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Source: National Post (Politics)

In era of 'soft assets,' Canada needs to reform digital strategy, BlackBerry founder Jim Balsillie told an Ottawa audience on Sunday night.

The modern digital era, a “new era of human commodification,” violates fundamental human rights, warned BlackBerry founder Jim Balsillie in a speech on Sunday evening.

“The data generated by our experiences, choices, and even our thoughts, are captured, processed, and traded as raw material for manipulative algorithms deployed for profit and power, all with catastrophic costs to society, including mental health crisis, democratic erosion, societal polarization, lost economic dynamism and misinformation to name a few,” said Balsillie, according to notes of Balsillie’s speech, obtained by National Post in advance of his talk.

In his remarks, made to the Ditchley Foundation’s conference in Ottawa, the Canadian tech entrepreneur argued that we’re now living in a new economy where “wealth, power and security” are obtained via soft assets — intellectual property and data/artificial intelligence — rather than hard, tangible assets.

“With the shift to a knowledge-based economy 35 years ago, companies and countries focused on strategically generating valuable IP assets, and more recently, to strategically controlling valuable data assets,” Balsillie’s notes say. “Wealth accrues to the owners who amass these two rent-generating assets.”

Jim Balsillie says Canada needs to reform its digital strategy to create accrue assets.

Balsillie warned that Canada has no national data strategy and that there are only limited programs to build Canada’s IP assets, something, he said, which costs the country around $100 billion per year.

He argued that Canada needs to shift the way it thinks about innovation and make “a pivot to deliberate strategies that drive productivity, prosperity, and sovereignty in the 21st-century economy,” as Canada’s GDP is growing slowly compared to other countries, especially the United States.

“Because Canada missed the shift, we are seeing Canada’s standard of living in steady decline,” he warned, according to the notes.

Balsillie argued that Canada is spending $7.5 billion on research annually, but without a strategy to own and commercialize outcomes. One potential solution, he argued, is legislation to help Canada own its intellectual property. As one example, Balsillie says that Canada’s publicly funded research built the foundations of the artificial intelligence boom, but Canada is not on the list of top 100 patent holders globally.

“AI is transforming industries at scale in ways we haven’t seen since the rise of the internet,” Balsillie’s notes say.

There are structural forces that reshape the labour market. Globalization and offshoring or a data-driven economy that inspired gig work or the knowledge economy comprised of intangible assets, for example. But this also includes machine knowledge, which Balsillie identifies as a new “factor of production.”

In order to tackle the problems of rights violations and the languishing Canadian economy, Balsillie proposes a four-point plan, which he first articulated in a speech to the International Monetary Fund in 2018. Canada must protect national security in the digital era; ensure there’s fair access to the new means of production in the economy; enhance citizen welfare in the areas of “privacy, democracy, mental health, human rights”; and comply with all international agreements.

“Helping shape this in an integrated fashion is technically complex but also an opportunity and imperative for Canada,” said Balsillie on Sunday.

Balsillie, 64, was co-CEO of Waterloo-based Research in Motion, later renamed after its BlackBerry device. He founded the Balsillie School of International Affairs and the Centre for Canadian Innovation.

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Boomers lead the way among Canadians who say it's unlikely they will travel to the U.S. over the next six months, according to a new survey.

There could be drastically fewer retired Canadians flocking south to southern U.S. states like Florida and Arizona to escape the winter this year, according to a new survey.

In its 2025 winter smart travellers survey insights, the Travel Health Insurance Association (THIA) of Canada found that people age 61 and over — typically seen as the “snowbird” generation due to their long-term trips south — lead the way in boycotting travel to the U.S. this winter.

The survey, conducted by The Harris Poll in late September, asked respondents how likely they were to travel to the U.S. between October of this year and March 2026, typically Canada’s coldest months.

Just over a quarter of respondents (26 per cent) said such a trip was likely, a decline of 37 per cent over the percentage of people who said they’d go in the winter of 2024-25 (41 per cent).

Across age groups, the drop was most precipitous among Boomers, with only 10 per cent anticipating a trip to the U.S. in the months ahead, a 66 per cent plunge over the share of people who said they would have last year (31 per cent).

“Meanwhile, younger Canadians are keeping the tradition alive,” The Harris Poll wrote, noting that 45 per cent of those aged 18-34 — including 44 per cent of Generation Z — “still plan to travel to the U.S., down only 18 per cent, showcasing a significant generational divide.”

In April, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) introduced the

Alien Registration Form

, which requires most non-citizens staying in the U.S. for 30 days or longer to register their presence and provide a photograph and fingerprints. Anyone crossing via land border would also be required to pay a $30 fee for a separate arrival-and-departure record.

