The House of Commons resumes sitting on Monday, January 25 (and the Senate resumes one day later), and the national economic landscape has seen a drastic shift since the House last sat. The CBC interviewed the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc P.C., M.P., Leader of Her Majesty's Government in the House of Commons, to learn more about what the legislative agenda is going to look like.
Addressing the Canadian economy
With the Canadian dollar and the price of oil having taken nosedives, thousands of jobs focused in our natural resource sector have been lost. Alberta, which for years has put all of its eggs into a single economic basket, can arguably be said to be hit the hardest by the sudden economic downturn. The Government House Leader has indicated that boosting infrastructure spending would be an urgent priority, when the budget is tabled in late February or early March.
During the election campaign, the Liberal Party pledged $60 billion in additional infrastructure spending over a ten-year schedule; given the economic situation, however, the Liberals might explore options to fast-track and front-load injections of infrastructure spending to our harder-hit regions, such as Alberta's oil-industry-dependant communities, to start compensating for recent job losses. (The current commitment is to boost infrastructure spending by $17.4 billion over the first five years, over and above the funds that had already been earmarked by the previous Government.)
Senate appointments
The previous prime minister, on a steady path to the precipitation of a constitutional crisis, had refused to provide the Governor General with advice for Senate appointments. When the Senate returns on Tuesday, there are still going to be 22 vacant seats (out of 105). Only a few days ago, orders-in-council were signed creating an independent advisory board for Senate appointments.
The advisory board is going to be conducting consultations in Ontario, Québec, and Manitoba, to provide advice on nominees for the three provinces that have had their representation the most severely impacted by the previous prime minister's disregard for his obligations respecting Senate appointments. We can expect advice to the prime minister by mid-February for the appointment of these five expedited senators, after which an open application process shall be launched for the rest.
Canada's involvement in the anti-ISIS mission
It is no secret that Canada has started to come under some pressure from its allies to reconsider its decision to pull out CF-18 fighter jets from the anti-ISIS combat mission. Nevertheless, the Government House Leader indicates that the plan remains to discontinue the combat role of our CF-18s, and to change the nature of our participation in the ongoing anti-ISIS campaign.
The Government intends, at the end of March (i.e., when the mandate of the current combat mission agreed to by the previous Government is scheduled to end), the Government is going to be bringing forward a revised plan for the participation of the Canadian Forces in anti-ISIS efforts, and it apparently intends to have a parliamentary vote on the nature of the mission moving forward.
Reforming elections to the House
Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition continues to fiercely oppose the Government's pledge to pursue electoral reform for elections to the House of Commons, even considering the use of the Conservative majority in the Senate to stall or defeat any electoral reform legislation that might be introduced. The opposition is primarily focused around (a) concern that the Liberals might favour a preferential ballot, which the Conservatives fear could favour a centrist party; and (b) over their hypocritical assertion that the Liberals should not use their majority to amend the Canada Elections Act without first having put the question of electoral reform to a referendum.
The Government House Leader has indicated that a House of Commons committee is going to be tasked with a broad, cross-country consultation on the question of democratic reform before any legislation or process is suggested to the House, and so the Conservatives' concerns seem to be more for political theatre than for legitimate and healthy parliamentary opposition. There is no timeframe announced for the electoral reform initiative.
Supreme Court decision on assisted dying
Now that the Supreme Court has granted a four-month extension to the Government to come up with assisted-dying legislation that would satisfy their judicial decision, the Liberals are going to need to craft something quickly. The Government has proposed creating a joint committee, including both senators and members of the House of Commons, to develop legislation and to report back. (The creation of the joint committee was significantly delayed when the Bloc Québécois repeatedly refused the consent needed to forego the usual rules for establishing committees.)
The committee is going to need to determine a way to provide appropriate and adequate protections for vulnerable patients, while ensuring that "Canadians with irremediable medical conditions have the right to end their lives with a doctor's assistance." They are due to report back by early March.
Source: 5 things to watch when Parliament returns on Monday (CBC News)
Addressing the Canadian economy
With the Canadian dollar and the price of oil having taken nosedives, thousands of jobs focused in our natural resource sector have been lost. Alberta, which for years has put all of its eggs into a single economic basket, can arguably be said to be hit the hardest by the sudden economic downturn. The Government House Leader has indicated that boosting infrastructure spending would be an urgent priority, when the budget is tabled in late February or early March.
During the election campaign, the Liberal Party pledged $60 billion in additional infrastructure spending over a ten-year schedule; given the economic situation, however, the Liberals might explore options to fast-track and front-load injections of infrastructure spending to our harder-hit regions, such as Alberta's oil-industry-dependant communities, to start compensating for recent job losses. (The current commitment is to boost infrastructure spending by $17.4 billion over the first five years, over and above the funds that had already been earmarked by the previous Government.)
Senate appointments
The previous prime minister, on a steady path to the precipitation of a constitutional crisis, had refused to provide the Governor General with advice for Senate appointments. When the Senate returns on Tuesday, there are still going to be 22 vacant seats (out of 105). Only a few days ago, orders-in-council were signed creating an independent advisory board for Senate appointments.
The advisory board is going to be conducting consultations in Ontario, Québec, and Manitoba, to provide advice on nominees for the three provinces that have had their representation the most severely impacted by the previous prime minister's disregard for his obligations respecting Senate appointments. We can expect advice to the prime minister by mid-February for the appointment of these five expedited senators, after which an open application process shall be launched for the rest.
Canada's involvement in the anti-ISIS mission
It is no secret that Canada has started to come under some pressure from its allies to reconsider its decision to pull out CF-18 fighter jets from the anti-ISIS combat mission. Nevertheless, the Government House Leader indicates that the plan remains to discontinue the combat role of our CF-18s, and to change the nature of our participation in the ongoing anti-ISIS campaign.
The Government intends, at the end of March (i.e., when the mandate of the current combat mission agreed to by the previous Government is scheduled to end), the Government is going to be bringing forward a revised plan for the participation of the Canadian Forces in anti-ISIS efforts, and it apparently intends to have a parliamentary vote on the nature of the mission moving forward.
Reforming elections to the House
Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition continues to fiercely oppose the Government's pledge to pursue electoral reform for elections to the House of Commons, even considering the use of the Conservative majority in the Senate to stall or defeat any electoral reform legislation that might be introduced. The opposition is primarily focused around (a) concern that the Liberals might favour a preferential ballot, which the Conservatives fear could favour a centrist party; and (b) over their hypocritical assertion that the Liberals should not use their majority to amend the Canada Elections Act without first having put the question of electoral reform to a referendum.
The Government House Leader has indicated that a House of Commons committee is going to be tasked with a broad, cross-country consultation on the question of democratic reform before any legislation or process is suggested to the House, and so the Conservatives' concerns seem to be more for political theatre than for legitimate and healthy parliamentary opposition. There is no timeframe announced for the electoral reform initiative.
Supreme Court decision on assisted dying
Now that the Supreme Court has granted a four-month extension to the Government to come up with assisted-dying legislation that would satisfy their judicial decision, the Liberals are going to need to craft something quickly. The Government has proposed creating a joint committee, including both senators and members of the House of Commons, to develop legislation and to report back. (The creation of the joint committee was significantly delayed when the Bloc Québécois repeatedly refused the consent needed to forego the usual rules for establishing committees.)
The committee is going to need to determine a way to provide appropriate and adequate protections for vulnerable patients, while ensuring that "Canadians with irremediable medical conditions have the right to end their lives with a doctor's assistance." They are due to report back by early March.
Source: 5 things to watch when Parliament returns on Monday (CBC News)
