By John Q. Hosedrinker 
The Shopping Trends team, separate from CTV News journalists, has analyzed current consumer habits and found significant shifts in online purchasing behavior. They observed a surge in demand for specific product categories, including home office essentials and comfort-focused apparel. This change is driven by evolving lifestyles and a preference for convenience, making online retail a primary destination for many. Notably, the team may receive a commission when purchases are made through their provided links.
Read the original article here
Budget 2025: MPs pass Carney budget, avoid holiday election
The passing of the Carney budget for 2025 wasn’t really a surprise. No one truly wanted another election so soon. The New Democrats, especially, aren’t in a great position, lacking an official leader and facing an uphill battle to improve their already weak standing. The Conservatives and the NDP had a couple of members who “unexpectedly” abstained, a politically savvy move to avoid triggering an election without openly supporting the budget.
Essentially, the opposition parties were in a tricky spot. None of them wanted the government to fall because an election so soon would likely benefit the Liberals, making the opposition parties look bad in the public’s eye. The outcome of the budget vote was predictable, nobody wanted to see another election at this time. The NDP is facing internal challenges, and the Conservatives have a leadership question to address. This allowed the budget to pass, the two conservative opposition MPs seemingly “hid” from the vote to avoid being blamed and to maintain their stance that the budget is bad.
There was relief that a holiday election was avoided, so the focus could return to governing. While there was some concern over the budget’s contents, everyone seemed to agree that an election wasn’t the answer. The government’s lifespan might be shorter than four years. The budget’s passage seemed more about avoiding the political fallout of an election than any deep support for the budget itself.
It’s understandable to wonder why election days aren’t a national holiday, especially considering that the public’s opinion on another election would reflect poorly on anyone who tried to trigger one at this time. Voting isn’t terribly time-consuming. However, given the short notice of some elections, a general holiday might not be feasible.
It appeared some Conservatives were content to avoid being directly blamed for voting against the budget, while still having grounds to criticize it. The last-minute votes showed that.
The opposition parties needed time to regroup and possibly find better alternatives. The consensus was that the choices in the last election weren’t ideal. There was a sense that the current government system, which requires parties to collaborate, is a good thing for the country.
Carney, the current Prime Minister, is expected to continue with his agenda to cut short-term spending, but increase the overall deficit by making major investments in the Canadian economy. The public voted for that, and an election before it could be fully implemented would likely give the Liberals an advantage. While some may disagree with the budget, forcing an election wouldn’t be the best thing.
While the other parties didn’t like the budget, triggering an election would have been worse. The perception of the Conservatives blocking the government would hand the Liberals a victory. This is a chance for Carney and his party, as the Liberals will be on a short leash after 10 years, which could lead to a fall of the Liberals in a non-confidence vote at that time.
The reality is that everyone was ready for the next budget in the Spring. The Conservatives want to make it to the Spring budget. The Conservatives want to be in a position to take credit for the economy if the United States’ economy, under a new leader, rebounds. The political theater is in action and that’s understandable. Carney handled the entire situation quite well.