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Spring Fever | Your Look Ahead from Summa Strategies

Your Look Ahead from Summa Strategies

  • 8 minute read
The Latest – Top stories driving the news this week.
  • The state funeral for the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, P.C., C.C., G.O.Q., will take place on March 23, 2024, at the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal. Tributes will be paid to Mulroney in the House of Commons on Monday, and he will lie-in-state in Ottawa until Wednesday, March 20th. Mulroney will then lie-in-repose beginning Thursday, March 21, 2024.
  • Pierre Poilievre announced that the Conservatives will be forcing multiple votes in Parliament this week to spike Trudeau’s carbon tax hike set for April 1st. It is expected the final vote will take place on Thursday. 
  • The CRTC launched public consultations on Thursday to gather views on the regulatory framework for the Online News Act (formerly Bill C-18). The Act is intended to help Canadian news organizations reach fair commercial agreements with the largest online platforms.
In the House – Key Green Chamber business set to play out.
  • Bill C-365, the Consumer-led Banking Act sits at second reading and is scheduled for a deferred vote this Wednesday.
  • Bill C-59, the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023 is currently at second reading and is on notice. Senate pre-study of the bill is ongoing, and notice of time allocation was given (though not yet voted on).
  • Bill C-52, the Enhancing Transparency and Accountability in the Transportation System Act, sits at second reading in the House of Commons.
  • Bill C-49, the Act to amend the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act, is being considered at RNNR committee.
  • Bill C-27, the Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022 is being considered at INDU committee.

Committee Updates

  • OGGO will meet today to discuss Supplementary Estimates (C), 2023-24.
  • CACNwill meet today to discuss Canada-China relations, and Deputy Prime Minister Freeland is scheduled to appear.
  • SECU will meet today to discuss Bill C-26, An Act respecting cyber security, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other Acts.
  • RNNR will meet today to discuss Bill C-49, the Act to amend the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act.
  • INDU will meet today to discuss the accessibility and affordability of wireless and broadband services in Canada.
  • CIMM will meet today to discuss closed work permits and Temporary Foreign Workers.
  • PACP will meet tomorrow to discuss Report 1, ArriveCAN, of the 2024 reports of the Auditor General of Canada.
  • AGRI will meet tomorrow to discuss efforts to stabilize food prices.
  • ETHI will meet tomorrow to discuss the decision of the RCMP to not pursue a criminal investigation in relation to the SNC-Lavalin affair.
  • FOPO will meet tomorrow to discuss illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and plans to prevent violence during the 2024 elver fishing season.
  • INDU will meet on Wednesday to discuss the use of foreign workers at the EV battery manufacturing facility in Windsor, Ontario.
  • CIMM will meet on Wednesday for a briefing on the temporary immigration measures initiated in response to the ongoing conflicts in Sudan and Gaza. Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller is scheduled to appear.
  • HUMA will meet on Thursday to discuss Bill C-58, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code and the Canada Industrial Relations Board Regulations, 2012, and Minister of Labour and Seniors Seamus O’Regan is scheduled to appear.
  • SRSR will meet on Thursday to discuss the distribution of federal government funding among Canada’s post-secondary institutions.
  • CIIT will meet on Thursday to discuss the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management system (CARM).
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

  • RIDR will meet today for the government response to the fourth report of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights entitled “Human Rights of Federally-Sentenced Persons”, tabled in the Senate on June 16, 2021, during the Second Session of the Forty-third Parliament.
  • SECD will meet today to examine and report on issues relating to national security and defence generally on the topic of the current situation in Ukraine, Canada’s military support, and implications for Canada’s defence operations.
  • APPA will meet tomorrow to examine the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, 2021. They will also meet on Wednesday to examine the constitutional, treaty, political and legal responsibilities to First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
  • NFFN will meet on Wednesday to discuss the subject matter of Bill C-59, the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023.
  • TRCM will meet on Wednesday to study the impacts of climate change on critical infrastructure in the transportation and communications sectors and the consequential impacts on their interdependencies.
In Case You Missed It – Your crib notes for last week’s top stories.
  • The Prime Minister participated virtually in a High-Level Meeting on Haiti last week convened by Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government and hosted by Jamaica, where he highlighted Canada’s ongoing efforts to support Haiti and CARICOM countries as they prepare to address the ongoing crisis.
  • Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne concluded a three-day visit to Italy on Friday, where he joined his G7 counterparts to discuss innovation and the governance and responsible use of emerging technologies, including Artificial intelligence (AI) which was a prominent topic of discussion.
  • Minister Champagne was also in Washington D.C. earlier last week, meeting with elected representatives and corporate leaders in the U.S. as part of the government’s “Team Canada” charm offensive. The tour is one of several planned with an eye to bolstering relationships with our largest trading partner ahead of the November presidential election.
  • Seven of Canada’s Premiers have called upon the federal government to pause its carbon price increase, set for April 1st. Notably, Liberal Premier Andrew Furey of Newfoundland joined conservative Premiers in asking Ottawa to stand down on this core policy, until inflation stabilizes.
  • The Ontario government has paused the estimated 4.6 per cent increase to the beer basic tax and LCBO mark-up rates that was scheduled for March 1, 2024. This latest freeze will be in place for two years, until March 1, 2026.

