Stuart Benson

Stuart Benson began his professional journalism career in February 2020 with The Low Down to Hull and Back News in Wakefield, Que., where he won a Quebec Community Newspaper Award in 2021. He joined The Hill Times in 2022, reporting on political party apparatuses, advertising, and fundraising, policing and public safety, women and youth, marijuana, Canadian culture and heritage. Benson won the Ontario Community Newspaper Association’s 2025 award for Best Investigative News Story. He is also this paper’s regular "Party Central" columnist. Contact him at sbenson@hilltimes.com.

Diving ‘Below’ at the Whalesbone on Elgin

Netflix Canada brought a taste of Newfoundland at the temporary ‘Linda’s Lounge’ on Oct. 20 to celebrate the launch of its new East Coast-based horror-mystery miniseries

HT Columns | BY STUART BENSON | October 21, 2026

‘There’s nothing worse than uncertainty’: cattle sector looks to slow Mercosur trade stampede

The Canadian Cattle Association wants the feds to create a new insurance program to help herds rebound from 40-year lows, maintain tariff-free access to the U.S., and prevent any increase from the South American trading bloc.

news | BY STUART BENSON | October 21, 2026

Poilievre raised estimated $20-million for Conservatives since 2022, Carney and cabinet ministers work to outpace one-man show

In the second part of a series on political fundraising, The Hill Times looks at Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s surge to top-performing fundraiser since late 2022, and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s team of top-performing ministers and ridings helping him reinvigorate the party’s war chest.

news | BY STUART BENSON, AIDAN RAYNOR | October 21, 2026

The numbers game: Liberals leading fundraising circuit since 2019, but Tories charge more

In the first part of a series on political fundraising, The Hill Times explores eight years of data showcasing that the Liberals have hosted 430 fundraisers representing $40-million in potential value. That’s more than twice the official opposition in tally and totals, but Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre ranks No. 1 in both attendance and estimated value since November 2022.

news | BY STUART BENSON, AIDAN RAYNOR | October 14, 2026

‘A real warning’: foreign influence registry off to rocky start with dearth of expected registrants

Sole active registrant Gerald Chipeur says most may still wrongly assume the law targets covert agents, while prospective registrant and national security expert Leah West says Ottawa bears responsibility for the low uptake.

news | BY STUART BENSON | October 13, 2026

First-quarter MP expenses rebound to nearly $44-million after election-year lull

Bloc MPs Alexis Deschênes and Marilène Gill reported the top two highest overall expense totals for the first three months of 2026-27, at $225,960 and $207,181, respectively.

news | BY STUART BENSON | October 7, 2026

‘Make sure this doesn’t happen again’: editors work to tighten vetting as experts warn ‘Daniel Robson’ persona won’t be the last AI deception

Publication history is ‘no longer anywhere near enough’ to vouch for writers, says Policy Options editor Les Perreaux after a ‘trust cascade’ let the AI-fabricated columnist slip past roughly half a dozen Canadian newsrooms.

news | BY STUART BENSON | October 7, 2026

Spooky shindig season on the Hill

Ahead of Halloween, October is packed with three weeks of sitting days packed with frightful festivities, spine-chilling soirées, and a hair-raising Hill days.

feature | BY STUART BENSON | October 5, 2026

A sunny Santis soirée on the Château’s terrace

With parliamentarians away for the week, dozens of politicos, health advocates, and life-sciences lobbyists landed on the Château Laurier’s terrace on Sept. 29 for Santis Health’s annual industry celebration.

feature | BY STUART BENSON | September 30, 2026

Industry ‘frustrated’ as Liberals’ Bill C-39 falls short of proactive strike-prevention powers

The Building Canada Strong Act is missing an ‘ultimate backstop’ to prevent labour disruptions, says FETCO’s Derrick Hynes, but pre-emptive powers ‘would have workers in the streets already,’ says CLC president Bea Bruske.

news | BY STUART BENSON | September 30, 2026

B.C. Conservatives’ ‘normality’ strategy ‘screwed’ incumbent NDP’s snap-election plans, politicos say

The B.C. NDP was ready for a ‘campaign based on the culture wars,’ but a shift away from influencers could tilt the landscape in favour of the reset B.C. Conservatives, says commentator Mo Amir.

news | BY STUART BENSON | September 30, 2026

Ladies Night, Torynado, Fife gets mugged, and Kuss-Lockington get hitched

Week 1 of the fall sitting closed out with Women on the Hill on Émilie’s Terrace and a Tory Bierkmarket speakeasy on Thursday, plus a Friday Gallery mugging in the West Block and a Kuss-Lockington wedding reception at The Met.

feature | BY STUART BENSON | September 28, 2026

Partying until the 12th bell

Day Two of Parliament went until midnight and so did the Parliamentary Precinct parties, with BIONATION’s Gold Leaf Awards at the NAC, the House Speaker’s sophomore garden party at ‘The Farm,’ and Earnscliffe/Politico’s Housewarming rager at The Mét.

HT Columns | BY STUART BENSON | September 23, 2026

Liberals’ pre-Summit fundraiser rakes in big bucks, but ‘difficult optics’ may not be worth price of admission: observers

The ‘impressive’ estimated fundraising haul of more than $841,000 makes it hard to argue tactics, but public view of transparency and ‘cash for access’ concerns have a higher standard than the legal threshold, says Liberal strategist Dan Arnold.

news | BY STUART BENSON | September 23, 2026

‘Fantastical apocalyptic claims’ obscure present AI dangers, say researchers

Following recent extinction-level warnings from the industry, Canada needs its own legislative ‘hammer’ to shut down rogue AI, and ensure compliance, says Senator Colin Deacon.

news | BY STUART BENSON | September 23, 2026

Party Central is back in action this fall

The Hill’s five-day fall frosh week has everything, from the Speaker’s Farm to the NAC and the Met; Earnscliffe and Politico’s Housewarming rager, welcome receptions and policy forums, a Ladies Night at the Château, and everything else from beef bbqs, co-op breakfasts, bilingual coffee, Paul Wells, free toothbrushes, and a Sparks Street ‘Torynado’.

HT Columns | BY STUART BENSON | September 17, 2026