Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Prime Minister Mark Carney needs to appear before the House of Commons to clarify Canada’s position on the continuing conflict in the Middle East, opposition parties say.
The House is planning to hold a debate tonight on “the hostilities in Iran and the Middle East and the impact for Canadians abroad,” after the Liberal government won support for a motion to that effect earlier in the day.
But Stephanie Levitz reports that Carney’s itinerary for the day has so far not included an appearance in the chamber. He met with the Premier of Prince Edward Island today. In the evening, he is scheduled to attend a Ramadan-related event.
The Conservatives, NDP and Bloc Québécois were all critical of Carney’s position to date, saying it has shifted around inexplicably and he must explain why.
“All they are doing is trying to pander in all directions, while dividing our country and confusing our allies,” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said.
In other news, Library and Archives Canada is planning deep cuts to its access to information division that will put at risk its ability to comply with access and privacy laws, the department has acknowledged in a document.
The archives, or LAC, is the central storing house for historical records from across the federal government and is widely used by researchers and journalists.
Records in its possession include previously classified files such as summaries of cabinet meeting debates or reports compiled by Canada’s intelligence officials.
Bill Curry reports that the planned cuts threaten to worsen what is already a system in distress.
An in-depth Globe and Mail project called Secret Canada included a report based on interviews with dozens of historians, researchers, archivists and academics who regularly deal with LAC.
They said the inability to access historical records from the archives had become so dire that Canadian historians now often rely on the public archives of other countries to do research.
The Secret Canada investigation documented wide-ranging problems across many public institutions countrywide when it comes to providing legally required access to government documents.
Last year, federal departments were asked to develop options for finding internal savings as part of a plan announced in the November budget to reduce internal spending by $60-billion over five years.
While many departments have started to announce targets for reducing overall staffing levels, few details have emerged so far as to what specific programs or services may be cut.
A February document viewed by The Globe shows that LAC plans to save about $13.6-million a year once its cuts are fully implemented in three years by reducing the size of its access and privacy team.
Prime Minister Mark Carney during his meeting with the Premier of Prince Edward Island in Ottawa on Monday.Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
Government nominates senior FinTRAC official as next PBO: Annette Ryan’s nomination as the next permanent Parliamentary Budget Officer drew praise from former public service colleagues, but concern from opposition parties who say they were happy with the person who has been in the role since September.
G7 ministers discuss ‘option’ of releasing oil from strategic reserves as Iran vows to use surging prices as leverage: “We discussed all the available options, including making IEA emergency oil stocks available to the market,” International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol said today in a statement after joining the finance ministers’ meeting.
Ottawa pledges action after Toronto-area synagogues shot at: Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangeree says Ottawa will address complaints from Jewish groups about delayed funding for security measures and will tighten its hate laws, after bullets were fired at three Toronto-area synagogues over the past week.
Ottawa allocates up to $94.5-million to improve labour-market data on key sectors: The funding over the next five years is aimed at getting a better sense of what’s happening on the ground in a turbulent labour market.
Ottawa shares more detailed funding plans for drone tech, other research: The federal government is spending more than $900-million to bolster defence-related research and development in areas such as drones, quantum technologies and biological warfare countermeasures.
Three federal by-elections set for April 13: The Prime Minister has called by-elections in Scarborough Southwest, University-Rosedale, and the Quebec riding of Terrebonne, near Montreal, that could bring the Liberals to the minimum threshold for a majority government.
On our radar
Commons returns: The House of Commons is sitting again today after a week-long break. There will be another break next week. The Senate is also back after a week-long break, and off next week.
Prime Minister’s Day: In Ottawa, Mark Carney met with Prince Edward Island Premier Rob Lantz and was scheduled to attend a community iftar, the evening meal that breaks the daily fast during Ramadan.
Today, Norway’s Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, announced that Carney will be visiting Norway from Friday to Sunday. The two prime ministers and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will attend the Cold Response 2026 military exercise involving thousands of NATO troops in northern areas of Finland, Norway and Sweden. On Sunday, the leaders will participate in a Nordic-Canadian summit in Oslo along with the prime ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden. It’s the first time a Canadian prime minister has officially visited Norway since 1980.
Carney’s office announced that, after his visit to Norway, the PM will visit London to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss a range of issues, including the situation in the Middle East.
Party Leaders: On Parliament Hill, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP interim leader Don Davies held news conferences on Parliament Hill. Davies also attended an evening reception held by the University of British Columbia. No schedules were released for the other party leaders.
Ministers on the Road: In Toronto, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon, with Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, announced the opening of the preclearance facility at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
In New York City, Rechie Valdez, the Minister of Women and Gender Equality and secretary of state for small business and tourism, led the Canadian delegation to the 70th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
Bula runs: Veteran Vancouver journalist Frances Bula, who has written on urban affairs for The Globe and Mail, has announced she will seek a nomination to run for Vancouver City Council for the OneCity Vancouver party.
New Democrats begin choosing next leader: Voting has opened, as of today, for New Democrats to choose the party’s next leader. By mail, online or over the phone, party members will be able to cast their ballots until March 28, and results will be announced at the NDP convention in Winnipeg on March 29. The candidates are Rob Ashton, Tanille Johnston, Avi Lewis, Heather McPherson and Tony McQuail on a ranked-choice ballot.
Quote of the Day
“From the beginning of this attack on Iran by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Canadian position has been unprincipled, it’s been contradictory and it has been incoherent.” - NDP interim leader Don Davies on the federal government’s position on the war in the Middle East.
Question period
In which year did the House of Commons officially endorse O Canada as the country’s national anthem?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
The major plus of minority governments
A majority government is not a necessary counterweight to global instability, nor is it a carte-blanche endorsement of a government’s approach – and chasing one is a crassly self-serving reason for calling an election so soon after the last one.
— The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
Canada must remember that the future is electricity, not fossil fuels
The adoption of a new federal electricity strategy is critical for our future growth, and here’s why: Canada’s next competitive advantage won’t be the amount of fossil fuels we can export; it will be the industry, investment and jobs we can attract by solidifying our clean electricity infrastructure.
— Kevin Thomas, CEO of the Shareholder Association for Research & Education
Today’s Western alliances require a potluck mentality. Canada can’t keep coming empty-handed.
Today’s coalitions look less like parties and more like potlucks. Every participant is expected to put something on the table – whether it’s just a bag of chips or a full dressed turkey. The message now is that you cannot arrive empty-handed and expect a seat.
— Stephanie Carvin, associate professor at Carleton University and a former national security analyst
Go deeper
- Follow along for our stories on Canada-U.S. relations as news develops
- Get the latest insight and analysis from our political opinion writers
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The answer to today’s question: In June, 1980, when the National Anthem Act was passed. O Canada was commissioned by Quebec’s lieutenant-governor for St. Jean Baptiste ceremonies in 1880. The music was composed by Calixa Lavallée, and French lyrics written by Adolphe-Basile Routhier. Those French lyrics were translated into English in 1906.