Federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer addresses the Ontario PC Convention in Toronto on Saturday, November 17, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Five stories in the news for Monday, Nov. 19

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FLAILING NDP A WORRY FOR CONSERVATIVES

The federal Conservatives return to the House of Commons today after a tumultuous two weeks that included losing one of their best-known MPs to a sexual-misconduct scandal. But for leader Andrew Scheer and company, it's not Tony Clement's online activities, the potential spillover of harassment allegations against provincial Tory politicians, or even the growing popularity of former Tory Maxime Bernier's new political party that are keeping them up at night. The Tory nightmare now is the fall of the NDP.

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PRINCIPAL EXPLAINS DELAY IN REPORTING ALLEGED ASSAULT

The principal of a prestigious private boys' school says he held off on promptly informing police about an alleged sexual assault because the victim hadn't yet told his family about the incident. Greg Reeves, the principal of St. Michael's College School in Toronto, says he received a "horrific" video of the alleged incident last Monday night. He says he helped the student tell his parents on Tuesday morning, then shared the video with police on Wednesday.

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NATO ASSEMBLY TO WRAP UP HALIFAX MEETING

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly will wrap up four days of meetings today with its plenary sitting in Halifax. The event brings together about 600 politicians from the 29 NATO member countries, as well as delegates from partner countries to discuss international security issues. A wide range of hot-button topics were discussed during the weekend sessions, including Russian interference with democratic elections, NATO funding, and how terrorists use encrypted messages on the dark web.

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QUESTIONS OVER FEDERAL CULL COSTING $7,900 PER MOOSE

When a Mi'kmaq hunter shoots a moose in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, the meat feeds children, hides are used in clothing, and there's one fewer ungulate damaging the park's vulnerable forest. But some citizens question whether the average taxpayer price tag of $7,900 per animal is justified. More than 120 moose have been killed since the program was introduced three years ago. Ottawa flies in Aboriginal hunters, and helps them remove the carcass, with the food distributed to Mi'kmaq communities and food banks across Nova Scotia.

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GILLER PRIZE TO BE AWARDED AT TORONTO GALA

Literary luminaries will walk the red carpet tonight to mark a quarter-century of coronating Canada's leading authors with the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Five authors are in the running for the honour, to be awarded at a glitzy gala in Toronto. Comedian Rick Mercer will host the proceedings, which will be broadcast on CBC. A five-member jury culled this year's finalists from 104 titles submitted by publishers across the country. The Giller awards $100,000 to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English, and $10,000 to each finalist.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— Bank of Canada Governor Stephen S. Poloz in Winnipeg to mark the new vertical $10 bank note, featuring the portrait of Viola Desmond.

— Alberta Legislature Speaker Robert Wanner to lead a ceremony to mark the Ukrainian famine and genocide.

— Canada's largest affordable housing conference brings 1,400 delegates together in Vancouver to learn about the affordable housing crisis.

— NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh will hold a press conference to outline his party's priorities for the upcoming fiscal update.

— Ontario Premier Doug Ford will meet with Quebec Premier Francois Legault in Toronto.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2018