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Thursday, October 2, 2025

Rachel Notley steps down, sparks leadership race in Alberta NDP

By
Isaac Lamoureux
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The leader of Alberta’s NDP and former premier, Rachel Notley, has announced her resignation, initiating a leadership race within the party. 

After months of speculation, Notley announced her intention to resign as leader of the Alberta NDP at a news conference in Edmonton on Tuesday.

“I’m not going to lead the party into the next election,” she said, according to the Calgary Herald. “I will be stepping down as leader once the party chooses a new leader.”

Notley’s decision comes after serving as the NDP leader since 2014 and serving as the Premier of Alberta from 2015 to 2019. Notley has served as an NDP member since 2008.

Notley carried out her family legacy as leader of the NDP. Her father, Grant Notley, was a former NDP leader and passed away in a plane crash in 1984.

After announcing her retirement Tuesday morning in a speech to NDP caucus members, Notley said she would remain as leader of the party while the party conducted a leadership race.

The Tuesday announcement comes amid poor polling and two straight losses to majority United Conservative Party (UCP) governments. 

Notley wants to focus on helping a smooth transition of leadership power.

“I want to give whoever becomes the new leader enough time to put their own stamp on the party and to bring everybody together to make sure the party is election ready,” she told the Toronto Star.

Notley said she doesn’t know her next steps and is unsure whether she will fulfil her current term as the legislature member for Edmonton-Strathcona, where she won the last five elections. Notley has not ruled out running again, according to the Canadian Press.

Caucus members Rakhi Pancholi, David Shepherd, Sarah Hoffman, and Kathleen Ganley are rumoured to be considering running for leadership, according to the Canadian Press.

The Counter Signal also noted Janis Irwin and Shannon Phillips as potential contenders. 

Notley will not be endorsing any candidate, she said. 

Notley’s leadership saw the NDP rise to power in the 2015 provincial election, marking a dramatic shift in Alberta’s political history. 

After losing the 2023 election to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in May, Notley’s NDP captured 38 of 87 legislature seats, making the party the largest Official Opposition in Alberta’s history.

“We have now solidly established a two-party province,” said Notley.

Notley said that some of her fondest accomplishments are getting approval for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, building a new Calgary cancer hospital, reducing child poverty, investing in schools and hospitals, phasing out coal-fired electricity, kick-starting renewable energy investment, and raising Alberta’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. 

Critics have attributed the loss of coal-fired power to Alberta’s electricity shortage and power emergency last weekend. 

She did not mince her words of Alberta’s current premier. 

“I think that the UCP obviously represents a significant threat to the wellbeing of our province and individual Albertans and their families,” said Notley.

“It is incredibly important that Albertans have a strong, competent choice to make as they try to get rid of Danielle Smith,” added Notley. “I’m very confident that no matter what the outcome is for our leadership race, that’s what Alberta’s NDP will be able to offer Albertans in the next election.”

Smith previously spoke out against Notley while running for Alberta’s Premiership in 2023.

“She doesn’t want to run on her record because it was an absolute disaster,” said Smith in May.

Smith warned Albertans that Notley’s goals would align with the federal government’s.

“She wants to achieve the 2035 net-zero target put forward by Justin Trudeau — that’ll cost $52 billion dollars, that’ll increase your power bill by 40%, and we can’t afford to do that.”

The Andrew Lawton Show | Davos Day 2: The elites are hiding from their records

By
Andrew Lawton
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There’s a different feeling this year in Davos than in the last couple of years. The rich and powerful used to roam the streets freely without anyone paying them attention. Now, the number of independent journalists paying attention to the World Economic Forum has grown, and the attendees are far more skittish. The ones that do appear are trying to gaslight people about their records, from John Kerry saying he never flies by private jet and Alibaba Group president J. Michael Evans downplaying the “individual carbon footprint tracker” he touted in Davos just two years ago.

True North’s Andrew Lawton discusses this and the latest as his live coverage of the World Economic Forum’s 2024 annual meeting continues.