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security announced new regulations requiring all non-residents, including Canadians visiting for any amount of time, to be

photographed when entering the U.S

. for facial recognition purposes.

When they come into effect on Dec. 26, the new rules will apply to minors under 14 and seniors over 79, groups that were previously exempt from some biometric requirements, and could also require the submission of other biometrics, such as fingerprints or DNA.

The THIA survey also found that Canadians’ winter-destination appetites are changing and veering away from their nearest neighbour.

Of the 53 per cent who plan to leave their home province this winter, only 12 per cent said their primary destination would be in the U.S., down by 23 per cent year over year from the 2024-25 proportion.

Instead, an increasing number of people — 11 per cent more than the previous year — say they’re first headed to another Canadian province, and more still (27 per cent) listed the Caribbean.

“It’s clear that Canadians’ primary vacation spots during the winter months are in flux,” the pollster wrote.

As for those committed to a U.S. trip in the next six months, 13 per cent are doing so for leisurely reasons, while another 13 per cent are visiting family or friends. Escaping the cold, taking advantage of cheap destinations and ease of travel to the U.S. came in at seven per cent, respectively.

Asked what potential barriers factor into their decision about travelling at this time of year, without being prompted, 40 per cent of respondents said political tensions with the U.S., compared to 24 per cent who cited global uncertainties.

Cost was the top barrier at 41 per cent, and 29 per cent listed exchange rates. Rounding out the list were personal safety (20 per cent) and potential travel disruptions (13 per cent).

The random survey was conducted Sept. 24-26 and has an estimated margin of error for the poll was plus/minus 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

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Justin Trudeau, right, and Katy Perry were seen leaving a cabaret in Parison Saturday night, officially confirming their courtship.

Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry made it officially official on Saturday night, stepping out for date night in Paris.

Video published by TMZ showed the former Canadian prime minister and the pop star hand in hand as they exited a cabaret show at the Crazy Horse in the French capital.

Waiting for them outside was a throng of paparazzi and fans, some of whom started singing the Happy Birthday song to Perry, who celebrated her 41st birthday Saturday.

Another video shared with the outlet showed a woman presenting Perry with a rose, garnering a “Thank you” from the musician.

Within a few seconds and without saying anything else, the duo were ushered into the back seat of a waiting SUV and left.

It was the first confirmed public appearance together since a dog walk and dinner date in Montreal in late July.

Perry was in town on tour and Trudeau, along with his 15-year-old daughter Ella Grace, were seen attending the Bell Centre show a couple of nights later.

Entertainment news, all citing individuals who claimed to be in the know, reported on the rumoured romance throughout the summer

Things remained that way until Oct. 11, when the Daily Mail published photos of Perry and a man reported to be Trudeau embracing and kissing atop the pop star’s yacht while it was docked in Santa Barbara, Calif.

The images were captured by a tourist in a passing boat who said they recognized Trudeau’s distinctive Haida tattoo on his left shoulder.

Perry seemed to hint at a new romance in her life during a show in London, England, two nights later, when a fan extended a marriage proposal on stage, prompting her to reply, “You really should have asked me about 48 hours ago.”

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Lawyer Lawrence Greenspon, who represents Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich, is adamant that there was no need to criminalize the non-violent trucker protests.

On October 7, Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins-McVey handed down conditional sentences to Tamara Lich and Chris Barber for their roles in the 2022 Freedom Convoy. Both Lich and Barber were found guilty of mischief, a criminal charge. While neither faces further jail time, their conditional sentences impose a year of house arrest, followed by six months under a curfew.

“In 45 years of doing this work,” says Lich’s lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, the Crown and defence have “never been so far apart on sentencing (recommendations) as we were in the Freedom Convoy cases.” Ottawa-based Crown prosecutor Siobhain Wetscher asked for seven years’ imprisonment for Lich and eight for Barber; legal counsel for Lich and Barber sought absolute discharges.

Greenspon says he and his client are leaning toward appealing her conviction. We’ll soon know their decision; documents must be filed within 30 days of sentencing.

In a recent conversation, Greenspon chuckles when I ask about the Crown’s motivation to go after Lich and Barber so aggressively; it’s a question he’s been asked hundreds of times. “Why did we spend upwards of 40 days in trial at a time when far more serious cases are being thrown out because of delay, because they can’t get access to the courts and the judges?” he posits. “Why did the Crown pursue it this way?

