Under the G … Seven | Your Look Ahead from Summa Strategies
Your Look Ahead from Summa Strategies
- 7 minute read
The Latest
Top stories driving the news this week.
- Ahead of the G7 Summit later this week, Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to make a major defence and security announcement in Toronto today. Government sources say Carney will unveil the largest increase in defence spending since the Second World War, enabling Canada to meet its NATO target this year.
- U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said that Carney was holding direct talks with President Trump to negotiate a framework for a trade and security agreement. He has also stated that Trump’s tariffs on Canada are unlikely to be lifted.
- Carney agreed to talks with Beijing to resolve a trade war involving billions of dollars of goods, including seafood and agriculture products. Previously, after the First Ministers’ meeting, Carney had stated that his government is working to remove Chinese tariffs on seafood and agricultural products.
- At NATO headquarters, Minister of National Defence David McGuinty stated that he was reviewing every facet of defence spending, amidst calls for NATO countries to spend 5 per cent of GDP on defence.
- The government’s reply to the throne speech was adopted without a vote. The reply is a confidence motion, meaning that if the opposition voted it down, there might have been a snap election.
- President Trump doubled steel and aluminum tariffs to 50 per cent last Tuesday. In response, the Prime Minister stated that Canada will take “some time” to respond. Minister of Industry Melanie Joly also indicated a crackdown on the dumping of cheap foreign steel into Canada is coming.
- The Carney government unveiled its new border legislation. Bill C-2, the Stronger Borders Act, aims to fight organized crime and fentanyl, secure the borders, and provide additional tools to fight financial crime. It also gives law enforcement the ability to exercise some powers without a warrant. A national coalition of civil liberty groups stated that this bill could violate human rights and liberties.
- Carney hosted the First Ministers’ Meeting with premiers last Monday. After the meeting, Ontario Premier Doug Ford called the rendezvous the “best” in a decade. While premiers came prepared with a list of their desired nation-building projects, the finalized list was not shared publicly.
- Earlier last week, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Sean Fraser asserted that First Nations and Indigenous communities cannot veto nation-building projects. He later apologized for his comments and committed to rebuilding trust with Indigenous groups.
- After opposition MPs successfully passed a motion calling on the government to release a budget or a spring economic update before the summer break, Carney stated that he would “take note” of the request.
- U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra stated that there may be an opportunity for Canada to work with American automakers on an industrial strategy to combat Chinese automakers.
- German and Norwegian defence officials noted their confidence that Canada will sign onto the ReArm Europe plan in the coming weeks, which would make it easier for the government to procure submarines from allies.
In the House
Key Green Chamber business set to play out.
- According to the Thursday question, today and tomorrow are opposition days. The main estimates will be considered in committee of the whole for today, tomorrow, and Wednesday.
- Today’s opposition day motion is related to affordability, noting food inflation as a major stress on Canadian families and calling on the government to table a “fiscally responsible budget” before the House adjourns for the summer.
- Bill C-2, An Act respecting certain measures relating to the security of the border between Canada and the United States and respecting other related security measures, currently sits at second reading.
- Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, was introduced on Friday and currently sits at second reading. The bill provides cabinet with expanded powers to approve “nation-building projects.”
Committee Updates
- The House of Commons adopted a motion on Thursday morning that laid out the membership breakdown of House standing committees. The motion gave the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs until Tuesday to convene its first meeting for the purposes of determining the membership of all other standing committees.
- The Liberal chaired committees will have five Liberals (including the chair) four Conservatives, and one Bloc Quebecois member. Conservative chaired committees will have four Conservatives (including the chair), four Liberals and one Bloc Quebecois member.
- New Democrats weren’t provided a spot on committee by the convening motion the House adopted on Thursday.
In the Senate
Stay informed on events in the Upper Chamber.
- Bill S-209, Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act, currently sits at second reading.
- Bill S-202, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (warning label on alcoholic beverages), currently sits at second reading.
- Bill S-203, Alcoholic Beverage Promotion Prohibition Act, currently sits at second reading.
Committee Updates
- The Senate has not constituted committees other than the Committee of Selection, which nominates senators to committees.
In Case You Missed It
Your crib notes for last week’s top stories.
- Federal government sources suggest that Prime Minister Mark Carney may weaken or cancel the emissions cap if oil and gas companies will fund a multi-billion dollar carbon capture project in the Alberta oilsands.
- Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs Rebecca Chartrand harassed an employee for several months in 2019, while she was the executive director for Winnipeg’s Red River College Polytechnic. This finding was a result of an external investigation by a Winnipeg law firm.
- Former astronaut and minister of transport Marc Garneau passed away last Wednesday. He was the first Canadian to go into space and served as an MP from 2008 until his retirement in 2023.
- Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper called for renewed ties with India. He did not mention the RCMP’s probe into the Indian government’s actions of murder, extortion, and coercion on Canadian soil. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the G7 summit later this month.
- The co-chair of the federal government’s climate change advisory group criticized Prime Minister Mark Carney’s comments on sending “decarbonized oil” through pipelines, citing that the term was “fossil fuel marketing speak.”
- According to a Global News analysis, Liberal MPs announced $3.86 billion in funding commitments in the week prior to the start of the federal election. These announcements were made by 38 MPs and impacted 37 communities across the country.
- In an interview with The Hill Times, Bloc Québécois House Leader Christine Normandin stated that the Conservatives and Liberals have to work with her party to advance committee work, as the NDP no longer has committee representation.
- In a fundraising call recording, a Conservative official raised doubts about the validity of the recount process and suggested that the Liberals were contesting the results of two Conservative-won recounted ridings.
- Economists surveyed by Bloomberg noted that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s choice to delay delivering a budget will provide economic uncertainty but will not concern investors.
