Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says an “all-hands-on-deck” order is in place to help Canadians stranded in the Middle East as the United States and Israel continue to wage war against Iran.
Robert Fife reports that Anand told reporters that Canada has secured a limited number of seats on planes leaving Beirut today, while Israel has agreed to bus Canadians in that country to the Egyptian border.
At this point, there are no immediate plans to send military planes to the region to bring Canadians home, she said today in Ottawa.
“More than 103,000 Canadians have registered their presence in the Middle East and Gulf states. We will communicate with Canadians who have registered,” Anand said.
“Canadians in the region should prepare departure plans that do not rely solely on Government of Canada assistance.”
She said Global Affairs is not currently offering assisted departures, but “we are in touch with our partners to identify potential options.”
Anand said there are commercial options to depart from Lebanon and there are flights out of Egypt.
In Ottawa, Anand was scheduled to hold a 6 p.m. ET news conference on Canada’s response to the situation in the Middle East.
In other news, Prime Minister Mark Carney says a developing alliance on critical minerals between Canada and Australia, which together produce significant portions of the world’s lithium and uranium, is the kind of coalition-building that middle powers should be undertaking in a fractured global order.
Steven Chase reports that Carney’s remarks form the latest chapter in the Prime Minister’s call to action for middle powers to work together in an era of great-power bullying.
Speaking to Sydney’s Lowy Institute think tank during a trade and goodwill mission to Australia, Carney expanded on his January address to the World Economic Forum in Davos where he talked of a rupture in the rules-based international order and how dominant powers such as the United States are weaponizing trade dependence to extract what they want from smaller countries through tools such as tariffs.
“We are building out our critical-minerals alliance with Australia, creating the largest minerals reserve held by trusted democratic nations,” the Prime Minister said.
Canada and Australia are “abundant in those minerals most in demand and most necessary for our military and economic strength,” he said.
The increasingly protectionist presidency of Donald Trump has imposed significant tariffs on its trading partners and Trump threatens more levies when countries displease him.
Today, he threatened to cut off all trade with Spain because it would not allow the U.S. military to use its bases for Washington’s war on Iran.
Australia and Canada formalized a strategic alliance on critical minerals with a letter of intent last November, with plans to co-operate on linking mines and minerals processing, on smoothing the way for government investments in projects of mutual interest and promoting private capital investment as well as commercial partnerships and joint research.
Open this photo in gallery:
Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand responds to questions from journalists after speaking at the Ottawa Conference on Defence and Security in Ottawa on Wednesday.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
This is the daily Politics Insider newsletter, curated by Ian Bailey. It is available exclusively to our digital subscribers. You can sign up for more than 20 other newsletters on our signup page.
What else is going on
Ottawa shuffles senior public service ranks: Glenn Purves, an executive at New York-based BlackRock Investment Institute, has been brought back to the public service to become deputy minister of international trade as part of the Carney government’s latest shuffle of the federal bureaucracy’s senior ranks.
Carney says Ottawa’s position supporting U.S., Israeli strikes on Iran was taken with regret: The Prime Minister’s first comments since he issued a statement of support for the strikes Saturday amount to an effort to distance himself from the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu.
Submarine bidders open to Ottawa splitting contract: Completed bids for the order of up to 12 diesel-electric submarines were due on Monday, with a decision expected from the federal government by the end of June.
Commandant of Canadian Army Command and Staff College removed from post: A defence department spokesperson says the commander of the Canadian Army decided to remove Colonel Fraser Auld from his position at the college in Kingston in a move that “follows a loss of trust in his ability to command.”
Immigration Department experimenting with AI to advise newcomers on where to settle: Use of the algorithm was disclosed in the federal department’s newly published first AI strategy.
U.S. ambassador to Canada requests apology for Globe and Mail column: Pete Hoekstra raised concerns about a column he said mocked the “intelligence, education, and character” of the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team players who attended the State of the Union address last week in Washington, D.C.
