National News

WASHINGTON — Canadians amused by the improbable presidential run of Donald Trump might be surprised to learn the role their own country played in shaping his story.

OTTAWA — A dubious poll purporting to show Justin Trudeau trailing in his own Montreal riding has set off alarm bells in an industry already struggling to regain credibility after some spectacular failures to gauge election outcomes.

OTTAWA — “The UN has asked us to bring in 9,000 refugees before Christmas; you won’t do it. They’ve asked for 46,000 over the next four years, you won’t do it.” — NDP Leader Tom Mulcair to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

TORONTO — Conservative Leader Stephen Harper did some deft skating Friday when he was told hockey legend Wayne Gretzky would be unable to vote for him Oct. 19 thanks to rules barring long-term Canadian expats from casting a ballot.

OTTAWA — Stephen Harper was under fire Friday for a debate remark the previous evening in which he predicted the auto sector may not like the outcome of the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks.

OTTAWA — Issues related to refugees continue to come up on the campaign trail, most often linked to the Syrian refugee crisis. But the Liberals and the NDP have also both attacked Conservative Leader Stephen Harper over refugee health-care coverage.

LAC-MEGANTIC, Que. — A Quebec NDP candidate who proposed reopening the Constitution to revisit freedom of religion in order to rule on the question of niqabs now says his comments were ill-considered and “contradictory.

OTTAWA — A look at key developments Friday on the campaign trail: Conservative Leader Stephen Harper was asked Friday to clarify a controversial comment from Thursday night’s debate.

CALGARY — Stephen Harper blasted his two main rivals in the leaders’ debate Thursday for economic policies which he says will cost thousands of jobs and hit Canadians in the pocketbook.

CALGARY — A combative Justin Trudeau was under fire from all sides Thursday as opponents slammed the Liberal leader’s economic plan as a formula for dumping debt on future generations and raising the taxes of working Canadians.