Carney tells MPs to brace for 'very, very busy' few weeks as Parliament reopens

Prime Minister Mark Carney told his caucus to brace for a "very, very" busy few weeks and months as Parliament reopens, promising to implement his vision for the country with "urgency and determination." 

In an address to caucus — which media cameras were invited in to shoot — Carney teased that his Liberal minority government will introduce several pieces of legislation "about making life more affordable immediately," including the promised tax cut. 

Speaking in French, the prime minister also said his ministers will introduce legislation to fast-track infrastructure projects deemed to be in the national interest.

"We are going to be very, very busy in the next few weeks, but we are going to be very, very busy in the next few months," Carney told the room.

"We are going to be very, very busy in the next few years."

Carney has already made clear his top priorities include the negotiation of a new economic and security relationship with the United States, and strengthening ties with reliable trading allies while building up what he calls "one Canadian economy."

WATCH | PM Carney addresses Liberal caucus:

Carney says return of Parliament will be 'very, very busy'

6 days ago

Duration 1:22

In his address to the Liberal caucus, Prime Minister Mark Carney said his government will deliver for Canadians 'with urgency and determination' as it looks to redefine its relationship with the U.S., build a strong economy, increase affordability and make communities safer.

To that end, Carney has also promised to lower interprovincial trade barriers and bring in an income-tax cut by Canada Day. 

"In every one of our actions, we will be guided by a new fiscal discipline," he said in French.

Speaking with Rosemary Barton Live in an interview that aired Sunday morning, House Leader Steven MacKinnon said Carney's made it clear he wants to get things done at breakneck speed. 

"It's very refreshing," he said. "We're going to get at it." 

Reform Act voted down

Leading up to caucus, there had been some speculation about whether Liberals would adopt the Reform Act, which would have given them more power to oust their newly-elected leader down the line.

However, newly elected caucus chair James Maloney told reporters it was voted down. The MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore was tight-lipped about the discussions about the act, citing caucus confidentiality. 

Liberals have never used the decade-old law, but some MPs floated the idea of adopting it, pointing to the frustrations they felt when former prime minister Justin Trudeau ignored calls to resign for months last year.

Championed by Conservative MP Michael Chong, it's meant to provide more checks and balances between caucus and party leaders, including the ability to vote out an unpopular leader. The Conservatives used the act to push former leader Erin O'Toole out the door in 2022.

If it had been adopted, 20 per cent of caucus members could have moved to trigger a leadership review. A majority of the caucus would then need to vote in a secret ballot to boot the leader.

House returns, bills to pass and a G7 to host

Parliament returns Monday after a nearly six-month hiatus, with the first order of business being the election of the Speaker of the House.

On Tuesday, King Charles will deliver the speech from the throne, which lays out the government's priorities, marking the new session of Parliament. It's just the third time the monarch has delivered the speech since Confederation.

Mandate letter lays out priorities 

Outside of the comings and doings in the House of Commons, there are two major international events on the calendar as Canada enters a new era of foreign relations. 

Canada is hosting the G7, a massive undertaking, which will see the leaders of the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Japan travel to Alberta mid-June. The annual NATO summit is being held later in the month in the Netherlands. 

Canada's commitment to meeting the NATO spending benchmark of two per cent of GDP will likely be in the spotlight at both gatherings, just as U.S. President Donald Trump pressures members to start paying five per cent of their national income.  

The Liberal platform includes a pledge to increase existing defence spending by $18 billion in order to meet the two per cent spending target.

In a mandate letter sent to his cabinet last week and made public, Carney laid out other broad priorities including attracting top talent, cutting government costs and "reinforcing law enforcement." 

Parliament is scheduled to rise on June 20 for the summer break. Carney has promised to table a budget in the fall.