Carney, Singh weigh in on Poilievre’s promise to use notwithstanding clause to fight crime. Live updates here.

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CTV QP: Nik Nanos breaks down latest election polling

A ‘significant’ week of campaigning ahead as debates set to begin

There are two weeks left until Canadians go to the polls, and the Liberals remain ahead of the Conservatives as the main party leaders are set to face off in two televised debates this week.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre are campaigning in Quebec. Carney is in Dorval while Poilievre is in Montreal.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is spending Day 23 in Toronto.

Follow along as CTVNews.ca and CTV News journalists provide live updates throughout the day.

3:10 p.m. EDT: Debate themes revealed

The Leaders’ Debate Commission has announced the themes for the French and English debates.For the French-language debate on April 16, the topics will be:

• Coût de la vie (Cost of living)
• Énergie et climat (Energy and climate)
• Guerre commerciale (Trade war)
• Identité et souveraineté (Identity and sovereignty)
• Immigration et affaires étrangères (Immigration and foreign affairs)

Meanwhile, the topics for the English debate on April 17 are:

• Affordability and the cost of living
• Energy and climate
• Leading in a crisis
• Public safety and security
• Tariffs and threats to Canada

The commission says the podium positions for both debates were determined in a draw last week.

You can watch both debates on CTVNews.ca, the CTV News app, and CTV News’ YouTube page.

For everything you need to know about the debates, click here.

Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist

Trump mulling pause on auto tariffs

There could be tariff relief coming – but it’s unclear how long it might last, or whether it will be good news for Canadians in the long term.

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Monday he could temporarily pause his 25 per cent tariffs on the auto industry, which he previously described as “permanent.”

The purpose would be to allow automakers to relocate production from Canada and Mexico to the U.S., Trump said.

Last week, General Motors announced the a temporary shutdown of the CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ont., but blamed a lack of demand for the vehicles assembled at the location, rather than tariffs.

At the time, GM said the plant would resume operations in October.

Read the full story here.

3 p.m. EDT: Nanos survey on Western separatism

A majority of Canadians believe Western separatism, a subject that has emerged in this federal election, should be taken seriously, but also say this is not the right time to talk about it.

According to a new Nanos Research survey conducted for CTV News and The Globe and Mail, three in five Canadians think that the issue should be taken seriously (32 per cent) or somewhat seriously (30 per cent).

“A majority of Canadians across all regions and demographic groups believe Western separatism should be taken seriously/somewhat seriously. This intensity increases among committed Conservative and Bloc voters,” Nik Nanos, chief data scientist at Nanos Research and the official pollster for CTV News and the Globe and Mail, said.

Read the full story here.

Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist

1:00 p.m. EDT: Doug Ford calls Teneycke ‘tough as nails’

Ontario Premier Doug Ford was asked today about critical comments made by his chief strategist Kory Teneycke against the federal campaign of Pierre Poilievre – comments that received a lot of traction on the campaign trail.

Teneycke had blasted Poilievre and his team for squandering a 20-point lead in the polls which the Conservatives enjoyed at the beginning of the year, and for failing to pivot their strategy to confront the rising tariff threat of U.S. President Donald Trump.

“As for Kory, I’ve said right from Day 1, he’s tough as nails,” said Ford, “but he’s the best campaign manager in the country and to be very frank, if Kory was running that campaign, I don’t think Mr. Poilievre would be in the position he’s in right now.”

Ford added, however, that “there’s still a lot of time left.”

“At the end of the day, the people will decide which way you want this country to move forward, but sometimes, the truth hurts.”

Read the full report here.

Codi Wilson, CP24.com journalist and Phil Hahn, CTVNews.ca election editor-in-chief

11:52 a.m. EDT: Debates could be targeted by threat actors: officials

During a briefing on Monday, security officials monitoring possible threats to Canada’s federal election said they have not found any incidents that have impacted the country’s ability to have a free and fair election.