Plus, Klaus Schwab says WEF attendees are the “trustees of the future.” Do you trust your future with them?

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LAWTON: Executive who touted “carbon footprint tracker” now says it was just an “idea”

By
Andrew Lawton
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At the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting two years ago, Alibaba Group president J. Michael Evans touted his company’s development of an “individual carbon footprint tracker” to monitor what people eat, what they buy, and where they travel. True North’s Andrew Lawton ran into Evans this year in Davos and asked him if he thinks such tracking is the way of the future. Evans was a lot more coy this time around, saying he was “just discussing it as an idea.”

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The Daily Brief | CBC touts EVs as Alberta freezes

By
Isaac Lamoureux
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As Albertans deal with an unprecedented cold snap that resulted in the Alberta Emergency Management Agency issuing a province-wide Emergency Alert, Canada’s state broadcaster is touting electric vehicles as “the best vehicle” in frigid temperatures.

Plus, the founder of the World Economic Forum says China’s premier’s presence at this year’s annual conference can help “rebuild global trust.”

And is Toronto a “no fun city?” One city councillor seems to think so after the city banned tobogganing from 45 hills across the city.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Isaac Lamoureux and Harrison Faulkner!

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Canadian conservative author William Gairdner dies at age 83

By
Lindsay Shepherd
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Canadian conservative author, thought leader, and Olympian William Gairdner has died. He was 83.

Gairdner died Jan. 12, True North has learned.

Gairdner, born in 1940 in Oakville, Ont., was a prolific author, essayist, and columnist. Some of his published books include “The Great Divide: Why Liberals and Conservatives Will Never, Ever Agree,” “The Trouble with Canada,” and “The War Against the Family.”

Gairdner earned a PhD in English literature from Stanford University and went on to teach English at York University. He was also an Olympic decathlete, competing in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Gairdner previously described himself as “libertarian in economic matters, and a Burke-ian conservative in social matters.”

One aspect of Gairdner’s legacy was founding Civitas, a Canadian society made up of people committed to the “principles and traditions of a free and ordered society.”

Civitas’ past president, True North editor-in-chief Candice Malcolm, said Gairdner’s life was “remarkable.”

“Bill Gairdner was a tremendous man and one of the most influential modern Canadians. He leaves behind an incredible and enduring legacy, in his books, essays and videos, the civic organization he founded and led, Civitas, and perhaps most importantly, in his wonderful and beautiful family,” Malcolm said.

“He lived a remarkable life, competing and representing Canada at the Olympics, reading and memorizing poetry and philosophy, writing deep and important books about Canada and our moral fabric, being active in his community, building a civic organization that has committed members across the country, remaining physically strong and active into his twilight years — including a great enthusiasm for cross-country skiing.”

Until his last days, Gairdner was publishing blog posts, posting videos, and writing columns for the Epoch Times on topics such as democracy, totalitarianism, liberalism, climate alarmism, and the Constitution.

“Bill was a pillar of his community and a model Canadian,” Malcolm said.

“On a personal level, I got to know Bill and his lovely wife Jean at the annual Civitas conferences over the years. Bill was an active attendee, participant and often speaker who initiated spirited debates and advocated for a better Canada, strongly rooted in tradition and liberty. He became a mentor and teacher to me during my time as president of that organization. I was always pleasantly surprised by the energy, enthusiasm, thoughtfulness, and insight he brought to the table, but also by his humility and kindness in allowing others to carry on his torch.”

Gairdner is survived by Jean, whom he married in 1979, and their five children and sixteen grandchildren.

Malcolm called Gairdner’s death a loss for Canada.

“Canada has lost a legend and our community has lost one of its brightest leaders,” she said. “May he rest in peace and may his memory be a blessing.”

Inflation up to 3.4% in December: StatsCan

By
Quinn Patrick
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Canada’s annual inflation rate increased to 3.4% in December after remaining stable at 3.1% for October and November, according to data released on Tuesday from Statistics Canada.

