Health, economy, crime top issues of concern as House of Commons resumes
Members of Parliament returned to Ottawa to resume sitting for the first time in 2023 on Monday, with the state of Canada's health-care system, the health of the Canadian economy, and rates of violent crime in this country all top of mind.
As MPs began filing back into West Block — which continues to serve as the temporary home of the House of Commons during Centre Block's decade-long renovation — the parliamentary precinct was relatively quiet after this weekend's one-year anniversary of the "Freedom Convoy" protest kickoff came and went with little fanfare.
On Monday afternoon, question period provided the first opportunity for politicians to square off on the headline-grabbing issues during the month-long holiday hiatus. From another chaotic travel season, to questions swirling around past comments about Quebec made by the Liberals' newly appointed special representative on combating Islamophobia, there was plenty for MPs to dig into.
The first item of government business up for debate was the Liberals' Bill C-35, aimed at enshrining in law a long-term commitment to Canada's early learning and child care Act system, beyond the $10-a-day-deals the federal government has signed with provinces and territories. Early debate was an indication that the Conservatives won't be supporting the legislation, barring amendments.
LIBERALS PLEDGE TO STAY 'POSITIVE'
Ahead of the House of Commons' opening, party caucuses held meetings to plot their political and legislative priorities. For all, inflation, affordability, and Canadians' ability to access services remain key issues of concern.
Top of mind for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this winter will be balancing a number of upcoming big ticket commitments, with the Liberals' pledge to be fiscally responsible given the widespread warnings of an economic slowdown.
"There's a host of hot issues, obviously. But, more than that, I think there's an important priority for the prime minister and his government to look like they're moving from arguments to achievements… Talking about the cost of living crisis, talking about economic wellbeing, talking about health care, talking about crime," said CTV political commentator Scott Reid on CTV News Channel on Monday.
"And I think the fundamental mission for the government right now is to demonstrate that it can fix those things that people are worried aren't working, and that they can make real progress,” Reid said. “This session is an opportunity for him day in and day out, measure to measure, policy to policy, question period to question period, to prove his point, that this government is getting things fixed and getting things done.”
In his caucus-rallying speech to MPs on Friday, Trudeau said, while the country and the world are facing "difficult times" given the risk of a recession and the ongoing war in Ukraine, it is important that Liberals reaffirm their "positive vision" for the future.
"This is a pivotal moment, not just for our country, but for the whole world. And, as we head together into this new sitting of Parliament, we — all of us — we must be ready to meet this moment. We must remember to always put Canadians at the centre of everything we do," Trudeau said.
CONSERVATIVES FOCUS ON CRIME RATE
Heading into a new year as the head of the Official Opposition to the Liberal minority, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has vowed to continue calling out reckless spending. As his caucus plans to push a number of committee studies connected to what they see as the Liberals' inability to govern without ethics breaches, or deliver services without relying on private consultants, Poilievre on Monday deliberately emphasized the fact that Trudeau has now been in power for "eight years."
During question period, the Conservatives largely focused their questions around the ongoing discussion of how much the federal Liberals have spent on contracts granted to consulting firm McKinsey and Co., while at the same time placing the blame on the federal government for a range of issues.
"After eight years of this prime minister, we have 40-year highs in inflation, we have a 32 per cent increase in crime. We have the TTC transit system in downtown Toronto overtaken by crime. We have more people eating at food banks and living at homeless shelters … but not everybody is doing badly, his friends at McKinsey are rolling in cash … How much did he give McKinsey?" Poilievre said Monday, echoing his own fiery address to caucus last week.
On Monday, Conservative deputy leader and MP Melissa Lantsman requested an emergency debate "regarding the unprecedented levels of violent crime across Canada," but her request was denied by House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota, who deemed it didn't meet the criteria.
The two main federal parties are heading into this political year looking to make their respective cases for why Canada is, or is not "broken." Trudeau has accused Poilievre of choosing to amplify anger without real solutions for the problems he's pointing to, while Poilievre is suggesting the prime minister has his head in the sand and should "get out of the way."
"We've got an interesting battle shaping up between Pierre Poilievre and Justin Trudeau… I think that the richest vein to be mined by the Conservatives, is simple government incompetence," said CTV political commentator Tom Mulcair on CTV News Channel on Monday. "This is a core question of, you know, can the Conservatives do better?
