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Tuesday, May 26, 2026
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MPs champion unity in face of Alberta referendum, but Conservatives say quick vote needed to ‘get it over and done with’

‘It demands the action of democracy, and I think unless we address it, it will be like an itch that is not scratched,’ says Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie of Alberta’s separatism question.

Conservative MPs Michael Cooper, top left, Michelle Rempel Garner, Greg McLean, and Stephanie Kusie, and Liberal MP Matt Jeneroux. The Alberta MPs addressed the move by Alberta’s government to include a question on whether the province should hold a referendum to separate in the coming October referendum. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade, Stuart Benson
The latest

Number of executives who received bonuses fell 11 per cent in 2024-25

Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali. Government data shows the number of executives awarded for over-the-top performance decreased by more than 11 per cent from the previous year, and 35 per cent compared to 2022-23. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
newsBY MARLO GLASS | UPDATED May 25, 2026

Former Privy Council clerk Michael Wernick says awarding a bonus involves ‘a fairly sophisticated conversation’ that considers how they achieved key targets. ‘Did you leave a trail of bodies behind you … or did you strengthen your team?’

Spending to outsource legal work more than doubled in the last decade as hundreds of internal positions stayed vacant: government data

The data ‘highlights a real and growing gap between the federal government’s legal needs and its in-house capacity,’ says Gregory Harlow, president of the Association of Justice Counsel.

Carney’s remarks on Alberta referendum ‘on point,’ but pollsters say Albertans would like to see concrete results, and caution PM and Poilievre against inflaming tensions

By taking concrete action on key issues for Albertans, PM Mark Carney is trying to send a message that he wants the federation to work better for Alberta, says pollster Janet Brown. Meanwhile, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he and his MPs will campaign for Alberta to remain part of Canada.

In a ‘true Liberal-Conservative battleground,’ potential Grit candidates lay groundwork for nomination election in Cloverdale-Langley City, B.C.

Given current polling trends, if an election were to happen now, the Liberals would win the B.C. riding of Cloverdale-Langley City, says pollster Greg Lyle.

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POLITICS
Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, left, appears unlikely to be able to win the Ontario Liberal leadership race, and Conservative MP Jamil Jivani appears to have no path forward under his party's current leadership, writes Tim Powers. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

A tale of two MPs

Right now, both Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and Conservative MP Jamil Jivani stand on uncertain ground, either by design or over estimation of their political skill.

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Democratizing defence procurement is worth imagining

As the new Defence Investment Agency is getting underway, it is critical to start on the right foot and not overlook opportunities to streamline the purchasing process used for the vast majority of Canadian Armed Forces contracts.


Electrifying Canada is a path to national prosperity

Young people now are spending less time socializing with their peers in person than any preceding generation, writes Gwynne Dyer.  Unsplash photograph by Kelly Sikkema

Doomscrolling and declining birth rates

There are many other factors to blame for fewer people having kids: housing affordability, unrealistic expectations promoted by online influencers, even the growing scarcity of entry-level jobs. But the most persuasive is phones, phones, phones.

EDITORIAL CARTOON BY DE ADDER
de Adder’s Take: 05-25-2026
de Adder’s Take: 05-20-2026
de Adder’s Take: 05-18-2026
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Public Service

Canada’s trade ambitions rest on a food system we’re dismantling

The assumption appears to be that fewer experts can somehow do more with less—an impossibility in a system already stretched past its limits.

Ongoing grievance over public service health-plan switch an ‘interesting’ case, says labour lawyer

The Public Service Alliance of Canada says its members have had prolonged issues since the federal government transferred the Public Service Health Care Plan from Sun life to Canada Life in July 2023.

Outspoken health advocate Joss Reimer talks about finding ‘common ground’ with government as she becomes Canada’s top doctor

Joss Reimer says she wants to tackle misinformation and disinformation, and place more emphasis on the social determinants of health and preventative health. She’s also keeping a close eye on H5N1, also referred to as the bird flu, to ensure that Canada has an influenza pandemic plan in place. 

