Prime Minister Mark Carney is emphasizing what he describes as a stronger and more confident Canada as Parliament prepares to resume its fall sitting next week.
Carney is scheduled to address the Liberal caucus in Ottawa on Friday, as MPs prepare for the House of Commons to return on Monday. The two-day caucus retreat comes as the government prepares to advance its legislative and economic priorities for the fall session. In recent remarks, Carney has described Canada as “powerful, confident and united,” highlighting efforts to strengthen the domestic economy while expanding the country’s relationships with international partners. He has pointed to investment, infrastructure, energy, critical minerals and advanced technologies as areas where Canada can build greater economic capacity.
The return of Parliament follows Carney’s two-day visit to France and the United Kingdom, where he focused on strengthening Canada’s economic, defence and diplomatic ties with European allies. During his visit to Strasbourg, Carney addressed the European Parliament and proposed a deeper partnership between Canada and the European Union. The proposed Canada-EU partnership could involve closer cooperation in areas such as critical minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, defence, digital trade and advanced technology. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also proposed exploring Canada becoming the EU’s first “associate member,” an idea Carney said Canada welcomes. Back in Canada, the government is preparing to introduce legislation related to the extension of the federal fuel excise tax relief announced earlier this month. The measure would extend the existing relief period, which currently reduces the federal fuel excise tax by 10 cents per litre on gasoline and 4 cents per litre on diesel.
The government is also expected to move forward with legislation aimed at streamlining project reviews as part of its broader infrastructure agenda. Carney has said that accelerating major projects and attracting investment will be important to strengthening Canada’s economic capacity.
The fall sitting will also take place against the backdrop of continuing trade tensions with the United States. Carney’s government has been pursuing greater diversification of Canada’s trade and economic relationships while maintaining the importance of the Canada-U.S. relationship.
During his European Parliament address, Carney said Canada’s objective is not complete economic self-sufficiency but greater collective resilience through stronger partnerships. He highlighted Canada’s energy resources, critical minerals, expertise in artificial intelligence and quantum technology, financial sector and Arctic geography as areas that could complement Europe’s industrial and research capabilities. The government’s approach to defence is also expected to remain an important part of the fall agenda. Canada recently announced plans to strengthen cooperation with European allies and formally applied to join the U.K.-led Joint Expeditionary Force. Ottawa has also been pursuing closer defence-industrial cooperation with European partners. With Parliament returning Monday, the government will face debate over its legislative priorities, economic policies and approach to international trade and defence. Opposition parties are expected to scrutinize the government’s proposals as the fall parliamentary session gets underway.