After a busy two weeks as prime minister, Mark Carney is on the campaign trail.

As the first in Canadian history to be named prime minister without ever having held public office, Carney is hoping he can win the trust of Canadians. He’ll run for a seat in the Ottawa riding of Nepean.

Trustworthiness is awarded to those who are at least perceived as knowledgeable, transparent and concerned. Can Carney pull it off?

In order to get Pierre Poilievre and his Conservatives elected as prime minister and government of Canada, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told an interviewer from pro-MAGA Breitbart News in a March 8 podcast, she’s asked officials of the Trump Administration to “put things on pause” until the election if over.

This admission resurfaced on the weekend and has turned into a major brouhaha in the lead-up to the April 28 federal election called by Prime Minister Mark Carney.

A lot of people in my social media feeds are thinking of voting Liberal in the coming election. Mark Carney seems like a safe bet and the fear of a Pierre Poilievre victory in the Trump era is frightening. If your main issue is the best person to deal with Donald Trump, he is probably that. I understand.

Carney seems trustworthy and kind. He says he understands that private industry is good at creating wealth but not so good at protecting vulnerable people in the process. Unfortunately, it’s not 1990 anymore and the idea that providing private corporations with tons of government money and tax cuts will produce wealth for everyone has been thoroughly discredited through lived experience. What it has produced is massive wealth, all of which is concentrated in the one per cent or more likely the 0.1 per cent and more and more suffering by the poor and the working class. The result is Trump and Elon Musk and the other authoritarians and fascists gaining ground around the world. And Mark Carney as the head of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England as well as a senior executive in important private equity companies has been part of the problem not part of the solution.

Richard lives in a pup tent in downtown Ottawa, next to the Bank of Canada and about a block from the temporary home of the House of Commons. He’s a thin, tough man in his sixties. Or he could be in his fifties. When you’ve worked outside for years as a roofer and then end up on the street, your face has seen a lot of sun. Carrying a heavy load of trauma and anxiety is also a great way to look older than you are.

Richard gets by on $789 a month from the Ontario Disability Support Program. That’s what everyone gets, whether they’re paying for a home or not. A few years ago, he might have been able to afford to share a small apartment, but that wouldn’t work now: Rentals.ca reported average rents in Ottawa ranged from $1,699 for a bachelor apartment to $1,892 for a one-bedroom in April 2023.

This math leaves Richard and many of the other 3,000 unsheltered people in downtown Ottawa living in pup tents. They’re all over the place. And a lot of homeless people spend cold nights lying in sleeping bags in doorways or on ventilation grates that blow hot air.

Danielle Smith must resign immediately.

The Alberta Premier can be friends with anyone she chooses — including the adjudicated rapist threatening to ruin Canada. However, Smith crossed a line by asking Trump to interfere in Canada’s federal election.

It doesn’t matter that Smith’s request to Trump administration officials to pause the tariff war doesn’t meet the formal — arguably outdated — definition of election interference. Smith clearly stated that her request was a consequence of the tariff war benefitting Mark Carney, and that a pause would benefit Pierre Poilievre.

Were this not enough, Smith advocated for Poilievre because she thinks he and Trump are “in sync.”

Smith doesn’t care about Canadian sovereignty, and it shows when she flew down to Mar-a-Lago, when she attended Trump’s inauguration and whenever she speaks to the American far-right, which is unfortunately often.

She is supposed to represent the people of Alberta — Canadian citizens — not the interests of the Trump Organization. Her actions — always immature, often childish and completely unacceptable for any Canadian politician — have proven her unworthy of her office.

We are a forgiving society to not call them treasonous.

If Danielle Smith doesn’t want to stand up for Canada, then it’s time for her to stand down.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith came into the federal election campaign hoping her words would leave an imprint.

Well, maybe not like this.

She wanted her points about oil and gas regulation, and her demands on pipeline approvals, to influence the conversation. Less so her weeks-old remarks to a Trump-friendly media outlet about a strategic Washington "pause" on tariffs to avoid boosting Liberal fortunes, and that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was "in sync" with the direction of Donald Trump.

After her interview with Breitbart News surfaced on the eve of campaign launch, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was most forceful in denouncing Smith's talk of advising Trump administration officials to pause tariff plans "so we can get through an election" and ideally elect Poilievre to deal with the U.S. president.

"Shameful," Singh termed it.

"If you're loyal to this country, if you care about Canadians, you say, 'Stop the tariffs. Don't hurt Canadian workers. Don't hurt Canadian families. Don't hurt Quebecers,'" Singh said while on the stump in Montreal.

Cult MTL on Bluesky

Foreign interference: CSIS alleges India aided Pierre Poilievre in Conservative leadership race

“Poilievre’s refusal to get his security clearance is looking increasingly suspicious.”

https://cultmtl.com/2025/03/foreign-interference-csis-alleges-india-aided-pierre-poilievre-in-conservative-cpc-leadership-race/

APTN News on Bluesky

As the country gets ready to go to the polls on April 28, Elections Canada Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault says they’ve worked hard to better engage Indigenous voters this time around.

