5 things you need to know this morning: May 16, 2025

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

Five things you need to know

1. New Canadian Forces recruits resigning because of training delays: leaked document

Many military recruits are quickly leaving the Canadian Forces because they're not being trained and given the roles they want, according to a leaked document reported on by the CBC. The report claims that the "highest attrition rates" in the beleaguered military – facing a shortage of more than 10,000 personnel – are among those who've just joined.

A new leaked internal report obtained by CBC News suggests many Canadian military recruits quickly leave in frustration over the inability to get trained and into the job they want. https://t.co/KRxLbJwqnH

— CBC News (@CBCNews) May 16, 2025

2. DEA cites Falkland fentanyl lab in warning about Canada's drug production

Fentanyl super labs in Canada are a growing concern for the US, according to a threat assessment published by the country's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The DEA name-dropped British Columbia in its report, pointing to the RCMP announcement of the discovery of a huge lab in Falkland in October.

U.S. DEA threat assessment points to fentanyl ‘super laboratories’ in Canada - The United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s latest threat assessment says fentanyl “super laboratories” in Canada are a growing source of concern. https://t.co/UcrXvuSMoe

— CTV Kitchener (@CTVKitchener) May 16, 2025

3. Liberals will need to vote to authorize $500B more spending despite lack of budget: ex-PBO

Canada's first parliamentary budget officer, Kevin Page, has said the federal government will need about $500 billion to get through the remainder of the fiscal year, despite the Liberals insisting they won't be tabling a budget. Instead, Page said, Mark Carney's government is "going to need some supply bill that gets them through another significant part of 2025-2026," because Ottawa will otherwise have "no authority to spend right now as of July 1st."

The government could function without a budget, but will need a spending bill https://t.co/Ktahm07e0G

— National Newswatch (@natnewswatch) May 15, 2025

4. Most Canadians want to hit US with counter-tariffs, despite Liberals dialling back retaliation: poll

Most Canadians – according to a new poll – want Ottawa to aggressively retaliate against US President Donald Trump's tariffs, despite the Liberal government, which campaigned on hitting the US hard, choosing to pedal back on its reaction to Washington. According to a recent report from Oxford Economics, Canada's tariffs on the US now amount to essentially nothing, with the group's head economist explaining: "I think the reality has struck the decision makers in government."

Poll finds most Canadians keen on tariff retaliation as Ottawa walks a different path https://t.co/Nf8tEUSDPA

— Barrie 360 (@Barrie360) May 16, 2025

5. Bloc planning to challenge 1-vote loss to Liberals in court

The Bloc Quebecois is planning to launch a legal challenge related to the riding of Terrebonne, which the party lost to the Liberals by a single vote after a judicial recount. Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet pointed to Elections Canada's admission of responsibility for at least one valid vote not being counted which, were it to have been tallied, would have resulted in the riding's election being tied.

Bloc Québécois to challenge Terrebonne election result in court | https://t.co/CRvwamiwUK https://t.co/3QVxmvOQf3

— Paddie Faust Ferraro (@BCBornandBred) May 16, 2025

Thumbnail photo credit: RCMP