NDP PRIORITIZE PRIVATIZATION DEBATE
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh — holding tough on seeing some big-ticket supply-and-confidence deal items fulfilled — started off Monday's sitting calling for an emergency debate on what he considers a "big shift" in the way health care is being delivered in Canada, sounding alarms over provinces' plans to increase privatization in certain areas.
During a return-to-Parliament-focused press conference Monday morning, Singh told reporters that he's been "surprised" to see that Trudeau is considering what Ontario is doing with its plan to allow more private clinics to perform surgeries as "innovation,” as he recently told the Toronto Star newspaper.
Singh called it a "complete flip-flop" from the last election campaign when Trudeau went hard at then-Conservative leader Erin O'Toole for his musings about increased private options.
"That's why we're calling for an emergency debate today, because really what's at stake is a turning point in our health-care system," Singh said. "The decisions we make today will define the type of healthcare we have in the next decade."
Singh's emergency debate request was also denied by the Speaker, but he told reporters that he had plans to bring up his privatization concerns directly with Trudeau as the two leaders had a meeting planned for Monday, a week before the health-care talks come to a head.
PREMIERS PUT ON PRESSURE AHEAD OF HEALTH TALKS
On Feb. 7, Trudeau is set to sit down with the premiers in Ottawa to discuss reaching cross-Canada health-care funding deals, a meeting that provincial leadership considers a long time coming.
The prime minister has said he views the gathering as a chance for federal, provincial and territorial governments to discuss an agreement — or series of agreements — that will see more funding put into health-care systems across the country, in exchange for improved care.
In a collective statement issued Monday morning, the premiers restated their expectation that the federal government increase the Canada Health Transfer from 22 per cent to 35 per cent, despite indications from Trudeau and his top negotiators that they aren't looking for a one-size-fits-all approach.
"As a federal proposal has not yet been received by premiers, this meeting will mark the beginning of the direct First Ministers’ dialogue and follow-up required to achieve the significant investment and outcomes expected by all Canadians on this fundamental priority," reads a statement issued by Chair of the Council of the Federation and Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson.
IN DEPTH
Trudeau, key election players to testify at foreign interference hearings. What you need to know
The public hearings portion of the federal inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian elections and democratic institutions are picking back up this week. Here's what you need to know.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Who is supporting, opposing new online harms bill?
Now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's sweeping online harms legislation is before Parliament, allowing key stakeholders, major platforms, and Canadians with direct personal experience with abuse to dig in and see what's being proposed, reaction is streaming in. CTVNews.ca has rounded up reaction, and here's how Bill C-63 is going over.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
TREND LINE What Nanos' tracking tells us about Canadians' mood, party preference heading into 2024
Heading into a new year, Canadians aren't feeling overly optimistic about the direction the country is heading, with the number of voters indicating negative views about the federal government's performance at the highest in a decade, national tracking from Nanos Research shows.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
opinion Don Martin: Pierre Poilievre's road to apparent victory will soon start to get rougher
Pierre Poilievre and his Conservatives appear to be on cruise control to a rendezvous with the leader's prime ministerial ambition, but in his latest column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin questions whether the Conservative leader may be peaking too soon.
opinion Don Martin: The Trudeau lessons from Brian Mulroney's legacy start with walking away
Justin Trudeau should pay very close attention to the legacy treatment afforded former prime minister Brian Mulroney, who died on Thursday at age 84, writes columnist Don Martin.
opinion Don Martin: ArriveCan debacle may be even worse than we know from auditor's report
It's been 22 years since a former auditor general blasted the Chretien government after it 'broke just about every rule in the book' in handing out private sector contracts in the sponsorship scandal. In his column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin says the book has been broken anew with everything that went on behind the scenes of the 'dreaded' ArriveCan app.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Local Spotlight
Conservation officers seize 9-foot python from Chilliwack home
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Ontario auto-insurance changes could leave some vulnerable, says expert
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A tiny critter who could: Elusive Newfoundland Marten makes improbable comeback
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
Ontario man loses $12K to deepfake scam involving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Record-setting pop tab collection for Ontario boy
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
'I was just like, holy cow!': Saskatoon dumpster divers reclaim wasted valuables
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario to balance budget ahead of 2026 election, citing delay due to 'economic uncertainty'
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.