Alex Ballingall covers federal politics in Ottawa for the Toronto Star with particular attention to Indigenous affairs, the environment and the NDP. Over more than five years at the Star, he has covered everything from the Toronto Raptors to the lack of oversight in Ontario's unlicensed daycare sector. In 2017, he was part of a team of journalists nominated for a Michener Award for their reporting on secrecy in Ontario's police accountability system. Reach him at (613) 237-4231.