“Everyone says, oh, it’s political,” Greenspon says with a shrug, “I just don’t see that connection and I never have. What I do see were prosecutions that were brought by the Ottawa Crown attorney’s office and prosecutions that became epic in length and in intensity, followed by requests for sentencing positions that were found by the judge to be excessive and harsh.”

And, he explains in a very logical, lawyerly way, the judge’s decision became a very important balancing act.

“On the one hand, there’s freedom of expression,” he argues, and on “the other side of the ledger was the interference with enjoyment of property … (and) that side of the ledger is nowhere to be found in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” That’s unlike the United States, he notes, where there’s a constitutionally protected right to enjoyment of property.

Unless you’re simply recording your thoughts in a personal diary, freedom of expression always has consequences, Greenspon continues. “In this case, the consequences of freedom of expression, the honking horns, were mostly stopped,” he says, “by virtue of the injunction.”

“The loss of business, the disruption of the downtown core, of people who live in the area within metres of Parliament Hill,” he continues, “is the subject of a class action, where they’re seeking damages for those intrusions on their right to enjoyment of property.”

So there really was no need to criminalize the non-violent trucker protests, he declares. And it was clearly non-violent, he asserts: “How many times did Tamara say, ‘Come to Ottawa and help us in our peaceful demonstration, a lawful demonstration … if you see anybody who’s doing anything improper or illegal, let us know, we will tell the police or you tell the police’?”

Greenspon may not blame the Trudeau government for the heavy-handed charges against his client, but he doesn’t hold back in his criticism of its decision to invoke the Emergencies Act.

“There was no need for the Emergencies Act. It was a complete abuse of power. It’s been found to be just that, by Judge Richard Mosley, a senior federal court judge,” he states, forcefully.

“I know the government is appealing it, for appearances, at this point. But I just can’t see that appeal being successful,” he says. “The Emergencies Act should never have happened. When you look at what Pierre Elliott was dealing with in the ’70s, and the deaths and kidnapping of politicians, and you try and compare that to honking horns and peaceful demonstrations, and hockey games, and that kind of thing in Ottawa … there’s no comparison.”

Sensing we’re finally breaking through Greenspon’s defence counsel persona, I dare to ask how he — a Jewish man who lost family members in the Holocaust — feels about the federal government’s response to anti-Israel protests on the streets of Canadian cities, when compared to their response to the trucker convoy. Is there a double standard?

“Yes, it’s a double standard,” he answers, albeit slowly. “And why is there a double standard?” he asks, more forcefully. “Maybe it has something to do with the fact there’s 1.1 million Muslims in Canada and there’s only 250,000 Jews. Maybe that’s what’s driving it. I don’t know,” he says, quietly.

After a long pause, he reiterates: “But is there a double standard in the way that Tamara Lich and Chris (Barber) were treated versus how the pro-Palestinian protesters with hate messages are being treated? For sure.”

Reverting to lawyer-speak, he explains how “Tamara came out publicly and said, ‘You have to stop these F*** Trudeau signs. He’s a father and he has children and this isn’t right and that’s not why we’re here.’” You don’t see that same kind of condemnation of the messages being carried by the pro-Palestinian protesters, he adds; they hold the Hamas flag or chant Hamas slogans — including “from the river to the sea,” which basically means eliminate all Israelis.

“The other thing,” he notes, “is the truckers, they were invited into the (Ottawa) core, they were told where to park.” It’s a very different circumstance when pro-Palestinian protesters surround a synagogue or protest outside a Jewish seniors home.

Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich and her lawyer Lawrence Greenspon arrive at the Ottawa courthouse on April 3, 2025.

Greenspon is an ardent champion of the freedom to associate and express yourself, but there are limits. “We start our Constitution,” he notes, not with a statement of the rights, but of the limits: “All freedoms are subject to such reasonable limits as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.” He smirks, then adds, “It’s a very Canadian way.”

“But there’s got to be limitations on freedom of expression,” he asserts, “and I’m very comfortable with saying: When you’re promoting or inciting hatred against an identifiable group of people, you cross the line.

“The government is now proposing this hate legislation in an effort to give the police the tools which, I would argue they already have,” Greenspon reports, “but you want to make it crystal clear, OK, give them some more tools and actually use them. That would be good … if they actually used them.”

Greenspon, at 71, is still fighting the good fight. And he remains optimistic: “If and when this gets to the Ontario Court of Appeal, my hope is they will send the same kind of message that Judge Mosley sent, which is that the Emergencies Act was uncalled for, and that they will come out and say, ‘This is not a criminal offence. It shouldn’t be considered a criminal offence.’ And then, Tamara will be acquitted.”

