Members of Parliament returned from their summer break Monday with trade tensions hanging over the country, a new but undefined alliance with Europe on the horizon, and a Liberal government ready to push an aggressive agenda to get major new infrastructure approved.
asserted
infrastructure → return → agenda
Buoyed by strong polling numbers and a trio of recent by-election wins that saw him increase his majority government, Prime Minister Mark Carney said last week his government will begin the session by introducing the Building Canada Strong Act.
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government → buoy → Act
The bill – which the government has indicated will be introduced Monday afternoon – is expected to address barriers slowing down the approvals process for major projects.
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government → indicate → projects
The legislation lands not long after Carney hosted an international investment summit that sought billions of dollars for infrastructure across the country, including data centres, ports, airports and energy projects.
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that → land → centres
The legislation is also expected to make substantial changes to the Canada Labour Code.
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legislation → expect → Code
Union leaders say they’re worried about the legislation threatening the right to strike.
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they → say → right
When asked if all workers should be able to walk away from a bad deal, Carney said Monday he would not talk about the legislation before it is tabled.
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it → ask → legislation
The legislation is being presented by Carney’s government as another step in its campaign to make the economy more resilient and less reliant on the United States through measures like additional export avenues to Europe and Asia.
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economy → present → Europe
The bill is sure to dominate much of the debate in the House of Commons this fall.
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bill → dominate → Commons
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is also poised to introduce a new bill to extend the excise tax break on fuel and has a fall budget in the works.
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Champagne → poise → works
The first order of business for the House of Commons on Monday was for Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia to read off a long list of seats which have become vacant since the House of Commons last sat.
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House → read → Commons
Since the House rose for the summer in mid-June, nine MPs have stepped down and three by-elections already have been held.
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elections → rise → June
The Liberals won all three, easily holding ridings in Toronto and North Vancouver and snatching a seat away from the Conservatives in Quebec.
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Liberals → win → Quebec
Carney was all smiles Monday as he accompanied his three new MPs into the House for the first time: former deputy chief of staff Braeden Caley from North Vancouver-Capilano, former riding association aide Tanveer Shahnawaz from Beaches-East York, and dairy farmer Daniel Gobeil from Chicoutimi-Le Fjord.
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he → accompany → Fjord
The six remaining vacant seats will require by-elections in the coming months.
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seats → remain → months
They include two seats previously held by the Liberals, two previously held by the Conservatives and one each held by the Bloc Québécois and NDP after the last election.
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They → include → election
Trade tensions with the United States will be a dominant theme of the fall sitting, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House cranks up the pressure on Canada and continues to threaten its sovereignty.
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House → crank → sovereignty
Trump has threatened to escalate his deepening trade war with additional tariffs on steel and autos if the two sides can’t reach an agreement by the end of the year.
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sides → threaten → year
Canada’s negotiating team walked away from a potential deal with the White House in August at the 11th hour, saying that what was on the table would be a bad deal for Canada.
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was → walk → Canada
The trade conflict then escalated, with Trump imposing another volley of tariffs and threatening even more, while Canada imposed its own counter-tariffs.
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Canada → escalate → tariffs
Trump also has attempted to rebrand Lake Ontario as Lake America and has sought to cut off certain Canadian imports to the United States.
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Trump → attempt → States
Carney responded by escalating efforts to deepen Canada’s ties elsewhere.
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Carney → respond → ties
In a speech to the European Parliament last week, Carney welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s move to work on making Canada an associate member of the European Union.
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Canada → welcome → Union
What that status would mean has yet to be determined.
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mean → mean → What
More detail is expected to come out of a Canada-Europe summit in Montreal in October.
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detail → expect → October
Carney met over the weekend with French President Emmanuel Macron in St-Pierre-Miquelon, France’s archipelago territory just off the coast of Newfoundland, and with Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Ottawa.
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Carney → meet → Ottawa
Carney is scheduled to attend question period Monday but he won’t be sticking around Ottawa for long.
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he → schedule → long
He will be in New York for meetings at the United Nations this week, though he is not scheduled to address the General Assembly.
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he → schedule → Assembly
The prime minister is expected to have more travel over the fall months, with several summits on the horizon.
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minister → expect → horizon
The Aporia
