Original Publish Date » March 28 , 2025
Last Updated » 3 weeks
The Numbers
» CBC Poll Tracker — March 28, 2025 » The Liberals continue to rise in the polls and widen their lead. The Conservatives have more support than they did in the last election but are no closer to forming government as the NDP and Bloc vote shifts to the Liberals, who are consolidating their position as the heavy favourite to win an election if one were held today.
» Liberals 40.8% / Conservatives 37.5% / NDP 9.2% / BQ 6.2% / Green 3 %% / PPC 2.2% (CBC)
» Liberals 41% / Conservatives 39% / NDP 6% / BQ 5% / Green 1% / PPC 1% / Undecided 6% (Mainstreet Research)
» National Tracker: Liberals 43%, Conservatives 38% (Liaison Strategies)
The Campaign Trail
» Kory Teneycke, the Conservative strategists who helped Ontario Premier Doug Ford win a sizeable majority government, said Pierre Poilievre acts and sounds too much like the Trump, with his pet names for his political opponents (“Carbon tax Carney”) and catchy sloganeering (“big beautiful bring it home tax cut”), and it’s off-putting to voters the party needs to win. “It all sounds too Trump-y for a lot of voters,” Teneycke said. (CBC)
» Former NDP Leader Tom Mulcair writes, “If you can’t seriously say you’re going to form a government that can take on Trump, then get out of the way and let the only real contenders have at it.” Trump’s threat to Canada means this election must be a choice between the Liberals and Conservatives. (Bloomberg)
» ‘Deeply hypocritical’: Pierre Poilievre slammed ‘illegal border crossers,’ but his own relative crossed and stayed. Poilievre’s relative—the uncle of his wife, Anaida Poilievre—received help from her and an undisclosed MP’s office in 2021 in his efforts to get permanent residency. (The Breach)
» N.D.G.–Westmount Conservatives have picked lawyer Neil Drabkin as their candidate. Last month, Drabkin said Elon Musk holds Pierre Poilievre in high esteem — and that a Conservative MP’s close relationship with US Vice President J.D. Vance is a bonus. (Montreal Gazette)
» Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s unserious message to Trump, “Knock it off,” another of his three-word slogans that he has used regularly on the campaign trail. (CBC)
» Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre promises to hike their tax-free savings accounts (TFSA) contribution limit by $5,000 for those who invest in Canadian companies (CBC)
» With little else to target, Liberal Leader Mark Carney’s business connections are under attack. Pierre Poilievre and Jagmeet Singh are criticizing the Liberal leader over his links to Brookfield. (Toronto Star)
» Canadian MAGA hats, knives and e-cigarettes among items confiscated from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s rallies (CTV)
» Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is promising to get tough on crime if his party forms government. Blames Liberals for ‘weak’ penal system. Pledges life sentences for trafficking, so that ‘monsters rot in jail’ (CP)
» Pierre Poilievre is trying to distance himself from Donald Trump. Problem is, American far-right MAGA influencers are rooting for Poilievre. (PressProgress)
Trade War
» Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke with Trump. The Prime Minister’s read out states the two leaders “had a very constructive conversation about the relationship between our two countries.” The leaders agreed to begin comprehensive negotiations about a new economic and security relationship immediately following the election. In the interim, the leaders agreed that conversations between the Dominic LeBlanc and Howard Lutnick will intensify to address immediate concerns. The Prime Minister told Trump he would be working hard for the next month to earn the right to represent Canada in those discussions. The Prime Minister informed Trump that his government will implement retaliatory tariffs to protect Canadian workers and our economy, following the announcement of additional US trade actions on April 2. (PM)
» Trump says he had an ‘extremely productive’ call with PM Carney. In a shift in tone, Trump is referring to Mark Carney as Canada’s prime minister. “It was an extremely productive call, we agree on many things, and will be meeting immediately after Canada’s upcoming election to work on elements of politics, business, and all other factors,” Trump wrote on the platform Truth Social. (CP)
» USVP JD Vance on the ground in Greenland » “The Canadian leadership threatening retaliatory tariffs against the Untied States… They just don’t have the cards. There is no way that Canada can win a trade war with the United States.” (Global News)
» Alberta Premier Danielle Smith appear alongside far-right media influencer, Ben Shapiro, last night at a $1,500 US-a-ticket gala fundraiser for Prager University Foundation. It’s not an accredited university, but the self-described “world’s leading conservative non-profit” that pumps out videos and other materials designed to combat “woke themes and anti-American sentiment” in schools. (CBC / National Observer)
» “There was a massive conservative movement that’s happening in Canada,” Ben Shapiro said. “I think the obstacles to that need to be removed. It is better for the United States to have actual solid allies running in Canada than to have some of the schmucks that have been running Canada over the past few years.”
