Good Thursday morning,

In today’s Politics This Morning:

• The House will debate another Conservative motion.

• More committees hear witnesses in secret.

• Joël Lightbound reveals the government’s plan to save Canada Post.

The new parliamentary budget officer will release a report today on Canada’s “economic and fiscal outlook.”

JASON JACQUES’ report will include up-to-date information on the state of the nation’s economy, and the government’s finances. It will serve as an early measuring stick against which the government’s fall budget can be compared on Nov. 4.

Jacques told a committee of MPs earlier this month that the government’s deficit will “absolutely” be higher than previously forecast. He also said that the government does not have any so-called fiscal anchors to keep its debt spending in check, so far as his office was aware. IREM KOCA reported on his testimony here.  

Jacques is scheduled to testify today before the House of Commons Government Operations and Estimates Committee. You’ll be able to watch that meeting here at 3:30 p.m.

World leaders on the move

Prime Minister MARK CARNEY is preparing for a trip to the U.K. He’s planning to spend Friday and Saturday in the country, and to meet with the prime ministers of the U.K., Australia, Spain, Iceland, and Denmark while he’s there, according to the PMO. Trade, security, and geopolitics will be on the agenda, including “lasting peace in Europe and the Middle East.”

Carney is also planning to attend the Global Progress Action Summit in London. 

Today, Carney will be in Ottawa, where he’ll welcome his visiting Irish counterpart, Taoiseach MICHAEL MARTIN this morning at 8 a.m. and will meet with Martin at 9:15 a.m. in the West Block on Parliament Hill. Martin is also scheduled to meet with Governor General MARY SIMON at Rideau Hall shortly before noon. Carney will also chair a cabinet meeting at 10:45 a.m. and will then depart for London, U.K., at 1 p.m.

Yesterday, Indonesian President PRABOWO SUBIANTO paid Ottawa a visit. He met with Carney in the afternoon and the two dined together following Carney’s return from New York. The two signed a defence pact and trade deal, which Carney described as “game changing.”

In Washington, President DONALD TRUMP is set to host Turkish President TAYYIP ERDOGAN at the White House today. The two are expected to use the occasion to finalize trade and military deals, Reuters reported.

Prime Minister Carney met with Erdogan on the margins of the UN General Assembly on Monday.

Foreign Minister ANITA ANAND remains in New York for UN-related business. Today she is planning to participate in a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting, attend another meeting of ministers on the subject of the International Criminal Court, and attend a networking dinner for women foreign ministers, among other things, according to spokesperson MYAH TOMASI.

The federal, provincial, and territorial ministers of finance are planning to meet virtually today. FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE’s office declined to release details of what is on the agenda for the meeting. One imagines that the federal budget will come up for discussion. 

In the news

OGGO back in action: Irem Koca tees up the Government Operations and Estimates Committee’s fall session. Read all about it here. 

Hill Climbers: LAURA RYCKEWAERT gives us a peak into Industry Minister MÉLANIE JOLY’s team of staffers in her latest column. 

Party Central: STUART BENSEON breaks down PETE BUTTIGIEG’S friendly fireside chat at Canada 2020’s pre-summit dinner.

Photos galore: ANDREW MEADE documented the Indonesian president’s visit and SAM GARCIA snapped shots of recent diplomatic events.

Legislation corner

The government has given notice of another new bill in the House of Commons. It will bear the title, “An Act respecting the Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation,” and will be sponsored by Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister REBECCA ALTY.

A bill with the same title was introduced into the House in the dying days of the Trudeau government, but did not advance before the election was called. That bill created a legal basis for the government to appoint a “commissioner for modern treaty implementation to conduct reviews and performance audits of the activities of government institutions related to the implementation of modern treaties.” You can see details of the old bill here. We’ll see how closely the new matches the old when the government tables Alty’s bill, which could come as soon as today.

In committee

Another day brings another secret committee meeting—actually, two more. 

Liberal MP ANGELO IACONO chairs the House Environment Committee, and he has chosen to hold today’s meeting in camera.

The committee members will have a chance to question officials from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, and Canada Water Agency at the meeting. The public won’t get to hear the testimony, which is a shame.

The public might like to hear what officials from the Canada Water Agency have to say about the steep cuts to its budget being kicked around in the minister’s office, for example. 

Or, what officials from the Impact Assessment Agency think of the government’s move to cut them out of the review and approval process for major projects via Bill C-5.

Instead, that testimony will remain secret.

The House Human Resources Committee is also planning to hold an in camera meeting today for a “briefing on trauma-informed practices.” It will be interviewing a registered psychotherapist. The committee is chaired by Liberal MP ROBERT MORRISSEY.

On the plus side, the House Public Accounts Committee—led by chair and Conservative MP JOHN WILLIAMSON—has opted to bring Auditor General KAREN HOGAN back for a public meeting today. 

