Canada needs a ‘good mix’ of new tech like drones, AI: NATO commander

This article is new today!

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-10-30 18:50:51.0
Tags: [National, Defence, Technology, Finance]

As Canada prepares to detail its defence spending plans in the upcoming federal budget to meet NATO's 2% GDP target this year and a 5% GDP target by 2035, senior NATO officials emphasize integrating a mix of advanced technologies like AI targeting and drones. Admiral Pierre Vandier, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, noted during exercises in Latvia involving Canadian Armed Forces personnel from Operation Reassurance that unmanned systems enhance the lethality and survivability of traditional military assets. The Department of National Defence recently launched the Defence Drone Initiative (DDI) to supply new drone tech to the Canadian Armed Forces and Canadian Coast Guard while bolstering domestic manufacturing. Meanwhile, Parliamentary Budget Office analysis indicates core defence spending would need to scale significantly from $95.7 billion in 2030 to $163.7 billion in 2035–36 to meet long-term alliance commitments.

C-31 (45-1) - Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2

This article is new today!

Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
Date: 2026-10-30 12:26:14.0
Tags: [National, Finance, Taxation, Economy, Governance]

Bill C-31 (45th Parliament, 1st Session), titled the Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2 and sponsored by Minister of Finance and National Revenue, has advanced to the report stage in the House of Commons following committee review by the Standing Committee on Finance, which presented its report with amendments on October 30, 2026. The legislation implements provisions stemming from the federal budget tabled on November 4, 2025, and the 2026 Spring Economic Update titled 'Canada Strong For All'. The Senate has concurrently authorized pre-study of the bill's subject matter across multiple standing committees, including the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance and specialized sectoral committees assigned to specific divisions of Part 4 of the bill.

2025-26 Public Accounts Volume 2 Released

Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
Date: 2026-10-29 23:00:00.0
Tags: [Saskatchewan, Finance, Governance, Taxation]

The Government of Saskatchewan released the 2025-26 Public Accounts Volume 2, detailing expense and revenue information for ministries, the Legislative Assembly, and its officers from the General Revenue Fund. Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Jim Reiter noted that ministry travel expenses reached $45.1 million in 2025-26, representing a 1.1 per cent or $0.5 million increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, government-wide communications expenses decreased by $1.2 million to $12.1 million in 2025-26 compared to $13.3 million in 2024-25, continuing a 28 per cent reduction from $16.8 million in 2007-08. The report also includes pension plan and trust fund balances, a Statement of Remission of Taxes and Fees, and the Road Use Fuel Tax Accountability Report, following the release of Volume 1 on June 30, 2026.

Crown Sector 2025-26 Payee Disclosure Report Released

Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
Date: 2026-10-29 22:00:00.0
Tags: [Saskatchewan, Finance, Governance, Economy, Indigenous]

The Crown Investments Corporation (CIC) tabled the Crown sector's 2025-26 Payee Disclosure Report with The Standing Committee on Crown and Central Agencies, detailing sector payments between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026. CIC provided $68 million in dividends to Saskatchewan's General Revenue Fund, while total Crown procurement reached $2.1 billion, including $1.5 billion awarded to Saskatchewan suppliers and $152 million to Indigenous suppliers. Crown corporations employed over 11,000 people with total remuneration of just over $1.3 billion, and contributed over $35 million in grants, donations, and sponsorships to organizations like STARS air ambulance and the sector-wide Indigenous Bursary Program. The report lists ministerial and board expenses, supplier payments over $50,000, employee remuneration exceeding $50,000, and grants greater than $5,000 in accordance with Standing Committee guidelines.

