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National Newswatch

January 2026

Conservatives vote to keep Pierre Poilievre as…

Costas Menegakisontario MP
The Liberals have tried to sow division in our party for months now,
Hope is the knowledge that your work will fulfil your purpose,
Pierre Poilievreleader
We stand united tonight together, always, because this country, its people and promise are worth fighting for,
I voted for him in the last election because I put my vote and my faith behind him to handle Trump,
When I go to these events, he will shake the hands of every single person and have an actual conversation with every person,
I was in Ottawa when he was elected. I didn't support him then, and a lot has happened since then and it's not good,

'Canada is not Minnesota,' minister says in…

But he is quick to defend Canada's respect for the law when removing people from the country under immigration provisions

Wab Kinewmanitoba Premier
If we are the voice of moral clarity, maybe we can destabilize Trump heading into the negotiations at a moral level. Maybe we can use morals to destabilize our negotiating partner and take the conversation to a level that he can't keep up on,
Gary Anandasangareepublic Safety Minister
Our strongest relationship continues with the United States, notwithstanding the number of economic challenges that I think we face, and notwithstanding the overall international dimensions in which Canada finds itself today,
We also have to look clearly into some things that are happening right next to us that are very unjust, and be able to say that we are going to continue being a voice of moral clarity, and that's important for us as Canadians, so that we can hold our head high no matter what happens in our trade relationships with other countries,
Gary Anandasangareepublic Safety Minister
What I would say is that Canada is not Minnesota,
It's certainly true that Canada and the United States are going through a difficult patch in our long history, one that is being addressed by our prime minister,
Even when we were getting on the plane at the airport, I had some folks come up and just say they had close family living in Minnesota, and they're very torn up about what's happening, and they just want to be able to express that feeling and express the hope that we have for our neighbours and, in some cases, our family,
I did say that for Mr. Pretti, for Ms. Good, you know, I want us as a country to speak out... when we see things that don't align with our Canadian values. I want us to continue to step up,

Alberta separatist says members of Smith's…

David Ebybritish Columbia Premier
We’ve got free speech, that’s important. But to go to a foreign country and to ask for assistance in breaking up Canada, there’s an old-fashioned word for that, and that word is treason,
This is an opportunity for Premier Smith to stand up and say enough is enough,
If they don't, we'll just assume all of them signed the petition,
Jeff RathaPP legal counsel
I think we're exceeding everybody's expectations,
Separatism doesn't lower the cost of living. It doesn't build hospital beds. It doesn't improve public education,
Our United Conservative government is focused on building a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada,
I know of (UCP members of the legislature) that have signed the petition,
David Ebypremier
It is completely inappropriate to seek to weaken Canada, to seek to go and ask for assistance to break up this country from a foreign power,
What we need to do is we need to give Albertans hope,
We have not entered into any agreements with the United States with regard to anything. We have not solicited funds from them. We are not receiving funds from them,

Conservatives converge on downtown Calgary,…

The party on Thursday kicked off its national convention, where delegates are expected to signal their support for Poilievre's continued leadership

U.S. face-off with Cuba could put Canada 'in a…

There is a plausible possibility that the United States will take even further drastic action in an attempt to bring down Cuba while they can,
Karen Dubinskyhistorian
I've been coming here for many years, for decades, and I don't think that I've seen people so dispirited in Havana,
They are quite convinced, I believe, in Washington now that the end is nigh -- that the Cubans cannot possibly survive the shutting off of that Venezuelan oil supply,
Canada, more than probably any other nation, is caught in a vise grip,
What we're seeing in Cuba is an increasing fragmentation and segmentation of society, which puts further stress on, of course, the revolutionary thesis,
Along with Mexico, we're really the only countries in the hemisphere that have had an uninterrupted and steady relationship with the Cubans,
There is a different future for Cuba than just simple collapse, despair and anarchy. And I think it's in Canada's interests as a leader in the Americas that we do everything we can to not let that latter scenario play out,
That sense of community that culture always had here, that brought people together, foreigners and Cubans, that's increasingly difficult because there's so many other pressing problems, like groceries and electricity,
Whatever one thinks about the Cuban government... I would say to Canadians, don't lose sight of who gets hurt by a blockade. Don't lose sight of who is suffering -- and I do mean suffering -- under these constant power blackouts and the tensions of living with the kind of uncertainty,
I'm sure that consular operations at Global Affairs Canada is preparing scenarios, and I'm sure they're in contact with the tour operators who are responsible for moving the vast majority of Canadians who go to Cuba,

Trump's choice of Warsh to lead Fed could…

Donald Trumppresident
I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best,
Elizabeth Warrensenator
This nomination is the latest step in Trump’s attempt to seize control of the Fed and follows the Trump administration’s weaponization of the Department of Justice to open criminal investigations into Fed Chair Jerome Powell,
Inflation is caused when government spends too much and prints too much,
Donald Trumppresident
Anyone who disagrees with me will never be the Fed chairman!”

