The upcoming period is set to witness a series of federal regulatory decisions.
Politics in Ottawa: A Hierarchy of Events to Watch in May
With the federal elections behind us, political excitement in Ottawa is boiling over once more." Prime Minister Mark Carney's agenda is packed to the brim, keeping him busy until the summer break, not only for his government but also for other political parties. Here's a list of essential dates to keep an eye on over the coming weeks.
May 5: New NDP Interim Leader unveiled
Following a catastrophic defeat just last week, the New Democratic Party (NDP) held a meeting on Monday evening, choosing Don Davies, a British Columbia MP, as their new interim leader. After losing his own seat on election night, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh announced his resignation as soon as a replacement was chosen. Having led the party since October 1st, 2017, he's now stepped down.
The NDP faced their worst performance in history, reduced to only seven seats on election night. The party no longer holds official status in the House of Commons.
May 6: Carney meets with Donald Trump
On Tuesday, Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump will have their initial sit-down at the White House. Carney and his team traveled to Washington on Monday afternoon for this highly anticipated meeting.
Trade negotiations will be the primary focus of this meeting, as Trump's trade war continues to escalate. This meeting is expected to be tense diplomatically, with Trump expressing his wishes to annex Canada as the 51st US state as recently as Sunday.
Week of May 12: New Cabinet unveiled
Prime Minister Carney has announced that next week, he will introduce his new Cabinet, which he has stated will be gender-balanced. He has remained tight-lipped about whether current ministers will keep their roles or if there will be new faces joining the cabinet.
When asked by a journalist about the future of Francois-Philippe Champagne, Carney seemed coy, jokingly asking the woman if it was actually the minister himself who wanted the question to be asked.
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May 26: Parliament Returns and Royal Visit
Parliament will get back to work in Ottawa on Monday, May 26, marking the debut of 112 new MPs. Federal elected officials have been absent from the building since mid-December due to parliamentary holidays and the prorogation of the session.
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will make a visit to the federal capital for a two-day trip. Their last royal tour of Canada took place in May 2022.
May 27: Speech from the Throne
Charles III will open the 45th Parliament with the reading of the Speech from the Throne, a document outlining the objectives of the new governments. Asked about the choice of the British monarch to deliver the speech, Prime Minister Carney explained that it was a symbolic gesture to "underline Canada's sovereignty" in the tense geopolitical context with the United States. Queen Elizabeth II was the last monarch to deliver the Speech from the Throne in Canada, in 1977.
From June 15 to June 17: A Tense G7 Summit
The next G7 summit, to be held in Kananaskis, Alberta, will feature several leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. World leaders will grapple with numerous delicate issues in a context of economic and security upheavals linked to the United States.
Upcoming Events
Two other major happenings currently lack a fixed date on the calendar:
- By-Election: Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre will have to quickly secure a seat in the House of Commons after losing his seat in Carleton, a suburb of Ottawa, on election night. He will run in the riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, Alberta, to regain his seat in Parliament. The riding is relatively safe for the leader, as the Conservative MP who will step down had garnered over 81% of the votes on Monday.
- Budget Presentation: The Minister of Finance of the Carney government is expected to present his budget, likely in June. When the Prime Minister kicked off the election campaign, he had pledged to lower the tax rate for the first bracket from 15% to 14%.
- The resignation of Jagmeet Singh, former NDP leader, is likely after his replacement, Don Davies, was unveiled on May 5.
- The French President, Emmanuel Macron, is expected to attend the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15 to June 17.
- The policy-and-legislation agenda of Prime Minister Mark Carney will include the presentation of the budget, which is expected in June.
- General news outlets have reported on the upcoming by-election, where Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre will likely run in the riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, Alberta, to regain his seat in the House of Commons.