The cost of fuel, rent, air travel and passenger vehicles were responsible for the increase last month. 

Prices at the grocery store also went up by 4.7% compared to last year, the same rate increase as November.

The 3.4% increase was “largely the result of higher year-over-year prices for gasoline in December compared with November,” reads the release.

A drop in gas prices helped to bring inflation down last month, but they were even lower in December 2022, leading to what is known as the “base-year effect,” where comparing present figures to the previous year shows a wider gap.

The latest inflation rate increase is much higher than the Bank of Canada’s target of getting inflation back down to 2%. 

Since the beginning of 2022, the central bank has raised interest rates 10 times in an effort to reduce high inflation rates. 

Most economists expect the Bank of Canada will reduce its rate sometime later this year, however the central bank’s governor Tiff Macklem said it’s too early to confirm such predictions. 

“I know it’s tempting to rush ahead to that discussion. But it’s still too early to consider cutting our policy rate,” said Macklem last year. 

The Bank of Canada is expected to unveil its next overnight rate target on January 24, 2024. 

Donald Trump Jr. criticizes Canada after poll reveals doubts about U.S. democracy under Trump

By
Isaac Lamoureux
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Almost two-thirds of Canadians believe that U.S. democracy may not endure another term with Donald Trump as President, according to an Angus Reid Institute poll. However, Donald Trump Jr., the former President’s eldest son, suggested that Canadians might not have a leg to stand on.

“Canada is jailing journalists, locking up peaceful protestors, forcing fealty to insane gender ideology, barely penalizing rapists, and countless other ridiculous totalitarian policies,” he said in a post to X. “They may want to sit this one out.”

Trump Jr. is referring to journalist David Menzies being apprehended by law enforcement officers last Monday while attempting to question Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on a public street. Menzies was subsequently released without any charges.

Further exemplifying Trump Jr.’s critique, Canada has locked up peaceful protestors like Tamara Lich, who was jailed for weeks while awaiting bail, juxtaposed with Palestinian protestors blocking major roadways without consequences. 

The issue of gender ideology has also sparked controversy in Canada. The 1 Million March—a protest against school teachings on gender ideology—featured nearly 100,000 students absent from school on that day.

Regarding Canada’s penalization of rapists, as pointed out by The National Post, Canada’s justice system has been criticized for lenient sentences for serious sexual offenders as a result of Bill C-5, which contains a clause allowing judges to issue community sentences for those convicted of sexual assault or kidnapping. 

While 64% of Canadians polled agreed or strongly agreed that U.S. democracy would not survive four more years with Trump as President, 49% believe that the U.S. is on the way to becoming an authoritarian state. 

The Colorado Supreme Court recently disqualified Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot. Although Trump was impeached twice during his term, he was acquitted on all counts.

Overall, 53% of respondents believe a Biden victory would be more beneficial for the Canadian economy, compared to 18% that believe so for Trump. The rest feel it doesn’t matter either way. 

Regarding the integrity of the upcoming U.S. election, the poll indicated significant apprehension among Canadians.

23% of respondents said they were not confident at all that the necessary safeguards are in place to prevent widespread fraud and cheating in the 2024 election. 38% were not very confident, while only 27% were more confident than not, and a mere 12% expressed absolute confidence in the election’s security.

The Angus Reid Institute poll was published on Monday based on an online survey and utilized a randomized sample of 1,510 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.

While the poll showed a clear political divide in opinions about the impact of the U.S. election on the Canadian economy, a recent Spark Advocacy poll showed that Trump is more popular among Canadians than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 

AI may replace up to 60% of workforce in countries with ‘advanced economies’

By
Quinn Patrick
-

The International Monetary Fund is predicting that 40% of jobs worldwide will be affected by the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI).

The IMF is calling for governments to create and implement the necessary safety nets to counterbalance the strains AI will have on the workforce. 

Among the suggestions is for governments to offer retraining programs. 

