Asked directly whether American officials or members of her own government told her that efforts to penalize Stellantis for failing to honour employment commitments were undermining negotiations with Washington, Joly responded: “First, no.”

The Ministry of the Solicitor General said upcoming legislation would amend the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 to allow designated police services to process vulnerable sector checks for applicants who live outside their local jurisdiction.

With the Ontario Liberals heading into a closely watched nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest, the federal MP and leadership contender is projecting confidence and brushing aside concerns about internal party dynamics and questions over his local roots.

At the centre of the race is Nate Erskine-Smith, whose bid has high-stakes on the party’s direction and its next leader.

But in the final days of organizing, his rivals have coalesced around a simple goal: stop him.

Speaking to reporters, Ford said that the slow progress of Bill C-14, a federal legislation aimed at tightening bail rules for repeat and violent offenders, is evidence that the system is not moving quickly enough to address public safety concerns.