Williamson’s committee interviewed Hogan behind closed doors on Tuesday. Today, Public Accounts is holding a public meeting to question Hogan, CMHC President COLEEN VOLK, and deputy minister PAUL HALUCHA about the AG’s report on government office space. That meeting will begin at 11 a.m.

Details on the rest of today’s committee meetings can be found at the bottom of this newsletter.

In the House

It’s the third opposition day of the week, and it’s back to the Conservatives to table a motion for debate.

Yesterday, the House defeated a motion introduced by Bloc Québécois during its own Opposition day earlier this week. The motion asked the government to withdraw its intervention filed with the Supreme Court against the limitless use of the notwithstanding clause to override Charter rights.

Liberal and NDP MPs voted against the Bloc motion, while Conservative and Bloc MPs banded together in voting “Yay.” The Bloc was, unsurprisingly, displeased, and slammed the Liberals for trying to impose what it called a “multiculturalist vision” on Quebec in a press release. 

That was the vote. As for the debate, Justice Minister SEAN FRASER rose yesterday to deliver opening remarks for the second reading debate on the government’s Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act. 

The legislation proposes to add new criminal offences to the Criminal Code. Two of them would criminalize obstruction and intimidation of people entering or gathering in religious institutions. Another one targets the use of certain symbols to wilfully promote hate. A third attaches itself to any existing crimes committed where the motivation is hatred, and that hatred is rooted in someone’s identity. Most of the existing hate-related offences require the Attorney General’s consent before charges can be laid, but the bill removes that requirement “allowing police to act more quickly,” according to the feds.

It would also codify the Supreme Court’s definition of hatred, and do away with the need for police forces to seek consent of the provincial attorney general to prosecute a hate crime. 

“In my view, hate crimes should not be subject to a political assessment. But instead subject to an independent ability of law enforcement agencies to determine where hate exists in their community and take action where they deem it necessary,” Fraser told MPs. 

He gave examples of rising hate crimes against Jewish, Muslim, Black, Asian, and queer communities in Canada while defending the bill in the Green Chamber yesterday. 

He also clarified that the government is not seeking to criminalize people from disliking each other.

Conservative MP LARRY BROCK said his party supports the objectives of protecting vulnerable communities and giving the police the tools to fight hate crimes. But he called the bill “flawed” in the current form. 

“There is zero reference to Christianity. It is under attack in this country.”

He said the bill sounds “more like a political gesture” than a real plan and is “vague” and “broad.” 

The intimidation and obstruction provisions in the bill risks targeting peaceful protests and legitimate dissent, he said. Police officers and prosecutors he has spoken to, he claimed, consider the consent of the attorney general as an “essential safeguard” to ensure these tools are not misused. 

He also flagged that the feds have not codified the exact words used by the Supreme Court to define hate crimes. 

The Secretary of State for Combatting Crime RUBY SAHOTA said that the government heard during consultations on the draft legislation that laying charges for hate crimes had become very cumbersome awaiting the AG’s sign off. 

QP Report: Calls to fire Anandasangaree, and a former prime minister in the audience at Carney’s QP appearance 

Prime Minister Mark Carney returned to the House yesterday for Question Period, and needless to say he faced an onslaught of “fire Gary” attacks.

Upon his entry, Politics This Morning noticed him exchanging a lighthearted gesture with his nemesis Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

Still, the Tories were out in full force targeting Public Safety Minister GARY ANANDASANGAREE over leaked audio of a conversation in which he raised doubts over the government’s gun buyback program, which he is leading. The audio was captured while Anandasangaree was having a conversation with a tenant. 

“Put Gary’s tenant in your cabinet,” a heckler from the Conservative benches yelled. Poilievre accused the Carney government of diverting $750-million that could instead be used to hire more border and police officials for a program that he said Carney’s minister agrees won’t work. 

“Why is the prime minister putting lives at risk for politics?” he asked.

Carney stood up to reply: “Mr. Speaker, I don’t even know where to begin with that.” — “By firing Gary!” a Tory heckler said. 

Carney continued: “I don’t even know where to begin because of all the misrepresentation in that intervention …The person who is putting lives at risk is the leader of the opposition who has voted against every single piece of gun legislation” 

While all the attacks were being laid against Anandasangaree, Energy Minister TIM HODGSON, who was sitting next to him, offered some moral support with a gentle tap to his hand, Politics This Morning’s eagle eye noticed. 

Then there were the regular questions on food prices, housing, and public safety, while the Bloc MPs were persistent about the government’s Supreme Court intervention. 

Watching all this unfold silently in the audience was former Progressive Conservative prime minister JOE CLARK. Carney was made aware of his presence by Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, and Carney gave Clark a quick salute from his chair. 

