Canadian politicians are in their final push towards the end of the year, with a number of provincial elections and high-profile meetings on the agenda.
Here’s a breakdown of some key dates in Canadian politics over the next month or so, in order of timing:
First ministers meeting
TODAY: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet with Canada’s 10 premiers and three territorial leaders in Ottawa on Monday. It will be the first time the premiers have met with a prime minister since 2009. Trudeau has said the upcoming climate change summit in Paris will be at the top of the agenda on Monday, as he and the premiers prepare a “strong and cohesive message” to take to France.
Each of the premiers will also bring their own priorities to the table; energy and the environment are expected to be major topics of discussion for many of them.
Speaking to CTV’s Question Period Sunday, New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant put the pressure on Trudeau to approve the Energy East pipeline, which would stretch from the Alberta oil sands to New Brunswick and transport as much as 1.1 million barrels of oil a day. During the election campaign, Trudeau said he wouldn't fully support Energy East until more public consultations are held to address environmental concerns.
“We want to see this project happen,” said Gallant. “We believe there has been a process unfolding. We should let that process continue its work … We believe that we should be siding on the possibility of creating jobs in the country.”
TransCanada says the construction of the project would support more than 2,300 full-time direct and spin-off jobs in New Brunswick alone.
Northwest Territories election
The Northwest Territories will choose a new government on Monday. Incumbent Premier Bob McLeod is hoping for re-election. Candidates run individually instead of under a party banner in the territory, as the government works on consensus. The elected members of the Legislative Assembly meet shortly after the election to choose a premier and cabinet. The incoming premier faces a gloomy outlook for Northwest Territories, where the resource-driven economy is stagnant because of low oil prices and ongoing issues with land rights.
Trudeau meets the Queen
The new prime minister will meet Queen Elizabeth on Wednesday at Buckingham Palace. The meeting comes 38 years after Trudeau’s father caused a worldwide sensation by posing in a pirouette behind the oblivious Queen.
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Following his meeting with the Queen in London, Trudeau will head to the Commonwealth leaders’ gathering, to be held in Malta on Nov. 27 to 29. This meeting of the heads of government from the 53 Commonwealth nations is held once every two years.
United Nations Climate Change Conference
Trudeau will wrap up his busy month of international travel at the highly-anticipated UN climate change summit in Paris, where world leaders will try to negotiate a global climate change agreement.
Trudeau has promised a new era of accountability and action on climate change, inviting the premiers and other federal party leaders to join him at the summit. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May will attend the entire meeting from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11. May told Question Period that she is nervous about the outcome of a climate change treaty, which world leaders hope to sign in Paris.
“I’m … nervous about the fate of the treaty and about the text that needs to be resolved, which right now is weak in about a 100 different parts that we have to try to put together,” said May.
Particularly critical for May is Article 17 of the draft agreement, which leaves open the option to make the treaty legally binding. She says the deal must be ratified by all countries in order to be effective.
Newfoundland election
Newfoundlanders will head to the polls on Nov. 30 to elect a new government. Progressive Conservative Leader and incumbent Premier Paul Davis is hoping to form government, just over a month after the Liberals swept eastern Canada in the federal election. But the provincial Liberals are expected to win the election, according to political scientists.
Parliament resumes, Throne Speech
It’s back to work for MPs on Dec. 3 as Parliament resumes in Ottawa. Trudeau will deliver a Speech from the Throne the next day, outlining the government’s agenda for the upcoming session. Government House Leader Dominic LeBlanc has said the government’s “priority” when Parliament returns will be lowering the tax rate for middle-class Canadians and raising the tax rate on those who earn more than $200,000 -- a key part of the Liberal election platform.
But MPs won’t get too comfortable in Ottawa before they head home for the holidays in mid-December. Parliament will resume again in the new year, on Jan. 25.
With files from the Canadian Press
