The Match Game | Your Look Ahead from Summa Strategies

Your Look Ahead from Summa Strategies

February 26, 2024
5 minute read

The Latest – Top stories driving the news this week.

The Liberals and the NDP reached a deal to table pharmacare framework legislation, ensuring the short-term survival of the parties’ confidence-and-supply agreement.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Kyiv to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. There, he signed a deal committing Canada to a $3.02-billion security assistance package for Ukraine.
The Ontario government introduced the Get It Done Act. The omnibus bill is designed to shorten environmental assessments of construction projects, require a referendum on any future provincial carbon pricing program, ban new tolls on provincial highways, and automatically renew vehicle registrations.

In the House – Key Green Chamber business set to play out.

Bill C-59, the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, is currently at second reading. Senate pre-study of the bill is ongoing.
The government indicated its intention to resume debate this week on Bill C-58, the Act to amend the Canada Labour Code and the Canada Industrial Relations Board Regulations, and Bill C-61, the First Nations Clean Water Act. Both sit at second reading.
Pharmacare legislation is expected to be introduced in the House of Commons this week.
Bill C-321, an Act to amend the Criminal Code (assaults against persons who provide health services and first responders), is at third reading and is scheduled for a differed vote on Wednesday.
Bill C-365, the Consumer-led Banking Act, is at second reading. Debate is scheduled to resume on Thursday.

Committee Updates

SECU will meet today to discuss car thefts in Canada. The committee will hear from the Insurance Bureau of Canada, amongst other witnesses.
INDU will meet today to discuss Bill C-49, the Act to amend the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act.
SRSR will hear from the Chief Science Advisor of Canada on Tuesday.
PACP will meet on Tuesday to discuss the auditor general’s report on ArriveCan. The auditor general is scheduled to appear.
DEDC will meet on Tuesday to discuss the use of the Emergencies Act. Dominic Leblanc, the minister of public safety, democratic institutions, and intergovernmental affairs, and Arif Virani, the minister of justice and attorney general of Canada, are scheduled to appear.

In the Senate – Stay informed on events in the Upper Chamber.

Bill C-241, the Act to amend the Income Tax Act (deduction of travel expenses for tradespersons), awaits third reading.
Bill C-244, an Act to amend the Copyright Act (diagnosis, maintenance and repair), is at second reading.
Bill C-252, the Child Health Protection Act, is at second reading.
Bill C-294, an Act to amend the Copyright Act (interoperability), awaits second reading.

Committee Updates

SECD meets today to examine and report on issues relating to national security and defence.
APPA will meet on Tuesday to examine the constitutional, treaty, political and legal responsibilities to First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The privacy commissioner of Canada and the information commissioner of Canada are scheduled to appear.
NFFN will meet on Tuesday to discuss Bill C-59, the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023, as part of the Senate’s pre-study of the bill.
AEFA will meet on Wednesday and Thursday to examine Bill C-57, the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act.

In Case You Missed It – Your crib notes for last week’s top stories.

Bill Blair, the minister of national defence, met with NATO counterparts in Europe, where he announced a contribution of $60 million to the UDCG Air Force Capability Coalition; $227.5 million in an Air Defence capability for Canadian Armed Forces members in Latvia; and $46 million to acquire new counter-drone equipment in support of Operation REASSURANCE.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government committed $2 billion to finance B.C. Builds, a program designed to construct thousands of rental homes on underused public land.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he expects Canada to lay out when it will reach the alliance’s target of spending two per cent of GDP on defence. Julianne Smith, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, said that she expects Canada to reach the spending goal and that the lack of a plan or timeline to do so “lacks the commitment” allies want to see.
Poilievre was asked at a news conference about his position on transgender women using spaces labelled for women. Poilievre told reporters he believes “female spaces should be exclusively for females, not for “biological males,” which caused many LGBTQ advocacy groups to react angrily.
Ottawa filed an appeal to a Federal Court decision that found its invocation of the Emergencies Act in response to the 2022 “Freedom Convoy” protests was unjustified. Chris Barber, one of the main organizers of the convoy, is suing the federal government for using the Emergencies Act to freeze his bank accounts, arguing it breached his Charter rights to protest.
Canada’s annual inflation rate slowed to 2.9 per cent in January, mostly due to a deceleration in the price of gas. Mortgage interest costs continued to be the main driver of inflation with a year-over-year rate of 27.4 per cent. Rent price growth ticked up to 7.9 per cent.

Provincial Updates

A look at the top news across the country.

The government presented the 2024 budget on Thursday, with a projected increasing deficit reaching $7.91 billion in the year through March 2025. The province is increasing the climate tax credit and family benefits, as well as introducing electricity savings.
First Nations Leadership Council said that it is extremely disappointed with the decision to pause proposed changes over the Land Act.
The government indicated, via its throne speech, that they will introduce legislation to protect renters from bad-faith evictions and to protect kids from protests at schools.

