Carney speaks to the European Parliament; what Canada might have to give up in EU alliance; and more - National Post
Prime Minister Mark Carney attends the annual keynote address by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on September 16, 2026. Photo by Jean-Christophe Verhaegen/AFP via Getty ImagesArticle contentIt’s Thursday, September 17. Here are the top stories we’re following today.
On Thursday, the prime minister confirmed to the European Parliament Canada’s interest in becoming the first ever “associate member” of the European Union. Carney proposed Canadian energy and critical minerals in exchange for knocking down trade and travel barriers as well as deeper integration on tech, defence and artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, Trump threatened to take action against Europe if he perceives the new Canada-EU alliance as a “hostile act.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during her annual keynote address at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Sept.16, 2026. Photo by Jean-Christophe Verhaegen/AFP via Getty ImagesArticle contentCarney says closer EU ties ‘about sovereignty,’ but here’s what being part of the EU could mean giving upArticle contentMark Carney said visa-free travel, financial integration and “seamless digital trade” could be part of the Canada-EU partnership. You can read or watch Carney’s full speech here. For full members, the benefits of being in the EU come with significant weakening of control over their national interests.
Dash cam footage shows an armed Hamas terrorist at the Supernova music festival, near Kibbutz Reim in the Negev desert in southern Israel, on Oct. 7, 2023. Photo by Anonymous/AFPArticle contentThese 8 news outlets relied on terror group for casualty figures when reporting on Israel-Hamas war: studyArticle contentThe study found that like the Gaza Ministry of Health, the outlets (CNN, BBC, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Reuters and Associated Press) did not distinguish between terrorist and civilian deaths in their reporting. Articles rarely included data from Israeli sources. “Estimates indicating a high proportion of civilian deaths may contribute to reframing a conflict from war to genocide,” says the independent study.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford responds to a question as Prime Minister Mark Carney looks on during the final news conference concluding the First Ministers meeting in Charlottetown, P.E.I. this July. Photo by Tim Krochak/PostmediaArticle contentRandall Denley: Cheerleading for Mark Carney isn’t a sound economic plan, Premier FordArticle content“Ontario exports $287 billion worth of goods and services to the U.S. annually, more than 70 per cent of the province’s international exports,” Denley writes. “If that can’t be sustained, Ford needs a plan B that doesn’t involve buying new jobs, spending billions subsidizing old jobs, or relying on Carney to put Ontario first.”
There are few signs that Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is making inroads with voters, John Ivison writes. Photo by Allison Young/The London Free Press/PostmediaArticle contentJohn Ivison: Liberals ponder an early election as Poilievre confronts his Macbeth momentArticle contentAn MP is stepping down on Friday, meaning Mark Carney will have to call a byelection within the next six months. With Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative party seemingly in a vulnerable state, some Liberals are pushing Carney to call an early general election — which is a risky move. “Politicians are obliged to capitalize on their opportunities or, in Macbeth’s words, it’s ‘out, out, brief candle’,” Ivison concludes.