An acquittal, he believes, would signal to authorities, across the country, that when you have non-violent demonstrations, which are not promoting hate, these peaceful assemblies should be allowed to continue without criminalization.

National Post

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Former U.S. president Ronald Reagan's 1987 remarks on trade have sparked controversy after being used in an Ontario ad.

Did the dustup over Ontario’s $75 million Ronald Reagan ad — the one telling Americans that even the Gipper believed that, “over the long run, such trade barriers (tariffs) hurt every American worker and consumer” — expose two truths and a lie?

Late Thursday, President Donald Trump took issue with the ad in a Truth Social post, expressing concern that it twisted Reagan’s legacy and undermined his own tariff policies.

 

“The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs,” Trump wrote.

 

A source close to the administration noted that the White House must have been in touch with the Foundation over the matter.

Trump’s post did more than criticize the ad — it also scuppered the U.S.-Canada trade talks.

“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”

In one fell swoop, weeks of seemingly re-energized talks between the U.S. and Canadian trade teams came to a halt — negotiations that, according to the source, “were much further along than people knew.”

But some Canadian politicians, the source said, seem to be losing faith in the talks. “The message I got … was that ‘there’s all these asks, and what if we delivered all of them? What do we get in return?’”

“There’s a sense that, at times, it feels like a one-way street.”

Leaders from elsewhere in Canada had warned Ontario that the ad was likely to ruffle feathers. They pointed out that the Republican Party is nowhere near where it was when Reagan was president, the source said, and that a lot of people alive today cannot even remember him.

Trump purportedly derailed trade negotiations over Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s one-minute ad quoting another Republican. This has left Canadians wondering if the president’s response revealed a truth as to how serious he was about a long-lasting tariff deal.

 

But it wasn’t just the ad that upset Trump.

According to the source, the White House was also angered by Mark Carney threatening Stellantis with legal action after the automaker announced plans to move Jeep Compass production from Brampton, Ontario, to the U.S.

Ford’s confrontational approach toward Trump is popular with a lot of Canadians. “Given the anti-American sentiment in Ontario, I think that, electorally, the elbows-up approach works for him,” said the source. It may not help the trade talks or Canada’s relations with the U.S., but it lays bare the divide over the preferred leadership style for the conservatives.

 

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, an ideological hardliner, is still smarting from his stunning loss to Carney last spring and now faces a leadership review in January. If he loses, the leadership style of the Conservatives could soon shift and look more like Ford’s aggressive pragmatism. That obviously would not bode well for a breakthrough in US-Canada talks.

And as for the lie? It’s not really a lie so much as a departure from standard diplomatic protocols. According to the source, Ambassador Kirsten Hillman has been party to the negotiations, but other diplomats have not. Instead, “Carney has a shadow government. He doesn’t seem to trust the diplomatic service, and he wants to work around them,” the source said.

“Carney is basically treating these negotiations like how he used to do mergers and acquisitions when he was a banker,” the source said. “He’s apparently brought in people who are trusted friends and allies … and he doesn’t want the negotiations going beyond a very small group of people.”

Ford announced on Friday that he would stop running the Reagan ad on Monday to allow for trade talks to resume.

But whether it’s diplomats or Carney’s buddies involved, nobody needs to pack their bags for more negotiations until Trump decides to lift the freeze, which means the future of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations is as uncertain as ever.

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Participants in the weekly walk in Thornhill, Ontario of Jews and non-Jewish allies who have called for the release of the hostages taken in Israel on October 7.

This Sunday marks the final “Run for Their Lives” walk in Thornhill, Ontario, a weekly event held in a local mall for the last two years. It was organized by Toronto resident, Michelle Factor, as one of approximately 250 weekly walks around the world bringing together Jewish and non‑Jewish allies every Sunday to demand the safe return of hostages held by Hamas.

The Thornhill walk began as a gathering of 60–80 walkers and became a weekly affirming of “Chai” (life in Hebrew), with the walkers wearing red to symbolize bleeding hearts, and including prayers led by rabbis and the singing of Hatikvah. However, now that the last 20 living hostages have been returned, the event is coming to a close.

Run for Their Lives was inspired by a video from Rachel Polin Goldberg, mother of one of the captives, calling on communities to start or join walks in their neighborhoods.

The organization spanned several continents with chapters in Vancouver, Victoria, Helsinki, Paris, Braunschweig, and beyond. Factor launched the Thornhill event on Day 100 of the hostages’ captivity.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DPeutIfD_qJ/?hl=en

NP spoke with Michelle Factor about the meaning of the walk and marking the last one. Here is what she had to say:

Michelle, how does it feel to be doing the last of these walks this weekend?

