Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has joined the leaders of Germany and Norway in criticizing the United States for easing sanctions on the sale of Russian oil.
“Canada’s position is to maintain sanctions on Russia, including on the shadow fleet which is moving this oil,” Carney said today at a joint press conference in Bardufoss, Norway, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
“There has been very tight co-operation between Russia and Iran, at great cost to the people of Ukraine and a great threat to peace and security in Europe,” Carney said.
Paul Waldie reports that on Thursday, the U.S. issued a 30-day waiver allowing countries to buy Russian oil and petroleum products that have been stranded in tankers at sea.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move was designed to address the soaring price of oil, which has climbed more than 40 per cent since the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes on Iran.
Merz said that during a G7 leaders conference on Wednesday – involving Canada, the U.S., Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and France – all but the U.S. agreed that “we should not release the sanctions against Russia.”
Nonetheless, the Chancellor said, “We were a little bit surprised that we heard this morning that the American government decides differently. This is definitely not our view.”
He added: “We should put more pressure on Russia to bring this terrible war to an end as soon as possible.”
Store agreed. “There should be no pressure on the energy side taken off Russia,” he said. “It needs to be consistent, and it needs to be felt from the Russian side so that they will come to the negotiation table.”
The three leaders met near a military base in Bardufoss, in northern Norway, to watch a North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercise called Cold Response.
In other news, the Ontario government says it will introduce legislation that would exempt the Premier, cabinet ministers and their offices from having to respond to freedom of information requests, allowing them to keep documents and e-mails about their decision-making secret.
Jeff Gray and Tom Cardoso report that in a summary of the proposed changes released today, the province says the change is needed to ensure cabinet ministers can have frank debates about policy decisions in confidence.
But opposition parties and critics say the move is anti-democratic and designed to shield the government from accountability.
The changes follow the government’s loss in a court battle over the call logs for Premier Doug Ford’s personal cellphone, which he uses for government business.
Critics say the public is entitled to see who has influenced the Premier’s decisions, but the government said releasing the phone records would be an invasion of privacy. A court in January sided with the Information and Privacy Commissioner and ordered the records released, but the government had said it would seek to appeal.
Prime Minister Mark Carney participates in a joint news conference after a tour of the site of a NATO exercise in Bardufoss, Norway, on March 13.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
Canada added to expanded list of countries facing Washington’s trade investigations: The Trump administration has expanded its trade investigations to 60 countries, including Canada, in an effort to shore up the President’s tariff policies.
Unemployment rate rises to 6.7%: Canada’s economy unexpectedly shed 83,900 jobs in February, driving the unemployment rate up to 6.7 per cent and showing the extent to which trade uncertainty is continuing to weigh heavily on the country’s labour market.
Lawsuit against The Globe for investigative work thrown out of Ontario court: Michael Chan was claiming $10-million in punitive and personal damages after Globe journalist Robert Fife and Sam Cooper, a former investigative journalist with Global News who now publishes independently, reported extensively on China’s alleged foreign interference efforts in the 2021 federal election.
Current and former politicians in Nunavut support MP’s decision to cross floor: “It’s far easier to influence policy development within government than it is from the opposition side,” Peter Ittinuar, the first Inuk ever elected to Parliament, said in an interview.
Canada’s second chance in the global LNG race: This country missed out a decade ago, but changing geopolitics and rising demand for natural gas present new export opportunities.
Russian hackers targeting Canada’s governments, businesses and military, cyberspy agency warns: While the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security said it can’t comment on specifics, it remarked that “Russian cyberthreat actors are very likely targeting Canadian government, military, private sector and critical infrastructure networks.”
Carney to meet with King Charles next week during U.K. visit: The Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with the King on Monday, close to a year after the monarch visited Canada to deliver the Throne Speech to open the first session of the 45th Parliament.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Day: Mark Carney is in Norway, in the community of Bardufoss observing a military demonstration as part of NATO’s Exercise Cold Response. He also held a news conference with the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Store, and the Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, and met with both. At the end of the day, he travelled to Oslo.
