Pablo Rodriguez has resigned as Canada's transport minister and the government's Quebec lieutenant so he can run for leadership of the provincial Liberal party. A senior government official told The Canadian Press that a new transport minister will be installed at a ceremony at Rideau Hall this afternoon. Rodriguez says he's also leaving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal caucus so that he can set his own priorities and focus on Quebec. He plans to sit as an independent member of Parliament until next January, saying that will avoid an expensive byelection so close to the next federal ele

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's wife has hit back in response to Jagmeet Singh's comments on her husband. In fact, Jagmeet Singh attacked Poilievre for his misbehavior outside Parliament, saying that for the past several days mischievous elements in Ottawa have been harassing Canadians who do not agree with them and Poilievre is the same. Only the country wants Anaida Poilievre countered by saying that what happened to you was wrong and it should not happen, but people are suffering and for the last 8 years my husband is not running this country but the government you support is his pe

The Liberal government will slash the number of international student visas it issues by another 10 per cent. The government says the new target for 2025 and 2026 will be 437,000 permits. In 2024 the target was 485,000 permits. It is also putting new limits on work permits for spouses of both foreign workers and students in master's degree programs. Earlier this year, the Liberal government announced a temporary cap to reduce the number of new student visas by more than a third this year. Those changes followed significant scrutiny of the international student program as experts warned that st

Federal Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez is expected to resign from cabinet to seek the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party. A federal Liberal source, who was not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed the news to The Canadian Press. It was first reported by La Presse. Rodriguez, who is also Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Quebec lieutenant, is expected to formally announce his decision Thursday in Gatineau. The Quebec Liberals have been without a leader since Dominique Anglade resigned following her defeat in the 2022 provincial election. Rodriguez's choice to step down will be another

The case of NDP leader Jagmeet Singh making inappropriate comments by two protesters outside the parliament yesterday has sparked a debate on increasing the security of MPs and federal party leaders. On Tuesday, when Jagmeet Singh was walking out of Parliament, a protester called him a corrupt, bastard, using foul language. However, as soon as Jagmeet Singh turned around, he surrounded the two protestors and asked who said that they refused. On this, the NDP leader retaliated and said that you do not have the courage to criticize in front. These protestors were also telling Jagmeet Singh whe

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says as classrooms get over whelmed with new grade school students, her government will fast-track new school builds with 8.6-billion dollars over the next three years. In a televised address, Smith says the province's existing education budget isn't enough to keep up with rapid population growth in kindergarten to Grade 12 schools. She says often the only thing holding back cash is school boards getting projects and sites ready for construction. The government is also changing the process of approving construction funding so school boards don't need to wait eve

A federal inquiry into foreign interference is slated to hear today from current and former politicians who have been singled out by meddlers. Former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, Conservative MP Michael Chong and New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan have all been identified publicly as targets of interference by China. The inquiry's latest hearings are focusing on the capacity of federal agencies to detect, deter and counter foreign meddling. The hearings, scheduled to continue through Oct. 16, will be somewhat broad in scope, examining democratic institutions and the experiences of diaspora commun

The Bloc Québécois leader says he's in no hurry to trigger a federal election and will instead stick with his plan to extract gains from the minority Liberal government. Yves-François Blanchet made the comments to reporters today after his party's stunning byelection victory in the former Liberal stronghold of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, in Montreal's southwest. Blanchet says the NDP's decision to end its agreement with the Liberals that had propped up the minority government gave his party the momentum it needed to win the riding by just 248 votes. With the victory, which was announced earl

Health Canada has authorized Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus. The mRNA vaccine, called Spikevax, has been reformulated to target the KP.2 subvariant of Omicron. It will replace the previous version of the vaccine that was released a year ago, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron. Health Canada recently asked provinces and territories to get rid of their older COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the most current vaccine will be used during this fall's respiratory virus season. Health Canada is also reviewing two other upda