Minister Pardy Introduces Legislation to Reduce Gas Tax to Zero

Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
Date: 2026-10-29 18:55:16.0
Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Taxation, Finance, Affordability, Energy]

On October 29, 2026, Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Finance Craig Pardy introduced legislation to reduce the provincial tax on gasoline and diesel to 0 cents per litre, down from 7.5 cents and 9.5 cents respectively. Factoring in the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), drivers will save 8.625 cents per litre on gasoline and 10.925 cents per litre on diesel amidst record high fuel prices. The legislative amendments also establish a protective mechanism to keep provincial fuel taxes at zero for as long as oil prices remain above a specified threshold. This measure is part of the Provincial Government's broader Budget 2026 initiative, which has invested over $275 million in cost-of-living relief.

Minister Pardy Introduces Legislation to Reduce Gas Tax to Zero

Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
Date: 2026-10-29 18:55:16.0
Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Taxation, Affordability, Finance, Energy]

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, through Minister of Finance Craig Pardy, introduced legislation to reduce the provincial tax on gasoline and diesel to 0 cents per litre. This policy removes the existing provincial taxes of 7.5 cents per litre for gasoline and 9.5 cents per litre for diesel, resulting in total savings at the pump—including Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)—of 8.625 cents per litre for gasoline vehicles and 10.925 cents per litre for diesel vehicles. Furthermore, the legislative amendments establish a safeguard mechanism to maintain the provincial fuel tax at zero as long as oil prices stay above a specified threshold, forming part of the provincial government's broader $275 million cost-of-living relief initiative.

A Plan to Protect Ontario

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Finance
Date: 2026-10-29 18:10:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Economy, Taxation, Finance, Trade, Industry]

Ontario Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy released the 2026 Ontario Economic and Fiscal Review: A Plan to Protect Ontario, projecting a deficit of $16.9 billion in 2026-27 and a return to a balanced budget in 2029-30. The fiscal plan features an $8 billion Ontario Competitiveness Tax Cut tied to the federal Productivity Mega Deduction, an $8.7 billion Canada-Ontario action plan targeting the steel, automotive, and critical minerals sectors, and nearly $30 billion in cumulative tariff relief and business supports implemented since April 2025. Additionally, the government committed to streamlining 35 to 50 percent of the province's 375 business-facing permits by the end of 2028 and restoring capital expenditures as eligible under the Ontario Research and Development Tax Credit and Ontario Innovation Tax Credit to provide over $50 million in tax support over three years.

Budget 2026 title and theme focus on Canada’s sovereignty, minister reveals

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-10-29 15:00:05.0
Tags: [National, Finance, Economy, Trade, Seniors, Governance]

National Revenue Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced that the federal government will table Budget 2026 on November 5, 2026, under the title and theme "MASTERS OF OUR DESTINY: BUDGET 2026" (inspired by Jean Lesage's 1962 Quebec slogan "Maîtres chez nous"). Prime Minister Mark Carney's government designed the upcoming budget to address a period of profound change and uncertainty involving redefined trade relationships, U.S. tariffs, trade tensions, and geopolitical conflicts threatening Canadian sovereignty and economic resilience.

Canada Dental Care Plan working but costing more than expected: auditor general

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-29 14:50:35.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Affordability, Finance, Social Services]

A report by Auditor General Karen Hogan found that Health Canada's Canadian Dental Care Plan exceeded its initial budget commitments by $1.1 billion during the 2024–25 and 2025–26 fiscal years, with an anticipated further shortfall of $2.4 billion by 2032 due to higher-than-anticipated claim payments per member. While the program successfully reduced average household out-of-pocket dental expenses from $536 in 2023 to $264 for users, the audit revealed persistent public confusion, with 560,000 members (16 per cent of those accessing services in 2025) receiving full coverage, while dental providers spent roughly an hour a day addressing coverage ambiguities and call centres struggled to meet quality metrics. In response, Health Canada engaged the Office of the Chief Actuary to provide quarterly actuarial forecasts to improve claim payment projections and financial planning.

