Carney says Liberal plan would help boost construction to 500,000 new homes a yearLiberal Leader Mark Carney announced if elected prime minister his government would get back in the business of building homes to ‘double the pace’ of construction to half-a-million new builds per year.The LatestLiberal Leader Mark Carney is standing by candidate Paul Chiang, who called for people to turn in a local Conservative candidate for a Chinese bounty.Some 40 Hong Kong diaspora community groups have called for the Liberals to drop Chiang as a candidate.This morning, Carney announced a plan to double the rate of new home construction.Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has called for the Liberals to drop Chiang.NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced the party’s environmental platform on Vancouver Island.Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was in Saint John to pitch a national energy corridor.Do you have a question about the federal election? Send an email to ask@cbc.ca.UpdatesMarch 3115 minutes agoLiberals drop a word after proposed housing agency’s French name mocked onlineRaffy BoudjikanianLiberal Leader Mark Carney makes a housing announcement on Monday in Vaughan, Ont. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)I’m a senior reporter with the Parliamentary bureau covering the Liberal campaign this week.The Liberals just did a quick li’l renovation to the French-language name of the agency they announced they would create this morning. Presented initially during the news conference as Bâtir Maisons Canada in French (translated from Building Homes Canada), it elicited a lot of raised eyebrows from Quebecers and French Canadians. Simply put, it sounds like something the Hulk might say: a bunch of words with no prepositions, adverbs or pronouns.One commentator quickly got an AI image whipped up of Mark Carney appearing to learn French from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in a classroom. It got picked up by a Bloc Québécois candidate. And there was even friendly fire, from a former Liberal staffer.By this afternoon, it was clear the campaign staff had gotten all the messages from those who phoned home. Carney posted on X with the agency’s new name en français: Maisons Canada.56 minutes agoSingh pitches the NDP to B.C.’s swing votersJenna BenchetritSingh makes a campaign stop in Victoria. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)The NDP leader fielded a few questions today about the challenges his party faces — including traditional New Democrat voters who might be casting a strategic ballot for the Liberals, and competition from non-Liberal opponents in B.C.’s swing ridings.Singh boosted a few policies the party sees as big achievements, including the NDP’s role in passing dental care and pharmacare. “Electing New Democrats will make a big difference in your life,” said Singh.He called for voters to elect more NDP representatives to Parliament — but avoided any suggestion the party will form government. The CBC’s Poll Tracker shows the NDP is on track for one of the worst election results in its history.The party is facing tough competition from the Greens and the Conservatives in some Vancouver Island ridings, which have a history of being orange-blue swings.1 hour agoVoters in Chiang’s riding weigh inMichelle Song Edwin Nebrija lives in Markham-Unionville. (Michelle Song/CBC)Hi, producer Michelle Song here.I’m speaking to voters in the parking lot of a popular mall within Liberal candidate Paul Chiang’s Ontario riding of Markham-Unionville.Edwin Nebrija lives in the area. He said although he will be supporting Mark Carney in this election, he thinks Chiang should withdraw his candidacy.“I don’t think he should run anymore, even if he apologized.… You cannot say that,” he said of Chiang suggesting a Conservative candidate should be turned in to a Chinese consulate for a bounty.Alan Graf has lived in Markham for more than 30 years. He said he will be voting for Chiang even after hearing his comments.“I think it’s just all overblown,” Graf said. He believes Chiang has done a lot for the riding as a member of Parliament and as a former police officer. Graf said the Liberal candidate has apologized and there are other issues people should focus on.1 hour agoCarney put party over country in standing by Chiang, says SinghJenna BenchetritSingh reacts to Carney’s confidence in Liberal candidate under fire for China bounty commentNDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, speaking from Victoria, B.C., says Liberal Leader Mark Carney’s decision to stand by candidate Paul Chiang, who called for people to turn in a local Conservative candidate for a Chinese bounty, signals that type of commentary is acceptable and Carney is ‘putting his party ahead of his country.’ Singh was asked again about Carney’s decision to stand by Liberal candidate Paul Chiang. Chiang is facing pressure to step down after he called for Conservative candidate Joe Tay to be turned in to the Chinese consulate in exchange for a bounty. He has since apologized. “It is really disturbing. And for Mark Carney to say that, ‘I’m going to accept this candidate,’ really sends a message that that type of commentary ultimately is acceptable,” said Singh, who first commented on the incident during the weekend.The NDP leader said Carney’s stance sends a message to voters and families afraid of foreign interference that they are less important than the Liberal Party’s interests, and that — in Singh’s view — Carney has decided to protect his party over the country.Carney said earlier today that Chiang apologized to Tay, to the community and to Carney, and that he believes Chiang to be a man of integrity.2 hours agoNDP wants to end oil and gas subsidies, retrofit homesJenna BenchetritAn NDP government will end oil and gas subsidies and reroute the money to families to retrofit their homes and make them more environmentally friendly, said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. He is in Victoria, B.C., today announcing the party’s plan to protect the environment.Singh said the plan will see 3.3 million homes retrofitted over 10 years. Low-income families will receive free upgrades, and the remaining money will be given to higher-income families in the form of loans and grants, he said.2 hours ago‘There’s nothing in it for Quebec,’ Blanchet