A framework for a national school food program has landed on the desk of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, and with the federal budget just weeks away advocates hope the proposal will get the green light. The proposed plan comes as food prices continue to cause political headaches for governments across the country, said Tyler Meredith, a policy thinker and former economic adviser to Freeland and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "A proposal has now been put forward to Minister Freeland, and it's now for us to watch whether it'll be funded in the budget," said Meredith. "I'm cautiously optimist

The consequences of a symbolic House of Commons vote Monday that called on Canada to cease future arms exports to Israel are still reverberating as Liberals face criticism from Israel and within their own caucus. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly held a closed-door meeting with some Liberals late Tuesday after three MPs voted against the motion, saying they were blindsided by the details of the last-minute amendments. New Democrats say they negotiated those changes with the Liberals for days before the vote, and Joly herself was working with them late Monday to hammer out the details. NDP

Immigration Minister Marc Miller says the amended motion on the Israel-Hamas war the House of Commons passed Monday could make it harder for people seeking asylum in Canada to get out of Gaza. He says it could make the situation worse for a Canadian program that has already been, in his words, a "failure." Miller says he thinks the motion was fair and principled after it was altered to reflect 14 amendments proposed by the Liberals. The final motion eliminated a standalone call to recognize Palestinian statehood and instead saw MPs support progress toward a peace process and a two-state soluti

The Liberal government is poised to table legislation today that updates the federal Elections Act part of its political pact with the NDP. Details have not been released, but the agreement between the two parties calls for a three-day voting period rather than a single election day. It also stipulates that people should be able to vote at any polling place within their riding, and calls for streamlining the process for mail-in voting. Under the agreement, the New Democrats are supporting the minority Liberals on key House of Commons votes in exchange for progress on shared priorities. The two

Canada is buying artillery ammunition and night vision equipment for Ukraine as part of its latest round of aid for the country. Defence Minister Bill Blair met with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which includes about 50 allied countries led by the United States. Canada plans to spend $40 million to send artillery ammunition to Ukraine as part of a deal with Czechia. The Czechs said last month they have 800,000 pieces of ammunition and needed other countries to chip in to help get it to the front lines. Blair says night vision equipment worth $7.5 million is being sourced from a Canadian c

Canada's air quality last year was worse than the United States for the first time since a firm started publishing its annual assessment in 2018. The 2023 World Air Quality report from Swiss company IQAir says raging wildfires were a major influence on Canada's drop in air quality. The report found that on a list of 15 most polluted cities in both the U.S. and Canada, Canadian communities made up the 13 most polluted cities on the list, topped by Fort McMurray, Alta., and Peace River, Alta. Data indicates Peace River's pollution concentration, typically below the national average, shot up to l

Members of the public who wish to pay tribute to Brian Mulroney can visit his casket in Ottawa starting this afternoon. The former prime minister's casket is being brought to the Sir John A. Macdonald building opposite Parliament Hill this morning. Dignitaries including the Governor General and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are set to offer their condolences to the Mulroney family. His wife and children sat in the House of Commons gallery Monday to hear glowing tributes and funny stories from politicians across the partisan spectrum. Well-wishers can visit between 12:30 and 6 p.m. today or fro

Members of Parliament are set to vote today on an NDP motion calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to "officially recognize the state of Palestine." Liberal MPs have been divided over the Israel-Hamas war and discussed the vote during a call this morning ahead of debate on the motion. Outspoken Liberal MP Salma Zahid, from the Greater Toronto Area, says she intends to vote in favour of the motion. But Anthony Housefather, a Liberal from Montreal, says the motion calls for a list of measures that are "hostile to Israel." The non-binding motion also calls on the government to dem

Members of Parliament are returning to the House of Commons today, where they're expected to offer tributes to Brian Mulroney. The former prime minister died in Florida on Feb. 29 at age 84. His casket is being brought to Ottawa on Tuesday, where he will lie in state for two days. Dignitaries including the Governor General and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are set to offer condolences to the Mulroney family Tuesday morning. The casket will travel to Montreal on Wednesday afternoon and Mulroney will lie in repose at St. Patrick's Basilica, allowing the public to pay their respects. A state fune