National News

Canada's western premiers say they've agreed to identify, plan and develop new economic corridors to connect provincial resources to international markets.

A joint statement issued Thursday says doing so would boost Canada's market access in Asia and Europe while the country fights a trade war with the United States and China.

The union representing about 55,000 Canada Post employees has called for a countrywide halt to overtime work, saying its negotiators will continue to review the latest contract offers from the mail carrier.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said late Thursday that members were being told to refuse any work beyond eight hours in a day and 40 hours in a week. 

The union representing about 55,000 Canada Post employees said the latest offers from the postal service "fall short" with hours to go until a looming strike deadline.

Canada Post meanwhile said Thursday it's already seeing mail volumes decline ahead of another possible labour disruption and is pushing for an urgent resolution.

Spokesperson Lisa Liu said Canada Post hasn't yet received a response from the union about its proposals issued a day earlier.

The postal service is ready to resume bargaining "as soon as possible" with a mediator at the table, she said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has named 73 MPs to his party's leadership team and critic roles ahead of next week's return to the House of Commons.

He has named 48 Conservative members of Parliament to critic roles, while another 14 will become associate critics.

Most of them are returning MPs, though some have been shuffled to new positions left by people who were not re-elected on April 28. 

Canadians could soon find out if there will be another labour disruption at the national postal operator.

The union representing about 55,000 Canada Post employees has said it is reviewing a set of proposals for urban workers, along with rural and suburban carriers.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers issued a 72-hour strike notice on Tuesday, and the deadline is Friday at midnight.

Canada Post says the new offers address several concerns, and it is offering a wage increase of 13.59 per cent over four years.

Top economic officials from the G7 were locked in a full day of closed-door discussions Wednesday to examine pressing topics, including the global economy and the war in Ukraine. 

The meeting between the group's finance ministers and central bank governors in Banff, Alta., is a prelude to the G7 leaders summit in June in nearby Kananaskis. 

It comes in the wake of the U.S. imposing global tariffs that have resulted in many countries reconsidering their trading relationships. 

Canada Post has issued a new set of offers to the union representing postal workers as the clock ticks down to a possible strike.

The Crown corporation confirmed Wednesday it has filed a new set of proposals for workers in the urban bargaining unit and the rural and suburban units.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said its negotiating team was set to examine the proposals this afternoon.

The new offers come days after the union issued a strike notice that could see postal workers back on the picket line on Friday.

The head of one of Canada's largest federal unions says the federal government needs to focus on repairing the relationship between public servants and management.

Nathan Prier, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, said this is a "delicate moment" and that new Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali has his work cut out for him.

Prier said the Trudeau government made several questionable decisions that eroded trust among workers. They included a messy return-to-office rollout that was conducted without consulting employees, he said.

Signs that underlying inflation was picking up in April put the Bank of Canada in a tricky position ahead of its June interest rate decision, with some economists arguing a second straight pause is now more likely.

"It is going to make it a much more challenging backdrop for the Bank of Canada to continue cutting rates, at least in the near term," said Benjamin Reitzes, managing director of Canadian rates and macro strategist at BMO Capital Markets.

Statistics Canada is set to release inflation data for April today.

Market data shows economists on average expect the annual rate of inflation cooled to 1.6 per cent last month, from 2.3 per cent in March.

The Liberal government eliminated the consumer carbon price at the start of April, offering motorists some relief at the pump.

Last month also marked the first full month of tariffs between Canada and the United States, though both sides have offered some exemptions in the trade dispute.