Poilievre gestures following a news conference earlier this month.
(Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
The Latest
So far today the campaign trail has been dominated by news CSIS believes agents of India meddled in the 2022 Conservative leadership race.Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre responded to the developments during an appearance in Vaughan, Ont., saying he won the leadership race “fair and square.”He also accused Liberal Leader Mark Carney of striking a “secret” deal with China’s central bank while he was with the global investment firm Brookfield.The meeting between Brookfield and the People’s Bank of China was not secret, it was announced publicly.Do you have a question about the federal election? Send an email to ask@cbc.ca.Updates
March 25
37 minutes ago
The latest from CBC’s Poll Tracker
Jenna Benchetrit
Seat projections as of March 25, 2025, from the CBC Poll Tracker. (CBC)Earlier today, Éric Grenier of TheWrit.ca — who manages CBC’s Poll Tracker throughout the election period — gave an update on the latest numbers, which you can see in the graphic above.
“The Liberals are continuing to climb in the polls and are widening their lead over the Conservatives, putting them deeper into majority territory,” wrote Grenier.
“The Conservatives are holding their vote but it is the steep slide for the New Democrats, who are at risk of dropping into the single-digits in popular support, that is contributing to the rise in the Liberals’ numbers.”
1 hour ago
How do your politics compare to the parties? Try the Vote Compass
Jenna Benchetrit
Vote Compass is a tool developed by political scientists to help you explore how your views compare with those of the parties. (CBC News)Not sure who you’re voting for, or just curious to see how your political views compare to those of the parties? CBC’s newly launched Vote Compass can help you with that.
The tool was developed by political scientists and is operated by Vox Pop Labs, an independent, non-partisan group of social researchers and data scientists in Toronto. CBC doesn’t collect or keep any of the data you provide when you use the tool.
You can check it out here.
2 hours ago
‘No one who has them will lose them’
Jenna Benchetrit
‘No one who has them will lose them,’ Poilievre says about dental, pharmacare programs
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, when asked Tuesday if Liberal programs like dental and pharmacare would be at risk if he is elected prime minister, said ‘we will protect these programs,’ before going on to discuss his views on child care.
Here’s another interesting tidbit from earlier today. Poilievre addressed a common line of attack from Carney’s camp: that a Conservative government will cut social programs rolled out by the Liberals, including dental care, pharmacare and child care.
“We will protect these programs, and no one who has them will lose them,” said Poilievre, offering his most substantial answer yet about the fate of those programs under a Conservative government.
“We all believe that there should be more affordable child care in this country,” he added. But he said that the Liberal government’s system is overly bureaucratic and has led to fewer daycare spaces.
Some parents say they’re still on waiting lists for child-care spots, and the government program has faced a number of roadblocks on its way to meeting its goal of 250,000 additional spots by 2026. One of Justin Trudeau’s last acts as prime minister was to sign agreements giving more child-care funding to the provinces until 2031.
“So while honouring the agreements on child care with the provinces, we’re going to give more freedom and flexibility to parents, providers and provinces to support the child care of all the kids.… We should support all child-care options,” Poilievre said.
2 hours ago
How long do security clearances last?
Catharine Tunney
Fact-checking Pierre Poilievre’s comments on security clearance
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s refusal to get his security clearance is back in the spotlight on the campaign trail following reports the Canadian Security Intelligence Service learned India helped organize support for his leadership bid.
I’m a senior reporter with CBC’s Parliament Hill bureau.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been asked many times about his refusal to get his security clearance. He often responds, as he did today, that he already received clearance when he served in Stephen Harper’s cabinet.
But that’s not exactly how security clearances work.
As former CSIS director Richard Fadden has explained, a cabinet minister’s clearance has to be renewed. And if there’s been a time lapse, then security officials would have to start the process all over again.
Poilievre has taken an oath as a privy councillor, but that doesn’t automatically guarantee him access to intelligence, said Fadden.
2 hours ago
What’s Tesla got to do with it?
Katie Nicholson
A few people hold a protest outside a Tesla dealership in Oakville on Tuesday. (Katie Nicholson/CBC)Hello, I’m senior reporter Katie Nicholson.
