愛污传媒

Politics

    • Poilievre secures endorsement from progressive MacKay, as opponents tell Canadians not to be fooled

    Share
    Quebec City -

    As devoted delegates gather behind closed doors to deliberate over social conservative and anti-carbon tax policies, the Conservative party sought to project a more moderate public image on Friday, seeing long-time progressive Peter MacKay endorse Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

    In his 25-minute lunchtime address, the one-time leadership hopeful said to seize on the party's current momentum, Conservatives need to present a united front.

    Speaking about the sense of "pride and purpose" he's feeling at this moment in Canadian politics, MacKay then offered this endorsement to raucous applause: "I believe Pierre Poilievre will be the next prime minister of Canada."

    "Canada鈥 it's time to turn the page," he said. "Like Poilievre, I am a proud Canadian Conservative, a pragmatic Conservative, and a compassionate Conservative."

    MacKay infamously was one of former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer's most outspoken critics in the aftermath of the 2019 federal election, where Scheer's stance on abortion and same-sex marriage became issues that hung around him like a "stinking albatross."

    The Harper-era cabinet minister ran and lost the 2020 leadership race to Erin O'Toole, but bowed out of running against Poilievre and is now calling on Canadians to get behind him.

    Inviting MacKay onto the main stage鈥攚here he balanced out the red meat base-rallying messaging that dominated Thursday's opening鈥 is a signal that the divisive times are behind the Conservatives, said long-time Stephen Harper and Rona Ambrose staffer turned Conservative strategist Jordan Paquet.

    "I think the strategy for sure is to focus on the issues that matter for Canadians and those are the issues around affordability. That is absolutely the smart way to go," he said.

    MacKay's message, slamming the Liberals as being divisive and too expensive, was delivered not long after the Liberals brought their calls for Canadians to think twice about what the Conservatives are really serving up, particularly on the climate front, right to the front steps of the convention centre.

    Slumping in the polls and facing questions about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's shelf-life, federal Quebec cabinet ministers Steven Guilbeault and Soraya Matinez Ferrada held a press conference outside of the convention centre, where they insisted their presence was not because they're worried about a Tory surge, but rather because they were denied the ability to come inside.

    The Liberal Party said the Conservative Party rejected its request for what's known as "observer status," a convention where for years other parties sent delegates to monitor the goings-on of their opponents' conventions.

    "I think we have to work hard for Canadians. That's what we have to do, not worry about Pierre Poilievre," Guilbeault said. "We understand that some Canadians are having a hard time right now鈥 But the solution is not to go back on everything we've been doing鈥 we believe that we will be in a better position in the coming months."

    This echoed a comment Trudeau made to reporters covering his trade trip early Friday when asked whether the Conservatives touting their largest in-person convention to-date is cause for concern.

    "My focus very much continues to be making sure we're building a better future for Canadians," Trudeau said. 

    Paquet suggested the Liberal strategy of coming to critique the Conservatives on their doorstep may be a sign they are 鈥渞unning a little scared right now.鈥

    "I think they're doing everything they can right now to change the channel because they are seeing some of the writing on the wall," he said.

    The NDP also came out criticizing Poilievre on Friday, calling him "the master pretender" in a media release, channeling some of the direct attacks NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh levelled against his opposition counterpart during an address to his caucus earlier this week.

    "Canadians aren't fooled by his talking points and slogans. They know Pierre Poilievre is not who he pretends to be, and they remember his record after nine years in the Harper Government鈥 With Pierre Poilievre, it's all an act," read the statement signed by NDP MP Charlie Angus

    "The truth is that Pierre Poilievre doesn't want to help you and your family and his record proves it. He just wants power. He鈥檚 pretending he cares, but if he gets the chance, he鈥檒l do the same thing that Conservatives always do," Angus said. 

    All summer Conservative Leader Poilievre and his inner circle have been plotting and enacting efforts to broaden his appeal, from a mini makeover鈥攕wapping his eyeglasses and suit jackets for T-shirts and aviators鈥攖o a series of national advertisements aimed at softening and re-introducing the career politician to Canadians.

    And there will be more coming; Conservative Fund leader Robert Staley told delegates on Friday morning that with the party flush with fundraising dollars, the party will keep spending on advertising to "influence voters" in key ridings.

    Meanwhile, inside the convention centre, Conservatives broke off into a trio of rooms that media was not permitted to access, to dig into the dozens of policy proposals to whittle down the roster to 30 resolutions that will make it to the main convention hall floor for an open discussion and vote on Saturday.