United Nations faces 'imminent financial…

While Guterres didn't name any country in the letter, which was reported earlier by Reuters, the financial crisis comes as the U.S., traditionally the largest donor, has not paid its mandatory dues to the United Nations

Either all Member States honour their obligations to pay in full and on time — or Member States must fundamentally overhaul our financial rules to prevent an imminent financial collapse,
I cannot overstate the urgency of the situation we now face,

What to know about the civil rights charges…

Don Lemon and other journalists are the way that we the public are finding out what is happening in these spaces,
Charging journalists for being there covering the disruption does not mean they were part of the disruption,
A court will have to sort that out,
We all have had the experience of them telling us things that simply do not square with what we see with our own eyes,

US appeals court says Noem's decision to end…

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that found Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem exceeded her authority when she ended temporary protected status for Venezuelans

The statute contains numerous procedural safeguards that ensure individuals with TPS enjoy predictability and stability during periods of extraordinary and temporary conditions in their home country,
It is clear that the Secretary’s vacatur actions were not actually grounded in substantive policy considerations or genuine differences with respect to the prior administration’s TPS procedures, but were instead rooted in a stereotype-based diagnosis of immigrants from Venezuela and Haiti as dangerous criminals or mentally unwell,
The record is replete with examples of hard-working, contributing members of society — who are mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, and partners of U.S. citizens, pay taxes, and have no criminal records — who have been deported or detained after losing their TPS,

FBI raid in Georgia highlights Trump's 2020…

Richard Hasenamerican legal scholar
The man has obsessions, as do a fair number of people, but he’s the only one who has the full power of the United States behind him,
So much this administration has done is to make claims in social media rather than go to court,
From Minnesota to Georgia, on display to the whole world, is a President spiraling out of control, wielding federal law enforcement as an unaccountable instrument of personal power and revenge,

Democratic Sen. Klobuchar says she's running for…

The 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, Walz abandoned his campaign for a third term earlier this month amid criticism over mismanagement of taxpayer funding for child care programs

Amy Klobucharsenator
I believe we must stand up for what’s right and fix what’s wrong,
Amy Klobucharsenator
Minnesota, we’ve been through a lot,
Donald Trumppresident
It's our duty to have immediate responses to what happened,

First ministers meeting to focus on what Canada…

Canada, the United States and Mexico are starting a review this year of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement on trade, better known as CUSMA, and U.S. President Donald Trump is already threatening new tariffs

Susan Holtnew Brunswick Premier
But we are constantly looking at ways to make it clear to the U.S. administration how the U.S. lumber producers are suffering under a low price,
Scott Moesaskatchewan Premier
What I would like to hear is a conversation around really clarifying what Canada needs in that trade relationship moving forward, and whether or not then we're able to actually present that and move with respect to, not the renegotiation of CUSMA, but the review of CUSMA,
Mark Carneyprime Minister
As we're building new partnerships abroad, we're focused on building our strength at home and transforming our economy,
To realize our full potential, we need to break down the remaining costly and long-standing barriers once and for all,

TKMS signs agreement with Seaspan on submarine…

The pact is conditional on TKMS winning a federal government contract to supply the Royal Canadian Navy with a fleet of new submarines

Smith, Carney say Trump team must respect…

I would expect that the U.S. administration would respect Canadian sovereignty, and that they would confine their discussion about Alberta’s democratic process to Albertans and to Canadians,
David Ebybritish Columbia Premier
Now, I understand the desire to hold a referendum, to talk about the issues we want to talk about in Canada,
The State Department regularly meets with civil society types. As is typical in routine meetings such as these, no commitments were made,
Going behind Canada’s back and negotiating is unacceptable. We’re one country and we should all be sticking together,

Carney, premiers say they're 'united' ahead of…

Mark Carneyprime Minister
I find one of the most effective ways to negotiate is not to negotiate in public, so we'll wait until we have the broader discussions with the United States as part of a review,
Mark Carneyprime Minister
In a more divided and uncertain world, we choose a united, a strong and an ambitious future for Canada,
Hopefully in the next few weeks we'll be able to see some path forward there that takes the temperature down and allows us to focus on the bigger threat to our economy, which is just all this uncertainty right now,
It seems like what a lot of what Mr. Trump is doing, from Venezuela to Greenland to taking shots at our prime minister, is to put us on the back foot while we're negotiating, and we need to find strategically a way to get back on our lead foot,

Trump says he will announce his Federal Reserve…

Donald Trumppresident
I’ll be announcing the Fed chair tomorrow morning,
The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president."
Jerome Powellfed Chair
Don't get pulled into elected politics -- don't do it,

Union questions why Global Affairs issuing…

Anita Anandforeign Affairs Minister
The work that we are doing is based on that frame -- and will continue to be executed with the domestic population in mind,
It still remains to be seen exactly how that will translate,
That's going to call for more diplomacy and more skill, more experience, more judgment, more networks, both informal and formal, more discussions,
I just don't understand why we're cutting without defining what it is that we want to do and what we need,
John Babcockspokesman
GAC is making every effort to maximize voluntary departures by sending affected letters to many more employees than the target number of positions to be eliminated,
The intention is to deploy more Canadian diplomats and officials abroad, to expand our trade, and to restore Canadian leadership,
I'm very, very sensitive to the concerns of our public servants and especially from a GAC perspective,
This is causing quite a lot of uncertainty and angst among our members,
The times in which we are living now are unlike anything we have seen before. The geopolitical environment is one which is seeing multiple conflicts around the world. The global trading order has been upended and the impact on the domestic economy is conspicuous and worrisome,