Who is interim NDP leader Don Davies?
The NDP have chosen Don Davies to replace Jagmeet Singh as leader on an interim basis, here's why he was chosen.
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CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Anand says Indo-Pacific strategy will have economic focus but maintain values
Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, right, greets Foreign Minister Anita Anand during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Post-Ministerial Conference with Canada, held as part of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Bernama via AP) OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says the economy is becoming the primary focus of Canada's relationships in the Indo-Pacific — a shift that appears linked to Canada's recent moves to overcome its security dispute with India. Anand was in Japan and Malaysia this week for her first trip to the region since taking over as foreign minister in May. Her message coming out of that trip was that Canada's foreign policy is shifting — though not abandoning — the priorities set by the previous Liberal government of former prime minister Justin Trudeau. 'It is important for us to revisit our policy — not only in the Indo-Pacific but generally speaking — to ensure that we are focusing not only on the values that we have historically adhered to,' Anand said Thursday in a teleconference from Malaysia. 'Foreign policy is an extension of domestic interest and particularly domestic economic interests. This is a time when the global economy is under stress.' The Trudeau government put language on environmental protection, labour standards and gender equality in its trade agreements. Goldy Hyder, head of the Business Council of Canada, said that made Canada appear 'a bit preachy' to other countries. He said Canada has to be respectful in the way it stands up for democratic values. A focus on the economy is quickly becoming a defining trait of the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney, a former central banker who is intent on building up Canada's domestic capacity and reshaping its trade and security plans to rely less on the United States. Carney has been mostly focused on Europe so far; he has visited the continent three times since March. Anand's visit this week 'sets the stage' for Carney's planned visits this fall to the Association of South East Asian Nations leaders' summit in Malaysia and the APEC forum in South Korea, said Vina Nadjibulla, research vice-president for the Asia Pacific Foundation. Anand visited Tokyo to sign an information-sharing agreement that could lead to defence procurement deals, before heading to Malaysia for a meeting of the Association of South East Asian Nations, or ASEAN. Her visit also comes as Canada tries to restore ties with India after two years of diplomatic chill following the 2023 shooting death of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver — a crime Ottawa linked to agents of the Indian government. The RCMP said last year it had evidence of New Delhi playing a role in acts of homicide, coercion and extortion targeting multiple Sikh-Canadians. Canada subsequently expelled six senior Indian diplomats; New Delhi expelled six Canadian diplomats in response. India claims Canada is enabling a separatist movement that calls for a Sikh homeland — Khalistan — to be carved out of India, and calls that a violation of its sovereignty. Carney began to thaw the relationship in June. He invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta and the two leaders agreed to reinstate their high commissioners. The two countries are also starting security talks. As the world's most populous country, India is seen as a critical partner as Carney pushes to disentangle Canada from its heavy reliance on trade with the U.S. The two countries have engaged in on-and-off negotiations on a trade deal since 2010, with frequent pauses — including Ottawa's suspension of talks after the Nijjar assassination. Hyder said India's corporate sector has been urging Canadian corporations to continue expanding trade in spite of the tensions between Ottawa and New Delhi. 'One day this is all going to be resolved, and we don't want to have lost all that time,' he said. He said the reduced number of Canadian diplomats has made it more challenging for members of his council to engage in India, because there are fewer trade commissioners in India to help Canadians connect companies with contacts and opportunities on the ground. Hyder, who spoke just before leaving for a fact-finding mission to India, said the appointment of high commissioners will set the tone for eventual trade talks. He said a trade deal would be helpful but is not 'a precondition' for boosting trade, and suggested Ottawa should focus on scaling up the roads and ports needed to meet Asia's demand for Canadian commodities. Vijay Sappani, a fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said an India trade deal could come quite soon. 'If we put in the right efforts on our end, I feel like we could probably get a free-trade agreement done before the end of this year, if not (the first quarter) of next year,' said Sappani. 'There is no Indo-Pacific without India, and if we want to play in the global markets, where we've been kind of shunned … then we need to step up to the plate.' Sappani said Ottawa should seek assurances from India that it will never play a role in violence in Canada. In turn, he said, Ottawa could commit to not having politicians show up at any event where there are displays commemorating those who took part in violence in support of the Khalistan movement. 'That is the biggest thing that we Canadians can do to stop some level of irritants within the Indian side, and trade definitely will come on back on the table,' he said. Anand would not say how soon Canada and India could appoint top envoys, or start trade talks. 'We will take the relationship with India one step at a time,' she said Thursday. 'That timeline will be steady, not immediate.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2025. Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
National Post
2 hours ago
- National Post
Half of Canadians would volunteer to fight if war breaks out, and fewer young people, poll finds
