House of Commons returns for fall sitting after turbulent summer

Here's what to watch this sitting

In this sitting, the government will have to balance new bills they want to bring to the House floor this fall with legislative work they have left over from the spring.

The prime minister gave some hints of what to expect in the upcoming budget during last week's investment summit. During an address at the event, Carney said the government will be able to balance the operating budget — which it loosely defines as day-to-day spending on government programs — by next year, one year ahead of schedule.

Carney also announced that he plans to build on a tax deduction announced in last year's budget by introducing a productivity "mega-deduction" that will allow companies to expense the total cost of new investments across a number of sectors.

Bill C-31, which officially implements portions of the 2025 budget, will be before committee this fall and needs to clear a few more votes in Parliament before it passes. That bill includes tax changes and defence procurement provisions.

There are a number of other bills left over from the spring, including legislation to restrict access to social media platforms for kids under the age of 16, create a framework to protect drinking water in First Nations communities (which is receiving heavy scrutiny) and tighten privacy rules and regulations for companies handling Canadians' data.

A number of new bills are expected to be brought forward this fall, starting with legislation to extend the excise tax holiday on gasoline, which will be introduced this week.

The Liberals are also expected to table legislation to further streamline the review process for major projects and make changes to the Labour Code.