“In most scenarios, AI will likely worsen overall inequality, a troubling trend that policymakers must proactively address to prevent the technology from further stoking social tensions,” she wrote Kristialina Georgieva, in the lead up to the annual World Economic Forum WEF meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Other speakers at the annual conference include chief executive of OpenAI Sam Altman, the company responsible for creating ChatGPT and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

The two will speak during a debate scheduled for Tuesday, titled,  “Generative AI: Steam Engine of the Fourth Industrial Revolution?”

In her blog, Georgieva addressed that while AI will come with many benefits, it will also be devastating to the human workforce, particular in countries with more advanced economies that have a high base of white-collar workers. 

In countries where the economy depends less on manual labour and more on white-collar industries, as much as 60% of jobs could be negatively hit by the impact of AI. 

“For the other half, AI applications may execute key tasks currently performed by humans, which could lower labour demand, leading to lower wages and reduced hiring,” wrote Georgievas.

“In the most extreme cases, some of these jobs may disappear.”

For the countries which are considered emerging economies or lower-income, the impact won’t be felt as significantly, with 40% and 26% of jobs expected to be affected by AI respectively. 

For example, India and Brazil are countries with emerging markets whereas Burundi and Sierra Leone would be lower-income nations. 

“Many of these countries don’t have the infrastructure or skilled workforces to harness the benefits of AI, raising the risk that over time the technology could worsen inequality,” noted Georgieva.

Georgieva also warned of the likelihood that AI will increase social unrest, in particular among youth, who are less experienced employees and easier to replace with AI. 

The topic of AI was widely discussed at the WEF meeting in Davos last year, following the introduction of ChatGPT onto the global market and the AI generated system has only made evermore technological upgrades since, due to massive corporate investment. 

Many tech firms have already cited AI as the reason that they are recalibrating their staffing decisions.

AI is expected to increase labour productivity and boost the global GDP by 7% annually over the next decade, according to an estimate from Goldman Sachs economists last year. 

LAWTON: John Kerry still doesn’t want to talk about China

By
Andrew Lawton
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The United States’ jet-setting climate enjoy, John Kerry, is one of the global elites gathered in Davos for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting this week. He has lots of suggestions for how people should live their lives in the west, but won’t talk about China and its industrialization. True North’s Andrew Lawton caught up with him in Davos and tried to get an answer. As an added bonus, Kerry claimed he’s given up flying by private jet – but only since taking on his climate gig.

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Manitoba PC party approves new leadership race rules as Stefanson resigns

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
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The Manitoba Progressive Conservative party has approved new rules for a leadership race, amid defeated premier Heather Stefanson stepping down as leader Monday.

The party will move away from a “one-member, one-vote” system and towards a points system – one that is somewhat similar to the one used by the federal Conservative party in its leadership races. 

While Stefanson had announced her intentions to step down in Oct. 2023 after losing to the NDP, her departure is now official.

“I’m very proud of our time in government and some of the things that we were able to achieve,” Stefanson told the media Saturday.

“I wish we had four more years to keep that momentum going, but that’s OK, we respect the people of Manitoba — they have spoken and we will continue to be a very strong opposition to this NDP government.”

Stefanson says she will continue to represent the riding of Tuxedo in the Manitoba legislature. She, however, would not commit to finishing her term, noting that the next leader of the party may not be an MLA and would hence need a seat.

This weekend, PC party members approved new leadership rules at a delegate meeting in Winnipeg.

As reported by CBC, ridings with 100 voting members will get 100 points, while those with 400 voting members will get 200 points. No riding will get more than 500 points.

The aim is to limit the influence of ridings with large membership numbers.

These new rules also come after controversy arose in the last leadership race, which took place in 2021.

The runner-up, Shelly Glover, had claimed that the election was stolen from her, and that she, rather than Stafanson, should be the premier. 

Glover had asked the Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench to overturn the election’s results – but her request was rejected. 

“I’m satisfied the existence of an irregularity alone isn’t enough for a court to interfere,” said Court of Queen’s Bench Justice James Edmond 

The PC Party has not yet set a date for the leadership convention.

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