Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking to reporters about the mini budget to be presented today by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, said that the fall economic statement focuses on the things that are causing Canadians to go through tough times right now. He said that it will include measures like jobs related to housing, grocery prices and green industrial strategy. It's also expected to include new housing measures aimed at boosting the construction of housing across Canada. One senior government official says the federal government is set to announce 15-billion dollars in low-cost loan

The mayor of Surrey, B.C., says the city will mount a constitutional challenge to the province's appointment of an administrator to take over the police board and oversee the transition to a municipal police force.Brenda Locke, who opposes the transition, says an amended court petition will be filed today, after the city already requested a judicial review of the province's directive to proceed with the switch away from the RCMP.Locke says the city will not approve any transition if it is unaffordable to taxpayers and the province has no right to run "roughshod" over any municipal government "

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says the federal government will appeal a recent Federal Court ruling that struck down a cabinet order underlying Ottawa's ban of some single-use plastics.The decision on Nov. 16 said Ottawa had overstepped by labelling all "plastic manufactured items" as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.The toxic designation is required for the government to regulate the use of substances in Canada.Without it, the ban on six single-use plastic items, including straws, grocery bags and cutlery, won't be able to stand.The court's ruling did not suggest

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is set to table the fall economic statement on Tuesday, and she has already signalled that both issues will be front and centre.On housing, Freeland has previously indicated the government is looking at making more public land available and trying to address the strain short-term rentals are putting on supply.But she's remained relatively tight-lipped on other specifics expected in the update, and has indicated the government "won't be able to do everything" due to limited funds. According to sources, the new measures will include a $15 billion loan over 10 y

Forecasters anticipate Canada's inflation rate took another dip in October as gasoline prices fell from the previous month and grocery prices rise more slowly.Statistics Canada is set to release its consumer price index report tomorrow, coinciding with the federal government's fall economic statement. BMO expects the annual rate to come in at 3.2 per cent for October, while RBC is forecasting the rate fell to 3.1 per cent. Canada's inflation rate came in at 3.8 per cent in September. A further slowdown would be welcome news for the Bank of Canada as it looks for evidence of a sustained slowdo

The province says it will appoint a conciliator to help bridge the gap in stalled contract negotiations with public sector unions ahead of major strikes this week.The conciliator's recommendations, however, won't be binding.A labour group representing about 420,000 public sector workers in education, health, and social services asked for a conciliator to help talks advance.The group, which calls itself the "common front" will hold a three-day strike starting Tuesday.The common front has rejected Quebec's latest contract offer — a 10.3 per cent salary increase over five years and a one-time

Canadians with loved ones trapped in the embattled Gaza Strip are still waiting to learn whether the 135 people cleared to leave the territory on Sunday were able to make the journey.A daily list from Gaza's General Authority for Crossings and Borders, which contains the names of foreign passport holders cleared to cross into Egypt via the Rafah land crossing, expanded to include 135 people with ties to Canada on Sunday.But Global Affairs Canada did not provide any details on Sunday as to how many of those people were able to leave the war-torn enclave.The agency's last update, provided on Fri

Canadian Members of Parliament spent more than $14.6 million of taxpayer dollars on travel in the first six months of 2023, up nearly 10 percent from the previous six months. This amount works out to about $80,000 per day. This taxpayer money is spent on commercial airfare,, ground transportation, accommodation and meals for Members of Parliament and their families and staff. According to the report, from January 1 to June 30, 338 MPs spent an average of $43,000, or more than $7,200 per month, on work and constituency-related travel.Among them were the travel bills of Canada's two main opposit

The RCMP's federal unit, which investigates Canada's serious crime cases, is facing staff shortages.According to RCMP spokesperson Marie-Eve Breton, the federal policing wing is short about 1,000 positions.At present, the wing has 507 fewer police officers than a decade ago and 500 more posts are vacant.Breton said federal policing currently has about 5,000 employees.The RCMP has two main policing units, one that provides local and regional law enforcement officers to the states and the other is a federal policing wing that investigates cases related to national and international crimes such a