Union warns pay system may not be able to handle layoffs, early retirements 10 years after start of Phoenix problems

The Phoenix pay system has cost the government more than $5-billion to date, and the current backlog of pay issues stands at around 238,000 transactions.

Bringing investment banking rigour to Ottawa

Unlike the private sector, senior public servants are rarely removed for persistent underperformance. And tone from the top, however well calibrated, cannot substitute for rigor on the ground.

FOREIGN POLICY
Liberal MP Fayçal El-Khoury chairs the House Subcommittee on International Human Rights, which operates by consensus. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

‘A moment missed’: House subcommittee issues limited report, few recommendations on Sudan ‘catastrophe’

The House Subcommittee on International Human Rights’ May 7 report was 780 words long, and didn’t declare whether a genocide is unfolding in Sudan, disappointing some past witnesses.

Policy
Former Liberal MP and co-chair of the U.S.-Canada defence board John McKay, says he sees the U.S.’s move as a “cancellation,” not a "pause." The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Pentagon’s ‘cancellation’ of Canada-U.S. defence board could have ‘ripple effects’ on major procurements, says former co-chair

‘It’s a shot across the bow. The U.S. administration has clearly been watching the PM’s moves on defence and has concludes that there’s too much talk and too little action,’ says defence expert Christian Leuprecht.

Committee missing out on hearing from people with disabilities who agree with MAID

Renewing the ban on MAID for mental illness would create additional injustices for the disabled community.

MAID Committee hearings exposed a deeper problem

Canada already lacks adequate safeguards and oversight for medical assistance in dying. Pausing the practice for mental illness should only be the start.

Prime Minister Mark Carney. Canada can harness models like BRIDGE-SA to strengthen academic partnerships and economic expansion between Canada and South Africa by transforming education and employment pathways, write David Boroto, Michael Sheldrick, and Amit Hooda.

Education is Canada’s strategic middle-power advantage

Educational partnerships have something that is lacking in other political spheres: long-term trust and institutional relationships that compound over decades.

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Canada is embarking on a decades-long procurement process that will reshape our Armed Forces

Canadian governments had become complacent and arguably neglectful to the needs our military. Events have snapped us out of this complacency.

Defence Industrial Strategy’s Build-Partner-Buy should be a spectrum, not a sequence

Buying a proven platform does not have to mean surrendering industrial ambition. In some cases, it can be the beginning of it.

Canada needs a fighter jet that propels our ability to defend North America

The current fleet of CF-18 fighter jets must be retired in 2032. Therefore, we need to act fast. Planning is already underway to ensure a smooth transition from old fighter jets to new.

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Finance & Budget

Canada’s charitable sector needs a federal home

The Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector, established in 2019 to encourage meaningful dialogue with government, remains a periodic consultative body that has not met since fall 2024. And while consultation matters, it is not enough.

Main estimates set out $502.8-billion for 2026-27 as National Defence tops voted spending

National Defence’s $48.4-billion represents the biggest ask of the $230.4-billion set to be voted on by MPs, with five more departments seeking approval for more than $10-billion.

Liberals to cut CBC by $192-million in 2026-27

This year’s estimates include $1.38-billion in funding for the CBC, representing a marked decrease from the $1.58-billion allotted to the public broadcaster during the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Feds are ‘silencing’ an agent of Parliament by leaving post vacant, says ex-budget watchdog Giroux

Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie says the PBO is ‘unable to do its job of providing government oversight.’ But another former budget watchdog Kevin Page says the prime minister has ‘deep respect for the legislative budget offices,’ adding that the next PBO will be faced with ‘enormous challenges’ in the months and years ahead and will be playing a critical role.

Feeding the world is an economic opportunity

Canada can be an agri-food leader, but to compete globally, producers and industry need access to the latest tools and technology.