Green Leader Sonia Furstenau is disputing her NDP counterpart's claims that her party stood in the way of improving child care in BC. John Horgan says his minority government couldn't fulfil the NDP's 2017 platform promise of providing daycare for 10 dollars a day because it couldn't get support from the Greens. But in a statement, Furstenau says she has been pushing the New Democrats for the legislation. Instead, she says Horgan chose to call an election. The Green leader also spoke to the Union of BC Municipalities today, telling the local politicians the election was unnecessary. Furstenau

Health Canada says it can't provide any information about the status of any of the rapid-testing devices for COVID-19 it is reviewing. Pressure is mounting on the federal government to approve tests that can provide faster results as hospitals and public health agencies across Canada struggle to keep up with the demand for COVID-19 testing. Deputy Conservative leader Candice Bergen says the government promised in March that getting rapid tests was a priority and yet half a year later, there are still none in use in Canada. At least 14 such devices are under review by Health Canada but the dep

President Donald Trump was booed as he paid respects to late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Trump and first lady Melania Trump, both wearing masks, went to the court Thursday and stood silently at the top of the steps of the court and looked down at Ginsburg's flag-draped coffin. Ginsburg's death has sparked a controversy over the balance of the court just weeks before the November presidential election. Trump is expected to name a replacement on Saturday. Moments after Trump arrived at the court, booing could be heard from spectators who then chanted ``Vote him out.''

Moody's Analytics, Inc. says home prices across Canada could tumble about seven per cent in 2021, as unemployment dampens the hot real estate market. The financial intelligence company says there is a dangerous oversupply of new, single-family homes in Calgary and Edmonton, on top of affordability issues in Vancouver and Toronto. Moody's report did not go into detail on how it created the forecasts, but says that its 2021 home price index also calls for a 6.7 per cent decrease for single-family homes and a 6.5 per cent decline in condo apartments. The prediction from Moody's comes after the C

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he is taking the Liberal government's move to increase the value of benefits for unemployed workers to $500 a week as a ``major win'' for his party. That was one of the demands the NDP issued in exchange for supporting the minority Liberal government on a confidence vote triggered by Wednesday's throne speech. Singh stopped short of saying the NDP will support the throne speech, saying the party is still negotiating with the Liberals on its second demand: paid sick leave. The Liberals need the support of at least one of the main opposition parties to avoid trigge

Medical experts say an abrupt shift in Ontario's testing strategy highlights the complexities of responding to a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Premier Doug Ford's government announced today that assessment centres would revert back to testing only symptomatic individuals, those who've come into contact with a case and those who work in high-risk settings. Testing for asymptomatic residents is available at up to 60 pharmacies by appointment starting on Friday. The move marks a sharp reversal from the message the government touted for months that anyone could obtain a test if they wante

The value of weekly benefits for unemployed workers would rise to $500 a week under legislation the Liberals introduced today. The proposal still needs parliamentary approval, but would bring the value of payments to the same level as under the soon-to-disappear Canada Emergency Response Benefit.The same floor will be placed on employment insurance benefits for those eligible for the program.A bill to create the new benefits regime was introduced in the House of Commons this morning, with only a few days before the first wave of recipients max out the CERB.The Liberals first unveiled the pack

The fate of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government hangs in the balance as Parliament resumes all normal operations today for the first time in six months.Opposition parties will give their official responses to Wednesday's speech from the throne but they've already signalled that Trudeau can't count on support from any of them to survive the eventual confidence vote and avoid plunging the country into an election in the midst of a second wave of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.The Conservatives were unequivocal: they will not support the throne speech.The Bloc Quebecois was

Talking to journalists in Victoria today, BC Liberals leader Andrew Wilkinson warned Surrey residents to be wary of NDP’s promise of building a second hospital in Surrey. He said NDP has only been ‘all talk and no action’ on Surrey’s issues such as taxis, trucking, Skytrain extension and Massey Tunnel. Replying to a question about Surrey’s own police, Wilkinson said that there has been a complete lack of transparency around Surrey policing changes and NDP are now "trying to throw some blame off their own back" in terms of the growing chaos around now, what he called a hyper-political