Weekly Roundup - November 21, 2025
Top Federal Stories
After passing the budget, it was another week of sharp divides over pipeline politics. Reports that the federal government was nearing an agreement to support a new bitumen pipeline to the Pacific coast represents a potential victory for Premier Smith’s campaign to expand market access for the province's oil and gas sector. Meanwhile for British Columbia, the prospect of lifting the tanker ban on the northern coast threatened what Premier Eby called a fragile consensus among First Nations that risks billions of dollars in other resource investments.
On Wednesday, news broke that the federal government was considering allowing some tanker traffic on British Columbia's northern coast as part of discussions with Alberta about a new pipeline. The report also indicated that Ottawa and Alberta were in the final stages of negotiating a memorandum of understanding that could pave the way for a pipeline carrying Alberta bitumen to the Pacific coast, potentially using Bill C-5 to bypass the existing tanker ban.
In response, BC’s Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon stated that the provincial government's opposition to the pipeline remained unchanged, pointing out that many First Nations do not believe the project is in their region's interest. Kahlon emphasized that British Columbia has billions of dollars in investments for other projects that are ready to proceed, and the province does not want to put those projects at risk by defying First Nations wishes on the tanker ban.
The political dynamics within the Liberal caucus add another layer of complexity to the situation. British Columbia Liberal MPs, including former environment minister Jonathan Wilkinson, made clear that any change to the tanker ban would require consent from the provincial government and significant support from coastal First Nations. Wilkinson noted that while unanimous First Nations support is not required, there needs to be significant backing that does not currently exist.
For the Liberals, supporting the pipeline comes with some political risk, it could put several Liberal seats in the province in jeopardy, with little prospect of making gains in Alberta or elsewhere in Western Canada to offset those losses.
Prime Minister Carney has been clear that any future pipeline would require a private sector proponent as well as support from British Columbia and affected First Nations. With the Eby government firmly opposed, no private proponent yet identified, and First Nations in the region voicing concerns, the path forward for a new West Coast pipeline will be a complicated, but not impossible venture. The coming weeks will reveal whether the reported federal-Alberta deal will result in a concrete agreement or remain aspirational politics within Alberta.
New West Partner Keith McLaughlin and Senior Consultant Shannon Greer joined The Hub's Alberta Edge podcast to weigh in on the brewing pipeline drama between BC, Alberta, and the federal government. Click here to listen to their in-depth analysis.
Top Alberta Stories
While pipeline politics would normally take centre stage in Alberta, the spotlight shifted to healthcare as the notwithstanding clause was used for a second time in three weeks, a draft bill was leaked to the media, and the Auditor General released an explosive examination of community laboratory services.
On Tuesday, the Alberta government invoked the notwithstanding clause to shield three existing laws affecting transgender youth and adults from ongoing and future court challenges. The bills, which relate to access to gender-affirming care, school policies on names and pronouns, and eligibility rules for female sports, have faced legal challenges and criticism from medical groups and advocacy organizations. The government says the move is necessary to provide clarity and avoid prolonged litigation, while critics argue it undermines rights protections and due process. If passed, the legislation would block Charter challenges to these laws for five years.
Until this fall, the notwithstanding clause had only been used for a 1998 bill that was withdrawn, and a 2000 private member's bill on same-sex marriage. The Smith government has invoked it on four laws within the last month. Premier Danielle Smith defended the government’s recent use, saying it was needed to protect the health and well-being of children.
On the same day, the Globe and Mail reported on confidential draft legislation that would allow Alberta doctors to work simultaneously in the public and private systems – a first in Canada. The opposition NDP jumped into action, hosting a news conference before Question Period calling on the government to dissolve the legislature and call an election on the issue. While it’s likely the government wasn’t planning to make the announcement this week, the province was quick to clarify the intent, releasing a video explaining the Dual Practice Model, which will have a focus on increasing the number of surgeries being done in Alberta.
Supporters say the approach could give physicians more flexibility, while critics warn it may accelerate a shift toward two-tier care and increase pressures on the public system. The proposal includes safeguards such as mandating surgeons perform a dedicated number of public system surgeries and maintain separate records. The amendments have not yet been introduced in the legislature, with the Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services, Matt Jones, saying, “the government will immediately commence consultations with healthcare professionals to inform these changes and to ensure we find the right balance on this important initiative.”
