Health, economy, crime top issues of concern as House of Commons resumes
CTV
Members of Parliament return to Ottawa to resume sitting for the first time in 2023 on Monday, with the state of Canada's health-care system, the health of the Canadian economy, and rates of violent crime in this country all top of mind.
Members of Parliament return to Ottawa to resume sitting for the first time in 2023 on Monday, with the state of Canada's health-care system, the health of the Canadian economy, and rates of violent crime in this country all top of mind.
As MPs began filing back into West Block — which continues to serve as the temporary home of the House of Commons during Centre Block's decade-long renovation — the parliamentary precinct was relatively quiet after this weekend's one-year anniversary of the "Freedom Convoy" protest kickoff came and went with little fanfare.
This afternoon, question period will provide the first opportunity for politicians to square off on the headline-grabbing issues during the month-long holiday hiatus. From another chaotic travel season, to a warning that the Liberals are at "high risk" of not being able to follow through on spending plans without abandoning fiscal prudence, there's plenty for MPs to dig into.
Ahead of the House of Commons' opening, party caucuses held meetings to plot their political and legislative priorities. For all, inflation, affordability, and Canadians' ability to access services remain key issues of concern.
Top of mind for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this winter will be balancing a number of upcoming big ticket commitments, with the Liberals' pledge to be fiscally responsible given the widespread warnings of an economic slowdown.
"There's a host of hot issues, obviously. But, more than that, I think there's an important priority for the prime minister and his government to look like they're moving from arguments to achievements… Talking about the cost of living crisis, talking about economic wellbeing, talking about health care, talking about crime," said CTV political commentator Scott Reid on CTV News Channel on Monday.
"And I think the fundamental mission for the government right now is to demonstrate that it can fix those things that people are worried aren't working, and that they can make real progress,” Reid said. “This session is an opportunity for him day in and day out, measure to measure, policy to policy, question period to question period, to prove his point, that this government is getting things fixed and getting things done.”