Officials with Security Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force also said this week’s two debates are expected to generate significant online activity. Citing the activities they observed during the U.S. election last year, officials warned that in some cases debates could be subject to false claims.

They provided the example of a viral post on X during the U.S. presidential debate that falsely claimed a candidate wore an earpiece.

“The general purpose of threat actors using disinformation tools is to disrupt, sow discord, undermine trust in democracy and influence public opinion and voter decisions,” Laurie-Anne Kempton, assistant secretary to the cabinet for communications and consultations at the Privy Council Office, said during the briefing.

“The increased levels of political content and heightened time of political interest around the leaders’ debates is an opportunity for malign actors to take advantage, manipulate information and spread disinformation.”

She added that threat actors could use deep fakes, misleading visual and audio and fake accounts and bots to amplify content and manipulate algorithms.

“The online space is particularly vulnerable to disinformation, as many of the most reliable sources of information are absent,” Kempton said. Facebook and Instagram parent Meta has blocked Canadian news sharing on its platforms.

“This increases the likelihood that Canadians could encounter disinformation that is being shared within their networks, willingly or unwittingly.”

Read more here.

Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist

10:55 a.m. EDT: Carney calls actions of Liberal staffers ‘unacceptable’

Carney says he was unaware of the actions of some party staff who reportedly attended a Conservative conference, where they distributed “Stop the Steal” buttons.

“This is totally unacceptable,” Carney said when asked on Monday during a campaign stop in Dorval, Que.“On behalf of my campaign, I apologize for it unreserved. I’ve made it absolutely clear to my campaign that this behaviour or anything approximating it or in that spirit is unacceptable and cannot happen, cannot happen again.”

CBC first reported on Sunday that Liberal staffers attended last week’s Canada Strong and Free Networking Conference and planted buttons, including one that read: “Stop The Steal,” a phrase used by U.S. President Donald Trump’s supporters to undermine the results of the 2020 election.

Read more here.

On Poilievre’s notwithstanding clause use

Meanwhile, Carney says Poilievre’s plan to use the notwithstanding clause as part of his tough-on-crime plan is a “dangerous step.”

The Conservative leader vowed to only invoke the clause to end the “Liberal crime wave.”

“Politicizing certain issues with respect to fundamental rights is a slippery slope that leads to further politicization,” Carney said, adding that it is the prime minister’s job to defend the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist

10:25 a.m. EDT: Singh against use of notwithstanding clause

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said it’s “wrong” to use the notwithstanding clause to override Charter rights.

He was responding to a question from a reporter about Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who said earlier today that he would use the clause to allow consecutive life sentences in order to overturn a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a law allowing for consecutive sentences with longer periods of parole ineligibility.

“Charter rights should not be things we’d be willing to ignore or put aside,” said Singh in Toronto.

Phil Hahn, CTVNews.ca election editor-in-chief

10:12 a.m. EDT: Singh unveils nursing plan

In Toronto, Singh has released his plan to address the nursing shortage called “Health Care Workforce Strategy,” which includes requiring provinces to meet nurse-to-nurse ratios, actively recruiting qualified nurses from the U.S., and introducing a Canadian Health Care Workers Tax Credit.

“Health care is at the heart of what makes Canada, Canada. But right now, people are waiting too long, nurses are burning out, and care is slipping away,” Singh said in a statement.

The NDP noted that there are more than 32,000 nursing jobs sitting vacant and that their plan would result in those vacancies being filled.

Singh is also promising to tie new federal health transfers to real hiring and retention strategies and end the “$1.5 billion drain” to private nursing agencies, reinvesting the money instead in strong public health care teams.

“Your vote is how we hold the powerful to account—and make sure the people who build this country aren’t the ones left paying the price,” Singh said.

Read more here.

Track all the campaign promises here.

Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist

10:10 a.m. EDT: Carney pledges to overhaul defence procurement

Carney is building on his platform to support the Canadian Armed Forces, announcing that a Liberal government would establish the Defence Procurement Agency to streamline the way Canada buys equipment for the military.

