Explained: This article explains the political background, key decisions, and possible outcomes related to Explained : Politics Insider: Moe optimistic on uranium deal with India and Its Impact and why it matters right now.
Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is sounding an optimistic note about the chances of reaching a deal soon to supply India with uranium as he landed in Mumbai today with Prime Minister Mark Carney to expand trade with the subcontinent.
The Globe and Mail reported in November that Canada and India were putting the finishing touches on a 10-year deal worth US$2.8-billion but that the value and terms could change before an announcement.
The uranium would be supplied by Canada’s Cameco Corp., and the export deal could be part of a broader nuclear co-operation effort between Canada and India.
Steven Chase reports that Moe, according to the Premier’s office, met with India’s Department of Atomic Energy in Mumbai today.
Dinesh Patnaik, India’s envoy to Canada, this week said he expects a uranium deal to be announced during the Carney visit, which began today and ends Monday after meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Moe didn’t confirm the deal today but told reporters that India gaining access to Canada’s uranium supply is one of several things that is “very possible in the near future.” He said such an arrangement is “entirely within the possibility to move and move quickly.”
In other news, Quebec’s two major English-language universities will no longer fight a tuition hike for out-of-province students intended to reduce the number of anglophones in Montreal, putting an end to a years-long dispute.
Maura Forrest reports that McGill and Concordia say they will not pursue further litigation against the Quebec government, despite a court ruling last year that found the policy was not justified.
McGill says Quebec has not respected that court decision, but it is nonetheless laying down its arms as it looks to reset a combative relationship with the provincial government.
Quebec first announced in late 2023 that it would raise tuition by 33 per cent for Canadian students from outside the province who attend anglophone universities, framing it as a bid to protect the French language.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe speaks with reporters in Mumbai, India on Friday.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
China suspends some agricultural tariffs on Canada: But the Chinese announcement made no mention of canola-seed tariffs, which Prime Minister Mark Carney had previously said would be lowered by March 1.
Canada’s economy contracts in final quarter of 2025: Statistics Canada says the economy capped off a volatile year with a contraction in the final quarter of last year.
Senate seeks time limit on political parties’ privacy law: One senator calls the issue a test of how serious the government is about protecting people’s privacy.
OpenAI says recent policy changes would have flagged Tumbler Ridge shooter’s messages to police: In a letter released to Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon, the company promised immediate steps to “help prevent tragedies like this in the future.”
LeBlanc counters tough U.S. trade talk with optimism after ‘very friendly’ private meetings: Private negotiations between Canadian and American trade officials are “business-like, cordial, amicable” and even “very friendly,” says Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for North American trade.
Liberal budget bill passes Commons: The House approval sends the legislation to the Senate after months of debate and negotiation between the parties.
Nova Scotia budget cuts publishing grant in blow to sector: The elimination of Nova Scotia’s Publishers Assistance Program has left the book sector reeling in a province that often depends on its own independent houses to preserve its history and tell its stories.
On our radar
Commons Break: The House of Commons is on a break next week. MPs will return March 9. The Senate is also off for the week.
Prime Minister’s Day: Mark Carney arrived in the Indian city of Mumbai today, beginning a three-country tour that will also include stops in Australia and Japan before it ends on March 7. On Saturday, Carney is scheduled to visit a local cultural exhibition, participate in an innovation showcase and meet with university researchers. He will also deliver remarks and participate in a featured discussion at the Canada-India Growth and Investment Forum.
Party Leaders: In Ottawa, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May attended the House of Commons and later departed to return to British Columbia. No schedules released for other party leaders.
Poilievre travels: Pierre Poilievre’s office has announced that the federal Conservative Leader will travel to England and Germany from Monday to March 8, delivering keynote addresses, including the Margaret Thatcher Lecture at the Centre for Policy Studies, and meeting with British MPs, German officials and business leaders in both countries. In a statement today, Poilievre’s office said the trip will be entirely paid for by the Conservative Party.
Ministers on the Road: In Mumbai, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, Defence Minister David McGuinty and International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu are accompanying Carney, and scheduled to travel on to New Delhi. Champagne and McGuinty are scheduled to travel on to Sydney and Canberra in Australia and McGuinty is to go on to Tokyo with Carney.
BC Conservative leadership debate: The Canada Strong and Free Network, formerly the Manning Centre, has scheduled a leadership debate on April 24 in Vancouver. The new Conservative leader, succeeding John Rustad, will be announced May 30.
Dion at University of Montreal: Stéphane Dion, the former federal Liberal leader who served since 2017 in ambassadorial roles in Germany and France, is the new “diplomat in residence” at the University of Montreal. According to a university statement, the former political-science professor at the university will make himself available to professors and students to discuss such subjects as foreign policy, public administration and the environment, specifically the global water crisis.
Carney welcomes new Official Languages Commissioner: The Prime Minister is welcoming the appointment of Kelly Burke as Canada’s new Commissioner of Official Languages, effective March 30. The appointment of Burke, a former chief administrative officer in Ontario’s francophone affairs ministry, was recently approved by the House of Commons and the Senate. Raymond Théberge was the languages commissioner from 2018 to 2026.
Quote of the Day
“We will have disagreements with various countries around the world that we still aspire to trade with and even where those disagreements are present, it’s important for us to not leave the conversation” – Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, during a news conference in Mumbai today, where he is travelling with Carney, members of Carney’s cabinet, and New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt.
Question period
Canada has a new Commissioner of Official Languages, Kelly Burke. Who was the first commissioner?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Poilievre makes the pivot on Trump, but repudiates Carney’s foreign policy
There were two speeches inside the speech on Canada-U.S. relations that Pierre Poilievre gave Thursday. One was intended to make him sound like a grown-up. The other was to make him sound different than Mark Carney.
— Campbell Clark, Chief Political Writer
India is signing trade deals with other middle powers. Canada cannot get lost in the shuffle
That means Mr. Carney’s challenge for this India trip is far more complicated than moving bilateral relations from rupture to reconciliation. He must also ensure that Canada – which for decades was regarded by New Delhi as the “younger brother of the U.S.” – does not get overlooked in the global rush to secure trade deals with the world’s fourth-largest economy.
— Rita Trichur, Senior business writer and columnist
Donald Trump may yet survive – but he is currently losing
But he has suffered a series of blows in recent weeks that have substantially dented his authority, dispelling the impression of inevitability on which his audacious assault on American democracy depends.
— Andrew Coyne, Columnist
Go deeper
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The answer to today’s question: Keith Spicer, who was appointed to the post in April, 1970 by then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau and served in the post until 1977. The prolific author also served as the editor-in-chief of The Ottawa Citizen.