‘It demands the action of democracy, and I think unless we address it, it will be like an itch that is not scratched,’ says Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie of Alberta’s separatism question.
What would be the role of Parliament and its accountability requirements if AI can operate outside human control? How could backbench MPs possibly hold ministers to account if AI can undermine human influence in striking decisions? How will Parliament and government establish the difference between AI’s benefits and the problematic loss of human influence in shaping policies and delivering programs?
Critics warn Bill C-22 risks weakening cybersecurity as telecommunications firms and other service providers could be legally obligated to store Canadian users’ metadata for up to a year. But the public safety minister says some tech firms are ‘misinterpreting’ the bill, and that ‘safeguards’ are written in.
Conservative Whip Chris Warkentin says it ‘seems’ that the budget of the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group will be slashed by 40 per cent.
The implementation agreement marks another step towards the construction of a new oil pipeline running from Alberta to British Columbia’s coast.
Bill C-268 would require the CRTC to verify cellular coverage data reported by telecommunication and providers, and also force Ottawa to review Canada’s spectrum framework every five years.
‘It’s a security concern for people like me who are in the public eye and who deal with angry constituents all the time,’ says Alberta Senator Paula Simons of an Elections Alberta data leak that exposed the personal details of nearly three million people.
Unless the NDP can find some ‘superstar candidate,’ then they have ‘zero chance’ of holding the riding once five-time MP Alexandre Boulerice steps down, says Liberal strategist Jonathan Kalles.
Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon will table a motion ‘in the coming days’ to change Parliament’s standing orders and boost Liberal representation on committees by two seats.
First Nations communities from two of the three affected federal ridings told The Hill Times they were not consulted and do not support the proposed name changes.
The Liberals swept all three April 13 byelections, bringing their number to 174 MPs, and giving the party a two-seat majority cushion.
Mandatory byelections for floor-crossing MPs would be a ‘big, fat waste of time and money,’ says the political science professor in a recent episode of The Hot Room.
A clean sweep in three byelections brings the Liberal caucus to 174 members, giving them a two-seat majority cushion, and making Mark Carney the first Canadian prime minister to win a majority through floor crossing.
A petition asking to extend temporary work permits by 24 months ‘will ensure people are not forced into uncertainty after already enduring significant hardship,’ says NDP MP Jenny Kwan.
MPs spend significant time away from their families, travel between their ridings and Ottawa, and work on House committees. They should be fairly compensated for the amount of work time they put in and they should be paid a competitively. But they should also be in Ottawa more.
NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice was spotted at the NDP convention, but assured The Hill Times he was there as an observer and won’t be the next from opposition to join the Liberals.
Reporters’ Notebook: Amid selfies and glowing smiles, the question dominating conversations among Liberals at the party’s policy convention is whether they will secure a majority before Prime Minister Mark Carney takes the stage Saturday afternoon.
Most voters cast their ballot based on their views of the party or its leader. It’s deluded for an MP to think it is the magnetism of their personality, rather than their party affiliation, that brought them to and keeps them in Ottawa.
Marilyn Gladu, the fifth opposition MP to join the Carney Liberals, has been ‘rather outspoken’ about issues that may put her at odds with Trudeau-era Liberal MPs, says former Conservative staffer Ashton Arsenault.
Conservative MP Mike Dawson is continuing his fight against accepting the annual pay raise, and says the issue will be discussed at this month’s Commons Board of Internal Economy meeting. Meanwhile, former Liberal MP Joe Jordan says competitive salaries are critical to attract top talent to Parliament.
While the House does an ‘excellent job’ of protecting the cybersecurity of MPs while travelling, Tory MP Stephanie Kusie says she sees a gap in information and training on general security.
The self-described democratic socialist is pledging party unity, but fissures are already apparent as Alberta and Saskatchewan NDP leaders quickly criticized the new leader’s position on fossil fuels.
The auditor general found the federal department investigated only 4,057 out of 153,324 foreign students who were potentially non-compliant with their study permits in 2023 and 2024.
NDP strategist Tom Parkin says the party’s six-month leadership race has ‘stalled’ rebuilding efforts and left it ‘in a bit of a quagmire,’ but members are now ready to ‘pick the party up’ under a new leader.
The likelihood of an early federal election depends largely on how smoothly the government functions in the House and in committees, given a slim majority, says former Liberal MP Joe Jordan.
