Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson predicted today that up to 10 new major natural resource projects will be under way by this time next year.
Niall McGee reports that the forecast lands as the Liberal government doubles down on its strategy to boost Canada’s economy during the trade war.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Major Projects Office was launched last year to identify certain natural resource projects for regulatory fast tracking, and to facilitate hundreds of millions in dollars in funding.
So far, 15 projects in mining, electricity, energy and transport have been referred to the office, representing tens of billions in potential investment.
“We need to keep moving projects from approval to final investment decision, construction, and, ultimately, production,” Hodgson said in a speech in Toronto on Friday at the Empire Club of Canada.
“In spring 2027, you will see projects not just having been added to the Major Projects Office, but at least five to 10 new projects having reached FID or broken ground.”
The Carney-led Liberal government is hoping that moving resource projects along faster will offset some of the pain being generated by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war.
In other news, the federal government ran a deficit of $25.5-billion over the first 11 months of the fiscal year that ended in March, the Department of Finance reported today.
Bill Curry writes that the trend suggests Tuesday’s fiscal update could show a smaller deficit than Ottawa projected in the November budget. Back then, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne projected a deficit of $78.3-billion for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
The government typically posts large one-month deficits in March, the final month of the fiscal year. For instance, last March Ottawa posted a $23.9-billion deficit. However, even a repeat of a deficit of that size for March, 2026, would mean Ottawa is well within its budgeted deficit forecast.
Ahead of the spring economic statement, some private-sector economists have said they expect Ottawa will show an improved bottom line compared with what was expected at the time of the budget. The question they raise is whether the Liberals will use that room for new spending.
The department’s fiscal monitor report, released Friday, showed Ottawa ran a surplus of $5.7-billion in February, compared with a surplus of $7.6-billion in February, 2025.
The federal government ran a deficit of $25.5-billion over the first 11 months of the fiscal year that ended in March, the Department of Finance reported.berean/iStockPhoto / Getty Images
What else is going on
OpenAI’s Altman ‘deeply sorry’ company didn’t flag Tumbler Ridge shooter’s messages to police: Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, says in a letter shared on B.C. Premier David Eby’s social media that while he knows words can never be enough, he believes “an apology is necessary to recognize the harm and irreplaceable loss the community has suffered.”
Catholic leaders urge Carney government to bar MAID access for patients with mental illness: This week, the Archbishop of Toronto wrote directly to Prime Minister Mark Carney, as well as to other members of Parliament, outlining his concerns about the expansion of MAID.
Enbridge launches $4-billion expansion of B.C. pipeline system for natural gas: The Sunrise expansion project will increase capacity by 17 per cent at Enbridge’s T-South system, focusing on southern B.C. but also bolstering the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
CRTC chair defends Online Streaming Act work after critics say regulator too slow: “We would all like to go faster,” Vicky Eatrides said in a wide-ranging interview with The Canadian Press. “It’s balancing getting it done quickly and getting it done right. These are hugely complex issues.”
Flood risk is driving some Ontario home insurance prices up by more than 20%: The findings are part of a joint study by insurance technology company MyChoice and digital brokerage Wahi released this week.
Canadian astronaut Kutryk to fly to space station this fall: Joshua Kutryk, 44, also a colonel with the Royal Canadian Air Force, joins the station’s Expedition 75 crew with NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, for a six-month stint in orbit.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Day: Mark Carney has no public events today.
Party Leaders: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held a news conference in Mississauga. His office has announced a whistle-stop tour in Ontario this weekend in Bolton, Bradford and Oshawa as he promotes a policy of zero tax on gas with members of his caucus. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May attended Parliament virtually, delivered remarks at a ceremony honouring long-serving volunteers in Sidney, B.C, and attended the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities AGM and convention in Victoria. No schedules released for other party leaders.
Ministers on the Road:
In Oslo, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly ended a trip that also took her to Germany for the HANNOVER MESSE 2026 industrial technology trade fair.
Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin is in Paris for the first day of a two-day meeting of G7 environment ministers.
In Montreal, Health Minister Marjorie Michel announced $8.6-million in funding to support initiatives for Black communities across Canada.
In Charlottetown, Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald, with provincial Workforce Minister Zack Bell, announced funding to support workers whose jobs have been directly or indirectly affected by global tariffs.
In Winnipeg, Northern and Arctic Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand announced federal support for businesses through the Regional Defence Investment Initiative.
In Edmonton, at a gas station, Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski spoke about the federal government’s recent temporary suspension of the federal fuel excise tax to help lower costs for Albertans.
In Iqaluit, at a community food centre, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, with Mayor Solomon Awa, talked about affordability measures enacted by the federal government.
In the Northwest Territories community of Behchoko, Housing Minister Gregor Robertson and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty made a housing announcement.
In Toronto, Energy Minister Tim Hodgson delivered a speech to the Empire Club of Canada.
Newly announced diplomat: Eric Walsh is Canada’s ambassador to Brazil, replacing Emmanuel Kamarianakis in coming months, according to a statement from Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand.
Upgraded embassy in Mexico: Global Affairs has also announced it will be redeveloping Canada’s embassy in Mexico City, with a $153.6-million contract awarded for the effort. The embassy, which is a workplace for 220 staff, has been in its current location for 40 years.
Poilievre appointments: Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is deploying two MPs for policy assignments. Tako van Popta is to lead a Conservative task force on property rights. And Chak Au will helm an effort to look at opportunities for Canada in the Asia-Pacific region.
Quote of the Day
“One of the reasons that I got 2.5 million more votes in the last election than we had in the previous election is because we talk to everybody.” – Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, at a news conference in Mississauga today, responds to a question about concerns from former leader Erin O’Toole about the current party leadership’s association with influencers.
Question period
Seventy-six years ago this weekend, what major piece of Canadian infrastructure did British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island sign on to?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Trump may be temporary. The damage he is doing isn’t
So yes, it is a kind of “rupture.” It may not be permanent, but it’s enduring enough that we really can’t treat it as temporary. The risk is great enough that we do have to mitigate our exposure: not by closing our doors to trade with the U.S., but by opening them to the rest of the world.
— Andrew Coyne, Columnist
Canada has the information to help prevent the next mass shooting
Answers are still needed about what happened in Tumbler Ridge and why, but we don’t need to wait for the findings of another public inquiry in order to act. We can honour the memories of those whose lives were taken by doing what we already know can help to keep us all safer.
— Kim Stanton is a lawyer, a senior fellow at Massey College and the author of Reconciling Truths: Reimagining Public Inquiries in Canada. She was a commissioner on the Mass Casualty Commission.
A worrying sign of tech blindness as USMCA talks approach
Among the former politicians and CEOs of a mining giant, a paper company, a steel company, a potash producer, a railway, a bank, and lobby groups for small business and the auto and aluminum sectors, there was a glaring omission: experts from the tech sector.
— Campbell Clark, Chief Political Writer
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 Trans-Canada Highway, which would eventually cover 7,821 kilometres as it crossed Canada.