Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is in violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
But Stephanie Levitz reports that Anand said today there’s been no conversation among NATO for the alliance to answer U.S. President Donald Trump’s request for their help to reopen the key shipping channel.
From Turkey, where Anand is meeting with government officials partly to discuss the Middle East conflict, the minister said the principles of collective defence and deterrence, which are central to NATO, are triggered by the alliance as a whole, not one country.
“To our knowledge a request has not been made to NATO for the type of assistance that is being requested,” she said.
Canada stands with NATO allies in terms of the triggering mechanism, she said.
“At this point, it’s important to remember that those conversations among NATO allies have not occurred.”
Anand said she has not spoken to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the issue, but she expects to see him in Paris next week at a G7 foreign ministers meeting.
In other news, New Brunswick’s government has tabled a $15.6-billion budget driven deep into deficit by health spending.
The Canadian Press reports that the New Brunswick finance department says the $1.4-billion forecasted deficit for the 2026-27 fiscal year is the largest in the province’s history.
Health spending will rise by $710-million, up by 17.4 per cent.
The government says it intends to reduce spending in other areas, notably by shrinking the civic service by 12 per cent over three years.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says NATO hasn't discussed U.S. President Donald Trump's request to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
Political Lives, Hugh Winsor: The longtime Globe and Mail political reporter, columnist and member of the Order of Canada, died Saturday following a stroke. He was 87. Winsor’s first Globe byline was in 1969; though he formally retired in 2005, his last byline was in 2024. He was a member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery for 40 years. His must-read political affairs column (dubbed “The Power Game”) ran from 1997 to 2005.
B.C. was unprepared to help Lytton rebuild after wildfire, A-G report says: The village of Lytton, B.C., lacked adequate support from the province to rebuild after a 2021 fire that wiped out the community, and was expected to lead its own recovery, a report from the province’s Auditor-General has found.
Judge granted bail to Alberta man accused of sexual assault without giving reason: The case came to national attention when the Lethbridge Police Service announced they had rearrested 50-year-old Skye Atoa a half-hour after his release on bail.
Longest ballot committee collecting signatures for potential candidates in Terrebonne by-election: A group that protests Canada’s electoral system by loading up ballots with the names of dozens of little-known candidates says it is looking to do so in the April by-election in Terrebonne, Que., a race that could give Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government a much firmer grip on the House of Commons.
Social assistance rates often too low to keep people housed, new research finds: A report published by the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy provides calculations for the bare minimum amount of money needed to maintain housing after paring back all possible spending.
Lawful access bill could create vulnerabilities for hackers, experts warn: Bill C-22 would require telecoms, internet companies and other digital service providers to make changes to their systems to give surveillance and monitoring capabilities to the police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
Canadian financier to buy minority stake in The Economist: Stephen Smith, co-founder of mortgage lender First National Financial Corp., has agreed to acquire a 26.7-per-cent stake in The Economist from Lynn Forester de Rothschild and her foundation through his family holding company.
On our radar
Commons Break: The House of Commons is on a break this week. Members return March 23. The Senate is also on a break, with the next fixed sitting day on March 24.
Prime Minister’s Day: Mark Carney has no public events today. Alexander Stubb, the president of Finland, posted a video clip on social media of he and his wife jogging in London with Carney and his wife, Diana Fox Carney. The PMO said the pair enjoyed a run together while their respective mornings in London overlapped.
Party Leaders: In Austin, Texas, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met with Texas Governor Greg Abbott today as part of a U.S. tour this week. No schedules were released for the other party leaders.
Ministers on the Road: At the Millbrook First Nation in Nova Scotia, Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism, highlighted federal budget investments of $6-million in additional funding for Indigenous tourism programs.
In Montreal, Public Works Minister Joël Lightbound, on behalf of Energy Minister Tim Hodgson, made a critical minerals announcement.
In Brampton, Defence Minister David McGuinty highlighted Canada’s recent donations to Ukraine and took media questions.
In Red Deer, Alberta, Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski, also Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, announced federal funding to support Alberta businesses.
In Banff, Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller and AI Minister Evan Solomon are attending the National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anand is in Turkey as part of a European trip that will include a stop in London.
Quote of the Day
“I’ll be perfectly honest with you. He could be sitting in this crowd, and I wouldn’t know who this guy is.” - Ontario Premier Doug Ford, at a news conference today, responds to a media question about whether he is afraid to face Nate Erskine-Smith, now a Liberal MP, in the Ontario legislature. Erskine-Smith has expressed an interest in running for the leadership of the Ontario Liberals.
Question period
Which noted summit began in Quebec City on this day in 1985?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Secret Canada: Doug’s transparent cloak of self-serving secrecy
The more obvious conclusion is that Mr. Ford is unhappy with what the public has been able to learn about the workings of his government. These revelations have been a key check on this and other governments, allowing the people to become aware of what is happening and then register their displeasure.
— The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
To address racism in health care, we need to collect data on race
Despite being one of the most multicultural countries in the world, we have chosen a deliberate state of ignorance, ostensibly because we like to pretend we’re colour blind. This “see no evil, hear no evil” approach serves no one. In fact, it harms patients and practitioners.
— André Picard is a health reporter and columnist for The Globe and Mail
America’s efforts to topple the Cuban regime have lost the plot
Meanwhile, the siege of Cuba wears on, with everyday people as collateral damage. Supporters contend this will bring about an undefined new dawn for Cuba. But it’s more likely that it creates the conditions in which the seeds of the next cycle of rebellious Cuban nationalism are planted.
— Mark Entwistle is a senior fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and a former Canadian ambassador to Cuba.
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: It was the Canada-U.S. gathering from March 17 to 18 that came to be known as the Shamrock Summit due to the Irish backgrounds of its participants Brian Mulroney and Ronald Reagan.