Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.
Five things you need to know
Some groups and individuals, including federal party leaders, are putting pressure on Mark Carney to provide assistance to Cuba as the island, which is controlled by a communist dictatorship, faces shortages of fuel and food. Don Davies, the leader of the NDP, said last week it was crucial to assist Cuba as it struggles against "aggressive US imperialism," while the Bloc Quebecois chief said Cubans "do not deserve their current suffering" and also blamed the US.
Ottawa faces calls to send essential fuel to Cuba as U.S. widens oil blockade. https://t.co/ES4ju0e6yJ
— CityNews Toronto (@CityNewsTO) February 17, 2026
It's budget day in British Columbia, and the province's finance minister, Brenda Bailey, has promised a disciplined plan this time around. The BC NDP has long been criticized for its handling of the economy, with this year's deficit forecast to hit $11.2 billion. Bailey, however, said she is planning to bring the gap between spending and revenue down, while still maintaining spending on essentials.
Health, education, public safety to be protected in B.C. budget, Minister Bailey sayshttps://t.co/rM8cbNppjr
— Global BC (@GlobalBC) February 17, 2026
Prime Minister Mark Carney is due to announce his military procurement strategy today, with the $6.6 billion plan reportedly promising to prioritize equipment made in Canada. The Liberals are claiming the policy will create 125,000 jobs over the next decade. Tory leader Pierre Poilievre, however, has dismissed the announcement as a "salad bowl of buzzwords."
The $6.6-billion strategy aims to help small and medium-sized businesses break into the defence industry as Canada looks to transition away from over-reliance on the United States for military gear. #cdnpoli #skpolihttps://t.co/ud0B9lFI9L
— 980 CJME (@CJMENews) February 15, 2026
In more Carney news, the prime minister is reportedly planning to chaperone the courtship of the world's two largest trading blocs: the European Union and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Carney, according to an article published by US media outlet Politico, is keen to bring the groups together to counter Donald Trump's tariff regime and economic nationalism.
Carney constructs a mega anti-Trump trade alliance https://t.co/zjcTn1Knn4
— Tomás Jocelyn-Holt (@tjholt) February 17, 2026
The CBC, as well as other media outlets associated with the Liberal Party, is very unhappy with Tory MP Jamil Jivani. It comes after Jivani told a radio host in the US that Canadian governments were harming themselves and their own interests by indulging in an "anti-American hissy fit." During a discussion show last night, a CBC host spoke with four guests, all of whom thought Jivani had said something inexcusable. Even the host joined in, to ensure all voices were in complete harmony, asserting: "I mean, there's a reason why some folks are having a, quote, 'hissy fit,' right? Talking about the auto sector. Look at what happened in Ingersoll. Look what happened in Brampton ... the list goes on ... There's a lot of reasons why Canadians are upset with Trump and his administration."
