Total Eclipse of the House | Your Look Ahead from Summa Strategies

Your Look Ahead from Summa Strategies

April 8, 2024
5 minute read

The Latest – Top stories driving the news this week.

More multi-minister announcements are expected this week as part of the government’s pre-budget rollout, which has so far resulted in billions in various new spending and loan measures. When asked whether that means the Liberals will be looking for additional revenue through new taxes, one federal minister was non-committal.
The government is expected to release its long awaited update to the country’s defence policy today.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $2.4 billion in funding for AI-related investments.
NDP MPs Carol Hughes and Rachel Blaney have joined Charlie Angus in announcing that they won’t run again in the next federal election.
François-Philippe Champagne said in an interview with The Canadian Press that he considers nuclear power part of the renewable energy portfolio that needs to grow to support the country’s lean into “the economy of the 21st century.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested the Canadian government plans to make changes that will affect the mortgage sector in its April 16 budget.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not say whether he would allow former Liberal MP Han Dong back into caucus, after Dong testified at Canada’s inquiry into foreign election interference that he wants back into the party.
It was announced that the Prime Minister of France, Gabriel Attal, will travel to Canada from April 10 to 12, 2024. A state dinner is expected to happen this week.
Activists and supporters are expected to gather at a number of conferences in Ottawa this week; the right-leaning Canada Strong and Free Network (formerly Manning Centre) hosts their conference Wednesday to Saturday, with the Broadbent Institute hosting a multi-day summit typically geared towards those on the political left.
When commenting on the international student debate, Premier Doug Ford says he’d like to see Ontario post−secondary institutions attended only by students from Ontario. Ford said about 18 per cent of students in the province’s colleges and universities are from foreign countries. He said he would like to see 100 per cent of students in post−secondary schools come from Ontario.

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

Bill C-59, the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, is under consideration by the House finance committee. It unanimously agreed to a motion governing the study, including that it hold at least 20 hours of witness testimony (minus time for the minister and officials), and begin the amendment process no later than April 30, 2024. The Senate finance committee has a pre-study ongoing.
Bill C-27, an Act to enact the Consumer Privacy Protection Act, the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts, was set to begin the clause-by-clause amendment process at INDU today.
Bill C-61, an Act respecting water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on First Nation lands, (First Nations Clean Water Act), is scheduled for debate today.
Bill C-270, Stopping Internet Sexual Exploitation Act, sits at second reading (scheduled for debate on Tuesday).
Tuesday, April 9 shall be an allotted day (opposition day).
Bill C-379, Combating Motor Vehicle Theft Act, sits at second reading (scheduled for debate on Thursday).
Bill C-376, an Act to amend the Criminal Code (orders prohibiting the possession of weapons), sits at second reading (first time debated).

Committee Updates

SFOP will meet today to discuss the agenda and procedure of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.
INDU will meet today to discuss Bill C-27 and begin the clause-by-clause amendment process.
INAN will meet today to discuss improving graduation rates and successful outcomes for Indigenous students.
HUMA will meet today to discuss Bill C-58, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code and the Canada Industrial Relations Board Regulations, 2012, to have a briefing with Air Canada on services offered to travellers with disabilities, and to discuss implications of artificial intelligence technologies for the Canadian labour force.
HESA will meet today to discuss women’s health.
FINA will meet tomorrow at 10.00 am and at 3.30 pm to discuss Bill C-59, the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act. It also has four hours of witness testimony scheduled for Thursday on the topic.

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

Bill C-59, the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, is under consideration by the House finance committee. It unanimously agreed to a motion governing the study, including that it hold at least 20 hours of witness testimony (minus time for the minister and officials), and begin the amendment process no later than April 30, 2024. The Senate finance committee has a pre-study ongoing.
C-244, concerning the right to repair, C-294, on interoperability, sit at second reading in the senate awaiting debate.
S-244, an Act to amend the Department of Employment and Social Development Act and the Employment Insurance Act (Employment Insurance Council), sits at third reading.
S-258, an Act to amend the Canada Revenue Agency Act (reporting on unpaid income tax), sits at third reading.
C-241, an Act to amend the Income Tax Act (deduction of travel expenses for tradespersons), sits at third reading.

