Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Canada joined European allies and Japan in signalling a willingness to participate in an effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Paul Waldie reports that the development came as air strikes on critical natural gas facilities during the third week of war in the Middle East threatened long-term damage to global energy supplies.
Israel’s attack Wednesday on Iranian facilities in the South Pars gas field led to retaliatory strikes by Iran on Qatar’s giant Ras Laffan liquefied petroleum facility and other sites across the region. Iran and Qatar share South Pars, the world’s largest natural gas reservoir.
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and Japan today issued a joint statement that condemned Iran’s attacks and “the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces.”
“The effects of Iran’s actions will be felt by people in all parts of the world, especially the most vulnerable,” the statement said. “We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait. We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning.”
It’s still not clear what action the countries would take, and so far none of them have committed to supplying warships, mine sweepers or troops. The International Maritime Organization, a UN agency, has called for the creation of a “safe maritime corridor” but hasn’t said how it would be formed.
In other news, Stephanie Levitz reports that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre pushed back on U.S. podcast host Joe Rogan for saying oil sands development harms the environment, calling Canada’s oil extraction responsible.
Rogan, whose show The Joe Rogan Experience is one of the most popular podcasts in the world, asked Poilievre about natural-resources development during a nearly 2½-hour broadcast today.
“I’ve seen some of the oil extraction that they’ve done up in Alberta, where you look at the area, it looks like scorched earth,” Rogan said.
Poilievre answered with a string of “no’s.”
There is some environmental impact no matter what gets done, the Conservative Leader said.
“But at the end of the day, the people who live there are very healthy and very happy, and they’re the strongest supporters of the expansion of the oil sands,” Poilievre said.
He said any suggestion to the contrary is the product of a “really disgusting PR campaign by extremist environmentalists and frankly, some of our competitors, to try and make our industry look bad.”
The interview was taped in Rogan’s studio in Austin, Tex. Poilievre was in the state earlier in the week as part of a U.S. tour to talk about trade and other economic issues.
Later today, he was scheduled to give a speech to the Foreign Policy Association in New York on Canada-U.S. relations.
A cargo ship sails in the Arabian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz in UAE.Altaf Qadri/The Associated Press
What else is going on
Supreme Court to hear challenge of federal firearms ban: The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights said in a statement it was “thrilled” with the court’s decision to hear the appeal.
Colt Canada to deliver more than 65,000 rifles to Canadian troops: Ottawa is buying the new assault rifles from Kitchener, Ont.-based Colt Canada through an expedited procurement process that’s setting the standard for the government’s new Defence Investment Agency.
Defence Minister walks back comments on learning about Iranian strike from newspaper report: In prepared remarks today – which he described as a “clarifying statement” – David McGuinty said he first learned about the air strike, which may have hit Canadian assets in Kuwait, in a briefing with government officials, not by reading about it in a newspaper.
Danielle Smith seeking national-security clearance from Canada’s spy service: The Alberta Premier wants briefings on foreign-interference threats facing her province.
Quebec budget projects $8.6-billion deficit: Months ahead of a fall election, the Quebec government has tabled a budget with a lower-than-expected deficit that aims to bolster Quebec’s economy in the face of trade headwinds and geopolitical tension. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan’s government has introduced a budget that avoids tax hikes and program cuts, but carries an $819-million deficit this year with further deficits ahead.
Nova Scotia politician says hackers released stolen intimate images after he refused to pay: MLA Rick Burns says criminals hacked his e-mail and demanded money. When he refused to pay, the hackers accessed personal images of him and his wife and distributed them.
Canada ranks 25th out of 147 countries in the 2026 World Happiness Report: Despite living in one of the safest, most stable democracies in a chaotic world, Canadians – especially young people – are getting more gloomy about life with each passing year – even as most of the world’s population gets happier, according to the report.
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 had no public events today.
Party Leaders: In New York, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held a news conference and was scheduled to deliver a keynote address to the Foreign Policy Association on Canada-U.S. relations. The event concludes Poilievre’s U.S. tour this week. In the B.C. community of Sidney, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May spoke at the opening of a Salvation Army thrift store and later attended a roundtable on water quality in the Saanich Inlet. No schedules released for other party leaders.
Ministers on the Road: In London, England, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand delivered a keynote address at the 2026 Chatham House Global Trade Conference on Canada’s trade diversification efforts.
In Toronto, Housing Minister Gregor Robertson made an announcement on public transit and community infrastructure with Mayor Olivia Chow, among others.
Also in Toronto, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, with Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, held a news conference on federal support for law-enforcement agencies and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
In Waterloo, Ont., Defence Minister David McGuinty highlighted new investments under Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy.
Chancellor Paikin: Former TVO broadcaster Steve Paikin, host of The Agenda with Steve Paikin for 19 seasons, has been appointed chancellor of Victoria University within the University of Toronto. He is an alumnus of Victoria College. The author of 13 books, which include biographies of former Ontario premiers Bill Davis and John Robarts, will be formally installed this fall. His three-year term begins on July 1.
Political Lives, Elly Alboim: A celebration of life will be held on Sunday for Elly Alboim, a long-time Ottawa bureau chief for CBC TV News and an adviser to prime minister Paul Martin, who died in February. Details here.
Quote of the Day
“I think we had a great conversation. Joe’s a great guy. My mission was very simple: Fight for Canada. I presented him with a big Maple Leaf on his kettlebell, which he will see every time he works out. He’ll think of Canadian workers who did the artisanal craftsmanship on that beautiful piece of equipment.” - Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, during a news conference in New York, talks about his appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
Question period
Which noted British author offered the following description of Ottawa architecture in one of his short stories? “The Headquarters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are in the Department of Justice alongside Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. Like most Canadian public buildings, the Department of Justice is a massive block of grey masonry built to look stodgily important and to withstand long and hard winters.”
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
War, what is it good for? For the Liberals, making excuses
For Canadians worried about expensive housing or finding a job, the federal Liberals have a handy explanation: It’s not our fault, it’s that damn war in the Middle East.
— The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
Time to plan for the return of sane immigration
But the lesson of the recent past is not that immigration is bad. It is that wild swings in immigration policy are bad. And that immigration policy matters.
— Campbell Clark, Chief Political Writer
Separatists think independence makes Quebec and Alberta richer. Really?
The separatist pitch, in Quebec and Alberta alike, rests on a seductive premise: cut loose from Ottawa, keep your taxes and prosper. It sounds like common sense. It isn’t. While an independent Quebec or Alberta would be economically viable and relatively wealthy, separation would entail significant economic costs. The question is whether they are worth it.
— Claude Lavoie is a contributing columnist for The Globe and Mail. He was director-general of economic studies and policy analysis at the Department of Finance from 2008 to 2023.
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: Ian Fleming, the creator of legendary fictional spy James Bond. The passage is Bond’s take on an aspect of Canada’s national capital in the short story For Your Eyes Only, published in 1960 and later adapted into a 1981 film with Roger Moore as 007.
The short story was dramatically changed for the film. But in Fleming’s original yarn, 007 takes a flight from London to Montreal, then rents a car to drive “along the broad Route 17″ to Ottawa to meet with a senior Mountie as he seeks intel for an assignment from Bond’s boss M that eventually takes 007 to Vermont.