It’s truly a bittersweet ending. I’m so grateful that the 20 living hostages are finally home, but it’s sad to think we won’t be gathering as a community on Sundays anymore after two years together. As a group, we’ve decided that this weekend will be a celebration of life for the 20 who returned home most recently, while we continue to pray for the 13 souls who have not yet been brought back for proper burial. Run for Their Lives began as a way to walk and run for those who could not. While we’ll always keep praying for the 13, this weekend is a moment to celebrate that our hope and prayers for the living have been answered.

What memories of past walks would you like to share?

One of my most cherished memories is from our very first walk. It was January 14th, 2024, minus 20 degrees Celsius, and yet it was one of our largest gatherings … Our biggest turnouts were always on significant dates, like the commemoration of October 7th, and when Rabbi (Doron) Perez joined us to share the story of his son, Daniel Perez (murdered on Oct. 7). Daniel’s quote, “If not me, then who?” has stayed with me throughout these two years. It inspired me to keep going because if I don’t, who will? I’ve also carried my own message with me each week: “If they can hate us, I can love you.” It’s something I remind my walkers of every Sunday that we choose love and unity in the face of hate.

How has this walk been connected to others elsewhere?

There are now 184 Run for Their Lives groups around the world. As a lead, I’ve had the privilege of connecting weekly with other group leaders, cheering each other on, sharing posters, and offering support.

In June, I joined the Israel Parade in New York City and had the chance to walk alongside other Run for Their Lives groups from around the world. We’ve built a strong global community, and our group chats will stay open indefinitely so we can continue to communicate and support one another. Not all groups are finishing this weekend. Some will keep walking until all 13 souls are returned.

Are you planning anything special to mark the event?

We’ll begin the celebration with prayers, including a new one for the 13 remaining souls, for the State of Israel, and for the IDF soldiers who continue to fight tirelessly. I’ll also be giving a short speech to thank our community for their commitment and strength. We’re honoured to have Mayor Steven Del Duca of Vaughan and MPP Laura Smith of Thornhill joining us. For the first time since January 14th, 2024, we won’t be walking in silence. Instead, we’ll be dancing and playing music to celebrate life and unity.

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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks to workers at a campaign-style event at Integrity Tool and Mold in Oldcastle, Ont. on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.

OTTAWA — Pierre Poilievre used to share a piece of advice when it came to political campaigning.

There were two things candidates need to talk about and talk about relentlessly, he instructed a room full of young conservatives at the Manning Centre for Building Democracy in 2009, back when he himself was still a fresh-faced MP.

The first thing to talk about is the people you want to represent. And the second thing is the future.

“Everything is about the future,” he told the crowd at the networking conference.

More than 15 years after his words emphasizing the future, Poilievre is coming off

a week-long controversy over his comments

about a former prime minister who has

quickly become ancient history

to most Canadians.

Some in his party believe the Conservative leader ought to listen to his own advice.

Poilievre’s recent comments to the YouTube channel Northern Perspective,

where he called the leadership of the RCMP “despicable”

over its handling of Trudeau-era scandals, triggered a bad news week for the Conservatives.

Two former Conservative staffers who worked under former prime minister Stephen Harper wrote op-eds in the Toronto Star, sparking questions about Poilievre’s leadership. The tumult also touched a nerve with some current Tory MPs, who in turn shared their concerns with others across the party, as well as anonymously with reporters.

The week brought

a frenzy of rumours about a possible potential floor-crossing

from the Conservatives to the Liberals.

A handful of MPs spoke out in defence of Poilievre.

And so far, nothing has come of it all.

Instead, Poilievre is faced with a more mundane, but no less serious problem. Some Conservatives, including some MPs, have privately been harbouring doubts over Poilievre’s chances in the next election, not only because of his style and reluctance to turn the page from his Trudeau-era tactics,

 

but also because of the present circumstances.

Namely, U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic threats, which polling shows push Canadians to prefer Prime Minister Mark Carney.

National Post interviewed more party insiders, former candidates, those inside the Conservative caucus and campaign managers about Poilievre’s chances of someday defeating Carney and how Conservatives could win, six months after the Tory leader’s first major electoral defeat. National Post granted sources the ability to speak on background, in order for them to express themselves freely.

As the reality of the Trump trade war sets in, with Carney seemingly unable to prevent widespread job losses, some party sources say that the battle will increasingly be waged on the domestic front, a territory that benefits Poilievre.  Conservatives could win back voters 55 and older by chipping away at Carney’s positioning as Canada’s economic manager-in-chief.

