Shannon Devine is the 2026 NDP Candidate for Beaches-East York

"Forever is a long time" - Mark Carney fails to rule out the Billy Bishop Airport Expansion

"Forever is a long time" was Liberal Prime Minister Carney's response when reporters pressed him about whether he would rule out expanding Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport to accommodate jets.

This exchange came after Ottawa halted Premier Doug Ford's plans for the expansion last month. 

Ostensibly the Liberal government had reacted to massive public opposition in Toronto to the airport expansion plans, particularly from waterfront ridings such as Beaches-East York. 

An online federal consultation found that 87 per cent of 87,000 respondents did not want an expanded Island airport.

Carney's comment, however, has exposed the prime minister and the Liberal government's unwillingness to be decisive about what will happen with the airport despite being given unambiguous direction by the people of Toronto.

Speaking on the issue, NDP Leader, Avi Lewis said "People are really annoyed that they thought they had won against these jets and the expansion of Billy Bishop, and all of a sudden the prime minister is saying, ‘Oh, forever is a long time.’' He’s suddenly flip-flopping again — people are upset about that."

The Liberals' shifting on the airport issue has centred it in the Beaches-East York by-election campaign in which NDP candidate Shannon Devine has been clear and consistent about opposing the Island airport expansion pointing out the noise, pollution, and environmental harms it would bring.

“We’re hearing from residents that they feel very frustrated that they had to fight so hard to be heard, and that they don't trust that the government isn't going to backpedal on this,” she said.

Voters in Beaches-East York going to the polls this month, can feel secure that Devine is on the right side of this issue and will represent them strongly.

Carney's refusal to enforce the Canada Health Act in Alberta opens the door to a two-tier health care system in Canada

Liberal prime minister Mark Carney's "openness" to conservative Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's efforts to expand private two-tier health care in Alberta has not gone unnoticed by proponents of US-style, market-based, private health care in Canada who are praising it.

Although European countries with mixed private and public healthcare are sometimes cited as mocels, Canada's proximity to the United States and it largely for-profit healthcare system, as well as corporate interests in a similar conversion.

This federal Liberal stance is a particular danger here in Ontario where Doug Ford's Conservatives have been chipping away at our public health care system and showing an affinity for health care privatization and two-tiered health care.

The NDP checks the federal Liberal government for gutting pesticide rules

Following the passage of the federal Liberals' Bill C-30 on June 30, 2026, which included provisions that weaken Canada’s pesticide regulations, NDP MP Gord Johns, Critic for Health and Agriculture, issued the following statement: “Today, the Liberal government decided to let corporate lobbyists write the rules on pesticides rather than prioritizing the health and safety of Canadians. 

Instead of passing proposed amendments that could have blunted some of the worst impacts of the bill, the Liberal government chose to shut down debate and fast-track the passing of their omnibus bill.