Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Voters are casting ballots in Toronto and Montreal in a trio of by-elections today that will determine whether Prime Minister Mark Carney gets a majority government.
Carney is widely expected to clinch the majority, since the two Toronto ridings are considered safe for the Liberals.
Labour Minister Patty Hajdu said at a news conference today that Canadians expect the government to work with the other parties in Parliament, and suggested the Liberals don’t intend to change their approach.
“We’ve been in a minority government situation for a number of years, and the work gets done through collaboration,” she said.
“Sometimes, that collaboration sounds and looks messy. But at the end of the day, that is how the work gets done. I believe that’s important in a majority government as well.”
Political watchers will meantime be fixated on the closely fought race in Quebec.
The Montreal suburb of Terrebonne was a knock-down, drag-out fight between the Bloc Québécois and the governing party. That riding saw nearly 20-per-cent voter turnout in the advance polls.
Liberal MP Kody Blois told reporters today that the party is “competitive” and “throwing everything we have” at the riding.
Liberals dispatched top cabinet ministers, including virtually all the Quebec ministers along with Dominic LeBlanc and even Gregor Robertson from faraway Vancouver, plus the Prime Minister himself, to stump for their candidate, Tatiana Auguste.
In other news, NDP Leader Avi Lewis has ruled out asking any of the six members of his federal caucus to step aside so he can seek a seat in the House of Commons.
Lewis made the commitment today outside the House during his first news conference as leader.
“There’s no way I am asking one of these spectacular people to step aside, not in a million years,” Lewis, flanked by the caucus members, said when the issue was raised by a journalist.
“We are very, very proud of our small but mighty caucus.”
Although Lewis won the party leadership last month, he lacks a seat in the Commons. He fell short in two previous attempts to win a seat, prior to the leadership race.
When Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre lost his Ottawa-area seat in the last federal election, an Alberta member of his caucus stepped aside so Mr. Poilievre could run in a by-election in that riding, which he successfully did last August.
For now, Lewis said, he will focus on rebuilding the federal NDP, which suffered its worst-ever election result in last year’s vote, losing official party status.
“I’m very, very confident in this caucus to handle things here in Ottawa, and from time to time, I will be here with all of you enjoying the delights of the scrum and finding ways to amplify our common message,” he told journalists. “The work in the House will go on.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during the 2026 Liberal National Convention in Montreal on Saturday.ANDREJ IVANOV/AFP/Getty Images
What else is going on
Canadian killed in Israeli attack in Lebanon: Mohamad Hussain Haidar says his 38-year-old brother Hassan Haidar, in Lebanon since November, was killed last Thursday.
Ontario tables bill to change oversight of province’s education system: Education Minister Paul Calandra has long said financial mismanagement and governance issues are widespread at school boards.
B.C. First Nation asks UN body to include cultural losses in compensation formula for oil spills: Marilyn Slett, elected chief of the Heiltsuk Nation in northwestern B.C., will be in London on Tuesday to address the International Maritime Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Former ministers call on Anand to do more to safeguard arms exports: Former Liberal foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy and former justice minister and ambassador to the United Nations Allan Rock recently wrote a letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand on the issue.
CAQ chooses Fréchette as next party leader, Quebec’s next premier: Former minister Christine Fréchette takes on the leadership of the Coalition Avenir Québec as the governing party faces possible annihilation in a provincial election in October likely to be fought over a third referendum on sovereignty.
On our radar
Commons resumes: MPs returned to the House of Commons today after a two-week break. The Senate has also been on a break and sits again on Tuesday.
Prime Minister’s Day: Mark Carney was scheduled to attend and deliver remarks at an event in the Ottawa region to celebrate Vaisakhi and Sikh Heritage Month. He also spoke with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the evolving situation in the Middle East.
On Tuesday, Carney is scheduled to welcome Finnish President Alexander Stubb to Ottawa for a visit running through to Wednesday. Speaking of running, this will be the first official meeting between Carney and Stubb, although the pair were spotted jogging, with their spouses, in London last month.
Party Leaders: Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet is in the Montreal-area riding of Terrebonne for today’s by-election. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May attended the House of Commons virtually. NDP Leader Avi Lewis held a news conference on Parliament Hill. No schedule released for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Ministers on the Road: In the Chinese city of Haikou, International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu is on the second day of a visit to attend the China International Consumer Products Expo. On Tuesday, he is scheduled to visit Guangzhou to meet with business leaders and investors.
In Montreal, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly delivered remarks at the International Aerospace Innovation Forum, organized by Aéro Montréal.
New leadership at Civilian Review and Complaints Commission: Brent Cotter is the new interim chairperson of the commission for six months. Roxanne Gagné has been appointed the vice-chairperson for a term of five years, starting April 20. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced the appointments today to the independent agency that deals with public complaints about the conduct of RCMP members.
McCallum seeks a return: Doug McCallum is seeking a return to the mayor’s job in the B.C. city of Surrey, which he previously held from 1996 to 2002 and again from 2018 to 2022. McCallum, whose last stint in office saw the launch of a SkyTrain expansion in B.C.’s second most-populous city as well as foundational work on the city’s new Surrey Police Service, announced his re-election bid today.
Lewis Memorial: A memorial service for Stephen Lewis, the former leader of the Ontario NDP and Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, will be held at 11 a.m. ET on April 26 in the Chrysalis Theatre of Toronto Metropolitan University.
Quote of the Day
“I think the Liberal tent is stretched so far now that the fabric must be, I don’t know, is it spandex? It is something very stretchy when you can encompass Marilyn Gladu in a caucus with progressives in the Liberal Party.” – Federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis, during his news conference on Parliament Hill today, on the Liberals dealing with the latest floor crosser to join their party.
Question period
Who was the governor-general of Canada when the Order of Canada, honouring those who make extraordinary contributions to the country, was first instituted?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Visa-free visits to China are a risk for Canadians
China’s new visa-free policy for Canadians may appear to signal openness. In reality, it exposes Canadians to risks our government has found difficult to mitigate.
— Irwin Cotler and Mehmet Tohti
The audacity of Artemis is needed back on Earth
Readers of a certain age will remember a common rhetorical device that framed the ambition and competence required to pull off lunar exploration as more than mere achievement. They were a reminder of what was possible. For example, “if we can put a man on the moon, we can [fill in your favourite cause or biggest peeve].”
— The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
When schools ban politics, what are students really learning?
Ontario’s Education Minister Paul Calandra wants politics kept out of graduation ceremonies. He has directed school boards to ensure that no speeches include references to “contentious issues of any kind.”
— Joel Westheimer
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: The Order of Canada was created while Roland Michener was governor-general, between 1967 and 1974. Queen Elizabeth II instituted the order on the recommendation of prime minister Lester Pearson. Michener presided over the first investiture ceremony in November, 1967.