As Canada ramps up defence spending in an effort to meet its NATO commitments, a pollster suggests the military may struggle to find the people it needs. According to a new Angus Reid Institute poll, just under half of Canadians say they'd be willing to serve if war broke out, and younger adults were the least likely to say they would volunteer. Article content The survey asked Canadians if they would be willing to fight in a war. Only 49 per cent of respondents said they would volunteer for military service in a combat role. Nineteen per cent said, 'Yes, if my country called on me,' while 30 per cent said, 'Yes, but only if I agreed with the reasons for fighting.' More than a third (39 per cent) said they would not be willing to volunteer to fight, while another 12 per cent were not sure. In 1985, when asked if they would be willing to fight for Canada, 61 per cent said 'yes,' while 15 per cent said 'it depends.' Article content Article content Article content 'One of the things that's becoming very clear, and very evident is that the conversation around military readiness, security, defence, is certainly having a moment. We're seeing a 30-year high in terms of willingness to spend more on defence,' said Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, in an interview with National Post. 'We wanted to understand the size and the scope of the willingness (to volunteer for the armed forces) among Canadians.' Article content Article content For years, the Canadian Armed Forces has been dealing with a recruitment crisis and public pride in the military has taken a hit following concerns about underfunding and the lingering impact of the 2021 sexual misconduct scandal. In 2019 nearly 80 per cent of Canadians said they felt proud of the armed forces, today that has dropped to 52 per cent. Article content Willingness to serve was highest among men over the age of 54, with 69 per cent saying they would be willing to volunteer (35 per cent unreservedly and 34 per cent if they agree with the war) and only 21 per cent saying they would not. However, since the army's retirement age is 60, this willingness is of limited practical use. Meanwhile, younger Canadians, who are more sought after by the armed forces, were less willing to volunteer. Article content Article content 'It's one thing to just talk about, we're going to spend money, it's another thing to commit the dollars and spend the money, but the money is going to be spent on people. So how do you square that circle, knowing, for example, that among the least amount of willingness … is among that 18 to 34 cohort,' said Kurl. Article content Article content The poll found that 45 per cent of men aged 18 to 34 were willing to volunteer to fight (21 per cent unreservedly and 34 per cent if they agree with the war) while 36 per cent of men said they were not willing to volunteer. Women in that age group were far less willing to serve, despite efforts to recruit more women to the armed forces. Only 31 per cent said they would volunteer (10 per cent unreservedly and 21 per cent if they agree with the war) while 58 per cent said they would not. Article content Overall, Canadians older than 54 are more willing to serve (55 per cent) than men and women aged 18 to 34 (43 per cent). Article content The poll also showed that political affiliation played a role in willingness. Nearly six in 10 past Conservative voters said they would volunteer, compared to just over four in 10 Liberal voters. A majority of NDP (54 per cent) and Bloc Québécois (52 per cent) supporters declined to volunteer at all.
National Post
3 hours ago
- National Post
Leslie Roberts: CBC has eroded trust in journalism. It must be reformed
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The CBC logo is projected onto a screen during the CBC's annual upfront presentation in Toronto, May 29, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin CPL The CBC didn't become broken overnight. For decades, concerns were quietly raised about bias, lack of viewpoint diversity, and leadership more focused on an agenda than journalism. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors But this week's very public resignation of Travis Dhanraj changed that. Not because it was shocking, but because it confirmed what so many already knew. Hiring practices, internal politics, and a growing editorial slant weren't one-offs. They were systemic. I had heard rumblings of anchors questioning producers and writers about choice of guests and slanted scripts. Those arguments were never won by those who raised the questions. This newsletter tackles hot topics with boldness, verve and wit. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays) By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again Travis took one for the team: the team of journalists in all news outlets who reflect the values of seeking truth, holding power to account, and bringing in critical thinkers for balance. The CBC can no longer afford to act like it is untouchable. When you're funded by the public to the tune of over a billion dollars a year, you owe Canadians a fulfilled mandate — true journalism. And right now, that's not what Canadians are getting. Inside the CBC, it appears dissent is discouraged. Editorial framing too often leans one way — a hard-left slant. This isn't public service, it's narrative management. Even though more and more of the public seem to be leaning toward broadcasters and publications that echo their politics, that is not the role of the national broadcaster. And that's the problem. The result? Public trust is eroding. And when trust in the national broadcaster falters, it drags confidence in journalism down with it. There was a time when the CBC didn't have to prove itself. It was the national broadcaster with unmatched reach, funding, and influence. But along with those advantages came something else: an attitude. As an observer who worked for private broadcasters for nearly 40 years, I watched the evolution of CBC privilege firsthand. It went from dominating news events with teams and resources — often double what the rest of us had — to expecting to go first when questioning newsmakers. And when those of us with a microphone and a single cameraman dared to go first in scrums, we were met with stares and attitude, as if we'd crossed some unwritten line. The CBC acted as if it owned the right to shape the national conversation. I knew that, eventually, this would not end well. And here we are. After all, arrogance and entitlement always end badly. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But this isn't just a life lesson, it's a crossroads for journalism. We must win back public trust, now eroded by the events unfolding at the CBC. The CBC needs a hard reset. That means doing less, and doing it better. It means getting out of the pundit business and back into the business of reporting. Focus on news — local, regional, investigative. The kind of journalism private outlets are struggling to fund, but Canadians still rely on. It also means hiring based on merit, not ideology. Bring in people who can ask tough questions, chase facts, and challenge power, not those selected to mirror a particular worldview. To be clear, there are still smart, principled journalists inside the CBC. But they're working within a system that's biased and disconnected from the very people it's meant to serve. Canadians don't want to be managed. They want to be informed. They want facts to let them decide. If the CBC wants to be relevant again, it needs to return to its mission. Strip it down to news, and do that better than anyone else. This isn't just about saving a broadcaster. It's about restoring public faith in all people we rely on to tell the truth. And it must be done with a clear mandate to get it right, and soon, say, two years. A Mark Carney government should put the CBC on notice: reform, or lose it. Effective immediately The billion-dollar subsidy should go on the chopping block. Leslie Roberts is a former television journalist and news anchor.
