Weekly Roundup - December 12, 2025
Top Federal Stories
Markham-Unionville MP Michael Ma crossed the floor on Thursday, leaving the Conservative caucus to join the Liberals. The defection brings the Liberal seat count to 171, just one seat shy of a majority. Ma is the second Conservative MP to join the Liberals following Chris d'Entremont. The timing is notable given that Pierre Poilievre faces a leadership review next month in Calgary. Should the Liberals secure one more floor crossing, Poilievre would become the first Conservative leader since 2015 to allow the Liberals to obtain a majority government. The Liberals welcomed Ma with a standing ovation at their holiday party in Ottawa, where Prime Minister Carney invited his newest MP to the stage alongside d'Entremont.
On the Canada-US front, Minister Dominic LeBlanc offered a measured assessment of Canada-U.S. relations in a year-end interview. Despite U.S. Trade Representative Jamison Greer suggesting publicly that withdrawal from CUSMA remains on the table, LeBlanc said conversations with American counterparts indicate that is not their current objective. In a statement to reporters, Prime Minister Carney also pushed back on assertions that the U.S. is preparing to exit the trilateral pact. LeBlanc acknowledged the frustration felt by businesses and workers in sectors affected by President Trump’s tariffs, but remained optimistic about potential agreements on steel, aluminum, and lumber.
LeBlanc also signalled a renewed focus on Canada-Mexico relations. He visited Mexico last week and will lead what is expected to be Canada's largest-ever bilateral trade mission to Mexico in February. He noted that Canada has not sufficiently appreciated the potential of the Mexico relationship, adding that both countries face similar challenges heading into the CUSMA review.
Meanwhile, Canada's ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, announced she will step down in the new year. Hillman helped lead the original CUSMA renegotiation during Trump's first term and has served as ambassador since 2020.
Financier Mark Wiseman was appointed as Hillman’s successor on Thursday. Wiseman is a friend of the Prime Minister with no prior diplomatic experience, but has extensive connections to the American business community through financial firms BlackRock and Lazard.
In the House, MPs voted 196 to 139 to defeat a Conservative motion calling for support of a pipeline to the B.C. coast, along with an “appropriate amendment” to the tanker ban legislation. Liberal, Bloc Québécois, and NDP members voted against it. Premier Smith downplayed the result, saying she and Carney remain committed to implementing the terms of the MOU.
Top Alberta Stories
The fall sitting of the Alberta Legislature came to a close this week, with the government advancing a broad legislative agenda. In just under two months, 14 bills were passed and two motions adopted, including one endorsing the Alberta–Ottawa energy memorandum of understanding.
While the MOU received support from both sides of the aisle, the session was marked by significant controversy, particularly around the government’s use of the notwithstanding clause that sparked debate about the balance between legislative authority, the courts, and the rule of law. Over the fall sitting, the government invoked the clause four times, including to shield laws affecting transgender youth related to names and pronouns in schools, participation in amateur sports, and access to gender-affirming health care, as well as legislation ending the teachers’ strike. The approach drew criticism from opposition members and advocacy groups, while the government maintained it was acting within its democratic mandate to protect children and uphold legislative authority.
The sitting also brought amendments to election and party rules, introducing new restrictions on political party names. The changes had immediate political consequences for former UCP cabinet minister Peter Guthrie who stepped into the leadership of the Alberta Party just days before the fall sitting ended. Guthrie had been pursuing a plan to rebrand the party under the Progressive Conservative banner, a move that drew legal action from the UCP and was further constrained by the passage of Bill 14. In response, Guthrie formally assumed the Alberta Party leadership, charting a new path forward as debate over party identity, competition, and branding continue ahead of the next provincial election.
Additionally, the government passed a series of bills touching education, energy, health care, labour mobility, and professional regulation. Legislation included mandatory literacy and numeracy screening for students from kindergarten to Grade 3, measures to improve power grid reliability and give data centres greater flexibility in meeting electricity needs, and enabling citizenship markers on government identification. The session also saw health system reforms intended to modernize care delivery, including the introduction of a dual practice model allowing physicians to work in both public hospitals and private clinics in an effort to expand surgical capacity and reduce wait times.
