Canada Minute: Issue 65

Canada Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Canadian politics.

📅 This Week In Canada: 📅

• Avi Lewis was elected leader of the New Democratic Party with 56% of the vote on the first ballot. His election is already exposing divisions within the party, particularly in Western Canada. Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck has refused to meet with Lewis, criticizing his opposition to fossil fuel development as unrealistic and harmful to Saskatchewan’s economy and workers. Similarly, Naheed Nenshi in Alberta has attempted to push back on Lewis’s policies, arguing they do not reflect the province’s interests and highlighting differences between the federal and provincial wings. Lewis has proposed measures such as halting new pipeline approvals and taxing oil and gas exports, which have intensified concerns in resource-dependent regions. However, some leaders, including Wab Kinew in Manitoba, struck a more positive tone, expressing willingness to work together despite disagreements. David Eby in British Columbia also offered cautious support, emphasizing cooperation where priorities align.
  
  
• The Supreme Court of Canada held one of its longest hearings to consider Quebec’s secularism law, Bill 21, which bans some public employees from wearing religious symbols. Lawyers raised concerns about the potential for misuse of the notwithstanding clause, with one warning it could enable authoritarian actions in Canada, while others stressed the real impact on individuals, particularly Muslim women and Jewish professionals, who face exclusion from public roles. The court will take several months before issuing a decision, which could have lasting implications for civil rights and the use of the notwithstanding clause in Canada. There are particular concerns that the court could use the controversy surrounding this specific Bill as an opportunity to restrict provinces' use of the notwithstanding clause in other policy areas, which would completely upend the current balance in Canada's constitutional order.
  
  
• The federal government's new Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, or Bill C-12, will retroactively cancel thousands of refugee claims, affecting anyone who arrived after June 24th, 2020, and filed claims since June 3rd, 2025. Instead of full hearings before independent tribunals, affected claimants will now be assessed only on paper by immigration officials, and irregular migrants entering between US land ports will be denied asylum. Critics warn that the law significantly rolls back refugee rights, gives the government broad powers to suspend or cancel immigration documents, and could be misused in the future. The federal government argues the changes are needed to manage a backlog of nearly 300,000 claims, but legal experts expect the law to face constitutional and international challenges.
  
  
• Canada has met NATO’s defence spending benchmark of 2% of GDP for the first time since the late 1980s. This was achieved through a $9.3 billion budget increase last June, bringing total expenditures to over $61 billion. Prime Minister Mark Carney fulfilled this commitment following significant pressure from international allies, including the United States. However, the target was only reached by reorganizing federal agencies, such as moving the Canadian Coast Guard under the Defence Department, alongside military pay raises and infrastructure investments. Despite the increase, Canada remains in the bottom third of the alliance regarding defence spending percentages. While previous leadership historically resisted the benchmark, a broad domestic political consensus now supports the investment. This milestone arrives as NATO leaders consider raising future spending targets to 5% of GDP over the next decade.
  
  
• University of British Columbia professor Paul Kershaw is proposing reforming Old Age Security (OAS) to address Canada’s $78-billion deficit. Currently, only 4% of seniors are excluded from benefits, as couples earning up to $185,000 annually still receive full payments. A poll indicates that 75% of Canadians support reform, with many favouring lowering the household eligibility threshold to $100,000 to save an estimated $7 billion annually. Broader reforms could potentially generate up to $20 billion in annual savings. These funds could be redistributed to eliminate senior poverty or double federal investments in housing and post-secondary education. While the Department of Finance did not confirm if changes are under consideration, officials highlighted recent 10% OAS increases for seniors aged 75 and older and investments in long-term care.
  
  

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