On Saturday, Carney was scheduled to meet in the Oslo neighbourhood of Holmenkollen with Canadian athletes participating in the International Ski Federation Nordic World Cup. His schedule also included a working dinner presented by Store.
Party Leaders: In Windsor, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held a news conference ahead of visiting Detroit to meet with auto-industry leaders and elected representatives. It is to be the first stop of a U.S. tour that runs to next Thursday. In Toronto, Green Party leader Elizabeth May participated virtually in Commons business and delivered a speech to York University business students. Interim NDP Leader Don Davies met, in Ottawa, with representatives of the workplace development organization Food Processing Skills Canada. No schedule was released for Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet.
Ministers on the Road: In the Quebec municipality of Saint-Alban, Joël Lightbound, the Public Works and Procurement Minister, made an announcement on labour shortages in Quebec, speaking on behalf of Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab.
In the northern Ontario town of Bruce Mines, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon, also the government House Leader, announced ports investments to affect construction material supply chains.
In Vancouver, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and B.C. Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger announced new support for law enforcement agencies and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
In Whitehorse, Marc Miller, the Canadian Identity and Culture Minister, announced funding in support of arts and culture in the Yukon.
Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald is headed for Boston this weekend to attend the Seafood Expo North America seafood trade show.
GG in Whitehorse: Governor-General Mary Simon is in Whitehorse through Sunday, attending the Arctic Winter Games.
Sohi at New West: Amarjeet Sohi, a former federal cabinet minister and onetime mayor of Edmonton, has joined New West Public Affairs as a senior adviser. The firm’s chief executive officer is Monte Solberg, the former Reform and Canadian Alliance MP.
CPC Candidate in Scarborough Southwest: The federal Conservatives have announced Diana Filipova will be their candidate in the April 13 by-election in Scarborough Southwest. Filipova, a teacher, ran for the party in Spadina-Harbourfront in the April 2025 federal election, securing 30 per cent of the vote, which placed her second to the winning Liberal. The by-election was prompted when the riding’s former MP, Bill Blair, left politics to become Canada’s high commissioner in the United Kingdom.
Quote of the Day
“I hope this war in Iran ends. These gas prices are too high and kids are being killed for no reason. Even the Trump administration cannot explain why they are at war in Iran right now. And I mean, like, the Epstein files seems to be as good of a reason as anyone else can figure out, so stop the war. We’re going to keep an eye on it. We’re always going to be there to help you. We cut the gas tax once. We brought it down permanently afterwards so we’re going to be there to help with the cost of living. But right now Donald Trump is Public Enemy Number One when it comes to our economy and the average person keeping their head above water.” – Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, during a health-policy news conference in Winnipeg today.
Question period
Mark Carney is in Norway for the first visit by a Canadian prime minister to that country since 1980. Who is Canada’s current ambassador to Norway?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Floor-crossings are part of a Canadian tradition – and fair play in our politics
Just as NDP Leader Don Davies argued after Lori Idlout crossed the floor to the Liberals last week, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has insisted that MPs who switch parties should submit themselves to their constituents through a by-election. But Mr. Poilievre sat in a caucus that lost Ms. Stronach and later gained Mr. Emerson. And there is no record I can find that he uttered a word of complaint.
— John Ibbitson is a writer and journalist.
Kashechewan First Nation faces a new problem in its decades-long water crisis
No one wants to operate like this every year. It takes up too much time, energy and resources. Investing in First Nations infrastructure and clean water is good for Canada, so that these Nations don’t have to keep expending their precious resources – especially at a time when Canada is looking to extract resources from the nearby Ring of Fire.
— Tanya Talaga, Freelance Columnist
Talk of separation is hurting Alberta. Why won’t Danielle Smith denounce it?
Alberta’s biggest economic priority right now is finding a proponent willing to pony up the tens of billions of dollars to build a new pipeline to tidewater. It’s difficult imagining anyone making that move amid the separatist uncertainty that exists in Alberta at the moment.
— Gary Mason, National Affairs Columnist
Go deeper
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The answer to today’s question: Amy Baker, formerly Canada’s deputy ambassador to France, has been this country’s ambassador to Norway since 2023.