After spending the last few days off the radar, Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to make the rounds in Red Deer, Alta., today, where, according to his office, he’ll join Alberta Premier Danielle Smith for a mid-morning tour of a “housing site,” and “announce new measures to accelerate homebuilding” in his home province. (11 a.m. MT)

Also on his travel itinerary: A visit to an unnamed “canola farm” to “meet with farmers.” (12:55 p.m. MT)

He’ll also take questions from reporters, who, in addition to the now standard queries about the latest developments in the proposed pipeline now under review by the Major Projects Office, may ask for more details on his government’s plan to “scrap base funding requirements for U.S. streamers” like Amazon, Apple and Netflix, as revealed by The Wire Report last night.

“The news comes as the policy, which requires companies (to) allocate a portion of Canadian revenues to fund domestic news and entertainment programming, faces strong pushback from American industry and political players,” the outlet notes.

“In effect, removing the base contribution threshold would absolve streamers from certain financial obligations to Canada’s media industry, marking a stark contrast from the policy approach adopted by Justin Trudeau’s government, which introduced the Online Streaming Act in 2022.”

According to an update added after the story went live, Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller “confirmed streamers will still be required to ‘reinvest’ an unspecified portion of revenues under yet-to-be-released policy directives in alignment with the Online Streaming Act.”

As per the Wire Report, “Miller’s office did not provide specific comments on the letter, but reiterated the feds ‘will not repeal the Online Streaming Act, we will develop a new policy direction that takes into account affordability for Canadians, while providing greater flexibility for those contributing to the broadcasting system.’”

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon will announce what his office is billing as a “major investment to renew the passenger locomotive fleet” that will “strengthen connections across Canada” during a morning appearance in Montreal. (9:30 a.m.)

Elsewhere on the midsummer ministerial circuit:

• Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency) Wayne Long delivers a fresh tranche of federal support to Saint John, N.B.’s Ocean Steel & Construction Ltd., which bills itself as “one of Canada’s most trusted contractors, fabricators, and erectors.” (10:30 a.m. ADT)
• Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon, whose portfolio also includes FedDev Ontario, teams up with Markham-area Liberal MPs Helena Jaczek, Michael Ma and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson, to unveil new financial backing for “economic development” throughout the region. (10:45 a.m.)
• International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu will outline the “next steps in Canada’s approach to trade diversification” during a mid-morning press conference in Brampton. (11 a.m.)
• Moving west to Vancouver, Veterans Affairs Minister Jill McKnight will provide an update on “international energy exports.” (8 a.m. PT) 
• Rounding out the roster, Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin will share the details of a new initiative aimed at boosting “northern energy affordability in the North” during a mid-morning appearance in Whitehorse alongside Yukon Liberal MP Brendan Hanley. (10 a.m. PT)

Also on the radar: Conservative MP Kelly McCauley served notice last week that, as chair of the GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND ESTIMATES committee, he would be convening a special mid-recess meeting to consider his party’s call for an “urgent investigation into the details of the Gordie Howe bridge deal,” as well as the “misinformation provided to Canadians about it,” to “allow the committee to get to the bottom of the matter,” as he explained in a posting to X last week. (1:30 p.m.)

With the government now holding a majority of seats around the reconfigured committee table, however, the Conservatives will need the support of at least one Liberal MP to secure the necessary support to proceed with their proposed probe into the agreement.

ON AND AROUND THE HILL

Communist Party leader Drew Garvie joins Communist Party of Quebec national secretary Adrien Welsh hit the West Block press theatre to promote their just-launched campaign against the “war economy” — and, more specifically, “the federal government’s proposed military spending increases” — and “present an agenda to re-direct military spending to address working people’s needs.” (3 p.m.)

IN THE CHAMBER

Both the House of Commons and the Senate have shut down for the summer, with regular parliamentary proceedings set to resume in September.

FRESH FROM iPOLITICS

FEATURED OPINION
Catherine Fortin Lefaivre To diversify trade, Canada must democratize exporting – iPolitics

HOT OFF THE WIRES

Committee highlights courtesy of our friends at iPoliticsINTEL.