toward lasting peace, and called on all parties to continue implementing the terms of the agreement. He said that includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and allowing humanitarian assistance into the region.

“It is vital that the parties continue to engage constructively to achieve a sustainable and lasting peace agreement,” he said. “This includes establishing transitional governance for Gaza and pursuing a permanent political solution that ensures peaceful coexistence for Israelis and Palestinians.”

Canada has committed more than $400 million in humanitarian and development assistance to address the crises in Palestine.

Carney said Canada will continue to support sustained and large-scale delivery of aid to the region and working with international partners to build a lasting peace in the Middle East.

Dominic LeBlanc in DC

Minister hopeful trade deal between Canada, U.S. can be completed

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The minister responsible for the relationship between Canada and the United States said he’s optimistic solutions can be found in the current trade dispute.

Dominic LeBlanc spoke to reporters after Tuesday’s meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Donald Trump.

LeBlanc said the conversation between the two leaders was more detailed than previous discussions.

He said it concluded with both Carney and Trump instructing their respective cabinets to continue the conversation and get deals done quickly that should bring greater certainty in certain sectors, particularly steel, aluminum and energy.

“Those sectors are among the ones that have faced the most significant challenges from the tariffs,” LeBlanc said. “In the conversation today, we talked about ways to quickly arrive at a deal that will bring, we hope, a better circumstance to both countries in these sectors of significant importance.”

LeBlanc said he thought Trump acknowledged the work both countries have done to advance their security and economic relationship.

“We have probably the two most integrated economies in the world in terms of trading partners,” he said. “It’s a different circumstance than doing a deal with country that’s an ocean away. The president acknowledged that.”

LeBlanc said he was more optimistic following the White House meeting than he was when the delegation arrived in Washington Monday.

“But (I) recognize that we still have some work to do,” he said. “But we have an engaged, active, respectful partner in the United States, and I’m optimistic that we can get that work done as quickly as possible, recognizing the urgency.”

Mark Carney_CPAC_UK Reporter Meet

Trump imposes new tariff as Carney visits D.C.

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As Canada’s trade war with the United States continues, the prime minister will meet with President Donald Trump Tuesday.

Mark Carney is in Washington, D.C., with trade expected to be near the top of the agenda.

The meeting comes just a day after Trump announced further tariffs that will affect Canada.

On Truth Social Monday, the president announced he would impose a 25 per cent tariff on foreign-made heavy-duty trucks on Nov. 1.

He’d originally announced the tariff in September, to go into effect Oct. 1.

Trump claimed the new tariff would protect American truckers.

Mark Carney_CPAC_UK Reporter Meet

PM to meet with President Trump Tuesday

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Prime Minister Mark Carney is headed to Washington, D.C., once again.

Carney will arrive in the U.S. capital Monday and is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump Tuesday.

Carney and Trump are expected to discuss a variety of topics, not the least of which will be U.S. tariffs on Canadian products.

The United States is expected to impose an additional 10 per cent tariff on Canadian softwood lumber and other products on Oct. 14.

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Canada looking to build ‘century defining’ projects

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Ottawa says it’s a defining moment for our country.

They’ve referred several big infrastructure plans to the new Major Projects Office, which helps fast-track projects of national interest.

They include an expanded Port of Montreal and major natural gas, power and mining projects.

Prime Minister Mark Carney says it will help transform the country’s economy.

“From one that had become too reliant on a single trading partner, to an economy that’s resilient and dynamic. An economy that’s built for Canadian workers and their families,” said the PM during an announcement Thursday.

Carney adds they’re looking at offshore wind from Nova Scotia, critical minerals and high-speed rail from Toronto to Quebec City.

He says it’s Canada’s opportunity to think big and define the next century.

Minister responsible for Canada/U.S. trade Dominic LeBlanc says we’ve done it before, and Canada is ready to do it again.

“In the past, federal authorities have focused on asking why a project should go ahead. Now, we’re asking how a project should go ahead,” LeBlanc told reporters in Montreal.

N.S. Premier calls it important first step for Wind West

Meanwhile, Nova Scotia’s Premier is happy to see Wind West as a project of national interest.

Tim Houston thanked the Prime Minister for putting faith in the plan, which would send offshore wind from Nova Scotia across the country.

He calls it an important first step.

Houston says it would produce enough energy to meet over a quarter of Canada’s energy demands, and attract billions of dollars to the province.