In the news today: Carney to address Assembly of First Nations

By Canadian Press on December 2, 2025.

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Carney to address Assembly of First Nations gathering in Ottawa

Prime Minister Mark Carney will address hundreds of First Nations chiefs gathered in Ottawa today for the December meeting of the Assembly of First Nations.

Carney’s appearance before the chiefs could be a tense moment, coming just days after Ottawa signed a pipeline agreement with Alberta, which some First Nations leaders have condemned over a lack of consultation and environmental risks.

Prime ministers and their cabinets traditionally attend the December meeting to gauge the outlook of First Nations leadership and field chiefs’ questions and criticisms.

Carney participated in a similar event once before, when he hosted chiefs in Gatineau, Que., to discuss his government’s controversial major projects legislation in July.

Some of the most prominent members of Carney’s cabinet will address the chiefs over the course of the three-day gathering: Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, National Defence Minister David McGuinty and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson.

May says voting for budget was ‘mistake’ and it won’t happen again

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May says supporting the Carney government on the budget vote is a “mistake” she won’t make again.

May told The Canadian Press the memorandum of understanding Prime Minister Mark Carney signed with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on energy — specifically the part that applies federal tax credits to enhanced oil recovery — amounted to a “significant betrayal and a reversal” which has her questioning the worth of Carney’s word.

As The Canadian Press reported Friday, then-cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault was dispatched to win May’s vote for the budget last month, having received assurances from Carney’s office that tax credits for enhanced oil recovery would not be in the budget or added to it afterwards.

It was one of the things keeping her from supporting the budget — until Guilbeault gave her his word that would not happen.

But the deal with Alberta — signed 10 days after May voted in favour of the federal budget — commits Canada to extending federal tax credits to encourage large-scale CCUS investments, including the Pathways Alliance project “and enhanced oil recovery in order to provide the certainty needed to attract large additional sources of domestic and foreign capital.”

The reversal on the tax credit was also one of the reasons behind Guilbeault’s decision to leave cabinet.

Ontario auditor general to release annual report, with focus on health care

Ontario’s auditor general is set to release her annual report today, with a major focus on health care.

Shelley Spence’s office is publishing five audits today, along with its annual reviews of government advertising and the government’s responsibilities under the Environmental Bill of Rights.

Three of the five audits are on health care, including examining access to primary care, as the government works toward a goal of connecting every Ontarian to primary care by 2029.

The auditor is also issuing reports on oversight of medical education in family medicine and oversight of physician billing, which will look at the Ministry of Health’s systems for identifying inappropriate costs.

The auditor’s report will also include a look at the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority, the regulator for producers of batteries, tires and blue box materials.

Weather warnings in effect as snow, rain and wind in forecast for Atlantic Canada

Environment Canada has issued special weather statements for much of the Atlantic region as a combination of snow, rain and high winds is in the forecast.

The weather agency says between 15 to 35 centimetres of snow is expected to fall across inland Nova Scotia and in elevated parts of the province, especially the Cape Breton Highlands, beginning Tuesday and into Wednesday.

Between 30 and 50 millimetres of rain along the Atlantic coast, with high winds, are expected over the same period.

In southeast New Brunswick, 10 to 15 centimetres of snow is in the forecast this afternoon and into Wednesday.

Prince Edward Island, meanwhile, is expected to get 15 or more centimetres of snow accompanied by high winds.

Franklin the Turtle book publisher condemns ‘violent’ post by U.S. defense secretary

The publisher of the Franklin series of children’s books says an online post by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth depicting the titular character as a bazooka-wielding soldier is denigrating and violent.

Hegseth shared on social media Sunday a mock cover of a Franklin book titled “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists” with the caption: “For your Christmas wish list.”

In it, a smiling Franklin is seen dressed in military attire — with an American flag patch on his arm — firing a weapon from a helicopter at one of three boats carrying packages.

The post appears in reference to U.S. military strikes against suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

A spokesperson for Kids Can Press, which publishes the popular Canadian series, says Franklin stands for kindness and it condemns how he was depicted.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Dec. 2, 2025.

The Canadian Press