Stationed behind monogrammed podiums emblazoned with the party logo, the candidates began with a rapid-fire series of 30-second opening statements — many of them punctuated with mediocre French.

"One way to potentially interpret this is that the Trudeau government has shown that they're willing to approve projects that will get our resources to market," Gallant said.

The chiefs decided it wouldn't be appropriate for Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, the leader of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, to participate in a reconciliation ceremony.

The opinion of the European Union's Scientific Forum on Invasive Alien Species sets in motion a broader review of the proposal to ban American lobsters,

More than 80,000 civil servants are facing pay issues, including 720 who have not been paid at all — in some cases for months.

Under the plan, the government will accept up to 2,000 immigrant applications in 2017, with increased numbers in the following years depending on performance.

The Department of National Defence will spend $36 million on new training facilities for identifying and disposing of improvised explosive devices and other explosive ordinance.

The project would transport more than a million barrels of western Canadian oil a day to refineries in Eastern Canada and a marine terminal in Saint John.

"We have been clear we would not allow this activity to go forward unless our five conditions were met," Donald Arseneault said.