Provincial Updates
A look at the top news across the country.
- While industry groups spoke positively about the deal reached between the province’s port employers and supervisors, they also called for the federal government to ensure supply chain and labour stability.
- In response to Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s comments about pipelines in the province, Premier David Eby asserted that he would not be supporting another oil pipeline, and that the province does not want to lift the ban on oil tankers off the coast of B.C.
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she would convince Eby to sign on to a new pipeline through B.C. by helping to address his concerns with the proposal. “I know that he’s on Team Canada, and I can’t imagine, in the end, that if we meet the issues that have been raised by British Columbia, that he would go off team Canada. That doesn’t seem to me to be the type of person that David Eby is.”
- The provincial government has approved the LNG pipeline going through northern B.C. without requiring an updated environmental assessment. The last environmental assessment was conducted a decade ago.
- As the fire season continues, evacuation orders have been issued for Kelly Lake in northeastern B.C. There are about 70 wildfires in B.C. at the time of writing, with 60 per cent listed as “burning out of control.”
- Saskatchewan wildfires have burned about 900,000 hectares of land and displaced thousands of people from their homes. Premier Scott Moe turned down calls from the opposition to bring the military in to assist with operations.
- Manitoba continues to be in a state of emergency over the wildfires, with the largest fire spanning 300,000 hectares.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney called his meeting with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith “constructive” on social media. Smith detailed that she shared a number of changes the Prime Minister must make to work towards a united Canada.
- The Manitoba government launched a digital campaign to bring health-care workers from the U.S. to fill staffing gaps in the province.
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated that she wanted the Prime Minister to do more to attract private investment for pipelines, including eliminating Trudeau-era climate policies.
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith also reported that she feels there has been a “breakthrough” in energy talks with American counterparts.
- A controversial mining law received royal assent last week. Bill 5, titled the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, will create special economic zones that allow projects to bypass provincial laws. The legislation faces opposition from Indigenous leaders who assert that it violates treaty rights.
- Despite a lack of concrete plans surrounding pipelines in the province, the issue has dominated debate from the Bloc Québécois and in the National Assembly.
- Immigration minister Jean-François Roberge proposed cuts to immigration targets to as low as 25,000 people per year. He cited rising unemployment, a lack of housing, and protecting the French language. He also said he was considering cutting services for non-permanent residents if the federal government does not halve immigration targets.
- Newfoundland voters are speaking out after voter mistakes disqualified hundreds of ballots from being included in the count. Conservative MP Jonathan Rowe won the riding of Terra Nova-The Peninsulas by 12 votes, in a recount that resulted in 1,041 disputed ballots.
- Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is hoping that the federal government will support the province’s growing offshore wind industry.
- Prince Edward Island’s health authority partnered with McMaster University to help international medical school graduates fast-track their accreditation to work on the Island.
- While the green hydrogen industry globally is lagging, companies are looking at Newfoundland and Labrador as a base for wind-powered hydrogen opportunities.
- Nova Scotia has reduced trade barriers with five provinces: Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island.
- Nova Scotia MLAs grilled the CEO of Nova Scotia Power over a breach in cybersecurity that impacted half of the utility company’s customers. Half of the affected customers also had their social insurance numbers stolen.
What We’re Watching
Find out what issues Summa consultants are tracking and why they matter.
Teeing up for Trump – Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Donald Trump will once again meet face-to-face during the G7 summit, which Canada will host in Kananaskis, Alberta, starting this Sunday.
Carney has apparently found a way into Trump’s ear—or at least his DMs—ahead of the summit. Reports of direct private conservations offer a glimmer of hope for Canada’s tariff-stricken heavy industries. While the G7 may not be the venue for announcing a formal “deal”, it presents an opportunity for Trump and Carney to make a bit of a splash in front of the international media.
Carney isn’t putting all his eggs in the Trump basket. He has been busy courting other other world leaders like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico. Showcasing renewed relations with nations like India could help bolster Canada’s position on the global stage at a time when economic growth is a top priority.
Inside the First Ministers’ Meeting – Last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney convened Canada’s premiers in Saskatoon for their first in-person meeting since the federal election. The discussion was broadly viewed as constructive, and concluded with a commitment from the premiers to accelerate major infrastructure and energy projects across Canada.
Other key collective priorities included streamlining regulatory and permitting systems, advancing Indigenous economic reconciliation, and breaking down internal trade barriers.
This renewed coordination between the provinces and federal government reflects a growing consensus on the need to tackle long-standing obstacles to sustainable economic growth. With the Carney government looking to move quickly to fulfill its pledge to build the strongest economy in the G7, concrete action on these priorities is expected in the coming months at both the federal and provincial levels.
See you later – The Ontario Legislature has adjourned for the summer, and MPPs are hitting the BBQ circuit. The break comes on the heels of Bill 5, or the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, that officially became law last week. The bill sparked fierce criticism from Indigenous leaders as it aims to fast track development and establish special economic zones where projects can circumvent various provincial laws.
In response to the controversy, the Ford government promised to consult First Nations over the summer but Indigenous leaders have indicated they have no plans to cooperate. Meanwhile, the NDP and the Liberals used the past several weeks to filibuster Bill 5, using the spotlight to rally public attention and elevate scrutiny of the government. These efforts are expected to shift from the legislature to the doorsteps, as MPPs spend the summer in their ridings meeting with constituents.
While nearly half of Ontarians approve of the way Premier Doug Ford has done his job, this show of support has largely been a response to his handling of the U.S. tariffs. If history teaches us anything, this public goodwill shouldn’t be taken for granted. The government will need to ensure proper consultation takes place if it hopes to successfully expedite projects in the province.
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