With just over one week to go before the House of Commons shuts down for the summer, Canadian Heritage Minister Marc Miller is finally ready to release his government’s long-promised plan to combat online harms, which, as Canadian Press notes, “is expected to bar kids under the age of 16 from social media,” and is on track to be introduced this afternoon.  (3 p.m.)

“(Miller), who is taking the lead on the legislation, said the government will take all reasonable measures to ensure kids are safe,” the wire service reported yesterday.

“’It’s obvious why it’s a priority. Kids are dying,’ he told reporters on Parliament Hill.”

The bill — which, as per an advisory issued by Miller’s department yesterday, will be styled as the Safe Social Media Act — aims to make “social media services and AI chatbots safer for children,” according to a release cited by the Toronto Star.

MPs are also set to consider the government’s response to the Senate-initiated rewrite of Justice Minister Sean Fraser’s bid to tighten the rules on bail release, including adding reverse-onus provisions for a wider range of serious crimes.

As iPolitics’ own Marco Vigliotti reported last week, the Liberals are recommending that the House of Commons reject two of the amendments approved by the Senate, and approve three other proposed changes, as outlined in the motion outlining its proposed reply.

Unless the ensuing debate continues until regular House business wraps up at midnight, MPs may get the chance to circle back to Government Leader Steve MacKinnon’s pitch to update the rules governing federal elections and political financing to include new measures to combat foreign interference and additional privacy protection requirements for political parties, which was reported back from committee with amendments last week and is now in the queue to begin report stage.

Also on the to-do list: A final vote on a bill to formally establish Build Canada Homes, the newly-created agency assigned to “promote, support and develop the supply of affordable housing in Canada and to promote innovative and efficient building techniques in the housing construction sector in Canada.”

Outside the chamber, Fraser is booked in for an afternoon appearance before the Senate LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS committee, which is currently conducting a preliminary review of his omnibus proposal to strengthen Criminal Code provisions related to gender-based violence, add new child protection measures and address issues related to delays in the court system as the bill works its way towards a final third-reading vote in the House of Commons, which could take place as early as tomorrow. (4:15 p.m.)  

As for Prime Minister Mark Carney, he’s not expected to be in his front-and-centre seat in the chamber to field questions from his opposition adversaries today, according to his office, but will be joining his fellow Liberal MPs as they gather behind closed doors for their weekly huddle — which, depending on whether the sitting wraps up a day or two ahead of schedule, could be the final caucus confab before the summer recess. (10 a.m.)

Later this afternoon, he’ll host a conference call with provincial and territorial premiers, which his office is billing as a “virtual First Ministers’ Meeting.” (1 p.m.)

ON AND AROUND THE HILL

Senate AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY committee chair Mary Robinson teams up with her deputy chair, John McNair and committee member Manuelle Oudar, as well as Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs president Ken McMullen, to “present (the) findings and recommendations” of a newly-tabled report that “examines the impacts of wildfires across the country, with a particular focus on the consequences for communities and Canada’s agriculture and forestry sector.” (9 a.m.)

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