Clark received a roaring applause and a standing ovation after the House Speaker gave him a shout out. 

Politics This Morning caught up with Clark at the end to get his thoughts on what he saw. 

“It sounded a little more scripted than I remember, but I was pleased to see the extent of participation by members of both sides,” he said. 

He was in Ottawa for a meeting nearby, he added, and just decided to watch Question Period as it had been a “long time” since he had done so in person. 

What else is happening today?

Former NDP MPs PETER JULIAN and MATTHEW GREEN are holding a press conference on Parliament Hill today at 11:30 a.m. Might this have something to do with the party’s leadership race? Stay tuned to find out.

At 12:45 p.m., Public Works Minister JOËL LIGHTBOUND will hold a press conference to announce “new measures to address the challenges facing Canada Post and advance its transformation.” 

Canada Post is losing hundreds of millions of dollars per year. The carrier said in a news release earlier this year that “outdated operating, regulatory, and policy constraints continued to severely limit the company’s ability to adapt to the changing needs of the country.” 

At 3:30 p.m., Canadian Identity Minister STEVEN GUILBEAULT will head to the Senate Chamber to take questions from Senators as part of the Red Chamber’s Question Period.

Today’s data

This morning Statistics Canada is publishing new data on job vacancies and earnings, natural resources and grain deliveries, tobacco, housing, aircraft movement, and business openings and closures. You’ll be able to find it all here beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Non-permanent residents down, asylum seekers up in Q2

Canada’s total population increased marginally by 0.1 per cent as of July 1 compared to April, according to the latest estimate from Statistics Canada, published yesterday. 

The number of non-permanent residents in the country declined for the third consecutive quarter.

Non-permanent residents hold limited period visas. They made up 7.3 per cent of the total population on July 1, as per the report, falling by 58,719 from the previous quarter. It was the second-largest quarterly decrease in Canada since the agency began tracking those numbers in 1971. The only other time the figure fell so drastically was in the third quarter of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak. 

The decline follows the imposition of new targets by the Liberal government last September, lowering the intake of international students in 2025 by 10 per cent of the 2024 target.

The number of study permit holders, as a result, were down by 32,025 in the July report. The number of temporary residents only holding work permits declined by 19,637.

On the other hand, the number of asylum seekers in Canada increased for the 14^th straight quarter to 497,443 people. 

Yesterday, The Globe and Mail reported that the government has ordered asylum seekers living in hotels with government assistance to vacate within a week, as the Immigration Department is ending the hotel stay policy. 

The feds have spent nearly $1.1-billion on such hotel bills for housing asylum claimants since 2017, in addition to granting $1.5-billion to provinces and cities for refugees claimants’ welfare.  

Other notable facts and figures in the quarterly population update include:

• Canada’s population stood at 41,651,653 people on July 1, 2025.

• Newfoundland and Labrador became the first Canadian province ever to have more than 25 per cent of its population above 65 years of age. Overall, in Canada this number was 19.5 per cent. 

• Prince Edward Island and Alberta topped the list of provinces with the fastest population growth. British Columbia was the only region with a decline instead of an increase in numbers on this front.

• The Canadian population is aging despite the past influx of young temporary workers, as is evident in numbers. The median age went up from 40.3 years on July 1, 2024, to 40.6 years on July 1 this year. The average age also increased from 41.6 to 41.8 years. 

• The fertility rate in Canada continues to slide lower and stood at 1.25 children per woman in 2024. It is, however, falling at a slower pace than compared to 2022 and 2023. 

• More women have been having children in their 30s in Canada in the past several years. In 2024, the average age of mothers giving birth was 31.8 years, up from 26.7 years in 1976. 

• In the second quarter of 2025, Alberta had the highest number of people moving in from other provinces and territories for the 12^th time in a row. More people moved out of Ontario in that period than elsewhere for the 15_th consecutive quarter. 

In case you missed it

• The government’s return to office mandate is interfering with its plan to sell off federal office space, according to a briefing binder prepared for Public Works Minister Joël Lightbound. The Canadian Press’ CATHERINE MORRISON had that story yesterday.

• The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation issued a report yesterday comparing the decline in Toronto’s condo market with a similar drop in the 1990s. You can read it here.  

People

It was a sold-out crowd at last night’s Politics & the Pen schmooze-fest fundraiser for the Writers’ Trust of Canada at the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa. The annual fundraiser, which raised $530,000 last year for Canadian writers, attracts a crowd of about 500 people and last night, political Ottawa came out in droves, and in their best duds. The Chateau was positively buzzing with conversations as people jammed into the space, and there were so many people, it was hard to keep track. But long story short: RAYMOND B. BLAKE won the $40,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing for his book, Canada’s Prime Ministers and the Shaping of a National Identity, published by UBC Press. The prize was increased from $25,000 to $40,000 this year.

