Poilievre attacks Carney again over ethics, Singh promises help for northern Ontarians
As the election campaign enters its fourth week, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre continues to focus on attacking Liberal Leader Mark Carney over ethics. At a news conference in Ottawa on Sunday morning, Poilievre accused Carney of engaging in shady behavior and claimed that the Liberal leader “refuses to tell Canadians what investments he continues to own or even where he pays his taxes.” Carney, who is the former board chair of Brookfield Asset Management, one of Canada’s largest publicly traded companies, held stock options worth $6.8 million at the end of December, according to Brookfield’s latest financial filings.
Carney has maintained that aside from cash and real estate, all his assets are in a blind trust, over which he has no control. However, he has not disclosed the exact nature of these investments. In response to these allegations, the Conservatives have promised to strengthen the Federal Accountability Act to prevent politicians from making decisions that benefit themselves or their families disproportionately. They also propose requiring party leaders to disclose their assets within 30 days of assuming leadership and mandating prime ministers to divest their assets within 30 days of taking office.
Meanwhile, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is focusing on promising more help for northern Ontarians. Singh unveiled his party’s platform for northern Ontario, which includes initiatives such as training more doctors from northern and rural communities, improving access to mental health and addictions treatments, and reforming the Nutrition North food program. The NDP aims to send the Nutrition North subsidy directly to northerners rather than corporate chains like the North West Company.
Singh also addressed concerns that Indigenous issues have not been a major focus on the campaign trail. He criticized other party leaders for not prioritizing Indigenous communities and vowed to work with Indigenous Peoples to fully implement all 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and fully implement Jordan’s Principle.
On the other hand, Liberal Leader Mark Carney faced criticism for skipping the campaign trail once again on Sunday. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused Carney of hiding and trying to avoid scrutiny amidst the election campaign. Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet also accused Carney of trying to capitalize on his early momentum by coasting through the first three weeks of the campaign.
Despite the criticisms, Carney remained focused on his prime ministerial duties, including discussions with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and pledging to boost defense spending and support allies. He paused his campaign for the third time to address the trade war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump, convening a meeting with his Canada-U.S. cabinet council.
Looking ahead, five federal party leaders are set to face off in French- and English-language debates on April 16 and 17 in Montreal. CBC will broadcast the debates live with simultaneous interpretation on various platforms. The election campaign continues to unfold as leaders present their platforms and engage with voters across the country.