And with Carney set to deliver his first budget in a little more than a week, it could be a turning point for the prime minister’s electoral honeymoon, especially with Trump abruptly ending trade talks with Canada late on Thursday night, once again highlighting Carney’s inability to secure a trade deal.

For the Conservatives to turn whatever opening that provides into a future path to victory, one senior Conservative put what Poilievre needs to do succinctly:

“Stop sounding like Donald Trump.”

With Carney more than willing to take Conservative ideas, what’s left, the source said, becomes a test of leadership.

The controversy created by Poilievre’s RCMP comments “magnified” simmering concerns over the leader’s instincts to launch aggressive attacks and stirred frustrations that he lacks the capacity to change, one caucus member said. What made matters worse, they added, was the fact that Poilievre targeted police — an odd look for a party that usually stands with law enforcement.

The party has nonetheless embarked on some of its own changes. Where Conservative MPs had long been restricted when it came to doing media interviews, they are now being given more freedom to talk to the national press.

And party spokeswoman Sarah Fischer confirmed a committee is eyeing changes to the party’s candidate nomination process. During the election, last-minute appointments from party leadership and a lack of nomination contests were a major concern among the grassroots and candidates themselves.

Others point to Poilievre doing more major media interviews and engaging more cordially with members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, rather than squabbling with reporters when he disapproved of their questions.

But for some, whatever efforts the leader has made do not appear to go far enough — or to be sticking. A second caucus member described their own doubts about winning under Poilievre as entirely having to do with his tone, rather than his preparation or ideas.

While winning remains possible, it is not certain, they said.

Whatever misgivings some in caucus may have about those chances, it does not match the deep popularity Poilievre enjoys with the party base and the voter coalition he has assembled, which includes more young people and other low-income and working-class voters, particularly in the trades. Then there are the supporters who flocked to him over frustrations borne out of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the April election, it added up to more than 8 million Conservative voters and 41.3 per cent of the vote share.

To win the country, Poilievre first needs to keep winning with the party, which is far less of a challenge than convincing swing voters that he’s prime minister material. It helps that there appears to be no one inside the party currently organizing against his leadership.

Ben Woodfinden, who worked as Poilievre’s director of communications until the last election, argued that the issue of likability is less important for a Conservative leader.

A Conservative does not need to be adored to win, he said, but must be viewed as serious and competent, much like how Canadians saw former prime minister Stephen Harper.

“Presenting a version of Pierre, which is there … that is serious and competent and looks like a prime minister, I think, is part of what they need to do. People don’t have to love him.”

With Carney unafraid to show himself as a prime minister who spends a lot of time outside of Canada (he’s currently on a nine-day trip to Asia), Woodfinden added there’s an opportunity for Poilievre to showcase himself as someone who is laser-focused on Canadians, and on issues like crime, immigration, and the cost of living.

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre arrives on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025.

Ginny Roth, who worked as Poilievre’s director of communications during his 2022 leadership bid, said an open question for the Conservatives is how to best connect with voters in a way that differentiates them from the Liberals.

“When Poilievre was at his strongest, it was because he had a sort of fearless desire to lead public opinion on major issues, and not just pointing out what was bad about the situation, but talking about how he would do things differently,” she said, pointing to his crusade against the consumer carbon tax, as well as drugs and crime.

“He should do that again.”

A third caucus member said crime remains a significant issue for Conservatives, with fear rising in major cities, not likely to be allayed by the

Liberals’ recently announcing a new bail reform bill

.

The raw numbers from the spring election are also seen as encouraging, with the Tories having captured many new ridings, winning seats in NDP-friendly parts of Southern Ontario, and coming close to victory in Liberal strongholds once thought impenetrable, like Brampton, Ont..

The MP said that while Conservatives lost some of their traditional voters aged 55 and older in the last election, the party believes that cohort, who were alarmed over Trump, are now undergoing “buyer’s remorse,” now that they’ve seen Carney in action.

But Philippe Fournier, of the polling aggregator 338Canada.com, said the latest polling data from Leger and Abacus do not yet suggest a softening of that demographic for the Liberals.

In fact, he says the Liberals still have “some runway” when it comes to Canadians’ patience.

Still, with no immediate threat to his leadership and the overwhelming support of party members, Poilievre has a good deal of runway of his own when it comes to keeping his job.

Eventually, though, what Conservatives will judge him on is whether he has what it takes to take the job of prime minister away from Mark Carney.