Tumbler Ridge shooting highlights rural northern B.C.’s mental health deserts: Residents of the northern B.C. community report significant barriers to accessing supports and services long before the Feb. 10 mass shooting that left nine people dead, including the shooter.
Ottawa agrees to cover UN fees for Bay du Nord oil project that could reach $1-billion: Federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson confirmed the commitment at an event announcing Newfoundland and Labrador’s benefits arrangement with Equinor for its Bay du Nord offshore oil development.
On our radar
Commons Break: The House of Commons is on a break this week. MPs will return March 9. The Senate is also off for the week.
Prime Minister’s Day: Mark Carney is in the Australian city of Sydney. He attended a signing ceremony, held a media availability and participated in a featured conversation at the Lowy Institute.
Party Leaders: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is in Berlin today where he delivered a keynote speech at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation on “Canada and Germany: A new chapter in an old friendship.” In Victoria, B.C., Green Party Leader Elizabeth May spoke to students at St. Margaret’s School. No schedules released for other party leaders.
Ministers on the Road: In Winnipeg, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly discussed government support for the defence industry at an event held by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. In the Membertou First Nation on Cape Breton, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty announced four additions to the reserve totalling 409.37 acres of land, doubling its existing land base.
GG to meet with the Pope: Governor-General Mary Simon and Whit Fraser, the viceregal consort, will be at the Vatican on Thursday for an audience with Pope Leo XIV. The meeting – Simon’s first with the Pope – is part of an itinerary through Sunday that will also include attending the Milan Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
Furey joins National Bank: Former Newfoundland and Labrador premier Andrew Furey has joined the National Bank of Canada as its vice-chair. Furey, who was Liberal premier from 2020 to 2025, starts in his new assignment on March. 16.
Richardson returns to CTV News: Graham Richardson, a long-time CTV News Ottawa anchor, has returned to the organization as Ottawa Bureau Chief for CTV National News. Richardson had left CTV News in 2024 after 14 years with the station. He begins his new assignment March 23.
Quote of the Day
“The first thing is respect, but not obsequiousness. He’s President for a reason. He’s had success in other areas. Elected twice. He would say elected three times. Very successful politician, and what I find is that he appreciates, particularly in private, being direct and discussing issues and being clear where your position is. That is crucial. You don’t want to … I’m going to say something very obvious, but it’s important. You don’t want to say anything in public that you can’t back up.” – Prime Minister Mark Carney, during an on-stage conversation in Sydney, Australia today at the Lowy Institute, on dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Question period
The Rideau Canal, which runs about 200 kilometres from the Ottawa River, was opened in 1832. Among other things, it is now known for allowing skating in Ottawa. When did that skating tradition begin?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
In turbulent times, Canada and Japan must remain reliable allies
Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Japan March 6 to 7. As the international community confronts epoch-making changes, the significance of this visit cannot be overstated. It will serve not only as a milestone in Japan-Canada relations but also illuminate our medium- to long-term strategic direction.
— Yamanouchi Kanji is Japan’s ambassador to Canada.
War in the Middle East makes the case for more Canadian energy and expanding the Port of Churchill
So, forgive me, dear readers, for my admittedly gauche recognition that this widening conflict is reinforcing the need for more Canadian energy and its potential future transport through the Port of Churchill in northeastern Manitoba.
— Rita Trichur, Senior Business Writer and Columnist
The death of fiscal sanity in Canada
Governments from coast to coast have lost any sense of spending within their means. Even governments bringing in a record amount of revenue are racking up massive deficits, which they say they have no choice but to do.
— Gary Mason, National Affairs Columnist
Go deeper
Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at [email protected]. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.
The answer to today’s question: The Rideau Canal Skateway was first opened in the 1970-71 season after Doug Fullerton, then the chair of the National Capital Commission, raised the idea. Skating was initially allowed on a short downtown section then extended to a five-kilometre run. This year’s season ran from Dec. 31 to its end today at 10 p.m.
