Politics

Politics


Amid push for foreign registry, many say other measures needed to fight interference

For more than a year, Canada has been mulling the creation of a foreign agent registry to fight interference in the country’s democratic processes. The Liberal government and even some firm supporters of the idea acknowledge such a registry would be just one of several tools to prevent hostile actors from meddling in Canadian affairs. […]

Read More


‘Pushed down our throats’: Letters detail school pronoun concerns in Saskatchewan

REGINA — The Saskatchewan government received 18 official complaints in the summer before it implemented a rule preventing most children from changing their names or pronouns at school without parental consent. The emails, recently obtained by The Canadian Press through an access-to-information request, were received in June and July and offer a first look into […]

Read More


Climate change could be avenue for adversaries to harm Canada, spy service warns

OTTAWA — Canada’s spy service warns that dramatic shifts caused by climate change and the ensuing fractious upheaval around the world could leave Canada vulnerable, imperilling its food and water supplies, energy security and Arctic sovereignty. Global warming will threaten security as countries and other actors seek to either bolster their economic positions or exploit […]

Read More


Another beluga dies at Marineland, bringing total whale deaths to 15 since 2019

Another beluga whale has died at Marineland, bringing the number of whales that have died at the Niagara Falls, Ont., tourist attraction to 15 over the past four years. The province’s Animal Welfare Services has been investigating Marineland since it took over animal cruelty enforcement in 2020. “The ministry is aware of the death of […]

Read More


Senate bill would require age verification for Canadians accessing porn sites

A Senate bill that would require Canadians to verify their age to access internet porn is proceeding without the support of the Liberal government, which warns the bill does too little to protect children from online harm.  Sen. Julie Miville-Dechêne, an Independent Senators Group member and sponsor of the bill, said she can’t understand why […]

Read More


Ontario reversing course on Region of Peel dissolution, cites tax hike concerns

TORONTO — Ontario reversed course Wednesday on its plan to dissolve the Region of Peel, citing concerns about tax hikes in an about-face that has come to typify the latter half of the year for Premier Doug Ford’s government, in particular on the housing file. A transition board that has been working on the dissolution […]

Read More


“Alarming” number of deportations caused by Canada’s restrictive immigration system, advocates say

Canada’s cumbersome immigration system is leading to an “alarming” number of migrants being deported every day back to potentially dangerous situations, advocates have revealed. The Migrant Rights Network released data last week showing at least 39 people were deported daily in the first half of 2023, despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 2021 mandate letter calling […]

Read More


AI generated hoaxes pose a ‘persistent threat’ to public safety: intel analysis

OTTAWA — Violent extremists who lack the means to carry out an attack in Canada could compensate by perpetrating hoaxes with the help of artificial intelligence, says a newly released analysis. The May report by the federal Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre, obtained through the Access to Information Act, warns that such visual trickery, known as […]

Read More


AI systems ‘can be weaponized,’ warns top U.S. cyber official in promoting safeguards

OTTAWA — Top cybersecurity officials are urging technology firms to bake safeguards into the futuristic artificial intelligence systems they’re cooking up, to prevent them from being sabotaged or misused for malicious purposes. Without the right guardrails, it will be easier for rogue nations, terrorists and others to exploit rapidly emerging AI systems to commit cyberattacks […]

Read More


Federal dental insurance program to be phased in over 2024, benefits to start in May

OTTAWA — The new federal dental insurance plan will be phased in gradually over 2024, with the first claims likely to be processed in May, government officials said ahead of a formal announcement scheduled for Monday morning. Applications are expected to open as early as next week, starting with qualifying seniors over the age of […]

Read More


CBC considering ‘all possible measures’ in wake of concerns over cuts, exec bonuses

OTTAWA — Top CBC executives said Friday they are considering options to manage the broadcaster’s financial pressures, including taking a look at “senior executive compensation,” following plans to slash 10 per cent of the public broadcaster’s workforce. CBC/Radio-Canada head Catherine Tait and seven vice-presidents released a brief statement that afternoon, after MPs of different political […]

Read More


‘Silence isn’t neutral’: Emails show debate in Quebec universities on Israel, Hamas

MONTREAL — Five days after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Universite de Montreal rector Daniel Jutras was under growing pressure to say more about the conflict. Shortly after midnight on Oct. 12, he sent an email to colleagues saying that as other universities took public positions on the war, it was becoming increasingly […]

Read More