Provincial Updates

A look at the top news across the country.

  • The B.C. government introduced legislation on Thursday to recover health-related costs from alleged “wrongdoers,” including social media giants. Attorney General Niki Sharma said if it passes, this legislation will allow the province to use the courts for recovery of costs associated with the harm caused by the promotion and distribution of certain products.
  • B.C. information and privacy commissioner Michael McEvoy released a joint statement with his counterparts in Alberta and Quebec applauding Airbnb’s reversal of a global policy on the use of security cameras in short-term rentals.
  • Lifesaving cancer therapy, Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell (CAR-T) therapy, is now being provided in B.C. intake and patient assessment with the first treatments set to start this month.
  • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith met with the Prime Minister on Wednesday where she expressed gratitude for the progress on the Trans Mountain pipeline. She also noted that seven premiers now want a pause on the planned carbon tax hike.
  • The Alberta government released a map on Thursday defining which parts of the province are off−limits to wind and solar power. 
  • The Alberta government has scaled back its plan to attract skilled workers to the province. Alberta’s jobs, economy and trade minister said the Alberta is Calling program launching in April, will offer a one-time $5,000 refundable tax credit to tradespeople who move to the province in 2024 and file that year’s taxes in Alberta.
  • The Minister responsible for PrairiesCan, Dan Vandal, announced $6 million to support the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) at their Rare Earth Processing Facility to help establish and commercialize a process to separate unrecovered rare earth oxides (REO) from radioactive monazite tailings that would have otherwise been disposed of resulting in additional rare earths sufficient to manufacture up to 65,000 EVs per year.
  • The province is on the hook for more than $6 billion in payments to broader public sector workers as a result of the provincial government’s wage restraint legislation being found unconstitutional.
  • On Tuesday, workers participated in a province-wide protest demanding the Ford government to stop “the sell-off of the LCBO.” Petitions were distributed to the offices of 11 government officials, including the premier’s constituency office in Etobicoke.
  • The Town of Huntsville’s municipal office was closed on Monday and Tuesday as specialists investigated a cybersecurity incident. Huntsville was the second Ontario municipality to report a cybersecurity incident in the last three weeks.
  • The Prime Minister rejected Quebec’s request for full powers over immigration to the province. Trudeau made the comments on Friday following a meeting in Montreal with Premier Francois Legault, adding that Quebec already has more control over newcomers than any other province or territory.
  • Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard presented the provincial budget on Tuesday with a projected $11-billion deficit for the next fiscal year, more than three times higher than what the government had forecast for 2023-24.

What We're Watching

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

April’s Fool? — Seven of Canada’s Premiers are among the voices calling for the federal government to delay their planned carbon price increase scheduled for April 1st. The Prime Minister has held firm (so far), saying that the newly rebranded “Canada Carbon Rebate” puts money back in the pockets of Canadians, and that a carbon price is necessary to combat climate change. That hasn’t stopped Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre from doubling down on his “Axe the Tax” promise (now coupled with a new “Spike the Hike” slogan) while threatening marathon votes in the House of Commons centered on this issue. With persistent affordability issues and weakening public support for the carbon tax, this issue is likely to fuel a painful few weeks for an already beleaguered government.

Let’s Get Down to (House) Business — In light of the Conservative’s plans to force carbon-tax related votes in Parliament this week, normal House business may well be disrupted. Key government business, including C-59 (the Fall Economic Statement bill), are poised for votes this week, but with only two days allocated for government business, there are few opportunities to advance this before another two-week break.

Forcing votes can disrupt business, but only to a point. The government has a few tricks up its sleeve to keep things moving, including a recent motion allowing the government to extend sittings until midnight (a pressure tactic) and placing limits on forced votes on budgetary estimates. Removing this from the opposition toolkit may result in the government’s business getting through by end-of-week.

Nenshi and the New Democrats — Alberta’s NDP leadership race had a newsworthy shakeup this week, with former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi throwing his hat in the ring. This may spell trouble for the federal NDP, as Nenshi has previously floated “loosening” the ANDP’s ties with its federal brethren. Other leadership candidates in the race – Rakhi Pancholi and Kathleen Granley – have also flirted with disaffiliation.

This endangers the federal NDP’s hopes of repeating the 2021 triumph in Edmonton-Griesbach and flipping other Conservative-held ridings in Edmonton. The federal party has been dedicating significant resources towards cultivating support in the city; a Nenshi victory may leave them with even fewer allies in Alberta.

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