Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.
Five things you need to know
Ex-Tory defector Marilyn Gladu, who became the Liberals' newest MP earlier this week, has insisted her decision was the "best thing" for her strongly Conservative riding, and also the best thing for herself. The Sarnia-area MP also claimed voters in her riding think her defection is a "good thing," despite the fact a majority backed the Tories in last year's election.
Reporter: You're telling us [your constituents] want this. I just don't buy it
— Scott Robertson (@sarobertsonca) April 10, 2026
Marilyn Gladu: I've been listening to my constituents since last summer ... it's going to be good for their riding. It's going to be good for the country and it's good for me personally as well. pic.twitter.com/cBkb6Sopl0
Tory leader Pierre Poilievre, meanwhile, has been in British Columbia urging the federal government to ensure private property ownership is given precedence over Aboriginal title in the wake of controversial court decisions that have spread fear among residents in the province. He explained: "This is not a claim that Indigenous Peoples have no rights. They do have rights and those rights should be upheld. At the same time, they must coexist with the rights of homeowners to keep the property that they paid for and they legitimately own." Poilievre was also asked about his leadership in the wake of yet another MP defection, but dodged the question, saying only: "What this comes down to is: who runs this country? Who leads this country? Is it a bunch of backroom schemers and elites who rob people of their votes? Or is it the hard working common people who should be running the country in a democracy?"
Poilievre is asked "Could you go farther and talk about fee simple being enshrined in the Constitution?"
— cbcwatcher (@cbcwatcher) April 9, 2026
Poilievre "That's a good question. I think that it's regrettable that it's not there right now"
"Property rights are human rights. You need property right protection to… pic.twitter.com/50iaQJIbqR
Swedish firm Saab has sweetened its offer to Canada as it attempts to persuade the Liberal government to buy its Gripen-E fighter jets: it will now create a "sovereign" data centre in Montreal to store secret mission data, it said. The company told CBC News: "With Gripen the Royal Canadian Air Force will have full, independent control over aircraft, software and sensitive data." The Liberals have so far refused to honour even their own timeline when it comes to deciding whether to add Gripens to Canada's air arsenal or to continue with the purchase of a full fleet of US-made F-35 fighters. Newly minted Liberal MP Marilyn Gladu said on Thursday, however, that Mark Carney is "buying F-35s," though she did not elaborate.
Saab dangles sovereign data centre in Montreal to undercut F-35 fighter contract. Swedish firm pitches centre as means to keep mission-critical data out of U.S. hands, @Murray_Brewster reports https://t.co/2sXiVRpk7p
— National Newswatch (@natnewswatch) April 10, 2026
Find out more at https://t.co/1zbPY5GAhV pic.twitter.com/LzWGFg6ST4
As gas prices continue to remain high in the wake of the US-Israeli attack on Iran, Canadians rank cutting fuel taxes as the number one means of providing relief at the pump, according to a new poll. The Nanos survey, commissioned by Bloomberg, found that 39 per cent of respondents backed tax relief as their preferred course of action. The top solution for BC respondents, however, was "invest more in long-term energy alternatives."
Canadians rank cutting fuel taxes as the No. 1 action Prime Minister Mark Carney should take to offset higher gasoline prices https://t.co/Bb6bFqjv47
— Bloomberg (@business) April 9, 2026
Over in the US, meanwhile, gas prices surged by 21 per cent between February and March, according to new data. The Labor Department said overall inflation hit 3.3 per cent last month in the biggest monthly change since 2022. The cause is Donald Trump's war in Iran, which the US and Iran are presently discussing during a tentative two-week ceasefire. Writing on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump complained: "There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait — They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!"
