Weekly Roundup - September 12, 2025

As the summer recess draws to a close, Members of Parliament are headed back to Ottawa for the first day of the parliamentary session on Monday, September 15. Senators will return the following week on September 23.

The Carney government has spent the summer setting the stage for major reforms, including the launch of the Major Projects Office and the inaugural five projects to receive federal fast-tracking. Expectations that the government will deliver are sky-high, meanwhile on the opposition side of the aisle, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is back in the saddle of a Conservative Party that is promising to hold the Carney government to account on its promises to Canadians.

Here’s what we’re paying attention to and what we expect to see on the docket as Parliament gets underway.

Top Federal Stories

This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the first five projects that will be reviewed by the Major Projects Office. Phase 2 of LNG Canada’s Kitimat, British Columbia facilities, new small modular reactors at the Darlington nuclear plant in Bowmanville, Ontario, expansion of the Port of Montreal, the McIlvenna Bay Foran Copper Mine Project in Saskatchewan, and the Red Chris Mine expansion in British Columbia were all identified as projects that will likely be fast-tracked through their regulatory assessment and approvals process due to their importance to Canada’s national interest.

The Prime Minister also announced additional projects, including a critical minerals strategy, Wind West Atlantic Energy, Pathways Plus which is an Alberta-based carbon capture, utilization and storage project, an Arctic Economic and Security corridor, the Port of Churchill expansion, and a high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City, which are in an earlier stage of consideration and will require further development.

Moving projects forward won’t be without challenges, particularly when it comes to Indigenous consultation and buy-in. The federal government has appointed an Indigenous Advisory Council, including Treaty 8 Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi (who was fiercely critical of the legislation) to advise on implementation of the Building Canada Act that facilitates the expedited process for certain projects.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister indicated that the federal government is still in the process of negotiating with the remaining provinces and territories to sign pharmacare agreements. Only Manotiba, B.C., P.E.I., and Yukon, have signed deals with the federal government to implement the pharmacare program developed by the previous Trudeau government, prior to the spring election. As the Carney government looks for savings, advocates were concerned the federal government might back away from inking deals with the remaining provinces to provide public coverage for some diabetes medication and contraceptives, given the Health Minister’s refusal to commit to getting deals with the remaining provinces. Speaking after the Liberal national caucus retreat in Edmonton, Carney characterized the decision to stand by the pharmacare commitment as a “tough decision” made “for affordability and security for Canadians.”

Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali, announced the federal government has found nearly 500 initiatives to cut red tape and reduce regulatory burden, following the 60-day exercise announced by Prime Minister Carney for the government to undertake a regulatory review across all departments. The Red Tape Reduction Office is expected to start further regulatory review with stakeholders and provincial and territorial partners and will be developing federal red tape reduction legislation.

When it comes to cost-savings in Ottawa, procurement practices are in the crosshairs this autumn. Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and Public Works and Procurement Minister Joel Lightbound issued a directive this week for procurement officials to assess existing and planned contracts to find savings, prioritize commercially available solutions by Canadian vendors, and to renegotiate contracts in the areas with the greatest potential for finding savings including, IT, real property, construction, and travel.

The Carney government is expected to introduce legislation to protect people entering religious and cultural buildings. The legislation would punish those who intimidate and obstruct individuals from entering places of worship, cultural community centres and schools, and is in response to what Carney has called a “horrifying rise in hate” including antisemitism and Islamophobia.

It's not the only piece of legislation Justice Minister Sean Fraser may be shepherding through Parliament. The Liberals are also under pressure to do something to regulate tech companies and safeguard children online. The previous Trudeau government introduced, but failed to pass Bill C-63, which addressed online harms through criminal justice reforms. The Liberals had planned to bring a version of the online harms legislation back when Parliament resumes, but are now facing calls to tackle online tech giants and the impact social media is having on children. Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner has already tabled a private members’ bill which is aimed at providing a safe online environment for minors.

Conservatives will also be taking their own kick at the can on justice reforms when they introduce a bill that, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says, would make it harder for those accused of crimes like sexual assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, home invasion and firearms charges from being released on bail. The Liberals are also expected to table their own bail reform legislation.

