What's Happening?

It was a busy week in Canadian politics. Here's what you need to know:

Alberta

• 🪪 Registry Requirement: Alberta will introduce legislation this fall to add Canadian citizenship status to driver’s licences and ID cards, with rollout planned for fall 2026. The measure, first raised at the UCP’s 2024 AGM as a voter fraud safeguard, will require proof of citizenship for new or renewed licences, while permanent residents and non-citizens will have no marker displayed. 
• 🩺 Medical Management: Primary Care Alberta has appointed Dr. Kim Hogarth as its first chief nursing officer while she continues as executive director. In the position, Hogarth is expected to integrate nursing perspectives into the future of primary care and guide PCA's strategic direction. 
• 📊 Premier Poll: According to a new Angus Reid Institute Survey, Danielle Smith's approval rating is sitting at 46 per cent, a five-point reduction from June. The poll also found Smith to be among the most polarizing of provincial leaders, with 40 per cent stating they strongly disapproved of her performance. 
• 🌍 Carbon Commitments: Alberta is changing its Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) system this fall, giving large facilities the option to invest directly in on-site emissions reduction technology to meet compliance. Smaller facilities below the 100,000-tonne threshold will be allowed to opt out of the program in 2025. The province will also maintain a frozen industrial carbon price for 2026, at $95 per tonne.
• 🍎 Bargaining Battle: Alberta Teachers' Association is (maybe) going on strike on October 6 as contract talks with the province remain deadlocked. The government has filed a complaint with the Labour Relations Board, accusing the ATA of spreading false claims that negotiators lack the authority to address class size and student supports. Finance Minister Nate Horner says the union should retract the statements, while ATA president Jason Schilling argues the government is stalling with legal manoeuvres instead of bargaining.
• 🏛️ Mandate Message: The Legislative Assembly of Alberta will return on Thursday, October 23, with a Speech from the Throne, outlining the government's priorities as it enters the second half of its mandate. The speech will be delivered by Lieutenant Governor Salma Lakhani, who has served since August 2020, marking her fifth year in office. 

Canada

• 📜 Session Start: The House of Commons reconvened on Monday, kicking off the fall sitting with several pieces of legislation still on the docket: Bill C-2, the Stronger Borders Act, and Bill C-3, which would extend citizenship by descent beyond the first generation born abroad. The government is also preparing legislation to add new Criminal Code offences against intimidation and obstruction at religious, cultural, and educational buildings, the first of at least three criminal justice bills expected this fall.
• 💸 Budget Blueprint: Save the date: the Liberal government will table its first federal budget under Prime Minister Mark Carney on November 4, 2025, expected to pair austerity measures with major capital investments, including housing initiatives such as the new $13-billion Build Canada Homes agency. With just 169 seats, the Liberals will need support from at least one other party for the budget to pass. 
• 🏦 Rate Update: The Bank of Canada announced that after three consecutive holds, it will cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.50 per cent. The move followed fresh Statistics Canada data showing annual inflation ticked up to 1.9 per cent in August from 1.7 per cent in July, well within the central bank’s comfort zone. Governor Tiff Macklem cited Canada's softening labour market and the removal of Canadian retaliatory tariffs. 
• 📦 Envoy Exit: Transport and Internal Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland is stepping down from cabinet to serve as Canada's special envoy to Ukraine. Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc will take over the internal trade portfolio, and Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon will serve as the transport minister. 

Why it Matters.

Let's unpack the details of what happened this week and why it matters.