Federal tensions over Canada-U.S. trade escalated after Ontario’s $75-million anti-tariff ad campaign was blamed for derailing talks. At Queen’s Park, the legislature returned with a packed agenda - Ticketmaster backlash, new housing legislation and a ban on municipal speed cameras. In Alberta, lawmakers also returned to the legislature this week with their own high-stakes agenda, as the provincewide teachers’ strike continues.

Prime Minister Carney’s Washington visit pushed talks on steel tariffs, Keystone XL, and Arctic defense. His fall budget aims at affordability with automatic tax filing and a permanent school food program. In Alberta, pipeline debates, new mandate letters for health ministers and the teachers’ strike lead headlines, while Premier Ford clashed with cities over speed-camera revenues and threatened to pull Diageo products after its Windsor plant closure.

Prime Minister Carney’s Washington visit pushed talks on steel tariffs, Keystone XL, and Arctic defense. His fall budget aims at affordability with automatic tax filing and a permanent school food program. In Alberta, pipeline debates, new mandate letters for health ministers and the teachers’ strike lead headlines, while Premier Ford clashed with cities over speed-camera revenues and threatened to pull Diageo products after its Windsor plant closure.

This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney launched the Defence Investment Agency to streamline military procurement and spur Canadian innovation - signaling a tougher, more strategic foreign policy. In Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith is pushing a new pipeline proposal to the B.C. coast, tying it to Indigenous equity and national energy independence. Meanwhile in Ontario, a scathing Auditor General report exposed political favouritism in a $2.5-billion skills fund, shaking confidence in Premier Doug Ford’s government.

Prime Minister Mark Carney recognized Palestinian statehood and signed Canada’s first-ever bilateral trade agreement with an ASEAN country. In Alberta, a tentative teachers’ contract may avert an October strike, while Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford moved to ban municipal speed cameras, sparking backlash from the Mayor of Toronto.

The U.S. and Canada have officially launched consultations ahead of the 2026 USMCA review, while Prime Minister Carney’s cabinet saw its first shakeup. In Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith announced citizenship markers will be added to driver’s licenses and rolled out a new employment program. In Ontario, Doug Ford escalated his fight against speed cameras as the Liberals entered a leadership race and the NDP prepared for its AGM.

After a busy summer break - from Canada-US trade negotiations, to nation-building projects, to Pierre Poilievre's by-election win - MPs have returned to Ottawa for what will be a busy Fall session of the House of Commons. Here are five things New West is watching.

Parliament is getting ready to return with Prime Minister Mark Carney announcing the first nation-building projects. In Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith courted U.S. industry and launched a new jobs program for young people as youth unemployment becomes a rising concern. Premier Doug Ford’s government is facing scrutiny over the Skills Development Fund while Ontario Liberals gather for a leadership review.

The Temporary Foreign Worker program was in the spotlight this week as the federal government grapples with youth unemployment. In Alberta, Danielle Smith’s government pushed ahead with major health reforms, but headlines were dominated by a fiery fight over school library books. And in Ontario, Doug Ford went on the offensive—threatening school trustees, clashing with Ottawa on crime, and theatrically dumping whisky to protest a plant closure. We dig into those stories and more this week.

On September 5, 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a policy response to address trade uncertainty and strengthen the foundations of Canada’s economy to better respond to shocks going forward.