A former BC Liberal cabinet minister turfed from the party caucus last year for his climate change views says he's running for the leadership of the Conservative Party of British Columbia.John Rustad, who has been sitting as an Independent in B.C.'s legislature, says he wants to build a grassroots coalition of supporters under the Conservative banner to offer an alternative to the current New Democrat government and Opposition Liberals.A Conservative leadership vote is set for May 28, with former leader Trevor Bolin serving as interim leader until the vote.Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon said he d

Beijing says it has nothing to say about ongoing allegations that China has meddled in Canadian affairs, including those regarding a member of Parliament who has left the Liberal caucus.Han Dong is now sitting as an Independent as the Liberal government has a rapporteur investigate claims of Chinese interference, including allegations the Toronto MP willingly received electoral support through Chinese officials.Dong resigned from the Liberal caucus Wednesday night after Global News, citing unnamed security sources, published a report alleging that he spoke about Michael Spavor and Michael Kovr

Canada and the United States are negotiating a deal that could designate all 8,900 kilometres of their shared border as an official crossing under the Safe Third Country Agreement.A Canadian government official with knowledge of the talks says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Joe Biden will discuss the issue when they meet in Ottawa on Friday.The Canadian Press is granting anonymity to the official to discuss matters not yet made public.The bilateral treaty that Canada and the U.S. signed in 2004 requires asylum seekers to make their claim in the first country they land in, but it o

Members of Parliament have voted unanimously in favour of urging the government to address the needs of people with invisible disabilities in its national housing strategy.Liberal MP Arielle Kayabaga introduced the motion, which calls on the government to include an expert on disabilities in its National Housing Council.It also asks the government to formally recognize the barriers people with disabilities face when it comes to finding a home.Invisible disabilities include mental health disorders, visual or hearing impairments and cognitive disabilities.Kayabaga told the House of Commons in Oc

The RCMP say they arrested a man in Montreal today on terrorism allegations after receiving intelligence from the FBI.Police say officers arrested 18-year-old Mohamed Amine Assal, who is from Montreal's St-Laurent borough.They say their operation was to disrupt Assal's "suspicious activities" and get him to sign a peace bond that could include several conditions.The RCMP say their investigation gave them reasonable grounds to fear that Assal may commit a terrorism offence.They say he has not been charged but could be at a later date.An RCMP news release says the police force is committed to co

A B.C. judge says former Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart can recover more than $100,000 in legal costs related to a failed defamation case launched by political rivals in the once-dominant Non-Partisan Association.B.C. Supreme Court Justice Wendy Baker says in her March 20 ruling that the defamation case against Stewart by current and former members of the NPA's board of directors was a "strategic lawsuit against public participation."They sued Stewart after he issued a press release in January 2021 denouncing "hate and extremism" in the NPA in response to media reports on the party's internal

More than 100 people and organizations have been nominated for this year's B.C. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Awards for their efforts to address racism and build a more equitable B.C. for everyone."Indigenous, Black and People of Colour in B.C. and Canada continue to be harmed every day by discrimination and hate," said Niki Sharma, Attorney General. "I’m so proud to recognize the award winners and nominees who are working to dismantle systemic racism and make our communities more fair, just, and equitable for everyone." The B.C. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Awards were held last nig

At least seven different police and military units will be patrolling Ottawa's skies and streets this week as the city braces for the arrival of U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.They are set to arrive Thursday for the first official visit to Canada since Biden took office as president in 2021 and will stay overnight until Friday.The last time the country hosted a president was in 2016, when former president Barack Obama came to Ottawa for the North American Leaders' Summit near the end of his second term.Biden's sojourn will take place under a heavy police presence, with the

The federal government says it will spend up to $1.5 billion over the next three years to improve access to drugs used to treat rare diseases.Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says up to $1.4 billion of that money will be used to help provinces and territories expand coverage of new and existing drugs that treat rare diseases.The federal government says it wants to create a list of new and emerging drugs for rare diseases that would be covered in a similar way by all provincial and territorial health insurance plans.Another $52 million will be used to gather evidence on the safety and effective