After a two-week parliamentary hiatus, MPs are set to return to their assigned seats in the House of Commons this morning, where the Liberals are poised to use their newly-assembled majority power to put Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s bid to roll out measures outlined in his inaugural midyear fiscal statement on the legislative fast track.

Just before the chamber shut down for the mid-May recess, the government served notice that they were prepared to bring in a motion to set a deadline to wind down second-reading debate on the bill, which could be called as early as later this morning — which, depending on the proposed timeline, could send the legislation to committee later this week.

Also on the docket today: A vote on Conservative-initiated call for the government to “put private property first” in the wake of a landmark B.C. court ruling on Aboriginal title claims. (3 p.m.)

If adopted, the motion — which was debated just before the chamber shut down for the two-week hiatus — would call on Prime Minister Mark Carney to instruct federal lawyers to “aggressively defend property rights in all litigation” and “publish a plan within 30 days to protect property rights for Canadians affected by the Cowichan decision and Musqueam agreement (with) specific commitments and timelines.”

It would also create a new special committee “with the mandate to study all legal, constitutional and political steps that can be taken to protect private property rights in Canada,” which, as per the terms outlined in the motion, would be chaired by a Conservative MP and would hold “at least 12 meetings” before June 19, which would also serve as the deadline to file an “interim report” on its findings.

For his part, Carney is not expected to be in his front-and-centre spot to face his cross-aisle critics this afternoon, according to his itinerary.

He is, however, booked in for a mid-morning tour of a “homebuilding site” somewhere in the National Capital Region, which will also include a “brief” back-and-forth with reporters (10 a.m.), as well as a closed-door tête-à-tête with Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim later this afternoon. (2:30 p.m.)

Outside the chamber, several Team Carney front benchers will be hitting the estimates circuit at committee, including Justice Minister Sean Fraser, who will also be quizzed about his “priorities and mandates” during a morning appearance at JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS (11 a.m.), Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson at HUMAN RIGHTS, SKILLS AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT (3:30 p.m.) and Industry Minister Mélanie Joly at INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY (3:30 p.m.)

Elsewhere on the committee circuit: FINANCE members are set to launch their traditional spring pre-budget consultations by convening a roundtable discussion with representatives of the Co-Operative Housing Federation of Canada, Habitat for Humanity, Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada and Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network, as well as the Canadian Bankers Association, Canadian Bitcoin Consortium, Wealthsimple Investment and other economists, policy advocates and analysts. (3:30 p.m.)

Also on the witness list: Generation Squeeze founder Paul Kershaw, who will provide a preview of his presentation when he hits the West Block media circuit to release the results of a new poll that, as per the notice, “shows Canadians of all ages support responsible Old Age Security reform,” and promote one “popular and practical solution to end seniors’ poverty and improve affordability for young and working-age Canadians” — namely, “trim OAS subsidies for retirees with incomes above $100,000.” (9:30 a.m.) 

On the Senate side: HUMAN RIGHTS members have blocked off at least four more hours to survey expert witnesses on Fraser’s contentious proposal to expand and update Canada’s anti-hate laws, with representatives of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, Canadian Council of Imams, Canadian Muslim Lawyers’ Association, Canadian Muslim Healthcare Network, Egale Canada, DisAbled WOmen’s Network of Canada and Black LGBTQ Justice Canada among the invited witnesses. (4 p.m.)

ON AND AROUND THE HILL

• Bloc Québécois transport critic Xavier Barsalou-Duval teams up with Air Passengers Rights president Gábor Lukács and Vol en retard co-founder Jacob Charbonneau to share their concerns over what the advisory describes as “setbacks to passengers’ rights.”(10 a.m.)
• Canadian Party of Quebec leader Joseph Cianflone and candidates Will Twolan and Danilo Velasquez will make the case for their party’s pitch for the federal government “to consider exercising its disallowance power in response to provincial legislation enacted using the notwithstanding clause,” as well as “its potential application in the current context.” (11 a.m.)

IN THE CHAMBER

Later this morning, Conservative MP Todd Doherty will have one more chance to rally cross-aisle support for a Senate-initiated proposal to strengthen the penalties for assaults against first responders and health service providers, which cleared the Upper House last fall and is set to go to a make-or-break vote in the House of Commons later this week. (11 a.m.)

OUTSIDE THE PRECINCT

International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu hosts a closed-door chat with his visiting Indian counterpart, Piyush Goyal, as he kicks off a whirlwind three-day trade mission accompanied by what CBC News reports will be “the largest Indian trade and investment delegation to ever visit any country.” (10:50 a.m.)

Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski joins her parliamentary secretary, Anthony Housefather, and fellow Alberta Liberal MP Corey Hogan at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum to outline “new measures” that, as per the advisory, will “strengthen Canada’s aerial wildfire-fighting response capacity,” and “better protect communities across the country from the increasing threat of wildfires.” (11 a.m.)

Women and Gender Equality Minister Rechie Valdez starts the week by dropping by the Magna Skills Trade Centre at Sheridan College’s Brampton campus to share the details of fresh federal support for “nearly 400 organizations working to advance gender equality,” which, according to the notice, will be “the largest number of organizations to receive additional funding to date from Women and Gender Equality Canada.” (8:30 a.m.)

Also making the rounds in the Greater Toronto Area: Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon will mark the start of Tech Week by announcing new federal support to boost “the adoption and acceleration of AI innovation” throughout the region. (11:15 a.m.)

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