In addition, the Liberal leader says his government would prioritize buying Canadian raw materials for its defence needs.

“We will protect our sovereignty in an increasingly dangerous and divided world by rebuilding, reinvesting, and rearming our military,” Carney said in a statement. “In the process, we will support made-in-Canada defence procurement while also helping our industries and businesses reach new markets around the world.”

Carney is also promising to establish the Bureau of Research, Engineering, and Advanced Leadership in Science to ensure that the Armed Forces and Communications Security Establishment will have made-in-Canada solutions in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and cybersecurity.

Earlier in the campaign, the Liberal leader pledged to give a pay raise to military members, invest in new equipment, expand Canada’s fleet of aerial and underwater drones, and modernize the recruitment process.

Read more here.

Track all the campaign promises here.

Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist

10:00 a.m. EDT: Poilievre pressed on notwithstanding clause use

I’m Rachel Aiello and I’m covering the Conservative campaign in Montreal this week, ahead of the debates.

During the question period of today’s announcement, Poilievre faced three of the four questions his team allows, on his latest policy pledge to use the notwithstanding clause to allow consecutive life sentences, and more broadly how his government would approach the courts.

First, Poilievre was asked if he thinks Supreme Court decisions have value, and if he respects them.

He said “yes,” and that he respects the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and wants to protect everyday Canadians’ rights under it, which he thinks have been “trampled on” by the Liberals.

Then, Poilievre was asked if Canadians could expect to see a Conservative government use the notwithstanding clause in other contexts.In response, he said he only plans to use it to address crime laws.

He was then asked if there were any examples of cases where a multiple murderer has been granted parole, and he noted the court ruling only came into effect in 2022, so that remains to be seen.

“I will use the Charter to protect the charter. I will also use the Charter to put an end to the Liberal crime wave,” he said.

Rachel Aiello, CTV News national correspondent

8:50 a.m. EDT: Poilievre vows to jail mass murderers ‘forever’

Poilievre says he will invoke the notwithstanding clause to overturn a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a law allowing for consecutive sentences with longer periods of parole ineligibility.

“Mass murderers should never again see the light of day,” Poilievre said in a video posted on social media Monday morning.

He added that consecutive sentences should be restored for ruthless killers, saying that “nothing could be more common sense.”

“If you kill multiple people, you should spend the rest of your life behind bars, multiple murderers should only come out in a box,” the Tory leader said.

The Supreme Court of Canada declared unconstitutional a 2011 Criminal Code provision that allowed judges to impose parole ineligibility periods of 25 years to be served consecutively for each murder, rather than concurrently. The ruling said the provision violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In Monday’s video, Poilievre used the case of Alexandre Bissonnette, who was initially sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 40 years for the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting. Following the Supreme Court ruling, his sentence was reduced, making him eligible for parole after 25 years.

Poilievre called Bissonnette’s reduced sentence unfair.

“I will overturn this terrible ruling using section 33 the notwithstanding clause found in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that will ensure that when multiple murderers are caught, they go away forever,” he said.

The notwithstanding clause gives provincial legislatures or the Parliament the power to pass legislation to override the Charter.

The Conservative leader previously hinted that he would wield the notwithstanding clause to legislate stiffer penalties for convicted criminals and those charged with crimes who have a record of violence.

Read more here.

Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist. With files from CTV News national correspondent Rachel Aiello and The Canadian Press

8 a.m. EDT: Singh maintains he’s focused on election

Speaking to CTV’s Your Morning, Singh maintained he is focused on campaigning when asked if he is the right person to lead the NDP if the party does not hold party status.

“I’m the right person to lead this party right now. We’re in an election. I’m focused on the election in front of me,” Singh said.

The federal New Democrats are a distant third from the Liberals and Tories and latest Nanos seat projections show the party only holding four seats. To hold official party status in the House of Commons, 12 seats are needed.

