
Bettors strongly back Conservative win, despite a Liberal polling lead
Parliamentary bureau chief Stuart Thomson talks to reporter Christopher Nardi about why bettors might be putting money on the Conservative party, despite national polls showing the party several points behind the Liberals.
Article content
Article content
A recent Postmedia-Leger poll last week found that the Liberals are hanging onto the lead in the federal election with 43 per cent of support nationally, five points ahead of the Conservatives who are at 38 per cent support.
Article content
But the sports betting site FanDuel, which only operates in Ontario and carries odds for political events, says that 70 per cent of the bets placed on the winner of the federal election are on the Conservative party, with only 28 per cent of bettors wagering on the Liberals. The company says that more than 80 per cent of the bets on the Conservatives were placed after March 25, when the election was underway and the Liberals were pulling away as favourites.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CBC
26 minutes ago
- CBC
Is Danielle Smith sending new signals about likelihood of a new oil pipeline?
It's been a month since Alberta's premier said she was expecting a private sector proposal for a new oil pipeline within 'weeks.' It hasn't happened. Now, Danielle Smith is talking about if a proponent will come forward, not when. She's also saying there are other priorities ahead of a pipeline to B.C., when it comes to Alberta working with its neighbour. So what to make of it all? CBC Calgary's Rob Brown asks Conservative strategist Erika Barootes and Liberal strategist Jessie Chahal. (Photo: The Canadian Press)


CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Federal health minister non-committal on signing more pharmacare deals
OTTAWA — Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel is not committing to sign pharmacare funding deals with all provinces and territories. The first phase of the pharmacare law that was passed by the Trudeau Liberals last fall calls on Ottawa to cover the cost of contraceptives and diabetes medications for patients. The previous government signed deals with P.E.I., B.C., Manitoba and Yukon to do just that before the spring election. The Liberals promised during the election campaign to protect the pharmacare program, along with other social programs. At a press conference in New Brunswick this week, when asked why talks weren't progressing with the remaining provinces, Michel said that this is a new government in a new context. A spokesperson for the minister says the government will protect the four deals that have been signed but did not say whether the Liberals plan to sign new agreements. 'Our new government will be there to discuss with our provincial and territorial partners how we can support them for better health outcomes for Canadians,' said Emilie Gauduchon-Campbell in an email. The Canadian Health Coalition pointed out that $1.5 billion was set aside to fund the agreements in the last federal budget, and the Liberals pledged to keep the program during the election. 'I don't think anybody voted for cuts to health care, including pharmacare,' said Steven Staples, the group's national director of policy and advocacy. The NDP, which pushed for the creation of the pharmacare program through its supply-and-confidence deal with the Trudeau Liberals last year, accused the government of breaking a campaign promise. 'We call on (Prime Minister) Mark Carney immediately to get back on track and honour the law we passed last Parliament,' said NDP interim leader Don Davies in a statement. 'We call on him to finalize Pharmacare agreements with all remaining provinces and territories and allocate the funding Liberals promised so that no Canadian has to choose between life-saving medicine and putting food on the table.' Michel's comments were first reported by the Telegraph-Journal, which cited an interview with New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt, who said her government had not heard from Ottawa since the election. Holt's provincial Liberals ran in an election campaign last year on a promise to cover the cost of contraceptives. New Brunswick has not signed a pharmacare deal. Former health minister Mark Holland suggested last winter that he wouldn't have enough time to negotiate the deals before the election, which most polls at the time predicted the Conservatives would win handily. Holland and the NDP warned that the Conservatives would cut the program. 'There's no room for politics in this. It's just logic. It's the thing we must do for this country,' Holland said as he announced the first deal with Manitoba, worth $219 million, in late February. Carney's government, though, has warned that spending cuts are coming as it refocuses its energy on the economy and national defence. Premiers at the Council of the Federation meetings this week in Ontario said health care is a priority, but it got only a brief mention in their final statement on Wednesday. The premiers said they're exploring avenues to improve access to medications but did not mention pharmacare specifically. At a closing press conference, P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz, the incoming chair of the Council of the Federation, spoke about the group's history as 'a venue to lobby for more health transfers.' Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said the country's universal health care system is a point of national pride. 'If we want to say that we're standing up to (U.S. President) Donald Trump and we're never going to be the 51st state, let's make sure that our universal health system is strong and supports Canadians in every region of the country. And I think we have a good partner in the prime minister right now to advance that project,' Kinew said. The premiers told reporters the group did not talk about health care with Carney on Tuesday, when he joined their meetings to talk about the trade war with the U.S. Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press


Calgary Herald
2 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
University of Calgary professor, students say AI models not meeting expectations
Kris Hans is teaching his students how to use AI in the classroom, but he says that the tools they use, while handy, aren't working as well as they used to. Article content 'I see it every week in the classroom: students wrestle with so‑called upgraded assistants that demand more hand‑holding than their simpler predecessors,' he told Postmedia in an interview. Article content Article content Hans' classes use generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT that use machine learning to create text, photo and video content with little input from a human. Article content Article content In the spring 2023 semester at Mount Royal University, Hans decided to make AI use a requirement for his class MGMT 3210 — Business Communication Theory & Practice. Article content Article content Hans previously said the project looked to explore effective and accountable ways of utilizing ChatGPT and similar applications instead of banning them or pretending they didn't exist. Article content Students in Hans' class are required to use AI for tasks such as brainstorming, outlining, drafting and revision, while stressing transparency and accountability. Article content Throughout the past two years, however, Hans has seen his students struggle with AI models that don't live up to their promises, or even their predecessors, and he cites a number of forces at work here. Article content He said that investors are rewarding companies for integrating AI as fast as possible, leaving little room for user experience testing and turning customers into beta testers. Article content Article content 'Even if a new assistant stumbles, it sits inside ecosystems — think Android, iOS, or Microsoft 365 — that consumers are already locked into,' Hans said. Article content 'Switching is painful, so users stick around.' Article content Braintoy AI CEO, Kwame Asiedu, said that Canadians are particularly skeptical about AI implementation when compared to citizens of other countries, which remains the primary roadblock in AI development. But, he said, Braintoy AI is working on educating the public on the advantages of AI integration. Article content The company developed a machine learning platform that allows users with limited coding and technical skills to create AI tools that fit their specific needs. The companies stated goal is to make AI accessible to everyone. Article content 'We've seen the benefits of adapting AI in various industries in various organizations outside and inside of Canada,' said Asiedu.