The timing of the leak proved less than ideal as on Wednesday, Alberta’s Auditor General released a report that found the province’s attempt to privatize community laboratory services resulted in more than $100 million in wasted public funds and significant oversight failures. The report concludes that the 2022 outsourcing contract with DynaLife lacked proper due diligence, relied on flawed savings estimates, and proceeded despite signs the company could not meet service or financial expectations. During Question Period, Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services, Adriana LeGrange, pointed out she inherited this issue and worked to resolve it - with the province ultimately buying DynaLife and returning lab work to the public system.
It wasn’t all bad news though, as the union representing 16,000 Alberta hospital workers returned to the bargaining table ahead of a weekend deadline for members to strike.
You might have missed it with all the healthcare headlines, but this week the province also introduced legislation to reduce red tape and unveiled a new license plate for Alberta drivers.
Top Ontario Stories
Education Minister Paul Calandra acknowledged he has been withholding standardized EQAO test results from the 2024-25 school year, which are typically released in September or early October. Calandra said he would release the scores "very soon" and alluded to seeing "some not so good" results. The delay has prompted criticism from opposition politicians who argue the government is avoiding transparency about student achievements. Liberal MPP John Fraser called the explanation "a B.S. answer."
This comes as Bill 33, the government's contentious education omnibus legislation, was passed and received royal assent this week. The Supporting Children and Students Act grants Calandra new powers to investigate and take control of school boards if he has concern about “a matter of public interest,” and allows the Minister to bypass elected trustees’ decisions if he believes that a board, board member or director of education has, or is likely to, take actions that could affect a matter of public interest. The government fast-tracked the bill through the legislature, truncating debate and parliamentary oversight, and triggering large protests at Queen's Park on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, NDP Leader Marit Stiles was ejected from the legislature Wednesday after calling the Ford government "corrupt" during questioning about the Skills Development Fund. Speaker Donna Skelly intervened when Stiles refused to withdraw her comments, which violate parliamentary rules. Stiles doubled down on her accusation, challenging Premier Doug Ford to sue her and saying she welcomes "the discovery process" to "learn more about what happened with the Skills Development Fund and the Greenbelt."
Ontario suspended its Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program this week and cancelled outstanding applications after an internal review uncovered widespread misrepresentation and fraud. About 2,600 applicants awaiting approval as of last month will have their files returned with full refunds, following the province's determination that systemic vulnerabilities made it impossible to verify whether candidates genuinely met eligibility requirements. The decision triggered protests outside Queen's Park from skilled trades applicants who say they applied in good faith and were blindsided by the cancellation. Last year, the auditor general identified the skilled trades stream as high-risk because it didn't require nominees to be working in their approved trade at the time of application.
On Thursday, Premier Doug Ford was on hand for an announcement that the province had secured a $3.2 billion investment from Norwegian battery materials producer Vianode to build North America's first large-scale synthetic graphite facility in St. Thomas. The facility will produce synthetic anode graphite essential for electric vehicle batteries, nuclear reactors, semiconductors and defence systems. The project aims to reach production capacity of 150,000 tonnes annually, enough to supply approximately two million EVs per year, with operations scheduled to begin in 2028. The investment will create 300 jobs initially, scaling to 1,000 at full capacity. The Ontario government is providing a loan of up to $670 million to support the project, which Premier Doug Ford called "a historic milestone for southwestern Ontario."
The government introduced legislation to strengthen Ontario’s domestic procurement policies on Thursday. The Buy Ontario Act would require public-sector organizations including municipalities, ministries, agencies, contractors and subcontractors to prioritize Ontario-made goods and services first, then Canadian suppliers. Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Minister Stephen Crawford said the measure aims to ensure "every possible procurement dollar that can be spent in Ontario is spent in Ontario.” The bill allows exceptions when Ontario or Canadian goods can't be procured at reasonable cost or timeframes.
Attorney General Doug Downey announced the province is developing measures to require impaired drivers who kill a parent or guardian to pay ongoing child support to victims' children. The policy proposal, modelled on similar legislation in Texas, would build on the Safer Roads and Communities Act and add to existing civil liabilities for impaired drivers. Downey said the measure aims to ease financial and emotional burdens on children left behind after fatal crashes, noting impaired driving remains the leading cause of death on Ontario roads with 182 fatalities in 2021.
Upcoming Events Calendar
November 28-30, 2025: Alberta UCP Annual General Meeting
January 29-31, 2026: Conservative Party of Canada National Convention
March 29, 2026: Federal NDP Leadership Race Results Announcement