Singh says his party’s goal is to win as many seats as possible to put them into positions “where we can get things done for people.”

“That’s what I’ve shown I’ve shown that when I have power and when my team has power. Throughout our history, New Democrats use our power for people. We bring in things like health care. We brought in dental care and pharmacare. I want to use my power to get people what they need.”

He noted that if the Conservatives were to win a minority government, New Democrats would never support Poilievre.

Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist.

7:50 a.m. EDT: Liberals’ lead now seven points over Conservatives

The Liberals have opened up a seven-point lead over the Conservatives on Day 23 of the 36-day federal election campaign.

A three-day rolling sample by Nanos Research ending April 13 has the Liberals at 45 per cent (up a point) over the Conservatives (down one) who are at 38 per cent nationally.

The New Democratic Party is at 9, followed by the Bloc Quebecois (six per cent), Green Party of Canada (two per cent) and the People’s Party of Canada (one per cent).

Read the full story here.

Phil Hahn, CTVNews.ca election editor-in-chief

6:25 a.m. EDT: Is it time to lower the federal voting age to 16?

Jaden Braves, 16, says being unable to vote in this federal election is a “disappointment” — and he’d like to be one of the last young Canadians to be left out of the conversation.

Braves and the organization he leads, Young Politicians of Canada, want to see the federal voting age lowered to 16.

Braves said he thinks lowering the voting age would boost civic engagement and voter turnout. He said his organization has proposed implementing standardized civics education to ensure Canadians understand the basics of Canada’s political system.

Read the full story here.

The Canadian Press

6:18 p.m.: LGBTQ2S+ groups ask parties to defend human rights

LGBTQ+ Canadians are calling on federal parties to affirm their rights during this election campaign as they face a rising tide of hate crimes.

“It’s important that leaders from all parties speak up for the rights of trans folks and queer folks,” said Fae Johnstone, head of the advocacy group Queer Momentum.

While she said she’s grateful that LGBTQ+ issues haven’t become a culture war flashpoint in the election campaign, she said federal leaders have been allowed to largely ignore those issues while campaigning.

Johnstone’s group is among 200 organizations behind a March 31 open letter urging party leaders to oppose any reversal to “human rights victories, including marriage equality, Canada’s conversion therapy ban, and transgender rights legislation.”

Read the full story here.

The Canadian Press

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Here’s a recap of what happened on the third weekend of the campaign:

Carney’s quiet weekend

The Liberal leader spent the weekend off the campaign trail after pausing to hold trade meetings in Ottawa on Friday.

The Prime Minister’s Office revealed that Carney spoke with the secretary general of NATO on Saturday. The following day, he appeared in a Quebec news program.

Carney’s quiet weekend prompted Poilievre to accuse Carney of hiding to avoid answering questions about his “multi-million dollar conflicts of interest.”

Liberal party spokesperson Mohammad Hussain said on Sunday that “if anyone is hiding and trying to duck accountability from the media, it is Pierre Poilievre.” Hussain is referring to the Tory leader’s four-question limit for the media.

What was promised

Conservatives: On Saturday, Poilievre unveiled his plan to improve support for military veterans and vowed that he won’t change medical assistance in dying laws.

The next day, the Tory leader pledged to tighten financial transparency rules for elected officials, taking aim at Carney.

Liberals: On Saturday, Carney announced that he promised a new Canada Strong Pass, which will provide children and youth with free access to national galleries and museums as well as free seats on VIA Rail when they travel with their parents. Carney is also pledging to reduce prices for campsites in national parks from June to August.

NDP: Singh announced on Sunday his plan for Northern Ontario, including boosting the number of doctors in the region and overhauling the Nutrition North program.

Green Party: The Greens called for free tuition for universities and colleges.

Track all the campaign promises here.

Bryann Aguilar, CTVNews.ca federal election journalist. With files from The Canadian Press