5 Things posted Mar 9, 2026 @ 08:00am by Iain Burns

5 things you need to know this morning: March 9, 2026

Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.

Five things you need to know

1. Oil passes $100 a barrel, Iran picks new supreme leader

World oil prices have jumped past $100 a barrel as the Iran war rages on. Finance ministers from G7 countries – including Canada's Francois Philippe–Champagne – are set to speak today in an emergency meeting amid fears of a global energy crisis. Iran, meanwhile, has announced its new supreme leader: Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli air strike at the beginning of the war. In Canada, Mark Carney continues to receive criticism for his confused approach to the conflict, though he did speak with Donald Trump on Sunday.

Oil price passes $100 a barrel for first time since 2022, with G7 set for emergency talks later - follow live https://t.co/hP2OPlYziw
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) March 9, 2026

2. Carney continues to dominate Poilievre in polls

The criticism of Mark Carney's leadership on the question of Iran has not filtered through to the general public, however, with a new survey from Abacus Data claiming the Liberal leader is performing vastly better than his Tory rival. Nearly half of respondents (48 per cent) said they thought Carney was showing "the kind of leadership the country needs right now," compared with just 29 per cent for Pierre Poilievre.

<who> Photo credit: Abacus Data

3. Millions of people around the world now eligible for Canadian citizenship: CBC focuses on anti-Trump Americans

Millions of people around the world are now eligible for Canadian citizenship after a change to the law made by the Liberal government. In a new article, CBC News has chosen to focus on one country with eligible citizens: the USA. The national broadcaster's article features interviews with Americans who are "worried about the political situation" in the US – i.e., the Trump presidency. The federal government has said it expects tens of thousands of additional applications for citizenship as a consequence of the Liberals making it easier to obtain a Canadian passport.

Millions of Americans can now claim Canadian citizenship by descent. But they have to prove it https://t.co/qXHLNvbYSS
— Peter Heyck (@peterheyck) March 8, 2026

4. Booze sales in Canada decline for 4th year in a row

Booze sales in Canada have declined once again, with a 1.6 per cent drop in liquor store purchases logged in 2025. Statistics Canada said it was the fourth consecutive year in which a drop in sales has been recorded. Cannabis sales, however, increased in 2024/25 by 6.1 per cent.

'Wine tonight?:' Statistics Canada data shows liquor store sales down another year https://t.co/yFSFmS8BtI via @WellandTribune
— The Tribune 🇨🇦 (@WellandTribune) March 9, 2026

5. Carney calls trio of by-elections that could give Liberals majority

There will be three by-elections in Canada on April 13, Mark Carney has announced. If the Liberals win all the races – in Terrebonne and the Toronto area – they will have a majority in the House of Commons.