National Post

staylor@postmedia.com

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A man wears a pro-pipelines t-shirt as Prime Minister Mark Carney announces five megaprojects under consideration for fast-tracking during a news conference in Edmonton, Sept. 11, 2025.

A near-majority of Canadians support the development of a new oil pipeline to meet international demands for energy, and economic demands at home, while nearly three-quarters say pipelines are important to Canada’s economic future,

new polling from Leger shows

.

In an online survey of just over 4,000 Canadian adults from coast-to-coast, 49 per cent said they support the Alberta government’s plan for a new oil pipeline connecting the province to the northwest coast of British Columbia, opening up markets for Canadian energy in Asia.

In early October, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced that Alberta would submit a proposal to the federal government’s Major Project Office to build a crude-oil pipeline from Alberta to the West Coast for export. The province is putting $14 million towards early study and regulatory work, but is hoping that a private company will take over the project. It has reignited head-butting between Alberta and B.C., provinces that have feuded in the past over energy developments.

Whatever politics are at play, 72 per cent of poll respondents, agreed that new pipelines are “important to Canada’s economic future.” A further 55 per cent are confident that pipelines can be built while adequately protecting the environment.

When asked about prioritizing pipeline development or climate goals, 45 per cent of respondents answered that they’d like “A balance of both.”

“Canadians don’t see this as a black and white issue,” said Jennifer McLeod Macey, senior vice-president of public affairs at Leger. “They want to grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time.”

Leger’s survey also showed significant differences of opinion, depending on region. Support for pipeline development is strongest in Alberta at 63 per cent, and lowest in Quebec, at 41 per cent.

“The data shows just how regional this debate remains in our country,” Macey said. “Alberta and the Prairie provinces certainly differ from the rest of Canada, and Quebec is very much a distinct society.”

Support for new pipelines also differed significantly between genders. At 58 per cent, men were far more likely to support Alberta’s new pipeline project, compared to just 40 per cent of women.

“It’s really surprising to me when we look at the sentiments of men versus women on a number of issues, and we see this in the energy space as well,” Macey said. “Men tend to lean more conservative, and women are more likely to hold a neutral or unsure opinion on a given issue.”

Macey said the data also reflects a “generational shift in priorities” when it comes to energy and the environment. Support for Alberta’s new project was just 40 per cent among 18-34 year olds, compared with 56 per cent among their counterparts aged 55 and older.

Macey added that sentiments have shifted significantly in the past 25 years, particularly when it comes to balancing the environment with Canada’s energy needs: “It’s no longer the case of environmental impact versus the economy. It’s really all intertwined and I think there is a greater understanding among Canadians of a balanced mix between the two.”

The data also suggests support for pipelines is being influenced by the ongoing trade war between Canada and the United States.

“People are concerned about the reliability of our energy, and recognize the growth that pipelines bring for Canada as a whole. Natural resources are a huge piece of the puzzle,” Macey said. “We’re in unprecedented times, and Canadians are concerned about energy bills, and this country’s economic future.”

“Canadians want things that are both practical and principled,” Macey said. “Energy progress is a part of that. We’re not looking for an extreme. We’re looking for balance.”

The polling was conducted among an online panel of 4,099 respondents between Oct. 17 and Oct. 19, 2025. Results were weighted according to age, gender, mother tongue, region, education and presence of children in the household in order to ensure a representative sample of the Canadian population.​ For comparison purposes, a probability sample ​of this size yields a margin of error no greater than ±1.5 per cent, (19 times out of 20).

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Canadians will soon join other non-American citizens in being photographed when entering and leaving the U.S. The biometric data collection will used to improve identity verification, combat visa overstays and reduce passport fraud, says the Department of Homeland Security. This photo shows the Transportation Security Administration's new facial recognition technology.

The U.S. will soon require all non-citizens, including Canadians, entering and leaving the country

to be photographed

as part of new Department of Homeland Security regulations.

The security initiative is intended to build a comprehensive biometric data collection aimed at improving identity verification, combatting visa overstays and reducing passport fraud. It will involve the use of facial recognition technology matching live images of travellers with government records at all entry and exit points, including airports, seaports, and land borders.

The new regulations state that “the best tool to combat passport fraud is to utilize the digital photos contained in e-passports to biometrically verify that a person who presents a travel document is the true bearer of that document.”

And, further, that U.S. Customs and Border Protection biometric tests using facial comparison technology “support this conclusion.”

The DHS has been mandated by various federal statutes, notes the new regulations, “to create an integrated, automated biometric entry and exit system that records the arrival and departure of aliens, compares the biometric data of aliens to verify their identity, and authenticates travel documents.”

