Liberal government not immune from auto thefts: 48 vehicles stolen in recent years
The federal Liberals are trying to crack down on a scourge of auto thefts across the country, even as the government is struggling to keep its own vehicles away from thieves, new data show.
Documents tabled in the House of Commons on Monday show 48 government vehicles from 14 departments and agencies were stolen between January 2016 and February of this year.
Ministers are not immune, either. The official vehicle of the minister of justice was stolen three times in as many years between 2021 and 2023.
Ontario is the province where the largest proportion of vehicles were nabbed, including 10 in Ottawa, where most of the federal government is based, and two in the Toronto area.
Vehicles were also reported stolen in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec and Nunavut.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the number of vehicles in its fleet, the RCMP was hit the hardest. All told, 19 of its vehicles were taken, mostly in the Prairie provinces.
Parks Canada had seven vehicles stolen, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada reported four stolen and the Canada Border Services Agency and Indigenous Services Canada each had three taken.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which includes the Canadian Coast Guard, each saw two vehicles stolen.
And one vehicle was stolen from each of another handful of departments and agencies: the Canadian Revenue Agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, the Finance Department, Transport Canada and Global Affairs Canada.
The documents say of the four dozen stolen vehicles, two were stolen more than once and 34 have been recovered.
An Equite Association report prepared for a national auto theft summit organized by the federal government in February found more than 70,000 cars were stolen in 2023, based on an analysis of police data from across the country.
It found between 2021 and 2023, the number of stolen vehicles climbed 48 per cent in Ontario, 58 per cent in Quebec and 34 per cent in Atlantic Canada.
Police say while as many as one-third of stolen vehicles are being resold within Canada, a majority of stolen vehicles are ferried out of the country by organized crime rings, often in containers bound for Africa and the Middle East.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2024.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump on Day 1: Begin deportation push, pardon Jan. 6 rioters and make his criminal cases vanish
Donald Trump has said he wouldn’t be a dictator — 'except for Day 1.' According to his own statements, he's got a lot to do on that first day in the White House.
King Charles III and Kate attend remembrance events as both slowly return to duty
King Charles III led the nation Sunday in a two-minute silence in remembrance of fallen service personnel in central London as the Princess of Wales looked on, a further sign the royal family is slowly returning to normal at the end of a year in which two of the most popular royals were sidelined by cancer.
Watch as Hurricane Rafael wind topples stadium lights
The outfield lights at a baseball stadium in Cuba proved to be little match for Hurricane Rafael’s extreme wind.
Cornwall, Ont. prepares for potential influx of asylum seekers following U.S. election
As the possibility of mass deportations looms following Donald Trump's re-election on Tuesday, border towns like the City of Cornwall are preparing for a potential influx of asylum seekers.
Mysterious black balls that washed up on Sydney beach were foul-smelling mini 'fatbergs'
The black balls – initially thought to be made of tar – were actually mini "fatbergs," made up of human feces, methamphetamine, human hair, fatty acids, and food waste, among hundreds of other vile and befuddling substances.
6.8 magnitude earthquake shakes Cuba after hurricanes and blackouts
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake shook eastern Cuba on Sunday, after weeks of hurricanes and blackouts that have left many on the island reeling.
Sinclair family shares heartfelt message ahead of memorial service
Murray Sinclair’s family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.
Newfoundland man electrocuted by downed power line, two women injured
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
Porsche recalls 300+ Canadian cars at risk of losing wheels
Select Porsche owners in Canada have been told to stop driving their cars immediately and to seek repairs after an issue was identified that could cause wheels to separate from vehicles.
Local Spotlight
Should Toronto tear up its bike lanes to improve traffic flow? Critics say it's not so simple
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
Local campaign hopes to raise $100K, help children in need during holidays
For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.
The people behind the pictures: Meet the prolific shutterbugs snapping CTV Skywatch weather photos
Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.
'There was no stopping this baby from coming': Woman gives birth while on board N.L. ferry
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
B.C. man discovers 115 stuffed animals hidden behind wall, begins donating them to people around world
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
'We put love into it': Group of N.S. women gather to make quilts for those in need
A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.
Vancouver musician lands 'meaningful interaction' with Ed Sheeran after busking outside his show
A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.
10K hand-knit poppies displayed at the Dartmouth Cenotaph
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
'I put my whole life on hold': B.C. man embarks on Arctic to Antarctica trek
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.