Béland said the Liberals’ planned changes to the Labour Code could be controversial. On Saturday, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said upcoming legislation will help reduce the number of times the federal government has to intervene in strikes.

The Liberals head back to Parliament holding onto a slim majority. There are also three new MPs on the government benches, after the party swept three byelections by a wide margin on Aug. 31.

Carney’s former deputy chief of staff Braeden Caley won in North Vancouver-Capilano, and Tanveer Shahnawaz won in Beaches-East York.

Both of those were seats previously held by the Liberals, and the party also picked up a seat in Chicoutimi-Le Fjord with the victory of dairy farmer Daniel Gobeil. The riding was previously held by Conservative MP Richard Martel, who accepted a seat in the Senate this summer.

He’s one of a number of Conservative MPs who won’t be coming back as part of that caucus this fall. Cathay Wagantall and Larry Brock both resigned, while four other MPs, Chris d’Entremont, Michael Ma, Matt Jeneroux and Marilyn Gladu, crossed the floor from the Conservatives to the Liberals.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told his MPs at a caucus gathering in Penticton, B.C., that Canadians are struggling financially, and accused Carney of “secretly negotiating” with the EU.

“While we support free trade and continued NATO co-operation with our European allies, Conservatives say no EU taxes, no EU laws and no EU open border rules on immigration in Canada,” he said.

Conservatives also return to Ottawa after a summer of public infighting about the direction of the federal party, leading some strategists to publicly question Poilievre’s control of his caucus and discipline within the ranks.

Béland said it’s difficult for the Conservatives to score points against Carney when he is travelling and focusing on standing up to the Trump administration.

In the midst of a trade war and international tensions, “people tend to really rally behind the leader, in this case the prime minister,” he said.

“So the Conservatives are, I think, struggling right now.”

The NDP is heading back a seat shy as well, after longtime Quebec MP Alexandre Boulerice resigned his seat in August. That exit followed Nunavut MP Lori Idlout’s defection to the Liberals earlier this year.

New Democrats will be looking to make an impact with only five MPs in Parliament — a number that doesn’t include leader Avi Lewis. Lewis has said he won’t rush to run for a seat in the House of Commons, and that his focus instead will be to reach out to grassroots members and rebuild the party.

Béland said the NDP’s weak position is making it easier for Carney to propose ideas like having private investors take over operations at Canada’s four largest airports. He noted Carney has moved the Liberals more toward the centre-right of the political spectrum.

“This situation, normally, would be an opportunity for the NDP to shine,” he said.

But while the weakness from the left gives the Liberals more wiggle room, the Liberal government should be careful not to become overconfident and introduce measures Canadians oppose, Béland said.

“They are trying to put forward some proposals that could blow up in their face at some point,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2026.

— With files from Sarah Ritchie, David Baxter and Nick Murray in Ottawa and Kelly Geraldine Malone in Washington.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press