Politics This Morning: Senate back early to fast-track temporary increase to the GST credit

Good Monday morning, The House and the Senate are both due to return today after a week off. The Senate is reportedly returning a day early in order to fast-track Bill C-30, the government’s bill to double the GST/HST credit for six months to ease the pain of inflation and the increased cost of living. The bill passed third reading in the House unanimously on Oct. 6 after MPs from all parties agreed on a motion to fast-track the bill through report stage and third reading. PTM has previously reported that the Senate is expected to rush the bill through second reading today and bring it to a final vote at third reading tomorrow. The Senate has already met as a committee of the whole to question Finance Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND about the particulars of the bill. Finance Canada has said the increased rebate will go to approximately 11 million lower-income individuals and households. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has estimated that the temporary measure will cost $2.6-billion. Public Order Emergency Commission to hear from city of Ottawa officials Victoria De La Ronde and Zexi Li appeared as witnesses before the Public Order Emergency Commission in Ottawa on Oct. 14, 2022, to provide testimony about their experiences living in downtown Ottawa during the Freedom Convoy occupation. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade The emergency commission’s first full week of hearings will kick off with testimony from City of Ottawa officials STEVE KANELLAKOS and SERGE ARPIN. Kanellakos, Ottawa’s city manager, told city council on Feb. 23, shortly after police forcibly cleared out the Freedom Convoy occupation of downtown Ottawa, that the protests had exposed weaknesses in the city’s emergency preparedness plans. CBC News reported that he also called for a “rethinking” of security in the National Capital Region that would go beyond what the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Police could provide. This will be the third day of hearings, and the second day featuring witnesses. The hearings kicked off last week with testimony from Ottawa residents who lived in the areas most affected by the convoy's presence in the city. Champagne and Ford in Ottawa for Nokia announcement Ontario Premier Doug Ford, seen here attending the memorial service for Queen Elizabeth II in Ottawa on Sept. 19, 2022, will be back in Ottawa today to visit Nokia Canada's headquarters. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Industry Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE will join Ontario premier DOUG FORD and PEKKA LUNDMARK, president and CEO of Nokia, at Nokia Canada’s headquarters in Kanata for an announcement about the Finnish company’s plans to expand its presence in Ottawa. Nokia Canada has previously announced plans to build a huge new campus in Kanata that would include two office towers, 11 residential towers that could house 4,000 people, retail stores, and restaurants. Nokia and Export Development Canada, Canada’s export credit agency, announced an expanded partnership in July 2021 around 5G technology and the associated network infrastructure. The Ottawa Citizen has described Nokia as “a key part of a cluster of tech firms locally that are building out the globe’s communications infrastructure to support fifth-generation wireless technology.” Ericsson and Ciena also have a significant presence in Ottawa. Today’s announcement will take place at 9:30 a.m. Ottawa time at Nokia Canada’s headquarters at the Kanata North Business Park. What else is happening today? The Cannabis Council of Canada begins its two-day summit and lobbying push with a day of presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities in Ottawa’s ByWard Market. Today’s programme begins at 10:30 a.m. Ottawa time and includes remarks by GEORGE SMITHERMAN, president and CEO of the industry association. Space Canada, which represents the space industry, is holding a lobbying day on Parliament Hill, followed by a parliamentary reception at 5 p.m. at the Sir John A. Macdonald Building. Assembly of First Nations National Chief ROSEANNE ARCHIBALD, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President NATAN OBED, and Métis National Council President CASSIDY CARON will all appear before the House Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee at 11 a.m. Ottawa time to discuss Bill C-29, which would establish a national council for reconciliation. Leaders of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, the First Nations Financial Management Board, the Native Alliance of Quebec, and the Native Women’s Association of Canada will also address the committee. Immigration Minister SEAN FRASER will be in Toronto at 11:30 a.m. local time for a roundtable luncheon event hosted by the C.D. Howe Institute. Fraser will speak about using the immigration system to address Canada’s shortage of skilled workers. In case you missed it There was a memorial event yesterday in Ottawa for the late ROSEMARY SPEIRS, former Ottawa bureau chief of the Toronto Star and founding chair of Equal Voice. The long-time member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery died in mid August. Yesterday’s celebration of life took place at Allsaints, a former Anglican church in downtown Ottawa that was repurposed as an event space after it was put up for sale in 2014. In the news Political analysts tell ABBAS RANA that, by appointing MPs from diverse backgrounds to prominent posts, Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE is looking to make inroads in ethnically diverse urban communities—traditional Liberal territory. Rana also reports that an upcoming by-election in Mississauga, Ont,, will be the “first battle of the next general election campaign.” A union leader representing the approximately 500 nurses who serve isolated Indigenous communities tells MIKE LAPOINTE why so many of her members are walking away from the job. kphilipupillai@hilltimes.com The Hill Times

Politics This Morning

Politics This Morning: Senate back early to fast-track temporary increase to the GST credit

And Ontario Premier Doug Ford will join Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne for an announcement about Nokia’s huge new Ottawa campus.

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Politics This Morning

Politics This Morning: Senate back early to fast-track temporary increase to the GST credit

And Ontario Premier Doug Ford will join Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne for an announcement about Nokia’s huge new Ottawa campus.

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