As the House of Commons reconvenes after a three-month break, Parliament’s agenda will centre on U.S. trade tensions, new EU ties and cost-of-living issues.
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Parliament will return to work Monday after a three-month recess, with the continuing U.S.–Canada trade dispute and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s push for closer European Union ties expected to dominate early debates.
Carney’s latest efforts come as public support appears to back his international approach, but some analysts say the Liberal government is still vulnerable on affordability and the cost of living.
Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University, said there is broad backing for what Carney is doing internationally, while urging Liberals to avoid leaving “an opening” for Conservatives to attack on economic conditions for households.
In remarks to his caucus on Friday, Carney said his government would “remain laser focused on bringing down costs for Canadians” and on defending Canada’s sovereignty, framing the return to Parliament as both an economic and foreign policy priority.
Carney’s trip to Europe included meetings connected to the European Union’s approach to Canada. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen opened the door to Canada becoming what she called the first “associate member” of the EU.
The proposed associate membership would be a new category within the EU framework, according to the report, and Carney has said the House of Commons would have the chance to debate and vote on whatever alliance is ultimately proposed.
Béland said Conservatives may find it difficult to press the issue if Carney remains focused on international travel and defending Canada’s position amid tensions with the United States.
The timing of Carney’s European pivot is linked to a fractured relationship with Washington, including a pause in trade talks in August that preceded a U.S.-set tariff deadline.
The report states that Carney suspended negotiations just before that deadline, saying the U.S. made demands Canada could not agree to, including limits on Canada’s protections for French and restrictions tied to Canada’s ability to make trade deals with other countries.
Tensions escalated further after U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that if Canada becomes the first associate member of the EU, it could be considered a “hostile act,” adding pressure to the diplomatic track now under consideration.
Carney’s international activity continues as Parliament returns. His Sunday agenda included meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and hosting the Prime Minister of Norway in Ottawa.
Carney is also scheduled to travel to New York on Monday for the United Nations General Assembly, keeping the government’s foreign policy emphasis aligned with the opening of the fall sitting.
In the meantime, the government says the House of Commons session will include significant legislative work. Carney told MPs Friday that it would be a “crucial session,” describing legislation intended to streamline infrastructure project review processes.
Government House leader Steven MacKinnon said the “Building Canada Strong Act” would be central to the fall sitting, and called it “very significant,” though he did not provide additional specifics in the report.
The fall sitting begins with the Liberals holding a slim majority in the chamber. The government also returned to Parliament after adding three new MPs who won seats in byelections held Aug. 31.
The report says Braeden Caley won in North Vancouver-Capilano, Tanveer Shahnawaz won in Beaches-East York, and dairy farmer Daniel Gobeil won in Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, with the seats formerly held by Liberals in the first two cases and a Conservative MP in the third.
Chicoutimi-Le Fjord had been held by Conservative MP Richard Martel, who accepted a seat in the Senate during the summer, meaning he is not expected to return to the House of Commons for the fall sitting.
Beyond Martel, several Conservatives are also not coming back to caucus this fall, with the report naming Cathay Wagantall and Larry Brock as having resigned, and listing other MPs who crossed the floor to the Liberals.
The MPs named as crossing from the Conservatives to the Liberals were Chris d’Entremont, Michael Ma, Matt Jeneroux and Marilyn Gladu, reflecting continued volatility in the Conservative ranks heading into the parliamentary session.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre addressed his MPs at a caucus meeting in Penticton, B.C., and accused Carney of “secretly negotiating” with the EU, while also outlining Conservative concerns about EU rules and taxes.
Poilievre’s reported position included support for free trade and NATO cooperation, paired with opposition to what Conservatives described as EU taxes, EU laws, and open-border immigration rules for Canada.
While Conservatives face challenges in responding to Carney’s agenda during travel, the report notes that the party also returned to Ottawa after a summer of internal infighting about its direction, with some strategists questioning Poilievre’s control and discipline within his caucus.
On the opposition side, the NDP is returning with reduced numbers as well. The report says it is heading into the session a seat short, after longtime Quebec MP Alexandre Boulerice resigned in August.
That exit followed Nunavut MP Lori Idlout’s decision earlier this year to defect to the Liberals, leaving the New Democrats with five MPs in Parliament, excluding leader Avi Lewis.
The report says Lewis has indicated he will not rush to run for a seat, instead focusing on reaching out to grassroots members and rebuilding the party.
Béland said the NDP’s weak position can make it easier for Carney’s government to propose ideas such as involving private investors in the operations of Canada’s four largest airports, noting Carney has also shifted the Liberals toward the centre-right.
However, Béland cautioned that while weakness from the left may give the Liberals more room, the government should avoid being overconfident and introducing measures Canadians oppose.
The report adds that the Liberals also plan changes to the Labour Code that could become controversial, and notes that Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said Saturday legislation would reduce the number of times the federal government has to intervene in strikes.
As Parliament reconvenes, the session’s combination of cost-of-living politics, unfinished trade disputes and EU-related decisions is likely to set the terms for how the Liberals and the Conservatives compete for attention in the House of Commons.
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