A total of 19 riding name-change requests were included in Bill C-25, which is currently at committee stage in the House. The Senate begins its pre-study of the bill on May 27.
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.
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.
The House Board of Internal Economy also recently gave a qualified thumbs up to a series of plans related to the new Block 2 complex being built south of Wellington Street.
Ex-parliamentarians who worked to move the needle forward and see the creation of a workplace harassment policy for MPs ‘ran out of time’ last Parliament, but hope their work isn’t lost.
A total of 13 workplace harassment or violence complaints were filed in 2025, down from the record high of 18 complaints filed in 2024.
But Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux says the current rules do not need any change because they provide decorum and predictability in the House.
Liberal MP Jenna Sudds has called for ‘flexibility’ after fellow local caucus colleague Bruce Fanjoy criticized requirements that public servants work in-office four days a week starting in July, and executives five days a week starting in May.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s previously announced trip to Munich, Germany, has been cancelled in the wake of the deadly Feb. 10 shooting in British Columbia, and Question Period, committee meetings, and other work on Parliament Hill was halted on Feb. 11.
Committee members say they’re looking at changes to improve special ballot voting processes, including for voters living abroad who cast ballots in record numbers in the April 2025 election.
Despite planned cuts to administration spending, the House’s overall main estimates ask for 2026-27 is still up by 1.9 per cent. The Senate’s budget is also set to jump by 1.5 per cent.
The Senate’s executive committee has set out new processes for the sharing of documents, and the handling of requests for exceptions to its office management policies.
The idea of more than half of the Senate’s share of future Block 2 offices being used by MPs while the Confederation Building is renovated is going over like a lead balloon with Senators.
The official change in sustainability plans may come as a surprise to Senators, as the Senate’s subcommittee on renovations indicated it has not yet given its approval.
Conservative MP Tako van Popta says limiting voters’ signatures to supporting one candidate could counter the ‘belligerence’ and ‘obstinacy’ of the Longest Ballot Committee, whose efforts had over 200 running in August Alberta byelection.
Conservative vice-chair Michael Cooper says he thinks the Longest Ballot Committee’s efforts may also need to be explored by the House Affairs Committee.
Plus, the board approved a full carryforward for the House’s budget this year, with an extra $4.9-million to be sought through the next supplementary estimates.
‘We’re not trying to overload the agenda, but we do have a lot to get done in a short period of time,’ says MacKinnon of the coming sitting weeks.
‘Office moves are typically completed within two months following the federal election,’ and only 50 per cent of MPs have a ‘functional office’ a week into the new Parliament, according to the Speakers office.
With the PM’s self-imposed Canada Day deadline to achieve interprovincial free trade, Senators are planning to work in an ‘effective way’ to get legislation through the Chamber before Parliament breaks for the summer.
The governing Liberals want to work with both the Conservatives and the Bloc in committees, say Liberal MPs Judy Sgro and Kevin Lamoureux.
After a devastating election that shrunk the NDP caucus, interim leader Don Davies says his caucus can still play an important role, predicting that in some cases, ‘whether the government survives or falls will depend on us.’
The new Speaker of the House will receive a total salary of $309,700, manage an office budget of $1.4-million, receive extra perks, and oversees annual expenditures totalling $656.5-million, according to the House.
Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont pitches himself as a steady hand in this minority Parliament: ‘experienced, and impartial leadership is more important than ever.’
If legislation isn’t introduced to protect the region’s seats, it’s ‘guaranteed northern Ontario goes to eight seats’ with the next redistribution, says Liberal MP Marc Serré.