Hear how on the latest APTN News Brief: pod.fo/e/2bdbe9

MediaSmarts on Bluesky

The #househippo is here to remind us that misinformation can fool anyone—even you!🧐 In an election season, always check the facts with a reliable source before you share online. Learn how at www.breakthefake.ca #BreaktheFake

Canadians for EU Membership on Bluesky

An election is underway, tell the candidates it's time for Canada to stop "getting closer" to the EU and go all the way inside!

CIVIX Canada on Bluesky

Wow! More than 2,500 schools have already registered for Student Vote Canada. ⁠

Register your school today for this inspiring mock election program studentvote.ca/canada

Fair Vote Canada on Bluesky

Told you're wasting your vote by backing the party that reflects your values?

Ask them why we’re still stuck without proportional representation.

#Election2025

On the eve of the 2025 federal election call, an excerpt from Danielle Smith’s interview with Breitbart News started making the rounds on social media. On Sunday it hit mainstream media.

In the interview, Smith said: “The longer this [tariff] dispute goes on, politicians posture, and it seems to be benefiting the Liberals right now so I would hope that we could put things on pause is what I’ve told administration officials... Let’s just put things on pause so we can get through an election.”

Why should the Trump administration care about the Canadian election? Smith went on to say that she told the Americans “I would say, on balance, the perspective that Pierre [Poilievre] would bring would be very much in sync with, I think… the new direction in America. And I think we’d have a really great relationship for the period of time they’re both in (office).”

Fair Vote Canada on Bluesky

A federal election is coming and our soverignty is on the line.

That's why we're looking for volunteers to deliver door hangers—and help fight for proportional representation.

Sign up here: secure.fairvote.ca/en/action/el...

Let’s ditch first-past-the-post.

Let’s make every vote count. #cdnpoli

The race to choose Canada's next prime minister began Sunday with each of the main party leaders making their pitch for why they are uniquely qualified to lead the country through a crisis.

The first day of the campaign gave them the opportunity to tell Canadians a bit about their background and values — and how that dovetails with the crisis the country is facing.

That crisis: the political, economic and existential threat posed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The office of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is vehemently denying accusations that she asked the U.S. to interfere in Canadian federal politics, as comments Smith made during an interview with an American news outlet earlier this month made waves this weekend.

Smith, along with other Canadian political leaders, has been lobbying U.S. counterparts against placing the stiff tariffs President Donald Trump wants on Canadian goods. Part of her effort has included speaking with American news media.

During a March 8 interview with Breitbart, a right-wing U.S. media company, Smith said the Conservative Party of Canada was far ahead of the governing Liberal Party in polls before the trade war. But the threat of "unjust and unfair tariffs" had boosted Liberal support.

The leaders of the main federal political parties will be invited to a face off in mid-April — if they meet certain criteria, announced the Leaders' Debates Commission Monday.

The commission, a government agency created in 2018 to organize federal leaders' debates, said the French debate will take place April 16 at 8 p.m. ET and the English debate will be held April 17 at 7 p.m. ET.

Both events will be hosted at the Maison de Radio-Canada in Montreal.

The head of Elections Canada says he has been in touch with social media platforms in an effort to address concerns about misinformation as Canada wades into an election campaign.

Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault told reporters on Monday that he has reached out to social media sites such as X and TikTok to "seek their support to making this election a secure election." He said he has been satisfied with the response so far.

"We'll see what action actually takes place during the election. Hopefully they won't have to intervene, but if there are issues, hopefully they will be true to their word," he said.

"Chaque nouveau membre compte" Campagne de dons

Objectif

Pour les prochaines 72 heures, je (AlolanVulpix) ferai un don de 1$ pour chaque nouvel abonné à notre forum, soutenant la défense de la représentation proportionnelle au Canada.

Détails actuels

1. Statistiques actuelles : 490 abonnés.
2. Cet événement commence dès que cette publication est visible et se termine le ou après le 2025-03-27T20:00:00-04:00.

Modalités du don

3. 1$ sera donné pour chaque nouvel abonné qui se joint pendant la période de 72 heures
4. Plafond maximal de don : 500$ CAD.
5. Bénéficiaire du don : Représentation équitable au Canada.
6. Vérification : J'utiliserai les analyses d'abonnés du forum pour suivre les nouveaux membres.
7. Des mises à jour sur les progrès seront publiées régulièrement, objectif : toutes les 24 heures dans ce fil

Règles

8. Les nouveaux abonnés doivent maintenir leur adhésion pendant au moins 7 jours après la fin du concours pour être comptabilisés
9. Plusieurs comptes créés par la même personne ne compteront que comme un seul abonnement
10. Les abonnés locaux et non locaux comptent tous deux pour le total des dons

Questions et contact

11. Pour toute question concernant cette campagne de dons, veuillez commenter ci-dessous
12. Le reçu de don sera publié (avec les informations personnelles caviardées) après la conclusion de l'événement

Renforçons notre communauté tout en soutenant la réforme démocratique ! Chaque nouveau membre compte, tout comme chaque vote devrait compter dans notre système électoral.