» On X, formerly known as Twitter » Smith wrote » “I had a great time at the PragerU East Coast Gala tonight where I joined Ben Shapiro for a meaningful fireside chat to discuss the ongoing Canada-U.S trade dispute and the benefits of having a tariff free relationship between our two countries.”
» Danielle Smith rejects criticism that attending US fundraiser amounts to “treason” (Video » Global News / CTV)
» Ontario Premier Doug Ford expects US to lessen the impact of auto tariffs on Canada. US Commerce Secretary Lutnick told Mr. Ford that finished vehicles entering the US from Canada containing more than 50% US-made parts would face a 12.5% import tax. (Globe and Mail)
» North American mayors call for end to Trump’s tariffs at summit (Globe and Mail // Video » CP)
Also
» Three Yale professors ditch school for jobs at the University of Toronto amid Trump education crackdown. One professor said Columbia University’s decision to follow a series of government directives, including a crackdown on student protests, played a role in his decision to leave. (Global News)
Elsewhere
» Putin declares he can ‘finish off’ Ukraine in brazen defiance of Trump – as he boards nuke sub and unleashes new strikes (The Sun)
» Bangkok skyscraper collapses as powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake hits region. Approximately 150 people have died in the earthquake. (Reuters / BBC / RTÉ / Semafor / Video » NDTV)
» Denmark previously considered the US one of its closest allies. Now many Danes are refusing to buy American. The unorganized boycott comes as Trump vows to annex Greenland. (CBC)
» No one wants to meet US VP JD Vance in Greenland (CP / NYT / Video » DW)
» JD Vance scolds Denmark during Greenland trip as Trump says US must have island, and the Americans wonder why they are not welcomed (BBC)
» Norway announced they allocated 3 billion Norwegian krone (C$410 million / €265 million) for humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in neighbouring Moldova (Kyiv Independent)
The Americans
» Hillary Clinton » “It’s not the hypocrisy that bothers me; it’s the stupidity.” Clinton continues, “Top Trump administration officials put our troops in jeopardy by sharing military plans on a commercial messaging app and unwittingly invited a journalist into the chat. That’s dangerous. And it’s just dumb.” (NY Times Op-Ed)
» Trump warned US automakers not to raise prices. The threat came in a call with American automakers earlier this month, in which carmakers feared punishment if prices go up. On Wednesday, Trump announced a 25% import tax on all imported vehicles and parts starting April 2, a move almost certain to force American carmakers to raise prices on customers. (WSJ)
» US automakers can deal with Trump’s import taxes on US vehicle imports in a number of ways, but all of them lead to higher prices, fewer choices of models, or limits on features for consumers. (Globe and Mail)
» Trump signs order ending union bargaining rights for wide swaths of US federal employees (NPR)
» Trump might let taxes rise for the wealthy (Axios)
» Anti-Elon Musk protests planned at nearly 200 Tesla showroom locations around the World (The Guardian)
» Vance’s reluctance to support Houthi strikes concerns some leading GOP senators. Trump is starting to regret picking JD as his VP (Jewish Insider)
» US Officials worry texts sent in Signal chat may have damaged US’ ongoing ability to gather intel on Houthis (CNN)
» “There is extraordinarily little support for the idea that the president could simply disregard orders from the courts. (Politico)
» The US has paused contributions to the World Trade Organization. The Trump administration is retreating from global institutions it sees as at odds with his ‘America First’ economic policies. It plans to quit some, such as the World Health Organization, and has cut contributions to others as part of a broad review of federal spending. (Reuters)