With youth unemployment at 14.5 per cent nationally – levels normally seen during a recession, according to a report by Desjardins – Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is demanding an end to the temporary foreign worker (TFW) program. “Why aren’t employers offering jobs to Canadian kids first?” mused Poilievre at an announcement in Mississauga on Wednesday. He’s calling on the government to immediately stop issuing TFW permits and end this “wage-suppressing, opportunity-stealing program.”  

The Conservatives are gearing up to make immigration a major political headache for the Carney government, and the TFW program is an area where the Conservatives sense weakness. Carney has resisted making sweeping changes to the program. The government is reviewing the immigration system as a whole, but Carney told reporters that when he talks to businesses around the country, “their No. 1 issue is tariffs, and their No. 2 issue is access to temporary foreign workers.” 

Poilievre isn’t alone in laying on the pressure. British Columbia Premier David Eby is also calling on the TFW program to “be cancelled or significantly reformed.”  Eby is citing “unacceptably high” levels of youth unemployment, which he says is linked to both international students and the temporary foreign worker program, in addition to allegation of fraud and abuse in the TFW program. 

Meanwhile, Liberal MPs are preparing for a national caucus meeting in Edmonton next week ahead of the return to Parliament. Some Liberals are showing reservations about how far Prime Minister Carney has moved away from the party’s Trudeau-era climate policies. Those MPs are joining together to create an environmental caucus to discuss the government’s climate policies.  

As for the NDP, the party’s leadership race officially launched on September 2. Edmonton MP Heather McPherson is expected to put her name in for contention, as well as left-wing activist Avi Lewis and Yves Engler. 

Top Alberta Stories

Premier Danielle Smith’s week started south of the border. Alberta’s Premier traveled to Colorado to host a business roundtable with U.S. industry representatives in energy, manufacturing, technology, and more, in an effort to strengthen cross border partnerships. She also delivered a keynote address to the Fall Board Meeting of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), which represents 450 energy companies across the U.S.

Last year, Premier Smith and Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to align and improve regulation, enhance collaboration and increase information sharing on best practices in key energy and environmental areas including carbon capture, utilization and storage, methane emission reduction, hydrogen development and geothermal energy.

While the Premier was promoting energy security, the Minister of Education and Childcare, Demetrios Nicolaides released updated standards for school literary materials. The revised rules prohibit works containing explicit images of sexual acts but not written descriptions. The original ministerial order, issued in July, asked school employees to remove library materials that depicted sexual acts, including a "written passage."

The directive was met with public opposition after Edmonton Public Schools put together a list of more than 200 books to remove from shelves, including The Handmaid's Tale and The Color Purple. In a news release Minister Nicolaides said, “the revised order will ensure that classic literary works remain in school libraries, while materials with explicit visual depictions of sexual acts do not end up in the hands of children.”  Boards have until January 2026 to comply, with a preliminary list of removals due by October 31.

The Premier returned to Canada mid-week and announced Alberta is launching a new $8-million Youth Employment Incentive to help 2,500 young Albertans, ages 15-24, get their first job experience and build workplace skills. Starting in October, businesses can receive $4,000-$7,500 grants to offset wages and training costs, effectively covering $10 per hour for youth hires. Delivered by CAREERS, a long-standing not-for-profit organization that helps young people connect with employment, the program aims to tackle Alberta’s youth unemployment rate and prepare the next generation to contribute to Alberta’s growing economy, while giving employers a practical reason to take a chance on young talent.

The announcement came on the heels of new funding for post-secondary students. Myles McDougall, Minister of Advanced Education, announced the Alberta Government is investing nearly $1.2 billion through loans, grants, scholarships, bursaries, and awards.

Both announcements follow country wide concerns over youth unemployment. Alberta’s job market also took a hit in August, losing 14,000 jobs and pushing the unemployment rate up to 8.4 per cent - the highest level outside the pandemic since 2017, according to the latest Labour Force Survey. The province also saw underemployment climb to 9.4 per cent, the third highest in Canada.

Tensions are rising as the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) served notice of a provincewide strike beginning October 6, if negotiations with the Province fail. The notice comes three months after teachers voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike authorization. In May, teachers rejected a proposed collective agreement and cited ongoing frustrations over class sizes, student supports and wages incompatible with rising inflation. In a statement issued Wednesday, Alberta finance minister Nate Horner said the decision has cast "a shadow of uncertainty and doubt over the start of the school year."