Financial intelligence agency slow to provide police with info to curb money laundering: AG

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-29 14:19:17.0
Tags: [National, Finance, Public Safety, Justice, Governance]

A federal auditor general report tabled in the House of Commons reveals that the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) takes an average of about four months to provide financial intelligence to law enforcement agencies. Half of the surveyed police and law enforcement respondents reported receiving FINTRAC intelligence too late to be useful for freezing assets, intercepting transactions, or apprehending suspects. The auditor general concluded that inadequate tools and processing delays hinder FINTRAC from effectively carrying out its mandate to detect and deter money laundering and terrorist financing.

Province Announces $8 Billion Ontario Competitiveness Tax Cut to Support Investment and Create 30,000 Jobs

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Finance
Date: 2026-10-28 14:08:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Taxation, Economy, Finance, Trade, Industry]

The Ontario Ministry of Finance announced the $8 billion Ontario Competitiveness Tax Cut as part of its multi-year Tax Action Plan to counter U.S. tariffs and lower business investment costs. Administered as the provincial counterpart to the federal Productivity Mega Deduction, the policy allows eligible businesses to immediately write off 100 per cent of capital investments in assets such as fibre-optic cables, software, aircraft, machinery, and patents. The measure is projected to drive at least $11 billion in new capital investment, add $6 billion to the provincial GDP, and support the creation of 30,000 new jobs over five years. Combined with prior initiatives from Budget 2026, total business tax relief will exceed $12 billion over five years, reducing Ontario's Marginal Effective Tax Rate to 3.6 per cent.

Bank of Canada raises key interest rate to 2.5% in its first hike since 2023

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-28 12:33:56.0
Tags: [National, Economy, Finance, Trade, Affordability]

The Bank of Canada, led by Governor Tiff Macklem, raised its benchmark overnight interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.5 per cent, marking its first rate hike since 2023. The central bank stated that the increase is necessary to curb persistent inflation—projected to remain above 3 per cent through much of 2027—which is driven largely by surging energy prices from the Middle East conflict and rising trade tensions with the United States. Policymakers warned that further rate hikes could occur depending on future economic uncertainties and cost pressures.

P.E.I.'s mobile mental health program extended for another year

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-10-27 21:00:51.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Healthcare, Social Services, Finance]

The federal and provincial governments have renewed funding for Prince Edward Island's mobile mental health program, extending the initiative through March 31, 2028. The program, operationally managed by Medavie Health Services, allows Islanders experiencing a mental health crisis to call and receive care from specialized professionals or dispatched mobile teams. Earlier in the year, provincial Health and Wellness Minister Cory Deagle noted that Ottawa was cutting over $29 million in health-care funding to P.E.I., which included $2.6 million for mobile mental health units and student well-being teams previously slated to end in March 2027. CUPE Local 3324 president Jason Woodbury praised the extension, noting the service helps reduce wait times for ground ambulances and emergency rooms.

First Nations-first ministers' meeting brings funding announcements and mixed reviews

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-26 22:37:54.0
Tags: [National, Indigenous, Finance, Infrastructure, Emergency, Governance]

Prime Minister Mark Carney convened the first Indigenous-focused first ministers' meeting in over two decades in Ottawa alongside the Assembly of First Nations, led by National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. Carney announced proposed federal funding ahead of the Nov. 5 budget, including more than $2.5 billion over five years for emergency preparedness in First Nations communities and more than $630 million over four years for First Nations and Inuit policing. Additionally, Carney committed to exploring the reform or abolition of the 1876 Indian Act and instructed his finance minister to collaborate with First Nations on new revenue-sharing mechanisms, such as a potential sovereign wealth fund.

Provincial Government Cutting Gas Tax on Gasoline and Diesel to Zero Beginning December 1

Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
Date: 2026-10-26 14:15:53.0
Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Taxation, Affordability, Energy, Finance]

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, through Minister of Finance Craig Pardy, announced that the provincial gas tax on gasoline and diesel will be reduced to zero cents per litre from December 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027. The Provincial Government will introduce legislative amendments in the House of Assembly to enact these changes and establish a permanent mechanism to keep the provincial fuel tax at zero whenever fuel prices exceed a specified threshold. This measure represents $25 million in affordability relief, contributing to a broader $79 million cost-of-living package that also includes the accelerated Churchill Falls Electricity Rebate and a doubled Home Heating Supplement.

