It was a relatively slow day in Ottawa on Monday as political watchers wait in anticipation for the introduction of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new cabinet tomorrow morning.
Good evening to you.
It was a relatively slow day in Ottawa on Monday, as political watchers wait in anticipation for the introduction of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new cabinet tomorrow morning.
Among those who will be watching close? Canada’s business community, who, as the Canadian Press reports, is looking for signs that Carney’s administration will be easier to work with than the previous Liberal government.
Experts and insiders say one of the ways Carney can emphasize that is by keeping a lean cabinet.
Former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet had ballooned to 40 ministers before he left office but Carney had 24 people in his first cabinet, including himself.
Matthew Holmes, head of public policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, says he wants to see business and international experience reflected in the new cabinet.
He says the economy is facing a moment of crisis and Ottawa will need to send signals it can work quickly on enabling trade and getting major projects done quickly.
Holmes also says the choice for environment minister will be “hyper scrutinized” following Carney’s ovations to the energy sector and promises to work collaboratively with Western provinces.
CP has the full story.
Turning to provincial politics, the Ontario government is tabling a new housing bill aimed at speeding up construction of homes, roads, and transit infrastructure by overhauling municipal approvals processes, limiting local requirements, and giving the province greater control over development.
The legislation, dubbed the Protecting Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, was announced Monday by Housing Minister Rob Flack in Vaughan, and represents one of the most ambitious housing reform packages in Premier Doug Ford’s second term.
“We are taking bold action to protect Ontario in the face of economic uncertainty by speeding up construction so we can lower housing costs and keep workers on the job,” Flack said during the announcement. “The legislation we’re tabling today responds to recommendations and requests from municipal leaders, and will help build the homes and infrastructure Ontario needs.”
The bill proposes some changes to how municipalities approve and finance development, in an effort to put the province on track to meet its long-standing pledge to build 1.5 million new homes by 2031.
At the heart of the bill is streamlining the permitting and approvals process.
Barbara Patrocinio has that story for QP Briefing.
Elsewhere, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government is freezing its industrial carbon price effective immediately at $95 per tonne of emissions.
She says the move is critical to keep industry competitive and defend jobs as Canada navigates a tariff fight with the United States.
She says it also provides certainty and economic relief to critical sectors such as oil and gas, electricity, and manufacturing.
The price had been set to rise to $110 per tonne in 2026 and to continue increasing to $170 per tonne by 2030.
Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz says going over $100 a tonne would make the province “wildly uncompetitive.”
Schulz says the freeze is indefinite.
CP also has those details.
In Other Headlines
Internationally
In the Middle East, Hamas released an Israeli-American soldier who had been held hostage in Gaza for more than 19 months, offering a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration that could lay the groundwork for a new ceasefire with Israel.
The Israeli military confirmed that 21-year-old Edan Alexander was turned over to the Red Cross and then to Israeli forces, and had crossed into Israeli territory.
Wearing shirts emblazoned with his name, Alexander’s extended family gathered in Tel Aviv to watch the release. They chanted his name when the military said he was free. In Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, hundreds of people broke out into cheers.
Alexander’s grandmother, Varda Ben Baruch, beamed. She said her grandson looked pale but mostly OK in the first photo of him after nearly 600 days in captivity.
“He seemed like a man. He has really matured,” she said. Reports that Alexander cracked a joke on the phone while speaking to his mother for the first time did not surprise her. “He’s got such a sense of humour,” she said.
AP has more on that.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration welcomed a small group of white South Africans as refugees on Monday, saying they face discrimination and violence at home, which the country’s government strongly denies.
The decision to admit the 49 people also has raised questions from refugee advocates about why the group should be admitted when the Trump administration has suspended efforts to resettle people who are fleeing war and persecution and have gone through years of vetting before coming to the United States.
The group from South Africa, including children holding small American flags, arrived at Dulles International Airport outside Washington on a private charter plane and was greeted by Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar.
AP also has that story.
In Other International Headlines
The Kicker
We leave you tonight with the celebration of a great Canadian author — Farley Mowat, who would have turned 104-years-old today.
The writer, environmentalist, and World War Two veteran penned some of Canada’s most famous books, including Never Cry Wolf and People of the Deer.
And with that, we’ll see you tomorrow…