A reference to 9/11 and the continued threat of global terrorism is cited in the regulations, as well as “a

United Nations Security Council resolution

adopted in 2017, calling on member nations to increase aviation security and implement systems to collect biometric data to identify terrorists.

Biometric data collection can involve use of an advance passenger information system (APIS), common to airline security, for example. The CBP intends on building galleries of an individual’s photographs using such systems. But for crossings on foot or in privately owned vehicles that may not be possible, so it may build galleries using photographs of non-citizens who “frequently cross” a specific entry point, taken there to “become part of a localized photographic gallery.”

Biometric data collected at land borders will be retained for future verifications.

Under the regulation, set to take effect on Dec. 26, U.S. authorities could also require the submission of other biometrics, such as fingerprints or DNA.

The new regulations will apply to all non-citizens, including minors under 14 and seniors over 79, who were previously exempt from some biometric requirements.

The CBP has been collecting biometric data from certain non-citizens upon arrival in the U.S. since 2004, says

Bloomberg

, but the new rule marks a significant expansion of that data collection. New advances in facial comparison technology allow the agency to roll out broader inspections for entry and departure, the CBP told Bloomberg.

The new regulation will eventually apply to Canadian travellers entering and exiting the U.S., including at vehicle border crossings. However, DHS is still working out the technical challenges involved in doing so, as

noted in the regulations

. “CBP has not analyzed the costs and benefits for implementing a facial comparison-based biometric entry-exit program for vehicles at land ports and private aircraft, or for exit at sea ports and pedestrians at land ports because CBP is still in the process of determining the best way to implement biometric entry-exit within each of these unique environments.”

Canadians staying in the U.S. for over 30 days, including snowbirds, must already comply with

fingerprinting and registration

requirements.

Most public comments submitted in response to the 2021 proposed regulations opposed them, with many people citing privacy concerns. However, the final rule released today by DHS doesn’t make substantive changes to that proposal.

DHS will open a new public comment period for 30 days after the regulation is published in the U.S. Federal Register on Oct. 27.

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General view of production along the Honda CRV production line is shown during a tour of a Honda manufacturing plant in Alliston, Ont., Wednesday, Apr. 5, 2023.

OTTAWA — An Ontario government anti-tariff ad posthumously narrated by Ronald Reagan is no doubt racking up plenty of views after being cited by Donald Trump as a rationale for cutting off cross-border trade talks. One thing viewers won’t learn from the controversial TV spot is that Ontarians can thank Reagan’s protectionism for the province’s thriving network of Japanese-owned auto plants and parts manufacturers.

“It’s hard to draw a direct line, but Reagan used a careful blend of carrots (and) sticks in his dealings with the Japanese that Canada was able to emulate,” said Greig Mordue, an expert in automotive and advanced manufacturing policy at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont.

When Reagan took office in the early 1980s, Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers were getting decimated by a new generation of cheaper, more fuel-efficient Japanese vehicles. Rather than continue to watch the American auto sector bleed out, Reagan decided, in one of his first major foreign policy manpeuvres, to cut a deal with Tokyo.

Wielding the threat of a hard import quota, Reagan convinced Japanese officials in May 1981 to voluntarily limit auto exports to the U.S. by

roughly 33 per cent

, equivalent to a

tariff rate exceeding 60 per cent

.

Canada’s then trade minister Ed Lumley negotiated a

cap on Japanese vehicles

entering the Canadian market the same year.

To skirt the de facto tariff, the Japanese automakers set up their own plants in North America. The first of these sprung up

in the American Midwest

, but it wouldn’t be long before they spread north of the border.

Honda became the first Japanese entrant in Canada in 1984, announcing

a new plant in Alliston, Ont

. Toyota broke ground on

its first Canadian plant

in Cambridge, Ont., two years later.

Mordue said that a number of factors made Southern Ontario an attractive destination for Japanese car manufacturers.

“Just basic stuff, like lots of cheap land, no neighbours, close to rail and highways,” said Mordue.

He added that Japanese car companies have historically preferred to set up shop in small towns where they can be the primary employer.

Today, Southern Ontario is home to seven Japanese-owned auto plants and dozens of Japanese car parts manufacturers, supporting

roughly 30,000 jobs.

Mordue said that lessons from Reagan-era auto sector diplomacy can be applied to Canada today.

“Historically, Canada’s auto sector has done the best when it’s attached itself to the ascendant automaking power: in the 1960s, that was the U.S., in the 1980s it was Japan, today it’s China,” said Mordue.

National Post

rmohamed@postmedia.com

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