Weekly Roundup - April 24, 2026
Top Federal Stories
Prime Minister Mark Carney used a weekend video address to say that Canada’s reliance on trade with the U.S. has become a weakness the country needs to address through diversification. Canadian media framed these remarks as a critique of Canada-U.S. ties generally, with some American media calling the address a shot at the Trump Administration. With President Trump's popularity slipping as the U.S. midterms approach, the Carney government has grown more willing to push back on Trump administration demands in the CUSMA renegotiation.
CBC reported this week that the United States is demanding an “entry fee” from Canada as a precondition to starting negotiations. Carney told reporters Thursday he has never heard of such a fee and said Canada is not “taking notes” from the Americans on how talks will proceed. He described U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos and forest products as violations of the current agreement rather than irritants. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told the House Ways and Means Committee that Washington will not “rubber-stamp” the renewal and accused Canada of “doubling down on globalization” in its effort to diversify its trade. Greer also warned of possible enforcement action if American alcohol does not return to provincial liquor store shelves. The sentiment was echoed by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who called provincial liquor boycotts “insulting and disrespectful to America.”
With U.S.-Canada relations remaining strained, new Statistics Canada data points to a sustained decline in Canadian travel to the United States. Lutnick was grilled on the topic by New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who attributes the collapse of Canadian tourism in her state to the administration’s rhetoric.
In keeping with the effort to rely less on the U.S., Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon introduced the Canadian Space Launch Act on Tuesday and pitched it explicitly as a way to reduce dependence on American launch infrastructure. Canada is the only G7 country without its own launch capability, and MacKinnon said the domestic market could reach $40 billion by 2040. The bill would set a regulatory system for launches from Canadian soil. It builds on a $200 million defence investment announced in March for a Canadian-owned spaceport in Nova Scotia.
On the Hill, the Liberals moved to reconfigure House committee membership to reflect their new majority. Under Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon's motion, most committees would grow to 12 members, with seven Liberals, four Conservatives and one Bloc MP. The four opposition-chaired oversight committees, covering ethics, public accounts, government operations and status of women, would grow from nine members to ten, with the Liberals gaining a fifth seat to match the opposition's combined five. Because chairs only vote to break ties, the configuration would give the government an effective majority across every committee.
Carney closed the week with a $1.7 billion federal housing announcement in Nepean. The package includes an agreement with the City of Ottawa through Build Canada Homes to deliver up to 3,000 new mixed-income, affordable homes.
Top Alberta Stories
The introduction of Bill 32, the Electoral Boundaries Commission Amendment Act, this week confirms the path forward for Alberta’s electoral boundary review, pushing what is typically a technical process into a more political position. The legislation would allow the government to set aside the independent commission’s recommended 89-seat map, expand the legislature to 91 seats, and establish a new MLA-led process to redraw provincial electoral boundaries. The move has raised concerns from the Opposition and observers about a departure from long-standing Canadian norms of independence and transparency in redistribution, particularly as it gives elected officials a more direct role in shaping the map. While Premier Danielle Smith has signalled that the final outcome will largely reflect the commission’s majority report, uncertainty remains around how much influence alternative proposals, including more controversial urban-rural hybrid ridings, may have.
With the final map not expected until later this year, the process is likely to remain a live political issue through to the next provincial election. That timeline carries practical implications as well: Elections Alberta has indicated it requires at least 18 months to fully implement new electoral boundaries, meaning any delays or late-stage changes could significantly compress that window and add operational pressure ahead of an election call.
