The Weekly Roundup - June 20, 2023
All MLAs, save two Calgary area seats where the UCP have launched a judicial recount in Calgary Acadia and Calgary Glenmore have been sworn in. Nathan Cooper was selected as Speaker by a majority of his peers in the Legislature today. The affable MLA from Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills took time to remind his colleagues to appreciate their time in the chamber and to set the tone that they would want future legislators to remember them by. The seating plan, showing the first time in recent memory where the government caucus doesn’t stretch around to the opposition side of the chamber, has been released.
The House of Commons set to rise this week - perhaps as early as tomorrow ending a lengthy spring session that will be remembered for the ongoing story of alleged Chinese interference in Canada’s electoral system. Byelections were held on Monday in four ridings. Reading too much into the tea leaves of a byelection can be an exercise in futility, so we will leave it at the top line results; as expected, all four seats stayed with the party of the retiring MP. In Portage-Lisgar, PPC Leader Maxime Bernier finished in a distant second to the Conservative candidate Branden Leslie.
Below, you’ll find the other top federal and provincial stories of the week.
Top Federal Stories of the Week
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is waiting for the Prime Minister to call an independent public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference in Canada’s electoral process. In a letter Poilievre released publicly, he committed to proposing terms of reference and a mandate within 48 hours of Trudeau making the call. At present, there is a standoff with the governing Liberals holding out for the opposition parties to release a draft terms of reference while the Conservatives wait for the PM to first make an independent public inquiry official.
We dare you to name a better way to spend the month of July than putting together your organization’s pre-budget consultation submission. The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance has announced that the pre-budget consultation process is now underway, with written submissions being accepted until August 4. The committee will hold hearings this fall both in Ottawa and across the country. With plans to submit the committee’s report to the House in December, there will be meaningful time for the Minister of Finance to consider their recommendations before tabling a budget in the spring.
Earlier this week, the House of Commons passed a motion (opposed by Conservative and BQ members) to permanently allow virtual attendance. The implications for civility, accountability and collaboration are yet to be determined for a change that will alter how Members of Parliament and cabinet ministers serve in their roles in both committees and the chamber.
A bill enshrining long-term funding for a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system was passed unanimously in the House of Commons. Conservative MPs voting for the legislation will be remembered as a key moment in the future of affordable access to child care in the future and creates a solid foundation for all provinces to work towards $10 a day childcare in the next few years even if there were to be a switch in governing parties.
Top Alberta Stories of the Week
Premier Danielle Smith will continue to have a foil in the federal government with two ongoing files; timelines for a net-zero electricity grid and a proposed oil and natural gas emissions cap. Both topics were top of mind when Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic Leblanc visited Alberta and met with key members of the provincial cabinet. Premier Smith pushed back on the federal government’s timelines, and proposed a bilateral working group to incentivize CCUS as well as to set milestones for emissions reductions in the oil and gas sectors through to 2050.
Helping Albertans pocketbooks, the UCP government announced yesterday that gas tax relief has been extended through the end of the year. The initiative was set to expire June 30, but Smith stated in a news release that extending the tax relief follows through on her election commitment to make life more affordable for Albertans.
Residents in west-central Alberta just can’t catch a break. After enduring wildfire evacuation orders, heavy rainfall has led to local states of emergency due to flooding. Premier Danielle Smith is all too familiar with the devastation of flooding from 2013, and has shown herself to be a capable leader through the wildfire season to date.
Upcoming Events Calendar
July 24, 2023: Byelection will be held in the former riding of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Calgary Heritage.
October 30, 2023: Alberta Speech from the Throne and start of fall session
November 3-4, 2023: UCP Annual General Meeting