Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Conservatives will vote on Pierre Poilievre’s leadership on the second day of their convention, according to a newly-released schedule.
The Calgary event will run from Jan. 29 to 31. Notably, it is the same weekend that the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party will have its convention.
The federal leadership review vote will happen from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. local time on Jan. 30, after Poilievre gives a keynote address.
Though he is expected to survive, the vote is a high stakes moment for Poilievre. The Conservatives had a double-digit lead in national opinion polls for more than a year ahead of the April general election, however, the party failed to form government and Poilievre lost his own seat.
Along with the leadership review, grassroots members will debate and vote on various proposed changes to the party’s policy book and constitution.
The policy suggestions can include modifications and new guidelines, and are proposed by electoral district associations. Leaders are not bound to put any of the agreed-upon measures into the eventual election platform.
One EDA is proposing removing the party’s abortion policy completely, by deleting the line “a Conservative Government will not support any legislation to regulate abortion.”
Another wants to implement a “life-affirming care and post-abortion support framework” which would, among other aspects, “protect lawful, non-coercive counselling and pregnancy care centres” and expand practical supports for women choosing to continue pregnancies.
There is also a proposal that a Conservative government prohibit any digital identification system and central bank digital currency.
“This ensures that Canadians are not compelled to participate in such programs, preserving non-digital identification and cash transactions protecting privacy and freedom, and prevention of debanking policies,” it states.
That same EDA also wants to “reclaim Canadian sovereignty” in part by withdrawing from the World Health Organization and the Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response Agreement, which has been the subject of conspiracy theories.
Grassroots Conservatives will also debate a modification to the party’s diversity principles.
“Furthermore, the Conservative Party believes in the principle of meritocracy, defined as a system where individuals succeed based on their abilities, efforts, and achievements – not their background or social status," reads a proposed addition.
There are also policies that focus on issues like bail reform, immigration and protecting Canada’s elections from foreign interference.
The Liberals are set to hold their convention this April, while New Democrats will choose their new leader in March.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney discussed the recent events in Venezuela.
Smith says the situation underscores the need to expedite the approval of a one million barrel per day oil pipeline to the West Coast, as well as an expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.
“Alberta’s intention is to submit our application for an oil pipeline to the northwest BC coast to the major projects office by June at the latest, and I have asked for it to be approved no later than this fall,” she wrote on X.
Smith has long argued the need for an oil pipeline to B.C.’s tidewater — something opposed by Premier David Eby and some First Nations.
You can read the entire letter she sent to Carney prior to speaking with him here.
Leader of the Conservative Party Pierre Poilievre rises in the House of Commons during Question Period on Parliament Hill, Dec. 11.Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
Official portrait for Stephen Harper finally set to be unveiled
Stephanie Levitz reports that Stephen Harper’s official prime ministerial portrait will be unveiled in February as part of commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the modern Conservative Party first winning power.
Ontario sues company in Skills Development Fund controversy for millions in damages
Jeff Gray writes that the Ontario government is going to court to seek millions in damages from Keel Digital Solutions, a company that received taxpayer money from the province’s Skills Development Fund. The government alleges in a lawsuit that the company engaged in “fraudulent misrepresentation.”
Putin unleashes his fury on Ukraine in a warning that Russia can still upset the table
Senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon writes that barely 24 hours after U.S. forces boarded a Russian-flagged tanker carrying Venezuelan oil – and on the same night protesters in Tehran were rising up against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime – Russian President Vladimir Putin let loose his fury on Ukraine.
Thursday was a long and punishing night in Kyiv, which bore the brunt of an attack involving 278 drones and missiles, as well as in the western Lviv region, which was targeted by a rarely used nuclear-capable missile known as Oreshnik.
Iran signals crackdown on protests amid internet blackout
Iran has signalled that security forces would crack down on protesters, directly challenging U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge to support those peacefully demonstrating as the death toll rose to at least 62.
On our radar
Quote of the Day
“We condemned the use of force without support in the Charter of the United Nations and international law, and agreed on the need for reform of global governance institutions,” Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said in a statement after speaking with Prime Minister Mark Carney about the United States’ action in Venezuela.
Question period
What minister was recently spotted picking up a copy of Heated Rivalry at a bookstore?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives:
An impatient Mark Carney would rather bypass the public service than reform it
The senior bureaucracy is almost exclusively composed of individuals who climbed the ranks during an era of increasing centralization of power and policymaking in the Prime Minister’s Office. Their skill set revolves around keeping the dust down, rather than disrupting the status quo.
— Konrad Yakabuski, Globe and Mail columnist
Canadians are feeling pretty good at the moment. Will the optimism survive 2026?
For Mr. Carney and the Liberals, if the 19-year trend holds, the chances of positive perceptions weakening are high. Year one was about being different than Justin Trudeau. Year two will be about defending the record. The more there is to defend, the more difficult the political management.
— Nik Nanos, Globe and Mail official pollster
Thanks to Grok, the internet is even less safe for women
These non-consensual, technology-assisted manipulations are vile and should be illegal, not trending. Yet this digital undressing has gone from the dark web to the mainstream, exploding over the holidays.
— Marsha Lederman, Globe and Mail columnist
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: Canadian Identity and Culture Minister Marc Miller was spotted with Halifax MP Shannon Miedema picking up a copy of Heated Rivalry. The book, by Canadian author Rachel Reid, has been difficult to obtain after its TV-adaptation became an internet sensation.