Laura Osman, The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended Canada's defence spending Monday as Polish counterpart Donald Tusk urged the rest of the West to confront the very real dangers Russia poses at a critical juncture in its war with Ukraine. 

There is still more to do, but Canada is doing it, Trudeau said during a joint news conference alongside Tusk, who now finds himself back in his old post as Poland's prime minister. 

Pharmacare negotiations between the Liberals and NDP are on a knife's edge, and the main point of contention is the number of drugs they plan to start with.

If the parties reach a deal, they plan to begin by launching with a select few drug categories while they continue to formulate a more robust national drug plan, two sources with knowledge of the talks said.

The parties have already agreed to cover birth control through a single-payer program in the first go around, and they are also in talks to include diabetes drugs in the program.

Disregarded policies and a failure of management led to the development of the inordinately costly and much-maligned ArriveCan app, an investigation by Canada's auditor general has found. 

The federal government launched the app in April 2020 as a way to track health and contact information for people entering Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to digitize customs and immigration declarations.

The auditor found the government's reliance on sole-sourced external contractors drove up the price of the app, and those costs weren't properly tracked.

Millions of uninsured Canadians will be left out of the new federal dental program because their family income is too high, says a report released Wednesday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Enrolment began last month for a new federal benefits program, which was developed as a condition of a political pact between the Liberal government and the NDP.

It will see the federal government offer dental benefits to uninsured families with a household income under $90,000 per year, starting with seniors, children under the age of 18 and people with disabilities.

A new Statistics Canada study confirms that financial limitations are keeping people without private or employer-sponsored drug coverage from following through with their prescriptions.

It's true for both those who have no coverage at all and people who have some coverage through provincial or existing federal prescription programs.

The results of the study come as the New Democrats and the government negotiate the broad principles that will shape a federal pharmacare program.

The federal government unveiled some details Monday of a long-awaited plan to help uninsured Canadians afford dental care — a rollout industry professionals say they'll be watching closely for its impact on staff shortages and private coverage.

Seniors over the age of 87 will be the first cohort invited to apply to join the federally subsidized dental plan as Ottawa gradually enrols eligible participants over the course of the coming 12 months. 

The new federal dental insurance plan will be phased in gradually over 2024, with the first claims likely to be processed in May, government officials said ahead of a formal announcement scheduled for Monday morning. 

Applications are expected to open as early as next week, starting with qualifying seniors over the age of 87, but it will take months before they can start to claim the benefits, the officials said in a briefing provided to The Canadian Press on the condition they not be named. 

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tabled a fall economic statement on Tuesday that aims to support middle-class Canadians amid soaring consumer prices and looming mortgage renewals. 

She announced $168 million in new spending over six years for programs focused on at saving Canadians money. 

Here's what the government proposes to do. 

Competition and trade 

The Liberals have proposed several amendments to the Competition Act in an attempt to improve consumer choice and lower prices.

Ottawa introduced a new three-year pilot program Tuesday that would incentivize employers to follow worker-protection rules by making it easier for them to hire temporary foreign workers. 

Under the "recognized employer pilot" program, companies with a good track record would only need to prove that they require temporary foreign workers every three years, instead of every 18 months. 

The employer's trusted status would also be flagged to potential workers in the government's job bank.

As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reorganized his front bench Wednesday in a massive federal cabinet shuffle, he also created a single new job: minister of citizens' services.

But when the minister appointed to the new role was asked what exactly citizens' services is, he wasn't entirely clear. 

"This is really where the rubber hits the road in providing services to citizens right across the country," newly appointed cabinet minister Terry Beech said Wednesday, less than an hour after he was sworn in.