Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Cheers greeted Nunavut MP Lori Idlout as she arrived today for her first meeting as a member of the Liberal caucus.
Stephanie Levitz, Bill Curry and Emily Haws report that the move by Idlout, first elected as a New Democrat in 2021, brings the Liberals closer to a majority government.
Idlout is the fourth opposition MP to join the Liberals, who are now two seats short of a majority, and many of them said her decision reflects the broad appeal of their agenda.
But Idlout said little to journalists on her way into the Liberals’ caucus meeting, accompanied by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“There are a variety of many things that have allowed me to really reflect on this, and I’m very thankful to be so warmly welcomed,” she said.
Carney said it was an honour to welcome her to the team, calling her one of Canada’s greatest constituency MPs.
“We’ve had conversations about what we can do both large and small in Nunavut, large projects, but also helping everyone get ahead,” he said.
Over the past year, the government has made several funding pledges for Nunavut and Carney has hinted that the territory is in line for substantially more as Ottawa prioritizes large infrastructure projects in the North.
In other news, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced $10-million aimed at bolstering security in Canada’s Jewish communities, days after shootings directed at synagogues in the Toronto area.
Marie Woolf reports that the money, which will be used to reinforce security at synagogues, daycares, schools and community centres, follows renewed calls in recent days from Jewish groups for more support to deal with a surge in antisemitic incidents.
The funding will be provided to the government’s Canada Community Security Program to help reinforce security for Jewish communities, with most of the money earmarked for Toronto and Montreal.
Anandasangaree said it would be made available to communities within days.
He made the announcement at a press conference flanked by a large group of Liberal ministers and MPs, including AI Minister Evan Solomon, who said a synagogue he attended as a child was among those targeted by gunfire on the weekend.
Also today, the Canadian Journalism Foundation has announced that it will bestow a lifetime achievement award on Robert Fife, who has dedicated his decades-long career to holding politicians accountable on Parliament Hill.
Fife, the Ottawa Bureau Chief for the past decade at The Globe and Mail, will be formally recognized at the CJF’s award ceremony in June at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.
Kristy Kirkup reports that the CJF said Fife will receive the award for his “decades-long career exemplifying the highest standards of political reporting, public‑interest journalism and newsroom leadership in both print and broadcast."
In response to the CJF’s announcement, Globe Editor-in-Chief David Walmsley said Fife has dedicated his life to “brave, independent journalism.”
“He has never forgotten he represents the public in all that he does,” Walmsley said. “His contribution to Canadian political journalism is unparalleled and all of us at The Globe are proud of his accomplishments.”
Liberal MP Lori Idlout rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Wednesday.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
Tumbler Ridge MP supports lawsuit against Open AI: Cia Edmonds, whose 12-year-old daughter Maya Gebala was shot three times, filed the lawsuit this week and MP Bob Zimmer says the legal action is “justified” based on his reading of recent news coverage.
Canada made `meaningful’ housing supply gains in 2025: The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. linked the result to record rental construction and more “missing middle” type housing. However, short-term imbalances remain for several markets.
U.S. ambassador and B.C. Premier meet: Pete Hoekstra emerged from a 45-minute meeting with David Eby this week but said any progress on trade talks will be up to the two countries’ leaders to announce.
Ottawa eyeing moves to boost oil production amid global supply shock: Energy Minister Tim Hodgson says the government has asked Canadian oil producers to assess how much crude they could potentially release into the market as the escalating war in Iran leaves a fifth of global supplies in a chokehold.
Ontario announces $750 annual spending cards for teachers to buy classroom supplies: The new “classroom supplies fund” will launch in September, and cost $66-million. Homeroom teachers from kindergarten to Grade 8 will have access to $750 each school year and be able to purchase supplies through a new provincial website.
Recall petition for Alberta Premier fails to get enough signatures: The nearly 2,300 signatures collected over the past three months was far fewer than the 12,070 signatures needed for the recall to proceed.
On our radar
Prime Minister’s Day: Mark Carney attended the Liberal caucus meeting as well as Question Period. He also participated in a virtual G7 leaders’ meeting on the situation in the Middle East. Carney was also scheduled to deliver remarks at an evening event to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Party Leaders: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre attended Question Period. In Ottawa, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May spoke, with other MPs, at an International Women’s Day panel on Parliament Hill, attended a Speaker’s reception after the panel, and attended the Commons. Interim NDP Leader Don Davies attended his caucus meeting and later held a news conference. No schedule released for Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet.
Poilievre headed for the U.S. : Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is going to the United States, starting Friday, that will include speeches and other events in Michigan, Houston and Austin in Texas and New York City. A statement from the Office of the Official Opposition Leader says he will be advocating for Canada’s auto and energy sectors, fighting for tariff-free trade and promoting Canadian resources. The tour follows Poilievre’s recent trip to Britain and Germany.
McKenna at Munk: Catherine McKenna, a former federal Liberal cabinet minister, has joined the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy as a distinguished fellow and member of the advisory committee of the Lawson Climate Institute at the University of Toronto. Janice Stein, the founding director of the Munk School, said in a statement that she is thrilled that McKenna has accepted this appointment to help advance climate leadership at the school.
Clark podcast: Former B.C. premier Christy Clark has launched a new talk show. Before winning the leadership of the provincial Liberals in 2010, Clark, previously a provincial cabinet minister, was host of a show on radio station CKNW for three years. Now, the province’s premier from 2011 to 2017 is back with a weekly interview-focused podcast. In a statement, Clark said that the first podcast will be released by the end of the week and episodes will include a talk about tariffs with former U.S. ambassador David Cohen and a discussion on media fragmentation and bias with former CBC journalist Peter Mansbridge. Clark said that compared with radio, the podcast allows for more in-depth conversation. “On a pod, I get to go deep with people and discover unexpected things,” she said.
Quote of the Day
“Floor crossings are nothing new. Conservatives don’t complain about them when people cross to them. We operate under the Westminster parliamentary system, and floor crossings have been happening for hundreds of years. So, it’s nothing new despite the fact that the opposition might complain about it. It’s unfortunate they’re not crossing to them, but that is an opportunity for them to self-reflect as to why that’s the case.” - Mark Gerretsen, chief government whip, speaking to journalists after today’s Liberal caucus meeting on Parliament Hill.
Question period
What is the largest federal riding in Canada?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Mark Carney can and should travel the world. But he must still be accountable to Canadians
Mr. Carney doesn’t need to physically be in Canada to be accountable to Canadians. But he does need to respond to journalists who, conveniently for him, follow him wherever he goes. And he must make himself available to opposition parties in the House, whose questions represent an integral part of the functioning of our parliamentary democracy.
— Robyn Urback, Columnist
War is good for absolutely nothing that’s good
War is good for raising the temperature of an already turbulent time, for dialling up the uncertainty for young generations already anxiety-ridden by economic conditions and murky employment opportunities, paralyzed by impending environmental disaster and socially stunted by a wonky COVID-interrupted upbringing.
— Marsha Lederman, Columnist
The shooting of synagogues target all of us
And the country needs to hear from Prime Minister Mark Carney. Canadians need to hear him clearly denounce the anti-Jewish campaign of intimidation – in all of its forms – and to hear what his government will do to defeat it.
— 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: At 2.1 million square kilometres, it’s Nunavut. That’s the riding of Lori Idlout, elected as a New Democrat in 2021 and 2025, who has joined the Liberals.