MPs are heading back to Parliament Hill. Here's what to watch this sitting
MPs are back on Parliament Hill for the fall legislative sitting. (Brian Morris/CBC)Social SharingMPs are heading back to Parliament Hill on Monday to pick up where they left off in June.
While the break is usually a quiet time in the political world, this past summer seemed anything but.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs in July (including over wildfire smoke) and trade talks subsequently ramped up only to collapse in August. Prime Minister Mark Carney made moves to deepen Canada's ties with the European Union.
All of this happened after the final whistle blew at the FIFA World Cup β which, to some, may feel like more than two months ago.
Carney's government will now be turning from diplomacy to its legislative agenda with an opposition that will be pushing for answers. Here are some key things to watch this fall sitting.
The prime minister just returned from Strasbourg, France, where he addressed the European Parliament about forming some kind of new alliance with the 27 countries that make up the European Union.
The precise details of that arrangement still need to be worked out, but Carney suggested it could touch on things like critical minerals, AI, defence, energy and finance.
Regardless of what is agreed to between the federal government and the powers that be in Europe, Carney said the agreement would be debated and voted on in the House. A final vote might not happen this fall but debate about the relationship is likely to be ongoing with more details expected to be unveiled at the CanadaβEU summit in October.
There are no signs that trade talks with the U.S. will happen anytime soon and the Trump administration will likely be fixated on the upcoming midterm elections rather than Canada. But things may change once those ballots are tallied in November.
On both fronts, the Conservatives will be pushing the government for more details. Leader Pierre Poilievre has called on Carney to release the text of the rejected trade deal β which negotiators say is protected by confidentiality agreements β and present a cost analysis of Canada's counter-tariffs.
Poilievre has also come out against getting too close to the EU, arguing Canada can't "afford European taxes, laws and open borders chaos."
The government will have to balance new bills they want to bring to the House floor this fall with legislative work they have left over from the spring.
Government House leader Steven MacKinnon told CBC's Rosemary Barton Live that the economy, jobs and trade will be major focuses for the Liberals this fall.
"Affordability is, of course, a major preoccupation for the government alongside our continued prosperity," he told host Rosemary Barton.
The biggest highlight will most likely be the budget. Last year, Carney bucked the trend of the federal government unveiling its overall spending plans in the spring and instead opted to introduce budgets in the fall.
The prime minister gave some hints of what to expect in the upcoming budget during last week's investment summit. During an address at the event, Carney said the government will be able to balance the operating budget β which it loosely defines as day-to-day spending on government programs β by next year, one year ahead of schedule.
Carney also announced that he plans to build on a tax deduction announced in last year's budget by introducing a productivity "mega-deduction" that will allow companies to expense the total cost of new investments across a number of sectors.
But speaking of last year's budget, there is still a touch of work to be done. Bill C-31, which officially implements portions of the 2025 budget, will be before committee this fall and needs to have a few more votes in Parliament before it passes. That bill includes tax changes and defence procurement provisions.
There are a number of other bills left over from the spring, including legislation to restrict access to social media platforms for kids under the age of 16, create a framework to protect drinking water in First Nations communities (which is receiving heavy scrutiny) and tighten privacy rules and regulations for companies handling Canadians' data.
A number of new bills are expected to be brought forward this fall, starting with legislation to extend the excise tax holiday on gasoline which will be introduced this week.
The Liberals are also expected to table legislation to further streamline the review process for major projects and make changes to the Labour Code. Two sources told CBC News that the bill is expected to be tabled this week.
The Labour Code changes will focus on industries that impact Canada's global exports, such as ports and railways, the sources said. Under the new rules, the labour minister would be explicitly allowed to direct the Canada Industrial Relations Board to end work stoppages in high-risk bargaining situations, the sources said.
A special mediator would have to issue a report prior to the minister intervening. That mediator would be appointed by the minister.
Opposition parties are coming back to the House with less leverage than they had a year ago after the Liberals were able to secure a majority government in April.
The Liberals bolstered numbers over the summer, sweeping three byelections in August. Two wins were in ridings previously by the governing party, but the Liberals picked up a seat in Quebec that was previously held by Conservative Richard Martel.
As things stand, the Liberals have 173 seats (including the Speaker who only votes when there is a tie) to the oppositions' combined 164 seats. There are half a dozen vacancies that still need to be filled which will give parties opportunities to boost their numbers.
Three of the six vacant seats are in Quebec: Laurier-Sainte-Marie, Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie and Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot-Acton. Scarborough North and Brantford-Brant South-Six Nations in Ontario as well as Saskatchewan's Yorkton-Melville round out the list of currently empty sets.
Two of the seats were last held by Liberals MPs, including former cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault. Two others were previously Conservative while the Bloc QuΓ©bΓ©cois and NDP held one each.
A byelection needs to be called between 11 and 180 days after an MP officially resigns. Given most of the currently empty seats were vacated in the last month, Carney could wait until February to call those votes.
But Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot-Acton needs to be called by Dec. 19 because former Bloc MP Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay stepped down in June and there has been a tendency to lump byelections together. The Liberals also currently have a strong lead in polls and Carney may be tempted to strike while the iron is hot.
Federal byelections aren't the only races that politicians in Ottawa will be having an eye on as voters prepare to cast their ballots at the provincial level this fall.
Out west, Albertans are set to vote on 10 referendum questions, including whether they want to remain in Canada or start the legal process required to hold a second, binding referendum on leaving the country.
Polls indicated that the remain side has vastly more support, but the outcome may come down to voter turnout. Regardless of the results, there are bound to be some ripple effects in Ottawa.
On the eastern side of the country, Quebec is having a provincial election with the separatist Parti QuΓ©bΓ©cois aiming to form its first government in over a decade. Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon had promised a separation referendum in the first year of a new mandate, but has since backtracked a tad to suggest he would wait until Trump is no longer in office.
The House of Commons is expected to sit until Dec. 11 when it will break for the holidays.
Darren Major is a senior writer for CBC's parliamentary bureau in Ottawa. He previously worked as a digital reporter for CBC Ottawa and a producer for CBC's Power & Politics. He holds a master's degree in journalism and a bachelor's degree in public affairs and policy management, both from Carleton University. He also holds a master's degree in arts from Queen's University. He can be reached at darren.major@cbc.ca.