This week, Premier Danielle Smith was the latest UCP MLA to face an official petition, bringing the total number of MLAs under recall to 21. The petition, launched by a local resident who argues Smith is disconnected from the community, adds new pressure to a government already contending with multiple constituency-level campaigns. Smith rejected the criticism, pointing to new infrastructure, school projects and regular town halls as evidence of her engagement. Under Alberta’s recall rules, petitioners now have 90 days to gather signatures from 60 per cent of eligible voters - a high bar, but one political observers say can still signal discontent even without triggering a vote.
As mountain resorts prepare for a busy holiday season, Alberta took another step in its push to grow year-round tourism this week, unveiling plans to transform Castle, Fortress and Nakiska into all-season resorts beginning in 2026. The province says expanding beyond winter operations could generate $4 billion in visitor spending over the next decade, support roughly 24,000 jobs and add $3.6 billion to Alberta’s GDP. Tourism Minister Andrew Boitchenko framed the initiative as both an economic diversification strategy and a way to keep more visitors in-province, pointing to the success of British Columbia’s 13 all-season resorts and the $1.2 billion Alberta currently loses to outbound tourism. If the first three projects prove successful, the government has identified 10 additional development zones that could follow. The move aligns with Alberta’s broader tourism vision: reducing peak-season congestion, offering more activities across the Rockies year-round, and encouraging travellers to explore destinations beyond the traditional Banff–Canmore corridor.
Top Ontario Stories
The Ontario Legislature rose Thursday for an extended 14-week winter break, marking the end of a legislative session that saw politicians at Queen's Park for just 51 days in 2025. The move pushes the return date from the originally scheduled February 17 to March 23.
Opposition members accused the Ford government of using the extended time away from the legislature to avoid scrutiny, particularly over the ongoing skills development fund questions. House Leader Steve Clark defended the truncated schedule, telling reporters that consulting with constituents in their ridings should take priority. For its part, the Ford government touted the passage of 12 bills during the fall sitting that will “protect Ontario workers, businesses and communities.”
The 877-page government report on intimate partner violence released this week has become mired in controversy after the NDP claimed AI detection programs flagged large portions as likely AI-generated and alleged multiple sources cited in the document don't exist. A government spokesperson said the report was not written by AI and was reviewed by academics and legislative staff before publishing, though the province declined to provide the names of those who reviewed it or make anyone available for interview.
The report labels intimate partner violence an "endemic" public safety issue rather than declaring it an epidemic, despite a 2023 coroner's inquest recommending the epidemic designation. Progressive Conservative MPP Jess Dixon, the author of the report, recommended the establishment of a standing committee of the legislature on violence prevention and response. Both the NDP and Liberals have released dissenting reports with their own recommendations.
While other provinces begin to sell off their stockpiled American alcohol, Ontario is weighing its options on what to do with $80 million worth of American booze pulled from LCBO shelves earlier this year. The Ministry of Finance indicated that the province plans to keep U.S. alcohol off the shelves until further notice. Ontario Liberal MPP John Fraser suggested the province sell off the stockpile and give the proceeds to food banks like PEI is doing, while NDP Leader Marit Stiles isn’t convinced American alcohol will sell, given Canadians’ support for buying Canadian products.
Premier Doug Ford reiterated his position that public servants should work in offices full-time, telling reporters that workers need to “come to work.” This comes after the Toronto Star reported that the province has received nearly 11,000 formal requests for alternative work arrangements from the province's 60,000 civil servants. The government is having trouble processing the volume of requests before the return to office order kicks in on January 5.
There's finally light at the end of the tunnel for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, though the exact opening date remains uncertain after a tense meeting last week between provincial and city officials. Metrolinx announced substantial completion of the line on December 5 and pushed for a December 28 opening, while TTC CEO Mandeep Lali pushed back with an early February opening date, citing concerns about rushing fixes to remaining technical problems. The meeting involved Premier Ford, Mayor Chow, and Transportation Minister Sarkaria. Sarkaria told reporters later this week that when the TTC feels comfortable moving forward, they will do so on an operational basis.
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