Weekly Roundup - March 13, 2026
Top Federal Stories
Nunavut MP Lori Idlout left the NDP caucus this week, becoming the fourth MP to cross the floor to the Liberal Party since last spring’s election. Idlout said she was increasingly persuaded by constituent feedback that remaining in the NDP limited her ability to influence government decisions.
Carney also called three byelections this week for April 13. Two are for the vacant Toronto-area ridings left by former MPs Chrystia Freeland and Bill Blair. The third is a rematch in the Montreal-area riding of Terrebonne, where the spring 2025 Liberal win by a single vote was annulled by the Supreme Court after Elections Canada was found to have failed to count one ballot cast for the Bloc Québécois candidate. With the Liberals currently sitting at 170 seats, winning all three would secure a majority government. The two Toronto ridings, University-Rosedale and Scarborough Southwest, are considered safe Liberal seats, with Terrebonne likely to be more competitive.
A Spark Insights poll released this week found that 46 per cent of Canadians would vote for the Liberal Party nationally, compared to 31 per cent for the Conservatives and 10 per cent for the NDP. For the Conservatives, this represents a roughly 10-point decline from the spring 2025 election result. Also significant were the numbers in the prairies; the Conservatives hold a three-point lead in Alberta, at 41 to 38 per cent, compared to a 36-point margin last year. A near-tie was also recorded in Saskatchewan, though the sample of Saskatchewan residents was somewhat small compared to Alberta. The Spark Insights poll is part of a larger pattern; a Léger poll released earlier this month found an even larger national Liberal advantage at 14 points.
Speaking with CBC’s The Eyeopener, New West CEO Monte Solberg discussed the recent surge in Liberal support in Western Canada, exploring what may be driving the shift and cautioning that political goodwill can be short-lived if governments fail to deliver results.
In the House, debate over the government’s anti-hate bill became contentious this week after the Liberals moved to set a firm deadline for committee review and final reading. Bill C-9 would criminalize harassment of, or interference with, people near places of worship, referred to as a bubble-zone law. Several Jewish organizations had previously participated in a joint call urging Parliament to pass the bill quickly, but a Bloc Québécois amendment to remove the existing exemption for religiously motivated hate speech had prompted a Conservative filibuster at committee. Conservatives argued the legislation would be used to curtail free speech rather than address hate crimes, while the Liberals pointed to the community calls for action as justification for moving ahead.
Top Alberta Stories
The week started with more than a dozen First Nations chiefs, along with band councillors and Elders, gathering at the legislature on Monday, calling on Premier Danielle Smith’s government to denounce the separatist movement and address concerns about potential impacts on treaty rights.
Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi introduced a Motion of Non-Confidence, but the motion was quickly defeated by the United Conservative Party’s majority. When asked about the issue during Question Period, Premier Smith said, “sovereignty is not the same as separation” and went on to speak about how Alberta is renegotiating its relationship with Ottawa.
The story didn’t drop from headlines, though, instead drawing international attention when a delegation of Treaty 6 leaders travelled to Buckingham Palace to meet with King Charles III. According to the delegation, the King expressed concern about the separatist push after hearing from the chiefs about its potential implications for treaty relationships with the Crown.
While the debate over separatism dominated political discussion, government stayed the course with its legislative agenda. On Tuesday, Finance Minister Nate Horner introduced Bill 17, the Fiscal Measures Statutes Amendment Act, which makes several legislative changes required to enact the budget. Among the measures included are an increase to Alberta’s tourism levy from four per cent to six per cent starting April 1 and adjustments to the province’s new data centre levy so rates are tied to power consumption rather than grid connections.
During a Q&A with media, the Minister was asked whether the government would reconsider elements of the budget if oil prices remain high. He said the province built Budget 2026 using conservative forecasts to account for volatility in oil prices and has no plans to change course, adding the government will continue to monitor economic conditions through its regular fiscal updates.
The week ended with the province announcing it is launching a formal inspection into the City of Calgary’s response to the two Bearspaw South feeder main breaks that forced Calgary residents into severe water restrictions in June 2024 and December 2025. The inspection is expected to take several months and comes as current repairs to the feeder main mean Calgarians continue to be under water restrictions while crews work to stabilize the system.
Top Ontario Stories
Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy confirmed this week that Ontario’s 2026 Budget will be tabled on March 26. On Tuesday, Bethlenfalvy laid out six budget themes: productivity and innovation, a competitive business environment, infrastructure and housing, trade, talent and workforce, and reliable, affordable, clean energy. He described the fiscal plan as “cautious” yet “ambitious” and promised it would not include cuts. With budget day fast approaching, the government’s annual pre-budget announcement tour is well underway. Items already announced include a $6.4 billion boost in post-secondary funding, announced alongside the controversial OSAP overhaul, as well as a new $750 annual classroom supply spending account for Ontario’s elementary school teachers. Government has also hinted that the budget may include scrapping the provincial HST on all new home purchases, as well as a possible update on Billy Bishop Airport expansion plans.
On the Billy Bishop file, Premier Ford announced the province will expropriate the city’s stake in the island airport to facilitate runway expansion and jet service. The city owns approximately 20 per cent of the airport lands, and Ford confirmed the province will compensate Toronto for the asset value plus lost revenue, estimated at up to $5 million annually. Ford framed the expansion as an economic imperative, calling the airport a “crown jewel” and citing estimates that modernization could contribute up to $8.5 billion annually in economic output. Mayor Olivia Chow has said she has not seen a formal proposal from the province but says any expansion should take input from Torontonians into account.
The Ford government also moved to fundamentally reshape Ontario’s freedom of information regime this week. Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Stephen Crawford announced legislation to exempt all records from the offices of the Premier, cabinet ministers, and parliamentary assistants from FOI requests. The law would apply retroactively, meaning it would extinguish ongoing battles over the release of Ford’s personal cellphone records and Greenbelt-related documents, including records a divisional court had ruled in January must be released. The bill also extends FOI response timelines from 30 calendar days to 45 business days. The government says the changes bring Ontario in line with other Canadian jurisdictions where ministerial offices are not subject to access-to-information legislation, but NDP Leader Marit Stiles called the move “outrageous,” and media organizations and transparency advocates are expected to mount sustained opposition. Beyond the partisan sniping, changes to the province’s FOI regime will impact what information businesses, organizations and individuals can request from the government.
With the legislature returning March 23, the session is shaping up to be compressed and politically volatile, with just 32 sitting days before the House rises again in June. Organizations with active Ontario government relations files should be prepared for an intensive period in which committee activity, consultations, and multiple pieces of legislation will be running simultaneously.
Upcoming Events Calendar
March 23, 2026: Ontario legislative assembly resumes
March 29, 2026: Federal NDP Leadership Race Results Announcement
November 21, 2026: Ontario Liberal Party Leadership Race results announced