I’m on the ground today in Oakville, Ont., where some Canadians are responding to the U.S. administration’s annexation threats by holding a small demonstration outside a Tesla dealership — one of several companies owned by Trump advisor Elon Musk.
Alyssa Getz says it is the first time she has ever organized any kind of a demonstration. She said she felt compelled to do it because of what she sees happening in the U.S.
In her view, Canadians are complacent about democracy, and she thinks that may impact voter turnout in this federal election.
This “Tesla Takedown” gathering has a distinctly Canadian feel. In the U.S., it has become a way for Americans to protest cuts by the administration, including Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Here, people are holding signs saying “Never 51,” a reference to U.S. threats of annexation and making Canada the 51st state.
3 hours ago
A very busy morning on the campaign trail
Lucas Powers
OK Canada, the flurry of morning appearances and news conferences by the party leaders has wrapped up.
Be sure to scroll down to get caught up on the day’s news so far.
Stay with us as we continue to bring you analysis and all the latest developments from a jam-packed day of campaigning and politicking.
3 hours ago
Blanchet ‘tends to believe’ allegations about Indian government meddling
Jenna Benchetrit
Blanchet says Poilievre is ‘irresponsible’ for not getting security briefing
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, speaking from Neuville, Que., on Day 3 of the election campaign, is asked about the reports that the Indian government agents were allegedly involved in fundraising and organizing in support of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s 2022 leadership bid.
Asked about the Globe story, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said he “tends to believe,” while not knowing for certain, that there was interference by India in the Conservative leadership race won by Poilievre, and that the Liberals “were very close to Beijing.”
That some people working at Canada’s intelligence agencies “were worried enough about that to give information to the Globe and Mail more than once must mean something,” said Blanchet. “They are careless about national security and about intrusion of foreign powers into the affairs of their own parties.”
He added that Poilievre is irresponsible for not taking steps to be briefed sooner. As I mentioned earlier, Poilievre has said he doesn’t want to be muzzled by obtaining a security clearance.
Asked whether he feels muzzled because he has obtained his security clearance, Blanchet said, “I never felt muzzled in my whole life … I say what I have to say.”
4 hours ago
‘I will not commit to … oath of secrecy’
Jenna Benchetrit
Poilievre calls security clearance an ‘oath of secrecy’ that Liberals want to impose
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he obtained a Parliamentary security clearance when he was a cabinet minister, and that he is refusing any further security clearances because it would leave him unable to speak publicly about some matters.
Asked about why he hasn’t obtained his top secret security clearance, Poilievre reiterated his position that doing so would muzzle him.
Not having security clearance means that Poilievre can’t look at sensitive information, such as details of the foreign intelligence report. All other party leaders have obtained the security clearances.
“What I will not commit to is the oath of secrecy that the Liberals want to impose on me,” he said, adding that a security clearance would mean getting “breadcrumbs” of intelligence without being able to publicly discuss details of security briefings.
4 hours ago
Poilievre claims Carney struck deal with Beijing
Jenna Benchetrit
The Conservative leader claimed today that Carney is the one compromised by foreign governments.
He alleged that, while acting as an economic advisor to the Liberal government, Carney held “secret talks” with the deputy governor of China’s central bank. Poilievre claimed that Brookfield Asset Management — of which Carney was a board member — received a “quarter-billion-dollar loan” after that meeting.
CBC News has not independently verified Poilievre’s claims. Carney stepped down from his role as a board member before launching his Liberal leadership bid in January.
Poilievre asked why Carney would be “collaborating” with a hostile foreign regime instead of acting in Canada’s interests.
“Mark Carney will never be able to protect our national interest because he has massive financial conflicts of interest overseas.”
It should be noted the meeting Poilievre is referring to was not secret. A government state agency in China publicly announced the meeting.
4 hours ago
Poilievre bites back at Globe story
Jenna Benchetrit
When asked about the Globe’s story, Poilievre began by quoting from parts of it and part of the Foreign Interference Commission’s report, which said that CSIS had no evidence to believe that he or his team were aware of the alleged interference.
“Let’s be honest. I won the leadership fair and square. Even my political competitors like Patrick Brown have publicly testified that that was the case,” he said.
He called the Globe article an “attack” put out by the Liberals.
