In the news today: Field narrows among big-name Liberal leader hopefuls

Former B.C. premier Christy Clark has said she is also debating whether to put her name forward, telling CBC Radio’s “The House” she was “very seriously” considering it last week, but that she was disappointed with the short timeline for the race.

Several high-profile cabinet ministers have announced they will not run, including Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon and Transport and Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand, who each bowed out over the weekend.

They joined Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly to say they planned to focus on their portfolios instead.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Quebec Liberal leadership race kicks off

The Liberal leadership race in Quebec is kicking off today, as the provincial party looks to broaden its appeal after years in the political wilderness.

The Liberals suffered their worst defeat in more than 60 years in the 2018 election that swept François Legault and his conservative-leaning Coalition Avenir Québec into power.

They fared even worse in 2022, and now hold just 19 of 125 seats in the provincial legislature as they look to regain ground with francophone voters outside their base in Montreal.

Quebec Community Groups Network director general Sylvia Martin-Laforge says the party should lean on its traditional image of economic stewardship while casting minority rights as a matter of provincial prosperity.

Former federal minister Pablo Rodriguez is the likely front-runner in a race that also includes one-time Montreal mayor Denis Coderre, but Rodriguez also carries the baggage of nine years in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.

Saskatchewan marshals interviewing Mounties

Saskatchewan’s new provincial police force has begun interviewing Mounties as it prepares to launch this year, a move critics say highlights concerns of job poaching.

Chief Marshal Robert Cameron of the Saskatchewan Marshals Service says the force has received interest from across the country for its positions, including officers from Saskatchewan.

A spokesperson with the marshals later confirmed it’s been interviewing Saskatchewan Mounties for positions.

Cameron said the plan is to have 17 to 20 officers working this summer, with 70 employed by the end of 2026. It has been looking for experienced officers during its first round of hiring.

There has been controversy over whether a new marshals force is needed. Saskatchewan’s Opposition NDP and the union representing Mounties say the money would be better spent expanding the RCMP.

School support worker strike set to begin

More than 3,000 school support workers are set to walk off the job this morning in Edmonton and some nearby communities over a wage dispute with their employer.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees says picket lines are to go up at three public high schools in Edmonton and all schools in the Sturgeon Public School Division.

School support workers include education assistants, librarians, licensed practical nurses, interpreters, cafeteria workers and administration staff.

The superintendents of both divisions have said each school will be affected differently and that parents should keep in touch with their school’s principal.

Union officials say the average educational support worker in Alberta earns $34,500 per year and that some staff haven’t seen a raise in 10 years.

Finance Minister Nate Horner has accused CUPE of being misleading and that no one should expect a full-time salary for 10 months of part-time work.

Legal arguments begin for 4 teens in Ken Lee case

Lawyers are set to begin legal arguments today for four girls scheduled to face trial this year over their alleged role in a deadly group attack on a homeless man in Toronto.

The teens are part of a group police allege swarmed and stabbed Kenneth Lee, a 59-year-old man who was living in the city’s shelter system, in December 2022.

Eight girls between the ages of 13 and 16 were arrested in the hours after Lee’s death.

All of them were charged with second-degree murder, and four have since pleaded guilty to lesser charges of manslaughter or assault.

A judge-only trial is scheduled this month for two of the remaining girls on charges of second-degree murder.

The other two are set to be tried by a judge and jury in May, one for second-degree murder and the other for manslaughter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2025.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In the news today: Field narrows among big-name Liberal leader hopefuls

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