Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is playing down the Trump administration’s suspension of a United States-Canada defence co-operation body and has rejected its suggestion Ottawa has not boosted defence spending.
Steven Chase and Adrian Morrow report that Carney, asked about the development today, noted the board – which co-ordinates continental defence – had not met since 2024.
“It has a long heritage, but I wouldn’t overplay the importance of this,” the Prime Minister told reporters during an unrelated resource project announcement in Quebec.
Elbridge Colby, the U.S. undersecretary of defence for policy, announced Monday that Washington was putting the 86-year-old Permanent Joint Board on Defense on hold. He accused Canada of failing to live up to its military responsibilities and of falling short on defence spending, a charge that appears to overlook a significant increase in military spending Ottawa announced in 2025.
“Unfortunately, Canada has failed to make credible progress on its defence commitments,” Colby said Monday when he announced what he called a “pause” in the joint board.
In other news, Canada’s Snowbirds will be grounded until the early 2030s while new planes are acquired for the acrobatic flying unit, says Defence Minister David McGuinty.
The Snowbirds’ current season, which will begin later this month and include performances across North America, will be the last until the new planes are ready for the unit. The squadron launched more than 50 years ago and is based at 15 Wing Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan.
But McGuinty said he was not able to detail exactly when the new planes would be delivered.
He said he expected things would move relatively quickly because the Royal Canadian Air Force has settled on a replacement aircraft, the Swiss-made turboprop CT-157 Siskin II.
“We know what aircraft we’re going to be procuring. We’re moving quickly to do so, and we will obtain them as quickly as we can,” McGuinty told reporters at a news conference at the base in Moose Jaw.
Since their debut in 1971, the Snowbirds have used CT-114 Tutor jets, coloured red and white like the Canadian flag.
McGuinty said talks on acquiring new planes are under way with the manufacturer, and it will take some time for them to move off the production line.
The new planes will be used for training, as the Tutors once were, as well as air-demonstration programs, including the work of the Snowbirds, the minister said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney during his visit to the Royal Canadian Air Force 440 Transport Squadron, in Yellowknife in March.Carlos Osorio/Reuters
What else is going on
Panel concludes Quebec energy deal is not good enough for Newfoundland and Labrador: In a report, the three-person panel outlines several concerns with the non-binding framework agreement to share power from Labrador, which was signed by the provinces’ hydroelectric utilities in 2024.
Canadian inflation soars to 2.8 per cent : Higher gas prices driven mainly by the war in Iran pushed inflation higher in April but some economists argue the conflict’s looming costs haven’t been fully captured in the latest price data.
New army division will focus on armoured vehicles, mobile artillery and drones, leaked document shows: An organization chart for the new division was recently posted to social media. The Canadian Forces later confirmed it is authentic.
Alberta’s electoral boundary changes could reshape the political landscape: Ahead of the 2027 provincial election, the electoral map’s scheduled redrawing has led to accusations of partisan gerrymandering
Robert K. Irving, co-CEO of J.D. Irving., dies at 71: New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt says Irving championed the province as a place to invest, supporting community organizations and creating jobs.
Globe columnist wins Donner Prize for book on Canada’s immigration system: Tony Keller, the author of Borderline Chaos: How Canada Got Immigration Right, and Then Wrong, was praised for outlining how the country’s immigration system can be rebuilt. He was awarded the $60,000 literary prize.
On our radar
Commons on a break: The Commons is on a break until May 25. The Senate is also on a break, until May 26.
Prime Minister’s Day: In the Quebec municipality of Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Mark Carney announced that construction is starting on North America’s largest graphite mine. This evening, Carney was scheduled to attend a dinner hosted by the Governor-General to welcome Felipe VI, King of Spain.
Party Leaders: No schedules released for party leaders.
Ministers on the Road: With the House of Commons on a break, ministers are travelling across the country and elsewhere in the world.
In Riga, the capital of Latvia, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is beginning a European trip that will also include stops in Estonia and Sweden before it concludes on Friday.
In Paris, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne attended the No Money for Terror ministerial conference following a meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors.
In the Quebec city of Val-d’Or, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty announced funding for the rehabilitation of the runway at Val-d’Or Airport.
In Saskatoon, Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism, announced more than $2.3-million in funding for two Saskatchewan-based organizations to help Black entrepreneurs start businesses, scale up and succeed.
In Saskatoon, Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald, on a visit to the province, was at the University of Saskatchewan and also the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and the Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Organization. He also visited K+S Potash.
In Hope Bay, Nunavut, Energy Minister Tim Hodgson attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the redevelopment of the Hope Bay gold mine, announcing $25-million in federal funding for a wind project at the site.
In Yellowknife, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly delivered remarks on the Defence Industrial Strategy at the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce.
GG and Spain’s King: At the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa, Governor-General Mary Simon attended the unveiling ceremony of the Inuit spiritual symbol, the qulliq. Simon also met with King Felipe VI of Spain at Rideau Hall and hosted a dinner for the king.
Board appointed to fill Supreme Court vacancy: Maureen McTeer, a lawyer, rights advocate and author, will chair the Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments announced by Mark Carney. It is looking to find a replacement for Justice Sheilah Martin, who is retiring on May 30. Members of the eight-member board include Riel Bellegarde, the president and CEO of the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, and Laura Spitz, the dean of the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law
Quote of the Day
“I will not be using my time with the Prime Minister to advocate for Alberta’s projects because they are getting a lot of time with the Prime Minister right now.” - B.C. Premier David Eby, in a news conference at the provincial legislature in Victoria today, talks about his agenda for this week’s meeting, in British Columbia, with Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Question period
Sadly, a number of members of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds team have died on the job since the unit was launched in the 1970s. How many in total?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Why aren’t more Alberta MPs standing against separatism?
Fast forward to 2026. Separatists in Alberta are now the ones stirring up hate and division. There are 37 Alberta MPs in the House of Commons. Thirty-three of them are Conservatives.
— Peter Donolo served as director of communications to Jean Chrétien.
With its pause on the Permanent Joint Board on Defence, the U.S. is attempting to constrain Canada
Whether the issue is trade, defence, or resources, it is now U.S. policy to curtail Canada’s ties with other countries, in favour of locking us up in America’s ghastly embrace.
— Andrew Coyne, Columnist
Ontario must crack down on trucker training
Ontario’s government is failing at its most basic duty of keeping the public safe. Poor truck driver training is putting the public at risk: Large commercial vehicles make up 3 per cent of commercial vehicles on Ontario roads, yet are involved in 12 per cent of fatal collisions.
— The Globe and Mail Editorial Board
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: Ten. Their stories are told here.