Alex Boutilier
Senior National Online Journalist, Politics, Enterprise
Alex Boutilier is a senior national reporter with Global’s Investigations and Enterprise team based in Ottawa. Boutilier focuses on national security and cybersecurity issues, policing and the Conservative Party of Canada.
Before joining Global in October 2021, Boutilier worked at the Toronto Star’s Ottawa bureau for eight years, and with the Metro papers in Halifax and Ottawa before that. His reporting career has taken him all over Canada – from Fort McMurray to Cape Breton to Arctic Bay. He’s yet to report from Newfoundland and Labrador but it’s on the list.
Boutilier has been reporting on Parliament Hill since 2013, and previously reported on provincial and municipal politics in Nova Scotia, as well as city politics in Ottawa. He was nominated for a National Newspaper Award in 2017 for his political reporting.
Reach Boutilier at alex.boutilier@globalnews.ca or on Twitter at @alexboutilier.
Author Archives
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Poilievre misses Pride flag raising, says he was working lateConservative Leader Pierre Poilievre scheduled a press conference Thursday as the Pride flag was being raised outside the House of Commons.Canada10 hours
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Johnston did not interview Han Dong for foreign interference reportFormer governor general says there were “strange practices, unusual practices” at Dong’s 2019 nomination meeting, but did not interview the Don Valley North MP.CanadaJun 6
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O’Toole says CSIS told him about ‘active’ voter suppression by BeijingErin O’Toole was briefed Friday by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) on China targeting him during the 2021 campaign, according to a source close to the sitting MP.CanadaMay 30
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The unanswered question at the heart of David Johnston’s foreign interference reportThe former governor general said he had extensive access to intelligence and national security officials to conclude a public inquiry into foreign interference isn’t necessary.CanadaMay 26
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Han Dong did not advocate for two Michaels’ continued detention, Johnston saysThe former governor general recommended against a public inquiry on foreign interference in Canadian elections and took issue with media leaks.CanadaMay 23
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‘Home-grown disinformation’ a growing threat to Canadian Armed Forces: reportA report for Canada’s military research branch finds the Armed Forces are 'poorly placed and inadequately prepared' to defend against misinformation and disinformation campaigns.CanadaMay 19
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Beijing is targeting MPs, but not with threats of ‘physical harm’: CSISCanada’s domestic spy agency says that the Chinese Communist Party’s interventions are a “threat to the security of Canada,” targeting economic, political and military sectors.CanadaMay 12
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Intel on ‘non-specific’ threats to MPs made it to PCO. Why not the PM?The Privy Council Office, the department that supports Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, confirms it received a 2021 security briefing detailing foreign interference threats to MPs.CanadaMay 11
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Mendicino refuses to name MPs targeted by foreign interference, citing secrecy lawThe public safety minister told reporters in Toronto that he can’t say whether other MPs allegedly targeted by China’s security services received briefings.CanadaMay 8
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Liberals try to delay fight over privacy rules for political partiesThe Liberal Party’s lawyers argue that a new law, which does not include privacy safeguards for Canadian voters, supersedes B.C. watchdog’s orders.CanadaMay 8
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Conservatives walking fine line in attacking Liberals on foreign interferenceThe Conservative Party partly faulted their hawkish line on Beijing for alienating Chinese Canadian voters in 2021 general election.CanadaMay 6
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Trudeau government says privacy rules shouldn’t apply to federal partiesThe Liberals’ budget bill says privacy rules should not apply to federal political parties collecting sensitive information on Canadian voters.CanadaMay 3
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Sudan crisis: Window closing to evacuate Canadians by air, officials sayCanadian Armed Forces are working with allies to examine land and sea evacuation routes after a Turkish plane was hit with gunfire at Khartoum airfield.CanadaApr 28
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‘Urgent’ to fix gaps in foreign interference defences before next election: MendicinoTestimony at House of Commons' probe into allegations of China’s foreign influence campaigns flags issues with Canada’s elections safeguards.CanadaApr 27
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Canadian government was warned for weeks that Sudan conflict was coming: sourcesCanadian, other governments under pressure to evacuate remaining nationals amid temporary ceasefire in Sudan crisis that has killed at least 427 people and injured thousands more.CanadaApr 26
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Canada’s political parties are exempt from privacy laws. Voters say that needs to endThe major political parties opposing B.C. watchdog’s privacy rules are also fighting against overwhelming public opinion, polling shows.CanadaApr 25
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‘We’re all under threat’: MPs urged to ‘plug holes’ in foreign interference defencesLiberals 2019 campaign director, now a advisor to Justin Trudeau, could not disclose contents of classified briefings but disputed recent public reporting on foreign interference.PoliticsApr 25
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Trudeau was briefed at least 5 times on foreign interference since 2021: docsTrudeau’s national security advisor says there have been 'numerous' informal discussions with the PM about foreign interference since Global’s initial reporting in November.CanadaApr 14
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Liberal Party of Canada fights privacy rules for parties as government mulls legislationThere are virtually no rules for how federal political parties collect, store and use sensitive personal information about Canadians.PoliticsApr 13
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ANALYSIS: Erin O’Toole’s legacy will be defined by what comes after his political exitThe former Conservative leader attempted to drag his party closer to the political centre, and ended up getting dragged out of his job by his own caucus.CanadaMar 31
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Canada to back Biden administration’s limits on ‘mercenary’ spyware toolsBiden issued an executive order on Monday aimed at restricting the U.S. government’s use of spyware that poses risks to national security.CanadaMar 30
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Budget 2023 promises plan to ‘protect’ Canadians from crypto risksThe government is also signaling their intention for new measures to “protect” Canadians from the “risks of crypto-assets."PoliticsMar 28
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Budget 2023: Privacy changes may be coming for political parties and voter dataThe potential federal legislation also comes at a time when the Liberals enjoy an edge over their political opponents when it comes to data collection.PoliticsMar 28
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What Budget 2023 tells us about foreign interference and bank risksForeign interference in Canada’s politics and banks is the target of new spending in Budget 2023 along with plans to give the country’s financial watchdog more powers.PoliticsMar 28
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Canada ‘badly’ needs a ‘Conservative renaissance,’ Harper saysFormer prime minister Stephen Harper compares the current political climate to that of the 1970s and suggests Poilievre will be Canada’s next prime minister.CanadaMar 22