Premier Danielle Smith released a video last Wednesday to give a prelude to Alberta’s budget, scheduled for Thursday. She intends to limit spending and grow the Heritage Savings Trust Fund.
Gary Grewal, the Saskatchewan Party MLA representing Regina Northeast, announced he would not be seeking election in 2024. He is the 5th MLA from this party to do so this month and the 11th in total.
The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation said its members will pull out of all extracurricular activities for a 24-hour period today. The job action is part of a plan to get the province back to the negotiating table.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said his province has enough electricity to serve large, new industrial customers in spite of warnings from Manitoba Hydro about capacity challenges.

The government introduced the Get It Done Act last Tuesday. The omnibus bill is designed to shorten environmental assessments of construction projects, require a referendum on any future provincial carbon pricing program, ban new tolls on provincial highways, and automatically renew vehicle registrations.
The government announced that it repealed Bill 124 through an order-in-council after the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled it violated the collective bargaining rights of public sector workers.
Sources indicate that the government intends to provide $1.2 billion to Ontario’s post-secondary sector, which is in financial difficulty. It is said to include a $900 million stabilization fund for colleges and universities over three years.

The Quebec government is calling on Ottawa to reimburse $1 billion for welcoming a growing number of asylum seekers. Premier Legault added that Quebecers should have access to subsidized daycare before asylum seekers. The government decided to seek leave from the Supreme Court to appeal a decision that found the province’s daycare rules discriminatory.
The Quebec government will present a budget on March 12th. Premier Legault said the budget will be in significant deficit due to the salary increases for teachers and healthcare workers. Magali Picard of the FTQ reacted by stating that government workers need not feel guilty.
Public sector workers, part of the “common front” representing education and healthcare workers, voted 74.8 per cent in favour of accepting an agreement-in-principle reached with the Quebec government. The negotiations continue with the FIQ, which represents 80,000 nurses, nursing assistants, and other care professionals.
The government published on Wednesday its proposed regulation to increase data sharing from doctors. The Federation of General Practitioners of Quebec is fiercely opposed to the new rules and sent a formal notice to Health Minister Christian Dubé.

The New Brunswick government unveiled a requirement that households will have to show at least $3,000 in “working” income to receive a new $300 affordability benefit, disqualifying many seniors from accessing the money.
The Nova Scotia Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton plans to table a new Energy Modernization Act shortly. The Clean Electricity Task Force recommended the creation of two new entities: an independent operator to control energy system planning, and an independent energy regulator.
Liberal MLA Brendan Maguire crossed the floor to join the Progressive Conservatives last week and became the government’s new minister of community services. Maguire replaces Trevor Boudreau, who is leaving the portfolio for unspecified “personal and health reasons.”

What We're Watching

Find out what issues Summa consultants are tracking and why they matter.

Long Awaited Deal on Pharmacare Reached – Just days before the deadline, the NDP announced it reached a deal with the Liberals on pharmacare. Legislation is expected to be introduced this week in the House of Commons, but coverage will start with contraception and diabetes treatment. Both sides say this will provide the framework for a national pharmacare program. The next challenge will be negotiating implementation agreements with the provinces. As we saw with child care, the success of those talks often depends on the size of the cheque that the federal government brings to the table.

That’s So Budget – The legislation implementing the Fall Economic Statement(Bill C-59) may be moving at a snail’s pace, but that hasn’t stopped the government from turning its attention to a shinier financial bauble – the 2024 Budget. Expected to be tabled during the only full sitting week in March, the budget is the government’s latest chance to ‘reset the agenda’ after previous flops. While polls continue to suggest the Liberals might need a full leadership reboot, Mr. Trudeau is determined to stick around. He and his team are framing the next election as a fight for the future of democracy so expect to hear more of that messaging, starting with the budget.

It’s Not My Fault – As the Trudeau Liberals become less and less popular, beleaguered provincial governments have been increasingly turning to a well-worn political tactic – blame the feds. This is something that would have been almost unthinkable a year ago. During a recent radio interview, Premier Doug Ford labelled the federal environment minister “an extremist”, and wondered “who’s running the country, Justin Trudeau or Steven Guilbeault?” During the same interview, Ford also criticized the federal government’s plan to phase out gas-powered cars by 2035. In Quebec, the floundering CAQ accused the federal government of forcing them to carry a heavier burden than other provinces when it comes to asylum seekers. Francois Legault stated that the asylum crisis is a direct result of federal inaction. As the federal government continues to lose support, don’t be surprised if you see more provincial leaders criticize the Liberals more openly.

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The Match Game | Your Look Ahead from Summa Strategies

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