Carney promised big changes by Canada Day. Will he deliver?

After his victory in the spring campaign, Prime Minister Mark Carney had a little over 60 days to address the promises he made to the electorate. Let’s take a look at how he has fared in addressing these pledges and what comes next for his government.

One of Carney’s key promises was to eliminate internal federal trade barriers by Canada Day. He hosted a meeting with the premiers focusing on this issue and pledged to have free trade at a federal level by July 1st. Bill C-5, which passed Parliament, will remove all federal barriers to interprovincial trade and labor mobility, fulfilling this promise.

In terms of taxes, Carney promised to cancel the carbon tax, cut income tax rates, and eliminate the GST for first-time homebuyers on properties under $1 million. He signed a directive to remove the carbon tax and introduced a ways and means motion to make these tax cuts, which was followed by the introduction of Bill C-4 in Parliament. The bill is currently in the process of being passed.

Carney also expressed his intention to join the European Union’s rearmament plan, ReArm Europe, to change how Canada supplies its military. While progress has been made with the signing of a strategic defense and security partnership agreement with the EU, there is still work to be done to fully participate in the program.

The promise to cut red tape by requiring federal departments to review and eliminate unnecessary rules is still in progress. The Treasury Board is preparing to launch a formal 60-day review process, but details are yet to be shared. This promise remains in limbo due to ambiguous wording.

Looking ahead, Carney will need to strike a deal with President Trump on tariffs within the next 30 days. Additionally, bills such as C-2, C-8, and C-3 are still in the legislative process and will need to be passed to fulfill the Liberal government’s agenda on border security, cybersecurity, and citizenship rights.

Overall, Carney has made progress on his promises, but there is still work to be done in various areas. The coming months will be crucial for his government as they work towards implementing their agenda and addressing the challenges facing Canada.