The Weekly Roundup - July 24, 2023
There’s a short list of reasons for why an elected official would be compelled to travel to Ottawa in the hot, humid weather found in late July. Near the top of the list? Being brought to Rideau Hall to be sworn in as a minister of the crown in a cabinet shuffle, as is anticipated to occur as soon as Wednesday.
While pundits will be looking for winners and losers in a cabinet shuffle, there are limited changes that could be made to a cabinet roster after almost eight years with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the helm of government that would affect real change in carrying out the Liberal government’s mandate. With that being said, the optics of sweeping ineffective cabinet ministers out of their current portfolios could serve as a reset from the bumpy spring session. We’ll be watching to see what’s done to prioritize files that have been a foil for the opposition conservative party like housing, and whether affordability is highlighted by name in the portfolio of a minister.
Newly sworn in cabinet ministers will have about a month to get briefed up on key files and their offices staffed up before convening for a cabinet retreat in P.E.I. in late August, where cabinet will work to all be singing from the same song sheet come session in September.
Below, you’ll find the other top federal and provincial stories of the week.
Top Federal Stories of the Week
With another Friday before a long weekend fast approaching (a top time to do a news dump), it may be time to prepare for details to be released regarding a public inquiry into foreign interference. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has stated he remains “cautiously optimistic” about a public inquiry while Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc shared that while they have made significant progress, the federal government is “not there yet”.
If you really enjoy voting in federal elections, you should consider moving to Calgary Heritage, where today is election day in a byelection. In each odd year since 2015, a general election or byelection has been held for the seat. Conservative candidate Shuv Majumdar is expected to easily hold onto the seat for the CPC.
As Canada looks to find new ways to bring skilled workers to the country, look for more programs like the overwhelmingly successful launch of a new special work permit for foreign workers that have already obtained an H-1B visa in the United States. The program which opened last week and allowed for up to 10,000 applicants saw that quota filled in the first day.
Top Alberta Stories of the Week
Mandate letters for cabinet ministers continue to be released near a one-a-day pace, with 13 of 24 published as of today. Perhaps reinforcing the UCP government’s focus on growing the economy and standing up to Ottawa for the interests of the energy sector, the most downloaded mandate letters to date pertain to some of their top economic files, including Energy, Jobs, Economy and Trade, and Environment and Protected Areas.
Eight Parliamentary Secretaries have been named for the UCP government on a range of priorities including Indigenous relations and policing, rural health, affordability and utilities, and small business, northern and economic corridor development.
Alberta asserting their key priorities for emissions reductions and determining future electricity regulations against made-in-Ottawa solutions are a main focus in the summer months. Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz met with her federal counterpart Steven Guilbeault, following up on previous meetings held by Schulz, Energy Minister Brian Jean and Premier Smith with Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc.
Upcoming Events Calendar
July 24, 2023: Byelection will be held in the former riding of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Calgary Heritage.
September 18, 2023: House of Commons resumes sitting after summer break
October 30, 2023: Alberta Speech from the Throne and start of fall session
November 3-4, 2023: UCP Annual General Meeting