Meanwhile, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) rejected its tentative agreement with Alberta Health Services, with nearly 60 per cent of members voting it down. HSAA president Mike Parker said wages are the biggest issue and the province is facing a dangerous shortage of health care professional. In a statement Minister Horner said the government remains ready to return to the bargaining table.

Finally, the legislature will reconvene on October 23. Members will hear the speech from the throne, which will outline the government’s priorities as it enters the second half of its mandate.

New West will be watching closely and stands ready to assist clients through this transition.

Top Ontario Stories

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie faces a leadership review at her party’s annual general meeting this weekend. Liberals will gather in Toronto September 12-14 at the Sheraton Centre in downtown Toronto, for the first time following the party’s disappointing results in the spring’s provincial election that saw Doug Ford’s PC government win a third consecutive majority government.

Despite picking up support, the Ontario Liberals failed to overtake the NDP as the official opposition at Queen’s Park, and moreover, Crombie failed to win her own seat in Mississauga where she was previously mayor. The outcome has left some Liberals questioning whether Crombie is the right person to continue leading the party.

The party’s internal campaign post-mortem, which was released this week, suggests that the Liberals failed to support local campaigns, didn’t do enough to introduce Crombie to voters, and failed to define PC leader Doug Ford. The party also believes the campaign failed to address voters concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump and the impact of tariffs on the economy by focusing so strongly on health care.

For her part, Crombie says that she’s “listened” to her critics. She’s spent the summer travelling around the province to meet with Liberals to debrief about how the campaign went, and to build support for her continued leadership. While grumbling about Crombie’s leadership has bubbled beneath the surface, there doesn’t appear to be a strong campaign to oust her. Liberal MP and leadership runner-up Nathaniel Erskine-Smith had been vocal following the election about the need for change but wasn’t available for an interview with the Toronto Star when asked about this weekend’s leadership vote. Cromie has also rejected the notion put forward by detractors that she has to win two thirds support of the party’s delegates to stay on as leader. Still, without a strong mandate from party members, Crombie and the Ontario Liberals may be challenged to find common ground to go up against Ford’s PC government.

While politicians on the left, like B.C. Premier David Eby, and on the right, like Pierre Poilievre, are taking aim at the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program, Ontario Premier Doug Ford is opting not to weigh in on the program. With unemployment at 7.7 per cent in Ontario and youth unemployment at 14.5 per cent nationally, calls for major reforms to the TFW program are growing. Ford, on the other hand, told the crowd at a Toronto Region Board of Trade breakfast that “it drives [him] nuts” when he sees young healthy people saying they can’t find a job. He insists that “if you look hard enough” young job seekers should be able to find work.

The province’s Skills Development Fund is causing quite the stir at Queen’s Park. Ontario’s Auditor General Shelley Spence is taking a look at the program, according to her office. This comes as opposition MPPs have raised concerns about grants going to organizations they allege are closely connected to the PC Party. At the same time, OPSEU – the Ontario Public Service Employees Union – is criticizing the government by suggesting the SDF program is diverting funding away from public colleges and universities. OPSEU represents more than 10,000 college support workers who are currently striking at Ontario’s 24 public colleges. However, the criticism hasn’t landed well with other unions. LiUNA, a major construction union announced that is has left the Ontario Federation of Labour because of OPSEU’s attacks on the Skills Development Fund, which has “funded numerous LiUNA training centres and training, apprentice and mentorship programs.”

Upcoming Events Calendar

September 12-14, 2025: Ontario Liberal Party AGM
September 15, 2025: House of Commons returns
September 15, 2025: Alberta Next panel Airdrie town hall 
September 17, 2025: Alberta Next panel Grande Prairie town hall 
October 20, 2025: Ontario Legislature returns
October 23, 2025: Alberta Throne Speech
October 29, 2025: Alberta Next panel Calgary town hall 
January 29-31, 2026: Conservative Party of Canada National Convention
March 29, 2026: Federal NDP Leadership Race Results Announcement