By Andrew Thomson | UPDATED September 20, 2022 4:31pmET
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The House of Commons returned in full this morning for the fall sitting after last week’s recall for tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth.
And there was a new Leader of the Official Opposition inside the chamber after Pierre Poilievre's Conservative leadership win last weekend.
But there is also continuity -- the Liberal-NDP confidence agreement remains intact. And the government has tabled legislation related to recent announcements on the cost of living that formed part of that agreement:
- a six-month doubling of the GST/HST credit for low- and modest-income Canadians;
- the first phase of national dental care for children under 12 in households with a family income below $90,000;
- a top-up of the $500 Canada Housing Benefit established as a one-time payment.
As Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives work to court Canadians struggling to make ends meet, is the NDP getting squeezed out? Jagmeet Singh joined Michael Serapio today on PrimeTime Politics to face that question and outline his priorities for the return of Parliament. Here's the full interview:
And here's what federal ministers told reporters about affordability and bills C-30 and C-31:
And the cost of living and affordability figure to loom large over the fall sitting. Today Statistics Canada reported August inflation at 7%, down from 7.6% in July. However, food prices rose by nearly 11% -- the fastest pace since 1981.
Debate began, though, with second-reading consideration of legislation to create the Canada Disability Benefit.
A number of key bills were also at second reading when the House adjourned for the summer break: establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission for the RCMP and CBSA; establishing a national council for reconciliation, and implementing new cyber-security and privacy policies.
Other key pieces of legislation remain at committee: from the firearms bill to online regulation to changing the Official Languages Act.
"I think we've demonstrated when they put concrete real things on the table that we're willing to discuss them," Government House leader Mark Holland tells reporters in Ottawa when asked about working with the Conservatives in the new House of Commons sitting.#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/6WdUqblUcC
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) September 20, 2022
WAtch the full news conference: Government House Leader Mark Holland speaks about the return of Parliament
Also on Tuesday’s agenda:
- Bill C-242, concerned with temporary resident visas for parents and grandparents. returns to the chamber at report stage.
- Several standing committees hold planning meetings. The Commons environment committee, though, hears expert testimony on clean technology in Canada (3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT)
MPs were initially scheduled to resume proceedings on Monday. That was delayed for one day with the prime minister and other party leaders attending services for the Queen in London and Ottawa.
And there were statements on the 10 killed and 18 injured in the Sept. 4 stabbing attack at James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Sask. Here are Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Bloc Québécois public safety critic Kristina Michaud, NDP Indigenous services critic Lori Idlout, Green Party MP Elizabeth May, and Liberal MP Jaime Battiste:
Both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland are absent from Ottawa today. The former at the United Nations in New York, the latter attending the Toronto funeral of former cabinet minister Bill Graham.