U.K. opts against joining Canada-led defence bank, pledges co-operation

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-26 14:03:56.0
Tags: [National, Defence, Finance, Trade]

The British government has declined Ottawa's invitation to join the Canada-led international Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB), choosing instead to pursue its own Multilateral Defence Mechanism. Despite differing institutional paths, both countries agreed to establish a cooperation framework to coordinate investment opportunities and work together to meet NATO spending targets. The DSRB, which is headquartered in Canada and aims to lower military borrowing costs through pooled credit, currently retains the support of nations including Belgium, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Sudbury

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Date: 2026-10-23 19:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Finance]

The governments of Ontario and Canada announced that the City of Greater Sudbury will receive up to $45.3 million through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP). In exchange, the City of Greater Sudbury has committed to eliminating development charges for all housing types from March 30, 2026, to March 31, 2029, a policy expected to reduce homebuilding costs by up to $22,162 per home and unlock 3,320 new homes. The federal funding flows through the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF) under a 10-year, $8.8 billion cost-matched infrastructure agreement. The DCRP funding will directly support improvements to local water and wastewater infrastructure, specifically transitioning the Garson East Drinking Water System and upgrading watermains and sanitary sewers in the Maley Drive growth corridor.

Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Essex County

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Date: 2026-10-23 18:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Finance]

The governments of Ontario and Canada announced up to $105.8 million in infrastructure funding through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) for regional and local municipalities in the County of Essex, including up to $51.2 million for Essex County, $77.6 million for the City of Windsor, $25.4 million for the Town of LaSalle, $11.8 million for the Municipality of Lakeshore, $8.4 million for the Town of Kingsville, $8.8 million for the Town of Essex, and $6.8 million for the Town of Tecumseh. In exchange, these municipalities have committed to reducing or eliminating development charges for all housing types between March 30, 2026, and December 31, 2030. Combined with a two-government agreement to provide relief on the full HST on eligible new homes from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, the initiatives are estimated to save homebuyers up to $170,862 per home and unlock 36,372 new homes across Essex County.

Ontario and Canada Making Homes More Affordable in Windsor and Tecumseh

Source: Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Date: 2026-10-23 15:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Municipal, Housing, Affordability, Infrastructure, Finance]

The governments of Ontario and Canada are providing up to $84.4 million through the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP) to the City of Windsor and the Town of Tecumseh in exchange for reducing development charges for all housing types from March 30, 2026, to March 31, 2029. Windsor will receive up to $77.6 million to reduce development charges by 70 percent, funding stormwater management and roadway infrastructure projects while saving homebuyers up to $49,452 per home. The Town of Tecumseh will receive up to $6.8 million to reduce development charges by 50 percent, supporting new trunk sanitary sewer infrastructure and saving homebuyers up to $18,078 per home. Combined with a federal-provincial agreement providing full HST relief on eligible new homes, these initiatives aim to unlock 19,263 new homes across the region.

Canada Post CEO touts ‘early signs’ of recovery even as financial woes persist

Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-10-22 21:45:13.0
Tags: [National, Economy, Finance, Labour, Transportation]

Canada Post CEO Doug Ettinger announced early signs of financial recovery at the Crown corporation's annual public meeting, citing a reduced pre-tax loss of $277 million in the second quarter of the year compared to $407 million the previous year. To address structural challenges, Canada Post is phasing out door-to-door delivery for four million addresses over five years in favor of community mailboxes—targeting 700,000 households by the end of 2027—and launching a direct-to-consumer online marketplace named Canada Shops. These operational overhauls follow the federal government's adoption of recommendations from an Industrial Inquiry Commission led by William Kaplan, which lifted a moratorium on new community mailboxes and rural post office closures.