The other nominees for this year’s Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing were: STEPHEN MAHER, for The Prince: The Turbulent Reign of Justin Trudeau (Simon & Schuster Canada); JANE PHILPOTT, for Health for All: A Doctor’s Prescription for a Healthier Canada (Signal); TANYA TALAGA, for The Knowing (HarperCollins Publishers); and ALASDAIR ROBERTS, for The Adaptable Country: How Canada Can Survive the Twenty-First Century (McGill-Queen’s University Press).

Here are just some of the guests who PTM spotted: SEAN FRASER, KIRSTEN HILLMAN, GEORGE WAMALA, DENISE CHONG, STEPHEN MAHER, TANYA TALAGA, JANE PHILPOTT, RODGER CUZNER, SCOTT AITCHISON, BRUCE HARTLEY, LESLIE SWARTMAN, DAVID HERLE, JACQUES SHORE, JIM ARMOUR, HEATHER BRADLEY, ELIZABETH GRAY-SMITH, PATRICK KENNEDY, ARIELLE KAYABAGA, MEGAN LESLIE, PATRICK DION, ROB RUSSO, VASSY KAPELOS, PAUL WELLS, MAUREEN BOYD, JUDY SGRO, BRUCE FANJOY, MICHELLE CADARIO, YVONNE JONES, WAYNE WOUTERS, STEVEN HOGUE, RUBY SAHOTA, ALI EHSASSI, ANDY SINGH, STEWART REYNOLDS, BRIGITTE PELLERIN, KARINA GOULD, RECHIE VALDEZ, ANGAD DHILLON, LISA SAMSON, ADAM VAN KOEVERDEN, JAMES KUSIE, ANDREW LAWTON, MOHAMMAD KAMAL, VANDANA KATTAR, TALEEB NOORMOHAMED, DON NEWMAN, KATE MALLOY, ABBAS RANA, CYNTHIA MUNSTER, CAROLINE PHILLIPS, ASHLEY FRASER, and MICHAEL SERAPIO, and so many more.

We asked, you answered

Well, there was problem with yesterday’s question. We asked which two prime ministers’ wives gave birth while their husbands were sitting prime ministers, but there were actually three prime ministers’ wives. The answer is: SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD‘s wife AGNES BERNARD gave birth to daughter MARGARET MARY THEODORA MACDONALD on Feb. 8, 1869. PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU‘s wife MARGARET TRUDEAU gave birth to their eldest son JUSTIN TRUDEAU on Dec. 25, 1971. And MILA MULRONEY gave birth to NICOLAS MULRONEY on Sept. 4, 1985, while prime minister BRIAN MULRONEY was in office. Tip of the hat to everyone who gave it their best shot and we apologize for this error: ADAM SMITH, MARC DESMARAIS, NATHAN NASH, and RON COLUCCI. 

TODAY’S POLITICAL QUESTION

A few decades ago, Indigenous People in Canada weren’t allowed to vote in Canadian federal elections, unless they were willing to give up their ‘Indian’ status. What year did that change? Please send your responses to trivia@hilltimes.com by NOON today. 

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House committees

At 8:15 a.m.

The Fisheries and Oceans Committee will meet to hear from departmental officials as part of a study of fish and lobster quota and license issues.

The Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities Committee will meet to continue its study of the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s financing for foreign-built ferries for B.C. Ferries.

At 11 a.m.

The Natural Resources Committee will meet to hear witnesses as part of a study of the development of critical minerals in Canada.

The Environment Committee will meet in camera to interview officials from the Impact Assessment Agency and Canada Water Agency.

The Public Accounts Committee will interview witnesses as part of a study of the auditor general’s report on the use of federal office space.

The Official Languages Committee will meet to discuss committee business.

At noon

The Public Safety Committee will meet to study auto theft.

At 3:30 p.m.

The Foreign Affairs Committee will meet to hear from departmental officials on the topic of Russian incursions into Polish and Romanian airspace.

The Government Operations and Estimates Committee will interview the parliamentary budget officer on two of his recent reports.

The Agriculture Committee will hear witnesses on the subject of the government’s regulatory reform initiative.

The Justice Committee will meet to study Canada’s bail and sentencing systems.

The Immigration Committee will meet to study Canada’s international student program.

Senate committees

At 8 a.m.

The Agriculture and Forestry Committee will meet in camera to discuss committee business.

At 10:30 a.m.

The Banking, Commerce, and Economy Committee will interview Senator TONY LOFFREDA and other witnesses as part of a study of his Senate private Bill S-1001 concerning the Gore Mutual Insurance Company.

The Foreign Affairs Committee will meet in camera to discuss committee business.

The Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee will meet to study Bill S-228.

The Social Affairs Committee will meet in camera to discuss committee business.