    While there are proposals being batted around by grassroots Tories today that align with Poilievre's preferred message track on housing, crime, and favouring "technology, not taxation," when it comes to climate change, riding associations have advanced a number of other hot-button resolutions.

    They are pushing for the party to champion so-called "social" issues such as restricting gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth, and opposing vaccine mandates or "forced鈥痯olitical, cultural,鈥痮r ideological training" for workers.

    The party won't be making public the results of Friday's deliberations until Saturday morning, and Poilievre has already made it clear that even if his supporters signal with their votes that they want him to tact to the left or right, the decision on what he'll run on in the next election rests with him.

    "At the end of the day, it is still a very big tent party," said Paquet.

    The marquee moment of the convention came Friday night, when Poilievre delivered a rally-style speech to more than 2,500 delegates. The message he sent the party faithful away with -- one of Canadians deserving a country where each generation is better off than the one before it -- will be what they take to Canadians' doorsteps as the march towards the next election.

    The evening ended with a Poilievre photo line that lasted longer than an hour, as just on the other side of the convention centre glass, federal Liberal Quebec lead Pablo Rodriguez held a scrum where he panned the "traditional... far right" speech as very long, with little new beyond making it clear a Conservative government would mean cuts for Canadians. 

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

    A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.

    A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

    He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.

    A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

    Canada

    • Two B.C. RCMP officers won鈥檛 face criminal charges for their use for force that left a man who had been arrested for public intoxication with a concussion, a torn shoulder and a chunk of his hair missing 鈥 but they could face professional discipline.

    • Speed was a possible factor in a Tuesday night rollover involving a semi-truck that left 17 cows dead. In a news release Wednesday, Calgary police said officers were called to the area of Stoney Trail S.E. and Macleod Trail S.E. around 8:10 p.m. for a reported rollover involving a semi-truck carrying 95 cattle.

    • A Real Canadian Superstore in B.C.'s Fraser Valley was evacuated Tuesday night due to a "suspicious" fire in the toilet paper aisle, according to authorities.

    • The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

    • He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    • Vancouver Fire Rescue Services received its first shipment of new firefighting gear on Wednesday, advancing the department's plans to reduce cancer risk for its members.

    • A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Entertainment

    Business

    • Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.

    • Things could be looking up for Waterloo, Ont.-based company and former tech darling Sandvine, after being removed from the U.S. Department of Commerce Entity List earlier this week.

    Lifestyle

    • A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

    • The Radium Hot Springs in British Columbia's Kootenay National Park has undergone a $29-million makeover.

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

    The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

    • Brittany La Torre and her husband Marc moved into their West Vancouver home just six months ago, but after last weekend's storm brought a torrent of muddy water and debris into their basement, knocking out power, they're not sure whether they'll be living in it six months from now.

    • Vancouver city council has voted for a motion that will grant police access to the city鈥檚 traffic camera network.

    • Since the record-breaking atmospheric river hit Metro Vancouver last Friday, 266 drivers have filed ICBC claims for water damage to their vehicles. In some places, flood water was so deep, cars floated away with the drivers still inside, and the engine running.

    • He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    • Brampton is looking to the federal and provincial government to address the growing number of its vulnerable international students being exploited and trafficked.

    • A proposed inner-city apartment complex development by Anthem Properties is raising concerns for some residents of Hillhurst and West Hillhurst.

    • A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

    • Speed was a possible factor in a Tuesday night rollover involving a semi-truck that left 17 cows dead. In a news release Wednesday, Calgary police said officers were called to the area of Stoney Trail S.E. and Macleod Trail S.E. around 8:10 p.m. for a reported rollover involving a semi-truck carrying 95 cattle.

    • One person has died and others have been injured after a two-vehicle collision involving a tractor trailer and a car on Highway 7 in eastern Ontario, according to police.

    • Homeowners with a variable rate mortgage in Ottawa can expect to see some savings thanks to a significant rate cut by the Bank of Canada.

    • A Zamboni driver in western Quebec has been arrested on suspicion of impaired driving after a low-speed crash at a hockey rink on Monday.

    • A pedestrian is in critical condition after being struck by a car in Saint-Michel Wednesday evening.

    • Nigel Berkley and CRARR plan to file complaints with the police ethics commissioner and the human rights commission after Berkley was repeatedly stopped while driving his mother's car over four months.

    • Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante will not be seeking re-election.

    • An Edmonton tow truck operator has been charged after police say he refused to release a vehicle to its owner.