says of Energy EastJenna BenchetritBlanchet dismisses idea of new pipeline across Quebec, says plan has ‘no future’Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, speaking on Monday about pitches for a pipeline to carry energy products east across Canada, dismissed talk of such a project as ‘nothing serious’ and accused his Conservative and Liberal rivals of using it to seek Western votes.The Energy East pipeline project is “irrevocably dead,” Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet declared in French during a press conference today in La Pocatière, Que.The Energy East plan, which would have shipped Alberta crude oil to New Brunswick, was dropped in 2017 partly because of regulatory hurdles, and partly due to opposition from Quebec on environmental grounds. Some premiers and industry groups have recently called for the project to be revived. But Blanchet said the project doesn’t currently have investors, money or a market — and that it would “optimistically” take eight to 10 years to complete it. The comments came shortly after his opponent Poilievre reiterated support for a west-to-east pipeline.Blanchet repeated his argument that the Energy East pipeline doesn’t serve Quebecers, claiming it has the “single aim” of promoting the Western oil industry.“It was prevented because Quebecers simply didn’t want it,” said Blanchet in French. “There’s nothing in it for Quebec.”3 hours agoThe view on tariffs from Ontario’s dairy countryMeagan FitzpatrickJoe and Mary Ann Doré are dairy farmers in New Dundee, Ont. (Meagan Fitzpatrick/CBC)Hi, I report live on CBC News Network. Today I’m in Oxford County, Ont., known as the cheese capital of Canada and where the commercial cheese industry was founded. U.S. President Donald Trump has taken aim at Canada’s dairy sector and its supply management system, so we wanted to check in with dairy producers in this area. “Definitely some anxiety about what we hear south of the border, but we have good support from our Canadian customers,” said Joe Doré, who runs a dairy farm with his family in New Dundee. “I think it would be a lie if I said it wasn’t a worry. Dairy farmers are always worried that supply management is under attack,” he said.What does he want to hear from Canada’s political leaders in the midst of Trump’s threats? “We always have strong support from all the parties, and what I want is for them to follow through on that and maintain our system as it is. Let us keep making milk and supplying Canadians with what they need,” said Doré.He said dairy farmers appreciate the “buy local” sentiment being expressed by Canadians right now.”We work hard. We’re out here every day — our life’s work is to look after our cows,” he said. “We really appreciate the support that we do get.”3 hours agoHousing prices in CanadaIshitaa ChopraThe change in average housing prices from 2006 to the present. (Canadian Real Estate Association/CBC)The Liberals announced their signature housing policy this morning, which they say would double the pace of new construction across the country and bring down the price of homes.Our election fact check unit put together this snapshot of the current state of housing costs:The average price of a home has grown dramatically under both Liberal and Conservative governments, but especially in recent years.As of February 2025, a Canadian home costs an average of $713,700. That’s down from the peak in 2022, when the pandemic led to a spike in prices that hit an average of $852,000.When the Liberals won the election in 2015, prices averaged about $441,000. Back in 2006, when the Conservatives took power, the average price was about $263,000.When it comes to rent, under the Liberal government, the price of rent grew faster than salaries. Under the previous Conservative government, salary growth outpaced rent increases.4 hours ago Poilievre defends his campaign after insiders call it ‘a mess’Jenna BenchetritPoilievre asked if he will make changes to Conservative campaign leadership Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, speaking from Saint John, N.B., responds to a question about whether he will change things around amid reports of frustration about how the Conservative campaign is going. My colleagues reported this weekend that the Conservative Party has been roiled by infighting, with some of their sources calling Poilievre’s campaign “a mess.” The party leader was asked today how he can turn things around. Right now, the CBC Poll Tracker shows that the Liberals are on track to win a majority government — a stunning turnaround from just a few months ago, when a Conservative majority was all but assured. Poilievre defended his campaign approach, saying he’ll continue to talk about housing costs and high food prices, and that he’ll keep advocating for families. He said his policies will boost the Canadian economy and keep the country strong against U.S. threats. “My purpose in politics is to restore Canada’s promise,” he said.4 hours agoPoilievre isn’t asked about Chiang after calling for disqualification yesterdayJenna BenchetritPoilievre says Liberal MP must be disqualified as candidate following China bounty comments Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievere, speaking on Day 8 of the election campaign, responded to a question about whether Liberal Candidate Paul Chiang should be disqualified to run as a candidate in the election after he suggested people attempt to claim a Chinese bounty on a Conservative candidate. Chiang has since apologized. Taking questions mostly from local reporters, Poilievre wasn’t asked this morning about mounting calls for the Liberals to drop GTA candidate Paul Chiang after Chiang called for someone to turn in Conservative candidate Joe Tay for a Chinese bounty. Hong Kong authorities put a $1-million HK bounty ($184,000 Cdn) on Tay’s head in December, and Chiang made the comment about it during a Chinese-language news conference the following month.Yesterday, Poilievre said Chiang “must be disqualified” from the race, strongly criticizing Carney and the Liberals for choosing to keep him on as a candidate. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also commented on the incident on the weekend, calling Chiang’s comments “inappropriate” and “wrong.”
Live updates: Carney calls candidate’s China comment ‘lapse of judgment’ but says he’ll stay on the ballot
