Calgary business leaders seek ‘tangible outcomes’ as Parliament resumes

Members of Parliament are back at work after a six-week holiday break. They're kicking off a new session with a plan to tackle food insecurity.

Parliament resumes Monday, with affordability and sovereignty expected to dominate debate.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is returning to the front bench, after travelling the globe to spur exports, and attract investment from new sources, amid ongoing trade uncertainty with the United States.

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During his forceful speech in Davos, Switzerland, Carney urged other middle powers to join Canada in building a new world order.

Opposing MPs say they’ll be pressing Carney to back up these bold words with concrete action, upon Parliament’s return.

Interim NDP Leader Don Davies says New Democrats will focus on the economy and Canadian sovereignty and security.

The party will zero in on policies that can be implemented immediately to address the party’s priorities — jobs, housing, health care and affordability, he said in an interview.

Opposition House leader Andrew Scheer said the Conservatives will push for measures including a capital gains tax credit to encourage people to invest in Canadian businesses.

The Conservatives also propose measures Scheer says would remove “hidden taxes” that make food more expensive.

Calgary’s call on Ottawa

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce is issuing its own call to the federal government to “accelerate efforts aimed at leveraging our strengths as a resource-based economy, diversifying our markets, increasing competitiveness and making sure Canada is an attractive destination for foreign investment.”

It calls on Parliament to remain focused on key initiatives, which include:

• implementing the commitments outlined in the Alberta–Ottawa MOU;
• accelerating major projects;
• streamlining regulatory processes and reducing regulatory burdens;
• strengthening supply chain and trade infrastructure;
• continuing to remove interprovincial trade barriers;
• attracting foreign direct investment; and
• offsetting the uncertainty of CUSMA with initiatives that diversify markets and increase Canadian competitiveness.

“To position businesses for success in the year ahead, Parliament must work collaboratively, building on the foundations laid in 2025 and delivering tangible outcomes that restore confidence and drive long-term competitiveness,” said Deborah Yedlin, president and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, in a news release.

“Now is the time to move to implementation, delivering the certainty businesses need to compete in an increasingly volatile global economy.”

Carney unveiled a major boost to the GST credit on Monday, rebranding the program as the “Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit” in a bid to provide immediate relief to 12 million low-income Canadians.

Under the new plan, quarterly GST payments will increase by 25 per cent over the next five years, beginning this July.

The government also announced a one-time top-up to be issued this year.

With files from Jacqueline Wilson and The Canadian Press