    • The City of Edmonton has a long road ahead to replace aging ice arenas as demand for ice time increases.

    • The leader of Alberta's Official Opposition rolled up his sleeves for his COVID-19 and flu shots today, opting to receive them in front of media because he's concerned about vaccine uptake.

    • A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.

    • The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

    • A volunteer treasurer is facing charges after funds went missing from Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston鈥檚 riding.

    • A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

    • A 59-year-old man has died following a crash involving three vehicles that started after a tire fell off a car on the Trans-Canada Highway Wednesday morning in the RM of Tache.

    • A Manitoba inmate who was released from custody by mistake has been arrested, according to Winnipeg police.

    • Former Saskatchewan Party MLA Gary Grewal is defending his conduct and disagreeing with a recent report from the Conflict of Interest Commissioner (COIC) 鈥 which found he broke rules that prohibit MLAs from being involved with government contracts.

    • Southey RCMP say drivers should expect delays on Highway 6 Wednesday night after a serious crash.

    • Regina police says officers will provide an update Thursday in its search for the suspect of a homicide that took place in the city during the summer of 2023.

    • Detective Robert Hofstetter examined Erb鈥檚 home after her death and came to several conclusions based on the blood stains he found there.

    • A psychologist who recently assessed Geovanny Villalba-Aleman believes he may have experienced a psychotic break before stabbing three people in a gender studies class at a University of Waterloo.

    • Things could be looking up for Waterloo, Ont.-based company and former tech darling Sandvine, after being removed from the U.S. Department of Commerce Entity List earlier this week.

    • The race to form government is heating up ahead of the provincial election on Monday. Both the Saskatchewan NDP and the Saskatchewan Party feel they have the momentum as each leader has been focusing on different areas of the province as the campaign trail nears its end.

    • Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.

    • The Saskatoon civic election is drawing closer, with mayoral candidates outlining their visions to keep the city competitive and attract businesses.

    • A Sudbury jury has found Felicity Altiman guilty of second-degree murder in the December 2020 stabbing death of a Sudbury man.

    • It only took minutes for North Bay pharmacist Brian Chute to be out $1,500 after fraudsters deceptively swapped his bank card with another.

    • The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

    • Under tough cross-examination at the London courthouse on Wednesday, Rachel Johnson, 21, was asked a number of times why there was a delay in calling 911

    • A 27-year-old man is miraculously alive after his pickup went over Hawk Cliff near Port Stanley. Fire fighters estimate that from the top to bottom of the embankment is around 270 feet.

    • OPP have confirmed that a transport truck driver crashed into a historic home just southeast of London this morning.

    • A haunted house in the Town of Innisfil is causing a real scare for some people a week before Halloween.

    • Barrie police conducted a search on Wednesday of the last place Autumn Shaganash was seen in hopes of giving her family some answers to her mysterious disappearance.

    • A 34-year-old motorcyclist has died following a collision in Barrie鈥檚 south end on Tuesday.

    • Windsor Fire and Rescue Services has been working to prepare for heightened HAZMAT risk ahead of relaxed restrictions around the transportation of some hazardous materials across the Ambassador Bridge.

    • As hospitals elsewhere in Ontario reintroduce mask mandates due to rising respiratory illnesses, Windsor hospitals are taking a more measured approach.

    • Now that production is set to begin at Windsor鈥檚 battery plant, NextStar is looking for some employees to make that production happen.

    • Two B.C. RCMP officers won鈥檛 face criminal charges for their use for force that left a man who had been arrested for public intoxication with a concussion, a torn shoulder and a chunk of his hair missing 鈥 but they could face professional discipline.

    • When 16-year-old Kaydence Bourque was struck and killed in a crosswalk on Cedar Hill Cross Road in Saanich in 2021, the community was shaken to the core.

    • A man who fired at least 19 gunshots at an RCMP detachment in northern British Columbia, narrowly missing officers inside, has won a reduced prison sentence from the province's highest court, which ruled the sentencing judge failed to fully weigh the man's mental illness at the time.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • Graduate students looking to become mental-health professionals will have more opportunities to study in the University of Lethbridge鈥檚 Master of Education Counselling Psychology program.

    • A dazzling light display is making its return to Lethbridge this holiday season.

    • As part of anniversary celebrations, the City of Lethbridge is inviting the community to see VisitLethbridge.com Arena like they never have before.

    • The lack of 24-hour public washrooms has been a long-standing issue in the Sault, especially considering the rise in homelessness.

    • The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won鈥檛 fix the systemic problems in the workplace.

    • Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 愛污传媒