Committee Updates

OLLO will meet today to study on the application of the Official Languages Act within those institutions subject to the Act, and to study matters relating to minority-language health services
NFFN will meet tomorrow to study the subject matter of Bill C-59, Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023, and Supplementary Estimates (C) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.
TRCM will meet tomorrow to study the impacts of climate change on critical infrastructure in the transportation and communications sectors.
AGFO will meet tomorrow to study the government response to the committee’s report entitled Treading Water: The impact of and response to the 2021 British Columbia floods, and report on issues relating to agriculture and forestry generally.
AEFA will meet on Wednesday to study on foreign relations and international trade generally, and examine and report on Canada’s interests and engagement in Africa.

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

The federal government is pledging billions of dollars in new money to tackle Canada’s housing crisis, but much of it will be accessible only to provinces and territories that agree to certain conditions, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last Tuesday. Speaking in Dartmouth, N.S, Trudeau announced the federal government is creating a new $6-billion Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund.
The federal government is planning to launch a nearly $1.5-billion rental protection fund, aimed at providing loans and grants to non-profit organizations to buy rental units in an effort to keep prices affordable. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement in Winnipeg last Thursday morning alongside NDP Premier Wab Kinew.
Continuing his pre-budget spending pledge tour, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is promising a $15-billion top-up as well as reforms to “turbocharge” an existing federal apartment construction loan program. Related to this loan offering, Trudeau says the federal government also plans to launch a new “Canada Builds” initiative to help build more rental housing across Canada.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford called on the federal government to require public servants to work in the office more frequently to revitalize Ottawa’s downtown, but the federal government and unions did not appear moved by the request.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $1 billion in low-cost loans, grants and student loan forgiveness to expand child care across Canada. The funding is part of the Liberal government’s effort to win back support among younger voters and middle-class families.
The federal government said it will give British Columbia $69.9 million for new child-care spaces and what it describes as inclusive child-care services, and B.C. said 930 new spaces will be added to the provincial $10-a-day child-care program this spring.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government will introduce new measures — including a new “bill of rights”— that he said will help protect those who rent their homes as part of the upcoming budget. Trudeau said the new measures are specifically geared toward younger people, who are renting more than previous generations.
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature. Poilievre said he spoke with Kinew about his “common sense” plan for the country, adding the two share similar goals on certain topics.
Frustration and confusion over the Canadian Dental Care Plan, announced late last year, has P.E.I. dentists turning away from the program, the association said. When it surveyed its members recently, it got 36 responses, representing about half of the association’s members, and 32 of those dentists said they would not sign up for it.

Provincial Updates

A look at the top news across the country.

First responders will be running an emergency evacuation drill on April 18, part of the resort community’s recent Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan as drought and climate change continue to intensify fire behaviour and the threat to life it presents.
The British Columbia government introduced legislation enacting its new home-flipping tax last Wednesday. The province said the tax will target speculators and improve housing supply.
British Columbia’s government has introduced a bill that would give federally recognized First Nations the legal right to acquire and hold land in the province. B.C.’s ministry of Indigenous Relations said in a statement that the changes to land title and property laws would allow First Nations to register at the land title office, “reducing discriminatory and racist barriers” for them to own land.

The Alberta and federal governments are at odds over conditions attached to some new federal housing programs. As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland travelled the country to announce nuggets in the April 16 federal budget designed to increase affordable housing, Alberta cabinet ministers are baulking at some of the strings attached to secure that funding.
Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan have announced they are partnering to build addictions treatment systems focused on recovery, instead of safe supply. To start, the three provinces will focus on sharing policy ideas to manage the addictions crisis. Alberta’s minister of mental health and addictions, Dan Williams, introduced the partnership last Thursday at the Recovery Capital Conference in Calgary.
The first budget from the Wab Kinew-led NDP provincial government has been announced. To help pay for some of the budget, the government plans on overhauling the school tax system which will bring in an additional $148 million. The extra revenue will help cover two focus points for the NDP – the health-care system and the cost of living. The Manitoba government is promising to hire 1,000 new health-care workers this year. They are directing $310 million to bring in 100 new doctors, 210 nurses, 90 paramedics and 600 health-care aides.

The Ontario government is investing $1.3 billion to support the construction and expansion of 60 schools across the province. For the first time in the province’s history, the government is more than doubling the funding to build more schools and expansions, which will create 27,093 new student spaces and 1,759 child care spaces.
The Ford government appears to be casting aside the federal government’s latest housing plan, which would require provincial buy-in on fourplexes in order to receive funding from Ottawa in 2025. Last Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a $6-billion infrastructure and housing fund for provinces and municipalities that comes with binding conditions that lower levels of government must adhere to in order to qualify for the cash.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford repeated a promise last Wednesday that the province will build a new hospital in Durham Region, but said his government will decide the location.