While Albertans aren’t scheduled to head to the polls for a general election until October 2027, they will be voting in a provincewide referendum this fall. In advance of that, the Government of Alberta is launching a public information campaign, signalling it will actively advocate in favour of the nine proposed ballot questions. The approach has drawn criticism from the Opposition, which argues the government is using public funds to promote a one-sided narrative and has raised broader concerns about both the substance of the questions and how the results may ultimately be used. The referendum will ask Albertans to weigh in on a range of constitutional and immigration-related issues. These include questions on whether the province should pursue constitutional changes, such as abolishing the Senate or allowing provinces to appoint judges, as well as proposals tied to immigration, including greater provincial control over newcomer intake, limits on access to certain public services, and requiring proof of citizenship to vote. At the same time, additional citizen-led initiative petitions - including those related to Alberta separation and coal mining in the Rockies - could still be added to the Oct. 19 ballot if they meet legislative thresholds. Organizers of the coal mining petition have until June 10 to collect the required number of signatures, while the separation petition remains subject to a court-ordered pause on signature validation, with further direction pending the outcome of that legal process.
One question that won’t be on Alberta’s upcoming referendum is the seasonal time change. Despite the long-standing debate, the government is moving forward with legislation to adopt permanent daylight time. The issue was previously put to a provincewide referendum in 2021, where Albertans narrowly rejected a proposal to remain on year-round daylight saving time. The government has said the decision not to include the question in this year’s referendum reflects timing and implementation considerations, including the need to provide certainty for industries, scheduling and cross-border coordination, particularly given the limited window before the fall clock change. At the same time, regional dynamics are evolving, with British Columbia moving toward permanent daylight time, Saskatchewan already on year-round standard time, and jurisdictions such as the Northwest Territories and Manitoba considering similar changes.
While the legislation would eliminate the twice-yearly clock change, the government has left the door open to revisiting the decision, with Smith indicating it could be put back to voters as early as 2027 if public feedback warrants it.
Top Ontario Stories
The Ford government's omnibus budget bill passed its final vote at Queen's Park on Thursday, 57–33, after a late-night sitting on Wednesday pushed Bill 97, the Plan to Protect Ontario Act, through Third Reading. The bill's headline provisions, including the conservation-authority merger, the resale ticket price cap, and the redevelopment clearances around the Rogers Centre, were overshadowed by the retroactive amendments to Ontario's freedom of information regime. The new law exempts records of the premier, cabinet ministers, parliamentary assistants and their staff from Freedom of Information Requests and applies retroactively. Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser said the Wednesday sitting took place “under the cover of darkness,” slamming the bill as “a cover-up of a cover-up.”
The debate at Queen’s Park itself turned personal. Asked about accountability under the new regime, Ford told Liberal MPP Stephanie Smyth — a former broadcast journalist — that she was only in the legislature because “CP24 didn't want her anymore,” and doubled down when the opposition benches erupted, adding “the truth hurts.” Fraser and Green Leader Mike Schreiner called for an apology, but none came before the legislature rose for constituency week.
Beyond the legislature, the Ford government endured a self-inflicted wound in this week's news cycle. The province's $28.9-million purchase of a used Bombardier Challenger 650, announced the previous Friday and promptly dubbed the “gravy plane,” was reversed within a week. After a weekend of public blowback, Ford agreed to sell on Sunday, announcing Wednesday that the jet had been ” CBC reporting that the aircraft could only use about 10 per cent of Ontario's airports, due to its runway requirements, undercut the original justification that the province's geography demanded it. The Premier apologized for the rollout but not the decision, conceding he should have told taxpayers in advance. The episode undermines the Premier's brand of down-to-earth politics, handing the opposition ammunition to fire at the Ford government when it comes to fiscal discipline.
On trade, Ford’s line is consistent. Despite continued protest from American officials, the Premier reaffirmed on Wednesday that American alcohol will not return to LCBO shelves until U.S. tariffs are lifted and a new trade deal is signed. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told the House Ways and Means Committee the Trump administration is “at the end of our rope” and warned that “there may have to be an enforcement action” on the wine and spirits ban. Canadian Ambassador Mark Wiseman acknowledged that the United States and Mexico have set a formal CUSMA negotiating round for next month, but that no Canadian date has been fixed, telling reporters, “it takes two sides to have a meeting.” For better or worse, Ontario's posture is baked into those negotiations, which promise further volatility for businesses in auto, steel, aluminum and consumer goods on both sides of the border.
The New West Team is ready to guide clients through this uncertain time in Canadian politics.
