OTTAWA — MPs are expected to square off tonight in a debate about Canada’s approach to the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, although the prime minister won’t be taking part.

Liberal House leader Steven MacKinnon said Sunday the government is proposing a take-note debate in the House of Commons this evening over the conflict and its impact on Canadians abroad.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he is demanding an emergency debate in Parliament on the war in the Middle East and how it is affecting global energy supplies.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office confirmed he will not attend the Commons this evening.

Some of Carney’s own caucus members publicly expressed unease after the prime minister voiced support for the U.S.-Israel attack on Iran on Feb. 28.

Days after the attack, Carney said the airstrikes likely violate international law and insisted he expressed his support for the mission “with regret.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 9, 2026.

— With files from Dylan Robertson and Rob Drinkwater

The Canadian Press