The Quebec government will not have to pay an additional $717,000 to Jean Charest for abuse of procedure. Superior Court Judge Gregory Moore last week rejected the former Quebec premier’s request, which began after the leak of confidential documents to the Unité permanente anticorruption (UPAC) in 2017.
Chief Gilbert Dominique is trying to remain optimistic that a “fundamentally important” treaty will be finalized with the Quebec government despite delays. A year after the deadline passed to conclude the Petapan Treaty, Dominique said there’s still “total disappointment” in his community of Pekuakamiulnuatsh, located 260 kilometres northwest of Quebec City.
A trial opened last Tuesday in a class-action lawsuit accusing the Quebec government of wiping out hundreds of millions of dollars in the value of taxi permits by allowing ride-hailing company Uber to operate and then by abolishing the permit system.
Québec solidaire spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois urged the Coalition Avenir Québec government last Wednesday to immediately hit the brakes on the opening of private specialized clinics. At a press conference in front of the Institut de chirurgie spécialisée de Montréal, Nadeau-Dubois and QS health critic Vincent Marissal urged Health Minister Christian Dubé to stop issuing permits for specialized medical centres.

The Nova Scotia government said it ended a longstanding subsidy for the Cape Breton railway because there is no chance the unused rail line will be restored to operating status anytime soon.
Halifax councillors have finalized the extra items they will fund — or cut — from this year’s budget, landing on a 6.3 per cent increase to the tax bill. A report before the Halifax Regional Municipality budget committee last Tuesday said municipal staff had moved funds around to land at an eight per cent raise to balance the 2024-25 budget.
The federal government will spend more than $430 million on the New Brunswick health-care and long-term care systems due to two new bilateral agreements. According to a news release from Health Canada, New Brunswick and the federal government signed the Working Together and the Aging with Dignity agreements.

What We're Watching

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

Show Me Your Climate Plan, I’ll Show You Mine – On April 1st, the federal carbon tax rose an additional 3.3 cents per litre of gasoline. Consumer carbon pricing has been a (literal) rallying cry for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre; this past week, he called for the Prime Minister to host an emergency First Minister’s meeting to hear from premiers on the tax’s impact. Provincial premiers have followed suit. So far, the Liberals have held firm in their support of the carbon tax, insisting alternatives from provincial premiers don’t meet their stringent expectations.

With opposition to the carbon price now coming from inside the proverbial Liberal house (Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey has asked for a pause), pressure mounts on Trudeau to revisit the policy. It seems unlikely the Liberals would willingly put the carbon tax back into the spotlight by hosting such a meeting, particularly as they aggressively hit the pavement to sell their budget plans. Even with April 1st behind us, it seems unlikely this debate will cool anytime soon.

Byelection Bonanza – Two provincial byelections to replace former Ontario cabinet ministers were called last Wednesday. This will serve as the first test for all parties since Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie took helm of the party at the end of 2023.

The election in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex is widely anticipated to be an easy victory for the incumbent Progressive Conservatives, having been solidly blue for over ten years. However, the election in Milton may prove to be more interesting. Held federally by Liberal Adam Van Koeverdan, Milton has remained relatively competitive over the last two provincial elections. Coupled with the Liberal candidate’s name recognition (he is the son of a former Liberal MPP) and Crombie’s own familiarity to Mississauga residents having recently served as their Mayor, this campaign will be one to keep an eye on.

Not our First Roadshow – The April 16th federal budget may have little left to keep secret. Ahead of Minister Freeland’s speech in the House, the Prime Minister and cabinet have embarked on an atypical two-week pre-budget roadshow across the country. With the polls showing little change, the Liberals have attempted to take control of slow news days during a spring marathon of constituency weeks.

Along with billions in new money announced for housing and supporting infrastructure, the Liberals have revealed plans for a National School Food Program and the expansion of $10-a-day childcare. The budget’s focal points are expected to be housing, the cost of living, and economic growth – top issues facing Canadians right now. Expect an added layer catering to Gen-Z and Millennial voters who have been swept away from the Liberals, and are currently backing the Conservatives.

Budget day itself will unveil the comprehensive fiscal picture and market impacts, keeping the detailed specifics for the budget document. Stay up to date with Summa’s 2024 Federal Budget Hub as this pre-budget charm offensive continues.

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Total Eclipse of the House | Your Look Ahead from Summa Strategies

Your Look Ahead from Summa Strategies

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